Hey readers - here we are, another new chapter and with it marks the end of not only another episode, by my third original one overall : )
I've got to say, it's kind of a relief to be returning to the canonical timeline for a while as of the next chapter. These original episode are a lot of fun, but they're also a lot of work. Worth it though since it means I get to keep putting my OC in different situations, which in turn fleshes out the character : )
But enough about that. Instead, let's move on to the result of the last voting topic. This has actually been the closest vote this story has ever had. Up until just three hours ago, this was a three way tie again. But, with one last-minute review, the tie was successfully broken this time, and the winner of the latest Encounter Vote was... Butterfree!
Honestly, I really do think that this might just be the universe compensating me for my disappointment from the last result. I'M THRILLED BY THIS ONE! Honestly, I've been hoping for a Butterfree for ages now. Not only is it an incredibly nostalgic Pokemon to use on my team, but Nolan having a Butterfree is also going to be phenomenally helpful in avoiding a potential plot hole I was heading towards based on what I'd written in the past. Being able to give Nolan one means that I can take this story in the direction I want it to go without having to alter any of that, which needless to say I'm very, very pleased about. The fact that I didn't have to use up two evolutions getting it from a Caterpie is a pretty nice bonus too : ) In fact, the only drawback that I can think of is the fact that Nolan now has a lot of Kanto Pokemon, so it would have been nice to give him another Johto one, but I suppose I can't have everything. There's still plenty more encounters to go though, so we should see that changing very soon ; )
Anyway, beyond that I just want to say a MASSIVE 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 6
Being alive was wonderful.
That was the one, singular thought that kept spinning through Nolan's rather frazzled brain in the moments that followed their unlikely survival. He was alive. Meadow was alive. Their new friend Jigglypuff was alive. Against all the odds stacked against them, all three of them had made it.
It was almost overwhelming.
Once the miracle that they had just witnessed had really sunk in with the golden haired boy, Nolan had been all-but ready to throw himself on the ground and worship the adorable little pink creature that had become their saviour. He had barely managed to stammer out two words of gratitude however, before Jigglypuff was waving him off. Instead, the Balloon Pokemon simply snatched up the flashlight that it had dropped during all the commotion, pressed it back into Nolan's quivering hand, before it nudged him and pointed towards the speck of light in the distance. The exit. The outside world. Somewhere other than this terrible warren where he'd come seconds away from losing his life.
Nolan didn't need telling twice.
Understanding Jigglypuff's desire to get away from here before any of the Golem, Graveler or Golbat could awaken from their induced slumber, the golden haired boy quickly gathered an exhausted Meadow up into his arms again and cuddled her close. He then stood up and made a hasty retreat, desperate to get out of this wretched place now.
Walking towards the growing dot of light, Nolan paused at the tunnel's mouth, squinting against the blinding sunlight that poured over him like a waterfall of warmth and hope. He emerged, breathless and trembling, as his heart raced to the rhythm of survival. Cradled in his arms was Meadow, his faithful partner, who had fought valiantly alongside him only moments before. Jigglypuff was at his side, all three of them grateful to still be here. The cave's darkness still clung to Nolan's thoughts, where the echo of wild Pokemon screeches and the rumble of crumbling rock played like a haunting melody in his mind. The memory of that near-fatal encounter sent shivers down his spine, but as he looked down at Meadow - her ruby eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and determination - he felt another strong surge of gratitude. The trio had escaped the jaws of danger together, and now the sprawling hillside before them seemed to pulse with life, a stark contrast to the claustrophobic shadows of the cave.
Wildflowers danced in the gentle breeze, their colours vibrant against the soft blue sky, and the world felt impossibly vast after their harrowing ordeal. Nolan's body was sore, but his spirit was ignited by the intoxicating scent of fresh air and blooming flora.
"Meadow... we made it..." he whispered, feeling a rush of affection for his partner. The small Bulbasaur just nestled closer, her gentle breaths reassuring him that they were indeed safe, together.
In this moment, fleeting yet profound, sparked a determination inside Nolan.
They would not only survive. They would thrive in the grand adventure that awaited them beyond the hilltop. With a renewed sense of purpose, Nolan set his gaze toward the horizon, where unknown paths beckoned and the promise of new challenges lay ahead. Nolan could barely wait to get started.
"Wow…" Nolan couldn't help but awe at the beautiful landscape stretching out before them. He'd given up hope on ever seeing a sight like this away, "I've never been so happy to see the sun before".
"Saur..."
"Jigglypuff..."
The two Pokemon accompanying the golden haired boy seemed just as appreciative as Nolan himself felt to be able to take in a view like this again.
"I have to admit..." the golden haired boy began slowly, his gentle voice drawing the attention of the two creatures surrounding him, "There was a minute there when I didn't think we were gonna make it out of that place".
"Bulba!"
"Jiggly!"
In almost perfect synchronization, both Meadow from his arms and Jigglypuff by his side began to nuzzle against Nolan, their soft touch comforting him. He chuckled softly.
"You guys are right" the young Pokemon trainer admitted, his handsome features steadily growing into a wide smile, "We're all okay now, and that's what's important".
"Bulbasaur!"
"Jigglypuff!"
The excited chirp from the adorable little pink creature in particular reminded Nolan of the fact that he had yet to properly thank the Pokemon that had saved them all. As such, the golden haired boy knelt down and gently placed Meadow on the ground in the lush grass.
He then pulled the Balloon Pokemon into his arms and gave it a long, tight hug.
"Jigglypuff... I can't thank you enough for saving us back there" Nolan whispered to Jigglypuff, his tone weak with relief and his expression full of the utmost gratitude. "Those wild Pokemon… I don't know what we would have done without your Sing attack..."
"Puff! Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff squeaked happily, its eyes sparkling.
Nolan couldn't help but laugh at the adorable little pink creature's enthusiasm now that they were all safe. He squeezed it a little tighter for a moment, before he pulled back so he could properly address the Pokemon in his lap.
"You know Jigglypuff, we make a pretty amazing team" the golden haired boy positively beamed at the Balloon Pokemon.
"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff nuzzled against Nolan affectionately again, seeming to agree.
It was then that Nolan remembered that he had yet to hear Jigglypuff's decision regarding his proposal. As such, a serious gleam appeared in his eye as he decided to address that.
"I'm honestly not trying to pressure you, Jigglypuff..." the golden haired boy began cautiously, slowly testing the waters so that he didn't spook the little pink creature and put it off, "But I was wondering... have you given my offer any thought? I really think you'd be an amazing fit for my little Pokemon family".
Jigglypuff didn't even have to think about it this time around.
"Puff! Puff! Jigglypuff!" the adorable little pink Pokemon squealed happily and bobbed its whole body enthusiastically.
"What have you decided then?" Nolan asked with baited breath, hoping against hope that the answer would be yes.
Jigglypuff, overcome with excitement, practical tackled Nolan into another fierce hug, wrapping its tiny paws around him as tight as it possibly could.
It didn't take a genius to work out what decision the Balloon Pokemon had arrived at.
"Oh Jigglypuff..." Nolan was almost overcome with emotion at the fact that he wouldn't have to say goodbye to his newest friend, and he returned the hug tightly, "I'm so happy you've decided to join us! I promise, you won't regret it!"
"JIGGLY!"
The two new friends hugged for several more moments, Meadow smiling at them from off to the side. When they eventually pulled out of the embrace, Nolan beamed down at Jigglypuff, his eyes shining with pure and unadulterated joy.
"So, are you ready to make it official, Jigglypuff?" Nolan asked the newest addition to his ever-growing family playfully.
"JIGGLYPUFF!"
If at all possible, the adorable little pink creature's excitement only seemed to be growing. Jigglypuff continued squeaking excitedly, bobbing its entire body eagerly in what could only be construed as an affirmative.
Grinning, Nolan wasted no time in plucking the remaining empty pokeball off of his belt. He'd have to start using the extras he carried in his backpack soon, the ones he'd bought just days before he'd set off on his Pokemon Journey. His fingers trembling with barely restrained excitement, the golden haired boy sent the red and white sphere spinning high up into the air.
"Okay… pokeball, go!" he exclaimed happily.
As the capsule device slowly descended back down towards them, its cool metal surface connected with the soft pink fur of Jigglypuff. With a soft snap, the metal orb split open and pulled the Balloon Pokemon inside in a haze of crimson coloured light, its gentle weight disappearing from Nolan's lap.
The red and white sphere didn't shake even once before the capture was successful.
"ALRIGHT!" the golden haired boy cheered with joy, grinning from ear to ear as he picked up the pokeball and held it lovingly to his chest, "I DID IT! I CAUGHT A JIGGLYPUFF!"
"BULBASAUR!"
Even though she was still utterly exhausted, Meadow still let out a cheerful chirp, clearly very happy about what this meant for Nolan and their little Pokemon family. Positively giddy in his own excitement, the golden haired boy gave his Grass Type Pokemon partner a brief hug, before he quickly returned his attention to the newly occupied capsule in his grasp.
"Okay, come on out!" Nolan cheered, quickly releasing Jigglypuff from the confines of the pokeball again.
Jigglypuff rematerialized before them, now legally Nolan's Pokemon. Grinning, the golden haired boy wasted no time in pulling the adorable little pink creature into another tight hug. It was well received and happily returned.
"Welcome to the family, Jigglypuff" he whispered softly, already so in love with his newest addition.
"Jiggly" Jigglypuff hugged him back, equally happy. It was clear that it had found somewhere it would belong, something it had always struggled with whilst living at the warren. It cuddled closer to its new trainer, feeling a warm sense of home washing over it.
It felt perfect.
Eventually the two of them pulled apart, begrudging though the action was. Nolan smiled warmly down at his new Jigglypuff.
"Okay, first thing's first" the golden haired boy knew what step needed to be taken next if he wanted to give his newest family member the very best care possible, "Would you mind if I scanned you with my pokedex, Jigglypuff?"
"Puff?" Jigglypuff blinked up at him, a hint of confusion dancing in its eyes.
Nolan smiled and petted the Balloon Pokemon reassuringly.
"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing" the golden haired boy was quick to assure the adorable little pink creature sitting in his lap, "It's just so I can get a little more information about you, so I can take the very best care of you that I can".
Feeling reassured by the gentle explanation, Jigglypuff gave its consent.
Beaming, Nolan eagerly fished his pokedex out of his back pocket. He held it out in front of his body and activated the scan that he was steadily growing more accustomed to performing in situations such as this. He quickly read through the information that was brought up regarding his new friend.
"Wow, you know a lot of moves!" the golden haired boy let out a low whistle, obviously impressed, "Sing, Defence Curl, Pound, Disable, Rollout, and Double Slap. You must have worked really hard to learn all of that by yourself".
"Jiggly!" the adorable little pink creature preened under the praise.
"And… it seems you're a female" Nolan nodded as he continued reading, knowing that it was important to know that, especially if his newest teammate wanted a name of its... her... own, "That's certainly useful to know".
Smiling in satisfaction for now, Nolan flipped his pokedex shut and put it away again. He then made himself comfortable as he sat down on the soft ground, facing Jigglypuff.
"So Jigglypuff..." the golden haired boy flashed her a playful grin, "Would you like your own name?"
The question was met with an air of bewilderment.
"Jiggly?" Jigglypuff tilted her whole body to the side slightly. She looked a little confused again. Nolan smiled down at her understandingly and patiently began to explain.
"You see Jigglypuff, every single member of my little Pokemon family has their own unique name" the golden haired boy said, gently petting the bulb on Meadow's back as a means of providing his new friend with a visual example, "It's a way to show how special they are, and cementing the bond between all of us. And since you're now a part of our family, you deserve one too".
Once his words had properly sunk in, the Balloon Pokemon's eyes it up in excitement.
"JIGGLYPUFF!" the adorable little pink creature squeaked happily, enthusiastically bobbing its body in what Nolan was quickly coming to recognise as a nod.
Nolan beamed at her.
"Wonderful!" the golden haired boy clapped his hands together, matching her enthusiasm par for par, "Then let's get started!"
And so whilst Meadow rested and recovered her strength by absorbing the bright sunlight, Nolan and Jigglypuff settled down, ready to embark on a fun journey of choosing the perfect name for Nolan's newest family member. It quickly became apparent that it was going to be anything but easy however, and half an hour into the process, Nolan was coming to realise that his newest family member was a little bit picky. Still, that was understandable. She would be living with it for a long time after all.
Nolan could respect that she wanted to take her time to get it just right.
At the very least, they seemed to have narrowed the topic of Jigglypuff's new name down to two distinct subjects; balloons and music. The former because of her classification and the latter because of her remarkable singing abilities. Nolan would be the first to admit that he'd had to get rather creative with names pertaining to balloons, but he was impressed by what he'd come up with.
Buoya from the word buoyancy, Diri from dirigible, Heliu from the element Helium, and Montigo.
That last one came from Montgolfier balloons, the standard type of Hot-air balloon that everybody always envisioned. Nolan only knew that because he'd read an article about them once and remembered the term. The golden haired boy had been quite pleased and impressed by his own creativity in coming up with those selection of balloon-based names.
Jigglypuff on the other hand, had not.
Sadly, all of Nolan's cleverly devised names had gone down like a lead balloon, with the adorable little pink creature rejecting each and every one of them. In the end, the golden haired boy subconsciously made the mental decision to park that idea for the moment, and instead focused his efforts on suggesting musically themed names instead. Names like Melody and Rhythmi were cast aside after due consideration, and the more usual name Note was met with the same fate. Just when they were about to give up, Nolan finally uttered a name, almost a full hour after they'd started the process, that resonated.
"How about... Lyric?" the golden haired boy suggested as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
The effect was almost instantaneous.
"Jiggly! Jigglypuff!" the adorable little pink creature let out a soft gasp, her eyes positively sparkling as she began hopping up and down in excitement. It didn't take a genius to work out that her new name had finally been decided.
"Lyric it is then!" Nolan cheered, mentally wiping his brow with relief, whilst the pink little pink creature bounced around in happiness, "Welcome to the team, Lyric".
Jigglypuff, or rather the newly-christened Lyric, giggled appreciatively.
"Well, now that that's settled, I think it's probably time we start trying to find everyone else" the golden haired boy suggested as he stood up and brushed himself off, "They must be worried sick about us, given how the way we left them behind".
But no sooner had the words parted ways with his lips did the very people he was talking about showed up.
"NNNOOOLLLAAANNN!" someone called out, the familiar voice echoing across the hillside and out into the forest, heavy with concern in tone, "HEY! NOLAN! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"YELL IF YOU CAN HEAR US NOLAN!" a slightly deeper voice, one belonging to a teenager, shouted as well.
"NOLAN! MEADOW!" a third added, this one distinctly female.
The smile that grew across Nolan's face threatening to outshine the sun.
"GUYS! HEY YOU GUYS! HEY!" Nolan yelled back in answer to the distinct voices of his three worried friends, wanting to reassure them that he was alive and well, close though the day might have been, "WE'RE ALL OKAY! WE'RE OVER HERE!"
Moments later, the concerned faces of Ash, Misty and Brock came into view, all of them running up the hillside towards him.
"Nolan!" Ash beamed at his golden haired best friend, his russet coloured eyes wide with relief, "You're okay!"
"Thank goodness!" Misty smiled as the group reached him, all of them happy to be back together again, "We were really worried about you!"
"Yeah" Brock agreed softly, before his stoic features hardened into a look of stern disapproval, "What on Earth were you thinking of, jumping onto the net like that?! You could have fallen off and gotten seriously hurt!"
Nolan smiled. Whilst he understood the reason behind the concern, he wasn't about to feel guilty about his decision.
"I was thinking that I wasn't going to just stand by whilst Team Rocket dragged an innocent Pokemon into a life of crime" the golden haired boy said with a pleasant but unyielding grin, "Especially considering that the Pokemon in question has just become the newest official member of my Pokemon family!"
"Newest..." Ash slowly began to repeat what his best friend had just said, cutting himself as realisation dawned, "Wait a minute! You actually did it?! You really caught the Jigglypuff?!"
The golden haired boy practically glowed with happiness as he nodded.
"I sure did!" Nolan smiled around his friends cheerfully, kneeling down and scooping the adorable little pink creature into his arms. He then turned back to the others and held her out for them all to see, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lyric. Lyric, this is Ash, Misty, Brock, and Ash's partner Pokemon Pikachu. Say hello!"
"Jigglypuff!" Lyric squeaked happily in greeting from his arms.
Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu all smiled at how cute the adorable little pink creature in Nolan's arms was, before the all refocused their attention back onto the golden haired boy himself. The smiles on their faces were sincere, genuinely pleased for them both.
"Congratulations Nolan!" Ash beamed at his best friend.
"Yeah, good job" Misty praised as well.
"And hey! This means that you now have a full team of six Pokemon with you!" Brock grinned, the realisation suddenly coming to the aspiring Pokemon breeder, "The first of any of us to reach that milestone! Well done!"
Nolan ducked his head modestly at all of the praise his friends were bestowing on him.
"Yeah. Me and my Pokemon saved her from Team Rocket, and then she turned around and saved me and Meadow" Nolan said cheerfully, but when he caught the somewhat bewildered expressions clouding his friends' faces at that last statement, the boy casually waved his hand, "It a long story. I'll tell you guys all about it on the way back down this hill".
"You're right" Brock said sagely, "We've all gotten pretty side-tracked today. We should start moving again if we want to keep up our progress".
"Okay" Ash bobbed his raven haired head enthusiastically in agreement.
"Vermillion City, here we come!" Misty cheered happily, eager as ever to finally reach the coastal settlement that they had spent the last few weeks endeavouring to get to.
The quartet of young travelling Pokemon trainers, along with the three Pokemon currently outside of their respective pokeballs, all turned on the spot in unison and began walking away. Nolan in particular was happy to get away from this place, considering what he, Meadow and the newly-christened Lyric had all gone through here. The group had barely taken five steps down the steep sloping edge of the hill however, when a new voice suddenly entered their conversation, and it was anything but happy.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, YOU STUPID, IDIOTIC LITTLE BRAT!"
The words were screamed with such vicious ferocity that Nolan and his friends literally couldn't help but freeze on the spot. Thoroughly caught off guard and taken aback, the golden haired boy nervously glanced back over his shoulder. For one wild moment in which rationality went out the window, he was almost expecting to see Golem and its gang back there. What he saw instead however had his handsome features contorting into a highly irritated scowl of sheer annoyance.
Of course, getting away couldn't be that simple.
Standing there slightly further up the hillside, her glossy hair fluttering in the gentle summer breeze, her inky black dress a stark contrast against the sunny backdrop, and flanked on either side by two Pokemon of her own, stood the very person responsible for setting all of the day's events in motion.
The rude girl.
And she was positively seething.
Nolan huffed in obvious annoyance, rolling his icy blue eyes skyward, silently asking for strength. He had hoped that they'd seen the last of this particularly unpleasant Pokemon trainer. Clearly she had other ideas. Thoroughly unimpressed by her dramatic entrance, the golden haired boy watched with a bored expression as she came storming over.
"Well if it isn't Sleeping Beauty herself!" Nolan drawled sarcastically, enjoying the way the girl fumed at his teasing, "I see your little nap did nothing to improve your manners. What can we do you for?"
Behind him, Ash, Misty and Brock all exchanged nervous glances. They could just tell that this was going to escalate.
"YOU CAN GIVE ME WHAT RIGHTLY BELONGS TO ME!" the incensed rude girl, crimson in the face by this point, screamed so loudly that a couple of nesting Spearow down in the forest below were spooked right out of their tree. The golden haired boy only infuriated her more by throwing the girl another disinterested look.
"And that would be?" Nolan asked sarcastically, able to guess what was coming next.
"MY JIGGLYPUFF OF COURSE!" the rude girl screeched like a banshee, growing louder which each angry word that passed her lip "I SEE YOU STILL HAVE IT WITH YOU! WELL I'M CLAIMING IT AS MY OWN, SO FORK IT OVER RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"
Nolan couldn't help but gape at her incredulously. Never before in his ten years of life had he come across somebody quite so self entitled.
"Well let me think about that for a moment" the golden haired boy responded in the only way he knew how. Being sassy. He drummed his fingertips against his chin in a mocking, faux-thoughtful manner, "Errrrr... no".
It was a wonder the girl didn't have a stroke, she was getting so apoplectic.
"THAT WASN'T A REQUEST, IDIOT!" she snapped, still spraying spittle everywhere as she continues bellowing at Nolan, "YOU'RE ALREADY PUSHING YOUR LUCK AS IT IS KID! YOU DON'T WANT TO PUSH ME MUCH FURTHER!"
"Oh I'm shaking in my boots" Nolan rolled her eyes at her dramatics.
"GIVE. ME. MY. JIGGLYPUFF. NOW" the rude girl began breathing like an angry Tauros that was preparing itself to charge. Unfazed, Nolan just rolled his eyes again, which only served to aggravate her further.
"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid that the only Jigglypuff that I know of is now part of my team" the golden haired boy quipped, grinning smugly in the face of the rude girl's growing anger, "You know, after I befriended her and she choose to join me. I believe you know Lyric?"
"Jiggly..." Lyric squeaked nervously from behind him.
Veins began popping angrily in the girl's slender neck and forehead. Honestly, the sight was almost amusing as opposed to intimidating.
"You... you... you dared give a name... to my Pokemon?!" the rude girl actually seemed to be having trouble speaking, she was literally fuming so hard.
Nolan dropped his sarcastic outlook and gave the girl a look that was very cold indeed.
"Did I not make it clear enough for your tiny mind to comprehend?" the golden haired boy snapped back, his own level of rudeness rising to match her own, "Lyric is not your Pokemon. She is a part of my Pokemon family now, so I suggest you yet used to that".
The girl seemed to lose her mind entirely, her rage was so overwhelming.
"IF... IF YOU... DON'T HAND... HAND MY JIGGLYPUFF... OVER RIGHT... RIGHT NOW... I'LL... I'LL TAKE IT!" the rude girl threatened, grinding her teeth together so hard it was a miracle that they hadn't all crumbled into dust yet.
"Try it!" Nolan spat back, seriously struggling to keep his patience now.
"OH I WILL!" the rude girl promised so vengefully that the golden haired boy opposing her had no trouble believing it, "WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TWO ON TWO MATCH RIGHT NOW, AND WHEN I CRUSH YOU LIKE THE LITTLE BUG TYPE YOU ARE, YOU'RE GONNA HAND OVER MY JIGGLYPUFF! GOT IT?!"
"Jiggly! Jigglypuff!" Lyric squeaked, clearly frightened now.
After everything they had been through together today, Lyric already felt a very strong bond with her new trainer, as well as her fellow Pokemon teammates. She didn't want to be taken away from Nolan, especially not by someone as mean as this human clearly was.
"Now hold on just a minute" Brock, ever the peace-maker, chimed into the argument before it could escalate any further, "Why should Nolan have to battle you just to keep his own Pokemon?"
"That's right!" Misty rushed to defend her golden haired friend as well, "He caught Lyric fair and square, so you have absolutely no claim to her!"
"Yeah!" Ash huffed in agreement, glaring daggers at the girl that was threatening his best friend, "So you need to just back off and leave us all alone!"
The rude girl did not appreciate their attempts to reason with her.
"JUST KEEP OUT OF THIS YOU LOSERS!" she barked at all three of them, once again showing just how little manners she really had, "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF YOU! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND THE LITTLE IDIOT THAT DOESN'T KNOW JUST HOW STUPID IT IS TO CROSS ME!"
And with that the rude girl dismissed Nolan's friends entirely, and turned back to face the golden haired boy himself. He gave her a look of utter distain.
"I'm not going to battle you with Lyric as the prize" he told her simply. There was no anger or disgust in his tone. He was merely stating a fact, "Quite frankly she deserves better, and I won't objectify her like that".
He then disregarded the seething trainer before him, and turned his attention back to his friends.
"Come on you guys" he said, waving the other human on ahead of him whilst also signalling to Meadow and Lyric that they were leaving, completely ignoring the anger brewing in the girl behind him, "I think we're done here".
They started to walk away again.
Unfortunately, some people in the world just didn't know when to let things lie, and sadly, the rude girl just so happened to be one of them.
"You really think you can just waltz off with my Jigglypuff and I'll let you go that easily?" the girl hissed through her teeth, somehow managing to stop screaming in favour of lowering her voice to a dangerous whisper. It was somehow even worse, "We're battling right now, kid! Two-on-two! You lose when neither or your Pokemon can battle anymore".
She turned to look down at Queenie.
"Queenie, get in there!" the rude girl demanded with a dramatic flourish, "And if that little loser still refuses to stop and obey me, feel free to hit him with any one of your attacks".
Rolling her eyes in obvious irritation, Queenie begrudging obeyed and stepped forwards with a sigh.
Up ahead of them, Nolan growled in sheer frustration. This girl was like a Arcanine with a bone, and he had a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to leave him and his friends alone. Not unless he made her. For a fleeting moment, he was half-tempted to have Iris knock her out with her Sleep Powder again, but he ultimately decided against that. Twice in one day seemed cruel after all. So grimacing, Nolan stopped in his tracks and turned to the rude girl, a dark frown on his handsome features.
"Urgh! Fine!" the golden haired boy clenched his teeth in frustration, highly displeased at being strong-armed into this, "If battling you is what it'll take to make you leave me alone, then a battle you shall get. But I warn you, you're not taking my Jigglypuff away from me. Not even if you win. Lyric's family now".
"Jiggly..." from her spot next to Meadow and Pikachu, Lyric looked deeply touched by those words and the fact that her new human was willing to defend her so vehemently.
Not bothering to wait for a response from the particularly unpleasant female trainer, Nolan reached down to his belt and unclipped one of the pokeballs hanging there. He tossed it high into the air.
"Okay Xanthite! You're up first!" the golden haired boy exclaimed.
The red and white sphere snapped open, and in a burst of crimson coloured light, the familiar rocky form of Xanthite materialised on the hillside. She glanced around curiously before she caught sight of Queenie the Nidoran and sighed. It would appear she was about to battle. Xanthite frowned. Battling really wasn't her thing.
"Xanthite, this girl thinks she has the right to take Lyric away from us!" Nolan called out to his beloved Rock Type Pokemon.
"Jigglypuff!" Lyric squeaked nervously in response to Nolan's words.
Xanthite, thanks to her usual kind, caring and nurturing demeanour, glared fiercely at the rude girl and Queenie with a newfound fury. Behind her, Nolan smiled. Call it a small manipulation on his part, but he'd had a feeling that telling Xanthite that would ignite her battle spirit. She was very protective over there little family after all, members all and new. She wouldn't stand for one of them being threatened in such a way.
"GEO!" the Geodude rumbled loudly, her tone and expression both very angry. It was clear that she wasn't going to let Lyric be taken away with a long, hard fight.
Across the hillside, the rude girl looked deeply unimpressed.
"Listen, you little brat" she snarled nastily, not liking the insinuation that she could ever be the one in the wrong, "In case you've forgotten, I wanted that Jigglypuff first! You stole that opportunity away from me!"
Nolan scoffed and rolled his eyes. Before he had a chance to retort however, the rude girl continued her tirade against him.
"I told you not to go near any of the Jigglypuff in this forest, and you chose to ignore me, so it's only fair you face the consequences" the unpleasant female Pokemon trainer spat, once again showing just how truly self entitled she was at heart, "Now, I'm taking what's rightfully mine".
This time Nolan honestly couldn't help himself. He threw back his head and laughed. Not his usual pleasant one either, but one that was harsh and cold.
"Do you actually hear yourself?" the golden haired boy asked his soon to be opponent, a note of incredulousness in his tone, "Who are you to give orders to anyone? Are you seriously that full of yourself that you think I'd just follow some random stranger's instructions?"
Nolan shook his head and tutted mockingly.
"You're either delusional or have an incredibly inflated sense of self-importance!" he told the rude girl bluntly.
She didn't take that remark too kindly.
"You're clearly a stupid little idiot, so I'm going to be kind by giving you one last chance" the rude girl angrily tossed her long sleek hair over her shoulders, hands on her hips as she tried to look intimidating, "Give me my Jigglypuff, right now, and I'll let you go with a warning not to get in my way again".
Once again, Nolan couldn't help but scoff derisively at the girl's sheer arrogance.
"Lyric is not your Pokemon" the golden haired boy said hotly, despite knowing it was like talking to a brick wall by this point, "I captured her, I befriended her, she's part of my Pokemon family now. You need to accept that, because you're never taking her away from me".
The words were not a challenge. They were simply a statement of fact.
"We'll see about that" the rude girl smirked dangerously, clearly not understanding that Nolan wasn't debating this matter with her, "Queenie, let's show this little brat why it's such a dangerous idea to mess with us! Use Poison Sting!"
Without further ado, the tension finally hit critical, and the battle got underway.
"NIDO!"
Knowing she'd be in for a load of agro from her trainer if she didn't at least pretend like she cared about this battle, Queenie quickly fired a Poison Sting attack from the small horn on her head.
Fortunately, Nolan and Xanthite were both ready and waiting.
"Xanthite, protect yourself with Defence Curl!" the golden haired boy exclaimed, reacting quickly to the situation.
"GEODUDE!"
Xanthite immediately curled herself up into a ball, and a small ripple of light flashed over her body. It wasn't a moment too soon, but thankfully seconds later, the poisonous needle harmlessly bounced off her rocky exterior.
Nolan grinned, but across the hillside from them, the rude girl looked shocked and furious.
"Queenie, you idiot!" the unpleasant female trainer spluttered indignantly, before giving her Poison Type Pokemon a stern look of disapproval, "Why didn't you anticipate that?!"
The small blue creature just scoffed and rolled her eyes.
Across the makeshift battlefield from them, Nolan cheered and gave his own Pokemon a wide smile.
"Good job, Xanthite!" the golden haired boy beamed, the attitude with which he addressed his own combatant the complete opposite to that of his opponent, "Now, hit back with Tackle!"
"DUDE! GEODUDE!"
Not needing any further prompting than the previous threat to Lyric hanging over her Xanthite launched herself at Queenie, tackling her with full force.
"Nidoooo!" Queenie squeaked in pain, tumbling backwards. The small blue creature landed in the dirt with a heavy thud.
The rude girl was not impressed by what she was seeing.
"If you want any dinner tonight, Queenie, you better get back on your feet and get your head in the game!" she snarled through her teeth, her cheeks slowly reddening with rage.
Nolan shook his head in disgust.
"That's how she treats her Pokemon?" the golden haired boy wasn't quite able to keep the air of judgement from his tone and expression, "Disgraceful".
They all watched as Queenie, panting hard, struggled back to her feet.
"Good" the rude girl nodded in satisfaction, no concern for her Pokemon's wellbeing whatsoever, "Now Queenie, perhaps you can make up for your earlier blunder. Use Scratch!"
Queenie immediately began scratching at Xanthite's hard body with her claws, but it came as no great surprise when it had little effect.
"Well, somebody obviously didn't learn anything from last time" Nolan rolled his eyes, knowing that it would take something much, much stronger to get past his Pokemon's rocky defences, "Xanthite, knock her away with your Rock Throw attack!"
"Geo!" Xanthite quickly picked up a nearby stone and hurled it at Queenie. The small blue creature yelped in pain, clutching her head as the pebble made contact.
"NIDORAN!"
The rude girl wrinkled her nose in distain. She had little tolerance for such displays of weakness.
"No time to be in pain, Queenie!" the unpleasant trainer snapped down at her Poison Type Pokemon, totally disregarding the pain she was so obviously in, "Stop messing around! Use Double Kick!"
"Nido!" Queenie whimpered but begrudgingly let go of her head. She then leapt as high as she could into the air, before landed a powerful Double Kick on Xanthite. The Rock Type Pokemon grunted in pain at the twin impact.
"GEODUDE!"
"Uh oh" Nolan looked very concerned as his beloved friend was sent rolling across their makeshift battlefield, "Xanthite, are you alright?"
"Dude..." Xanthite grimaced, but gave him a weak thumbs up.
Across the hillside from the pair of them, this time it was the rude girl that found herself shaking her head in utter contempt.
"Pathetic!" she scoffed nastily, not bothering to even try to keep her voice down, "Worrying like that over a measly Geodude. How revolting".
Nolan's icy blue eyes hardened, and he gave the girl a withering look.
"There's nothing shameful about being concerned for my Pokemon's wellbeing" the golden haired boy firmly, his tone not one to be argued with, "You should try it sometime".
Clearly attempting to get under Nolan's skin, the rude girl sneered condescendingly at him.
"Worrying yourself silly about things that don't matter isn't how you win Pokemon battles, you stupid little idiot" she jeered at him, amused when Nolan clenched his fists in anger at her blatant lack of empathy, "Look here, I'll show you. Queenie, use Tail Whip to kick up dirt in that Geodude's face!"
"Nido!"
His icy blue eyes wide, Nolan watched in flabbergasted shock as Queenie whipped her short but strong tail, sending a cloud of dirt directly into Xanthite's face. Xanthite grunted and began rubbing her eyes, blinded by the sneaky stunt.
"Hey! You can't do that!" the golden haired boy protested upon seeing the obvious discomfort his friend was in, "That's cheating!"
The smirk that the rude girl gave him was incredibly infuriating.
"I prefer to think of it as being creative with Queenie's Tail Whip" was the simple response that she gave, shrugging her shoulders in a faux-innocent manner.
"Well it's still a dirty trick!" Nolan fired back, his tone heated and his face visibly turning an angry shade of red.
Unsurprisingly, the rude girl didn't care.
"Quick, Queenie!" the unpleasant female Pokemon trainer called out to her chosen combatant, her tone practically oozing with smugness, "While Geodude's blinded, finish it with another Double Kick!"
"NIDO!"
Queenie wasted no time in jumping high into the air again, but Nolan wasn't going to stand for this. No way.
"Oh no you don't!" the golden haired boy snarled, glaring daggers at his opponent, his expression one of utter loathing, "You're not attacking my Pokemon when she can't see, not on my watch! Xanthite, roll to your left!"
"GEO!"
Xanthite, trusting her trainer completely, blindly tucked her arms in and rolled to the left, successfully swerving out of the way of Queenie's attack just in the nick of time. Nolan positively beamed in delight.
"YAY!" he cheered happily, before throwing a smug smirk in his opponent's direction, "It'll take more than your cheap tricks to defeat my Pokemon!"
The rude girl was left seething at her Pokemon's failed attempt at ending this.
"Queenie!" the unpleasant female trainer yelled angrily, once again taking her frustrations out on her own poor Pokemon, "Your opponent literally couldn't see! How could you mess that up?!"
"Nido!" Queenie squeaked in protest, clearly annoyed by the constant barrage of blame she was getting now.
From across the hillside, Nolan couldn't help but smirk cheekily.
"Perhaps the problem isn't your Nidoran..." the golden haired boy intoned, his tone and expression both mockingly faux-thoughtful, "Perhaps it's your own lack of skill".
Just the insinuation was enough to enrage his mean-spirited opponent.
"How dare you?!" the rude girl shrieked, livid by just the mere suggestion that she was anything but amazing, "I'll have you know that I'm an extremely talented trainer! Way better than you, you little brat! We'll show you! Queenie, get that dumb rock with your Bite attack!"
Queenie gaped up at her trainer in shock, clearly reluctant, and even Nolan couldn't help but be visibly surprised by the utterly ludicrous command.
"Well? What are you waiting for Queenie?" the rude girl demanded impatiently when her Poison Type Pokemon made no effort to follow through with the instruction she had given, "Use Bite! Now!"
"Nido..."
Grimacing, Queenie hesitantly rushed towards where Xanthite was still valiantly trying to wipe the specks of dirt out of her eyes. The small blue Poison Type Pokemon opened her jaw wide and tried to bite the rock.
"NIDORAN!"
Unsurprisingly, Queenie reared back away from her opponent, wailing in agony. The little blue Pokemon clutched at her jaw, tears streaming down her cute little face.
"What's the problem?" the rude girl seemed genuinely surprised by the event that had just unfolded.
Nolan stared at her in sheer disbelief.
"You dimwit!" the golden hair boy exclaimed in shock before he could even think about trying to hold the insulting remark in, "You just told your Pokemon to bite a rock! What do you think the problem is?!"
The rude girl just huffed in annoyance.
"Well if she doesn't want it to hurt, Queenie should have stronger teeth then" the unpleasant female trainer snarked, throwing her Nidoran a stern, disapproving look.
Nolan looked shocked by such a flippant response.
Queenie on the other hand had finally lost all patient with her rude, insensitive, arrogant jerk of a trainer.
"NIDORAN!"
Huffing indignantly and clearly feeling misunderstood and frustrated, the small blue Poison Type Pokemon angrily fired a Poison Sting in the direction of her so-called trainer.
"Waaah!" the rude girl yelped in surprise, hastily dodging the poisonous needle. Once was she sure that she was clear of the projectile, she glared down at Queenie venomously, "Hey! Don't blame me just because you're a useless weakling Queenie!"
The arrogant girl and her sassy Poison Type Pokemon soon got into a full-blown argument.
"Oh for heaven's sake, this is ridiculous!" Nolan rolled his eyes in annoyed disbelief, seriously feeling as though this farce of a battle was a complete waste of his time now, "Oh, I've had enough of this nonsense. Xanthite! Since this girl clearly has no idea what she's doing, let's put that poor Nidoran out of its suffering. Finish it with Magnitude!"
"GEODUDE!"
The fierce battle-cry from the Rock Type Pokemon was enough to draw the rude girl and Queenie away from their bickering. Too late to do anything to avert it now, they watched helplessly as Xanthite slammed her fists into the ground, setting off a miniature makeshift earthquake. The ground began to tremble, and Nolan sorely hoped that the action wouldn't open another sinkhole. He'd had quite enough of that underground warren for one day, thank you very much.
His concerns turned out to be for nought, much to the golden haired boy's relief.
"NIDORAN!"
Unable to even try and get out of the way in time, Queenie was caught by the shockwave and sent flying. She arched high through the air before she crashed into the ground again. She let out a feeble groan of pain... then fell unconscious.
The first round had gone to Nolan.
Needless to say, the rude girl was utterly fuming about how things were turning out in their battle so far.
"Queenie, return" she spat bitterly, returning the unconscious Poison Type Pokemon back to the confines of her pokeball. Once Queenie was inside, the girl glared at the red and white sphere in sheer disgust, "You bonehead! You just cost me the first round of the match! No dinner for you tonight Queenie!
Across the hillside, Nolan couldn't help but overhear. He was visibly shocked by the cruel punishment that that poor little Nidoran had coming her way.
"That poor Pokemon shouldn't have to suffer just because it's trainer is a halfwit" the golden haired boy muttered, but clearly not quietly enough.
"Mind your own business, idiot!" the rude girl snapped, overhearing Nolan's comment and not appreciating it one bit, "How I choose to discipline my Pokemon is no concern of yours!"
Nolan huffed but let the matter go. He already had enough issues with this girl to last a lifetime without picking up any more.
"Whatever!" the golden haired boy shot back, his own patience with the girl's appalling attitude wearing thin now as well, "Just send out your next Pokemon or get lost! I'm getting bored of your rubbish now".
The smile that flashed over the girl's beautiful features was incredibly cold.
"You might have got lucky against me once Kid, but you're about to learn that that smug confidence is sorely misplaced" the rude girl leered unpleasantly at Nolan for a moment, before she turned her attention to the remaining Pokemon still standing dutifully at her side, "Pistol, get in there, and make sure you do a better job than your useless teammate!"
At her command, the rude girl's loyal partner Pokemon, Pistol the Squirtle, stepped forward.
"SQUIRTLE!" the Tiny Turtle Pokemon exclaimed fiercely.
Nolan narrowed his eyes calculatingly for a second. He already knew from the stunt they had pulled earlier that this Squirtle knew the move Water Gun, putting it at far too high of an advantage over Xanthite. His decision made, the golden haired boy nodded silently to himself.
"Xanthite, that's enough for now!" Nolan called out to his beloved Rock Type Pokemon, who looked relieved to be done with battling for the day, "Return".
"Geo!"
Since her beloved human had not used her pokeball to summon her back, Xanthite took that to mean that he wanted to keep her out for some reason. As such, she quickly rolled back over to his side. Nolan knelt down and petted her, his smile warm and proud.
"Good job Xanthite!" the golden haired boy said affectionately, "You were awesome out there!"
"Dude!" Xanthite beamed up at him, blushing modestly.
"Why don't you keep our new friend company and get to know her a little better?" Nolan suggested kindly.
He gestured over towards the adorable little pink creature in question. She was nervously stood watching the battle unfolding with everyone else, and if anybody was going to be able to calm Lyric's nerves at a time like this, there was no one Nolan trusted more than Xanthite to do a good job.
"Geo!" Xanthite readily agreed, her mothering nature shining through.
Smiling, Nolan watched as the Rock Type Pokemon rolled over to join Lyric with the other. The two teammates greeted each other politely, and settled down to watch the rest of the battle together.
Nolan smiled at the small heart-warming moment. So of course, the rude girl just had to stamp all over it.
"Stop stalling and send out your next Pokemon already!" the unpleasant female trainer demanded in her usual tactless, self entitled fashion.
Nolan rolled his eyes at her rude impatience, but obliged by turning to his own believed partner Pokemon.
"Your turn now Meadow" the golden haired boy said kindly, knowing that she'd had long enough by now to recover her strength after their earlier skirmish with those wild Pokemon, "Let's knock this little brat down a peg or two!"
"Bulbasaur!" Meadow eagerly nodded in agreement as she stepped forward.
When the rude girl which of his Pokemon the golden haired boy had decided to substitute Xanthite out for, she scoffed derisively and sneered at Nolan.
"Typical. Of course a little brat like you would think a type advantage would guarantee you an easy win" she spat, shaking her head condescendingly, "So arrogant".
Nolan levelled her with a nonchalant expression.
"Actually, it's called being strategic" the golden haired boy calmly corrected her, not caring if he sounded patronising or not by this point, "Perhaps if you used more of that instead of constantly running your mouth, you'd be a better battler".
The rude girl ground her teeth together so hard, it was a wonder that they didn't all immediately crumble into dust.
"Oh, you're gonna regret having such a smart mouth, you little brat!" the rude girl shouted at Nolan furiously, before she turned to her faithful partner and quickly got the round round of the battle underway, "Pistol, teach this loser and his plant a lesson they'll never forget! Use Water Gun!"
"SQUIRTLE!"
Pistol wasted no time in doing exactly just that. Drawing in a deep breath and puffing up his cheeks, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon quickly spat out a swirling stream of water at high velocity.
Meadow didn't even bother to dodge it.
Instead, the small green Pokemon simply stood there, allowing the high-pressure blast of water to hit the bulb on her back head-on. Unable to resist, Meadow preened happily as the sensation as the plant on her back was watered.
Across the hillside from them, the rude girl slapped a hand to her forehead in sheet exasperation.
"Pistol!" the unpleasant female trainer's tone was precious more than a whine after the embarrassing display she'd just witnessed, "You're supposed to be sending that glorified shrub into next week! Not giving it a refreshing drink!"
"Squirt..." Pistol looked a little disappointed in himself for letting his beloved human down.
"Here we go again..." Nolan sighed, shaking his head from his spot across from them on the hillside, "Blaming the poor Pokemon instead of owning your own mistake".
The rude girl's glare only intensified as she rounded on him furiously.
"Well you still haven't owned your mistake in crossing me and capturing my Jigglypuff!" she yelled at him, still lost in the delusion that everything belonged to her unless she explicitly said otherwise.
Nolan was tired of arguing the point by this stage of the game.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response" the golden haired boy told his ill-mannered opponent bluntly, before he quickly turned his attention to Meadow, "Let's end this quickly and waste no more time on this lunatic Meadow. Use your Vine Whip attack!"
"BULBASAUR!"
With a fierce war-cry, the Seed Pokemon quickly unleashed her Vine Whip attack. Before the twin appendages could strike Pistol however, the rude girl was already shouting out a new command of her own to her chosen combatant.
"Quick Pistol!" she exclaimed, and to Nolan's immense surprise, she actually sounded genuinely concerned for her partner's wellbeing, "Shield yourself with Protect!
"Squirt!" in a flash of azure coloured energy, a barrier of light suddenly appeared around Pistol. When Meadow's vines inevitably collided with the projected sphere, they harmlessly bounced right off of it.
The rude girl threw Nolan a look that was incredibly smug.
"How's that for a strategy, Kid?" she sneered at him condescendingly seemingly forgetting that this was quite literally the first time she had gotten the upper hand in this battle.
"Not bad!" Nolan responded coolly, not letting her get under his skin, "But you can't rely on Protect forever".
"We won't need to" the rude girl smirked confidently, before she quickly turned back to the Tiny Turtle Pokemon, "Pistol, use Rapid Spin!"
The move was almost imperceivably.
In a fluid motion that was far too fast for the human eye to properly track, Pistol withdrew into his shell and began spinning through the air, faster and faster until he was nought but a speeding blur.
WHAM!
"BULBA!" Meadow shrieked in pain as the rotating Pistol slammed into her small body before she had time to react. The impact was enough to send the small green creature careening backwards.
From her spot across the hillside, the rude girl cheered in delight.
"Nice work Pistol!" she happily praised her partner, once again showing that the Tiny Turtle Pokemon was the only other living creature that she had room in her heart for, "That's showing 'em!"
Nolan on the other hand swallowed hard, his eyes fixed nervously on his fallen partner.
"Meadow?" the golden haired boy called out, his tone and expression both heavy with concern, as he watched the Seed Pokemon struggling to get back up, "Are you okay?"
"Bulba... Bulbasaur" Meadow grunted reassuringly as she staggered back to her feet. She flashed a grin at her partner, signalling that she was fine to continue.
Nolan smiled down at her in relief.
"Alright Meadow, let's try a different tactic" the golden haired boy said, but once he was certain that his beloved partner was fit enough to keep going with the battle, "Use Leech Seed!"
Meadow didn't need telling twice.
"BULBA... SAUR!" the small Grass Type Pokemon let out a fierce shriek of utter determination, as from the bulb on her back, she fired an ethereal glowing green Leech Seed in the direction of her enemy.
Sadly for Nolan and Meadow however, it would never reach its target.
"Quick Pistol!" the rude girl shouted as she thought up a counter strategy on the spot, showing that perhaps she wasn't quite so useless at battling as she had so far led Nolan to believe, "Deflect it with your Tail Whip!"
"Squirtle!"
Once again moving with the grace of an athlete swimmer in the water, Pistol swung his whole body around in a long fluid motion. Using his tail as a ping-pong paddle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon batted the approaching Leech Seed attack away. It fell harmlessly to the ground, a failed attack at its finest.
"Yes!" the rude girl cheered.
Nolan on the other hand glared darkly, a thoughtful frown playing at his lips, as his sharp eyes continued observing the battle.
"That girl's Squirtle is a lot better at battling than her Nidoran was..." he muttered to himself.
Overhearing the begrudgingly compliment, the rude girl smirked smugly at him.
"That's because Pistol has potential that can be cultivated, which makes him worthy of my time" the unpleasant female trainer boasted arrogantly, before her pretty features twisted into a scowl, "Queenie's just for coverage and to act as cannon fodder".
The golden haired boy frowned, clearly not pleased with the girl's horrible attitude towards her poor Nidoran.
"Pistol, get in close and use Bite!" the rude girl called out, bringing the focus of them both back to the battle.
"Meadow, block that with a Tackle!" Nolan reacted quickly.
Both of the Kanto Region Starter Pokemon charged at each other, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon stretching his jaw as wide as it would open. Before he could sink his small but sharp teeth into Meadow's delicate flesh however, the Seed Pokemon rammed into him and threw all of her weight into the blow.
"SQUIRTLE!"
The end result was that Pistol was sent hurtling backwards.
"Great work, Meadow!" Nolan praised his partner, watching fondly as she preen upon hearing the kind words, "Now, while he's close, grab Pistol with your Vine Whip!"
"Bulbasaur!"
Once again, Meadow's creeping vines exploded out from beneath the base of her bulb. The long green appendages reached out, immediately ensnaring a surprised Pistol with almost minimum effort. The Tiny Turtle Pokemon quickly began struggling as he was hoisted into the air.
"Squirt! Squirtle!" the Water Type Pokemon gasped as he tried and failed to break free.
"Now, toss him!" Nolan beamed, eager to get the battle over and done with now. It was hardly surprising after all, considering he hadn't even wanted to participate in this match in the first place.
Sadly, the rude girl wasn't willing to go down quite so easily.
"Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed with a smug smirk, already knowing just how to get her partner out of his little predicament, "Pistol, use Bite again! Straight down on the vines!"
The Tiny Turtle Pokemon wasted no time in doing exactly that.
"SQUIRTLE!" with one big chomp, Pistol bit down hard on the vine holding him.
The effect was instantaneous.
"BULBASAUR!" unable to hold it in, Meadow let out a ghastly wail of pain. Acting on instinct, the Grass Type Pokemon quickly recoiled her vines, accidentally dropping Pistol in the process.
The Tiny Turtle Pokemon was incredibly smug as he landed on his small webbed feet.
"Now Pistol!" the rude girl eagerly pressed on now that they had manage to gained the upper hand for a fleeting moment, "Water Gun at point-blank range!"
Nolan swallowed anxiously.
"Quick Meadow, before Pistol can attack..." the golden haired boy exclaimed, knowing that as much of an advantage she had type-wise, an attack at point-blank range wouldn't be quite so easy for Meadow to shrug off, "Use Growl!"
If anyone watching the battle thought Nolan's instruction was strange, the intention behind it quickly became clear.
"Squirt!" Pistol puffed up his cheeks and his mouth filled with liquid, preparing to unleash his powerful Water Gun attack.
"BULBA... SAUR!"
Just before the Tiny Turtle Pokemon could spray his watery attack at his opponent, Meadow suddenly let out an incredibly fierce growl. The noise immediately startled Pistol, causing him to dribble water all over himself, cowering away from the Seed Pokemon in fear.
"Squirtle..." he whimpered, frightened.
The rude girl looked stunned by what had just happened, before she scoffed and fixed Nolan with a disbelieving glare.
"And you were all up on your high Horsea!" she sneered at the golden haired boy, her eyes burning and her tone practically dripping with accusation, "Talk about an underhanded stunt, hypocrite!"
Nolan simply smiled, which only infuriated the girl further.
"Pistol, there's no need to be frightened, it's fine" the rude girl reassured her partner, her tone surprisingly kind and gentle for once. It only served to reinforce the fact that Pistol was the only Pokemon that she genuinely cared about, "Now buck yourself up, and let's try a Bubble attack!"
Gathering himself, Pistol managed to calm down. Opening his mouth wide, the small Water Type Pokemon spat out a barrage of bubbles, all different sizes and colours.
"Bulba!"
The Bubble attack spiralled towards Meadow, but the Seed Pokemon easily dodged out of the way in time.
"You can't escape us that easy!" the rude girl growled in frustration, annoyed at how easily Meadow seemed to keep slipping away from her chosen combatant's attacks, "Now Pistol, use Rapid Spin again!"
"Squirtle!"
Pistol hastily withdrew into his sturdy shell again, and in a matter of nanoseconds, he was off spinning through the air again. Nolan couldn't help but grin slyly as the spinning Water Type Pokemon hurtled towards where Meadow was standing.
"This is our chance, Meadow!" the golden haired boy cheered excitedly, catching both his opponent and all of the spectators thoroughly off guard, "Catch Pistol with your Vine Whip!"
"Bulbasaur!" with a simple flick of her vines, Meadow once again managed to ensnare Pistol in her grasp.
The rude girl couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Are you not paying attention?" the unpleasant female trainer sneered condescendingly at her golden haired opponent, "Your Bulbasaur's vines can't keep my Squirtle pinned for long. Pistol, come out and free yourself with Bite again, just like before!"
"Squirt!" Pistol's head immediately popped out of his shell, his mouth open wide and ready to bite.
Nolan grinned.
"That's your cue, Meadow!" he winked at his beloved partner, pleased when she smiled back up at him with a knowing glint in her eye, "You know what to do now!"
"Bulba!" Meadow's smirk matched Nolan's own.
From their spot across the hillside, the rude girl and Pistol both look confused. Behind him, Nolan's friends, human and Pokemon alike, all mirrored the bewildered expression.
"BULBA... SAUR!"
A faint glow emanated from the bulb on the Seed Pokemon's back, and without any further prompting from her beloved human, Meadow fired another Leech Seed attack. With her target pinned in her vines, there was no way Meadow could miss. The glowing green seed flew directly into the squirming Pistol's face and hit him straight between the eyes.
The effect was almost instantaneous.
Glowing as bright as the sun itself, the seed embedded in the Tiny Turtle Pokemon split open, and thin leafy vines burst out of it. As they shrouded the Water Type Pokemon's flailing body, binding themselves to his slippery wet skin, Meadow gently deposited him on the ground. It wouldn't be long now after all.
"NO! PISTOL!" the rude girl let out a small shriek, watching in horror as her beloved partner tried to break free but to no avail, "You have to break free! Come on, Pistol, you can do it!"
But her encouragement was too little too late.
"Squirt... Squirtle..." Pistol gasped weakly as all his strength and energy drained away rapidly, the Leech Seed taking fulk effect. In a matter of seconds, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon collapsed forwards.
He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
The battle was over.
Nolan and his Pokemon had proved victorious.
A heavy silence loomed over the hillside for a moment. Everyone seemed to be in a state of shock, and for once, even the rude girl didn't have a comment to make. It took a few moments, but once the reality sunk in that she had well and truly been defeated, did she finally let out a low groan of despair. Wordlessly, she returned Pistol the Squirtle back to his pokeball, scarcely able to believe what had just happened.
Nolan on the other hand could not have been more delighted.
"YOU DID IT, MEADOW! YOU DID IT!" the golden haired boy cheered so loudly that he actually spooked a few roosting Pidgey and Pidgeotto right out of the tree in the forest below, "WELL DONE!"
"BULBASAUR!" Meadow rejoiced as well, clearly proud of herself.
"Geodude!"
"Jigglypuff!"
Hearing the two familiar voices, Nolan and Meadow both glanced over to see that Xanthite and Lyric were rushing towards them. The two of them were grinning from ear to ear as the congratulated Meadow as well. Smiling, Nolan knelt down and petted them all.
"You see, Lyric?" the golden haired boy flashed the Balloon Pokemon a playful grin, "I said we wouldn't stand for anyone trying to take you away from us!"
"Jiggly!" Lyric squealed happily.
Sadly however, the heart-warming moment between Nolan and his Pokemon had to end. It therefore came as no surprise when it was the rude girl who naturally came crashing right over the top of it.
"You just think you're so perfect!" the unpleasant female trainer snarled as she stormed over to get up in Nolan's face, "Well, let me tell you, you little brat, this is not over!"
As he stood back up to his full height, Nolan just gave her a bored look.
"Actually, it is. You got your battle and you lost, and I'm still the one with a Jigglypuff on my team" the golden haired boy told the obnoxious little brat incredibly bluntly, which only served to make her even angrier than she already was, "Learn when enough's enough".
It was at that moment that the screaming started again.
"IT'S ENOUGH WHEN I SAY IT'S ENOUGH!" the seemingly delusional trainer screamed so loudly that it was a wonder her vocal cords weren't shredded to pieces.
Nolan remained unintimidated in the face of her anger.
"And what precisely are you going to do about it?" the golden haired boy challenged her smugly, his eyes alit with dark amusement, "Because, in case you haven't noticed, you're all out of Pokemon to battle me with".
The rude girl began trembling where she stood, she was so incensed.
"Oh, I might not be able to give you the lesson you so badly need right now, kid, but I'm not letting you off the hook that easily!" she declared fiercely, not seeming to realise that she was scaring or impressing nobody with her idle threats, "Not after you stole my chance to catch a Jigglypuff. No. From now on, you can consider me your most important rival".
Just like last time, the golden haired boy regarded her with very little interest.
"I don't think so" Nolan shook his head.
The rude girl gaped at him.
"I beg your pardon?" she stared at him incredulously, shocked even at this point that Nolan actually had the audacity to question her, "Did you not hear what I just said?"
Nolan's smile, if at all possible, became even more sardonic.
"Oh, I heard you" the golden haired boy nodded, glaring at the rude girl coldly as he sneered at her, "But I also saw you battling out there. You're an amateur at best, and at worst, you blame your own failures on your Pokemon. You don't deserve to call yourself a Pokemon Trainer".
By the time the last syllable had parted company with his lips, the rude girl was seething.
"And in any case..." Nolan pressed on without even giving the unpleasant female trainer a chance to respond to his harsh words, "I only consider people my rivals when they actually tell me their name".
This time the rude girl just scoffed at him.
"A loser like you doesn't deserve to know my real name, but if you needs to call me something, I suppose you can call me... Turquoise" she sneered derisively at Nolan, before she leaned in closer and threatened him in a whispered hiss, "You better watch your back, idiot, because I'm not going to forget this, and I will pay you back for crossing me one day".
And without giving Nolan a chance to respond, the newly-christened Turquoise turned and marched away.
Nolan and his friends, human and Pokemon alike, all stared after her. Eventually it was the golden haired boy himself that broke the heavy silence the girl's abrupt departure had brought about.
"Turquoise?" the golden haired boy scoffed and shook his head derisively, "What kind of stupid nickname is that?!"
His friends looked just as bewildered as he did as they approached.
"Well... looks like you just got yourself a new rival, whether you like it or not" Brock chuckled, looking vaguely amused by the whole thing.
Nolan groaned in despair.
The last thing he wanted was to ever have contact with that little brat again.
"Forget about her, Nolan" Ash offered him a small grin, seeming to read his best friend's mind, "Just focus on what's important right now, and that's the fact that you've just got a brand new Pokemon!"
"Yeah!" Misty nodded fervently in agreement, smiling down at the adorable little pink creature in question "And she's a cute one at that!"
"Jiggly!" Lyric beamed happily.
Seeing her cute little face, Nolan's frustrations melted away, and a bright grin quickly blossomed across his handsome features. His friends were right after all. Who cared if that delusional weirdo who named herself after a colour of all things wanted to be his rival? She didn't matter to him. What did matter was the fact that he had Lyric with him, now and forever more. A new Pokemon. A new family member. A new friend.
And nothing in the world could ever be more important than that.
And there we have it : )
Not only the end of another chapter but the end of another original episode as well : )
Yay! Nolan has his Jigglypuff! I feel like with the recent addition of Fang and now Lyric, things are really starting to get going as far as Nolan's training career is going : ) And yes, to those of you who guessed that the mystery girl was Blue/Green from the Manga, you were right : D The suggestion was made a long time ago to include her, and when I studied her team and realised that she had a Jigglypuff, I couldn't resist making her one of Nolan's most prominent rivals, at least while he's traveling around Kanto : ) Turquoise is obviously a reference to the discrepancy in the character's name, considering mixing Blue and Green gives you a shade of Turquoise, but that isn't her 'real' name in my version. I'll be keeping that under wraps for a while yet though ; ) Anyway, I think this chapter tied everything up nicely and will allow me to move back into the canonical timeline in the next chapter without any loose ends : )
Beyond the contents of the chapter itself however, let's move on to this week's voting topic. Once again it's going to be slightly out of order, but this is to give me the best possible chance at getting an advantage over Morty. I don't know why, but I am incredibly nervous about facing him just yet. Anyway, as I mentioned when I did my Nuzlocke update a couple of chapters ago, I have defeated the third rival fight in the game. Like always he wasn't anything too special or difficult, with his Gastly, Zubat and Croconaw all falling to Mareep's Thundershock Attack, and his Magnemite being no match for Cyndaquil's Flame Wheel. This of course means that it's time to vote to bring back a returning Pokemon, and since this is the third time I have defeated him now, that means that a couple more options have opened up. Now, instead of only Pokemon in their base forms being eligible to return to my Johto Nuzlocke, Pokemon that are in their middle forms are now up for the vote as well. Here are the options you guys can vote between this time: - Voltorb, Meowth, Seel, Gastly, Poliwhirl, Electabuzz, Porygon2, and Xanthite the Graveler. Some very interesting options up for grabs this time if I do say so myself ; ) At least five of them would make me very happy, but of course the decision is not up to me. It's up to you guys, so please go leave a review and vote for which familiar face you would like to see return in my Johto Nuzlocke : )
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 : )