A Winkle in Reality

[HankPankylol]

Hello, and welcome to my first story. Fair warning, the first section is kinda heavy and dense, but it gets easier to read.


I've already posted the first 20 chapters of this on other sites, so I'll just post one a day until we catch up, and then go back to one a week.

Disclaimer: Pokémon is the property of Nintendo and Game Freak. I don't own shit.

---

Colors swirled around him in an endless kaleidoscope, each one distinct and yet perfectly blended into the next. Hues that humans had never known teased the edge of his sanity as they flashed in a random pattern, while the complete lack of change threatened to drive him insane.


Land floated by him, great chunks of earth as big as continents and as small as pebbles drifted aimlessly. Trees grew from the clouds while rivers flowed upwards and then started to do loops around themselves. Oceans hung like spheres midair as forest fires raged within them, consuming the planets and stars that dotted them. Fish-like beings walked the land as bird shaped entities swam through the dirt.


It wasn't a world of logic and sense. Consistency here was a crime of the highest order. Up wasn't down and south didn't mean north. Up was purple and directions tasted like mint, gravity was ever shifting and time meant nothing, yet everything at the same time.


He didn't belong there, in that lawless realm. He could feel his soul reject it, the very essence of his being conflicting with his surroundings. He was a being of law and order.


He did not belong there.


The others knew it too. They would poke and prod him, brushing against him and disappearing when he turned his attention to them. Shapeless beings that were mere clouds of vapor, jabbing him with solid limbs, fang filled grins on blank, expressionless faces. They lurked in the corners of his vision, whispering into his ears the sweetest and most foul things he could imagine in languages he didn't understand. One, twelve, twenty, five, combining and splitting without issue. They were there every second of every day, yet left him alone for years at a time.


Larger presences teased the edge of his existence, absorbing everything in their path as they swept through nothing and everything. They fused and divided, a harmony of millions and no more than one, leaving new in their wake to come and bother him.


It was a game to them. Bother the new guy. Bully the outsider. See how much the only solid thing they had ever met could take before it tore into pieces much like themselves.


Though to be fair, he presumed that he was the most interesting, and uninteresting, thing that had happened to that place of chaos in a long, and short, time.


Years passed in seconds, minutes took decades. His resistance was faltering. Little by little, his soul's reluctance to be there faded. Increasingly, acceptance set in.


He wasn't born there. He wasn't made to exist in such a place. A being of congruence couldn't last in a place that prided itself on dissent.


Something had to give. And he was so much lesser than a whole universe.


As the Miasma of randomness seeped into the crevices of his soul, tempting and threatening, the endless feeling of something breathing on his neck halted. For a brief moment and eternity, everything stopped. Movement, space, and even time ceased frolicking about as they pleased and the reality held its breath.


A weight descended upon him.


Cold and heat had long stopped mattering to him. Lifetimes, or millennia, of temperatures of all kinds had numbed him. Neither did gravity bother him after so long with a black hole crushing his feet while his head felt like it was laying on the moon. Only the constant tries to change him even registered.


But he felt the pressure. The Miasma had coerced and beckoned, but the pressure didn't care. It hadn't come to lure him. It didn't matter that he was close to giving in. It wasn't concerned with the fact that in a timeless place like the Randomness, his transformation was guaranteed and was essentially finished.


He was an outsider. And outsiders did not belong.


He barely noticed that he was completely alone for the first time since his arrival, all of his tormentors and playmates having vanished. The pressure kept rising, the weight upon his soul increasing. It felt like sinking deep into the ocean, deep under the waves to a place where life wasn't meant to exist. His form was made of glass as tons and tons pushed down onto every inch of him, his lungs quivering to draw breath, the air thick with power. Like oil it spread throughout his body, assessing him, judging him.


Rejecting him.


A shadow that stretched from horizon to horizon wavered in place as if hidden behind a mist. Gleaming talons disappeared and reappeared throughout the shadow with no set location. Great sheets of darkness rose from its back as wings, giant pinions the size of skies blocking his view as the mere presence sent crystalline fractures through his mind.


Crimson eyes larger than his body hovered before him as his limbs cracked from the strain, every fiber of his being screaming in protest of being so near the incarnation of the Randomness they had been cast into. It was ITs world, ITs very existence that had permeated the realm, ITs will that held Nothing, yet Everything together. IT had built a dimension away from the sickening solidity of the Material World, forced an entire world into existence through sheer force of will and raw power.


And IT hated him for bringing the stench with him.


Fangs the size of buildings flashed as a crooked tear in the Shadow opened to reveal a mouth. A roar that made his cells cry in anguish ripped from the god in front of him as IT lurched towards him, hatred shining in ITs gaze and maw opening wide as IT swallowed him in one bite, teeth ripping through him as he let out a scream and-


-shot up with enough force that I overextended and tipped ass over end, face planting into the dirt. Sand filled my mouth as I sputtered, the last bit of the scream splutering out my throat. Coughing, I pushed off the ground again and made it into a sitting position, heart thundering in my ears.


"What the fuck!?"


I patted down my body as the phantom pain of being devoured alive pulsed through me, but there was nothing. There were no wounds or puncture holes as wide as my torso.


I was alive.


"Hehe", a chuckle broke past my lips as I stared at my clean, non-mutilated flesh.


"Hehe. HahahahaHaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


Much more gracefully I jumped back on my feet, managing to stay upright.


"YEEEEEAAAH! FUCK YOU! FUUUUUUCK YOOOOOU, YOU SHADOW BITCH! HAHAHA!" I spread my arms wide while tilting my head back, letting the beautiful, steady, consistent warmth of the baking sun soak through my bones. "YOU THINK YOU CAN EAT ME!? ME!? SUCK MY FUCKING DICK, YOU FORMLESS PUSSY! HAHAHA! I HOPE YOU LIKE THE TASTE OF AIR, DIPSHIT! EAT MY FUCKING ASS! I'M THE FUCKING GREATEST, I'M IMMORTAL, I'M, I'm, I'm-" Panting as the edge of the adrenaline rush from my close call started to settle, I took in my surroundings.


Sand.


And a lot of it.


As in, only sand. Everywhere.


"I'm in the fucking desert."


Why was I in the desert?

---

Sand covered my foot and tried to swallow the entire leg as I put my weight on it. The loose surface shifted beneath my bare toes, threatening to send me back down the way I came. Sweat ran down my face like bullets, darkening the sand for a second before it disappeared as I threw my right leg forward, barely keeping my balance.


Left.


Right.


The sun above only seemed to get hotter and hotter as I finally crested the dune I was climbing, heavy pants heaving from my chest as my knees collapsed. The grains burned my skin as I looked out from my new vantage point.


And what a sight it was.


"AAAAARRGHH!" It didn't fucking end. No matter how far I walked. No matter how many hills I climbed or what direction I tried.


It.


Was.


Just.


More.


Sand.


"COME ON!" The yell tore at my dry throat, but I was so far past caring. My forehead met the burning hell substance that had proven the bane of my existence as I tilted forward, struggling to regain my breath. I didn't understand. It wasn't fucking fair. I survived a different dimension. I got eaten by a fuck-off huge shadow monster, and this was what I earned? Actual, unending, hell?


"I miss the Random. I want to go back." I moaned, uncaring for the shit that got in my mouth. I could already hear the cracking and crunching every time I moved my jaw and felt the rocks between my teeth. It was in my ears and in my nose, it scorched my feet with every step, and I was pretty sure it was multiplying inside my asshole. It had been so nice at first. Sure, it had been warm, but unlike the Random, it was a consistent type of heat and much milder than the extremes I had been used to. The sand had been annoying even then, yet the sheer joy of expecting something, and then getting it, had kept me on a high for what felt like hours.


Until it didn't.


Consistency meant lack of variation. After days, or millennia, of nothing but change, it sounded great in theory. But then you got warm. And then even warmer. You started sweating. Your mouth dried out and your throat became parched. Your vision started blurring and a headache started pounding, your thoughts felt wooly and your skin burned. The occasional breeze no longer offered relief and soon you start longing for the sensation of having your fingers flash frozen while your palms boil.


The beings inhabiting that other place might have had a point.


Rules sucked.


The unrelenting heat beat down on my already sunburned back as I pressed my forehead to my clenched fists before me. Everything hurt. I had even thought about drinking my own piss, just to get some relief, but either the Random World left no urine in the body upon exit, or the hellscape I found myself in had taken that from me as well.


I-... I couldn't keep going. Not forever. Not like that.


"Please… Please. Not like this…"


I closed my eyes as I ignored the aching of my lungs, forcing them to take in deep, slow breaths. My thighs screamed as I forced them under me. A loud, drawn out groan left my lips as I fought to get back up, only for a cramp in my calf to send me right back down. A scream rang out and if there had been any liquid left in my body, I would've cried.


"COME OOONN! COM-.. COme On… Please…"


Second try had me back on my feet. However, a glance at the ceaseless arid landscape in front of me made me want to just sit down for the last time. What was the point of trying if the goal was impossible? I was clearly in the middle of the desert and too far in to make it out on foot. Why make the last moments of my life ones of pain and struggle?


I would forever deny that I let out a whimper as I took a halting step forward.


"Right… Left…"


I survived being thrown into a completely different dimension that was by its very nature hostile to my existence. I made it through the denizens of said dimension using me as a stress ball, poking, and prodding, and stretching, and throwing. I lived through being a chew toy for a giant, spooky, halloween dragon thing.


I refused to lay down for fucking heat.


Time and distance blurred. I would look up to see where the next dune would be, only to find myself halfway up it. I would follow what I was sure was a straight line, keeping the sun on my left side after it started coming down from its zenith, and stumble upon my own footprints going perpendicular. My ears rang and shadows danced across my eyes.


"Ri-Right… Lef…"


And all the while Satan's ballsack hung in the sky, slowly turning me into beef jerky.


Or pork jerky?


Human jerky.


I giggled to myself as I crawled up the last part of the non-stop hills. I was slowly losing my mind. I could feel my grip on sanity slipping. Shit was suddenly so funny. Everything made me laugh, even the most nonsensical bullshit my boiling brain threw at me. Black spots in my vision had turned into full-on hallucinations. I was certain I had seen some of my friends and bullies from the Random floating by me, making faces, yet they all faded within a couple of seconds. Cackles filled my ears, yet there was no mouth to make them. Fuck, I could even see an oasis from my new vantage point, perched like a dying bird of prey on a burial mound of sand.


I giggled again.


I am going to die. The defeatist thoughts of earlier had turned into a bone deep certainty and somewhere in my fading mind, I knew that my brain was pushing as many feel-good drugs as possible to send me out on a dream.


Without realising it, I had shifted to lying fully on my front, cheek pressed into the stupid miniature rocks that had proven to be my doom. Still, I couldn't be too hard on myself. I tried. I really, really tried. I gave it everything I fucking had and yes, it wasn't enough, but I-


-My head shot up like a marionette on a string. My eyes rolled around and blacked out entirely at times, but I finally managed to focus enough to make out a rough outline.


The oasis was still there. A little oval lake with two palm trees next to each other on the shore. A couple of small bushes further out looking to be on the verge of death.


My head fell back down as I took a couple of deep breaths. Twice had I seen a lake, and twice it had been false. I don't think I have ever been more disappointed than when the handful of water literally turned into sand in my mouth.


A second look.


Still there.


Slowly to start and gradually picking up speed, my forearms dragged me forward. Soon my feet were kicking to get me standing, but my eagerness was my downfall. A wrong movement sent me rolling down the side of the dune, sand and dust struggling to find a surface on my body to cling to that wasn't already completely covered. I put out my hand to try and brake, yet that was the one time the cursed fucking sand I found myself in wanted to act like a solid, launching me into a handstand that only succeeded in taking me from rolling sideways to ass over end.


"FUCK, FU-argh, cough, AH, SHIT, FUCK, AWWW!"


Spewing a random assortment of swear words and noises of pain, I finally arrived at the bottom. Springing back up with an energy I hadn't felt in hours, I locked eyes with the swaying palm trees in the distance, barely peeking out over, you fucking guessed it, another sand dune. Although a small one.


And most importantly, the oasis was still there.


I had either finally truly lost my mind, or that shit was real.


Taking off in a stumbling gait, I immediately had to course correct as my wobbly knees wanted me to go to the right, but there was no fucking way I was giving up now.


I had wandered aimlessly for the better part of a day, at least. With a target in sight, I would keep going forever.


"Left. Rig-Right.. Left. Right. Left.."


If asked afterwards, I would not be able to say how long the distance was. Based upon my first view of it, the oasis seemed to be half-an-hour's walk away, if not more. Yet I felt like I teleported. One moment I'm fantasizing about the water I'm about to have, nearly getting hard just from the thought of it, and next thing I know, I'm walking onto some large rocks at the shore.


Not that I noticed.


SPLASH!


It felt like electricity as I was submerged in the cool liquid. Every nerve in my body jumped and panicked at the sudden shift, and for a single point in time, I hung frozen, suspended weightlessly as my mind blanked. For just a couple of seconds, the world stood still in a way that I'd never experienced in either of the


two worlds I'd been to.


Stillness.


Peace.


And then it restarted.


Water filled my unprepared lungs as I inhaled in shock. My legs kicked in panic as I began drowning, my arms flailing around for something to latch onto. Finally, one of my feet hit the bottom and I realised that I could stand up.


I let out a huge gasp as I erupted from the four feet deep water, lungs begging for oxygen. Three big gulps of air and I was down under, greedily sucking in water. Ice spread in my body as it finally got the cool down it so desperately needed. More and more H2O was forced down my throat in an attempt to make up for lost time, my head seemingly becoming clearer with each swallow. Again and again I broke off to suck down air and then shove my head down like a demented ostrich.


Before long my stomach protested the rapid intake and sent it back up. The violent streams of nearly pure water that fired from my mouth had me calming down a little.


After it stopped, anyway.


Dragging myself into a shallower part, my next drinks were slower. Each sip was enjoyed for the life providing act that it was. Full and almost thinking clearly, I laid back to float and soak for a minute.


I sighed.


"That was way too fucking close. No more. I'm so fucking done."


A bird let out a cry as I floated around. How long I spent there was impossible to tell.


The sun actually felt comfortable while in the water and for the first time since I could remember, I was actually feeling good.


Unfortunately, that also let my brain catch back up and begin churning.


Letting out another sigh, I sat up in the water and took a glance at the sky. It was on its way down. It would be night time soon.


Night time, my brain helpfully supplied, was as bad, if not worse, than day time in a desert.


Which meant I had to move.


The bird squawked again as I struggled with that world-ending thought. Slowly turning my head, I let my lifeless gaze rest on the offender.


I blinked.


Drifting on top of the water was a small white bird with a enormous head that was at least as large as its torso. Its wings were long and straight, with a v-shaped dent at the end. A blue band wrapped around each one, with each of the three tail feathers having the same. The eyes were thin slits that apathetically looked back at me with barely noticeable black pupils. Its beak was long and yellow, turning black halfway and ending with a hook shape that cracked open.


"Wuack!"


My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head as I stared even harder.


Nope. It was real. Or I had gone so far around the bend that there was no way back.


Because that was definitely a Pokémon.


As if hearing my thoughts, the wingull squacked again.


"Wuack!"


Presented with a mind-breaking realisation, I fell back on what was quickly becoming my favourite words.


"What. The. Fuck."


That apparently offended the wingull as it puffed up its small chest and raised its wings in challenge. It might have been intimidating if its head had been smaller, but it just ended up looking like a particularly vicious stuffed toy. Slightly more scary was the gush of pressurized water that it launched straight at my chest.


"Wha-", was all the protest I had the time for before I felt like a donkey kicked me center mass. My feet left the lake bed and I went sliding backwards across the surface, ending with a backflip that had water rush into my nose and fill my lungs.


Again. Except, this time I was in the deeper part, where my feet couldn't touch the bottom even without panic.


As I hacked and coughed both from the liquid drowning me and the impact, while flailing back towards the shallows, I heard that fucking bird fly above me, chirping with what I swear was laughter.


"Wuack wuack wuack wuack!"


Smart of it to run. If I had gotten my hands on it, we would have found out if that big fucking head could have fit UP ITS ASS!


"Fucking bitch-ass bird… Thinks it's funny… Better fucking run…" I grumbled as I caught my breath, my random flailing turning into actually swimming. The attack had sent me further than I'd thought, almost to the center of the oasis. That had to be at least 15 feet and the leftover ache guaranteed a bruise later.


Which, to be fair, was a minor punishment for being hit with something containing that much force.


Very minor, in fact. I had already been submerged to the waist, so what I presume was a Water Gun, had pushed me through all that water, and it only stung a little? It should've cracked a couple of ribs if nothing else.


Nothing made sense anymore.


And as if the universe wanted to prove a point, once I got semi-solid ground beneath my feet again, my left foot landed on a large, loose rock that sent me falling back.


Again.


That was the straw that broke the camel's back.


"AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHH! FUCKING SHIIIIIT! FUCK YOU! FUCK EVERYTHING! FUCKING BIRDS, FUCKING ROCKS, FUCKING SAND! FUCKING, FUCK… AAAAARRRRGHHHH!"


It was not my first outburst of the day, but it was the most petulant. I kicked and punched the water around me like a child, screaming every curse word that I knew, and inventing several new ones. It was just too much. First I was basically tortured for an undetermined amount of time, then I almost died in the desert, found out that I'm apparantly in a fictional fucking universe, and then, and fucking then, I almost drown.


Not once.


Not twice.


BUT THREE FUCKING TIMES!


AND I GOT ATTACKED BY A DUMBASS, BUBBLEHEAD, FIRE HYDRANT BIRD!


"ARRRGHH!", I cried my fury to the heavens as my foot hit the same smooth rock as it did earlier. A primal urge to hit and throw shit consumed me as I ripped the blue and white, oval stone from the lakebed and gripped it both hands above my head before throwing it as hard as I could. The rock spun as it travelled, fatter in one end than the other. The blue and white cloud markings twinkled with the last clinging droplets as it hit the blue surface with a splash and disappeared into the depths.


My eyes lingered on the ripples it left with its passing, panting with fury.


"Fuck." I swore and dove after it.


That was not a rock.


The object had hit at an angle, so finding it took a second. Luckily I had thrown it sideways along the shore so the water wasn't too deep. When I found it, I dragged both it and my tired, sore corpus back onto land and took a seat to look the thing over, feet resting in the water to sooth the blisters.


On closer inspection, there was a faint scale pattern to what was now unmistakable an egg. The entire thing was as large as my head, yet oddly light. Not quite like it was hollow, but much lighter than I would've thought something that size should've been.


It was also most definitely a Pokémon egg.


I sighed as I rested my head against the egg. There was no getting around it now.


Somehow, I was in the Pokémon world, a universe that was only supposed to exist in anime and video games.


Which meant that the Randomness I floated in earlier was likely the Distorted World, and the fuck-off big shadow that chewed me up and spit me back out was Giratina.


Which in turn made me one lucky bastard.


I sighed again as I raised my head and looked emptily at the reflection of my knees.


It wasn't the worst thing in the world. I was a fan of Pokémon and knew a fair amount about the franchise. I had played all the games and consumed a great amount of content based on it, though my knowledge of the anime was sparse, so even if the details didn't match precisely, I at least had a decent grasp of the basics. In addition, for a world full of giant physics and biology defying monsters, terrorist groups under every fucking rock, and living gods that controlled the fundamental forces of creation, Pokémon was portrayed as a pretty nice place. Sure, said terrorists had no problem beating up kids, but they were hilariously incompetent at it. The Legendary Pokémon could usually be reasoned with as well, and the average Pokémon seemed to be roughly on par with humans, intelligence wise.


Compared to shit like Marvel, Warhammer, Skyrim, or other death worlds, it was practically paradise.


So, if I had to be transported to a fictional universe, there weren't many better ones.


In theory.


Because that Water Gun had hurt. So had staying in the Distorted World. Pokémon were cute behind a screen and the thought of training super powered animals sounded cool. Traveling across the regions, making friends, saving the world, and catching them all was a great dream.


But living it? Having to interact with monsters that could kill me literally by thinking about it, and not having plot armor? Assholes messing with Legendary Pokémon that control Time and Space? Fucking God!?


That was a very different matter. Not that there was much I could do about it, and to be honest, I realised I wasn't anywhere logical a long, or short, time ago. I didn't even know how I got there, much less how to get back to my world.


My world.


My eyes locked with their reflection and I saw myself for the first time since waking up.


Thick, messy red hair hung down in spikes, covering my forehead, white highlights occasionally intermingling. Almond shaped amethyst eyes sat above a petite nose and were framed by high, aristocratic cheekbones. Full red lips rounded everything out. I looked like an anime character, but a damn hot one if I had to say so myself.


Or, I would look like a damn hot anime character in a few years, as I currently appeared to be around 10 years old.


Between the bangs I saw the lightly tan skin wrinkle a bit.


Had I always been 10? I felt like I was older than that. Maybe not by a huge amount, but definitely older, and I recalled several birthdays…


Huh.


Had I ever had a birthday party?


Purple orbs narrowed in the reflection.


Did I ever have a family?


Come to think of it.


"What's my name?"

---

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Another week, another chapter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun had started dipping into the horizon by the time I found the second thing that wasn't fucking sand. The realization that I remembered nothing regarding my personal life had me stunlocked by the lagoon for quite a while, but luckily I knew lots of different things. Even things about deserts, like the fact that night time in a desert was as freezing as the day time was scorching. Given that the sun had made it a fair bit past the midday point by the time I thought to check, I knew I had to haul ass if I didn't want to become a popsicle, even if the idea of cold had been tempting after so long in the heat.

Brooding about my suspicious amnesia could be done on the move.

And it was suspicious.

Waking up in a different world, with the only memories missing being the ones that anchored me to my previous life? I could remember fucking Wolverine's height, the spawn tank cheat code for GTA Vice City, and every bit of fiction inbetween, but not the people who raised me for 15-ish years? Someone, or more likely something, ripping a fucking hole in the space-time continuum just to drag my nerdy ass through it and dumping me in the Distorted World, yet the semi-beneficial memory loss wasn't their doing?

Pull the other one, it spawns fucking unicorns.

It wasn't impossible as such, as far as I knew anyway. There were many different types of amnesia, and some of them were hyper specific. Hell, it was even possible that it had been an effect of my time in the Spooky Space. I felt that realm grind against my soul, my very sense of self. Maybe it managed to erase just that part of me. There were several feasible explanations without someone intentionallyactively doing it.

Just super fucking suspicous.

It also, as I realised during my second impersonation of Moses leading the Jews through the scorching hellscape, didn't really matter.

As I said, the amnesia was actually somewhat to my benefit.

If I couldn't remember the people important to me in my old life, I couldn't feel the loss of them. The thought of not seeing my parents, hypothetical siblings, and romantic interests, couldn't hurt me if I didn't remember ever seeing them in the first place. It was a fresh start.

New world, new me.

A completely blank slate.

Which was what made it so fucking suspicous.

Still, that line of thought had reached its end without starting to go in circles. I needed more information before I could make any actual conclusions, and at the end of the day, it didn't really matter why or how. It happened and now I had to deal with it.

Besides, I thought to myself as what I prayed was buildings instead of rocks drew nearer, I had a way more important decision to make.

"New world, new me, new name," I muttered, a small smirk pulling at my cracked lips.

"Hmmm, Pokémon names tend to be based on real, natural stuff, like Ash, Oak, Brock, or… Gary…" I trailed off with a mutter, frowning at the last one.

"The games and manga used colors though," my mind drifted through the options as my feet carried me closer and closer to what was becoming more and more obviously a man made structure, "So there are a lot of choices."

I planted my feet wide, toes digging into the sand as my fists rested on my hips, egg laying cozy in a nest of sand. My chin tilted towards the sky while my eyes gained a glint. White teeth gleamed in a grin as I spoke the name that would strike fear in criminals and awe in children.

"Periwinkle."

A breeze blowing with the top layer of sand was the only response. I held my pose for several moments, grinning at the world, before hunching over with an explosive sigh.

"That's stupid. I'm going fucking insane."

In my exhaustion, as I bent down to pick the egg back up I hit it with my foot and sent it tolling a few feet, bouncing sporadically. I let out a cry as I moved to catch it, tripping over myself as I did.

That fumble saved my life.

As I caught myself after a couple of steps, the slight, bowl-shaped depression my left foot had just been in collapsed in the blink of an eye as a large, tan blur leapt up and snapped giant mandibles closed with a horribly loud sound.

CLACK!

The scream that left me sounded like a boiling kettle as I fell on my ass and scrambled to get back. I had a brief moment to take in a huge head the size of my own, made up 90% of a pair of ginormous jaws and a small black eye on the side of its head, before it wriggled back into the sand.

Shivers racked my body as I stared at the spot where I had almost died, shock and disbelief freezing me in place. Several long seconds passed as I remained static, breath stuck in my throat, before rackdolling into the sand with an explosive exhale. A forearm covered my eyes while a choked sob rattled my chest.

"F-fuck."

Again.

I had almost died again.

I'm not sure how long I spent on the ground, focusing on taking deep breaths as my body slowly came down from the adrenaline high and stopped shaking, but eventually I recovered enough to sit up. I wasn't okay by any means, but at this point, I just wanted the day to fucking end already. And that could only happen when I found some shelter.

Which, in turn, could only happen if I got off my ass and kept moving.

When I finally took the first steps to continue towards my previous destination, they came much slower and more carefully, my eyes on swivels, analyzing every single grain before me for more shitty death traps that apparently existed in these parts. Calm enough to think somewhat clearly, I'm pretty sure that had been a trapinch, a Pokémon I actually liked quite a lot, but that did not fucking matter when the fuck was trying to eat me for dinner.

I tried to put my close call behind me by picking back up my train of thought.

"Black and White are taken. So is Gold and Silver. Red, Blue, Green… Tree names seem to belong to the Professor's… Maybe just a regular name then, like Bill, or Paul… No, Paul is taken too… All hail the mighty Champion, strongest Trainer in the world, Bob!... Pokémon is Japanese, I guess, so I could do someth- is that a fucking train?"

I was finally close enough that the blurry blob in the distance had gained detail, and sure enough, it was a train. An old, rust colored, monster of a steam engine sat innocently among the sand dunes, nearly a hundred feet of poorly maintained metal. Large, crooked pipes of the same beaten red emerged from the top of the machine, while the wheels appeared to have been ripped off and scattered around randomly. A ramp had been attached to the back part and led up to a large open door. A dozen buildings, closer to huts of seemingly paint peeling sheet metal, dotted the surroundings, with an ancient gas pump front and center of the cluster.

I turned and looked back the way I came. A lonely tumbleweed rolled across the desert. The right and left of the settlement was similarly empty. No train tracks. No giant grove carved into the landscape from the 100 ton slap of engineering being dragged into place. No indication at all of how it got there.

Just a train in the desert.

"Why is there a fucking train in the middle of the desert?"

Nonsensical or not though, night had more or less officially fallen and the temperature was dropping at a rate that was noticeable minute to minute. The lighting was getting dimmer, making the odds of falling into the jaws of another nightmare bug higher and higher. I didn't care if it was a train, a cave, or a fucking gaint pumpkin, shelter was shelter. And given the two lamps at the front and back of the vintage machine and the light spilling from the wide open doorway, it wasn't as abandoned as it looked.

The sheds seemed deserted as I made my way past, but people may go to sleep earlier around these parts.

Something about it was familiar. I would have thought a giant train in the desert would stick out more in my memories, but there was just a faint tickle in the back of my mind of having seen this before as I traversed the empty bottles and metal parts spread through the sand. The rust behemoth loomed over me, acting like it hadn't been airdropped by giants.

Or Pokémon.

The steel creaked ominously under me as I climbed the ramp. The warm air nearly had me floating inside like a cartoon and I almost fell the second my feet crossed the doorstep. I had gotten so good at ignoring my discomfort over the last day that I hadn't noticed the light shaking of my legs or the blisters developing ontop of my blisters.

Last part. Just needed a place to sleep, I convinced myself as I took a look around the interior of the train turned building, egg clutched to my chest. I'd take the fucking floor as long as it's inside.

In contrast to the dilapidated exterior, the inside was actually rather nice. A long, L-curved counter took up the wall right in front of the doorway. Bar stools were placed along the side facing outwards, while a shelf full of bottles containing different colored liquids covered the left wall. A small kitchen and a bunch of boxes finished the area.

Next to the bar, a large TV displayed an interview with some small rotund guy taking place. Dressed in black shoes, puffy blue pants, a large brown coat that turned pink at the cuffs and collar and finished with a grey vest that was struggling for its life to not pop a button, he was quite the sight. Add in the bolo tie with a giant gold button and three giant puffy ribbons, and he turned into something that required a double take. With the grey hair that left the top of his head bald, growing only on the sides, and was formed into two candy floss shapes, he just became bizarre.

Nice mustache, though.

Besides the screen with the president of Clownville grasping at his chest as he said something that was probably very dramatic, stood an antique jukebox. It looked like it had been used to beat someone half to death and then stored in the jungle for a couple of years, but I'd always had an appreciation for jukeboxes.

They were a glimpse into a different era.

Across the beat up music player were some old school dining tables with pastel green couches framing a slim table. Finishing it all off, bronze pipes ran along the walls and into what I could only guess was an unreasonably big steam turbine in the far wall.

Which was weird, but I guess it was only one among a bunch of confusing shit in the odd steampunk/retro/Fallout building.

It was also completely empty except for a young guy behind the bar.

Semi-long, greasy strands of hair crowned his head like a limp, sand colored mop. The worn, oversized t-shirt and hollow cheeks made him look young but the sparse curly beard hair pecked him as a late teen that was a couple of weeks past his last shave. The dull, unfocused, brown eyes of a minimum wage worker that would rather be anywhere else stared blankly at the TV, sharp chin propped up in spindly arms as he lay with his whole upper body draped across the counter.

There was no bell to announce my entrance, so I took the dozen steps up to him and cleared my throat.

"Ahem."

Nothing. Not even a twitch. I moved to the side to be in his line of vision and tried again.

"Excuse me."

"What?", the sigh sounded like it came from a dying man as he forced it past his lips, eyes unflinching from the screen.

"Do you guys have a room or something I can stay in overnight? Honestly, I'll take the floor at this point, or like a closet. Anything other than staying outside."

"50 Poké for a night." Even though we were exchanging words the rather impressive sloth impression continued.

I scratched the back of my head sheepishly as I gave what I hoped was a charming smile. If there was one benefit to being a kid again, it would be that people tended to treat them better.

Not that this guy seemed to give a fuck.

"About that… I kinda don't have any money…"

"Then fuck off." The completly monotone delivery would have been comical if not for how disheartening it was.

I would like to think that I handled the dismissal like the mentally mature guy I was and gave a perfect, irrefutable compromise, or accepted the decision with stoicism and sophistication.

Others might disagree, though.

"Come on, pleeease!? It's really cold, and dark, and sandy, and there are hungry Pokémon, and cold, and I don't want to! Please let me stay! I'll wash the dishes, or sweep or something! Just please let me stay!"

If nothing else it finally got a physical reaction from the rude bastard in the form of a frown. Not the one I'd hoped for, but it was something as he turned his half lidded gaze to me, realising that I was not, in fact, going to just fuck off.

"What part of 'no money, no room' is so fucking hard to understand? Does this look like a fucking charity? Do I look like a fucking rich schmuck that can afford to waste my shit on street trash fucktards like…"

He didn't even hesitate when he saw that he was talking to a child. If anything my age only made him more annoyed.

The egg in my arms, however, brought him to a stop and a glint entered his eyes.

"... On second thought, I'll make you a deal. You're right, it's going to be extra cold tonight, and I'm a nice guy. Tell you what, you give me that egg, and I'll let you stay the night. Fuck, I'll even throw in some food and drink. I'm feeling generous."

I don't think my face could've been more deadpan had it been carved from stone. I might not have known the precise price for Pokémon eggs, but it sure as fuck was more than a single night in a shitty room, with some bread and water. Did I look fucking stupid? Was the jackass actually trying to scam a child? What the fuck?

Was this normal in the Pokémon world? What fucking region was this?

Not that I was going to say any of that, I was still holding out hope for that room.

"Uhhh, thank you for the offer but I can't do that. I woke up in the desert and can't remember anything. This egg is the only thing I have. Is there anything else I can do? Please Mister."

Again, I was a kid and sympathy was much easier to accrue. Even if this guy was a scumbag scammer trying to take advantage of a child, surely even he would give in to a lonesome 10 year old with amnesia.

"No. Either give me the egg or freeze."

Or maybe not.

He must have thought I was close to caving because he kept going, leaning forward to loom over me. It might have been intimidating if he didn't look like he ate once a week.

"Look, I'm trying to be nice, kid. I know my eggs and that looks like a standard wingull egg. Damn birds are the most common Pokémon in Orre and an egg wouldn't go for more than 30, maybe 40 Poké, so in the end I'm the one losing out here. Nobody is going to give you more than that for it and kindness is rare around these parts. Fuck, most people would have just clubbed you in the head and taken the fucking thing, so stop being a bitch and-"

"Kurt."

I nearly jumped at the gravelly voice suddenly interrupting. The dickhead's, Kurt apparently, eyes had moved to the doorway behind me and he snapped into a straighter stance. I turned to look myself and my jaw hit the floor.

Standing in the doorway, backlit from outside into a dark silhouette, was less of a man and more of a mountain of muscle. His frame filled the opening almost entirely, shoulders at least five feet across, if not six, with a tank-top straining chest that would make a steroid filled bodybuilder give up on life in envy. His smooth head, revealed to be wrapped in an orange bandana as the colossal moved into the train engine, seemed to scrape the over eight feet tall ceiling as his hard, black eyes took in the scene before him. Bulging, scarred arms hung bare, each individual muscle at least the size of my head, as his veiny forearms rested comically far from his ballerina thin waist. Every step from his trunk-like legs felt like they should shake the cart, yet he moved with a graceful gait as he came to stand before me, my head barely reaching the start of the yellow apron wrapped around his waist.

My neck hurt as he met my eyes, which I imagined was the size of golfballs at this point.

For fuck's sake, he was litteraly twice my height and four times my width!

Through my disbelief of the titan of men before me, I heard Kurt stammer behind me.

"B-Bob! Hey, sorry man, I-I was just about to sort the back, but this kid won't leave, and, and-

"Shut up."

Bob's voice vibrated through the air like he had been chasing cigarettes with gravel since childhood as he finally took his gaze away from me and addressed Kurt. It felt like a physical weight had been removed as he did and I felt almost breathless.

Who the fuck was this and how did I get the fuck away from him?

"I told you. I don't want this shit here. Do it again and you're fired. Understood?"

Kurt's head almost blurred with how fast he nodded.

"Yeah, sure, I-I'm sorry that's my bad, I'll just go and, uhh, and sort the back now", he mumbled as he slit out from behind the bar. He moved in a large circle around Bob the Giant, tossing a glare my way on his way out. Maturely, I stuck my tongue out in response.

Fuck that guy. How is it my fault that he gets called out on being a scumbag? You were trying to extort a child, own your shit.

As Kurt slunk out the door, I went back to Bob who had somehow appeared behind the counter in the meantime. Seriously, how was he so quiet?

A silence fell over us, each just looking at each other. Bob had picked up a glass and was wiping it with a cloth he pulled from the pocket of his apron, while I was just trying to figure out how to proceed from there. It was one thing to bother an anemic teenager and a whole other thing with a guy that can flex boulders out of existence.

Honestly, it was probably best to just give up there. Being outside overnight was going to suck, yet better than Bob the Bodybuilder slapping my head off.

"Uhm, sorry to bother you sir, I understand that you don't have room. I'll just go-".

"What's your name, lad?"

I blinked at the interruption, but went with it. Maybe there was still a chance for salvation? Though I hadn't finished coming up with a name yet.

Fuck it.

"Peri, sir."

Another moment of silence and staring. Damn, this guy was intense. Nervousness bubbled up within me and I couldn't stop myself from breaking first.

"It's short for Periwinkle."

There! The corner of his mouth flinched. It was barely a twitch, but was definitely a positive reaction. It was almost worth committing to that stupid-ass name.

"What are you doing out here on your own?"

"I'm not sure, sir, I woke up in the desert this morning, alone. I don't remember anything other than my name. I don't even know where I am. I found this," I lifted the egg in my arms and his gaze flickered to it before returning to mine, "in an oasis. It was really lucky, I almost died. That I found the oasis, I mean. That was lucky. Not finding the egg. Though that was also lucky…"

Finally, something softened in the titan's eyes as he looked at my chest for a moment. His shoulders dropped and he let out a sigh as he placed the glass under the counter and leaned forward on his forearms.

"Sorry to hear that, kid. Wish that was the first time I heard that story, but this far out in the desert is the favorite dumping ground for the gangs. Occasionally we get someone that has managed to survive a Mindbreak. Usually just bodies, though."

Wait, what? My bullshit was an actual thing? Also, Mindbreak?

"Mindbreak?"

Bob nodded absentmindedly as he stared into the distance, seeing things I couldn't imagine if corpses of children were a common occurrence around these parts.

"It's what it sounds like. A Psychic-Type Pokémon does its best to crush your mind, break it beyond repair. Usually leaves you a drooling mess, a living corpse. Body keeps going for a time, but there's nobody home upstairs. Rarely someone makes it through, because of user error or the target being a minor psychic themselves, though that is even rarer. Ghost's can do it too, just takes more effort, in return for less chance of recovery. Dark Types… well, easier and kinder to just kill them off…"

The terrifying speech trailed off to the same dream world as his thousand-yard stare. He seemed lost to the world for a long moment, only to snap back as I went to speak. He cleared his throat as he straightened and with a couple of distance devouring steps stood next to me.

"Follow."

I recognised an order when I heard one and scrambled to follow him outside. Each of his steps through the sand was the same as four off mine, forcing me to jock to keep up. He took us to the rows of sheds and stopped by the second one on the right. Up close it was even shittier than I thought. Five metal sheets nailed to wooden posts with giant gaps in the corners where they didn't fit together.

Fishing around in his apron for a second, he pulled out a rusty key and passed it to me.

"You can stay here. We usually get several passersby's through the day. One of them will take you to Phenac City or Pyrite Town. There's water and rations inside. Won't taste good, but you'll live. Toilet is there," he pointed to the middle shed on the left, "and I'm there, with Kurt there." He finished with the first one on the left, next to mine, and the one across from it. Both of them were at least twice the size of mine and could almost pass for actual buildings.

Perks of living there, I suppose.

I gaped as, without another word, Bob spun on his heel and headed back towards the train.

Just like that?

"Wha-Thank you! Thank you, sir, really!"

Bob raised a hand over his shoulder in acknowledgment, but didn't turn around.

I chuckled to myself as I put the key in the lock, which was just a padlock.

What a nice guy, despite all appearances. Built like a cartoon character, but a heart of gold.

The inside of the shed was as bare bones as possible. A thin cot with a small pile of blankets took up nearly half the space, with a crate filling most of the rest, leaving only a narrow path in the middle to get to and from the bed. A brief peek revealed that the crate was filled with water bottles and what looked like army rations. I downed half a bottle in two gulps as I took a seat on the bed, old springs creaking like they were about to snap. I polished off the rest as I swung my legs up and bundled up in the blankets.

The mattress was filled with lumps, which were almost preferable to the spots where the springs poked through, while the pillow had been compressed into a rock. The blankets were more hole than fabric and the scent of mildew was so strong it could classify as a biological weapon.

It was glorious.

I let out a happy sigh as I laid back, a second bottle at my side, and my egg besides the cot at the head end.

What a fucking day. Torture in the Distorted World, torture in the desert, asshole Pokémon and store clerks, and gentle giants.

Without even mentioning ending up in the Pokémon world. And Orre, as well. As far as I recall, the desert region featured in the Colosseum series, which I had never actually played, so I only had cursory knowledge of it. A shithole without equal in the Pokémon world, it was run by gangs, thiefs, and Teams, while constantly being on the verge of collapse. The population were either broke or criminals, probably both, and no matter what, they were starving and dying of thirst.

Even wild Pokémon stayed away from the shitshow of a region.

There was no way I was staying.

Almost as if in agreement, the egg gave a slight wobble before going still again. My attention glued onto it with laser-like focus, but there was no further movement. Not hatching yet, then. Still, it implied that it wouldn't be too long.

A smile pulled on my lips as I turned to lay on my side. I may have been skeptical and cautious earlier, but there was no denying the rising excitement in my chest. There was so much to learn and see, Pokémon to catch and train, entirely new physics to figure out. Specific goals could be formed along the way, but there was one obvious one.

Become the very best, like no one ever was. Sure, I had been cautious earlier, but it was Pokémon. There had never been a choice. Camping under the stars with my team, beating Gym's, defeating the Elite Four, and crushing the Champion were literal childhood dreams. There was so much to experience and explore, regions and untamed wilderness just waiting to be conquered.

How could I ever refuse?

My thoughts spun and turned through various team compositions. Maybe I should be a Dragon trainer? Dragons were awesome. Ghost's and Dark-Types was kinda edgy but the immunities were worth it. Not that I would seriously choose to be a single Type trainer, but it was fun to think about. And it did lead to remembering various trainers that had techniques worth stealing. Like Wionna's Steel Wing lightning rod thing.

Thoughts of massive roaring figures clashing in land shaking battles filled my mind as I flipped to my other side and closed my eyes to sleep.

Which turned out to be harder than I thought.

I turned to lay on my back again and stared at the ceiling. Despite the VERY long day, I wasn't the slightest bit tired.

I almost died.

Twice.

And even before that I was trapped in presumably the Distorted World for an undetermined amount of time that felt like decades. I may not remember what my life was like before, but I knew damn well it wasn't like that. I felt rubbed raw, numbed from repeated shock without time to process any of it. I felt…

… alive.

My body hummed with satisfaction through the exhaustion, muscles burning from fatigue yet twitching in anticipation. My emotions were all over the place but I was laser focused and clear minded. I felt keyed up, awake in a way that seemed very new, and very addicting. It was-

-the pad clicked as it opened. Everything froze as the door slowly tilted outwards.

The pillow probed up my head enough that I could see the thin streak of moonlight shine through the new crack. The lack of further movement as if it was waiting for my response made it clear that it was not an innocent visit. I narrowed my eyes to slits and slowed my breathing. The focus came back and there was no doubt in my mind. If it was who I thought it was, then I would come out swinging.

There was not a single cell in my body that gave the tiniest fuck.

If Kurt wanted to steal my things, after the day I had, after the absolute fuckwad he had been, I was going to break every crack-addict shaped limb on his skeleton corpus.

The focus, and new bubbling fury in my chest did not make me stupid, however.

Even formed like a literal stickman, Kurt was twice my height. Biding my time was wise.

The wait was excruciating, my heart rate increasing to a point that it became a struggle to keep the rise and fall of my chest consistent. My palms grew sweaty as the intruder slowly pushed the door open enough to slip through. The darkness made it impossible to make out their features, but the tall, reed thin frame was plenty to confirm my suspicions. Even if it hadn't been, the slow beeline they made for the egg at the side of my bed removed any doubt.

The adrenaline pumping through my veins almost had me shaking, yet I kept still as Kurt crept closer and closer. Even as he passed the foot end of my cot, I didn't make my move, closing my eyes fully and focusing on remaining still. He paused as he reached his goal, presumably watching for any hint of me waking, but I didn't give him any.

Patience was the name of the game.

It wasn't until I heard the rustling of his shirt and a slight pop from one of his knees that I made my move. With a jerk, I rolled to the side with a sudden movement, off of the bed and onto his back. I had timed it just about perfectly, leaving him bent over, yet not touching my egg as I hit him. He was a lot older and bigger than me, but the unexpected weight and his bad positioning tipped him over and he hit the sand with a scream that cut off as the impact forced the air from his lungs. Before he had time to regain his senses, I wrapped my arms around his throat and squeezed.

"Trying to steal my shit, huh!? Huh, you fucking bitch!?", I spit out through gritted teeth. He squeaked for air as his fingers scrambled for purchase on my arms, but I was holding the fucker tight. Any other day, I may have been more forgiving, but Kurt had been a pissant from the very start and it had been a long fucking day. I was really not in the fucking mood.

His escape attempts grew more and more frantic as his need for air became critical, throwing his body side to side to dislodge me. He managed to get a knee under himself and struggled upright, which was a mistake as it allowed me to lean back and put my full weight behind my chokehold.

I was panting, my arms burning from the strain, but I ignored it. The grasping fingers of his left hand trying to get under my arms were growing weaker and weaker.

Any moment now he would go down and I would have the chance to get Bob to take care of the asshole. Based on the giant's previous words, he knew Kurt sucked.

It was pure luck, a convenient hole in the roof, that let me see the light reflect off the blade of the knife he pulled from his pocket with his other hand. Holding it in an icepick grip, he thrust awkwardly behind him, trying to plant the weapon in my side. I barely managed to jerk away in time. The blade skidded across my bottom rib, looking for a place to dig in before being repelled, carving a thin grove of fire that throbbed in pain.

My dodge gave him enough room for half a strangled breath to force oxygen into his desperate body before I reapplied the pressure.

I saw red.

Motherfucker…

My leg stepped under his armpit, making his frenzied stabs unable to reach. Before he could adjust, my right hand shifted to the side of his head and I threw my entire body behind pushing him towards the side of the large, wooden crate.

CRACK!

"PIECE!"

CRACK!

"OF!"

CRACK!

"FUCKING!"

CRACK!

"SHIT!"

CRACK!

He went limp in my grasp.

"FUCK YOU!"

CRACK!

Kurt's skull bounced off the corner with such force he flipped over entirely, hitting the cot before slumping to the ground. My chest heaved as I gulped down air, staring down at Kurt as he laid motionless.

Several beats passed without him stirring, something that only pissed me off more. A harsh kick to his ribs rocked him.

"Get up!"

Nothing. I let a second, harder kick fly, turning him over onto his back.

"I said get up, you-!"

A beam of moonlight, the same one that alerted me to the knife, reflected red off the liquid covering his forehead. A large gash running over his temple leaked out copious amounts of blood, dyeing the sand beneath him.

I stared at the body in disbelief. I could hear my blood pumping in my ears, my heavy breathing echoing unnaturally loudly in the tiny shed.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

I-I-...

He was dead. I killed someone.

I was a murderer.

I took a hesitant step towards him, but stopped. I-I had to leave. I had to go, I had to run, grab whatever I could and get the fuck out of there.

Time blurred as I wrapped the egg in a blanket and threw the water bottles and rations in another. Several fell out through the holes in my haste, but I didn't care. There was no time, I had to run, I had to go, had to escape.

The door nearly tore off its hinges as I threw myself through it, leaving the corpse behind. My head darted left and right to see if Bob, or anyone else, had noticed the struggle, yet the palely lit sand was deserted. I didn't know the direction to anything, but anywhere was better than here. My best bet was probably the opposite way of where I arrived from.

As I turned that way, my eyes passed over the larger shed that Bob said was Kurt's.

I… I didn't have time. And it was fucked up besides, but if there was anything in there that could help me survive, I needed it. There might be a map or something.

My shoulder bashed the door open before I had time to think. I barely noticed the

interior as I ripped drawers out of a large dresser, rifling through them at record pace. The first three had only clothing that I scattered across the ground, but the fourth yielded a small roll of paper bills that looked an awful lot like money. Further searching of a closet gave more water bottles and rations, with a couple of packs that looked like jerky of some sort.

The biggest finds, however, were a large dufflebag with some camping equipment and an empty hiking backpack. Shoving everything into the larger of the two, I wrapped the egg in a couple of thick shirts and put it in the back pack. Throwing on a ratty jacket I had found, the bag straps went over my shoulders. The jacket probably looked ridiculous, so large that it reached my knees and I had to roll the sleeves up seven times, yet it was infinitely better than freezing.

A pair of shitty sandals were next to the bed. My feet were sore from the walking, but okay, even after the terrain, somehow. Still, thin and awful as they were, they were better than nothing.

I was just about to haul ass with my loot when I finally registered the thing standing in a corner next to the exit. A beat up, rusty, and all together sad motorized bike that kinda resembled a scooter stood innocently propped up against the wall. I didn't flinch, throwing the duffle bag on the back while hastily shoving the half empty can of gas into it. Grabbing the scooter by the handles, I ripped it outside. My luck continued, the key was in the ignition.

The first turn produced a weak stutter before dying out. The second and third were hardly better.

My frustration and fear got the better of me and I lashed out with a hard kick.

"Come on!"

B-B-Br-Br-Br-BR-BRRRRRRRRRRR

The giggle I let out sounded more than a little unhinged as I threw my leg over the saddle. Thanking god, or Arceus, or whatever, that the thing had the same throttle as bikes on Earth had, I floored it.

A cloud of sand kicked up in my wake as the scooter tried its best to move faster than a brisk walk, but despite its unimpressive acceleration, it was moving. Passing the sheds at faster and faster speeds, I risked a look over my shoulder, just in time to see Bob emerge. Snapping my head back, I focused on squeezing out every last bit of speed the bike was capable of, guilt and regret bubbling in my stomach.

I would make this up to him. He took a risk and showed kindness to a stranger when he didn't have to, there was no way I could leave things like that forever.

As the weird train and the body of the man I killed disappeared behind me, I swore that someday, when I had the means, I would come back and repay my debt to Bob.

My breath misted in front of me as I headed out into the night.

What a shit fucking day. And I'd been so excited to be a Pokémon Trainer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I promise these notes will get more interesting with time.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name (HankPankylol), where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Peri back at it again, and this chapter we get our first Pokémon!

---

The full moon hung high in the sky as I blasted across the sand, illuminating everything below in an eerie pale light while the stars painted a glowing tapestry above. Shadow clad sand dunes rose like mountains to the left of me, large outcroppings of stone peaking through to hint at the formations hidden beneath, as I navigated through increasingly rocky terrain. It was still desert, but at least something other than sand.

It had also gotten really fucking cold.

My hands shivered as I struggled to hold the throttle down. I had swaddled them in the overly long sleeves of my ill-gotten jacket, but between the thin fabric and decreased dexterity, it might have been more trouble than it was worth. A spare shirt was wrapped around the lower part of my face like a scarf against the shering winds, yet my ears had gone numb almost as soon as I took off, and my eyes were so narrow and tear-filled that I was navigating purely from silhouettes.

And I had no idea where the fuck I was. I'd hauled ass earlier before I had the time to consult a map, which wasn't ideal. Hopefully I was going in the general direction of civilization, but I would have to pull over to make sure. And to warm up. And sleep. Despite my earlier troubles, my eyelids were drooping as I swayed in the saddle. I'd fought it as much as possible, hoping to get as far away from the scene of my crime as possible, but I couldn't go on.

Which led me to stand in front of the cliff, staring at a pitch black hole in an outcropping that could only be a cave.

I sighed.

It was a stupid idea. Even on earth, walking into random caves in the wilderness was dumb. In the Pokémon world, where literally every single animal was capable of killing you? It went from dumb, to so far past braindead it was actually kinda impressive.

It was also, some-fucking-how, probably my best bet.

If everything was dangerous, camping in the open, in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere desert, became psychotic. At least there was only one way shit could come from in a cave, rather than a 360 murder zone.

So there was really no choice other than to grip my stolen flashlight tight, nut up, head inside.

The entrance to the cave sloped upwards rather steeply, leaving the upper part free of sand, if traitorous to traverse. I took my time finding my footing as I slowly crawled up with the large backpack trying to throw off my balance. I was nearly at the top when a rock gave away under me and I landed knee first on the stone.

"Fffffuuuuunnnnnggghhhh", a choked curse managed to escape my lips despite my best efforts to stay silent. I'd slid halfway down the slope before I came to a halt and quickly shone the flashlight to the top of the letch, on the lookout for anything I'd alerted. Zubat, in particular. The little fuckers hung out in caves in massive groups, if my metaknowledge was to be believed. One carnivorous flying rat was bad enough, but a swarm could fuck right off.

Nothing. Which was good. That had been a loud fall and if nothing had come to investigate, there was probably nothing at all.

The return climb was even slower than the first time, partly because of even more caution and because my knee throbbed with pain. The coarse ground had ripped a hole in my pants and there were some minor abrasions, yet it was less than I would've thought. Even the pain dulled almost immediately.

I finally crested the top and got a look at my temporary home. The cavern was sixty-something feet wide and around a third of that high. Stalagmites and stalactites rose and fell in random patterns at the sides, at times meeting and creating a cage of rock formations. The back of the grotto extended into the blackness, the light-cone of the flashlight broken by the mineral deposits. All I could see was half-shadowed spikes, boulders, two small circles that reflected the light, and the natural twists and turns of the-

-I widened my eyes in realization at the same time as a yellowish-orange bloomed to life and miniature pellets of flame fired at me like a gatling gun.

"SHIT!"

The embers missed my shoulder by millimeters as I hurled myself to the side, impacting the wall of the cave with the sound of a dozen firecrackers as they punched small craters into the sediment. Hitting the ground with an "OOMPH!" I was forced to scramble towards the nearest stalagmite immediately as the fire bullets re-aimed, shards of rock blasting everywhere as they closed in.

I was on my hands and knees, crawling at a breakneck speed like a demented toddler while the heat grew closer rapidly. I knew it was fucking dumb, but I couldn't help risking a glance over my shoulder right as I reached the stone formation that was my new safety blanket. Sure enough, as I glanced back, I saw the attack strike close enough to me that the debris cut into the bottom of my shoes so hard that I felt it slice up the bottom of my feet.

Desperate, I threw myself behind cover, yet the slight pause proved to be a mistake as a single compact ball of flame hit my knee exactly as I was pulling my legs to safety.

"Ooophmmmm-son of a fuckin-arrrrghhh!"

I clutched the backpack to my chest as vibrations rattled the outcropping against my back. The bullet had hit nearly dead-on my scuffed knee from earlier and had left a neat little circle of pink flesh, like a rug burn. Once again I'd gotten off lighter than I would've thought I would. Hell, even the pain faded at mach speeds, way faster than I'd ever experienced before, or so my gut told me. My feet were okay as well.

Something was off. It wasn't anywhere near as pressing as the pyromaniac animal trying to murder me, though.

In the time it took me to take stock of myself, the scorching barrage had ceased and the cave was left in terrifying silence. I strained my ears for noise, footsteps, breathing, anything. A light clanking of rocks reached me, but whether it was the fallout of the earlier scuffle, or my attacker getting ready for another attempt was impossible to tell.

Air rushed into my lungs as I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes.

This was bad. I had my back literally against a wall, my mobility was lowered, and I was being attacked by a fire spewing, magical animal while trapped in a cave with one exit.

I was so fucked. Fighting wasn't an option and neither was running.

Leaving no choice other than negotiation.

With a likely starving, territorial, murderous monster trying to eat me.

I hated Pokémon. Dumb fucking franchise for babies and psychopaths.

But fuck it.

"Wait!"

My voice echoced off the walls.

No response. I licked my dry, cracked lips.

"I know that I'm in your home, without your permission, okay? And I'm sorry about that. That's my mistake, okay? So if we all just calm down, I will leave right away. I promise."

Still nothing. Which was understandable, I was talking to an animal, how the fuck would it respond. Hell, I was banking on the anime being right and Pokémon understanding human language. Which was dumb but also my only real option.

"How about this," I continued, pulling a bag of jerky out of my bag pack. "I have some food. You hear that?" I justled the bag around to make some noise. "MMMMHHHH, yummy yummy food."

Anxiety was really setting in as I started talking to it like it was a baby.

"All this yummy yummy jerky could be yours, if we can be friends. Don't you want to be friends? I'm a great guy, funny, reliable. Little bit of a temper, but we all have faults, am I right?" My chuckle could have won a price for least sincerity.

"How about it, huh?", I fished out a piece of the jerky and inched it towards the side of the stalagmite. "Bestest friends in the whole worl-SON OF A WHORE!"

A new round of what I would guess to be an Ember attack barley missed my hand as I yanked it back. The flames kept coming for a few seconds before cutting off again and as seemed to be my default since coming to this world, I felt anger welling up in me.

"HEY HEY HEY! YOU CUT THAT SHIT OUT RIGHT NOW! I DO NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR THIS CRAP TODAY, OKAY!? So you will calm the fuck down, and we will do this again, okay!?" A few deep inhales later and with a quick flick, I threw the jerky behind the rock and out of sight.

The wait was excruciating, reminding me of back in the shed biding my time for Kurt.

The pounding of my blood and the increased focus of potential violence.

Finally, I heard a quiet sniff. Then a second and third one. At last, wet gnawing and smacking sounds as the Pokémon gulped down the meat in record time making me let out a sigh of relief.

So far so good.

"Yeah, I told you it tasted good, right? Expensive brand, made from the real thing," I lied out off my ass. "I have a whole bag of it. Two, actually. Oh," I grabbed my half empty water bottle and unscrewed the lid. "I have water too. I bet you would like that, huh. Stuff's hard to find in these parts," I poured a small amount out beside my cover, where my soon-to-be friend could see it and heard it shuffle closer, sniffing all the while. One last breath and it was time to put on the big girl pants.

"I'm coming out, alright? I'm going to trust you and come out from behind the rock and if you don't attack me, you get food and water, yes? And I swear, even if you do kill me, I will beat the shit out of you first. So let's just be cool. See", Slowly my hand crept out. "There's one. And there's two, okay?"

So far, so good. With one last mumbled "fuck" under my breath, I stood up and stepped out.

Our eyes met immediately. Large brown orbs were narrowed into slits as they took me in, small triangle nose twitching in suspicion. Its small red-brown form was crouched down with its cream colored underbelly nearly scraping the ground, ready to launch itself at me with all six long, flowing red tails spread out behind it, swaying in an almost hypnotic manner. The big cone-shaped ears darted back and forth, its pompadour-esk tuft of hair in between them dangling with the motion.

As we assessed each other, the small fox-like creature pulled back its lips as it bared white, needle fangs at me, small flickers of flame visible in the gaps. A quiet, high pitched growl rumbled forth.

I blinked.

It was a Vulpix. That was… not necessarily good or bad, just not what I was expecting. What did fit my imagination, though, was its condition.

The incredibly fine fur coat was mattered with what I hoped was dirt and sweat. The skin was stretched taut across its lithe figure, each individual rib countable and distinguishable. The graceful tails were filthy and unkempt, tots of hair poking out randomly and large nots visible. On closer inspection, growling wasn't the only reason it opened its mouth, based on the light panting it tried to hide from me.

It would seem that the earlier Ember attack had taken a lot of its remaining energy and judging by the way its eyes darted down to the water and jerky in my hands, it was absolutely starving.

Good. Or, not good, as such, but beneficial to me in that specific moment. I wiggled the jerky, quickly catching its attention.

"There we go, that was easy, wasn't it? We are going to stay nice, calm, and friendly, aren't we buddy? Here you are," I slowly reached in and grabbed a piece, throwing it at the fox's feet. It jumped backwards a little, but the smell had it darting back and gobbling it up in a single bite, eyes on me the entire time, "Told you it was good, didn't I? Have some more."

I dumped most of the bag in front of the large cat sized creature and pulled a small

bowl from the camping equipment I'd kept. The sound of water hitting the porcelain instantly grabbed the fox's attention and I barely managed to place it on the ground before it rushed over and smashed its snout into the vessel, uncaring of the liquid pouring on its head.

"Don't throw up, please", I chuckled, sneaking a glance down under its body, "And a boy, huh?".

The male fox stopped its desperate gulping. He froze at the felling of my fingers gently scratching his neck, but the allure of the water proved too tempting and he quickly dove back in. As I put a little more force behind the petting, I took the chance to scan the cave again. There were a lot of rocks, but it was clean, dry, and there was a hole in the roof to allow the smoke from a fire to escape.

I looked back at the Vulpix.

There might even be an opportunity.

"I know that I said I'd leave, but would you mind if I stayed the night?". He stared

up at me suspiciously. I gave my most friendly smile as I sweetened the deal.

"I'll throw in another bag of jerky."

Vulpix looked back at his half-eaten pile of meat critically and then back at me. We stared at each other for several tense seconds before he blinked and gave a soft "Vip", before turning back to start chomping his way through his rapidly shrinking meat pile again.

I grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'll get the rest of my things, see if I can't find stuff for a fire as well, I guess"

---

Sparks sprung from the campfire as it crackled, wisps of smoke rising before being sucked away into the night. The flames caused light to play with the stalagmites, creating writhing shadows that would've had me on edge if I hadn't inspected it earlier. The egg further offset my paranoia from its place near the campfire, the blue scales dancing with every hue like a disco ball. Finally, the lightly snoring fluff ball, with a slightly distended stomach, enjoying his jerky coma made for a rather cozy atmosphere.

I rubbed my eyes as I put my map to the side and let out a content sigh, reclining on my sleeping bag, somewhat at peace for the first time since I woke up. Even in the shed at the train place, I had been restless and tense.

Which, as it turned out, had been a good thing.

Another sigh escaped me as I let my head fall back.

The whole thing with Kurt had been… a mess. A series of escalations that had gone too far. Farther than I'd ever taken it before. I'd always had a temper, and it was far from the first time I'd been in a fight, I knew that much, even with my fragmented memories. But that rage, that calm, aware, ruthlessly, rage… that was new. Something deadly. And I didn't… I didn't feel guilty. Not really. I regretted that it came to that, but Kurt was a dumb bitch that tried to kill me. He took it there, yet I felt like I should feel more than a smidge of regret for taking a life.

My emotions just felt… off.

I brought my fingers to my side and ran them lightly over the cut Kurt gave me. It was still tender, but not as much as a fresh knife wound should've been. I pulled up my shirt to take a look.

Sure enough, it looked days old, already scabbing over and smaller than I knew it had been.

I dropped the fabric with yet another sigh.

Aura was a thing in the Pokémon universe that I had a vague notion of. I remembered something about Aura Guardians, or something, that could straight up use Fighting-Type Pokémon moves and fought alongside Lucarios. Additionally, there were people like Sabrina, who, depending on the media, was a Psychic that could rival some fully evolved Pokémon. Koga, who was a fucking ninja, and Bruno, who was blatantly superhuman.

And that was just in Kanto.

But I hadn't known that it could influence emotions, or that I'd even have it. It seemed rare. Sure, the average person was way tougher and stronger than back in my original world. And they did seem to be more caricatures, than real people. I'd always attributed it to being a game, or anime, but what if it was because of Aura? What if, in addition to enhancing physical attributes, it did the same with emotion? Or maybe it was because I was in a younger body?

I shook my head and sat up fully.

That line of thought wouldn't get me anywhere while stuck in a cave. A mystery for another time.

Until then, it was something to be wary of and keep in mind, but it was all I could do. In the meantime, maybe I could come up with a better name than fucking Periwinkle.

I considered it for a moment before snorting.

"Naw, already made the mistake. Have to roll with it now."

I reached over to scratch Vulpix's full belly.

"Can't let it get us down, can we?"

The fox jerked his head up with a snort, eyes rolling around trying to see what was touching him. When he saw it was just me, he collapsed back down and gave a big stretch, jaws smacking a couple of times in contentment.

His behavior made me chuckle as I kept up my scratching, making his leg kick back and forth in enjoyment.

"Yeah, just have to take it easy for now and deal with things as they come. All this Aura shit can wait until I've gotten the fuck out of Orre. What a shit place, so far. Other than you, of course," I added with a bit of extra force to the petting. "Actually, speaking of leaving Orre…"

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I sat up properly. This was very different from finding an egg. What did you say to a superpowered animal to make them fight on your command as you ran around random places?

Though winging it had worked so far.

"... Do you want to join me? When I leave, I mean?"

Vulpix sat up again at my words, this time in an actual sitting position, and looked at me. Which was a good sign, right? At least he understood my words.

I felt my words pick up speed as I sweated under his gaze.

"I plan on traveling the world. Do you know what the world is?" The look changed into what I could only describe as condescending, even on a fox. "Right, sorry, of course you know, you're smart. Well it's-it's a big place you know, and, you know, there's lots of dangerous stuff out there. And even if there wasn't I want to be strong, you know? Fuck, maybe even the strongest if I can get that far. And… I would really like it if you… you know, came… with me…"

I trailed off at the end, gazing into the fire rather than facing him. The split second of silence after my words were enough to make me continue my verbal diarrhea.

"It's okay if you don't want to, I get it, this is your home, and we just met, you don't know me, why would you want come, it's fine, it was stupid to even ask-"

I found myself cut off as Vulpix unceremoniously collapsed into my lap face first. He wriggled around for a moment while I remained frozen, before finally ending up on his back, looking up at me. While it was a good sign, I needed confirmation.

"Is-is that… does that mean yes?"

"Vip viiip. Vip."

My grin must've been maniacal at the soft utterances. I'd kinda noticed it with the wingull, but Pokémon didn't say their names, yet it also wasn't quite normal animal noises. Rather, it was somewhere in between.

"Once again, I'll take that as a yes."

I couldn't help myself as I hoisted him up in the air while I laughed like an idiot. He wriggled around to try and escape my grasp, huffing and yipping in annoyance, but my joy couldn't be denied.

"YES! Oh, it'll be magnificent! You and me buddy! We'll plunder the deepest mysteries of this world and learn everything there is to know! We'll decimate the Leagues and leave only smoldering ruins in our wake! Fire and ash will be our legacy and people will tremble at the mere mention of our nam-Uuufff!"

Vulpix finally managed to squirm out of my hands and landed square on my chest mid sentence. He didn't seem to appreciate my enthusiasm as he battered my face with soft slaps from his paws, growling and huffing all the while. I sputtered as I flailed around trying to avoid the furry attack.

"Aarrgh-pleas-ppff-I'm sorry- I won't do it- pppppfff- not in my mouth-"

My apology seemed to do the trick as he stopped with one last huff and curled up on my belly facing away from me. Not far enough, however, that I couldn't reach over and give him some scratches behind his ears.

"I'm sorry, I'm just excited. You're my first Pokémon, you know. Well, other than the egg, but you know what I mean."

All I got was a snort, even as he pressed back into my fingers. I did have one last idea that might do it, though.

"Hey, what about a name? Do you want one?"

THAT got his attention, Vulpix spinning around to look at me with anticipatory eyes. I chuckled as my fingers found his ears again.

"Thought that might do it. Let's see, you're a fox, gonna be a nine tailed fox one day… there's Kurama, if we wanna be weebs, do we wanna be weebs?"

A blank stare was my response, the eagerness dimming.

Which was fair.

"Right, you don't know what that is, why would you… still, I already gave myself a shit name. Should properly spare you the humiliation… uhhh, we met in the desert, something sand-esk, maybe?"

Vulpix grew visibly more and more skeptical as he heard me ramble.

"Okay, okay, hold on, I'm just spitballing, putting some things out there. Hmmm… Ninetales get Flash Fire, I believe. Could go with something cringe like Inferno… Right, not Inferno, got it… also gets Draught, not sure how that works in actual practice, but it makes it sunny… oh, hold on!"

My new partner had seemingly given up and gone back to napping, but a single eyelid lifted.

"What do you think of Ra?"

Giving me his full attention, Vulpix cocked his head.

"He was the god of the sun, in an old ass culture from my home. Think he was like the leader of the gods or something, the most worshipped one, anyway. What do you think?"

He looked into the distance for a moment before shuffling further up my chest to lick at my face.

"Ra it is then," I chuckled, using both hands to pet the newly named Ra's face and ears. My cheeks hurt from the enormity of my grin, but I didn't care.

"Awesome."

I rocked up to sit on my ass, Ra in my lap as I grabbed the map again.

"Okay, I was looking at this earlier and it seems that I've been going in vaguely the right direction since leaving the train, which is called Outskirt Stand, apparently. If we want to leave Orre, and of course we do, then we need to go to what's called Gateon Port."

I pointed to the city at the top of the map so Ra could follow along,

"And catch a boat from there. It's quite a distance, probably a week if not more, and that's with Orre being surprisingly small. Lucky for us, Kurt was a very prepared dickhead. Scooter is filled up and there should be enough food and water for both of us. We also have about 500 Poké. I don't know how much that is, but hopefully it's enough to get us the fuck out. Sounds good?"

I looked down at my first Pokémon, an amazing statement, and got a nod back. Even the egg gave a wiggle. I'd noticed it a couple of times on the ride over, but I couldn't be sure if the time in between was getting shorter or not. Might be, though. I finished my thoughts regardless.

"Then let's get some sleep and head out in the morning. Might take a couple of days to find a ship, but with any luck we're getting the fuck out of Orre in as little as 10 days. After that, shit's gonna be easy street."

---

The metal creature roared under them as they soared over the sand. Ra could move pretty fast on his own, but not for such a length of time, and certainly not while carrying his new human. The mighty Steel-type steed, belonging to the so-called Peri that Ra had claimed as his Trainer, was surely a beast of incredible skill, but seemed simple of mind as it had yet to respond to his calls.

Perhaps it was the toxic liquid Ra had seen his human give the steed to drink that addled its mind so. The smell reminded him of some of the discarded bottles he had found on occasion. The substance had burned his throat in a way not even his fire could and his head had been fussy for half a Light-cycle. He had learnt to stay away from the murky fluid, but it was probably unfair to expect everyone to have the same intellect as himself.

The Steel Steed seemed to be a popular breed among the humans, though, as almost all Ra had seen in the desert had their own to carry them.

Still, no one could deny the Steel-type's stamina as Ra's tongue waggled in the wind. He had taken position atop the beast's head to better survey their path, as was proper for the leader. It was his responsibility as the strongest to protect his new pack, to lead from the front, while his subordinates did their part. His human navigated from behind him, guiding their silent companion by grabbing onto its horns and tucking left and right. Even he did not speak to the steed as he did to Ra.

Periodically, the fox would feel those skillful fingers pay tribute with ear scratches and pets, while words half-lost in the wind went ignored.

He talked a lot, his human. Very enthusiastically, as well as loudly. Mostly good things, about training, and strength. His human appeared to understand his role as a servant and spoke of fascinating ideas to help Ra grow even mightier. Many humans he had observed spoke to their Pokémon with arrogance and superiority, as if they were their betters.

Which was silly.

Humans were as weak as newborn Pokémon, or close to it. Their strength lay in creativity, unity, and their minds, if in a different way than the World-Benders. Believing yourself above those that kept you safe was a dumb thing to do and the strongest member was obviously the leader of the pack. That was simply a fact of nature.

It was a good thing that he didn't need to teach Peri that.

Ra would have to train the human to be more respectful of his senses, however. His ears were not only extremely handsome, but also quite sensitive.

At least his Trainer had the foresight to refrain from touching his tails while he kept picking Ra up and throwing him around like he was a newborn kit.

His Trainer. What a strange concept.

He had seen Pokémon walking around with their human servants before, and had even daydreamed of having one himself to groom and feed him, but he never thought it would actually happen. Most humans he had seen came hurtling through on their own Steel-types, or were accompanied by other, stronger Pokémon, so he had always stayed clear of them.

Unless he saw the chance for some food, of course. Humans were so careless with their dens.

Until now. He had finally caught one for himself. Even if it was a strange one. Ra had smelled humans before, and had been to their nests. He was familiar with their scent. Peri, however, smelled more like the shadows in the various ruins scattered about the desert, than he did his own kind, with a hint of something dangerous to it. Something predatory. The kind of scent he only got from especially viscous sandstorms.

Regardless of his peculiarities, however, he was the human Ra had chosen, and the one he would stay with until whatever end came for them.

He had promised Ra strength, food, and head pats, and for that, he had Ra's loyalty.

Eventually they stopped for the day as the Lightbringer dipped near the horizon.

Jumping off the Steed with a quick paw-pad of praise for a job well-done, the fox turned up his head and sprayed out his tails in gratitude to the Great Orb. His mother had told him of the ancient Pokémon and their great sacrifice to bring Light and Life to the world. It was only right to acknowledge their pain at the end and beginning of their journey.

Ritual complete, Ra turned back to his Trainer right as the human finished setting up his collapsable den. They truly were an innovative species, desperate to make up for their weakness.

A quick burst of the flame housed in his chest had the small pile of dried sticks ignited, but as he went to curl up by it, Peri called out.

"Hey buddy? We still have a bit of light left. You mind if we go over your moves real quick?"

Ra cocked his head for a second before trodding his way over. Seemed to be a reasonable request if they were to be fighting together. He didn't have high hopes, with his Trainer's lack of intelligence, but humans seemed to have a knack for strategy and growth. Another way to overcome their own shortcomings.

"Okay, so, I'm certain that you have at least Ember, given our first meeting. Could you give me another demonstration?"

The vulpix stuck his snout in the air as he turned to the open desert. He refused to be embarrassed by his actions. Stupid human invaded his den all sneaky-like while Ra slept. He was in his full right to defend his home, regardless of him only having found it himself a little earlier than Peri did. If stupid human did not want to be burned, he should have either stayed out or announced himself louder.

Still, he fanned his life-flames and let them blaze up through his throat. A truly magnificent and awe-inspiring inferno burst from his mouth, an uncountable number of scorching balls that would give even the strongest Water-types, like those damnable birds, pause. He let it go on for a moment longer, to let Peri bask in his brilliance, before cutting it off and readying himself for his well deserved applause.

"Not bad, not bad. Range of roughly 60 feet before losing coherence, cone-shaped with a width of what seems to be 10-ish feet. Experience says that individually, the embers are not very strong, but I guess if you get caught in the flurry, there is a decent amount of them and they might stun."

Ra could feel his jaw drop at the sheer audacity. Before he recovered and taught the stupid, stupid human the error of his ways, those clever fingers found the sweet spot behind his left ear.

"Come on, bro, don't be like that. It wasn't bad by any means and if you were perfect, you wouldn't have any reason to come with me, would you? We'll get there"

Huffing, he turned back to their practice field, careful to not dislodge the scratching digits. The words made sense, he would postpone punishment for the grievous insult.

For now.

"Right, next up. Could you run out so I can get an idea of your speed and then use Tackle? Pretty sure you know that one."

Ra crouched down with another huff. Of course he knew Tackle.

A spray of sand erupted behind him as he set off. The sand was loose and not great for traction, but he had lived there his whole life and knew how to compensate. Quickly, he reached the spot where his glorious Embers had run out and threw himself forward, shoulder first. There was nothing to hit, obviously, and he tumbled around for a bit, but even his foolish human had to realise his awesome power. The clapping sounds confirmed that he did.

Scrambling up on all fours, he made his way back almost as fast as he left. He felt a little out of breath, yet it was nothing for one such as him.

"There we go, that was great," Peri stopped his clapping so he could return to his proper duties of petting, "I definitely wouldn't want to be hit by that. You're pretty fucking fast aswell, that's great."

Ra's chest puffed out, even through his breathlessness. Finally he got the accolades he deserved.

"But let's see how fast. If you got one more in you, could you show me your Quick Attack? Promise it's the last one for today."

A jerk of his head let him nip lightly at the fingers. Of course he could do one more! How dare the stupid, foolish, ignorant human! To think that he, Ra, would be exhausted by a mere two attacks! The nerve. He crouched down again and drew on the white energy that lived under his life-fire.

If the last launch-off had been a spray of sand, the next was closer to an explosion. A white aura covered him as his speed increased to easily three times what it had been before. In a second, he had blown past his previous turnaround point, so fast his surroundings blurred and he could barely see where he was going. Ra took a wide turn to come back around, careful of sudden change in direction. Experience had seen him lose his footing far too often to make that mistake again.

Unfortunately, he could feel his aura flicker, and by the time he made it halfway he had lost it entirely. His blazing pace turned into a sprint, then a run, a trot, and when he finally arrived back, he was heaving for air and stumbling towards his human. He would have collapsed if not for the hands that quickly caught and cradled him.

Whispered murmurs comforted him as they took a seat by the fire, and nails gently scratched along his spine.

"It's okay, breeeeathe, just breathe. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you like that, you're still recovering. I'm sorry."

He wanted to admonish Peri immediately for apologizing for things that were not in any way his fault, yet it took him several minutes to beat the dizziness and stop panting for his life. By that time his Trainer seemed to have calmed down himself.

Mostly.

"You okay buddy? I shouldn't have pushed for the last one, that's my fault."

Ra batted at him half heartedly, too tired to punish him properly. He was not so tired, however, that he couldn't perk up when his Trainer started pulling more of that delectable jerky and water from his pack.

He kept half-an-ear on his human as he started chowing down.

"Yeah, have some water. That was very fucking good though, VERY fast. Looks like you have problems with quick changes in direction, but we'll work on it. Maybe shorter bursts? Still, we'll focus on your recovery for now, keep the exercise light."

Ra wanted to protest, but exhaustion was setting in fast with the food in his belly.

The delightful fingers found his ears again as his trainer took him into the flimsy den and placed him by the odd human-sleep-sheet. He yawned as he tried to stay focused on whatever Peri was once again rambling about, yet the allure of sleep couldn't be denied.

His circumstances might have changed suddenly and there was a lot of uncertainty regarding what the future held and even about Peri himself, but as he laid there, warm, tired, and safe, he couldn't bring himself to have second thoughts.

It was a pretty good first light-cycle.

---

I really like Ra's POV, that shit is great.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Just a boy and his vulpix, trying to make it in the big city.

---

"Dat's gonna run ye 500."

"WHAT!? 500!? Fuck you mean 500!? That dinky piece of shit couldn't cross a kiddy pool, much less the fucking ocean, and you want 500 Poké for 1 ticket!?"

The sailor didn't seem impressed by my well reasoned retort and puffed up his chest to make himself look bigger.

Not that it helped much. The guy was hardly any taller than I was, and nearly larger horizontally than vertically. His belly comically stretched his cliché white and blue striped shirt, while the legs of his white shorts imitated a skirt with how big the waist had to be. I'd originally been a fan of his salt and pepper mutton chops, even if it was kinda weird with the bald head and chin, but they contrasted horribly with the deep purple color his face was turning.

Whoops. I hadn't meant to slip out of my 'Starving Child' facade, but the outrageous price for a trip on his shitty ship had caught me off guard. Barely bigger than a fucking rowboat and he had the audacity to demand 500 for what was apparently a 1 week trip? I could buy a Greatball for that! If the prices were the same as in the games anyway.

Poké dollars were still a mystery, but that price felt excessive.

Fucker wouldn't even go to Kanto to start, he would be making a stop on something called Knot Island, which was allegedly close to Kanto. I think I vaguely remember it being a part of the Sevii Islands, but that was it. Only afterwards would he head to Vermillion.

Maybe I could still salvage it, though. I widened my eyes and pitched up my voice. Held in my arms, clutched to my chest, Ra hit the captain with his own best efforts as well.

Which, given that he new the move Baby-Doll Eyes, his best was real fucking good.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to yell. It's just, my Mom and Dad are waiting for me in

Kanto. We got separated and-"

"Fuck off lad. Ye reckon ye be the first t' try a sob tale on me? Go on, get!" He lashed out with a lazy backhand that I easily avoided.

"Hold on you fucking scammer. Here take your damn money," I grumbled as I handed over almost all the money I had in exchange for a damp, crumpled piece of paper with a signature. I had sold the scooter for 250 as soon as we arrived in the city, but I didn't want to spend everything at once.

"Good. We set sail in 6 days."

"WHAT! What do you mean 6 days!? Hello!? Don't ignore me!" I screamed at him as the sailor turned on his heel and stepped onto his ship.

"Well, at least we got the ticket, I guess", I sighed as I made my way back into the city proper, letting the Vulpix jump down onto the ground.

Ra growled and turned his head away, snout in the air, as we strolled back up the main street. He really hated using Baby-Doll Eyes.

Prideful little bastard. He got very annoyed if I did anything other than praise him and was reluctant to appear as anything other than the epitome of badass. I'm also pretty sure he thinks he's the one in charge instead of me. Which wasn't a problem as long as we got along. I had never intended our relationship to be anything other than a partnership.

On the other hand, he also kept petting and talking to the scooter like it was alive, so maybe he was just a little dumb.

Which was, again, fine. I'd take the little himbo fox. Just had to give him something to back up that ego. Something I had hoped to start addressing in Kanto, but sometimes you had to play the hand you were dealt.

When you couldn't flip the table and pull a knife, anyway.

I sighed again as I looked at my companion.

"I guess we don't have any choice. We need supplies, and a fair amount of them. I don't know if our funds are going to stretch."

I collapsed onto a bench by the side of the road. Well, bench might be stretching it. It was just two crates side-by-side, with a plank nailed to the top, but it was the best Gateon Port had to offer. Ra jumped up next to me and despite his disgruntlement over our unsuccessful little scheme, crawled into my lap for some pets while we watched the crowd moving.

Even the egg gave a wriggle as if in support. Though to be fair, it did that almost once an hour at this point.

I really hoped it would hatch soon. The anticipation was killing me.

"We, or me, I guess, could get a job to raise the cash. Help out with some stuff. It's not like we need a lot of money, so theoretically, it's doable, just… " My eyes landed on an alleyway across the street, rickety, makeshift houses on either side, with two men in it. Both were dressed in rags, with long, unkempt hair and beards. One of them was curled up in a fetal position on the ground while the other one kicked him repeatedly in the side. As I watched, the kicker apparently decided that his victim had enough and ripped the shoes of the downed man's feet, before grabbing a backpack from the ground and hauling ass down the corridor.

No one said or did anything. Dozens of people walked by as it took place, and I know at least half glanced at them.

And yet.

Nothing. Like blatant assault in broad daylight was a common occurance or beneath their notice because it was homeless people doing it. Never mind that seemingly 1-in-5 of everyone I saw seemed to be homeless, or near enough.

"… Maybe not in this city."

We sat for another moment before getting up and heading to the nearest store. Which was literally every 20 feet in Gateon.

I'd been really optimistic when we set off from Ra's cave. Sure, it had been a rough start, but now I had a Pokémon and a plan. The week of travel had been filled with days on the scooter, hurling through the sand. Most of Orre seemed to be truly barren. It was only in the last 2 days the landscape had changed, and even then it was to rocky, mountainous terrain, with a couple of old-ass ruins scattered around. Though to be fair, grass grew there and we had finally spotted wild Pokémon, other than Wingulls passing overhead and what I swore was a Flygon in the middle of a sand tornado. I'd thought about stopping to battle some of the weaker ones, but getting Ra back into shape took priority.

When the sun had set and the small window of decent temperature arrived, we'd pull over for some light training and socializing. Nothing strenuous, Ra's time in the desert had obviously not been any easier than mine had been for me. Mostly just calling out a series of moves for him to perform, mixed with a bit of cardio before he became exhausted.

Something I was both pleased and proud to notice took longer and longer by the day.

It was as much for me as for him. I'd obviously never directed a Pokémon battle outside the games before, so it helped getting used to calling out the commands and building in some short-hand orders for speed.

It had been a great journey. Everything I'd ever wanted as a kid playing on his GameBoy. Setting up camp under the starts, training with my Pokémon, coming up with strategies, and generally fooling around. Ra was a more serious type and wasn't one for games, but he was easily placated with some petting and praise.

He really was a simple creature and I loved him.

But then…

Gateon Port.

What a fucking shithole.

I mean, it was fucking Orre, so I don't know what I expected, but holy fuck. Being the only port that I knew of in the country, you'd think it would at least be more impressive than Outskirt Stand.

That fucking train might be the most impressive thing on the entire fucking land mass!

The center of Gateon Port was actually pretty nice, for what looked like an old naval base. A large square building sat facing the port with a large wall surrounding it, while just off the coast a large tower pierced through the waves, acting both lighthouse and additional defense. It was quite intimidating, if clearly somewhat haphazardly and quickly set up.

That part housed around 1.000 of the most wealthy in the city.

The rest of the city appeared to be mud and rocks stabbled in a rough house shape, or, and I couldn't fucking believe it, MORE SHEDS! AND FUCKING TENTS!

It literally seemed like people walked up to the port, decided it was a nice place to live, and then just plopped down on their asses and built a mud iglo. Crooked three-story buildings were under constant threat from the lightest breeze, while the clown population had put a hundred tents under it. Sheds stood atop sheds in horrific abominations of architecture, forming blocks of monstrous apartment complexes, and there might still be more homeless people than owners of shelter.

Including tents.

It was a fucking nightmare of a slum, that reeked of sweat, shit, and rotting seaweed. I hated everything about it.

Which might be the only thing everyone there had in common. Wanting to get the fuck out.

Which also meant, I noted as I was about to step into a "Frank's Discount PokéMart" and locked eyes with a boy a couple of years younger than me, that no one was going to help you.

The kid looked like a walking corpse. The skin on his face was so tight and thin that his head appeared closer to a purple skull than anything else, large dark circles under his slightly unfocused eyes. His makeshift tunic of three threadbare towels tied together hid his torso, yet the clearly defined skeletal structure of his exposed arms and legs told the entire story.

He averted his gaze when he noticed me looking back at him and disappeared into the crowd as I took the last step into the store, shaking my head lightly.

I really hated this city.

---

Sighing was turning into a unfortunate habit, I noted as I stepped back out, sadly stuffing the last 100 Pokè back into my pocket. Frank, as it turned out, was as much of an asshole as everyone else in Gateon. Fucker had fleeced us. 150 Pokè for 2 gallons of water, 4 rations, and 1 sack of Pokéfood? Actually fucking criminal.

Not that I was all that surprised. Most of the items in there looked like they had been fished out of dumpsters and a lot of it was most likely stolen. Though there was some oddly high-end stuff as well. Multiple TMs, which nearly had me drooling, several rows of Pokéballs, including Greatballs and quite a few Potions and status heals.

It was Disneyland, Christmas, and a candy store all rolled into one.

Unfortunately the price tag matched all those things combined as well.

Even combined with our leftovers from the trip, it was unlikely that the supplies would last us more than 4 days, never mind 6 plus the 7 day trip across the ocean.

Still, we'd cross that bridge when we got to it. I tried my best to put it out of my mind as we made our way back to the outskirts of the city. Seemed to be the best place to put up camp. Hell, we'd fit right in. On the way, I couldn't help but swerve my head around. Even if we'd made the walk through once before, it was still incredible.

If the people and city of Gateon were some of the worst I'd seen, the Pokémon was definitely the best.

Wingulls cried out as they flew overhead, a couple landing on the shoulder of their trainers as they walked. Every alleyway was alive with Rattata and Meowth rummaging through bags and trash, fighting amongst each other for the occasional scrab, and I swore I saw a pair of eyes watching them from the shadow of an overhang.

Trained Pokémon were a rarer sight. Wingulls were the most common, with a singular enormous Pelipper lazily flapping over a large sailor. The bird was bigger than my entire torso, with most of it taken up by its huge yellow beak. It had a small head topped by a streak of light blue feathers and the disproportionately small wings that had barely changed from a Wingull's, had a similar hue on the three finger-like feathers the appendages ended in.

The Pelipper was nothing compared to the beast that stalked the streets, however.

Standing a little under four feet at the shoulder, a monstrous canine parted the crowd before it. Its black paws were huge, its claws nearly as long as my fingers and came to a needle point that looked like it could tear right through me. The main body was thick with corded muscle under the gray fur, a scraggly and wild black overcoat covering the back and leading to a swaying tail that was kept high. Two large ears framed a snout filled with sharp teeth that it bared at everyone that dared to look into its red eyes.

That, I was damn near certain, was a Mightyena, and it was fucking terrifying.

The trainer himself was almost as attention-grabbing as his companion. A pair of headphones was wrapped around the back of his bald head and a pair of small, black sunglasses hid his eye. A red, sleeveless vest covered a black tanktop that led to a matching pair of cargo pants. An oversized pair of gloves and boots finished his assembly.

The most noteworthy detail, however, was his posture. Almost everyone in Gateon walked with a slouch, either due to mood or trying to avoid attention, eyes on the ground before them.

Not him. The trainer walked with a swagger as he kept his head high and back straight. He looked like he was going on a stroll through the gardens rather than the hurried tempo of everyone around him.

I watched as the exact match for what I remembered Team Snagem Grunts looked like from the games passed right by me without as much as a glance and headed into Frank's Discount PokéMart.

I narrowed my eyes.

Huh.

Gang affiliations might explain the expensive shit in there.

Not my problem, though, I decided as I kept walking. While the presence of what were essentially organized thugs was probably not helping Gateon escaping its shithole status, I couldn't blame Frank for doing what he needed to do. A lot of people would jump at the chance to earn steady money and likely protection as well, I mused as I saw the same kid from earlier out of the corner of my eye.

He'd moved into one of the trash-filled side streets, and judging by the even more frantic way he looked away from me, and even scurried further into the alley, he might've been scrounging for food.

I stopped and sighed as he looked over his shoulder and visibly panicked when he saw me still there.

It wasn't a smart choice, but how could I shit talk the inhabitants of the city if I behaved the same way? Abundance was not a thing in Orre. Everyone was struggling.

If I blamed them, then it was only fair that I put my money where my mouth was.

Literally.

"Hey kid, hold up." I called out, moving towards him. To my surprise, he actually stopped and turned to look at me. He was shaking all over so it wasn't a sudden burst of confidence. Maybe experience? Running rarely made a beating better.

He hunched in on himself as I stopped before him and the shaking became so bad he nearly fell over as I swung my backpack around. His eyes stayed glued to the ground, not even glancing as I unzipped the bag and reached in.

"Here."

Five solid seconds passed before he dared to look at the bag of rations I was holding out to him. He glanced desperately between my face and the bag, clearly wanting it, but obviously afraid of a trap.

Again, fuck Gateon. Up close, the kid couldn't be older than seven, maybe a starved eight at most.

His voice trembled as he shook his head.

"I-I don't wa-want any t-trouble, Mister. Pl-please, I'll leave, please-"

He automatically caught the food as I threw it at him.

"Just fucking take it. You clearly need it."

He stayed in a defensive position, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of deceit. When none came, it was like the sun appearing from behind the clouds as his entire face lit up under the dirt. The shaking continued, yet it was from excitement instead of nervousness.

"Really!? You-you mean it, Mister? Thank you, thank you so much! A-are you new around here? I'm sorry, I-I just haven't seen you before…"

"It's fine," I said, waving my hand dismissively and shaking my head, "I just got here, yeah, though I'm not staying. My boat doesn't leave for a couple of days, however, so I'm sticking around for a bit."

"Th-then," the kid licked his cracked lips as he glanced at my bag and Ra, "do you two need a place to camp? I know a great place, real out of the way, almost never any trouble there!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. He was nearly jumping with excitement.

It was cute.

"Yeah, that'd be good, thanks."

"Then it's right this way, Mister! I'm sure you'll have a good time, especially with such a strong Pokémon! My name is Ralf, by the way, but everyone calls me Rat!"

My chuckle turned into an actual laugh as Ra stuck his nose almost vertically up and swaggered after Rat as he took off down the alley, damn near running as we followed. Kid might need new friends with a nickname like that, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

I immediately lost my bearing as Rat twisted and turned through narrow passages, head snapping back to make sure we kept up, yet I had a vague feeling that we were close to the shore. The intensifying scent of salt and seaweed as the stench of rotting trash faded confirmed that idea, but that was the best I could do. The outskirts of Gateon were a fucking maze of random shit, buildings, and tents, vendors screaming at people that couldn't give less of a fuck as they walked by. I lost sight of the kid multiple times as the crowds grew dense enough that I had to push and squeeze my way through. A fist fight nearly erupted as some dickhead tried to be sneaky and unzip my backpack, but he vanished into the horde before I could give him more than a swift kick.

"This way, Mister! We're almost there!"

Glancing left and right, I tried to see where Rat had disappeared to in what seemed to be a dead end. A hand stuck out from between two buildings I could have sworn were right next to each other. A closer look revealed the kid's beaming face on the other side of an incredibly narrow passage as he started jumping up and down again.

"It's right around the corner, promise!"

Cursing under my breath, I swung my bag off my back. The egg shook insistently as I held it out beside me, sucked in my stomach and started shimmying my way through. Ra, the smug little fuck, strolled ahead of me, glancing over his shoulder arrogantly as I huffed and puffed. Finally I got through, only to once again find my guide missing.

"Kid? Where the fuck did you go?!"

"Over here, Mister! Take the left!"

Sure enough, there was a left turn at the end of the small lot I found myself in. And around that corner, I did see Rat waiting for me.

Standing behind two larger kids around my age.

A crunch of gravel made me peek over my shoulder as another two kids, slightly younger than the others but still older than Rat, cut off the way I came from as Ra started growling.

Ah. I'd been had.

I was a fucking idiot. I'd been doing the 'starving, sad child' routine literally nonstop since I woke up in the desert, and then I just followed some rando into the fucking backstreets of a crime-ridden shithole of a city because he was a kid?

I glared at Rat, who at least had the decency to avoid eye contact.

"You really fucking suck, kid."

"Come on, don't be too 'ard on him. When someone is handing out free food, of course you want to share it with your friends."

The shortest of the two in front of me stepped forward as he spoke.

"Speaking off, since you're such a nice guy, you don't mind giving us some, do you? Sharing is caring, after all, and we're so hungry."

He started laughing in a very cliché way that sounded like he was imitating a mustache twirling villain from a movie. His cronies seemed to like it, or at least had been trained enough to follow their apparent leader's lead as they chuckled along.

How the fuck did I end up in a toddler shakedown? What was life?

"Go fuck yourself Pinocchio. If you're that hungry, your nose is enough food for the entire fucking city."

He flushed, his somewhat above average-nose turning red while his dark, near black eyes narrowed at me. It turned into an outright glare as the ones behind me "Ooohhh"-ed at my insult.

Kids they might be, but I was getting the feeling they weren't the brightest.

"You think you're funny, huh." The leader sneered at me while walking forward a couple of steps so we both were in the middle of the encirclement. He puffed out his chest to try and intimidate me. To his credit, he was kinda broad-shouldered and stocky, a little more meat on his bones than his friends. His bald head added to the thug image as well.

If only he hadn't been the second shortest behind Rat, it might've worked.

He reached into his pocket, making me tense. If they all had knives, it could turn messy real quick, even with Ra on my side. I wasn't sure if guns were a thing. They weren't in the games, but I think there were a couple in the anime.

If they were packing, I was super fucked.

The sneer directed my way twisted into a smirk. "Let's see how funny you are after I kick your ass and take all your stuff!" He said as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. Clutched between his fingers was a small ball, with a red top half and white bottom half, that expanded to five times its size as the kid pressed the button in the middle. He held it out towards me in the kind of stance that looked like he had practiced in front of the mirror.

My caution instantly turned to excitement as Ra walked out in front of me. The other children cheered.

"Kick his ass, Big S!"

"You got this, Boss!"

"Get him, Sharon!"

The so-called Sharon blushed again and yelled back at the tallest one that revealed his name.

"I've told you not to call me that, you idiot!"

I couldn't help laughing, making Sharon spin around to me again.

"You think my name is funny!? What's your name, huh!? I bet it's dumb too!"

I really considered fucking with him some more, but I was in way too good of a mood all of a sudden.

"Periwinkle. Peri for short "

Sharon looked visibly taken aback as the rest of the gang mocked my name. He stared at me for a second, before giving me a nod of what felt like almost respect as he waved the others to be silent.

"You understand my pain, then. Brothers in suffering we may be, but I'm still gonna beat you up! Go, Meowth!"

My cheeks hurt from the size of my grin as the Pokéball arched through the air. Just before the ball hit the ground, it cracked open and a beam of crackling red energy burst out onto the dirt. As the energy writhed and wriggled closer and closer to a definitive shape, I absently noted the Pokeball bouncing back slightly off angle, making Sharon have to run to catch it.

So aim actually did matter. Good to know.

"Alright Ra, just like we practiced." My words made him crouch down a little as the enemy solidified. Red electricity became tan fur with brown markings on the back paws and the curled tip of the tail. Large white eyes with a long slit pupil sat in an disproportionately large head, two whisker-like spikes extending from each cheek. Another two rose from in between a pair of black ears, framing a large golden medallion in the middle of the forehead.

The foot-tall creature rose into a bipedal stance and unleashed its war cry.

"Meooww!"

"Yeah! We don't care what you've practiced! Me and Meowth are gonna kick your butt! Get him Meowth! Scratch attack!"

I didn't have more than a few seconds to take in the cat-like Pokémon, before it crouched back down onto all fours and launched itself at Ra very fast, faster than the Vulpix could move normally. It caught me off-guard as I'd expected a more formal start to the battle, which in hindsight was stupid.

It was a fight in a back alley, not a Gym battle.

Still, the week of practice had gotten me at least somewhat used to fast movements and the Meowth was still slower than Ra's Quick Attack.

"Quick dodge left into Ember."

Meowth was almost in his face when I gave the command. The feline reared back its paw, inch long claws flashing in the light as it brought them hurling down at Ra. It gave a hiss of satisfaction as it sliced through the air, nearing Ra's head-

-only to stumble as a white aura surrounded the red fox and he shot to the side over twice as fast as the cat had moved. The Meowth frantically looked around trying to find its prey, locating him in time to be greeted with an open maw, flickering with flame. A torrent of tiny fireballs were unleashed in a cone-shaped flurry, smacking into Meowth with a sizzling sound as the Pokémon fell back onto its back with a cry of pain.

"Meowth! No!"

I smirked as the Ember cut off and Sharon's Pokémon rolled around on the ground. Quick dodge was one of the few commands we'd worked on during the trip. It was just a small burst of Quick Attack to the side in order to flank, before following up with another attack, but it appeared quite effective.

It definitely needed work, though. Ra had stumbled for almost as long as Meowth and if the cat had more experience, it would've dodged after realizing what was happening.

Thoughts for later though. Had to capitalize.

"Quick Attack!"

Meowth had barely managed to scramble onto all fours before Ra slammed shoulder first into it like a truck. Anything at that pace would hurt, but as Ra was twice the size of the feline, it was sent flying back into the wall. It bounced off with another scream, laying in a heap as it tried to recover.

"No, please, you 'ave to get up! MEOWTH!"

"Yeah, come on Meowth, don't give up!"

"You can beat that stupid fox, we believe in you!"

The encouragement was honestly kinda cute. Even Rat had nutted up enough to participate. Still it was time to end it. I had loved my first taste of battle, yet I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Yeah, it was a low level battle, against street rats, but it was so fucking easy.

Might have to wait until Kanto before finding anything that could actually challenge Ra and I. Though at our current pace, we'd be the Champions within the month.

"Finish it with a Tackle, buddy. Let's wrap it up and stop bullying the children."

With his customary swagger, Ra approached the downed opponent, slowly picking up speed. I'd have preferred finishing it quickly, but I couldn't begrudge him his celebration. For once, he'd earned that confidence. I also knew he was more tired than he let on.

He was almost there anyway, at a decent jog. Meowth had started stirring, struggling to push itself into a seated position as it watched Ra charging towards it.

"Fake Out!"

My eyes widened.

"Sto-"

It was too late. As Ra lowered his head and prepared for impact, the Meowth twitched with its left paw. The movement drew Ra's attention enough that he hesitated in his attack while looking, only to get clobbered by a smack from the right that sent him skidding to the side, hitting the wall himself.

"RA!"

"YEAH!" Sharon screamed over me, thrusting one hand in the air triumphantly. "THEY FELL FOR IT! NOW MEOWTH, END THEM WITH PAYDAY!"

"DODGE!"

Unfortunately, Ra was still shaking off the impact as the cat reached up to its forehead and ripped the gold medallion off and hurled it at him. Fortunately, Meowth had taken even more damage and its aim had the medal smack against Ra's shoulder rather than his head. He let out a pained yip regardless, but he wasn't out.

"QUICK! EMBER!"

"DODGE MEOWTH! WE GOT 'EM!"

The world slowed down as both Pokémon started executing their orders. The speed advantage I'd noticed earlier, combined with exhaustion and the difference in difficulty of the two commands, reared its ugly head again. By the time Ra had built up the necessary energy, Meowth was already on its feet and ready to react. Luckily, there was one thing they had overlooked.

There was only one way to go with a wall blocking one side.

"He's going left! Adjust!"

"No! STOP, MEOWTH!"

It was too late. The feline had already lept the only way it could, and a little backwards as well. All it took was a minor twist of Ra's head and the fire once again started scorching the tan fur. Meowth was sent sprawling one more time and came to rest in front of Sharon. Ra panted as we waited to see if it would get back up.

But no. Despite Sharon's, and the gang's, cries, Meowth's eyes remained closed and it refused to move. It wasn't long before the red light of its Pokéball hit it and sucked it inside.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. That had been a little too close at the end. But we'd done it.

A grin overtook my face as I started laughing, running to go pick up Ra and hold him aloft, spinning around in circles.

"WE DID IT! WE WON! Ahahahahahahaha, you were fucking amazing, buddy! That Quick dodge was superb!" I praised as I rubbed our cheeks together. Normally Ra would be batting at my face by that point, but he seemed as high on victory as I was and gave as good as he got.

I couldn't believe it. We'd won our first battle! Sure, it was against a scrub-tier fighter, but it was still a huge deal!

Speaking of scrubs.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Sharon, Rat, and a third tall, reedy kid froze from where they'd been trying to sneak off while I was distracted. Sudden scurrying from behind told me that the other two had seen their chance as well. A thumb announced that one of them had fallen over, but I didn't care about them.

Sharon hid behind the tall one I decided to call Reed, while holding his hands out to ward me off.

"Hey, Hey, it's cool, man. We're gonna go and we'll never bother you again, I promise. It was real nice to meet you, though, we should do this again-"

"Fat fucking chance. Empty your pockets, bitch. Come on, you know how this works."

Sharon hesitated as I placed Ra back down on the ground. The vulpix began growling again, eyeballs locked on their prey as he started slowly prowling forward.

Which was all it took.

"You suck," Sharon grumbled as he started rummaging around in his pants. A couple of bills and what looked like a protein bar hit the ground.

I gave a smile in response.

"Litteral skill issue. You started this, motherfucker, don't be mad at me for being better. Now, the rest." He shook his head in denial, but I wasn't having it. "Don't fucking try me, I'll take it myself if I have to."

He glared at me as he pulled an old, rusty pocket knife out from his oversized, dirt covered vest and threw it at my feet. I kept smiling as I turned to the one that truly started it all.

"You too, Rat. Cough it up."

"I-I don't ha-have any-"

"Right, you were hanging out by Mainstreet all day with nothing to show for it. Give it. Now."

The kid was shaking and staring at the ground as he pulled three wallets out and tried to toss it next to Sharon's pile. His trembles made him miss and the bag of rations made it barely half the distance the other stuff did, but that was fine.

Ra kept his eyes locked on them as I crouched down and inspected my loot. The wallets had a total of 300 Poké Dollars, which was pretty good. The knife was shit, but having a weapon wasn't a bad thing by any means. I stood back up and looked at them as I grabbed the protein bar and started stuffing the rest into my pockets.

Scared, shaking, and starving, it really hit home how young they were as they cowered in front of Ra. Their antics may have been at my expense, but I couldn't blame children for trying to stay alive. I couldn't say what they would've done if they'd beaten me, yet they had a knife. They could've shanked me as I turned the corner. Instead, they gave me a Fighting chance.

I sighed for the millionth time that day. I was way too nice of a person.

"Ra, enough. Here." I said as I tossed 100 Poké Dollars on the ground. "You can keep the rations too. Is there a different way outta here than the one I came from?"

Stunned silence was my only response as they stared at me incredulously. They kept gapping until Ra gave a loud yip, which funnily enough spurred the least brave member into action.

"Th-There is a l-ladder over there," Rat stuttered as he pointed at one of the buildings. Ladder was a strong word. It was more like half broken rebar hammered into the wall at irregular intervals.

I gave them one last nod as I patted the top of my backpack towards Ra. He ran at me and with one big leap, grabbed onto the bag. I felt the egg wriggle wildy for longer than usual but it settled back down as I started climbing up the 40 foot wall.

I'd just made it to the top when a shout reached me from down below.

"DON'T THINK THIS IS OVER, YOU HEAR!? FROM TODAY ON, YOU AND I ARE RIVALS! I'LL WIN NEXT TIME, PERI!. ME AND MEOWTH ARE GONNA TRAIN AND BEAT YOU UP, YOU'LL SEE!"

It was such a fucking anime moment that I started laughing again.

"TRY ME PIPSQUEAK!"

"PIPSQUEAK!? YOU GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE, YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'LL RIP YOU APART! I'M GONNA-"

His screams faded as I turned and walked away, taking stock of my surroundings. I found myself on top of one of the highest buildings in the immediate neighborhood, almost at the edge of Gateon. The ocean was very close, as I thought, no more than a couple of streets. A lower roof led downwards in that direction, to another roof, and then another, before an actual staircase led down to the ground.

Ra hopped down as we took in the sight. From this high, Gateon was almost pretty. The different architecture, broken up by colorful camps of tents, blended together in a pleasing way, when you couldn't see the people or smell them. In the horizon, sand bordered the endless stretch of water that glittered in the sunlight.

"What do you say? You want to go to the beach? You did a great job in that fight, you deserve to take the rest of the day off."

Ra peered at the sea curiously and took off without a word, leaping down to the next building as I rushed to keep up.

As we made the landing for the third time, the egg shook again. I didn't pay it much mind. It had started doing it more and more, but nothing had come from it yet.

But then it kept shaking.

And shaking.

And shaking.

To the point where there was no way to ignore it anymore.

"Wait, wait, hold up buddy. Something might be happening!"

I quickly dug the egg out of my bag and placed it on the tile as Ra trodded over. He sniffed it in curiosity, jumping back as it rolled around, vibrating almost violently. We stared at it in anticipation. Was it finally time?

It stopped.

The complaint was on the tip of my tongue when it gave its most extreme jerk yet.

CRACK!

A large crack split the shell from the top down half way.

"EEEEEEEEEEE!."

I'd forever deny the high pitched squeal that left me. No matter how judgingly Ra looked at me. The whole last week, every night I dreamt of what was inside. Fantasies of mighty Dragonites soaring through the sky or ferocious Kingdra commanding the sea had filled my imagination.

And now it was finally time.

The cracking continued and soon it looked like a spider had spun a web across the entire thing. With one last mighty shake, pieces were sent flying as my new baby Pokémon fought its way free from its confinement and emerged into the world, falling to the ground, ready to take on all comers and stand by my side atop the world.

My purple eyes locked with its own white ones.

"Feeeeeeeeehhh."

The large light brown fish, maybe a little over a foot in length, flopped around as it looked at me. Its thick pink lips gaped open and closed while its blue fins and tail waggled uselessly as it tried to find purchase. Darker brown spots littered its body and a large hollow triangle fin sat atop its head.

"Feeeeeeeehhh."

I didn't even blink as I picked up the Feebas, a wheezing sound emitting from it like the air escaping a balloon. As I touched it, its flailing ceased as we stared at each other, its eyes blank and mouth hanging open in a very derpy expression.

"You know," I started slowly, "you're not what I expected. However," a smile overtook my face as I hugged my new Pokémon close to my chest, "you are perfect nevertheless."

Feebas sighed into me and wriggled a little in response.

Then a thought struck.

"Wait a second. Do you need water!?"

We locked eyes again. There were no difference in its expression, but it was almost completely limp in my grasp.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD! RA COME ON! HURRY!", I screamed as I took off for the ocean. I swore I heard Ra sigh as he ran to catch up.

Still. Winning our first battle and getting a new Pokémon.

Not a bad day.

---

The driftwood sputtered and cracked as the flames licked it, thick smoke pouring off it. It had taken multiple Embers from Ra to set the damp material alight and it was still struggling.

Not that I'd let it get me down.

We'd found an empty spot down by the beach to set up the tent, not far from where I'd frantically thrown Feebas into the sea, terrified that she would suffocate in my arms.

Turns out, not a problem.

Feebas sat in the sand, staring into the fire with blank, dull eyes. Intermittently, she would slowly blink and return to look at the flames.

Everything she did was kinda slow. Even when I'd splashed water over her form, it took several seconds before she seemed to notice.

She also didn't appear to really care. Air or water, she was equally unbothered.

I'd also decided that she was a girl. I had nothing to base that assumption on but she'd eventually evolve into a Milotic and that was a feminine Pokémon. Not impeccable logic, but I'd stick to it until corrected.

Ra was curled up by the fire, happily snoozing away. I'd been worried about their first meeting, yet it was incredibly anticlimactic. Ra had sniffed at Feebas, Feebas had stared and that was kind of it. No instant bond between teammates or hostility from a predator to what could easily be a part of his diet.

So, not great or terrible. I'd take it though.

"There you are."

I flinched at the sudden voice, Ra jumping to his feet as well. A shape emerged from the darkness of the night, holding up its hands as it slowly approached. The flickering light of the campfire slowly crept up the short, stout body and revealed the face of the leader of the child gang I'd encountered earlier in the day.

"Fucking shit! The fuck you doing, creeping up like that!? You back for round two!?"

Sharon lowered his hands and shook his head, though that didn't stop him from firing back.

"Please, you think you're worth the effort? I was going easy on you earlier. If I was serious, I'd crush you."

"Oh yeah? How about you put your money where your mouth is, bitch."

He shook his head with faux disappointment. "Such a thug. 'ere I came all this way to make sure you're good and this is the welcome I get?"

"What? Why?" He'd attacked me and I took his shit just a few hours ago. What part of that indicated a positive relationship.

Hands stuffed into his pockets, Sharon spoke while avoiding my eyes.

"Rough part of the world, this. Rat would feel bad if you got shived in an alley, even if you're a weakling."

Before I could point out the incredible irony of that statement, he quickly switched the topic, pointing towards Feebas with his chin.

"New Pokémon?"

"Yeeeah." I said slowly, put off by the sudden change in demeanor from our first meeting. I hadn't expected this. "My egg hatched right after I left your broke ass behind."

He scowled, yet let it go.

"Feebas, huh? Tough luck. At least Magicarp evolves."

I kept my face neutral while my mind started whirring.

Did people not know that Feebas evolved into Milotic? Or was that just Sharon's Orre street-rat upbringing.

Probably a decent bet that it was just Sharon.

"Not that I giv' a damn about your dumb fish. It won't save you in our next battle!"

I'd have responded with a stupendously witty retort, but Feebas got there first. For the first time since she hatched I saw an emotion other than uninterest on her face. I thought so anyway. It would take some time before I was confident in my ability to judge fish facial expressions. Her eyes slowly narrowed as she looked up at Sharon, cheeks puffing out even slower. The other boy backed up at the clear sign of aggression and I leaned forward to try and stop her, recognizing the signs of a Water Gun.

Too late.

SPLASH!

Water dripped from her lips, falling limply to the sand a couple of inches from her mouth.

We both stared for a moment before Sharon started laughing.

"Just hatched, right. 'ad me sweating a bit, I'll admit. But like I said, that ain't gonna help you. Later dipshit."

I didn't respond as he retreated into the shadows, merely picking Feebas up and holding her in front of my face. I couldn't be sure, but I'd swear there was a hint of shame in her eyes.

"We have a lot of work to do."

---

Nobody sees the Feebas inquisition coming. I love Feebas, though. Derpy ass fish.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Last chapter in Orre (finally). Can't wait to get to Kanto and spend 20 pages describing a rock.

---

"20."

"40."

"25."

"40."

"30?"

"Son of a- what part of 40 do you not fuckin' understand!?" The woman leaned over her counter to glare at me. Her faded blue dress had seen better days and so had she. Her weather-beaten skin sagged in a way that told of a sudden, hefty weight loss, brown roots showing through blond hair dye.

"The part where you want 40 for a single bag of rations! Do I look like I have that kind of money!?" I dramatically indicated towards my body. The clothes I had liberated from Kurt had been in bad shape when I got them and a week in the desert, plus the 5 days in Gateon, had left them as little more than sandy, dirt covered rags. My hair was starting to fuse into one solid mass and the salt water made me itchy as fuck.

God, I needed a shower.

Or, Arceus, I guess.

"If you can't pay then fuck off. Do I look like I can afford charity!?"

I did my best to keep my eyes on the street vendor as Ra crept forward in the corner of my eye.

"Please, Miss. I just need the one for my family. My sister is real little and she needs-"

"Yeah yeah, your parents are dead and you need to feed your 15 siblings. You think you're so smart, but I hear this shit 20 times a day and no one-"

A loud scraping sound interrupted her and made her spin around to her stock of wares. Ra froze with the lip of the rations bag in his mouth, half way out from the wooden table that served as her desk.

"WHAT THE FUC-"

My hands impacted her back and sent her crashing into the pile. She fumbled around as I tore the bag from Ra and started sprinting.

"RUN!"

"YOU LITTLE FUCKIN' BASTARD, GET BACK HERE!"

The yelling faded into the background noise of Gateon as we pushed our way through the crowd. After a couple of minutes, I ducked into an alley, Ra on my heels. A couple of side streets later, I stopped and waited to see if she'd follow us. Chances were small, though. Leaving her store unattended for even a second would see her cleaned out, and no one cared enough to tell her where we went anyway.

Theft was stupid easy in the port city as long as you stuck to small street vendors.

"Hehehehe, good job buddy. A little close at the end, but we figured it out," I praised while giving Ra some chin scratches. He did his best to remain dignified through the petting, but the spasms in his hind leg gave him away.

He tried so hard to be cool. It was very cute.

"Okay, with our stock, that's food for 3 days, at least. Let's head back and share this with your sister. We need a plan if we are getting on that boat later. We're almost out of time."

"Awww, leaving us so soon? And without even a going away present?"

I had to fight a smile as I turned and saw the gang behind me, Sharon in front with his signature smirk, throwing his Pokéball casually in his hand. I lost that fight with my facial muscles as Rat waved at me enthusiastically until Reed forced him to stop.

Turning back to Sharon, I gave him an equally arrogant grin.

"I know my presence has been a highlight in your pathetic little life and that you've got nothing else going on, but I can't keep wasting my time with you losers. The first time was fun, but now… it's just sad, really."

Sharon scowled at my words, turning back when one of his cronies "oooh"-ed.

"Shut up, Joe, I swear to freakin' Giratina!"

Joe mumbled an apology. I knew that there were 5 of them, but I always forgot about Joe. Everything about him was so unassuming. He wasn't tall and skinny like Reed, or short and broad like Sharon. Rat was the smallest while John looked closer to a teenager than a kid, big and brooding. I had learned that he'd usually functioned as the muscle when Meowth alone wasn't enough, being a couple of years older than myself.

He was kind of dumb, but backing up a full on fucking Pokémon was a wild statement.

"And what do you mean sad and pathetic!? The score is only 3-0, and we almost 'ad you the last time! My comeback starts right 'ere and now! Go, Meowth!"

I chuckled as the tan feline appeared in a flash of red. Over the last week I ran into the gang several times and had battled Sharon twice after the first time. And yes, admittedly, he'd nearly beat me the third time. I had grown a smidge overconfident after winning twice and tried the same strategy again. Say what you will about Sharon's intelligence, which wasn't terribly impressive, but he wasn't the type to fall for the same trick twice.

We seemed to have come to some sort of understanding after I let them keep some of the money and the rations. They'd stopped trying to trick me and kinda just appeared for a battle at random times. I wouldn't call us friends, but we were friendly.

"Suppose I can take your money one last time." Ra walked out in front, looking disinterested. Meowth had lost most of his interest after being defeated three times in a row.

He'd give it his all out of pride, yet he had nothing to prove anymore.

Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed the small ball I kept there. A button press enlarged it and a small toss had it releasing its contents and bouncing back. I caught it with a wide grin. Using a Pokéball never got old.

I bent down and picked up Feebas after she finished materializing.

"Hello, princess. You want to watch another fight?"

A slow blink and gaping mouth was my only response, but she did turn her head slightly so she could see the action. I chuckled and pet her a bit. She wasn't the most expressive of creatures, but I was slowly getting the hang of it.

While Water-Type Pokémon didn't actually need to stay in water to survive, Fish-like Pokémon, however, were essentially like… well, fish on land and without it were basically incapable of movement. I remember a Feebas from the anime that could levitate, so it might be a solvable problem in the long run. But for now, she was stuck getting carried around by me when she wasn't in her ball.

Ra'd taken it very well when I decided to prioritize getting Feebas a Pokéball before him. I think he might've even preferred it that way. He didn't seem particularly enthused by the idea.

Not that carrying her was a problem, necessarily. I didn't mind, and she was far from combat capable. Both too young and weak. On land, her Tackle was just flailing around, and her Water Gun…

Well.

"Water Gun!", I suddenly exclaimed, pointing Feebas at Sharon. He gave a start and covered his face with his arms in anticipation as Feebas' cheeks slowly ballooned. Then she released it.

The thin stream of water traveled two feet before hitting the ground with a SPLAT.

I laughed my ass off as Sharon started waving his fist at me.

"IT'S NOT FUCKIN' FUNNY! IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME, AND NOT THIS TIME EITHER!"

"Yeah yeah, calm down." I said. The water had actually made it further than I expected. When I had pulled that prank the first time, it hadn't made it more than an inch.

My little girl was already growing up.

"Are we throwin' down or not!?", Sharon did not seem to share my appreciation for the joke, based on the way he crossed his arms.

I almost agreed when we were cut off.

"Are you really leavin'?"

Rat's large, sad eyes nearly made me feel bad. Nearly, yet not quite. I was not blowing my chance to get the fuck out of Orre.

"Yeah, I am." I sighed as the kid clutched at his shirt and hid his face. Little bastard had grown on me.

"Look kid. You are more than welcome to come with me, but…"

Sharon picked up the thread from there.

"Sorry Rat, but if we 'ad that kind of money, we wouldn't be living in a tent. I don't know why you like this arrogant prick so much," he sneered at me in an almost friendly way, "but don't cry. That's not cool. You don't want 'im to remember you as a crybaby, do you?"

Rat shook his head as he angrily wiped at his eyes.

"No, I-I'm sorry. I'll stop. It's just…" He peeked at me shyly. "I'll miss you…"

My heart melted a little, I'll admit it. I didn't know what to say to something so heartfelt. Luckily, Sharon saved me from having to figure it out.

"You can whine later. For now! Peri! This is our last meeting, my rival! It 'as to be super cool! Are you ready to do this!?"

I went to respond, when we were interrupted.

"Doing what?"

Spinning around, I barely noticed the dark sunglasses that peered at us from a bald and beardless face, headphones wrapped around the back of his head, almost giving him a halo of plastic.

No, much more concerning was the huge gray and black dog that lurked by the man's side. Its red eyes glanced at Ra and Meowth dismissively, despite the defensive stances they immediately took up, and barely spared the gang a look as they kept their eyes far from its gaze. When it noticed me observing, the lips peeled back, revealing rows of finger length teeth, droplets of spit dripping from them. A huge paw brought it a step forward when I didn't instantly fold.

I quickly turned back to look at the Team Snagem Grunt I'd seen head into Frank's Discount PokéMart almost a week ago. I'd spotted him a couple of times around town, but this was the first time we'd come face to face.

"Uh, we're just 'aving a practice battle, sir. Nothing serious. We're sorry if we got in the way…"

In the week I had known him, I'd never heard Sharon being anything other than cocky or angry. Even after I'd fended off their ambush and they were at my mercy, he'd merely been cautious.

Now, he sounded straight up scared.

Not that I blamed him. This was a member of an organization that mindwiped or killed children and dumped them in the desert, with a fully evolved Pokémon at his side that seemed a single hint away from ripping out my throat.

"Awww, wittle babies play fighting, eh?" He smirked at us. His head moved like he was looking at the two Pokémon frozen in between us, silent as they kept their gaze locked on the Mightyena that in turn wouldn't stop staring at me. His chin tilted in the way of Feebas. "Hmmmm. Vulpix, Meowth, and a fuckin' Feebas. Kinda trash, 'cept maybe the Vulpix. Rich cunts pay alot for the chance at a Ninetales, the sick fucks. Hmmmm," he scratched at his chin for a moment as we all froze.

"Eh, fuck it. Free money. Alright kiddies, hand 'em over."

Silence engulfed the alley as everyone stared at each other. Then, Rat started chuckling.

"H-Haha, M-Mister. That's, that's very funny. Hahahaha!"

The Grunt chuckled along with him and soon, everyone joined in.

Then, he stopped laughing.

"I'm not fuckin' kiddin'. Recall 'em to their balls and give 'em. If not, well," he patted the beast at his side. A bone-shaking growl reverberated off the walls at the touch, "they'll find whatever pieces Mighty doesn't eat scattered 'round the desert."

Out of the edge of my eye, I could see the gang blanch at the threat. I couldn't say I felt much better. It wasn't like Kurt, some deadbeat teen. The Grunt was a professional criminal and I highly doubted it was the first time he'd done shit like that. Team Snagem was the main Team in Orre, at least in the games, so they were likely the main cause of bodies and Mindbroken kids getting dumped.

If we didn't do what he said, there was a very high chance we were going to die.

But still… giving up Ra and Feebas…

"Ra, Quick Attack!"

I just couldn't fucking do it.

The Grunt flinched back as a white flashing Ra slammed into the Mightyena, catching them off guard. The vulpix hit the larger canine straight in the face, sending it stumbling back a couple of steps, shaking its head.

Gasps rang out from the gang, almost drowned out by the pounding of my heart.

But I was calm. I was angry.

Someone was gonna die, and if it was me, it'd be swinging.

"What the fuck! You fuckin' idiot, fine! I'll take 'em from your corpse! Kill the kids!"

The Dark-Type recovered at record speed. Before I could even get a word out, it feinted straight past Ra and lunged at me with its maw wide open, teeth gleaming with black energy.

It was too fast. Ra was still turning around, Feebas was too weak, and my legs had turned to stone. There was nothing I could do but watch as my death approached. I squeezed my eyes shut.

It wasn't fair. All I had gotten to do was be a petty criminal and fight for my life.

I was supposed to be the best. Like no one ever was.

"FAKE OUT!"

My eyelids shot back up just in time to see a tan paw clap Mightyena in the cheek, sending it tumbling head over heels in surprise.

"YOU DUMB FUCK! YOU'VE KILLED US!"

I blinked blankly at Sharon for a moment as he ran up to my side, screaming his head off.

"I… I can't let him take them. I just can't. I'd rather die."

It shocked me how much I meant those words.

He sneered yet also calmed down a bit.

"That's sweet. 'e's still going to take 'em, just from our dead bodies!"

My veins felt like fire, my heart thudding like a machine gun, yet I could feel my lips stretch into a grin.

"Not if we beat his ass first."

I'd meant it to be reassuring, yet the look he gave me told me that it came out more psychotic. Which was understandable, since I felt kind of psychotic. My emotions had flipped right back to furious from terrified.

A hiss and whine pulled our attention back to the fight. Mightyena had gotten back on its feet and smacked Meowth aside. Its eyes went in our direction again, only to squeeze shut as an Ember sprayed it from the side.

"YOU DUMB FUCKIN' BEAST! STOP FUCKIN' 'ROUND AND TAKE CARE OF THIS SHIT! THEY'RE FUCKIN' BABIES, KNOCK 'EM OUT FIRST IF YOUR SO WEAK!"

That was enough for Mightyena to go on the offensive. The Dark-Type turned in Ra's direction, heedless of the flames pelting it like a gatling gun, and charged straight through the fire. It blurred with speed, uncaring for the damage it received on its way to its target.

It slowed down just enough, however.

"QUICK DODGE!"

Ra cut off his attack and crouched down as the large wolf barreled towards him. The Embers had blocked much of its sight, yet it didn't seem to care as the aura obscured Ra's shape. The Vulpix jumped to the side right as Mightyena was upon him, narrowly avoiding the paw flying at the side of his head and letting it impact the ground in a spray of sand and rock chips as the stone cracked under its strength.

Unfortunately, he couldn't dodge the second paw that hurled at him almost before the first had landed. The limb hit him solidly in the side, shooting him into the wall at speeds approaching his Quick Attack. He gave a pained yip as he smashed into it with a crunch!, leaving a slight crater in the wall as he thumped to the earth.

"RA!"

"FUCKIN' FINISH IT!"

"QUICK ATTACK!"

The wolf rushed at Ra, teeth gleaming, only to take another blow to the ribs as a second white missile flew across the length of the alley. This time, it was ready, however. It went skidding a few feet and with some nifty footwork, Meowth went sailing past it on its second pass, a violent double stomp smashing the feline into the dirt as it cried out. The opponent went for another stomp, but was interrupted by yet another Ember distracting it long enough for Meowth to slip out and limp away.

Ra was barely on his feet, looking very wobbly and panting. Meowth was limping badly, its left hind leg dragging behind it, and it was gasping for breath. Mightyena, meanwhile, was also panting and seemed to favor its right side, but it was inarguably in better shape.

We were losing. At the end of the day, two-on-one only got you so far against a fully evolved, more experienced enemy. Mightyena fought like a brute, all force and little skill, with almost no directions from its trainer, but it was simply much stronger, faster, and used to combat.

I only really had one idea left.

"Get ready." I mumbled to Sharon as I shuffled to the side, patting the Pokémon in my arms. Quickly making eye contact with Ra, I gave him a slight nod as the Mightyena got ready for another charge.

Swiftly, I spun around at the Grunt, Feebas held aloft and pointed straight at him from barely 15 feet away.

"WATER GUN!"

The Grunt looked flabbergasted that I would target him, falling on his ass as Feebas' cheeks inflated. Mightyena, however, turned at my shout, and seeing its trainer under attack, rushed forward. It closed the distance in a flash, leaping as Feebas reached maximum capacity, and just managed to get in between as the attack launched.

Water spurted in a stream three feet before collapsing into a puddle.

Mightyena had an almost comical look of surprise as it tried to halt its momentum, tripping over its own paws and rolling as I cried out, Sharon echoing me.

"QUICK ATTACK!"

"QUICK ATTACK!"

Mightyena sprang to its feet, snarling and spitting at the trick, just in time to catch both smaller Pokémon hurling into it. Ra crashed into its snout, snapping its head back in a spray of blood, while Meowth slammed straight into its chest with a loud SNAP!

Mightyena was thrown backwards, rolling and spinning, before coming to a rest against the wall.

It didn't get up.

A cry of victory bubbled in my chest, yet was cut off.

"STUPID FUCKIN' ANIMAL! YOU'RE GONNA GET TURNED INSIDE FUCKIN' OUT WHEN WE GET BACK TO BASE! I HOPE THEY FUCKIN' KILL YOU, MANGY FUCKIN' MUTT! GONNA SELL YOU AS A FUCKIN' RUG!" The Grunt was screaming his head off, spit flying from his lips. His sunglasses had fallen off when he tripped, beady eyes bloodshot with rage. My heart dropped when I saw his right hand reach down to his belt.

A belt with three Pokéballs on it.

"Can't believe this shit, can't handle a couple of fuckin' brats. The fuck was the conditioners thinking, giving me weak shit like that. When Gonzap hears of this…" he snarled to himself while pulling off one of the balls and enlarging it. "I 'pose you think you're hot shit 'cause you beat that fuckin' useless thin', but let me tell you, you ain't seen shit ye-OH SHIT!"

He turned, ready to throw out his second Pokémon, which would definitely take us down. As he looked at us, his eyes widened as he found me right in front of him, Feebas swinging at his head like a bat.

"TACKLE!"

Feebas gave a mighty jerk that ripped her from my hands, bashing her skull straight into the Grunts forehead with a loud SMACK! He collapsed to the ground, Pokéball rolling from his limp fingers.

Stillness settled over the area for a moment as we panted, somewhat stunned at the abrupt end.

"WHOOOOOOOOOooooooo!"

I tilted my head back and howled with victory until I had no more air in my lungs. Breathless chuckles followed as I picked up Feebas and held her over my head.

"Yes! Behold, the strongest Feebas in the world! Hahaha, ooooh princess, you did so well, yes you did," I praised as I rubbed my nose back and forth against approximately the area that would have held her own nose. Her eyes narrowed into a cresent shape as her lips pulled slightly upwards at the corners, wiggling as she tried to imitate my movements.

"And Ra! Oh, I haven't forgotten you, buddy," my attention was pulled as Ra limped over to me and lay down at my feet. I crouched down to give him some enthusiastic petting with my right hand, even sneaking in a kiss between his ears, much to his huffing dismay, though he kept leaning into me despite his complaining. "You kicked that stupid overgrown puppy's ass, yes you did. You did so well. There's a lot of jerky in your future, I swear."

The heartfelt moment with my team went on for a bit, before the crunching of sand and debri from the fight heralded Sharon's approach. The boy was pale, his hands shaking as the adrenaline left him, yet he had a giant smile that matched my own.

"You're freakin' crazy, you know that? Who attacks a fully evolved Pokémon?"

I faux puffed out my chest as I stood back up, Feebas in my left hand and Ra cradled gingerly in my right, to not aggravate his injuries. He refused to make eye contact with anyone, but he wasn't trying to escape.

"The difference between crazy and genius is a matter of success, so I'm actually the smartest man alive."

Sharon snorted. "I thought it was the Grunt that hit 'is 'ead, yet you're the one with brain damage. Weird."

"Haha, very funny. Speaking of Grunt though," I looked down at the scum laying in the dirt. "You mind recalling that fucking beast, and grabbing his balls? By which I mean Pokéballs, just so you don't get any ideas."

I laughed again at the middle finger he raised in my direction while leaning down to do as I suggested. Good to know that some things were universal, even between dimensions.

It took a second for Sharon to identify the empty ball. Luckily, there was a small sign just under the big front button that indicated if a Pokéball was occupied or not. Mightyena was quickly returned in a flash of red and the Grunts belt slung over Sharon's shoulder.

And with that, it was over. It was kind of weird as we all stood around and let things sink in. It was hard to believe that the entire thing took less than 10 minutes.

"Ho-Oh…"

The gasp drew everyone's attention to Rat, who had somehow snuck by me and was rifling through the Grunt's backpack. Seeing that all eyes were on him, he grabbed the bag by the bottom and upturned it, spilling its contents everywhere.

A waterfall of stuff came pouring out, way more than the backpack should be able to hold. There was a ton of average day shit like a change of clothes, multiple water bottles, rations and some assorted snacks. An entire tent fell and rolled off the pile. It was one hell of a catch for starving street rats.

Yet it paled in comparison to the true treasure trove.

Potions, both a lot of normal ones and several of an orange variety that I recognised as a Super Potion, were mixed into the mess. Golden diamond shapes, that could only be Revives, glittered in between cloth while the sunlight reflected off a couple of glass cases containing what looked like DVDs. A double palm sized machine perched near the top, a small circular indentation in the front, right over a small slit that reminded me of a disk tray.

Finally, resting like a crown atop the mound, was a FAT wad of cash.

"Holy shit…" I whispered.

Everyone started cheering. Reed and John were jumping up and down, hugging each other. Rat was full on sobbing at the reversal of fortune while Joe was staring at the loot dumbfounded, which wasn't far from his usual expression, but it was somehow even more vacant.

Sharon, meanwhile, was also staring at the windfall that had come our way, only his was almost a glare, rather than the joy of the others.

"Shut up. 'ey, shut up! SHUT UUUUP!"

The festivities halted at Sharon's scream.

"Look, yeah, the stuffs awesome and we're gonna eat well tonight, but there's bigger problems." He kicked the Grunt in the side, rocking him. "Incase you forgot, we just attacked a member of Snagem. Not only that, we're 'bout to steal a lot of shit from them. We're cooked."

The excitement was swiftly replaced with fear. Understandable, really. Fucking with organized crime, on their territory, was risky business at the best of times, and for a group of kids?

Basically a death sentence.

I did have a potential solution, however, as I picked up the large bundle of bills and flipped through them. There had to be at least 10.000, not counting how much the rest could be sold for.

"I have an idea." I interjected before anyone could start panicking, turning to Rat. "You still want to get on that boat?"

His dirty little face lit up as he quickly spun to Sharon, somehow activating a Baby-Doll Eyes on the same level as Ra's.

I decided to help him out a bit.

"Look, Sharon. You said it yourself, you're cooked right now. Unless you wanna kill that guy and pray nobody hears us or can track us, you can't stay in Gateon." I explained while grabbing a Super Potion. I waited for Sharon to join me and copied him as he twisted the nuzzle, letting a needle pop out of the tip. Ra growled as the sharp injector pierced his skin, but stayed still as I pressed the trigger. "Fuck, the whole of Orre might be burnt. But Kanto is out of Snagem's reach, and it's a lot better than this shithole, anyway."

Sharon kept his eyes on me for a bit, staring at me intently as he thought it over, throwing the empty potion bottle over his shoulder. Eventually he turned to look at his gang. Rat seemed one second away from pissing himself in excitement, Reed and John were still hugging each other and were nodding vigorously, while Joe looked back blankly, before giving a small nod of his own.

Sharon sighed before turning back to me.

"Fuck. Fine. When do we leave?"

I barely managed to constrain my laughter to a grin, not wanting to seem like too much of a weirdo.

"About three hours. It's a six day trip, so we're gonna need supplies. Here," I threw him half the cash, "you guys handle that part, I'll get your tickets. Oh, I'm also taking this." Rat had started shoving the rest of the stuff back into the bag so I quickly swiped the disk tray machine and a pale blue disk case.

Unless I was completely mistaken, that was an Ice-Type TM and the device to use it.

"You can't just decide that, what the fuck!?" Sharon protested as I recalled Feebas with one last whispered praise, and fitted her shrunken ball into the top indentation.

"It's an Ice-Type TM, Feebas is the only one that can use it. Besides, she deserves a reward for saving our asses, doesn't she? AND you have the Grunt's Pokémon. Don't act like you aint making out like a bandit."

Sharon grumbled as he crossed his arms and looked away, yet Ra appeared to be the most offended.

I quickly placated him. "You did an incredible job Ra, and I'm so proud of you too. Don't worry, when we get to Kanto, I'm gonna get you so many TM's, it'll take you years to learn them all."

It seemed to do the trick as he sat down and watched me place the disk into the slot. A light started blinking next to the ball as a whirring sound began and swiftly became louder, much like I remembered an older PC sounding.

A couple of minutes later, the small light flashed three times and then went out, allowing me to pick up the ball with a grin as I handed the machine to Rat to pack.

I'd test it out later, but I already knew what it was. A small label in the corner of the case, that I'd taken care to not reveal to the others, had the name.

Ice Beam. One of the best Ice-Type attacks any Pokémon could learn.

My grin widened. What a great day.

"Okay, so we've got a plan. Meet by the harbor in a couple hours?" I asked, receiving nods all around. I pointed to the backpack filled with valuables. "Want me to take that to the boat?"

That question netted me another stare down with Sharon, only this one went on for much longer. I got it. It was a lot of money to entrust to someone you'd only known for less than a week. I wondered if our recent shared tribulation would be enough.

Not that I had any intentions of running off with the bag, but he couldn't truly know that. It would have to be on faith.

Finally he spoke slowly.

"If you screw us on this… there won't be a continent you can 'ide on that I won't find you."

I nodded back seriously. I actually believed him, or at least believed that he would try. Despite our recent report, I shouldn't forget that this was a guy fully willing to jump people in an alleyway with a knife in his pocket.

After my nod, he waved his hand in the direction of the main street and the harbor.

"Then go. We'll tie him up and stash him, 'case he wakes up. Go get those tickets, we'll see you there."

"See you there, then. Don't be late."

I walked past the rest of them, smiling at Rat's little happiness dance.

The world I'd awoken in wasn't the easiest place to be, with a lot of ups and downs.

But it might really be worth it in the end. I had my team, and now I had… fuck it, I had friends.

Shit really was looking up.

---

Smacking a terrorist in the face with a giant fish is a really funny image.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

This is the chapter I'm most excited about and where the story starts taking a darker turn (though not too dark, yet. Still trying to balance it with more light hearted moments).

Chapter 6.

---

Salt water shot up in front of us as a particularly large wave hit the side of the ship. Rat's joyful giggling turned into sputtering as he was too slow to pull back from the railing like the rest of us and got a mouthfull of sea. We laughed as he coughed and spit, trying to get it out.

"Come on kid, at least wait until we can't see Orre anymore before you croak." I teased, gesturing to the very faint blur of gray in the distant horizon. We'd been on the water for a couple of hours, the old ship scurrying across the waves at speed I hadn't thought it capable of.

My first impression of the boat had perhaps been a little ungenerous. Sure, it was more rust than paint and looked like it had been salvaged from the ocean floor, but it was seaworthy and larger than I'd thought. Besides the six of us, there were around 10 other passengers, and while it was cramped, there was space to move around.

Just not sleep. The gang was all forced to share two beds between them, though they didn't seem that sad about it. It had mostly been me who had been outraged.

Charging full price when there weren't enough beds? Fucking scamming dickhead of a captain. I was convinced he was a pirate.

Rat didn't give my words any thought, rushing towards the front of the ship where Joe stood.

Sharon chuckled from my side.

"It's good to see 'im so eager. I thought it was gonna be another shitty birthday."

I turned to him in surprise.

"It's his birthday?"

Sharon nodded his head, gazing in the direction the kid took off in. "Well, not 'is actual birthday, I don't think. Just the anniversary of when 'e joined the group. It's two years today."

"Huh."

I hesitated. My curiosity was killing me, but I understood that it was likely a touchy subject.

"It's fine." He looked at me with a knowing smirk. "I can tell you're curious and I guess you've earned that much."

He pointed down to the back end of the ship. Reed and John were lying on their backs, munching on jerky and slurping from glass bottles of Oran juice. Apparently, everyone other than Rat had splurged a bit with the remaining money after they'd bought the essentials.

Not that I could really comment, standing in my brand new clothes. Sure, it was a simple blue t-shirt, with black shorts and a pair of large boots, but it was still not technically necessary.

"Reed and John lived in an orphanage. And yes, there's a couple in Gateon, or at least, there were. Every now and again, some rich prick will take pity on us and throw some money at the city. As you can imagine, it either gets burned down, shaken down, or turned into a Snagem front within days. Theirs were one of the exceptions, lasted years. Until it didn't."

"Joe, on the other hand, kinda just… showed up? One day?" Sharon scratched at his cheek as he tried to find the words. "I just saw 'im sitting by Mainstreet one day. Didn't think much of it, see stuff like that plenty. But then I saw 'im the next day, same spot, like 'e hadn't even moved. And then 'e was there the next and the next, until I got too curious and I had to ask. Didn't get any answers, but 'e seemed fine, so I brought 'im back to camp."

I blinked.

"He hasn't said anything? I know he's a little… slow, but…"

Sharon frowned at my words.

"I'm… not sure 'e is. Yeah, 'e's quiet and it takes 'im a bit to react to shit, but every now and again, 'e'll do or say something that really makes you think."

"Huh." I responded as we looked at the tall boy standing like a statue. The only sign of life was his eyes having moved from the water to where Rat was again hanging halfway over the railing.

"And Rat?"

He sighed.

"Rat… 'e was the first of the guys that I met, two years ago now. Kid got thrown out of a store where 'e'd been begging for food. 'e was just laying there, crying 'is eyes out. I had a little left over and 'e was so pathetic… I don't know. Couldn't leave 'im there." His eyes unfocused as he gazed into nothing.

"I learned later that 'is ma and pa just fucked off one day. Like literally, 'e woke up and they were gone, no note, no money, no food, nothing. Apparently they were both Gloom addicts."

"Gloom addicts?" I asked confused. Like the Pokémon?

Sharon gave me a weird look. "How in the world did you live in Orre and not know about Gloom? Dealers are all over the place."

I shrugged, acting nonchalant.

"I don't know. I woke up in the desert 'bout a day's walk from Outskirt Stand, with no idea of how I got there, or anything else, really."

"Shit, you got Mindbroken? That's rough." He seemed honestly sincere when he said that. "I thought you were from Phenac City or something. Sorry to hear that."

"Eh, hard to miss something you don't remember losing."

"I guess." He didn't seem convinced. "But yeah, Gloom. You know the Pokémon?" He continued at my nod. "Lil' bastards make these spores that get you out of your mind 'igh. Like, unable to move and seeing shit kinda 'igh."

"Huh." I contemplated the info. Drugs in the Pokémon world had never really crossed my mind, yet it made sense. Orre was proof that it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. Gloom producing hallucinogenic drugs reminded me of certain frogs and shit from my original world. Making your predators too stoned to move was a decent survival strategy.

Until something started farming you for it, but at least you lived.

"Hey, not to get off topic, but why is Orre so shit?"

He hummed.

"Mostly because nobody wants the trouble it would take to fix. Orre lies roughly in between Hoenn and Indigo and they've been fighting over it for… I don't know how long. I do know it's mostly been Johto that's interested and the last war was like 60 years ago or something. But yeah, anytime another nation tries to move in, the rest gang up and kick them out. Which leaves the non-legal people free to do whatever they want."

We stood in silence for a minute as I took that in, the ship swaying under our feet. I hadn't thought of war either. I shouldn't be surprised, humans were going to human after all, no matter the world. Yet, geopolitics and warfare with walking, breathing, death machines that spit fire and farted lightning was pretty far from the somewhat whimsical experience I'd expected. It had already dawned on me that it wasn't a game and that shit was real, the near death encounters and Gateon made sure of that.

Pokémon armies were still a lot, though.

I tried to shake it off, rationalizing that I could look into it later with, like, a computer and shit.

"What about you?" I asked to distract myself. "You've told me of the gang. I've even told you of me. What about you?"

"What about me?" He huffed, turning his head away. "There's nothing to tell really. Shitty parents that screwed up and the consequences 'it us kids."

"Us?"

He was silent for a time, chewing on his lip. I didn't interrupt. It was clearly not a subject he liked talking about.

"... I 'ad a kid brother. Couple years younger. Pa was a lowlife gangbanger, nothing impressive, with a gambling 'abit. Ma was a whore 'e got pregnant. One day, Pa spent more than we 'ad, and they came for 'im. Took Ma and Brian too."

I blinked in shock at the unexpectedly dark story. Holy fucking shit.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry."

He waved me off. "It was years ago. Who cares anymore. Everyone 'as a sob story in Orre. I'm over it."

He very clearly wasn't, but I didn't call him on it, merely giving him a quick clap on the shoulder. Silence fell over us again, before he broke it halting, clearly uncomfortable.

"Thank you… for getting 'em out. I promised 'em that I would keep them safe and get us off the streets, but… it was always a long shot. Chances of a kid with a single Pokémon ending up another way than dead or affiliated… well. So, thank you. I'll deny this conversation ever 'appened if you tell anyone, but thank you."

I chuckled.

"Awwww, you're welcome. You wanna hug it out?" I teased.

"Shut up! Is 'e gonna do that the whole trip!?" Sharon tried desperately to distract from the blush taking over his face, gesturing down at the wooden planks by our feet.

Sprawled out with all four limbs extended as far as they could go, Ra let out a constant low growl. His claws dug furrows in the wood as he hung to it, tails standing ramrod straight upwards, resembling red candyfloss with the way his fur puffed out in terror. Ears laid back flat along his skull, he kept his eyes squeezed firmly shut. Whenever droplets of water covered him in a light spray, the growl would gain a whining tone.

He'd been perfectly fine right up until the boat set off, if still injured from the fight with Mightyena. The second we started moving, however, he seemed to realize that he was a Fire-Type surrounded by water and instantly hunkered down.

I sighed as I crouched down to pick him up. Pulling him up by the stomach, I tried to pry each individual claw from their hold, yet as soon as I got one free and moved to the next, he would slam it back down and dig in again.

"Come on buddy, stop being a bitch," I grumbled as we played a stupid, wonky game of whack-a-mole. "Oh look! Is that a Ninetales!?"

I pointed dramatically to the other side of the boat. Terror briefly forgotten, the Vulpix's head shot up, ears erecting so fast I imagined a BOING! sound, and twisted his head to look.

Moving like the wind, he howled in outrage as I used his distraction to scoop him up. He clung to my arms hard enough that lines of blood ran down and pushed his head into my chest, letting out a low whine the whole time.

"Ow, okay buddy, there we go, it's okay, OW! fucking shit those are sharp, okay, let's get you down stairs." I nodded at Sharon who seemed extremely amused at my plight and walked over to the staircase that led down to the lower deck.

Much like the ship itself, the lower deck was in rough shape, but serviceable. I navigated by the four collapsable tables attached to the walls, flanked by a pair of wooden benches each. Leftover spots revealed that they'd once been painted blue, but the years and salt had ground the color away, leaving only dark, stained wood behind. An extra violent wave made me clutch the counter of the tiny kitchen as Ra yipped and whined. I shushed him gently, petting his head in comfort as we made it to the eight small cabins that served as the passengers' quarters.

Pushing open the flimsy door, I made my way over to the bunk, beneath a small circular window. Shuffling to get by the closet that couldn't open fully without hitting the bed, I sat down on the two thin blankets. The only other thing in the tiny room was a long shelf that ran along the ceiling, containing both my backpack and the Grunt's.

"There, there. You're okay. Shhhhhhh," I pressed a kiss onto Ra's head as he slowly calmed down now that he at least couldn't see the water. He carefully unhooked his claws from my flesh and slunk down on the bed, immediately burrowing under the blankets, shuffling around until only his snout and eyes peeked out.

"There we go. Feel better?" He nodded, tongue briefly flickering out to touch the blood dripping from the holes he left in my triceps with regret. "Don't worry 'bout it buddy, I've had worse. I'm more worried about you. Are you sure you don't want a Pokéball? We have extras now." I showed him one of the empty ones attached next to Feebas'.

Ra growled and hid his head under the covers. He'd been very resolute in not wanting to go in a ball, even after I got a bunch of them.

"That's fine, we'll talk about it when we become official Trainers. I think you need to have a Pokéball to be registered as my Pokémon or something, like use the PokéCenter, but you don't have to stay in it if you don't want to. You wouldn't be the first. You good down here?" I asked as I retrieved something from my bag.

I got another huff in response as he curled into a tight ball. I chuckled as I closed the door on my way out.

"Alright. I'll come check on you later."

Making my way up, I passed by Sharon and made my way over to Rat.

"Hey, kid."

He turned to me and gave me a huge grin. Somehow, in the couple of hours we were apart he'd managed to lose his left front tooth, leaving quite the gap. In a weird way, it suited him.

"Peri, hi! Isn't the ocean amazing!? I swear I saw Lugia, but Joe doesn't believe me, but I really did and-"

He was cut off as the two pieces of fabric I was carrying hit him in the face.

"Happy Birthday. I saw that you didn't buy anything for yourself like everyone else, so I got you this."

That didn't make sense and I prayed he didn't call me out on it. We were on the boat when everyone shared what they bought, so there wasn't time to buy it afterwards.

Rat unfurled the gift and gaped at the sky blue t-shirt with a white Pokéball over the left breast and the black cargo short with another white Pokéball on the right leg.

I opened my mouth to apologize if they were the wrong size, yet was cut off as the kid slammed into my midsection with a giant hug.

"Thank you so much, Peri! I love them!"

I patted him on the back, somewhat uncomfortable.

"You're welcome, kid."

---

Feebas' eyes were narrowed with effort as she furiously beat her tail side to side to propel herself forward. The waves coming at her from the side threatened to knock her off course, yet she stayed the path, every muscle straining with effort. She lowered her head and gave everything she had left for one last push, but it wasn't enough. She fell further and further back, despite her struggles, and soon she would be left behind entirely.

A red beam hit her just before she was out of range, digitizing her into energy that got sucked into her Pokéball. I gave her a minute. Time seemed to pass oddly inside the storage machine. Injuries didn't progress, Pokémon didn't need food or water, yet they were aware of the outside world, to a degree, like the stasis only affected their bodies. I knew Pokémon releasing themselves happened in the anime, but I hadn't thought it was real until I saw Meowth pop out of his own randomly.

Feebas hadn't done it yet, but I was sure that she could, if she really wanted to. No way my little princess had less willpower or whatever than a cat.

Releasing Feebas into my arms, I took aim, tongue sticking out the side of my mouth in concentration, and then hurled her ahead of the vessel. The sun glinted off her scales before she hit the ocean in a splash and immediately resumed her attempts to keep up with the ship.

I watched her with a smile. We'd been at it for a little over half an hour and her energy was clearly dwindling. In the beginning it had taken her minutes before she lost the race completely, and now, even after a couple of breaks, she only lasted 30 seconds.

But she was stubborn and I couldn't deny her. It was the most emotion I'd seen her express.

"At least one of the kids are still havin' fun, I 'pose." Sharon joked as he came up and leaned on the railing beside me.

I laughed. "Is he still puking? Poor kid." I turned to look at the back of the boat. Sure enough, Rat was hanging limply over the fence as Reed and Joe took turns patting his back and making sure he didn't fall overboard.

"Yeah. Can't believe 'e got seasick. 'e was so excited when we set off!"

"Happens to the best of us." I shrugged.

"Well, it clearly didn't 'appen to the best of us," he sniffed, pretending to wipe dust off his new deep red shirt.

"Hahahaha, you're so funny Sharon." I deadpanned, giving the fakest laugh possible.

"I know. So, we're landing tomorrow. While I agree that a different boat that could take us to Kanto immediately would be awesome, I think the guys would appreciate a day without the swaying. Definitely Rat."

"Yeah I know. It's fine. Just impatient." I sighed, returning Feebas and sending her back out for one last round.

"Oh yeah, your big dreams of being the strongest and shit. We still going to that Professor guy?"

I hmmm'd and nodded in reply. "If he'll take us."

While chances of Professor Oak agreeing to make six random kids Trainers were very small, it was the only sure way I knew of. There had to be different ways to get in, like I vaguely remember a Trainer School in the anime, and I imagine the Gyms could maybe authorize that type of thing, but that was mere conjecture.

So was Professor Oak, to be fair. I didn't know where in the timeline I was, or if the world even followed any of the media I was familiar with. Sharon had never heard of anyone called Wes or Michael, but it might just not have happened yet. Innocuous questioning of some of the friendly passengers that lived in Kanto revealed that Oak was at least the Pokémon Professor of the region, but that was all I had.

"'e might not take you, after all you're… you. But 'e would be insane to turn down my kinda talent. I mean, I took down a Mightyena with a Meowth. Who can say that?"

"Liars, like you. Fuck you mean, YOU took down a Mightyena? I seem to remember Ra, Feebas, and me doing most of the work. It also had shit-tier training."

He snorted dismissively at my claim. "I guess you 'elped a bit. And yeah, in 'indsight, it was kinda weak, wasn't it. Physically impressive, but I don't think it 'ad a single ranged attack. Probably fresh meat, yoinked from some poor bastard. Gonna 'ave to whip it into shape if its gonna stick around. The other two probably ain't any better."

I nodded. That tracked with my own thoughts.

"Whatever." He said. "Just promise me you won't cry when I'm Champion and whip your ass."

"Pffft, you could be the overlord of the universe and you still couldn't touch me. Are you really going for the big seat though? You don't strike me as the type to enjoy paperwork."

"Eh, I'll 'ave people for that." He shrugged. "What's the point if you don't aim for the top? Especially with talent like mine."

"That's true, I've never seen talent quite like yours." I agreed, recalling Feebas for the last time and attaching her ball to the magnetic strip inside the belt I nicked from the Grunt. Sharon perked up at my 'admission' as I headed for the stairs. "I didn't know it was possible to suck so much."

"OI, SCREW YOU! I'LL CRUSH YOU ANY DAY, ANY TIME! COME BACK 'ERE!"

I laughed as the angry yells vibrated through the wood.

We were 5 days into our journey at that point, and should be anchored at Knot Island by midday tomorrow. The island was apparently kind of the midpoint between Orre, Kanto, and Hoenn that lay further to the south on the other side of the archipelago from Indigo. There were bigger and closer islands, but most were heavily watched by Indigo and our captain had insisted on Knot.

Shady bastard.

I pushed open the door to my cabin and closed it behind me. Normally I'd have been more concerned with theft, but with 19 people on board, finding the culprit wouldn't be hard.

Besides, I had a guard dog on watch.

"Where did you go now, huh?" I sighed when I saw the empty bed. Dustballs were the only thing that greeted me underneath and the empty closet reveled nothing either.

"Ra?"

Faint grumbling reached my ear from up high, causing me to sigh again as I looked at the long celling shelf containing the two backpacks, my duffelbag, and Kurt's old jacket. Knowing were to look, I could see fabric moving faintly.

"There you are. Seriously?"

Shifting the stuff around allowed Ra's red, extra fluffy fur to poke through, his dark eyes narrowed at me from the very back of the shelf. I'd have thought that spending time on the ship would allow him to calm down after a time, but if anything he'd gotten even worse. He straight up refused to leave the cabin after the first day, and by the third, he had abandoned the bed and tried to find any tiny hole he could squeeze into where he wouldn't be thrown around by the motion of the waves.

"One more day, buddy, you got this. You're not gonna let a little bit of water beat you, right?"

My appeal to his ego would normally have hit right in his sore spot, yet he barely reacted. Being at sea had really fucked him up.

My arm and shoulder started arching from the awkward upwards angle I had to stretch to reach him, but I didn't want to leave him alone. I gave the metal rack a speculative look and yanked it a couple of times.

"Fuck it."

Grabbing the edge with both hands, I heaved myself up, swinging my legs up with me. It took a bit of shuffling to finagle myself in behind the luggage, but I succeeded and soon I was pressed up against the wall, basically hidden from the outside world. Ra immediately started squirming around, wriggling to find a better position. I sputtered as I got two back paws straight to the nose, followed by his ass dragging across my face, and a mouth full of tail fur. Finally he managed to complete his turn and press his wet snout into my neck with a long exhale, finally relaxing his tense muscles into my hug.

"I got you buddy, you're fine. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, I promise."

It didn't take long between the dark, soft surroundings and the heat of the Vulpix pressed against me, before I started struggling to keep my eyes open as soft snores hit my skin. Maybe Ra was onto something, I mused as I lost the fight against the sandman. It was actually pretty comfy up there.

I wasn't sure how long we slept, but I awoke suddenly. Based on the way Ra's ears were completely stiff as he stared at the ceiling, I knew it wasn't just me.

Something was off. The constant hum of the engine that had been our constant companion to the degree it had become as much a part of the journey as the movement of the ocean, had gone quiet.

There was no way we were at Knot Island already. The nap may have been of undefined length, but we definitely didn't sleep for 24 hours.

Straining my hearing, I could barely pick up a faint noise like an engine, but definitely not ours. Indistinct talking sounded from the upper deck, though not as loud as I expected them to be without the engine burr, like the passengers were whispering.

The small window was on the perpendicular wall to the shelf and should be within arms reach. I started shifting to throw the bags off and get out, but Ra quickly smacked my arm with his paw, still looking straight up. Even without eye contact, his point was easy to understand.

Don't move.

Unfortunately, I'd never been great with directions.

"I'm just gonna open the window so we can hear," I whispered. My Vulpix kept batting me as I snuck out my arm between the luggage, careful to not let anything fall to the floor.

Ra had faced a full grown Pokémon in battle without hesitation. Him being so worried he wanted us to stay hidden was concerning.

It took several minutes of careful maneuvering for my fingers to finally grasp the latch. Slowly, I pulled on the metal. The window unsealed with a light pop, letting the noise that had been building in intensity reach a crescendo that made it sound like it was coming from just out of sight.

The murmurs had gone silent.

The glass had just opened a narrow crack when white overtook the view of the outside. I hunkered down even further, peeking through the gaps, as a sleek speedboat passed by slowly.

"Ahoy thar! Be thar somethin' we can help ye gentlemen wit'?" The captain's tone was casual, yet I could feel the underlying tension.

The ship shook in response. A deep, low rumble reverberated through the boat, like a hundred tigers growled at the same time. The glass shuddered and wood groaned as my heart seized in my chest and I forgot how to breathe. Ra froze completely, like he was paralyzed.

I couldn't explain it, but some kind of instinctive reaction told me that a predator was lurking just out of sight. Mightyena had been the scariest creature I'd ever come face to face with, yet it might as well have been a toddler in comparison. Sweat formed on my palms and forehead instantly and my pulse rose higher than I'd ever felt, my heart unable to stay still anymore, thundering in my chest.

Ra was right. We had to stay hidden. I liked to think of myself as brave, but every fiber of my being screamed that even a twitch would get me killed.

A smooth voice, one that I didn't recognise, spoke up, cutting off the bowel-loosening growl.

"Indeed there is, my good man. My name is Proton, Executive Proton, and we, that would be my fellows and I, come representing Team Rocket. If you would all be so kind as to hand over your Pokémon, we can get this over with quickly and easily. If not… well, we will get them one way or another."

I felt like screaming. Team Rocket!? What the fuck!?

The same guy spoke up, seeming to love his own voice.

"Bert, if you would be so kind as to gather them up, there is a good boy. Steve, check downstairs for stragglers, would you? Thank you so much."

"Shou' I take the stuff to?"

"No, leave it. You never know when someone has something trackable. Technology these days, I swear. It is like they are trying to make it hard to be an honest criminal."

Laughter rang out as footsteps creaked across the deck, two pairs, one walking slowly around and the other heading for the stairs.

"Come now," the poss prick kept going, "you are from Orre, are you not? You should be familiar with the procedure. No heroics, no escape attempts. Not that there is anywhere to go. Unless you think you can out-swim Gyarados, and I should warn you, many have tried. None have succeeded."

The same bone-shaking growl rattled through the ship as the thieves laughed again. I heard the doors to the cabins bang open as 'Steve' searched them. Mine was the fourth one, so he'd reach us swiftly. I quickly grabbed Kurt's jacket and pulled it over us, curling into the smallest ball possible.

The door was kicked open with unnecessary force. I didn't dare look, but I heard the minion's slow, confident steps as he entered. One of his knees popped as he knelt to check under the bed. The door to the closet crashed against the wall as it was torn open. I closed my eyes and tried to keep my breathing calm and noiseless. There was only one place left to search and I felt like throwing up as everything went silent.

One heartbeat.

Two heartbeats.

Nothing. He was just standing there.

Three heartbeats.

Four heartbeats.

He knew. He knew we were there.

Five heartbeats.

I should make the first move.

Six heartbeats.

Jump down atop of him before he could react.

Seven heartbeats.

Fuck fuck fuck.

Eight heartbeats.

Had to do it, had to do it, they'd kill us.

Nine heartbeats.

Footsteps rang out as Steve left the room, apparently satisfied. The door next to us crashed open.

My exhale was slow and stuttery, my entire body shaking.

That was so fucking close. I didn't know what to do. It sounded like there was at least a dozen of them, plus a fucking Executive with a fucking Gyarados! What the fuck kinda endgame bullshit did I end up in!?

"NO! FUCK YOU!"

My internal panic was cut off by a whole new wave of freight as loud smack rang out. If before it had felt like I was paralyzed, recognizing Sharon's voice made me feel like I was dipped in ice.

"Lad, don't-"

"NO! I'M NOT SCARED OF THIS PRETTY BOY! WE'RE SO FUCKIN' CLOSE! I WON'T LET YOU RUIN IT NOW! GO, MEOWTH!"

"Ahh, there is always one. Crobat."

A faint whistle of air was followed by a wet gurgling sound, then a thump as something hit the deck.

"MEOWTH NOO-ARRgggleee…"

I struggled to get up, only for Ra to press me back down. I opened my mouth to scream as I tried again, a second thump, seemingly so much louder than the first, echoing through my head, yet I was smacked down again, his paws pressed against my lips. My Pokémon stared at me with wide eyes as cries rang out.

"SHARON!"

"BOSS, NO!"

"BIG S!"

"I warned you. Now look at what you have made me do. It is going to take at least 10 minutes to get the blood out of Crobat's fur."

Their laughter was as loud as gunshots in my ears as I felt tears crawl down my cheeks. Ra gently licked them from my face, nuzzling me softly, yet kept me down.

"Ah, Steve, you are back. Nothing?"

"Empty, Boss."

"I see, good work. Well then, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your time and patience. It has been an absolute delight to make your acquaintance. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam."

I saw my shock mirrored in Ra's brown eyes as he scrambled to get off me. A stillness took over, like existence itself held its breath as a low whine began, like a turbine starting up. I grabbed Ra and pulled him close as a bright light shone on the water outside, like a second sun had been born right over our heads.

"HOLD O-"

The world vanished in light. Everything shook like an earthquake, sending us crashing to the ground as our side of the ship suddenly tilted inwards. A tree-trunk thick beam of blindingly bright, gold-ish white scythed through the middle of the vessel, instantly vaporizing the wall, door, wood, metal, anything in its path turned to ash by its mere proximity. Even five feet away, I felt burn marks form on the arm I threw up to shield myself in the split second it took the attack to sweep through the craft like wheat.

Water rushed in to fill the path the Hyper Beam had left, walls falling as the ceiling crashed down around our ears. Panicked, pained screams fought with laughter to dominate my senses, both drowned out by the tortured screeching of the sinking ship and the ominous glucks of the ocean coming to swallow us. I desperately tried to get to my feet as the water rapidly filled the destroyed cabin, scrambling to get to the wall and window. Ra yipped and clawed to get out of my grasp, yet I refused to let him go.

We would get out of this. We had to.

"JUST HOLD ON, RA! WE'LL-"

C-CRAAACK!

I looked up just in time to see the roof collapsing, wooden beams and metal supports giving out and plummeting down towards our heads. Frantically, I spun around and tried to shield Ra with my body.

CRASH!

Hundreds of pounds of timber and steel smashed into me with bone-breaking force. A thick piece struck me in the back of the head, and I could barely see the water rushing up to meet us as I fell.

The liquid was ice cold as it surrounded us, pinned under the debris. My forehead hit something hard on the way down, adding to the fuzziness of the first blow.

I struggled weakly as darkness crept in, buried under the rubble. The impact had knocked Ra loose from my grasp and I fumbled in the water as best I could to find him. My body grew weaker as my lungs started striking from the lack of oxygen. My eyelids got heavy, but I couldn't give up.

I promised him it would be okay.

I had to find him.

I had to.

The last thing I felt as my eyes closed was the shaking of the Pokéball at my waist.

---

Muhahaha.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

I hope the last chapter didn't scare off too many people. One of the main things that interested me from the start about writing a Pokémon fic, was balancing the goofy, kids anime vibes with the brutal, theoretical reality of the universe they had created. I'm not going full George R. R. Martin and slaughtering every character, but darker themes will show up occasionally. I promise to give fair warning though, and if I go too far, I hope you'll tell me.

---

Water hit me in the face, shooting up my nose and down my throat. I flailed around, desperate to escape my watery tomb, my hands digging deep into the soft surface beneath me, grains slipping between my fingers-

-I sat up with a gasp, coughing and sputtering the liquid from my lungs. I fell forward onto all fours as I puked, stomach acid and saltwater burning my esophagus and nose before it hit the sand under me.

When it finally ended, I sat back on my ass, dazed and confused as I looked around. I was on a beach. To my right, a large tropical forest bordered the coast, enormous trees wrapped tightly in vines and growing so densely the gaps were almost pitch black. Grass, ferns, plants, and flowers poked out wherever they could, trying to get a glimpse of the setting sun in the shade of their huge cousins.

To my left, the ocean stretched into the horizon as far as the eye could see. The only thing of note was the brown and blue shape flopping around in the sand, moving in my direction-

"FEEBAS!"

Feebas' attempt to jump towards me intensified as I ran and tripped over to her. I hugged her tight, ignoring her frantic gasps of air and the most lively motions I had ever seen from her, trying to get my bearings.

"What happened, girl? Where are we? The last thing I remember…"

-"My name is Proton, Executive Proton."

-Sharon cutting off with a wet gurgle, a limp thump following.

-"Hyper Beam."

-The ship collapsing around us, the ocean rushing in to swallow me, the ceiling falling and striking me in the head. Ra slipping from my arms.

"... Where's Ra?"

Feebas went still. Where before she'd been frantically wheezing and trying to get close to me, now she went limp and stared up at me with the clearest and most aware eyes she'd ever had.

"...no. No, no, no, No, No, NO, NO, NOOOOO! RA!? RAAAAAA!? RAAAAAAAAAAA!"

I sprang to my feet, running into the shallow waters and rummaged through the sand like I would find him buried there.

"NO NO NO NO, COME ON! RAT! SHARON! GUYS, PLEASE! PLE-PLEase, please, n-n-no… Please…"

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I tried to choke out the words, yet only sobs came. I tried to carry on my search, yet my legs were jelly and I fell over. Feebas flailed her way to my side from where I had thrown her aside, trying to comfort me with gentle nudges, yet a scream tore itself from the very bottom of my soul.

I'd failed. I'd promised them a better future, and the only thing I gave them was an early death.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

They were gone. And it was my fault.

---

The sun peeked over the endless expanse of water, bathing the world in a mesmerizing mix of orange and pink. The last stars vanished from the heavens as the nearly full moon became faint and indistinguishable. Bird cries, buzzing, and general sounds of life picked up in the forest behind me, replacing the hoots and shuffling of the night. There was no cloud in sight and a gentle breeze to alienate the worst of the humidity.

I didn't notice any of it from my perch in the shallows, staring blankly into the distance. Night had come and gone, darkness and cold taking over, Pokémon moving around and sometimes nearly on me, yet I refused to flinch.

I didn't deserve to move. I didn't deserve comfort or warmth. All I'd earned, all I deserved, was coldness and wetness.

I should be dead. Drowned at sea like the others. That's what I deserved.

Tears, snot, and seaspray had left my face a salt-crusted mess, even though I'd stopped crying hours ago, the well running dry. Dried blood clung to my forehead where I'd hit it in the crash. My legs and ass were numb and irritated from the ocean and my throat burned with a need for water.

It didn't matter.

A splash next to me made me glance at Feebas sitting beside me. Much like myself, she'd barely moved throughout the night, watching over me with intensity I hadn't thought her capable of.

She was such a good girl. Better than I deserved.

"Y-cough," I tried to speak but started coughing on the first syllable. Hacking and spitting, I cleared my throat and tried again. "You saved me, didn't you girl?" My voice was faint and raspy, however she seemed to understand me based on her nod.

I gathered her up for another hug, clinging to her like she was the last lifeline I had left.

Which she was.

"Thank you." I pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Even though I don't deserve it, thank you." She started fussing at my words, but I didn't stop. She deserved so much better than a fuck-up failure like me, someone that didn't get her involved in gang violence again and again.

"You should go. I'm not sure how to release you from your ball, but if we break it, it should work. You can find someone better, someone more-"

SMACK!

A wet fish tail slapped me on the cheek, sending me sideways into the water. Spitting out what I'd swallowed, I went to complain when a forcefully jet of water sent me back down. Even being on the receiving side, I couldn't help but notice her Water Gun had improved again. That was almost half as strong as the Wingull at the oasis I found Feebas' egg in.

"Feebas-" she cut me off again by launching herself from the water and crashing into my chest. I managed to both catch her and not fall over again, trying to calm her violent struggling.

"OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry," I whispered as she calmed. Of course, I didn't mean it. If I'd lost her, I might've just fucking drowned myself.

We stayed there for a time, drawing comfort from each other. Then, a thought struck me.

"You know," I started looking down at her. The earlier awareness had faded a little, yet there was a spark in those half lidded eyes that wasn't there before, "I never asked if you wanted a name. It wasn't because I didn't think you wanted one, or didn't deserve one. You are just so young. But now… Well. You've definitely earned it. So, do you want one?"

The prospect clearly excited her given her full-body nods that were like small jumps.

"Haha, alright, let's see," I hummed, almost frightening myself with the small chuckle that escaped me. I didn't think I could laugh at that moment and a pit opened up in my stomach at the thought, yet I pushed it aside along with the pressure behind my eyes. Right now it was about Feebas, not me.

I'd done more than enough.

"One day, you are going to be a gorgeous Milotic," I told her, her attention glued to me as a painfully ironic, yet perfect name struck me. "There is a story I once heard. Of sailors that would spend months at sea without seeing women. Once long enough had passed, they'd hear singing from the mists, beautiful singing that enticed them. They saw, sitting on cliffs, women, beautiful women with fishtails for legs, that beckoned them to come. The men would be entranced by the creatures, and crashed their ships into the rocks or jumped overboard just to be with them. They called them sirens. Now," I looked back to her now giant eyes, "you're not gonna be luring people to their deaths, but there's no doubt in my mind that your beauty will put theirs to shame. So, what do you think? You like Siren?"

I'd barely finished my sentence before she lept at my face, doing open mouth kissing motions against my cheek. I laughed again. I suppose she'd picked up that habit from me.

"Hehehe, that's good. I'm glad you like it." I sighed, as we cuddled in the low water. The brief moment of levity had knocked me out of my funk. It wasn't gone, not by a long shot. I could feel the gnawing emptiness in my chest, threatening to pull me back in should I dwell on it for even a moment, yet I resisted.

I'd failed everyone else. I wasn't gonna fail Siren as well.

Standing up with her in my arms, looking at the jungle before us.

"I'm guessing this is the Sevii Islands." We gazed into the darkness flanked by foliage. "Fuck it. There's nowhere else to go." I stated, walking towards the tree line and in between the huge trunks.

The soft soil squished between my toes, my shoes lost in the wreck. Morning dew was falling, sneaking down through the tightly packed canopy to give the various plants of the undergrowth a wet shine. The air was alive with the sweet smell of flowers and plants releasing their pollen, and the sounds of hundreds of unseen Pokémon waking with the dawn to begin their day, or retire after a night of activity.

I knew I should be more careful running around the untamed territory of wild animals, yet I didn't have the caution in me as sticks and leaves crunched under my heels.

I felt so wrung out.

It didn't become a problem as we kept going, trying to keep the few rays of light that made it to us at our backs to stay in a straight line. I didn't know where we were going, but the other side of the woods was as good a place to start as anywhere else.

Siren's head was on a swivel, constantly turning to check every broken branch, every faint buzz, or rustling of something moving through the bush. If something did take offense at our presence, there was precious little we could do about it, yet she kept diligent watch.

Such a good girl.

A large green caterpillar, with a tan underbelly and a two-pronged red horn, was munching on the leaves of a bush filled with large blue berries. The Caterpie's eyes widened as it saw us and it wormed its way into the shrubbery as fast as it could. Above it, hanging from a large branch, a couple of half moon shaped cocoons with a deep green carapace watched us with blank eyes as we passed.

I sped up. Normal insects were bad enough when you got close to the hive, never mind giant, sapient, super powered ones.

The forest bed became more and more illuminated as we progressed, and the wildlife followed. Brown blurs darted by overhead, purple mouse heads with oversized teeth peeked out from the undergrowth before vanishing, and the constant humming of buzzing wings surrounded us from all sides.

Until it didn't. Suddenly, from one step to the next, it went silent. The chirps and rustling, the buzzing, everything vanished beneath an oppressing silence as everything fled the area.

I felt eyes on me.

Something was watching.

I kept walking, trying not to let my suspicions show, Siren tensing in my arms. I took small turns around trees and plans, glancing over my shoulder when I could. The leaves of a bush quivering in a nonexistent breeze. A flicker in the corner of my eye. The crack of a snapping branch.

We were being hunted.

There was no end to the forest in sight, knotted jungle stretching forever. We were trapped in unfamiliar territory, with no escape, being stalked by something that was probably used to much tougher prey than us.

It was a shit situation and once again it was my fault. I should've just walked around the beach until we found something. Running straight into the unknown, right after telling myself I had to take care of Siren.

I fucking sucked so hard. Why was everything I did such a failure?

But there was nothing to it now. I'd gotten it into another mess and the consequences were mine to bear. And only mine.

Taking a fortifying breath, I stopped in an area that couldn't really be called a clearing, yet was the closest I'd seen so far, 30 feet across with only a couple of trees. I patted Siren on the head when she looked up at me in confusion.

"It will be okay. I promise."

I almost choked on the words, remembering the last time I said them. But this time was different. This time I'd keep them.

Taking advantage of her slow reaction time, I unclipped her Pokéball and recalled her in a flash. Breathing deeply for a second as the ball shook frantically, I spun around in a circle, arms spread wide.

"Well!? Come on then, fucker! Come try me!"

A rustling behind me. I turned to look, yet the swinging twigs indicated that I'd missed it again.

The crunch of leaves repeated behind me. Something big was close.

I took my time turning back around, knowing that whatever my hunter was, it was way too close to do anything about.

Two narrow, triangular eyes watched me curiously from at most 15 feet away. Its green head was reptilian in shape, three blunt horns extending from its forehead. The bipedal, insectoid body was covered in a slim, green carapace, with a thin, cream-colored section between its head, thorax, and abdomen. Two pairs of cream-colored wings extend from its back, huge by normal standards, yet small for its human-sized frame. The thighs had large, upward-pointing spikes and its feet were tall, rounded, and conical, almost extending to its thighs; each foot ended in three small, white claws on its front side.

By far the most attention grabbing, however, was its arms. Large, white scythes took the place of its hands, each nearly three feet in length. The edges had nicks and tears, yet were clean and well polished, obviously well maintained but seeing regular use. A small part of my mind couldn't help but wonder what the blades were made of. Was it like the insect version of nails?

The enormous bug cocked its head at me and grund its sword arms together.

"Sch-th-th-th-th-th?"

I slowly held my hands up as the Schyter crept a step closer, keeping my eyes on its feet while it hissed. I didn't know if insects saw eye contact as a challenge, but it couldn't hurt.

"Hi there. I'm sorry if this is your territory, we didn't mean to intrude. There was an attack, on our ship, and we washed up on the beach…"

The Bug-Type took another step closer, and then another as I backed up to match it.

"Hey, Hey, Hey, let's not okay? I don't taste good, and the last day's been… it's been a fucking lot, okay? So please."

It didn't acknowledge my words, steps coming faster and faster as it started strafing right to circle me.

I held out Siren's ball, still shaking like crazy. "Okay, fine. You wanna eat me? I can't stop you, and I can't say I don't deserve it. But she doesn't. So please, I'm begging you. Just take this to the ocean and break the ball. You can have me-"

The Pokéball gave one last mighty shake and burst open, letting Siren reappear in a flash. She didn't even have time to hit the ground before Water Gun after Water Gun was sent flying in every direction, most losing coherence before actually hitting anything. A few actually headed in Schyter's direction, but were dodged with an eye-blurring flick to the side, the man-sized bug stopping and taking in the wrathful fish that suddenly appeared, its head tilting back and forth.

"Siren! SIREN NO!" I attempted to pick her up, yet it was easy to underestimate how much power a big fish really had. She fought, thrashing around, trying to hit me with the water beams as much as Scyther. Said Pokémon crept closer again, only for an blueish-white ball to form in front of Siren. The air cooled, before a pinky thick lance of jagged frost lashed out to the left, not even coming close.

A bubble of pride formed in my chest at her being successful on her first attempt at Ice Beam, even if there was a lot to work on. However, at the moment I was more concerned with stopping her from getting herself killed.

"Siren, enough, stop-"

A presence descended on the clearing.

A pressure fell upon us, like gravity had suddenly increased two-fold. My breath got caught in my throat and Siren stilled in my arms. An invisible cloud enveloped us, scrutinized us, examined every inch of our bodies. Something was watching us, something big, like a titan was looming behind me in silent judgment.

The only thing keeping me even slightly calm was Scyther appearing totally unbothered, merely observing.

A hand reached out from the presence and wrapped my head in its digits, except not. The pressure wasn't physical, but mental. I could feel my mind being squeezed, like an egg, harder and harder, before one final push that had my teeth clench together let it sink in through the metaphorical shell that enveloped my psyche. The hand rummaged through me, shifting between thought and memory, or both at the same time. The pain had eased once the presence made it in, yet it was highly disconcerting to feel my being, what felt like my soul, being directed and measured.

I could only imagine that it was some sort of Psychic-Type reading my mind. I might even have been okay with it. It would give Siren a better chance of making it through if we could definitely prove that we meant no harm.

Yet I'd felt her squirm a bit in discomfort. Clearly the Psychic wasn't content with my memories alone and just for that fact, I was gonna kill it. I didn't know what it was, where it was, or what it wanted, but for having the fucking nerve to lay a single mental finger on my princess, it was gonna die screaming.

'Oh my, so aggressive.'

Every muscle in my body tensed. I don't know why it surprised me so, I'd felt it crawl through my head, scraping through the mental corners, but I was caught completely off guard.

'Knowing and experiencing are two separate things. A lesson that usually comes with age.'

It was then I noticed that Scyther had turned from us and was staring into the bush to my left. Looking the same way, I could just barely make out a figure standing in the shadows.

It was hard to make out its shape, however it seemed to be the height of a full grown man. The figure was broad and long, with what appeared to be a tail poking out, though the legs were too short to distinguish from the main body. Something wavy hung around what I assumed was the neck, but the most eye-catching was the head. It seemed to be wearing some form of hat, or crown. There were two large curled protrusions at the bottom and a spiky, pineapple-esk thing at the top. Something ruby red briefly caught the light near the top of the headpiece.

It seemed familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it immediately, even though it was on the tip of my tongue.

It had been a long day.

'Indeed it has. It is a horrible tragedy that you have experienced, young one. You are much too young to know so much of loss, or regret. Alas, such is the nature of the world. We rarely get what we deserve.'

I had many questions, starting with what the fuck was going on, yet as I opened my mouth to ask, I was cut off.

Or the mental equivalent, anyway.

'Peace, friend. No harm will come to you or yours. As I said, you have been through much in your short awareness. Too much for such young shoulders, especially when more blame than necessary is put on there. A tragedy occurred, to be certain, yet the blame is not yours to bear.'

I wanted to interrupt, to scream that it was wrong and it was all my fault, yet no sound would pass my lips no matter how hard I tried.

'Peace, my friend. Peace. I do not mean to argue, merely sooth. You did the best with what you had, and is that not all one can ask? Is it not foolishness, to blame a child for being attacked by adults?'

My continued attempts to speak cut off. I…

'Food for thought. For later. For now, I believe it is time to rest. Not to worry, we will meet again. I pray that it will be a more joyous occasion. May the Guardian watch over your dreams.'

The power that kept me silent faded, and I went to talk. The second the first syllable passed my lips, my vision spun, my knees gave out, and my eyelids slid shut as sleep was forced on me.

The last thing I felt was Siren disappearing from my arms as I was gently laid down on the forest floor.

---

My eyes creaked open to a white tile ceiling. I blinked slowly, trying to get rid of the grogginess of very deep sleep. I was sore all over, my arm itched, and I was hungry, yet I wasn't sure I'd ever felt so rested.

What happened? Where was I? The last thing I remember was the forest-

-I sat up with a start, frantically looking at my surroundings. I was laying in what looked like a hospital bed, covered in white sheets. An IV drop was attached to my left arm at the elbow, explaining the itch, and a heart monitor beeped away, the clamp on my finger. The rest of the room was sparsely decorated, a couple of photos of happy people smiling together with cute Pokémon hanging on the walls. A couple of chairs was placed next to my bed, likewise with the two empty ones in the row, opposite of the only door in the room. Finally, three couches formed a U shape around a coffee table, with a stack of magazines and a flower vase on it.

What I didn't see, or feel as I grabbed futilely at the waist of the gown my clothes had been replaced with, was Siren.

The beeping of the heart rate monitor picked up.

"Hello? Hello!?" My voice was thin and raspy as I tried to call out, carelessly ripping the drop out of my arm. The pain was nothing compared to the one blossoming in my chest.

Not again. Not Siren as well. Not my little girl.

The beeping was replaced with a high pitch whine when I tore the clamp off my finger. Swinging my legs over the edge took way more effort than it should, yet I managed to get my feet on the ground.

Only to immediately crumble as I tried to take a step. I fell backwards, catching myself on the bed.

Fucking shit. I was so fucking weak.

I'd just managed to get back up and take another careful step that didn't send me crashing, when the door sprang open.

"Oh Lugia! You shouldn't be up yet! Back into bed with you, come on, that's a good boy."

I wanted to take exception with being talked to like an infant, but I was a little preoccupied with taking in the woman that came in. Curly pink bangs framed her face and a pair of large blue eyes, with two long hoops hanging down to her shoulders, held in place by a small white hat with a blue plus sign on the front. A green apron covered a light pink dress with a puffy skirt and a pair of sensible white sneakers covered her feet.

That was definitely a Nurse Joy. The sight stunned me enough that I didn't protest when she helped me back into the bed, talking all the while.

"There we go, and the legs, that's it. See, isn't that much better? I'm Nurse Joy, by the way." She gave me a blindingly bright smile that was way superior to any customer service smile that I'd ever seen. "You gave us quite the fright, suddenly appearing like that. You were in rough shape too, dehydrated, early stages of hypothermia-"

"Siren! My, my Feebas, is she here!? Is she okay!?"

She gave a little jump at my raised voice, yet gave me a comforting pat on the hand.

"Oh, yes. There was a Pokéball with you when you were brought in. Don't worry, we looked her over and she's fine. A little exhausted, but in much better shape than you, that's for certain."

It felt like an elephant moved off my chest.

She was okay. We were both fine. Tears pressed against the back of my eyes, but I held them back.

I had to see her.

"I need to see her. Now. I need to." Normally I would've been embarrassed by how desperate I sounded, but I just didn't care.

She gave me another big smile, brushing my hair. She was very touchy, yet I didn't mind. She had a very calm, motherly bearing that made me instinctively relax a little.

"Of course, I'll go get her right away. But first, can you tell me what happened? You just showed up outside the PokéCenter in pretty rough shape. The concussion alone… what happened?"

The words got caught in my throat, the eye pressure returning, yet I fought through it. I had to tell them.

"We… We were on a boat. From Orre. And then… we were attacked. T-they, uhhh… they k-killed th-the others…" The fight was lost almost instantly, tears pouring and making me stutter. I barely registered the arms coming around me as I broke down, heaving sobs escaping me. I thought I was done after the beach, yet it kept coming, no matter how much I tried to stop it.

I wasn't sure how much time passed as she held me, but eventually I got myself under control, sniffling and trying to wipe my mess away. Nurse Joy produced a tissue and gently wiped my face.

"There, there. It's okay, you're safe now. I'm so sorry that happened to you." She gave me another short hug and then stood. "Tell you what. I'll go get your Feebas, and something to drink and eat, while I call the Rangers. They'll want to speak with you. Is that okay?"

I nodded and she retreated after another smile, allowing me to sink back into my cushions. I felt drained, tired, and hollow.

It didn't take long as I stared blankly up at the ceiling, for Nurse Joy to return, carrying a tray with a pitcher of some sort of blue liquid and a stack of bread with small bowls of different jams and butter.

Most importantly was the shrunken Pokéball laying on the plate, a couple of scrapes marking the surface that I didn't remember being there.

"The Rangers will be here shortly." The nurse said. I nodded absently, clutching Siren's ball tightly, thumb finding a particularly deep grove. I didn't notice her leaving the room again.

I enlarged the ball, hesitating for a moment as I remembered her mood the last time I saw her. In the end, however, the need to see her, to be sure that she was safe, outweighed anything else.

The ruby flash heralded Siren's arrival. She twisted her body as far around as she could, searching for the Scyther or the presence that had been there the last time she was awake. Not finding them, she turned back forward. Her eyes curved up and she gave that goofy version of a smile when she saw me, struggling to paddle towards me. I opened my arms, happy that all seemed forgiven.

All of a sudden, she froze. Her cheerful eyes narrowed, her lips pressed together, and she refused to look at me, flopping over onto her side dramatically. She almost fell off the bed if not for me catching her.

"Don't be like that girl. I'm sorry," I tried to sooth her, yet got only her best version of a huff in response as she did her best to not meet my eyes. "I was just trying to keep you safe. I can't lose you too."

That made her look at me, anger in her eyes. Her tail slapped my chest and stomach repeatedly in chastisement as she gurgled at me furiously.

"I know, I know," I just took it knowing that I'd earned it. She ran out of steam quickly, slumping back down. I let out a little smile at the way she was pouting.

"You know," I started, carefully stretching out a finger to stroke her scales. She stubbornly ignored me, "When I found your egg, I almost couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to die in that desert. That I'd escaped that… place, that world. Only to die to fucking sand and heat stroke. And then, miraculously, an oasis spawned right in front of me. I thought it was fake, but then I hit the water and… Oh my god, it was like all the drugs, all at once. It was almost worth it. But then there was this asshole fucking Wingull that blasted me," I scowled at the thought of that foul fucking fowl. I quickly stopped though when Siren turned to look at me out of the corner of her eye. "Anyway, it was a long day. Week. Year, whatever. So when I tripped on something under the water, I have to admit, I…" I smiled embarrassedly.

"I picked it up and threw it." Siren was so surprised she completely forgot that she was mad at me, turning fully around and gaping at me. It was kinda funny.

"I mean, I fucking yeeted that shit to the moon, thinking it was a rock. It was only when it was in the air that I saw the colors and realised that it was an egg," I chuckled at the way she struggled to flip back on her front and gave her a hand, all so she could judge me even harder.

"As soon as I noticed I jumped after it, don't worry. and after I almost drowned getting you back, I was so happy. Having something, having you in that time, It meant more than you can imagine. You're my baby girl. Ra was the first I, like, locked eyes with, but you were the first to join me. And what's more… you didn't have a choice. I decided to make you my responsibility and after I failed Ra, I just couldn't-"

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. I looked at Siren apologetically as I said it was open, imagining it was the Rangers Nurse Joy had said would be there shortly. It was therefore not a surprise when the door opened and two men stepped through.

Physically, the two men were quite different. One seemed to be barely out of his teens, smooth faced with a little chub going on. The other had to be at least 45, gray highlights decorating his long brown beard and shoulder length hair. The younger was kinda short with a bit of a gut, while the older was tall and looked like he bench pressed cows. What was the same, though, was the clothing they were wearing.

Same orange hat with a green check-mark like symbol, same orange high-collared flak vest over a black t-shirt. Same orange fingerless gloves, same orange boots and black cargo pants, Pokéballs clipped to their belt. It was very clearly a uniform of some sort, presumably Rangers.

"Excuse me, do you have a minute?" The older of the two spoke, voice surprisingly gentle and clear for his appearance. At my nod, he smiled and they sat in the chairs by my bed, closing the door behind them.

"How are you doing, kid? You alright?" I nodded again, petting Siren. She'd stopped her punishment, but I knew she wasn't done. "That's good to hear. Gave people quite a fright. So, the good nurse told me that you had been attacked? You feel up for walking us through it?"

I really wasn't, yet I knew that I had to. The ranger seemed to notice it.

"It's okay, take your time. I'm Ranger Bill, by the way, and this is Ranger Brick, with the Orange League. What's your name?"

"Peri."

"Peri. In your own time, Peri. We're not going anywhere."

The story came haltingly, but it did come. Everything from leaving Gateon, to the journey, the attack, even waking on the beach and making our way through the forest. The only thing I left out was the presence that saved us.

When they heard that it was Team Rocket that attacked the ship, they turned and shared a look.

"Are you sure that you heard that right? You are sure they said Team Rocket?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm never going to forget anything that happened. Executive Proton, leading Team Rocket. Why?"

"Well…" Bill seemed much more hesitant than he'd been before, the comforting aura gone. Brick likewise refused to meet my eyes. "There's never been reports of the Rockets doing stuff like this. You're young and there was a lot going on, plus Nurse Joy mentioned that you have a concussion. And even beyond that, it's much more likely that it was some other group that wanted to shift blame…"

"So what, you don't believe me!? You're just gonna let them get away with it!?"

Bill padded the air in a calming gesture, yet still kept his gaze on my feet or the wall, eyes unable to stay in one place. "Of course not, we'll find out who did this and bring them to justice."

"I've already told you who did it!"

"It's been a long day. You should get some rest." He dismissed, standing up and immediately making for the door.

"What the fuck is this!? You can't be serious!"

"We'll contact you if we have any further questions. Sleep well."

The door clicked shut before I could get another word out. I stared after them in disbelief.

What the fuck was that? Was that how police work was done in the Pokémon world? They just stopped giving a fuck after I said Team Rocket.

I narrowed my eyes. No, they didn't stop giving a fuck. They gave way more of a fuck after they heard who did it.

Something was going on here and I was gonna get to the bottom of it. Because the presence had talked a lot, but it had been right about one thing.

There was someone that deserved blame even more than I did. And if the League wasn't gonna do anything about it.

Then I'd have to.

---

Totally not suspicious Rangers, no sir. Nothing to see here.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Chapter 8.

Surely nothing is afoot in the tropical paradise of the Sevii islands, right?

Right?

---

Siren knew she wasn't the… smartest of creatures. It took her longer to understand things than it did others. Some things she didn't understand at all.

"Okay, same thing. A short blast rather than a sustained beam. Three. Two. One. Go!"

The rock flew high up in the air. Gathering the wet, slippery energy that filled her body into her mouth, she narrowed her eyes at the target, cheeks filling as the power was compressed into actual water. Lining up her shot, she put as much force behind it as she could while retaining the density and let loose a single blast.

She saw the hesitation in those that spoke to her. The… uncertainty, when she didn't respond for longer than they thought was normal. The judgment of her intelligence… and her appearance.

The water arched through the air, missing the rock by a foot and turning into a formless shape that rained down on the ocean seconds later.

"Hey, that was closer! You're getting there! Before long you're gonna be putting holes in solid steel from miles away!"

Siren knew that she was… ugly. She didn't have the fine fur of the Many-Tailed, Ra as he was named by Father-Brother, or the shiny forehead of Many-Tailed's vain rival. Her lips were too big, her scales too dull, her expressions too flat.

"Let's go again. You ready? Three. Two. One. Go!"

Siren knew she was weak. She couldn't fight or move on land, her Water Gun lacked range and… power, and the only time she had been of use in a fight was when Father-Brother used her like a club.

The next shot was a little closer.

"We're honing in! Light work, baby, light work."

But none of that had mattered to her. The looks, the judgment, the disdain, even the weakness didn't bother her as much as it should. Because she had her brother. Her father. She had his unconditional affection and faith.

"One more."

The attack lost cohesion right before striking the stone, yet glanced off the side.

"Hell yeah! We'll be done before the sun sets!"

From the very moment she hatched, he had been there. Smiling at her, cheering for her, complimenting her. Waiting patiently for her to understand, repeating himself or changing the wording when necessary. Even though he had a prettier, stronger, smarter companion already, he spent just as much, if not more, time caring for her as he did the arrogant member of their school. Their time together might have been short so far, yet it had been sweet. Despite the recent… tragedy, she was very content with her life, and especially her trainer.

One could even say they had been born together. Tied by faith. Father-Brother had told her of waking up in the desert, not remembering anything other than glimpses of an… other world. A dangerous, non… nonsensical, world.

The short Water Gun blast missed by inches.

And then, he found her. Or, her egg. Two beings, all alone in the vast desert, finding each other. How could that be anything other than destiny? Surely, they were meant to be together, for better or worse

Finally, the liquid bullet struck the rock and sent it careening into the pink and orange hued waves of the sunset, followed by a splash. It was a weak hit, but it was a hit.

"YEEAH! THERE WE GO! Hahaha, I knew you had it in you! Great job girl!"

So why? Why would he try to separate them?

She turned from her place amongst the bobbing water to look at the pier he was sitting on. He had a big smile and was clapping his hands as he cheered, but Siren saw through him. He was a good actor and she knew he had tried to use that to his advantage, but he couldn't fool her. She saw the… brittleness of his smile. The pain in his eyes. The forced nature of his cheering.

He was truly happy that she managed to finally hit the rock after over two hours of attempts, she knew that, yet his pain shone through like an Ember in the night.

She averted her eyes and heard him sigh.

She knew she was only adding to his difficulties. That her anger only hurt him more. But he had to understand. He had to know that what he did was wrong.

There was no Siren without Peri, and no matter how well intended, he could never offer his life for hers again, or tell her to leave him.

And yet…

"Please don't be angry. I know it was selfish, but I can't lose you too. I just can't. I'd rather die a hundred times over than allow that. And you shouldn't suffer for my mistakes. Fuck, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I suck so fucking much."

She looked back again as he rubbed his eyes aggressively with his hands. She felt like a… hypocrite. Because would she not make the same choice?

She was angry at him, but she understood. If a time came when she had to choose who lived, she would pick him 100 times out of 100. So what right did she have to be mad?

Siren wished she was stronger. If she was, she could have fought the Serpent that destroyed their transport. She could have saved Many-Tailed and Father-Brother's friends from the water, rather than struggling to even carry him above. She could have fought the Sword-Stalker that threatened to separate them.

She could have prevented Father-Brother from crying.

She swam in circles to build up momentum before leaping from the waves. The splash drew Father-Brother's attention right in time for him to see her flying towards him, allowing him to catch her. He held her close and pressed his lips to her head as was his custom. She wasn't sure why he did it, but it felt nice, and he seemed happy when she tried to imitate him.

"There you are. Sorry, didn't mean to be down. Does this mean you forgive me?"

There he went again, apologizing. Father-Brother took too much responsibility for things. Blaming himself for everything. Trying to be responsible and adult all the time, despite being a child himself.

He laughed as she tried to press her lips against his cheek. "Thank you princess. I won't do it again, I promise. You and I, we'll go down together."

Siren smiled as best she could, even though she knew the promise was false. Placed in the same situation, he would make the same choice.

But maybe it was time for Siren to grow up as well. To spare Father-Brother some pain even if it meant putting some of her feelings to the side. It was the least she could do, in return for everything he had done for her.

For she might be stupid, and ugly, and weak. But for Father-Brother, she would have a strong heart.

---

"Maybe it's blackmail." I mused, leaning back on my hands and looking up into the sky. I'd give it the Pokémon world, and the Orange Islands in particular. It had some fantastic views. As soon as the gorgeous sunset ended, the nebulae opened up on the heavens and bathed the land in starlight. Thousands of shiny dots formed constellations unlike anything my original world could ever hope to match, stretching endlessly.

My original world.

I hadn't spared it much thought recently. The lack of memories kinda made it fade into the background when compared to all the crazy shit that had been happening. I wondered what kind of person I'd been.

Had I been successful, in that world where child murdering terrorists were at least rare and not something to be found in literally every nation?

Or had I been just as much of a fuck-up there?

Siren splashed some water up on the pier and I shook the thought off. I couldn't spend time feeling sorry for myself. There was still someone I had to take care of.

"I mean, it would make sense. They definitely knew something, and I don't think the Rockets are above that sort of shit."

We were taking a bit of a break from training. Siren had managed to hit the rocks a couple more times, but I wouldn't call it a combat worthy technique quite yet. The range was still very short and the force needed a lot of work. But there was something there, with the short range, repeated Water Gun.

Water Gatling Gun. Decent name.

Ice Beam was even more of a lost cost for now. It took an eternity to form, if it even did and didn't dissipate, it was inaccurate as fuck and and failed to make much more than ice cubes when it hit the water.

But the break had inevitably led my thoughts back to the Rangers and their sus as fuck behavior.

"Or maybe they're just in on it." I continued. "I wouldn't be shocked. Fuck, it even kinda makes sense from their perspective, I guess. I'd be fucking pissed if someone came to 'help' me, and then just took over."

I'd been confused when the Rangers said they were from the Orange League, but Nurse Joy had been kind enough to clear it up for me. Much like Sharon had said about Orre, the Sevii Islands were heavily disputed territory. Hoenn and Indigo, either Johto, Kanto, or both, had been fighting over the archipelago that lay between them for centuries, without anyone managing to hold them for more than a few years before they were dislodged.

According to Nurse Joy, however, that ended a little over 40 years ago. Apparently there was some kinda war between Kanto and Hoenn over in Orre, and Johto had seen its chance to establish a deeper hold on the islands and get out from under Kanto's thumb. Apparently, they overestimated how much Kanto had invested into the war and when Sevii called for aid, Kanto had answered in force from the north, attacking both the islands and Johto directly, while Hoenn came in from the south, before being forced to withdraw due to some kind of internal conflict.

Kanto had used the opportunity to get an unprecedented hold over Sevii. In fact, their grasp was so strong that they managed to install their own Rangers and government, full on renaming the Islands to the Orange League, much like Johto apparently used to be technically called the Silver League.

I really wasn't sure I liked all this war in my children's relaxation game. It was supposed to be a fun time, dammit, filled with stereotypes and wacky characters, not murder and imperialism.

Shitty reincarnation. Why couldn't I just go to the game universe? Fight God and put him in a ball on my belt?

Anyway, the locals were understandably not super impressed by the take over. So if they were working with Team Rocket, a terrorist organization that primarily targeted Kanto, I could see where that would've started.

Not that it made it okay, or that I wasn't gonna find some way to fuck them up if they were.

"I suppose we can do some digging while looking for a way to Pallet. You wanna head back?" I asked Siren, ready and quickly catching her when she leaped at me. We started back down the long wooden pier and headed towards the Five Island's, formerly Fairchild Island, PokeCenter.

Nurse Joy hadn't been happy with me leaving the bed so soon, but short of tying me down, there wasn't much she could do about it. If I stayed outside all night, however, she might actually do so.

There weren't many people out and about so late, and the few there were, preferred ignoring me, presumably due to their history with outsiders. I was okay with it. I wasn't in the mood to socialize and enjoyed taking in the small town.

Five Island, both the town and the island itself which shared the name, had a population of only a little over 2.000, and it showed in the layout. The wooden houses were built far apart, raised over the ground level and with big pillars holding up the large overhangs that shaded the porches. The door frames were wide and even when closed were semi-open to allow air flow, huge windows standing unlatched even in the night. The roofs were kinda flat, with only a little angle to allow rain to drain, and extended unnecessarily far in every direction.

They were kinda cute and a major upgrade from Gateon. They fit the tropical vibe of the whole islands, the wild flowers growing everywhere and the colorful, thin and flowy clothing of the inhabitants.

I might've liked it if they weren't fucking bitches that covered up child murder. For that alone they could go fuck themselves.

Beautiful place, shit people. Other than Nurse Joy, who seemed like a sweetheart, based on the limited interaction we'd had so far. Though I suppose that she might not be from the Sevii Islands, so the point stood. The mystery of the Joy's was one of the many persisting in the Pokémon world.

And speaking of shit people. My eyes landed on the man walking ahead of me, his form almost indistinguishable in the darkness, only highlighted by the occasional torch. He was clad all in black, with a hood pulled down low over his face, shoulders pulled up to his ears. He power-walked with long strides, hurrying without wanting to look like he was hurrying.

Even without the criminal 101 costume he had on, he'd have been suspicious simply for trying so hard to not be suspicious.

I slowed down, allowing the guy to stay as far ahead as possible, while still being able to see him. It didn't seem necessary as he never looked over his shoulder or even left or right, yet better safe than sorry. Siren picked up on my mood and tensed.

There was a chance that there was nothing fishy going on and it was just an edgy guy that liked black who lost track of time and was making his way home. And even if he was up to something, it was unlikely that it had anything to do with me.

Experience said otherwise. Everything had something to do with me, or would end up fucking me over. Nothing had gone right at any point for me.

Was it really paranoia when the universe itself seemed out to get you?

Especially as we got closer to the PokeCenter and the black-clad fellow didn't slow down, heading straight through the automatic doors. I sped back up as they slid closed again, hiding my target from view. Adrenaline flooded my veins.

Yeah, it definitely concerned me.

The foyer was empty as I cautiously stuck my head in, even with all the lights on. The U-shaped front desk was deserted, though the large TV over it displayed some sort of local program regarding Chesto berries, and the row of half a dozen PC's with metal dividers between them sat unoccupied. Checking the corners, I quickly scurried over to the hallway where my room was. The corridor contained half a dozen rooms, mine being the second on the right.

Sure enough, my door was cracked open. Straining my ears, I could hear someone shuffling around in there.

I pulled back and quickly rounded the desk, crouching down behind it, my hands clutching Siren so hard she let out a low grunt to make me ease up. My whole body started shaking as I stuffed the joint of my thumb in my mouth to try and clam down.

The guy was there for me, there was no doubt. Was it one of the Rangers? Or… or was it Team Rocket?

Did those fucking cucks sell me out!? Did they tell the Rockets that I survived!?

I was vibrating with conflicting emotions. Rage, unbearable, blinding rage pumped like magma through my body. It felt like I was burning and I wanted to hit, to hurt, to kill, every last one of the fucking cunts that thought they could fuck with me. To dish out a thousand fold the pain they caused me.

Yet… there was also fear. I could admit it. Team Rocket… they weren't like Snagem. Or like in the games or anime. This version were stone cold killers, with both numbers and powerful Pokémon, and… I didn't want to die. I didn't want Siren to die, or get hurt. But the anger couldn't be denied. No matter how high my heart sat in my throat or how clammy my palms were, I couldn't let it go. The voice of that arrogant fucking prick, Proton, hadn't left my head since I first heard it. I tried to ignore it, to push it out, but it was always right there.

I would have to be cautious. I couldn't afford any more mistakes, anymore fuck-ups, but if it truly was Team Rocket, I had to do something.

Ra deserved that much. Sharon, Rat, Joe, John, Reed. They deserved to be avenged.

A quiet click! and slow footsteps echoed through the lifeless PokeCenter as the guy came back, walking right by the place I was hiding. I tasted blood as I bit down further on my finger, slow, deep breaths of air coming through my nose. I wanted to jump him, just fucking clobber him over the back of the head and punch him over and over and over and over, until he stopped moving and even then I wasn't sure I was gonna stop. But I held off. I had to hold off.

If it truly was Team Rocket and they either had the Rangers under their thumb, were working with them, or they'd been full on infiltrated, then they had a base. Somewhere to gather and plan their shit. To store their stuff and boats.

Somewhere to get their orders. Somewhere their leader would hang out. Somewhere Proton was.

The doors closed after him and I swiftly turned to Siren. "Girl, I'm gonna recall you. Don't start," I quickly said when I saw her about to protest. "I can't carry you and follow him at the same time. They… they killed Ra. We can't let them get away. I'll let you out if anything happens, and you can get out yourself as well." She gazed at me for long enough that it started getting uncomfortable, but agreed in the end, disappearing into her ball with one last gurgle I interpreted as her saying to be careful.

Giving the guy a head start, I followed him out of the doors. Looking around, I found him headed out of town, luckily not looking back at the sliding sound repeating. Sticking to the shadows and using trees and houses as cover, I crept after him.

I stalked him as the stone paved path turned to dirt and the torches became a distant flickering light. The houses were replaced by sparse trees as we skirted the forest edge, the sounds of the waves intermingling with faint hoots and rustling. I couldn't decide if the guy was stupid or brave for continuing through the dark without either a source of light or a Pokémon by his side. I was all the way on edge, every tiny sound making me freeze in place, before hurrying after my prey. I was starting to wish I hadn't recalled Siren.

Or that I still had Ra to watch my back. I clenched my teeth to contain the fresh surge of madness-inducing fury.

We traveled for a time, the stars and moon struggling to illuminate the path more and more as we entered the forest properly. My footing became uncertain and when a branch broke under the shoes Nurse Joy had managed to find for me, I thought I'd been discovered as the man stopped. I quickly ducked behind a tree and stilled, ears almost hurting with how hard I was straining them.

I held my breath as the silence lasted for way longer than I was comfortable with, each heartbeat pulsing in my ears, yet the footsteps continued eventually. A shaky exhale escaped me as I gave him a moment longer before following.

Soon, the woods thinned out again, and we came upon a large clearing, with a small copse of very densely packed trees in the middle. I waited behind the treeline, slowly circling around to keep the man in sight as he crossed straight through. We couldn't be more than 30 minutes outside of town, so I expected him to continue through the field into the forest on the other side, so I was quite flabbergasted when he went up to the copse. He checked over his shoulder, yet I was well hidden in the darkness, and then turned back to the tree in front of him and knocked on it five times. My chin fell to my chest as the trunk swung open, another man greeting the first and letting him in through the secret door and closing it behind him.

I didn't get a good look at the second man, but one thing stood out clearly, my fingers bleeding from digging into the bark.

The large red TR on the front of his black shirt.

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply in and out, dedicating every ounce of my willpower to stop myself from rushing in and getting myself killed and Siren stolen. No matter how angry I was, or how much stronger humans in the Pokémon universe were compared to my normal world, I was still just a kid with a big fish.

I couldn't do it by myself, even if I really fucking wanted to.

The Rangers weren't going to help, they were definitely in on it. Fortunately for me, they weren't the only ones I'd met on Five Island.

I had a strong suspicion regarding the presence I met in the forest, now that my concussion had been treated and I'd learnt that the Sevii Islands and the Orange Islands were the same. And if I was right, they should be plenty strong enough to help.

Assuming that I could find them and convince them to help.

---

Siren had not been a fan of my plan when I told her, which I couldn't blame her for as we stumbled through the forest in essentially pitch blackness. The feebas was scanning our surroundings so fast it looked like she was trying to swim out of my arms, her cheeks slightly bloated as she held a Water Gun at the ready.

It was a stupid plan, but what choice did we have? I couldn't just walk away, not now. Not when I knew for a fact that the bastards that took nearly everything from me were within walking distance.

"Hello!? Friendly Psychic!? You out here!?" I wasn't sure where we'd met it the first time, on account of the teleporting. I also wasn't sure if it was still there, or wanted to meet me again, even if it had said we'd do so. Walking blindly through a forest filled with things that both could, and in some cases wanted to, eat you while yelling was probably at the top of my stupid list, but it was worth it.

It had to be worth it.

A shadow darted overhead, making me flinch and Siren blasted her Water Gun straight up in the air, accomplishing little more than getting us wet from the drizzle. Waiting a couple of beats, I sighed in both frustration and relief. Not getting killed was always great, but it was the fifth time something had fucked with us only to turn out to be nothing.

My sphincter was producing coal at that point.

I turned back to what I thought was the way we were going, mumbling curses under my breath. Spinning, a large green face filled my vision, angular eyes gazing back at me from half a foot away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I screamed and fell backwards. Siren cried out with me and did her best imitation of a sprinkler, short blasts of water flying in every direction. I saw a couple break harmlessly on the hard green carapace that bared our way, the Scyther not bothering to dodge like it did last time.

The large Bug-Type stared down at us with the same cocked head it used previously. Its wings buzzed, vibrating so fast they disappeared from view, and it scraped its scythes together with an ear wrenching screech, like steel ripping through steel. Apparently, it didn't give a fuck about making noise.

"Uuuh, hi? Can… we didn't mean to bother you," I spoke slowly and clearly, having to raise my voice to be heard over the intimidating reminder of the size of its sword arms. I kept Siren aimed at its midsection. She couldn't actually do anything, yet it made us both feel better. "We were just looking for the other Pokémon we met yesterday. Or earlier today, whatever. Is it… is it around?"

Scyther didn't react, still posturing and staring. Did all Pokémon understand human speech? Both Ra and Siren did, but maybe I was just imagining stuff and it was gibberish to them as well in the beginning. They might just have been too polite to mention it.

The Scyhter seemed to be doing it more out of hunger than courtesy, however, based on the way its tongue flickered out of its mouth and it rubbed its snout against its biological weaponry in between deafening screeches. With one final rub, it raised its arms out to the sides, something taking hold in its gaze, like it had made a decision. I started crawling backwards slowly, trying not to set it off, yet now certain that I'd made a mistake. Doing this at night was fucking dumb. I should've just waited until dawn, but I was too eager and angry and now we were going to get eaten alive by a giant fucking mantis monster-

-The Scyhter turned around and walked away slowly into the darkness. I stared after it slack jawed, my life, brief as it was, flashing before my eyes before vanishing like smoke. What the fuck was that?

Did it fake me out? Was it fucking with me, just posting up for the hell of it? Or was that actually as close as it felt?

The light green exoskeleton was nearly gone before it stopped and looked over its shoulder at us. We stared at each other for a bit, before it huffed and slashed straight through a thin tree trunk, parting it with horrific ease as it hit the forest floor with an echoing CRASH!, countless branches snapping on its way down.

I got the hint and quickly got to my feet. My fingers were cramping from the death grip I maintained on Siren, yet I cautiously stepped forward and followed the giant sapient bug into the dark unknown forest.

What the fuck happened to my life when that was the safest and most logical decision?

Despite its large size and body shape optimized for combat and more open areas, Scyther was incredibly agile in navigating the dense foliage, slipping between trees with ease, hovering over roots with a few casual flaps of its wings and it passed through bramble so delicately that I'd have sworn it turned intangible. I imagined that it had great eyesight. We never got lost or had to double back and its eyes flickered between things that remained unseen to me, yet it was clearly tracking something.

I, on the other hand, was about as graceful as a newborn giraffe. Twigs and thorns tore at my arms as I forced my way through, tripping over roots and holes near constantly. I kept running face first into trees or falling over to the point where Siren was brown more from dirt than her natural hue. On and on we went, Scyther stopping every now and again to allow me to catch up, even though it buzzed and scraped impatiently every time. We went for so long that I started wondering if the sun was gonna rise before we arrived wherever it was we were going.

We came upon an extra dense section of jungle, interlocking wood forming a natural barrier that seemed impassable. Scyther did some kind of ninja shit and seemed to phase straight through the wood. I sighed and followed. Holding Siren over my head, I sucked in my belly and started squeezing. It was rough going. I kept getting stuck, either because it was too tight or the bark was hooking my clothing, and eventually I had to crawl up the trees a little to squeeze through. Though, when I finally did, it came unexpectedly and the force sent me falling flat on my face, Siren rolling with an upset gurgle at my clumsiness.

"Sorry girl." I mumbled, picking her up and brushing as much of the dirt off as I could. Giving it up as a lost cause with how wet and dirty my fingers were, I looked around for our guide, and immediately froze. Siren had her eyes closed as I tried to clean her and gaped questioningly up at me. Seeing me distracted she looked the same way and froze as well.

Eyes peered down on us from all around the small clearing, bathed in starlight. Large ones that shone bright white in reflection hung in the canopy, red ones fluttering in and out of view, multi-compounded hexagons blinking from low bushes, and normal looking orbs from every direction, high and low.

We were surrounded.

I slowly held up one hand in a gesture of surrender.

"Hello… sorry to intrude, we're just, uh… looking for this Psychic Pokémon? That teleported me to the town? Is… are they around?"

Something large emerged from the void in front of me, red gem glinting from its head.

"I am indeed, young one. I must say, this is a surprise. I know I said our paths would cross once more, but I did not foresee it being so soon. Many have looked, yet few dare search for me in such a manner. Bravery or foolishness, the line can be so thin."

Emerging from the shadows, I could finally get a good view of my savior and confirm my suspicions. The creature was primarily pink, with a pale yellow muzzle and scaled belly. Its feet and hands each had two clawed digits, with an additional clawless thumb. Around its neck was a spiny ruff of alternating red and white stripes. The crown on its head was gray and had a spiral shape with two horns near the base, a red gem residing in the center of the headpiece. I knew that while it looked like a hat, if the Pokémon were to turn around, the eyes of the Shellder that had latched onto the Pokémon head would be visible.

The Slowking observed me with a somewhat derpy looking smile, though there was no denying the obvious intelligence in its eyes.

Or the fact that it was talking. Not psychically, no. It full-on formed English words, or whatever language humans spoke around these parts, with its lips.

It was definitely the Slowking from the second Pokémon movie, the one on Shamouti Island.

"Oh, uh, Hi! I didn't expect you to just show up in person, uh. Thank you."

"I imagined you would prefer it this way. Your nature makes telepathic communication somewhat difficult, and even painful for you."

I frowned at the response. My nature?

"My nature?"

Slowking dismissed my question with a wave of his hand. "Why have you come, young one?"

I wanted to push the issue. Did he know why my emotions were all over the place?

But there were more pressing matters.

"You were in my head, right? You saw what happened before I got here?" He nodded in response, smile dropping a little.

"I did. Once again you have my condolences."

"Thank you, but that's not why I'm here. I found them. Team Rocket. I found their hideout and I need your help."

He scrutinised me for a moment. "I know humans have those specialized in such matters. Why come to us instead of your own kind?"

I clenched my fists, trying not to growl the words out. "I tried. The two-faced fucks are working with them. They're covering up the murder of Pokémon, adults and even children. If I tell them about the hideout, it'll be gone by morning. You're my only hope. Please."

Slowking stayed silent for another beat, taking in my words. "I see. As seems to be your want, you face a situation too great for a child. That said," he kept going, crushing the sparks of hope that ignited within me, "and I mean this with all due respect for your loss and circumstances. Why should we risk ourselves for your revenge? The type of fortified compound you speak of will surely be well guarded. It would cost many of us our lives. How could I ask those who look to me for guidance to sacrifice themselves for a stranger?"

That was a very fair question and one that I'd thought over on the way. Thankfully, I felt I'd found an answer.

"Because it isn't just about me. Do you know what Team Rocket's official motto is?" I waited for him to shake his head. "Its 'Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket.'" Low growls and hoots filled the air from the audience and Slowking's smile vanished completely. I almost smiled myself. I had to dig DEEP to remember the words and I wasn't sure they were 100 percent correct, but they seemed to do the job. "It's not just about my revenge. It's about your safety. If Team Rocket is here, then you can be damm certain that they're fucking with the Pokémon. Why else would they set up base on the island noted for its extra large and strong Pokémon." I hoped that part of the anime was still correct despite the changes to the lore. If nothing else, it stroked their egos. "Have you noticed more disappearances? More young Pokémon suddenly vanishing?"

The increased agitation was the only answer I needed. I began addressing my words more to the hidden onlookers than Slowking, who watched on, regaining a smidge of his lost smile. As much as gaining the leader's backing would be great, an angry mob worked too.

"If the Rockets have them, then they're in danger, if not dead already. Team Rocket doesn't just see children as acceptable targets, they prefer them! They're cowards who target the weak and if you're lucky they'll kill you! If not, they'll take you and torture you, break you, break your children, and turn them into mindless slaves that do whatever they want you to! Are you okay with that!? Are you just gonna sit here while they slowly take everyone else, until there's no one left!?"

I'd stirred up a proper frenzy by that point. The forest was shaking as the Pokémon let their disagreement be known. Branches snapped, bushes were trampled, and trees toppled over. The movement and rioting allowed the moonlight to reveal some of the participants of the impromptu war council. Huge apes, with pale fur and what looked like boxing gloves for hands, pounded the earth and their chest with stone shattering force as they howled, big clumps of ground erupting from their strikes. Big brown rats with round bodies chattered and squeaked, their giant incisors clacking threateningly. Leaves were whipped into a blizzard from the force of enormous wings that beat in the canopy, giving me glimpses of red, brown, and tan feathers in a variety of shapes. Humongous wasps, twice the size of Siren, with big red eyes and two monstrous stingers for hands darted in and out of the shadows, the buzz of their wings adding a steady undercurrent to the cacophony.

It was a deafening display of intent, far beyond anything I'd ever expected. There had to be hundreds of Pokémon in that small area alone, the vast majority of which I'd only seen in pixilated form. My mouth gaped a little when I saw vine-like tentacles wrap around the base of a large tree, at least 50 feet in height. The vines tightened, making the trunk creek ominously as it bent, before with a loud SNAP! it broke clean off. The vines lifted the timber back with them and my jaw fell further as two large and oddly flat arms took hold of it and lifted it above a tall, ill-defined shape that pumped it up and down in excitement. It kinda looked like a spaghetti monster, or something from certain porn sites, wriggling tentacles either making up or covering its whole body. Its large white eyes widened when it saw me watching, letting go of the tree with its left hand. I somewhat numbly lifted my hand at it as it waved its red fingered appendage at me furiously, gurgling in a way I could only describe as cheerful despite the deep voice.

"Let's settle down everyone. There is no need to make a mess."

Despite being worded as a polite request, all activity ceased immediately, all participants turning to look at the Slowking.

He sent me a knowing look, his gem shining bright for a moment as he concentrated. A sharp pain japped me in the head, like a knife stabbing into my brain.

"Subtle you are not, my friend, if charismatic at a base level."

I shrugged unrepentantly. As long as it worked.

"I can not tell my people to go to war on the words of a child, no matter how… engaging their speeches." The hope that had steadily been building died in a flash. "However," It roared back to life. "I will put it to a vote."

The Psychic-Type turned to his subordinates, arms held wide.

"What say you!? Will we take up arms against these threats that lurk in our woods!?"

The answering roar made the earlier ruckus seem like a polite indoor conversation. I finally allowed the grin to take over my face.

Team Rocket was so fucked.

---

A Pokémon senate meeting. Fun stuff. Next chapter is were things really kick off.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[shargle]

peak.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

If chapter 6 was the chapter I was the most exited about, then this is the chapter I'm most nervous about.

WARNING: Graphic depictions of violence and gore.

This is the roughly the darkest the story is gonna get and it won't be all the time or even most of the time. This is a big moment for Peri as a character and will influence the story going forward. And this dichotomy was what really interested me about the Pokémon world, how moving it to a different, arguably more realistic, type of media will change things, while still trying to keep the general vibe the same. I'll try my best to balance all the various themes throughout this story.

This is going to be a wish fufilment story to a degree, with bullshit Pokémon and the usual SI shenanigans. I just wanna counterbalance all that good shit with some actual storytelling and narrative development.
If it's too much, please tell me and I'll try to tone it down in the future or if I should add a warning before the section.

---

The trek back through the woods couldn't have been more different from the journey in. Where before every breaking twig, every rustling bush, and every darting shadow had been a threat, now it heralded a new member joining our war band as we stomped through the forest. Where I'd taken care to avoid making excess noise, there was no such concern now, shrubs, saplings and even full on trees where they were densest falling before us, or moving out of our way under the power of the native Grass-Types. Trees would come alive as we passed, great, gaping, jagged maws opening up and eyes peering down at us balefully as the Trevenants commanded the foliage to move from our path.

I walked with Siren in the middle of the parade, side by side with Slowking. Siren had been very quiet during the meeting, yet now that we'd secured their support, she bubbled back and forth with an overly large Caterpie that laid slung over the Shellder on top of the Psychic-Type's head.

I'd been silent so far, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by, even with the rising adrenaline and tension as we got closer and closer to payback. The secrets Slowking guarded were uncountable and I might never get such an opportunity again.

"Thank you for agreeing to this. I know we're asking a lot."

He shook his head, arms clasped behind his back. The goofy smile had returned and he looked more like he was out for a nice stroll, perambulating through the gardens, rather than heading a small army of bloodthirsty superpowered creatures frothing at the mouth for violence.

"I agreed to nothing. In fact, if you examine your memory thoroughly, you will find that I was closer to speaking against you, than for you. It was they who agreed. Your words resonated with them. As you predicted, there have indeed been quite a lot of missing or captured younglings in the last few years. A certain amount is to be expected. No matter how much we try, the world is a dangerous place for those who fail to exert sufficient caution. A certain amount is to be expected. It is the nature of the world. The circle of life. Whether predation, accident, or simply natural selection, it is the way of things."

That was a very realist way of looking at things, but I wasn't really surprised. It was becoming apparent that Pokémon were a lot more in tune with their instincts and nature than humans were.

"Likewise, some will be taken by you humans. We do not mind, generally. We understand that you will provide a secure source of food and greater safety than can be expected in the wild. You even offer strength and it is not uncommon for the more long lived species to return to their birthplace after the passing of their Trainer, adding their might and skill to the greater whole. It is a beneficial arrangement. But sometimes." A darkness passed over his face, darker than the night around us, a hint of fang glinting. I was starkly reminded that he could kill me with literally a thought. "Sometimes you go too far. This is one of those times. Do not mistake my hesitation for forgiveness. My priority is simply the safety of all Pokémon that call these islands home. I am actually quite furious."

I chuckled awkwardly at the none-joke, uncertain how to respond. I fought through it though.

"Earlier you mentioned something about my nature. What did you mean?"

He hummed as he walked. I wasn't sure how far the trip was but at the current pace, I couldn't imagine that it would take long.

"It is merely a rarity to encounter those that come from another world. Especially those that stopped in the Not-Realm as you yourself did."

I stumbled and would likely have fallen if not for the rubbery vines that caught me last second and put me back on my feet, a happy, deep squeal originating behind me like a train. I paid my helper no mind, staring at Slowking, causing a higher pitched sound like the air leaving an inflatable mattress.

"Wha- I… I don't-"

"Calm yourself my friend. It is okay. I have no intention of revealing your secrets to anyone. Nor would I have anyone to tell that would find it to be more than an interesting curiosity." He chuckled.

I relaxed at his words. I don't know why I was so surprised, he'd been in my head and I knew he looked at my memories while there.

"Guess you saw that the first time. It's fine, I suppose. Is that what you meant by my nature? Does being from another world give me some sort of psychic resistance?"

"Not as such, no. I would actually have known your origin even without diving through your memories. It is how I knew to look for you in the first place."

This shit was getting kinda old. "You know, and I mean no offense, but you talk a lot without actually saying shit. Every time you open your mouth, I just get more questions."

Slowking threw his head back and laughed, which was a good sign. A less good sign was the vines returning and hoisting me up, cradling me like a toddler. I flailed around, Siren protesting both my squirming and our newfound elevation. A pair of giant eyes peered down at us, squinted into happy half-moons as the giant Tangrowth hopped joyously from one foot to another while continuing on our path. An extra couple of tentacles grabbed the Caterpie from Slowking, wrapping it up so thoroughly that for a second I thought it had evolved into a Metapod, and brought it over in front of Siren so they could continue their conversation. Based on the suffering, yet not surprised expression on the caterpillar, it was not the first time the jolly giant did something like that.

"Do not worry," the huge tentacle monster twisted me back around to look at Slowking, still keeping me in its grasp. The Water-Psychic seemed terribly amused at my circumstances.

The dick.

"Tangrowth has been with me for a long time now. He is exceedingly friendly, if a little simple. He will not harm you, though never doubt his capability. Many have taken his gentle nature to mean weakness, and many have paid the price."

At face value it was hard to imagine the Grass-Type as dangerous with the way he was skipping through the forest, whistling cheerfully, yet the strength I could feel in those vines under their soft, bouncy exterior made it legit.

"And you are far from the first to call me frustrating and cryptic. A hazard of old age and spending too much time with other Psychic-Types, I'm afraid. And unfortunately, you are likely to remain frustrated, as we appear to have reached our destination."

Sure enough, up ahead the vanguard had stopped, slivers of silver light leaking through the gaps. The waiting Pokémon made way for their leader and my wriggly bodyguard, who took the opportunity to pat them on the head.

"This is it. Their base is hidden in a fake tree over there." I pointed across the clearing to the copse of trees I'd seen the Rocket assassin/kidnapper enter earlier. Slowking nodded and closed his eyes, the ruby that seemed to function like a focus for his psychic energy lighting up. I tried not to tap my foot in impatience, helped by being held aloft. It didn't take long before a frown darkened his features and he reopened his eyes.

"They are well protected. Both Distorted and Deniers, I think. They truly do not want visitors."

"Distorted? Deniers?" I knew it wasn't the time and I almost let the thought pass by, but the battalion at our back kept the rage at bay.

At least a little. It was still there, bubbling under the surface.

"Ghost and Dark Types by human terminology, I believe." He waved his hand towards someone further back who moved forward at his signal. I attempted to hide my apprehension as a huge Mightyena stalked past me. I'd thought the Snagem Grunt's had been an impressive specimen, yet the new one put it to shame. Well over five feet at the shoulders, its gray undercoat was so dark it blended almost seamlessly into the void black top fur. Colorless, abyssal energy leaked from it in wisps as it bared its teeth soundlessly at the hideout. My stomach turned from the proximity, a deep pounding pressing against the back of my skull when it passed me by. It padded into the clearing, snout stuck close to the ground as it sniffed heavily, its path swaying left and right.

The discomfort passed along with the mighty canine and I shook my head to dispel the aftershocks. That was fucking weird. And so was sending a single Pokémon when we had an army.

Slowking was already gazing back at me when I looked, an expression vanishing from his face before I could register it. Putting it aside, doubtful I'd get any answers from the old, Dumbeldore-esk Pokémon, I opened my mouth to ask about the plan, only to get preempted.

"While I would hate to make you think I am casting further doubt or suspicion on your claims, I would prefer seeing their intentions with my own eyes before initiating a bloodbath. As I said, and you correctly guessed, many young ones have gone missing as of late. Kind-Sun-Roses' son disappeared some days ago. She might be able to pick up the scent, as well as reveal their response to a fairly powerful Pokémon approaching them. Not to worry, I will keep her safe." Another gesture behind him saw a small tremor shake the earth beneath our feet. I couldn't see what happened, but imagined it was some kind of contingency plan.

There were several questions that arose after that explanation.

First.

"Kind-Sun-Roses?"

Slowking chuckled, eyes still on the Mightyena. "Tangrowth suggested the name. I believe Kind-Sun-Roses thought it was funny." He gestured to the nightmare vine monster that still hadn't let me down. In fact, glancing back at him, he'd managed to ensnare several other victims and was currently juggling half-a-dozen light green, mushroom-like Pokémon with frilly edges at the bottom of their large flat bodies, small feet kicking frantically as they were thrown around. The Shroomish did not look impressed by their fate.

Okay then. Second question.

Before I got the chance to ask, a spine tingling, heart stopping howl erupted from ahead. Kind-Sun-Roses had her head tilted back and letting out a truly bowl-loosening noise, before continuing on much faster than she started, barely sniffing around anymore.

"She found the scent." Slowking sighed, a weakness to his voice. "I had hoped… well, I suppose it does not matter anymore. Their guilt is all but confirmed now."

Which led me back to my question.

"Bloodbath?" I asked somewhat hesitantly. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but something about the casual way he said it…

Slowking appeared almost shocked at my question. It was the first time I heard him saying anything that wasn't perfectly intended. "OH! My dear boy, I… what did you think we would do with them if we found them to be guilty?"

I hadn't thought that far ahead. I'd just wanted, needed, to do something. And when I got their support… I hadn't thought about it.

"It's fine," I said, unsure if I meant it. "They deserve it." That I did mean.

"Deserve is a hard word to apply properly. If nothing else, they can hardly complain about being treated like they treat others."

That was true. Some edgelord had once said 'The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed.' Or something pretentious like it, and I found I quite liked that.

If the Rockets were okay with killing, then I should be okay with them dying. Maybe not quite what the quote meant, but whatever.

Proton definitely had to die though.

Preferably by my hands.

Kind-Sun-Roses was almost at the copse at that point, her speed still increasing. My eyes narrowed as the same fake tree I saw the last time opened and two men stepped out, the red TR lighting up like beacons in the night.

Slowking waved his hand again with a brief flare in his head gem. Suddenly, human voices rang out among us, two of them, as the Rockets words were either projected or copied to our position.

"It's definitely coming this way. I fucking told you so."

"Stop being so fuckin' smug, it happens loads. A Persian fuckin' pissed on the door yesterday!"

"Yeah, yeah, you suck I know. Oh, it saw us. Yeah you better fucking stop, you ugly mutt. I'll fuck you up and shove your broken ass in a cage if you take another fucking step-"

"Haha, it definitely fuckin' heard ya. Itsa big on' too. Boss'll like that. Didn't we get a biggin Poochyena a bit ago?"

"I don't fucking know, just fucking help me here!"

The trees illuminated with ruby energy as five figures formed in front of Kind-Sun-Roses while she started sprinting at the Rockets, Dark energy gathering around her body.

"I think that's more than enough. What a shame. I had hoped to avoid this." Slowking sighed again, the red orb in the center of his Shellder hat brightening once more. I looked around our group, trying to see who'd respond.

Nobody moved. Suddenly a commotion broke out among the pair facing our vanguard Mightyena.

I turned back just in time to see a mass of vines burst out of the ground right behind the Rockets. Two thick ones lept forward before they even had a chance to do more than widen their eyes and wrapped tightly around their necks. I could barely see their faces turn bright red, their eyes bugging out of their heads as the tentacles constricted instantly.

CRACK!

I flinched as their bodies went limp, dangling from the vines in a macabre way. I wasn't sure if the loud gunshot-like sound was my imagination or not, but I preferred to think so.

The Rockets Pokémon spun around at the sound, yet was unable to do anything as several of the other vines rapidly grabbed and tapped the Pokéballs on their belts, returning them in flash. The bodies and Pokéballs were then dragged down into the earth as the vines returned. Seconds later, the balls popped back out right in front of Slowking as the tentacles returned to their owner.

"Thank you Tangrowth. Also, if you would be so kind as to let the young Grass-Types down, I believe it is time."

The mass of green-blue vines squealed happily at the praise, not as much as pausing his juggling or loosening his grasp on mine or Siren's body as he casually killed two people and neutralized almost a whole team of Pokémon. It was only at Slowking's words that Thomas the hentai tank let out his sad deflating train noise and stopped throwing the Pokémon around.

I really wished he would let me down as well. It was one thing to hear that Tangrowth was capable of violence. It was a whole other matter to see how fucking casual he was about it.

"Come. We move."

In a split second, the forest went from quiet to bedlam. Roars, howls, chirps, buzzing, chest pounding, and much more erupted as everyone dashed forward at their commander's words. Mightyenas, large tan felines with a gem in their forehead, big shaggy, racoon-like creatures with zigzags of pale and dark fur, and furious Primeapes sprinted ahead of the land-bound forces. The air became filled with Beedrills, huge butterflies, enormous bats with a torso the size of mine, and birds of more shapes than I could keep track of as they commanded the sky.

The Rockets evidentially had cameras or something similar set up as before the mob of murderous monsters could make it more than half way in a couple of seconds, the secret door slammed closed.

Slowking hummed from where we remained at the forest edge. I was about to complain about staying out of it, even if there was near nothing I could contribute, when our surroundings shifted. I'd been unconscious the only other time I'd been teleported, but I'd imagined there'd be some kind of indicator, like a flash of light or space twisting. Instead, one second we were being left behind. The next, we were standing by the outer trees of the hideout. I didn't even feel anything.

Slowking held out a hand towards the fake tree that hid the entrance. There was a groan as the fake bark indented in the middle. Narrowing his eyes lightly, Slowking pushed his hand forwards.

The steel screamed as the apparently foot-thick metal door crumbled and twisted at the edges, looking like it had been punched by a giant. Thoughts that proved prophetic as a Primeape leapt over our heads, landing with a huge boxing glove fist reeled back. With a furious scream, it hurled its hand into the door.

Like a bullet the big slab of metal folded completely in two and went flying into the darkness of the revealed opening, the door frame bent out of shape by the force. The Primeape wasted no time, immediately following it down into the staircase, Kind-Sun-Roses right on his heels.

Slowking tsk'd as Pokémon started rushing by us to get stuck in.

"The impatience of youth. No respect. Come on then. Let us see what these monsters of yours have been up to."

The staircase was narrow, yet tall, though not tall enough for the near nine foot Tangrowth to squeeze in.

"Guard the entrance, my friend."

The Grass-Type gave a sad wobble as he placed me down on my feet. I was still a little scared of the giant Pokémon, yet I padded his big, rubber arm in comfort, getting a quick vine hug in return.

The stairway was pitch black, until Slowking held up a hand and a ball of light hovered out and floated over our heads. I was busy looking at what I thought was a very cool usage of Flash, so I didn't even notice the second teleport that took us down to the bottom. It was only as we emerged into a cacophony of screams, clanging, and explosions that I figured out that we'd moved.

We'd emerged into a large corridor filled with doors on either side. The Rockets had apparently tried to set up an ambush at the bottom of the stairs, yet it hadn't gone as they wished.

A dozen corpses lay sprawled out over the hard packed earth of the hideout. Throats were ripped out, the bodies laying facedown in a growing puddle of their own blood. Others were slumbed under craters in the walls, exposed rib fragments poking through their torn shirts from where they'd been punched and had their whole chest crushed. One man, his mouth open to scream even in death, was lying with his hand stretched out in the direction of the stairs, slaughtered as he was trying to escape. His entrails dragged feet behind him, like they were reluctant to let go of his lower body that was, based on the bloodstain on the ceiling, ruthlessly torn away and carelessly thrown aside.

Pokémon weren't spared the massacre either. Small black dogs with white horns were strewn across the corridor, some missing limbs or with their bodies smashed. Near unrecognizable tiny purple corpses with wings were everywhere and hazy black-purple energy lingered on the floor in patches. I even spotted one of our Mightyena and a second smaller one that looked like they killed each other and a Primeape corpse wrist deep in the body of a huge cobra-like snake.

The stench of death, piss, and shit mixed with the screams ringing from every one of the ripped-open doors.

I bent over and vomited. What little bile that had built up over the last day was expelled at the sight and smell, Siren gurgling in concern. I tried to keep it in, but there was no way.

It was a fucking massacre.

Slowking looked at me concerned, seemingly uncaring that he was standing ankle-deep in entrails. "Maybe it would be better if you waited outside."

I opened my mouth to agree. I'd thought I was okay with the Rockets dying, and maybe I was, but I was not ready for that.

At the same time, a voice called out over a speaker system.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!? ARE YOU TEAM ROCKET OR FUCKING INFANTS!? FORM LINES YOU DUMB SHITS, GROUP UP! HOLD THEM BACK! SECURE THE EXPERIMENTS!"

Any nausea or regret vanished the instant I heard the voice. It might be panicking now, having lost the poss accent and overly correct manner of speaking, but I'd never forget that sound.

"No way. Proton's here. I'm not leaving until he's dead."

Slowking didn't look convinced, but the screams and crashing took priority, especially as a large wave of fire blasted out of the only room with double doors. We hurried over to it, me taking extra care to avoid stepping in the viscera covering the floor. Members of our horde came out of smaller rooms as we passed, some limping or bleeding from wounds. A large dinosaur-looking plant thing, with a green mushroom growing like a hat on top of its beige head joined our side, blood dripping from the red claws on its small t-rex arms. Dual claws of the same red color capped off its powerful legs and a long tail with forest green balls formed like a club swayed behind it. As it passed us, I saw blood running down its face from three large claw marks that ran straight across one of its eyes, leaving it a gory mess.

I took a quick peek into the locker room it came from and almost threw up again. I couldn't tell how many people and Pokémon had been in there originally, but only a mess of mutilated bodies and limbs were left. I looked away when I spotted a man that had been launched into one of the gray metal lockers with such force that his head was forced down under his feet which were sticking out, his spine emerging from his back like a tail.

I stopped looking into the side rooms after that. Even Proton's presence could only hold back so much.

Coming to the room the flames had come from, Slowking stopped in the doorway and gasped. His hands clenched at his sides and for the first time I felt unnerved by him. I'd seen him frown a couple of times, and that alone was disconcerting enough on the perpetually smiling Psychic-Type, yet the sheer fury and rage in his eyes, his lips pulling back over his fangs as he full-on growled at whatever he saw, made me stop in my tracks and even take a step back.

It probably should've happened when I realized that he was leading a murder crew, but I suddenly gained a little bit of fear to go along with the respect I felt for the Lord of Sevii.

But there wasn't time for fear. It was time for action and nutting the fuck up. I took a deep breath and stepped up beside him to see what had affected him so.

And immediately gained even more respect for the intelligent Pokémon for his self-restraint.

It was a large room, hundreds of feet long and wide, more like a small warehouse than a single chamber. Unlike the hallway, the floor and walls were not just hard packed earth but looked to have been burnt and polished, maybe even covered in some sort of lacquer as it shined and reflected the various colored lights that shot back and forth between the combatants that took up the center. Machinery, tables with metal cuffs and tools were strewn around, much of it broken from the struggles, IV bags ripped open and leaking different liquids that pooled on the floor. Diagrams and anatomical drawings covered the walls, showing the bone structure and organ placement of different Pokémon I'd seen during my time on Five Island.

I barely noticed all the equipment of the science room or the intense brawl taking place. My heart had dropped to my feet and the nausea had returned with a vengeance.

When I said during my speech that the captured Pokémon would be lucky if they'd just been killed, I'd thought I was talking about being forced to work for Team Rocket and the obedience training involved in that, like what Snagem had done to the Mightyena I faced with Sharon. I'd thought the Rockets might beat the Pokémon, starve them, maybe even drug them if necessary.

I had no fucking clue about the depths of their depravity. Any sympathy for the killed Grunts vanished like smoke in a tornado.

Cages lined the back and side walls, placed under the drawings and posters. The metal prisons were at best three by three feet, solid steel plates at the top and bottom. Filling the cages were Pokémon, many with still attached drops dumping them full of drugs. I saw Rattata staring blankly into the distance, blind to the violent efforts to free them, and medium sized dark gray dogs that reminded me of Mightyena curled up, ignoring everything. Caterpie, red worms that looked like their cousins, easily identified as Wurmples, Metapods, Kakunas, Shroomish, first stage evolutions of every kind so medicated to the gills that they didn't recognise their own parents coming to save them.

They were the lucky ones.

A pidgey mindlessly bashed its head against the bars of its cage, two wings beating furiously. The other pair of wings laid limply at its side, fresh stitches visible where they were attached below the natural ones. A Wurmple tried to crawl forward with the little space its size allowed it, yet was constantly pulled back by the other head that pulled in the other direction, the two Pokémon having been sawn in half and attached by the middle. A ostrich-esk bird laid lifeless, the second, third and fourths heads connected to its neck halfway decomposed, bone shoving.

It just kept going. Eggs cracked open and the underdeveloped fetuses pulled out and dissected, Exeggutors with their lower bodies amputated and dozens of heads rotting all over their corpses, Metapods stitched together in various configurations, Pokémon without half their bodies, but five times the limbs, ones in the middle of decomposing yet still alive, a Golbat without wings or legs and its fangs removed. Every time I turned my head there were more and I had to stop looking, focusing on the fight to try and block it out.

It was a fucking horror show without equal. The bloodbath outside had been bad, but this… this was monstrous. A complete disregard for life that I just couldn't comprehend. Killing was one thing. This kind of torture…

There weren't words.

The combat itself was intense. Zubats and Golbats clashed in the air in a flurry of wings and teeth, blood and venom dripping down on the melee beneath them, the occasional corpse being thrown to join them. The Rockets had managed to establish a perimeter around something in the middle of the room that I couldn't see from my angle, a woman in a white coat appearing to be the leader. Ghost and Dark Types formed their front lines, snarling Mightyena launching pulses of headache inducing void into the frenzied mob frothing for their life's. A brave few tried to engage by physical means, yet were almost immediately overwhelmed. A different canine, even larger than the average Mightyena, lunged at a Breloom with a mouth filled with black-tinted flames. Curled horns of what looked like bone emerged from its head, similar armor covering its back like an inverted rib cage. The Houndoom's attack was swiftly dodged with a side step, overextending it and leaving it open to a kick to the ass that sent it into the middle of its enemies. I refocused my attention as it was covered in blurring fists while two Primeapes took the opportunity to reduce it to pulp, bones snapping as its pain filled yips died almost instantly.

The other Rocket Pokémon were for the most part smart enough to stay behind their protectors. Gaseous purple and black energy swirled around the space in between the two groups, shifting and splitting to intercept any wild Pokémon that tried to make progress. Spiny, needle-like teeth flashed from grinning maws before vanishing into the miasma, clawed hands and leering eyes appearing and disappearing at random. The toxic smoke shied away from the blast of void that was slung back and forth, giving a brief opportunity for a counter-attack, but seemed very effective at keeping the numerically inferior force in the game.

The Rockets themselves were huddled up in the middle, frantically shouting out orders to try and gain control over the slugfest. Several yellow humanoids were among them, most with a white mane around their necks, a large nose and holding a pendulum with their stubby fingers that jumped and strained with pink energy as the Hypnos focused. The other one looked frail, its limbs thin other than the huge bulbous tail sticking out behind it like a dump truck ass. Big mustache-like tufts of fur poked out from its feline face, a red star mark resting between its shut eyes as it clutched a spoon with two trembling hands.

The source of the Psychic-Types struggles weren't hard to find given the light erupting from her form. At first glance, what appeared like a woman hovered by the back ranks of our forces, arms extended to either side. Her head was hidden by a green helmet that resembled hair, green covering her arms as well. A long white dress swayed in an invisible wind under her as she radiated silver energy. I couldn't see her front, but I knew if I could, I'd see a red horn-like protrusion in the middle of her chest.

It was an odd thought to have at the time, and I'd never admit it to Siren, but Gardevoir was undoubtedly the most beautiful Pokémon I'd ever seen. She let out a noise I couldn't describe, like chime music in my soul, as soft pink beams mixed with the silver ones and fired into the enemies, only to be diverted into the ground or ceiling by her opposition.

I turned to ask Slowking how to proceed, yet he wasn't there. Turning back to the fight, I saw him, wading through the crowd with speed I hadn't thought him capable of. A slobbering Golbat swooped down to intercept him. It didn't get within 10 feet of him before a light-blue energy grabbed hold of its body. I didn't even see Slowking gesture as the huge bat was squished into a softball of blood and gore that flew forward with such force that I saw it break the neck of a Mightyena. A wave of his hand had a portion of the miasma swirling together and imploding on itself, the others seizing the chance to push forward.

I felt useless. I'd started all of it and now I couldn't do anything other than watch from the back.

"I NEED ASSISTANCE IN THE OFFICE! JUST GRAB THE FUCKING EGG, WE CAN REPLACE THE REST!"

My mind sharpened. Any doubt vanished like a candle in the wind. Proton was still here and there was something in the lab that he wanted.

And I was gonna make sure he didn't get it.

Everyone was so focused on the brawl that nobody noticed a small child holding a fish moving around the edge of the room. I ignored the poor souls in the cages, just like they ignored me, as trapped mentally as they were physically. It took several minutes to make it to the back of the huge room, even walking faster than I probably should've been, but eventually I got behind and slightly to the right of the Rockets. Heavy steel tables and other large pieces of equipment had been thrown together to create a barricade to protect their back from sneak attacks. It wouldn't hold a grown Pokémon back for more than a couple of seconds, but it would serve to warn them. From my new vantage point, I could see what they were protecting and what Proton wanted enough to delay backup.

A big glass dome was connected to a bowl-shaped machine with a large number of buttons, displays and lights around the edge. A dozen wires ran through small holes in the glass and tracked the contents with diodes that ran back to monitors which displayed more numbers. A single Rocket was messing around with the machine, his youthful and acne marked face pale, sweat pouring down his features while he ripped wires out as fast as he could, trying to get it ready for transport.

And I could see why.

In the middle of what I'd guess to be an incubator of sorts, was an egg. But not just any egg. Siren's egg had been slightly smaller than a football, which had still been larger than anything I'd ever seen before. This new one was at least three times that size, blood red highlights accenting the deep blue color of the egg, clearly defined scales visible unlike Siren's which had merely hinted at them.

I didn't know what was in it, but it was clearly no ordinary Pokémon.

Which meant there was no way it was leaving this room in any hands that weren't mine.

"I'm about to do something stupid," I whispered to Siren, the Feebas quietly gurgling at me in admonishment. "Get ready to cover me."

I slowly crept closer, staying crouched and hoping the makeshift fortifications would keep me out of eyesight. I couldn't see the battle anymore, but judging by the increased speed the Rockets threw out orders at and the higher pitch, it was going in favor of my side with the added force of Slowking.

Soon I was right next to the barricade of random shit. Peering through the gaps, I could see the young Rocket had almost finished freeing the egg, removing the last diode as I watched.

I was out of time. Shifting my grip, I held Siren by the base of her tail and told her the plan. If it could be called such.

"Just like the Snagem Grunt." She didn't offer any protest, yet the look in her eyes conveyed her exasperation clearer than any gurgle could.

Grasping the sideways table before me with my free hand, absently noting the large yellow G on it, I took a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves. What I was about to do was so fucking dumb, but I couldn't hide while these fucks killed everyone around me again. I had to do something.

Even if it was going down swinging.

Literally.

Securing my footing, I leapt up with all my strength, pivoting with my hand on the table. I underestimated the force, still not used to the heightened physicals of my new body, and ended up almost doing a handstand. The miscalculation gave the Grunt enough time to look up from his work and start reacting.

"WHAT THE FUCK-"

SMACK!

Gravity, physical strength, and Siren's short-range, improvised Tackle slammed into the crown of the Grunt's head. His eyes went completely white like in a fucking anime as his knees failed and he crumbled to the ground, instantly unconscious.

I stumbled a little on the landing, though I managed to retain my grip on Siren. The other Rockets had heard the shout and started turning around as I directed my momentum into a lunge for the egg.

A wispy cloud of purple-black toxic gas appeared from the corner of my eye, jumping from the larger mass protecting their position. Huge eyes formed over a large, open mouth with a pair of long fangs chomping down towards my arm. The hand holding Siren had ended up behind me with the lunge, my weight currently balanced on one foot. There wasn't time to bring her around, and even if I could, hitting a ghost with a fish didn't sound like a recipe for success.

So I did the only thing I could. Even if it was inarguably an even worse idea.

Twisting on the ball of my foot, I threw my entire weight behind swinging my arm at the Gastly before it could bite down. My palm hit the side of its man sized face.

SMACK!

I didn't know whose expression was most shocked, mine or the Gastly's, when instead of passing straight through, I hit something semi-solid and springy, like a rubber ball. The Gastly compressed slightly at the force and bounced back a foot, looking completely flummoxed at getting bitchslapped by a child. The confusion was swiftly replaced by anger, the Ghost shrieking at a glass-shattering pitch and preparing for a second attack. It was interrupted by Siren swinging herself up by the tail and nailing it between the eyes with a Water Gun. The elemental attack was a lot more effective than my slap, yet still barely amounted to more than pushing it back a distance, doing little damage. It did seem to piss it off even more as rather than going in for a third try, it gathered a ball of miasma in front of it-

-and was promptly crushed by the jaws of a Persian, its fangs gleaming with abyssal energy. The Gastly evaporated into lingering pockets of ghostly energy as the Persian used the hole it had managed to punch through the perimeter to attack the Rockets from the side. I barely paid it any attention, or the burning, numbing feeling spreading through my fingers, making for the egg again. I managed to grab it, clutching it and Siren close to my chest as I spun on my heel and jumped back over the table I came from.

I twisted in the air and hit the ground back first with a loud grunt. Letting the egg rest against my chest, I held Siren like she was a rifle, pointed up at the edge of the barricade for any pursuers.

But none came. I used my feet to shuffle along the floor back to the wall, Feebas Cannon at the ready, until my back hit a cage containing one of the double-ended Wurmple. Using it to brace against, and quickly shifting the egg to the ground, I pushed myself to my feet and took in the situation. Only then did I allow myself to relax a little.

The Rockets were way too busy to worry about me. The distraction I'd caused had pulled enough attention from both Trainers and Pokémon that the locals had managed to push through. The intermingling layer of Ghost-Types had been dispersed by the combined efforts of the Dark-Types, Gardevoir, and Slowking, with most of the opposing melee fighters falling shortly after.

Even as I watched, the woman in white tried to guard herself as a Primeape grabbed her by the legs. She let out a scream as a Persian, the same one that had saved me from the Gastly, sunk its teeth into her shoulder. The two Pokémon pulled away from each other and I barely managed to close my eyes before a series of snaps and pops were barely heard over all the screaming, followed by a tearing noise and wet splats as something I preferred not thinking about hit the floor.

It wasn't smart, but I kept my eyes closed as the sounds of struggle started dying down. They had it handled.

I flinched when something touched my shoulder, calming down when I saw that it was Slowking. The Water-Psychic-Type had dollops of blood sprinkled across most of his body, yet was remarkably untouched despite the chaos.

"I really had not thought that I would need to tell you to stay back, yet you continue to surprise me. What in the world were you thinking?"

I gave my best smile, but my heart wasn't in it. All the emotional whiplash had left me drained.

"It worked, didn't it."

Slowking hummed, shaking his head at me. "I suppose it did. I will even admit that it sped up the fighting. I still do not condone it. Come," a gesture had me telekinetically pulled to my feet, "Radiant-Moon will see to your hand." He nodded over to the Gardevoir that was floating between injured Pokémon.

At his words the throbbing burning sensation came back. I looked down at my hand and immediately wished I hadn't. The tips of my fingers were colored black that faded into purple halfway down the digits. Tendrils of poison extended all the way to the heel of my palm, veins pulsing and straining. The skin that had made impact with the Gastly was gone, corrupted flesh visible that refused to bleed.

It looked and felt fucking terrible and I really wanted it attended to.

It could also wait.

"Not yet. Proton's still here. We need to get him before he escapes."

Slowking sighed, yet didn't fight me. "If you insist. I understand the urge to conclude this endeavor. Come then, I imagine he is with the last pocket of resistance. Our own Distorted have sealed the area. There is no teleporting out."

Any attempts at avoiding the carnage the lab had been so liberally painted with was impossible. I tried my best to ignore the squelching sound of every step, the way my shoes stuck to the floor, and the wetness seeping through my socks. Despite keeping my eyes on the exit, they flickered with every cut-off gasp and wet crunch as the stubborn Rockets that still clung to life were finished off. The smell was intensifying with every second as more and more corpses released their various fluids. Breathing through my mouth left my tongue covered in a film, the taste of iron overpowering. My head was spinning, dizziness getting worse the longer I was in there. It got so bad I didn't notice that Slowking put some kind of bubble of Psychic energy around my head.

Finally emerging into the slightly less gory hallway, I leaned against the wall and took deep gulps of the filtered air coming through the bubble, Slowking gracefully snatching Siren and the egg from me.

"Thanks. I'm sorry, it's just…"

"A perfectly natural reaction for your first time. There is a reason only the adults have joined us for this little… excursion. This is no place for children. If only you would have been as smart as our infants."

I chuckled weakly. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But I have to see this through." I ran a hand down my face, flinching at the sticky residue left behind. Dark red viscera that I prayed was just blood, clung to my uninjured hand and had been smeared across my features. I could feel a sensation of horror trying to rise up from the bottom of my stomach, yet it was one of the least horrific things that had happened to me lately.

Taking back both my Pokémon and the unhatched one, we made our way down to the end of the hallway. A large doorway faced towards the exit, the door itself laying in splintered chunks on the floor, while shapes moved around rapidly within. As we got to the edge of the frame, that hated fucking voice rang out again, without speakers this time. I almost lost it through the sounds of combat, yet I'd find him in a thunderstorm from miles away if that was what it took.

"YOU FUCKING- FUCKING SHIT! THIS AIN'T OVER YA FUCKS! GENGAR!"

My eyes widened at the last word, rushing the last bit to get into the room. It was as different from the lab as could be when both places were covered in blood. Dark wood walls used to house numerous large paintings for decor, yet the canvases were now decimated and ruined with gore. A massive desk was halfway indented through the left wall, glass shards and golden liquid mixing with the red on the wooden flooring of a similar hue to the walls, hard as it was to see through the mess. A huge leather reclining chair was cut in two incredibly neatly, likely by the Scyther I saw bury one blade-arm in the skull of an enormous Arbok. It appeared to have been a very nice, high-end office before it turned into a battlefield.

I took it all in in a second, rapidly scanning for the fuck. By the back wall, the direction our allies were fighting, and succeeding, to get at, a pair of shapes were quickly moving backwards. I had a moment to see slanted teal eyes, hair of the same color partly covered by a black cap. The man was holding onto a large purple Ghost-Type before the Pokémon pulled him sideways, through reality, and was gone.

I stared at the spot they vanished from in disbelief as the remaining Rockets that had put their faith in their leader were brutally slaughtered. Dozens, if not a hundred, living beings had been fucking mutilated, and at the end of it all… Proton got away?

The fucking cunt stain that was behind it all, fucking got away?

It took until every enemy was dead for me to realize that the rage filled scream was mine.

---

That was a lot but we'll be moving back into some more lighthearted stuff for a while.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Finally made to Kanto! Whooooo... only took 10 chapters...

---

The bark dug into my back through the thin t-shirt, dirt and leaves clinging to my blood soaked pants legs and shoes. It was morning by the time we finally emerged from the hideout, the sun reflecting off the morning dew covered flowers like a plane of crystal, baking the viscera into my skin.

I didn't care, giving a weak smile to the Gardevoir, Radiant-Moon Slowking had called her, as she cradled my Gastly poisoned hand in between hers. She smiled back radiantly, literally, soft pink light emanating from her body, concentrated on the healing she was giving me.

"Thanks." I rasped, throat dry and filled with the taste of iron. I collapsed as soon as I got out, barely making it to a tree. The several days of no sleep other than unconsciousness and however long I was in the PokéCenter was finally catching up to me. My whole body arched, my limbs like lead and lava at the same time. Only Radiant-Moon's efforts kept it even slightly bearable.

The Gardevoir inclined her head at me, still smiling, and I felt her push her emotions at me, modesty and gratefulness. It wasn't like my brief experience with telepathy. There was no pain, though that was probably a me thing, or intrusion. It felt like she opened up her soul and hugged me with it. Tension leaked from my body as I luxuriated in the comfort, body and mind.

A thump! beside me made me crack open an eye. Slowking had sat down, leaning on the same tree. He looked kind of ridiculous with his short, stumpy legs splayed out before him, but I could find no amusement in the sight with the uneven coating of blood that still stained his pink skin.

"Thank you Radiant, but I will take it from here. Could you see to the others, please?"

Radiant-Moon bowed her head again, deeper than she did to me, and cut off the healing energy. I groaned as the pain came rushing back, if diminished from before she began. The Gardevoir gave me one last soul squeeze and a flood of apologetical emotions and floated away to tend to the more injured. Others were already hard at work, smaller green haired Pokémon that reminded me of a younger, skirt wearing Gardevoir and weird pink star shaped creatures with short fingers bounced between the wounded, prioritizing the ones that had to be carried out.

I flexed my hand and winched. It was way better, but still stiff and discolored towards the tips.

"The rest will fade before long. There are those that can not say the same."

I gazed out over the field of Pokémon.

"How many?"

"How many dead? 29 of ours. I expect another 7 will not make it to tomorrow. Not terrible all in all."

I looked at him incredulously. "36 dead isn't terrible!?"

He did the same humm I was starting to associate with him trying to figure out how to explain something in a way I could understand.

"Even a single death is of course a tragedy. I have watched each and everyone of them grow from eggs to the fine Pokémon you see before you. I assure you, I know the names of every fallen, and will carry them with me as I do many others. But for what we accomplished today." He shook his head. "An easy choice for everyone here. A grave threat to us, true monsters, have been removed and hundreds of young ones are being released from their storage even now."

I saw a Caterpie crawl as fast as possible to greet a pair of Butterfree, Poochyena playing with Mightyena, and Mankys scream and holler together with Primeapes.

"I guess."

Silence fell over us for a moment.

"And how many of them?"

"Humans? As far as I can tell, around 20." I avoided thinking about the reason he couldn't tell how many bodies there were. "Pokémon? Around 90 dead. 32 captured."

"Huh."

"You seem surprised." He noted.

"Yeah. I don't know, just thought you would've tried to take more of them alive. The Pokémon, that is."

He hummed again. "We took those that surrendered. I do not doubt that some of them had been put through excruciating trials and that they were not in their right mind, yet if they were given the choice between saving themselves and us taking further casualties in the attempt… another easy choice for most. The captured ones are those that survived their injuries or surrendered, though there were few of those. They will all face questioning regarding their reasons for turning against us. The ones with reasonable excuses will be given all the aid they need. The rest…" he narrowed his eyes." Well, they will be dealt with as well."

There wasn't any need to ask what he meant by that. I absentmindedly stroked Siren as she rested between my legs, leaned up against the egg, as another silence descended over us. Even despite the growls, yips, and other celebrational noises rang out over the clearing, I felt my eyelids grow heavier and heavier.

I was so fucking tired. Physically and mentally. I needed to sleep. To rest.

Which is why I almost growled myself when my companion spoke up again.

"Speaking of things to be dealt with, we have taken stock of most of the things down there. Or, as best we could, anyway. I can not claim to be overly familiar with human science." I should be excited. There was probably quite a lot of loot down there. "There were a fair amount of various chemicals and equipment, though I am afraid that it will all be burnt. There is likely much of it that could be of use to you, but anything even tangentially related to the horrors they performed will be destroyed or used to heal as much of the damage as we can. Apologies if you had you eye on something."

I shook my head. "I don't want anything from that place." It wasn't the smart decision, but even a Potion would only bring back memories that it had likely been used to keep the experimented on Pokémon alive and prolong their suffering.

"Nothing? Oh. In that case, I suppose I will add this to the fire then." Reality glitched and the Slowking was suddenly holding a backpack. The Silph logo on the efront revealed it as a space expanded model. "There were a lot of those pieces of painted paper you humans use to barter with. I had thought it might be of use to you, but I guess not." His dopey smile had a teasing edge to it.

"Money?..." I hesitated. It wouldn't be right. "... I don't know. They likely made it by selling Pokémon."

"Presumably, yes. We do appreciate the thought. Your empathy does you credit. But being completely honest with you, we would think less of you if you turned this down. We will be hording the medicine and food that is left over and take great joy in thinking of those we took it from with every use. Practicality has its place."

Well, I didn't want to offend. "If you insist, then." I took the offered bag. "How much is in here?"

I got a shrug in response. "How would I know? There are 11573 separate pieces of paper, if that helps."

That was fair. Why would he know human currency?

"Thanks."

"Thank you. I shudder to think how long it would have taken to find out about this if not for you." He sighed. "I have been remiss in my duties. Too much peace as of late. I have gotten complacent. But enough of an old Slowking's mistakes. What is next for you my friend? Other than rest, of course."

Siren gurgled supportively at his words, giving me her best stern look. I snorted as she ended up looking more stoned than anything else.

But that was a good question. What was next? I'd been so busy since waking up on that beach I hadn't really thought about it. I'd only had one goal, and I guess I didn't actually reach it.

"... I want to find Proton. I know," I said, raising a hand at the look I got from both Pokémon, "I know. It's not that simple. The battle taught me that much at least. Even if I knew where he was, I'd never reach him. But, in the long term. I'm going to get him. In fact," my hands clenched as resolve hardened in my heart, "fuck the entire Team Rocket. I'll take them all down." Which meant the boss.

Giovanni. The Viridian Gym Leader.

"But for now," I sighed, letting the anger flow out with the air, "I guess I'll stick to the plan and go to Pallet Town. Try to become an official Trainer with Oak. Somehow. I don't know how I'll convince him. Fuck, I don't even know how I'll get there."

"Pallet Town, Pallet Town, why does it sound familiar?" Slowking ruminated on it for a moment before lighting up with realization. "Aaah, yes! Pallet Town! Some of the sea born and winged Pokémon that call Sevii home has told me of it! It is a very large Pokémon elder care of some sort, yes?"

I snorted at the description. "Not sure about elder care, but it's a big place with lots of Pokémon, yeah. Professor Oak, the… head scientist of Kanto? Or something? I don't know, they call him the Professor. He studies Pokémon-human interaction, or something, and the Trainers under him send rare or interesting Pokémon back, or if they just have more than they are allowed to carry. The Professor takes care of them in return for being allowed to study them. I think even wild Pokémon hang out there, as long as they don't cause trouble."

"Sounds like quite the place! I have been told of readily available food sitting out for everyone, and a human, presumably this Professor of yours, watching them from a tree while talking to himself."

"He does seem to be the… eccentric type."

"That is not far from here, actually. Should you wish it, I would be happy to take you."

The offer shocked me. "Really? Are you sure you can leave right now? They might need you." I gestured to the Pokémon surrounding us.

Slowking waved me off as he telekinetically lifted us both to our feet. "They will, but I highly doubt the Moon will fall to the earth in the couple of minutes the trip will take. That being said, I would prefer to leave as quickly as possible. Are you ready?"

"Uh, I guess?" I was caught off guard by the sudden development, though I wasn't about to protest a free teleport. I recalled Siren and picked up the egg. "Here."

The Psychic-Type looked between the egg and me several times, before shaking his head. "No. I believe that egg is better off in your care."

It had been a really fucking long day, and I didn't think anything could surprise me anymore, yet I found myself absolutely flabbergasted. "WHAT!? Are you serious!?"

He looked very amused. "Certainly. You are one of the best candidates to care for that egg in particular."

I grinned, a joyous feeling warming my chest. I'd almost forgotten what positive emotions felt like. "Thank you! Wait, what do you mean this egg in particular? Do you know what's in it? Or why it's so fucking huge?"

Slowking merely smiled enigmaticly and waved his stubby fingers at me in invitation. I sighed at the crypticness and accepted the handshake.

I had the foresight to close my eyes this time, so I missed the stutter in the fabric of existence. It felt like a long blink as I closed my eyes in one place and opened them in another.

We were standing on a beach, the waves lapping at the shore behind us. The sand gave way to grass, huge open plains laying before us, partly sectioned into farms. Grains of various kinds were the primary crops, yet long stretches of soil had bushes filled with colorful berries, some of which I'd seen on the Sevii Islands. Simple farmsteads of a similar type to what I'd expect on earth were dotted in between the fields and the tips of a larger cluster of buildings that I presumed was Pallet were barely visible over the top of a hill.

It was a truly picturesque view and the closest I'd gotten to what I remember my home world looking like, yet instead of nostalgia, all I felt was exhausted at the thought of having to walk all the way to the town.

"You couldn't have dropped me closer?" I complained. It wasn't very fair of me, the teleport was already more than I'd ask for, but I was in pain and tired.

"Experience has taught me that limiting my direct interaction with humans is for the best. Their faces are highly amusing when they hear me speak, but the consequences are rarely worth it. I do apologise, my friend, but you will have to do the rest by foot. One last tribulation before your well earned rest. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, that means so much to me, you fucking…" I trailed off, mumbling insults under my breath. I rubbed at my eyes, grimacing as dried blood flaked off. Not the first impression that I wanted to make, but fuck it. "Seriously though, thank you. I would've died in that basement if not for you guys."

"A mutually beneficial arrangement, for which you owe no debt. All I would ask in return is that you learn some caution and patience. Emotion can take you far, and should never be ignored, yet is dangerous if not tempered with reason."

I bowed my head to him. "I'll try. I can't promise anything, my emotions have been all over the fucking place even before all this, but I'll try."

"I would suggest meditation." Slowking offered, turning to look out over the water. "Not only is it a relaxing practice, but many have found it beneficial when trying to tame themselves. Especially those that come from worlds beyond this one."

I blinked. "You've met other dimensional travelers!?"

Slowking nodded. "Indeed, so have you. All humans origin from beyond our skies."

My mouth dropped open. "WHAT!?"

All I got was that dumb fucking smile. "Until we meet again, my friend."

"NO! Fuck that, you can't just say that and fuck off! And no, we won't meet again. I'm never setting a single fucking foot on Sevii ever!"

My companion merely kept smiling at me, clearly knowing something I didn't. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"No. Naw. Nope. Fuck that. I'm not helping with the Lugia shit! That's Ash's job, not mine!"

Slowking looked taken aback at my words. "The "Lugia Shit"? Ash? Is the time of prophecy so close?"

"The fuck do you mean? You read my mind!? How do you not know that!?"

"Ah." He seemed almost embarrassed, refusing to meet my eyes. "If I could make a confession, my friend." He waited for my impatient nod. "I skimmed your memories, that is true, but only since you awoke in the desert. Everything before that is heavily shrouded in Distortion, and it did not seem necessary to exert myself when I had already ascertained your intentions."

Every time I thought I'd reached the limit of my ability to be surprised, I was proven wrong. "You gaslit me!?"

"I do not know what that means. Anyways," he clapped his hands and started backing away, "it truly has been an experience meeting you my friend. Despite your denial, there is no doubt in my heart that we will see each other again. Especially if the prophecy is truly at hand. Our time together has been short, yet I know you enough to be sure that you will not be able to stay away if the world is at risk. You are a better person than you believe. Until then."

And then he was gone. I wanted to scream, yet the surge of energy didn't stick around and I couldn't muster the will. Instead, I just turned back to the dirt path that led in the direction of the town, released Siren into my arms next to the egg, and started walking, one arching step at a time.

"Hey Princess. Here we are. Pallet Town. Or, almost, at least. Just have to… have to walk a little more. Again. I hate walking." I rambled at her. She wiggled to get higher in my grasp and gave me a little lip smack on the underside of my jaw in comfort.

The fields of crops passed by while I did my best to distract myself by pointing out things to Siren and explaining them. The sun rose higher and higher in the sky and it was nearly noon by the time I finally stumbled to the top of the hill I'd seen from the beach.

"There it is. I can't believe it." my chuckle sounded deranged even to my ears and Siren gurgled concernedly. I petted her as I slowly walked with stiff legs down the path, careful not to fall from the decline.

"Left. Right. Left. Right. You know, this… this reminds me of the desert. So. Much. Fucking. Walking." I complained. "At least this time I have you to keep me company." I cooed at my Feebas, getting a half-happy and half-worried sound in return.

In the games, Pallet Town had been four or five houses, one of which was Oak's Lab. It was a tiny place. I'd known from the farms that it was probably larger in real life, and had confirmed it from the hill, yet it was still an experience actually entering the radically different town.

The dirt road turned into paved cobblestone as it ran parallel to a river I hadn't noticed before. Brick houses with red roofs stood side by side with trees and flowers, nature interwoven with infrastructure. As I progressed further, I saw that the outer houses themselves were built with a noticeable curvature to them, clearly designed to fit within a large circle. Inside the circle itself, the buildings were normal, yet again erected in a straight line along the road. There wasn't any of the normal clutter from an expanding town, alleyways and branching paths from people building new buildings as the need came up. Each house was perfectly spaced, with a large garden behind them and a strip of grass and flowers in front. All of them painted white, with the same barely slanted red roof.

I was a little, or a lot, loopy, but even I could see that Pallet Town wasn't a natural settlement that grew over time. It had been carefully designed and built after someone's specifications.

I knew the townsfolk had noticed me. I saw them pointing and whispering from the corner of my eye as I nearly fell with each step down the path, but I didn't have the energy to bother with them. I was so close. I just needed to get to Oak's.

Finally I got to the center of the town, a large stone circle with a fountain in the middle. It seemed to be the town square based on the shops I saw through bleary eyes. Flower shop, restaurant, what looked like a sort of convenience store, anything one could need day-to-day, there was a store for it. One store, I discovered as I dazedly spun in circles. There were no competitors, only the single store per purpose.

What a weird place.

What I didn't see, however, was anything that screamed Pokémon Lab, or like, Mayor. Nothing official looking, no matter how much I spun around.

"OH MEW!"

My spinning was interrupted by one of the inhabitants finally taking exception to the bloody child that stumbled into their midst. I swayed in place as a woman ran up to me. My vision was swimming, but I could just barely make out her features.

She was a slender woman with fair skin and brown eyes. Her hair was smooth and red, held up in a ponytail with a green scrunchie. She wore a pink short-sleeved jacket with a yellow undershirt, a purple skirt, light green shoes cladding her feet. She appeared to be fairly young, early 30's if I had to take a guess. Her expression was currently one of horror as she took in my appearance.

"Oh Mew, are you okay!? What happened, where does it hurt!?" She crouched down next to me and started patting me down, looking for a wound to explain the blood.

"Do you know where Professor Oak is?" I asked weakly. Not a good or reassuring response, but it was the best I could do.

"What!? The Professor!? Why do you- never mind. We need to get you inside! You're bleeding! Come on." She stared trying to pull me towards the restaurant I'd seen earlier, but I resisted, almost falling over.

"No. No, I-I need to see Oak. I… I need to. Please." I just had to see Oak. Then I would've made it. Then I could rest. I would've fulfilled my promise.

She must have seen something in my eyes as she hesitated for a moment before giving in. "Okay, okay, the Professor has the best medicine anyway. I'll take you, just hold on, it's just up the hill. MIMEY!"

I looked in the direction she indicated and let out a half-groan, half-sob. Next to the town, in the opposite direction I'd come from, was a large hill, tall enough that it towered over the generally hilly area. Trees covered the top, but I could just barely make out red tiles among the leaves.

Footsteps behind me made me turn back around and immediately regret it. Running up to the woman was what I assumed was a Pokémon. It was bipedal, with blue growths resembling clown hair extending from the sides of its pale pink head, and a magenta circle on each cheek. Its jaw was curved inwards, resembling the mouth of a wooden dummy. It had a round, white torso with a magenta spot in the middle, light pink arms and legs that connected to its body via magenta spheres, and small white coverings over its knees. Its white hands resembled gloves with magenta pads on the tips of its white fingers and its dark blue feet curled upwards at the tips.

The weird-ass clown danced as it reached us, hopping from one foot to the other with a disturbing smile on its face.

There was definitely at least a 50% chance that it was just a dude in makeup.

"Mimey, take us to the Lab!" The woman quickly said, the Mr. Mime nodding and placing a hand on her shoulder. It reached out towards me, making me try to lean away.

"I don't want the pedo to touch me." I mumbled as it grasped my shoulder with its weird fucking fingers. By then it was too late, space twisting as we teleported.

Slowking's teleportation had been like a frame drop in reality. You were in one place and then in another instantly. Seamless.

Mr. Mime, Mimey, didn't teleport like that.

A kaleidoscope of colors exploded into existence, reality stretching and contorting like silly putty. I felt an intense pressure squeezing me while being thrown around, like being stuck in a rubber tube that was doing cartwheels. Time and Space became meaningless as I was hurled through a wormhole, every sensory input smacking into me at once-

-the ground slammed into the bottom of my feet. My knees gave out and I barely managed to twist enough to land on my side with a groan, Siren and the egg safe in my arms. Kind of safe at least, as while I fought against the nausea, Siren lost the battle and gulped up what little contents her stomach contained all over my shirt.

Not that it really made a difference. The shirt was already ruined with blood, sweat, and who knew what else. She warbled a groggy apology to which I responded with a groan I hoped she understood to be forgiveness.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay!? Mimey's not the best teleporter, I'm afraid. Can you stand?"

The woman helped me to my feet, steadying me when I nearly fell again. I mumbled a "thanks", taking in our new surroundings.

We were standing atop the hill, right in front of the door to a massive building, in comparison to the rest of the town. The yellow brick building towered over our heads, three stories high, with large windows facing out towards us under a red roof. The Lab was divided into two sections, the one before us with a domed roof and the aforementioned windows, while the side building seemed more like a very big residential area, formed like the other houses down below.

I didn't even wait for the woman, whose name I'd never gotten. I staggered up to the large door, dismissing the movement I saw in the edge of my vision. The button to a doorbell hung ignored on the wall as I leaned my face against the heavy wood and started hammering my fist against the door as hard as I could.

Which wasn't that impressive at that moment. I wasn't sure anyone would even notice if the woman didn't lean around me and hit the bell.

It didn't take long for the door to open, making me almost fall face first into the man on the other side, only held up by a hand on my shoulder. I didn't even look at the person who answered before starting to talk.

"Are you Professor Oak?"

"What? No, I'm- OH HO-OH! WHAT HAPPENED!?"

I wanted to fucking cry.

"Then get out of the fucking way." I grumbled, nearly shoulder checking the guy as I shambled into the Lab proper. I heard the woman exchange some words with him, but didn't catch them.

The inside was huge, the room extending all three stories, with staircases leading to walkways on the sides. The ground floor had a large clear area in the middle, extending to the back where a huge set of double doors presumably led outside. Bookcases, filing cabinets, machines, and computers littered the edges in a chaotic mess that only the people who created it could live with. It honestly seemed mostly like a normal laboratory, if a lot bigger and with pictures of Pokémon everywhere.

It was a lot fucking better than the Rocket lab, that was for damn sure.

I hobbled deeper into the building, trying to find the old man. Someone, I think the guy from the door, ran past me while the woman caught up and started guiding me over to the back left of the room, where a door sat in the wall. I went to repeat my tactic from the other door, but the woman beat me to it, holding me back, and up, while gently knocking herself.

"Professor? Professor Oak!? PROFESSOR OAK!? SAMUEL! SAMUEL OPEN THE DOOR!"

It took less than 10 seconds before she was banging even harder than I'd have, screaming all the while. I frowned.

Why couldn't I bang on the door? It was my visit.

The door opened and a man poked his head out. He appeared to be middle-aged, with peach colored skin, gray hair sticking out in every direction like he just got out of bed. Thick, bushy eyebrows, one lifted questioningly, hung over dark brown eyes. A white lab coat hung open over a light maroon polo shirt, a brown belt, beige pants, and matching brown loafers on his feet.

"Delia? What's the ruckus about? Is it Gabite again? I told Marcus- MEW! What happened?!"

I'd already recognised him, but I had to be sure.

"Are you Professor Oak?" I hated the way my voice warbled.

"Wha- Yes, yes I am. MARCUS!? MARCUS! I NEED CLEFABLE, IV DROPS, AND THE-"

"Can I be a Pokémon Trainer?" I didn't really care what he was shouting about, I just needed him to say it. Confirm that I made it.

That I didn't fail again.

"What!? My boy, you're bleeding. We need to get you-"

"It's not mine. Can I be a Pokémon Trainer? Please? I just… I need to be a Trainer. I need to."

The Professor and the woman who was apparently called Delia, which rang all kinds of bells I couldn't focus on, exchanged a quick look, before Oak turned back to me.

"Yes, yes, of course you can be a Trainer. But first we need to get you looked at."

I don't think anyone was particularly convinced about my wellbeing as tears started rolling down my cheeks, but it didn't matter. I'd sit through however many check-ups he wanted.

I did it. I became a Trainer, just like I promised Ra and the gang.

I didn't fail.

I barely noticed the arms catching me as I descended into full on sobs.

---

The Clefable hummed a tune as it ran its glowing hands up and down over my torso. The sheets of the bed I'd been placed in felt soft and smooth under my fingers, the pillow whispering my name, beckoning me towards the sweet embrace of sleep.

My rather embarrassing crying fit had caused a second round of panic. Before I could gather myself enough to protest, I'd been carried into a side room filled with medical equipment and stripped of my ruined clothes. It had taken several scans from both machine and Pokémon before the adults conceded that I wasn't in immediate danger of keeling over and calmed down a bit. The following shower I'd been shown to had been a wonder of comfort, going a long way to making me feel a little more sane and human.

Being the Pokémon Professor of a region apparently paid well. Oak had amazing water pressure.

My fingers brushed over the raised skin on my forehead. I hadn't had the chance to look in a mirror since… Well, ever. The closest I'd gotten was the oasis I found Siren in. So it took me by surprise when I saw my appearance and the physical reminders of the recent chaos.

A scar ran from near my hairline on the left side, down across my forehead, splitting my eyebrow in two on its way. The damaged tissue was a soft red in color, looking weeks old rather than the two days it had actually been. Another mark, a thin one rounding my jaw on the right side, was fully healed, nothing more than a silver sliver of skin.

Human medicine seemed to have greatly benefited from shit like potions. I wondered if it had any connection to Aura.

I suppose I'd finally have the chance to look into those things.

A couple of bruises dotted my torso as well, the origins of which I couldn't explain, nor did it really matter as they faded under Clefable's attention. It was very skilled, as far as I could tell anyway. I didn't notice a big difference between it and Radiant-Moon, which was as high a praise as I was qualified to give. It had taken less than 10 minutes to clear up the last discoloring of my hand.

A knock on the door echoed through the large room, clearly designed as much, if not more so, for Pokémon as for humans. I called out affirmatively and the door swung open.

The older man, Professor Oak, walked in and gave me a short smile. I'd been too out of it earlier, and still was to a degree, but a minor feeling of giddiness welled up. It was actually Professor Oak. THE Professor Oak. The man had been a huge part of my childhood, despite being a cartoon character, and his face had been burned into my mind. He looked exactly like I thought he would as well, middle aged, yet filled with energy, a youthful spring to his steps, eyes blazing with life.

It was wild. I'd been in the Pokémon world for a couple of weeks by that point, but this was the first character I'd met that I recognised. Technically there was Slowking, yet it was different. Oak being around gave me a decent idea of the timeline. Oak looking like I remembered him meant I couldn't be far from the start of the games or anime. Which was…

Honestly, it kind of fucking sucked. The world was on the verge of ending several times a year and it was left up to children to prevent it. Combined with Slowking's certainty that we'd meet again and that I'd help with the Lugia thing.

Well, things might get rough in the future. Beyond just having to take down a several region-wide terrorist organization led by one of the highest standing members of the government. Or at least, I presumed the Gym Leaders were high ranked. Anything else didn't really make sense.

Though to be fair, a lot of them were kids, which kind of threw a wrench into that idea. Then again, children did seem hyper-capable around these parts.

I was dragged from my thoughts as a chair was placed before me, the Professor sitting in it the wrong way, leaning his arms on the back rest.

"Thank you Clefable. He is already looking much better. Amazing work as always." He smiled at the Pokémon, making it jump from foot to foot in joy, falling much slower than it should, like gravity was more a suggestion than a law.

"Yeah, you really did. I feel great." I backed up the words to the star shaped creatures further joy. It started spinning around while jumping, giving an impromptu ballet performance. Both Oak and I clapped at the sight.

"You're getting better and better at that! Keep it up and I'll have to fight off Wallace from taking you." The Professor chuckled. "If it's not too much trouble, could I ask you to go take a look at Hitmonchan and Machoke? Yes," he answered the Clefable's exasperated look, short arms planted on its hips, "they had another of their competitions. At least they didn't involve Champy this time."

The Fairy-Type shook its head with a sigh and bounced out the door with a wave. I waved back, a thought occurring. If I truly was at the start of either the games or anime, Fairy-Type might not have been discovered yet, or at least not fully.

There might be an opportunity there.

The door clicked as Oak closed it and retook his seat. We looked at each other for a moment before the Professor began.

"Hello there. As you might have heard, I am Professor Samuel Oak, the Pokémon Professor of Kanto. What's your name?"

"Peri. It's short for Periwinkle." The name had grown on me. It's what Ra had known me as, Sharon, Rat, the gang.

"Well, my boy, that was quite a fright you gave us, though it's good to see that you're well. But what happened? That amount of blood…"

I opened my mouth, ready to explain everything that had happened since I left Orre, only to pause. For all that he looked like the Professor Oak that I grew up with, I'd been reminded time and time again that the world was not the same as the one I remembered, no matter the similarities. Oak might've been a good man when he was fictional, but who could say what he was like in reality?

The Rangers were also supposed to be good, helpful people, and they served children up to terrorists over decade long grudges.

It might be better to keep the specifics to myself.

"We were on a boat from Orre when we were attacked. They… they killed everyone else." Even the shortened version hurt to get out.

The Professor sighed, leaning over to pat my knee. "I'm so very sorry to hear that. No child should have to experience such things. Do you know who it was?"

"No."

He didn't appear convinced by my mumbled reply as I avoided eye contact.

"I can't imagine what you went through, and I don't mean to make you relive it, but I can't help if I don't know where to start."

I couldn't hold back a snort at that. Help. Right.

"That's what the Rangers said." Fuck. The bitter words slipped out.

"The Rangers? What Rangers?"

I sighed in defeat. I fucked that up real fast. He might've agreed to me being a Pokémon Trainer, but at this rate he'd be more likely to kick me out.

"The Rangers on the Sevii Islands."

"The Orange League?" His eyebrows shot up. "What about them? Couldn't they find the culprits?"

I snorted again. "Oh they knew exactly where they were, and ran to tell them that I survived as soon as they heard. Dickless fucks."

"Tell who? I'm afraid I don't follow."

I sighed as had seemingly become my habit as of late and started from the beginning. I didn't spare any details, telling him of waking in the desert, Ra, Siren's egg, the gang, our plans to come to Pallet Town, Proton, the Sevii Islands, and finally the attack on the Rocket Lab. The only thing I didn't reveal was Slowking, or at least the specifics, merely mentioning that a powerful Psychic had helped me.

By the time I was done, the Professor had turned pale and was pacing back and forth. I watched him nervously. I'd just admitted to being the leading cause for dozens of human deaths and over a hundred Pokémon.

He picked up on my unease and crouched down before me, taking my hands.

"I'm so, so sorry. You have been through so very, very much. It's okay now. I promise. You're more than welcome to stay here and I swear that should you pass the exam, I will sponsor you as a Trainer. It's the least I can do to make up for the failings of the adults that should have taken care of you. You're safe now. I promise."

The tears threatened to return as I nodded silently, trying to keep myself together. I lightly changed the subject to try and distract myself.

"I-I have money. I can pay-"

"Nonsense." He assured me. "You have more than earned that money, and I would ask nothing other than maybe a little help around the preserve every now and then. It's part of the schooling anyway."

"Schooling?"

"Yes, Trainer School. Or my own little version, anyway. I can't in good conscience send children our into the world without them knowing what they're doing. I'll warn you, I get a lot of requests and my standards are high. You're starting a little late, so you'll have to catch up a bit, but I doubt it'll be a problem for you, if the way you speak of your Pokémon is true. Oh, speaking of, I would also quite like to study that egg of yours. It's not everyday one encounters a Titan natured Pokémon, especially not as an egg."

"Titan natured?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "I'll explain later, or in class if nothing else. The day has been more than long enough for you and I imagine you would like some rest. One last thing, how old are you?"

I shrugged a little uncertain. "Around 10, I think?"

He nodded. "Three years should be plenty of time for you to learn the theory if you dedicate yourself."

I blinked.

"Three years?"

He smiled at me, oblivious to my confusion. "Yes, the standard age for new Trainers is 13. In fact, you'll sit your exams at the same time as my grandson! I'm sure you'll get along famously!"

My jaw dropped.

"WHAT!?"

---

Yeah, Trainers start at 13 in this story. That's both so I can do a bit of a timeskip, and because I don't wanna write 10 year olds.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

So we're gonna be being a bit of timeskipping over the next couple of chapters while at Oak's Lab. I'm sure Peri would appreciate the break.

---

Rays of light broke the dark, the cold shadows banished by the arrival of dawn. Beings of the night scurried into cover, shying from the coming sun that heralded the ending of their part and the time to concede it to their brethren. Flocks of Zubat swarmed around their Golbat leaders as they headed for the trees, staying close to avoid the last hungry eyes of lurking Noctowls and Hoothoots. Murkrows caw'd mockingly from their hidden perches while the withering shadows withdrew further into the shade, large green spiders hurring in their wake.

It had been night when I woke, which was surprising as it had barely been noon when I finally collapsed. The disorientation upon finding myself in the spare bedroom Oak had lent me thankfully faded quickly and lacking a better option while everyone was asleep, I'd made my way out to the back porch overlooking the grounds.

Grass plains and flower beds covered well over a square mile in vegetation, the intermittent bush or tree growing increasingly dense as it turned to thick forest. In the distance, peeking over the canopies, rose a minor mountain chain, the jagged tips shining in the emerging light. Occasionally, a dark dot too far to make out darted to and from the summit, whatever Pokémon that called the rocky peaks home leaving or returning at the change of day. Likewise, Pokémon seemed to be everywhere if one looked hard enough.

Every tall patch of grass shook as they were illuminated, Oddish waking and stretching the remnants of sleep from their spherical purple bodies, Bellosoms and Sunflora moving from their vegetative covers to greet the sun with anticipatory leaves. Rattata and light blue and purple rodents I identified as Nidorans poked their heads out from their burrows and sniffed inquisitively at the morning dew. Pidgeys and their larger Pidgeottos flew lazy circles overhead, keen eyes on the lookout for those too slow to hide. They folded their wings tightly to their bodies, their aerodynamic shapes plummeting like a missile to grasp their unfortunate prey with sharp talons.

It was idyllic in a way I'd yet to experience. Sevii likely had as many, if not more, Pokémon per square inch in the dense jungle, but my time there had been filled with sorrow, paranoia, and grim purpose. I hadn't taken the time to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak. Or Sunflora, or whatever the colloquialism was.

On the left side of the open grounds, a lake shone like a plane of glass in the dawn. A flock of large yellow ducks sat on the shore, quacking at each other in a way that managed to sound confused, randomly falling over or walking into each other. A couple of blue turtles, with a brown shell on their back and a yellow underbelly crawled from the lake and shook their squirrel-like tails. Following behind them, parting the water like Godzilla, came what I presumed was their parent. The bipedal turtle was large, taller than a man and much wider as it stood on its hindlegs. Its body was blue and mostly hidden by its tough, brown shell. Said shell had a cream-colored underside and a white ridge encircling its arms and separating the upper and lower halves, a stubby tail poking out from beneath. Two powerful water cannons resided at the top of its shell over its shoulders. The Blastoise's head had triangular ears that are black on the inside, small brown eyes, and a cream-colored lower jaw. Its arms were chunky, each hand ending in thick claws, the same for its feet, with an additional one on the heel.

The hulking Blastiose had an amused expression on its wide, flat face as it herded its young away. I chuckled as I saw the cause, Siren's little head popping out and glaring at them before she resubmerged and went back to inspecting her new territory.

Atta girl. You show them who's boss.

"She seems to be settling in well."

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sudden voice from behind.

Professor Oak stepped out, closing the open door behind him. He looked rough. The already messy hair closer resembled a bird's nest, stubble visible on his chin as he yawned and dark circles underlined his eyes. He'd discarded his lab coat and shoes, clad only in his red shirt, ruffled now, and creased tan pants. He flopped down beside me with a thump and another yawn, blearily gazing out over his preserve as he extended a mug of coffee in my direction.

"I don't know if you drink coffee. I don't think Gary does, or does he?" The older man mused. "Maybe he does? I think we have some Moomoo Milk in the fridge…"

I took the cup. "Thanks, Professor. You're looking kinda like shit. Long night?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "A long and productive night! I've been studying that egg of yours. Getting it set up with an incubator, luckily I still had the big one stashed in the back, checking its vitals, minor shell samples. Fascinating, fascinating stuff!"

"Right, you said something about Titan nature or some shit."

"Language. Delia will box your ears if she hears you. Gary learned that the hard way." Oak laughed, slurping up a huge sip of coffee and smacking his lips in satisfaction. "But yes, Titan nature. You said you visited Five Island?" I grunted in agreement, a little taken aback by how casually he brought it up. "You might have noticed that the Pokémon of that island tend to be a bit bigger than the average? There's of course always a certain amount of deviation, based on genetics, diet, training, environmental causes, and so on. In fact, the inhabitants of Five Island likely get their size from the particular variety of berries that grow there. The nutritional value is almost twice that of berries elsewhere and despite our best attempts, no one has been able to grow them elsewhere. It's speculated to be a combination of the volcanic soil that is so prevalent on the Orange Islands, and the unique mixture of Pokémon from multiple regions in near equal numbers and the combined effects of their feces serving as fertilizer…" The older man drifted off, scratching at his cheek. "What was I talking about?"

"Titan nature." I reminded him with a smile. The empathy of the day before had taken me off guard, but this was more what I thought he'd be like. A stereotypical obsessive scientist.

"Titan nature, right! Yes. So, some Pokémon are bigger than others, is really all that I wanted to say, I suppose. Sometimes we can tell why, but other times, it's simply a genetic mutation, much like the rare alternative coloration that sometimes shows up. Occasionally, usually only one or two per generation in an area, a Pokémon will be born that is up to twice the size of the average specimen. We call these Pokémon Alphas, as they usually end up in charge of their local community."

Okay, all of that made sense, and I think there was something like that in one of the later games.

"But even rarer than that, much rarer, like maybe one Pokémon per species somewhere between once in a generation, to once a hundred years, depending on the species in question. That rarely, a Pokémon will be born even bigger. Much bigger. If the Alpha is twice the size, Titans are three to five times larger. They are the natural pinnacles of their kind, the summit of random genetic luck. They rule entire mountain chains or whole forests. For example, it's believed based on Psychic-Type testimonials that a Titan Tyranitar rules the Silver Mountains."

"And you believe my egg is one of these Titans?" The thought beggared belief. Why would Slowking give me something like that?

"Oh, I'm certain of it!" The Professor was only gaining steam as he went on, gesticulating with his arms so violently coffee spilled all over his pants leg without him seeming to notice. "All the tests confirm it, all the data is matching up to the Titan Caterpie egg I had the pleasure of seeing years ago! Oh, this is terribly exciting!"

"Why would he give me something like that?"

Like the air leaving a balloon, Professor Oak sunk in on himself with a sigh at my question. "... something we must always keep in mind, and you've seen this yourself, is that for all that Pokémon are as smart or even smarter than humans, they are also much more in tune with their instincts. Some will say that it makes them animalistic. I think that's an oversimplification, and humans are capable of just as base behaviour, but it's hard to deny that Pokémon sometimes resort to more… permanent solutions, than the average human. As I said, Titans end up ruling everything close by when they evolve. There are those, current pack leaders or Alphas, that don't want that to happen. Few, very few, Titan natured eggs make it to hatching, much less adulthood, and most of them are raised by humans. I know of less than 20 Trainers in the whole world who have a Titan."

That would explain it. I knew that some animals back on earth did things like that, killing the offspring of a rival or previous leader, but I hadn't thought Pokémon would do the same.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the wooden boards of the porch creaking violently. The whole structure shook rhythmically as something massive made its way towards us from the left.

The Mightyena of Sevii had been hulking beasts, the largest canines I'd ever seen by far. The Rocket's Houndoom had been a close second, even taller at the shoulders if thinner. Even the Snagem Grunt's Mightyena had been large, though untrained.

They all looked like chihuahuas compared to the monster that rounded the corner.

Over seven feet tall, the massive dog had an orange pelt marked by jagged black stripes, the fur bushy and thick. Diamond-shaped ears with beige insides sat high on its torso-sized head, black eyes hanging over a round, black nose. The huge creature yawned, exposing palm-long, sharp teeth as it smacked its jaw sleepily. Its head, muzzle, and chest were covered in shaggy, beige fur, except for two oval sections around each eye and ear, while its underside was black. The limbs were as thick as my head, long tufts of fur growing behind its elbows and around its ankles. The swaying tail was beige, with a bend in the middle, long hairs billowing in the early morning breeze. Dinner plate paws sunk the wood beneath it as it came to a stop next to the Professor.

The enormous Arcanine sniffed the Professor as he petted it, giving him a long lick up the side of his face and hair, making it stick straight up much to his protest. The Fire-Type huffed in amusement at Oak's attempts to smooth it back down and laid its warm black eyes on me.

I'd seen some very beautiful and graceful Pokémon as of late, like Radiant-Moon, but at heart I'd always been a dog person. And the towering Arcanine was one of the most incredible things I'd ever seen.

I held out a hand towards it, making sure to keep it out of reach and let it make the first move.

"Hello girl," I said with a low voice, after a quick look under it, "aren't you gorgeous."

The mighty canine sniffed at my hand, its nostrils so large I felt my hand jerk towards it on the inhale. It quickly sniffed up my arm and shoulder and started on my neck and chest, shoving its huge head into me and leaving trails of dog slopper everywhere. I laughed as I scratched it behind the ears and under the jaw, making her pant and swing her tail hard enough that the wind ruffled my hair.

The moment was much too short before Arcanine lost interest in me and jumped down off the porch, swaggering out on the plains as more and more Pokémon woke up.

"Smart move, holding out your hand like that. You have a good grasp of Pokémon." The Professor sounded pleased.

"Thank you," my voice was a little breathless as I stared after the Pokémon, "she's amazing."

"Isn't she?" Now he sounded smug. "Her name is Flame. She was my fourth Pokémon and has gotten me through some hard times. She has a gentle heart, despite the incredibly strong body."

"I didn't know Arcanine grew to be 500 years old."

The Professor laughed loudly, throwing his head back. "You're a mouthy one, aren't you!? I'm old, Peri, but not that old. Though I suppose any adult seems ancient to babies."

"Haha. Stick to science, old man, and leave the jokes to me. That was embarrassing."

We chuckled and allowed a comfortable silence to fall over us. I took a deep breath, a small smile on my face.

It was nice. Oak was fun to talk to and there were Pokémon everywhere. The only thing that could make it better was if the others were there with me.

I quickly looked back to the lake to distract myself before I sunk back into the grief and rage. There was going to be a time for that, but if it was gonna take three years before I could become a Trainer and do something about Team Rocket, I had to learn to think about something else. I'd go insane if I stewed in it for years.

They wouldn't want that.

"Is it okay that she's doing that?" I pointed to the Blastoise and Squirtle that were basking in the sun. Siren was still swimming in circles, occasionally jumping out to look at me before diving back down. "I swear she's not normally so aggressive. She's a sweetheart, really. I just think the last few days have her on edge." So much for thinking about something else. I forced my hands not to curl into fists.

Patience.

"I'm sure she is. Don't worry about it. There's always an adjustment period when someone new arrives and everyone figures out how the hierarchy works. If things truly get that far, then Blasty will handle it."

I snorted a little at the name. Flame and Blasty. Not the most original, the Professor. I did however remember a question regarding Siren.

"I've heard of Water-Type Pokémon levitating in mid air. Is that bullshit or actually true?"

"It's true," the Professor nodded affirmatively, "Though it's rarely seen among beginners. Usually takes years to develop to a useful level. It takes a lot of control and stamina to use the innate hydrokinesis that their natural Water-Type energy gives them to hold themself up. If you're thinking about teaching it to your Feebas, I would hold off. From what you told me, she is barely two weeks old. I wouldn't put her through much more than some vigorous swimming for now."

I grunted, mind stuck on something else he said. "Innate hydrokinesis from their Type energy?"

"It's an advanced subject better left for at least after you've completed Trainer school, but quickly and mostly inaccurately explained, Pokémon with a certain Typing is given that Type because they naturally generate energy of that Type, which allows them to somewhat instinctively manipulate that energy and element, compared to a Pokémon with a differing Type. It can still be done, but takes dedicated effort to reach what a Pokémon of said Type is born capable of. Depending on the species and Type, as always. Normal-Types, for example, are generally very quick to learn foreign Type energy, other than Ghost, anyway, and Dark-Types often have a harder time than most. Ghost's, meanwhile, vary so much it's near impossible to confine them within such generalizations."

I had a lot of follow-up questions, but unfortunately, we were once more interrupted as the door opened again.

Much like the Professor before him, a child around my physical age walked out, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He was wearing blue pajamas of a shimmering fabric that reminded me of silk, small Squirtles napping up and down the clothes. A wild brown mop crowning his head with a serious case of bed hair again led my thoughts back to the Professor, as did the brown eyes squinting at the light.

Even before he spoke, I knew who it was. The original rival needed no introduction.

"Gramps? You're not in the lab? Did something happen? Who are you? Did another beggar sneak in? I told you to stop encouraging the thrash."

Gary motherfucking Oak sneered down at me. I wasn't really sure how to react. Gary had been one of my favorite parts of the anime, edgy little shit that I am, and it was kind of hype to meet him, like the Professor. On the other hand, he was also a stuck up, entitled, nepo baby, with a planetary sized mouth on him.

"Helooooo? Did you not hear me? I said," he over enunciated his words and said them slowly, "leave. Gramps. Alone. We don't have time for street rats, there's actually important things to do. So fuck off back to your ditch-"

"Gary! Language!"

Naw, fuck this kid.

"It's okay Professor," I assured him with a completely authentic smile. "It's not the first time some rich kid with inadequacy issues tries to take it out on his betters. It's fine."

"Betters!? You!? Seems they didn't manage to finish beating some sense into you in whatever crack house you crawled out of! Let me guess, even Pewter said you were too ugly to stay around and kicked your bitch ass out!"

"Ho, that's rich coming from the nepo baby! Everything you've ever done and will ever do is because you're riding the coattails of people better than you! Your grandpa is the only reason anyone gives a fuck about you!"

"Gramps, who the fuck is this loser!?"

After being cut off the first time, the Professor had just been watching us with a small grin. At the prompting, he started doing the introductions.

"Gary, this is Peri, from Orre. He'll be staying with us-"

"Orre!? We're allowing thugs in now!? Did we hide the silverware!? At this rate, all of Pallet is gonna be crawling with Unovians within the year!"

"Hopefully you'll get so offended you'll fuck off and spare the rest of us!"

Any further insult was halted as the older Oak laughed while standing up. Still chuckling, he padded us both on the shoulder.

"It's good the two of you are getting along. Now come, I think I hear Delia in the kitchen. You should get some food before school starts."

"School starts!?" I asked.

The adult among us nodded. "Yes, it's Monday after all. Did I not mention that?"

"No, no you didn't. Thanks for the heads up. Also," I continued, pointing up into the shadowed corner of the overhang, "is it gonna keep doing that? Because it's fucking creepy."

Saliva dripped from finger long, needle like teeth, a long red tongue flicking the air through the horrid grin. Two huge eyes stared down at me stiffly as the semi-corporeal Gengar watched me as it had for at least the last couple of hours, and maybe since I got to the lab.

"See! Even Gengy knows you can't trust Orre scum!" Came the predictable interjection from the shit stain. The Professor waved off his grandson and snapped his fingers. The Gengar vanished completely into the darkness, before a black patch darted down the wall and melted into Oak's shadow.

"Sorry about that, Gengy's not usually so social. Now come on boys, you can continue to make friends inside."

Gary and I stared after him incredulously. As he vanished back into the lab, I turned back to Gary.

"Is he okay? Like, in the head?"

The youngest Oak waved me off and followed after his grandfather. "Yeah, that's normal. Gramp's a genius with science and Pokémon, but fucking terrible with people. Still, I'm sure he's put a bowl on the floor for you or something."

"If it saves me from having to look at your ugly-ass face, I'll eat in the woods." I fired back as I walked inside with him.

School, huh? Never was a fan, but it's Pokémon. How bad could it be?

---

Bad, as it turned out.

Real bad.

"GARY! WHAT DID YOU GET ON THE LAST TEST!?"

"98%!"

"WHAT!? I ONLY GOT 72! YOU CHEATED!"

"I DIDN'T CHEAT, LOSER! YOU JUST SUCK!"

"SCREW YOU GARY! I BET I'LL DO BETTER THAN YOU ON THE NEXT ONE!"

"AS IF!"

"ASH STOP YELLING!"

"GREEN! WHAT DID YOU GET!?"

"STOP! YELLING!"

"YOU'RE YELLING TOO! WHAT DID YOU GET!?"

I could feel my eye twitch at the bedlam around me. Kids were screaming at each other, raising their voices continuously to be heard over the chaos, the most innocuous conversation turning into a competition of who could burst my eardrums the fastest.

When I heard that I'd be attending Trainer school in Pallet, I'd imagined a small class, tiny even. The entire town had a hundred inhabitants, how many children could there be?

I'd underestimated how famous Professor Oak truly was.

The 15ish snot-nosed Pallet kids were bad enough. Add in the 30 that teleported in from all around Kanto at the start of the day, and it was actual torture.

"WHO ARE YOU!?"

Especially the main cause of the pain.

I leaned as far back as the desk chair allowed, tipping it to balance on the back legs, to try and escape from the kid that suddenly shoved his face right against mine. Tousled black hair sat like a mop atop a round face pulled into a truly stupid look of inquisition. Huge black eyes peered at me like he'd never seen another human before in his life, a weird lightning bolt shaped birthmark on each cheek distorting as he pursed his lips. The pest wore a blue and yellow hoodie and rolled up jorts of all things, blue sneakers completing the weird-ass get up.

"I'm the guy that's gonna break your nose if you don't get the fuck out of my face." I growled at the little shit. I'd been in the room for less than 10 minutes and was already so fucking done.

Ash Ketchum gasped at me like I'd pulled out a gun. I had problems standing him in the anime and somehow, he seemed even worse in person. Three years of this?

Maybe I should've just fucking stayed on Sevii.

"YOU SAID A BAD WORD! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!"

"He's an Orre thug, what did you expect!?" Gary chimed in helpfully.

"YOU'RE FROM ORRE!? THAT'S SO COOL! WHERE'S THAT!?" Ash's oversized eyes gleamed excitedly at the new info, gap-toothed grin beaming at me, all offense seemingly forgotten. I was going to get whiplash from this shit.

"You're so stupid Ash! How do you not know where Orre is!?" Ash's rival mocked.

"SCREW YOU GARY!"

"ENOUGH! ASH, SIT DOWN!" apparently I wasn't the only one to be fed up as a girl came up and dragged Ash back to his seat. A green hat with leaves on it held back long brown hair that framed an oval face with black eyes. A large teal jacket covered a red shirt and black shorts, green laced sneakers squeaking against the floor as she frogmarched Ash away.

"Okay everyone, settle down." The teacher finally arrived, slumping into the room like he already wanted to be somewhere else. I think I remember briefly seeing the tired, mid-twenties guy at Oak's Lab.

"Children, hello? Hello? CHILDREN!"

Nobody other than me even seemed to notice over the sound of another screaming match between Gary and Ash over something incredibly minor.

"SHUUUUUT UUUUUP!"

I could've sworn the windows shook at the scream the teacher let out. To be fair, it worked. Everyone went silent and sat down, looking at the instructor expectantly. It was telling that I was the only one that seemed shocked.

Acting like nothing happened, the teacher continued.

"Today, we'll take another look at the Type chart. Seeing as we've gone over it multiple times, I expect you to at least remember 10 different types…"

It was going to be a long-ass three years.

---

My lungs screamed for oxygen, each breath growing more and more shallow. Sweat dripped into my eyes and down my neck, shirt clinging to my frame. My legs burned with exertion, each step getting heavier and heavier, yet I continued.

Pain was just weakness leaving the body.

Siren was waiting for me in the shallows, trying to catch her own breath as I rounded the lake for the ninth time. As I passed her, she joined me, trying to find the balance between keeping up with my speed and preserving some energy. She'd gotten better at it as we did it each morning, yet she was still a little too eager and gave 100% right out of the gate.

As I ran, I thought back over the last month since I'd gotten to Pallet. It had been somewhat of a mixed bag. The children fucking sucked, and school was very simple. There were some interesting things, like Pokémon biology which differed enough that it wasn't just a repeat of things I'd already learnt, yet even that was on such a basic level that the nuggets of interest were few and far between.

I'd always wondered how Ash could be so fucking dumb in the anime, but the knowledge requirements for becoming a Trainer didn't seem that high. It was more focused on survival skills and Pokémon management, like what plants and berries were edible, the general needs of each overarching Type, and how to set up camp without disturbing the habitats of the natives and what your reaction should be if you did.

Useful stuff, but not quite what I'd hoped.

It was also for 10 year olds, to be fair. I was sure things would pick up at some point.

Completing the tenth lap I panted, heaving for breath alongside Siren. Keeping my torso straight, I crouched down to give her some attention while we recovered. Getting into shape sucked, but the results weren't to be denied. In just the single month, I'd nearly doubled the length I could run in one go. Nothing truly insane, yet it felt good to make some kind of progress.

"Alright girl, you go practice. It's Saturday, so I'll come visit after I feed everyone, okay?"

Giving me an agreeing gurgle and gentle headbut, Siren quickly swam over to her mentor. The large purple Pokémon looked like two starfish on top of each other, with a red crystal not unlike Slowkings in the middle. I wasn't really sure how Siren made friends with the Starmie, especially with how aggressive she'd been in the beginning, but I couldn't deny that it was super helpful to have another Pokémon help with her elemental attacks. She was almost to the point where her Water Gun could be called an actual attack, though she still struggled with even gathering an Ice Beam.

It would come though. I had faith in her. Already she was nearly 50% larger than she'd been upon hatching and her strength was sure to follow.

Walking away from the lake, I checked the sky and saw I still had around half an hour before I needed to start bringing food around to the various groups. Which was good as my own mentors were already going at it.

Though mentors might be a strong word.

Two Pokémon were duking it out, exchanging blows in a flurry of fists. The smaller of the two ducked under a punch that barely missed the five blunt protrusions on top of its head, its light purple tunic and kilt-like growths that covered its body ruffeling with the fast movement. A red boxing glove-like fist blurred forward and smacked into a blue-gray chest like a gunshot, the dull thud reverberating through the empty fields. The Hitmonchan sidestepped another hit with some fancy work of his boxing shoe-like feet and landed another quick shot.

His adversary growled furiously at its slippery opponent, barely seeming to notice the blows landing against its steel-like muscles. Its vaguely reptilian face was twisted into a grimace with narrowed red eyes, the short snout bearing the four pointed teeth inside its mouth. On top of its head were three brown ridges. Muscular arms hammered down at its faster enemy, the dark red, vertical stripes on them growing more and more indistinct as it abandoned defense for overwhelming offense. The lower part of its body was planted solidly on the ground, black markings that resembled briefs covering its crotch area, gold belt buckle flashing as it twisted around.

The Machoke feinted with its left arm and finally landed a monstrous punch to the Hitmonchans stomach that sent it flying back. Machoke followed immediately, yet still didn't make it before Hitmonchan was back on his feet and barely managed to slip the attempted follow up. Both Pokémon were breathing heavily, damage slowly stacking on Machoke while the single hit did a lot of damage to Hitmonchan.

They'd shown up a couple of days after I got there, having apparently beat each other to a pulp the same day, as I recalled Oak telling Clefable. The two had an intense rivalry and constantly fought each other, or any other Pokémon that got too close.

Setting my feet and steadying my breathing, I did my best to copy the movements of the Hitmonchan. It wasn't great, I could barely see him move most of the time and sometimes not at all, but it was better than Machoke. I simply didn't have the physiology to tank damage and deal it back out like it could. The only useful thing it had for me was the great form it had on its punches.

How much I was actually learning to fight was dubious at best, but it was the best I had. Hopefully, with time and combined with the meditation I did after I woke up, I'd at least have an idea of how to unlock Aura. Bruno, as far as I knew, literally just trained with his Pokémon and grew superhuman. It was the best lead I had.

That had been my routine for the last month. Wake up before dawn, meditate, run with Siren, try to imitate the Fighting-Types, feed and wake the more friendly Pokémon I was allowed close to, and then school or relaxing in the preserve on the weekends. The reduced need for sleep really came in handy. I knew I should be spending more time with humans, yet I didn't care. Oak was nice and all, but Pokémon were so much better.

While school and my peers, humans in general, were less than ideal, staying at Oak's Lab was otherwise great. Even if the Professor and his assistants were reluctant to share knowledge that they deemed 'above my level', the hands-on experience with the Pokémon more than made up for it. It hadn't taken long to convince Oak to allow me to help take care of the preserve, supervised by the Lab Assistants, of course.

30 minutes later, the dawn broke, reflecting off the large droplets of sweat that covered my entire body. Everything hurt, my muscles screaming at the exertion I put them through, but it was a good burn. A burn of progress.

Taking it slow, I made my way back to the Lab for a quick shower before I started the day, greeting Flame as she woke to greet the sun. The mighty Arcanine let out a yawn, maw opening wide enough to fit a man's head with ease.

"Good morning Flame. Cuddles?" I asked, opening my arms wide so she could get a good sniff of my stench. She averted her face with a scrunched nose and quickly got up when I feinted going for a hug. We danced for a moment as I tried to block her escape and grab her, but with some quick footwork, she managed to duke me and run off, tongue hanging joyfully from her mouth. Chuckling, I continued on my way to the much needed cleaning.

Before I'd even made it to the porch, however, the doors slammed open and the Professor stumbled out, frantically looking all around. When he saw me, he lit up and waved at me enthusiastically.

"PERI! There you are! Come, come! It's time!"

I sped up while frowning in confusion.

"Time? Time for what?"

He took me by the shoulders and dragged me behind him as he hurried into the Lab. Experience told me that it was likely something either science or Pokémon related as that was the only time Oak got really excited, but even then, I'd never seen him that animated.

"The egg! Your egg! It's hatching!"

The words had barely reached my ears before I tore loose from his grasp and ran ahead of him towards the side room that held the various eggs Oak took care of for various reasons. Most, he'd explained, were those that didn't have parents and whose species didn't take kindly to raising non-blood related babies. I heard him huff in amusement at my rush as he ran after me.

The door banged open to the hatching room. Incubators lined the walls, attached to machines that beeped away in a choir, yet I ignored them, eyes only on the one in the middle of the room.

When Oak had first shown me the setup he'd made for the egg, I'd been uncomfortable with how much it resembled the Rocket's. Wires ran through the glass dome to connect to the shell, machines showing the heartbeat, temperature, and what I assumed was some sort of energy, presumably Type-energy. Oak had tried to tell me exactly what it did, but as so often happened, he kind of just went on a rant that flew way over my head.

But now, the wires had been disconnected and the glass opened up to allow the egg room to move as it shook violently in its cradle. Thin cracks ran along the surface, inching their way lower and lower even as I reached it and leaned in to watch with bated breath, my heart hammering even more than when I was exercising. I vaguely heard Oak say something to the gathered assistants that were crowding around and footsteps leaving the room. A hand on my shoulder made me briefly glance at the Professor before refocusing on the much more important matter.

"Alright my boy, we'll be right outside, watching on the cameras. The first meeting between Trainer and a newly hatched Pokémon is a magical moment and the imprinting process that takes place sets the tone for the entire relationship. It's especially important with Pokémon like this one."

That got my attention.

"You know what it is!?" I asked accusatively. Why hadn't I heard of that!?

The Professor looked confused even as he backed out of the room. "Oh, did I not tell you? It must have slipped my mind. Oh well, you're about to find out I suppose!"

I didn't have time to ask anymore questions as the door closed behind him, nor would I've. Again, there were way more important matters at hand.

Once the process had begun, Siren's egg finished hatching in less than 15 minutes. That was not the case with the Titan. Hours passed as the cracks slowly spread throughout the entire shell, a spiderweb of white strands on a sea of midnight blue, like mosaic. It vibrated and wobbled back and forth, whatever Pokémon within desperate to escape from the casing holding it back. A small chip pinged off with force, nearly hitting me in the head. Examining the small piece, I saw that it was almost three times the thickness of Siren's egg.

No wonder it was taking so long.

I whispered encouragement as the cracks grew deeper and thicker, small chunks raining from it more and more frequently. The tiny openings were pitch black, obscuring any details, but I could definitely see something moving around in there.

Roughly three hours in, the egg fell still. Bits and pieces of the outer shell littered the incubator and floor around us, the egg as much fissures and holes as carapace by that point. I held my breath, thinking that was it, the Pokémon was about to emerge.

One second passed.

Five seconds passed.

My heart was thudding like a piston.

10 seconds.

20 seconds.

My eyes grew a little shifty, darting all over the egg in growing concern.

30 seconds.

40 seconds.

Something was wrong. Why did it stop moving? What was going on?

50 seconds.

I got up from my chair. I didn't understand why the Professor hadn't come in, but maybe everyone was getting coffee. I should go get them.

60 seconds.

As I turned to run through the door and get help, the egg briefly shook like it was caught in an earthquake, before fucking exploding like a bomb.

C-CRACK-BOOOOM!

Shielding myself from the improvised shrapnel with my arms, I felt the sharp bits of shell rip through my clothes and tear gashes into my skin. Hissing at the pain, I waited a moment before lowering my hands and looking at my newest Pokémon, my heart in my throat.

"Ba?"

Standing on the incubator, turning its dark blue, reptilian head in confusion and wonderment at the world, was a just over one foot tall, bipedal Pokémon that vaguely reminded me of a dinosaur. A large round snout sniffed at the air curiously, yellow, circular ears similar to a reptile's twitching at all the new noises, and a yellow lower jaw with two teeth protruding upwards chewing on nothing as it tasted the air. Three thick, gray ridges covered the top of its head and continued downwards to cover its neck as well. Its underside had a triangular patch of dark yellow that it idly scratched at with its stubby, digit-less arms, short legs with two toes on each foot crunching fragments of its previous prison as it shifted unsteadily.

Its triangular eyes blinked at the bright lamps, slit pupil contracting and expanding for the first time, before its gaze landed on me. Its peepers lit up at my presence and it held out its arms cheerfully.

"BAAAEEEEEEEEERR!"

The Bagon waddled forward, only to tumble off the edge of its perch. Desperately, I dived forward and just barely managed to catch it without either of us falling, only to be dragged down to the floor anyway from how unexpectedly heavy the baby Pokémon was.

Fucking hell, it must weigh over 200 pounds! The egg hadn't been anywhere near that fucking heavy, what the fuck!?

The Bagon cried out gleefully at the fall, seemingly overjoyed. It gazed up at me curiously, sniffing furiously, before cuddling into me with another, softer cry. I smiled down at it, ignoring the ruckus by the door, consumed by the unbelievable luck.

Not only was I given a Titan natured egg, it was also a Pseudo-Legendary!? I had to suppress my maniacal laughter at the future weapon of mass destruction in my arms. Any doubt about becoming the greatest Trainer ever was dispersed.

"I even know your name already." I cooed at the automatic ticket to the big leagues. "You're gonna be Behemoth. Betty for short."

Betty let out another happy cry at my words, seemingly pleased by the name. Mouth wide open, it leaned into me again and-

CHOMP!

-sunk its teeth into my shoulder. I cried out, shaking my arm desperately to try and get it loose, but it held on, whining in a way that reminded me of the sound humans made on a rollercoaster. It didn't really hurt, truthfully. The newborn's bite strength wasn't enough to do more than just barely breaking the skin, but the shock was more than enough.

Finally, the little demon dislodged and was sent rolling across the floor, tumbling head over heels. It came to a stop and dazedly shook its head, before getting up and running straight at me again with open arms and jaws.

I mentally sighed as I got ready to try and somehow intercept it in a way that didn't leave me as a chew toy.

Even when luck was on my side, it still wasn't simple. I really hoped that it wouldn't become a pattern.

---

A fucking Titan Pseudo-Legendary. Peri's luck is extreme in both directions.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Still speedrunning the passage of time. Also, a look into a complicated man.

---

The office was dark, a single sharp fluorescent lamp on the large wooden desk facing the door. It was an old tactic. Limit the visibility of the other party, shroud yourself in darkness and mystery, and establish the balance of power. It had been used to great effect during the war. Many prisoners had cracked after only mild interrogation due to such tricks.

Humans were simple creatures. Whether war, politics, business, or casual acquaintance, there were only so many emotions and responses. The degree of severity had to be adjusted based on the conversation, yet the strategies themselves rarely did. It was the main reason the desk was as huge as it was, and made of Fiore Oak. Hideously expensive and almost impossible to import, but the display of casual wealth gave the image he wanted. It also sent a message.

Shifting his Vileplume cigar, he lightly ran his fingers over the lacquered dark wood. It almost brought a smile to his face, knowing that the largest species of oak in the world had been cut down for his convenience. The mighty Oak, brought low by money, influence, and time.

It was almost prophetic.

The Tauros leather chair creaked as he leaned back, the incredibly high back towering over his head. Another power play, like the bright Charizard hide suit he wore. The chair was comfortable enough, but the suit burned his eyes everytime he had to put it on. A small sacrifice at the end of the day, but an annoyance nonetheless.

The phone on the desk rang. Letting it go for just over four rings, he hit the speaker button.

"Yes."

Not a question. A statement. A superior did not ask, he commanded.

"Sir, Executive Proton is here for you."

"Send him in."

It would take less than a minute for the Executive to traverse the hallways that led from the reception to the office. His black eyes scanned everything again. The light was dim, the chairs had been removed from in front of the desk to signal the lack of hospitality, a Froslass lurked in the corner to lower the temperature and give an ominous feeling. Everything was in place.

Just in time too, as a knock rang out from the door. Counting to six, he subtly straightened while still appearing casual and answered firmly, but without raising his voice.

"Enter."

The door opened and the teal haired man entered. The failure didn't even dare to meet his eyes, dropping down to one knee as soon as the door closed seemingly by itself behind him.

A small threat that there was an active Pokémon in there with them.

He remained silent for a moment, lifting the cigar to his lips and leaning down to his right. His friend stopped rubbing his face against his leg and cracked open its jaws. A thin beam of fire shot from the Persian's mouth and lit the tip of the cigar. Proton flinched at the flash of light, giving him a feeling of satisfaction. It felt good, making men like Proton fear his mere presence. A far cry from the sneers they used to send his way.

Scratching Persian behind the ears, the big feline let out an exaggerated purr that almost crossed into a growl. Proton flinched again.

"Explain to me," he began slowly, dragging out the words to prolong the moment, "how exactly you managed to be such a colossal failure? It was a simple task."

He ignored most of the man's sputtering attempts to make up excuses to soothe his ego. He had already read the report and had teams search the destroyed lab. There had long been rumors of a powerful Psychic on the Orange Islands. The fact that it could, or would, organize such an attack was a surprise, but there was little Proton could have done against such overwhelming odds. The loss of the Sevii base was regrettable and so were the wasted resources that went into keeping it secret even from the majority of Team Rocket, but few truly had the stomach to know exactly what sacrifices progress required.

The cost was significant, in men, Pokémon, money, and especially potential. His researchers had not managed to figure out exactly what Pokémon was in the Titan egg, but they were fairly certain it was dragonic in nature. Given that it was found near Blackthorn, there were only so many possibilities.

Losing a Titan Dragonite was not something easily forgiven.

"Enough." He declared. Silence hung over them for a moment as he let Proton stew in his misery, before continuing. "I don't care for your excuses. You will be making this up to me."

His Executive nodded furiously and promised the world in return for leniency. That was good. There was little he could actually do to punish Proton. So much hinged on the older families' support. He couldn't be seen being too harsh on one of their heirs. Not yet, anyway. He could, however, drag as much money as possible out of them, bleeding them dry until the time came.

"Report to Arianna in Celadon until further notice. You will likely be sent to Hoenn to aid our comrades there. Dismmised."

He could see that the idea didn't sit well with Proton. The man had an extremely high opinion of himself and the thought of roughing it in the Hoenn wilderness must have gnawed at him.

As intended.

The door had barely closed behind the Executive before he threw the cigar at Froslass to devour, the lit stick disappearing into the shadows. Persian leaned away from him with a disgusted growl, sneezing several times in protest.

The sacrifices they made for power.

But soon, it would all be worth it. He swiveled around in his chair to look at the map behind him. Red dots covered large parts of Kanto and Sinnoh was not far behind, with a lesser but still decent and ever-growing amount in Johto and Hoenn.

It was almost time. Just a little more and 30 years of planning would come to fruition. After all the sacrifices and setbacks, the mocking and patronizing. Everything would finally be as it should be.

He smiled at the thought. It was a rare thing for him to do, but he was so close.

Soon, nothing and no one could stop him. Not the spineless League politicians. Not the Blackthorn brat disgracing the throne of Indigo. Not that fucking cowardly traitor Oak.

The world would finally realize its rightful place.

At the feet of Giovanni.

---

The keys clicked and clacked as I pounded away at the keyboard. The interface was fairly simple to navigate, reminding me of Windows back home, but calling the PC cluttered was understating it. Treatises on the divergent evolutionary paths of Oddish and the possible shared ancestry with Roselia laid in the same file as birthday emails from CEO's and pictures of a younger Oak in bathing trunks on the beach.

It was a fucking mess of unorganised shit, and if I hadn't gotten to know Oak over the last three months, I would've thought it was deliberate.

But no, he was just a chaotic person that thrived in his own mess. Though he should really close his computer when he was done with it.

The office was dark as I searched around for anything useful. It was the middle of the night, and the Professor had for once gone to bed at a reasonable time, on the back of a 30 hour work marathon. I'd seen my chance when Gary had to support him as he stumbled towards his room, slipping out of my own several hours later, leaving Betty snoozing on the large bed Oak had gotten for her in my room.

I'd tried to let it go. I'd tried to dedicate myself to the Pokémon of the reserve, to Siren and Betty, to focus on school, but I couldn't. No matter how much I meditated, no matter how much I exhausted myself everyday, it gnawed at me, a dark shadow lurking in the back of my mind.

How many people were dying? How many Pokémon were suffering at the hands of the fucks while I sat around and played kid? How could I fucking sleep when the Rockets were out there, doing their shit unopposed?

The PokéNet, which was a real thing, hadn't been particularly helpful. There were news reports of robberies, both of stores and of Pokémon, but few were attributed to Team Rocket, and the ones that were downplayed the group. A "petty group of criminals", a "couple of disgruntled lowlifes". There was no way they actually believed that.

Either the League was deliberately downplaying it, or the Rockets had their fingers in the media as well.

The online forums had been a little more helpful, but only just. They at least agreed that Team Rocket was a serious problem, dozens if not hundreds of people gathering together to share their stories. Being attacked on the less patrolled roads or in the wilderness, Pokémon theft, scams, fraud. Basically every crime under the sun could be found on the forum. Yet, if anything, they somewhat oversteered from the media. Everything, no matter how small or confusing, was placed at the Rockets feet. Someone selling fake evolutionary stones? Team Rocket. The Pokémon you had your eye on was caught right in front of you? Team Rocket. You stubbed your toe on a rock? Team Rocket placed that rock there. I understood the urge, but it wasn't very conductive to actually make people take them seriously. The enthusiasm of the online community had kind of driven Team Rocket into the conspiracy category.

Maybe that was on purpose? Maybe the more rabid of the forum people were Rocket plants, trying to make their victims seem delusional?

I leaned back in the worn office chair and rubbed my eyes. I was starting to sound like the lunatics I was critiquing. Maybe it was time to stop. I couldn't find where the fuck Oak had stored the League files he surely had access to.

"Not finding what you were looking for?"

The lights switched on. Standing in the doorway, having entered without me noticing, stood Professor Oak, looking remarkably awake for a man supposed to be asleep.

"Ehh," was my clever comeback, "I thought you were sleeping." Great excuse, Peri, he'd definitely let you off the hook with that.

"Oh I was. Nothing like resting after a productive session. Imagine my surprise when not only Gengy, but Aly as well, notified me that you were snooping around."

His shadow withered at his words, eyes and a large grinning mouth briefly forming. Son of a bitch, was that thing still following me!?

"Aly?" I asked, trying to buy time.

"I suppose the two of you haven't met. My Alakazam." Space distorted at his side, a whirlpool twisting the fabric of existence as a Pokémon teleported in. I barely had time to take in the smoothness of the technique, or the yellow and black body of the very thin, feline faced Pokémon suddenly in the room with us, long mustache twitching as it looked at me, before it was gone again. "He doesn't like people much. He prefers tinkering in his lab."

The Professor stared at me after finishing speaking, face neutral. Not good.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have-"

"I let you into my home." Oak interrupted me. "I've shared my food, my knowledge. I let you take care of the Pokémon and attend my school despite having thousands of applicants. And you repay me like this."

My ears burned with shame, eyes locked on the floor.

"I'm not going to ask what you were looking for. I can guess. I even understand why you did it. What I don't understand is what you will do with the information. If you found some clue, a possible location of a base, what was the plan? Were you going to charge straight at them with a young Feebas and a newly hatched Bagon, Titan natured she might be? Please, explain."

"I don't know," I mumbled to the wooden boards. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so close to my physical age. "I just had to do something."

"Peri." The Professor sighed, moving from the door to crouch in front of me so I was forced to look at him. I was reminded of the first time we met. "You are a child, who's not even a Trainer yet. I understand, I truly do, but you can't do this."

"Then who is, huh!?" I wasn't fair to the man, he had been nothing but kind and helpful, but the frustration bubbled over. "The League!? They barely admit they exist! The Rangers are corrupt, maybe the media too! Who's gonna do something!? You!? You keep saying you understand, but you can't!"

Silence fell over us again after my rant. I was about to apologize when the Professor started talking slowly.

"I understand, because Team Rocket has taken much from me too. I won't go into it, but suffice to say, the Rockets have had their fingers in more than a few of my personal problems and tragedies. Don't ask," he preemptively cut me off, "I won't tell. Nor can you tell Gary. I won't have him grow the same obsession as you."

I nodded mutely, a fresh wave of shame washing over me. I hadn't known that. Mentioning Gary didn't leave much room for interpretation. Gary's parents, much like Ash's father, weren't touched on in canon.

"It's because I understand that I'm telling you this. You have to find some sort of peace with it. I know," he really wasn't letting me get a word in, "I know. It seems impossible. Some days it is. But what is the alternative? Stewing in your hatred day after day, blind to the people around you? Pushing everyone away for the sake of your crusade? What about after? If you did take down Team Rocket and you find yourself all alone, what then? Take it from an old man who has seen too much. Violence only breeds violence. You attack them, they come to hate you, they attack you, your hatred grows. Where does it stop? How many graves, friend and foe, are you prepared to dig for this?"

I didn't have an answer. I understood his point, and even agreed somewhat. The thought of Siren, of Betty, getting hurt because I couldn't let it go…

"I would like you to talk to a therapist. A trustworthy one," he dismissed my concerns before I could even voice them, "an old friend of mine. She's very good, and discreet."

I wasn't in any place to disagree at the moment, even if I wanted too. It did, however, touch a different concern that I had.

"So you're not gonna kick me out?"

He sighed. "No. I'm not going to kick you out. You're going to be mucking the Tauros stables for the next many months and I expect you to attend every meeting with the therapist, but yes, you can stay."

Tension leaked from my body as I collapsed in my chair.

"Thank you."

"Of course. Now, why don't you go make us some coffee since we're both up. I've been meaning to study Noctowl mating habits and it's the season."

He patted me on the shoulder as I nodded and got up to get the caffeine. The Professor didn't mention anything when it took a couple minutes longer than necessary.

I had a lot to think about.

---

"Good morning Peri!"

Breakfast was already in full swing when I descended the stairs. Delia was cooking up a storm by the stove, eggs, sausage, and bacon flying onto large plates on the table. It had been quite a revelation to learn that humans actually ate Pokémon. Most kept to the various grain and artificially created substitutes, and when venturing into the carnivorous it was mostly Pidgey eggs or the elderly that were near the end of their life, but it was a thing for rich people.

Thankfully Oak was loaded and preferred locally sourced, non violently obtained versions. Chansey eggs, Moomoo milk, vegetables, and Ditto meat was the usual menu. The Professor had gone on a rant about the technological marvel of the transforming, sentient, bubblegum and lamented Cinnabar's unwillingness to share how they made it. He had some unflattering things to say about Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar and leader of the Lab over there. Apparently they had some history.

I grunted in acknowledgment at the greeting, floating down into my chair at the far end of the dinner table. Gary and Ash were already going at it, the Ketchums joining the Oaks for breakfast and dinner more often than not, so Delia could make sure Gary, and the Professor, actually got something to eat other than cereal. Said Professor was nose deep in a newspaper at the other end of the table, ignoring the racket the children he was caught between was causing.

"What's got you so pissy, huh? Finally realized that you can't steal actual talent? I'd have thought even Orre scum like you would have known that."

To say Gary had been upset over me having a Titan Pseudo-Legendary, not that they were called such, would be an understatement. Sure, he'd always been a dickhead and we'd never been friends or even cordial with each other, but after Betty hatched, he'd become straight up antagonistic. I'd overheard him begging his grandfather about getting a Titan of his own as a starter, but get turned down.

Which only made him angrier, convinced that I'd stolen the egg somewhere.

"Not in the mood Gary." I mumbled, shoveling food in my mouth and chewing without tasting it, scowling at the table.

"Yeah, leave him alone Gary!" At least Ash had my back, when he wasn't bombarding me with questions I didn't want to answer. True to form, he'd reacted with cheerfulness when he met Betty, after a brief bout of jealousy of his own. Annoying dumbass he might be, but I couldn't deny that he was a decent person.

"Stay out of it, loser. Not my fault the golden boy is having another fit over whatever. Probably assaulting a random civilian or something messed up."

My hands clenched around the cutlery. "Gary, I'm warning you. Stop."

"Yes Gary, that's enough. Eat your food before it gets cold." Delia, delightful woman that she was, cut in, placing another plate bulging with food on the table.

Gary held up his hands in fake innocence. "I'm just saying, we don't know what kinda things he did. Probably murdered someone or got them killed-"

SMACK!

"PERI!"

The youngest Oak fell backwards out of his chair with a cry of pain as my fist smashed into his nose. I barely heard Delia's outburst, or Ash's, or the Professor's as I charged out through the door to the hallway and further out to the reserve.

I scrubbed my face with my hands as I power walked. I didn't even greet Siren as she came to say hi to me, simply sucking her into her ball and clipping it next to Betty's, before spinning on my heel and marching back past the Lab and down to Pallet Town proper. I ignored the waves and words of the people I'd met a couple of times over the last year, blind to everything except my destination. The hills and farms passed by in a blur, and before I knew it, I was flopping down into the sand by the shore.

I shouldn't have done that. Yeah, Gary was an asshole, and punching him felt fucking great, but he wasn't even 12 years old yet. Smacking children for being rude wasn't a great look. Usually I just fired back, but today…

I sighed and grabbed my Pokéballs. Two clicks and flashes later, I was joined by the only beings I wanted to spend time with at the moment. Siren materialized in the sea, looking around confused by her change in surroundings before recognizing where we were. I hadn't talked about the day coming up, yet I saw the spark of realization in her droopy eyes. A frown of concentration darkened her features, lips pressed together tightly. She wobbled in the water, rocking back and forth in a way I would've thought to be the waves, yet the ocean was near mirror calm. The rocking intensified and she drew closer to the shore, more and more of her body exposed as she left the sea behind. A smile broke through my dark mood when I saw that she was hovering an inch over the sand, dipping occasionally to brush the grains, yet never falling. I held out my arms for her, letting her show off and make the journey on her own.

"Look at you," I praised as she fell into my arms with one last jerk, letting out a deep sigh of exhaustion, "getting so strong and big. Can't believe my girls are growing up so fast."

It was true. Siren had grown nearly 60% since she hatched, around one and a half feet in length. My research told me that much like Magicarp, Feebas grew slower than almost any other Water-Type, in both size and strength. Her progress showed her determination.

Though she wasn't the one with the biggest growth, I was reminded as a second Pokémon smashed into me with a cry. It was only 9 months of training that held her back enough to not send me flying, and even then it was close.

"NO! Betty, no teeth!" I managed to get a hand on her snout to keep her jaws away. She screeched sadly, collapsing onto her ass in the sand, looking like I just killed her parents. Said overreaction immediately disappeared when I scratched her under the chin and she scrambled to her feet, sniffing up a storm as she inspected the new area.

If Siren's growth had been impressive to witness, then Betty's was mind-blowing. She'd been a little over a foot in height upon hatching and less than a year later, she was closing in on three feet and weighing a staggering 330 pounds. Dragon-Types grew slowly, reaching full maturity typically at the age of 15-20, if not older. As was often the case, the most rapid growth was seen in the first couple of years before slowing down as it approached the maximum, so the explosive rate her size was increasing at should be slowing down, but how much did that really matter when she was already bigger than a Bagon 30 times her age?

The average Salamence was around 18 feet from head to snout. The way Betty was going, I'd not be surprised if she reached 60.

Behemoth truly was the right name for her.

Her personality, on the other hand, hadn't changed as much. Picking up a loose rock from the sand, I lightly threw it at her when I saw her approaching a frantically fleeing Caterpie, jaws opened wide.

"Betty, no. Bad girl."

The distraction of having to look back at me with a wounded expression gave the Bug-Type time to slunk into the undergrowth and vanish from the hungry dragon. I didn't enjoy using force to make my Pokémon listen to me, light as it was, but it truly was the only way.

Dragon-Types lived by the expression 'Might Makes Right'. Even with the parental bond we shared from being the first thing she saw upon hatching, she rarely listened to me without me having to physically get her to do so. According to Oak, it was how the rare Dragon-Types that actually took the time to raise their spawn taught them as well, though they were much less concerned about it.

She never took it personally either, as evidenced by her eyes lighting up when she spotted a large boulder. She charged at it, feet kicking up sprays of sand behind her, and let out a high pitched war cry as she lowered her head.

BONK!

She feel on her ass again, shaking her head dazedly as I winched, both at the impact and the small cracks in the stone.

The bone plates covering her head were nothing to sneeze at. She shook off what would've concussed or outright killed any human and tried her best to scramble up the rock without fingers.

"She's still a menace, huh?"

Not believing my ear I turned to gaze over my shoulder. Sure e-fucking-nough, Gary motherfucking Oak was standing behind me, fancy new sneakers sinking into the sand. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his shorts, shoulders pulled up to his ears as he scowled out over the sea.

"The fuck you want?" Not my most diplomatic moment.

"Gramps wanted me to apologise or whatever. Don't know why, I'm not the one that's running around punching people." He mumbled, sitting down beside me without looking at me.

"Well you've said it so you can fuck off."

"Whatever."

"Whatever."

Silence fell over us, only briefly interrupted by Betty finally making it to the top off the boulder and diving head first off it with a gleeful whine all the way down, stubby arms flapping like wings. She landed perfectly upside down, buried up to the neck in sand, little feet kicking around to try and get her free. I was just about to help when she dislodged herself and tumbled over. Unperturbed, she immediately went back to the rock and made her way back up.

"Look, I didn't know that it's the anniversary of something or whatever. Gramps wouldn't say what, he just said something happened. I didn't…" he trailed off, frowning as we gazed at the water. I could've helped him, or just taken the apology, yet I was curious where he was going with it.

After a while, he took a deep breath and restarted with something I never would've expected. "I don't remember my parents. Not really. I have this… blurry idea of a man and a woman, but I don't know what they looked like. What they sounded or acted like. Gramps has pictures, and when I see them, I'm like 'Oh, right. That's what they looked like' but it's not… me. I'm just putting pieces together. I don't even know why they're gone. All Gramps says is that my dad disappeared in Johto somewhere, and mom left to look for him. They're probably dead, I guess. Gramps won't say, Ms. Ketchum won't say, I haven't even seen Daisy since she left for her journey two years ago… gramp's all I have left and… I don't know where I'm going with this." He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them.

I sighed. Again. I did that a lot these days. Got caught up in my own thoughts and took my mood out on other people without caring about their own situation. Gary was an arrogant dick, but again, he was a kid. A kid that had been abandoned by his parents, and kind of his sister I guess, since this was the first time I heard of her. All he had left was the Professor and then I showed up and took a lot of the older Oak's time, responding to the vitriol by shooting back even harder.

It didn't absolve him of being an asshole, but couldn't the same be said of me?

I briefly thought about telling him what the Professor had said about Team Rocket, but I held it back. I didn't have more than a vague suspicion that the Rockets were involved with the missing Oaks, and I didn't want to set him off on that path. The Professor had been right about that, at least.

On the other hand, Dr. Enthal, my psychiatrist had told me to try and open up more and spend time with humans. I didn't like her much, she treated me like a five year old and was condesending as fuck, but I guess I could give it a try.

"I woke up in the Orre desert, without any memories. Mindbreak, they call it." I kept looking forward while I saw him turn towards me. "It's supposed to wipe your brain, leave you a vegetable that will die on your own, but sometimes people can make it through, if not unscathed. Stuff happened and I managed to get to Gateon Port, with Siren's egg. On the way, I… I met a Vulpix. Ra." It was the third time I told the story. The pain was still there, but it was easier.

That kind of scared me. Would there come a day where the thought of what I'd lost didn't even face me? I ignored the thump! of Betty hitting the sand again, determined to get through it. Siren stayed silent, simply pressing against me.

"He was kinda stupid and arrogant, but a handsome one. Pretty sure he thought our scooter was a Pokémon." We both chuckled. "Anyway, Gateon. What a fucking shithole. It's like all the stories about Orre concentrated in one place and then magnified by 10. Way more homeless and starving people than not, people beating each other up in broad daylight to steal their shit, gang members making the decisions, and kids pulling knives on each other in alleyways."

"Damn. Knew it was shit, but not that shit."

"Yeah." I chuckled again. The commentary made it easier as well. "It's fucking awful. Anyway, I ended up getting a boat ticket to Vermillion, but it would be a week before it set off. In the meantime, I ran into one of the kid gangs, and we had a Pokémon battle. We kept running into each other and somehow, and don't ask because I don't know, we ended up becoming friends. Good enough that after we had to beat up a Snagem Grunt, they bought tickets to the same boat as me. We were gonna go to here, to Pallet, together and become Trainers. Sharon, Rat, Reed, John, Joe. The four days we spent on that boat were the best I can remember."

"And then…" I sighed for the untold time, but powered through. "We were attacked. I managed to hide while they stole the Pokémon and… and killed Sharon. Then their Gyarados used a Hyper Beam to blow up the ship. Siren managed to get me to shore, but everyone else…"

"Fuck." The curse was low and when I finally looked at Gary, I saw that his face had gone pale, his eyes wide. "That's… that's fucked. I'm sorry, I… I didn't know." He seemed genuinely horrified.

"It's okay. Like you said, you didn't know."

"Still… and thats today?"

"One year today, yeah."

We returned to silence as he digested the tale while I was suddenly busy getting glomped by an overgrown Bagon. I hadn't told Betty the story yet, and she apparently felt that I needed comfort.

At least it was without teeth.

"Wait. Where did you get the Titan egg then?" Gary apparently decided that he either didn't, or couldn't, comment on the story and focused on something else.

I smirked. "You're never gonna believe this, but I stole it."

"Ha! Fucking knew it!"

"In my defense, it was from the dickheads that attacked us."

"Well, guess they owed you one in that case. Hope you fucked them up."

"Oh yeah." I could tell by the taken aback look on his face that my own features weren't pleasant at the thought. "They got really fucked up."

"Oookay. Ominous."

Rather than awkward, the quiet was companionable this time. There was no need to break it, but I felt I had to say one last thing.

"Thanks for coming."

"Sure, sure. Wouldn't want the golden boy to get lost this far from civilization."

"Ha! That's rich coming from you! How many compasses did you need to find this place?"

We kept the ribbing up even as we eventually got up and started walking back to the Lab. The words hadn't really changed, we were still going at each other hard, but the tone was different. And not in a bad way.

I barely noticed the smile on my face the whole way.

And if a couple tears escaped when we made it back to the Lab and everyone jumped out, screaming "Happy Birthday", I trusted that nobody would say anything.

---

"Come on, lock in. You've got this, just stay on the move. Anticipate his movements."

I was chewing on my thumb as Siren barely dodged the pointed horn by shooting to the side. Her levitation training had benefits even in the water, lightening her and making her move faster. She spun around as her opponent missed, a light blue orb forming in front of her mouth. A thin beam of jagged energy lashed out, but the charge time gave the other Water-Type more than enough time to get out of the way. The weak Ice Beam hit the water and left a small patch of ice behind.

"Move, move."

Unfortunately, the attack took too much out of her and the larger white fish hit her dead on, the horn digging into her side and sending her flying with a painful gurgle. She skipped off the surface several times before splashing beneath the water. I bit down harder the longer she stayed out of sight, letting out a breath of relief when she resurfaced, obviously hurt and tired, but nothing serious. She might still have it.

I let out a grain of disappointment when Blasty let out a short blast from his cannons, signaling the end of the battle. The Goldeen spun around smugly, billowing tail flaring out behind it, orange marking standing out prominently as it postured. The onlookers cheered for their champion and crowded around him as Siren sadly retreated over to me.

"It's okay girl, you did great. A little more practice and you will wipe the floor with him." I assured her.

Another six months had passed since my conversation with Gary and things had been good. The youngest Oak had started joining me occasionally in feeding the Pokémon in the morning, though it was rare he was up that early, or more likely messing around after school. It was… fun, somehow. The shit talking was almost endearing when it wasn't so antagonistic.

On a more sour note, my training of both Siren and Betty had ground to a near halt. The Professor had apparently grown concerned with 'fairness', all of a sudden, and forbidden me from battling or directly training my Pokémon. In Betty's case, it didn't make much difference since she would be too young until our journey started anyway, but it did leave Siren on her own outside what help she could scrape together. Which apparently had led her to gaining a rival of her own, in the form of the Goldeen.

We spent some time merely socializing before she was called away by her Starmie teacher. It seemingly wasn't impressed by her performance and felt she needed remedial lessons.

I swear, if it pushed her too hard, I was gonna find a Dark/Electric-Type just to whoop its ass.

Stretching my muscles, I took a look around, searching for the more problematic of my Pokémon. It didn't take long to find her either as I quickly spotted her coming my way. Running in the back of a large group of Meowths, Nidorans, and a horde of different puppy Pokémon, Betty's head peeked out from the masses with her three and a half feet of height. I winced as she lashed out with a viscious headbut, catching a slow Shinx in its black and blue furred side. The Shinx rolled across the ground, but thankfully got to its feet quickly and resumed the chase. As I watched, Betty kept up her dirty tactics, head flying left and right, slaps being handed out indiscriminately. She was likely the physically strongest of the group, due to her size and weight, but also the slowest. I liked to think she would've shown better sportsmanship if she could keep up.

It wasn't true, but I liked to think so.

"Keep her in line. She'll beat them all if you give her the chance." I offered as Flame the Arcanine pranced by me, tongue flapping joyfully as she did a couple of hops and some fancy footwork that led the closest of the chasing Pokémon to ram into each other. The time it took them to untangle themselves allowed the ones in the back, Betty included, to catch up.

It was clear that she was experienced with that kind of game. It made sense, Flame acted like the mother of the reserve, taking care of and playing with the youngest. She was also easily my favorite of Oak's Pokémon. Not that it was a hard competition, given the standoffish Aly and the stalking Gengy. Blasty was fine, he just didn't seem to care about me.

Which was fair.

Leaving them to their game, I made my way over to my own playmates. Or unwilling instructors, I guess. Despite the fact that it was past noon, Machoke and Hitmonchan were still going at it, if slower and obviously tired after hours of combat with only minimal breaks.

Going through the various forms I'd patchworked together, I tried to look inwards at the same time. The meditation I did had been… nice, I guess. As Slowking said, it did allow me to calm down and focus on the present rather than dwelling too much on the past. As I got better at it, it also became easier to briefly slip into that state when my emotions started getting the better of me. I didn't know if it was time, or the meditation, but my emotions in general had calmed down a little. I didn't want to throw hands at the slightest insult or cry at every reminder of the past anymore.

As often, at least.

But the thing I'd really hoped for from the meditation, unlocking my Aura, still eluded me. I wasn't surprised by that. If it was easy, then everyone would be running around punching boulders. Yet I'd hoped for at least a glimpse, a hint that I was on the right path.

No such luck.

So, there I was, trying to combine the physical movement and the meditation in the hopes that it would spark something. It wasn't going great. I kept getting too caught up in one of the things, either moving to the point where I forgot to focus, or focusing so much I basically ground to a halt.

Growling in frustration, I stopped and reset myself. Glancing at the two combatants, I got a shock when I saw them running straight at me. I quickly started walking backwards, unsure of what was going on. They'd seen me watching them before and seemingly didn't give a fuck, so why now? How the fuck was I gonna get out of this?

My mouth opened to scream for Flame, as the only Pokémon nearby that was fast enough to help me, when my back hit something. I blinked. I wasn't anywhere near the tree line or any rocks. Feeling the object that obstructed me with my hands, it didn't feel like bark or stone. It felt like solid steel. Warm, sculptured, steel.

Slowly turning my head upwards, my purple orbs met the impassive red eyes above me, pulled into a natural scowl by the three brown ridges right above its brow bone. Large yellow lips were held in a neutral mask, and so was the rest of its chiseled features, bluish-gray skin stretched taut.

I blinked confusedly, and increasingly panicked, as the Machamp stared down at me. I didn't know what to do. If it was hostile, there were literally no options. I was well within arms reach and the Fighting-Type was way faster than me. Maybe diplomacy, like with Ra?

My lips barely moved before I felt a hand clasp down on my shoulder like a vice grip, each finger more than capable of piercing straight through stone. I closed my eyes and prepared to have my arm ripped off, only to suddenly feel myself become vertical and hit the ground with a loud exhale. Scrambling to sit up, I saw the huge, overly muscled back of the Machamp ripple like water, each muscle fiber twitching like they were alive and as thick as my wrist as the seven-foot titan stepped forward to meet the incoming challengers, four arms flexing with pops like gunshots.

Oh. It wasn't about me. Machoke and Hitmonchan had seen the Machamp. That made so much more sense and kind of made me regret almost shitting myself.

The two smaller Fighting-Types roared a challenge as they leapt forward, arms cocked back.

Machoke led the charge, jumping up to hand a haymaker straight to the jaw of its higher evolution. The punch landed with a thunderclap, enough force to break trees and splinter rock being delivered directly into Machamps head.

It didn't flinch. The air pressure ruffled the grass beneath them as the taller Pokémon stared down at its devolved state, shaking the hand off its face with a snort, grunting something at its opponent. I didn't even see it move before its right lower arm was buried in Machokes gut, spittle erupting from its mouth as it let out a silent scream. The force launched it back like it was shot out of a cannon, easily clearing 50 feet before even hitting the ground and rolling much further.

I gaped at the power. The strength I'd seen Machoke display before had been monstrous. I'd thought that in terms of brute strength, the Fighting-Type was up there in the overall hierarchy. I was clearly wrong.

Hitmonchan had taken the chance provided by Machoke's head-on assault to slip to the side. The fast Pokémon stepped in, fists blurring as it tried to land a hit. Fire, ice, and lighting erupted from its hands, shifting between them so fast their after-trail blended into each other, becoming streaks of mixing elemental energy. The skill and mastery it took to change so quickly between multiple Types of energy boggled my mind. Siren had trouble just getting Ice Beam to work consistently, yet Hitmonchan made it seem effortless.

It was also useless.

Hitmonchan was so fast that I sometimes had trouble following its movements. Machamp, on the other hand, hadn't shown agility anywhere near that and might not be able to. With each punch, Hitmonchan would step back out of reach, constantly bouncing in and out, trying to provoke a counterattack and maybe create an opening. But what Machamp might lack in speed, it more than made up for in skill.

Elemental energy rushed past its sides as it turned and sidestepped each attack. Every movement was precise and exact, just bringing it out of danger with the least possible energy expended. Its four bulging arms crossed over its barrel chest as it displayed grace disproportionate with its size and bulk. It was like a dance as it toyed with Hitmonchan, seemingly predicting the future as it twirled and dodged, perfectly balanced on the balls of its feet. My open mouth dropped even further when it leaned in a way that let me see its face and I noticed that its eyes were closed.

What the fuck.

The Hitmonchans attacks grew faster and faster as it continued to miss, retreating less and less as its frustrations increased. With a roar, its fist shone a bright white as it pulled it back to its side. Suddenly, with a single step, it vanished and reappeared right in front of Machamp.

CLAP!

Another crack of thunder rang out as the glowing hand landed square on a palm, wind once more blowing almost as much as with Machokes mighty hit. The Hitmonchan paled as the hand around its own closed tight. The Machamp gave an ugly grin and swung the smaller Pokémon over its head and smashed it into the Machoke that had finally gotten back to its feet and tried another charge. The two Pokémon collided with a loud thud, Machoke forced to the ground underneath its sparring partner. Before either had a chance to react, three arms appeared and grabbed them, two for Machokes legs and another for Hitmonchans arms.

I winced again as the huge Machamp laughed and started slamming the two Fighting-Types into the ground over and over again. Occasionally, it seemed to grow bored and smacked them into each other a couple of times, before reintroducing them to the dirt. Big clumps of earth and grass shot up into the air, gaping craters left behind from the horrific strength they were flung around by.

I wasn't sure how long the abuse went on, but eventually, the Machamp heldt the two limp Pokémon up and took a look at them. Apparently satisfied that they were done, it carelessly threw them to the ground, uncaring for the painful moans they let out. Scoffing, Machamp turned away from its humiliated opponents and laid its eyes back on me.

I didn't dare move as the hulking slab of pure muscle swaggered towards me, or take my eyes off it. Behind the titan of strength, I could vaguely see that Flame had circled her group of kids closer towards us, which reassured me somewhat, but I couldn't be sure that even an Arcanine could make it in time as Machamp came to a stop before me.

It was only at this point that I remembered Oak's words when I first got to the Lab and was getting looked over by Clefable. Something about Machoke and Hitmonchan being injured, but at least not bothering Champy.

What was with the Professor and just putting 'y' on the end of Pokémon names?

Champy grunted, pulling my attention back to him. One of its lower hands waved in a 'come hither' motion, and I slowly got up to my feet, careful not to make any sudden movements. Knowing that the paragon of Fighting-Types belonged to the Professor put me a little more at ease, yet it probably wasn't wise to test my luck.

As I stood before it, it looked me over with scrutiny, not impressed by the way its lip curled. Not giving me a chance to say anything, it slapped its ungodly ripped abs with a palm and a grunt, the impact like a sledge hammer against a mountain.

"I'm… sorry? I don't understand."

The towering humanoid let out another impatient grunt, and slapped itself again, harder.

"You want me to punch you?"

It was a wild shot in the dark, so imagine my surprise when Champy nodded and held its arms out to the side.

"Oookay."

Not sure what was going on, but not willing to refuse either, I squared my feet and took a deep breath. Turning slightly, I cocked my hand back and let it fly, putting my whole body behind it. Nothing less would've a chance to even move it.

THUD!

"OOOOWWWW!"

I cradled my poor hand, shaking it to try and ease the pain. Fuck me, that was like hitting granite!

Champy shook his head and grabbed me by the shoulders with the lower pair of its top limbs. Careless of my protests, he maneuvered my body around, widening my feet with a light kick and bringing my hands up to my chest. Apparently satisfied, it took a step back and mimicked my new stance, throwing a quick punch, before looking at me expectedly.

The light bulb finally went off for me and I grinned as Champy led me through various katas.

Looks like I finally got a real teacher.

---

Who better to teach how to punch, than someone that can do it 4 times at once?

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Last chapter of the time skip.

---

"Do you think I can have one!?"

"No way, Gramps would never allow a dumbass like you to have one."

"SCREW YOU GARY! I'M NOT STUPID, YOU'RE STUPID!"

"THE HELL YOU CALL ME, LOSER!?"

"STUPID!"

"LOSER!"

"Boys, please, shut up."

I did my best to tune them out as I kept up my brushing. Flame flinched at the yelling, but calmed down as the brush ran through her thick fur. She had already eaten an extra-large portion of breakfast, and I decided to fuss over her a little. Lately, I only really got to see her in the morning and evening when I came with her food, and she deserved some pampering. I was extra careful to keep it gentle as I ran the grooming instrument over her swollen belly.

News of Flame's pregnancy had spread quickly, and of course, that meant everyone wanted to come and see. The Professor had allowed our class to visit last week, though the others didn't get to come inside the oversized dog house that was attached to the side of the Lab.

Unfortunately, that hadn't been enough for everyone, which is why I found myself doing my best to ignore Gary and Ash screaming at each other once again, Green, or Gretchen, as I heard Gary call her out of spite, as always, caught in the middle, trying to settle them down.

I had to give her props on her patience, though. I could barely stand to be in the same room as them both for 10 minutes, let alone the years she'd been doing it.

"It's not your choice anyway! I'll just ask her! Flame! Flame! FLAME!"

The Arcanine flinched again at the resumed high volume, causing me to grab Ash by the collar as he tried to push past me and yank him back.

"Stop fucking screaming you idiot. She's about to burst; leave her alone. If you all can't keep it down, you can wait outside, willingly or not."

Both Ash and Gary looked ready to protest, but the words died on their tongues when they saw the seriousness on my face. Green appeared smug at being validated.

Putting the brush back in the box of grooming supplies, I gave Flame one last scratch behind the ears, getting a sloppy lick across my face in return, and stood up. Snapping my fingers, I got the attention of the other Pokémon in the room.

"Betty, here."

The Dragon-Type fought to escape from the huge pillows that covered most of the floor, tripping and falling over the soft piles. Eventually, she managed it, coming to my side and looking up at me with wide eyes. Not that she had to look far these days. With her roughly four feet in height, she was only a little over a foot smaller than me.

Taking a large piece of Taurus jerky from the pouch the Professor had provided, I threw it at her, her huge maw snapping it out of the air with delight.

"Good girl." The treat strategy seemed to be working fairly well. She at least listened most of the time.

Turning to the other babies in the room, I started herding them out.

"Okay, out we go. Let's leave her alone for now, she has a lot to see too."

"Aaawwww, but I wanted to ask for a Growlithe!"

"Ash, they're not even born yet, calm down!" Green admonished him, helping guide the brat out. Gary swaggered along with no issue, but then again, he could drop by whenever he wanted.

I closed the door behind me, Flame more than large enough to open it herself if she wanted out. I turned back to the group to find them embroiled in an argument once again.

Ash turned to me when I joined them. "Peri! Let's go to the mountain and see the Professor's Charizard! Let's go, let's go!"

I looked at him incredulously. "That's a fucking terrible idea! The Professor doesn't allow anyone to go there, hell, even he brings Pokémon with him!" It was true as well. I'd asked about the mountain multiple times over the last almost three years, and if they needed to be fed too, but I'd been told no every time.

Gary nodded superiorly. "Yeah, loser. How many times does Gramps have to tell you, the Pokémon up there are almost wild. They fucked off to the other end of the reserve for a reason, and they don't wanna be disturbed."

"Aaaawwww, that's lame." Ash sulked, literally kicking the ground like a child. I couldn't help but feel a little for him, overreacting as he was.

I was getting soft.

"The Kangaskhan's eggs hatched recently, we can go have a look at them." I gave in.

"REALLY! LET'S GOOO!" The black haired child cheered and immediately started running towards the forest. Gary cursed. "YOU DUMBASS, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!" And ran after him.

Green and I followed at a more sedate pace, almost certain to make it there first anyway. I recalled Betty as we went, to keep her out of trouble. As we walked amongst the trees in silence, I gave my companion a side eye. I didn't actually know much about her. Ash forced everyone within a miles radius to know about him, and I'd lived with Gary for three years, yet I wasn't sure I'd ever exchanged more than a few words with her that weren't complaints about the other two.

Fuck it. I decided to start a conversation with one of the few pieces of info I had about her.

"Your parents are Researchers working for the Professor, right?"

She almost stumbled at my words, gazing at me, shell-shocked for some reason. I frowned. It wasn't that weird for me to start a conversation, was it?

Fucking Mew, how edgy had I gotten!?

"Y-yeah, they are!" She responded, getting over her surprise and seeming quite pleased. "They've been working with Professor Oak for six years now. We moved to Pallet about the same time."

I nodded, fumbling around for something to continue the conversation with as quiet once more fell over us. This was embarrassing.

"Uh, and are you gonna do the same? Work for the Professor, I mean. Be a Researcher, I mean."

She hesitated. "I'm… no, probably not." She looked over her shoulder like she was concerned about being overheard. "Don't tell my parents, but no. I love Pokémon, I really do, but I don't wanna be stuck doing research. I've seen the stuff my parents are working on, and it's cool, don't get me wrong, it's just not… what I wanna do, you know?"

I nodded in acknowledgment, mostly just relieved that she was carrying the conversation. "And what do you wanna do?"

"I think I wanna be a Gym Leader. Grass-Type Gym Leader, to be specific."

I whistled. "Damn, you don't set your expectations low, huh?" As I thought before I even got to Pallet, Gym Leaders were the local League representative, but it was more than that. Over a thousand years ago, before the First Champion, Indigo, united Kanto into a single region, the land was divided between various Clans, many of which still ruled those areas under the League's banner. The Pebble Clan of Pewter, the Waterflowers of Cerulean, the Gardeners of Celadon. Most Kanto Gyms had been passed down through the same families for a millennium. The only ones that had changed hands recently that I was aware of were Saffron and Vermillion, and even then, Surge was distantly related to the Thundercrash clan.

For someone with presumably no noble blood, becoming Gym Leader was nigh impossible, or at least with one of the Old Eight. There were minor Gyms, but I doubted a 12-year-old would be aiming for that.

"Yeah, I know it's a long shot. It's probably even less likely than Ash becoming a Pokémon Master." She deflated.

"I mean, weirder things have happened. You might make it." I shrugged.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, sure. You're at the top of our class, gonna be sponsored by Professor Oak, and your parents work for him. That's a decent start. You become a Grass-Type Master on top of that, you'll have plenty of opportunities."

"Oh. Thanks." She turned her face away from me for some reason as we kept walking. The conversation died out again, but it wasn't awkward anymore. Soon we heard shouting again, and I sighed when I realized that it came from behind us.

"Fucking useless. OI, DIPSHITS, IT'S OVER HERE!"

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!?"

"YOU'RE THE DIPSHIT, DIPSHIT!"

"THAT WAS TERRIBLE, GARY!"

"SHUT UP LOSER! IT'S YOUR FAULT WE GOT LOST!"

"IS NOT!"

"IS TOO!"

I facepalmed as Green giggled. I fucking hated how much they were growing on me. Like a well-meaning fungus.

---

I shifted, stealthily trying to work out the kink in my back. Not stealthy enough, though, as my movement earned me a displeased grunt and a soft slap to the shoulder. Soft for Champy, anyway. The tap almost sent me sprawling across the grass.

"Sorry," I mumbled, recrossing my legs and placing my hands on my knees. I knew that sleeping with Flame and the pups was a mistake when I did it, but it was damn hard to resist seven pairs of puppy eyes. Eight, including Betty. Being buried in pillows and fur had left me stiff and sore, though I had no regrets. It was some of the best sleep I'd gotten as far as I remember, and I'd even managed to rope Siren into it.

The stretches and martial arts practice Champy had put me through had gotten rid of the worst of the discomfort, yet one last knot below my shoulder blade kept me from being comfortable.

I took a deep breath and put it out of my mind. The earthy scent of the warming noon soil, the light breeze that brushed through my hair, the yips and growls of Flame playing with her children, surrogate or biological. I let it all wash away and focused inwards.

In and out. Feel my lungs expand and contract. In and out. Feel the oxygen flow through my body, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and the bottom of my stomach. In and out. Feel the blood rush through my veins. In and out. Feel the energy that lurked deep within, just out of reach, yet maddeningly close.

Time slipped away as I meditated, trying to grasp the elusive power I'd been working towards for years. Champy's instructions had been invaluable, for all that our communication was limited. The fighting felt more natural and suited for me, no longer a patchwork of imitated stances designed for beings much stronger than me, but something made for me specifically. I wouldn't call myself a master, or even particularly skilled in the face of a Pokémon, but I was proud of how far I'd come. But more than that, the energy the Machamp radiated simply by existing and that he ramped up during our sessions, had been a lighthouse in the pitch black sea of fumbling for something I'd never experienced. Having that beacon helped enormously, being able to feel exactly what I was looking for. In the last month, I'm pretty sure I found it as well. In my mind's eye, there was a ball of iridescent light at the core of my being, pulsing to the beat of my heart.

If only I could fucking reach it!

My lips curled up, exposing my teeth as I held in a growl. It was so frustrating! It was right fucking there, yet it kept slipping through my metaphorical fingers! My hands curled into fists while my heart rate picked up.

Come on!

Another slap to the shoulder broke me out of it. I glared at Champy for the interruption and got a dry look in return as the mighty Machamp stood up and flexed, body rippling like water. One rough pat to my head and the Fighting-Type headed into the forest, apparently done for the day.

I slumped in disappointment. It had become a regular occurrence for our training to end that way. I just couldn't help it. Every Time I got close, every time I touched my Aura, it stayed just out of reach, and I got so angry! It was bullshit! Why wouldn't it just fucking work!?

I closed my eyes again and restarted the meditation. Another 10 minutes after Champy left allowed me to calm my emotions back down and be ready to continue my day. Or so was my thought. I'd barely gotten to my feet before a commotion in Flame's group drew my attention.

"What's up?" I asked as I walked up. The Arcanine was scanning her group over and over again, sniffing the ground desperately and barking loudly. I looked them over myself. Six Meowths, 11 Nidorans, seven female and four male, four Poochyena, five Growlithes, three Shinxs, two-

Wait, five Growlithes. I quickly countered again and groaned.

"Where's Betty and the big one?"

Flame indicated towards the forest, spinning in circles frantically as she turned from her remaining kids and the direction of the missing ones. I gave her some pets and scratches to calm her down.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, I'll get them, okay? You keep an eye on the rest of them, I'll be right back."

She headbutted me gently and whined, clearly worried. She could've reached the wayward Pokémon within minutes, at the most, but that would involve either leaving the rest alone, which was a recipe for disaster as they barely stayed in one place when she was right there, or she could take them with her into the woods, which was even worse. Thankfully, the last three years and a bit had made her trust me enough to let me take care of it.

I jogged over to the lake and quickly found Siren together with Starmie and a couple of Staryu. The purple starfish was leading them through some Water Gun drills, and I absently noted that my Feebas was outperforming the smaller brown starfish Pokémon by a decent margin, her elemental blast traveling almost a hundred feet in a couple of seconds before losing cohesion.

Normally, I'd have taken the chance to cover her in praise, but we were in a bit of a hurry.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Siren, I need you. Betty and the big one slipped into the forest, and we need to get them."

Siren had just enough time to nod, her joy at seeing me turning into seriousness, before I scooped her into my arms. She knew the trouble those two could get into. I threw a quick nod at the other Water-Types before spinning on my heel and taking off for the forest.

The trees covered a large part of the reserve, and they could be anywhere, yet I doubted it would take long. Just had to head for the screaming and burning.

Trees and foliage passed by in a blur. The shade provided by the canopy left a chill still hanging in the air, the dirt squishing under my shoes from morning dew residue. The air was alive with Pokémon calls, every bush and shrub shaking with life, eyes peering down on us from the branches. Large, evolved Pokémon gazed at us curiously as we rushed by, unconcerned by the human activity. The outskirts of the forest were filled with those who wanted a little privacy, but still ventured out to the plains now and then, so they weren't as bothered by contact as the denizens further in.

As long as you gave them some space, I was reminded as a couple of large Beedrill buzzed threateningly at me when I got too close to a trunk full of Kukuna. I'd stocked the feeders near the edge enough that both I and the locals were familiar with the procedure. Everyone stayed to themselves, unless they approached me first.

Someone clearly didn't get that message, as a rage-filled roar shook the leaves and sent a group of Pidgey fleeing. I broke into a sprint as a loud crash sounded out further in and to the left.

My heart was pounding in my throat when I finally burst into the small glade and nearly leaped out of my mouth as I took in the situation. Betty and Growlithe were standing defiantly, dumbly, holding their ground as another tree toppled over in their direction. They dodged to either side of the plummeting trunk and, in sync, opened their mouths and sent a barrage of Embers flying at the opponent.

The small sparks splashed uselessly against white fur as the Primeape hooted and howled, smashing the ground before it into smithereens. Great chunks of earth and medium-sized dislodged rocks were hurled at the Dragon and Fire-Type Pokémon, the Fighting-Type worked into a proper rage that reminded me of the assault on the Rocket Lab on Five Island. It lashed out indiscriminately, fists flying in every direction, breaking trees and ripping up shrubbery.

What the hell had they done to piss it, her I noted in the back of my mind, off that badly!? I mean, it was a Primeape so it didn't take much to make her lose her shit, but still!

The mystery was instantly cleared up when I spotted the small Mankeys hiding amongst the top branches behind their mother. I wanted to scream. They fucking would run straight into a Primeape that just gave birth. The Fighting-Type was a nightmare to deal with normally. Add in the extra hormones, and it became impossible.

Though I had to give it a try.

"Hey!" I yelled, stepping forward and waving my free hand. I made sure to keep my eyes on the Primeape's chest, avoiding eye contact. I'd prefer not to turn into a bloody smear on the ground. Betty let out a screech of joy at seeing me, yet I ignored her.

She was in so much trouble when we got out of this.

"Hey." I continued more softly. The Primeape howled and smashed her chest in challenge. I bowed my head even further in response, making it clear that I wasn't there for a fight. "I'm sorry. They shouldn't have disturbed you. We lost track of them and they ran off. That's our fault." I gave the two troublemakers the worst side eye I could and indicated for them to come over behind me. Growlithe did so with a lowered head, clearly aware of his fuck up, yet Betty was as cheerful as ever, glomping onto my side. "Kids, you know? I see you have some of your own. They can be a handful, huh?"

Bringing up her children was a risk. It would either make her think of Betty and Growlithe as young and stupid, thus giving them some slack, or she would take it as a threat.

You never really knew with Primeapes. It was a species of Pokémon that could get so angry, they literally died of anger. I hadn't seen any references to it, but I knew there was a further Ghost-Type evolution where they were too angry to stay dead as well.

"I'm gonna get them out of here, and they won't bother you guys again. I promise." Keeping my eyes low, I started backing up, taking the Pokémon with me. Primeape beat the ground again and jumped forward a little, but it was more of a dominance display than an actual attack.

My arm tightened around Betty's neck, feeling her return challenge vibrating her throat. I gave her another yank, half carrying her as we shuffled backwards. Growlithe was fortunately smart enough, if only just, to follow along on his own. He could probably already imagine his mother's displeasure when she heard about his dumbassery.

We kept up our backtracking until both the clearing and the last of the trees that surrounded it were out of sight. Only then did I let go of Betty. She shook her head and turned to me, mouth open and anticipating a treat. I wasn't having it, though, grabbing her by the back of the neck and forcing her to look at my feet.

"What the fuck are you doing!? Are you stupid!? I've told you not to go anywhere without me!"

The four-foot-tall Bagon whined pitifully, trying to escape from my grip. Siren put a stop to that with a wide Water Gun to her face. It didn't have the force to do actual damage, but Betty had been hit with enough of them over the years that she knew an admonishment when she felt it.

Leaving my Dragon-Type to Siren's angry gurgling, I turned my attention to Growlithe. The big dog was standing completely still, head low and gaze on the ground, like I'd forget he existed if he didn't move.

"And you," I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with sufficient force that he felt it, but without pain, "you know better than to listen to her! Being big doesn't justify being stupid! Wait till your mother gets her paws on you."

The Fire-Type whined at me, hitting me with a Baby-Doll Eyes. I wouldn't say that it had no effect, but five months of being exposed to the move from the puppies had given me some resistance, even if he was secretly my favorite of them.

"Don't look at me like that. You fucked up and you know it. Just," I pinched the bridge of my nose, "just head back. Flame will take care of the rest. You'll not be allowed out of her sight again until you get a Trainer."

Growlithe deflated, slowly lumbering away back towards the Lab. Hopefully, for his sake.

I gave the dramatic dog Pokémon a quick clap on his back as I followed along, Siren still yelling at a mostly unrepentant Betty. I knew her overconfidence would get her into trouble, but I'd hoped our training would at least make her think twice. And to be fair, it had done so for a while, but after the Growlithes hatched, she formed an immediate bond with one in particular who shared her disregard for caution, believing his size made him stronger than he actually was. The two had been a terrible influence on each other.

I sighed, my eyes on the low-hanging tail of the guilty Growlithe. It wasn't like I didn't understand it. All of Flame's offspring were bigger than the average according to the Professor, and grew fast as their species was wont to. Despite only being a little over half a year old, the pups were nearly full-grown already, standing at almost three feet tall at the shoulder.

But that one Oak had been identified as having the Alpha gene. Looking forward with his head high, Growlithe was only a little smaller than Betty, comfortably clearing three feet in height, damn near four, and over five in length. He was a massive animal, as big as the biggest dogs I remember from Earth. Maybe some could claim to be taller, yet Growlithe was stocky even for his size, an absolute tank of fur and slobber. Unfortunately, it seemed all the extra body mass had come from his brain. I'd met a decent number of Pokémon by then, of varying levels of intelligence, and Growlithe was way closer to Ra than Slowking. Fuck, there were times when I wondered if the Psyducks weren't smarter.

Though his Alpha gene wasn't the most attention-grabbing thing about Growlithe or even the rarest genetic condition, I mused as my eyes flitted across his pelt. Where the average Growlithe was orange, the big one, as I called him, was yellow. Like, bright yellow, with black tiger-like stripes along his back and legs. His tail, chest fuzziness, and little mohawk were also tinged yellow rather than the normal red hue.

A shiny Alpha Growlithe with one hell of a pedigree. I wasn't sure exactly how good a Trainer Professor Oak had been before he quit. I'd tried to look it up, but there was barely any information available to the public before he became the Professor. The only thing I'd found was a brief mention of someone who'd served in the Indigo Civil War with him. What I did know, however, was that he'd have to have been at least Master level based on his Pokémon. Everyone I'd met was an absolute beast, and there was no way an average Trainer raised monsters like that.

So yes, I understood where Growlithe's confidence came from. He'd been as blessed by nature as possible, literally born better than the rest. Hell, he was almost as rare as Betty was. But inborn skill didn't excuse a lack of thought.

Something I knew Flame agreed with, as we broke through the outskirts of the woods and found the Arcanine half-heartedly playing with the younglings, constantly glancing towards the forest. Seeing us, her eyes widened, and her legs tensed for a second.

BOOM!

Then she was gone, vanishing right before my eyes as a huge cloud of dust erupted where she'd been standing before. I didn't even have time to blink before she reappeared by my side, a wall of air pressure sending me stumbling backwards. I would've fallen over if not for Betty quickly steadying me. The ear-shattering boom hit us a second later.

Did she just break the fucking sound barrier from a standstill?

The Alpha Growlithe whined and lay down on his stomach as his mother barked and growled at him, stomping her paws in what I could only describe as furious exasperation. Betty, uncaring gremlin that she was, ignored her share of the scolding and tried to tackle the much larger Arcanine. It didn't end well for her. She barely had time to move before she was on the ground, staring up at the sky as the big Fire-Type barked in her face, truly angry with the smaller dragon for the first time. The Bagon cowered, looking stunned as her ass got reamed by someone who could physically take her to task. It wasn't the first time she'd pissed off someone bigger than her, but she'd come to assume that Flame would put up with her shit.

I watched from the sidelines, arms crossed over my chest. They'd more than earned it, and it hit harder coming from someone who usually didn't take the disciplinary role.

"Getting into trouble again, huh?"

I looked to my side. I'd felt someone coming up behind me, but didn't expect the Professor, clutching his habitual cup of coffee. I nodded in both greeting and agreement.

"Yeah, they messed with some of the newly hatched Mankey, and the mother caught them. I barely got them out of there before she beat them up."

Oak sighed. "While I would really like to just blame Betty, that Growlithe is a handful all on his own."

"Yeah, I pity whoever is gonna be his Trainer."

Oak laughed. "If anyone can afford him, they'll likely have the means to keep him under control."

I cocked my head. "You're gonna sell him?" That wasn't his normal way of doing things as far as I knew. While he didn't hand out Pokémon willy-nilly, whenever a Trainer had bonded with someone from the reserve, he'd usually allow the Trainer to catch them.

The Professor hummed in agreement. "I have to. It takes two to make a child, in case you didn't know, and the father's Trainer has an equal right to him. I'm too old, and retired besides, to raise him as he deserves, and Flint doesn't have the time to raise him either, so we've agreed to sell him should a suitable Trainer come along."

I hummed in return, a thought occurring. It was either genius or super fucking stupid.

"How much?"

Oak let out a bark of laughter, sounding kinda like Flame, who was still reading Betty and Growlithe the riot act.

"More than you can afford, my boy, much, much more than you can afford."

"I have money." I returned, thinking of the backpack Slowking gave me. I still hadn't checked how much was in it. It hadn't been relevant beyond the couple of stacks I gave Oak after my first week.

"Ah, yes, your bag of ill gotten-goods. Even if you had the several million someone like Growlithe would cost, I'd still be hesitant to give him to you. Not only do you already have two Pokémon without even being a Trainer yet, but Betty is absurdly rare and valuable. There will be those who will want to take her from you, and an alternate colored, Alpha Pokémon with a lineage like his will only make you a bigger target."

That wasn't unfair. Oak had already been kinda reluctant to allow a new Trainer to have a Titan Bagon, but I wasn't sure the argument held up under scrutiny.

"But if I'm already a target, how much of a difference would having a second rare Pokémon make? Wouldn't having strong team members right off the bat be safer for everyone involved?"

"Don't try and argue. I'm already scurrying the line of nepotism more than I'd prefer."

I went to continue arguing my case anyway, but a motion by my feet stopped me. Looking down, my eyes met the overly large and wet ones of Growlithe as he crept up to me, scooting on his stomach. He whined piteously, nuzzling my leg in search for forgiveness as Flame kept up her admonishment of Betty, who was still on the ground.

"Don't look at me like that, you're the one that fucked up." I warned the dog Pokémon, pointing at him sternly. He whined again and pawed at my pant's leg weakly. I sighed.

"I can't stay mad at you. Fine, I'll forgive you this time, but if you do it-Aaaahhh! Get off!"

Growlithe panted happily as he licked my face, paws planted on my shoulders. I backed away to try and escape from the big slopper monster, but tripped from the added weight. I landed on my back with an oomph!, closely followed by a second one as Growlithe laid down on me, taking my prone form as permission as his tongue flopped merrily.

"Get off me you fat fuck- OH MY GOD!" I groaned as Betty discovered the cuddle pile and dove on top of Growlithe. The Fire-Type panted harder, though he was kind enough to shift off my chest so I could breathe.

I groaned even more in misery as the group of younglings that had kept their distance from Flame's anger took it as a signal to come running up. Said Arcanine collapsed next to me with a huff, giving me a side eye for my easy capitulation as the Professor laughed at my discomfort.

---

Her enemy loomed over her, tall and proud in its immobility. She glared, furious at its stubbornness. Her feet dug into the soil and with a deafening warcry, she rushed forward and leaped upwards. Alas, the mighty foe defied her yet again and rebuffed her.

Bouncing off the rock, Betty tumbled down to the lakeshore. Pushing herself back up, she stomped her foot in frustration and screeched at the boulder. All the other rocks along the plains had submitted to her will, yet the big one continued to elude her.

Mother had brought them down to the lake again, to watch the fast-water-prey fight. Betty liked fighting, but the lake spoiled the fun. They kept disappearing under the surface, and she couldn't join in, though Mother wouldn't let her anyway. Betty didn't understand, but Mother brought food and warmth and comfort and safety, so she'd obey. Mostly. She thoroughly enjoyed the times she could slip away and fight to her heart's content. Many crawly-prey had fallen to her jaws.

A commotion made her turn to observe the battle. Water-Prey-Not-Prey, Mother's other child, was fighting Arrogant-Water-Prey again. Betty didn't understand why Mother hadn't pulled the prey from the lake and let them eat it yet. It was a threat to the safety of the flight. Though maybe Mother wanted Not-Prey to kill her prey herself? Betty nodded in conviction. Yes, that made sense. Mother couldn't do everything for them.

Yellow-Fire's tail slapped the grass as he barked excitedly at the spectacle, laying by Mother's feet, who watched with crossed forelimbs as big sprays of water were shot back and forth. Betty thought it was unfair. Why did Not-Prey get to fight without being shouted at? Was it because she was older?

Betty couldn't wait to be older. At night, Mother told her stories of their future. Of Betty being the mightiest Salamence the world had ever seen, bathing the world beneath her in shadow and dragon-fire. Of strong prey being crushed beneath their talons and soaring through the air together. Betty wanted it. She dreamed of it and when she woke, she wanted nothing more than to return to that dream.

Not-Prey rushed through the water to the side to avoid another spray. Betty understood. She had been sprayed a lot by Not-Prey, and it wasn't fun. The water-bound member of the flight focused, a ball of whitish-blue forming in front of her. Betty shivered as the ball turned into a beam, water freezing under it as it headed for Arrogant-Water-Prey. The prey barely managed to get out of the way, but its tail got stuck as the Ice attack created a small iceberg, over twice as big as Fire-Mother.

Betty was happy Not-Prey didn't hit her with that when she was unhappy. Betty didn't like the cold.

Arrogant-Water-Prey struggled furiously to get loose, bashing its head against the ice. Betty approved. Headbutting was a great thing to do and solved most problems. The frozen structure cracked and Not-Prey helped her prey get loose with a vicious Water Gun to the side, sending it spinning through the water. Even though she was prey shaped, Betty couldn't deny that Not-Prey was getting strong.

Arrogant-Water-Prey was not done however, resurfacing with a furious gurgle. It focused, its face horn lighting up with a blue energy. The attack was clearly draining for it, shaking as it concentrated it before finally letting it be unleashed. Blue rings of power rippled out from its horn, their very presence vibrating the air around them as they headed towards Not-Prey-

-only to dissipate as bullets of water ripped them apart, Not-Prey launching a dozen condensed water balls one after another in a flurry. It kinda reminded Betty of the Ember attack Yellow-Fire had shown her, only stupid water instead of awesome fire. The Water Barrage struck Arrogant-Water-Prey and sent it flying again.

Betty turned away. Not-Prey was clearly the superior predator and the fight was over. Betty would rejoin them when it was time to feast on the corpse. In the meantime, she had her own battle.

Narrowing her eyes, she growled at the boulder, circling it and looking for a weakness. But there was none to be found, no footholds or ledges to climb. Four tours she made around the stone and in four tours, she turned up nothing. Surely it wasn't impossible. No! Of course not! She was Betty, named Behemoth by Mother, and no stupid rock would be her end!

A scraping sound and a thump! drew her attention as a smaller rock dropped down next to her nemesis. She looked up at Mother, who had already turned back to the lake, and huffed. She didn't need the help. She could've gotten up herself.

Barely containing her excitement, she hopped up on the smaller rock, and secured her balance. With a mighty jump, she flew upwards and finally managed to get her forelimbs onto the top of the boulder. But her arms were short and lacked claws, while her body was heavy. She clawed furiously for purchase, slowly slipping downwards before finding a small outcropping. With all her strength, she pulled herself up to the top, ignoring the hand pushing on her bottom.

Finally, she stood atop her prey, victorious. Giving a roar of conquest, she surveyed her lands from her new height and saw nothing new. Eight feet higher she may have been, but the trees towered even higher. But that was fine.

She wasn't there for the view.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to the edge of the rock and savored the feeling. The anticipation of returning to her true environment. Every day spent on the ground was torture, every flight-prey that darted overhead an insult. Yet, in times like these, she got to experience her destiny.

She lept, arms out by her side. Wind blew past her as she was airborne, gravity finally bending to her will. Her heart soared even higher than her body as the feeling of weightlessness took her. This was where she belonged. This was her true nature. She flapped her forelimbs, imagining them to be mighty wings that dominated the very skies themselves. In her mind, she was already a Salamence, strong and fearsome, free to fly and fight and feed.

This was it. Her dream made manifest.

THUD!

Her skull cap impacted the ground and she was torn back to reality with heart wrenching speed. Once again her spirit dropped as her dream was revealed to be only that, a dream. Once again she was confronted with her own damnable limitations.

A hand on her head made her look up into Mother's smile. Mother nodded back to the rock, and Betty knew she was right. Her dream may have failed her that time, and may continue to do so for many days.

But the dream would be true. Betty would soar through a conquered world, Mother on her back, as all trembled in their wake.

She kicked the smaller rock out of the way, determinedly.

And it all started with the boulder.

---

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Fucking finally we're an offical Trainer and getting out of Pallet. This is gonna be a 5 million words story at this rate. This shit was supposed to be prologue!

---

Finally, the day had come. I tapped my foot impatiently while looking at the clock.

10 minutes left.

"Will you calm down!? You're being annoying."

"Sorry." I sighed, glancing at Gary as he stood with crossed arms in the middle of the Lab. "Though you're hardly one to talk." I retorted, nodding to his own jumping foot.

He huffed and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "What's taking those losers so long anyway?"

"Now, now, Gary, they still have time." The Professor said, flipping through some papers. I glanced at them briefly and recognized them as the notes he'd taken on the interaction between Betty and a Cranidos he'd been lent for study. That had been a thing, and not in a good way. Cranidos was an aggressive little bastard on a good day, as most fossil Pokémon were. They were the remnants of a more brutal age and didn't have the genetic memory of interacting with humans or other Pokémon in a friendly way.

Surprisingly, Cranidos had seemed quite fond of Betty and Oak had nearly frothed at the mouth when he started doing something the Professor claimed to be a mating ritual of some sort. Apparently, it was the first time a Cranidos had been observed doing it towards something other than a Ditto.

Unfortunately, Betty hadn't shared the interest. Quite the opposite. I'd barely managed to recall her before she killed the ancient Pokémon. Not that he'd been discouraged from that. If anything, Cranidos was even more eager.

Poor bastard. Didn't understand when he was out of his league.

"Yeah, sure, but who arrives at the last minute on a day like this!?" Gary complained.

I couldn't help but agree, even if I stayed silent about it. I'd considered dropping by Ash's house to wake him up on time, but the future consequences stayed my hand. Not only was Pikachu an integral part of saving the world multiple times, but Ash would end up catching all three Kanto starters anyway, the lucky fuck. Not that I had any room to talk about luck with Pokémon, but still.

Any further discussion was cut off as the double doors out to the reserve opened and Flame the Arcanine walked in, two of her kids by her side. The big one was easily identified by his size and color, while the other one was the second largest of the litter, a lithe female that moved with a grace completely opposite of the Alpha's lumbering.

"Hey guys. We already said goodbye, what's up?" I asked. Both Gary and I had made the rounds at dawn to say farewell to the inhabitants.

Ignoring us, Flame laid down and allowed her children to come to her. They nuzzled each other gently, the Growlithes whining and Flame chuffing comfortingly. Taking turns, the lower evolutions pressed their foreheads against their mothers for a time before leaving her side. I blinked in confusion as the big one came to sit in front of me, his head nearly at eye level. I'd grown in the almost four years I'd spent in Pallet. Nearly 14 years old, I stood at 5'6, so Growlithe being even close spoke to his sheer size. The female did the same with Gary, though she didn't reach as high, even with Gary being roughly three inches shorter than me.

"No." The adult Oak said immediately, once the bell rang on what was going on. "No, no, no. I can't allow-"

A deafening woof interrupted him, Flame staring him down.

"Flame-"

"WOOF!"

"Not only is it unfair, it's not safe-"

"WOOF!"

"Gary, maybe, but Peri already has-"

"WOOF!"

"Flame, I'm serious, it is not just your decision-"

"WOOF!"

The Professor pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep, growling breath. Snapping his eyes open, he glared at me like it was my fault.

"Give me that backpack."

Quickly swinging the bag off the back of my long-sleeved purple shirt that matched Gary's, I handed it to Oak with a pounding heart. While I'd brought it up multiple times, I hadn't actually expected it to happen.

With fast and careless motions very unlike him, clearly frustrated with being overridden like that, the older man tore open the bag and upturned it on the floor.

A flood of bundled paper bills fell out, a cascade of legal tender pouring out like water. The Pokémon seemed nonplussed by our reactions while all three of our jaws dropped at the stream of cash. It was unending. Currency piled on the floor, growing up to our ankles, our shins, our knees, and just kept on coming. I'd thought there might be a couple hundred thousand or something in it. An operation like the Rocket Lab required a lot of funds. Yet I'd never expected anything close to the actual amount.

Fucking Slowking. No, fucking me. Why did I never check the fucking bag!?

By the time the ocean of money stopped, the pile reached Oak's waist, a small mountain of bills that we stared at in stunned silence. The Professor was the first to snap out of it, a giant grin spreading across his face.

"I accept your offer!" He said cheerfully, throwing me the bag again. It took a second for me to register the words, and by the time that I did, Aly the Alakazam Teleported in with a small distortion of space.

"Wai-"

Before the full word even left my lips, both Aly and the giant pile of my money vanished.

The Professor clapped his hands, suddenly full of joy. "Alright! I guess you two will need your Pokéballs early!"

"Wait, what the fuck!? How much money was that!?" I sputtered, completely taken aback by the recent events.

"Don't worry about it, it's not yours anymore anyway."

"You can't just take my money!" I protested. Fucker could at least ask me!

"Oh?" Oak raised an eyebrow, seeming amused. "So you don't want Growlithe?"

I stopped, mouth open to retort. I looked down into the begging eyes of the large dog Pokémon and deflated.

Sneaky fuck.

"I didn't say that." I mumbled, accepting the five Pokéballs the Professor handed me. I clipped four of them to the back of my black magnetic belt that held up my black cargo pants, keeping the last one in my hand.

"It's settled then! Go on, catch them." Oak took a step back, all thoughts of nepotism or me being in more danger than I'd have been otherwise seemingly gone in the face of a major payday.

Sell-out bitch.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gary's face pinch together and his mouth open to say something. Probably a complaint about me getting the big one. Yet, before he said anything, he looked down at his own Growlithe and closed his mouth. I gained a small smile. Antagonistic dickhead or not, he wasn't stupid and was actually very good with Pokémon.

Turning back to my own awaiting Fire-Type, I asked the most important question left before catching him.

"Do you want to come with me?" Flame could say whatever she wanted, but if Growlithe didn't want to, then he wasn't going.

Fortunately, the dog Pokémon nodded enthusiastically and jumped up to lay his paws on my shoulders. I let out a yelp as he put his weight behind it and took me down to the floor, laying down on me and licking my face happily. I tried desperately to avoid his tongue, finally just pressing the Pokéball against his yellow pelt, digitizing and sucking him into the ball. It shook furiously for a second as he tried to figure out what happened, but he quickly settled down and the ball let out a click!

What just happened was very exciting, and I'd probably freak out later, but for the moment I was busy wiping dog drool off my face. By the time I got back to my feet, Gary had caught his own Growlithe and both him and the Professor were looking at me amusedly, though the older Oak gave me a nod for actually asking before catching.

Clipping the ball on my belt next to Siren's and Betty's, I felt all three of them shake, like they were acknowledging each other.

Anything else to be said was delayed as the Professor looked over our shoulders and pointed.

"Ah, there they are now."

True to the Professor's word, the doors opened and Green and a boy walked in. It took me a second, but I managed to identify the boy as Jonathan. I didn't really know the guy or remember having a conversation with him. Maybe it was Canon bias or something, but I couldn't bring myself to care either. He was apparently good enough to graduate the admittedly pretty tough exam and get a regional starter from Oak, so he had to be in the top three, but that was all I had.

"Sorry we're late!" Green called out, running in to stand besides Gary and me, Jonathan following with a swaggering walk.

"Not at all, my girl, you're still," the Professor checked the clock, "4 minutes earlier. I don't suppose you saw Ash on the way, did you?"

She shook her head. Looking her over, I saw she had changed her outfit for the occasion. She still wore a hat, though the new one had a smaller brim and was white, with a red half Pokéball symbol on the front. It was lucky that it was spring, I noted, seeing her light blue tank top and red skirt, sneakers on her feet. A yellow bag hung from her shoulder, finishing off her assembly.

I thought Jonathan might have changed his clothes as well, but who cared.

"Nice hat." I complimented her.

"Thanks!" She beamed, bouncing lightly on her toes. "My brother gave it to me!"

"Yeah, you're slightly less of a fashion nightmare than usual." Dickishness was deeply engrained in Gary and that might've been the closest I'd heard him come to a compliment.

Green glared at him, only to do a double take and look between him and me, a smirk pulling on her lips.

"Awww, you guys have matching shirts! That's so cute!"

Gary sputtered in denial, his face reddening in embarrassment, while I just returned the smirk lazily. "Delia got them for us."

"Gramps, what's the hold up!?" Gary swiftly ended the conversation, still blushing.

"We are still waiting for Ash, Gary."

"If the loser can't be on time, that's his fault, not ours! Don't even know why you're gonna give the dumbass a starter, he only got 8th in the class."

Oak hesitated as the clock hit two minutes past 8, but finally sighed and put his notes away. "I suppose there is no point in punishing you kids. He'll just have to catch up then. Very well." He clapped his hands. "Today is the day! Are you excited to finally become Trainers!?"

"Yeah!" We all chorused.

"That's good! You have worked hard to get here. I know my exam wasn't easy, but you four scored some of the highest marks I've seen since I started the school! You should all be very proud of yourselves."

The other children straightened with pride, yet I didn't really feel it. Sure, there had been some new physics and learning about Pokémon was dope, but it was still pretty easy, even if I only got 5th.

"First things first, Gretchen and Jonathan, your Pokéballs." They readily accepted the small balls, putting them on their belt like Gary and I. "A week's worth of rations, though it won't last you, Peri, quite that long. Five Potions, and I've even thrown in a Super Potion for good measure. And last, but certainly not least, and this is really exciting, my new invention! Behold, the newest version of the PokéDex!" Like he was Mario who'd just gotten a new star, the Professor held the small red GameBoy-esk device out proudly. I stared at it hungrily.

There it was.

"The PokéDex, or the Pokémon Index, is a special invention that I made to catalog and identify Pokémon with only a quick scan! Simply point the machine at a nearby Pokémon, hit the button, and it will tell you everything from species and size, to the moves they know and their general state of health. I will even keep track of changes in repeatedly scanned Pokémon, so you can see progress or the effect of a change in diet."

Oak started handing them out and I took mine reverently. Computer options at the Lab had been limited, so I hadn't had the time to look up as much stuff as I wanted.

"As I said, this is the newest version, so there are some extra features. Professor Rowan of Sinnoh has agreed to join our little cooperation, so the full list of known Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh will be available to you, as well as my own notes on those from other regions, though said notes are not complete by any means. There is also a phone function, PokéNet access, and it will function as your Trainer ID. Hmm, I believe that's it. Oh, and a camera."

That's it he said, like it wasn't already one of the most advanced machines around. Oak had mentioned in passing that he'd sold the original model to Silph Co. so that it would be available to the ordinary Trainer, but that one was connected to Silph's own database, which wasn't as extensive, and that the Professor still got any new data from them.

Also, phone? That wasn't in canon, but it made a lot of fucking sense. Why the fuck could it not call people in the anime? What was with the 70's-era whole-ass NASA setup to make a fucking call? They could vacuum giant living beings into a small ball and bend space-time to make shit bigger on the inside like a fucking TARDIS, yet had never heard of a landline?

Weirdos.

"With these PokéDex's, I would like you to scan as many Pokémon as feasible for the databases, and, if possible, capture anything unusual. Of course, you must always remember," the cheerful mood as he ranted about technology was replaced by a sudden seriousness, "that Pokémon are living beings as worthy of respect as humans. Capture after battle or through agreement is perfectly fine, but should I hear that you have resorted to more shady means, your Trainer license will be revoked immediately. As my sponsored Trainers, you will be representing me out there and I have zero tolerance for that sort of behavior. Is that understood?"

We all agreed, equally serious. Well, Green and I were serious. Both Gary and Jonathan seemed bored while doing so. I wasn't sure if it was bias that made me give Gary some more slack, as Jonathan's attitude annoyed me while Gary only got semi-exasperated amusement, or if it was because I trusted Gary to treat his team well.

"Good! Well, with that sorted, I believe it's time for the truly exciting part!" Oak gestured to the big machine behind him. It was a large circular thing, with three Pokéballs placed in indentations. I wasn't sure what the purpose of the piece of tech was, but it sure looked impressive.

The moment I'd been debating arrived. I was cautious about altering the timeline too much, but there had to be limits as well. Future me beating the shit out of Team Rocket was going to make way more waves than giving the Professor a little warning.

"Uh, Professor? There's only three Pokémon."

"Peri," he looked at me sternly, wrinkled forehead creasing even further, "you are not getting a starter. Starting with two Pokémon was already pushing it, and now that you have three-"

"That's not it." I quickly cut him off. In my peripheral vision I saw Green looking at me questioningly while Jonathan loudly exclaimed "THREE! THAT'S CHEATING!" glaring at me like I kicked his Growlithe. "I was thinking more about Ash."

Oak looked at me with confusion for a moment, ignoring Jonathan's complaining, before turning to stare at the displayed Pokéballs.

He was silent for a second.

"Shit."

I snorted as the color drained from his face before he hid it in his hands. "I knew I forgot something." He groaned.

Gary loudly cleared his throat, tapping his foot pointedly. "Can we hurry this up already!?"

"Yes, yes, go on then. Charmander, right?" The Professor mumbled, visibly still kicking himself and trying to figure out a solution.

Gary sighed. "No, Gramps, Squirtle. You know that."

"Right, yes, Squirtle. Of course." Oak cleared his throat embarrassedly, gesturing to the left-most Pokéball and stepping out of the way. Gary walked up, trying not to run out of eagerness, and snatched up the ball. Wasting no time, he unleashed the occupant.

A Squirtle materialized, blinking around curiously. I gave it a quick once over reflexively. I'd spent a fair amount of time with the evolutionary line over the years, down by the lake. Its brown shell was smooth and scratch free, well taken care of and it stood a fair amount larger than the average for its species. Looking closer, I saw it had a small scar on its forehead and recognized it as one of Blasty's, Oak's Blastoise, male progeny. Gary had his eyes on that one in particular for a little over a year since it hatched.

Seeing Gary, Squirtle lit up, yet quickly settled when he saw the faux haughty expression on the boy's face, matching his crossed arms and sticking his nose in the air.

Gary huffed. "Alright squirt, today's the day. Do you think you have what it takes to be the starter of a future Champion!?"

Squirtle instantly lost his attempted solemness, cheering loudly and pumping an arm in the air.

"I can't hear you! Do you have what it takes to be a Champion!?"

Squirtle cheered even louder.

"Good!" Gary nodded firmly, his lips quivering. "Then from today on, your name shall be Squirty!"

I laughed loudly as the Professor and Green both facepalmed. Gary bent down and gave Squirty a high-five before recalling him and walking back to stand in line with the rest of us.

The Professor opened his mouth to say something, probably a reprimand, but Jonathan quickly cut in, storming forward.

"My turn! Gi' me my Charmander!"

"Don't talk to Gramps like that, dipshit!"

"What'd you call me!?"

"Boys, settle down. Gary, language, Jonathan, ask Gretchen nicely if you can go first."

Jonathan turned to Green with a suffering expression. "Can I go first? Please?" It was up there for the most insincere request I'd ever heard. I'd have refused out of spite.

Green was a nicer person than me, though, simply shrugging and saying "Sure."

I tuned out Jonathan and Charmander's meeting. Beyond just being rude, I remembered anime Oak saying that the two other Trainers from Pallet besides Gary and Ash had dropped out. While that didn't sound correct for Green and was something I'd be keeping my eye on, I couldn't find the energy to give a fuck about Jonathan if he was just going to give up anyway. Instead, I sunk into a light meditative state, trying to grasp at my Aura core, or whatever, as it flowed through my mental fingers like smoke.

I was close, I could feel it, but it just wouldn't stay fucking solid.

I tuned back in as Jonathan swaggered back. Green stepped forward and took the last ball with a somewhat worried glance at me. I took a deep breath and unclenched my hands, letting the anger flow out with the air.

Appearing from the Pokéball, a small blue-green amphibian with darker patches yawned with its wide mouth, gazing around with large droopy red eyes, its small ears twitching. Seeing Green crouched in front of it, it waddled forward fearlessly on its stubby, thick legs and plopped down before her. It yawned again and stretched, two vines extending from the small plant bulb on its back before retracting back in.

"Hello there!" Green greeted, keeping her voice low. The Bulbasaur returned it with a surprisingly deep growl. "I'm Gretchen, but I prefer Green. I've just become a Trainer and I want to be a Grass-Type Master. Do you want to help me?"

The small sauropod looked up at her sleepily for a time. Whatever it was that it was looking for it seemed to find it, nodding in agreement before closing its eyes and curling up. Green aww'd and gave it a couple of pads, much to its enjoyment, before returning it so it could rest.

The Professor clapped his hands again, beaming at us all with pride.

"Excellent! Truly excellent! I never doubted you of course, but it's always a treat to see young Trainers bond with their starters. It's one of my favorite parts of the year. Take good care of them and they will take care of you. Now, this old man has taken up too much of your time. Go, go! Be free! Go forth and seize your destinys! Oh, and be careful on your way to Viridian! The Spearow have been unusually aggressive as of late and I haven't had the time to look into it. A single Spearow might not be too much of a challenge, but I've been getting reports of a flock of over a hundred. Exaggerated, almost surely, yet caution is still advised."

"Thank you Professor!" Both Green and Jonathan said, the boy immediately turning and running out the door, while Green mimed waiting outside. I gave her a nod and stayed back while Gary and the Professor said their goodbyes. As the youngest Oak stepped away, I went forward and took his place.

"Thank you for everything Professor." I said, reaching my hand forward. He chuckled at my seriousness, taking the hand and shaking it.

"It was my pleasure, my boy. My assistants are going to be very sad that they have to get up before dawn again."

I scoffed. "Lazy bastards. The entire Lab is gonna fall apart without me to push their work onto."

"At least I have the money to hire someone new now."

I raised my middle finger in response to his smirk. "Yeah, extorting children. The backbone of every successful institution. Good luck explaining to Ash why you don't have a Squirtle for him."

Oak rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I can't believe I forgot. I'm not sure what to do. We have plenty of Pokémon, but they're either too young or not raised to be starter Pokémon. It takes a certain temperament to forgive the beginner mistakes of a completely new Trainer, the kind rarely seen in the wild. Hmmm, although," he rubbed his chin as a metaphorical light bulb went off, "I did catch a young Pikachu sneaking into the Lab earlier today. Little guy was chewing on the wires. A bit ornery, perhaps, but nothing a determined young man can't deal with. Do you think Ash would like it?"

I carefully kept my face blank. "I'm sure he'd love it."

"Hmmm, yes. Yes, that might be the play. Though I think I'll play a little prank on him first." The Professor muttered, picking up a couple of the empty Pokéballs from the prepared pile. "Off you go, Peri. Keep me updated on Betty and Growlithe's progress and be careful out there. These might be more peaceful times, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Plenty of people are willing to take advantage of a child for a payday. Though I suppose I don't need to remind you."

The good mood faded, but I held off the worst of it through practice. "No, you don't."

"Good. That's good. Then I'll speak with you soon." Shooting me one last look as he placed the empty balls into the machine, he looked as serious as I'd ever seen him. "Don't do anything stupid."

I waved him off over my shoulder as I walked out through the door. "I won't. See you. You too Gengy."

The darker shadows in the corner of the ceiling undulated weirdly at my goodbye as the door closed behind me.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh late spring air through my nose, I exhaled happily. I almost couldn't believe it. I was finally a Pokémon Trainer. Sure, I'd had Siren and Betty for years, but now it was official. I could battle, challenge Gyms, go to the Conference, actual Trainer shit rather than being a glorified stable boy.

Not that I didn't enjoy my time taking care of the reserve's Pokémon. It was great and I learned a lot, yet I was more than ready for the next step.

Being the strongest and standing at the top, Team Rocket a burning pile of rubble at my feet and the Champions of the world being laid low.

I was knocked from my dreams of grandeur when someone shorter than me hit my shoulder at speed while charging into the Lab.

"OUT OF MY WAY, PERI, I'M LATE!" I barely had time to make out the red hat covering black hair before the door slammed closed behind Ash.

Chuckling, I gazed out over the front of the Lab. Quite the crowd had assembled, nearly all of Pallet, it looked like. Tommy the baker, Lily the florist, and of course Delia Ketchum standing at the front in her usual apron. She smiled widely as I approached her.

"Peri, congratulations! Are you excited!?"

"I am Miss Ketchum, though I'll miss spending time with a beautiful woman like you."

"Oh you." She lightly hit me on the shoulder with one hand, while holding her blushing cheek with the other. I wasn't lying either. Delia must have been a teenager when she had Ash, as she didn't look a day over 30. "Maybe I should just keep you here. Spare all the girls having their hearts broken."

"I almost wouldn't mind. Doubt there's better looking than you out there anyway." I laid it on thick.

"Stop it." She giggled. "Do you have everything? Tent, toothbrush, food, clothes? Clean underwear?"

"Yep, though you're always welcome to check my underwear." I waggled my eyebrows, barely holding back a pitching a tent joke.

She laughed, pulling me in for a hug and ruffling my hair. "Oh, I'm going to miss you!" She clearly wasn't taking me seriously.

One day though.

Spotting Green standing by the side, I gave Delia the last parting words and walked over.

"Hey."

"Hi!" She smiled.

"Heading to Celadon?" She'd talked about wanting to start her journey there rather than following Champion Indigo's traditional path and starting with Pewter.

"Yep. My brother's gonna be here in a second and Teleport us. He even said he had a surprise for me!"

"Cool. Well, good luck with that. As far as I know, Erika isn't the toughest, but you still shouldn't take her lightly."

"Oh, I won't. I'm not gonna challenge right away, my brother has promised to help me train, and then I'll probably go to Cerulean and Pewter."

"That makes sense. Suppose it's easier when you have a Teleporter." I wasn't jealous. Not even a little bit.

"As long as I have him, anyway." She said. "He has his own Training to do for the Conference."

"Makes sense." I looked left and right. "Have you seen where Gary went?"

She too started searching. "He was just here. Jonathan has already run off, but I didn't see where Gary went."

I hummed suspiciously. I feel like I was forgetting something Gary did in the anime, but my memories weren't as sharp after years. I just remember it being dumb.

HONK! HONK!

An obnoxiously loud horn made us spin around as the mystery of where Gary went was solved. I started laughing while Green loudly facepalmed and groaned beside me.

A red convertible sports car rolled around the corner of the building, from the direction of Flame's doghouse where I knew a side road led up to the Lab for deliveries. A woman in her late teens to early 20's that I didn't know sat behind the wheel with a pair of massive driving sunglasses and a cheerleader's uniform for some reason. Likewise, four similar dressed women were crammed into the backseat, pompoms covering their hands as they waved them wildly in the air and cheered.

And in the passenger seat, with a giant smirk and equally huge sunglasses, sat Gary.

"Sup scrubs?" He tried to act casual, yet it was kind of ruined by his chest being so puffed out that only his shoulders touched the backrest.

"Man, I knew you had a small dick, but I didn't know it was this tiny." I teased him, smirking at the women in the back as they giggled at my insult.

"HEY! My dick's huge, thank you very much! Not my fault if the world is finally recognizing the greatness that is Gary motherfucking Oak."

"Uhuh, and how much did you pay 'the world' for them to recognize it? No wait, my bad. How much did your grandfather pay? And how many times did my name come up in that conversation?"

"Do you want a ride or not!?" He snarked, looking away as his face reddened. I cut him a break before he took off without me.

No way I was missing out on getting to ride in a car. Vehicles were rare in the Pokémon world, personal cars even more so. It was only the absolute upper-class that could afford dropping that kind of money on something slower than many Pokémon, not even mentioning just paying for a Teleport. Almost every major city had multiple companies that offered transport.

"Of course I want a ride. Scoot over ladies, handsome coming through." I jumped over the low door and swung myself into the middle seat in a display of, in my humble opinion, awe-inspiring acrobatics born of long hours spent breaking my body with Champy. The cheerleaders seemed impressed if nothing else, giving the way they gasped and one even clapped as I leaned back and wrapped my arms around the two nearest ones that were practically already in my lab from the tight quarters.

"We ready then?" Gary asked, turning around in his seat to look at me. He frowned when he noticed the way I was holding his hype squad. I just waggled my eyebrows at him.

"Ash just headed in before you showed up. Oh, speak of Giratina, there he is." I pointed as the youngest of us exited the Lab, his messy hair sticking out even more than usual. I smirked when I saw the cause, a small yellow mouse-like Pokémon, with long black tipped ears and red pouches on his cheeks, standing by Ash's side and looking none too happy about it.

I was seeing the birth of a legend right before my eyes, despite the humble beginnings. It was insane to imagine the kind of shit those two would get into as Ash tried to put Pikachu back in his Pokéball after something Delia said, only for the Electric-Type to send the ball back to him with a slap of his tail.

Both Gary and I howled with laughter as Pikachu seemed to get enough of the situation and let out a truly massive blast of electricity, shocking the entire crowd. I squirmed out of my comfortable spot buried in women and approached the boy as he picked himself up from the ground, smoking and groaning while Pikachu looked awfully smug.

"Holy shit Ash, off to a rough start, huh?"

"Peri!" He cried out. "It's not my fault! Professor Oak only had this stupid thing left and it won't stop shocking me!"

"Well, two things first of all. Stop calling him stupid and stop calling him a thing. Pikachu was a wild Pokémon until this morning, it's gonna take him a second to get used to people and even then, you didn't catch him yourself." I tried to explain, crouching down before the mouse Pokémon as it glared at me. I held out a hand a decent distance from him and just left it there. Pikachu alternated between glaring at me and my hand, but slowly crept closer, sniffing furiously at my fingers. Only after his small black snout touched me did I slowly move them up to the top of his head. He froze, small bolts of lighting sparring from his cheeks as I gently scratched him behind the ears. I was convinced that I was about to get shocked, yet after a second he melted into the affection with a sigh.

Ash gaped at us with jealousy. "Why does he let you do that but not me!?"

"Maybe because you keep insulting him and trying to order him around? Have you even asked if he wants to come with you?"

The younger boy opened his mouth, only to freeze and close it again. I sighed in disappointment while Gary laughed mockingly from the car.

"Mew, I knew you were a loser, but even I didn't know the extent!"

"GARY! DID YOU ALREADY GET YOUR POKÉMON!?"

I tuned out the ensuing argument and focused on Pikachu.

"Take good care of the dumbass, will you? He means well and is a good guy, but sometimes I think he forgot his brain in the womb."

The rodent scowled at Ash's back while he and Gary yelled at each other, making me chuckle as I gave him one of the vegan treats from my fanny pack and stood up. I was running out of them, but it didn't feel necessary to buy more as I had Water-Type treats for Siren and meat based ones for Betty and Growlithe.

Going back to the car, I jumped into my earlier spot and got comfortable. Listening to the argument, which had descended into insults, I asked a question that I already knew the answer to, just to move things along.

"You riding with us to Viridian, Ash?"

"The fuck he is!"

"No! I'm not gonna cheat!"

"Not really cheating when we'd walked there several times, but suit yourself. We'll just beat all the Gyms and catch all the Pokémon before you get there. Punch it Gary." I waved to Green who still stood by the side, seeming forgotten by the boys. She waved back with exasperated fondness, matching my own feelings.

"Smell ya later, loser!"

"WAIT, NO! LEAVE SOME POKÉMON FOR ME! THAT'S NOT FAIR! DAMN YOU GARY! PERI!"

I smiled as the shouts faded in the distance, the roar of the car engine overtaking it. Squeezed between beautiful women, two pairs of breasts pushing against me from either side, and with a new rare Pokémon on my belt, I had to admit.

Despite the rough prelude, my official journey was off to a great start.

---

Cars, and vehicles all together even, in the Pokémon world confuse me, so in this fic, they interfere and annoy wild pokémon, so their use is limited.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

The journey officially begins. Fucking finally. I'm gonna be 80 before this shit wraps up.

---

The surroundings blurred by as the car sped along the dirt path, small rocks crunching under the tires. None of us paid much attention to it. It was far from the first time we'd visited the Pallet outskirts. The Professor had multiple times taken the class on an overnight field trip, to observe the truly wild Pokémon outside the reserve. The camping had been fun and good experience for our journeys, but the Pokémon themselves weren't anything to write home about. Pidgeys, Rattatas, Weedles, Caterpies, it was all basic stuff. Ash swore that he'd seen a Scyther once and Oak had sent them on a multiple hour expedition to find it, running around like dickheads in the middle of the night, but nothing ever came of it.

Neither were the people anything to talk about, mostly on account of them not being there. The reserve was very much off limits to those that didn't have permission, several Rangers rotating in and out to make sure poachers didn't sneak through. Combined with Viridians close proximity, it was rare to find people just hanging around. Any Trainers passing through were either only a handful when the League season started and the newbies set out or experienced Trainers coming back to Pallet. Neither were really worth it for Rookie Crushers to bother hanging about, especially when they could just wait outside Viridian to find more victims and avoid Oak's well known disdain for the practice.

As such, the two hour trip passed quickly and without anything noteworthy occurring. The only thing of interest was when we rushed past Jonathan, Gary spamming the horn and Jonathan screaming obscenities in return. Beyond that, Gary busied himself with his new PokéDex while I talked to the cheerleaders.

"You got five badges? Damn, that's impressive." I praised Serana, making her smile at me and toss her red hair over her shoulder.

"Thanks! I was on my third circuit by then, but it was really hard! I trained for months to beat Koga and even then it was only because of Kadabra that I won. And Sindy got six! The most out of all of us!"

I turned to the blue haired Sindy, genuinely impressed. "Beauty and skill, you are one hell of a group!" And I meant it. Gym badges weren't anywhere near as easy to get as in the games. Most people could get the first one as that was very basic. Two, three, and four got progressively harder and harder but it was generally accepted that if you wanted to make a living of off being a Trainer, you should be around the level of a fourth badger.

Anything beyond that though was where the men were separated from the boys. Type advantages and basic moves weren't gonna cut it. It took real skill from both Trainer and Pokémon to get the fifth badge, not to mention the sixth.

There was a reason that Trainers with eight badges got an automatic buy-in to the top 256 in the Conference. It didn't make you Master level, but if Conference winner was the step under the coveted title, then having eight badges in a single season was just under that.

I'd suspected that there was more to the girls than just moral support, but that confirmed it. Oak might spoil Gary a little, but giving him five professional Trainers as disguised bodyguards made way more sense than giving a teenager a bunch of smoking hot cheerleaders.

Unless the Professor was trying to parent trap his grandchild to keep him at home, yet I doubted it.

"If you're done embarrassing yourself, we're here." Gary piped up from the passenger seat.

Looking ahead I saw that he was right. The solid Steelix steel gates of Viridian stood open before us with the Gym logo etched into the front, a 40 foot wall of old, yet sturdy stone encircling the ancient city.

It wasn't the first time I'd been to Viridian, having accompanied Delia to the city when she needed something that Pallet couldn't provide, but it was as impressive everytime I noted as we rolled past the armored samurai-like guards.

In many ways the city reminded me of some European cities. The architecture was very old and traditional, the sloped roofs of the big stone houses with ornate overhangs displaying the old Kanto style, carefully placed buildings equally spaced out along the road. They'd managed to avoid industrialization throughout the years through very strict requirements for immigration and building permits, alongside significant cultural weight in the community. Viridian was an ancient city, with an undeniable pedigree, and they were damn fucking proud of it. That pride could be seen everywhere in its people, many of them wearing traditional Kanto kimonos of purple and orange, scowling at us as we rolled through in Gary's flashy sports car.

Viridian was also known as the Gateway of Indigo Plateau, and was the birthplace of Champion Indigo, the first Champion and the one to unite the Clans of Kanto under one banner. Supposedly he was the younger son to the ruling family of Viridian, which is why he started his conquest with Pewter. According to legend, his older brother was the leader of Viridian and only after uniting all the others, did Indigo challenge his family and found the Indigo Plateau deep in the Silver Mountains to the north.

For over 500 years since then, Viridian had stood guard of the only Kanto road that leads to the League headquarters and seat of the Champion, against multiple invasions from the sea and holding back and taming the wild forests of the area, despite its small size. They controlled their territory much more carefully than most other Gyms, due to the thickness of the forest that was a great breeding ground for powerful Pokémon.

As it was kept in check, it was a popular starting spot for new trainers. The city had a Gym, but unlike the other ones, Viridian Gym was allowed to be much more brutal and utilize stronger Pokémon, as the strongest Gym in the region.

Which was another reason the town was called the Gate. Viridian in Kanto and Blackthorn in Johto. The Gatekeepers of the Conferences.

One of which was the most important part of Viridian for me.

Giovanni.

Giovanni was the Gym Leader, and despite the close proximity with Pallet Town, neither Gary nor I had ever met him or even heard all that much about him. He was allegedly a stern, hard man, like the Ground-types he favored, yet a genius businessman. He was also a descendant of a branch family of the Pebble Clan of Pewter, despite not claiming the name, and distantly related to the near extinct Satoshi Clan. And, of course, how he was the next strongest Trainer in Kanto outside the Elite Four.

That was it. That was all I'd been able to figure out about the fuck. Not even a hint of all the crimes he'd committed, not even a whisper on the PokéNet. I had to hand it to him, he was good.

It wasn't gonna save him, but he was good.

"It's fucking bullshit that we can't challenge the Gym. The guy only gets a couple challengers a year and spends the rest of the time fucking around and we have to pay the bum taxes!?" Gary complained as we drove by said Gym. It loomed tall over us, large pillars holding up the suspended stone porch roof. Made of natural granite and sandstone, the Gym felt as ancient as the rest of the city, if not even older, clearly designed with practicality and lifespan in mind. The only hint to form over function was the odd roof being two quarter circles that met in the middle, only for the left one to be several feet under the right one.

"Perks of being the Gate and a bona-fide Master, I guess." I absently commented while surveying the building. It was a tradition that both Kanto and Johto followed, allowing their strongest Gyms to only be challenged by those with seven badges or more. "Also what do you mean 'we pay taxes'? You don't pay shit."

I was ignored.

"Are you sure you wanna get out here? It's a long walk to Pewter." Gary asked as we came to the other side of the wall, identical gates to the ones we came in through leading out. The driving woman, whose name I never got, pulled over to the side once we were a bit outside the walls.

"Yeah, I haven't been through here. Only feels right to do it on foot at least once." I shrugged, squeezing Sindy and Serana one more time before climbing my way out.

"If you wanna be left behind, that's your prerogative I guess. However," I turned to him to make my goodbyes, only to find him standing outside the car with a smirk, lightly throwing a Pokéball up and down with his right hand, "don't think you can escape before getting your ass kicked. This has been years in the making."

I returned the smirk, reaching down to grab Siren's ball. She was technically my first Pokémon so it was only fair that she was my first pick for my first official battle. "Inadequacy issues finally got the better of you, huh? That's cool, you've been needing a beating for a while."

Seeing where my hand went, Gary quickly shut me down. "Hey, none of that shit! Use Growlithe, he's the only one you haven't trained."

I stared at him incredulously. "What!? You can't do that! That's bullshit! You'll have to use your Growlithe too then!"

"Nope," the dick crossed his arms, "yours is bigger than mine. This is the only fair way. Unless you don't think you can handle it?"

I gritted my teeth at the infuriating superior expression on his face, yet still moved my hand to grab Growlithe's ball instead. Cheating fuck, baiting me like that. "At least you finally admit mine is bigger."

That made him fume himself. "Shut up and send out your Pokémon." Putting his money where his mouth was, he threw his own Pokeball and released Squirty, catching the ball on the bounce back confidently.

"Fine, but you're doubling your side of the bet." I returned, sending out my own ball and catching it again. I'd gotten a lot better at that over the years.

Growlithe materialized with a big stretch, barking happily at the sight of Gary and Squirty, his tail wagging. Yet, upon seeing the serious look on my face, he crouched down and focused, letting out a deep growl.

"Fine, not like it's gonna matter anyway." Taking out his PokéDex, he fiddled with it for a second. A ping! made me look down at my own device as the screen lit up, a notification informing me that I'd been challenged to a one-on-one Pokémon battle by Gary Oak, with a wager of 100 Poké, against his 200. Clicking the 'accept' button, we stashed them away again and readied ourselves.

We stared at each other, tension laying heavily in the air as we waited for someone to make the first move. The cheerleaders/bodyguards had all moved out of the car and were standing behind Gary. They too were silent, waiting for the battle to kick off.

Gary broke first.

"Water Gun!"

"Dodge and Tackle!"

Squirty's cheeks ballooned for a second before a pressurized jet of water shot out of its mouth. I couldn't help but admire its technique. Despite being a third of the age and a little slow, that wasn't much worse than Siren's. A faint suspicion blossomed in the back of my mind.

Fortunately, even though Squirty was a lot more proficient than I'd expected, Growlithe wasn't taken off guard. He'd started his charge even before the Water Gun launched and nimbly sidestepped the attack and continued hurling towards the turtle, his head lowering and preparing for impact.

Unfortunately, that faint suspicion proved to be true.

"Again!"

Seeing water gather in Squirty's mouth for another Water Gun, I gritted my teeth and mentally cursed the smirking dickhead. There was no way an untrained Pokémon could attack twice that fast.

Growlithe was too close to dodge again, so there was really only one choice.

"Take it!"

Gary's eyes widened as Growlithe lowered his head even more and took the Water Gun head on. He stumbled, slowing down and winching as the attack hit him head on, but he stayed up and powered through it, his speed picking back up as the move petered off.

Squirtle had good defense, but wasn't known for their mobility. There was no way Squirty could get out of the way fast enough.

"Withdraw!"

I literally growled as the turtle's limbs shot back into its shell, and it fell to the ground right as Growlithe hit it. The force of the over three foot tall and 80 pound canine sent the shell flying, slamming into a tree hard enough to crack the bark. Growlithe panted while Squirty dazedly emerged from its protection, the Fire-Type obviously exhausted from the super effective move.

Untrained my ass. Squirty's responses to commands were too fast, its moves coming too smooth.

It would seem Gary had pulled a fast one and trained him when I wasn't looking, then tricking me into a losing battle.

Or so he thought.

"Growlithe, again!"

Gary looked at me confused, but quickly shook it off.

"If you wanna give me the win, then by all means! Squirty, Water Gun again!"

I tensed as the Water Gun built up, Growlithe charging fearlessly forward at my command. The turtle's cheeks shook from the pressure before the jet of water pierced through the air with force towards my Pokémon.

As planned.

"Roar!"

"What?!"

Mid run, Growlithe opened his mouth and let out a mighty bellow, a deep rumbling sound that caused the forest around them to fall silent. A visible shockwave erupted from his mouth and spread swiftly. Squirty flinched from the loud sound as the attack hit him, instinctive fear making him take a couple steps back and cut off his Water Gun prematurely. The initial blast still hit Growlithe as he resumed his charge, yet it was unfocused and weaker than it could've been, allowing Growlithe to take it and make it through to the other side, hurt, yet still standing.

"Bite!"

"Withdraw, Squirty, Withdraw!"

It was too slow, the Roar still affecting the Water-Type and making him hesitate. Growlithe was upon him in a flash, maw opened wide and teeth glinting black with poorly wielded Denial energy. Amateurish as the use of Dark energy was compared to those I'd seen in the past, it was still effective as Growlithe's jaws wrapped around Squirty's shell, the carapace bending from the force. The turtle cried out as the dog Pokémon shook his head back and forth viciously, growling as small cracks started spreading through the Squirtle's natural armor. Before anything serious could be afflicted, Growlithe let go of his opponent with one last flick off his head, sending the blue Pokémon flying back into the same tree it hit the last time.

"SQUIRTY!"

I watched worriedly as Growlithe laid down on his belly, panting furiously. He didn't have any injuries other than a big bruise already forming on his forehead, but Type energy interaction wasn't as simple as that. I hadn't figured out the exact mechanics behind it yet, but super effective attacks somehow caused way more exhaustion than they should, like they diminished the victims own energy.

"Yeah, that's it! Show that ugly mutt what's what!"

Looking back at Squirty, I frowned as the Water-Type struggled to his feet once again. His eyes rolled around in his head as he stumbled, fissures spreading through his shell from two puncture marks in the front and I imagined matching ones on the back.

Yet despite the beating he'd taken, the Squirtle took a wide stance to keep his balance and tried his best to focus.

Neither Pokémon would make it through another attack consciously.

It all came down to who was faster.

"EMBER!"

"WATER GUN!"

Growlithe was a lot more tired, his energy drained from the repeated exposure to Water-Energy, yet Squirty was dizzy and fuzzy from being shook around and thrown into a tree repeatedly. The barrage of sparks burst from the Fire-Type's mouth first, too exhausted to even stand up from the ground. The jet of water followed before the Ember could cover more than half of the distance. The compressed liquid tore through the Fire attack in a burst of steam, not even slowed as it ripped a clean path towards Growlithe, striking him in the chest and sending him rolling across the grass with a whine.

But Water Gun was a narrow attack and no matter how great the Type advantage, it still had to hit for it to matter. Squirty cried out as the remaining 70% of the Ember attack pelted him and the immediate area, bursting into small flames on impact like tiny fireworks and making the Turtle Pokémon collapse onto his back.

"GROWLITHE! GET UP!"

"COME ON SQUIRTY, CRUSH THESE LOSERS!"

No reaction. Both Pokémon laid motionless on the ground, save the rhythmic rise and fall of their chests.

They were both knocked out.

It was a draw.

Stomping forward, I quickly recalled Growlithe to his ball. While I was worried about him, there was a PokéCenter in Viridian and I knew that he wasn't in critical condition. He'd be back in tip top shape within a couple of days. If anything, Squirty came out the worst in the battle. It was gonna take at least a week for his shell to recover.

However, all of that rushed through the back of my mind. I was far more concerned about rearranging Gary's face.

"What the fuck was that!?" I growled.

"What was what? You getting lucky?" He retorted from where he was crouched down, applying a Potion to his unconscious Pokémon. He didn't look at me, at least until a swift kick sent the Potion bottle flying. Standing with an angry expression, he appeared completely taken aback when I was suddenly in his face, a light push to his chest forcing him back a couple of steps.

"I meant your fucking Pokémon, dipshit! I had to use an untrained Pokémon, huh!? To make it fair, huh!? How long have you been sneaking out and training him, huh!?" another push rocked him, though he managed to brace against that one.

"I don't know what you're talking about, loser! Don't blame us for having more skill than you!" He played a good game, but even if I hadn't been certain, the way he wouldn't meet my eyes gave him away.

"Skill!? The fucker is already near evolution!" I hadn't noticed it at the Lab, but it was the truth. The blue color of Squirty's skin had a slight purple tint to it, and the size that I'd attributed to his lineage and diet was greater than I remembered. The turtle was almost the size I'd expect an Alpha Squirtle to be. Likewise, now that I got an up close look, the curled up tip of the Water-Types tail was elongated and turning pale, while two tiny points of a pair of fangs peeked out from his open mouth.

He didn't have anything to say to that, just gazing off into the trees sullenly.

"Does the Professor know about this!?" That got a flinch from him, though based on the slight look of guilt he gave me from the corner of his eyes, it wasn't for the reasons that I hoped.

"Un-fucking-believable. So, I can't train the Pokémon I nearly fucking died to get, but you can train one that's not even yours yet!? Nepotism is alive and fucking well, huh!?"

Son of a bitch. The Professor had been on my ass every time I spent more than an hour with either Betty or Siren, bitching and moaning about 'fairness' and 'favoritism', yet that was apparently only a thing for me?

An ugly thought struck me. Was it about me, or was it about Gary? Was it to make sure that my team wasn't too strong for a rookie Trainer, or to make sure that I wasn't that much stronger than Gary?

In my peripheral, over Gary's shoulder, I saw the cheerleaders look between Gary and I and at each other, one hand by their Pokémon belts.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose, holding the air in my lungs. I was getting out of control. Taking action based on assumptions was a stupid idea, as I'd been repeatedly told in therapy. I had to stop and think about the pros and cons before deciding anything, like Dr. Enthal had taught me.

Cons of breaking Gary's nose: 1, it would sour our relationship, which I didn't give a fuck about at the moment. 2, I'd probably get jumped by the girls. 3, it might fuck things up with Oak, which I also found it hard to care about. 4, I'd be beating up a kid.

Pros: 1, it would feel really fucking good. 2, I'd probably get jumped by the girls. It was a matter of perspective.

Exhaling explosively, I carefully uncurled my fists and opened my eyes. They were all watching me carefully, the girls with serious expressions totally at odds with their earlier good cheer, while Gary had gone slightly pale.

Not worth it.

Fuck.

Sticking my finger in his face, I hissed at him.

"It's real fucking ironic that you run around calling other people losers, because you're the biggest fucking loser I've ever fucking seen! You fucking suck, Gary, and there's a reason no one fucking likes you!"

With my piece said, I spun around on my heel and walked back into Viridian.

"Peri, come on…"

I ignored him, making for the PokéCenter.

"Whatever…"

The rumbling of the engine and crunch of gravel heralded them taking off.

---

"Here's your Growlithe! He was mostly just exhausted, so we gave him a couple of Potions and cleared the Water-Type energy out of his system. He should take it easy for at least the rest of the day, but there is nothing truly wrong with him."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." I accepted the ball she held out to me and attached it to my belt. It hadn't taken more than two hours for them to clear Growlithe, time I'd spent stocking up on some more supplies. A couple of Antidotes and Repels, as well as extra water and food. Viridian Forest was crawling with Bug and Poison-Types, most of which wasn't particularly happy with being disturbed. I'd been willing to risk it earlier, but since I had the time, there was no reason to not do it.

It had drained most of the 500 Poké Oak had put in our accounts when he made them, but it was worth it.

"It was my pleasure to help such a handsome Pokémon. Thank you for your patronage, we hope to see you again!"

I gave her a weird look, but didn't say anything. That line hadn't made sense in the games and it didn't make sense in reality.

The trek back to the northern exit of Viridian passed uneventfully. The PokéCenter was near the middle of the city, but Viridian wasn't very big in the first place, so it took less than 10 minutes to make it back to where I'd fought Gary. The trip was actually nicer than in the car. The glares of the natives had disappeared alongside the flashy vehicle, people on the street smiling at me as our eyes met. Well, some smiled. Others started to look pleasant, only to take a closer look at my face and sneer instead, whispering to their friends and throwing me glances in a faux sneaky way.

I didn't know what their problem was, but they could go fuck themselves. My earlier good mood had vanished after the way things went down with Gary and I just wanted to actually start my fucking journey already.

The crisp spring air filled the Viridian Forest with the scent of budding flowers and plants. The tree lines on either side of the main path started out thin, with plenty of room to move between them, the undergrowth sparse and young, yet the further in I looked, the thicker and more untamed it got. It was by design, I knew. Viridian Forest was one of the most popular spots for new Trainers to gain experience, Bug Trainers flocking to the woods in droves in hopes of catching one of the rarer species like Scyther or Pinsir, the forest boasting the largest single population of Bug-Types. As such, the main roads were heavily patrolled by Rangers and Viridian Gym Trainers, keeping the stronger wild Pokémon at bay and kicking out the more shameless of the Rookie Crushers. There were large signs posted every few hundred yards, warning against exploring the woods with anything less than four badges, and even then to be careful. A single Beedrill might not be a threat to a professional level Pokémon, but a swarm of a 100 was a different story.

At the same time, the untamed parts had served as a natural defense against Johto and even Hoenn forces coming from Sevii, for centuries. The dense forest and highly aggressive Bug-Types had done as much against invasions as Viridian itself. It was even a common theory that Giovanni had the wild Pokémon trained to make them even stronger.

All of that passed through my mind as I stepped off the path and headed in between the trees after a small half-hour walk. I didn't go deep, but it was still nerve-wracking. Many a rookie had thought themselves above the warnings, often because they had a Fire-Type starter, and had vanished, never to be seen again.

Thankfully, I didn't have to go far to find a small clearing, only having to take a minor detour to avoid an overly aggressive Pidgeotto that luckily backed off when it saw that I didn't have any Pokémon out and went out of my way to avoid it. Not all wild Pokémon were that graceful when someone stumbled into their territory and I had a hand on Siren's and Betty's Pokéballs the whole time.

Flowers of every hue bloomed in the glade, a carpet of barely opened petals filling the area with their sweet scent. Budews and Sunkerns fled at my approach, rushing to hide behind Roselias and Sunfloras as the evolved plant Pokémon bared their blossoms at me threateningly, the smell of pollen intensifying as they got ready to protect their children. I held up my hands and stayed at the outskirts, trying to show them that I wasn't a threat. I refrained from releasing my team, hoping the locals would calm down a little and not take it as a challenge. I also slyly pulled my PokéDex from my pocket and captured a small video of the young Grass-Types hiding behind the older ones. Not every Budew went to the Rosalias, nor the Sunkerns to the Sunfloras. They seemed to have merely sought the one that was the closest, which was interesting to see in the wild.

I may have been slightly pissed at the Professor, but that was no reason to miss potentially interesting research.

Gazing around the clearing, I frowned as I noticed the lack of sunlight. It should only be around noon. Looking up, my eyebrows shot up at the dark, rolling clouds above me. Now that I thought about it, there was a slight hint of ozone in the air, hidden beneath the flowers, fresh dirt, and plants.

It would really suck if it started raining. I had an umbrella, but I just wanted something to go right today.

Judging that I might be in a hurry, and seeing that the Grass-Types had gone to the other side of the glade to let the children play while a Roselia and two Sunflora kept an eye on me, I finally released my three Pokémon.

Siren scanned her surroundings with a suspicion that made me sad, though she quickly brightened up when she saw me and no enemies. Levitating a good foot over the ground, she shot over to me nearly as gracefully as she would in the water and plopped down by my feet to glare over at the watchful Grass-Types. I smiled at the ease at which the Feebas moved. It had been a while since she'd shown off for me so I was a little out of date on her progress. I was pretty sure she wanted it to be a surprise when we finally set off.

Betty, on the other hand, had barely finished materializing before she noticed that we were in a new place. Screeching with happiness, she rushed towards the closest non friendly Pokémon, the Rosalia, with a wide open maw.

"BETTY, NO! STOP!"

Grinding to a halt, her weight digging a small trench into the ground, grass and plants trampled, she turned back to me with wide eyes and a whine.

"Here." I pointed in front of me.

Her head on a swivel, she turned from me to the Grass-Type, completely unbothered as the evolved forms gathered together once more to present a united front. The Dragon-Type whined piteously again, trying to take another sneaky step towards her perceived prey.

I wasn't having it.

"Now Betty!"

Skulking, she stomped back towards me, falling on her ass gracelessly as she pouted. I sighed while throwing her a treat, making her perk back up, even as Siren scolded her with disapproving gurgles.

I was really nervous about using her in battle. It would be a while before I did so, as the Professor was probably right about keeping her somewhat hidden until we were stronger, but even wild Pokémon were gonna be a challenge.

Growlithe had ignored Betty's behavior, being used to it, and was laying on his side exhaustedly. Sitting down beside him, I ran my fingers through his thick warm fur, both to comfort him and to check him over. As Nurse Joy had said, there wasn't anything physically wrong with him, the bruises on his forehead and chest were gone, but he would be low energy for a couple of days.

"That was a good fight." Given the way he huffed and curled into a ball, he disagreed.

"Come on buddy, don't be like that," I shook him playfully, "it was a great fight. Sure, we didn't win, but it was your first real battle and we got fucking robbed as well. Not only did Squirty have the Type advantage, but Gary's been training him for months, and you still managed to pull off a draw. How many rookie Fire-Types can claim to take two Water Guns head on and keep going? You're such a good boy." I'd managed to roll him over onto his back and was aggressively giving him belly scratches while he pawed at me, panting happily at the attention and praise.

I wasn't sure how it happened, but I soon found myself on the bottom of fur and scales, Growlithe's tongue wagging and Betty trying to dislodge him from the top to get her own turn pinning me down. Siren watched with slightly upturned eyes as I managed to extract myself.

"Okay, okay, enough of that." Growlithe sat down and looked at me attentively, while Betty leered at the still watching plant Pokémon. "You're the only one on the team without a name. Do you want one?"

"WOOF!"

"Good! I have the perfect one. In honor of your mother and the Professor, your name shall be… Smokey!"

Growlithe stared up at me with no reaction.

"Okay, not Smokey. Hmmm… Fiery?"

Nothing.

"Doggy? No, that's not a name. Uhh… Growly? Though you're not very growly… Flamey?"

Still nothing.

"Damn, you're picky. What about…" a flash of a red fox in a dessert passed through my mind." … Sol? It's an old name for a sun god I'd heard once."

That got a reaction, the newly named Sol cocking his head for a second before jumping up and taking me down to the ground again, licking my face all the while.

"AH! No, don't- ahhh, get off!" It took a bit, but I did eventually manage to get back to my feet, Sol running around in happy circles as Betty cheered and Siren gurgled. I wasn't sure Betty really understood what just happened, preoccupied with thoughts of murder as she was, but she was happy to be there nonetheless.

"Yes, yes, it's very exciting. Alright, line up. Good girl, Siren. No, Sol, in front- Betty! Betty, here! Don't look at me like that, they're not food, here! There we go, okay. Fuck. We'll work on that." There were some minor problems, but soon all three of them were standing in a rough line.

Acting quickly before someone got impatient, I wiped out my PokéDex and pointed it at Betty. Hitting the button, I smiled as a mechanical voice that was practically the incarnation of my childhood spoke.

"Bagon, The Rock Head Pokémon. Bagon has a dream of one day soaring in the sky. In doomed efforts to fly, this Pokémon hurls itself off cliffs. As a result of its dives, its head has grown tough and as hard as tempered steel. Although it is small, this Pokémon is very powerful because its body is a bundle of muscles. Its well-developed neck muscles and iron-like head can smash boulders into pieces."

"This Bagon has the ability: Sheer Force, and knows the moves: Tackle, Bite, Headbut, Ember, Dragon Dance (egg move)."

A long list of information followed. Things like gender, height, weight, age, and even current physical condition. It was an impressively comprehensive list for a simple scan.

Though I knew from one of Oak's rants that the PokéDex was connected to the Pokéballs and his own servers as well and that's where it got most of the in-depth info.

I snorted slightly when I saw the weight at over 450 pounds. It was easy to tell that she was big just by looking at her, clearing four and a half feet tall, yet I was always surprised by how fucking dense she was.

"I knew about most of these, but Dragon Dance?" I whistled impressed, rubbing Betty's hard skull cap. "You're full of surprises, aren't you baby girl." The Bagon seemed awfully smug about my words, glomping onto me happily now that she didn't have to stand still. Steadying myself, I accepted the hug. If nothing else it kept her close and out of trouble.

"Okay, let's just keep going down the row. Siren." My ever patient Feebas looked at me with hooded eyes as the machine talked.

"Feebas, The Fish Pokémon. Feebas's fins are ragged and tattered from the start of its life. Because of its shoddy appearance, this Pokémon is largely ignored. While Feebas's body is in tatters, it has a hardy and tenacious life force that enables it to live anywhere. However, this Pokémon is also slow and dimwitted, making it an easy catch. Ridiculed for its shabby appearance, it is ignored by researchers."

"This Feebas has the ability: Swift Swim, and knows the moves: Tackle, Water Gun, Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse (egg move)."

Siren deflated at the description, her levitation falling and letting her fall to the ground with down turned eyes. I had to resist the urge to throw the PokéDex against the nearest rock.

How dare it shit talk my little Princess?

"Don't listen, Princess." Picking her up I held her close to my chest, feeling her lean into the hug. It was a little troublesome with Betty still clinging to me, but we made it work. "It's a stupid machine, made by stupid people. They don't know shit."

She bubbled in response, trying to reassure me, but I'd know her long enough to tell when she was faking.

"Look at me." I lifted her up higher so she had no choice. "You are beautiful and you are strong. Who cares what other people think. The only opinions that matter are yours and mine, and I'm telling you, you're awesome. Even if you never evolve, even if you stay a Feebas for the rest of our lives, I'll never be anything but happy that it was you that came out of that egg. Okay?"

She stared at me for a moment, searching my eyes. I wasn't worried. Even if the words might not have been true when she hatched, they were now. After nearly four years, I couldn't imagine life without her.

My thoughts must have shone through as an awkward smile appeared on her face and she leaned in to press her lips against my cheek in her best attempt at a kiss. Pressing my own onto the top of her head, I put her down on the ground again.

"And hey, Dragon Pulse! That's cool. We'll have you train that with Betty. I want to get her started on Dragonbreath anyway." Said Pokémon looked up at the mention of her name and bared her sharp fangs in excitement.

"First off, though. Last but not least." I said, pointing the PokéDex at Sol as he wagged his tail, still sitting where I'd told him to.

Such a good boy.

"Growlithe, The Puppy Pokémon. Extremely loyal, it will fearlessly bark at any opponent to protect its own Trainer from harm. Jealously protective of its territory. Carelessly approaching it may result in a bite. Growlithe has a superb sense of smell. Once it smells anything, this Pokémon won't forget the scent, no matter what. It uses its advanced olfactory sense to determine the emotions of other living things."

"This Growlithe has the ability: Flash Fire, and knows the moves: Bite, Roar, Ember, Agility, Leer, Odor Sleuth, Close Combat (egg move), Morning Sun (egg move)."

My jaw dropped a little at the list. Holy fuck. I knew that his pedigree was impeccable, but two egg moves!? It was rare for a Pokémon to have one that wasn't just something they'd learn anyway!

Gazing out over my team, I frowned slightly. All three of them had egg moves, and two were horrifically rare Pokémon besides that.

That was so lucky that it was somewhat suspicious. It did seem to be tempered with bad luck as well, but it was still really fucking weird.

"Jes-Mew, you're packing, huh boy?" I didn't let my thoughts show. Sol panted happily at my praise, as well as the ear scratches that followed. "Close Combat is self-evident, though very nice to see, as is Flash Fire. You're leaning more and more into the physical fighter aspect, which is cool, though we shouldn't over specialize. I don't know Morning Sun. Hmmm, let's see… oh, it's a healing move, using the sun. Very nice actually."

It kind of gave me some ideas, depending on the exact mechanics. Though that was for a later time. Egg moves weren't something Pokémon could instinctively use, as much as it was a move that their parentage gave them the ability to learn, that they wouldn't have otherwise.

"Okay, great stuff all around. Now, I figured we could do a little training before heading towards Pewter. Not so much that we're exhausted, but it's about a week's walk, so we should get some training along the way. To start-"

CRA-CRA-BOOOOOOOM!

An ear shattering clap of thunder cut me off and made us all flinch, Sol in particular whining from the loud noise. I was just in time to turn my face upwards before a waterfall of rain started pouring down on us.

For fucks sake.

---

Gary and the Professor up to some sus shit. And Sol gets his name.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Surely, a little bit of bad weather isn't enough to trouble our intrepid hero. How could it, with such nice, calm, and friendly companions?

---

Weather was a truly unpredictable thing. One moment it was dry, if cloudy and with an underlying promise of thunder.

The next, a torrential downpour without equal fell from the heavens like the wrath of God, less droplets and more rivers of rain hurling towards the ground. My clothes were instantly drenched like I'd jumped in a pool and the Pokémon weren't much better. Siren seemed to enjoy it, slowly turning her face upwards and blinking at the precipitation. Betty acted like she was being attacked, jaws snapping at the streams as they hit her, whining with displeasure as her teeth clamped around nothing and more and more kept coming, running into her eyes and blinding her, making her abandon her efforts in favor of shaking her head to try and get it out.

Sol, however, behaved like he'd been shot. His joy at getting a name and the anticipation of training vanished faster than the dryness had, turning to horror and dread as his fur was immediately soaked. He howled in dismay as the water kept falling and ran like Giratina was after him, paws kicking up mud as he headed for the nearest tree. I was right on his heels, the wet dirt clinging to my pants as I felt the ground become looser and looser beneath my feet.

The tree Sol had picked to hide under was a monster of its kind, an ancient walnut tree-esk growth that reached high towards the sky. The close branches provided decent cover, though the liquid made its way down the leaves and gathered, pouring in wrist thick streams in spots. Getting under it, I spit what had made it into my mouth out, wiping my face, only to have to wipe it again when Sol shook furiously, trying to dry himself off.

"Sol, come on! Not towards me!"

The Growlithe whined again, nearly vibrating with how he kept shaking, though the water clung tightly to his pelt. Taking pity on him, and having had enough of being sprayed with wet dog juice, I recalled him right as Betty stumbled in with me, covered from head to toe in mud. I barely managed to shield my eyes before she did her best Sol imitation and sent the thick earth mix flying all over.

I wanted to reprimand her, but it would have fallen flat since I wanted to do it myself.

"Holy fucking shit, that was sudden!" I exclaimed as Siren slowly moved closer, levitating a comfortable distance above the mud. She stopped right before the tree, content to bask in her shower. I left her to it. Now that we'd be moving around, there was no certainty that we'd find a lake or river everyday.

I'd let her enjoy it while she could.

Now that I thought about it, I did remember the thunderstorm from the anime. It was while Ash and Pikachu were dealing with the Spearow flock.

I'd completely forgotten about it during the excitement.

"Guess we'll wait a bit, see if it clears up. You okay, baby?" I asked Betty. Turning to look at her, I was confused to see her looking upwards at the branches above us.

At least I was until I looked the same way and saw over a dozen Kakuna hanging from the wood. An equal or even greater number of Beedrill swarmed around threateningly, sharp, glistening stingers directed at us.

Oh. I'd thought the buzzing sound was just the rain. Apparently not.

I held up one of my hands slowly, while the other one crept down for Betty's Pokéball. I'd have to act quickly before shit turned sideways.

"Hey. Sorry, we didn't see you there. That's our bad. We'll leave right awa-"

It was too late. One of the giant wasp Pokémon hovered too close for Betty's comfort. I opened my mouth at the same time as she did, yet the Fire move formed quicker than my words.

"STO-"

A torrent of Embers struck the Beedrill, sending it falling to the wet ground with a splat! The remaining balls of fire continued on, hitting the tree trunk and a single spark gracing one of the hanging Kakunas.

Everything stopped for a second, like the world itself was giving us a moment of silence for our incoming demise.

"ICE BEAM! EMBER! RUN!" Even as I screamed I sent Sol back out of his ball, and not a moment too soon. Like missiles, the Beedrill dive-bombed towards us, thick poison dripping from the tips of their stingers. The previously quiet background humm became an all encompassing buzz that could be felt as much as heard. Thankfully, whatever mechanic that gave Pokémon a limited understanding outside their ball had informed him that something was wrong, so it only took him a second to get the idea, while I swiftly whipped a Repel out of the quick-to-access side pocket of my back pack, the incredibly concentrated stinky liquid my only option for helping directly.

I couldn't punch a giant wasp.

Fire and ice erupted as we started a fighting retreat, steam and icicles left in our wake. Betty and Sol stayed in front of me, waiting for a break in the swarming Bug-Types before hurrying after me as I led the way back towards the road. Siren stayed out in the open, the hammering sky-flood giving her Water moves a boost in power as she could draw from the surrounding liquid rather than having to make it all herself, while also giving her quite a speed boost thanks to Swift Swim. In fact, she was currently the fastest on the team with Sol constrained by the slippery surface, sliding around on the mud like it was ice, repositioning as needed.

Unfortunately, she quickly had to abandon Ice Beam. Super effective it might be, yet not only did the downpour leech much of the energy as the drops froze on contact, but much like Squirty's Water Gun, it was a narrow beam. The incredibly agile Beedrills had little issue flying out of the way with their jerky, erratic movements. The species weren't the fastest in a straight line, yet near unmatched in maneuvering. Instead, Siren switched to the Water Bullets she'd shown off against Goldeen, an Ember-esk Water Gun that fired like a machine gun. The bullets snapped fragile wings and broke thin exoskeletons on every hit, wounded Pokémon falling to join their burned brethren.

"ROAR!" It took a moment for the command to sink in, but once it did, Sol left the defense to Betty and Siren on the sidelines as he took a deep breath.

Roar was an interesting move. As far as I remembered, in the games it forced wild Pokémon to flee and trained ones to switch out. In the actual Pokémon world, it functioned more like a stronger version of the ability Intimidate. Every living creature had an instinctive fear of large predators, even other predators. Roar and Intimidate tapped into that, convincing the targets that they were facing something huge that was going to eat them. It had worked to great effect on Squirty earlier.

Sol Roar'ed, the shockwave blowing back the rain drops and washing over the swarm. They slowed for a second, yet shook it off in record time, coming at us with even more fervor if anything.

Unfortunately for us, we were facing Bug-Types. Not only did the semi-hivemind that many species of that Type had lessen the effect, but Bug-Types in general were highly resistant to mental alteration. I'd never call a Pokémon stupid or a simple animal, yet Bug-Types were the closest. Much like insects on earth, they were highly specialized and acted more or less entirely based on instincts.

And most often, those instincts came down to two things: protect the nest and kill the intruders.

Two of the wasp Pokémon managed to sneak past the defensive line and made for me faster than I could bring the spray around. I went to dodge, yet before I had the chance an Ember washed over them, sending their charred, unconscious bodies careering past me. The protective action cost Betty, as her moment of inattentiveness allowed another Bug to rush her. A needle point coated in venom, carried by incredible momentum, sank past the Dragon-Type's thick hide half an inch deep. Betty didn't take kindly to that, wrapping her jaws around the insect Pokémon's head and snapped them closed.

CRUNCH!

Green and brown liquid dripping from her mouth, Behemoth let out a roar and met the rest that saw their chance. A stinger broke on her head plate as she met the charge with a Headbut. The recoil let her grab the Beedrill with her mouth and turning towards another incoming, she sent the first into the second, carried by an Ember that roasted them both. With another roar and a bloodthirsty smile, she eagerly sprinted forward, rejoicing in the chance to fight and kill to her heart's content. If I had the chance, I'd have told her to stop. Using lethal force against wild Pokémon, while not illegal or anything, was not a great way to make them stop attacking. But there was way too much going on and we couldn't afford her holding back anyway.

With Betty swiftly losing track of their task and simply reveling in the carnage, Sol was left as my only close range defender, snapping at everything that came close, wide Embers bursting from his mouth nearly every second. We were almost out of the clearing at that point, but our progress was slow. We were forced to stick to the trees, seeking shelter from the rain. Normally I'd have said fuck it by that point and just accepted the wetness, yet Sol was a Fire-Type. While not as vulnerable as something like a Charmander or Slugma, water, even non-Type water like rain, was still not great for him. He'd not be able to keep up the rate of fire that was necessary. Roasted Beedrills littered the area around him, almost all alive, though there were a couple dead, yet they kept coming. Every tree we passed under seemingly had a fresh supply of Bug-Types waiting in the canopy. For every one we took down, two more seemed to take its place. The original dozen or so had long since fallen to teeth, flames, or water, but over twice that number replaced them. I watched frustrated as Sol got pierced in the side and then the other side when he turned to address it. A fast Ice Beam from Siren removed one and a Bite the other, as Sol tried to dodge between both the swarm and the small waterfalls. I couldn't help, busy keeping the few stragglers of me, plus my own Pokémon would be affected by the Repel if I used it too close.

Though we couldn't completely escape the environmental effects.

A cry alerted me to trouble. In the midst of her killing frenzy, the wet ground and her weight had betrayed Betty. She'd slipped on one of the mud patches left by the thick streams coming down from the trees, falling onto her side and flailing around, trying to get up on the unstable surface. The swarm took its chance, two, three, four lances hit her back and side, right before the beam from her Pokéball recalled her and re-released her by my side. She swayed for a moment, the multiple venom injections starting to take effect even despite her size. The close call appeared to snap her out of the blood rage and she stayed close to my side, allowing Sol a little more room to move.

Despite how grim things seemed, we were actually doing okay. We'd left the clearing behind and had to move around the thickening forest, but so did the Beedrill. A smart commander would've used our slowed pace to flank us, but the Bug-Types were driven by pure piss and vinegar and came straight for us, making it much easier to predict their path. Insects hit the earth with quiet splats! in ever increasing numbers, and for the first time, it seemed like we were making a dent. I could even see some turn back around as we moved further and further from their nests.

If it had only been the Beedrill, I'm pretty sure we'd have won.

A Gust of pressurized wind hit me from the side and lifted me off my feet, the Repel flying from my hand. I splattered into the mud, hands and feet scrambling for stability. A flash of blue energy informed me that the offending Pidgey had been struck by an Ice Beam. However, there was no time to take it in as before I'd managed to get back up, a white blur lept at me, purple fur and protruding front teeth of a Rattata glowing with a Quick Attack. My eyes barely managed to widen before a yellow blur hit it mid air, Sol Tackle'ing the rodent, accepting a Razor Leaf to the side from an Oddish hiding in a bush that withered from the retaliating Ember.

Back on my feet, I lashed out with an arm instinctively, allowing the Vine Whip of a Bellsprout to hit it and wrap around it. The small Grass-Type tried to pull me off my feet, completely blind to the rampaging Dragon-Type that came up beside it, it's whole body disappearing down Betty's gullet. Another Gust sent us skidding through the mud, though I'd managed to keep my footing, the furious Butterfree falling to an Ember shortly after, Betty roaring in victory, glee, and fury as she threw herself back into the fray.

It was complete pandemonium. The desperate and careless fight with the Beedrill swarm had agitated the locals and convinced them that we were a threat, so they were coming out in force from every angle. Most problematic, they were coming from the direction of the road, blocking our escape.

Siren gurgled painfully, a Razor Leaf carving a grove through her scales. The Beedrill had mostly left her alone, the heavy rainfall knocking their light frames around and clinging to their wings, but the Grass-Types weren't as limited. For everyone Siren flash -froze, another stepped up, vines, leaves, and green Absorb's making her dodge frantically. Sol tried to help out, but a Mankey fell from the tree branches onto his back, forcing him to the ground and landing a quick punch to his ribs before the Growlithe shook it off and faced his new opponent.

It was too much. There were too many of them. 40 or more wild Pokémon had fallen, yet there was no end to them.

We needed a new strategy.

Betty agreed with me, coming out of nowhere behind the Mankey and chomping down on its shoulder, her huge mouth easily engulfing half its torso. Sol got the idea quickly and bit a leg himself. Pulling in opposite directions, the monkey Pokémon ripped limb from torso with a wet tearing noise. Blood covered my two Pokémon, clinging to Sol's fur while Betty's was swiftly washed off her hide.

Roaring again, with increasing amounts of anger, Betty drew in a huge breath, her chest expanding far past what I'd seen from her. I expected a monster of an Ember.

I was wrong.

An ocean of green tinted blue flames poured forth as Behemoth opened her mouth. The fire bellowed out like the eruption of a volcano, going from nothing to dominating everything in sight. From the sodden ground to the weeping sky, it all vanished behind the blanket of pure might. The few remaining Beedrill, the agitated Pidgeys, the Grass-Types, everything was sent flying back as the Dragonbreath uprooted bushes and tore thick branches from trees.

I desperately spun around and shielded my eyes, fearing the steam explosion fire of that magnitude was surely gonna cause, yet it never came. There was steam, a lot of it, but not the amount I'd expected. Neither was the suffocating heat anywhere to be found, despite me being less than 10 feet from the point of origin of the at least 30 feet tall, and who knew how long, cone. Warmth, yes, yet not unbearable.

Suppose that was the difference between Fire-Type and Dragon-Type energy.

Waiting until the flickering light behind my eyelids subsided, I cautiously turned back to see Betty panting heavily, looking quite loopy as she swayed on her feet, blinking tiredly. Before her, the aftermath of her attack was laid bare, the very rain itself halting for a second before resuming.

I'd seen evidence of the power Pokémon could wield. Flame's ludicrous speed, Champy's stone shattering strength, Proton's Gyarados' horrific Hyper Beam, the Rocket Lab. Maybe it was because Betty was my Pokémon, but I couldn't help but put the Dragonbreath in the same box.

Steam and smoke clung to the upturned clumps of earth, a widening foot-deep trench of stripped topsoil and hard baked earth carving through the landscape so long that I couldn't see the end through the trees. The closest of said growths were leaning dangerously, exposed roots ripped from the ground by the force, everything but the very tops of the canopies leafless, wood scorched. All grass in the vicinity was withered, shrubs left as little more than smoldering sticks.

The Pokémon of Viridian Forest weren't in much better condition. Beedrill twitched on the suddenly dry ground pathetically, thin wings bent and crumpled, Pidgeys matching them. Bellsprout, Oddish, and a single Rosalia that I hadn't noticed were slowly struggling to get up. Their plant-like bodies were dry and wrinkly, the Rosalia in particular looking sad, its flower skirt burnt and shrunken. Rattata breathed shallowly and quickly, laying still beneath the trees they'd impacted.

Blinking from his own shock, Sol growled deep in his chest and lowered himself, prepared to pounce on his enemies while they were weak and off guard, uncaring of the rain that doused his inner flame.

"Sol, enough."

He twitched forward and nearly fell, not expecting that. Spinning his head around so he could see me out of the corner of his eye without turning from the Pokémon, he whined in confusion.

"They're done. Come here boy, let's get a look at those wounds. Again. You too Betty, that's a good girl. I'm so proud of you, that was amazing!"

I didn't actually know for sure that it was over, but gazing out over the devastation, I knew that at least this group couldn't go on. They might've been willing to lay down their life for their young, but it was by no means their preferred option, especially against the kind of force Betty just displayed.

Injecting both of them with an Antidote and a Potion apiece, I sprayed their wounds with another of each bottle, sharing the medicine between them. I didn't understand the science behind it, but Potions contained some sort of coagulant to stop bleeding and promoted increased production of new blood cells. Higher tier Potions, like the Super Potion I drenched their injuries in, also somehow induced rapid cell division, if not full-on fucking regeneration with shit like Full Restore, speeding up the natural healing factor most Pokémon had to some degree massively.

The Professor had gone on a rant about Cinnabar working on straight up limb replacement, which they wouldn't let him in on, like the Ditto research. It was one of the few times I'd seen him actually angry. Oak could, and had, gone on for hours about Blaine being egotistical, selfish, vain, and so on. Pretty sure he called him a meanie once.

Having a little left in the bottle, I used it on Siren as she came floating over wobbly, still keeping a close eye on the locals as they slowly got off the ground. The cut from the Razor Leaf closed up rapidly, but it would be some time before her scales grew back. My Feebas was exhausted, her half lidded eyes almost closed as she rested in the mud. She hadn't taken any hits other than the Grass move, but the extensive use of levitation and attacks had drained her. Something to work on in the future. The fight couldn't have lasted more than 10 minutes at most, likely less, which wouldn't be enough in the future.

All in all though, we got off easy.

Betty struggled to keep her eyes open as the medicine took hold. The high doses of poison, wounds, and the treatment of them, combined with the massive new attack she pulled out of her ass had completely tuckered her out. She yawned as I praised her for her performance and slowly leaned more and more forward. She would've fallen over if not for me recalling her.

She'd be fine after some rest, though heading back to Viridian, for the third time, was probably a good idea.

Sol bounced back with incredible speed. He was obviously tired and hurt, favoring his left side after the Mankey punch, yet he was on his feet and alert. He didn't even seem to mind the rain as much as before, less and less drops falling on him.

I looked up at the sky. The storm was lightening, the booming thunder moving further and further away. The tropical level downpour slowly decreased as well. It was still raining, just not to a painful degree.

Standing up, I gazed over the destruction my dumbass decision to head into the forest had caused. Sure, not everything was my fault, but it could've been avoided.

It was a reckless decision. The Rocket Lab should've taught me what wild Pokémon were capable of, yet my time at the reserve had apparently made me complacent.

It was a dangerous world I found myself in, and I had a responsibility now to keep my team safe.

Turning to leave, I hesitated, looking back at the wild Pokémon. Many of them were in rough condition, not to mention the already dead ones.

The world was dangerous, yes, but that didn't mean I should be a dickhead.

I caused the mess. I could at least help clean it up. Just like a party. With maiming and murder.

So a great party.

"Here." I sighed, fishing another Potion out of my bag and approaching one of the worst wounded Rattata. It laid on its side, legs twitching as it struggled for breath. Based on the way part of its chest was weirdly sunken, it likely had more than one broken rib.

Some of the other Pokémon made weak attempts at postering, yet a single growl from Sol made them stand down. It was the work of moments to press the needle through the purple fur and press the trigger, shooting half the bottle into the small creature. Thankfully they were clean breaks, and nothing had been pierced or misaligned. It wouldn't mend the broken bones, not a regular Potion anyway, but it should allow the Rattata to move around gingerly.

It depended on the species of course, but few wild Pokémon made it long if they couldn't move.

Moving away from the Rattata, I allowed the rest of the onlookers to see that he was better, that I'd helped him. Shaking the rest of the healing item in my hand, I raised an eyebrow.

"Who's next?"

---

By the time we made it back to the main road, the rain had nearly stopped completely. I'd spent all but two of my Potions on the defeated Pokémon, more than what I'd bought at Viridian earlier in the day, but I thought it was worth it. Sol was still by my side, dragging himself along with a limp, yet unwilling to leave me like I eventually convinced Siren too. Thankfully, as the sun shone brighter and brighter, so did he. I wondered if it was an unconscious use of Morning Sun, or just something inherent to his species, yet he undeniably perked up along with the weather.

I theoretically knew of the loyalty Growlithes were capable of but it was something else to see it in action. Betty was a Dragon. She'd proved that killing her opponent was her first resort. Sol, however, had grown up in the privacy of Oak's reserve, surrounded by safety and comfort. I hadn't expected him to be so willing to put them down permanently.

Something I needed to address soon. It was fine when our lives were on the line, like in the forest, but ideally it wouldn't be something they resorted to without my word.

Sighing with relief as my feet hit the hard packed earth and stone of the so-called Viridian Path, I looked despondently back in the direction of the city while giving Sol some scratches.

"Guess we have to head back again. At this point, we might as well just stay the night. G-Arcues fucking damnit" I sighed again. I had such lofty dreams of progress that morning and all we'd managed was walking back and forth.

And fight, which wasn't a waste in terms of training, but I'd really prefer actually seeing where they were at in a more peaceful setting, before doing shit like that again.

Turning to begin walking, I made it about eight steps before noticing that I was walking alone. Spinning back around, I found Sol sitting in the middle of the road, staring at me.

I patted my thigh.

"Come on boy!"

Rising to his feet, the Puppy Pokémon started trodding in the opposite direction.

"Sol! Viridian is this way!"

All I got was a bark as he continued. Jogging to catch up, I raised an eyebrow at the stubborn expression on his face.

"What, you don't wanna?"

The Growlithe shook his head with a huff.

"We should get you checked at the PokéCenter again, you and Betty took some nasty hits. Come on, you liked Nurse Joy, right? Let's go see her-"

"WOOF!"

Speeding up, he made it clear that he was done with the conversation and had made the decision.

I'd gotten used to sighing, so it didn't surprise me when the noise left my lips again along with a snort.

"I guess you're the boss. Apparently."

I wouldn't trade my team for anything, but I fucking wished they were a little easier to manage.

At least it allowed me to stay ahead of Ash. If the storm was clearing up, then he and Pikachu had dealt with the Spearow and was about to see-

My eyes widened. Holy fucking shit I nearly forgot!

"WAIT! SOL, WAIT!" I didn't take the time to see if he heard me, sprinting for the nearest tree.

I rushed up the branches with speed that would make a Mankey jealous. Several times I had to jump and catch myself, the muscle I'd built up with Champy doing wonders for me. The earlier thoughts about being more careful with wild Pokémon vanished in my eagerness, a startled Pidgey flapping away with furious screeches of displeasure that I could only imagine were insults as I nearly kicked it on the way up. The thinning wooden arms forced me to slow down, yet my head poked up through the canopy in record time.

Wedging a foot in between two sticks, I fumbled to get my PokéDex out as the tree swayed in a gentle breeze. Hitting the video button, I twisted and contorted my body around, frantically searching for my target.

"Come on bitch, where are you?" I mumbled under my breath. The skies were completely clear by then, the sun bright and warm. The rays warmed my skin and clothes and I could almost feel the moisture evaporating from them. Flying-Type Pokémon took off from the various trees, rejoicing in the chance to stretch their wings after being stuck in shelter.

Yet, no matter where I looked, I couldn't find what I was looking for, though I had trouble seeing half the time. The sun seemed to be trying to make up for lost time and reproduce all the illumination that had been hidden by the clouds.

I squinted through the blinding light. Shit, that was really bright actually and was intensifying further. I raised my hand to shield my eyes when through the luminescence, I saw a small dark spot. I couldn't look at it for more than a moment before new, fake spots appeared in my vision, yet there was definitely something flying in my direction, the sun seeming to trail behind it.

The temperature rose higher, from pleasantly warm to toasty to even a little uncomfortable. Sol howled below me, a high pitched yet strong sound I hadn't heard before, yet I paid him no attention as the dot finally came close enough to not have the sun directly behind it.

The exact shape was hard to make out as it soared so high above that few would notice it if they didn't know to look, but the effects were evident. Two streams of color, red, green, blue, purple, kaleidoscopic rainbows emerged from either side of the red and gold body, merging behind it and painting the sky like a Smergle on psychedelics. The figure was vaguely bird-shaped, yet flickered like fire, growing and shrinking randomly, its form not confined to something as simple as flesh. Somehow, the oppressive heat calmed at its presence, not colder, but less abrasive, like the sun embraced me and warmed me from the inside as well as outside.

Flying-Types of all sort, Pidgey evolutions, Spearows, even a few Swellow that I hadn't known could be found in Viridian Forest, all rushed up as high as they could to follow the iridescent figure, flapping their wings as hard as they could yet instantly left behind. In a matter of seconds, Ho-Oh itself was gone, only the trailing rainbow remaining to remind the world that it wasn't a dream.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd held, feeling slightly drunk as energy coursed through my body, any weariness from the ordeal in the forest gone at the sight of the Legend.

I didn't know what to say or think. That was far beyond anything I'd expected.

Fuck.

If that was a Legendary from a distance, what the fuck were they like on the ground?

I barely remember the climb down from the tree, only my feet hitting the suddenly almost dry earth. Sol met me, hopping around and barking cheerfully. All traces of tiredness or limping were gone, like he'd never been touched or fought in the first place. Hell, I'd say he was in better condition than he'd been that morning. Maybe better than I'd ever seen him.

I absentmindedly petted him as he licked my face only to dash off and run in circles and come back, my mind occupied with what I just saw.

There was a Pokémon legend that said that anyone who saw Ho-Oh was promised eternal happiness. I wished that was true, but at the same time, I feared what that would entail.

Nothing came without a price. And I'd learned that in the Pokémon world, that price was mostly blood and death.

---

The sunset was a glorious red, painting the sky with pink streaks as a few dots of light began growing clear in the incoming darkness, the stars arriving in step with the sun's departure. Standing up from my crouch I cracked my back, looking at my erected tent with satisfaction. It wasn't anything fancy, merely some triangular canvas with enough room for two people, three if they squeezed, but would get the job done. Checking over everything else, I nodded to myself when it was all there. Small circle of rocks with the driest wood I could find, three bowls filled with Poké food, basic carnivore blend for Betty and Sol and aquatic for Siren, plus three bowls of water.

Now I just needed the Pokémon themselves.

The three of them emerged from their balls with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Siren ignored her bowls completely, preferring to float over and drop into my lab as I took a seat. Betty yawned and leaned down so her short arms could rub her eyes, looking so sleepy I thought she might fall over on the spot, yet as soon as she saw the food she rushed at it and stuck her whole snout into it, small pebbles of kibble flying everywhere as she ripped into it.

Sol, on the other hand, appeared with great excitement that was instantly squashed when he noticed the sun was setting. He'd been extremely hyperactive after Ho-Oh passed over us, running around barking and sniffing everything. I'd kept him out of his ball for a while, counting on the recent storm to keep other travelers at bay for a time, but had to recall him eventually.

I wasn't going to keep him, or Betty, hidden forever but if low level Pokémon like the ones we met earlier could almost take us out, I didn't like our hypothetical chances with poachers.

"Don't whine. Light the fire and then come here." I held up the cheap brush I got in Viridian. "You need some care."

In a flash the campfire caught fire, smoke rising from the damp material. We were a couple hundred yards away from a designated camping spot, hidden by the trees. It might seem insane to venture off the beaten path again so soon after the near catastrophe last time, but the campsites were well used and the wild Pokémon knew to expect humans to frequent the area. Those that wanted privacy stayed well clear.

Siren drifted over to get something to eat, allowing Sol to take her place and collapse onto my legs with a huff. Starting at the top of his back, I ran the brush through his pelt, almost immediately hitting a clump of blood matted fur that had made a knot. Reaching for my kanteen, I poured a small amount onto him and began untangling it.

If there was one thing I had an abundance of, it was water. Orre had taught me that lesson.

"There's something I need to talk to you guys about." I began, getting an offended glance from Siren. "And girls, sorry. Mostly girls actually. Anyway, it's about the fight earlier." Siren kept her attention on me, while Betty didn't seem to hear me before I flicked a rock near her head. Sol was trying to stretch far enough that he could reach his food bowl without getting off my lab, tongue lapping at the edge. I pulled it closer and jostled him a bit. "Hey, pay attention. This is important."

Satisfied that they were listening I kept going. "First off, I'd like to say that I'm very proud of you. You did great. Especially you, Betty, Sol. This was your first real fight and you did very well. Not perfect, and we'll get to that, but overall it was good. You too Siren, but I already knew you could handle it."

Betty screeched with pride, standing tall with food specks around her mouth and constantly descending eyelids. Filling her stomach drained what little energy she had left. Siren gave me an eye smile in return and Sol panted happily, coughing soon after as he inhaled his food. Hitting him on the back, the small wet piece flew out, and he returned to eating with the same enthusiasm.

"However, a couple of notes." They refocused, making me nod in satisfaction. "We'll go over individual performances in the morning. I think we are all too tired right now. But I need you to listen to this. It's important." Making eye contact with all of them one by one, I tried to enforce the seriousness. "Our lives were in danger today. In situations like that, I can't and won't blame you for doing what you need to do to keep us safe. Yet you cannot do it without my permission again. Do you understand? I'm talking to you in particular Betty, and you too Sol. Today was fine, a good job in fact. But going forward, lethal force is not allowed unless I tell you."

Sol gave in quickly, pressing closer to me and gazing up at me with big wet eyes as he sniffled apologetically. I ruffled his ear and went back to brushing. I hadn't been terribly concerned about his response. His kills had either been accidental or towards the end of the fight, when things started looking grim. For how lazy and stupid he sometimes came off, he had a decent head on his shoulders.

Betty, on the other hand, caught a second wind through pure outrage. She glared at me like I'd stolen her food, stomping her feet and screeching in denial. Her food and water bowl went flying, the contents spilling everywhere and mixing together into slob.

"Betty. Betty! BETTY! ENOUGH!"

I hated yelling at her, yet there really wasn't much choice when she got into one of her moods.

"Come here!"

Her screaming stopped as she lumbered towards me, yet the glaring remained. She towered over me from my seat, something I'd normally be wary of. Most guides on raising Dragons talked about the importance of keeping a dominant position and not letting them feel they had the advantage, especially when they were young. It could lead to a growing sense that they didn't need to listen, that they were bigger and stronger.

Many Trainers had been injured or even killed from relaxing too much around Dragon-Types that hadn't truly integrated into their team. Most Pokémon settled in within days, or weeks, maybe a month, yet Dragons could take years.

But I'd known her for years already and I wasn't sure that was the kind of relationship I wanted us to have. Sure, not being eaten was a priority, yet Betty seeing me as a stronger predator and obeying out of fear or merely respect wasn't what I wanted.

I wanted her to stay with me because she wanted to. Because together we could be greater than apart. Because she respected me, yes, but respected me because she knew that I wanted the best for her and she wanted the best for me.

And that would have to start with giving her a little slack. Not too much, she would act out in that case, just small things that showed that I trusted her.

With my safety at least. The safety of others was the whole issue.

"I've told you before, I don't make the rules. The League does. And the League doesn't like killing when it could've been avoided." My words didn't have much effect, as they hadn't when I'd occasionally told her over the years. "They'd take you away from me."

That got a response. She bared her teeth and roared into the night, blue dragon fire flickering in her throat, making the silent forest briefly come alive as everything in the area scrambled to get away from the angry Dragon. She stomped her feet again and posed, arms out at her sides and mouth open, a raspy hiss sending a clear message.

She'd kill them if they tried.

"I know, I know. I wouldn't let them either if I could help it, but that's the thing. We can't stop them. There are thousands of League Pokémon and they're all stronger than us. We have to follow their rules."

She settled down, still fuming yet I knew that I scored a point there. Following the strong was deeply ingrained in her DNA.

Outside of her view, I waved my hand at Siren, telling her to stand down. She'd been staring at the Bagon since her little tantrum started, tense and ready if she needed to intervene. I appreciated it, but it was somewhat counterproductive to what I was trying.

"Come here, baby. Sol, switch." The Growlithe whined at having to move, yet slid from my lab to the side without getting up. Betty took his place, sitting between my legs at my direction so I didn't have to support her full weight. Using both hands, I dug my thumbs into her neck, right under the base of her skull. She sighed in relief, a low rumbling growl vibrating from her chest, like the Dragon version of purring. Bagons developed a lot of tension there from carrying around their heavy head and bashing it into everything they saw.

"One day, we'll be strong enough to do whatever we want, just not yet. And when we do get there, I hope you will listen to me on this issue regardless." I mumbled as the lizard went boneless under my ministrations, leaning back against me. "We'll take it one day at a time, yeah?"

Betty ended up falling asleep where she was sitting and was quite grumpy when I had to get her up for Sirens turn. For a second I feared she'd restart her bullshit, yet she merely grumbled and shuffled over to lay against Sol's own snoozing form. Using a Mareep cloth, I rubbed some saltwater solution into Siren's scales. It contained vitamins and minerals that would help the protective plates stay healthy, strong, and prevent them from drying out during extended periods of time outside of a body of water. Her eyes closed and for a time, I was the only one awake as I cared for my team.

By the time I was done, the sun had fully set and only the skittering of Bug-Types and Hoothoot hoots from the darkness disrupted the stillness. I couldn't move without Siren waking from her daze, yet I managed to slink into my tent without disturbing the others. Creeping into my sleeping back, Siren by my side, I sighed and closed my eyes.

What a day. I doubted I'd fall asleep anytime soon.

Rustling by the tent entrance made me snap my eyes back open just in time to see a yawning Sol push his way in, followed by a bleary eyed Betty.

"No, guys, this is my tent, there isn't room for-!"

They didn't care. Within seconds I found myself buried in fur and scales as the two adult human sized Pokémon squeezed into the barely two-man tent.

Sighing again, I had to spit out a mouthful of fur while Betty rested her huge head on my stomach. I swore I could hear Siren laughing at me from somewhere behind the big yellow pelt wall.

It was kind of cute, but it really wasn't a sustainable solution. Maybe I should look into getting a bigger tent. Maybe a-

I didn't even register closing my eyes before I fell asleep, cradled in safety.

---

Little bit of murder, little bit of cuteness. Sums up this story fairly well, actually. Next chapter, another familiar face appears.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

I REALLY like this chapter. It's the first one I'm actually proud of. We start off with a quick visit to Gary, and then, we meet a couple of legends.

---

"Pippy, Tackle!"

"Spin."

Gary yawned as the dumbass little girl pointed dramatically at Squirty, her shitty Pidgey letting out a pathetic attempt at a war cry as it dove headfirst at his starter. Said turtle Pokémon merely grinned as he pulled his limbs and head into his shell.

Gary burst out laughing as the dumb bird smacked into the steel-hard shell like a fucking Bug-Type on the windscreen of his car. Pidgey didn't even have time to hit the ground before the Rapid Spin sent it flying back to its garbage trainer, completely limp.

"PIPPY!"

"Fucking Mew, that was pathetic! Did you steal the bird from your parents?"

Fat tears rolled down the cheeks of the seven-year-old as she recalled her Pokémon. Not that Gary gave a fuck.

Don't challenge talent if you're shit.

"You're a meanie!"

"And you suck! Smell you later loser!" He yelled at her retreating back, chuckling to himself. She was too young to have an official license, so there was no money changing hands. Still, there was no need to be a sore loser. Getting upset about losing to Gary Oak was just fucking dumb. It was a natural law of the universe.

Or at least, that was usually the case.

Mood soured, he absently padded Squirty on the head when he came running for attention, the little whore. And walked back to his girls. Usually, when he was battling they stayed off to the side and cheered him on, as he deserved. Yet, the silence was deafening, and the crossed arms didn't bode well.

The cheering and eye candy was great, but they were really fucking uppity for being his employees.

"What?" He grumbled, folding his own arms at the looks he got.

"Done bullying children for the day?" Sindy did not seem impressed.

"Hey! She fucking challenged me! It's not my fault she got destroyed!"

"Right, the seven year old deserves to get mocked for trying to have a friendly battle. How dare she not have a famous grandpa to give her rare Pokemon and training."

Sarcasm wasn't as much fun when it was directed at him.

"Fuck off." He stomped off into the field, directing Squirty to give Water Pulse another go. Growl was running drills, sprinting back and forth, switching to Ember when she got tired. It was a harsh regiment for the Growlithe, but she took to it like a Remoraid to water.

They were standing on one of the wide open plains outside of Pewter, having gotten to the city a couple of days ago. It wasn't the first time Gary had been there, and it still sucked ass. Everything was dirty, made of fucking shit and sticks, and the people were assholes. He would have preferred to just wreck that scrub Brock and fuck off, but with Squirty so close to evolving, it made more sense to get that out of the way first.

He couldn't wait to see the look on that tough-guy wannabe rock fucker's face when his Wartortle decimated him.

Plus, it gave him time to catch some Pokémon for Gramps. Nothing had really excited him so far, not enough to join his main team anyway. One of the Rattata wasn't bad, but who wanted a fucking Raticate?

"Are we seriously not going to talk about this?" Sindy could be real fucking persistent, he would give her that. The others tended to default to letting her take the lead, probably because she was the best trainer among them. Gary also had a sneaking suspicion that Gramps had hired her to be the leader.

Gary wasn't Ash. He wasn't fucking stupid and saw through them instantly. There was no fucking way Gramps would actually let him have personal cheerleaders just because he wanted them. The Professor was too paranoid about pissing people off or seeming like he was abusing his position. Even the car was only because Ms. Ketchum was annoyingly observant and had snitched about Gary's feelings regarding Peri.

A team of bodyguards/babysitters, though? That made way more fucking sense.

"Talk about what?" But that didn't mean he had to play along.

"You've been moody since we left Viridian and it's not hard to figure out why. Just call him if you feel that bad."

"Why the fuck would I feel bad about that over-privileged, tomato-haired dumbass getting a taste of his own medicine?" He forced out between gritted teeth.

It was true. There was no need for him to feel bad. So what if Gary pulled a fast one on Peri. The lucky fuck needed to be taken down a peg. Waltzing into Gary's life and fucking everything up. Gary used to be the center of events in Pallet. It used to be him people talked about, him they whispered would be great. It was bad enough that Gary needed to share whatever scraps of attention Gramps had left over from his research with the fucking loser Ash, but at least nobody took him seriously since he fucking sucked.

But then.

Peri.

Emo fucktard swaggered into town, already in possession of multiple Pokémon, one of which was a fucking Titan natured Bagon. What the actual fuck was that shit. Everything fell into his lap. Everything Gary had to work his ass off for, he got by existing. Gary studied for hours every single day to get the best grades and all he got was a nod of appreciation, if Gramps even noticed. But fucking Peri ran around, violent psycho that he was, paying no fucking attention in the school, during basically no studying, yet he was fifth in the fucking class. He and Gramps would spend hours talking, long into the night about all kinds of shit, but Gary had to fight tooth and fucking nail too get more than five fucking words.

Even Green liked the bastard more. Only Peri could be oblivious enough to not notice the Stantler eyes she made at him.

And to top it all off, Peri then got an Alpha, fucking shiny, Growlithe, while Gary got a normal one.

Gary was the grandson of The Pokémon Professor Samuel Oak, not Peri. Gary was the one that had helped taking care of the Pokémon and researching all his life, not Peri. And yet, everyone was tripping over their fucking dicks to suck the guy off.

And yeah, maybe the guy was kinda fun every now and again. Maybe they had a moment, or whatever. But that didn't mean that Gary didn't need to put him in his place.

-Peri looked out over the waters as he told Gary his story, about Orre, Gateon, the gang, and the attack. Gary looked away as the other boy's eyes grew wet at the corners, feeling uncomfortable with both the situation and the new revelations. He couldn't help but feel a little like a dickhead for acting like he had been. And before he knew it, without even thinking about it, his mouth opened and he told Peri things he'd never told anyone-

He rubbed his face to get the memory out.

There was no reason for him to feel bad.

No reason at all.

Barking pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up. The local wild Pokémon had long vacated the area, if they even spent much time in a public place like the field.

So Gary was very fucking surprised when he saw Growl getting punted across the grass by a large tan blur hurling out of a tree.

The bird Pokémon pulled up from its attack and let out a warning cry as it stared down at Gary and his Pokémon with superiority. The brown and beige coloring easily gave it away as a Pidgey, yet if it hadn't been for that, Gary would have said that it was a Pidgeotto. The thing was fucking massive. The average Pidgey was only about a foot in height and had a wingspan around double that.

The Flying-Type that hung over them was nearly twice that, and thick to boot. It wasn't quite large enough for Gary to call it a Titan, but his teeth bared in a grin as his dark mood vanished.

If an Alpha dumping into his lap didn't validate his behavior, then what the fuck would.

"Squirty, you're up! Let's show it that size isn't everything!"

And with any luck, Squirty would cross the threshold and evolve from the battle. Nothing quite like hitting two Pidgeys with one Rock Throw.

Figuratively, anyway. He didn't have a Rock-Type yet.

---

"Peri, I'm not sure you understand the magnitude of what you have done."

Despite his seemingly calm demeanor, the manic glint in his eye was easy to recognize after spending time with the geezer. The pandemonium of researchers crowding around a different monitor, frantically replaying the clip I'd sent to the Lab, didn't hurt.

"Pretty sure I understand-"

"Confirmed, reliable footage of Legendary Pokémon is as rare as your Bagon! The best we have got in the last several decades is a blurry picture of what MIGHT have been a Raikou and a blizzard people claim to have been caused by Articuno. This is groundbreaking!"

"I know, that's why I-"

"And even beyond Ho-Oh itself, the atmospheric consequences of its mere presence are marvelous! It's long been theorised that Legendarys have a deeper connection to their elements and that there's more to their 'Realm', so to speak, than mere mythology, but to see the evidence. Not to mention the effects on Growlithe-"

"Sol."

"Hmm?" I tilted my PokéDex down and rolled my eyes. Of course the name got his attention.

It had been three days since everything went down and I'd honestly expected the call a lot sooner. Apparently the Professor had been confirming the effects the video showed with others that were in the nearby area.

Which was fine. It gave me time to get my team started on their training properly.

Even now, as I leaned against a tree in a small clearing near the road where we'd spent the night, Sol and Siren were busy going at it. My large yellow canine was sprinting back and forth, pausing at the end of the field to spray out a burst of Ember, trying to alternatingly widen the spread and narrow it, and then sustain it. His tongue swayed in the wind as he ran past me. It had taken over 10 minutes to get him up and going, but he was happy enough once he started.

It felt like a weird thing to think about a Growlithe, but both the battle with Gary and the wild Pokémon had shown me that Sol was too slow. His size gave him a lot of power, yet it was a lot of bulk to shift around. I'd hoped that he could learn Quick Attack to offset it, however a look at the PokéDex told me otherwise.

Which I didn't understand. If Arcanine could learn Extreme Speed, how could Growlithe not learn Quick Attack?

Make it make sense.

I did see that he could learn Agility, though. That and Flame Wheel would be the next two moves I'd try to teach him.

Siren, meanwhile, was doing much the same, working on getting the speed up and cost down for her levitation. Her elemental training was a little different though. Rather than working on control, something she had spent the last three years working on at the Reserve, I had her switch between Water Gun, Water Bullets, and Ice Beam as fast as she could.

I had plans for when she could switch seamlessly.

It might've been more effective to separate the physical and elemental training, and I might do so later on, but I wanted them to get used to it while on the move. It would better prepare them for actual battles.

Betty was spending the time in her ball. While she had mostly recovered, she'd been a menace as the others started training without her. It was easier for everyone if she wasn't pouting and screeching at everything.

"An odd name. Does it have a meaning?"

The question brought my attention back to my conversation.

"I heard it in Orre. Someone told me that it was an old word for the sun." Orre being a shithole was incredibly convenient for explaining random shit.

"Hmmm, it might be from ancient Sinnoh. It reminds me of some of the old dialects, though I'm unsure of the syntax. I'd have to break out some of the books, though my collection is not as extensive as I'd like- HEY! Don't try to distract me!"

"I'm not-"

"Fine, we'll put the rest of that conversation to the side for the moment. I wanted to speak about the trouble you had immediately prior to Ho-Oh's appearance."

Both our faces took on more serious expressions.

"Are you okay?"

I hesitated. It had been a lot, but truthfully…

"...yeah. Yeah, I actually am. It wasn't great, don't get me wrong, yet… yeah. I'm mostly just worried about my team taking the wrong lessons from it."

The Professor nodded thoughtfully. He took a second to gather his thoughts before speaking slowly.

"People underestimate Growlithes. They take their caring nature and immense loyalty to mean a docile nature, and that is to some degree true. Growlithe are some of the easiest Pokémon to train and bond with if you can get one to agree to be your companion, especially for a Fire-Type. However, that loyalty has… I don't want to say consequences, but it carries over into everything they do. Including battling. While it is rare for a Growlithe to take it to that level, they will not hesitate if they believe their Trainer is in danger. You are Growlithe's, Sol's, number one priority. Even if that means burning the world to cinders to ensure your safety."

I hummed in agreement. That more or less mirrored my thoughts on the subject.

"And I doubt I have to explain Betty's behavior. A normal Dragon-Type is bad enough, but a Titan? There were many reasons I was hesitant to allow you to start with the team that you have, and this is one of them."

Silence fell between us, me not wanting to get into that again and Oak clearly uncomfortable with having to get into the emotional side. Though the mention of his hesitation did remind me of something.

"Speaking of your rules," I began, feeling the anger stir again, "Gary and I had a little battle outside of Viridian."

"Oh?" The feigned nonchalance wasn't very convincing with the way the Professor suddenly avoided looking at the screen.

"Yeah, and I couldn't help but notice that Squirty was very good for an untrained Pokémon. Hell, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was close to evolving already! But that can't be true right? That would take months of dedicated training, and you wouldn't allow us to train before we got our licenses, right?"

"Yes, well, I'm sure you have places to be, Pewter won't travel to you after all, and I need to get back to work. I'd suggest you call the good Doctor and talk with her. Call me if you find anything interesting." He coughed out and ended the call before I had a chance to respond.

I rolled my eyes again, keeping the snarl off my face.

Despite his kindness during our first meeting, he was really bad with people. And while I couldn't blame him for wanting his grandson to succeed, I'd thought him better than that kind of trick.

Still, he was right. I had places to be. Standing up, I stretched my sore muscles as the sun crested the tree canopy and crept over the clearing, the morning dew evaporating along with the last chill of night. The light felt good as it warmed my bones, the last sweat drying on my skin before I put my shirt back on. I had already completed my own training before talking to Oak and I was quite proud that my knuckles barely hurt after punching one of the trees for a while.

Progress was being made. I couldn't keep up with Sol when it came to sprints, but I gave Siren quite the challenge.

If only the meditation went as well. The energy within me was getting more and more solid, yet it kept evading my grasp.

I'd get it though. Just had to be patient and not lose my fucking shit any more than I had.

It was possible that some of my punches had been a little more anger-filled than usual.

Clapping my hands, I opened my mouth to call my Pokémon over for some water and food before we set off. Yet, before a word left my mouth, I noticed Sol sprinting at me. His teeth were bared, eyes focused in a way that reminded me of the fight in the forest. He'd never shown even a hint of aggression towards me, so I was caught completely off guard and couldn't do more than freeze. The shock caused me to take a second to notice that his eyes weren't on me.

They were on something behind me.

With no second thought I threw myself forward, vaguely hearing something passing over my head as I did so. Sol shot past me and a commotion started up as I got back to my feet. It took a little longer than necessary as between Sol's growls, I heard what was unmistakably a human voice cursing.

Turning around, I wasn't sure what to say. Fuck, I didn't even understand what the fuck I was looking at!

"GET OFF ME! HELP!"

Sol was on top of my assailant, nails scratching against metal as he pawed at the breastplate of the man beneath him. As in, the guy was wearing a full set of fucking samurai armor, bucket helmet included. His legs were desperately kicking, trying to force Sol off of him, while his hands tried to wrench a long metal bar out of Sol's mouth.

Did… did he try to hit me with a fucking katana?

What.

The.

Fuck.

"Sol." I said monotonously when my Growlithe pried the blade away from whoever the fuck that guy was. The canine quickly ran over to me and laid the sword by my feet like it was a stick he wanted me to throw and turned back to bark warningly, fur standing like bristles.

The Samurai, which was a fucking weird ass thought, got up as I picked up his weapon, cradling his hand as a thin line of blood dripped to the grass. He got over it quickly though, pointing at me accusingly.

"Your Pokémon attacked me!"

I was stunned.

Then I was fucking furious.

"What the fuck do you mean, you fucking cunt stain!? YOU ATTACKED ME WITH A FUCKING SWORD!"

"A Trainer must always be ready for battle! Your unpreparedness is your own fault!" He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at me. "I am the Samurai of Viridian Forest! What's your name?"

"Call me Dad, because I fucked your mom!" Got him.

He sniffed. "Such crassness. There can be no doubt. You must be from Pallet!"

The mention of Pallet set off a PTSD-like flashback. Suddenly I remembered him from the anime. It was the moron that Ash fought in Viridian Forest. The fuckface that jumped the group with a sword and ended up attracting a Beedrill swarm.

"So what?" I asked. If memory served, buckethead had gotten his ass whooped by all the Pallet kids and had a complex about it.

"Ha! I knew it! Two other Trainers from Pallet have come through here, and I lost to both! There will not be a third! Go, Pinsir!"

"Hey I didn't agree to a battle!" My words went unrecognized as the red light of his Pokéball solidified. Huge mandible-like pinchers, gray and littered with spikes, clacked menacingly atop the head of the five foot tall Bug-Type. It stood on two legs, dull-brown exoskeleton segmented by thin lines. A hiss came from its large mouth, rectangular teeth arranged horizontally, while its triangular eyes glared at me.

"Pinsir, use Vice Grip on that Growlithe!"

Caught off guard, I didn't have time to give Sol a command before the large insect blurred across the distance with deceptive speed and clamped its pinchers around Sol's midsection. The canine yipped in pain as the Pinsir strained with effort and lifted Sol off the ground and held him above its head.

"Ha! I knew that the others just got lucky! So much for Oak only choosing the best! Guess that money and rare Pokémon can only do so much heavy lift-"

"Sol, thin Ember, straight down!"

"-SHIT! PINSIR, DROP IT!"

Too late. Fire crackled to life between sharp teeth and erupted forth. We barely started training, but the progress Pokémon could make in a short amount of time was astounding. The pellets of flame were so tightly packed at that range, that they almost seemed like a solid stream. The attack washed over the Bug-Type, hitting its armor with the sound of hail on a tin roof. Screeching, the Pinsir shook its head and sent Sol flying 20 feet back in my direction.

"Sol, again!

"Pinsir, charge!

Still laying on the ground, my Growlithe lifted his head and repeated the Fire attack. Unfortunately, between the disorientation of hitting the ground and the distance, the Ember went wide before Sol could get it on target, allowing the huge bug to begin running. Covering its face with its thin arms, Pinsir ignored the super effective attack and kept going. Sol sustained the Ember, each bullet leaving scorch marks on the carapace. The closer the Pinsir got, the tighter the grouping became, the force behind them slowing the Bug-Type down more and more.

But Sol was still young and untrained. He could only keep it up for so long.

The attack petered out and Pinsir surged forward. It was clearly hurt, one eye squeezed shut from a lucky hit and noticeably less steady on its feet. Nonetheless, it rushed at my Pokémon, head lowered to catch him between its devastating pinchers once more. Sol tried to scramble out of the way and managed to get off with just a glancing blow. I tried to yell at him to regain some distance, yet with the first blow, as well as his size, he was just too slow. Pinsir quickly caught up and went for another Vice Grip-

-only to stumble through a red flash as Sol returned to my Pokéball.

"Hey, you can't do that! We didn't agree to switching-"

"Siren, Ice Beam."

A jagged beam of blue-ish white energy struck the Bug-Type straight in the chest. Pinsir stumbled back, ice spreading across its torso. I didn't have to say anything before a second Ice Beam impacted its head. The triangle eyes were wide in surprise, the vertical vagina mouth frozen open beneath the ice cube. A third beam flew through the air and froze a tree as the Samurai repeated my trick and recalled his Pokémon.

"That's cheating! You can't-"

"Shut the fuck up. YOU attacked unprovoked first. YOU didn't wait to set the terms. So either send out your next Pokémon or fuck off before I show you what it feels like to be attacked with a sword."

He narrowed his eyes at me, but I was serious. Anger management was something I needed to work on, but I'm sure even Dr. Enthal would agree that my feelings were justified.

"Fine, I'll take on your fish. You may have beaten Pinsir with that cheap trick, but it won't work twice! My next Pokémon will end this! Go, Metapod!"

I gaped in surprise as the green cocoon materialized.

Was he for real?

The Samurai interpreted the expression in his own way.

"Ha! It seems that you recognise your imminent defeat! But it is too late, you must reap what you have sown! Metapod, use Harden!"

Metapod, standing on the tip of its banana-shaped body, shone a dull grey for a moment before returning to normal, blank eyes staring into the void, seeing horrors that mere mortals couldn't understand.

I stared back.

"Too stunned to move, eh!? We will not let the opportunity pass us by! Your fate is sealed! Metapod, Harden again!"

Another flash of grey.

"Quivering in your boots!? Next time you should know your limits! Learn the folly of your ways! Metapod, once more! Hard-"

"Ice Beam."

Like a boomerang, Metapod went flying through the air, ice encasing its bottom half. To my surprise, however, the Bug-Type was still conscious and managed to wiggle back upright.

"HA! No way a weak attack like that will get through our defenses! Metapod is harder than steel now and-"

"Ice Beam."

Unlike the first time, Meatpod stayed in place and merely fell backwards, completely frozen over.

"WHAT!? METAPOD NOOOOOOO!"

Recalling the cocoon, Samurai pointed at me again, even as he power walked backwards.

"Your tricks may have prevailed today, but this won't be the last time we face each other and we'll be even stronger next time!"

He was gone before I could even blink, slipping between the trees as the sun chased the shadows deeper into the forest.

I…

I had nothing. That was fucking weird. I should probably report that guy to Oak or something.

Looking down at Siren and shrugging at her confused expression, I considered the blade in my hand.

At least I got a sword out of it.

Cool?

---

"Finally." The relief of finally seeing Pewter as we broke through the cover of the trees was hard to describe. Sol and Betty were by my side and even the hyper-aggressive Dragon-Type slumped with exhaustion, before I recalled her now that we were in public.

Viridian Forest was a lot fucking easier in the games.

Nothing particularly interesting happened in the five days after the battle or whatever with the Samurai. We'd get up before dawn, train, walk, maybe battle, make camp, and train again. It was a somewhat monotonous routine that I'd nevertheless come to enjoy.

It was an exhilarating thing, watching progress being made in record time and then demonstrated against unsuspecting Bug Catchers.

Who were a real thing and, just like in the games, not very strong. But what they lacked in strength, they made up for with numbers.

Holy fuck, there was a lot of them.

An endless parade of Caterpies, Weedles, Metapods, and Kakunas. Individually they sucked, usually not even able to land a single hit, yet after 40 of them in a day, exhaustion caught up and every slip just made it worse. That's not even mentioning the actual decent Pokémon, like the guy with a Beedril or the grown-ass woman running around destroying people with a Scyther.

Fucking Newbie Crushers. No shame.

As for the Bug Catchers, it wasn't like I didn't understand the appeal. Bug-Types were plentiful, easy to catch in their first, and even second evolution, and grew fast. Beedrill and Butterfree were even decent Pokémon that only really fell off at the highest levels of Training.

I'd thought about catching something myself. It was just…

…they were so mundane.

Maybe Gary had a point. I was getting spoiled.

"I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! One-on-One, you and me-Hey! Where are you going!?"

I didn't bother acknowledging the kid as he waved at me. I just kept going towards the lights in the distance as the city lit up with the sunset dipping below the horizon.

"Don't ignore me! Don't you know that my Rattata is in the top percent of Rattatas!?"

That made me stop. I thought for a moment and then sighed.

Exhaustion wasn't a good enough excuse to ignore a legend.

As Sol squared up with the top percent Rattata and absolutely decimated the tiny rodent, my thoughts were already in Pewter.

First, the PokéCenter. Potions had kept my team on their feet, but that wasn't sustainable in the long run and with all the poison moves and Poison-Types in the forest, I'd feel better if they got checked by a professional.

And after that.

It was finally time for my first badge.

---

I was laughing my ass off writing the samurai bit. That shit tickled me something fierce. Next time, we arrive in Pewter.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

And we're in Pewter. For all the shit I talk about the pacing of this story, we've been making good time since leaving Pallet. Though to be fair, outside the Samurai, there's not a lot in Viridian Forest that's particularly interesting. Oh, and Joey, of course. Can't forget the top percent Rattata.

---

"Hello and welcome to Pewter City PokéCenter, how can we help you today?"

"Hi. I have three Pokémon I'd like you to look over. Oh, and can I get a room?" The PokéCenter hadn't been hard to find, the red-roofed, two story building the size of a minor apartment complex with a big neon sign on the front. Getting to the reception area was a bigger challenge.

Dozens of Trainers littered the foyer, near screaming to be heard over top of each other. Kids the same age as me, if not a little younger, were excitedly chatting to anyone willing to listen, boasting about their imminent Gym victory. They stood in stark contrast to the youngsters that slumped through the automatic double doors, shoulders down and feet dragging across the floor as they headed for the desk with their Pokéballs clutched in white knuckled fingers. Older people were dotted around the area as well, from well-groomed teens to middle-aged men that appeared to have spent the last 10 years in the wild, looming figures poking out of the crowd as they surveyed the chaos with calm eyes, some bored and impatiently tapping their feet while others gazed around with nostalgic expressions.

It was annoying to deal with, but also kind of cool. It was the most Trainers I'd ever seen in one place and the energy was infectious.

Though I could do without the two hour wait time.

"I'm afraid we are out of rooms at the moment. We get a lot of people this early in the circuit, Pewter being the traditional starting Gym. But please place your Pokémon here, and we'll give them a look-over!"

Placing my three balls in the tray the Nurse Joy held out, I concealed my disappointment. I'd been afraid of that when I saw the amount of people crowding the building. While the League provided free basic healing for registered Trainers and lodgings at the PokéCenter in exchange for a percentage of wagered money and being able to call on Trainers in times of crisis, there were only so many rooms to go around and it very much functioned on a 'first come, first serve' principle.

Seemed like another night of camping for me. Which wasn't the worst thing in the world, but I'd really looked forward to a bed. Three years with a high-end foam mattress and Altaria feather pillows at Oak's had spoiled me and my back arched after a week on the ground.

Plus, if my Pokémon had to spend the night with the nurse, it would really suck. There were designated campgrounds away from the wildlife, so it wouldn't be dangerous, yet I'd gotten used to their presence.

Nothing for it though.

"I understand. Thank you."

"Of course. If you'll give me your Trainer ID… Oh! A PokéDex! You must be sponsored by Professor Oak! Congratulations! Are there any special concerns regarding any of your Pokémon that we need to be aware of?"

"Uh, yeah, one thing." I glanced left and right to see if anyone was listening in. Which was futile as the ever growing line behind me were all staring, waiting for me to move my ass. Instead, I scrolled to Betty's profile on my PokéDex and held it up for Nurse Joy to see. Her eyes widened in surprise, yet quickly concealed her reaction and gave me a serious nod.

"I understand. Based on a cursory scan, all three should be ready for pick-up in the morning. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, that's all. Thanks."

"All right, thank you for your patronage, please come again!"

With that still confusing goodbye, I pushed my way out through the mass of people and took a deep breath of fresh air as the doors slid closed behind me.

Not that it was noticeably calmer in the east part of Pewter that the PokéCenter was located in. People were rushing back and forth in between towering skyscrapers of glass and metal, humans and Pokémon going about their business in the shade of the last disappearing rays of light peeking through the tall buildings. They shoved and pushed through each other, jostling me around in their hurry, many of them blabbering into handheld devices that I vaguely recognised as PokéNav's. I'd been told that Pewter was a very old city, yet it was hard to guess with the modern architecture and the hustle and bustle of the equally smartly dressed people. Big signs flickered on with the coming of night, advertising everything under the sun and for being the place of the Rock-Type Gym, most of what I saw were Normal-Types and Grass-Types. And even then, few of them looked like they were used to battling.

Which was fair. They likely stayed in the city most of the time, and why wouldn't they. Unlike Gateon, Pewter was safe, clean, and didn't fucking suck.

Or at least, not any more than big cities usually did, I noted when some dickhead almost knocked me over as I followed the various road signs towards the western part of the city and the Gym.

Crowds weren't my favorite thing even before waking in the Pokémon world and despite my brief time there, Orre had left its marks. My PokéDex was shoved deep into my pocket and I kept my hand on it as I walked.

The further I went, the thinner the crowd became and the older the buildings as well. The modern structures shrunk, huge monstrosities turning into three-stories, two-stories, and soon regular houses dominated the streets. The careful grid-like layout became more organic, five houses right next to each other in a clump with 20 feet of distance to the next one that stood alone. The glass and metal became rock and stone, opulent designs giving way for practical efficiency. Hell, some of the houses had wooden shutters instead of windows.

The people changed too. Gone were the newly pressed suits and dresses, replaced with tough, simple fabrics in neutral colors. Browns and grays dominated, thick shirts and pants that had seen better days, littered with small tears and dirt. Small stalls took the place of the glowing advertisements, a single individual peddling their wares to anyone that passed by and making small-talk. The paved roads became dirt tracks and the smell of mingling perfumes, food, and the underlying whiff of trash disappeared as the air cleared, the scent of soil and dirt taking its place. Small groups hung out as they gossiped, children playing with Rattatas and each other in fields.

A crowd had gathered around an alley as two Pokémon had some kind of race. The round, rocky, brownish-gray bodies crouched low to the ground as their trapezoidal eyes narrowed under heavy eyebrow-like protrusions. Five fingers dug deep into the ground before two muscular arms launched the Geodudes forward over some markings on the ground. The boulder-esk Pokémon tugged in their arms as they flew, spinning to gain extra distance. The crowd cheered and groaned as one of the Rock-Types made it a little further than the other, bills changing hands.

It was incredible the difference 20 minutes of walking could make. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a completely different city.

The only thing that remained the same was the unfriendly people.

Oh, sure, they seemed friendly to each other, waving and greeting basically everyone that crossed their path. Yet as soon as their eyes landed on me, they would narrow. Noses got stuck in the air and everyone walked in a very deliberate way around me. It wasn't the same selfish indifference that the western part of Pewter had. No, it seemed personal, somehow.

They could go fuck themselves. I didn't know what crawled up their asses and died, but as long as they stuck to looking, they could do whatever the fuck they wanted.

Wasn't my problem.

What was my problem, as I finally arrived at the Gym, was the long-ass line that stretched out the doors. The Gym was huge, dwarfing even the PokéCenter in both width and height. The building appeared to have been carved out of solid rock, like a miniature mountain that had been hollowed out and plopped down in the middle of a large open plain. Uneven surfaces of sediment made up the entire thing other than the doors, not even a window to be seen as it rose high above me, lamps angled strategically to highlight the massive hunk of rock like a shadow against the night sky. The only truly visible thing was the giant, multiple-faceted grey octagon carved above the entrance.

The Boulder Badge.

Peeking at the front as I got in line, I groaned. There were at least 20 people in front of me, never mind how many were inside. It was basically night-time. I'd half expected the Gym to be closed, never mind filled to the brim.

It was going to take for-fucking-ever. I'd really hoped it was like the games and you could just walk in, but I didn't know why I kept hoping. The world I found myself in was clearly a little more realistic than canon.

And if there was one thing that was realistic, it was bureaucracy.

---

"You're in luck, actually. We just had a cancellation for Thursday at 5 PM. Does that work for you?"

"Yeah, that's good."

"Alright." the black haired receptionist typed away at her keyboard for a moment, fingers flying so fast they nearly blurred. The light of her computer screens reflected off the lenses of her glasses and I tried my best to not stare at the plunging neckline of her button-up shirt. Not very successfully, based on the smile she sent me.

Suppose it made sense to employ a young, attractive woman as the face of your battle competition for teens. Might keep some of the dumber morons from being too upset.

"In that case, I have you booked for a first Badge battle at the agreed-upon time in three days. I need you to sign here, here, aaaand here. By signing, you agree to Pewter Gym being allowed to use the footage of your battle and your likeness as related to your battle, as well as paying the agreed upon amount for the attempt. You also agree that Pewter Gym, and Pewter City, is not legally responsible for any permanent damage inflicted on your Pokémon during your Gym challenge, and that should you bring an overly strong Pokémon for the challenged level, you will be disqualified and pay the stated fine."

I paused and looked up from where I'd been pouring over the sheets of paper she'd placed on the large, u-shaped granite counter. To no one's surprise, all the furniture in the greeting area of the Gym was made of the substance, carved straight from the floor and walls. The low slung couches that surrounded some small tables off to the sides had some courtesy cushions placed to try and save the asses of the poor schmucks that had to sit on them, but it was a token gesture at best. A couple of doors covered the walls on either side of the front desk, with another on the left wall. I'd seen trembling people being called in to the one on the right side of the desk and never returning, while the left appeared to be only for staff.

Other than that, there wasn't really much to notice about the Gym interior. There were a couple of large PC's, the kind I remembered Ash used to call Oak in the anime, but otherwise the Gym followed the simplicity of the surrounding part of town.

Besides the fuck-off humongous carpet showing off a huge Boulder Badge design that covered 70% off the floor.

Gotta represent, I guess.

"Is that something that happens a lot?" I asked in reference to the implied crippling or deaths. I'd gotten the impression that my own experience with the more brutal side of Pokémon fights was somewhat unique. No way litteral kids would be given provisional Licenses otherwise.

"Oh no no, don't worry!" The receptionist quickly assured me, giving a big, practiced smile. "Last circuit we only had two serious injuries and they were at the seventh Badge and eighth Badge levels respectively! Everyone survived as well! There is really no risk of anything like that happening in a first Badge level, it's just boilerplate legal stuff."

"And the overly strong Pokémon thing?"

"Occasionally we will see somebody that thinks they are sneaky and try to bring highly trained Pokémon to first or second Badge challenges. Usually Trainers that got their Pokémon early or those that have a family Pokémon. In those cases, it is required that you inform the Gym beforehand so that appropriate measures can be taken."

"In that case, I should probably say that I've had my starter for a bit and she's probably somewhat stronger than most first Badge Pokémon." It kind of hurt to show my cards so early, but it was better than getting kicked out. Plus, the fine had way too many fucking zeros for me to fuck around with.

"Would you say your Pokémon is above or around the level of a Professional Trainer?"

"No no, nothing that serious." I was pretty sure, at least. Siren hadn't encountered any problems in Viridian Forest, but from everything I'd seen on the TV or PokéNet, Professional, or fourth badge and above, was were the kiddy shit stopped and things got real.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem. We don't mean to discourage training before challenging the Gyms. It's just to prevent any undue harm to the Gym's Pokémon from unfair match-ups. Trainers that have competed in previous circuits can still acquire their first Badge in this circuit, for example."

"Right." I nodded and signed the papers. Accidents were bound to happen, but I don't recall Oak's school telling us that. I wasn't a great student, but I feel like that would be something that stuck out. I was probably wrong, though. That would be a huge oversight.

Handing the waivers back to her, she thanked me with a smile and I headed back out, letting the few people behind me through. Walking out the doors, I looked around me to try and get my bearings. Night had fully fallen at that point, the sky dark and lacking stars with all the light pollution a big city could produce.

I needed to find a place to sleep. There were hotels and people renting out rooms, but I'd spent most of my money on potions and shit, which I'd then spent on the wild Pokémon. The Bug Catchers in Viridian had yielded some cash, but I was loath to spend it. I'd thought to simply set up my tent in one of the provided fields, yet I wasn't really sure where the nearest one was. The signs that had shown me the way to the Gym had petered out the further west I'd gone. After stumbling around aimlessly for a bit, I decided to bite the bullet and just ask someone.

Choosing a large man, in every sense of the word with his height, girth, long hair and enormous beard that rested on his protruding belly, I stepped in front of him and drew in my shoulders. It had been a while since I'd pulled the defenseless child routine and I'd grown quite a bit since then, but I imagined it would still work.

"Uhm, excuse me, Mister? Could you tell me-hello? Hello? Excuse me!?"

The man stopped for a second, yet as soon as he saw who was talking to him, a shadow fell over his features and he hurried around me and walked off at speed. I glanced down at myself confused. I was somewhat dirty as I'd been trying to stretch my clean clothing as long as possible and had been wearing my current set for a couple of days, but no more than the guy had been himself.

Whatever. Some people were just fucking dickheads.

Spotting an older woman, I gave it another go.

"Excuse me, Miss? Could you-"

"No!" She sniffed, turning her nose up at me before speeding off.

What the fuck was going on?

"Hi, could you-"

"Go away brat."

"Excuse me-

"Fuck off."

"Do you have a moment-"

"Eat shit dragon fucker."

Trying again and again, every response I got was in the same vein. Stoic dismissal, haughty denial, or even straight up insults in the case of a younger man. My only clue had been the 'dragon fucker' comment, yet that didn't make any fucking sense either. How the fuck would they know about Betty? Did Nurse Joy snitch?

Was it like Sevii? Was the fucking Rockets pulling the strings in Pewter as well?

The amount of people outside dwindled at the same pace as my temper rose and soon I was fucking fuming. I'd been generous with Pewter when I got there, thinking about how much better it was than Gateon, and then they pulled that kind of shit.

Fuck them. Fuck them all.

Spotting some old fart glaring at me from a bench, I couldn't hold it in anymore and decided to get some fucking answers.

"You got a fucking problem Grandpa!?"

The old man spit to the side as his dark brown eyes narrowed at me under thick eyebrows, long, yet well-groomed silver beard swaying with the motion. He had much the same build as most men I'd seen around, tall and broad, with a thick jacket equipped with a plethora of pockets stretching over his stomach. Thick hiking boots clad his large feet, with a pair of dark cargo pants tucked into the top.

The old-timer rubbed a hand over his bald head as he responded.

"Aye, I've got a fuckin' problem alright."

"Oh yeah?" I stepped up closer to him. Dr. Enthal would be disappointed, but there had to be limits to what I had to put up with. "And what's that?"

"I've got a problem with dragon fucker's like ya walkin' 'round me city like ya own the fuckin' place. Ya ain't welcome here, Blackthorn, and we'd all 'priciate it if ya'd fuck off back to yar frozen hellhole."

What? Blackthorn, like the city in Johto?

"What the fuck are you talking about? Have you gone senile? I'm not from any frozen hellhole, nor am I from Blackthorn."

"Ya can't fool me." The old man stood up, looming over me as he scowled down, spitting to the side again. "Ya think I don't recognize that 'air and those peepers? Huh? I fought in the rebellion. I've seen eyes like that more times than I can count. I've closed 'em too."

"Listen, I don't know what your think you're seeing, but I'm telling you, I'm not from Blackthorn." Okay. Maybe I'd made a mistake confronting the guy. I didn't expect him to start having Vietnam flashbacks and threaten to kill me.

"Oh yea? Then where ya from, baby dragon?"

"Orre. I'm from Orre, though I've spent the last couple years in Pallet. My name is Peri. Its short for Periwinkle"

He stared at me for a long time, each second stretching to an eternity. I suddenly became painfully aware that the few remaining people had stopped and formed a loose circle around us as we argued.

Mew fucking dammit. I'd gotten way too comfortable. I should've known better than to start shit with the locals in the middle of the street. Birds of a feather always flock together or whatever.

Unexpectedly, something gave in his eyes and he stopped looming. A small wave of his hand had the crowd dispersing.

"Orre, eh? Heard that's a 'ough place."

"Y-yeah, it sucks. Had to hustle to make it." I didn't understand what was going on. First he was gonna kill me and then he wanted to small talk?

The fuck?

"Me name is Grant. Grant Pebble, of the Pebble clan. Sorry 'bout that whole business, ya look like the spitting image of 'em fuckers. Bad history an' all that."

"I get it. Basically wearing rival gang colors and walking into your territory. It's all good." It really wasn't, but I needed the interaction to end.

"Somethin' like that, yea. Suppose ya'd know, being from Orre. Lots of gangs over there, or so I'm told. Never got stationed there, but some friends of mine bitched 'bout it."

"Yeah, real shit hole. Anyway, nice meeting you, Grant, but I've gotta go, so-"

"Hold on, lad. No need to act like I'mma bite ya head off. Saw ya asking people for somethin'. Least I could do for the misunderstanding."

"Oh. Uh, yeah, I was looking for the nearest camping field? The PokéCenter is full."

"Oh yar a Trainer!?" His dark eyes lit up at the news. "Here to challenge young Brock? Good lad he is, much better than that coward of a father of 'is. Camping fields, hmmm…" He scratched his beard, looking off into the distance in thought, before taking me in again. Coming to some sort of decision, he nodded to himself. "Tell ya what, ya can stay at me house. No, no," he waved off my attempted protests. "I insist. The Pebble Clan offended ya and I'll not have it be said that we don't 'poligize for our fuck-ups. House 'as been empty since me grandkid left anyway. Come on."

Following some bipolar, PTSD-ridden old guy into the back alleys of a city I'd never been to after he vaguely hinted at killing me didn't seem like a great idea, but I wasn't sure what the alternative was. I could run and I'd give myself good odds of being faster, yet despite having dispersed, there were still people hanging around.

Fuck it. I had my survival knife, and a sword in my backpack. I could take some old fuck if it came to that.

The trip wasn't a long one, Grant leading me back down the street I'd come from and closer to the Gym. It didn't take more than 10 minutes before we stopped in front of one of the larger houses in the area, one of the only ones that had a second story. Though that was also one of the only things that set it apart, being made of solid grey rock like most of the western part of Pewter.

Speaking of, I might be able to get some answers about that.

"You mind if I ask you a question, old man?"

"Fire away, lad, fire away." He said over his shoulder while shoving open the apparently unlocked front door and leading the way in. Somewhat cautiously, I followed and took a look around.

It was essentially what I'd imagined from the outside. Simple wooden furniture, hand made if I was any kind of judge, formed a small dining area to the left while the right was dominated by two ancient armchairs with faded, hole-riddled leather upholstery and a pair of indents from decades of ass cheeks pushing down on them. The chairs stood facing a small table and a dresser, with a giant box-like TV placed on top of it. While the tech level of the Pokémon world varied wildly from holograms and physics-defying matter digitization, to jukeboxes and human sized PC's, the outdated screen was still some of the oldest I'd seen. Like an ancient TV from the 1960's of my old world.

Beyond the two seating areas and a variety of knick knacks and pictures hung on the walls or the randomly placed closests, there was a staircase that led up to the next floor behind the dinner table and a single closed door on the back wall.

And in the middle of it all, a raised fire pit happily flickered away, sparks and smoke drifting lazily upwards into a long tube that extended from the ceiling and acted like a chimney. A large cast iron pot hung suspended from chains above it, filling the space with a low bubbling sound as the scent of some kind of stew mixed with the fire wood.

It was actually quite nice. VERY basic, compared to what I'd gotten used to at the Lab, yet it had everything one would need and felt homey.

"I dropped off my Pokémon at the Center in the east part of the city and it's really different from here. Is it just newer or?"

"Newer, ha! Suppose it is." Snorting to himself, Grant kicked open a beaten fridge I hadn't noticed and pulled out a pair of bottles. Placing them on the coffee table by the armchairs, he then rummaged around in a cupboard for a moment before emerging with a pair of wooden bowls. "Ya've seen those ugly pieces of shit they call buildings? Pah! All cold metal and glass. No artistry. Ya see this 'ere?" He patted the wall of the fire pit, uncaring that I could literally see the rock glowing red with heat. "Built by me grandpappy and 'is Rhydon, grumpy old beast. Damn thing nearly took me 'ead off more times than I can count!" Slopping whatever was in the pot into the bowls, the old man continued his rant. "Youngsters don't understand that feeling these days, with their fancy Pokéballs and breeding. Back in me day, ya wanted a Pokémon, ya went out with nothing but yar 'ands and either ya came back with the beasty or ya didn't come back at all. Even the ol' Clans couldn't mass produce acorn balls. Bah! Whole world gone soft, is what it 'as. Sit!"

Taking a seat in the other chair he'd kicked, I accepted the bowl and spoon he held out. Staring down at the thick, brown liquid dubiously, bits and pieces floating around in the broth, I dug my utensil into it. It didn't make me feel better when the 'stew' resisted my attempts to pull back out. Biting the bullet, I shoved the somewhat gelatinous substance into my mouth.

Huh. It was actually pretty good. Way better than basic Trainer rations anyway.

"Hah! Old Grant ain't half bad as a cook, is 'e? I still remember a thing or two from me time in the field. Never underestimate 'ow much a warm meal will do for morale. Real Tauros too, none of that fake shit."

The half of the bowl I'd wolfed down threatened to come back up at that. I'd made it several years without having to eat a Pokémon and it didn't feel great knowing that my streak had been broken. Luckily Grant didn't seem to notice that I constrained myself to poking at the food from then on.

"Nay, no respect these days. One of the oldest cities in Kanto, Pewter is. For over a thousand years, the Pebble Clan 'as cared for these lands. It was us that tamed the mountains and made travel safe. It was us that shaped the Wall of Viridian, the Indigo Plateau, and a 'undred more! Us and Viridian are the only Gyms that never changed our Typin', never bowed to pressure. And when those scale cunts came over the mountains, it was us and our that tore 'em from the sky! But what our thanks for that? Fuckers move into our city, push us out, and for what? Progress, they say. Hah! Bigger, aye. More expensive, sure. But I ain't seen any of this 'progress'! Shit, world going backwards if anything. Everythin' all digital these days. Ya wanna know what yar Pokémon eat, use a computer. Ya wanna know what moves they learn? Use a computer. Ya wanna know where ya can find 'em? Use a Giratina dammed computer. Lost the personal touch we 'ave. Used to be ya'd have to spend time with yar Pokémon and elders to learn this stuff. 'Ad to bond with them. Now? Pah! Now ya just take a test and rare Pokémon just gets 'anded to ya! Insanity is what it is."

Humming noncommittally, I'd be honest, I started tuning the guy out half way through his old man rant about the good old days. The story didn't seem that complex. The western part was the old Pewter, where this Pebble Clan hung out, and the eastern part was the more modern one that had sprung up over the years and slowly turned into the new center of town as the old part resisted change. Common shit.

Though the last comment was kind of a dig at me as well and I fell compelled to respond.

"It's a little more than just a test. There's a lot of studying and shit, and only the best get a sponsorship."

"Right, ya did say ya'd been staying in Pallet, didn't ya?" A fraction of that darkness Grant had looked at me with during our first interaction reappeared. "Suppose yar sponsored by that traitor Oak then? Pah!" Turning his head to the side, Grant sent out a loogie, uncaring that we were inside his house.

"Traitor?" I frowned. As far as I knew, Professor Oak was a very well-respected man. Shit, I thought he was one of the most highly regarded people in the region. Thousands petitioned him every year and a lot of people would kill for even a scrap of his attention.

So would Gary, but that was a mean thought. Fuck that piece of shit, though. A week after his stunt and the fucker still hadn't called or sent a text to apologize.

"Oh 'e oesn't talk 'bout that, does 'e? 'As at least that much shame left I guess, fuckin' coward." Grabbing the bottles with one hand, he pulled at his belt with the other, a long flexible string of some sort extending with a bottle opener attached at the end. Opening both with a flick of his wrist, the tool snapped back with a clunk! as he handed one to me and gulped back half of his own in one go. Eyeing the near black liquid suspiciously after the revelation regarding the meal, I took a small sip and nearly choked as it burned its way down my throat, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

Holy fucking shit, that was strong. It tasted vaguely like I remembered beer tasting, yet kicked like liquor. Did the guy not realize that I was fucking 13 years old?

Well, 14 in a month's time, but still!

"Fucking Oak. We 'ad 'em. We fuckin' 'ad 'em. The old Drake was dead, Pryce on the run, the Clans scattered. A couple more pushes, a few more months and we'd 'ave won, completely and utterly. And then, and fuckin' then, that little shit signs that fuckin' truce. A truce! Can ya believe it!? After everythin' those Johto fuckers 'ad done, 'e just, what!? Doesn't wanna fight any more!? Just fuckin' forgives 'em!? Fuck 'im! I lost good friends, family, to those fuckers, we all did! Just because they couldn't handle not being top Growlithe! Now look where we are."

The old guy collapsed back from where he'd been creeping closer and closer to me during his rant, which I was thankful for. It allowed me to wipe the spit droplets off my face.

Grant was interesting and I didn't know all that about the Johto rebellion. All I'd learnt was that around 40 years back, Kanto had been in charge of Johto under the umbrella of Indigo, and there'd been a rebellion that ended with a mutual truce and equality between the two regions, with Johto being allowed to reinstate the Silver Cup. I hadn't even known Oak was involved, never mind being the one that ended the shit. Why did he keep that hidden?

But yeah, for all the info he gave, the guy needed to calm the fuck down. I wasn't sure how much more of his crazy shit I could take.

"A fuckin' scaly, dragon fuckin' brat sits on Indigo's throne, lordin' over all of us like they didn't lose the war. At least ol' Martha knew better than ta get too big for 'er britches, but Lance? Nay. The Kanto Clans 'ave been more and more marginalized, trade agreements that benefit Johto and fucks us over, immigrants everywhere, and I could go on. All thanks ta Oak not 'avin' any fuckin' balls. Drink yar beer, I'll get ya another."

I smiled politely as he went back to the fridge and braced myself. I only coughed it back up twice as I downed the bottle, squeezing my eyes shut as the bitter liquid melted my esophagus.

My head felt a little woozy as I accepted the next, already opened bottle, glancing around the room some more. My eyes landed on the pictures and I took in the people in them for the first time. A lot of them were of a young couple, the brown haired man sharing a strong resemblance to Grant, posing with a toddler. The rest were mostly pictures of the same kid, who I presumed was the grandkid Grant had mentioned, in various stages of life, doing normal kid shit. There was one of the brown haired, dark eyed child riding a bike, wearing a striped paper hat at what looked like a birthday party, training with a small grey, bipedal pokemon with three ridges on its head, posing as they executed a punch at the same time. As the pictures went on, the kid got older and older, soon a teen and then an adult. A huge adult, it looked like, as I examined a picture where he was shirtless, bulging muscles glistening with sweat. Black armbands covered his wrists as he struggled to hold on to a giant fucking rock snake, like a series of boulders had been attached to each other and come alive. The man held on tightly to the stone horn that protruded from the Onix's head, a big smile on his face as he gave reality the middle finger and rode the Pokémon.

I blinked and did a double take.

Holy shit.

"Your grandson's fucking BRUNO!?"

"HA! Where'd ya think 'e got 'is good looks from!?" Grant gave a big smile, showcasing his mouth that had more holes than yellowed teeth.

"But I thought Pewter was all about Rock-Types and shit?"

"And what better to 'andle such tough beasties than Fighting-Types? The Pebble Clan 'as been training the Machop line almost as long as Onix! We 'ad to carve this city ourselves, and the locals didn't go easy! Bruno learned most of what he know 'ere."

All of a sudden, the old man became a lot more than just mildly interesting.

"You must know a lot about training then?"

"Oh, after the ol' Pebble secrets, are ya? Ol' Grant not as crazy as people say!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The rotund senior let out a belly laugh that went on for a little too long, slapping his stomach as he did so. "When's ya match with lil' Brock?"

"Thursday, so three days."

"I'll make ya a deal, ya tell me 'bout yar time in Orre and I might show ya a thing or two, how 'bout that?"

"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" I happily accepted the new bottle he held out and chugged down a swig. The fortified ale, or whatever the fuck it was, tasted almost sweet the second time. "There was this asshole, Kurt, right. I met him at Outskirts Stand, which is this place in the Orre desert. Oh, suppose I should start at the beginning."

I somehow doubted Grant would hold any of my actions against me. Fuck, if anything, both Kurt and the Sevii Rocket base would probably earn me bonus points. I'd have to be sparse on the details, leaving out both the location and the Rockets as I didn't know the guy that well, but I'd work it out.

---

"Thought ya said ya ain't a Blackthorn!?"

"I'm not!"

"Then what the fuck is that!?"

Sol's ear twitched at the loud voices, yet they were easily recognized as belonging to the Caretaker and the Old-Dirt that had been there when his Trainer let him out of his sleep-ball, so he simply stretched and made himself comfortable in the grass. The Sun hung high in the sky, free from any pesky clouds, and blessed him with a lovely warmth that he didn't feel like giving up. The rays sunk into his fur and beyond, fueling his inner-fire and spreading through his body.

The Caretaker had said that he knew the move Morning Sun, or at least could learn it, but Sol didn't know anything about that. All he knew was that the sunlight felt good and energized him.

There was nothing better than a sunlit nap.

"That's Betty."

"That's a fuckin' overgrown Bagon if I've ever seen one! Don't think ya can pull the Dubwool over these peepers just cause I'm ol'!"

"I'm not, you crazy old bastard! Yes, she's a Bagon, and no, I'm not a fucking Blackthorn! She's the egg I told you about yesterday!"

"Ya never said anything 'bout… no, that's right. Ya did tell me that. But ya never said she was a Titan!"

"That's sensitive fucking info, don't you think!?"

"Don't lie to ya elders!"

"I haven't lied, you senile fuck!"

Well, maybe a sunlit nap without the interruptions. He liked his new pack, he really did, but they needed to learn to calm down and enjoy life.

He grumbled as the Scaly-Sister tried to burrow deeper into his back from where she was hiding from the Caretaker. Sol didn't understand why. The Caretaker had rewarded her with a lot of time off after the fight with The Swarm, while Sol only got a single Sun-cycle before the Caretaker made him get back to training. Yet, for some reason, Scaly-Sister had gotten angry about it.

Who got angry about NOT working? Such a silly creature. Though Sol had known that since he hatched. Scaly-Sister was always in a hurry to do things and wanted to fight all the time, dragging Sol along with her. It was his job after all, to look after his Pack.

That was the responsibility of the biggest and strongest, and Sol was the biggest around. What need did he have for training when time and natural talent was gonna do all the work for him?

"Still, I 'ave to say. ya got the beginnin' of one scary fuckin' team 'ere. A Titan and a Alpha. Feebas sticks out a lil' bit, but good crap otherwise."

"Don't talk shit about my Princess. I'm serious, I'll fucking fight you right here and now."

"Don't mean to be insultin', just sayin'. Not many people that'll raise Feebas'. 'Uppose yar'll be using it to fight lil' Brock?"

"I mean, yeah. Might be a little easy to use a Water-Type, but the Professor keeps harping on about being careful showing people Betty and Sol."

"Humph! 'Ate to agree with that traitor 'bout anythin', but 'e got the right idea there. Plenty of people willin' ta kill and even worse for just one of 'em. Best ta keep 'em under wraps until yar stronger. Anyway, get 'em up and going. Ol' Punchy will teach 'em a thing or two."

"Right. Up, Sol. Time to train. Come on you lazy bastard, up!"

Sol grumbled again as hands started trying to pull him up, but allowed the Caretaker to heave him to his feet.

Only to immediately tip sideways towards the boy, dragging his Trainer down with him as he landed on the youth. Sol's tongue wagged from his mouth as the Caretaker cursed and spit, trying to push him off while Old-Dirt laughed loudly.

He was much too serious, his Trainer, Sol decided as he reclined across the human. Always in such a hurry, lecturing and commanding. He'd be much happier if he spent some more time as Sol's pillow. The boy was warm under him despite his wriggling, their energies leaking between them and mixing as Sol took in a deep sniff of his Trainer. The Caretaker's scent was unlike any other human Sol had ever gotten a whiff of, not that he'd sniffed many. Old-Food who'd raised his mother smelt like dryness and regret, while the other pups that followed the Caretaker around were more blank slates. The Caretaker, however, smelt like shadows and anger, of blood and fire, regret and resolve. Honestly, if Sol didn't know any better, he'd say that the boy felt and smelt more like a Pokémon than a human.

Old-Dirt was the first that was similar, his Aura like a mountain condensed into a fist. Sol didn't know what that meant, nor did he really care. If Old-Dirt proved to be a threat, he'd take care of it.

Finally surrendering to the complaints of his Trainer, Sol slowly rose up on his paws and yawned, looking around blearily as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. They were still in the field he'd been released into, with no one else around, so that was good. Fish-Sister was off to the side, already busy with shooting her wet energy out in bursts towards some trees and working on the new idea the Caretaker had.

Sol liked Fish-Sister most of the time. She didn't complain as much as Scaly-Sister and was a lot calmer in general, however, when she started training, Sol tried to keep his distance. Not only did her wet energy make him wet, which was terrible, but she also got really serious about it.

One of the main reasons he let the Caretaker up so quickly was the multiple times Fish-Sister had blasted him with water when he'd taken too long to get going. Totally unfair.

"Betty, come on."

"Braaawr!"

"We are literally training right now!"

"Baeeeeee!"

"Fine, you can just watch while Sol learns all the cool moves!"

Couldn't they trade around? It was prime sunning time and it'd be a shame to waste it.

Unfortunately, Scaly-Sister quickly ran to catch up to Caretaker and latched onto his side, screeching softly while gazing up at him with wide eyes. Sol scoffed as the Caretaker started spoiling her. Why didn't it work when he tried to do the same to get out of training?

Favouritism, that's what it was.

"Alright, youngsters, front and center! Ain't much I can teach yar fish, but these two should be capable of a simple Brick Break." Old-Dirt started pacing around in front of the three of them, hands behind his back. Sol could feel his eyes threatening to drop already. That type of behavior usually meant effort.

"This 'ere is Punchy! 'E'll be whipping ya youngsters into shape or kill yar trying! Yar will follow every command to the letter, or ya'll be scrubbing the latrines and going to bed 'ungry!"

"Erh, Grant? Are you having another episo-"

"SILENCE RECRUIT! YAR COMMANDER IS TALKIN'! Now, Punchy, demonstrate!"

Sol's eyes lazily traced the Pokémon as it stepped forward. He'd seen Old-Dirt open its sleep-ball as soon as Scaly-Sister was released and dismissed it when it stayed at its Trainer's side. The growlithe recognized the type as the same as the one the Caretaker trained with against Mother-Brother, the fast one with the big hands. Hitmonchan, the Caretaker had called it. Unlike the one where he'd been born, however, the new one carried clear signs of age and battle. Scars littered its thin arms, crisscrossing back and forth more than Sol's own stripes. A particularly large one covered its chest, a huge patch of raised pink skin wrapping halfway across its body. Its left eye was closed, claw marks maring that side of the Old-Warrior's face, parting its lip and letting a flash of teeth show, though Sol didn't believe it to be a sign of aggression. The look in its remaining orb spoke of experience and confidence, its scent thick with blood and age.

Despite himself, Sol felt himself straighten a bit. As much as he might want to, Wounded-Warrior didn't seem the type to tolerate a half-assed effort and even Sol's ego couldn't hide the fact that the Hitmonchan was stronger than him. A lot stronger.

For now anyway. Given a couple of years, Sol was sure he'd surpass even the veteran before him.

Wounded-Warrior grunted and held up a hand before its chest. A hazy white swiftly gathered around the limb before solidifying into a shiny coating so thick the hand was completely hidden beneath the almost liquid energy. His nose twitched as he felt the life-force condense and compress, crushed into compliance with ruthless skill and practice.

"Fightin' energy ain't shit in theory. It's just compressed and focused Normal energy and damn near all Pokémon can learn that, which is why it's called Normal, ha! As such, damn near all Pokémon can learn some kinda Fightin' move. Save for 'em shitty Ghost's, but that's a 'ifferent matter. Never like Ghost's meself. Sneaky fuckers, the whole lot of 'em. Ain't ever a straight fight and ya can't even punch the bastards. Why, I 'member this one time, back before the rebellion. Some youngin' wanna-be Ghost Trainer thought to take up a bit of banditry 'round Pewter and Viridian, hiding in the forest after he'd rob some poor sod-"

"Grant, you're drifting off again. Come back to us."

"Huh? Oh right! As I was sayin', Fightin moves ain't shit if yar know what yar doin', and today, we'll get ya started on that path."

Sol's ears lowered at all the effort he was about to go through, but steeled himself as the Wounded-Warrior started leading them through the exercises, Old-Dirt narrating all the while. At least the Caretaker was there alongside Scaly-Sister and himself, even if he had nothing to show for his efforts.

It was a truly terrible fate to be stuck with such an energetic and ambitious Pack, but the food and belly scratches might be worth it.

---

Some Pewter lore, more information about the rebellion and Oak's role in it, and a Sol POV. I Hope you guys like the world building I'm doing, beacuse there's gonna be a fair amount of it.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Back at it with chapter 19, and our first Gym battle! The opponent, Rock-Hard Brock! Wait...

---

It was finally time.

I bounced on my toes as Trainer after Trainer was called, disappearing into the darkness that laid behind the door. I'd gotten up early, even by my standards, nerves making me unable to sleep. I was lucky Siren was such a sweetheart. Neither Betty nor Sol would have put up with my unending ranting about various strategies, most of which were for circumstances incredibly unlikely to happen.

Though if Brock did whip out a Rhydon and Golem, I was so fucking ready. I was going to get my ass whooped, but we'd go down swinging.

"Calm down, lad! It's just the first fucking Badge, nothin' ta get excited 'bout. That fish of yars is gonna sweep right through!"

I managed to keep enough of my balance to only take a single step when Grant slapped me on the back. The old timer had volunteered himself to come with me, though I didn't really protest. The crazy octogenarian had grown on me, like a fungus. A mildly insane, somewhat threatening fungus that always seemed ready to kill someone at the drop of a hat.

The training he'd given my team alone would have endeared me to the man, yet he hadn't stopped at just getting Betty and Sol started on Brick Break. After he was satisfied that I understood enough of the theory, little as there was, to teach my Pokémon the rest myself, we'd left them under the far from tender tutelage of 'Punchy', the not-so-subtly named Hitmonchan.

Seriously, what the fuck was up with the nicknames? First Oak, then Gary, and now Grant?

Weirdos, the whole lot of them.

Anyway, while he'd obviously kept a lot to himself, Grant had walked me through the most likely Pokémon that Brock would field for a first Badge newbie, like Geodude, Rhyhorn if I was unlucky, and probably Onix. The giant rock snake was known as Brock's ace at the lowest levels, often appearing if the Gym Leader felt a first or second Badge challenger was having too easy of a time of it.

Which, given Siren's relative strength and Type advantage, was almost a certainty.

Still, I was fairly confident that Grant was right and my feebas would clean house. If she didn't, it fell to Sol and though he'd made enough progress with Brick Break that even Grant was impressed, I didn't feel great about his chances against a 30-foot sentient pile of stone. Natural tendency towards Fighting-Type energy or not, it took more than two days to be ready for something like that.

So, though I was sure it was going to be fine, I was still tripping with anticipation. Trying to distract myself, I decided to finally ask a question that had been on my mind since I first learned about Grant's familiar connections.

"Hey Grant, I have a question."

"Go for it."

"If you all hate Blackthorns so much, how come Bruno is a part of Lance's Elite Four?"

A dark expression flashed over the old man's face, and he spat on the floor, as was his custom. Several of the people around us looked askance at him, yet most of them turned away when they saw who the senior was. One kid around my physical age opened his mouth to say something, only for an older girl to put a hand on his arm and shake her head.

Guess they were familiar with Grant and his… eccentricities. Being one of the oldest members of the founding Clan, as well as the grandfather of an Elite Four, came with some benefits, apparently.

"That's a long tale, lad, longer than we 'ave time for now. In short, the lad got a dumbass idea in 'is 'ead and nothin' I could say would change 'is mind."

Before I could follow up on that mysterious statement, the door opened again and an older teen boy stuck his head out, the dark gray uniform proudly displaying the Boulder Badge on his chest.

"Periwinkle? Is there a Periwinkle?"

"Y-yes! Here!"

Grant gave me another spine-rattling back-pat as I headed for the door.

"Knock 'em dead! I'll be watchin' from the stands, so don't disappoint me!"

Any other time I'd have shot back with something incredibly witty, no doubt, but my heart was in my throat and its beat pulsed in my ears. The trip across the foyer passed in a blur, the trek through the hallways as the Gym Trainer led the way, the same. Before I knew it, we stepped into a large, mostly empty room. The flooring was bare rock, with the only furniture being a couch and a table with some diced up berries and a few bottles of water. Beyond that, there was only another door directly across from the one we'd entered from. I could hear and feel a low brrr! coming through the thick wood, the sound of what I knew to be a whole crowd ready to watch and dissect my every move.

"Here we are. It'll just be a couple of minutes; the field got a little messy during the last battle. Duo Earthquakes will do that. Best of luck out there." The Gym Trainer held out a hand, which I grasped absently with a murmured response.

And then he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts and doubts.

Or as alone as I'll ever be.

Three clicks and flashes of light had my team arranged before me while I paced back and forth.

"All right, here we go. It's time. Time to fuck some shit up and get a Badge. Yup. Gonna be just fine, nothing to worry about, no sir. Just… gonna go in there and, and just… beat them. Yup."

Siren blinked at me for a moment before gurgling comfortingly, floating over to lean against my leg. I'd have protested the waste of energy, but I could honestly use the company as I sat down on the couch and lifted her to my lap. Sol had collapsed onto the floor the instant he realised we weren't fighting immediately, completely unconcerned.

Betty, meanwhile, didn't have the reaction I'd thought she would. Though she struggled a little due to her mass, she quickly scrambled up onto the couch that groaned worryingly under the weight, even though it was made of fucking stone. She didn't glomp onto me as she did when in a good mood, but it was a lot better than when I'd told her that she wouldn't be fighting against Brock.

She seemed understanding enough that Siren would be going first, however, Sol being the backup plan, hadn't gone down well. So seeing her contain herself despite the displeasure I knew she felt caused a warm feeling to chase away some of the pre-game jitters as I rubbed the bony dome atop her head.

While I doubted that it would last long, it still felt a little like my baby growing up.

I quickly withdrew my fingers when she made to snap after them.

Very, very little. Like a fraction of a percentage.

"This is fucking stupid. I've fought actual murderers and terrorists. I was a part of a whole-ass raid on a secret lab. It's just a fucking Gym battle, I don't know why I'm so fucking nervous."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, swiftly sinking into the ever-more familiar feeling of meditation. Though it had only been a couple of days, I had a feeling that Grant's teachings were the key to finally making some progress with my Aura. The airy, fleeting energy within eluded my mental fingers as it always did, yet rather than simply chasing it around fruitlessly, I imagined a forcefield around it, a transparent container that slowly forced the purple-ish Aura to compress. Slowly, nearly indistinguishably, the loose ball shrank, growing more and more solid. Heat spread through my body, pouring from my chest to my arms, from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. The nerves faded as focus took hold, eagerness and anticipation replacing them. There was nothing to be nervous about.

Finally, I was going to show the world my strength. It was time to stop hiding, stop playing. An enemy thought to impede my progress, to stand in my way, and he would be met with bared fangs and claws, his stupid fucking rocks crushed in my shadow as I spread my wings, turned to cinders at my feet and-

"-CALLING CHALLENGER TO THE FIELD! CHALLENGER, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FIELD!"

Snapping out of my daydreams, I quickly recalled my team and rolled my shoulders. Most of the jitters were gone, but it was still my first time battling in front of so many people.

But it was fine. It was merely the first step on my path to the top.

Pushing open the door, I stepped out of the waiting room and into the dark corridor.

The impact of my soles against the stone floor echoed off the walls, muffling the ever-growing noise as I headed for the distant light. Soon, however, the cacophony of voices drowned out everything else.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COMING AT THE HEELS OF LOUISE EVERGREEN'S BOLD DISPLAY OF MATCHING GYM LEADER BROCK TYPE-FOR-TYPE, WE HAVE A NEWCOMER!"

Halting at the threshold of the arena, I took one last deep inhale, steeled myself, and stepped out, blinking at the sudden brightness.

"CHALLENGING FOR HIS FIRST BADGE, DURING HIS FIRST CIRCUT, WE HAVE A TRAINER SPONSORED BY THE POKÉMON PROFESSOR HIMSELF, SAMUEL OAK! AFTER THE IMPRESSIVE SHOWING OF GARY OAK AND JONATHAN BERRIBELL, CAN THIS NEW CHALLENGER KEEP UP PALLET'S UNDEFEATED STREAK!? EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOOOOOR, PERIWINKLE!"

I had to suppress the desire to cover my ears as the crowd indeed did 'give it up'. A hollering of support, heckling, well wishes, and insults poured forth as I walked into the arena and took a look around. Rather concerningly, I was reminded of a colosseum. Stands rose on either side of where I'd emerged, filling both walls from floor to ceiling. Only the bottom rows were visible, lit by the lamps and spotlights that shone on the battlefield, while the top part was hidden in shadows. I wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing as I took a few steps up to my designated platform. It was a simple booth of more granite, no surprise there, raised a foot or two off the floor of the wide field before me. One of the spotlights was directly above me, and I noticed a microphone and speaker embedded into the front of the platform.

Speaking of the battleground, I gazed out over the football field-sized area that we'd be fighting in. A variety of rocks were spread throughout the square, some as small as my head, while others could cover me entirely. The surface was more granite, like every-fucking-thing else in the Gym, and the whole thing clearly favored Rock and Ground-Types.

But I'd expected that. There was plenty of footage online of Brock's matches, so I was well prepared for the environment. The only thing I wasn't familiar with was the tall rock pillar that stood in the place of where the opposite booth should've been, rising upwards until it disappeared into the darkness of the roof. I frowned in confusion.

Where was Brock?

"AAAAAND OF COURSE, PERIWINKLE'S OPPONENT NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, THOUGH I WILL GIVE ONE ANYWAY! THE DEFENDER OF PEWTER, THE YOUNG MAN THAT STEPPED UP AND KEPT A THOUSAND YEARS OF TRADITION ALIVE, THE UPHOLDER OF THE PEBBLE CLAN'S LEGACY, YOU KNOW HIM, YOU LOVE HIM, IIIIIIITTTTTTSSSSSS BRRROOOOOOOOCK PEEEEBBBLEEEEE!"

The rock pillars shuddered at the announcement. It took me a moment, but I saw the base slowly start sinking into the ground as it vibrated. Four crisscrossing projectors kicked on with a snap!, highlighting the summit as the man-made stalagmite descended.

And standing on top, feet spread wide and arms folded over his chest as his sediment steed brought him down, was an older teen, on the cusp of adulthood. His dark brown, nearly black, hair stood up from his head in spikes, like a hedgehog, bangs hanging down over his forehead. A green vest covered his orange t-shirt stuffed into sturdy brown cargo pants, held up by a belt with a Pokéball on either side, and finished off with a pair of hiking boots. His skin was tan, partly from birth, yet also bore the clear signs of a life spent in the sun.

But by far the most attention-grabbing for me was the closed slots the teen had for eyes, not as much as twitching as the crowd went nuts. Where they'd been mixed on me, there was nothing but love for the local Gym Leader. Children held up big signs with 'BROCK 4 EVER' and other messages painted on them, people were clad in replicas of his vest, and I swore I saw a woman crying at his appearance.

Fucking shit, people REALLY cared about Gym battles, huh? It made sense, considering how crazy some were about actors or athletes back in my original world, but it didn't feel great to so clearly be the underdog.

THUNK!

Brock's booth slid into place with a heavy noise, whatever Rock-Type that was controlling it from out of sight, letting it settle. The Gym Leader let the crowd have another few beats to pop off before raising his hand. Like it was choreographed, which it basically was with around a dozen matches each weekday, the onlookers fell silent at the signal.

"You are my challenger?"

His voice echoed both from the speaker in front of me, as well as the larger ones pointed at the masses. The double effect gave him a creepy vibe, and I glanced at the spectators, feeling my mouth drying out and my palms getting sweaty. It was a lot.

Just focus on the battle. That was the only thing that mattered.

"I am."

"You think you have what it takes to earn the Boulder Badge?"

"I do." And I wasn't fucking leaving without it. Even if I lost, I'd fucking jump him in an alleyway afterwards.

"Then show me."

The referee stepped forward from where he'd been standing at the side, raising one of the flags he carried in each hand, red for me and green for Brock.

"This will be a two-on-two battle for the Boulder Badge! Gym Leader Brock, release your first Pokémon!"

Taking the ball on his left side, Brock enlarged it and hurled it with near-perfect accuracy into the middle of the field, shouting the name of his Pokémon as he did so.

"Crush them, Geodude!"

In a red flash, the small Rock-Type materialized, flexing its oddly muscular arms to the pleasure of the crowd. Its cracked lips opened, and it let out a sound like gravel crunching together.

"GEOOOOORRRR!"

"AND WE'RE OFF TO THE RACES, FOLKS! BROCK OPENS UP WITH HIS USUAL, GEODUDE! THE TOUGH LITTLE GUY HAS FELLED MANY UNPREPARED FOES! HOW WILL PERIWINKLE RESPOND!?"

The hidden announcer boomed across the stadium while I took in my first obstacle.

As I expected. He almost always opened with Geodude, according to both Grant and my research. Just had to follow the plan.

Taking a deep breath, I grasped Siren's ball, ignoring the minor tremble of my fingers. I was fine. Nothing to be concerned about so far.

"Go, Siren!"

My throw went a little wide of where I wanted her to be released close to my booth, and I had to stretch to catch the ball on the bounce back. I grit my teeth at the resulting chuckles, both at my throw and at my Pokémon.

"A Feebas?"

"Loool!"

"This is fuckin' over."

"Type advantage won't save you with that!"

I could see Siren slumping at the insults, where she was resting on the floor between the large rocks. I wanted to snap back at them, but before I could, the speaker in front of me crackled to life.

"Ignore them." Brock's voice rang out, though nothing came out of the larger crowd speakers. I was the only one who could hear him. "Hecklers are everywhere, and you'll have to get used to them. Shut them out and focus on the battle. That's the best way to prove them wrong."

"AND PERIWINKLE SENDS OUT A FEEBAS! SEEMS THE CHALLENGER HOPES A TYPE ADVANTAGE WILL CARRY THE DAY! HOW WILL GYM LEADER BROCK RESPOND!?"

"Geodude, Rock Throw!"

And then there was no more time to think.

"Siren, dodge!" The feebas swiftly levitated to the right as the rock Pokémon reached out and grabbed a fist-sized chunk of stone. I could barely follow the blur as it cocked its arm back and sent the projectile hurling forward like a bullet, shattering on impact with a boulder.

"Water Gun!" The attack built quicker than ever, and in less than three seconds, the compressed stream of liquid blasted forward towards the Rock-Type.

"Shield, follow up with Dual Throw!"

The Geodude tucked in its arms and rolled behind a larger stone, letting the Water Gun gouge a small hole in it. Another pair of Rock Throws came screaming around the barrier, one slightly after the other, hoping to lead Siren into the path of the next. She dodged them both at my command, but the slight pause was enough for Brock to get off another move.

"Defense Curl!"

My jaw hurt from clenching it so hard. Range wasn't working; Geodude was too used to using the environment to its advantage.

So we had to take that away from it.

"Siren, close the distance! Zigzag!"

Brock raised an eyebrow as Siren shot forward over the gravel, tail beating furiously as she poured her energy into movement. Rocks came continuously, some getting closer than others as my Water-Type juked between covers. A jagged piece scraped across her side, a few scales glinting in the lights as they spun through the air, but she quickly managed to get close to the Geodude's naturally formed barrier.

"Geodude, ready a Tackle!"

"Water Feint left!"

Unfortunately for Brock, his order was the wrong one. Siren shot a short blast of water to the left side of the boulder, even as she moved around it the right way. Geodude turned, ready to throw himself in the direction the attack came from, completely missing Siren emerging at his back.

"GEODUDE, BEHIND YOU!"

"WATER GUN!"

Too slow. The concentrated jet of super-effective energy struck it in the side of the head as it desperately tried to spin around, sending it flying back into its own cover, splintering the rock as it crashed into it.

CRASH!

"YES!" That had to have done it. Geodude was 4x weak to water, and even if it didn't work quite like that in the real version of Pokémon I was in, it should still be more than enough.

"Geodude! Hit it back with Thunder Punch!"

My eyes widened. I'd fucking forgot about Sturdy. And what the fuck do you mean, Thunder Punch!?

"JET!"

The Rock Pokémon extracted itself from the shallow crater it had gotten stuck in and cocked back an arm. It was clearly hurt, cracks spreading throughout its stone body, and panting heavily. Yet, despite its obvious pain, yellow sparks sprang to life from its fist, a coating of electricity crackling as it threw the attack forward. Unlike me, however, Siren was too smart to let down her guard that easily. Even with the small delay where she had to understand what I said, as soon as the words left my mouth, she gathered another Water Gun and, with seconds to spare, let it loose.

The two attacks met, the Thunderpunch easily carving through the water, yet striking nothing but air as Siren used the force of her own move to help send her flying backwards. Jet was a move we'd spent the last couple of days working on. It was essentially just a Water Gun, but rather than directing all her energy towards damage and holding herself in place, she instead used it for propulsion, like her own little jet engine.

It still wasn't perfected, Siren flying backwards uncontrollably and hitting a rock with a smack!, but it did the trick. Geodude shuddered as the residual effects of the Water Gun that its attack didn't disperse washed over it, its eyes rolling back in its head as it collapsed onto its back.

"OOOOOHH, A SAVAGE HIT! A CLEVER MOVE BY PERIWINKLE SENDS GEODUDE TO THE FLOOR! IS IT DOWN AND OUT!?"

I wondered much the same, keeping my eyes on it as Siren regathered herself. I doubted Geodude could repeat its trick; the Thunder Punch had been fairly slow from the damage it had taken. But it wouldn't fool me twice.

Click!

Red flashed over Geodude as it returned to the Pokéball Brock held out. The referee waved his flag towards his boss.

"Gym Leader Brock has withdrawn his Pokémon! The score is 1-0 in favor of the challenger! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"

"AND GYM LEADER BROCK RECALLS HIS GEODUDE! THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBER OF REMAINING POKÉMON! WILL THE CHALLENGER GET THE CLEAN SWEEP!?"

I tilted my head at the words of the announcer, something familiar tickling the back of my mind, but the noises of the crowd distracted me.

"Come on!" A group of men started trading bills back and forth.

"Yaaaah, go feebas!" A kid waved his arms excitedly.

"Boooo!"

"That was a nice move!"

"Please, it was just a Water Gun!"

"THERE YA GO, LAD! FUCK 'IM UP!" A couple was violently shoved apart as Grant threw them aside. I didn't know where he'd been, but seeing the bottle in his hand as he gave me a double thumbs up with a big gap-toothed grin, I had a decent idea.

I wrenched my attention back to Brock as the older teen surveyed the field and Siren thoughtfully.

The battle wasn't over yet, as proven when he picked his last Pokéball off his belt.

"That was well done. Your feebas is obviously well-trained, and you know how to use your moves to your advantage, even if it's not the traditional way they're utilized. But how do you handle something with a little more power?"

There could only really be one thing he was talking about.

If the spectators had been excited before, they completely lost their shit when Onix burst out of its ball with a bone-shaking roar of two mountains grinding against each other, the earth vibrating as the 32-foot-long stone serpent crashed into the field. Beyond pictures, it was my first time seeing the Pokémon, and holy fucking Mew was it big. The dark gray body of the Onix was made up of enormous boulders, the largest of which was wider than I was tall, and even the smallest at the tip of the tail was bigger than Siren. A tall stone spine rose from the top of its head like a crest, as big as a man, and capable of crashing through rock like it was water.

It narrowed its eyes at Siren, black pupils hanging alone in the middle of the whites. It opened its rounded snout and let out another earthquaking bellow, like a landslide rumbling to eradicate everything in its way.

"OOOOOOOOOOONNN!"

-A deep, low rumble reverberated through the boat, like a hundred tigers growled at the same time-

I closed my eyes and pushed the memories away. It wasn't the same. It wasn't even a Gyarados. It was just a big, dumb target. If I couldn't even handle that much, I'd have no chance going forward.

And I would be going forward. My team counted on me. The gang, Ra, counted on me.

My eyelids snapped open, and I readied myself.

"AND BROCK UNLEASHES HIS ACE, THE PEWTER FAVORITE, ONIX! WHAT WILL PERIWINKLE AND HIS FEEBAS DO AGAINST SUCH A POKÉMON!?

"GOOOO ONIX!"

"YEAAAH!

"OONIX, OONIX, OONIX!"

If I weren't so focused, I'd probably have done a double take as the Onix seemed to preen at the words from the masses, twisting its huge body around to show it off with booming sounds of rock grinding against rock, the spotlights reflecting off its polished boulder segments.

Someone loved the attention.

"Are both Trainers ready!?"

"Ready." My opponent called out.

I nodded.

"BEGIN!"

"Water Bullets, stay away from it!"

"Rock Tomb!"

Onix screeched as the glops of water struck its thick frame, Siren skirting around as she fired a continuous barrage. Each pellet wasn't anything to write home about, yet little by little, the super effective energy seeped in, each blow leaving small indents. Onix was clearly distracted by the pain; however, it wasn't enough to put it completely off. The ground glowed a dull red, four huge slabs of minerals wrested from the arena by the rock snake's geokinesis. They arched high into the air and came crashing down like meteorites. Gravel and shrapnel exploded outwards as they hit the floor, Siren abandoning her attack flurry to frantically try and evade. One, two, three were avoided, but the shockwave of the fourth caught her in the last moment, sending her careening, bouncing through the battlefield.

"SIREN!"

My feebas came to a stop and struggled to get back up. She was panting pretty heavily, some from the accumulating damage, but mostly from all the maneuvering. She'd come incredibly far from where she started with levitation, but it was still draining.

I kept waiting for the inevitable assault of rocks, yet surprisingly, it never came. Brock and Onix merely waited, gazing at us indecipherably.

Right. It was a Gym Battle, not life or death. He was testing us, not just trying to win.

I eyed the monstrous Rock-Type. It was hard to tell, however, I thought its head hung a little lower as it slumped. There was little physical evidence, but Onix hadn't gotten out of the exchange unscathed.

"Siren, same strat. Be ready to Jet, though."

She was noticeably slower as she took off again, her Water Bullets still packing a punch, yet her movements were slow and unsteady. I worried about another Rock Tomb, uncertain if she'd be fast enough even with Jet.

Brock apparently didn't feel like finding out, however.

"Tail sweep!"

My eyes widened as the 30-foot, nearly a thousand-pound sapient stone reared back its tail and sent it hurling forth in an arch across the ground, dirt, sand, and boulders splintering like wood. A storm of debris was left in its wake as it wiped the surface clean, the deceptively fast Pokémon scouring the field to lay Siren low. She tried to reverse, but her momentum was too great and Onix too fast for her to make it.

"ICE BEAM ON THE GROUND!"

The second it took my command to sink in was like an eternity, Siren still on a collision path with the incoming tail. At the last moment, however, her head lowered as icy energy gathered in front of her and lanced out to freeze a clump of earth in front of her while turning the speed up to 11. The club-like ass-appendage that Onix called a tail smashed through the ice with no hesitation, barely missing Siren as she skated up her improvised ramp, flying over the blow and spinning through the air uncontrollably.

"WATER GUN! STEADY YOURSELF!"

Like the shittiest Catherine wheel ever, the compressed aqua shot out of the big, cartwheeling fish like a hose, dousing everything in water. Some of it managed to make it to her opponent, Onix groaning at a frequency that made my ears hurt, but most of it splashed harmlessly on the ground or struck the Psychic barriers that flared to life at the edge of the arena. The most important part, though, was that using it much like she used Jet, Siren managed to flip the right way up and cushion her landing, though she still hit with a smack! that made me wince.

"Quick, hit with another!"

The second Water Gun went a little wide to start, Siren's eyes spinning in her head from the dizziness, but she swiftly got it on target.

And then Brock decided to piss all over my parade with the move I'd been biting my nails over.

"Onix, Dig!"

Shit.

I barely had time to react before the Rock-Type dove headfirst into the ground, vanishing at speeds something that size had no fucking business moving at. In a blink, Siren was left alone on the field, with a predator stalking her from beneath.

Fuck.

My eyes scanned the ground frantically, darting this way and that for the slightest movement.

Other than simply being fuck-off huge and strong, with skin literally as tough as rock, Brock's Onix was most known for its excellent usage of Dig. No matter where the opponent was, on the ground or even flying, the stone serpent had an uncanny ability to emerge at the exact right spot. I'd scoured the forums for any hint of how it did it, but that info was something Pewter Gym was very careful about keeping secret. There were dozens of deleted posts about it, whole threads that had been shut down, and users banned. The only thing I found was that there was definitely some kind of trick to it, beyond just Onix being great.

A silence fell over the room, even the crowd quieting down in suspense. Glancing at Brock, nothing about the teen seemed to have changed. His arms were still crossed, eyes still closed, legs spread wide, and feet planted-

RRRRUUUUMBLEEE!

-Taking my eyes off the field proved to be a mistake. In my instant of distraction, a giant stone crest burst from the ground directly under Siren, the rest of Onix's monstrous body following as the Rock-Type gained insane air in record time, like one of those fake snakes in a can. The tiny moment for reacting that levitating granted Siren wouldn't usually have been enough for my somewhat slow fish to respond, but her senses were dialed to eleven and she was locked the fuck in. It still wasn't enough to dodge, yet the horn just barely scraped along her side before the giant head smashed into her. She went sailing across the arena with a pain-filled gurgle, skidding and bouncing off rocks and gravel before she came to a rest on her side, nearly back at my podium, while Onix crashed back down like an earthquake.

"Siren! Get up, come on, girl!"

"AND ONIX LANDS A DIRECT HIT WITH ITS FAMOUS DIG! IS FEEBAS DOWN AND OUT!?"

"YAAAAA BROCK!"

"No way it's getting back up!"

"FEEBAS NOOOO!"

Shaking with pain and exhaustion, Siren panted on the ground for a long moment before weakly rolling over to her front, eyes squeezed shut while Brock gave us another moment to recuperate. She trembled with the effort to try and levitate, yet barely got more than an inch before falling back down.

Something cracked in my mouth from the pressure of my jaw. Siren was clearly at the end of her rope, and while Onix looked rough, it was still raring to go.

And Brock was a little fucking bitch of an opportunist.

"Onix, again! Dig!"

Or at least he thought so. Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice and I'm the stupid one, or whatever.

The point was, repeating that move was a mistake. Looking at Brock may have cost Siren a big hit, but it also gave me the match.

"Siren, get ready. As soon as it comes out, hit it with everything you've got." I kept my voice low to not give away the game. My beautiful, beautiful Pokémon bubbled back weakly, cheeks bloating and lids closing in concentration.

Then I started bouncing on my feet, heels smacking into the ground repeatedly. A fierce grin took over my face as Brock actually opened his dark, nearly black eyes a sliver in surprise, his own, much more rhythmic tapping halting for a second.

Directing the underground Pokémon through foot taps. Very clever, but also easily disrupted.

RUMBLE!

Onix tore through the surface like it was made of paper with a thundering roar, ready to finish off its enemy. I wanted to laugh as its eyes widened in shock when it hit nothing but air, hanging suspended and unable to defend itself on the completely wrong side of the battlefield.

Then a Water Gun struck it right between the eyes with enough force that the huge Rock-Type was actually forced backwards, collapsing onto its back. The earth shook with such force that I had to grab onto the railing, despite being raised above it.

"Onix, no!"

I bit my cheek as the Onix seemed to move slightly, yet at its Trainer's shout, it went completely limp. Shortly thereafter, it shone red as it dematerialized into energy and returned to its Pokéball.

The battle was over.

We'd won.

"AANNNND THEEERE GOOOES THEEE BAATTLLEEEEEE! THE WINNER, WITH A 2-0 RECORD, IS THE NEWBIE, PERIWINKLE! WITH A CLEAN SWEEP IN HIS FIRST TRY, HOW FAR WILL HE GO!?"

"ARCEUS DAMNIT!"

"Not another one."

"The fuck they feedin' 'em Pallet kids?"

"YEEEES LAD, THAT'S THE WAY, HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

None of the words reached me as I vaulted the podium and landed on the field, rushing over to my Pokémon.

"Siren! You did it, oh my god, you actually fucking did it! You were so good!" She was damn near unconscious when I picked her up, but she still managed to lightly nuzzle into me as I spun around in circles, praise flying from me like a machine gun.

Having to stop when I got dizzy, I finally took notice of the teen standing before me with an amused smile.

I jutted my chin out at him. My girl had done fucking amazing, and if he thought otherwise, he could go fuck himself.

I refused to be embarrassed, not about that.

Rather than saying anything, however, Brock simply extended his hand.

"Congratulations. That was well fought and a well-earned victory."

Shifting Siren to a single arm. I returned the handshake.

"Thanks, you too. That Thunder Punch nearly took us out, not to mention the Dig."

He laughed lightly. "To be completely honest with you, I shouldn't have done that. Thunder Punch is a strat I reserve for second Badges and higher. It was unprofessional of me. It was just the thought of another Pallet kid coming in with an overpowered Pokémon that pissed me off, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

"It's all good, kept us on our toes if nothing else. Also can't blame you if you had to deal with Gary. That would make anyone short-tempered."

"Yeah, confidence is one thing, but competing for a first-level Boulder Badge with a Wartortle and then bragging about it? A little much."

So Squirty had already evolved? I thought he might, but it was still surprising to hear.

It also raised a suspicion I had.

"Onix wasn't actually unconscious, was it?"

The Gym Leader merely smirked.

"Anyway," Brock fished around in his pocket for a second before coming back with a plastic square holding a disk, "you've more than earned this. It's Rock Tomb. Not the strongest move, but as you saw in our battle, it's plenty useful if you're a little creative, which you've more than demonstrated. I'm sure you'll take the move far."

I thanked him and stuffed the TM in my own pocket.

"And of course, what it's all about." Holding out his other hand, a small object rested in the middle of his palm. The small octagon was a silver-ish gray, with raised edges dividing each quadrant. Taking the Badge with lightly shaking fingers, I was surprised by how weighty it was. "You've more than proven yourself worthy of the Boulder Badge."

I barely noticed Grant having jumped from the stands himself before he slung an arm around me, screaming something I didn't quite catch. I was too busy staring down at my hand.

A Gym Badge. My first Gym Badge. It felt solid, like final proof that I hadn't just been in a years-long coma.

I was a Pokémon Trainer, with a Gym Badge and soon many more.

It was just the first step, but fuck me, did it feel good.

---

It makes sense to me that Gym Leaders, especially during matches for lower-ranked Badges, would be more focused on testing and instructing than full-on trying to whoop your ass. Though that might change depending on the Gym Leader in question.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[Silverias]

Enjoying the story, bit dark for my usual taste, and giving the mc a bunch of special pokemon is…a choice…but I am definitely willing to give it a try.

Something to be aware of, you're marking your chapters as index instead of thread mark. This makes it tougher to read them and it doesn't report word count so it won't show up in sorting either.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Last chapter in Pewter, for now at least. Who knows, I will probably be back to see Grant at some point. But we're off for Cerulean, after a last bit of training. Can't think of anything interesting that happens on the way there.

---

Punchy nimbly stutter-stepped to the left to feint Sol out, letting the Growlithe sail past him with a white glowing paw while grabbing Betty out of the air and redirecting her towards her teammate. Sol was still in the middle of turning back around, only to catch over 300 pounds of screeching, flailing Dragon-Type straight to the side. His eyes bugged out of his head as the bony dome smacked him right in the ribs, sending both Pokémon rolling across the field in a pile of rough hide and fur.

Disentangling themselves, Betty roared at Sol while he rolled his eyes and huffed in response, ignoring her, something that only pissed her off more.

"Enough. Sol, go practice Flame Wheel. Betty, stop being a child. Dragon Breath, now." I cut them off before shit could escalate. There weren't usually any problems between my team, all of them having known each other practically since hatching, but I didn't want to risk anything with tempers fraying as they were. Grant's Hitmonchan had been training them in Brick Break for close to an hour, and even the normally affable Sol had just about had enough.

Sol didn't have any problem with my decision, hurrying away from his overly dramatic comrade over to the other side of the same field we'd been using over the last week. It was five days after our Gym battle, and while the high had lasted the rest of the day, we'd quickly returned to business. I couldn't stay in Pewter forever, and I intended to squeeze Grant for everything he had.

Sol had made good progress with Brick Break, getting the attack to activate more often than not, though I still wouldn't be using it in battle quite yet. It probably had something to do with having Close Combat as an egg move, as the Fighting-Type energy seemed to come to him almost as easily as Fire-Type. As such, we'd been alternating between training with Punchy, alongside Betty, and getting him started on Flame Wheel since I was satisfied with his Ember, for now anyway.

I watched as he concentrated, small flames flickering to life from his mouth. The attack became more solid and larger, growing to cover most of his head before swiftly vanishing, much to the dog's frustration.

I wasn't worried, though. Flame Wheel required more fire than anything else he'd used. Once he got the hang of it, we could start on the rolling part. I'd been going over the PokéDex at night and noticed that Growlithe could learn Agility. That would be our next project, and with any luck, we'd figure out a way to combine the two.

Near 100 pounds of flaming dog hurling at you at Mach speed sounded awesome.

And then, there was the problem child. I sighed as Betty slunk off, shooting dark looks at both Punchy and Sol. Getting back to training had made her happy for a couple of days, but Sol's progress outpacing hers had brought her right back down, the little brat. I missed when she was a baby. So much easier to handle.

Less teeth, though.

"Come here." I braced myself as the Bagon smacked into me, burrowing her head into my armpit and whining softly as she sulked.

"You'll get there, okay? Sol can't do anything as big as your Dragon Breath, so you still have the largest attack. You just aren't built for hand-to-hand, but you'll learn, so chin up, please?"

Betty perked up at remembering her favorite attack and ran off to start practicing. She hadn't quite managed anything on the level of what she pulled in Viridian Forest, but she still shot smug looks towards Sol in between 20-foot cones of green-ish blue flames bathing the grass.

Sheer Force was fucking scary.

Siren was a darling as always, merely gattling gunning Water Bullets at the trees. There really wasn't a lot that she could learn other than what she already had. There were TM's, but that shit was fucking expensive if you wanted anything good, and for anything other than Rock and Ground-Type attacks, I'd need to look somewhere other than Pewter.

As such, we were still trying to tweak Water Gun as much as possible. Since Water Bullets had been such a success, I hoped she'd be able to manage a water version of Ember. Essentially still Water Bullets, but released all at once, rather than one at a time.

"'Ard at work already? Good! Youngsters these 'ays, no work ethic. Ya ever become one of 'em, I'll track ya down and smack ya around, ha!"

I snorted as Grant stopped beside me. "Good morning to you, too. Eat my ass."

"Ya wish!" The bearded man patted the shoulder of his Hitmonchan as Punchy came over, before recalling the Fighting-Type. "So today's the day, eh?"

"Yeah." I nodded, glancing up at the sky. It was still morning, but the sun was creeping ever higher. "Honestly, I should already have been off, but I wanted to say goodbye. For a senile dickhead, the last week hasn't been terrible." And it was true. Despite the rocky start, I'd come to quite like Grant.

"Awww, ya gonna make me heart melt. Punchy's gonna be grumpy with ya gone. Been years since I've seen the ol' bastard so energetic! Hopefully he ain't thinkin' that I'll spar with 'im, ha!"

"Nah, no fun beating up the elderly."

"Elderly, am I? Can't argue with that, hahaha!"

His laughter trailed off while we watched my team finish the last bit of training. My host fidgeted beside me, something clearly on his mind, and it didn't take long before he couldn't hold himself back.

"Sure I can't tempt ya to stay a little longer? Give me a month and I'll have that Growlithe off yars ready for Close Combat."

I chuckled but shook my head.

"Can't. Have badges to get, Pokémon to catch." And things even more important.

"I guess…" he hesitated, yet kept going."... house gonna be awful quiet again. Gotten used to havin' a lad around again, even if it's a foul-mouthed lil' shit like ya."

"Awwww." I patted him on the arm. "I'll come back and visit. Maybe it's time to move into a nursing home, though, if you're that lonely. Find a sweet old lady with no teeth to keep you company."

He scoffed. "Nursin' 'ome, get the fuck outta 'ere. I'd let Punchy take me 'ead off before that shit."

"Or you could call Bruno." I still hadn't gotten that story, but it was clear that Grant missed his grandson.

Gazing off into the distance, he pulled at his beard in discomfort. "... that ship's sailed, I'm afraid. Too many things said, too much time passed…" he shook the melancholy off swiftly and held out his hand to me. "Enough 'bout that. Mew watch over ya, Peri, and… don't be a stranger."

I shook his hand. "I won't. You have my number as well, if you wanna talk. Thanks for everything, Grant."

He patted my shoulder with a huff and turned around, power walking away. I watched him for a moment before whistling loudly to gather the team so I could recall them.

It was time to leave Pewter behind and head for a place I'd spent so fucking long thinking about.

Mt. Moon.

---

I liked to think of myself as fairly smart. Not a genius, but comfortably above average intelligence, and most of my time in the Pokémon world had reinforced that.

'Most' was the keyword there. There had been times when emotions and ego got the better of me, leading to dumb choices.

As I gazed into the dark pit of the rocky cavern that served as the entrance to the main path through Mt. Moon, I was pretty sure I was about to make the same mistake.

The smart choice would be to head back through the wilderness to Pewter, even if it meant wasting another two days and getting the local police involved. Hell, even taking my paranoia into account and keeping the government out of it, it wouldn't take much to convince Grant to lend a hand. As soon as the old veteran heard that criminals were exploiting his ancestral land, he probably wouldn't even wait for me before taking off with a song in his heart.

I had options. Better options.

So why had I spent the past several days staying away from the main path, sneaking through the bush and avoiding Trainers to conserve our strength, keeping our morning and evening training light, all in preparation to lead a one-man assault against people who'd clearly demonstrated how dangerous they were and the depths to which they'd sink?

I sighed, fingers drumming against the Pokéballs on either side of my belt in a nervous rhythm. I was such a fucking idiot. If the definition of insanity was doing the same shit over and over again, expecting stuff to change, then I clearly belonged in a fucking padded cell.

Not that it was the actual definition of insanity, it was just an Einstein quote that people used because he was smart, completely ignoring the fact that he wasn't a physiatrist or knew fucking anything about psychology, but I was getting off track.

It was my fight. No matter how fucking dumb, it was something I had to do on my own. I steeled myself and headed in.

Old, dull yellow lamps hung from either wall of the wide tunnel through the mountain, giving just enough light to not trip over the occasional crack or outcropping in the otherwise extraordinarily smooth floor. It wasn't the work of human hands, likely Rock or Ground-Type Pokémon under the direction of ancient Pebble clan members, carving through the mountain to create a path to the wider Kanto region. There were other ways to get around Mt. Moon, but they either involved way more hiking than anyone sane wanted to deal with or were too treacherous for transporting large amounts of goods. The weird sci-fi tech that turned solid matter into data had solved a lot of those issues, but Kanto was old, and there were limits to technology.

The tunnel was made with that kind of heavy traffic in mind, over 50 feet wide and an unknown amount tall, the weak illumination leaving the ceiling obscured by darkness. Upwards of a hundred people passed through on a daily basis, not accounting for the wild Pokémon that called the mountain home.

Which was why the silence was so oppressive. Every step echoed off the stone and magnified in the quiet, every shadow an enemy lying in ambush, waiting to jump me. Less than 5 minutes into my trek, I couldn't wait any longer and released Sol and Siren to join me, carrying my Feebas to save her energy. I'd already briefed them before I went in, so they were ready instantly, Sol sniffing around aggressively as he walked in front.

It was so tempting to send out Betty too, but it wasn't worth the risk. Besides not being sure I trusted her to engage in combat with humans without turning it into a massacre, I also had to think of after. Sure, having the Titan Bagon fighting the Rockets would be a great help, but it would also create a big fucking problem.

Unless I killed everyone I saw, including random Trainers passing through, people were going to see her and spread that info. I might be annoyed at Oak, and being unable to use my full team in general, but he was probably right about that. I wasn't strong enough for people to know that I had a Titan-natured Pseudo-Legendary.

Using Sol was already a risk. There were limits to how stupid even I could be.

Not to mention that I didn't actually know if the Rockets were in Mt. Moon in the first place. My metaknowledge said they were, but I wasn't sure if it was correct or where exactly I was in the timeline. Ash couldn't be far behind with how long I spent in Pewter, but the geography was very different from the video games. Maybe Team Rocket hadn't started their operation yet.

I wasn't sure which option I liked more.

The air cooled the further in we went, the subterranean shaft tilting downwards lightly. Side corridors branched off in different directions, the same shitty lamps showing the way and small signs telling what lay at the end of the shady paths. We'd pause at every one, my eyes on Sol as his ears and nose twitched, before he continued on. I had no idea where the Rockets were, if they were anywhere, but going spelunking into the unknown could wait for another time. Especially as the hidden ceiling undulated, what I imagined was whole flocks of Zubat shifting around.

Time became meaningless as we crept along. The air smelled of soil, stone, and staleness, old oxygen lingering in indentations and mixing with the fresh. At some point, my tenseness began fading as nothing showed up. Sure, that was suspicious in and of itself, but maybe it was just a slow day.

Maybe I was wrong and there was nothing to find-

RRRRRRR!

-a noise, something scraping against stone from one of the side paths. I swiftly indicated for Sol to join me behind a rock, peeking out as something shifted in the murky corridor, slowly coming closer. We tensed, hearts pounding, ready to jump them when the Rocket came forth-

-A small yellow form shuffled across the main pathway, the sandy colored hide showing a pattern almost similar to bricks and a white underbelly. Blue, almond-shaped eyes darted back and forth as its pointed snout and triangle eyes twitched to make sure the way was clear. A thick conical tail dragged across the ground while claws clacked against stone as the Sandshrew deemed it safe and darted over to the other side and vanished.

I exhaled explosively, patting Sol when he imitated me. Fucking shit. This wasn't good for my blood pressure. Still, kind of funny to almost jump a rodent, thinking it's a terrorist. That would have been surprising for that Sandshrew-

-"Ay, who the fuck are you?!"

I spun around at the voice from behind me. A tall man stood there, looking as shocked as I was behind his scruffy beard. He'd seen better days, gray streaking his greasy hair despite the fullness, crow's feet lingering at the edges of his light blue eyes, and it was difficult to determine the color of his skin behind all the dirt.

What wasn't hard to make out, however, was the all black uniform with a large red TR stamped on the front.

The Rocket Grunt reached down to grasp one of the three Pokéballs on his belt.

"Stay right the-AAARGHH!" Whatever he was going to say was cut off as a medium strength Water Gun caught him center mass and launched him back, his head hitting stone with a crack!

I dropped Siren as soon as her attack cut off, confident in her ability to catch herself, and ran for the Grunt. He'd just started stirring, moaning in pain as he tried to get up, when I was upon him. My knees smacked down on either side of him as I sat on his stomach, but I ignored the twinge of discomfort as one hand wrapped around his mouth and the other pulled my survival knife and pressed it against his throat.

"Don't fucking move, or I'll fucking kill you, I swear."

I wasn't sure if I meant that.

The Grunt seemed to believe me, however, and that was really all that mattered. Not that he had much choice with a knife against his Adam's apple, a huge Growlithe snarling at him with saliva dripping from finger-long fangs inches from his face on one side and a glaring Feebas on the other side, cheeks bloated with another Water Gun that wouldn't be made deliberately weaker.

He froze.

"Hands behind your head. Slowly."

His fingers intertwined at his neck, his terrified eyes glistening up at me, but I couldn't find anything within myself that gave a fuck.

I was more likely to slit his throat than I was letting up.

"I have some questions, and you're gonna answer them. Lie and you die. Try to call for help, and you'll be alive when Growlithe eats you."

A whimper sneaked out from under my palm as Sol smacked his jaws at my words. The Grunt tried to nod frantically, held in place by the pressure, and ended up smearing snot all over my hand.

I slowly pulled my hand back, wiping it off on his shirt on the way. A wet sob escaped him before being cut off by the knife pressing down.

"Why are you here? What's your objective?" Might as well start basic. As far as I recalled, it was about fossils, but it never hurt to be sure.

"W-we're, oh Mew, p-please don't kill me!"

"I will if you don't answer the fucking question!"

"T-The Moon S-Stone! We're looking for the Moon Stone!" Tears leaked down his cheeks as he stuttered out the words.

"THE Moon Stone? What's that?" It didn't sound like normal Moon stones. Actually, wasn't there something about Clefairy being aliens or some shit?

The Grunt confirmed my half-remembered lore.

"I-it's a l-legend! They say t-that the Clefairy crashed at Mt. Moon on a g-giant Moon Stone and that it's still here, somewhere! T-the Boss wants us to find it and-and keep an eye out for fossils while we dig!"

So it was a combo. Alright, good to know, even if it didn't really matter why they were there. They could be setting up an orphanage and I'd still clap their cheeks in a decidedly non-sexual way. Well, non-sexual for me, I didn't know what these freaks were into.

Just had to find them.

I opened my mouth to ask that question, yet before the first syllable left my lips, I was cut off by an electronic scratching noise.

"KRZZ-Ada-KRRZZZ-Adam? Ya ther'? KRZZZ- Ya missed the check in, ya dumb son-of-a-bitch. Adam? KRRRZZZ."

I stared down the Grunt as I took the walkie-talkie off his belt and held it up to him.

"I'll fucking torture you to death before they get here. Do you understand?"

Adam, as was apparently his name, nodded frantically and took a couple of deep breaths to try and steady himself. I gave him a moment before clicking the button.

"S-Scott? Yeah, I'm, I'm here."

I glared at him for the shakiness, but there was little I could do without giving myself away.

"KRZZZ-There ya ar', yar dumb bastard! The fuck ya doing!? Ya know ya 'ave ta check in every 15 minutes!" I absently noted that 'Scott's' accent resembled Grant's. So, Pewter did have Rocket connections. I knew it was just paranoia, but I couldn't help but think about Grant's vocal dislike of the League.

"Y-yeah, sorry, I just…" Adam glanced up at me with uncertainty, probably hoping I'd give him something to work with, but got nothing. He licked his lips, sweat dripping down his face and mixing with the snot and tears. "... I saw a Graveller. Thought it was a Trainer. Sorry."

Silence was the only immediate response, and I readied myself for being discovered. I didn't know what I'd do, but Adam would undoubtedly not be a fan.

Thankfully, the walkie scratched back to life.

"KRZZZ-... a Graveller, 'uh?"

"Y-yeah." Adam nodded, even though Scott couldn't see him.

"KRZZZ-... that's fin'. Just check in when ya're suppos' ta, ya 'ear?"

"Sorry," Adam mumbled, but the device had already switched off for the final time. I clipped it onto my own belt before turning back to Adam.

"Good, good. You might survive this. Now, where were we?"

The Rocket Grunt slowly and shakily raised a hand and pointed further down the tunnel.

"T-that way! The second o-one on the left. Then the third turn to the right and first left after that. That's where they are, I swear!"

I considered him for a moment, yet in the end, I believed him. The guy was damn near fucking pissing himself from fear and hadn't tried to warn Scott. He wasn't the type to make the sacrificial play.

"Okay. Who's your leader, how many of you fucks are there, and how many lookouts between here and the main chamber?"

"Scott's the Captain, a-and there are 10 of us. I-I don't k-know how many lookouts, no, please," his crying resumed as the steel pressed down harder, "I swear, I-I-I don't know, three, four, maybe! Most are digging!"

The smell of ammonia alerted me that there was nothing 'near' about him pissing himself any longer. Curling my lip in disgust, I didn't give him any more time before I pulled my hand clutching the knife back and raised it. His eyes widened along with his mouth, but no noise left him before the pommel of my blade cracked him across the temple.

CRACK!

His gaze swam around, but he remained conscious.

Sucks to be him.

CRACK!

The second below had his eyelids dropping as he went limp beneath me. I checked for a pulse and quickly found it. Still alive. Looking down at him, I thought for a second. While the world seemed to operate mostly on anime logic, I wasn't sure if that extended to movie-esque unconsciousness. In my old world, people didn't actually stay down for more than a few moments without something being seriously wrong, but on the other hand, I myself had been out for a while after being attacked on the boat, so it could really go either way.

I shrugged.

One more for good measure.

CRACK!

I went to get off him, but paused.

CRACK!

The last one was just because I felt like it. Fuck Team Rocket. Cunt was lucky that I was trying to be the bigger man and didn't just slit his throat.

THUD!

I launched a quick kick into his nuts as well and nodded to myself in satisfaction.

It didn't take long to drag the unconscious man down the same side tunnel that the Sandshrew had emerged from, the physical training I'd been putting myself through paying dividends as I didn't even need Sol's help, leaving him free to keep an ear and nose out for any others. Finding a large outcropping with space behind it, I swiftly bound Adam's hands and feet together with some rope from my backpack, and just in case he did wake up, I also gagged him.

Was it petty to use my dirty underwear as the gag? Yes. Yes it was, but once again, fuck Team Rocket. Fuckers didn't deserve anything more than the taste of my ass.

Leaving the Grunt behind, we skulked further along. I'd kind of lied a little to Adam, in that I didn't really need directions to where the main group was gathered. Sol had gotten a good, deep whiff of the guy and was leading the way with his nose against the ground. Bloodhounds didn't have shit on Growlithes, and even just being close to the rest of his team was enough to sniff them out.

In Adam's defense, though, the scent trail did lead down the path that he said, second on the left. We spent several minutes crouched by the entrance, ears dialed to eleven and breaths held as we searched for anything, yet got nothing.

The temperature continued dropping as we stealthed through the mountain, heading ever downwards. The lighting also got worse and worse, the distance between the lamps increasing as we entered the parts that were more intended for the local Pokémon than humans. Hell, judging by how rough the surfaces became, they might have been dug by passing Onix without humans having any input.

I clicked my tongue with a tsk! sound as we passed the third turn on the right and kept going, Sol not even glancing that way. So Adam had lied. I made a mental note to kick him in the balls again on the way out.

Or at least I did, until after several more turns at Sol's direction, we came face-to-face with a solid stone wall.

A dead end. I looked down at my Fire-Type incredulously, Siren mirroring me in my arms. If anything, Sol seemed even more baffled than we did. Sniffing around, he led us back up the way we came and down a different side tunnel.

Which was also a dead end.

After the third such occurrence, which accounted for all the branching paths nearby, I leaned down to Sol's eye level. I would've crouched, but the Alpha was too tall for that.

"Did you get us lost in fucking Mt. Moon?"

His ears drooped, and he whined, spinning around in circles, sniffing furiously yet getting nowhere as the scent apparently went everywhere.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. It was my fault. I should have considered that just because he could find the scent, it didn't mean that he was actually trained for searching. The Rockets probably went down most of the tunnels to look for their spot and Sol couldn't differentiate between the old and new trails.

What a fucking mess. I was angry, but there was nothing to really do about it. The only real option we had was trying to fumble our way back to the main path and then follow Adam's directions.

Spinning around, I prepared to do just that, only to freeze in my spot. Sol quickly maneuvered around me and bared his teeth while Siren twisted out of my grasp to take her place beside him.

It seemed that while we were distracted, we'd been joined by someone else, standing at the entrance like a wraith as the small round shape was back-lit and silhouetted, before it moved forward a little, almost floating rather than walking.

The bipedal, pink Pokémon had a chubby, vaguely star-shaped body. A small, pointed tooth protruded from the upper left corner of its mouth. It had wrinkles beside its black, oval eyes, a single dark pink oval marking on each cheek, and large, pointed ears with brown tips. A tuft of fur curled over its forehead, much like its large, upward-curling tail. Each stocky arm had two small claws and a thumb on each hand, and a single toenail on each foot. Finally, there was a pair of tiny, butterfly-shaped wings on its back.

The Clefairy jumped from foot to foot, giving gravity the middle finger as it took several seconds before it hit the ground, before turning its back to us and floating back the way that led towards the surface. Just before it disappeared around the corner, it looked our way again and waved a hand.

My Pokémon and I shared skeptical glances.

"I think it wants us to follow," I mumbled, Sol and Siren awaiting my decision. I shrugged.

"Eh, sure."

Fuck it, it probably knew the area better than us.

The Clefairy stayed well ahead of us, only allowing us to catch a small glimpse before vanishing. I quickly lost track of where we were and what path led back up. It wasn't completely hopeless, as Sol should still be able to find the way with the cleanest air, but it wasn't a great feeling, being directed down under a mountain by something with dubious intentions.

Especially when I didn't see neither hair nor hide of any lookouts or other wild Pokémon.

What if it wasn't a wild Clefairy? What if it was one of the Rockets, and we were walking into a trap?

That became more of a concern when we turned the newest corner and the Clefairy was gone. No flash of pink, no waving hand to guide us, just darkness and stone. The lamps had stopped appearing at all several tunnels back, and I had to turn on my flashlight.

I was about to suggest that we head back and try again when Sol perked up, ears twitching.

"You got something?" I asked, heart rate spiking. He huffed, sending dust flying as his nose was in the dirt, and started leading the way. It didn't take long for us to arrive at a turn in the rocky corridor, yellow light leaking from whatever was ahead.

Turning off my flashlight, I waited with bated breath, but didn't hear anything. Taking a risk, I carefully angled an eye around the corner.

The tunnel ended in a large room, several portable lamps set up around what looked like mining equipment. Pickaxes, rope, buckets, and more littered the area of the cavern. The rocky walls extended up higher than I could see from my vantage point, dust and debris littering the floor from where I could see a new tunnel being dug into the sediment.

So I definitely seemed to be in the right place. Except, the only thing I didn't see was any people.

Did they abandon it and go somewhere else to dig? Or maybe Ash and the gang had already shown up and were causing a ruckus.

Either way, I wasn't gonna let the opportunity pass me by, I decided, as I rounded the corner and headed inside. Hopefully, they left something useful or informative lying around. And even if they didn't, they were probably coming back for their gear, allowing me to ambush them.

I'd made it about eight steps inside the cave before Sol suddenly stopped and flipped around, a growl rumbling from his throat. It was so loud that I almost didn't hear the voice from behind me.

"A brat, eh? Shit, I'mma club that dumbass one when 'e gets 'ere. Unless 'e's dead, which would be a shame. 'E did so well luring ya 'ere."

Slowly rotating, my heart dropped out through my asshole when I saw the nine people and over 20 Pokémon lining either side of the entrance, where they'd been hidden against the wall.

"Fuck."

---

Fuck Adam. All my homies hate that slippery piece of shit. Gonna kick him in the balls again if we get out of this.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

 

[Silverias]

Graveller was definitely a code word.

 

[HankPankylol]

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.

Peri's in a bit of a bind, but I'm sure he can figure it out. He's been shit talking Team Rocket for years, surely he's properly prepared.

---

One of the Rockets, a man, stepped forward and gave me a crooked, smug grin, revealing his chipped and yellowed teeth. The man idly brushed some dust off the mining uniform he was wearing, just like all the rest of the criminals.

Smart of them, I'd give them that. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't have pegged them as terrorists.

"Fuck is right, lad. Now answer tha question. Did ya kill 'im?"

I scanned the crowd before focusing back on the man with shoulder-length, messy dark hair who I assumed to be Scott. The accent matched, at least, and there was something familiar about the almond shape of his brown eyes that made my earlier suspicions uncomfortably likely.

He looked how I imagined a homeless Grant would've 40 years ago.

But thoughts like that could come later. First I had to find a way out of my current mess.

"Adam? Nah, just knocked him out." I quickly counted the forces arrayed against us. Six Zubat, the small purple bats flying circles over the Rockets, letting out constant squeaks to keep their echolocation going. Four Nidorans, three males and one female, bared their teeth, poison dripping from their spikes. Another five Geodudes fanned out, ready to flank us at their Trainers command with a barrage of rocks. Two slavering Poochyenas and one Houndour, the larger canines taking up position at the front to shield their smaller comrades from the even bigger Sol. One guy in the back, older than most of them with a few stripes of gray in his pale hair, even had a Tangala at his side. It felt weird to see the usual jovial Pokémon scowling angrily and nearly snarling at me, but the casual brutality of the Tangrowth of Sevii lingered in my mind.

But by far the largest threats were the two Pokémon by Scott's side. A huge purple serpent coiled loosely around his feet, leaving him enough space to walk, with the main body rising tall behind his back and looming over his form. Its neck flared out on either side like a cobra, the hood filled with yellow markings that resembled a face, with the actual blood-red eyes glaring down at me while a split tongue flickered from the mouth of the

12-foot long Arbok.

Scott's other Pokémon waddled out in front of all the others and put all four of its rocky hands together, cracking its three fingers on each hand with the sound of granite against stone. Its round body was covered with small bumps, a rocky crest rising above its small eyes and mouth. The Graveler grinned sadistically and spread its arms out wide.

It was way too much. While we'd faced similar odds in Viridian Forest, these weren't wild Pokémon just hurling themselves at us and trying to chase us off. Even with the general incompetence of Team Rocket taken into account, something I was starting to doubt given the trap I'd walked face first into, they were still a coordinated force, with two evolved Pokémon that would be a challenge all on their own.

Shit sucked and I didn't see a way out immediately.

Which meant damage control.

"That's good, that's good. Spare ya a bit of torture. Now, be a nice lad, an' recall ya Pokémon. If ya play along, I might even let ya keep tha fish. Tha Growlithe, tho…" Scott's eyes ran over Sol greedily. If I didn't know better, I'd say the fuck was getting horny looking at the Fire-Type which, knowing the degenerates of the Team, he just might. "... that's a beaut. Boss gonna be real 'appy with me when I 'and that over."

I slowly raised my hands while taking a small step backwards. "Alright, alright. I don't want any trouble, Mister. I don't know what's going on and I just wanna go ho-FULL BLAST, WIDE!"

Scott's eyes barely had time to widen as both Sol and Siren inhaled deeply, the Growlithe a little faster than the Feebas, and exhaled with force, a storm of elemental energy unleashed alongside the air. The Ember pellets peppered the dog Pokémon and the Nidorans, their Trainers crying out at the sudden attack and diving down to cower behind their Pokémon. Siren's Water Gun was more of a spray, the beam of water flaring out like someone put their thumb over a hose. It drastically lowered the amount of force behind the attack, and as such the damage, yet the width caught almost all our opponents. The Zubat and Nidoran were fine, as was the Poochyena and the Arbok didn't even seem to notice beyond tightening around Scott a little more, but the Geodudes groaned with their gravelly throats at the super effective energy, and even Graveller shook as it was distracted.

Which was the main purpose. Swiftly, I grabbed Betty's ball from my belt and shoved it down my pants and into my underwear while ignoring its furious shaking, backpedaling all the while alongside my Pokémon. While I'd never go down without throwing hands, as I said, the odds were severally against us and I'd need contingencies.

Smart decision, as it turned out. The smokescreen attacks didn't distract for long, and we didn't get more than a few feet before several shapes launched through the lingering mist left from Siren's attack. Two of the Zubat were struck by bulls-eye Ice Beams, their wings frozen to their bodies as they dropped to the floor with pitiful screeches and a thunk!

The other three, however, avoided Siren's attacks and quickly encircled her, taking turns to dive at her and allow the others to strike at the flanks and back.

"JET! GET OUT OF THERE!"

I tried to call out for her, but before she could execute the command, one of the Poochyena came in from the side and Tackled her hard, sending her skidding along the stone as the whole group chased after her.

Sol wasn't doing much better. At the same time as the Flying and Dark-Types attacked Siren, a flurry of rocks flew in from the sides. The large Fire-Type tried his best to dodge, a couple scraping along his side as he retaliated with another Ember, though it had little effect. The Geodudes closed in on him, hands launching Rock Throw after Rock Throw. One of the Rock-Types got a little too close and was sent blasting into the wall, a small spider web-like crater in its stony carapace from a vicious Brick Break. Before Sol could follow up, though, a round shape emerged behind him, rolling at high speeds. The Growlithe tried to turn around, but there wasn't time as Graveller unfurled with the same sadistic grin and clasped its hands around each of Sol's four limbs. The dog Pokémon howled and barked, sending flames streaming over his shoulder, yet was only met with laughter and a brutal headbutt that left him seeing stars.

I frantically turned my head between my besieged team members, heart thudding in my ears like a war drum. I didn't really notice as I ran across the cavern, only coming back to myself as my foot planted itself firmly in the ribs of the Poochyena harassing Siren. The Dark-Type yipped in pain and flinched from the blow, yet wasn't severely affected as it spun around with bared teeth. It cared a lot more when my knife lashed out, carving a thin wound across its snout that made it retreat and leaving the way to my Feebas almost clear. Only almost though, small fangs sinking in through my shirt as a Zubat latched onto my back. Grabbing the little bastard, I threw it at one of the approaching Rockets. Nearly before it left my hand empty, I had to raise it again as another of the bat fucks dive-bombed at me, another pair of poisoned teeth piercing my skin. The Poison/Flying-Type only had a moment to enjoy its hit before a Water Gun struck it in the side, fragile wing snapping with a crack!

Side by side, Siren and I did our best to fight off the seemingly endless horde, Sol howling from his captivity. But as I noted in the beginning, there were just too many. For every bruise or broken bone Siren inflicted, and every cut from my knife, three or four landed on us. The initial chaos swiftly dissipated as the Rockets got their shit together and began barking orders. They were clearly familiar with ganging up on a single enemy, feints coming left and right, Zubats rearing off course at the last moment so their teammates could land blows.

My head spun more and more, from adrenaline, rage, fear, but mostly from the poison that set in more and more. It was only a matter of time before I made a mistake, a guarding swipe at the Houndour that went wide, leaving me open. I didn't even see the Pokémon move. One moment I was in the thick off it. The next, a long, thick form wrapped around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. I tried to struggle, but the coils were like steel and I was forced to freeze by a hissing breath on the back off my neck, forced to watch as Siren finally lost the fight, being knocked to the ground and jumped by over half a dozen opponents.

If I had the air to do so, I'd have been cursing up a fucking storm as Scott swaggered up from where the fucking coward had been hanging back, dumb smirk on his ugly-ass face as he grabbed my Pokeballs and recalled first Sol and then Siren.

"Valiant attempt, I'll give ya that. Unfortunately, that was real fucking dumb. I was trying ta be a nice guy, but ya don't leave me a choice. If yar lucky, some dumb schmuck will want ya fish. If not… well, suppose we need ta eat at some point."

Something popped in my arm from how hard it strained against the Arbok while the Rockets laughed, but I didn't get anywhere as two Rockets grabbed my arms and another forced a gag into my mouth. I took a lot of pleasure from the scream and taste of blood when the guy let his finger get a little too close to my teeth.

"Careful Steve, 'e's a biter!" Scott laughed, slapping his knee like a fucking idiot with one hand and attaching Sol's ball to his hip with the other. "Throw 'im with the others."

As soon as the Arbok loosened its death grip, I didn't bother listening to the begging of my lungs for oxygen, instantly lashing out and trying to inflict as much damage as possible on my assailants. Unfortunately, given that they already had my arms, it didn't take much more than some mild cursing and pokes before they had my legs as well and I was unceremoniously carried into a side tunnel I hadn't noticed before.

I couldn't take in my surroundings with my thrashing, but I did feel my backpack and fanny pack getting ripped off and my pockets rifled through. One of the fucks whistled as he fished out my PokéDex, and paid for the moment of inattentiveness with a foot to the nose.

I didn't feel it break, which was a pity, but damn it felt good. It was even worth the return punch to my ribs.

Metal scratching against metal, followed by a whiny screech of rusty hinges heralded the end of my journey. With a brief bust of coordination I was airborne, before falling to the stone floor. Immediately, I was up and making a charge at my captors, only to bounce off the bars of the cell door as they locked it. Their trailing laughter echoed off the cavern walls as I nursed my doubled dizziness, from both the impact and the poison, and sat back up a lot more slowly to take in my prison.

Well, I said my prison, but it appeared that I had some roommates.

14 people filled the 20-by-20 foot cell, or whatever you wanted to call a series of bars and a door dug into the ceiling and floor to section off the back of the small cave. Most of them were single adults, trying their best to stay separate in the overcrowded prison, arms and legs tucked in tight as they barely bothered glancing at me before returning to staring listlessly at the ground. The rest seemed to be families, a couple of kids clinging to what I assumed was their parents, or great-grandparent, in the case of the old guy that looked like he'd been resurrected from the grave just so the Rockets could imprison him.

Ignoring the downtrodden hostages, I started looking over the door, searching for any sign of weakness. No way something that haphazardly put up was anything resembling stable.

"Don't bother. We've already looked."

Glancing over my shoulder at the somewhat high-pitched voice, I spotted a kid about my age stuffed into a corner. The girl had her leather jacket clad arms clasped around her knees, holding down her blue skirt while allowing her to rest her chin on them as she stared at me with red-rimmed green eyes between blond bangs.

I turned back to my inspection. "Yeah, well, you aren't me, so I won't take your word for it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The next person to interject was a black haired woman holding onto both a small child, as well as the old man.

"It means what I said. I don't know how much you guys suck." I shrugged dismissively. Overly antagonistic, perhaps, but I had bigger things on my mind. Panic was writhing just under my skin, battling with fury to see which one would consume me. Both Siren and Sol were gone, in the hands of fucking Rockets of all things, and I was outnumbered, outgunned, and stuck in a cell with a bunch of random NPC's that weren't going to be of any help.

"Who'd ye think ye ar, ye little bastard!? Do ye know who I am!?" the old guy suddenly chimed in, damn near yelling. The others flinched with me, but didn't seem surprised by the outburst. The bald old-timer sprung to his feet with surprising spryness, the loose skin under his chin jiggling with the movement. His blue eyes were unfocused and only vaguely looking in my direction as his face, which was more liver-spots than skin, got red. "I'm Sergeant Jim Creek, I'll have ye know! I fought in the war, I did, and, and…" his eyes glazed a little and seemed to slide off my face, before 'Sergeant Jim Creek' blinked rapidly and looked around confused. "Where am I? Where's the General? Who are you people!?"

"Dad, sit down." The woman with him, his daughter apparently, quickly pulled him down to sit with herself and her son.

"Right, my bad. Clearly Sergeant dementia is gonna save the day!" I rolled my eyes.

"And you are? There's no way outta here. They took our Pokémon," the blond girl pointed over at a box on a nearby table, several Pokéballs peeking out over the lip. My eyes lit up when I saw one with several scratches that fit Sirens, "and even if they hadn't, there's too many off them. Maybe, after they're done, they'll let us go." I felt bad about the hope in her voice. Or, I felt bad about crushing it, anyway.

"There's no way. We're the only ones that can identify the idiots. After they get what they want, they'll kill us and move on before anyone else gets here."

Could possibly have been a little more diplomatic as two of the youngest kids burst into tears at my words, old Jim started yelling about 'Johto invaders' and 'the moat being overrun', whatever the fuck that meant, and the blonde girl buried her face in her arms fully.

"I-... I didn't mean-... fuck, whatever." I mumbled, somewhat chagrined, but putting it aside. I knew something they didn't, after all. Not only did I have a Pokémon that could bust us out of there, even if I'd prefer Betty staying hidden, but Ash and the gang should be on their way.

And as soon as the Rocket cunts were distracted, I thought, looking darkly at the box of captured Pokémon belonging to the people behind me, then they were going to pay. Everyone that dared put a finger on my team or me, and especially the one guy that grabbed my ass when they carried me. That guy was weird and definitely deserved to have his brains bashed in.

So all I had to do was wait for my moment. I sat down in a meditative position in front of the door and settled in.

Surely it couldn't be that hard.

---

My eye twitched violently as I paced back and forth, having given up on meditating almost immediately.

Where the fuck were they!? I'd waited for hours!

Glancing at my wristwatch for who the fuck knows which time, I amended my thought. It had been a little over 15 minutes, but still! That was way too long!

Fuck it, doing it myself.

Walking back up to the cell door, I ignored the looks from the sad bastards I was stuck with, and started fiddling with my belt before pausing. There was no doubt in my mind that Betty could have us out of there in a nanosecond, even without being able to reliably pull off a Brick Break. A simple Headbut would bash that bitch wide open.

But was that what I wanted, I wondered, peeking over my shoulder at the onlookers. I didn't know them. Sure, being held prisoner by Team Rocket automatically gave them bonus points, yet, was it enough to show off my rarest Pokémon?

I sighed and rubbed my head. It really fucking sucked having to keep her under wraps, both because it meant I was down a Pokémon, but also for her sake. Fighting wild Pokémon was enough to satisfy her for now, yet it wouldn't last long.

Oak had really gotten into my head and made me worry about that shit. Even worse, my current situation only validated the choice.

Screw it, might as well try myself first.

Sliding my foot back and widening my stance, I pulled back my right hand and clenched it into a fist. Closing my eyes, I took a long, slow breath and centered myself, searching deep within for the ever elusive, bullshit energy.

Time to try and put theory into practice. I still hadn't managed to do anything with what I'd picked up from Grant, yet I felt myself get closer and closer with every attempt. Finding the almost gaseous 'core' in the darkness of my mind, I imagined a force field surrounding it and gradually shrinking down, capturing the airy energy and compressing it down to something more solid and malleable. Keeping the process light and steady, I pushed aside the frustration and anger at the glacial pace. I was starting to believe that Aura really did have an influence on emotions as I'd theorised all the way back in Orre. I wasn't the most even-tempered or patient of people, I'd freely admit as much, but even for me, it was a little too much to get so angry almost instantly. The rage never really left me, always seething under my skin, yet even my dumb-ass could put two and two together when it bubbled up every time I touched my Aura.

So calmly and patiently was the name of the game.

Eventually, though, my imaginary container started straining against the force of the energy, manhandled down into a baseball-sized ball of shining blue-green. Or at least I imagined it was baseball-sized. There wasn't really anything to compare it to inside my head.

Having pushed it together as much as I dared, the next step was using it to actually hit shit. Trying to guide it up my arm, I grit my teeth as it felt like molten magma flowed through my veins and disintegrated my flesh, but I kept at it. Soon, it came to rest in my hand, feeling like I'd grabbed a red-hot piece of coal straight from the grill. Snapping my eyes open, I let my fist fly at the same time, my form perfect as my whole body twisted to put my weight behind the blow that hurled towards the lock of the door.

BANG!

"OWWWW! FUCK!" I cried out, clutching my throbbing hand with the other and blowing on it desperately like that was going to do anything. Shaking off the pain, I saw the skin ripped off two of my knuckles as blood welled to the surface. Nothing seemed broken, thankfully.

Glaring at the undamaged culprit, I continued ignoring my roommates as they let out various sounds of surprise and shock, alongside a cry of 'Mahogany is coming! Get the artillery!' from Sergeant Senile. Looking closer, I saw that my assessment wasn't quite true. The metal around the center of the locking mechanism was bent inwards a little bit from the strike.

Nowhere near enough to get out, however.

My eye twitch came back.

BANG!

"OW, FUCK!"

BANG!

"SHITTY FUCKING…!"

BANG!

"BITCH! ARRRGGHHH!"

"STOP! You're only hurting yourself! It's useless!" The mopey girl interjected as my fist bounced off the metal once again and I inspected my work. The lock was becoming more and more ruined, the iron crumpeling inwards from the repeated blows. It was also getting progressively more covered in blood, the liquid leaking from my split knuckles and dripping to the floor, which was probably what made her squawk up again.

"If this is useless, what the fuck would you call yourself right now? At least I'm trying something!" I shot back, once more ignoring both Jim's daughter saying 'language!' as she covered her child's ears, as well as Jim himself screaming about 'useless Celadonians'. These people were starting to piss me off, or piss me off even more than they already did. Not everybody was a fighter, that's fair enough, I didn't expect everyone to be. Several of the captives had children as well, and I'd never say prioritizing your kid's safety was the wrong move. I didn't agree, but I understood that not everyone was built willing to take a beating, or worse, in order to stand up to fucks like Team Rocket.

But the least they could do was shut the fuck up when someone with more balls showed up. Hard enough to be the only one fighting for us, I didn't need a pint-sized, emo-heckler added.

"Not everything can be done with punching!"

"Clearly you're not hitting hard enough." I shrugged her off, looking off in the direction of the main chamber. I could hear something. Had the Rockets found what they were looking for?

"What kinda stupid statement is that!? I thought you were just scared and reckless, but you're actually braindead-"

"Shhhh!" I interrupted her, holding up my hand. "Shut up for a second."

"Don't tell me to shut up, you-!"

"No, seriously, shut the fuck up. Can't you hear that?"

"Hear what!?" the irritation was thick in her voice, but she did finally quiet down enough for the distant sounds to make their way to us.

Yelling, words too far to make out, yet clearly spoken in a hurry. The stone beneath us vibrated lightly as something heavy impacted the floor with force. The entrance to our side-cave illuminated with a faint yellow glow for a second before fading away.

It wasn't hard to connect the pieces.

Somebody was fighting the Rockets.

"Right, go time." I muttered under my breath as the others began picking up on the same thing as me while I readied another, hopefully last, punch. There wasn't time for the concentration I'd put in earlier.

I was more of a doer anyway.

BANG!

SCREEECH!

"YES!" I fist pumped, ignoring the blood that flickered everywhere. The door was still technically closed, the lock hanging on for dear life as the entire mechanism dangled from where it had been torn from the metal, but a swift shoulder bash took care of that.

And finally I was out.

I didn't waste any time. One hand grabbed Siren's Pokéball, and my PokéDex, the other elbow deep in my backpack before the others even got off the floor, and my Feebas was following me out loyally as I clutched the sword I hadn't had the chance, or will, to use yet, before they reached the door.

The closer I got, the more evident it was that I was right. There was a battle going on. Nothing made that more clear than having to dodge the unconscious body of a Geodude as it came flying by when we reached the entrance. Getting beaten seemed to have lit a fire under Siren's metaphorical ass, as while I was still taking in the mess we were suddenly in the middle of, she was already rattling off Water Bullets like an assault rifle.

And it was a fucking mess. The over two dozen Rocket Pokémon were engaged with a slightly smaller amount of opponents, yet were getting their asses whooped despite the numerical superiority. Zubat fell like flies as a pair of large, brown and cream colored, birds sped through the air like missiles, pinkish-red and yellow crests of feathers flowing from their heads and tails as the two Pidgeottos ran through the enemy flying-types effortlessly, razor-sharp talons tearing through wings like butter while wings larger than the bats whole bodies sent them careening into the walls.

The fight on the ground was going even better than the one above, if anything. Nidoran littered the floor as a coordinated squad of Growlithe herded them around and smacked them down. A pair of Gravelers were dueling in the center of the room, stone shattering blows exchanged in a flurry as eight hands tried to reduce the other to pebbles, neither Rock-Type even trying to dodge, content with their slugging match. The Rockets were clearly loosing, a situation made even worse for them as slowly, then quickly, Pokémon started pouring out of the side tunnel I came from. None of them were anything to write home about, but their sheer numbers destroyed any chance at a miraculous comeback. Geodudes attempted to interfere, only to be punted by an orange blur speeding past and-

-a fist brushed by my cheek as a Rocket Grunt appeared at my side and threw a sloppy punch. Even taken off guard, it was fairly easy to avoid. The handle of my blade impacted his nose with a sharp crack! blood spurting out as the man dropped to the ground.

Right. I wasn't just a fucking spectator. I was in the shit.

Siren handled any Pokémon in our path, sniping them with precision Water Guns while I took care off the Trainers. The Rockets clearly weren't prepared to be attacked from two fronts, another man going down with a pair of hard blows to the head, a woman collapsing beside him screaming as steel parted the flesh of her calf. It wasn't a very deep wound, merely enough to be debilitating before her lights were knocked out with a kick to the head.

It wasn't the end of the world if one of them didn't make it, trampled in the chaos or ending up as collateral, but if the day had proven anything to me, it was that I wasn't a cold blooded murderer. Even if it would probably be easier, I just didn't have it in me to slit a bunch of rando's throats when I had other options.

Unbearable pain and possible crippling, though? That was fair game.

As such, it was the extremities that were my targets. A still conscious Nidoran, female based on the light-blue coloring, put up a brief struggle against Siren before ending up as an ice cube while her Trainer frantically scrambled to get away from me as I swung my sword around like a madman. My fists were likely more effective given my training, but the sword had a fear factor that was honestly kind of fun, I mused as the middle aged man stumbled. I was about to finish him off, but a brown shape flew through the air towards me before I could. Changing the angle of my swing, I smacked the incoming Geodude like a baseball with my blade, the vibrations reverberating up through my arms and leaving my palms stinging. The hit wasn't enough to move the Pokémon much, only halting it and letting it drop to my feet, yet that was plenty for Siren to show her displeasure. I winched as several holes were dug into the Rock Pokémon's hard exterior, a gravely cry escaping it before it was forced into unconsciousness, dark blood leaking from its wounds.

Taking my eyes off the ball was a mistake, as a powerful blow to the back of my head reminded me. I was forced down to the ground myself as the Nidoran Trainer took the opportunity to flip the script, one of his friends joining him in kicking down at my crumpled form. Holding my arms tightly against my body to protect my organs, I grunted and grit my teeth, looking for an opening. Thankfully, it came swiftly, the pair's rhythm becoming slightly off so they pulled their legs back at the same time.

"FUUUUUUUCK!"

The guy on the left howled as his shin swung with full force into the point of my katana, punching the metal straight through bone and out the other side. The other attack skimmed my ribs as I rolled, using the wounded guy as a shield when the first man lunged at me. They collided and I returned the favor, spitting out curses between growls while I stomped down at them. Judging them sufficiently down and out, and seeing Siren handling a Zubat and Rattata on her own, I scanned the winding down combat. Another guy, older than the rest I'd seen so far, made an attempt in my direction, but didn't make it a single step before something latched onto his back like a demented monkey.

"Ye dragon fuckers think that just 'cause I'm old, ye can come inta my home!? I'll show ye what for!" Sergeant Jim Creek yelled before leaning down and clamping his teeth around the Grunt's ear. Blood and skin sprouted out as the old-timer did his best Mike Tyson impression and ripped the ear off before spitting it onto the ground. The older Rocket member screamed as he dropped, Jim already off searching for his next victim as he clutched a knife in one hand and what looked like a frying pan in the other.

Oh, and he'd also somehow lost his shirt and pants, blood and dust clinging to his saggy skin and stained tighty-whities while he cackled about presenting the 'General' with 'Pryce's' head.

… Fucking weird, but not my problem. Though I did feel a little bad about insulting him now.

It didn't take long to find my target, as I merely had to follow the loudest noises.

Scott was scowling furiously, sweat running down his face in thick rivers while he screamed out commands, his head snapping back and forth violently as his comrades fell around him. The large purple Arbok slithered around in front of him protectively and another purple Pokémon, a huge bat almost as big as a human, with a body that was mostly a giant, gaping maw and wings, hovered over him. The Golbat had clearly seen better days, groves leaking blood from where the Pidgeotto had graced it and its left side was charred and wrinkly.

The culprit of the fire attacks wasn't hard to find. Dancing in between Arbok and the smaller Pokémon doing their best to give support, an Arcanine barked threateningly as it absent-mindedly kicked a Geodude aside. The large canine wavered and blurred even as it stood still, the heat radiating from its fur distorting the air around it, and when it moved, it was easier to track the embers it left in its wake than trying to keep your eyes on the Pokémon itself. One second it was on the purple cobra's left, spewing out an intense plume of flames, the Flamethrower washing over a green barrier as the Arbok used Protect, unable to use its own speed to avoid the attack, in fear of leaving its Trainer unguarded. The next moment, the Arcanine was gone and the Protect shattered like glass as the Fire-Type crashed through it, near seven feet of flaming dog smacking into the Arbok and throwing it aside. At nearly the same time, the last of the Zubat fell from the air and the Golbat was suddenly running for its life as the two bird Pokémon chased it, beaks snapping inches from the bats fragile wings.

Obscenities that made even me feel like clutching my pearls flew from Scott like bullets, the terrorist backing away from the approaching Trainers that I hadn't taken the time to really look at yet.

I had a different objective.

As Scott found out when he tried to take another step backwards and bumped into me. He spun around in shock and I imagined time slowed down for him when he saw my toothy grin. He definitely reacted when my foot came down on the side of his knee.

CRACK!

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

His leg bowed inwards with an angle no body part should have, the kneecap visibly pushing against the skin as the limb caved in and he fell with a scream. My surroundings dimmed, my focus completely on my prey as I threw my weapon aside. Ripping Sol's ball off his belt, I barely managed to attach it to my own before I was on him, fists falling like rain, my arms becoming pistons with no other purpose than to punch. Cracks! and snaps! rang out, his nose crushed flat against his face, orbital socket splintering under my relentless pounding. Teeth and blood splattered to the floor as others gathered around us after containing the other Rockets, yet I didn't notice any of it. Even when Scott lost consciousness, somewhere after the sixth tooth snapped against my knuckle and tore another hole in my flesh, I didn't stop.

Fucking piece of shit almost made me go through it again.

If someone hadn't pulled me off of him, I wasn't sure I was going to stop. For all my thoughts about not being a murderer, at that moment, I wouldn't have flinched.

Random Grunts, no. Proton and Scott? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Pushing out of the arms grabbing me, I put my hands on my knees and breathed deeply, trying to get myself under control, something made simpler by Siren coming back and leaning against me with a worried bubbling gurgle. Other than the bruises and cuts from the first fight, I didn't see anything seriously wrong with her beyond some exhaustion.

Straightening back up, I finally took the time to look around at the cavalry that had come to my rescue.

And instantly wished I didn't when I spotted a small, yellow, mouse-like Pokémon rush across the floor and jump up on the shoulder of a black-haired boy around my age. The Trainer turned his head, almost like he could sense me looking, and our gaze locked. His warm brown eyes sparkled while mine closed in despair.

Fuck.

"PERI! What are you doing here!? Did you get captured by Team Rocket!? Man, good thing we showed up to save you, huh!?"

Hate, exasperation, and gratefulness warred within me as I looked at the giant dumb smile on Ash's face.

I'd almost rather be put back in the cell.

---

So things got a little dicey for a second, but we made it, with a little bit of help from the loveable protaganist. Who wouldn't like being saved by Ash-fucking-Ketchum.

Anyway, next time we get introduced to the canon gang and spend a bit of time with them. Not too long, though. While I enjoy mixing in some canon here and there, this isn't the story of Ash friend, so we'll be dipping in and out of it, depending on if something interesting shows up.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 3 chapters ahead.