Chapter 8 - Not-so First Gym Battle

Wallace hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the monitor while rubbing his chin.

"I see," he said, "So this is what happened. While I don't condone what you just did… really, what were you thinking? Accepting such a barbaric challenge! But I can also see why your pokemon reacted with such vigor, especially considering your Milotic's temperament."

I nodded, acknowledging my teacher's reprimand.

"Well," I said, "I was quite worried about the aftermath. While the public seems to be on my side right now, it does not mean that there won't be some kind of backlash in the future. It was quite clear that both Eevee and Croconaw's trainer were some rich idiot coasting off the coattails of his family. I was afraid that they might start some kind of a smear campaign."

"I am quite aware of the fact," Wallace said stoically. "Don't worry too much about it, I shall be the one dealing with it for you. All that is required of you is to keep your head down for some time and wait for the heat to die down."

"Thanks for your help, Mr. Wallace!" I brightened after being reassured by Wallace.

"But!" he quickly cut in, "Do not interpret me asking you to lay low as permission to slack off during your training. I expect you to keep working hard, young man."

I smiled sheepishly at his demand.

"I know, I know," I said, with a hint of exasperation on my face, "Don't worry about it, teach. It's not like I have skipped even a day of training so far. Hell, even if I wanted to, my Pokemon wouldn't let me. You should have seen how competitive Milotic gets with Red around."

"I was expecting that behavior from your Milotic," Wallace hummed at my report, "Especially considering how aghast she looked upon seeing your second capture that day."

"Yeah," I said, "She got motivated to train after that. I think she doesn't want to lose the top dog spot in my team to Red."

"I need to emphasize that the team's harmony is very important, especially if you ever get surrounded by hordes of Pokemon in the wild," said Wallace in a serious expression. "Throughout my years as a Pokemon trainer, I've seen a lot of young trainers die due to dumb decisions. Dysfunctional teams only bring ruin to a Pokemon trainer, and I hope to not see history repeat itself with you this time. Which is why I needed to bring this topic up to you while she's still on her competitive streak."

"Encouraging a healthy competition between your Pokemon is fine. Encouraged, even. But I would also ask you to be more attentive to your Pokemon, especially Milotic. I have seen just how much she adores you, and how threatened she felt after seeing Red's enormous potential. Given these facts, your Milotic will need some more care until she no longer sees Red as a threat." finished Wallace, to which I nodded in response.

"I understand, Mr. Wallace." I nodded.

"Also I decided to ignore the league's first warning about you owning more Pokemon than you're supposed to," said Wallace while shrugging, taking a sip from his drink which I assumed to be a lemonade.

I looked at my teacher quizzically, wondering why he suddenly told me something like that. "A warning? Did I do something wrong by taking that guy's Pokemon, even if the Pokemon themselves are deliberately following me?"

"You did nothing wrong, my pupil. It's just a stupid rule where a newly established trainer without one badge could only hold up to a certain amount of Pokemon," explained Wallace in distaste, which caused me to raise an eyebrow.

"There's a rule like that?" I asked, wondering about that since I had never heard such a rule existed in the first place, even in the game and even the anime.

"Honestly? It is a stupid rule which shouldn't have existed to begin with. But it does because of a random spoiled rich brat from Sinnoh." Wallace spoke with a degree of annoyance while starting to tell me the story of the cause. "See, his parents bought him a lot of powerful Pokemon before he even started his journey. Well, the brat had no respect for his Pokemon, so they didn't respect him either."

I hummed in thought, already formulating possibilities about what happened with this spoiled brat. "I guess they didn't take it well and it became a pent-up frustration until the Pokemon couldn't take it anymore."

Wallace nodded, seemingly pleased with my quick-wittedness. "Yes, you're right. He couldn't take his Pokemon disrespecting him and, well, his Pokemon also couldn't take him as their master either. What happened next was obvious. They all revolted, almost destroying Hearthome city and killing a lot of people while attempting to escape. All the casualties led to an uproar among the people, and this led to the league instating a temporary ban on younger trainers holding more than two Pokemon to appease them and make sure that while the rich can still hand out rare and powerful Pokemon to their kids, the damage is at least limited compared to what it could be."

I raised my eyebrow at the small details that Wallace hadn't told me yet. "But Mr. Wallace, you said the ban is limited for anyone who hasn't got their first badge with just two Pokemon. Then how can I hold three Pokemon, not including Croconaw and Eevee that I got?"

"That's because you're supposed to report straight to me after getting your third Pokemon, where I can impose temporary ban-lifting, while you go to Brawly's gym to get your first badge," explained Wallace while giving me sharp eyes. "Getting two additional Pokemon, no matter the circumstances, wasn't part of the plan."

"I see…" I hummed in confirmation. "My apologies for causing you trouble from this, Mr. Wallace."

In response, Wallace just smiled at the monitor. "No need to apologize, the circumstances are because of the opposing party's fault. Also, you did the right thing by freeing Croconaw and Eevee."

I nodded, feeling proud of myself.

However, there was something that I was curious about, which promptly made me ask my teacher about it. "Speaking of which, what happened to that rich kid you told me before?"

"Well, he hasn't been seen since then," said Wallace nonchalantly. "Officially, he dies during the commotion, considering he was right next to those rampageous Pokemon. Money doesn't mean much in front of Hyper Beams. And even if he survived, he would have to be in hiding forever since the angry mobs would hunt him down, considering the number of victims, well... As for his Pokemon, some of them were bound to powerful and responsible trainers, while the rest were brought back to the wild, or in the worst case, needed to be put down."

"I guess his family also got involved as well, considering it took the lives of innocent people."

"They also got involved in that mess, all of their assets plummeted due to the backlash, some of their properties got vandalized by angry mobs, and they almost got themselves hunted by vengeful civilians as well. Thankfully the police department worked fast to secure them so they could get some protection. Ultimately, they got themselves on trial and by one of the most one-sided processes I have ever seen, and they got jailed for a decent amount of time." finished Wallace which made me wince for hearing their fate. Alas, it's still deserved, considering their ignorance ended up causing untold amounts of damage and the loss of lives.

"Unfortunately, such a thing happened in the past," I spoke while scratching my hair.

Wallace nodded, agreeing with my sentiments. "It was, but alas, it already happened and there's nothing we can do about it except learn from it and not make the same mistake. Speaking about your condition, I just finished with your temporary hold limit extender. Now you can hold up to five Pokemon as active, which includes your newest catches."

I nodded in appreciation.

"But," Wallace continued while giving me a stern look. "You need to get at least three badges in three months since the limit of temporary extender is only valid for about 90 days. If you fail to do so, then your Pokemon will be locked and there's nothing I can do about it anymore until you get the necessary amount of badges."

I nodded seriously at the looming problem.

Honestly, that circumstance is pretty acceptable considering the benefit I get from this temporary limit increase. I am truly grateful for Wallace who always helped me during any situation, and also sort of became my guardian who usually took care of my official report and such.

It feels like he sort of became my second father figure after my boss.

Of course, I wouldn't tell my boss about this, or else he would throw fits due to jealousy of his position being threatened.

"Alright, I already said everything I needed to tell you. Now go and get your first badge, Zale. Time is ticking on your part." ordered Wallace seriously.

I chuckled at his attempt to hasten my pace.

Sorry about this Wallace, but I would prefer to enjoy my trip in this world, since it was the experience of a lifetime, traveling in the vast world of Pokemon.

"Don't worry Mr. Wallace, I got it. Also, please tell Lisia I said hi." I said, much to Wallace's annoyance, but he just conceded since he had nothing left to say.

"Alright, I will deliver that to her. She missed you so much, so hearing the news about you probably would be a good thing to lift her mood. Try to call her more, you got your phone from her, use that to cheer her up." spoke Wallace passionately, something that I noticed.

Since my relationship with Lisia is a bit closer than before, he's kind of always like that whenever he is talking about her. It was hilarious, especially when Lisia sometimes joined the call and got embarrassed due to her uncle's antics.

But at the same time, I am not that stupid for not realizing what Wallace was trying to do.

"Alright, Mr. Wallace. I will call her later. I kinda miss her as well." I replied to him, to which Wallace nodded in appreciation.

With that, I ended the call, before sighing deeply. I owed Wallace this.

Pocketing my phone, I quickly walked outside, where my newest companion sat alone in the corner of the outdoor seat. Upon seeing me, Courtney immediately stood up to approach me, her deadpan eyes bore directly at me.

"... Are you done contacting your guardian..?" she asked with her typical flat tone. Similar to what I knew from the ORAS, except it was less robotic considering I am currently speaking directly to her.

I nodded at her, which earned a pleased hum from Courtney. "... Great, then we can go to your place now so I can observe this Alpha Gyarados of yours..?"

I think I kind of understand why many people are getting crept by her boldness. Combined with her choice of clothing and with a thick cap hiding most of her face, most people would think of her as a potential stalker or criminal.

Fortunately for her, I understood that her manner of speech was related to her personality, so I didn't mind.

"Unfortunately, we can't go back to my place yet," I told Courtney, which immediately got a sour expression from her.

"... Why? Is it because I was a bother..? Is it because of my manner..? If you want, I can do some quickies if that's what I need to pay... Or maybe you want to do it more with me..? I am sorry… I am just a loner virgin who hasn't experienced any sexual intercourse ye-"

"Okay, stop…!" I said while immediately shutting Courtney's mouth with my hand. Having enough of her bluntness without any filter at all. I sweatdropped when I noticed the stares I'd gotten from Courtney's unfiltered statements.

Dear Arceus, someone had to do something with this girl to filter her choice of words.

"Em qhuit conhibent wid m bressst sisz..."

… Never mind, it's gotta be me since I am practically the only one whom she had her attention on now.

"Alright that's enough," I said while stopping Courtney for the second time, putting my hand on her small shoulders to drag her away from the public's eyes. We were stopping on a rather secluded alley near Pokemon Center where I finally took my hand from her mouth. "Okay, listen here-"

"... I guess this is a good place to do it," spoke Courtney after looking around, before she did something that I was not expecting at all. Without any warning, she grabbed the zipper in her clothes, and quickly pulled it down, which revealed her enormous breast beneath that thick-layered white jacket. "Don't worry, There's nobody here, so you can use this as much as you please... According to my calculation, my size is large enough to please you… Though, this is the only thing I can do for you…. Since I spent all of my remaining money to get here..."

I stared incredulously at Courtney who was stripping her purple T-shirt.

"Please do enjoy your-"

Before my hand moved to deliver a swift karate chop on her head.

Courtney yelped in surprise and rubbed her head while giving me a questionable stare. "It hurts... Why did you hit me like that..?"

"Look, you can't just use your womanly charm to persuade someone like that!" I berated her while zipping her white jacket to partially cover her breasts which is quite large for someone her size. "And second, you didn't even let me finish explaining! I was about to ask you to follow me to Dewford gym to get my first badge before I went back home where you can do that later!"

"... Oh, I misinterpreted your intention, my apologies…" said Courtney as she immediately bowed down in nearly perfect ninety degrees. Something that I didn't want as I quickly ushered her to stand again.

"Please stop with that. I am not mad or anything, just let me finish my thing first then we can talk about your intention later!"

"... I understand, then I shall wait for your first fight…" nodded Courtney as she put her hat back, and also zipped her jacket back up fully to cover her rather enormous breasts.

I am not staring, definitely not marveling at how a girl with a small figure like her could have such humongous assets hidden beneath those thick clothes.

Jiggle.

… Okay, maybe I'm staring a little bit too much, considering Milotic's Pokeball just gave a violent shake as if she knew what was going on inside my head.

I swear. One way or another, this girl is a psychic type in disguise.

Maybe Milotic's hidden type is a psychic, considering how she always manages to keep guessing what's on my mind.

I took a deep breath.

'Calm yourself, Zale. Now is not the time to lose control of your temper. Also, remember who the girl beside you is…' I mentally said to myself, unconsciously staring at Courtney who was shorter than me.

The girl on topic also stared back by raising her head to match my gaze without uttering any words.

'I still can't believe that someone who was previously known to be one of the most dangerous members of team Magma to be this much of an airhead.' I shook my head in disbelief while deciding to focus on my task of getting my first badge.

"Let's go, the sooner we arrive at Dewford Gym, the better."

"... Okay…" Courtney just nodded as she followed me while grabbing the fabric on my clothes.

'It feels like taking a child to an amusement park…' I inwardly thought and decided to not comment about it out loud as I then brought Courtney to the parking lot where I grabbed my bike while instructing her to sit behind.

Fortunately, due to her size, I had little problem dealing with any extra weight, as I simply slammed the pedals which took the bicycle through the streets of Dewford City.

It didn't take me long enough to finally reach the Dewford Gym, as I dropped Courtney from the passenger seat after requiring a little bit of extra help.

"... So, this is the place…?" Courtney mumbled while looking upward at the building with a blank expression.

I nodded at her question. "Yeah. Now what I need to do is report on the gym's reception, then wait in the queue for my turn to do the gym challenge."

"... Sounds like a bit of a hassle…" Courtney commented offhandedly with a huf.

"Don't be rude Courtney, it's the rules here," I reprimanded her, but to no avail, as she just looked at me with her usual blank stare.

"... Just stating the facts."

"I guess you do," I sweatdropped with her nonchalant attitude but decided to drop it since I needed to focus on the upcoming gym battle. "Never mind, let's go. The sooner I register myself, the faster I can get my turn."

Courtney nodded, as both of us strolled right into the reservation table, which was located right in the middle of the building.

If I could describe it, this building was a combination of an actual gym with workout equipment located right in the inner section where most people are working out alongside their Pokemon.

While most of the Pokemon were fighting types, several other types worked alongside their trainers in their unique way, for example when I saw a young Treecko currently running on a treadmill, or a Bulbasaur that was doing weight training with its whips to continuously lift barbels.

Heck, I even saw a bizarre scene where a freaking Serperior was doing running training on a treadmill.

"Oh, are you new here? Are you looking to join our Gym? I can help you with the registration if you want!"

I turned my attention towards the speaker, spotting a familiar spiky blue-haired, muscular man wearing a simple black t-shirt with orange motifs, and knee-length blue training pants, who greeted me while bringing a surfing board with an energetic tone on his greeting.

Courtney immediately went behind my back, while stealing a sneak peek behind me.

I guess she's not a people person, considering she was constantly on edge during our previous stroll before.

I immediately replied to him, already knowing who he was. "Not really, Mr. Brawly. I want to do a Gym challenge if that's possible for today."

"Oh? A Gym challenge?" Brawly said while rubbing his chin before a look of recognition appeared on his face. "Oh, wait! Are you Zale by chance?"

"You know me?"

"Hah! No one here that didn't know you, Mr.-Sensation-of-our-town!" Laughed Brawly as he approached me while clapping my shoulder with a huge smile on his face. "You're the most talked about man ever for weeks here! Ever since the news about you owning a Milotic came in here from one of our regulars, our town has flourished with many tourists, and it is also increasing the number of people who try our gym, or simply do a gym challenge!"

I just shrugged off that, already having heard about it from the locals in the shop. "Well, it's happened, glad to help you, Mr. Brawly.

Brawly just laughed even harder while clapping my shoulder repeatedly. "It's really funny when you're the star of our city's sudden rise in popularity, but you're just being nonchalant about it!"

I smiled in response. "Not really my thing. Also, I would rather train with my Pokemon than deal with my sudden popularity."

"And being modest as well! Wallace had a good apprentice! It makes me a bit jealous of him!"

"Well, aside from that, can I do any gym challenge now? If that's not a problem." I shrugged, while quickly returning to the topic, considering that I still have to deal with Courtney after this.

Looking at her, she had buried her body behind me, which was honestly adorable.

But to my utter confusion, Brawly just looked at me with a sheepish smile, while scratching his hair. "Well, it's not like I have a problem with that, or with any other available gym trainer… It's just that, how do I explain it… Need to think of the exact word… Aha! You're overqualified!"

"Overqualified?" I repeated Brawly in response, unsure what to think about his description of me.

"Yeah," replied Brawly as he straightened his posture. "The rule about the first gym is that all of the gym trainers, including the gym leader, must use any minimum requirement with a maximum of two first-stage evolution Pokemon during the battle. But the thing about you is that you're just overqualified for this requirement, which is probably gonna be an easy battle for you, especially since you already have that Milotic which was trained by Wallace's Milotic, not to mention that Alpha Gyarados of yours."

"But I just got a new Pokemon with me, can I just use them during this battle?" I asked Brawly after hearing his explanation. But to my disappointment, he just shook his head.

"Not, while you have that temporary license of yours, which I was informed about earlier by Wallace, it's not a Pokemon that is eligible for this gym battle." Informed Brawly, which made me click my tongue in dismay. "But if you want, you could do a gym challenge with me, but I will change the rules of this fight."

This got me interested in this supposed rule change that he mentioned. "What kind of rule change?"

"In exchange for making this battle one versus one, I will use a Pokemon from my main team."

Now this was a sudden turn of events that I did not expect.

I think from the way Courtney's hands were twitching briefly while she held my back, it could be said that she also didn't expect this as well.

"Well, what do you think about it? I am also fine if you're refusing it and choose to take a normal challenge instead." Brawly offered kindly, seeing my hesitation.

But I immediately shook my head, while staring directly at Brawly's sky-blue eyes. "No, I am fine with this. I will take it."

This caused whispers to spread among the other people who had been hearing the conversation from the beginning, as the crowd was stirring at the prospect of an unusual battle.

Brawly in response were nodding in feral grins. "Excellent response lad! Meet me in the stadium one after this, I need to go get my Pokemon ready for his battle against you!"

With that, he quickly left the main hall.

And as soon as he left, the crowds in the gym exploded with excitement.

"Holy shit! Did you guys hear that!?"

"Gym Leader is gonna fight Zale with one of his main Pokemon! Arceus damn!"

"This is not gonna be the same as the previous fight with Zale when he swept that arrogant loser! This is the real deal!"

"I gotta stream the fight! The internet is gonna enjoy this!"

Amidst the high anticipation from the crowds, I felt a slight tug from behind me, where I then looked at fuming Courtney as she gave me a dirty look while puffing her cheeks. "... You said it will be a quick fight… Not when you caused another uproar by accepting the Gym Leader's challenge… I want my Alpha analysis… Gimme the Alpha Gyarados…"

I swear I need to keep myself from outright smuggling her.

She's just too adorable.

-To Be Continued-

Beta Readers: Axe. Gerald of Revea, ReavesTheReader

[Spoiler=AN]

Author note: Another update for Dripping. Nothing much except the aftermath of the fight with the arrogant trainer. Also, I've read your guys' concern about the context in the previous chapter, which I will take note of. Though, people like him exist in Pokemon, just with less colorful words and with more profanity, lol

Anyway, see you in the next update.
Also, I did a small edit about Gyarados' weight, hope you guys are okay with it.

Milotic

Gender: Female
Type: Water
Height/Length: 8.8 M
Weight: 220.4 Kg
Ability: Marvel Scale
Move: Rain Dance, Aqua Ring, Toxic, Life Dew, Dragon Dance, Protect, Disarming Voice, Ice Beam, Water Pulse, Surf, Mist (Egg move)

[Red] Gyarados (Alpha/Shiny)

Gender: Male
Type: Water/Flying
Nature: Calm
Height/Length: 30 M
Weight: 15.680 Kg
Ability: Moxie
Moves: Rain Dance, Rest, Tackle, Waterfall, Fly, Bite, Flamethrower, Water Pulse [New], Ice Beam [New], Protect [New], Dragon Dance