Disclaimer: The following is a "parody" of the Pokémon fangame, Reborn. While this story functions mainly as a retelling of my playthrough of the game, I do take some creative liberties on the story and characters while using Nuzlocke comics and other parodies as inspiration. This is all to say, expect some nonsensical bits along the way. Enjoy!
-Grand Hall-
"So if I'm getting all of this right..." Kuro stood by the entrance, facing a man in a flashy suit. "You're telling me you'll give me this BADASS POKÉMON so powerful, so utterly BADASS, it's been heralded among dragons for centuries? And you'll give it to me for a special discount of only 500 Pokédollars?!"
"That's EXACTLY what I've been saying for the past 5 minutes, yep!" There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in the grinning salesman's voice. "So, how about it? It's a fair offer, no?"
Tucker, who was lounging on a chair, flipped the lip of his hat up. He cast the man a wary look before turning to his new trainer. "Kuro, you got to have more sense than that. You really don't reckon none of this sounds shady?"
Kuro heeded his words and gave it some thought. "Well, now that you mention it..."
"What If I told you it was a shiny?"
He was promptly pelted with a fistful of cash. "SOLD!"
"Pleasure doing business with you." The salesman gleamed as he counted the green. "I promise you this! You won't regret getting your hands on this BADASS POKÉMON!"
Having said this, he gave Kuro a beat-up looking Pokéball.
"Kuro," Tucker grumbled sternly.
"Hey, relax," Kuro whispered, shooting Tucker a confident look. "Even if this is a bust and this lil' guy isn't a BADASS POKÉMON, I'm still getting a 'mon either way. It's a win-"
"YOINK!"
Mid-sentence, some rando swiped the Pokéball out his hands and burst out the Grand Hall, all before any of them could react.
"- win..."
Kuro blinked. Tucker blinked. The salesman blinked.
"Well... I got my money. So I guess," he thought for a moment, "that it's your problem now. Sorry!"
And without a hint of remorse, the salesman turned to the doors. Mid-way through the doors, he stopped.
"Buuuut, if you really wanted to get that BADASS POKÉMON, you could try and find that guy. Thieves like him are notorious for hanging around the shadier parts of the Peridot Ward near the end of the railroad tracks. If he's anywhere, that area will be your best bet. Whatever you decide to do, best of luck to ya!"
He left, leaving Kuro staring at his unbearably empty hand.
"Well?" Tucker raised a brow.
The storm of emotions that had been brewing inside Kuro culminated into one simple word:
"Fuck."
Pokémon Reborn: Kuro's Odyssey
Chapter 4: Cheesed To Meet You
-Opal Ward-
Surprisingly, Kuro's first thought wasn't to chase after the man. He wasn't just going to beat up the man who took his BADASS POKÉMON. No, he was going to HUMILIATE him. And to do that, he wanted another Pokémon. That's why he and Tucker found themselves in the lawn of the Grand Hall.
"Guess we'll have to find a Pokémon the old fashioned way," Kuro said, crouched down while surfing through some bushes.
Tucker watched him like he thought he was an idiot. He then asked, "Kuro, how many wild Pokémon have you seen out and about since you arrived in Reborn?"
Strange question. "Well..." Besides Tucker, the other Pokémon at the Grand Hall, and that Quagsire at the train station... Huh. Kuro guess he actually hadn't seen any wild Pokémon. To say that was strange was an understatement of the century.
Taking his silence as confirmation, Tucker nodded. "Exactly. You won't find much Pokémon 'round here, on account on almost everyone skippin' town some odd years ago..." He coughed. "Fact of the matter is, you done better off findin' a needle in a haystack."
Kuro believed him for about five seconds before laughing it off. If anything, with the terrible air quality, poison and ghost type Pokémon should've been appearing by the dozens.
There was no way there wasn't at least one-
-Hours later-
Kuro laid on the ground - defeated, exhausted, and dumbfounded. It had been... he didn't even know how long he had been searching, much less what time it was now. Not like any of that mattered because it was all for nothing.
He tried everything! He checked every blade of grass, he set up bait, he rechecked every blade of grass, heck, he even flat out begged for something to appear. Still, nothing.
"Is it too late to say I told you so?" Tucker grumbled, laying somewhere next to Kuro and just as tired as him too.
"No..."
"Then I told you so." Tucker licked his lips, or whatever he had in their stead. "You mind passin' me one of them Poképuffs?"
Kuro found what little strength he had to reach into his backpack, pull out one of the Poképuffs he bought earlier, and toss it to Tucker. No sooner did he presumably catch it did he begin chowing down on it noisily. Poor dude must've been starving.
"So... am I gettin' that Poképuff or what?"
Kuro was confused. "I literally just gave it to you?"
"If I was eatin' it, I reckon I'd know about it."
It was then that Kuro realized that Tucker was somehow chewing it and talking simultaneously?
"So if you aren't eating it..." Kuro raised his head slowly, "Then who is-"
His eyes landed not on the remains of a yellow Poképuff, but who was holding said remains. Sitting in between them was a small purple rodent with long cream-colored whiskers.
A Rattata - the first wild Pokémon Kuro had seen that day.
The Rattata froze when he noticed the pair of eyes on him. He stared at the Poképuff in his claws, then at Tucker, then at Kuro. "Uh... Cheesed to meet you?
Kuro never threw a Pokéball harder in his life.
Rattata scrambles in!
- "Chip" Rattata: Galarian Cheese Enthusiast -
Rash Nature
Mischievous
Ability: Guts
"Okay, was it really necessary to throw that ball at me so hard?" The Rattata - now Chip - complained once he was released, nursing a small bump on his head.
"You had it comin'," Tucker muttered, chewing on a blue Poképuff. "'s what you get for trying to steal."
Chip took offense to that. "Hey! You can say whatever you want about me, but I'm no thief! I was just strolling by when that slice of cheesecakey goodness dropped in my hand. I simply saw an opportunity and took it!"
"Mmhm," Tucker mumbled without a trace of belief.
'Huh.' Kuro thought as he stared at the two Pokémon. 'On one hand I finally found a Pokémon. On the other, I'm pretty sure I've lost all my sanity in the process... Eh, I'll go find it later.'
"So, I'm your trainer now!" Kuro declared, standing up to his feet before asking, "Is that okay with you?"
What was a potentially life-changing question that should've been giving intense consideration was answered after a split second. "Tell you what, if you got any more of those Poképuffs, I'll quite literally follow you to the ends of the Earth."
And that was good enough for Kuro. "Alright!"
After finishing his Poképuff, Tucker stretched his legs and turned to Kuro. "Well, despite all odds, you got your Pokémon. What now? You still fixin' to find that hobo who stole your BADASS POKÉMON... Darn it you got me sayin' it!"
"You know, the funny thing is I probably should do that, but you know what?" A malicious grin spread across Kuro's face. "There's someone who I want to pay a visit to first."
Chip and Tucker gave each other a glance, both somehow having a bad feeling of whatever the trainer was planning.
-Opal Bridge-
"HEY!" Kuro marched right back to the bridge where he had been humiliated. The Red-Capped kid was still there along with some other kid Kuro didn't pay much attention to.
As soon as Red-Cap noticed him, he scowled. "Great, the poser's back. Save yourself the embarrassment and just leave. Or do you need a reminder of who sent you home with a limp?"
Kuro hid behind an easygoing smile. "No need to get pressed, my dude. Just figured I'd take a walk around with my bro's," he gestured to Tucker and Chip by his side, "who I've definitely had this entire time, meaning I'm not a poser and you are a liar."
He looked Kuro up and down before scoffing. "You begged some dude to loan you his Pokémon, so what? Just havin' Pokémon don't make you a trainer." He then smirked. "Only real trainer's know how to use 'em in a battle."
"Well, if you're insisting on a fight," Kuro cracked his knuckles, "I guess I got the time. Hell, I'll even fight the both of you at the same time! Course, if you two wanna chicken out now, I won't blame you."
It didn't take much to set him off. "Fine! You'll regret being so cocky!"
"Wait!" The other kid cried. "If we lose, we'd have to go all the way to the Pokécenter! And my mom... kinda wants me back soon. She said breathing in all this smog is bad for my health."
"We won't lose if you stop being a baby and help me fight this dude!" Red-Cap snapped, then added, "Also, have you ever actually looked at the water here? If it isn't the smog, the gangs, rabid Pokémon, starvation, food poisoning, lead poisoning, or mental exhaustion from the pressure of expectations of the education system placed onto you, the water's definitely going to kill you."
The kid sighed sadly. "We're going to die before thirty aren't we?"
"Yep."
Nonetheless, he pulled out a Pokéball alongside Red-Cap. On cue, both Chip and Tucker stepped forward, prepared to fight. Kuro smiled, but it was anything far from warm.
"Water Gun," He ordered as soon as the kids released their Pokémon - a Bellsprout and a Bidoof respectively. The poor Bidoof cried as it was instantly blasted with water.
The boys panicked. "Use Rollout to-" "Go help hi-"
"Tucker, again! Chip, Tackle!" Both Pokémon rushed forth.
With the threat of a type advantage, Tucker continued after the Bidoof. There was no doubt in Kuro's mind that Tucker would have even the slightest bit of trouble with him. So, he solely focused on Chip's progress.
He watched as Chip Tackled the sentient plant before following up with a Tail Whip-Tackle combo.
'Yes!'
The Bellsprout immediately responded with a Vine Whip, and then another Vine Whip, and another. The barrage of vines never stopped, even when Chip blocked or counterattacked.
'No!'
The two continued trading blows. What was once a one-sided beat-down became a somewhat equal brawl. Too equal for Kuro's taste.
Chip wasn't doing bad by any means. He was fast, sure, but as much as it irked Kuro to admit, he was wea- lacked the strength to hold a clear advantage. So, he made a choice.
"Tucker, go help Chip!"
"Huh?" Chip whipped his head around as he dodged another Vine Whip. "Wha-"
And then Tucker barreled into the Bellsprout before blasting it with a Water Gun mid-air. It fainted before it even hit the ground. A few feet away, the Bidoof was lying unconscious in a puddle of water. The battle was over.
"Hey!" The rush of excitement was cut short by Chip's indignant squeaks. "What gives? I had that!"
Kuro scratched his head with confusion. "Well, you looked like you needed some backup, and Tucker already dealt with his opponent, so I figured he could step in to end the fight quicker."
Chip's expression became unreadable as he processed that. "Well yeah, but..."
"Hey, don't worry! You kicked ass out there, dude! In fact-" He tossed Chip another of those yellow Poképuffs he seemed to like, "- I'd say you earned this! Now..."
He turned his attention elsewhere. If he paid attention to Chip for one second longer, he would've seen him frown.
The boys were still reeling from their loss, Red-Cap especially. He was absolutely livid. "What the fuck! How did he beat us?! He cheated! H-He che-" His tune switched up real quick when Kuro began to walk over. "I-I mean, you sure showed us a great battle Mr. Trainer sir! Uh, W-We'll let you past now!"
"If you think I forgot about what you did to me earlier," Kuro snarled. "Well, I think I know something that'll remind-"
"Kuro." The young man flinched at the low voice of Tucker. "Can I ask why on earth you look like you're about to beat up a kid who don't look no older than a middle-schooler?"
Kuro glared at him, barely able to restrain his tone. "This 'kid' kicked my fucking leg earlier. Unprompted! If anything, he deserves what's coming to him."
"So you're stoopin' down to someone half your size because, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, pettiness?"
"I-" The situation was slowly dawning on Kuro. "Well, when you put it that way..."
Tucker rolled his eyes. "If you're done actin' childish, go on and thank 'em for the battle so we can all be on our way."
Kuro weakly nodded and glanced back to the kids. "Uh... Thanks for the battle-"
"Wait, don't take our money!" Red-Cap exclaimed, stepping in front of his friend. He recoiled as if Kuro was about to hit him. "W-Well, you can take mine but not his! Please!"
He produced the reward money: a measly few Pokédollars and some change. Even if he wasn't under the pressure of Tucker's cold glare, Kuro would've refused regardless. "No, seriously, it's cool! The battle was enough."
Was this seriously the same kid he was planning on drop kicking?
...
Wait, was he actually an asshole?
"Hey uh... Tucker?" The group was now walking through Opal Bridge. More specifically, Chip was resting in his Pokéball and Kuro, not wanting to admit aloud he only came to beat up a kid, awkwardly trailed behind Tucker. Neither of them had said anything since the battle. Kuro finally mustered up the words. "What I did... What I was about to do? That wasn't right of me."
Tucker didn't even look back. "It wasn't."
Not content with just that, Kuro soon persisted. "No, like, I'm genuinely sorry. I should've been more mature instead of resorting to violence."
"You should be apologizin' to those kids, not me."
Kuro's eye twitched. "Hey, it's not like they were perfect angels, y'know! I wasn't lying when I said that kid lashed at me first."
"And that makes you the innocent one?"
"Give me a break, okay!" Kuro snapped, unable to bottle it up any longer. "I've only been here for one day and so far, I spent the entire morning trying to find the Grand Hall because NO ONE wanted to help the 'foreigner', I had to give a whole ass speech for YOU to even listen to me, and I don't want to pull the victim card but I almost DIED in a fucking train bombing! Excuse me for being a bit irritable!"
Tucker didn't say anything so he continued, starting to sound more lost than angry.
"Like, what did I even do? This whole city seems to be against me and I don't even know why. Sure I get I'm a foreigner, but that can't be all, right?! Just... why?"
For a moment, it seemed like Kuro's outburst had zero effect. Then, Tucker exhaled heavily and glanced to Kuro. Instead of the annoyance Kuro had been expecting, he was met with something else.
"Kuro. 'Sides Reborn, how many regions are apart of the Allied Regions under Unova?"
"Twelve? Why?"
"And how many of them do you think has ever stuck their neck out for Reborn even just once?"
Kuro thought about it. "Not a lot."
Tucker nodded. "And do you know why that is?"
"Well going off on a limb here, I'd say it's because the wealthy don't want to be associated with Reborn in order to not risk losing their status, the same going for governmental officials. And due to the existence of stereotypes perpetrated by them, the public perceive the state of Reborn to be entirely the fault of its population, leading to virtually no support for the region on a political level," Kuro said straightly.
Tucker gave him a funny look.
"What?"
"I... nevermind." He shook his head. "You about hit the target. It's been so long that there's not much that can be done to help. Sure, there's been financial relief in the past, but it don't take a genius to guess most of it went to some rich Grumpig's pockets. And well, look who suffered 'cause of it."
Kuro glanced around. The bridge wasn't empty by any means. Most of the people Kuro saw walking by were decked in expensive looking suits and dresses, probably foreigners on business. And then there were those sitting off to the sides in tattered clothes. Even with how many of them they were - which was something in of itself - they were all simply ignored. As if they weren't even there.
As if sensing Kuro had begun to realize it, Tucker continued. "If people treated you like dirt in your own city, you reckon you'd start to hate them too, right? Next thing you know, you got stereotypes of your own. That's the cycle hatred for you."
Kuro frowned. It didn't excuse the behavior directed towards him one bit, but it did give him some much needed clarity. It made him think to say the least. He wanted to say something, anything. Yet all he could come up with was an impressive, "Huh."
The silence between them returned, somehow even more awkward than before.
"Kuro." The trainer jumped as Chip suddenly popped out of his bag. "I'm gonna snack on another Poképuff, alright?"
"Oh, uh, sure!" Kuro nodded, still processing what just happened. "Sure..."
It was a good thing he decided to linger around for longer than he intended to. It started when a guy in a real classy suit walked up to him and proposed a battle. The battle itself was beyond easy and not even worth mentioning. However, it did attract attention and one thing led to another and Kuro had folks challenging him left and right.
They weren't even doing it for the sport but because it was 'trendy.'
Kuro would never understand rich people, ironic since-
He refocused on the battle in front of him just as a Meowth lunged at Tucker. "Tackle!"
With a couple of hits, Tucker had taken some posh lady's Meowth down, adding another tally on his winning streak.
Chip, on the other hand, was facing much greater trials, evident in his own battle against the lady's other Meowth.
"Don't aim for the head!" Kuro yelled as Chip ducked under a Scratch and lunged at the Meowth. His attack connected, but then he was instantly pushed back by a volley of coins from a Payday.
Kuro clicked his tongue. As fast as Chip was, he didn't think he could take any more hits like that.
"Return!"
"Oh, come on!" Chip protested. "I've got em on the ropes! Just one more Tackle and-"
Distracted, Chip wasn't able to react in time before the Meowth clawed his back, sending him crumpling to the ground. He tried to get up, but she stomped on his tail, preventing him from moving. "Should've listened to your trainer."
Fortunately, Mudkip tumbled in before she could do anything else and with just one hit, she was down for the count.
"Nice, Tucker!" Kuro grinned. "Guess all it to beat her was one more Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-" It clicked embarrassingly late. "OH. Oh. Ohhhhhhhhh..." He winced. "Uh, that was my b', Chip."
Chip, lying face-down on the concrete, groaned. "I can't feel my legs."
Kuro didn't stay for long after that. One: the bridge had become increasingly empty and two: he had ran out of potions. He used his last one on Chip, who as expected hadn't suffered anything a simple magical bottle couldn't fix. Speaking of which, Chip had been acting... unusual. Well, unusual from the couple of hours Kuro knew him.
"Kuro, can I ask you something?" Chip had suddenly asked as they walked back towards the way they came from. He hesitated before continuing, "Do you think I'm... weak?"
"What?!" Kuro gasped, taken aback by the accusation. "Chip, of course I don't think you're weak! What even made you think that?"
"Well, besides the fact that every battle I've fought you always withdraw me the moment you'd think I'd lose and send Tucker in..." Chip shrugged. "It's just a hunch."
"Oh come on, it's not like that! You both played equally important roles! Think of it like a tag-team!" When Chip's accusing look didn't let up, Kuro resorted to Tucker. "Back me up here!"
Tucker denied Kuro's gaze by covering it with his hat. "Don't even try to drag me into this. He's talkin' to you, not me."
Kuro turned back to Chip. "Well uh... don't you think you might be blowing this a bit out of proportion? I mean, lead and switch strategies are a crucial part in skilled Pokémon battles, right? Tell you what, next battle we have I'll send Tucker out first and you second! How does that sound?"
Kuro flashed him a smile. Chip only frowned more.
"I... guess that's alright," the Rattata finally sighed. "I'm just gonna just go back in my ball."
He had already vanished in a flash of red light before Kuro could stop him. It being a bad idea to just force him out, Kuro could only continue on trucking. After a few silent moments, Tucker finally spoke up.
"I've decided something. You are by far the worst person I've seen at consolin' people."
"At least I was trying to help!" Kuro muttered bitterly before scratching his head. "I just don't get why he's making such a big deal about it. I mean, isn't it good I'm making sure he doesn't faint? You guys don't like fainting, right?"
Tucker muttered something.
"What was that?"
"I said I retract my previous statement. You're just an idiot."
"Yeah? Well fuck you-"
"Wait." Tucker stopped him mid-sentence. His eyes still held anger, but Kuro had the feeling it was no longer directed at him. "Look up ahead. Over there."
In the corner of the street, there was a small group of men and Pokémon huddled around something. It took some time, but Kuro was able to make out a Zigzagoon. A very bruised and scared looking one at that.
One of the Pokémon, a Fomantis, snarled. "She's not goin' down Boss!"
It turned to the biggest guy in the group. The 'boss' mulled it over for a bit before snapping his fingers. "Well what're you waiting for? Do it again!"
The Zigzagoon cried as the Fomantis slashed at her, retreating even farther into the corner. She was practically pressed up against the metal railing.
Kuro glanced to Tucker. "Maybe they're just trying to catch it?" He suggested.
"I'm only going to tell it to you one last time." The 'boss' stated. "If you don't give us exactly what we want, we'll throw you right over the railing."
"Yeah!" The scrawny dude with messy blond hair jeered, jabbing a finger at the Pokémon. "A nice and relaxing dip in all that toxic water! Don't that sound nice?"
Kuro blinked. "Um... okay so things are getting a bit heated, but that doesn't mean they're necessarily bad guys-"
"Man I sure do love being apart of a gang!" The hobo with the beard suddenly said.
"Yeah, being able to steal from people and beat up Pokémon is the best!"
Tucker raised a brow at Kuro.
"Well, maybe-"
"Kuro." He said firmly.
"Yeah, you're right..." He was just bullshitting anyways. Mostly. He cleared his throat marched towards the gang. "Hey!"
The gang turned to him, a mix of confusion, surprise, and annoyance. The scrawny one gave him the biggest stink eye. "Ey, beat it kid! You're messin' up our game!"
Kuro ignored him, setting his sights on the so-called 'boss.' "You mind telling me what's going on here? You three are too old to be screwing around like fucking kids."
Unlike his goons, the boss didn't get flustered at Kuro's comment. Instead, he pointed at the poor Pokémon or rather, the yellow satchel it wore. "Ya see this thing right 'ere? It took it from us. If she gave it back, we wouldn't have no trouble."
Despite her condition, the Zigzagoon stood up on shaky legs. "But it's mine! I found it!"
The boss snapped his fingers again and Fomantis' scythe-like arms were threatening her neck. "What she meant to say was she STOLE it from us."
"Erm, actually," Another Pokémon, a Trubbish with glasses, spoke up, "We stole it from someone else. Even disregarding that, are we really in any position to reprimand-"
"Jim, tell your Pokémon to shut up, or I'm throwing BOTH of you off." The boss didn't yell at the bearded hobo, but the threat shut the trash bag up all the same. His stony eyes returned to Kuro. "Listen, we're in a bit of a rush 'ere, so how's about you forget you saw any of this and scram."
Kuro refused to back down. "You do know a trainer physically assaulting wild Pokémon unprovoked is a federal crime, right?"
"Technically only we, the Pokémon, have physically interacted with the Zigzagoon in question," Trubbish explained. "So you could argue that we aren't-"
He had enough of this. "Tucker?"
Tucker immediately shoved his foot in Trubbish's face and slammed him into the ground, shutting him up for good. He gave the group a lookover and spat on the sidewalk. "Looks like we're doin' things the hard way."
The boss of the goons snapped his fingers a third time. "Boys?" At his whim, the Fomantis along with the last Pokémon, Mudbray, stepped forward.
"Really? A 1v3? You're not even gonna try to play fair?" Kuro smirked, though he had lost most of his confidence.
The bearded one snorted. "Do we look like Team Rocket to you?"
Despite the odds against him, Tucker remained undeterred. "This ain't the worse matchup I've been in. It's going to be tricky, but I reckon I got a good chance at-"
Suddenly, the Trubbish exhaled a cloud of purple gas right into Tucker's face. Caught off guard, Tucker blasted him with a Water Gun. However, in doing so, he inhaled some of the noxious gas.
Tucker stumbled back, coughing and shuddering. Kuro's eyes widened as his usual orange cheeks turned purple.
No doubt about it, he was poisoned.
"Fuck," Kuro and Tucker swore in unison.
The boss grinned. "Jump 'em."
The extremely short skirmish ended with Tucker collapsed on the sidewalk. Try as he might, there was no way to be able to fight off three opponents while poisoned. The loss hit Kuro hard. He recalled Tucker back into his Pokéball without as much as a word. The battle was over, and yet the goons looked at him expectantly.
"Wait, was that Mudkip your only Pokémon?" The scrawny one asked incredulously. "Are you serious?"
When Kuro didn't say anything, the goons started howling. Even their Pokémon joined in at mocking his expense. Kuro still remained silent as his cheeks flushed red. For once, he was glad he was wearing shades.
Eventually, the boss silenced all of them. "Alright, alright, look. I've got enough things on my plate already, so I'll cut you a deal. Out of the goodness of my heart, instead of curb stomping your ass, I'll let you leave."
It wasn't mercy; it was pity. And it made Kuro's blood boil.
"Oi!" A new voice cut off Kuro's thoughts. All eyes turned to Kuro's bag as it began to shake. A light flashed from inside and out popped Chip. "We're not done yet!"
The Rattata's appearance was met with surprise and anger, the latter emotion most prevalent in Kuro.
"Chip!" Kuro hissed, glaring at him. "What are you doing?!"
Chip's ears drooped, taken aback by Kuro's reaction. "Wha- I've heard everything from my ball! We have to stop those bloody goons or-"
"I have to stop them. YOU have to go back in your ball. Tucker's out for the count and I can't have knocking yourself out because of your rashness!"
The rage started building within Chip as he balled his fist. "I knew it, you DO think I'm weak!" He squeaked accusingly
"I didn't say that-"
"You were thinking it!"
The gang watched blankly as the two began to argue as if they'd completely forgotten about them. The bearded goon turned to the boss. "Should we wait for them to finish or...?"
"Eh, forget about 'em," He said with a wave of his hand. He turned back to the Zigzagoon. "'sides, I'm more interested in this little runt."
Kuro and Chip were so ingrained in the argument they didn't even notice them turn away from them. Chip's defiance frustrated Kuro beyond belief. "Listen, I'm just trying to make sure you don't faint because I don't think you can handle-
"And there it bloody is! You don't know, you just THINK! You THINK you know so much about me when you don't even let me show you what I'm capable of!"
"I'm serious!" Kuro snapped back. "Without Tucker, you aren't strong-" Kuro clamped his hand over his mouth, but it was too late. Chip looked betrayed. "No, I-"
Chip turned away. "You can't even afford to trust me, can you?" He sighed. "Why can't you just believe in me?"
Kuro froze.
'Why can't you just believe in me?' The words echoed inside his mind. Those were the exact same words Kuro has asked himself hundreds of times. The words he asked when nobody was there to support him. Words that made him feel cold. Alone. And then, in those dark memories, he imagined Chip in his place.
It was all starting to make sense. Why he was so insistent on battling and why he had been so upset when Kuro withdrew him. Kuro wanted to go back in time and smack himself 5 minutes ago.
Tucker was right: he was a fucking idiot.
"I'm sorry." Kuro muttered.
"Huh?"
Throwing away his pride, he spoke louder. "I'm sorry for being such an asshole. I've doubted you the entire time for no good reason, I was being an oblivious dick, hell, I even was holding you to Tucker's standards. And..."
He paused, trying to find the right words. Why did he have to suck so much at apologies?
"Tucker's right about me not being the best of consoling people," Kuro admitted, crouching down to Chip's level. "I just want you to know that I think I've been in your position before; fighting when no one else is with you. It... hurts because it makes you doubt what you're truly capable of. Nobody should have to go through that. Not me, and definitely not you."
Another pause.
"You're probably still angry with me, and you totally don't even have to forgive me, but if you can at least give me once last chance... Can you show me what you're made of?"
For what seemed like an eternity, Chip processed his words. "That... I actually think I needed to hear those words for a long time." He smiled. "Thank's Kuro."
Kuro was taken aback. "Wait, you don't think that sounded cringe or anything?"
"I feel like there's some context to that, but no. In fact I'm just relieved you actually want to give me a chance!"
Kuro slowly rose to his feet, still stunned. "Alright..." He grinned. "Alright! Let's do this shit I guess!"
"Yeah!" The wave of determination was infectious as Chip pumped his fist in the air.
He turned his attention back to the gang who had all turned their backs to him. Perfect.
He pointed to the Trubbish. "TACKLE!"
At the sound of Kuro's shout, the boss spun around. "Huh? You're still here? I thought after arguin' like idiots for three minutes, you'd-"
The boss let a guttural roar as Trubbish crashed into his stomach. The Pokémon landed on the ground with a thud, knocked out. The boss looked like he was close to joining him, stumbling on his feet and clutching his gut. He stared at the Rattata with shock, then pure unbridled rage.
"What are you waiting for, GET 'EM!" The Mudbray and Fomantis immediately charged at Chip. Fomantis got to him first, aiming a Fury Cutter down on his head. Chip weaved out of the way with ease.
"Why. Won't. You. Stay. Still!" The plant Pokémon snarled as he attacked. With each slash, his attacks became quicker, sharper. And yet, Chip was able to evade all of them.
"Nah." Chip clocked him hard in the face, taunting him with a Tail Whip.
The Fomantis growled and fired a point blank Energy Ball which caught Chip off guard. The attack sent him rocketing back, his body sliding across the street.
Despite the blow, Kuro was as confident in him as ever. "You're not going down that easily! Beat his fucking ass!"
To everyone's bewilderment, Chip got back up immediately, shook the dust off his fur, and ran. It started as a steady Tackle. Then, with a determined cry, he fired off into a full blown Quick Attack and rammed his fist into Fomantis.
"That barely hurt!"
His cockiness vanished when Chip hit him again, and then again. Chip's hands became blurs as he relentlessly pummeled into the Pokémon. Enraged, the Fomantis responded with his own barrage of Fury Cutters. Yet, slowly but surely, Chip was pushing him back.
"'Ey, what's your Mudbray doin'?!" The boss snapped at the scrawny one. "Did I say get 'em or stand by and watch like a complete IDIOT?!"
The goon shrunk and barked out an order.
Meanwhile, after one particularly heavy blow, Fomantis was sent skidding off into the ground. Chip went after him, about to finish him off when he collided with a wall. A brown and very fleshly wall. The size difference between Mudbray and Chip was significant, the latter having to crane his neck to even meet eye to eye.
"Let him have it!" Kuro yelled.
Chip yelled, unleashing a flurry of attacks at Mudbray. The Pokémon didn't budge. In fact, each hit seemed to have less of an effect than the last. When Chip finally stopped to rest, he stared slack jawed at the unfazed Pokémon.
"You done?"
"If I said no would you still-" Chip was slammed into the ground before immediately being kicked into the air.
Mid-arc, Fomantis appeared and smacked him back towards Mudbray. The brutal combo was finished off with a Double-Kick to the gut, punting Chip across the bridge. His body skipped along the ground thrice before settling into a shaky stop.
Kuro looked upwards just in time. "LOOK OUT!"
Chip eye's opened too late as the spiraling Energy Ball hit him. There was a sharp squeak followed by a cloud of dust. Kuro watched on with horror as the dust cleared up. Chip's still twitching body was covered in dust and scratches.
He was still conscious, but he wasn't making any attempts to get up.
"C'mon Chip!" Kuro yelled, desperation seeping into his voice.
He wasn't going to give up on him. Not Chip. Not Anyone.
"I believe, no, I KNOW you're stronger than them! Get up! GET UP!"
"Don't give him time to recover!" The boss snapped.
The two Pokémon charged towards him.
"COME ON!" Kuro shouted.
"I... I..." Chip groaned, attempting to rise but falling flat on his stomach.
Kuro's words grew frantic as they neared him. "If you lose now..." He clenched his fists. "I... I won't give you any more Poképuffs!
The world around Chip seemed to slow down. All his senses felt numb, and yet those words, that threat, rang clear as day in his ears.
And then something snapped, something inside of him.
"grrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
A sudden burst of light made the Pokémon stop in their tracks, awestruck. Kuro, hell, even the gangs went wide-eyed at the sudden light show. The source of it all? Chip.
He stood tall, his body engulfed in an orange aura. He was in no better condition than before but, his eyes, seemingly glowing a fiery red, held a newfound resolve.
"Did he just go SSJ?" Kuro deadpanned.
"What the fuck?!" The bearded goon exclaimed.
The boss didn't care about any of it. "Am I workin' with morons- FOR THE LAST TIME. GET HIM AND BEAT HIM TO A PULP!"
Chip moved first and connected his fist into Mudbray's snout. An unmovable object met an unstoppable force as neither of them budged.
Mudbray snorted. "Wait, was that supposed to do something? Honestly, with that whole glowing thing, I thought-"
*A Critical Hit!
There was a huge boom as Mudbray was sent staggering back from the sudden pain. Dazed, he was unable to dodge the blow to his stomach, or the one to his front leg; each attack hitting another weak spot which had the Pokémon reeling.
Kuro stared in wonder. Despite the odds, Chip, the person he had for so long doubted, had persevered.
In a last ditch effort, Fomantis lunged at him. Chip delivered two swift punches as the Pokémon failed to execute two Fury Cutters. Then, Chip jumped on and over his head, grabbed his arms, and – using their combined momentum – hurled him at his teammate.
*A Critical Hit!
Chip landed just as the two Pokémon collided. Mudbray let out one last whiny before collapsing. The orange aura vanishing, Chip faltered, but otherwise remained tall as he stared down his opponents.
Five seconds had passed. Neither of his opponents moved an inch.
Finally, Chip allowed himself to relax.
He had done it. Chip had done it. He had won.
He won!
"LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kuro roared, feeling proud, amazed, and a bit confused.
In hindsight, Chip was probably one wrong step away from falling down unconscious, but he summoned just enough energy to send the gang a sharp glare. "What? You want some of this too, yeah?" He put up his fists.
The boss glanced at Chip, then to Kuro, then finally at Zigzagoon. In the end, he folded. "This isn't even worth the trouble. Let's go."
They recalled their fallen Pokémon and hightailed it out of there. With the threat gone, Kuro rushed to Chip's side and held him just as he started to slump.
"Chip..." Kuro wanted to say a number of things. He decided on, "What the fuck was that?!"
"Focus Energy," Chip replied, smiling dumbly.
And that was good enough for Kuro. "Oh. Alright!"
That out of the way, Kuro pulled out Tucker's Pokéball. It felt heavy in his hands. The victory was something to be proud of, but the guilt of his ignorance towards Chip as well as Tucker's first defeat was something to consider. And then there was something else.
Why did it feel like the possibility of losing a battle had scared him more than the possibility of someone getting hurt?
He shook the thought out of his head. "We'll get you to a Pokécenter, bud," Kuro promised the ball.
"Wait, I think I can help!" The Zigzagoon exclaimed. Kuro had almost forgot about her as she approached them.
Before he could ask, she dug inside her yellow satchel, pulled out three bottles - two potions and one antidote - and handed them over to him. Judging by her slightly wet and scratch free fur, she must've used one on herself. Kuro wasn't one to question a blessing and after thanking her, he sent out Mudkip, still unconscious, and began to spray him. After that, he focused on Chip.
"Hey, you were something else out there." Kuro smiled as he sprayed Chip, affectionately patting his head. "You uh, don't think of me any different now, do you?"
Surprisingly, Chip turned his nose. "Actually, I don't think I'm quite ready to forget about all that yet!" He grinned slyly. "Unless, you have something to convince me otherwise."
Once it clicked, Kuro let out a mock sigh and handed Chip a yellow Poképuff.
"You know -" Chip took a bite and gulped it down, "- There's something about actually earning it that makes it taste better, you know?"
"Whoiswhatnow?!" Tucker came to all at once, jolting up with a dazed expression. Fixing his hat, he looked around. "What happened? Did we win?"
With their friend recovered, Chip and Kuro crowded around him. "Yeah! We won!" Chip squeaked.
"And you were right! I am an idiot!" Kuro exclaimed, matching Chip's enthusiasm. "Oh, and Chip went SSJ!"
"And Kuro learned a valuable lesson!"
Tucker blinked blankly. "Well, since I don't got a lick of what y'all are talkin' about, I'm just gonna assume you dealt with those hooligans and solved the issue between y'all?"
They nodded. "Yep!"
Tucker let out something that was almost a chuckle. "Glad to hear it."
"So what are we going to do now?" Zigzagoon asked the group.
"We?" Kuro asked.
Zigzagoon nodded. "Well, you guys seem like crazy strong, so of course I want to stick with you! I'm not that strong as a fighter, but I'm very good at finding things! That's gotta be helpful somehow, right?"
"Well... I don't see why not then!" Kuro decided. She had helped them out after all. "Welcome to the-"
"Hold your Mudsdales," Tucker stopped him, studying Zigzagoon's expression. "Just like that? You don't even want to have a good fashioned battle or anything?"
"Well, do any of you WANT to fight?"
"...Nevermind, welcome to the team."
Zigzagoon's here to help!
- "Zyla" Zigzagoon: Team Scout -
Timid Nature
Somewhat Vain
Ability: Pickup
Kuro stood up and glanced at his Pokémon: Tucker, Chip, and the newly christened Zyla. "We should probably head back to the Grand Hall now. They should have some rooms for league challengers If I read the league pamphlet right."
"You didn't read it at all," Tucker pointed out.
"Fuck you too then."
And so, Kuro led the way back to the Grand Hall. Chip, riding on Kuro's shoulder, gazed at the sky wistfully. "You know, in the few hours I've known you all, a LOT has happened."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Kuro agreed wholeheartedly. "To be completely honest, I'm a bit worn out from it all.
"I guess you could say... you're pretty cheesed off about it all?" Chip grinned.
There was a silence.
"Please don't tell me that's how this chapter ends."
Quick update on the update schedule. I think pumping out chapters is gonna take about TWO WEEKS because of all the stuff I have to do in between them. Oh, and as to why I didn't do the whole 'Challenger Kuro vs [blank]' format for the battles, I think I'm going to do that for more story relevant battles and not for simple street battles.
I'm also still trying to find a balance between the story's seriousness and humor. If any of you have any suggestions or tips, let me know!
With that out of the way, I hope you all have enjoyed today's chapter! As always, I'm open to critiques and questions if you have any! I want to make the best possible version of this story I can. This was Apollo, and I'll see you all next time!