Paul: Kanto Journey.
CHAPTER ONE.
Paul walked along the aisles of the Pokemart. Pokegear section. He knew what he wanted- Pokedex spectacles. The looked like normal glasses, red, with large rims and a wide side. He entered his name into the machine next to the display, it brought up his records.
One moment. Processing…
Adjusting Pokespecs…
A pair of glasses clattered down a tube like a can from a soda machine. Paul stooped and reached into the flap to receive his Pokedex. He had specifically edited his hearing disks on his ears to allow for the glasses to interact with the software and attach itself stably without the convenience of accessible ears. He could see just as well as he could with his other set of glasses, which he pocketed. Paul looked along the aisles some more. He found an appropriate cell phone that was Pokegear enabled that could also jack into his headgear.
Paul took a couple potions, a Pokemon trainers belt, some pokeblocks, 10 normal Pokeballs and began to stride out the door.
“You gonna pay for those?” the surly shopkeeper asked quickly.
“Oh yea. My fault. Here’s my ID.” Paul said, unperturbed that the girl at the counter thought he was a thief. She charged his items to his account, and he continued on his way. His Abra, Abe, was meditating outside the door, legs folded and floating above the ground. Paul tapped him on the head as he walked by, shaking the Pokemon from its reverie. Abe dropped to the ground ungracefully, and jumped up to trail his trainer, who was officially becoming just that.
“Access registration software, Pokespecs.” Paul commanded. He saw an opaque window appear over his left eye. A bar sped across the mini window, captioned by “Loading”.
“Name?” inquired the Pokespecs in a slightly feminine tone.
“Paul Hyrum Deloreal.” Paul responded.
Loading Files read the screen. “Identitiy Digits?”
“573315” said Paul.
“Press your left thumb to the right lens.” ordered the machine. “Retina scan commencing.”
A laser swept through Paul’s left eye as he pressed his thumb on the lens.
“Identity confirmed. Paul Hyrum Deloreal is now registered to this Pokespecs.”
Paul then registered as a trainer, acknowledging Abe to his Pokedex of captured Pokemon. He registered his Pokegear as well. Once he was completely official, a homepage appeared on his lens. In one corner it told him the date and time, another, Pokemon seen and captured, another, battles won/lost. His portfolio of events was empty, as well as his gym badge page. He had to fix that. Paul used his Abra to teleport him to the nearby Pewter town Gymnasium.
Paul accessed files on the Gym leader via Pokegear’s trainer listing. JEROME GORDON. PEWTER CITY GYM LEADER. GYM TYPE: FIGHTING POKEMON. The screen on his cell phone read. It only appeared as he neared the gym, and he found that he couldn’t access any other Gym leaders file. Apparently he had to be within broadcast range of the Gym itself. The Pokegear didn’t tell Paul what Pokemon Jerome had either.
“Abe, return.” Paul said, holding out a Pokeball. Abe dematerialized in a beam of light. Paul opened the door of the Gym. Leaves from outside gusted in as he stepped through the door into a receptions area. No one was in the sparse room save a secretary, chatting animatedly at a desk on a cell phone.
“Hold on a second Lucy,” said the woman at the desk, hand over cell phone receiver “You hear to getcha badge, hun?” she asked. Paul nodded. “Right through that door sweety, there’s no one to wait for.” She returned to her conversation.
Paul walked through the double doors into a large dimply lit area.
“Name?” asked a deep voice. Jerome’s voice, thought Paul.
“Paul.” Paul responded. He grabbed the Pokeball at his belt and enlarged it.
“Lets begin then, Paul.” the lights came on fully, and Paul saw the arena. He stood in the trainer square outside the battle area, which was slowly rising to around 5 feet off the ground. There was a dirt floor, with large poles placed sporadically across the room, some attached to each other in what looked like a set of monkey bars. Jerome was a tall guy, not brawny, just extremely tall in a way that makes them seem unnaturally skinny. He wore a pair of jeans with a white tee underneath a vest. His belt was studded with two Pokeballs. He plucked one of them off his belt and pointed it towards the arena floor, and a beam of light released a pale, dark blue humanoid. It small skull was ridged with yellow protrusions, with no other markings on its body. It looked about 4 feet tall, and had a muscular build.
A window opened above his eye with information on the Pokemon. MACHOP, FIGHTING POKEMON. Words flew across the screen as Paul read. The Specs could sense his retinal movement, and knew when to display new information. Paul focused his beam of light into the arena . His Pokemon appeared. Three feet tall, though right now he was sitting on his armored behind, tail wagging slightly behind him. His big head dipped drowsily.
“Abraham!” shouted Paul. He was forever waking his Pokemon up. Abra’s eyes opened, and he saw his opponent.
My first true battle, Paul. thought Abra to Paul.
Paul relayed his plan to him, at the speed only Psychic Pokemon can be communicated with.
“Machop,” Jerome broadcasted “Seismic toss!”
The Pokemon nodded, and ran at Abra. Abra didn’t move. Machop was upon the small Pokemon, and suddenly flipped over it, grabbing it as it reached a completely upside down point in its acrobatics, and as it landed, flinging Abe towards the far wall. Abra took all of this, though it would’ve been a simple matter to dodge the blundering Pokemon. As he flew, Abra’s eyes flashed, and his two fingered arms stretched down to point towards Machop. Suddenly, Abra stopped in mid air, and became the center of a trebuchet, using the energy of his flight to fling the Machop from the ground, towards him, sending Abra back towards the ground in turn. Abra used Machop’s own forceful throw to send Machop crashing into a wall, unconscious. Abra was not unharmed however. As he revered course and sped toward the flying Machop, their paths crossed and Machop threw out a well muscled forearm in Abra’s way, clothes lining the Pokemon and causing it to spin at the head down to the ground where he rolled in a heap.
Jerome was impressed. He recalled his Pokemon while sending out his final creature. Abra was standing up shakily on skinny limbs and dusting itself off as a ball of fur stood before him, thick arms gloved and metal restraints on his ankles. The Primeape sniffed through his pig nose. Paul absorbed the data pouring from his glasses.
“Primeape, focus energy,” Jerome commanded. The pig monkey leapt towards a pole, hugging it at its halfway point, and leaping again from that uncomfortable point to the top of the pole. Serenely, its sat and put its gloves together. It closed its eyes.
This time, we’re the aggressors it seems, Abe. Take away its balance with confusion. Paul told Abra silently.
Abra did so, extending an arm and pointing with its two digits towards the top of the pole. The air shattered in a tight beam, and the Primeape had its eyes closed. Somehow, its jumped out of the way onto adjacent monkey bars, grabbing one, swinging underneath it back to the top and propelling itself across the other bars to the next pole, closer to Abra. Again, thought Paul.
Abra tried again. This time, a rope was Primeape’s target as he leapt again, swinging to a pole nearer still. Abra gazed at Primeape, who returned the stare. Suddenly, he thrust his head forward, his eyes glinted, and his fangs were bared. Abra shied away- of course he could use leer, why hadn’t Paul thought of that? Abra couldn’t help flinching, which gave Primeape the opportunity he wanted.
“Diving karate chop, followed by a thrashing.” Jerome ordered.
Primeape jumped down, gloved hand ready as he fell. Abra looked up to see the Primeape upon him, throwing a karate chop directly into his skull. The monkey used the force of the blow to flip away from the Abra, then rebound back, wildly throwing punches and kicks, ululating bizarrely.
What do I do? Abra asks, strangely calm as his body is beaten.
Confusion! thinks Paul.
Abras eyes gleam. Suddenly, Primeape stops to grab its head, and he walks uncertainly, leaving Abra the opportunity to stand up, even more shakily. Palm outstretched again, Abra uses a wave of thought to take away the monkeys consciousness.
“You win.” Jerome says, unaffected by a loss. Jerome turns and exit’s the Gym, leaving Paul to wait for his platform to fully land.
Paul’s Pokegear pings, and Paul checks it- a rotating coin with a fist on it appears under his badges file. He returns his Abra to the pokeball, thanks Jerome for the battle, and leaves. Jerome wasn’t talkative, but Paul sensed that it wasn’t because he lost, he probably was just introverted. Those Pokemon were probably provided by the league, so he didn’t have a connect with them. If he used the same Pokemon all the time, their level of strength would exceed the gym limit for this town anyways, as the start of the Pokemon League trail.
A visit to the Pokecenter to restore Abra, and he was on his way.
* * *
To get to Cerulean City, he had to pass over Mount Moon, and being a trainer, was obligated not to use a vehicle on the trail. There used to be a way to pass under the mountain in a dungeon, but long ago it had collapsed due to a powerful metronome attack within its bowels. Paul would use the lift system.
It was fully automated, he just had to do a thumb and retinal scan to prove his identity and access his account, and he was off. The lift was hoisted on a set of wires, a plastaglass box with a chain in it. They rose in altitude, and Paul could see all of Pewter Town from the view, then, all of the forests around it, fall making the foliage look like a huge fire as far as he could see. Then, he hit the clouds. For a while, there was whiteness all around him, then he broke through. A sea of whiteness gleamed around him, and he could hardly see the mountain for the snow, white on white.
He was at the summit when it happened. The very tip of Mount Moon. The happy little light in his lift exploded unceremoniously, and the smooth ride suddenly got much faster. He began to descend, and sparks flew as one of the hinges to the wire blew out, and Paul was thrown to the side of the box. The emergency brake button didn’t work. Paul opened the door, and jumped out, just in time, as the lift really got momentum and flew wildly down the wires one hinge. In the distance, he saw it brake away altogether and fly down the mountainside.
Paul wasn’t quite prepared for the cold, though he wasn’t underdressed. His overcoat and gloves served him well, as well as his hood. But he was dressing for fall a couple thousand feet down, not up here where it felt like the coldest winter with all the wind.
Paul trekked down the mountain. It wasn’t a very steep incline, as far as mountain go, in fact, he was sure that he could’ve done it on foot to begin with. Eventually, the snow gave way and he climbed down cold ground instead. Suddenly, he tripped over a large rock.
With arms? It grumbled, and rose from the ground, hovering, a boulder with two arms attached, and a stony mouth and small eyes. It roared, and advanced on Paul, whose hand had instantly gone to Abra’s pokeball. He released Abra before him.
What the hell? thought Abra to Paul, as he narrowly dodged a punch thrown by the rock Pokemon. Geodude, the Pokespecs told Paul.
Abe, just subdue it ok?
Sure, replied Abra.
Abra teleported behind it, grabbed it with both arms, and used his psychic energies to overwhelm the weak Pokemon.
They journeyed down the mountain, following the wires that they rode on path. Eventually, they came to the building where the lift ended, which had a miniature power plant to power the wire system outside it.
So that’s the cause, thought Abra.
What?
Abra elaborated to Paul’s mind, In the corner there, a Pokemon chewing the wires.
Paul looked for a second, and saw it. It was small, yellow and oblong, with short legs and powerful forearms. Two antennae sprouting from his head looked like the tip of a power cord, holes and all. Pokespecs told him that it was an Elekid, the baby form of Electrabuzz, the powerful Thunder Pokemon.
I have to have one of those, it would be great for my team, aye Abe?
If you say so.
I do, now, use confusion! Paul told Abra.
One second, Elekid was contentedly eating away at the power cords, the next, he didn’t even know where he was, and he had a big headache. He got up on uncertain legs, and fell over. Suddenly, he was sucked into something, but what? He didn’t have the will to fight his way out, or the power. Besides…it was nice in here!
“Yes!” Paul exclaimed, as the pokeball he threw pinged an affirmative catch. He tapped it to his Pokespecs, now Paul had two registered Pokemon, Abra and Elekid. He didn’t have time to fully read up on his new Pokemon however, because something was happening to Abra.
Abra was gasping, and clutching its head. There was a seam of intense light on his forehead, and it grew like cracked glass does. Abra was slowly etched with whiteness. He shattered, and was only and outline of pure radiant white. The whiteness changed shape, slowly but surely, until suddenly, it began to fade, and Abra was no longer an Abra any more.
KADABRA, PYSHIC POKEMON. Read Paul’s Pokespecs as Paul’s Pokemon in party tally changed Abra’s name.
Abraham had a mustache now, a thick one, and his previously small, sparsely haired tail was now quite fluffy. He almost reached Paul’s height.
“Wow.” Said Abraham aloud, in a new, deeper voice “ This is incredible. I feel invigorated..and powerful. Thank you, Paul. This is amazing. I feel I can bend thought to my will like never before, I must meditate on my newfound powers that I might use them fully come battle.” With that, Kadabra assumed his meditation position, eyes clothes, legs folded, levitating a couple feet above the ground. Now, as he meditated, rocks all around him rose into the air with him. The air was charged.
Paul decided to leave him alone. He took out Elekid’s pokeball, and released him from the sphere. Elekid looked around. His antennae sparked a little, and he looked Paul up and down.
“I suppose you’re my trainer then?” asked the electric Pokemon sassily. “I’ve seen worse I guess.”
“Do you mind?” Paul asked.
“Mind what? That you’re my trainer now? Not particularly. Now I have a home and food, hopefully. Hopefully your not one of the abusive ones.”
“No, of course not. Are you hungry?”
“I could use with some grub, yeah. What’s your name?” Elekid asked, eyes riveted on the backpack Paul was digging in.
“I’m Paul, and the Kadabra over there is Abraham.” Paul replied, throwing a bag that said ONE SERVING- POKEBLOCK, PINEAPPLE
Elekid chowed down. Paul gathered up his things, and recalled his new Kadabra and his newer Elekid into their Pokeballs, and was on his way. A short walk from their location, they found the outskirts of Cerulean city. The roofs where all blue, and the majority of the building where cool colors, giving the city a calm and soothing feeling. People walked about the shops and businesses.
Paul headed towards the neon sign that read “Pokecenter”, and the autumn leaves crunched beneath his shoes. A woman on the sidewalk opposite his walked her Persian, Pidgey flew over head. One of the watchers zoomed closer. It looked like a floating flashlight, with a black cylindrical body surmounted by a larger head with a light inserted in. It enforced law, and was capable of capturing Pokemon as well as releasing a Growlithe to help with law enforcement. Paul kept walking.
Entering the Pokecenter, Paul handed over his Pokemon to be cured by the Nurse there, and watched a couple kids play with an Eevee through the window. The Nurse came back shortly, handing him his Pokeballs wordlessly. Someone tapped Paul’s shoulder, and he turned to see it was another trainer, dressed in black with a leather jacket on, and spiky brown hair.
“Hey, would you mind battling me? My name is Noah, and I wanted to practice a bit before I left for the Gym.”
“Uh, sure Noah. Sure thing.” replied Paul.
Noah led Paul to a park, with a couple rough dirt Pokemon battle fields.
“Want to wager anything?” asked Noah
“I’ll pass this time.” Paul said.
They began battling procedures, certifying each others ID card, looking at each others trainer records, and challenging each other officially over Pokegear software. The set down their Pokegear which would record the battle compile the results so they couldn’t be lied about later. They began the match.
Noah sent out a Staryu, Paul, his Elekid.
“Staryu water gun!” commanded Noah. Staryu began shooting streams of water from the gem on its chest, its five arms rotating around the gem.
“Elekid, dodge and weave, try to shock it.” Paul said.
Staryu launched another attack, Elekid weaved out of the way, and leapt again to dodge another, and another. He ran at the Staryu, despite a command from Paul telling Elekid to keep its distance. Elekid’s large forearm lit up with energy as he took a water gun to the face, throwing him back again. Staryu proceeded to tackle the prone Elekid.
“Hey, Elekid, try what I said.” Paul reminded the Pokemon
Elekid yelled, his voice cracking, as he threw a bolt of lighting at the Staryu. Staryu, smoking and unconscious, flew out of the ring.
“Return” said Noah, taking out his second pokeball. He let lose his alternate Pokemon. It was immense, boulder after boulder linked together, surmounted by a large head with mighty jaws. ONIX. ROCK POKEMON the Pokespecs informed Paul.
“Elekid, enough.” Said Paul, returning Elekid to his belt and releasing Kadabra.
“Onix, slam it!” Noah commands his mighty beast. Onix reared up, and fell onto the Kadabra who didn’t make an attempt to get out of the way. Dust billowed and cleared to reveal Onix lying on the dirt with Kadabra upon his head, hands gripping his temples. Kadabra’s eyes flashed.
There’s nothing here to take advantage of, he informed Paul telepathically.
Onix reared upward again, and snapped at Kadabra. Kadabra jumped off the enormous Pokemon, floating in the air, arms stretched. The Onix stopped. It looked like it was struggling with moving forward, as though there a wall in front of it. With a suddenness that shocked Noah, Onix left the ground as it was flung like a huge, undulating javelin, tail first out of the arena, into a tree, which he managed to rend in twain with a large snap.
Pokemon recalled, victories and losses tallied, Noah and Paul part. Paul’s first trainer battle, and he won easily!
Paul released his Pokemon as they strolled through the park. Abraham floated a foot off the ground, looking absently around. Elekid struggled to keep up, always distracted.
“What’s that on your ears, Paul?” asked the Elekid.
“These?” Paul says rhetorically, touching the disks under his long black hair “These are my audio enhancers. I was born deaf, and these were surgically implanted to let me hear. I can turn them off, and by the sounds of it, I may have to, to escape your chatter. ”
“Hey! I don’t talk that much.” Elekid didn’t really care as much about Paul as Abraham did, it seemed, but he had personality which made up for Elekid‘s apathy. What was Paul expecting? Sympathy? Not from an immature Pokemon like Elekid, especially not when you turn the conversation towards something about him. Young people cant get enough of hearing about themselves.
“Look.” said Abraham quietly.
Paul saw it. A mass of vines sat on a low tree limb, his red feet dangling forlornly. A Tangela. Suddenly, it jumped down, and looked at him. Two eyes glowed beneath a mass of tendrils.
“Wait, stop! Are you a trainer?” asked the Tangela in an odd, hollow voice that jiggled in tone as his vines swayed when he moved.
Paul looked around.
“Yes, you! Please, let me come with you!” the Tangela ran towards Paul, stopping at his feet. Abraham looked down wisely at it, as it lay prostrate before them, and Elekid poked it. Eliciting no response, Elekid then jabbed it.
“Stop Elekid. Tangela-”
“Call me Tangles-”
“Are you serious?” said Elekid, laughing, a chuckle at first, then panting, then slowly regaining composure until- the thought reentered his mind, and he laughed some more. He fell to his knees, then he sprawled out on the ground, enormous forearms pounding the grass, creating sparks.
“Elekid, enough” said Paul ineffectively. “Why are you so desperate to get captured…Tangles?”
“The wild is terrible!” exclaimed the writhing mass.
“This is a park.” Kadabra said, cocking his head to the side. Elekid rolled by, sides split with laughter.
“The Raticate bite just as hard.” Tangles informed Kadabra, slowly stretching a tendril towards Abraham, showing its severed nub. “ Please, my old trainer released me, but I can’t survive out here! Please!”
The Tangela looked rather pitiful, and Paul consented. It whooped as it was sucked into the Pokeball and registered as the third member of Paul’s team. Tangela was shortly released.
“Pokeballs are as nice as I remembered…” said Tangela dreamily.
“Sounds as though you’ve been out here for a while.” Kadabra noted.
“Well, it was probably a day or so.”
“That’s it?”
“I can’t take it! Stop! Stop!” Elekid screamed mid giggle. He had fallen to the ground again.
Tangela ignored him, bobbing right along out of the park with Paul. It was twilight, and the brilliant magentas and reds and oranges combine with the same colors in the trees complimented the austere cyan of the city before them. A beautiful night.
Where are we going? Kadabra’s presence in Paul’s mind wanted to know.
Hotel, to get some sleep. A rough first day, if you ask me. replied Paul.
*********
Thats it for chapter one (10 pages, too much?). Please feel free to ask questions of me and the characters if you wish, it helps me flesh things out, critique me, tell me errors etc. For the two of you who've read it, thanks, and for the one of you who might reply, please do.
CHAPTER ONE.
Paul walked along the aisles of the Pokemart. Pokegear section. He knew what he wanted- Pokedex spectacles. The looked like normal glasses, red, with large rims and a wide side. He entered his name into the machine next to the display, it brought up his records.
One moment. Processing…
Adjusting Pokespecs…
A pair of glasses clattered down a tube like a can from a soda machine. Paul stooped and reached into the flap to receive his Pokedex. He had specifically edited his hearing disks on his ears to allow for the glasses to interact with the software and attach itself stably without the convenience of accessible ears. He could see just as well as he could with his other set of glasses, which he pocketed. Paul looked along the aisles some more. He found an appropriate cell phone that was Pokegear enabled that could also jack into his headgear.
Paul took a couple potions, a Pokemon trainers belt, some pokeblocks, 10 normal Pokeballs and began to stride out the door.
“You gonna pay for those?” the surly shopkeeper asked quickly.
“Oh yea. My fault. Here’s my ID.” Paul said, unperturbed that the girl at the counter thought he was a thief. She charged his items to his account, and he continued on his way. His Abra, Abe, was meditating outside the door, legs folded and floating above the ground. Paul tapped him on the head as he walked by, shaking the Pokemon from its reverie. Abe dropped to the ground ungracefully, and jumped up to trail his trainer, who was officially becoming just that.
“Access registration software, Pokespecs.” Paul commanded. He saw an opaque window appear over his left eye. A bar sped across the mini window, captioned by “Loading”.
“Name?” inquired the Pokespecs in a slightly feminine tone.
“Paul Hyrum Deloreal.” Paul responded.
Loading Files read the screen. “Identitiy Digits?”
“573315” said Paul.
“Press your left thumb to the right lens.” ordered the machine. “Retina scan commencing.”
A laser swept through Paul’s left eye as he pressed his thumb on the lens.
“Identity confirmed. Paul Hyrum Deloreal is now registered to this Pokespecs.”
Paul then registered as a trainer, acknowledging Abe to his Pokedex of captured Pokemon. He registered his Pokegear as well. Once he was completely official, a homepage appeared on his lens. In one corner it told him the date and time, another, Pokemon seen and captured, another, battles won/lost. His portfolio of events was empty, as well as his gym badge page. He had to fix that. Paul used his Abra to teleport him to the nearby Pewter town Gymnasium.
Paul accessed files on the Gym leader via Pokegear’s trainer listing. JEROME GORDON. PEWTER CITY GYM LEADER. GYM TYPE: FIGHTING POKEMON. The screen on his cell phone read. It only appeared as he neared the gym, and he found that he couldn’t access any other Gym leaders file. Apparently he had to be within broadcast range of the Gym itself. The Pokegear didn’t tell Paul what Pokemon Jerome had either.
“Abe, return.” Paul said, holding out a Pokeball. Abe dematerialized in a beam of light. Paul opened the door of the Gym. Leaves from outside gusted in as he stepped through the door into a receptions area. No one was in the sparse room save a secretary, chatting animatedly at a desk on a cell phone.
“Hold on a second Lucy,” said the woman at the desk, hand over cell phone receiver “You hear to getcha badge, hun?” she asked. Paul nodded. “Right through that door sweety, there’s no one to wait for.” She returned to her conversation.
Paul walked through the double doors into a large dimply lit area.
“Name?” asked a deep voice. Jerome’s voice, thought Paul.
“Paul.” Paul responded. He grabbed the Pokeball at his belt and enlarged it.
“Lets begin then, Paul.” the lights came on fully, and Paul saw the arena. He stood in the trainer square outside the battle area, which was slowly rising to around 5 feet off the ground. There was a dirt floor, with large poles placed sporadically across the room, some attached to each other in what looked like a set of monkey bars. Jerome was a tall guy, not brawny, just extremely tall in a way that makes them seem unnaturally skinny. He wore a pair of jeans with a white tee underneath a vest. His belt was studded with two Pokeballs. He plucked one of them off his belt and pointed it towards the arena floor, and a beam of light released a pale, dark blue humanoid. It small skull was ridged with yellow protrusions, with no other markings on its body. It looked about 4 feet tall, and had a muscular build.
A window opened above his eye with information on the Pokemon. MACHOP, FIGHTING POKEMON. Words flew across the screen as Paul read. The Specs could sense his retinal movement, and knew when to display new information. Paul focused his beam of light into the arena . His Pokemon appeared. Three feet tall, though right now he was sitting on his armored behind, tail wagging slightly behind him. His big head dipped drowsily.
“Abraham!” shouted Paul. He was forever waking his Pokemon up. Abra’s eyes opened, and he saw his opponent.
My first true battle, Paul. thought Abra to Paul.
Paul relayed his plan to him, at the speed only Psychic Pokemon can be communicated with.
“Machop,” Jerome broadcasted “Seismic toss!”
The Pokemon nodded, and ran at Abra. Abra didn’t move. Machop was upon the small Pokemon, and suddenly flipped over it, grabbing it as it reached a completely upside down point in its acrobatics, and as it landed, flinging Abe towards the far wall. Abra took all of this, though it would’ve been a simple matter to dodge the blundering Pokemon. As he flew, Abra’s eyes flashed, and his two fingered arms stretched down to point towards Machop. Suddenly, Abra stopped in mid air, and became the center of a trebuchet, using the energy of his flight to fling the Machop from the ground, towards him, sending Abra back towards the ground in turn. Abra used Machop’s own forceful throw to send Machop crashing into a wall, unconscious. Abra was not unharmed however. As he revered course and sped toward the flying Machop, their paths crossed and Machop threw out a well muscled forearm in Abra’s way, clothes lining the Pokemon and causing it to spin at the head down to the ground where he rolled in a heap.
Jerome was impressed. He recalled his Pokemon while sending out his final creature. Abra was standing up shakily on skinny limbs and dusting itself off as a ball of fur stood before him, thick arms gloved and metal restraints on his ankles. The Primeape sniffed through his pig nose. Paul absorbed the data pouring from his glasses.
“Primeape, focus energy,” Jerome commanded. The pig monkey leapt towards a pole, hugging it at its halfway point, and leaping again from that uncomfortable point to the top of the pole. Serenely, its sat and put its gloves together. It closed its eyes.
This time, we’re the aggressors it seems, Abe. Take away its balance with confusion. Paul told Abra silently.
Abra did so, extending an arm and pointing with its two digits towards the top of the pole. The air shattered in a tight beam, and the Primeape had its eyes closed. Somehow, its jumped out of the way onto adjacent monkey bars, grabbing one, swinging underneath it back to the top and propelling itself across the other bars to the next pole, closer to Abra. Again, thought Paul.
Abra tried again. This time, a rope was Primeape’s target as he leapt again, swinging to a pole nearer still. Abra gazed at Primeape, who returned the stare. Suddenly, he thrust his head forward, his eyes glinted, and his fangs were bared. Abra shied away- of course he could use leer, why hadn’t Paul thought of that? Abra couldn’t help flinching, which gave Primeape the opportunity he wanted.
“Diving karate chop, followed by a thrashing.” Jerome ordered.
Primeape jumped down, gloved hand ready as he fell. Abra looked up to see the Primeape upon him, throwing a karate chop directly into his skull. The monkey used the force of the blow to flip away from the Abra, then rebound back, wildly throwing punches and kicks, ululating bizarrely.
What do I do? Abra asks, strangely calm as his body is beaten.
Confusion! thinks Paul.
Abras eyes gleam. Suddenly, Primeape stops to grab its head, and he walks uncertainly, leaving Abra the opportunity to stand up, even more shakily. Palm outstretched again, Abra uses a wave of thought to take away the monkeys consciousness.
“You win.” Jerome says, unaffected by a loss. Jerome turns and exit’s the Gym, leaving Paul to wait for his platform to fully land.
Paul’s Pokegear pings, and Paul checks it- a rotating coin with a fist on it appears under his badges file. He returns his Abra to the pokeball, thanks Jerome for the battle, and leaves. Jerome wasn’t talkative, but Paul sensed that it wasn’t because he lost, he probably was just introverted. Those Pokemon were probably provided by the league, so he didn’t have a connect with them. If he used the same Pokemon all the time, their level of strength would exceed the gym limit for this town anyways, as the start of the Pokemon League trail.
A visit to the Pokecenter to restore Abra, and he was on his way.
* * *
To get to Cerulean City, he had to pass over Mount Moon, and being a trainer, was obligated not to use a vehicle on the trail. There used to be a way to pass under the mountain in a dungeon, but long ago it had collapsed due to a powerful metronome attack within its bowels. Paul would use the lift system.
It was fully automated, he just had to do a thumb and retinal scan to prove his identity and access his account, and he was off. The lift was hoisted on a set of wires, a plastaglass box with a chain in it. They rose in altitude, and Paul could see all of Pewter Town from the view, then, all of the forests around it, fall making the foliage look like a huge fire as far as he could see. Then, he hit the clouds. For a while, there was whiteness all around him, then he broke through. A sea of whiteness gleamed around him, and he could hardly see the mountain for the snow, white on white.
He was at the summit when it happened. The very tip of Mount Moon. The happy little light in his lift exploded unceremoniously, and the smooth ride suddenly got much faster. He began to descend, and sparks flew as one of the hinges to the wire blew out, and Paul was thrown to the side of the box. The emergency brake button didn’t work. Paul opened the door, and jumped out, just in time, as the lift really got momentum and flew wildly down the wires one hinge. In the distance, he saw it brake away altogether and fly down the mountainside.
Paul wasn’t quite prepared for the cold, though he wasn’t underdressed. His overcoat and gloves served him well, as well as his hood. But he was dressing for fall a couple thousand feet down, not up here where it felt like the coldest winter with all the wind.
Paul trekked down the mountain. It wasn’t a very steep incline, as far as mountain go, in fact, he was sure that he could’ve done it on foot to begin with. Eventually, the snow gave way and he climbed down cold ground instead. Suddenly, he tripped over a large rock.
With arms? It grumbled, and rose from the ground, hovering, a boulder with two arms attached, and a stony mouth and small eyes. It roared, and advanced on Paul, whose hand had instantly gone to Abra’s pokeball. He released Abra before him.
What the hell? thought Abra to Paul, as he narrowly dodged a punch thrown by the rock Pokemon. Geodude, the Pokespecs told Paul.
Abe, just subdue it ok?
Sure, replied Abra.
Abra teleported behind it, grabbed it with both arms, and used his psychic energies to overwhelm the weak Pokemon.
They journeyed down the mountain, following the wires that they rode on path. Eventually, they came to the building where the lift ended, which had a miniature power plant to power the wire system outside it.
So that’s the cause, thought Abra.
What?
Abra elaborated to Paul’s mind, In the corner there, a Pokemon chewing the wires.
Paul looked for a second, and saw it. It was small, yellow and oblong, with short legs and powerful forearms. Two antennae sprouting from his head looked like the tip of a power cord, holes and all. Pokespecs told him that it was an Elekid, the baby form of Electrabuzz, the powerful Thunder Pokemon.
I have to have one of those, it would be great for my team, aye Abe?
If you say so.
I do, now, use confusion! Paul told Abra.
One second, Elekid was contentedly eating away at the power cords, the next, he didn’t even know where he was, and he had a big headache. He got up on uncertain legs, and fell over. Suddenly, he was sucked into something, but what? He didn’t have the will to fight his way out, or the power. Besides…it was nice in here!
“Yes!” Paul exclaimed, as the pokeball he threw pinged an affirmative catch. He tapped it to his Pokespecs, now Paul had two registered Pokemon, Abra and Elekid. He didn’t have time to fully read up on his new Pokemon however, because something was happening to Abra.
Abra was gasping, and clutching its head. There was a seam of intense light on his forehead, and it grew like cracked glass does. Abra was slowly etched with whiteness. He shattered, and was only and outline of pure radiant white. The whiteness changed shape, slowly but surely, until suddenly, it began to fade, and Abra was no longer an Abra any more.
KADABRA, PYSHIC POKEMON. Read Paul’s Pokespecs as Paul’s Pokemon in party tally changed Abra’s name.
Abraham had a mustache now, a thick one, and his previously small, sparsely haired tail was now quite fluffy. He almost reached Paul’s height.
“Wow.” Said Abraham aloud, in a new, deeper voice “ This is incredible. I feel invigorated..and powerful. Thank you, Paul. This is amazing. I feel I can bend thought to my will like never before, I must meditate on my newfound powers that I might use them fully come battle.” With that, Kadabra assumed his meditation position, eyes clothes, legs folded, levitating a couple feet above the ground. Now, as he meditated, rocks all around him rose into the air with him. The air was charged.
Paul decided to leave him alone. He took out Elekid’s pokeball, and released him from the sphere. Elekid looked around. His antennae sparked a little, and he looked Paul up and down.
“I suppose you’re my trainer then?” asked the electric Pokemon sassily. “I’ve seen worse I guess.”
“Do you mind?” Paul asked.
“Mind what? That you’re my trainer now? Not particularly. Now I have a home and food, hopefully. Hopefully your not one of the abusive ones.”
“No, of course not. Are you hungry?”
“I could use with some grub, yeah. What’s your name?” Elekid asked, eyes riveted on the backpack Paul was digging in.
“I’m Paul, and the Kadabra over there is Abraham.” Paul replied, throwing a bag that said ONE SERVING- POKEBLOCK, PINEAPPLE
Elekid chowed down. Paul gathered up his things, and recalled his new Kadabra and his newer Elekid into their Pokeballs, and was on his way. A short walk from their location, they found the outskirts of Cerulean city. The roofs where all blue, and the majority of the building where cool colors, giving the city a calm and soothing feeling. People walked about the shops and businesses.
Paul headed towards the neon sign that read “Pokecenter”, and the autumn leaves crunched beneath his shoes. A woman on the sidewalk opposite his walked her Persian, Pidgey flew over head. One of the watchers zoomed closer. It looked like a floating flashlight, with a black cylindrical body surmounted by a larger head with a light inserted in. It enforced law, and was capable of capturing Pokemon as well as releasing a Growlithe to help with law enforcement. Paul kept walking.
Entering the Pokecenter, Paul handed over his Pokemon to be cured by the Nurse there, and watched a couple kids play with an Eevee through the window. The Nurse came back shortly, handing him his Pokeballs wordlessly. Someone tapped Paul’s shoulder, and he turned to see it was another trainer, dressed in black with a leather jacket on, and spiky brown hair.
“Hey, would you mind battling me? My name is Noah, and I wanted to practice a bit before I left for the Gym.”
“Uh, sure Noah. Sure thing.” replied Paul.
Noah led Paul to a park, with a couple rough dirt Pokemon battle fields.
“Want to wager anything?” asked Noah
“I’ll pass this time.” Paul said.
They began battling procedures, certifying each others ID card, looking at each others trainer records, and challenging each other officially over Pokegear software. The set down their Pokegear which would record the battle compile the results so they couldn’t be lied about later. They began the match.
Noah sent out a Staryu, Paul, his Elekid.
“Staryu water gun!” commanded Noah. Staryu began shooting streams of water from the gem on its chest, its five arms rotating around the gem.
“Elekid, dodge and weave, try to shock it.” Paul said.
Staryu launched another attack, Elekid weaved out of the way, and leapt again to dodge another, and another. He ran at the Staryu, despite a command from Paul telling Elekid to keep its distance. Elekid’s large forearm lit up with energy as he took a water gun to the face, throwing him back again. Staryu proceeded to tackle the prone Elekid.
“Hey, Elekid, try what I said.” Paul reminded the Pokemon
Elekid yelled, his voice cracking, as he threw a bolt of lighting at the Staryu. Staryu, smoking and unconscious, flew out of the ring.
“Return” said Noah, taking out his second pokeball. He let lose his alternate Pokemon. It was immense, boulder after boulder linked together, surmounted by a large head with mighty jaws. ONIX. ROCK POKEMON the Pokespecs informed Paul.
“Elekid, enough.” Said Paul, returning Elekid to his belt and releasing Kadabra.
“Onix, slam it!” Noah commands his mighty beast. Onix reared up, and fell onto the Kadabra who didn’t make an attempt to get out of the way. Dust billowed and cleared to reveal Onix lying on the dirt with Kadabra upon his head, hands gripping his temples. Kadabra’s eyes flashed.
There’s nothing here to take advantage of, he informed Paul telepathically.
Onix reared upward again, and snapped at Kadabra. Kadabra jumped off the enormous Pokemon, floating in the air, arms stretched. The Onix stopped. It looked like it was struggling with moving forward, as though there a wall in front of it. With a suddenness that shocked Noah, Onix left the ground as it was flung like a huge, undulating javelin, tail first out of the arena, into a tree, which he managed to rend in twain with a large snap.
Pokemon recalled, victories and losses tallied, Noah and Paul part. Paul’s first trainer battle, and he won easily!
Paul released his Pokemon as they strolled through the park. Abraham floated a foot off the ground, looking absently around. Elekid struggled to keep up, always distracted.
“What’s that on your ears, Paul?” asked the Elekid.
“These?” Paul says rhetorically, touching the disks under his long black hair “These are my audio enhancers. I was born deaf, and these were surgically implanted to let me hear. I can turn them off, and by the sounds of it, I may have to, to escape your chatter. ”
“Hey! I don’t talk that much.” Elekid didn’t really care as much about Paul as Abraham did, it seemed, but he had personality which made up for Elekid‘s apathy. What was Paul expecting? Sympathy? Not from an immature Pokemon like Elekid, especially not when you turn the conversation towards something about him. Young people cant get enough of hearing about themselves.
“Look.” said Abraham quietly.
Paul saw it. A mass of vines sat on a low tree limb, his red feet dangling forlornly. A Tangela. Suddenly, it jumped down, and looked at him. Two eyes glowed beneath a mass of tendrils.
“Wait, stop! Are you a trainer?” asked the Tangela in an odd, hollow voice that jiggled in tone as his vines swayed when he moved.
Paul looked around.
“Yes, you! Please, let me come with you!” the Tangela ran towards Paul, stopping at his feet. Abraham looked down wisely at it, as it lay prostrate before them, and Elekid poked it. Eliciting no response, Elekid then jabbed it.
“Stop Elekid. Tangela-”
“Call me Tangles-”
“Are you serious?” said Elekid, laughing, a chuckle at first, then panting, then slowly regaining composure until- the thought reentered his mind, and he laughed some more. He fell to his knees, then he sprawled out on the ground, enormous forearms pounding the grass, creating sparks.
“Elekid, enough” said Paul ineffectively. “Why are you so desperate to get captured…Tangles?”
“The wild is terrible!” exclaimed the writhing mass.
“This is a park.” Kadabra said, cocking his head to the side. Elekid rolled by, sides split with laughter.
“The Raticate bite just as hard.” Tangles informed Kadabra, slowly stretching a tendril towards Abraham, showing its severed nub. “ Please, my old trainer released me, but I can’t survive out here! Please!”
The Tangela looked rather pitiful, and Paul consented. It whooped as it was sucked into the Pokeball and registered as the third member of Paul’s team. Tangela was shortly released.
“Pokeballs are as nice as I remembered…” said Tangela dreamily.
“Sounds as though you’ve been out here for a while.” Kadabra noted.
“Well, it was probably a day or so.”
“That’s it?”
“I can’t take it! Stop! Stop!” Elekid screamed mid giggle. He had fallen to the ground again.
Tangela ignored him, bobbing right along out of the park with Paul. It was twilight, and the brilliant magentas and reds and oranges combine with the same colors in the trees complimented the austere cyan of the city before them. A beautiful night.
Where are we going? Kadabra’s presence in Paul’s mind wanted to know.
Hotel, to get some sleep. A rough first day, if you ask me. replied Paul.
*********
Thats it for chapter one (10 pages, too much?). Please feel free to ask questions of me and the characters if you wish, it helps me flesh things out, critique me, tell me errors etc. For the two of you who've read it, thanks, and for the one of you who might reply, please do.
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