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Proving Grounds (PG-13)

Morpher01

Bewear my power
(rated for violence, swearing, and depictions of death)

Author's Note:

I think, by this point, most of the people who would recognize me have moved off of Serebii, so I guess I should introduce myself.

Hi. I've been an active (albeit not stellar) fanfic writer and general weirdo on these forums in years past, starting around...2005-2006, when I was 13? My interactions on Serebii laid the groundwork for the writer and person I am today, and I'm thankful for the good times, bad times, and even the ugly times. But, life goes on and people grow up, and I've found myself moving away from Serebii in recent years for different fandoms (you may have seen me around under the name Psychopithicus).

So, why have I come back?

Frankly, there's a journey fic that has been nagging at me for a very long time. I had made multiple attempts at finishing this story, only to abandon it multiple times due to burnout. So, as my final contribution to the Serebii Fan-Fiction forums, I'm giving this story one last try. This will doubtless take a long time to finish, and still carries the risk of burnout on my part, so...fair warning, I guess.

Now, without further rambling from me, let's begin.


Chapter 1: Opening the Gate
Chapter 2: Complications
Chapter 3: Steady Steps
Chapter 4: Resolve
Chapter 5: Shadows of Viridian Forest
Chapter 6: Expanding the Family
Chapter 7: Return to Pewter Gym
Chapter 8: The Pewter City Pokémon Contest

Chapter 9: Fear
Chapter 10: Stormy Waters
Chapter 11: The Hidden Village
Chapter 12: The Rock Tunnel
Chapter 13: The Fight for Justice
Chapter 14: Bitter Reunions
Chapter 15: Lavender Town
Chapter 16: The Pokémon Tower
Chapter 17: Links to the Past
Chapter 18: Training Day
Chapter 19: The Aroma of Battle
Chapter 20: Celadon Mansion
Chapter 21: Strike
Chapter 22: Rage
Chapter 23: The P1 Grand Prix
Chapter 24: Shades of Black and White
Chapter 25: The Voices of Pokémon







Proving Grounds
Chapter 1: Opening the Gate



The desert winds howled on.

One after another, two feet wrapped in well-worn shoes trudged across the sands of the Orre region. Their owner’s body at large was shrouded in a cloak of regal crimson, lined with gold trimming and sporting a hood to shield his face from the burning sun. The figure reached one hand into the folds of his cloak, pulling out a faded brown canteen and removing its top in short order. He took a sizeable gulp of the canteen’s contents and, after pulling the container away from his surprisingly dry lips, he corked the canteen and allowed his cloak to envelop it once more.

With a ragged sigh, the man continued on his way. He knew what he must do.

***

Elsewhere in Orre, where the winds blew more softly, a city stood its ground against the desert sands with its man-made oasis. Dozens upon dozens called Phenac City home, from the elderly who basked in the glow of pristine white buildings to the young who frolicked in the city’s elaborate central fountain. But, no matter who they were, every human citizen had a wondrous creature by their side.

A Pokémon.

These creatures, in possession of extraordinary powers and frequently keen intelligence, often lived in the wild until certain humans stumbled across them. These humans—dubbed “Pokémon Trainers”—used the red-and-white spheres known as Poké Balls to capture wild Pokémon, forming bonds of friendship with them over time. What Pokémon and Trainer did together after that was entirely up to them: some battled other trainers in competitions of skill and strategy, others used Pokémon talents to create inventive displays before a fascinated audience, and still others simply lived with Pokémon as partners. Whatever a human’s plans for their partner Pokémon turned out to be, he or she could legally become a Pokémon trainer upon reaching age ten, a highly anticipated time for all.

So much so, in fact, that it was odd for someone beyond that age to not have a Pokémon.

On the outskirts of town, a young boy of about twelve or thirteen silently sat at a lonely bus stop. Though Phenac’s general atmosphere boasted positivity, this boy held a rather gloomy air about him. His body was covered in an orange hoodie, which—based on the price tag that was still attached—appeared to have been purchased mere moments ago. What was visible of the boy’s clothes beneath the hoodie seemed to be a patchwork of differently-colored fabrics, seemingly stitched together by a sewing amateur. Even the boy’s pants, something at least intended to be a pair of jeans, had been assembled in a similarly hodge-podge manner.

The boy said nothing as his cold blue eyes stared at the surprisingly stylish leather wallet in his lap, carefully counting his Pokédollars before sliding them back into their home. Once the wallet was out of sight in his pocket, he leaned his head back and turned his distant gaze up to Orre’s vibrant blue sky. A few sparse clouds rolled overhead, and the boy picked out shapes in them for the next few agonizingly slow minutes.

The hum of an engine drew his attention to an approaching bus, dust kicking up behind its wheels. The boy sighed with what seemed to be relief, hefting a burlap sack across his shoulder and standing up.

Finally, he thought. Time to get this show on the road.

The bus rolled to a stop beside him, the doors opening with a hiss. The boy stepped inside, pulling back his hood to reveal long black hair, slicked back with three streaks of color running through it: blue on the right, orange in the middle, green on the left. He quietly approached the driver and opened his wallet.

“Morning, kid!” the driver gave him a friendly nod. “Where you headed to?”

“Professor Krane’s lab,” the boy replied simply, retrieving the appropriate amount of Pokédollars from his wallet and sliding them into the bus’ collection box.

“Ah, starting your first journey, are we?” the driver beamed.

The boy managed a small smile in return. “Yeah. It’s been a long time coming.”

“Well, just find yourself a seat and we’ll get you—”

DERAK MAGNUS KADIR!”

The boy paled as the booming, furious voice reached his ears. His gaze whipped over his shoulder to spot a dark-haired man in a business suit storming up to the bus stop as quickly as he could manage. Derak winced before opening his wallet and dumping the entirety of its contents into the collection box.

“Please, take everything I have, just shut the door and step on it!”

The driver took the hint, hurriedly pulling a lever and sealing the door before his foot slammed into the gas pedal. By the time Derak’s pursuer reached the bus stop, only a cloud of dust remained where the bus had once been. The bus—and the boy—were long gone.

The man bared his teeth in a snarl, stamping his foot into the sand. “Stupid, ungrateful child!”

***

About an hour later, the bus rolled up to a very different part of Orre. Gone was the desert surrounding Phenac City; in its place was a sprawling garden of lush bushes and towering trees, all surrounding a silver building that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a futuristic metropolis. Something resembling a Poké Ball was mounted on top of the building, split into segments that appeared to float independently from one another yet remained in a spherical shape. Derak cracked a small smile, taking in the sights of this place he had never been allowed to even look at before today.

“Trouble with your old man, kid? He sounded like a real winner.”

The driver’s casual question shook Derak from his state of wonder, a bitter frown crossing the boy’s lips. Being the bus’ sole passenger seemed to be a double-edged sword.

“…like you wouldn’t believe,” he replied flatly, turning his gaze back to the window. The driver appeared to take the hint, conducting the rest of the ride in silence.

At long last, the bus halted in its tracks, and the doors spread open once more. Derak stood up, slinging his sack over his shoulder as he made for the door. He uttered a “thanks” to the driver but did not stop for conversation, almost bounding out the door and onto the grassy path leading up to the laboratory. He took a deep breath, excitement invigorating his heart.

This was it. After all these years, after all the delays…the time had finally come.

Derak strode up to the lab, eyes darting about in search of some form of guidepost. After a few moments of investigation, he found one: a man in a white lab coat with a mop of brown hair. The task of trimming bushes currently held the man’s attention, however, forcing Derak to stop and frown. The amount of human interaction, he hoped, would be kept to a minimum, at least for now.

“Uh…excuse me? Sir?” Derak ventured, raising his free hand.

The man’s gaze turned to him, and he pushed up his spectacles with a kindly smile. “Hello, there! How can I help you?”

“Well, I’m looking for Professor Krane,” Derak explained. “I’d like to pick up a starter Pokémon.”

The man’s smile faded slightly as he put a hand to his chin.

“Hmm…I do happen to be the person you’re looking for,” Krane answered. “Unfortunately, I can’t seem to recall any starting Pokémon being scheduled for distribution today. May I have your name?”

The aspiring young trainer winced slightly. “…Derak.”

Krane blinked. “Derak? As in Derak Kadir, son of—”

Derak cut him off with a heavy, irritated sigh.

Yes, Professor. The same son of everyone’s favorite Pokémon-hating business jerk,” he said. “Can I have a Pokémon, please? I’d really like to get a journey started soon.”

“Well…I’d love to, but there’s a bit of an issue here,” Krane frowned. “You see, from what I know of your father, I can’t particularly imagine him as someone willing to let you have a journey. What did you do to convince him?”

Derak pursed his lips for a moment before speaking. “…he came around.”

The professor paused. He set his trimming tools aside before looking to Derak, sliding his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.

“…I see,” Krane said. “Well…I must admit, this is a bit of a difficult situation—”

“Professor, please!” Derak interrupted, his grip on the sack tightening. Krane’s eyes widened slightly at the desperation in the boy’s voice. “I can’t go back there. I can’t. I want to choose how I live my life and not be treated like dirt for it. I need a Pokémon. I need to get out of Orre. So…” he sighed. “Please, just…look the other way. Just this once.”

Krane paused for a moment, furrowing his brow in contemplation…and then smiled.

“Don’t worry,” the professor said, putting a reassuring hand on Derak’s shoulder. “You’re old enough to make this choice, parental permission or no. We’ll get you your Pokémon.”

A sigh of relief escaped Derak’s lips, his grip on his sack relaxing. “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Professor.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Krane smiled. “Now, if you’ll follow me.”

The professor led Derak into the laboratory, through the sliding glass doors and past all manner of white-coated scientists and jumpsuit-wearing Pokémon trainers. Derak took an excited breath in through his nose, doing his level best to maintain his composure. This was a dream come true.

Just outside, however, the cloaked traveler from the desert found his worn feet on the path to the HQ Lab. His hood lifted just enough to reveal two golden irises, both of which narrowed darkly.

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 2: Complications





Though the natural beauty outside the lab had drawn Derak’s attention in countless directions, the human-made technology inside fascinated him significantly less. He kept his gaze focused on Professor Krane as they went down the halls, occasionally casting a wary eye to other passing people.

Eventually, the two came upon another sliding door, this one built from metal. Krane slipped an ID card into the nearby scanner, and the doors drifted apart. Derak’s eyes went wide as his heart leapt.

Before him were several tables, three Pokéballs on each one: one with an orange upper half to its sphere, one with a green upper half, and one with a blue upper half.

“You picked a good time to start your journey, Derak,” Krane smiled at him. “Up until recently, we had only given out starter Pokémon from the Johto region. Now, we’ve expanded to include Pokémon from places like Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and more.”

“Like Unova?” Derak spoke up, looking to him with interest.

“Indeed,” Krane nodded. “The recent influx in young people like you who want to travel to other regions prompted us to make this change. But, come. There are quite a few Pokémon to choose fro—”

The lab shook for a moment.

As Krane and Derak regained their balance, the latter dropping his sack to the floor, a roar echoed from elsewhere in the building. The doors sealed the two inside, but the sounds of battle still ensued: bodies falling, blows landing, fires blazing, electricity crackling. Derak frowned worriedly; coming to the lab suddenly seemed like a poor decision on his part.

“What in the world is going on out there?!” Krane cried.

As if in answer, the door abruptly sprang off of its frame, tumbling to the floor with a resounding clang. In the doorway was none other than the red-cloaked figure from the desert, holding up a Poké Ball as a red beam retracted into the button on the center. His eyes trailed over to Derak, and lingered there for a moment.

“Finally,” he grunted. The man took a step forward, but Professor Krane stepped in his way.

“Whoever you are, there is nothing for you here!” Krane protested. “This is not the first time this facility has been attacked, and our guards will be escorting you from the premises!”

The man scoffed and took a swig from his canteen. “Your ‘guards’ have been too busy cleaning the floor with their faces to do anything of the sort. And my business is not with you.”

The intruder roughly shoved the professor aside, striding over towards Derak and quickly seizing the top of his head.

“Hey, what are you—?!”

“Silence!” the cloaked man spat. Two eyes of gold bore into Derak’s own for a moment, as if studying him…until, eventually, the man sneered. “The same look. Of course.”

Derak struggled to look at him. “What does that—”

“That’s not your concern,” the man cut him off again, abruptly shoving Derak onto the floor. The cloaked attacker plucked one Pokéball from his belt, lifting it up in a rigid motion. “Sigilyph…rise from the ashes!”

The Pokéball split open, releasing a flood of blinding white light that spilled into the air like liquid tossed from a glass. The mass of light soon took shape, coalescing into a vaguely avian silhouette until the light faded away, revealing an odd creature with a green spherical torso. Two yellowed and skeletal wings, each ending in blue-and-red tips, protruded from the torso’s upper sides, with a tail of similar construct to the wings emerging from the bottom. Both of the blank eyes dominating the torso locked on Derak, as did a third eye mounted on the black stalk atop the creature’s body.

“What in the—what is that?!” Derak gasped, instinctively stepping back closer to the tables.

The creature’s commander did not answer, instead pointing an almost accusing finger at Derak. “Sigilyph, use Air Slash!”

“Siij…” the strange minion droned, unblinking in its stare as it pulled its bony wings back, somehow stirring up a small gust of wind in the process. When it flapped those wings forward, the gust followed suit, morphing into a boomerang-like blades that homed in on Derak.

“Stop this! This is—” Prof. Krane began to object as he finally sprang to his feet, only for the hooded intruder to shove him back down again, falling unconscious as his head bounced against the floor.

Derak, meanwhile, let out a panicked yelp as he dove aside, the blade of wind tearing past him and into the table that had been behind him mere seconds ago. The wind blade punched through the table like a cannonball through wood, causing it to collapse in pieces and send the Pokéballs it once held scattering across the floor.

“What is your problem?!” Derak shrieked. One of the scattered Poké Balls began to wobble. “You’re trying to kill me! I haven’t—”

“Quiet!” the attacker snapped, raising a hand again. The wobbling Ball began to shake more violently. “Sigilyph, let us make sure this one does not miss. Use Shock Wave!”

Sigilyph’s body began to pulse with electricity, bolts arcing between the tips of its skeletal wings. A ring of lightning formed around the creature’s torso, threateningly pulsing as if about to explode. Just before it could fire, however, the wobbling Poké Ball burst open. A flood of light burst forth and landed at Derak’s feet, forming into a small simian shape. Once the light faded, the small monkey’s orange fur became clear, a flame on its rear igniting as its two grey eyes fixated on Sigilyph.

“Chim-char!” the monkey screeched, balling its tiny yellow hands into fists as it stood directly between Derak and Sigilyph.

“What the…? Are you—” Derak began, but a drone from his attacker’s Pokémon drew his attention back to the imminent onslaught. Sigilyph’s drone grew steadily louder, charge building up…

“Wait!”

And then it stopped. Sigilyph powered down, the electricity disappearing. The creature levitated back to its master’s side, the latter looking down at the fiery newcomer.

“I…suppose I should be giving you more of a chance, given the situation,” the hooded man admitted. “That Chimchar seems to want you to command it in battle against my Sigilyph.”

“Wait, really? Seriously?” Derak blinked, looking down at the monkey.

“Char!” Chimchar nodded without even glancing back at Derak. Its gaze was focused solely on the opposing Sigilyph.

“Hmm…a very determined expression,” the hooded man observed. “Sigilyph, prepare to use Future Sight. We will give this Chimchar the battle it craves.”

Sigilyph’s three eyes began to glow blue, its low drone returning. Derak looked down at Chimchar, then back up at his attackers, then finally back at the monkey again.

“Well, uh…okay? Not really how I thought this would go, but…” Derak pointed forward. “Use…uh, what was it called again…Air Slash!”

“…Char?” Chimchar uttered as it finally looked back at Derak, but only to express a confused stare.

“What, do you not know that move?” Derak asked, receiving a confirming nod from Chimchar. “Okay, how about…Shock Wave!”

The monkey still blinked.

“…Future Sight?”

Still nothing.

“Well, this was a mistake,” the hooded man sighed, putting a hand to his head. “Sigilyph, just fire the Future Sight and end this.”

The blue glow vanished from every one of Sigilyph’s eyes, and in an instant, a ray of blue light burst seemingly out of nowhere. This ray blasted Chimchar back, the small primate tumbling into a nearby wall.

“Chimchar!” Derak cried as he took a step towards the fallen Pokémon, but before he could get to it, Chimchar was back on its feet. It sported a bruise, but its determined expression remained. “Are—are you good to keep going?”

“Char!” the monkey nodded.

“Okay, uh…use…I don’t know, something! Anything that works!”

Chimchar took a deep breath, then exhaled violently, spitting forth a series of small flaming orbs. Each orb found its mark on Sigilyph’s body, but only caused its two lowermost eyes to squeeze shut in a wince of pain.

Meanwhile, Sigilyph’s trainer pursed his lips. “Hmm…curious. Sigilyph, one more Air Slash.”

Derak glanced worriedly at the splintered table, remembering the previous Air Slash’s handiwork. As Sigilyph flapped its skeletal wings, forming another blade of wind, Derak scrambled forth to put his body in front of Chimchar. The Air Slash fired, striking the boy in the chest and pushing him into the wall as well. Chimchar looked back at Derak’s beaten form, mouth agape and blinking in surprised confusion.

“Ugh…ow…that hurt,” Derak groaned as he pushed himself to his feet.

The cloaked man merely stared. Sigilyph hovered in place, awaiting further orders. Finally, after a few tense moments, the man sighed.

“Perhaps I have seen enough,” the man admitted. “Sigilyph, return.”

He pointed a Pokéball at his Pokémon, this one bearing the standard red-and-white coloration, and allowed it to fire a red beam from the button in its center. The beam enveloped Sigilyph, transforming it back into a formless light before absorbing it back into the ball.

“Wha…what happened?” Prof. Krane groaned, massaging his head as he finally awakened and locked eyes with the cloaked man. “You! What do you—”

“Enough,” the man interrupted, holding up a hand. He nodded over to Derak. “Is this boy to receive his first Pokémon?”

“Y-yes, but—”

“Give him Chimchar,” the man ordered.

“Chimchar? Why—” Krane began to object, but the former attacker cut him off once more.

“Do as I say,” he said flatly. With that, he turned and began to depart.

“H-hold on!” Krane cried. “You can’t barge in here, attack people, and then just—”

But the man was already gone.

“…walk away,” Krane finished with a sigh. “Well…at least it’s over. Are you all right, Derak?”

“Yeah, I think I’ll live,” the boy replied, rubbing the spot where the Air Slash had hit him. “No idea what in the world that was all about, though.”

“At any rate, I can assure you that the average Pokémon trainer’s journey won’t be so perilous,” Prof. Krane began. “And what about you, Chimchar? How are you feeling?”

“Char,” the monkey droned, its fiery determination replaced by a flat tone in its voice.

“I was afraid of that,” Krane hung his head with a sigh.

“Hey, you okay, little guy?” Derak asked, scooping Chimchar into his arms. “You did take a rough hit from that Future’s Blight or whatever that move was called.”

“Chimchar seems to be fine physically, but…well, emotionally is a different story,” Krane began. “The starters hear many things about Pokémon trainers during their daily exercises. Chimchar heard that many trainers treat their Pokémon as fighting machines, and assumed it was true. Because of that viewpoint, it refused to socialize with the other Pokémon, and focuses solely on fighting. It truly believes that its sole purpose is to be used to win battles on its trainer's behalf.”

“Wait, seriously?” Derak looked to the Chimchar in his arms. The monkey did not meet his gaze, instead staring at the ground. “Chimchar, you—okay, hold on. I’ve only been doing this training thing for a few minutes, but calling you ‘Chimchar’ over and over has already gotten old. I need to give you a name.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Krane nodded with a smile. “Perhaps that is the first step to reopening Chimchar’s mind and heart.”

Derak ignored Krane’s words as he gently set Chimchar on the floor and knelt down to its level.

“Let’s see…Blaze? No, that’s lame…Burner? No, that still sucks,” Derak muttered. “Wait, I’ve got it! How about ‘Wildfire’? What do you think?”

Chimchar only stared blankly at Derak.

“I think it fits quite well,” Krane said. “Now, would you like me to show you how to recall a Pokémon?”

“Saw the creep do it, I think I have a pretty good idea” Derak said. “Now, where did your ball get to…? Wait, here it is.”

After a moment of searching, Derak picked up the orange-and-white Pokéball and aimed it at the newly-named Wildfire.

“Return,” he said simply, and much like the Sigilyph from earlier, the orange-and-white ball absorbed its Chimchar occupant with the same red beam.

“Well done,” Krane said. “For someone so in the dark about Pokémon for so long, you seem to be quite a quick learner.”

“I guess,” Derak shrugged.

“Here,” Krane said, pulling a small orange device out of his pocket and handing it to Derak. “This is your P*DA, Orre’s signature tool for any Pokémon trainer. It has an expansive database cataloging every Pokemon currently discovered, as well as texting and e-mail capabilities.”

“This little thing?” Derak asked skeptically, noting that the P*DA more resembled a portable video gaming console than anything else.

“Indeed,” Krane nodded. “If I may, Derak, do you know what region you will be traveling to first?”

“Does it really matter?” Derak asked.

“Perhaps the Kanto region?” Krane suggested. “As Orre lacks a true Pokemon League of its own, Kanto—where Pokémon were first discovered—is a good choice for beginning trainers. A ship will be leaving Gateon Port for Kanto in a few hours. Let us go and get your trainer card made, and you will be able to begin your journey.”

Derak smirked, looking down at his new orange Pokéball.

“Can’t wait to go,” he said happily.

***

The cloaked man trudged through the woods outside the HQ Lab, stroking his chin in thought. Perhaps he had judged the boy too quickly. Blood, after all, did not guarantee one’s destiny.

Perhaps watching over the boy, observing his behaviors, would be the better course of action.

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 3: Steady Steps





The distinct smell of the ocean greeted Derak as he reached his first destination. With the burlap sack still on his back and his new orange Pokéball on his belt, he took a quick look around.

He was familiar with Gateon Port, his father having taken him along in the past to observe the practice of business dealings. The Krabby-shaped café was as much of a tourist attraction as it ever was, miscellaneous houses still dotted one side of the dock, ships of all sorts arrived and departed at whatever time they were required, and the towering ivory lighthouse still remained the town’s centerpiece. Even the same sailors were here, lounging outside the Krabby Café or dealing with their respective ships.

A cautious smile spread across Derak’s face. He was so close, now. So close to true freedom.

He took in a breath of the salty sea air and stepped into the port. Derak tucked his head down, pulling up his hood to conceal it, as he quietly drifted over to a railing that ran along the dock’s edge. Once there, he set his sack down for a moment as his eyes fell on the distant horizon and the vast possibilities that came with it. His smile grew a little more.

Derak leaned on the railing for a moment, then blinked when an idea crossed his mind. He picked his Pokéball off of his belt and opened it, his new Chimchar partner appearing atop the railing in a flash of light.

“Char!” it growled, fists clenched as it assumed a battle-ready posture.

“Hey, easy, Wildfire. We’re not battling right now,” Derak assured his Pokémon. Wildfire blinked, looking back at him with mild bewilderment as it adjusted its positioning on the railing. “So…you know what they say about—how does it go again—stopping to smell the roses?”

Wildfire simply stared.

“Well, it’s like…I think the gist of it is basically ‘life’s no fun if you don’t take your time to enjoy it’ or…something like that,” Derak explained. “I mean, look at this ocean. It’s huge, right? And it’s really nice to look at, too. But, if you’re zeroing in on this one goal like it’s all that matters in life, then…well, you’ll just rush by stuff like this. And you’ll miss it. You get what I’m saying, right?”

His Pokémon only blinked in confusion. Derak frowned.

“Uh…okay…well, how about this? Maybe we can get to know each other a little bit? I mean, we’re probably going to be hanging around each other for a long time, right?” he continued. “So…one thing about me is that I like honesty. Basically, I like to hit people over the head with what they’re doing wrong, or tell people flat-out what they’re doing right.”

Wildfire continued to stare. Derak took this as his cue to speak further.

“And…I think honesty’s important for a relationship,” he said. “So, on that note…something I want to bring up while we’re here is a bit of honesty about you and me. See, the truth is…when I went into Professor Krane’s lab, I wasn’t expecting to get you as my first Pokémon. I mean, not that I’m not okay with having you or anything! It’s just—my original plan was for a specific Pokémon that was more leafy, but hey, I’m totally happy with having you instead.”

The Chimchar in question only broke its blank face long enough to blink. None of the reactions Derak had expected—pain, joy, relief—were even hinted at. He frowned, reaching into his pocket for his new P*DA.

“Okay, plan C,” he sighed. He opened up the device, poking at random buttons for a moment. “Professor Krane said there was a Strategy Memo in here that gives people information about a Pokémon, so let’s see what we get about you.”

Wildfire continued to stare as its trainer pointed the device at it, the monkey’s confusion steadily growing as a synthesized voice droned from the P*DA.

Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon. Fire-type. The flame on its tail is made from gas that burns in its belly, and only goes out when Chimchar sleeps. If the flame burns weakly, it means that Chimchar is sick.

Now it was Derak’s turn to blink, looking down at his P*DA. “That’s…helpful for situations that are not this one. Great.”

“You will rarely find such in-depth information from a real Pokédex, let alone its Orre equivalent.”

The new voice made Derak’s blood run cold, and even the persistently-stoic Wildfire bared its teeth at the intruder. Derak whipped around to find the cloaked assailant from the HQ Lab standing behind them. Both his hands, rather than repeating their past aggressive gestures, had simply been stowed in the pockets of his cloak.

“Oh, no—Wildfire, forget what I said earlier, I guess we are battling now!” Derak cried.

Wildfire leapt onto the ground before its trainer, fists clenched and ready, but the cloaked man simply held up a hand.

“Enough,” he flatly. “I was…admittedly hasty earlier.”

“Just ‘hasty’?” Derak snapped. “You had your Sigilyph try and kill me and Wildfire here!”

Though little of the man’s face escaped the shroud of his hood, his nostrils visibly flared at the mention of Wildfire’s nickname. Still, he continued to speak.

“Yes…I did send my Pokémon to attack you. As I said, I acted in haste,” the cloaked attacker sighed. “In your eyes, I saw the glimmer of reckless and selfish ambition…something I’ve grown to detest very deeply. But you also took a blow that was meant for your Chimchar, despite having no reason whatsoever to do so.”

“Yeah? So I care about Pokémon,” Derak retorted. “Where are you going with this?”

“What I wish at this moment is not to bring you harm…but to observe you,” the man stated. “I would like to travel alongside you on your journey.”

“You—what?!” Derak balked. Even Wildfire blinked in utter confusion. “Hold on, back up! You’ve gone from trying to kill me to suddenly wanting to hang out. Why would I buy into this?”

“A fair sentiment,” the cloaked man nodded. “But consider this…the life of a trainer traveling alone may be a risky see-saw between feast and famine. With a partner—a human partner—you may have fallbacks.”

He withdrew one hand from the pocket of his cloak, taking with it a handful of Pokédollars and holding them up to Derak’s line of sight.

“I’ve got—” Derak began, fumbling for his own wallet but cutting himself off with a pause; he had spent the last of his money ensuring that the bus from Phenac City to the HQ lab was a speedy trip. The boy grimaced, heaving a sigh of resignation. “…all right, fine. If you can pay for what I can’t afford, you can come along.”

“Pragmatic, I see. Very good,” the man nodded. “Rest assured, you need do no more than allow me to accompany you. All I ask is that you be yourself, so that I may obser—”

“THERE YOU ARE!”

Derak quickly went pale as his father stormed onto the scene, pinstripe suit stained with sweat and face beet red.

“You’ve caused me a lot of trouble today, you ungrateful brat! AND WHAT IS THAT THING DOING NEXT TO YOU?!” he spat, pointing one shaking finger at Wildfire.

The hooded man looked over at Derak. “Is this man your father?”

Derak slowly nodded.

“My condolences.”

“Who are you supposed to be?!” Mr. Kadir roared, turning his finger on the hooded man. “Get away from my son! He’s coming back home with me!”

“Hmm…I think not,” the hooded figure said, calmly opening a Pokéball. “Torkoal, use Smokescreen.”

A squinting orange-skinned tortoise with a charcoal shell appeared from the man’s Pokéball and, before Derak’s father could react, took a deep breath and exhaled a thick black smoke from its nostrils. The smog quickly obscured Derak and his apparent rescuer, and by the time the smoke cleared, both of them were gone.

“Gah! Stupid child!” Mr. Kadir snapped, stomping his foot.

***

Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. Fire-type. It burns coal inside its shell for energy, and many can be found digging for coal in abandoned mines. It blows out black soot if endangered.

“Not to mention if someone else is in danger,” Derak remarked, tucking his P*DA away and looked up to the hooded man. Wildfire, standing by the boy’s side, followed his gaze. “So, uh…thanks, I guess. For helping me out, I mean.”

“Think nothing of it,” the man shook his head. “It would hardly benefit me if I allowed your very belligerent parent to take what he wanted.”

Derak narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Uh…huh. Well, anyway…I don’t suppose you have a name I can call you by?”

The man smirked. “I am no one. Merely a simple vagabond trapped in his past.”

“Um…okay?” Derak shrugged. “Mr. Vagabond it is, then.”

“Hmph. Call me what you will,” the newly-dubbed Mr. Vagabond snorted. “At any rate, I see an opportunity for you to repay me for pulling you out of your father’s grasp.”

He pointed at a poster on the nearby wall. Derak scooped Wildfire up into his arms and stepped over to read it.

“Let’s see…huh. ‘Get some experience for your journey’, I’m with you so far…hold on,” Derak finished. “You seriously want me to enter a tournament that’s being held on this ship? Did you not see how my last shot at battling went?”

“You were not facing an opponent who was your equal,” Mr. Vagabond pointed out. “I wish to see how you perform when the circumstances are different.”

“Don’t waste your time entering the tournament.”

The newcomer’s voice drew Derak’s attention to a brown-jacketed girl around his age who approached them with arms folded. Her blonde hair, cut so that it reached only the top of her neck, was held in place by a green headband matched to camouflage-patterned pants.

“Er…what?” Derak blinked.

“Look at the way you’re holding your Chimchar,” she said, pointing to Wildfire. “You’re cradling it like it’s your baby or something.”

“…and?”

“Sheesh, do I have to spell it out for you?” the girl snapped. “Pokémon aren’t your pets. The only way to safely work with Pokémon is to control them like the wild animals they are.”

Mr. Vagabond, however, merely smirked as he leaned back on the wall, observing the two’s exchange.

“Man, who put a cactus in your undies?” Derak recoiled. “Why can’t I just do my thing while you do your thing?”

“Because ‘your thing’ is wrong,” the girl growled, turning on her heel and storming off. “Hope you’re ready to lose in that tournament!”

Wildfire blinked, looking up at Derak as it felt him clutch it closer to him.

“…I really want to punch that girl,” he said flatly.

“You might not be able to do exactly that,” Mr. Vagabond advised, “but entering the tournament will certainly give you the chance to punish her in a different way.”

Derak narrowed his eyes. “Where do I sign up?”

***

The ship began to depart the port, sounding a loud horn as it advanced forward. Many adults waved to the ship, wishing their children well on their respective Pokémon journeys. Younger siblings jumped up and down, begging their elders to write them letters or call their houses. Even the occasional Pokémon said farewell in its own fashion, some breathing fire and others sparkling with electricity.

All the excitement blinded the people to a dark, shapeless mass that bounded out of the forest, ricocheted off several buildings, and latched onto the very rear of the ship’s hull. Nobody who noticed the mass remain there said anything about it: they assumed that it was simply rust that no one ever got around to cleaning, or perhaps an aftereffect from a past Pokémon battle. Either way, no one noticed the mass slowly inch up the hull of the ship, getting closer and closer to the top level.

***

Moments later, a menagerie of young trainers gathered on the deck of the ship, ample space provided for Pokémon battles. Crew members and tourists joined the audience, sharing snacks and drinks they had prepared for the festivities. One crew member, a stewardess in a short dress, spoke into a microphone.

“Welcome, everyone!” she said. “To celebrate this new crop of young Orre trainers taking their first steps into the world of Pokémon, we’ve prepared this tournament to give them a little taste of what they have to look forward to. Our first contender is from Pyrite Town! Please, give a warm welcome to Melissa Armare!”

The blonde girl from earlier took one side of the improvised arena, clicking her boot on the ground as she stood at attention.

“And her opponent will be from shining Phenac City, and…well, uh, he only put down his first name on the form, so give it up for Derak!”

The boy in question took his place opposite Melissa, who offered him a fresh sneer.

“No regard for authority, huh?” she snapped.

“Not if it’s authority like yours,” Derak retorted.

The stewardess grinned. “Ooh, looks like we already have rivals on our hands! Let’s see how this goes!”

“Let’s just get this started,” Melissa growled, readying a Pokéball that bore a green upper half as opposed to Wildfire’s orange. “Chespin, report for duty!”

A small creature, standing at just over a foot tall, emerged from Melissa’s ball, sporting tan skin and brown arms as it stood atop pointed feet. Its head seemed to be surrounded by what looked like a spiky green hood, which stretched down its back and ended in an orange-tipped tail. The Pokémon opened its mouth to yawn, revealing buck teeth and a small orange nose.

Chespin,” Derak’s Strategy Memo identified, “the Spiky Nut Pokémon. Grass-type. The quills on Chespin’s head are usually soft, but when it flexes them, the points become hard and sharp enough to pierce rock. This shell can grow so thick and tough that a direct hit from a truck would not phase it.

“Huh. All right, then,” Derak prepared his own Pokéball. “Wildfire, let’s go!”

Wildfire appeared on the field, immediately looking to Derak. The boy nodded.

“Yep,” he said. “This time, we are battling.”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded, clenching its fists and staring down Melissa’s Chespin.

“Of course you named it,” Melissa rolled her eyes.

Meanwhile, the stewardess lifted up a pair of flags. “Derak’s Chimchar, Wildfire, against Melissa’s Chespin! Begin the match!”

“Chespin, use Growl!” Melissa ordered.

Immediately, Chespin bared its buck teeth and snarled at Wildfire, who blinked in confusion and took a single step back.

“Now, follow up with Vine Whip!”

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Derak interjected. “Wildfire, use Ember!”

Green, tentacle-like vines emerged from Chespin’s back and lashed out at Wildfire, only for the Chimchar to spit forth its trademark flurry of small fiery orbs. Rather than striking at their intended target, Chespin’s vines were forced to whip through the fireballs, nullifying both attacks.

“Here’s what happens when you actually train your Pokémon!” Melissa snapped. “Chespin, use Rollout!”

Derak balked at the presence of a third move in Chespin’s arsenal. Melissa’s Pokémon curled up into a green ball of spikes before spinning rapidly, rolling across the arena floor and directly towards Wildfire. Before the monkey could react, the rolling Chespin slammed into its body, knocking the Chimchar to the ground. Chespin began to pick up speed, wheeling around for another assault.

“Quick, dodge it!”

Wildfire leapt aside, forcing Chespin to unfold itself and return to a more bipedal posture. Mr. Vagabond nodded approvingly.

“Very good,” he said to himself. “The boy’s true strength shines when against an opponent on an even playing field…and, what’s more, he handles himself quite well for someone with even less experience than the average trainer. Perhaps that is where his bloodline comes into play.”

Chespin scowled at Wildfire, baring its teeth. Wildfire returned the stare, fists clenched once again. The crowd leaned onto the edge of their seats, anticipating the next move with baited breath.

But no one would get to see that next move.

The dark mass that had latched on the ship gained a sudden burst of speed as it rocketed overhead, landing in the battlefield like a meteor striking the earth. Once this impact was established, the dark mass faded, revealing a Pokémon underneath.

The Pokémon had a dominantly purple body, sprouting four brown paws and a brown head to match. A small purple tail grew from this Pokémon’s backside, but the most noticeable feature was on this Pokémon’s face. The facial features were tan, and had a large mustache that extended into two long protrusions that rested on either side of the Pokémon. A strange darkness was in this creature’s eyes as it gnashed its teeth at the present trainers, drooling hungrily.

“Whoa, what the heck?” Derak sputtered as the Pokémon snarled at him.

Stoutland,” Derak’s Memo stated, “the Big-Hearted Pokémon. Evolved form of Herdier. Normal-type. Stoutland is a valued member of rescue teams because of its wisdom and valor. There is so little concern about Stoutland ever attacking humans that it is sometimes even seen baby-sitting.

“That doesn’t look like something I’d want watching my baby,” Melissa growled.

“If there’s anything you and I can agree on,” Derak remarked, “that’s probably it.”

Mr. Vagabond, meanwhile, had gone pale upon seeing Stoutland. His hands began to shake, his eyes widened, his jaw hung loosely. A flood of memories rushed into his mind, none of them ones he felt like reliving.

“It…it can’t be,” the man mumbled nervously.

“Koal?” Torkoal said, worriedly pointing its seemingly blind eyes in its trainer’s direction. What was even more worrisome, however, was the intruding creature that was threatening the passengers.

With one final glare, Stoutland opened its mouth wide. A ball of purple energy began to form, gathering particles of dark power from the air around it. Stoutland lurched its head downward, and the ball became destruction incarnate.

The ball of darkness transformed into a colossal beam of destruction, tearing through each level of the ship like a bullet through glass. Everything caught in the blast, be it living or otherwise, was incinerated or torn to shreds in a matter of seconds. Once the beam had ruptured the ship, it dug into the ocean floor, stirring up a torrent of dirt that scattered whatever wild water Pokemon were not killed by the ensuing blast.

With a gaping hole in the ship, Stoutland let out a bone-chilling howl of victory, energy gathering around it and transforming it into a shapeless dark mass once more. The dark mass catapulted itself through a group of trainers and into the ocean, where most aboard the ship hoped that it would remain for the rest of its days. All the while, the cloaked man stared blankly at where Stoutland went, lost in a sea of memories.

Meanwhile, the ship began to groan and tilt as water flooded inside the lower levels. Every minute that the ship remained, more water overtook a level. A man in a blue suit and a white cap, evidently the captain, took command.

“Everyone, return your Pokémon and gather around!” the captain cried. “This ship was named the S.S. Wailord for a reason!”

Derak recalled Wildfire as the cloaked man, finally coming back to reality, returned his Torkoal. The captain threw down a Pokéball, and everyone hoped for the best.

***

The ship slowly sank into oblivion, the ocean claiming it as its prize. Even so, there were many who had survived Stoutland’s beam of death and lived to tell about it. The crew, passengers, and various Pokémon all sat aboard a large blue whale-like Pokémon with a white underbelly and beady eyes.

“Full speed ahead, Wailord,” the former ship’s captain commanded. “We’re almost to Kanto.”

“Waaaaeeee,” Wailord groaned, revealing enormous flat teeth.

Derak, having little else to do with his time, pulled out his P*DA and analyzed the Pokémon he was riding.

Wailord,” the Strategy Memo began, “the Float Whale Pokémon. Evolved form of Wailmer. Water-type. Wailord is said to be the world’s largest Pokémon, and it is popular among tourists as a result. Wailord watching is a favorite sightseeing activity in various parts of the world.

Wailord’s entry only answered minor queries, however. In the end, Derak had one question that no one could truly answer:

“What in the world just happened?”

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 4: Resolve





Wailord reached land roughly a half-hour later, and with a bit of difficulty, the remaining passengers departed. Derak was one of the first ones off, sliding off of the Float Whale Pokemon and planting his feet back on solid ground. Mr. Vagabond followed, as did Melissa Armare.

“Can someone explain to me what just happened?” Derak asked of no one in particular. “Because I’m pretty sure we almost just got killed by a crazy Stoutland.”

“I’m pretty sure you just answered your own question,” Melissa sneered. “That Stoutland is a definite threat, and someone has to stop it.”

“What, like you?” Derak scoffed. “I don’t think most people want their day to be saved by a total jerk.”

Melissa simply glared at him and walked away. Mr. Vagabond shook his head, yet failed to hide a smirk.

“Good to see you taking a stand on something you believe in,” he said. “Now, let us see how you fare in the Pokémon League.”

Derak blinked. “Yeah, uh…how exactly does that work?”

“That belligerent father of yours really sheltered you that much?” Mr. Vagabond snorted.

“Yeah, he did,” Derak shrugged. “So sue me.”

“Very well,” Mr. Vagabond sighed. “Every trainer seeking entry into each region’s individual League must obtain eight badges from the various Gyms dotted around the region. Defeat each Gym Leader, and they will give you a badge. Before any of this, however, a trainer must register for the League at any Pokémon Center or regional Lab. And here in Pallet Town is where we can find the Kanto region’s particular Lab. It should be fairly easy to find.”

Derak shrugged. “All right. Let’s go, then.”

***

While Derak and his cloak-wearing elder began their journey through the Kanto region, Orre had concerns of its own. High atop a mountain, a man in a dark purple suit sat at his desk, brow furrowed and hands clasped together. He stroked his black goatee as his long, equally-black ponytail hung limply behind his head.

“Run that by me once more,” the man sighed. “What exactly happened to the S.S. Wailord?”

“Well…it’s difficult to describe, Governor,” a secretary said nervously, eyes shifting uncomfortably; she knew how Orre’s governor could get if something went wrong, even if his campaign advertisements always said exactly what the people wanted to hear. “Eyewitnesses reported that a strange Stoutland somehow leapt onto the ship out of nowhere before using an unknown attack to destroy the ship from the inside-out. Most of the passengers survived thanks to the captain’s Wailord, but the ship itself is at the bottom of the ocean.”

“I see,” said the governor, a glint of interest in his eyes. “Contact the recovery crew. Tell them that I want to see the results of their findings.”

“Governor Draykus…?” the secretary said in bewilderment.

“I wish to see for myself what this Stoutland was capable of,” Draykus said as he stood up, casting an intimidating shadow over his secretary. “And I wish to see it as soon as possible.”

“Of…of course, Governor,” the secretary stammered.

***

As it would turn out, the Lab was indeed quite visible, being a house that towered over the suburban Pallet Town atop a large grassy hill. As Derak and Mr. Vagabond ascended the hillside, the former took note of a slowly-spinning windmill beside the house. Derak knocked on the front door, and a man answered, wearing a white lab coat over a red shirt and tan pants. He gave a kind smile as he smoothed his graying hair.

“Ah, hello there!” the professor greeted. “I’m Professor Oak. May I help you with anything?”

“Uh, hi, I’d like to register for Kanto’s Pokémon League?” Derak ventured.

“Ah, of course! Welcome to Kanto!” Oak smiled, glancing over to Mr. Vagabond. “And what of your friend here?”

“I am of no consequence,” Mr. Vagabond shook his head. “Merely an observer and friend to this boy.”

Derak was about to object to being called the vagabond’s friend, but Professor Oak spoke first.

“I see!” he said. “In any case, do come in. I’ll get your young friend all squared away.”

The professor led the two inside his rather cozy abode, but almost immediately after entering, a massive blob oozed out of nowhere and promptly smothered him.

“Oh, not again!” Derak cried. He and Mr. Vagabond both reached for a Pokéball on each trainer’s belt, but Oak—albeit with difficulty—held up a hand to stop them.

“No, no, it’s fine!” the professor explained, pushing some of the purple blob off of him. “I take care of the Pokémon owned by a number of Pallet Town’s trainers, and this Muk is one of them. Now, Muk, please get off! We’ve been over this countless times by now!”

“Muuuk! Muk, muk,” the blob yelped in a guttural voice, reluctantly peeling itself off of Prof. Oak and oozing away.

“Ah, thank you, that’s better,” the professor cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. “Now, then, young man, what was your name?”

Derak, however, was busy pointing his P*DA at the retreating Muk.

Muk,” the Strategy Memo reported, “the Sludge Pokémon. Evolved form of Grimer. Poison-type. It emits a smell that makes noses scrunch up, and a toxic fluid seeps from its body. This fluid kills plants and trees immediately on contact.

It took Derak a moment to stop his open-mouthed stare long and respond to the professor’s question. “Huh? Oh…uh…I’m Derak.”

“Well, Derak,” Oak began, “if you’ll come with me, I’ll get you registered for the Kanto League.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” the boy replied, tucking his P*DA away and following the professor out of the room, shuddering in fear and disgust once Oak’s back was turned.

Mr. Vagabond, meanwhile, happened to glance at a nearby television set. Without waiting for an invitation, he picked up the remote and flipped through several channels. After finding several unsatisfactory programs, he eventually settled on a channel.

“…and we’re back with World News,” the newscaster said. “We have a breaking news bulletin! An Orre region passenger ship, the S.S. Wailord, spontaneously sank halfway through its trip to the Kanto region. Orre governor Nathaniel Draykus had this to say.”

An image of Draykus appeared on the screen, standing before what appeared to be his office.

“Thank you,” Draykus said. The moment he heard Draykus’ voice, Mr. Vagabond’s eyes widened so much that they bulged out of his skull, and he wandered over to the television as if in a trance. “I want to let you all know that we are looking into the cause of the destruction, and we have identified it to be the work of some rogue Pokémon. I can assure you all that I, nor anyone in the Orre region under my command, will not rest until this Pokémon is brought to justice.”

The cloaked man stared at Draykus, hand slowly closing into a fist once again. His lips parted into a snarl, and his eyes narrowed with loathing.

“So…you live as well,” he growled.

A few moments later, Derak and Professor Oak returned.

“Okay, I’m all set for—hold on, what’s the matter with you?” Derak asked of Mr. Vagabond. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I…suppose, in a sense, I have,” the cloaked man replied with a sigh. “If you are finished here, then so am I.”

“All right, then,” Derak shrugged, offering Prof. Oak a limp wave of the hand as a farewell before leaving the Lab, Mr. Vagabond in tow.

“Best of luck on your travels, you two!” Oak waved to them as they departed.

As the two travelers headed outside, Derak could hear a faint squelching noise behind him. Looking back to see Muk envelop Professor Oak once again, Derak shuddered once more.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said hurriedly. “Where to next?”

“There,” Mr. Vagabond pointed to a wood a short distance away. “Viridian Forest. We will reach Kanto’s first Gym by passing through there.”

“Sounds good to me,” Derak nodded, and with Mr. Vagabond in tow, he ventured into the forest.

***

Back at Kanto’s shores, a dark shape prowled under the glistening water, slowly nearing land. As the shape reached the shoreline, one brown paw burst out of the water, followed by the rest of Stoutland’s body. The supposedly Big-Hearted Pokémon then transformed once again into a dark mass of energy, leaping across the roofs of Pallet Town and soaring deep into Viridian Forest.

***

Anoch Kadir’s office starkly contrasted the rest of Phenac City’s clean splendor. The room was littered with the results of a childish tantrum, papers and books scattered across the floor. Derak’s father slammed his forehead into his desk, a clear indicator of his frustration.

“Why does that boy not listen to me?!” Anoch grumbled. “I’ve done everything a single father can possibly do!”

He then heard several knocks at the door.

“What is it?!” he bellowed.

“Sir?” a voice said. “I’m here as you requested.”

“Oh, Spire,” Anoch said. “Come in.”

A man in his early twenties with spiky black hair entered the room. Like Anoch, he wore a business suit, although his was a fiery red rather than a plain black, sporting a navy blue tie. He gave a respectful nod to Anoch upon entering the room.

“Nice to see someone on my side right about now,” Anoch sighed.

“Nice to be on your side,” Spire replied. “I’ve been your lawyer for almost ten years, now, and I don’t intend to stop now.”

“Good to know,” Anoch said. “I’ve notified the Kanto police force about Derak, so all that remains is for you to put your miracle-working skills to work. I’ve never lost a case in which I’ve had you as my lawyer, all because of that hobby of yours…what was it again?”

Spire smiled and pulled a leather wallet out of his pocket. The wallet fell open, revealing a golden eye-shaped badge with the word “PRIVATE” above it, and the identifying name of “NICK SPIRE” underneath the eye.

“Part lawyer, part private investigator!” Spire declared. “That’s how I was able to gather materials for all your cases…by using my detective skills.”

“And boy, have they helped me,” Anoch sighed. “Can those ‘detective skills’ bring back my son?”

“Of course,” Spire nodded. “I haven’t failed a case yet, and I don’t plan to start now.”

“Good,” Anoch nodded. “Since the S.S. Wailord was destroyed, you’ll need to find a new ship to take you to Kanto.”

“I’ll get on that right away, sir,” Spire nodded.

“Good luck, Spire,” Anoch sighed.

Spire nodded and left the office. Once he left the building altogether, he sighed.

“I’ve been your lawyer for years,” Spire said to himself. “That doesn’t mean I always agree with your methods…especially how you handled raising Derak.”

He reached into his other pocket, pulling out four Pokéballs that he clipped onto his belt in short order.

“Besides,” he said, “I don’t need a ship to reach Kanto. Braviary, close the case!”

A large avian Pokemon emerged from Spire’s Pokéball. It spread its broad red wings, exposing its purple underside, as it flexed its yellow talons. Its shook its white head, snapping its yellowed beak in anticipation. Spire climbed aboard this Pokemon’s back, which the latter took to with a content look despite the fact that its trainer was a foot taller than it was.

“Braviary, use Fly!” Spire ordered. “Next stop, Kanto!”

Braviary squawked as it flapped its wings, taking both it and its trainer into the sky.

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 5: Shadows of Viridian Forest




Following their visit to Oak’s Lab, Derak and Mr. Vagabond traversed Viridian Forest, surrounded by naught but trees and Pokémon. Various bug-like Pokémon crawled about, skittering across the forest floor or ascending the bark of the trees. Some even flew through the air, buzzing excitedly above the trainers’ heads.

“Sure are a lot of bug-looking Pokémon here,” Derak observed.

“Yes,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “This forest is famous for them.”

A small yellow worm with stubby pink legs inched into their path, prompting the trainers to stop. The worm looked up at them with its two tiny black eyes, both of which rested above a large pink nose. Above the eyes was a large white spike, which matched the spike on this Pokémon’s tail.

“Hey, there,” Derak greeted in an unusually friendly tone that prompted Mr. Vagabond to raise a brow. “What’s your name?”

Without waiting for the Pokémon to answer, he drew out his P*DA.

Weedle,” the Strategy Memo identified, “the Hairy Pokémon. Bug and Poison-type. It fends off attackers using the sharp stinger on its head. It hides in grass and bushes, where it eats its weight in leaves every day.

“Don’t move!” a girl’s voice cried, and a ten-year-old girl with green hair tied into pigtails came running onto the scene. “All right, Weedle, I’ve got you this time!”

She pulled a Pokéball from a pocket, which was somewhat difficult to find on her faded orange dress, and promptly threw it at Weedle. The Pokéball struck Weedle in the head, but rather than simply leave a bruise there, the Pokéball floated into the air, hovering there as it split open. Weedle then transformed into a red energy that was sucked into the open Pokéball, trapped inside upon the Pokéball’s closing. The ball fell to the ground, shook three times, and made a “ping” sound.

“Yes!” the girl cried, picking up her Pokéball and holding it up as high as she could. “I caught a Weedle!”

She stood in that pose for a few moments, leading Derak and Mr. Vagabond to look at one another in confusion. Finally, Derak ventured a question.

“Is there a point to posing like that?” he asked.

“Yep,” the girl replied cheerfully. “It makes me look awesome.”

“Looks kind of corny to me,” Derak shrugged.

“Whatever works for you,” the girl shrugged. “Hey, you’re Derak, right? I saw you battle on the S.S. Wailord! Your Chimchar was really strong!”

“Whatever,” Derak sighed. Mr. Vagabond simply leaned against a tree and watched as their conversation progressed.

Just seconds ago, Derak was unusually outgoing towards that Weedle, thought the cloaked man. The girl brought his normal demeanor back…because she is human. This could be worthy of note.

“Oh, by the way, I’m Sarah Webb from Gateon Port,” the girl said, holding out her hand. “I’m from Orre, too.”

“That’s nice,” Derak said somewhat insincerely, notably not shaking the offered hand. “Mr. Vagabond over there is with me,” he added, gesturing to the cloaked man who gave Sarah a brief nod of acknowledgement. “So, you’re going through Viridian Forest, too?”

“Sort of,” Sarah replied. “I’m mostly sticking around to catch some Bug-type Pokémon, like that Weedle you saw earlier. You see, I’m a really huge fan of Bug Pokémon.”

“Really?” Derak said, this time with actual curiosity.

“Yep!” Sarah nodded. “I want to prove that just because they aren’t the prettiest Pokémon doesn’t mean that people should be so afraid of them.”

“So, what, you want to win the Kanto League with just Bug-types?” Derak asked.

“Pretty much,” Sarah replied. “With a few exceptions, of course. Squirtle, come on out!”

Sarah produced a blue Pokéball and released a turtle-like Pokémon with blue skin and a perfectly round head in addition to a club-like tail. Its shell had a tan underbelly matched with a brown back, and unlike what one expected of a turtle, this red-eyed Pokémon stood on its hind legs.

“Squirtle, squirt!” the Pokémon grunted, proudly pointing its forelegs at its hips as if they were hands.

Squirtle,” the Memo identified, “the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Water-type. When it feels threatened, it draws its limbs into its shell. It then sprays water with vigorous force.

“I chose Squirtle as my starter because it’s commonly used by the firefighting community,” Sarah continued. “Seeing as the number one danger to Bug Pokémon is forest fires, I want to be able to protect Bug Pokémon wherever I go. Speaking of which, how about a battle?”

“Seriously?” Derak sighed. “We literally just met, in a setting where people are not expected to battle…and you want to battle?”

“Battling is the best way to get to know someone,” Sarah smiled. “It’ll be my Squirtle against your Chimchar, okay?”

“Fine, fine,” Derak sighed, preparing Wildfire’s Pokéball. Before he could summon the Chimp Pokemon, however, a tremendous explosion of dark purple lightning burst from a nearby area of the forest. “What the heck was that?!”

“I don’t know, but we should check it out,” Sarah said. “Pokémon might need our help!”

“Sounds like a good reason to me!” Derak responded.

The two young trainers dashed in the direction of the explosion, Mr. Vagabond following. He already had a hunch as to the cause of the explosion, but there was only one way to be sure. Once the group reached the explosion site, however, the two children gasped. Mr. Vagabond merely narrowed his eyes.

Befitting the results of an explosion, debris was strewn everywhere. Various Pokémon of all forms had fallen to the ground, covered in burn marks. A large patch of scorched earth indicated where the lightning had struck.

“Pee…peee,” whimpered a small green worm with a red ‘Y’ on its forehead, its yellow underbelly dotted with scars and its green nose badly bruised. Only one of its large yellow-and-black eyes was open, the other squeezed shut from the intense pain.

“Oh, no!” Sarah cried, gently scooping the small green worm into her arms. “Are you okay?”

“He’s got burns all over his body, what do you think?!” Derak frantically snapped, opening his P*DA. “Hang on, let me see if I can find something to help the little guy.”

Caterpie,” the Strategy Memo stated, “the Worm Pokémon. Bug-type. It grows by molting repeatedly, and its short feet are tipped with suction pads that allow it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls. For protection, it releases a horrible stench from the red antennae on its head to repel enemies.

“Maybe I should just stop trying to use this thing to find relevant information,” Derak sighed as he tucked the P*DA away. He knelt down to Caterpie’s level. “It’s okay, little guy. We’re going to get you some medical attention as soon as we can, all right?”

“Peee,” Caterpie said weakly, looking at Derak and Sarah in turn.

“We should move quickly,” Mr. Vagabond suggested. “Stoutland will not have gone far from this location.”

“Stoutland?” Sarah asked. “You mean that scary Stoutland that destroyed the S.S. Wailord?”

“The very same,” Mr. Vagabond nodded.

“How do you know Stoutland did all this?” Derak asked.

“Trust me, I just know,” Mr. Vagabond stated abruptly. “We need to move as soon as—”

A beam of darkness blazed past the three, however, signifying the end of their time to flee. With a primal snarl, Stoutland burst out of the trees, knocking several of the wooden giants flat onto the forest floor with a simple bump. The strange Normal-type growled viciously at the trio, slaver leaking out of its fanged mouth.

“Go,” Mr. Vagabond said. “I will keep Stoutland occupied.”

“You sure you can beat—” Derak began, but Mr. Vagabond cut him off.

“No, but you will not be capable of performing much better!” Mr. Vagabond snapped. “Now, go! Viridian City is not far, you can heal Caterpie there!”

“Good luck!” Sarah said as she and Derak fled. Mr. Vagabond, meanwhile, stared down Stoutland. The feral canine barked angrily, its voice hoarse as if from constant yelling.

“Believe me…I did not wish it to have to come to this,” Mr. Vagabond said. “But, you leave me with no other choice.”

Stoutland continued to gnash its teeth, paying no heed to Mr. Vagabond’s words. In a Pokéball’s flash of light, the cloaked man’s chosen Pokémon—a sasquatch-like behemoth bearing yellow fur with black stripes—appeared beside him. Its crimson eyes narrowed as it grinned a wide, toothy grin, twin black tails lashing at the ground in anticipation of a battle.

“Electivire, Rock Tomb!” Mr. Vagabond yelled.

Electivire clenched its black-fingered hands into fists, and as it did so, the earth itself rose up around Stoutland, imprisoning it within a circle of stone. The Normal-type, however, had an attack of its own prepared. It formed a ball of darkness in front of its mouth, and then launched that ball like a missile aimed directly at Electivire. Stoutland’s attack obliterated Electivire’s Rock Tomb, powering through and slamming into the behemoth’s chest.

Stoutland was not finished there, however. Purple electricity began to crackle around Stoutland’s body, and a bolt of dark lightning shot into the air. The bolt curved forward, bearing down on Electivire, but the Thunderbolt Pokémon simply stood in place, confident that it could take the blast. Instead of the expected electrical absorption, however, Electivire suddenly felt a rush of pain as the dark lightning coursed throughout its body, the Electric-type letting out an agonized scream.

“That’s…impossible!” Mr. Vagabond gasped as Electivire fell to the ground, convulsing with dark electricity crackling through its body.

Stoutland gave a ferocious snarl, charging its body with energy once more. The shaggy dog again transformed into a dark mass, rocketing into the air and bounding through the trees. Mr. Vagabond made as if to chase after it, but stopped, realizing that Stoutland was moving far too fast to be able to pursue. He looked back to his Electivire, recalling it with a sorrowful sigh.

If only things had been different…

***

“Nurse Joy!” Sarah cried as she burst into a small building with a large ‘P’ on the front, Caterpie still in her arms and Derak lagging behind. “Please, can you heal this Caterpie?”

“Oh, my!” gasped a woman with her pink hair tied into two ring-like buns, dressed in a pink nurse’s dress matched with a white cap that bore a plus-shaped mark. “What happened?”

“You heard about the Pokémon that wrecked the S.S. Wailord?” Derak asked.

“A little bit,” Nurse Joy replied, remembering the recent call she had gotten from her sister.

“It decided it wanted to do the same with Viridian Forest,” Derak continued. “We managed to get this Caterpie to safety, though.”

“I’ll take care of it right away!” Nurse Joy declared. “Chansey, come quick!”

In rushed a pink, egg-shaped Pokémon with stubby limbs and a pouch that carried an egg within. Like Nurse Joy, this Pokémon wore a medic’s cap, with the same type of cross marked on it. The Pokémon took Caterpie and rushed it into the back of the Pokémon Center, where it was laid upon an operating table.

“Will Caterpie be okay?” Sarah asked.

“Don’t worry,” Nurse Joy said, giving Sarah a reassuring smile. “Chanseys are experts with healing.”

“That’s good to know,” Derak said, looking into his Pokedex. “Let me just check on that…”

Chansey,” said the Strategy Memo, showing an image of Nurse Joy’s Chansey without the cap, “the Egg Pokémon. Evolved form of Happiny. Normal-type. Chansey’s eggs are not only delicious, but are also packed with nutrition. It lays several eggs a day, and shares them with others out of compassion.

“Wait a second,” Derak said, “Chansey gives its babies…to complete strangers?”

“It’s not like that,” Nurse Joy said with a chuckle. “Chansey’s eggs don’t always contain young Pokémon. More often than not, they just have nutrients inside them.”

“Oh,” Derak said. “Had me worried for a minute, there.”

“I can see why, but don’t worry,” Nurse Joy said kindly. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

Yeah…I think I’d rather be the judge of that, Derak thought as he looked past her, eyeing Chansey as it gave Caterpie miniature bites of its egg.

“So, what happens now?” he asked Sarah, leaning against the wall while keeping one eye on Caterpie.

“I’m going to stay here until Caterpie recovers,” Sarah decided. “You can go ahead and challenge the Pewter Gym, if you want. I can catch up later.”

“Whatever,” Derak said with a shrug. He then left the Pokémon Center without another word, desiring to stay there no longer. He looked down at Wildfire’s Pokéball, holding it up in his hand. “How does Chansey know which eggs have its kids and which don’t?”

No answer, as Derak expected. He sighed and clipped Wildfire’s Pokéball back onto his belt. Mr. Vagabond soon came out of the forest, Electivire’s Pokéball back on his own belt.

“Stoutland got away?” Derak asked.

“It fled, yes,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “But I suspect we will see it again.”

“So do I,” Derak said. “The first Gym was in Pewter City, right?”

“So it would appear,” Mr. Vagabond said. The two then began to make for the exit of Viridian City. “This journey may be dangerous, Derak. Are you sure you want to go through with this? I cannot guarantee your survival should Stoutland gain the upper hand.”

“No turning back now, right?” Derak shrugged. “Might as well see this through to the end.”

Mr. Vagabond smirked. The boy had spirit.

That was just what he needed.

***

“Governor Draykus,” the secretary said, clutching a folder in her hand. “These are the images the recovery crew took of the S.S. Wailord’s wreckage.”

“Excellent,” Draykus said, taking the folder. Flipping it open, he removed the pictures and scattered them across his desk. “Remarkable.”

“Sir?” the secretary ventured.

“Look at this,” Draykus said, gesturing to the photographs. “Look at that Stoutland’s sheer power! To be able to blow a hole in every last level of the ship with a single attack…and here we thought only Legendary or well-trained Pokemon could achieve such a feat!”

A phone on his desk began to ring.

“Hello?” Draykus said. “What? Where did you say Stoutland was? Thank you for letting me know.”

“Where is Stoutland, sir?” the secretary asked.

“In the Kanto region,” Draykus explained. He then stood up. “Tell the remaining staff members that I will be taking a temporary leave of absence.”

“But, sir—” the secretary interjected, only for Draykus to suddenly clasp one hand around her throat.

“Stoutland’s incredible power has rekindled an old flame of mine,” Draykus said with a sinister smirk, “and I intend to fan that flame with all my might.”

He released the secretary, dropping her to the floor, and left the room. The secretary gasped for breath, trying to reclaim the life that she had so nearly lost.

Had the governor gone insane? Or was this who he really was?

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
(Gotta love having to repost things due to hacker activity...)




Chapter 6: Expanding the Family





With Viridian Forest behind them, Derak and Mr. Vagabond strode into Pewter City. Very little was remarkable about it, aside from a building that appeared to have been carved into a large stone. The word “GYM” was built above the door.

“Well, looks like I’m going in,” Derak said.

“Are you quite sure?” Mr. Vagabond asked. “This Gym specializes in Rock-type Pokémon. It may be wise to capture a Pokémon that will have an advantage over those types.”

“Uh…how exactly does that work?” Derak asked.

Mr. Vagabond paused, frowning as the reality of Derak’s sheltered childhood hit him.

“…never mind,” he sighed. “Some things you need to learn through experience. Come see me in the Pokémon Center when you’re finished here; I need to heal my Pokémon after our encounter with Stoutland in Viridian Forest.”

“Why didn’t you just do that back in Viridian City?” Derak asked.

“That Caterpie you and the girl were so worried about was in more urgent need of care,” the vagabond replied. “Now that the crisis is resolved for the moment, I can see to my own Pokémon.”

Derak simply shrugged. “All right, then. Go do your thing.”

As Mr. Vagabond departed for the Pokémon Center, Derak turned towards the Gym. Every step towards it filled him with a blend of excitement and anxiety.

This was it. His first Gym battle. The first stepping stone on the way to the Pokémon League, waiting to be crossed. But what sort of Pokémon awaited within? And how strong would they be? Would they be stronger than Wildfire?

Derak took a deep breath, and stepped inside the Gym. There was only one way to find out.

The Gym was quite simple: a sandy and rock-laden arena in the floor, two spaces at which the trainers could stand, and space at the sides for any spectators. Near the ceiling was a balcony where many young, tan-skinned children leaned over the edge, trying to get the best possible view of the coming battle. At the opposite side was another young man with tanned skin, wildly spiky brown hair, and eyes that appeared to be chronically squinting. Although he wore a green-and-white striped T-shirt matched with tan pants, he appeared to be just a few years older than Derak.

“Hey,” called the spiky-haired boy. “Welcome to the Pewter Gym. My name’s Forrest, and I’m the Gym Leader.”

“So, that means you’re the guy I have to beat to get the badge, right?” Derak asked.

“You catch on pretty quick,” Forrest nodded. “Let’s get this underway.”

A little girl, who appeared to be Forrest’s younger sister, came down from the balconies and stood at the side of the arena.

“I’m the referee!” the little girl said. “Challenger, what’s your name and where are you from?”

“Derak,” said the aforementioned challenger. “I’m from Orre.”

“Okay!” the little girl cried enthusiastically. “This is gonna be a one-on-one Pokémon battle between the challenger, Derak from Orre, and the Pewter City Gym Leader, my big bro Forrest! If anyone switches out Pokémon, they lose! Everyone ready? Then start the match!”

“Go, Geodude!” Forrest yelled as he threw his chosen Pokéball.

Forrest’s Pokéball released a very simple Pokémon, essentially a small boulder with a face. It had two muscular arms emerging from the sides, but had very little to speak of besides this. As usual, Derak went for his P*DA.

Geodude,” the Strategy Memo reported, “the Rock Pokémon. Rock and Ground-type. Geodude uses both its hands to climb precipitous cliffs, and many have been known to make their homes along mountain roads. A scholar with too much time on his hands once counted a hundred on a single route.

“Too much time on his hands is right,” Derak remarked. “Anyway…Wildfire, let’s go!”

Wildfire took the field with another aggressive posture. Forrest donned an expression of surprise at the sight of the Chimp Pokémon.

“Uh, are you sure that’s what you’re going with?” Forrest asked.

“Looks that way, doesn’t it?” Derak asked. “Can we get this over with?”

“Suit yourself,” Forrest shrugged. “Geodude, use Rollout!”

Geodude tucked its arms onto itself and began to spin, rolling itself towards Wildfire. The Chimchar, however, managed to leap aside, causing Geodude to stop. The Rock Pokémon glared at Wildfire, irritated at the failure of its attack.

“Speed isn’t everything, you know!” Forrest cried. “Geodude, use Rock Throw!”

A yellowish aura surrounded one of Geodude’s hands, and when it raised that hand, a rock began to levitate above the ground. With a thrust of its hand, Geodude flung the rock towards Wildfire, only for the Chimchar to agilely spring off of the rock and ascend higher into the air.

“Counter with Ember!” Derak yelled.

Still in the air, Wildfire spat its usual storm of fireballs at Geodude. The Rock Pokémon simply placed one hand in front of its face, allowing the Ember to strike there. Despite a direct hit, however, only the most miniscule of burn marks could be seen on Geodude’s hand.

“Aw, great,” Derak muttered, noticing the failure of Wildfire’s main attack. “Follow up with Scratch!”

Wildfire barreled down towards Geodude, preparing to slash its fingers across the Rock Pokémon’s face. A sudden pain in Wildfire’s hand, however, was the only result. The Chimchar clutched its hand, gritting its teeth and waving the agonized limb in an attempt to ease the pain.

“Finish this up, Geodude!” Forrest cried. “Use Mega Punch!”

Geodude simply pulled back its large fist and then thrust it forward, its knuckles making contact with Wildfire’s entire frontal area. The Chimchar was sent spiraling back at its trainer, colliding with Derak’s chest and sending him skidding head-first into the wall.

***

“Derak? You okay?”

“You think we should move him to the Pokémon Center?”

“Don’t be stupid! He’s not a Pokémon!”

Derak awoke with a throbbing pain in his head, made worse by the sounds of argument. Wildfire was standing on top of him, trying its best to look neutral. Forrest and his numerous siblings all gathered around the unconscious challenger.

“…ouch,” Derak muttered.

“Sorry about that, I guess I got carried away,” Forrest apologized, offering the young challenger his hand.

Derak, however, did not take the offered hand, instead pushing himself off of the floor. Wildfire clambered off of his body, avoiding the children as much as possible. While it had indeed been revived thanks to their medicine, their attentions seemed to frighten it.

“You might want to catch another Pokémon before—” Forrest began.

“I got that impression,” Derak said somewhat harshly. He looked down at Wildfire. “You made a great effort, pal. Take a rest.”

He returned Wildfire to the safety of its Pokéball, and then looked to Forrest.

“So, what’s the nearest spot where I can find wild Pokémon?” Derak asked.

“Route three, just to the east of here,” Forrest said. “Good luck catching one, some of them can be pretty rough.”

Derak gave Forrest a nod and left, leaving the Gym Leader standing awkwardly.

“I…guess he’s not much of a people person,” Forrest commented.

***

Evening set upon Pewter City as Derak left the Gym. The street lamps began to burn their light, and most of the citizens had gone inside. Derak raised an eyebrow.

Guess I was out for a while. Derak thought.

He went inside the Pokémon Center, finding Mr. Vagabond already there. Other trainers milled about, comparing each other’s Pokémon, but Derak paid them no mind. He simply sat down at Mr. Vagabond’s table.

“So,” Mr. Vagabond said with a slightly amused tinge in his voice, “how did your Gym battle go?”

“I got knocked out, literally,” Derak said. “Does that answer your question?”

“Effectively, yes,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “Do you see now why you need additional Pokémon?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Derak sighed.

“Sir, your Electivire is as good as new!” Nurse Joy said, bringing Mr. Vagabond a Pokéball. Derak, however, blinked at the sight of Nurse Joy.

“Uh…weren’t you just at Viridian City?” Derak asked as Mr. Vagabond took the offered Pokéball.

“Oh, you must mean my sister,” Nurse Joy said. She produced a photo showing a plethora of Nurse Joys, the only difference between them being the color of the cross on their caps. “Everyone says that we look alike. I can’t imagine why.”

“Yeah, uh…I can,” Derak remarked, “but that’s just me.”

“In any case,” Nurse Joy continued, “if you’re looking to catch some Pokémon, there’s a stand here in the Pokémon Center where you can buy as many Pokéballs as you need.”

“Okay, sure. Thanks,” Derak nodded. He looked to his cloaked companion. “So, uh…”

Mr. Vagabond wordlessly held out a fistful of red-and-white chips, dumping them into Derak’s outstretched hands. With another nod of thanks, the boy approached the counter, where the clerk greeted him with a smile.

“I’m going to assume you heard all that,” Derak said, slamming the Pokédollars on the counter. “What have you got?”

***

After forty-five minutes of indecisive shopping, Derak stepped outside and approached route three. A gentle breeze wafted through the trees, prompting them to dance lightly in time with the gusts. Much as he did before entering the Pewter Gym, Derak initially stood at the entrance, staring into the path before him. With a glance to his pocket, where a cluster of empty Poké Balls were now housed, he heaved a sigh.

It was now or never.

“Well, look who it is.”

Derak turned his head in the direction of the sneering voice and found Melissa Armare standing there with arms folded.

“Oh, it’s you,” Derak frowned. The bright colors on Melissa’s belt prompted a cursory glance, revealing two Pokéballs of varying designs in addition to Chespin’s green Poké Ball. “Been busy, huh?”

“A good Pokémon trainer works as hard as they can,” she replied, a tinge of pride sneaking into her voice. “Not that you could ever understand that.”

“Of course, silly me,” Derak rolled his eyes.

He made to walk away from Melissa and into route three, but soon came to an abrupt stop. A sudden blast of wind blew a slew of wounded Pokémon at Derak’s feet, all of them bruised and beaten. Some had large purple patches on their body, as if struck there by a living poison.

“What the--?!” Derak cried. “What just happened? What did this to you guys?!”

“Choooppp…”

A pale blue-skinned Pokémon the size of a small child trudged out of the bushes, approaching Derak and Melissa with hatred in its red eyes. The hands at the ends of its thin but well-toned arms were balled into fists, and its every enraged step left a deep footprint. The three grey fins atop the Pokémon’s head only added to its intimidating properties.

Machop,” Derak’s P*DA pointed out, “the Superpower Pokémon. Fighting-type. Machop’s instincts drive it to build its muscles efficiently, and at peak performance, it can throw a hundred people all at once. It lives in the mountains, far away from humans.

“Wait, hang on…Machops are supposed to live on mountains?” Derak blinked. “Then what’s this one doing down here—close to a town—and not up in the mountains?”

“Causing trouble, obviously,” Melissa growled, choosing one Pokéball from the rainbow on her belt. “And something strong enough to throw so many people at the same time shouldn’t be allowed to roam free! Hoothoot, report for duty!”

Throwing a dark green Pokéball with a black webbing-like pattern across it—something Derak recognized from his shopping spree as a Dusk Ball—Melissa called forth an orb-shaped avian with equally round orange eyes and arrow-shaped black eyebrows. It landed on one taloned foot, flapping its tiny wings as it let out a trilling cry.

Hoothoot,” Derak’s P*DA identified, “the Owl Pokémon. Normal and Flying-type. It always stands on one foot, and changes feet so fast that the movement can rarely be seen. It begins to hoot at the same time every day, so some trainers use them in place of clocks.

“What made you catch a living clock?” Derak asked.

“Hoothoots are commonly used by police officers on night duty,” Melissa explained, “and here’s why! Hoothoot, use Confusion!”

Hoothoot’s orange eyes began to glow blue, sending a beam of blue light towards Machop. The beam struck the Fighting-type’s chest head-on, but Machop quickly gave its head a shake and recovered. Recognizing an incoming battle, the Superpower Pokémon took what looked to be a practiced fighting stance, body slightly to the side and one foot in front of the other.

“That…doesn’t actually explain what cops use them for, but okay,” Derak shrugged, reaching for his own lone Pokéball. “Wildfire, use Ember!”

The moment Wildfire burst from its Pokéball, the monkey spat forth its trademark storm of fiery orbs. Machop, however, drew back its hands, forming a vortex of wind between them. The Superpower Pokémon then thrust its hands forward, releasing a blast of wind that tore through the Ember and bowled Wildfire over.

“Vacuum Wave, huh?” Melissa narrowed her eyes. “Hoothoot, that Confusion didn’t do enough damage, so kick it up to a Shadow Ball!”

This time, a sphere of dark energy formed above Hoothoot’s pointed eyebrows before firing off towards Machop. With a duck and a weave that would make a professional boxer proud, however, Machop dodged the Owl Pokémon’s attack and closed in to deliver a swift martial arts chop to Hoothoot’s side, sending the Flying-type sailing into a tree.

“Wildfire, Scratch!”

Unfortunately for Machop, its successful strike against Hoothoot left it open to Wildfire raking its fingers across the small humanoid’s face. Machop winced, stepping back as it rubbed its wounded face.

“Get up, Hoothoot!” Melissa snapped. “Use Shadow Ball again!”

Once more, Hoothoot launched its umbral attack, this time scoring a hit on the distracted Machop. The Superpower Pokémon gave its head another shake, however, and bared its teeth in anger.

“How is this thing still standing?” Derak asked. “It’s taken all these attacks and it’s still going!”

“It’s definitely not your run-of-the-mill wild Pokémon,” Melissa agreed, clenching a fist. “I heard a rumor that a trainer abandoned a Pokémon around here. Looks like we’ve found it.”

“Sounds like something you would be just fine with doing,” Derak scoffed. “Throw something away if it doesn’t meet your standards.”

“Hey, I know better than to let Pokémon run wild!” Melissa snapped. “I’m not stupid!”

“You sure about that?”

“Do you even know how to train Pokémon?”

“I know you don’t do it by abusing them.”

“How is what I do abuse?!”

Machop paused, blinking at the abrupt mid-battle argument.

“Look, we can argue about this all night, or we can catch Machop,” Melissa growled. “First one to catch it is the one who’s right.”

“Whatever floats your boat,” Derak shrugged. “Wildfire, go for another Ember!”

“Hoothoot, Confusion!”

Faced with an onslaught of attacks, Machop picked up a nearby rock and held it in front of itself like a shield. The combination of Wildfire’s flaming orbs and Hoothoot’s ray of light caused the rock to explode, but Machop used the explosion as a cover to rush toward Wildfire, fist glowing with purple energy.

“Now’s my chance!” Melissa cried, producing a simple Poké Ball. “Poké Ball, go!”

Melissa’s ball made contact with Machop, absorbing it in a similar manner to Sarah’s Weedle. Tumbling across the grass, the ball began to shake, the button on the front flashing red. It shook twice, but then burst open. Machop gave its head a shake and cracked its knuckles, evidently ready to continue.

“Not weakened enough? Fine!” Melissa snapped. “Hoothoot, one more Shadow Ball!”

With little else apparently in its arsenal of moves, Hoothoot fired another Shadow Ball, but at the same time, Machop released another Vacuum Wave. Both attacks whizzed by each other and struck their targets, knocking Hoothoot into the bushes and Machop into a tree.

“Guess it’s my turn,” Derak remarked, pulling one of the empty Poké Balls out of his pocket. “Pokéball, go…do the thing, I guess.”

Melissa slapped herself in the forehead as Derak limply tossed his Poké Ball forward. The ball lightly tapped Machop’s foot, and the Superpower Pokémon was once again absorbed inside. This time, the ball shook three times…

…and clicked.

“Hmph,” Melissa grunted. “You got lucky, that’s all. I can win my Gym battle just fine with my Chespin, so go ahead and keep that Machop.”

Derak barely heard her, even as she stormed off. He slowly picked up Machop’s new Poke ball and held it in his hand. The weight felt incredible.

“I…I did it,” he said, clearly stunned. “I caught a Pokémon.”

***

As Derak began his return to the Pokemon Center, Mr. Vagabond stood on the other side of Pewter City, near a building identified by a banner reading “PEWTER CITY MUSEUM OF SCIENCE”. By Garth’s side were his Electivire and Sigilyph, the latter two facing one another. Each looked prepared to put massive effort into their training.

“Sigilyph, use Shock Wave!” the cloaked man yelled.

As it had done when targeting Derak, Sigilyph built up electrical power and then released in a wave of pale blue lightning. The wave made contact with Electivire, but unlike when Stoutland’s dark lightning assaulted it, no visual harm was done to it. Instead, the electricity simply sparkled about the electrical behemoth’s body, seemingly rejuvenating it.

“I do not understand,” Garth sighed. “Electivire’s Motor Drive ability is obviously working perfectly, which means that all electrical attacks should boost its speed…only something unnatural could change Stoutland’s attack in such a way.”

He took a swig from his canteen, spitting a portion of its contents on the ground.

“What IS that Stoutland?” Mr. Vagabond continued. “How did it become so powerful?”

“Electih?” shrugged Electivire, looking just as puzzled as its trainer.

Mr. Vagabond sighed. If what he suspected was true…then his past was yet again returning to haunt him. He had to find a way to deal with Stoutland, and soon.

“Let us continue our training,” Mr. Vagabond said.

“Vire,” nodded Electivire, tensing its muscles.

***

“Here you go,” Nurse Joy said a few moments later, handing Derak his two Pokéballs, “your Pokémon are good as new.”

“Thanks,” Derak said simply. He clicked the two Pokéballs open, releasing Wildfire and his new Machop. Immediately after being summoned, however, Machop looked around wildly, fists clenched as if expecting a fight.

“Ma?” Machop growled. “Machop chop, ma-machop!”

“Machop, cool it,” Derak said dully. “Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

“Chop?” Machop said inquisitively, looking up at Derak. Its new trainer gave it a kind smile, and surprisingly enough, Machop returned it. “Machop.”

“So, you’re all right with having me as your trainer?” Derak asked, to which Machop nodded. “Okay, then…it’s my thing to name my Pokémon, so I’m going to give you one now, okay?”

“Chop,” Machop nodded.

“Okay…Muscle?” Derak tried. “No, that’s weak...uh, maybe since you kept beating up Pokémon…and you’re really strong…how about Brute? Do you like that?”

Machop put a hand to its chin, looking off into the distance as it mentally rolled over its new name.

“Chop…Machop!” Machop nodded.

“Okay, Brute it is,” Derak said. “Let’s save introductions for tomorrow, I’m pretty sure we’re all wiped.”

***

Nick Spire and his Braviary soared through the Kanto skies, Pallet Town being nothing but a blur to them. Spire easily saw the site of Mr. Vagabond’s brief battle with Stoutland in Viridian Forest, but as he did not know of the S.S. Wailord’s destruction by Stoutland’s power, he could only wonder what caused such a catastrophe. He soon saw Pewter City, where he and Braviary touched down.

“Let’s take five, Braviary,” Spire said, dismounting his bird Pokémon. He then put a hand to his chin, leaning on a lamppost. “Derak only arrived in Kanto about a day ago…he can’t have gotten too far. He might even be here in Pewter City, resting up at the Pokémon Center.”

Hearing this, Braviary prepared to take off once more.

“No, Braviary!” Spire cried. “Not yet! If we jump Derak now, he won’t come back willingly. We have to at least make him try and see reason before attacking.”

Braviary considered this for a moment before nodding.

“Let’s head over to Cerulean City,” Spire suggested. “Once we’re there, we can head Derak off and be in a suitable position to try diplomacy. I know we’ve been flying a while, but are you ready to take off again?”

Braviary nodded eagerly.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have given you those energy drinks,” Spire shook his head. Nonetheless he climbed aboard Braviary once more. “Okay, Braviary, let’s fly to Cerulean City!”

With a mighty flap of its wings, Braviary took off once more, soaring against the glistening stars of the night sky.

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 7: Return to Pewter Gym





The following morning saw Derak stepping out of the Pokémon Center, looking down proudly at the new crimson Poké Ball on his belt. He picked the new ball off of that belt, holding it in his hand.

“I see you managed to capture a Pokémon,” Mr. Vagabond remarked as he, too, exited the Pokémon Center.

“Looks like it,” Derak said. “Brute, come on out and meet our favorite vagabond.”

Brute appeared in a flash of light, arms folded and looking just as calm as its new trainer. Mr. Vagabond raised an eyebrow.

“A Machop?” he said. “How did you catch a Machop in this vicinity?”

“Some creep apparently abandoned him,” Derak said bitterly. “Brute here wasn’t too happy about it, so he started taking it out on the Pokémon around him.”

“Chop,” Brute nodded sadly, seeming to regret its earlier actions.

“I see,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “I admit, I am glad that we have one less rogue Pokémon to deal with. Just hurry up and finish your business here. We do not have all the time in the world.”

“I know,” Derak said harshly as he recalled Brute. “Don’t think I haven’t thought ahead, jerk. I don’t plan on staying in one place long enough for the police to drag me back to Phenac City.”

“And I do not plan on losing Stoutland’s trail,” Mr. Vagabond said. “But I do see your reasoning. Just make your time in the Gym quick.”

“That’s not really up to me,” Derak said. “What about you?”

“I will continue my training,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Stoutland’s power cannot be infinite. It must have its limits, and I intend to train my Pokémon until they exceed those limits.”

“Whatever,” Derak said as he walked into the Gym. The vagabond, meanwhile, made for the museum once more.

***

“Welcome back,” said Forrest upon seeing Derak re-enter. “Did you catch a new Pokémon?”

“Yeah,” Derak said simply, taking his place once more. “Can we get started, now?”

“Sure thing,” Forrest nodded.

His sister repeated her opening statements, and threw her flags up once more. Geodude returned to the field, rocky body sharpened and ready. Derak held Brute’s Poké Ball in his hand.

“All up to you, pal,” Derak said. “Brute, let’s go!”

“A Machop?” Forrest remarked upon seeing Brute. “Those are pretty hard to find around here. Nice capture.”

“Whatever,” Derak said in some odd mix between modesty and sarcasm. “Let’s just get the ball rolling.”

“Sounds good to me,” Forrest smirked. “And thanks for the suggestion. Geodude, use Rollout!”

Geodude curled up once more and began rolling towards Brute, accelerating its spinning speed as it came closer and closer to the Machop. Brute, however, remained unconcerned, arms still folded and body staying put. Just as Geodude was about to hit Brute, the Superpower Pokémon casually stuck its foot out and allowed the Rock Pokémon to bump into it, blocking Geodude’s attack with ease.

“Nice, Brute!” Derak cried. “Now, use Karate Chop!”

Brute smirked as it looked down at Geodude. It lightly shoved the Rock Pokémon with its foot, then brought its arm down onto Geodude, slamming the blade of its hand onto the Rock-type’s forehead. Geodude clutched the spot where Brute had struck it, moaning unhappily.

“This is definitely going to be harder than last time, I’ll give you that,” Forrest remarked. “But a Gym Leader has to step up his game in that case. Geodude, use Sandstorm!”

“Geo…DUUUUUUDDEE!” bellowed the Rock Pokémon, spinning about on its bottom and scattering sand everywhere. Both Brute and Derak covered shielded themselves with one arm, the sand kicking up into a fierce dust devil.

“Now, Geodude, follow up with Mega Punch!” Forrest cried.

“Brute, use Vacuum Wave!” Derak yelled. “That might get rid of the Sandstorm!”

Brute thrust its hands forward, releasing the tunnel of wind, but rather than destroy the dust devil as Derak predicted, the two forces merely collided. The Sandstorm spread across the battlefield, still proving a nuisance to the challenger. This was emphasized in particular when Geodude rocketed out of nowhere and struck Brute with the same punching attack that defeated Wildfire.

“Brute!” Derak yelled, but his Machop only skidded back, significantly less harmed by the attack than Wildfire had been. “Okay, we’re good…for now.”

“Geodude, Rollout again!” Forrest cried.

This time, Brute had no way of stopping Geodude’s rolling strike. The Rock Pokemon barreled straight into Brute’s front, knocking the Superpower Pokemon off balance. Unfortunately, Geodude was not finished yet. Having passed by Brute, the Rock-type turned around and struck Brute again, this time knocking the Machop over with a stronger blow.

“Here’s the thing,” Forrest began as Geodude continued its assault. “The more times Rollout hits, the stronger it becomes. Your Machop might be a lot tougher than your Chimchar, but Geodude was raised by my big brother. It’s seen a lot of action over the years, and that makes it one of the most experienced Gym Pokemon you’ll ever see!”

“Brute!” Derak yelled, his Machop still under attack by the relentless rolling rock. “You’ve got to pull through this!”

The Sandstorm soon dissipated, and Geodude was seen charging for one final Rollout strike.

“Gotcha!” Derak cried. “Brute, use Vital Throw!”

Just before Geodude made contact with it, Brute snatched the Rock Pokémon in its hands. With a quick spin, it then threw Geodude back to Forrest’s side of the arena, causing it to unfold back into its regular form as it skidded across the ground.

“Geodude, no!” Forrest cried. “Don’t give up!”

“Geo,” Geodude growled, planting one large hand in the ground. “DUUUDE!”

All of a sudden, Geodude’s body began to radiate a white light. This light became blinding, enveloping Geodude’s entire body. Streaks of green energy began to swirl around the Rock-type, creating a tornado of power.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Derak asked.

“Oh, wow!” Forrest cried. “Geodude’s finally evolving!”

“Evolving?” Derak repeated with confusion.

This time, the “evolving” Geodude gave an answer. Its body began to grow, sprouting two stubby legs. Geodude’s two large arms split into four smaller ones, the upper two being larger than the bottom two. Its central body virtually tripled in size, and once the glow faded, a more ragged surface could be seen on the Pokémon’s body.

“Graveler!” snarled the Pokémon in a gruff voice.

Graveler,” the Memo identified, “the Rock Pokémon. Evolved form of Geodude. Rock and Ground-type. This slow-footed Pokémon moves by curling up and rolling instead of walking. With enough momentum, its speed can reach up to sixty miles per hour, which becomes dangerous due to its tendency to roll over obstacles instead of avoiding them.

“All right!” Forrest exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. “That’s great, Geodude! You evolved into Graveler!”

“Uh…is anyone going to explain to me what this ‘evolution’ thing is?” Derak asked.

“You don’t know?” Forrest blinked. “When some Pokemon reach a certain condition, they evolve into different Pokemon. They get stronger, and they’re even capable of learning new moves. Let’s show him, Graveler! Use your new Rock Polish and then Rollout!”

Graveler’s body began to shine brightly, as if it had just been polished by a world-class professional. It then folded up into a ball once more, charging towards Brute with a significant speed boost. Moving too quickly for the Machop to react, Graveler slammed into the Superpower Pokémon, knocking it flat onto its back.

“Brute!” Derak cried.

“Looks like the tables have turned!” Forrest declared. “Graveler, keep going with Rollout!”

“Brute, stop it with Vacuum Wave!” Derak yelled.

Brute groaned as it got up, eyes widening as Graveler neared it with another Rollout strike. Before the Rock Pokémon could near it, however, Brute shoved its hands forward and released another Vacuum Wave. The vortex of wind erupting from Brute’s hands did prove to have sufficient force to stop Graveler, holding the rolling boulder at bay as it made continued attempts to advance. Brute gritted its teeth as it struggled to maintain its Vacuum Wave, the sheer force behind Graveler making the Rock Pokémon quite a chore to hold back.

As the struggle for dominance continued, Graveler’s body began to sink into the ground. Brute began to wince from overexertion, but when its arms fell to its sides and halted the Vacuum Wave, Graveler did not attack. It, too, had a problem: half of its body was stuck in the ground.

“Uh…okay, that works,” Derak shrugged, making it no secret that such an outcome was the farthest thing from what he intended. “Brute, pull it out with Vital Throw!”

After taking a breath, Brute grabbed hold of one of Graveler’s outstretched arms and began to spin around, taking Graveler with it. Despite the tremendous weight of the evolved Rock Pokémon’s body, Brute held it with little difficulty, partially thanks to the centrifugal force generated from its spin. After roughly ten seconds of spinning, Brute threw Graveler with a mighty heave, sending the Rock-type sailing past Forrest and onto the floor by his side.

“Graveler!” Forrest cried, seeing his brother’s Pokémon unconscious on the floor. “You did great, Graveler. Brock would be real proud of you.”

Forrest recalled Graveler and looked to Derak, whose mind was long gone as he stared into space.

“We…we won,” Derak breathed. “Brute, we won! You did it!”

With a jubilant spring in his step, Derak leapt onto the field and exchanged a high-five with Brute. Due to the Superpower Pokémon’s strength, however, a cracking sound was heard once Derak’s hand made contact with Brute’s.

“Aah!” Derak cried, clutching his injured hand.

“Chop…?” Brute said, staring worriedly at Derak and reaching out with one hand. Its trainer, however, simply took its hand and smiled.

“Thanks for your help, Brute,” Derak smiled, shaking his injured hand lightly in an effort to ease the pain. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Machop!” Brute nodded, lightly shaking hands with Derak.

“Hey,” Forrest said, calling the victorious challenger’s attention to him as he approached. “You made a pretty good comeback, Derak. You deserve this.”

He handed Derak a small chunk of metal shaped like a miniature grey boulder.

“This is the Boulder Badge,” Forrest explained. “It’s your first step on the way to the Kanto League. Oh, and take this, too.”

He handed Derak a flat orange container, big enough to hold at least eight badges.

“That badge case will let you store your badges,” Forrest said. “Good luck with the rest of your journey.”

“Thanks,” Derak said, quietly pinning the Boulder Badge to the inside of his badge case before recalling Brute. He then left without another word.

“Huh,” Forrest said. “Yeah, he’s definitely not a people person.”

***

Outside, Mr. Vagabond again stood with his Electivire and Sigilyph. As the former was his best battler and the latter could create the most accurate replications of Stoutland’s attacks, these were the prime choice for their master’s training concept. At the moment, Electivire and Sigilyph faced each other in a sparring match, both knowing this fact but giving their all nonetheless.

“Sigilyph, Shadow Ball!” Mr. Vagabond ordered. “Electivire, Iron Tail!”

Sigilyph cast forth the same ball of darkness Melissa’s Hoothoot had used against Brute, this time with Electivire as its target. Unlike Brute, however, Electivire fought back by swinging one tail—empowered with a silver energy—through the Shadow Ball, obliterating it.

“Good,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Now, use Thunder Punch while Sigilyph dodges.”

Electivire charged at its sparring partner, fist charged with electricity, only for Sigilyph to quickly shoot directly up into the sky.

“Well done,” Mr. Vagabond praised his Pokémon. “But we can only judge if this training is sufficient if we encounter Stoutland again. If it is not, we will simply redouble our efforts. Am I making myself clear?”

“Tivire,” Electivire nodded. Sigilyph merely nodded its torso.

“Hey,” Derak called somewhat lifelessly as he approached. “How’s the training going?”

“Well enough,” Mr. Vagabond replied. “How was your Gym battle?”

Derak pulled his badge case out of his pocket.

“Badge case,” he stated, allowing it to fall open and display his prize. “Badge. So, yeah, I won.”

“Excellent,” Mr. Vagabond nodded in approval. “Electivire, Sigilyph, return.”

Holding a Pokéball in each hand, the cloaked man recalled his two Pokémon.

“So, where next?” Derak asked.

“If I remember correctly,” Mr. Vagabond said, putting a hand to his chin, “the next Gym is in Cerulean City. As it is a Water-type Gym, your Chimchar will be utterly useless there.”

He ignored the heated glare Derak gave him and pointed over to route three.

“If we leave Pewter City immediately and then cut through Mount Moon,” Garth continued, “we will reach Cerulean City within a matter of hours.”

“How do you know all this?” Derak asked. “Have you been to Kanto before?”

“I have been everywhere,” Mr. Vagabond said cryptically. “Now, are you coming or not?”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Derak sighed. “Lead on, oh great wise one who has no time for things like breathing.”

Mr. Vagabond scowled as he turned and obliged. As the two left, however, a boy of about thirteen watched them depart. He wore a blue pinstripe suit, although it was in such poor condition—covered in dirt and tattered in some places—that it could have been mistaken for anything else. His long, greasy black hair fell to his shoulders, and a short white necktie hung loosely from around his neck. The boy looked at them with an intrigued gaze from his two eyes: one blue and one brown.

“Most interesting,” the boy said, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 8: The Pewter City Pokémon Contest






As Derak and Mr. Vagabond trekked to Cerulean City, a large domed building came into their sight, sporting a massive skylight and dozens of square glass windows. The building appeared to be quite popular, as people of all sorts poured into it with excited faces.

“What’s going on over there?” Derak raised an eyebrow.

“Something we need not concern ourselves with,” Mr. Vagabond spat. “We must focus on the path ahead.”

“Okay, time out,” Derak abruptly stopped, forcing his cloaked companion to stop as well. “Didn’t you want me to ‘be myself’ on this journey? What happened to wanting to ‘observe’ how I do?”

Mr. Vagabond sighed. “Yes…I did say that. Things have changed. That Stoutland is a dangerous threat, and we must reserve our time and energies for stopping it before it can cause more death and destruction.”

“Well, no one said we would be here long,” Derak shrugged. “You like the path ahead so much, how about you watch it for me while I check out what’s going on in that building?”

“Derak, we—” Mr. Vagabond began to object, but Derak had already vanished into the river of onlookers flowing into the building. The cloaked man sighed. “Damnit…”

***

With little other choice in the matter, Mr. Vagabond also entered the building. Once there, he had to shield his eyes, as bright and cheerful decorations positively covered the walls. Growling bitterly, he lowered his arm shield just enough to scan for Derak, whom he found reading a poster.

“There you are,” Mr. Vagabond grunted. “Are you quite finished?”

“Not even close,” Derak shook his head. “There’s something here called a ‘Pokémon Contest’, and I want to see what it’s about.”

“I have heard of those,” Mr. Vagabond said bitterly. “They are little more than cheap productions designed to flaunt Pokémon around like children’s toys.”

“Can I quote you on that, all-knowing one?” Derak quipped, earning a scowl from his companion. “How about I ask someone who actually knows what he’s talking about?”

“Perhaps one who has participated in Pokémon Contests would be more to your liking?” a polite voice asked.

A man in a wide dark green hat approached the two, a golden harp in his hands. He was draped in a green cloak (albeit one that, unlike that of Mr. Vagabond, lacked a hood) over top of a blue-and-green dress shirt. His long black hair spilled out from underneath his hat, and his kind blue eyes looked as if they had seen much of the world.

“And who are you?” Mr. Vagabond growled.

“I am called Nando,” the harp-holding man said.

“Name’s Derak,” the runaway trainer said flatly. “Mr. Vagabond Jerkhole over there is my unfortunate traveling buddy.”

Despite Mr. Vagabond’s unending glares and Derak’s rudeness, Nando’s smile never faded even an inch.

“It is an honor to make both of your acquaintances,” Nando said. “Now, then, how may I be of assistance?”

“Can you explain this whole Contest idea to me?” Derak asked. “I’m kind of new to this whole Pokémon training thing. Been under a rock most of my life, you know?”

“Worry not,” Nando smiled. “We were all beginners at one time, including myself.”

A far-off look suddenly came to Mr. Vagabond’s eyes, as if some distant image came into his field of vision.

“A Pokémon Contest is a competition in which one who partakes—called a Pokémon Coordinator—must direct a performance by their Pokémon,” Nando began, apparently oblivious to Mr. Vagabond’s sudden trance. “First is the appeal round, where a Pokémon must demonstrate their abilities in a captivating way. Should one pass the appeal round, he or she will then partake in the battle round, where Pokémon battle each other but still do so in a way that appeals to the audience.”

“Okay, with you so far,” Derak said. “What do you get out of these Contests, anyway?”

“An excellent question,” Nando remarked. “The victor of a Pokémon Contest receives a ribbon. Whoever receives five ribbons, achieved by winning five Contests, is eligible to enter the Grand Festival. The winner of the Grand Festival is proclaimed a Top Coordinator, and is granted the coveted Ribbon Cup as a reward for their troubles.”

“Wow,” Derak said, head filling with images of himself bearing such an award in sight of a kinder, more loving version of his father. “You get a trophy from all that?”

“Yes, indeed,” Nando nodded. “I managed to achieve a rank in the top four of the Sinnoh region’s Grand Festival, but I have recently decided to take my efforts here to Kanto. I am pleased to have already made a new friend.”

Mr. Vagabond shut his eyes, trying to hide the emotions they radiated. The pain, the sorrow…they would lead to questions. He had no time to answer such irritating inquiries, now that he had found what he was looking for.

“As for you, sir,” Nando said, turning to his fellow cloaked man, “I can see just by your appearance that you are quite experienced in the ways of the world, but perhaps you should give a chance to concepts you have yet to experience.”

Mr. Vagabond’s eyes snapped open, and with a feral snarl he grabbed Nando’s shirt and slammed the minstrel into the wall. Nando’s harp clattered to the floor, its owner otherwise occupied.

“The last time I gave something a chance,” Mr. Vagabond snarled, “it turned out to be the worst decision I ever made in my entire life! How dare you tell me to--!”

“Hey!” Derak cried, quickly pulling one of his traveling companion’s arms off of Nando. “Knock it off, you creep!”

“Why should—” Mr. Vagabond began to retort, but cut himself off when he turned his head to look. Many eyes now looked upon Mr. Vagabond and how he was threatening Nando, most glaring at the former with disapproval or anger. Some had even sent out their Pokémon, which now glared at the aggressive man and waited for the first order to attack. With a bitter grunt of defeat, Mr. Vagabond released Nando and wordlessly left the building.

“You all right, Nando?” Derak asked.

“I am quite well, thank you,” Nando said, gently brushing himself off with a gentle calmness in utter spite of what he had just endured.

“Just for the record,” Derak said, “you’re not the first person that jerk’s gone wild on.”

“It is quite all right,” Nando smiled, Derak blinking in surprise at his forgiving nature. “I am concerned, however, that your companion has experienced some sort of past tragedy that has driven him to become the man he is today.”

Derak paused, having never considered this fact before. Before Nando could explain further, however, another new face appeared on the scene. This one was a young man with short reddish-brown hair, dressed in a dark tuxedo bearing white gloves and a white dress shirt to match. He wore a yellow tie with jagged black designs etched across it, and his shoes were also black.

“I heard the commotion,” the young man said. “Everything all right?”

“Indeed,” Nando nodded. “I thank you for your concern.”

The young man’s eyes fell on Derak and widened slightly.

“Hey, you look sort of familiar,” the young man said. “What’s your name?”

“Derak,” shrugged the runaway trainer.

“Derak?” the young man repeated, eyes going wider. “Derak Kadir? Is that really you? It’s me, Timmy Grimm!”

Derak blinked, squinting at Timmy, before a mental switch flipped.

“Oh, yeah, I remember you,” Derak said. “Your mom brought you to Gateon Port on a business trip when I was, what, five?”

“Great to see you again!” Timmy smiled, reaching out his hand. Derak reluctantly took it, though only because Timmy was a childhood friend.

“Ah, a reunion of old friends,” Nando smiled. “Truly, there are no words to express such an encounter. I shall not hinder your discussions in any way, my friends. Until we meet again.”

Nando bowed and headed deeper into the building. Timmy, meanwhile, remained with Derak.

“So, your dad finally gave you permission to start a Pokemon journey?” Timmy asked.

“Not...really,” Derak sighed. “I had to take my life into my own hands, so I did.”

“You ran away?” Timmy blinked. “I guess some people just can’t be convinced, huh?”

“My so-called dad in a nutshell,” Derak sighed. “Let me guess, you’re a Coordinator?”

“Right,” Timmy nodded. “I used to go by the ‘Phantom Coordinator’ since my mom wouldn’t let me enter Contests at first. Now that she’s okay with it, I decided to become a traveling Coordinator, and my latest stop is the Kanto region.”

“Cool,” Derak said, albeit somewhat dully. “Can I watch the Contest? I want to see what all this fuss is about.”

“Absolutely!” Timmy nodded. “The seats are that way. Hope you enjoy the show!”

***

Enjoyment was the last thing on Mr. Vagabond’s mind.

“That damn bard…who does he think he is?” Mr. Vagabond snarled, pounding a fist into the wall of the Contest Hall. Although his pain was deep, Nando’s words were able to draw up agonizing memories in spite of that. Mr. Vagabond clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, as if it would somehow block out the one most haunting image in his mind.

A small body of dust blowing out of his hands.

A single tear rolled down Mr. Vagabond’s cheek, and with a wrathful roar, he slammed both his fists on the wall.

***

“Welcome, all you Contest lovers!” a woman in a blue athletic-looking suit proclaimed, a microphone headpiece nestled in her curly orange hair. “My name is Lilian Meridian, and I’m here to bring you a smorgasbord of beautiful Pokémon performances!”

Derak sat in the top row, the two seats to his left taken by Brute and Wildfire. The runaway trainer lounged in his seat, quietly and methodically consuming a bag of popcorn he had acquired from the refreshment stand. Brute looked on with interest, as it—like its trainer—had never experienced a Contest before. Wildfire, however, was glancing nervously at the voluminous amount of spectators who had gathered to observe the Contest.

“The appeals will be judged by these three lovely people!” Lilian continued, grandly gesturing to an aging man in a red suit, a shorter man in a blue suit, and the Nurse Joy from Pewter City’s Pokémon Center. “The Contest founder, Raoul Contesta…the president of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo…and Pewter City’s very own Nurse Joy!”

Each judge nodded as Lilian gestured to each one in turn.

“And this is what all those coordinators are competing for!” Lilian cried, displaying a ribbon tied up with a golden trinket. “This ribbon will put the winning coordinator on the road to the Grand Festival, so let’s help them give it their all!”

The crowd, sans Derak and his Pokémon, let out a mighty cheer.

“And now, without further ado, let’s begin the Pewter City Pokémon Contest!” Lilian declared, pumping her fist into the air and inciting another thunderous cheer from the audience. “First up is a coordinator from Verdanturf Town in the Hoenn region! Once known as the Phantom Coordinator, here is Timmy Grimm!”

Timmy came on stage, gave a bow to the audience, and threw a Poké Ball into the air.

“Gastly, come on out!” Timmy cried.

The Pokémon Timmy chose seemed rather simple: a dark orb surrounded by a purple vapor, the only identifying features being two large malevolent eyes and a wide fanged mouth.

“Gaastly!” the Pokémon cackled, swirling its purple vapor around it.

Gastly,” Derak’s Strategy Memo reported, “the Gas Pokémon. Ghost and Poison-type. Gastly is said to have been born from poisonous gases, which it uses to battle opponents larger than itself. Anyone who inhales these gases will faint instantly.

“That’s…a little disturbing,” Derak commented.

“Gastly, use Smog!” Timmy yelled.

Gastly released a violet fume from its wide mouth, covering the floor in a foggy substance.

“Now, Psychic!” Timmy cried.

A blue glow shone from Gastly’s eyes as the Smog became outlined in the same color. The Smog then began to curl into twisting columns that swirled around Gastly, forming rings of fog around the Gas Pokémon.

“Finish with Hex!” Timmy ordered.

The rings shifted to Gastly’s front, and formed a single tunnel of smog with a hole at one end and Gastly at the other. Suddenly, the hole at the end opposite Gastly spawned a horizontal line of darkness, which quickly split open to reveal itself as a single, sinister eye. The eye’s red iris glanced about before vanishing in a shower of dark sparks, the tunnel doing the same.

“Ooh, what a creepy appeal!” Lilian commented. “What do our judges have to say?”

“Very interesting,” Contesta said. “Timmy has used his experiences as the Phantom Coordinator well, evidenced by how expertly he used Gastly’s naturally eerie presence.”

“Yes!” agreed Sukizo. “It was remarkable!”

“I liked how it looked as if Gastly was looking at the audience through a telescope!” Nurse Joy added.

Timmy bowed and left the stage.

“Our next Coordinator is another experienced contender!” Lilian announced. “He made it to the top four of the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and now he’s bringing his talents here to Kanto! Give it up for…Nando!”

Nando entered the stage and, polite as ever, gave a brief bow to the audience.

“Petilil, let us begin our performance!” Nando cried, throwing a Pokéball.

Nando’s choice was a Pokémon just as simplistic as Timmy’s Gastly. It consisted of a white face sporting a light green bulb around it, rather reminiscent of hair aside from the trio of leaves bursting from the top. Underneath the face was what appeared to be a light green blob upon which the Pokémon stood.

Petilil,” chimed in Derak’s P*DA upon being pointed at Nando’s Pokémon, “the Bulb Pokémon. Grass-type. The leaves on its head grow right back after they fall out, and these bitter leaves refresh those who eat them. If the leaves on its head are pruned with regularity, Petilil can be grown into a fine plump shape.

“Petilil, use Double Team, please,” Nando said politely.

Once the attack started, Derak rubbed his eyes to make sure they were working properly. Petilil had somehow replicated itself multiple times within the space of a few seconds, each of the Petilils standing side-by-side.

“Uh…what?” Derak sputtered.

“Now, use Sunny Day, if you please,” Nando said. “Then kindly use Entrainment as we practiced, if you would.”

The leaves on each Petilil’s head began to glow orange, and in response, the sun seeping through the skylight brightened. Nando began to strum his fingers across the strings of his harp as his Petilils began to dance, swinging its oddly-formed lower body about in time with Nando’s music and its own song. Most of the Petilils eventually began to circle around a single Petilil, still performing their song-and-dance routine as the central Petilil basked in the amplified sun. Finally, when Nando’s song ended, the encircling Petilils vanished, revealing the center Bulb Pokémon as the true one.

“What an enchanting appeal!” Lilian cried, Derak sighing at her poor attempt at a pun. “What do our judges think?”

“Very well-executed!” Contesta remarked. “It was simple yet beautiful, and played to Nando’s strengths quite well.”

“Yes!” agreed Sukizo. “It was remarkable!”

“Petilil is so cute,” Nurse Joy commented, “so watching it dance just made my heart melt!”

Nando bowed again and departed, leaving the stage to Lilian once more.

“Our first two contestants might have been Contest veterans,” Lilian began, “but our next is a newcomer from the Orre region!”

Derak blinked. A coordinator from Orre? Derak’s homeland had no Contests to speak of, meaning that whoever was going to participate had his work cut out for them.

But as Lilian gave way to the next contender, “he” turned out to be a girl. She looked about eleven, with the bangs of her long purple hair hanging over her face. She wore a plain tan jacket paired with somewhat baggy pants, a pocket of which she slowly reached into in order to retrieve a Pokéball.

The girl looked up and gulped at the sight of the audience looming over her. The grip on her Pokéball tightened, sweat running down her neck and what was visible of her eyes wide with sheer terror.

“Miss?” Contesta ventured softly. “Don’t be afraid.”

The girl nervously looked at the judges, lifting her hair out of her eyes just enough to reveal their green color.

“Are…are you sure that…I won’t...I won’t mess this up?” the girl stuttered.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Nurse Joy said with a reassuring smile. “Please, tell us your name.”

“…T-T-Te—Teresa,” the girl stammered. “M-my…my name is Teresa.”

Should she really be doing this? Derak thought. She looks scared out of her wits.

“Please, show us your appeal, Teresa,” Nurse Joy said. “I’m sure you’ll be wonderful.”

“O-oh…okay,” Teresa nodded. With a deep breath, she finally threw her Pokéball. “Sh-Shinx, please come out!”

Teresa’s Pokéball released a small cat-like Pokemon with cute yellow eyes and large, egg-shaped ears. The front half of its body was blue, save the black collar around its neck and the yellow rings around its ankles. By contrast, the rear half of Shinx’s body was black, with a tail that ended in a golden star.

Shinx,” Derak’s P*DA identified, “the Flash Pokémon. Electric-type. The extension and contraction of its muscles generates electricity, which causes it to glow when it is in danger.

“Shinx, I…I need you to use Electro Ball,” Teresa stammered.

Shinx nodded, making a seeming attempt to ease its trainer’s nerves, then shut its eyes in concentration. An orb of lightning soon formed above the small cat’s body, and when Shinx’s eyes snapped open, the orb rose into the air.

“Now, uh…could you use Thunder Wave?” Teresa ventured.

Shinx nodded again, this time releasing a volley of small lightning bolts from its body. The lightning danced around the Electro Ball, causing it to pulse with further electrical energy, and soon formed what looked to be a bulls-eye made out of lightning.

“I…I think it’s time for us to…to finish,” Teresa said. “Please, Shinx, I…I need you to use Double Kick.”

Shinx leapt into the air, flipping about as its feet agilely struck the Electro Ball. The orbs subsequently shot into the bulls-eye, exploding in a shower of light and sparks as it made contact Once the sparks settled and vanished, Shinx landed with a confident smirk.

“That was well done,” Contesta praised. “You may have had some nerves at the start, but you and your Shinx came through very well.”

“I agree!” Sukizo cried. “Remarkable!”

Derak looked to his Pokémon. “…is that all he ever says?”

Brute, despite being the only one of Derak’s Pokémon who had any form of emotional reaction to events, only shrugged.

“Th-thank you…thank you all so much,” Teresa bowed, recalling Shinx and leaving the stage as quickly as possible.

“She didn’t do too badly, did she?” Derak asked his Pokémon. Brute gave him a thumbs-up of approval, but Wildfire simply stared at the stage. “Uh…right. Look, I need to use the bathroom, so I’ll be right back. Hold my seat, okay?”

Brute nodded, and as Derak pushed his way out of the seats, his Machop noticed a boy with blood red pants and a black leather jacket stroll onto the stage as if he owned it. The Superpower Pokémon growled; something bothered it about this one.

***

“Ugh, who would have thought the lines for the bathroom would be a dozen people long?” Derak complained as he returned to his seat. “So, guys, what did I miss?”

“Welcome back to the Pewter City Pokémon Contest!” Lilian cried. “Now that the appeals have ended, it’s time to enter the battle round!”

“…I guess that answers my question,” Derak sighed.

“All the coordinators who passed the appeal round will now battle it out for the Pewter City Contest’s ribbon!” Lilian announced. “First up are Nando and Teresa!”

The two participants returned to the stage, each bearing a different demeanor. While Nando’s expression was as cheerful and polite as ever, Teresa looked as if she would either pass out or flee the stage. Her hands were shaking, her stage fright having evidently returned.

“Please, miss, you shouldn’t worry,” Nando said with a smile.

“B-but…this is my first Contest battle,” Teresa stammered, eyes on the floor and fingers fidgeting. “I…I don’t know if we can…”

She trailed off, but the audience got the gist of her sentence. Nando, did, as well.

“Miss Teresa, please, do not doubt yourself,” Nando said, his tone remaining as civil and kind. “Whether you win or lose, the experience of battling itself remains an important aspect of Pokémon training.”

A flash of light erupted out of Teresa’s belt, taking the shape of a pale green quadruped Pokémon. Its neck bore what looked similar to a necklace of green orbs, and above its red eyes was a large green leaf. Once on Teresa’s side of the field, the Pokémon—despite having never actually been called out by its trainer—took a fighting stance.

Chikorita,” Derak’s P*DA observed, “the Leaf Pokémon. Grass-type. It uses the leaf on its head to determine the temperature and humidity. Chikorita is a docile Pokémon that loves to sunbathe.

“Chik-o!” Teresa’s Chikorita cried fiercely. “Chiko, chiko!”

“Er…Chikorita?” Teresa ventured. “I, uh…I didn’t really want you to battle just yet.”

“Chiko!” Chikorita yelled, whirling on its trainer. “Chiko, chiko, chiko!”

The small Grass-type dashed behind its trainer and began to shove her leg, as if urging her forward. When it realized that Teresa would not budge, however, Chikorita sighed and went back in front of her, this time yelling at Nando.

“Chik, chiko!” Chikorita cried. “Chiko, chi-chiko!”

So much for being docile, Derak thought. Nando, however, simply chuckled at Chikorita’s feistiness.

“What an eager Pokémon,” Nando said. “Its wish seems to be for us to progress with our battle. I have no intention of disappointing such a good friend, so let me oblige.”

Nando removed a Pokéball from his cloak and released a small deer-like Pokémon. Its face and lower body were a pale tan, whereas the rest of its body was pink. Yellow markings along its sides accentuated the pink, and a yellow flower on its head completed the look. The deer’s cute black eyes looked upon Chikorita in friendly manner, despite their owner’s knowledge of the coming battle.

Deerling,” Derak’s P*DA identified, “the Season Pokémon. Normal and Grass-type. Deerling’s coloring and scent changes according to the change in seasons. It can also be affected by the temperature and humidity.

“Are the trainers ready?” Lilian asked, mainly to prevent another conversation between them. Nando nodded, but Teresa merely gulped. “Then let’s GOOOO!”

Teresa shrunk at the sound of Lilian’s booming voice, but she managed to recover in time to give her Pokémon an order.

“Ch-Chikorita,” she stammered, “I need you to use…Tackle.”

Chikorita rushed forward as fast as its four legs would allow, completely undaunted by Deerling’s greater size. Deerling, however, leapt into the air and avoided Chikorita’s charge, its black hooves clicking as it landed back on the stage.

“Deerling, use Jump Kick, if you please,” Nando said.

“Chikorita, cou…counter with Razor Leaf!” Teresa cried out in a panic.

Chikorita needed only swing around its leaf to release a barrage of sharp-edged leaves at the airborne Deerling. Rather than dodge, however, Deerling simply kicked at each leaf, shattering them into pieces as it barreled down upon Chikorita. Before Teresa’s Pokémon could dodge, Deerling’s hooves slammed into its body, knocking it out instantly.

“Chikorita!” Teresa cried, her nerves vanishing in an instant upon seeing her injured Pokémon. She ran out, brushing past Deerling, and took Chikorita in her arms. “Chikorita, I…I’m sorry. I wasn’t good enough.”

“Teresa?” Nando said, approaching her. “Please, do not say such things about yourself. You did quite well for a beginner.”

“R-reh…really?” Teresa sputtered. “I…thank you, Nando.”

“And with that, Nando wins the first match of the battle round!” Lilian declared as Nando and Teresa left the stage. “Next up, it’s Timmy Grimm versus Contest newcomer Aiden Takeshi!”

Timmy appeared on stage once more, this time alongside the leather-garbed boy whose appeal Derak missed. Both appeared confident, but Aiden’s face expressed much more arrogance than Timmy’s.

“All right, Gimmighoul,” Aiden smirked, throwing his Pokéball of choice, “go for the win!”

The creature housed within Aiden’s Poké Ball initially appeared to not be a creature at all, but in fact a red treasure chest with gold lining and a belt strap locking it shut. Soon, however, the strap came undone of what seemed to be its own accord, allowing the treasure chest to open and reveal a sea of coins within it. Further still, a small gray-skinned circular head poked its head out of the coins, peering out with its golden eyes and waving about a pair of black-and-gold antennae.

“Okay, Dusknoir, you’re up!” Timmy cried.

Timmy’s chosen Pokémon was significantly bigger than all others used previously in the battle round, being even bigger than its trainer. Its body was dominantly black with yellow stripes across its arms, and on its bulbous stomach was a pattern reminiscent of a sinister face. The Pokémon had no legs, instead a jagged tail, and its head appeared to be a pale grey mask housing a single red eye. The Pokémon’s large grey hands clenched into fists, spreading its arms wide in a frightening gesture.

“Dussk-nooiiiirrr,” hissed Timmy’s Pokemon as it levitated above the stage.

“Whuh-wha…?!” Aiden sputtered, taking a step back as his Gimmighoul buried itself beneath its hoard of coins. “What is that thing?!”

“Good question,” Derak muttered as he reached for his P*DA again.

Dusknoir,” the Strategy Memo identified, “the Gripper Pokémon and the evolved form of Dusclops. Ghost-type. It is said to receive transmissions from the spirit world that command it to take people there. It also takes lost souls inside its pliant body to guide them home.

Gimmighoul,” continued the Strategy Memo, “the Coin Chest Pokémon. Ghost-type. Gimmighoul lives inside an old chest, and sucks the life-force out of humans who try to take its treasure. It is often left in shop corners because no one realizes it is actually a Pokémon.

“Oh come on, how is that fair?!” Aiden complained. “Man, cut a guy a break, will you?”

He paused, looking down at his Pokémon before his lips curved into a smirk.

“Ah, screw it, we’ve got a rep to protect,” Aiden continued with a shake of his head. “Gimmighoul, use Confuse Ray!”

A purple beam of light erupted from Gimmighoul’s eyes, covering Dusknoir’s body. The Gripper Pokémon’s sole eye became dazed as it struggled to even float steadily.

“Hell yeah!” Aiden pumped his fist. “Now, follow up with Night Shade!”

Next, a bolt of black-and-purple electricity formed between Gimmighoul’s antennae before projecting out towards Dusknoir. Timmy’s Ghost-type cried out in agony as the lightning coursed through its body, but gave its head a shake as focus returned to its eye.

“Ready, Dusknoir?” Timmy asked, receiving a nod from his Ghost-type. “Okay, then use Will-o-wisp!”

“Keep up that Night Shade, Gimmighoul!”

Dusknoir cast its hands forth, creating a ring of blue flames around itself. Now more able to weather Gimmighoul’s next lightning strike, Timmy’s Pokémon thrust its hands forward, prompting its sapphire flames to lunge forth towards Gimmighoul. Rather than evacuate its chest in any effort to dodge, however, Gimmighoul simply closed the chest as the belt clicked itself back together, allowing the flames to burn the chest rather than the Pokémon within.

“One more Night Shade, Gimmighoul!” Aiden cried.

“Let’s wrap this up ourselves, Dusknoir!” Timmy pointed a finger forward. “Use Thunder Punch!”

As Gimmighoul prepared its dark lightning once more, Dusknoir charged one fist with a brighter golden lightning. The Coin Chest Pokémon quickly fired, but Dusknoir used its electrified fist as a shield, the two arcs of electricity combining into one as the Gripper Pokémon rushed towards the stationary Gimmighoul. Even as Gimmighoul cloistered itself in its chest again, Dusknoir’s Thunder Punch hit home, its fist slamming into the chest with enough force to launch it back directly into Aiden’s chest, knocking both the screaming Coordinator and his screaming Pokémon off-stage.

“Whoa, what was that?!” Derak cried, but his voice became drowned out by Lilian’s imminent commentary.

“And in one dynamic move, Timmy and his Dusknoir win the battle round!” Lilian cried. “Stay tuned, Contest fans! We’ll be right back with the finale!”

***

With the Contest now in intermission, Derak and his Pokemon took this opportunity to stretch their legs. As such, the three were soon in the Contest lobby, Derak leaning against a wall.

“I have to say,” Derak began, “this Contest thing looks pretty fun. What do you guys think?”

Wildfire failed to respond, but Brute simply shrugged.

“Ugh…Wildfire, why don’t you get it?” Derak sighed. “You’re not my pet machine, you’re my friend.”

Now Wildfire was actively ignoring any social interaction from its trainer. Derak sighed, putting his head in one hand.

“What am I going to do with you?” he groaned.

“Out of the way, coming through!” Aiden yelled, barging out of the Contest stadium so fast that his brown pompadour bounced rather violently. He stopped just before the front gate, steadying himself via a hand on the wall as he caught his breath.

“Hey, you and Gimmighoul all right?” Derak raised a brow. “You took a rough hit there in the battle round. Trust me, I know what that’s like.”

“Huh? Me?” Aiden looked around, hurriedly straightening himself and smoothing his hair. “Nah, it’s all good! I might not have won this Contest, but they’ll see what I can really do next time. I mean, come on, my appeal was the best one here, right?”

Derak blinked. “Uh…I don’t know? I think I was in the bathroom at the time.”

Now it was Aiden’s turn to blink, frowning. “You…missed…my appeal?”

“…yes?” Derak said slowly. “Is that a crime?”

“You owe me for that!” Aiden pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Next time, I’ll really show you why I deserve the win!”

With that, Aiden turned on his heel and stormed out.

“Well…that guy was a jerk,” Derak remarked with a sigh.

“Chop,” Brute replied, shaking its head. Now it knew what was so disturbing about the boy.

The sounds of applause and cheers, however, interrupted further musings.

“Looks like the Contest is starting back up,” Derak observed. “Better hunt down our seats again.”

***

“Welcome back, all you Contest lovers!” Lilian cried, making one grand gesture after another as the audience’s excitement escalated. “It’s time for our final round! To my left, Timmy Grimm from Verdanturf Town, Hoenn! And to my right, Nando from Alamos Town, Sinnoh! With five minutes on the clock, it’s time for us…to BEGIN!”

As if triggered by the emphasis in the last word of Lilian’s introduction, a timer placed upon a large scoreboard (which Derak only just noticed due to having been unusually focused on the actual battles) began to count down, second by second. Nando once again released Deerling, but once the small Normal-type beheld Timmy’s imposing Dusknoir, the small Season Pokemon’s eyes went wide with terror as the rest of its body began to shake.

“Please, Deerling, let us do this together,” Nando said, and Deerling’s nerves calmed somewhat. “Use Shadow Ball, if you please.”

Deerling formed a ball of crackling darkness in front of its mouth, which it then fired towards Dusknoir. The Ghost-type’s response, however, took the audience by surprise: the jagged line on its stomach split open and swallowed the Shadow Ball. Once the pseudo-mouth clamped shut, Dusknoir’s body began to pulse with dark energy. Of the two circular meters next to Timmy and Nando’s images on the board, Nando’s point amount depleted by roughly a third.

“All right! Now, Dusknoir, use Thunder Punch!” Timmy yelled.

“Deerling, evade, please,” Nando said with his typical nonchalance.

The newly-empowered Dusknoir shot into the air, leaving a hazy trail of darkness in its wake. Although it drew one fist back, electrifying it once again, the actual punch only served to create a hole in the stage. Deerling gracefully landed as Timmy’s points fell by a quarter, but it had no need to press the attack. The sheer force behind Dusknoir’s punch had actually caused its fist to become stuck in the stage floor, something the Gripper Pokémon soon realized as its dark power boost faded away.

“Dusknoir, no!” Timmy cried.

“And now, let us bring our performance to a close,” Nando said. “Deerling, please use Solar Beam.”

Deerling’s body took on a bright shine as white particles of energy gathered around it. The trapped Dusknoir could only watch as Deerling absorbed these particles, the glow it radiated becoming stronger and brighter with each passing second. Timmy gritted his teeth, knowing that he had a limited time-frame to work with.

And then an idea struck.

“Dusknoir, go into the floor!” Timmy cried.

As a ghostly Pokémon, Dusknoir was apparently able to turn itself intangible, phasing through the floor of the stage. With its target gone, Deerling ceased charging its Solar Beam, looking around for its missing foe.

“Will-o-wisp!”

Timmy’s next order caused the ring of blue flame to reappear, this time surrounding Deerling. Before the Season Pokémon could react, the fires converged onto its body, causing it to cry out in pain.

“Now, let’s try this one more time!” Timmy cried. “Use Thunder Punch!”

Dusknoir phased up from directly under Deerling, emerging from the floor while simultaneously striking the Season Pokémon’s stomach with another Thunder Punch, sending both into the air.

“Let’s wrap this up!” Timmy yelled, pointing directly upward. “Use Brick Break!”

Dusknoir quickly chased Deerling into the air, delivering a fierce sideways chop that knocked the small Grass-type aside. With that final blow rendering Deerling unconscious, the remainder of Nando’s points vanished, followed by his portrait. Only Timmy’s face remained on the screen, with the word “WINNER” appearing in massive red letters.

“And that’s it!” Lilian cried. “With another decisive move, Timmy Grimm and his Dusknoir have won the Pewter City Pokemon Contest!”

The entire audience burst into a rousing applause, and even Derak followed suit with a methodical clap of his own. Contesta handed Timmy a small ribbon, which the latter held up for all to see.

“Hey, guys,” Derak said to his Pokemon. “You think maybe I should enter a Contest some day? What do you think?”

“Chop,” Brute nodded, having immensely enjoyed the show. As usual, however, Wildfire gave no response, much to Derak’s disappointment.

“Come on, guys,” Derak said, recalling his two Pokemon. “Our vagabond ‘friend’ has probably moved on to Cerulean by now.”

***

Outside the Contest Hall, however, Mr. Vagabond stood with his Electivire, icy patches on several trees serving as evidence that they had been training.

“Ice Punch, once more!” Mr. Vagabond yelled.

Electivire’s fist thrust forward and pounded a tree, hitting it with enough force that the tree actually bent slightly at the impact. As with the others, a small patch of ice formed on the spot where Electivire had struck it.

“Good,” Mr. Vagabond commented. “That will do for now.”

“Vire,” Electivire nodded. The Thunderbolt Pokemon’s eyes then drifted over to the doors of the Contest Hall. “Elec, electivire?”

“I have to wait for the boy,” Mr. Vagabond sighed. “As much as I train you and my other Pokemon, working with Derak may be my best chance for revenge…as ironic as it is.”

Soon, the doors opened, and the crowd began to pile out. Somewhere within the flood of people, Mr. Vagabond knew, was the boy he was supposed to be traveling with. His golden eyes squinted, attempting to identify the boy. The cloaked trainer’s efforts were soon rewarded, as he found Derak in conversation with Timmy Grimm, the two having separated from the herd of spectators for a moment.

“So, Derak, how did you like the Contest?” Timmy asked.

“I’ve got to say, it was pretty something,” Derak admitted with a rare smile.

“Glad to hear it,” Timmy smiled. “Try and stop by future Contests down the road, okay?”

“I might,” Derak said. “Later.”

The runaway turned his back on Timmy with a limp wave of his hand, heading towards Mr. Vagabond. The older man sighed, returning Electivire to its Pokeball as Derak approached.

“Are you done wasting time yet?” Mr. Vagabond spat.

“Pretty much,” Derak said. “Let’s hit the road.”

“Finally,” Mr. Vagabond groaned, and the two set on their way.

“I don’t know what you were on about,” Derak said. “Contests seem kind of fun.”

“It is a distraction and nothing more,” Mr. Vagabond spat. “Keep your focus on the road ahead, and not on those nonsensical ‘appeals’.”

“Yeah, about those,” Derak said. “I saw one of the Pokémon use a move…I think he called it ‘Thunder Punch’.”

“And?” Mr. Vagabond snorted.

“You think Wildfire might be able to…I don’t know, learn how to do it?” Derak asked. “Just so he’s not ‘useless’ in the Cerulean Gym.”

“Hmm…you may be on to something,” Mr. Vagabond said, putting a hand to his chin. “Electric-type attacks like Thunder Punch are incredibly effective against Water-types. If you could get Chimchar to learn it, you could have an ironically effective ace-in-the-hole in your match against the Cerulean Gym Leader.”

“Sounds good,” Derak said. “And his name’s ‘Wildfire’, not ‘Chimchar’.”

“Whatever,” Mr. Vagabond grunted. “We have wasted enough time already, just follow me to Cerulean City…without getting distracted by the first shiny object you find this time.”

“Whatever you say, oh fearless leader,” Derak quipped.

A primal growl of rage escaped Mr. Vagabond’s lips. He was starting to wonder if putting up with this boy would be worth it in the end.

*****
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
(I've been trying to go for posting one chapter a month to fit in my schedule, but sometimes that doesn't work out. Fortunately, I'm a couple extra chapters in and can post one earlier than usual to make up for months I've missed.)


Chapter 9: Fear




Mount Moon was reputed as a mysterious yet wonderful place. Many scientists came here, seeking to learn the secrets of a Pokémon called “Clefairy”. It was said on certain nights, Clefairies would dance at the summit of Mount Moon in a sort of prayer to the moon itself. No one knew the true nature of this dance, only that if an observer had the right timing, they could plunder a small stone that was capable of evolving a Clefairy into a stronger Pokémon called “Clefable”.

Despite being in the middle of the day, a group of Clefairies gathered atop Mount Moon. Each one of the small, vaguely star-shaped Pokémon stood in a line, twitching their surprisingly bulbous tails and holding their claw-like fingers above their brown ears. As their pink bodies faced the sky, all the Clefairies raised their arms into the air. Their index claws began to waggle from side to side in a hypnotic rhythm, each Clefairy chanting their species name as they looked to the sky.

Virtually anyone looking at this scene would have been calmed of all anxieties. Seeing these carefree Pokémon so devoutly worshipping something humans so frequently took for granted, something that was not even present at this time, would have to drag even the most begrudging of admiration from someone. This was a truly peaceful event.

“FAAIIIRR!”

One of the Clefairies was sent soaring into the air by a colossal beam of darkness that burst from under them. The remaining Clefairies scattered in an instant, somehow vanishing from sight as a Torkoal sailed out from the hole the beam had created, crashing down on the ground in an unconscious state.

Several floors below, Stoutland snarled as it faced down Derak and Mr. Vagabond, having just dispatched the latter’s Torkoal. Mr. Vagabond stood in front of Derak, one arm out to the side and holding the boy back.

“Accursed beast,” the cloaked man muttered. “Electivire, rise from the ashes!”

With a simple toss of a Pokéball, Electivire once more faced down Stoutland. The electric Pokémon tensed its muscles, knowing of the untamed power its foe possessed.

“What’s with this Stoutland?!” Derak cried. “Why does it keep destroying things?”

“This monster knows only rage, and seeks only destruction,” Mr. Vagabond answered. “As much as I wish otherwise, it must fall here, no matter what. Electivire, let us put our training to use! Ice Punch!”

Electivire surrounded its fist with an aura of cold as it rushed forth, just as Stoutland released a blast of its own dark lightning. The two attacks clashed fiercely, but almost immediately, one could tell that Mr. Vagabond’s Electivire was under strain. Sweat trickled down its head, and quick pants escaped through its gritted teeth. Stoutland’s fangs were bared in a ferocious snarl as its sinister bolt fought Electivire’s aura, but then a red glint appeared in Stoutland’s eyes. With a bone-chilling roar, the shadowy lightning sliced through Electivire’s aura and devastated the Thunderbolt Pokémon in a single strike.

“Electivire!” Derak cried.

“Return!” Mr. Vagabond snarled as he withdrew Electivire’s convulsing body back into its Pokéball. “We cannot last much longer! We need to leave, now!”

“But what about Torkoal?!” Derak cried. “We can’t just leave it!”

Mr. Vagabond’s eyes widened as if a realization dawned on him. He clenched his jaw as his fist began to shake.

“No…no, I cannot,” Mr. Vagabond muttered. “Not this time. Sigilyph, get us out of here!”

The Pokémon Derak had fought at Orre’s HQ lab appeared before them, dangling its skeletal feet down towards the two and allowing Mr. Vagabond to grasp one of them.

“Grab on, now!” he ordered.

Derak gripped the other leg, and despite its wiry frame, Sigilyph levitated itself up through the hole in Mount Moon, carrying its trainer and his companion with it. As they passed Torkoal, one of Mr. Vagabond’s arms released its grip on Sigilyph’s, causing him to slightly slide down.

“Dude, are you nuts?!” Derak cried.

“You said we could not leave Torkoal behind,” Mr. Vagabond spat back as he used his newly-freed arm to retrieve a Pokéball. “I agree. Torkoal, return!”

Torkoal was recalled into its Pokéball and once the sphere was replaced on Mr. Vagabond’s belt, he regained his place on his Sigilyph. The three-eyed Pokémon continued to levitate, now descending Mount Moon at a rapid pace. Back on the mountain, Stoutland burst through the mountain’s summit, planting its four paws on the ground. Through a blood red haze of rage, it saw its quarry escape. Stoutland threw its head back in a horrifying roar, as if vowing vengeance.

Stoutland was unaware, however, that it, too, was being watched. Nathaniel Draykus stood at the foot of the mountain, eyeing his quarry through a pair of black binoculars. He smirked as he observed the Big-Hearted Pokémon’s rage.

“Incredible,” Draykus said as he watched Stoutland transform itself into a ball of darkness once again, the less-than-Big-Hearted Pokémon fleeing the scene. “I have never seen such power, such darkness…not even during my past.”

He lowered the binoculars, an ambitious glint in his eye as a plan began to take shape.

“Perhaps it is time to start thinking about the future.”

***

Sigilyph glided down into a nearby settlement, identified by a sign saying “CERULEAN CITY—THE FLORAL LAGOON CITY”. Once the skeletal avian drifted to a stop in front of the Pokemon Center, Mr. Vagabond and Derak dismounted it, and having no more need of its services, Mr. Vagabond prepared to return it to its Pokeball.

“Hold on a sec,” Derak said. He pointed his P*DA at Sigilyph, prompting a rolling of Mr. Vagabond’s eyes. “I never got to analyze this guy.”

Sigilyph,” the Strategy Memo began, “the Avianoid Pokémon. Psychic and Flying-type. Psychic power allows this Pokémon to fly. The ruins of an ancient city were found beneath a desert where they fly, and some theorize that this Pokémon was either this city’s guardians or the guardians’ emissaries.

“Are you quite finished?” Mr. Vagabond sighed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Derak began with a sardonic tone already in his voice. “How inconsiderate of me to actually try and learn about Pokémon instead of making things as convenient as possible for you. How completely rude of me.”

“Shut up, you little brat,” Mr. Vagabond growled as he recalled his Sigilyph. “You should be thankful I have been aiding you on your precious journey at all.”

“OBJECTION!”

With that unusual battle cry, Nick Spire burst out of the Pokémon Center, dramatically pointing one finger at Derak.

“The journey can’t be precious to him,” Spire said, “because it’s now coming to an end!”

“Who in the world are you?” Mr. Vagabond blinked, clearly taken off-guard by this unusual figure.

“Uncle Nick?” Derak gasped. “What are you…wait, dear old dad sent you to drag me back kicking and screaming, didn’t he?”

“More or less,” Spire answered. “Derak, you have to come back to Orre.”

“Why should I?” Derak asked, narrowing his eyes. “There’s nothing for me there.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Spire countered. “As temperamental and controlling as he is, your father is a good man, Derak. He cares about you.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Derak retorted somewhat mockingly. “My self-proclaimed ‘dad’ doesn’t care specifically about me, he cares about the fact that I could keep his business going. When it all comes down to it, Anoch Kadir only cares about money. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Derak, just think about it,” Spire said. “Why would your dad raise you if he only cared about his business and his money?”

“Because he wanted an heir,” Derak snorted.

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Spire said, taking a step forward. “Derak, please, just listen. I’ll see if I can make it so that you can keep all the Pokémon you’ve captured. Just come back with me and—”

“Forget it,” Derak spat. Mr. Vagabond raised a brow at the determination in Derak’s words. “I made a promise to someone a few years ago...and I made a promise to myself, too. Like I said, there’s nothing for me in Orre. I’m staying on my journey, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it, family friend or not.”

Derak punctuated his declaration with a steely glare directed at Spire. Mr. Vagabond’s lips cracked into a small smirk; he had to admit, the boy had conviction. Spire, however, only sighed.

“I was afraid you would say that,” he said. “Derak, I’m sorry, but if you won’t listen to reason…I’ll have to use force.”

“Fine by me,” Derak growled. “Wildfire, let’s go!”

Wildfire began glaring at Spire the second it appeared from its Pokéball, interpreting him as a threat to its master. Spire removed a Pokéball of his own from his belt, but just as he was about to throw it, Mr. Vagabond stepped between Spire and Derak.

“You heard the boy,” he said. “If even a family friend like you cannot change his mind through words, I doubt you will do so through force.”

“What are you doing?” Spire asked. “Derak’s a runaway, he has to be brought home! Why are you protecting him from what’s right?”

“You have no idea what you are interfering with,” Mr. Vagabond snarled. “I have need of this young trainer, so if you intend to stop his journey, you must first get through me.”

“Suit yourself,” Spire said, taking a few steps back as he and Mr. Vagabond moved a distance away from each other, leaving Derak on the sidelines of the improvised battlefield. “Infernape, close the case!”

A three-foot tall monkey was released from Spire’s latest Pokéball. Its body was dominantly a brownish orange color, with blue fingers and feet at the ends of its arms. These arms were connected to a furry white torso with two yellow swirling patterns on the front, which were also found on the Pokémon’s wrists, knees, and shoulders. Although it had a long, monkey-like tail, this Pokémon’s most noticeable feature was its furry white head, with red eyebrows and piercing red eyes underneath a massive crown of flame.

“Hmm…Cradily, rise from the ashes!” Mr. Vagabond cried.

In order to combat Spire’s Pokemon, Mr. Vagabond chose a rather odd-looking pale green creature with an egg-shaped head surrounded by short, pink, purple-tipped tentacles. The head itself had a horizontal black line in which two beady yellow eyes rested, and was connected to a stubby base via a long neck. On the Pokemon’s body were yellow markings, including swirls on its forehead and stripes at the base of its neck.

“I’m going to be using this thing a lot, aren’t I?” Derak sighed as he pointed the P*DA at Mr. Vagabond’s Pokémon of choice, then at Spire’s.

Cradily,” Derak’s Strategy Memo stated, “the Barnacle Pokémon and the evolved form of Lileep. Rock and Grass-type. Cradily has small legs and cannot move very fast, but its neck and tentacles can extend to over three times their usual length in order to catch prey. Once the prey is caught in its tentacles, it digests them whole and absorbs their nutrients.”

Infernape, the Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Monferno. Fire and Fighting-type. Infernape is the final evolution of Chimchar. It is beaten by none of terms of quickness, and uses that agility to toss its enemies around. Infernape’s crown is indicative of its fiery nature, and it uses all its limbs to fight in a unique style of its own making.

“Whoa…just look at that thing,” Derak said, already impressed by Infernape. He knelt down to Wildfire’s level. “See that, little guy? You might evolve into a Pokémon like that one day.”

“Chaar,” Wildfire sighed, also in awe of its final evolution. It could tell just by looking at its final evolution that it was quite powerful, and strength like that would inevitably please a trainer immensely.

“Infernape, Flame Burst!” Spire yelled.

Before Mr. Vagabond or his Cradily could react, Infernape opened its mouth and belched out a large fireball that struck Cradily’s head. Although Cradily reeled back, neck bending as far back as it could go, it soon lurched back forward with all the elasticity of a rubber band.

“Tough guy, huh?” Spire growled. “Okay, Infernape, use Close Combat!”

Infernape leapt at Cradily and clasped the Barnacle Pokemon’s neck in one hand. The Flame Pokemon pinned Cradily’s head to the ground, preventing further bounce-backs. With its target in place, Infernape began to viciously beat Cradily’s head with punches and kicks, each blow pounding its target into the pavement.

Derak narrowed his eyes at this perceived mistreatment of Pokemon. Wildfire’s eyes widened at the sheer brutality unfolding before it. Was such behavior really necessary?

“Now, Infernape, finish this with Blast Burn!” Spire yelled.

With one last punch to Cradily’s head, Infernape shot up into the air, its body taking on a blood red aura. The Flame Pokemon then drew back its head and released another fiery attack from its mouth, this one a smaller variant of its earlier Flame Burst. Cradily stood its ground, pulling its head out of the ground and gazing straight into the incoming attack.

When the fireball connected, chaos began.

The fireball exploded into a massive blast of flame, a mushroom cloud rocketing into the air. The place where Cradily once stood was had been set completely ablaze, sparks dancing about and flames hungrily grasping at the air. There was no way anything, even a Pokemon as well-trained as one of Mr. Vagabond’s, could escape that alive.

Wildfire began to whimper as its body began to shake. Infernape landed back at Spire’s side and cast a glare at its base evolutionary form.

That was all that it took.

Screams of terror erupted from Wildfire’s mouth as the Chimchar scuttled back as far as it could, eyes squeezing shut. Once its rear touched the Pokémon Center’s outside wall, Wildfire balled its body into a fetal position, shrieking at the top of its lungs as tears of fear flooded from its eyes.

“W-Wildfire?” Derak stammered, the sudden change in his starter Pokémon’s demeanor taking him entirely off-guard. “H-hey, what’s wrong?”

Derak’s Chimchar did not respond to his query, but only continued to scream and cry.

“Hey! Hey, easy, Wildfire!” Derak said, taking his starter in his arms and stroking its head. “It’s…it’s Infernape, isn’t it?”

The Pokémon in question simply scoffed, looking back over to the destruction it had wreaked. Mr. Vagabond’s vision was directed Wildfire, eyes wide as something stirred within his chest. Clenching his fist, Mr. Vagabond shot his most heated glare yet towards Spire and his Infernape.

“You miserable wretch,” Mr. Vagabond snarled. “Cradily, use Earth Power!”

Infernape smirked, thinking that Cradily was already defeated. A surge of golden energy cracked through the ground, however, and released a series of eruptions that barreled towards the Flame Pokemon. Infernape’s eyes bulged as the final eruption blasted it into the air, the Flame Pokemon fainting long before it came back to the ground.

“Wha—that’s…Infernape, return!” Spire cried, withdrawing his fallen Fire-type. “How…how did Cradily last through all that—”

Spire was cut off when Mr. Vagabond snatched his throat in a vice-like grip.

“Do you have any idea what you have done?!” the cloaked man growled. “See for yourself!”

He pointed Spire’s head at Derak, who was still attempting to comfort Wildfire. Derak was stroking his Chimchar’s head, having now reduced the screams to whimpers. The still-present tears, however, drove a stake of guilt into Spire’s heart.

“I…I never—” Spire choked.

“Shut up,” Derak growled. “I thought you were the closest thing I had to a friend back in Orre. But I guess I was wrong. I don’t know what the old man’s going to do to you, but I’m pretty sure that you deserve every bit of it.”

“Indeed you do,” Mr. Vagabond rasped, his grip on Spire’s throat tightening.

Spire’s hands latched onto Mr. Vagabond’s arm, his attempts to free himself failing miserably. He closed his eyes, awaiting the end. But it never came. Mr. Vagabond instead released his grip, allowing Spire to collapse onto the concrete. As the lawyer-detective regained his ability to breathe, the vagabond scowled down at him.

“A selfish scumbag like you is not worth the effort,” he spat. “Get out of my sight, you filthy maggot.”

Stumbling about in a panic, Spire clambered away from the scene, fleeing the city itself. Mr. Vagabond sighed and pointed a Pokéball at the now somewhat-diminished fire, dispersing the remaining flames as he silently recalled Cradily.

“Is Chimchar all right?” Mr. Vagabond asked Derak.

“I think he’ll be fine in a little while,” Derak said, still stroking Wildfire. “It’s going to be okay. You don’t have to evolve if you don’t want to, so you won’t be turning into a monster like that Infernape.”

“Ch…char?” Wildfire choked, looking at Derak with confusion. He was a trainer, was he not? Why would he not force his Pokémon to evolve?

“You’ll be safe in your Pokéball, Wildfire. Return,” Derak said, recalling his Chimchar. “Well, I…I never thought I’d say this, but I guess I owe you one. Thanks, for...you know.”

Mr. Vagabond merely grunted with a nod. He then strode inside the Pokémon Center, leaving Derak outside. The boy looked down at his orange Pokéball for a moment.

Making Wildfire evolve would make him stronger, Derak thought, but if he goes completely insane…yeah, definitely not worth it.

He clipped Wildfire’s Pokéball back onto his belt and entered the Pokémon Center.

***

“Here you are, sir!” the Cerulean City Nurse Joy chirped as she handed Mr. Vagabond a single Pokéball. “Your Cradily is good as new!”

Mr. Vagabond wordlessly took Cradily’s Pokéball and turned to Derak, who was currently slouching in a lobby chair. Evening had set while they had waited for Cradily to be healed, and the fading orange sunlight that poured through the Center’s windows exemplified this.

“So, Cradily’s okay, then?” Derak asked. “Even after all the insanity Infernape pulled off?”

“Yes, it is,” Mr. Vagabond replied. “A Cradily’s strength lies in its defensive capabilities and its stamina. Even an offensively-based Pokemon such as Infernape will not fell a Cradily so easily.”

“Good to know,” Derak said, rising out of his seat and heading for the door. “Well, I’m off.”

“Hold it,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Do you honestly think that your current team has any chance against a Water-type Gym?”

“I was planning on using Brute for the most part,” Derak shrugged.

“Your Machop is not so strong as to be able to defeat multiple Gym Leader-trained Pokémon,” Mr. Vagabond countered. “You wanted Chimchar to learn Thunder Punch, correct?”

“Yeah, so?” Derak replied.

“So, follow me,” Mr. Vagabond said. “We are going to teach Chimchar how to use Thunder Punch.”

“I thought you weren’t interested in my Gym battles,” Derak said as he followed Mr. Vagabond out into the streets of Cerulean City.

“I am not,” Mr. Vagabond replied.

“So…why are you helping me with one, exactly?” Derak asked.

“My reasons are my own,” Mr. Vagabond grunted, preparing a Pokéball. “Now, let us begin. Electivire, come out!”

“Wildfire, you too,” Derak said dully, opening his orange Pokéball rather than throwing it.

Once both Pokémon appeared, Wildfire’s eyes trailed upward to find Electivire towering over it. The Chimchar bared its teeth, as if expecting a fight. Electivire, however, gave a relatively-friendly grunt to the small Fire-type.

“Chimchar,” Mr. Vagabond said to the small Pokémon.

“His name’s Wildfire, he who hath no ears,” Derak snapped.

“We are going to teach you how to use the move Thunder Punch,” Mr. Vagabond continued, blatantly ignoring Derak’s corrective sentence. “Electivire will demonstrate the move.”

“On what?” Derak asked.

“On our sparring partner,” Mr. Vagabond replied, holding up a second Pokéball. “Dewgong, rise from the ashes!”

Mr. Vagabond’s next team member was a white, sea lion-like Pokémon with a somewhat banana-shaped body. It had two small fins on its sides as well as a larger fin at the end of its tail, and its face possessed friendly black eyes, small tusks protruding from its mouth, and a small horn emerging from the top of its head.

Dewgong,” Derak’s Strategy Memo reported, “the Sea Lion Pokémon and the evolved form of Seel. Water and Ice-type. It swims through the ocean at a speed of eight knots, searching for Pokémon that will become its prey. It sunbathes on the beach after meals because the rise in body temperature helps its digestion.

“So, our sparring partner is a Water-type?” Derak asked. “Makes sense, I suppose.”

“Then we will begin,” Mr. Vagabond began. “Electivire, Thunder Punch! Dewgong, use Protect!”

Much like Timmy’s Dusknoir had done against Aiden’s Cyndaquil, Electivire drew back one fist, charging it with electrical power. Just as it was about to bring its Thunder Punch down on Dewgong, however, the Sea Lion Pokémon formed a green bubble around itself, which effectively blocked the Thunder Punch.

“Good, both of you,” Mr. Vagabond said, and his Pokémon stood down. “Now, Chimchar, it is your turn.”

“You know what? I’m not going to bother correcting someone who doesn’t bother to listen,” Derak sighed. “Anyway…Wildfire, try to do what Electivire did, okay? Try and use Thunder Punch.”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded. It clenched its right hand into a fist and concentrated. Feeling something in its fist, it lunged for Dewgong and brought its fist forward…

…only to have it lightly tap Dewgong’s stomach as absolutely nothing special happened.

“Okay, so that could have gone better,” Derak remarked. “No big deal. Just try again.”

“Cha…?” Wildfire blinked at its trainers nonchalant attitude towards its failure. It shook its thoughts out of its head, however, and strengthened its resolve. “Chim-char!”

It turned back to Dewgong and swung its fist forward again, but as before, Wildfire’s tiny fist barely bruised Dewgong’s blubbery body.

“Gong,” Dewgong said compassionately, giving Wildfire a light nudge of encouragement with its fin. It then used that same fin to gesture to its chest. “Dew, dewgong.”

“Viirre,” Electivire sighed, rolling its eyes at this display of sentiment.

“Dewgong!” Dewgong snapped at its comrade, then turned back to Wildfire. “Gong, gong.”

“What are they doing?” Mr. Vagabond sighed. He made to intervene, but Derak cast an arm in his way.

“Hold on, let them talk it out,” Derak said. “They might be on to something.”

“Hmph,” Mr. Vagabond grunted, turning his gaze back to the Pokémon.

“Dew, dew,” Dewgong said, again gesturing to its front.

Wildfire took a breath and closed its eyes. It held up its fist, and soon, that fist began to emit sparks. Eventually, crackling electricity began to dance around Wildfire’s fist, and with a mighty swing, a Thunder Punch landed on Dewgong’s chest. The Sea Lion Pokémon recoiled somewhat, but soon recovered and gave Wildfire an encouraging smile.

“Gong, dewgong!” Dewgong said.

“Char?” Wildfire blinked. It looked down at its fist, which lost its remaining traces of electrical power. “Chim-char.”

“Wildfire, that’s awesome!” Derak cried, grinning from ear to ear. “You just used Thunder Punch!”

“Yes, it used the move,” Mr. Vagabond said, “but it still needs to master it.”

“He just used it, didn’t he?” Derak asked. “Doesn’t that mean he’s mastered it?”

“If Chimchar can execute a flawless Thunder Punch again, then yes,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Chimchar, use Thunder Punch again.”

Despite not actually belonging to Mr. Vagabond, Wildfire nonetheless nodded and prepared to execute the order. It drew back its fist, poured its focus into that same fist, and then thrust it forward. This time, however, only a small sparkle of electricity emanated from its hand.

“Char?” Wildfire blinked, confused at this development.

“As I said, you have yet to master the attack until you can execute it multiple times without incident,” Mr. Vagabond said. “We will keep doing this until—”

A beam of red light suddenly struck Wildfire, sucking the Chimp Pokémon back into its orange Pokeball. Derak stuck the ball back onto his belt and wordlessly made to enter the Pokémon Center.

“What are you doing?!” Mr. Vagabond snapped, whirling on Derak. “We are not finished training!”

Derak stopped just before he entered the Center.

“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s getting kind of late,” Derak said. “Wildfire and I need some rest if we’re going to take on the Gym tomorrow.”

“And just how are you going to succeed in the battle unless Chimchar knows Thunder Punch?” Mr. Vagabond sneered.

“Eh, we’ll wing it,” Derak shrugged. “Night, Crazy Man.”

With that last nickname, Derak strode into the Pokémon Center. Dewgong tried its best to hide a chuckle, earning a heated glare from Electivire. The newly-dubbed Crazy Man only grimaced.

“I hate stubborn children,” he muttered.

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 10: Stormy Waters





The next morning, Derak stepped out of the Pokémon Center, oblivious to the blissful day that surrounded him. Not even passing trainers gained his notice, Derak instead rotating his shoulder in an attempt to loosen it.

“Ugh,” he groaned. “That’s one night I’m never getting back…stupid Teachy TV show.”

He removed his two Pokéballs from his belt, gazing down at them.

“Hope you guys are ready,” he said. “Gym battle number two is coming up.”

Derak strode off into the distance, trying to play out the Gym battle in his mind. Back in the Pokémon Center, however, Mr. Vagabond remained behind. The cloaked man was at a table, taking a swig from his canteen. The second it left his lips, he slammed it on the table with a ragged sigh.

“Five minutes,” he said. “I give it five minutes before that brat is back here whining about how he lost his battle before it even began.”

***

The Gym itself was a large building with a yellow dome atop it. Its grand design was clearly an indicator of the building’s importance, as it was evidently built with the ability to hold a large crowd. With a shrug, Derak entered, and found himself in a cavernous room lined with enough seats to fill a football field. The center of the room was the apparent arena, a pool dotted with various square platforms in random places.

Movement appeared just above Derak’s vision, and he looked up to see a young red-haired woman in a white swimsuit launch herself from a diving board. She dove into the water like a bullet, and moments later, she burst out of the water directly in front of Derak, splashing him in the process.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” the young woman said. “I didn’t know you were there.”

“Much as I wish otherwise, I’m not exactly hard to ignore,” Derak sighed, wringing out his brightly colored amalgam of an outfit. “Name’s Derak. This is the Gym, right?”

“Right,” the woman nodded, her neck-length red hair dripping even more water as a consequence. “My name’s Misty. I’m the Cerulean City Gym Leader.”

“Uh-huh,” Derak said. “Mind if we just get on with this?”

“Not much for small talk, are you?” Misty asked. “Oh, well, that’s fine by me.”

Misty took a place by one side of the arena, and Derak took his place at the opposite side. The two trainers stared each other down, waiting for the chance to begin…

…except that the referee was not present.

“Ugh, where are they now?!” Misty sighed with immense irritation.

“And ‘they’ are…?” Derak asked.

“My sisters!” Misty replied. “One of them was supposed to referee my Gym battles, but they’re all such valley girls that they can’t focus on one thing for more than ten seconds! This is the fifth time, too, and…”

My ears aren’t going to survive this experience, are they? Derak thought with a sigh. He then turned around and walked to the front door.

“Uh…hey, where are you going?” Misty asked, stopping her rant long enough to see Derak leaving.

“Not much point in hanging around here right now,” Derak said, “so I figured I might as well get some last-minute training in.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Misty nodded. “Go ahead.”

Upon Derak’s departure, however, Misty frowned with concern.

Most trainers in this situation would try to learn about who they’re battling, Misty thought. Why is this one so determined to not socialize?

***

“Okay, Wildfire, use Thunder Punch!” Derak ordered.

Wildfire threw its fist forward, but only a few sparks fell off of its hand. The Chimchar looked down at its fist in confusion, as if expecting an answer from it. It even looked to the passing people in the streets of Cerulean City, seemingly hoping for an answer for one of them.

“All right, what’s the problem?” Derak sighed, placing a hand to his head. “You pulled it off back when you were training with Mr. Vagabond’s Dewgong, so what’s the deal here?”

Although it did not directly respond to Derak’s question, Wildfire steeled its gaze and repeatedly made punching motions at the air, each time attempting to replicate its success the previous day. Faster and faster its fists went, tearing the air apart with the speed of its strikes. Its teeth were bared into a snarl, and the effort the small Fire-type exerted was so great that beads of sweat began to trickle down its head.

“W-whoa, whoa, Wildfire, easy!” Derak exclaimed, grabbing Wildfire’s arms in an attempt to stop the young Chimchar’s intense efforts. “Calm down! You’re not going to master Thunder Punch by wearing yourself out like that!”

“Ch-char?” Wildfire sputtered, eyes going wide. Why did its trainer care about it so much? It was only a tool of war…wasn’t it?

“Look, stuff like winning or losing doesn’t really matter in the end,” Derak said, rubbing his starter’s head. “If we win, great. If we lose, we just try again. No big deal. That’s just how life is.”

“Chim-char,” Wildfire said dully.

“Let’s just give it our best shot and hope for the best, okay?” Derak said. “No more overkill training, all right?”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded mechanically. Derak only sighed.

“What am I going to do with you…?” he said.

“Hey! Derak!” cried Misty, who had apparently donned a pale blue jacket as she left her Cerulean Gym. “One of my sisters is finally back, so let’s battle!”

“Whatever,” Derak sighed, recalling Wildfire.

***

“This will be, like, a two-on-two Pokémon battle,” an attractive woman with navy blue hair announced. “This battle is, like, between Derak from Orre and, like, my little sister Misty. I, like, have a date soon, so let’s just get this done with!”

“You really need her for this?” Derak asked, gesturing to Misty’s elder sister. “I mean, really? She, like, has no idea how people actually talk.”

“You might have a point there,” Misty sighed.

“Hey!” Misty’s sister snapped. “I’m, like, one of the big stars in the shows we put on here!”

“And I care because…?” Derak asked. “You know what, don’t answer. Hearing you murder language is too painful to describe.”

Ignoring the baleful glare Misty’s sister sent him, Derak threw a Pokéball into the air.

“Brute, let’s go!” he cried.

“A Machop, huh?” Misty remarked as Brute appeared on one of the pool’s platforms. “Okay, then. Staryu, go!”

Misty’s first Pokémon was a creature resembling a brown five-pointed star with a crimson orb in the center of its body. The gem was surrounded by a golden armor that appeared to be designed for protection. The armor appeared to wrap around one of its legs, which happened to be one of the two legs the Pokémon stood on when it appeared atop a platform of its own.

“Hiyaah!” Staryu grunted, despite having no visible mouth of any kind.

Staryu,” the Strategy Memo identified, “the Starshape Pokémon. Water-type. Large numbers of this Pokémon make their home by the seaside, where they are often nibbled on by other Pokémon. But as long as it has its red core, it can regenerate fully even if it is chopped to bits.

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m going to have nightmares tonight?” Derak groaned as the thought of regenerating dismembered limbs crept into his mind.

“You might want to focus on the battle before you wonder about later!” Misty cried. “Staryu, start off with Bubblebeam!”

“Brute, Vacuum Wave!” Derak yelled.

Staryu pointed its uppermost leg forward, firing a string of blue orbs that barreled towards Brute. The Superpower Pokémon, however, released a Vacuum Wave that quickly tore through the Bubblebeam and knocked Staryu off of its platform and into the water.

“That’s a strong Machop!” Misty gasped. “Okay, Staryu, use Rapid Spin!”

A dark shape began to rush through the water, and soon Staryu erupted from the pool, resembling a ninja’s throwing star as it hurtled towards Brute. Derak’s Machop, however, grabbed one of Staryu’s legs before the Starshape Pokémon could strike its blow.

“Nice one, Brute!” Derak smiled. “Okay, give it a Vital Throw!”

“Quick, Staryu, use Thunderbolt!” Misty ordered.

Brute drew its arms back, preparing to throw Staryu, but before it could do so, a surge of lightning coursed through the Superpower Pokémon’s body. As the source of the lightning, Staryu remained unharmed, and once Brute let go of the Water-type, it bounced back into the water.

“Oh, great,” Derak groaned. “Brute, use…uh…I don’t know, shoot a Vacuum Wave into the water or something!”

Brute paused for a moment, forming a ball of wind between its hands. Rather than fire wildly as its panicking trainer most likely expected, Brute’s eyes gazed about the water, searching for something indicating Staryu. Movement appeared in the corner of its eye, and Brute hurled its Vacuum Wave in that direction. Although the blast of wind ripped through the water, it failed to hit its target. Instead, Staryu spun out of the water and landed on a platform, clearly unharmed.

“Let’s finish this up, Staryu!” Misty cried. “Use Water Gun!”

Staryu again pointed its uppermost leg at Brute, but instead of a string of bubbles, the Starshape Pokémon fired a jet of water. Brute ducked under the blow, looking to its trainer for what to do next. As it did so, however, Staryu prepared another Water Gun.

“Uh…crap! Come on, come on, what do I do?” Derak muttered, putting his fingers to his head as if it would aid his racing mind. “Wait a sec, I’ve got it! Brute, use Vacuum Wave to shoot yourself into the air!”

Brute smirked, evidently agreeing with this plan. It thrust its hands beneath it, creating a blast of wind that catapulted the Superpower Pokémon into the air. As the Water Gun sailed harmlessly beneath it, Brute was now in the ideal position of attack.

“Okay, we did it! Now finish this with Poison Jab!” Derak ordered.

Brute’s fist began to glow purple as it barreled down on Staryu, slamming the energized fist into the Starshape Pokémon’s core. The sheer force of the impact resulted in a web of cracks appearing in the platform, with an unconscious Staryu in the center.

“Staryu is, like, unable to battle!” Misty’s sister declared. “The winners are, like, Derak and his Machop!”

“Nice job, Brute,” Derak smiled. Brute smiled as well, giving its trainer the thumbs-up sign.

“You too, Staryu,” Misty added as she recalled her Staryu. “Your Machop’s really strong, Derak. I’m impressed.”

“Whatever,” Derak sighed, the thrill of victory vanishing the very second Misty opened her mouth. “I’m not doing this to get people to like me.”

“Oh…well, uh…that’s fine,” Misty nodded slowly, though Derak’s abnormal motivations caught her off-guard. “Everyone has their own reasons for becoming Pokémon trainers. Anyway, I think it’s time I stopped holding back. Starmie, let’s…huh?!”

Misty’s sudden exclamation was caused by a Pokéball within her jacket somehow opening by itself. The Pokémon that emerged appeared to be a portly yellow duck with tan feet matched with a tan bill, sporting three black hairs on its head and stubby arms ending in small claws. Its round head, which the Pokémon appeared to be holding on to, played host to two vacant eyes, which stared blankly into space.

“PSYDUCK!” Misty shrieked.

“Psyduck,” the Pokémon replied somewhat listlessly, clutching its head and gazing into the distance.

“Psyduck?” Derak blinked, reaching for his P*DA again.

Psyduck,” the Memo reported, “the Duck Pokémon. Water-type. Psyduck is plagued by constant headaches, so it spends as much time as it can spacing out and doing as little as possible. The more pain its head is in, however, the stronger its psychokinetic abilities become.”

“UGH!” Misty grunted. “Psyduck, I thought we worked on this! You’re not supposed to come out of your Pokéball by yourself anymore!”

“Duck,” Psyduck blurted again, tilting its head in the opposite direction.

“What am I going to do with you?” Misty sighed. “Well, since a Gym Leader can’t switch Pokémon, I guess I’m stuck with Psyduck. Okay, Psyduck, use Water Gun!”

Psyduck, however, merely blinked and tilted its head again.

“Psyyy…?” Psyduck droned.

“Oh, come on!” Misty cried. “You know that move!”

“Uh…oh…kay,” Derak said slowly. Even Brute was staring at Psyduck, scratching its head in an attempt to puzzle out the situation. “So…what do we do now?”

“Just make your move,” Misty sighed. “Psyduck can be such a pain to deal with sometimes.”

“Er…all right, then,” Derak said. “Brute, use Karate Chop!”

With a shrug, Brute leapt into the air, bringing down its hand onto Psyduck’s head in a vertical chop. Psyduck’s eyes squeezed shut from the pain, and when Brute withdrew its hand, the Duck Pokémon stumbled about for a moment.

And then a strange blue glow came from Psyduck’s eyes.

Brute became surrounded by a blue aura, and as if thrown by an invisible hand, the Superpower Pokémon was sent flying back into the wall of the Gym. Brute peeled off of the wall and crashed into the floor with some force, leaving a small crater behind, before being brought forward fast enough to knock Derak into the water. The runaway trainer gasped for breath as he grabbed for a platform, which happened to be the same one upon which Psyduck stood.

The Duck Pokémon paid Derak no mind as it continued to throw Brute through the air, waving its arms as Derak’s Machop was cast about the arena in the corresponding direction. Eventually, Brute plummeted into the floor for a final time, creating a second crater. Derak’s jaw dropped for a moment, and after he recovered, he turned his gaze to Psyduck.

“You are the single most evil thing on this planet,” he said flatly.

“Duucck…?” Psyduck droned, the glow having faded from its eyes and its normal demeanor having returned.

“Derak, are you okay?” Misty asked. “Sorry, sometimes I forget that Psyduck can do that if you hit it in the head.”

“Thanks, I hadn’t figured that out,” Derak spat as he swam back to his side of the arena. After recalling Brute, he wrung out his shirt again before picking Wildfire’s Pokéball off his belt. “Not much other choice, so…Wildfire, let’s go!”

“A Chimchar?” Misty asked as Wildfire materialized. “Are you sure that’s a good choice?”

“He’s my only other Pokémon,” Derak replied with a shrug. “So sue me.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Misty shrugged. “Psyduck, use Tail Whip!”

This time, Psyduck responded to Misty’s command. It turned around and began to rhythmically shake its stubby tail at Wildfire while simultaneously walking backwards. Unfortunately, due to the small size of the platform, Psyduck soon fell off and into the water. Despite being a Water-type, Psyduck did not swim. Instead, it simply flailed about wildly and quacked at the top of its lungs, eventually finding its way back to its platform. Once it was back on dry land, its regular behavior returned once again, clutching its head and staring blankly at Derak and Wildfire.

“Uh…what the…?” Derak blinked. “Oh…kay. Wildfire, whatever you do, don’t hit Psyduck on the head. That’s how Brute was knocked out.”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded.

“All right…ready?” Derak asked. “Aim for the stomach, and…use Thunder Punch!”

Misty gasped, seemingly amazed that Wildfire actually knew how to execute such a move. The Chimchar closed its eyes, focusing all of its power into one fist. It then leapt into the air, drawing that fist back as electricity coursed through it. With one mighty punch, Wildfire struck a devastating blow to Psyduck’s stomach, sending electricity pulsing throughout the Duck Pokémon. After a cry of pain, Psyduck abruptly fell onto its back, utterly unconscious.

“Psyduck is, like, unable to battle,” Misty’s sister announced. “Which means, like, the winner of this Gym battle is, like, Derak from Orre!”

“Well, I guess that’s that,” Misty sighed as she recalled Psyduck. “Good work, Psyduck. Sometimes I forget how strong you really are.”

“Hey, pal,” Derak said as Wildfire returned to his side. “Great job out there. You mastered Thunder Punch, just like I knew you would.”

“Char,” Wildfire said blankly.

“Will you knock it off?” Derak sighed. “You’re my friend, not my battling tool. How many times do I have to say it?”

“Chim-char,” Wildfire droned.

“I have to admit, Derak, I’m really impressed,” Misty said as she came over to Derak’s side of the battlefield. “You’re a pretty good trainer, especially seeing as how you won in spite of a type disadvantage.”

She presented Derak with a badge shaped like a drop of blue water.

“Here,” Misty said. “This is the Cascade Badge. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks,” Derak said dully as he took the Cascade Badge and placed it in his case. Misty, meanwhile, knelt down to Wildfire’s level.

“You’re such a strong little guy,” she cooed, reaching out to pet Wildfire. The Chimchar, however, reacted with fright, backing away from Misty’s show of affection as if it were some eldritch horror.

“Hey, you okay?” Derak asked his starter. “We’re done here, so you can go back in your Pokéball if you want.”

“Ch-chim, char,” Wildfire nodded nervously.

“Okay, return,” Derak said as he recalled his Chimchar. “Guess you’re not a people Pokémon, huh?”

“That’s kind of a shame,” Misty remarked. “Congratulations, though. The next Gym is in Vermillion City, and it’s an Electric-type Gym. I have to warn you, though, the Gym Leader there is really strong.”

“I think we’ll manage,” Derak said, placing his badge case in his pocket. He then turned and left without another word, only giving Misty a limp wave of his hand as a good-bye.

He’s so nice to his Pokémon, Misty thought. Why doesn’t he show that kindness to humans?

***
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 11: The Hidden Village





“CHAAR!” Wildfire screeched, slamming a Thunder Punch into the crossed arms of Mr. Vagabond’s Electivire. Although it was executed flawlessly, the attack did nothing other than send a few sparks of electricity throughout the Thunderbolt Pokémon’s body.

“Elec,” Electivire nodded, giving Wildfire its evident approval.

“There you go,” Derak said. “One perfect Thunder Punch. Are you satisfied for once?”

“Fairly,” Mr. Vagabond said dismissively, sitting somewhat lazily on a rock.

Derak rolled his eyes. A day had passed since his victory in the Cerulean Gym, and he now stood alongside Mr. Vagabond within a forest clearing on the way to the next city. Vermillion City was still a ways off, and thus the two had elected to allow themselves a few brief moments of respite.

“I have to admit,” Mr. Vagabond said as he stood up, “I had not expected your Chimchar to master Thunder Punch so quickly. It would seem you are growing well as a trainer.”

“Oh, are we finally back on the ‘observe my journey’ train?” Derak scoffed.

“Partially, I suppose,” Mr. Vagabond sighed. “And now that I have evidence of Chimchar’s mastering Thunder Punch, I suggest we end our rest period and move onto—”

“Metapod! Metapod!” a somewhat monotonous voice grunted as a Pokemon reminiscent of a small green armored crescent moon hopped up to Derak, admiration in its eyes.

“Uh…hi, there,” Derak said, kneeling down to the Pokemon’s level while simultaneously pulling out his P*DA. “And you are?”

Metapod,” the Strategy Memo identified, “the Cocoon Pokémon and the evolved form of Caterpie. Bug-type. A steel-hard shell protects its tender body. It remains motionless and quietly endures hardships while awaiting evolution.

“Derak, Mr. Vagabond!” cried a female voice, and soon none other than Sarah Webb came running into the clearing. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh, Sarah,” Derak said dully. He then nodded to the Metapod at his feet. “This little guy yours?”

“Yep,” Sarah nodded. “You’ll never guess how I got him.”

“I’m not going to bother, because I have a feeling you’ll tell me anyway,” Derak sighed.

“Don’t like guessing games, huh?” Sarah remarked with a disappointed frown. “Well, anyway, you’re not going to believe this! Remember that Caterpie we found in Viridian Forest? Once it was healed, it wanted to come with me, and now it’s evolved into a Metapod!”

“Wow, really?” Derak asked, looking down at Metapod. “That explains the way you’re looking at me.”

“Metapod! Metapod!” Metapod nodded using its entire body, the grateful gaze in its pale eyes never fading for an instant. It then turned itself over to Mr. Vagabond and looked upon him with the same admiration, bounding towards him and landing at his feet. “Metapod!”

“I have nothing to do with your rescue,” Mr. Vagabond snarled, shoving Metapod away with one foot. “Go pester the children.”

“Hey, that’s not nice!” Sarah snapped, running to Metapod’s side and clutching the Bug-type in her arms.

“Neither is reality,” Mr. Vagabond growled. “I suggest you learn that before someone decides to bring it down on your head.”

“How come you’re traveling with this guy?” Sarah asked Derak.

“Don’t really want him around, myself,” Derak shrugged. “Mr. Vagabond here just sort of tags along like some weird stalker or something.”

Mr. Vagabond grunted as he sat back down on his rock, distancing himself from the children’s conversation.

“So, Derak,” Sarah said. “I was wondering if we could finish that battle we were going to do back in Viridian Forest?”

“Oh, yeah, that,” Derak sighed as the memories returned to him. “I guess we can do it. We could probably use a little training before we take on the next Gym.”

“Cool!” Sarah cried. “Okay, let’s make it a two-on-two! Metapod, you’re up first!”

“Metapod!” chirped the Cocoon Pokemon, hopping to Sarah’s side.

“If I have to,” Derak groaned, preparing his Machop’s Poké Ball. “Brute, let’s go!”

“You caught a Machop?” Sarah gasped upon catching sight of Brute. “Wow, that’s awesome! Okay, Metapod, start off with Tackle!”

“Brute, Vacuum Wave!” Derak ordered.

Metapod bounced towards Brute with surprising speed, but the Superpower Pokémon was ready. With a sphere of wind between its hands, Brute stared down Metapod as the Bug-type made a mighty leap into the air, attempting to crash down onto its Fighting-type adversary. Brute, however, launched its Vacuum Wave, blasting Metapod high into the air. Although Derak had ordered the attack with the expectation that Metapod would land somewhere near Sarah, the Bug-type instead sailed over the trees and off into the distance.

“Metapod!” Sarah cried out in concern.

“Uh…oops?” Derak laughed embarrassedly. “Sorry, our bad.”

Sarah barely heard Derak, having already torn off in the direction of her Pokémon. Deciding that he should accompany her, Derak recalled his two Pokémon and followed after her.

“Now what is he doing?” Mr. Vagabond groaned. “Another pointless distraction, no doubt.”

“Vire,” Electivire nodded, apparently sharing its trainer’s conviction to some unknown goal.

“Return,” Mr. Vagabond said as he recalled Electivire. With a reluctant sigh, he chased after Derak, mentally bemoaning his choice in traveling companions.

Sarah and Derak, with Mr. Vagabond in tow, dashed into the forest, heading deeper as Metapod’s cries of distress became louder. Despite the presence of other forest Pokémon, such as Weedle and Caterpie, Sarah’s mind was focused on one thing.

“Metapod!” Sarah yelled. “Where are you?!”

“Metapod! Metapod!” droned the Bug-type, and soon the group came upon the Cocoon Pokemon. Unfortunately, it was stuck in a tree.

“Hang on, we’ll get you down!” Sarah cried, preparing her blue Poké Ball. “Squirtle, use Tackle to get Metapod out!”

The second Sarah’s Squirtle appeared, it slammed its shell into the tree with quite a bit of force. This blow appeared to be enough, as the subsequent shaking of the tree dislodged Metapod. The Bug-type fell out of its trap and into Sarah’s arms.

“Are you okay, Metapod?” Sarah asked.

“Metapod!” nodded the Cocoon Pokemon.

“Hey, uh, sorry about the whole Vacuum Wave thing,” Derak said sheepishly.

“Metapod! Metapod!” chirped Metapod, nodding happily as its sign of forgiveness.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Sarah sighed, pointing the Bug-type’s Pokeball at its occupant. “Return, Metapod.”

“Are we quite finished?” Mr. Vagabond growled.

“I suppose so,” Derak said. “You really that anxious to move to Vermillion Ci—”

“Wait,” Mr. Vagabond suddenly said, holding up a hand. “I heard something.”

“What did you hear?” Sarah asked, keeping her voice low.

“Movement,” Mr. Vagabond said. “It would appear we are being watched.”

As if on cue, a bush nearby began to violently rustle, as if something small was panicking inside it.

“There you are!” Mr. Vagabond roared, and in a surprisingly swift motion he lunged into the bush and pulled out what appeared to be a crimson crab with pointed claws and two red-and-yellow mushrooms on its back. “So, this is what was watching us?”

Paras,” Derak’s P*DA explained as Mr. Vagabond held up the Pokémon in question by one claw, “the Mushroom Pokémon. Bug-and-Grass-type. Small mushrooms called tochukasu grow on its back. They grow along with the host Paras, and are valued as life-extending medicine.

“Wow, a Paras!” Sarah cried, obviously elated at the sight of a Bug-type Pokémon. Paras, however, began to panic, flailing about in Mr. Vagabond’s hand. “H-hey, don’t be afraid! I’m not going to hurt you, honest!”

“Paras!” a woman’s voice called. “Where are you?”

A woman with neck-length navy blue hair came out of the bushes, wearing a red set of overalls atop her pink clothes. Paras made a noise resembling an excited squeal in a raspy voice, and although it attempted to reach the woman, Mr. Vagabond’s grip on its claw was still intact.

“I assume you sent this Paras to spy on us?” Mr. Vagabond snarled.

“What?” the woman blinked. “Paras wasn’t here to spy on anyone, it just wandered off. I’m sorry if it startled you.”

“You should keep a closer watch on your Pokémon,” Mr. Vagabond suggested somewhat harshly, roughly dropping Paras to the ground and allowing the small crab to scurry back to the blue-haired woman.

“Actually, Paras isn’t mine,” the woman said. “My name’s Melanie. I look after a lot of Pokémon who live in this forest.”

“So…if Paras isn’t yours, then can I catch it?” Sarah pleaded. “I really love Bug-type Pokémon!”

“No,” Melanie said, her sweet demeanor broken by a rather dark glare that caused Sarah to recoil slightly. “I won’t let any of the Pokémon under my care be abused by people again.”

“What do you mean ‘again’?” Derak asked. “Paras wasn’t abandoned by its last trainer, was it?”

“That’s exactly what happened,” Melanie sighed. “In fact, that’s what happened with all the Pokémon I’ve been safeguarding. I can’t let them be mistreated like that again.”

“Sounds reasonable to me,” Derak shrugged, although Sarah’s face drooped with disappointment. Despite this, she still spoke up.

“Uh, Melanie?” Sarah asked. “Do you have something to help heal my Metapod? We were in a battle earlier, and—”

“Things went a little screwy,” Derak interrupted, not trusting Sarah to maintain the fragile trust between them and Melanie. “You have anything that can help?”

“I do,” Melanie nodded, “but you have to promise not to catch any of the Pokémon there.”

“Not unless they want it,” Derak shrugged.

“I doubt they would help us, anyway,” Mr. Vagabond added.

“Oh…fine,” Sarah pouted.

“Thank you,” Melanie smiled. “You all seem like decent people. Follow me, I’ll take you to the village.”

As Melanie walked away with Paras and Sarah in tow, Derak and Mr. Vagabond followed behind.

“Did she really just call you ‘decent’?” Derak quipped.

Mr. Vagabond only growled in response.

***

Melanie took the group to another clearing, this one housing a small log cabin. Inside, Melanie fed Sarah’s Metapod a spoonful of crushed herbs as Sarah looked on. Mr. Vagabond stood aloof from the others, absent-mindedly staring out the window. Derak simply sat on a small couch until a framed photograph caught his eye.

The photo contained Melanie standing alongside numerous Pokémon, most of which had multiple representatives from the same species. One Pokémon, however, was unique in that it was the only one of its kind present in the photo. It was small a small quadruped with a pale blue body, a wide mouth, two red eyes and a frog-like head. On its back was a large green bulb. The Pokémon looked quite happy to be alongside its friends, evidenced by the smile on its face.

“Oh, are you wondering about that picture?” Melanie asked, noticing Derak’s interest.

“Something like that,” he said, handing Melanie the photo. “Who’s the one with the bulb on his back?”

“That’s Bulbasaur,” Melanie said. “It used to be the self-appointed protector of this little village.”

“Wait, ‘used to be’? As in, ‘not anymore’?” Derak asked. “What happened to it?”

“Something that turned out to be good,” Melanie replied with a smile, giving Metapod another spoonful of medicine. “A group of traveling trainers came here by accident some years back while on the way to Vermillion City. Bulbasaur and I didn’t completely trust them at first, but after the trainers saved the village from a group of Pokémon thieves, I asked them to take Bulbasaur with them, seeing as it couldn’t really grow in the forest. Since then, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Bulbasaur, and how it’s grown so much and gotten so much stronger.”

“Good to know,” Derak said, pulling out his P*DA. He pointed it at the photo, attempting to learn more about Bulbasaur’s species.

Error,” the Strategy Memo said. “No data available.

“Uh…okay?” Derak remarked. “How do I get info on Bulbasaur when I haven’t actually seen it in person?”

“Do a search, you imbecile,” Mr. Vagabond snapped.

“Thanks for the input, oh wise one whose opinion is never needed,” Derak replied, pressing random button sequences on his P*DA in a rather odd effort to gain the knowledge he sought.

“Er, Melanie?” Sarah ventured. “What was the name of Bulbasaur’s new trainer?”

“His name was Ash,” Melanie replied.

“Ash?” Sarah repeated, her jaw dropping. “As in Ash Ketchum, the famous trainer from Pallet Town who’s traveled all over the world and become amazingly strong? That Ash Ketchum?”

“Yes, I believe they’re the same,” Melanie nodded with a smile.

Oh great, Sarah’s a fangirl, Derak thought as he continued to fiddle with his P*DA.

“Ever since Bulbasaur left,” Melanie continued, “Paras here has wanted to go on a journey of its own. But, it’s always been too nervous to do it, so it started watching trainers from afar. That’s how I found you…I was looking for Paras after it wandered off. It would be great if it could follow in Bulbasaur’s footsteps, but until the right opportunity comes, I can’t let Paras go.”

Sarah was about to make a comment, most likely another round of begging to catch Paras, but Derak cut her off upon finally finding Bulbasaur’s image in the Strategy Memo.

“Ah, here we go!” he exclaimed. “Found it!”

Bulbasaur,” the Memo reported, “the Seed Pokémon. Grass-and-Poison-type. There is a plant seed on its back right from the day it is born. The seed slowly grows larger over time, and as Bulbasaur grows, it feeds on nutrients that come from the seed.

“You took that long to do a search?” Mr. Vagabond asked with a condescending tone.

“First time not doing it automatically, so sue me,” Derak retorted.

“Well, here you go,” Melanie said, handing Sarah her Metapod. “Metapod’s much better now.”

“Thank you, Melanie,” Sarah replied. “I swear, I’ll take good care of Metapod.”

“Metapod! Metapod!” the Cocoon Pokémon added with a happy nod.

Mr. Vagabond grunted and turned back to his window, but his eyes widened when he saw something outside.

“What is it?” Derak asked, heading over to the window. “Aw, son of a…!”

The runaway trainer burst out the door, not bothering to give an explanation.

“Derak, wait! What’s wrong?!” Sarah cried, following him out.

“Ugh, again?” Mr. Vagabond grumbled as he trudged outside.

Once the three trainers were outside, they found something only Derak recognized. Aiden Takeshi, one of the Coordinators from the Pewter City Contest, stood outside a cornered group of Grass-type Pokémon, his Gimmighoul by his side and an empty Pokéball in his hand.

“Okay!” Aiden cried. “Go, Pokéball!”

“NO!” Melanie cried, throwing her body between Aiden and the cornered Pokémon. The ball bounced off of her frame, falling harmlessly to the ground. “Leave this place! You can’t catch these Pokémon!”

“Why not?” Aiden snorted. “Wild Pokémon are wild Pokémon, so they’re fair game, right?”

“Not really,” Derak said. “So, quick suggestion? You might want to turn around and leave before this gets ugly.”

"You kidding?” Aiden scoffed. “I need some good Pokémon if I’m going to win the Ribbon Cup, you know? Are you guys seriously going to try and stop me from doing what every other trainer does?”

“You can’t do that! Not like this!” Sarah cried, stepping forward. “Those Pokémon were abandoned by past trainers! They don’t need to be put through that kind of thing again!”

“Aw, come on, babe!” Aiden said, approaching Sarah and wrapping one arm around her. “Picture this…you and me, all these Pokémon, and the Ribbon Cup. I don’t know about you, but I can’t picture a better future than—yowch!”

His flirtatious monologue was cut off when Sarah drove her heel into his foot, sending him hopping up and down on the opposite leg while he held his injured one.

“Sheesh, what is wrong with you people?! I thought the ladies loved a bad boy!” Aiden shook his head. Seeing that Melanie still stood between him and the Pokémon he sought to capture, he scoffed. “Fine, we’ll do this the hard way. Gimmighoul, get her out of the way.”

Rather than leave its treasure chest, Gimmighoul grabbed its front rim and thrashed its body forward inside the chest, scooting both the chest and its occupant in the same direction until it now faced down Melanie. Its antennae sparked with dark electricity, but before it could attack, a Chimchar materialized in front of it.

“You think it’s going to be that easy?” Derak asked, holding Wildfire’s orange Poké Ball. “You really are a cocky piece of trash.”

“Hey, who are you calling a piece of trash?!” Aiden snapped.

“You,” Derak replied simply, ignoring his opponent’s rage. “Right now, I don’t really see any other morons with bad hair.”

“Okay, that’s it!” Aiden roared. “Gimmighoul, use Night Shade!”

“Wildfire, block it with Ember!”

Although Wildfire spat forth its signature storm of fiery orbs, Gimmighoul’s dark lightning cleanly cut through the Chimchar’s attack, striking Wildfire and eliciting a cry of pain. The Coin Chest Pokémon’s antennae sparked again, signaling its preparation for another Night Shade, but a jet of water suddenly slammed into the chest before Gimmighoul could fire. The water jet was powerful enough to tip Gimmighoul over onto its side, causing its Night Shade to veer off into the sky.

“Yeah! Good shot, Squirtle!” Sarah cried, pumping her fist as her starter Pokémon proudly grinned. “Now, let’s keep it up!”

“Two against one, huh? No problem!” Aiden smirked. “Litten, go for the win!”

Aiden’s next Pokémon was cat-like in nature, sporting triangular ears and a body of black fur with red stripes around its ankles. Red whiskers sprouted from a yellow-eyed face, and its tail whipped with irritation as it eyed its foes.

Litten,” Derak’s P*DA identified, “the Fire Cat Pokémon. Fire-type. It spends even the smallest amount of downtime grooming its fur with its tongue. Loose fur gathers in its stomach and serves as fuel for fire-based moves. Trying to pet Litten before it trusts you will result in a nasty scratch from its sharp claws.

“Boy, ‘nasty’ is right. It eats its own fur?” Derak remarked with a shudder. “Well, anyway…I guess we’re tag-teaming, Sarah?”

“You bet!” Sarah cried excitedly, pumping her fist. “Trainers who work together are unstoppable!”

“Ugh, the corniness of that one physically hurt,” Derak muttered, rolling his eyes. “Wildfire, let’s focus on Gimmighoul. Use Ember!”

“Okay, then we’ll take Litten!” Sarah nodded. “Squirtle, Water Gun again!”

As it had done against Timmy’s Dusknoir during the Pewter City Contest, Gimmighoul chose to dodge its opposition’s fiery assault by closing its chest, protecting the creature within from harm. Unfortunately, the chest seemed to be made of wood that soon caught fire, causing its occupant to panic. Meanwhile, Litten deftly dodged jets of water spat from the mouth of Sarah’s Squirtle, landing beside its trainer in preparation for its next order.

“All right, Litten!” Aiden cried, seemingly paying little heed to his burning Gimmighoul. “Show them what a real Ember looks like!”

“Squirtle, use Withdraw!”

Squirtle’s head and limbs retreated into its shell just as Litten spat forth its own Ember attack. As with Gimmighoul’s chest, the shell suffered some burns, but soon Squirtle’s body reappeared unharmed.

“Hey, Sarah, can we switch?” Derak asked. “Gimmighoul looks like he could use some water.”

“Huh? Oh! Right!” Sarah sputtered. “Squirtle, we’re changing it up! Use Water Gun on Gimmighoul!”

“Wildfire, Thunder Punch on Litten!”

Gimmighoul’s flaming chest was soon doused by another blast of water from Sarah’s Squirtle, much to the Ghost-type’s relief despite the force of the Water Gun knocking it over. Derak’s Chimchar put its newly-mastered move to use against Litten, only for the Fire Cat Pokémon to dodge once again. Aiden’s presumed starter Pokémon touched back on the ground with a growl, but Aiden put his hand on its head.

“Forget it, Litten, this Tauros crap isn’t worth it,” he grumbled, recalling both of his Pokémon before looking to Derak and Sarah. “Keep your stupid Pokémon. I’m done here.”

“Good,” said Derak simply. “See you hopefully never again.”

“Oh, you’ll see me again!” Aiden declared, pointing a finger. “Because now you both owe me!”

And with that, Aiden turned on his heel and stormed away. Derak heaved a sigh and recalled Wildfire, then opened his mouth to speak. He was interrupted, however, by the sound of slow applause.

“Well done,” Mr. Vagabond smirked, his clapping coming to a close. “You showed great adaptability during that battle, Derak.”

“Yeah, whatever you say,” the boy in question rolled his eyes.

“And now that the matter of the bratty Coordinator is dealt with, we may leave,” Mr. Vagabond continued, turning to head into the trees.

“Self-absorbed as ever, huh?” Derak sighed. “Well, I guess I’m heading out, too.”

“Wait,” Melanie said. “Derak, Sarah…you both fought for the Pokémon of this village, even though I distrusted you. I’m sorry.”

Derak shrugged. “Not your fault.”

“It’s okay, Melanie,” Sarah nodded.

“Paras?” rasped the small crab-like Pokémon as it scuttled up towards Sarah. “Ras, paras.”

“I think you’ve earned Paras’ trust,” Melanie smiled. “It wants to go with one of you.”

“Really?” Sarah cried. “Thank you, Paras!”

Before anyone could stop her, Sarah had taken out a Poké Ball and tapped Paras with it, absorbing the Bug-type inside and capturing it.

“Yes!” Sarah yelled. “I caught a Paras!”

She victoriously thrust her Poké Ball into the air, earning bewildered stares from the various Pokémon around her. Derak, meanwhile, simply glared at her.

“Uh, reality check?” he said. “You’re not the only trainer here, Sarah. And the pose is still stupid.”

“Huh?” Sarah blinked. “Oh, sorry, Derak. I just got excited. So, how about we finish that battle?”

“Maybe some other time,” Derak said. “I need to make sure the Snobby One doesn’t get himself into trouble. Again.”

He brushed past Sarah, but despite his rudeness, the Bug-type enthusiast was no less thrilled.

“Bye, Derak!” Sarah cried, waving happily. “See you again sometime!”

Derak simply gave her a limp wave of his hand as he vanished into the trees.

***
 
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Morpher01

Bewear my power
(Something I feel the need to clarify before we get into the next chapter: I notice I've been alternatively using "Pokeball" and "Poke Ball", and that it may cause some confusion. In this story, "Poke Ball" refers to the basic red-and-white ball, while "Pokeball" refers to the ball device in general. If there are any questions, I am available to provide answers.)




Chapter 12: The Rock Tunnel






Following Derak and Mr. Vagabond’s departure from Melanie’s village, the two trainers continued their trek across Kanto. After some odd hours of hiking, they came upon a large opening carved into a rock face. A sign reading “ROCK TUNNEL” stood next to the entrance, looking faded and worn from what may have been a long existence.

"So, if we go through here, we get close to Vermillion City?” Derak asked.

“Indeed,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “We should be careful, however. It is much easier to be ambushed by a wild Pokémon in a cave than in the grass.”

“Noted,” Derak replied.

“Well, look who it is,” a female voice sneered. “The stupid kid who doesn’t know how to treat Pokémon.”

Recognizing the voice, Derak lazily turned his head to find Melissa Armare standing behind him, arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

“Oh. You,” Derak sighed with as little interest as possible. “Is there a reason you’re talking about yourself like that? I think it’s a sign of insanity.”

“Ha, funny,” Melissa growled. “Are you and your friend are going through the Rock Tunnel?”

“What about it?” Derak said. Mr. Vagabond simply leaned back on the wall and observed the rivals’ conversation.

“I’m going through, too,” Melissa said. “Might as well go together.”

“Huh?” Derak sputtered. “Why the heck would I want to hang out with you?”

“I can actually stick some of reality in your head,” Melissa sneered, brushing past Derak. “Then maybe you’ll start treating your Pokémon properly.”

Without another word, Melissa entered the Rock Tunnel. Rather than follow, however, Derak simply positioned his fingers in such a way that his hand now resembled an alligator-like mouth. The mouth then began to repeatedly open and close, as if mimicking Melissa’s earlier words.

“You really are an incredible brat,” Mr. Vagabond grunted.

“Eh, takes one to mock one,” Derak shrugged, entering the Rock Tunnel as well. “By the way, how come you just sit back and watch whenever I start talking with someone?”

“I enjoy watching your interactions with people,” Mr. Vagabond replied. “I find it amusing when your sarcastic remarks are directed at someone else.”

“Most people would, I guess,” Derak shrugged.

Shortly after the group of trainers entered the tunnel, however, another familiar figure approached. Nick Spire and his Infernape looked into the tunnel, watching Derak’s back fade into the darkness.

“He’s in the Rock Tunnel, huh?” Spire said. “Okay, Infernape, let’s try something new. Hopefully we can scare Derak out of continuing his journey.”

***

“So, who are you supposed to be, anyway?” Melissa said to Mr. Vagabond once he and Derak had caught up with her.

“I do not see how it is any of your business,” the cloaked man grunted.

“Hmph,” Melissa snorted, turning her focus to Derak. “You got lucky back on the S.S. Wailord, you know.”

“Did I, now?” Derak rolled his eyes.

“If Stoutland hadn’t shown up to ruin everything, I would have won,” Melissa growled. “Rollout would’ve flattened your Fire-type Chimchar.”

“Uh-huh,” Derak sighed. “You keep telling yourself that.”

“It’s the truth!” Melissa snapped. “That’s how type advantages work!”

“I know how type advantages work, what I’m telling you is that I don’t care what you think.”

“Well, you should start!”

“Really don’t see why I should.”

“Because I know more than you!” Melissa snapped. “I learned everything I know from my dad. How to conduct drills, how to research strengths and weaknesses…”

“How to be an unlikable jerk, how to treat your Pokémon like garbage,” Derak finished for her. “He must not have been great if this is how you turned out.”

Suddenly, Melissa stopped. In seconds, a Pokéball was in her hand and held forth in a menacing posture.

“Don’t. Ever. Insult my father,” she growled. “We’re finishing that battle from the S.S. Wailord, right here and right—”

A shrill cry rang through the Rock Tunnel before Melissa could finish, sending a chill down both the children’s spines. Mr. Vagabond, however, merely narrowed his eyes. That cry was incredibly familiar…

“What was that?” Derak asked.

“I don’t know,” Melissa replied. “Sounds like something nasty is coming.”

“Calm down,” Mr. Vagabond spat. “I may know what produced that cry, and I can assure you both that it is absolutely no thre—”

Mr. Vagabond was cut off by an unexpected event: a blue bat-like creature falling onto Melissa’s head. In addition to the purple skin inside its pointy ears and between the bones of its wings, the bat possessed a pair of long pointy legs and a face with no discernible features save a large fanged mouth.

“Hold that thought,” Derak said, pulling out his P*DA. “I think I saw some of those in Mount Moon.”

Zubat,” the Memo stated, “the Bat Pokémon. Poison and Flying-type. Zubats sleep in caves during the day to protect its thin skin from sunlight. They gather together to keep each other warm as they sleep.

“Looks good on you, Armare,” Derak smirked. “Does it come in pink and fluffy?”

A snarling Melissa replied by pulling Zubat off of her head and throwing it into Derak’s stomach. The boy let out an “oof” upon contact, but the Zubat was clearly in worse condition. Its entire body was shivering with fear, its wings wrapped around itself as if they would somehow protect it.

“Real nice,” Derak growled at Melissa before stooping down to pick up Zubat. “Hey, little guy…you okay?”

“Leave it, Derak,” Melissa spat. “Pokémon aren’t babies, and only an idiot would think of them that way.”

“Girl, seriously, what craptacular side of the bed did you wake up on?” Derak scoffed.

“Come on, just look at that Zubat,” Melissa continued. “It’s a monster. It evolves into a literal vampire, for crying out loud!”

“Oh, give me a break, you look at it!” Derak held up Zubat. “It doesn’t even have eyes! How’s it supposed to even see you, let alone hurt you?”

“Echolocation,” Mr. Vagabond interjected. “It essentially gives its species a kind of sonar by emitting ultrasonic waves from its mouth.”

“So it can tell where it’s going,” Melissa folded her arms. “I bet all it thinks about is food, let alone how to tell up from down.”

“Uh-huh,” Derak grunted. “Zubat? Show her which way is up.”

The Zubat complied by pointing one wing towards the ceiling.

“Now show her which way is down.”

Zubat pointed its wing towards the floor.

“Oh, would you look at that?” Derak sneered at Melissa. “You’re wrong. Again. As if anyone is surprised.”

Melissa’s face reddened with anger, but before she could spout some sort of retort, the ground beneath her began to rumble. Zubat began to panic, flapping out of Derak’s arms and screeching incessantly at every possible living organism.

Now what’s going on?!” Derak complained, putting a hand on the wall in an attempt to maintain his balance.

“I guess that thing really is smart!” Melissa cried, pointing down the tunnel. “Look!”

Something large was working its way towards them. A gruff, guttural roar came from the darkness, and although it was clearly not the source of the earlier shrill cry, it was nonetheless just as intimidating. The rumbling grew more intense as the beast came closer, something Zubat immediately recognized. The Bat Pokémon flew ahead of the three humans, stopping for a moment to screech back at them.

“Come on, let’s go!” Derak cried, chasing after the Poison-type. “Zubat can lead us out of here!”

“You’re trusting our lives with that thing?!” Melissa yelled.

“You’d rather take your chances with whatever’s back there?!” Derak shot back.

“Point taken!” Melissa cried.

Light soon poured into the trainers’ sight, and the exit soon became visible. Zubat was the first out, its wings propelling its tiny body out into the sunlight. Derak, Melissa, and Mr. Vagabond soon followed, but the beast chasing them was not far behind. Mere seconds after the trainers escaped the Rock Tunnel, a blast of blue fire erupted from the tunnel’s mouth.

“That was a Pokémon attack, right?” Derak asked. “Please tell me that was a Pokémon attack!”

“It was a Dragon Breath, stupid!” Melissa snarled. “And a strong one, too…I think I’ve found myself a new recruit.”

As if on cue, a large serpentine monster burst out of the Rock Tunnel. Its body appeared to be made entirely from numerous boulders, all somehow attached together. Its slightly pointed head had a large fin-like horn emerging from the top, and two large eyes glared down at the trainers.

Onix,” Derak’s Strategy Memo identified, “the Rock Snake Pokémon. Rock-and-Ground-type. Onix burrows through the earth at fifty miles per hour, feeding on boulders as it goes, and it never loses its sense of direction due to the magnet in its brain acting as a compass. Some Pokémon are known to use the tunnels it creates as homes of their own.

“Are you insane?!” Derak cried. “You want to battle something that can chew through boulders?!”

“I want to catch something that can chew through boulders,” Melissa retorted, preparing the green Poké Ball housing her starter Pokémon. “If anyone gets that kind of power, I should be the one to control it. Quilladin, report for duty!”

Melissa’s chosen Pokémon was best described as a spiky orb with limbs. Its dominantly-green body was entirely spherical save two stubby claw-tipped arms and two short brown legs. A circular patch revealed a pale brown face, and two orange-tipped spikes grew from each uppermost corner of the Pokémon’s body.

Quilladin,” Derak’s P*DA announced, “the Spiny Armor Pokémon and the evolved form of Chespin. Grass-type. It relies on its sturdy shell to deflect predators’ attacks, then counters with its sharp quills. They strengthen their bodies by running into one another, but are kind by nature and will not start fights.

“That does not suit you at all, Armare,” Derak remarked.

Melissa gave Derak a quick glare before turning her gaze back to Onix. As she began to enter battle, however, Derak saw something in Onix’s eyes. It was not the rage that he expected…it looked more like fear. A fear of something much worse than her. Nonetheless, Melissa either did not notice or—as Derak assumed—did not care as she issued her first command.

“Quilladin, Vine Whip!”

As it had done during its time as a Chespin, Melissa’s Quilladin grew a pair of green tentacles from its back and promptly lashed them out at Onix. The Rock Snake, however, spat forth another Dragon Breath that stopped the tentacles’ advance. To counter, Onix lurched downward, diving head-first into the ground, its entire body vanishing into the hole it created.

“It knows Dig, too?!” Melissa cried. “Quilladin, stay alert!”

The earth beneath Quilladin’s feet rumbled as the Spiny Armor Pokémon looked this way and that, searching for where its foe would reveal itself. Soon, Onix burst from the ground directly under Quilladin, knocking the Grass-type into the air while simultaneously coiling a portion of its serpentine form around Quilladin’s body.

“Get out of that Bind with Needle Arm!” Melissa ordered.

Quilladin’s arms began to glow a bright green, quickly growing spikes along each of them. Onix cried out in pain as the spikes dug into its stony skin, forcing it to release Quilladin and allow the smaller Pokémon to land back on the ground.

“It’s time to finish this up, Quilladin!” Melissa cried, readying a Poké Ball. “Hold it with Vine Whip!”

Again the vine-like tentacles reached out, this time successfully lassoing Onix’s body and somehow forcing the giant Rock Snake Pokémon down to the ground. With her target vulnerable, Melissa took the opportunity to throw her Poké Ball, striking Onix in the side. The ball absorbed the massive beast, quickly shaking three times and then clicking.

“And that’s how it’s done,” Melissa smirked, retrieving her Poké Ball. “Well, Derak? Got any smug words now?”

She turned around, but rather than find Derak making some sardonic comment, she found that he and Mr. Vagabond had long since left. Only Melissa and Quilladin remained, the latter gaining a worried expression on what was visible of its face.

“I hate that boy,” Melissa growled.

“Quill…” Quilladin whimpered sadly, quietly wishing for a trainer with a more pleasant presence.

***

“Whew,” Derak sighed in relief, Mr. Vagabond by his side and Zubat resting on his head. “Glad that’s over.”

“We should get to the nearest Pokémon Center,” Mr. Vagabond suggested. “It is getting late.”

“Looks like it,” Derak replied, noticing that the sky was indeed darkening. He looked up at Zubat. “Hey, Zubat…you want to come with me or something? I mean, it would probably explain why you seem to like sticking around.”

Zubat nodded eagerly.

“You sure?” Derak asked. “I mean, this isn’t going to be a walk in the park. There’s stuff like Gym battles, lawyers, annoying people like Melissa…”

Zubat nodded again.

“Okay, it’s your choice,” Derak shrugged. “All right, Zubat…it’s kinda my thing to name my Pokémon. You okay with that?”

Zubat nodded yet again.

“Cool,” Derak said. “Can you get off my head for a second? I need to take a look at you.”

Zubat complied, using its wings to propel itself off of the boy’s head. It began to hover in front of Derak, allowing the latter to examine it.

“Okay…let’s see,” Derak said, putting a hand to his chin. “You’re a bat, and you make sound waves…hey, what was it called when Zubat does radar stuff with sound waves?”

“Echolocation?” Mr. Vagabond suggested.

“That was it!” Derak said. “Okay, Zubat…I think I’m going to call you Echo. What do you think?”

Zubat seemed to consider the name for a moment, tilting its head to the side in some sort of strange pensive gesture. After its time of contemplation had finished, however, it gave Derak a nod.

“Cool,” Derak said, pulling a Poké Ball off his belt. “Now, I’m going to need you to hold still for a sec, okay?”

The newly-named Echo nodded, already knowing what was coming next. Derak lightly tapped the Poké Ball against Echo’s head, and the Zubat was promptly absorbed into it.

“Welcome to the team, little guy,” Derak smiled. “Come on, let’s go to bed. It’s been a rough day.”

***

Just outside Vermillion City, Nick Spire plopped himself down on the ground, his head in his hand.

“Great, just great,” he groaned. “That was definitely not what I intended. I wanted Infernape’s Roar attack to scare Derak, not send a rampaging Onix after him!”

He collapsed onto his back, staring up at the sky.

“This isn’t going nearly as well as I’d hoped,” he sighed. “Every time I reach out to bring Derak back, he just gets further away. Maybe…maybe this is some kind of sign? Maybe something greater than me wants Derak to keep going?”

“Yes…that would indeed be the case.”

Spire sprang to his feet in an instant, Infernape’s Pokéball at the ready, but a hand suddenly gripped his arm and pulled it behind his back, effectively restraining him. The hand then threw Spire to the ground, a foot landing on his back and pinning him down. The lawyer managed to turn his head just enough to see his assailant, but the attacker’s identity caused his eyes to bulge with shock.

“Now,” growled Nathaniel Draykus as his foot applied pressure to Spire’s back, “let us talk about what you will be doing next.”

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 13: The Fight for Justice




“Stupid jerk.”

Shortly after her encounter with Derak at the Rock Tunnel, Melissa continued on her own trek to the next Gym, fuming all the while. Evening had begun to fall on route eleven, bringing with it the chirps and buzzes of the rousing nocturnal Pokémon. All Melissa could focus on, however, was her anger.

“Who does he think he is, anyway?” she grumbled to herself. “Thinks he knows what he’s talking about. Pokémon aren’t babies; they’re too powerful, and need to be contr—”

She was cut off when she bumped headlong into a large squishy surface, bouncing back out and onto her rear. Melissa gave her head a shake, pushing herself to her feet as she examined just what she had run into. It seemed to be a Pokémon, a bear-like behemoth with dark blue fur paired with a wide tan stomach and clawed feet and hands. The stomach rose and fell in time with the Pokémon’s breathing, though the noise it made in doing so sounded more like snoring.

Melissa frowned as she pulled out her own P*DA. “Now what?”

Snorlax,” her Strategy Memo identified upon being pointed at the object its owner had bumped into, “the Sleeping Pokémon and the evolved form of Munchlax. Normal-type. Snorlax is not satisfied until it eats 880 pounds of food every day, and its stomach is so strong that eating moldy or rotten food will not affect it. When it is done eating, it goes promptly to sleep.

“Super. A living garbage disposal,” Melissa spat, looking up as she put her P*DA away and further examined the area around Snorlax. “And it’s blocking Diglett’s Cave, too? This thing has to go. This route to Vermillion City needs to be clear.”

She took several steps back, then readied a blue Pokéball with black lines crisscrossing its upper half.

“Spinarak, report for duty!”

As Melissa threw her Net Ball into the sky, the bright light it released formed into a small six-legged spider the size of a human head. Six yellow-and-black legs touched the ground, lifting a green main body that split into two segments; the rear segment appeared to bear a cartoonish face made from two black dots and a horizontal line, while the front segment served as the true head with its dark eyes, red pincers, and small white horn.

“All right, Spinarak,” Melissa growled to the spider, taking a practiced battle stance. “The Officer Jenny who took down the Black Arachnid thought you were worthwhile, so let’s see it. Poison Sting!”

Spinarak proceeded to spit a series of purple darts from its pincer-lined mouth, each dart landing successfully in Snorlax’s side. The purple then traveled down into Snorlax’s flesh, leaving behind white in the darts themselves. Melissa smirked, expecting Snorlax to fall ill from the poison her Pokémon had just inflicted on its system…

…but, even after several minutes of waiting, nothing happened.

“What? What’s going on?” Melissa frowned, folding her arms. “That should have worked!”

“I’m betting there’s a reason it didn’t.”

Melissa turned her head to find a grey-haired man leaning on a tree with a slouching posture and near-lifeless brown eyes. A disheveled grey police jacket and a dark red undershirt were this man’s choice in attire, the latter matching the straps on his black sandals. One hand remained in the pocket of his ebon pants while the man lackadaisically raised the other in a form of greeting.

“Hello, by the way,” he said simply. “Name’s Nanu.”

“Uh…nice to meet you? I’m Melissa,” Melissa blinked. “And what are you talking about with the poison?”

“My best guess? That Snorlax has Immunity as its ability,” the man explained. “Means it won’t get poisoned no matter what you do to it. I guess it makes sense, considering what your little device told you about its stomach a few minutes ago.”

“Well, whatever. In any case, sir, I need you to stay back,” Melissa declared, putting a hand out as if to keep Nanu back. “This monster is causing a civic disturbance, and I need to correct it.”

The older man simply shrugged and remained against his tree. “Then go for it. Don’t need this old wretch’s permission.”

“All right!” Melissa punched one fist into her open palm. “If we can’t weaken that big Pokémon the easy way, we’ll have to do it the hard way. Spinarak, use Megahorn!”

The spider’s horn glowed as it grew exponentially just before Spinarak charged forth, driving the horn directly into Snorlax’s side. This time, Melissa’s decision elicited a groan of pain from the Sleeping Pokémon, causing it to roll slightly to the opposite side. Unfortunately, it soon rolled back in Spinarak’s direction, turning over onto its colossal stomach and flattening the spider beneath it.

“Huh,” Nanu remarked, raising a brow. “That was a nice Body Slam.”

Snorlax then planted its forepaws into the ground, pushing itself up to a full height just shy of seven feet tall. Melissa grimaced, recalling the squashed and unconscious Spinarak before switching to a new Poké Ball.

“Fine, we’ll up the ante,” she said. “Onix, report for duty!”

Melissa’s newly-captured Onix appeared on the scene, dwarfing even the giant Snorlax by sheer length alone.

“Bind it!”

With twenty-one feet of length to spare, Onix easily coiled around Snorlax, squeezing it tightly. The Sleeping Pokémon, however, did not seem distressed. It simply reared back its head and opened its fanged mouth before quickly biting down on the section of Onix nearest to the Normal-type’s head. Onix cried out in pain as cracks began to form in the Rock Snake Pokémon’s body.

“And…that would be Crunch,” Nanu observed.

Next, Snorlax’s entire right arm began to glow red, prompting it to thrust its limb outward and throw Onix off of its body. The Rock Snake crumpled into a heap, groaning and defeated.

“Well, kid, looks like there’s some good news for you,” Nanu called out. “Snorlax will be moving a little slower than usual after that Hammer Arm. So, what else have you got?”

“I’ve got this,” Melissa growled, prepping a familiar Dusk Ball. “Noctowl, report for duty!”

Rather than the Hoothoot she had used against Brute on route three, Melissa’s Dusk Ball unleashed a much larger owl with dark brown wings against a lighter brown body. A spherical head tilted to the side as Noctowl took to the air, furrowing its tan U-shaped brow.

“Use Extrasensory!” Melissa ordered.

Locking its circular eyes with Snorlax’s squinting ones, Noctowl radiated a series of erratic rainbow rings from one set of eyes into its opponent’s. This time, Snorlax stumbled back, flinching as its massive mouth quivered.

“Follow up with Air Slash!”

Now Noctowl gave its wings an abrupt flap, prompting a curved blade of air to form before it and barrel towards Snorlax. This time, however, Snorlax lumbered forth and took the attack head-on, the ground shaking with each titanic step. With the move nullified, Snorlax then somehow leapt into the air. The Sleeping Pokémon wound back another Hammer Arm, clubbing Noctowl over the head as both came crashing down to earth.

“…you’ve got to be kidding me. Noctowl, return,” Melissa sighed as she recalled her third Pokémon. “Buizel, cut it down to size with Aqua Jet!”

An orange weasel-like Pokémon with a yellow flotation device around its neck was Melissa’s next choice, immediately surrounding itself in a cocoon of water and rocketing towards Snorlax. Buizel’s attack struck home, landing square in the center of Snorlax’s stomach, only for the sheer blubbery mass to force the weasel to bounce off the Sleeping Pokémon’s body.

Melissa growled. “Again, and this time aim for the head!”

Buizel complied, its twin tails spinning like propellers as it formed another Aqua Jet. As it rushed for Snorlax’s head, however, the giant simply opened its mouth and caught Buizel in its jaws with another Crunch. Screams of pain tore through the air as Snorlax’s fangs found their mark, coming to an end when Snorlax spat the defeated Buizel out onto the ground.

“Oh, great. Buizel, return,” Melissa sighed. “You’re my last one, Quilladin. Don’t screw this up!”

Though still worn from its previous battle with Onix earlier that day, Quilladin nonetheless clenched its armored fists once it took the field. This time, however, Snorlax took the offensive, lumbering towards the Spiny Armor Pokémon as a swirling bullet-like aura of energy surrounded the bigger Pokémon’s body.

“No way!” Melissa gasped. “Giga Impact, too?!”

Quilladin’s own surprise matched its trainer’s as it stood frozen in place, paralyzed with shock. It could do nothing as Snorlax hefted its massive body forth and body slammed the Grass-type, causing the earth to shake from the Normal-type’s sheer weight.

For a moment, everything was still. Then, Snorlax stood up, leaving behind a crater with an unconscious Quilladin in the center. Melissa bit her lip, silently recalling it. Eventually, Snorlax lumbered back over to its chosen spot at the mouth of the cave, then flopped onto its back and resumed its slumber.

“That it?” Nanu asked.

Melissa stood in place for a moment before slowly nodding, speaking without even facing Nanu. “…I don’t have any Pokémon left that can fight.”

Nanu paused before speaking again. “Well…if you don’t mind having the opinion of some nobody, I don’t think you did too badly. All things considered.”

Melissa slowly nodded, finally turning to face Nanu. “If you say so, sir.”

“Kid, don’t call me ‘sir’. Please,” Nanu grumbled with a roll his eyes. “Anyway, here’s where things fell apart: you let your impatience get the better of you. Snorlax is a beefy Pokémon, you aren’t going to bring it down by throwing attack after attack at it. But, who am I to tell you how to train?” he added with a shrug.

Now Melissa simply frowned. Nanu gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“You’re young. You’ll figure it out,” he said simply before turning to depart.

Melissa stood there for a moment, rolling Nanu’s words over in her mind. There was truth in them; she would figure out what to do. She had to figure out what to do. Removing the living blockage that was this Snorlax was an opportunity to do some good in the world, and she was not going to accept failure.

She looked down at her P*DA, tapping through several screens before settling on a map.

Saffron City isn’t far from here, she thought. I bet I can train at their local Fighting Dojo. Clearly, I need to be stronger if I’m going to beat this Snorlax, and training is the way to get to that point.

Leaving Snorlax behind her, Melissa turned on her heel and headed in a different direction. As she went, however, Nanu’s words remained with her. One word in particular.

Patience. Was that the secret to victory?

If nothing else, it was worth a try.

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 14: Bitter Reunions







The next morning, Derak and Mr. Vagabond strode out of the Pokémon Center and into Vermillion City as a whole. In this rather populated city, people passed by in personal journeys of their own. Derak paid little attention to them, however. What mattered to him was his own journey.

“There’s supposed to be a Gym here, right?” Derak asked Mr. Vagabond.

“Yes,” Mr. Vagabond nodded, having evidently recovered from his earlier troubles. “It is reputed as being quite difficult, however. The Gym Leader is clearly no fool.”

“Won’t know until I see for myself, right?” Derak shrugged. “Might as well just give it a shot now. If I lose, I can just try again.”

“Need I remind you that time is of the essence?” Mr. Vagabond growled. “There is no telling when Stoutland will attack again, so we should proceed through your damn Gyms as quickly as possible!”

“Easy on the language, there’s children present,” Derak sighed. “Oh, was I putting my needs ahead of yours again? So sorry, it’ll happen another thousand or so times considering that I actually have my own needs to worry about.”

“Just go to the Gym and get it over with,” Mr. Vagabond groaned, bemoaning Derak’s sarcastic demeanor.

“Whatever,” Derak said.

As the Gym came into view, marked with a “GYM” logo, Derak wordlessly entered. Upon doing so, he found himself in a somewhat darkened room illuminated only by a slew of ceiling lights. At the opposing end of the arena was a colossal, muscular man with spiky blonde hair. His clothing consisted of a green undershirt and camouflage-patterned pants. The evident Gym Leader smirked upon seeing Derak.

“Well, look what we have here!” the man boomed. “A little baby trainer!”

“…excuse me?” Derak blinked.

“Welcome to the Vermillion Gym, baby!” chuckled the man. “Name’s Lieutenant Surge, and I run the show around here. Think you can get the Thunder Badge from me, do ya? Show me what ya got in a one-on-one Pokémon battle! Unless, that is, you’re too chicken!”

So this is what Melissa would have been like if she was born a boy, Derak thought. Making no effort to respond to Surge’s taunts, he simply removed Brute’s Pokéball and released his Machop. In response, Surge threw out a Pokéball revealing a large, orange-bodied mouse-like Pokémon with a long black tail tipped by a lightning bolt.

“Raaaii,” the mouse growled, the yellow circles on its cheeks sparking with electricity as it narrowed its beady eyes.

Raichu,” the Memo identified, “the Mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pikachu. Electric-type. Raichu unleashes electric shocks that can reach 100,000 volts, and becomes aggressive when it has electricity stored up. It is rare to see in a trainer’s possession because so many people prefer the way its pre-evolution Pikachu looks.

“Heh! Yeah, there’s a lot of babies in the world who wouldn’t know real power if they saw it,” Surge guffawed. “How about you, huh? You gonna show me what you’re made of, or are you gonna run home crying to your mommy?”

Derak’s eyes narrowed at the Gym Leader’s choice in words. “Brute, use Vacuum Wave!”

“Going right on the offensive, huh?” Surge sneered. “Hah! I like that. Raichu, power through and use Thunder!”

The moment it left its Poké Ball, Brute released a blast of wind aimed directly at Raichu. The Mouse Pokémon, however, wedged its tail into the ground and used it as a sort of anchor, allowing it to withstand Brute’s Vacuum Wave. Once the assault had ended, Raichu plucked its tail from the ground and raised it high. Its body began to charge with electricity, which formed an aura that traveled along Raichu’s tail and into the lightning bolt on its tail.

Derak had to shield his eyes as Raichu launched its attack. The entire Gym lit up with light as the Mouse Pokémon’s colossal Thunder took shape, blasting through the air and arcing down towards Brute. Fortunately, Brute was able to evade the attack by rolling backwards, though the Superpower Pokémon was nonetheless singed by the sheer size of Raichu’s attack.

Derak grimaced; this was going to be harder than he thought.

***

Outside the Vermillion Gym, as Derak waged battle against Lieutenant Surge, Mr. Vagabond sighed. That boy was almost more trouble than he was worth. But he had to use the boy. The supreme irony of using Derak to accomplish his goals was simply too delicious a dish to let pass.

“I suppose we should begin training, then,” Mr. Vagabond said to his Electivire’s Pokéball, holding it up in his hand. He summoned his Electric-type, which promptly let out a frightening cry. All faces instantly turned towards Mr. Vagabond.

“What’s your problem?!” one person yelled.

“We need to train,” Mr. Vagabond replied. “Unless you would like to paint targets on your bodies, I suggest you all leave. Now.”

“Vire,” Electivire added, its antennae sparking as it clenched its fists.

The people obeyed, slowly backing into the safety of places such as nearby allies or their homes. Only one person remained, slowly applauding Mr. Vagabond’s display. The latter’s eyes widened upon seeing who it was.

Nathaniel Draykus himself.

“Bravo,” Draykus said with a smirk. “You put on quite the show.”

“You,” Mr. Vagabond snarled, his every syllable containing untold amounts of loathing. He recalled his Electivire, wishing to deal with this intruder himself. “How are you still alive?”

“The same way that you are, I’d wager,” Draykus replied. “But as much as I would love to catch up on old times, I have business to attend to. Pleasure to see you again.”

Draykus made to leave, but Mr. Vagabond snatched one arm, holding Orre’s governor in place.

“You will not escape this time!” Mr. Vagabond growled. “You need to pay for what you did to me, to my home!”

“Is that so?” Draykus said without an ounce of concern in his voice.

Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed his aggressor’s arm and threw him with such strength that Mr. Vagabond crashed into a lamppost with enough force to significantly bend it.

“Your talk of vengeance is amusing, but pointless,” Draykus said, dusting himself off as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Mr. Vagabond bared his teeth, the flames of his rage fanned by Draykus’ words. With a wrathful roar, he leapt at Draykus, who avoided Mr. Vagabond’s assault by somehow leaping atop a nearby roof.

“Get back here, you coward!” Mr. Vagabond bellowed, his body jumping upon the roof as well.

“Ah, I see you’ve been training yourself as much as I have,” Draykus remarked.

“The thought of your bleeding face underneath my heel is an excellent motivator,” Mr. Vagabond replied bitterly, lunging for Draykus again. This time, Draykus deftly avoided his attacker’s outstretched hand and slammed his fist into Mr. Vagabond’s stomach, forcing the air out of the cloaked man’s lungs. Draykus followed up with a quick palm strike to Mr. Vagabond’s chest, knocking the cloaked trainer back to the street with a mighty roundhouse kick.

“Is that all?” Draykus taunted, performing another superhuman leap as he came down to street level. “I thought one of your heritage would be a better fighter.”

Another roar pierced the sky, but this one was not from Mr. Vagabond. The vengeful man’s eyes widened as he realized the roar’s true source. Draykus simply smirked and straightened his suit.

“Ah, finally,” he said. “Now I can get what I truly came for.”

“OVER MY DEAD BODY, FILTH!” Mr. Vagabond bellowed, lunging for Draykus. With a sigh, Draykus pulled something out of his pocket and jabbed it into Mr. Vagabond’s stomach. The object pierced Mr. Vagabond’s skin, glinting viciously as blood trickled over it.

“Not a very fast learner, are you?” Draykus said as he withdrew the knife from Mr. Vagabond’s body, unceremoniously shoving him onto the pavement.

What happened next would astound anyone who saw it. Mr. Vagabond’s wound stopped bleeding, and then stitched itself together. In moments, Mr. Vagabond’s flesh appeared as if it had never been stabbed at all. Draykus, although indeed astounded, recovered quickly with a smirk.

“Ah, I see now,” Draykus said. “Let me test a theory I just thought of.”

Shockingly, Draykus then thrust his knife into his own stomach, only for his own wounds to heal just as quickly upon the knife’s removal. The governor’s smirk grew wider.

“Well, then,” Draykus smirked, “it seems that your petty revenge is indeed pointless…seeing as neither of us can ever die.”

“I am willing to test that theory,” Mr. Vagabond growled. An explosion of darkness just outside Vermillion City, however, prevented Mr. Vagabond from attacking again.

“That appears to be my cue,” Draykus said, removing a Pokéball from his pocket. “Conkeldurr, advance!”

Draykus’ Pokéball revealed a beefy sepia-colored Pokémon with a body covered in purple, vein-like bulges. Its round head possessed a pointed grey beard, a spherical red nose, and a bulb of skin that emerged from the top of its head. In each of the Pokémon’s massive hands was a large concrete pillar, held in a manner similar to that of walking canes.

“You? With a Conkeldurr?” Mr. Vagabond snorted.

“An old acquaintance of mine got quite a bit of use out of a Conkeldurr,” Draykus shrugged. “I figured I may as well see for myself how good it really is. I’m proud to say that it has yet to disappoint me.”

Another shadowy explosion, this one much closer to the city, erupted into the air. Draykus reacted by smirking yet again.

“But enough talk,” he said. “I have an ultimate weapon to acquire.”

“You keep your filthy hands off of—” Mr. Vagabond began to object, but Conkeldurr silenced him by clubbing him with one of its pillars, knocking him unconscious.

“Thank you, Conkeldurr,” Draykus said. “Now, prepare yourself. It’s time to truly experience Stoutland’s power first-hand.”

“Keldurr,” nodded Conkeldurr.

One more dark explosion came, this one just inside the city. This time, a familiar blob of darkness burst from the explosion and landed a short distance away from Draykus and his Conkeldurr. The darkness faded to reveal Stoutland, slaver dripping from its fanged mouth as it snapped viciously at its newest foe.

“At last,” Draykus whispered with a smirk. He then raised his voice for his first command. “Conkeldurr, use Fake Out!”

Conkeldurr responded by using its pillars to propel itself into the air, looking down as it noticed Stoutland advancing on its trainer. Continuing the execution of its move, Conkeldurr threw its pillars down, aiming in such a way that the pillars would slam down in front of Stoutland. The strategy worked well, the pillars having landed with enough force to generate a small wind that slightly pushed Stoutland back. The Normal-type, however, simply gave its head a shake and growled, ready to continue.

“Follow up with Dynamic Punch!” Draykus ordered.

Though initially still in the air, Conkeldurr soon plummeted down rapidly, one fist becoming surrounded with a bullet-like whirlwind of red energy. To counter, Stoutland once again surrounded itself with darkness, rocketing up to meet Conkeldurr. The latter Pokémon was taken by surprise at this aggressive turn of events, but before it could turn the tables again, Stoutland’s dark blob slammed into it with devastating force, knocking Conkeldurr to the ground. To make matters worse, the blob actually barreled down towards Conkeldurr, which only had a wide-eyed gasp on its face when Stoutland crashed down into it. When the dust settled, Stoutland’s dark blob form was seen bounding away, leaving behind a defeated Conkeldurr within a large crater.

“Incredible,” Draykus gasped. “Conkeldurr was defeated so easily…it seems I’ll need to try a different tactic.”

A groan of anguish reached Draykus’ ears as Mr. Vagabond reawakened. The governor of Orre simply recalled Conkeldurr, whose concrete pillars somehow vanished along with it as it was returned to its Pokeball.

“Now, then,” Draykus said, turning to Mr. Vagabond. “I assume you’ll also be pursuing that particular Stoutland. But I have no intention of letting such power run free.”

“I will die before I let you have Stoutland!” Mr. Vagabond spat, struggling to get up.

“Be careful what you wish for,” Draykus smirked. “Until our next meeting, little one.”

With that, Draykus left, Mr. Vagabond still attempting in vain to rise.

“That vile man will pay for this,” Mr. Vagabond growled as he got up on one knee.

“Who are you swearing an overdramatic vengeance to now?”

Mr. Vagabond’s gaze turned to Derak, who was leaning on the wall of the Gym.

“Nothing of your concern,” Mr. Vagabond spat.

“It probably would concern me, actually,” Derak retorted, “seeing as you look like you were run over by a train with feet. What happened while I was in the Gym?”

“I will explain later,” Mr. Vagabond sighed. “Did you get the badge?”

“Yep,” Derak said, opening his badge case and showing Mr. Vagabond a badge resembling a cartoonish sun. “I was told the next Gym was in Celadon City. The Leader here said that Celadon Gym was Grass-type.”

“Then you may have a chance with that Chimchar of yours,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “Come. We should be on our way.”

As they began to depart Vermillion City, however, Mr. Vagabond silently gritted his teeth. Draykus would never get his filthy hands on Stoutland…not while he was alive.

This was his vow.

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 15: Lavender Town





As her opponent’s Pokémon fell to the ground, Melissa recalled her own. Before her stood a burgundy-haired woman in a karate uniform, who bowed to the younger trainer.

“Well done, Melissa Armare,” she said. “You have claimed victory in Saffron City’s Fighting Dojo.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Melissa replied, returning the bow.

“Just call me Terri, please,” the dojo mistress continued with a smile. “As the victor, you may choose to receive a Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, as per dojo tradition. I, however, can also offer you a Hitmontop, if you want.”

“No thanks,” Melissa shook her head. “I already have a Fighting-type now, so it’d just end up being put in my PC anyway.”

“As you wish,” Terri bowed again. “I wish you the best of luck in your travels, Melissa.”

“Thank you, ma’a—sorry, Terri,” Melissa returned the bow once more. “I’ll be sure to come back here if I need more training.”

With that, Melissa turned to depart. She looked down at the green Poké Ball that housed her starter Pokémon.

Just you wait, Snorlax, she thought with a vengeful frown. Just you wait.

***

The next leg of Derak and Mr. Vagabond’s journey was a quaint little town dubbed “Lavender Town”, filled with small wooden houses and wizened people who traversed the streets. As Derak and Mr. Vagabond crossed into the small town, they were in the midst of a conversation regarding their respective battles in Vermillion City. Dusk was beginning to set on them, and Bug Pokémon began to buzz and chirp as if to herald its coming.

“Wait, back up,” Derak said, stopping for a moment. “You’re telling me that Orre’s governor is here in Kanto…looking for that crazy Stoutland?”

“Exactly,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “I expected no less of him.”

“How do you know Governor Draykus, anyway?” Derak asked. “You talk like you’ve known him for years.”

Mr. Vagabond paused, as if realizing that he had spoken too much.

“If I told you…you would most likely not believe me,” he replied. “Now, come. We must reach Lavender Town’s Pokémon Center before nightfall.”

Derak gave a shrug and accompanied Mr. Vagabond to the familiar “P”-bearing building, where the resident Nurse Joy greeted them with a friendly smile. Derak blinked for a moment, trying to figure out just how all the Nurse Joys looked exactly the same, but after a moment of effort he gave up. Some mysteries of the universe were simply never meant to be unraveled.

He handed his three Pokéballs to Nurse Joy and collapsed in a chair, attempting to piece together the facts. Governor Nathaniel Draykus had completely abandoned his office in order to capture an unusually powerful and aggressive Stoutland. The ever-mysterious Mr. Vagabond somehow knew of both Draykus and Stoutland, and professed a desire to stop them. Despite already having this knowledge, Derak’s attempts to uncover the entire story were like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces.

Derak’s thoughts were interrupted by a flash of white light from outside. Recognizing it as the signature flash caused by the opening of a Pokéball, he got up and poked his head out the door. Noticing Derak’s sudden curiosity, Mr. Vagabond came to investigate as well.

Two trainers faced each other on the street, each with their Pokémon of choice. One trainer used a slender serpentine Pokémon with a tan front and a green back, the tail ending in a three-pronged green leaf. The Pokémon’s thin arms crossed as its large amber eyes gazed rather condescendingly at its opponent, a red-eyed purple-and-white rodent with large incisors and a curled tail.

Snivy,” the Memo reported upon being pointed at the serpent, “the Grass Snake Pokémon. Grass-type. Being exposed to sunlight makes Snivy’s movements swifter, so it maintains its speed by sunbathing its tail. If it feels sick, its tail droops.

Rattata,” the Memo reported upon being pointed at the rodent, “the Mouse Pokémon. Normal-type. Its incisors will continue to grow until its death, and if they get too big, Rattata will become unable to eat and starve to death. If its trainer does not offer it a file to gnaw on, it will gnaw through hard wood objects such as table legs and door frames.

“Hey, you with the Snivy,” Derak called. “Not trying to interrupt, but your Pokémon looks kind of familiar…is it related to something called Serperior, by any chance?”

Snivy’s trainer was a face Derak had not yet seen: the greasy-haired boy who had observed Derak’s victory over the Pewter Gym. The boy smirked at this convenient appearance, but rather than pursue it, simply answered the question.

“Why, yes,” he said. “As a matter of fact, Snivy evolves into Serperior.”

“Okay, just making sure,” Derak nodded. “I kind of had a hunch.”

“Wait a moment,” Mr. Vagabond said to Derak. “How do you, of all people, know what a Serperior is?”

“Tell you what,” Derak replied, “you tell me your story, I might tell you mine.”

“Okay, Rattata, let’s get on with the battle!” the Normal-type’s trainer cried, drawing Derak and Mr. Vagabond’s attention. “Use Bite!”

The greasy-haired trainer in the tattered blue suit simply smirked and waited for Rattata to approach. And then, in a cultured voice, he gave a command.

“Snivy, use Leaf Tornado.”

Rattata scurried forth on its four small legs, mouth open wide and incisors bared. Snivy, however, simply smirked and waited. As Rattata bounded into the air in an effort to bite down on Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon actually leapt up to meet the Normal-type, spinning in the air and generating a tunnel of green wind around itself. This tunnel grew into a hurricane that caught Rattata in its grasp, battering the Mouse Pokémon with leaves made from green energy.

“Hold on, Rattata!” its trainer cried as the mouse fell from the sky. “I’ll catch you!”

“No, I’m afraid I will,” Snivy’s trainer smirked menacingly. “Snivy, use Vine Whip!”

Rattata’s trainer ran to the spot beneath his airborne Pokémon, only for a pair of think vines to extend from Snivy’s neck and lash out, snatching Rattata from the air and pulling it out of its trainer’s reach. The vines then flicked downward, brutally tossing Rattata onto the ground where it landed with a thud.

“It would appear you have lost this battle,” Snivy’s trainer remarked. “I do thank you for the brief warm-up, however. It will most certainly aid me in future battles.”

Rattata’s trainer did not respond, instead scooping up his fallen Pokémon and rushing into the Pokémon Center. The greasy-haired boy chuckled, turning to Derak, who greeted the boy with a frown. As Derak looked the boy over, he noticed an odd detail: while the boy’s belt bore several of the traditional red-and-white Poké Balls, they were joined by two differently-colored balls. One was green, like the one that contained Melissa’s Chespin, but the other was as blue as the ball that contained Sarah’s Squirtle.

“Well, that wasn’t overkill at all,” Derak remarked, folding his arms.

The greasy-haired boy chuckled, adjusting his green tie with one hand and smoothing his tattered blue pinstripe suit with the other. He regarded Derak with his heterochromatic eyes—one blue and one brown—as he spoke.

“I must admit…Derak Kadir, was it?” the blue-suited boy said. “I was quite looking forward to our inevitable encounter. It appears that our journeys have finally intertwined.”

“Uh…how do you know me?” Derak blinked. “And who the heck are you?”

“Ah, where are my manners?” chuckled the blue-suited boy. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Elliot Trey. I am, like yourself, a Pokémon trainer. As such, I would greatly enjoy a battle between the two of us.”

“Ugh…is battling all that anyone ever thinks about?” Derak sighed.

“That is how the world works, I’m afraid,” Elliot shrugged. “If you win, you gain more experience. Should I emerge as the victor, then I will have more experience. Either way, this is—as they say—a ‘win-win’ situation. Now…shall we?”

“Might as well, I guess,” Derak sighed. As he moved into position a distance away from Elliot, Mr. Vagabond remained on the sidelines by the Pokémon Center. “Brute, let’s go!”

Like always, Brute emerged from his Poké Ball in a flash of light. The second he materialized, however, he caught sight of Elliot. The mere sight of this mysterious trainer caused the normally-calm Brute to begin growling with rage.

“H-hey, Brute, what’s wrong?” Derak stammered.

“Haven’t forgotten me, have you?” Elliot smirked at Brute. “I must say, I’m quite touched.”

“What are you talking about?” Derak asked.

“Perhaps I should explain in detail,” Elliot said. “You found this Machop around Pewter City, correct? As I recall, that was where I…how shall I say…left it to the Mightyenas.”

“Wait…you’re the one who abandoned Brute?!” Derak snarled. Mr. Vagabond clenched his fist and bared his teeth, also angered by this revelation. “Why would you do that?! He was a strong Pokémon and a loyal friend, right?!”

“True enough,” Elliot said, “but quite simply…I grew bored with it.”

That is your justification?” Mr. Vagabond growled. “You ‘grew bored’ with it?! And you call yourself a trainer!”

“Ah, thank you for reminding me,” Elliot said cheerfully. “On to the battle. Snivy, use Coil.”

Snivy’s body contorted around itself, a purple flash emitting from its eyes as it grinned.

“Watch yourself,” Mr. Vagabond said to Derak. “That move raises Snivy’s attack power and speed, as well as its ability to land attacks.”

“Normally I’d question why you even care about this battle enough to butt in, but this time I’ll take whatever help I can get,” Derak replied. “Brute, use Vacuum Wave!”

Brute glared at its target as it formed the wind between its hands, thrusting its hands forth to send the small hurricane of its own outward. Snivy, however, bent its body in such a way that allowed it to literally roll out of the way, standing back on its thin feet shortly after.

“Is that unpleasant demeanor of yours really necessary?” Elliot said with a somewhat arrogant smirk matching that of his Pokémon.

“Uh, yeah!” Derak snapped. “You abandoned someone who’s supposed to be your friend!”

“As I said before, I grew bored with Machop,” Elliot explained with a shrug.

“THAT’S NO EXCUSE!” Derak roared, drastically breaking his regular composure. “You’re supposed to make friends with Pokémon, not just throw them around like your toys! I don’t even know half of what there is to know about Pokémon, and even I know better than you!”

Elliot’s smirk faded away, and his brown eye began to twitch.

“Well?!” Derak yelled. “You going to try and justify being an idiot, now?!”

“I don’t need to justify a thing for you, Kadir,” Elliot snarled, his voice becoming gruffer and losing its cultured tone.

“WHAT DO YOU—wait, what’s…what’s up with your voice?” Derak asked.

“Sni?” Snivy glanced up at its trainer with a raised brow.

“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!” Elliot roared at his Snivy, whipping out its Pokéball and recalling his starter. “Get the hell out of my sight!”

“What the heck are you doing?” Derak asked. “I thought you wanted to battle me?”

“I do,” Elliot growled. “Snivy is just Elliot’s preferred starter.”

“Uh…last I checked, you are Elliot,” Derak blinked.

“Call me Jason,” Elliot growled. “Elliot and I are a two-in-one sort of thing.”

“A split personality?” Mr. Vagabond remarked.

“What’s it to you, old man?!” the Jason personality barked. He then jerked his head back to the battlefield, preparing the blue Pokéball. “Mudkip, fight!”

A small blue quadruped Pokémon appeared on the field, sporting a large fin-like tail in addition to the fin atop its head. Contrasting the blue of its skin was a set of orange spikes emerging from the sides of its face, and its beady black eyes scowled at Brute as it took an aggressive stance.

Mudkip,” Derak’s Memo pointed out, “the Mud Fish Pokémon. Water-type. The fin on Mudkip’s head acts as a highly sensitive radar, which allows it to sense the movements of water and air around it. Despite its size, it is strong enough to crush boulders, and can propel itself quickly through water with its powerful tail fin.

“Snivy from Unova, and Mudkip from Hoenn?” Mr. Vagabond asked. “How were you allowed to have two starter Pokémon, let alone two Pokémon from completely different regions?”

“Less talk, more fighting!” Jason roared. “Mudkip, use Rock Smash!”

With a flick of its tail, Mudkip launched itself towards Brute, tackling the Superpower Pokémon to the ground.

“Rock Smash again!” Jason yelled. “And again!”

Shockingly, Mudkip actually smirked as it complied with Jason’s orders, viciously slamming its forelegs into Brute’s body multiple times. Brute winced every time the Water-type struck it, feeling an increasingly greater pain every time Mudkip struck the same area. Derak’s eyes went wide at this merciless display.

“Hey, stop it!” Derak cried. “Brute, return!”

Fortunately, the red beam from the Pokéball withdrew Brute in time to prevent Mudkip from injuring it further.

“Okay, that was completely uncalled for!” Derak cried.

“Tough,” Jason spat. “You can’t take the heat, you get out of the freaking kitchen.”

At that point, however, Jason’s blue eye twitched. The confident smirk returned, signifying Elliot’s return to dominance.

“Ah…my apologies for Jason’s behavior,” Elliot said, straightening his grimy-looking suit. “You see, we share a goal of attaining ultimate strength, and we would greatly appreciate the rapid removal of obstacles.”

“Why do you want to be strong so badly?” Derak asked.

“Ah-ah-ah!” Elliot smirked, waggling his finger. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out. I will give you a hint: it has nothing to do with ludicrous things like becoming a Pokémon Master or a Top Coordinator. Titles like that mean virtually nothing to me. Now…shall we continue our battle in style?”

“In style?” Derak repeated.

“What do you say to a double battle?” Elliot proposed. “My Snivy and Mudkip against two of your Pokémon. Will you accept?”

“You really think I’m letting you get away with what you did to Brute?” Derak growled. “Wildfire, Brute, come on out!”

Both of Derak’s chosen Pokémon took the field, Brute still baring its teeth at its former trainer.

“Ah, excellent,” Elliot smirked. “Snivy, fight!”

Elliot’s Snivy soon reappeared next to Mudkip. Though the two starter Pokémon exchanged a quick glare, they turned back to Derak’s Pokémon, evidently putting up some sort of a temporary truce.

“Now the battle can begin in earnest!” Elliot cried, his smirk growing into a sinister grin. “Snivy, use Leaf Tornado on Machop! Mudkip, use Water Gun on Chimchar!”

“Wildfire, use Ember!” Derak cried. “Brute, use Vacuum Wave!”

Snivy leapt into the air and pointed its body forward, spinning in mid-air to unleash the same blast of wind that had used against the Rattata from earlier. Brute’s Vacuum Wave, however, met the Leaf Tornado head-on, the two wind-based attacks canceling each other out. Unfortunately, Wildfire’s Ember was quickly doused by the jet of water Mudkip spat, leaving the Water-type attack free to close in on the Fire-type Chimchar.

“Chop?” Brute grunted, noticing the attack. It then leapt between Wildfire and the Water Gun, taking the blow itself. “Ma-choooppp!”

“Char?!” Wildfire cried. “Ch…char, chim-char?”

“Ma…ma-chop,” Brute grunted, managing a reassuring smirk in spite of its pain.

“How noble,” Elliot said with a disinterested sigh. “I suppose we should finish this now. Snivy, use Grass Pledge! Mudkip, you will use Water Pledge!”

A bright aura overtook each of Elliot’s Pokémon before they planted one foreleg into the ground. Snivy’s green aura slithered along its body and into the ground, resulting in a column of green energy surrounded by leaves to burst from the earth. Mudkip’s blue aura did much the same, creating a column of blue energy surrounded by bubbles.

“Derak, be careful!” Mr. Vagabond cried. “Those attacks will empower each other the moment they are launched!”

“Aw, crap!” Derak swore. “Uh…come on, what do we do? How do we block this?!”

Wildfire looked past Brute, watching Snivy and Mudkip’s energy columns combine into a single pillar. Its eyes bulged swirling fountain of water erupted from the ground, with vine-like energy coiling around it. The aquatic tornado hovered there for a moment, as if reveling in the terror it imposed in its foes, before lurching forward. It bore down on Brute and Wildfire, energy vines lashing out wildly in their attempts to strike.

“Oh, man,” Derak muttered fearfully, staring in horror at the Grass Pledge-Water Pledge combination attack. “Aw, crap, what are we gonna do…?”

Wildfire stared at the incoming attack, fear welling within its body as well. It desperately looked behind it, as if hoping Brute would reassure it. The Machop only looked at the attack, gritting its teeth as it awaited the attack’s strike. And then Wildfire understood. If this attack hit, the battle would be over. Elliot would win.

Wildfire turned back to the Pledge tornado, which was mere inches from contact. The Chimchar simply steeled its gaze and crossed its arms.

And then a colossal quantity of water and energy crashed down upon Derak’s Pokémon.

“BRUTE!” Derak yelled. “WILDFIRE!”

“It appears our match has finished,” Elliot smirked. “I must say, it was rather amusing for a…what?”

Elliot’s eyes widened upon seeing that, although his Pledge combination had indeed struck, a dome of water remained. The water slid down, revealing a green bubble within.

And in the bubble was Wildfire, arms crossed and eyes squeezed shut. Brute was behind the bubble, having escaped most damage due to the bubble taking the brunt of the impact.

“What?!” yelled Elliot, his brown eye twitching and sending him back into his Jason persona. “Are you kidding?!”

“Incredible,” Mr. Vagabond breathed. “Chimchar just learned Protect…it must have remembered Dewgong’s use of the move.”

“Wildfire…Wildfire, Brute, you’re okay!” cried an overjoyed Derak. “Guys, I…I don’ t know what to say, but…I’m proud of you both. You’re just awesome, there’s no other word for it.”

“Oh, shut up!” Jason roared. “We’re not done here, you hear me?! Snivy, use Vine Whip! And Mudkip, use Rock Smash!”

“You’re not taking us down that easily!” Derak cried. “Wildfire, use Thunder Punch on Mudkip! Brute, use Poison Jab on Snivy!”

Derak’s Pokémon nodded to each other, turning to face their opposition. Snivy’s vines lashed out again, only for Brute to grab them in its hand. The Grass Snake Pokémon’s condescending eyes filled with fear as Brute yanked it closer, the Superpower Pokémon using its other hand to deliver a swift Poison Jab to Snivy’s stomach. Snivy tumbled onto its back, defeated by the super-effective blow.

Meanwhile, Mudkip rushed towards Wildfire, forelegs raised in its own effort to strike, but Wildfire dodged the attack by leaping into the air. It then drove an electrified fist downward, striking Mudkip in the back with another super-effective blow.

“How…has he turned this around so quickly?” Elliot gasped as his blue eye twitched. “No matter. Snivy, Mudkip, return.”

“You finally done?” Derak asked.

“For now,” Elliot said as he placed his Pokéballs back on his belt. “I wanted a taste of your potential when I saw your victory with Machop and the Pewter Gym. From this battle, I gained such a taste.”

He looked at Derak with a chilling smirk spreading across his face.

“You may wish to redouble your training efforts,” Elliot suggested, “because the next time we meet…we will battle for real.”

Elliot turned and left, heading out of Lavender Town. The moment that Elliot turned his back, Derak collapsed on the ground, letting out a massive sigh of relief.

“Whew,” Derak breathed. “We did it.”

“Chop,” Brute said, limping over to Derak and giving him a thumbs-up. “Ma-chop.”

“Glad you got to stick it to your old trainer, Brute,” Derak smiled.

“As am I,” Mr. Vagabond added. “I have noticed there are few things that we truly agree on, Derak. Can we agree that Elliot—or Jason, whatever his name is—is a truly vile person?”

“Yep,” Derak said as he got up. “We can agree on that.”

He went over to Wildfire, rubbing the Chimchar’s head.

“Hey, you did great today,” Derak said. “You learned a new move and everything. Let’s get some rest, okay?”

“Ch-chim, char,” Wildfire nodded slowly. Derak picked it up in his arms and went inside the Pokémon Center, Brute and Mr. Vagabond in tow.

***

Elsewhere in Lavender Town, there rested a large stone tower. It was here that numerous graves were placed, honoring the spirits of deceased Pokémon. As such, the Pokémon Tower was a haven for Ghost-type Pokémon, particularly those who enjoyed playing tricks on passers-by.

At the moment, however, the spectral residents of the Pokémon Tower laid scattered about with fresh wounds somehow present on their bodies. A large hole in the top of the tower indicated the entry of a mighty force, and that force was responsible for the carnage that took place. That force stood on the top floor of the tower, its dark power pulsing about its body.

Stoutland let out a horrifying howl, and a short distance away, Nathaniel Draykus smirked in triumph.

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 16: The Pokémon Tower





The next morning, Derak emerged from the Pokémon Center, reaching for the sky in a mighty stretch. Once he felt adequately awakened, his arms fell limply back to his sides.

“Man…what a day yesterday,” Derak said.

“Yes…that did appear to be a rather tricky battle,” Mr. Vagabond admitted. “I do advise taking Elliot’s advice on one thing, however. Despite having a less-than-ideal state of mind, he is clearly no fool where battling is concerned. I recommend that you either train your current Pokémon or capture new ones, preferably both.”

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Derak said, rolling his shoulder. “So, which way is Celadon City?”

“Hmm…if I remember correctly, it should be to the west of Lavender Town,” Mr. Vagabond said. “We should go soon, so we can—”

Something entered his field of vision that made his eyes go wide. A distance away from the Pokémon Center stood none other than Nathaniel Draykus, who casually leaned against a wall with a smirk on his face.

“You,” Mr. Vagabond snarled.

“Huh?” Derak grunted, trying to follow Mr. Vagabond’s gaze. “Wait…isn’t that Orre’s governor?”

Draykus chuckled slightly, turning and leaving as if completely oblivious to Mr. Vagabond’s presence. This, of course, did not amuse the cloaked man.

“That arrogant swine,” he snarled. “He will pay!”

“Uh…mind bringing me up to speed?” Derak asked. “I’m kinda lost here.”

Mr. Vagabond merely shoved the boy aside as he gave chase to Draykus. Derak brushed himself off, sighing as Mr. Vagabond’s unpleasant demeanor made itself known once again.

“Thanks, I’m completely in the loop now,” Derak groaned. “Might as well go see what’s up.”

***

“GET BACK HERE!” Mr. Vagabond roared as he continued to chase Draykus. The governor stopped outside the entrance to the Pokémon Tower, smirking as he turned to Mr. Vagabond. “You will answer for your crimes if it kills me!”

“I see,” Draykus chuckled. “Although…didn’t you wish to keep me from capturing Stoutland?”

“What?” Mr. Vagabond gasped. “Stoutland is here?”

“Indeed,” Draykus nodded. “Some observant citizens of Lavender Town have noticed a significant drop in the activity of Ghost-type Pokémon, and others reported witnessing a dark shape plow into the top of this tower. Given our experience in Vermillion City, we both know what this means.”

“Yes,” Mr. Vagabond growled. “It means that you will die here and now! Sigilyph, rise from the ashes!”

The skeletal avian appeared once again, levitating between Mr. Vagabond and Draykus as it waited for an order. Despite this, Draykus only chuckled again.

“Unfortunately, I lack the time for a Pokémon battle,” Draykus said. “But do bring the boy up to the top floor of the tower once he arrives. I believe it’s time I properly introduced myself.”

“And you honestly think he would believe you?” Mr. Vagabond spat.

“Heh…this is an era where creatures with vast magical powers are contained in mechanical balls,” Draykus chuckled. “I’m certain anything is possible if you think about it. Oh, and don’t keep me waiting. My patience never was infinite in matters such as these.”

With that, Draykus entered the tower. Seconds later, Derak ran to Mr. Vagabond’s side, gasping for breath.

“What…did…I miss?” Derak panted.

“We have no time to talk,” Mr. Vagabond snapped. “Stoutland is in that tower, and that vile man plans on capturing it.”

“What’s so nasty about Governor Draykus, anyway?” Derak asked. “From what I’ve heard, Orre’s been doing pretty well under him.”

“He calls himself ‘Draykus’?” Mr. Vagabond snorted. “I expected something more original from him.”

“Okay, what the heck are you talking about?” Derak asked.

“Enough chatter,” Mr. Vagabond snapped. “We need to give chase to ‘Draykus’, and we need to do it now.”

“Eh, might get more explanations from him, anyway,” Derak shrugged.

***

The path to the top of the Pokémon Tower was surprisingly straightforward, likely due to Stoutland’s having assaulted the resident Ghost-type Pokemon that would have normally impeded a visitor’s efforts at exploration. As a result, Derak and Mr. Vagabond easily rushed through the levels, heading quickly for the uppermost floor.

“Man…Stoutland sure did a number on these Pokémon,” Derak remarked, noting the fallen Gastlies scattered around him.

“Will you stop being so easily distracted?” Mr. Vagabond barked. “We have a mission, and it needs to be the prime center of our focus!”

“Oh, sorry!” Derak snapped. “Forgive me for putting lives above whatever crazy plan you have in mind that will most likely get us killed!”

“Shut up and follow me!” Mr. Vagabond snapped. “We are nearly at the top floor!”

A portion of the ceiling in front of them suddenly collapsed, a familiar dog-like shape falling out of it. Stoutland struggled to rise up, only for a concrete pillar to slam into its back, causing the Normal-type to let out a howl of pain.

“Stoutland,” Mr. Vagabond gasped, his voice containing an unusual concern.

“Eldur!” grunted Draykus’ Conkeldurr as it leapt down from the upper floor, landing just behind Stoutland and retrieving its pillar. “Conk-eldurr!”

Conkeldurr,” Derak’s Strategy Memo reported, “the Muscular Pokémon and the evolved form of Gurdurr. Fighting-type. Concrete mixed by Conkeldurr is much stronger than regular concrete, even when the compositions of the two materials are the same. When going all out, it throws aside its concrete pillars and leaps at the opponent to pummel them with its fists.

“Conkeldurr!” cried Draykus as he, too, leapt down from the floor above. Despite his being a seemingly normal human, he executed the massive jump perfectly and landed without an ounce of harm done to his body. “Finish this with Dynamic Punch!”

“NO!” Mr. Vagabond cried. “Sigilyph, use Air Cutter to stop it!”

Sigilyph flapped in from out of nowhere, launching blades of wind. The wind slammed directly into Conkeldurr’s chest, knocking the Fighting-type onto its back and causing it to drop its pillars.

“Ah, there you are,” said Draykus. “I see you brought the boy. What was your name, boy?”

“Derak,” said the child in question. “You’re the governor of Orre, right? Why are you so obsessed with this Stoutland?”

Draykus could only chuckle. Stoutland attempted to use this temporary distraction to launch a counter-attack, but Conkeldurr pinned it down via the use of its two pillars.

“Ah…the naivety of a child,” Draykus smirked. “Let me explain. Conkeldurr, keep Stoutland there for a while.”

Conkeldurr nodded, applying more pressure to Stoutland’s body. As it did so, Draykus began to pace by the various tombstones that dotted the floor.

“The short lives of men and Pokémon are nothing compared to the age of the world,” Draykus said. “To find something of great power is…difficult, to say the least. And yet news of this unique Stoutland simply fell into my lap, as if it were destiny.”

“Your only destiny is the death you so richly deserve!” Mr. Vagabond roared and made to attack Draykus, only for Conkeldurr to fend him off with a swing of one of its pillars.

“Be quiet for a moment, little one,” Draykus said before turning to Derak. “Tell me…Derak, was it? What do you know of the history of this world?”

“Not much of anything, actually,” Derak shrugged. “Kind of happens when you’ve been stuck in a pseudo-shelter that protects you from things that you don’t need to be protected from.”

“Ah…then let me educate you,” Draykus said. “Once, centuries ago…there was a faraway region by the name of Ransei.”

Mr. Vagabond’s eyes widened as Draykus spoke, realizing where this lesson was headed.

“Ransei was dotted with seventeen kingdoms, all independent of one another,” Draykus continued. “But everything changed one day when a group of scholars learned of an ancient legend. The legend told that, if a single kingdom could dominate the other sixteen, a Pokémon of great power would appear.”

“Arceus,” breathed Mr. Vagabond.

“Indeed,” Draykus smirked. “The Pokémon in question was called Arceus, revered as the being that created the entire world. Therefore, its power would obviously be at least tenfold that of any other Pokémon, regardless of its evolutionary level or amount of training. Thus, the seventeen kingdoms armed themselves, each attempting to conquer the others and summon Arceus.”

“So…who won?” Derak asked.

“No one,” Draykus replied. “Ransei is now a barren wasteland, thanks to decades of war. Arceus never showed itself…not that there was anyone left to behold its majesty.”

“Whoa,” Derak gasped. “That’s…that’s awful.”

“So it is,” Draykus sighed. “It is a rather tragic tale.”

“But…what does that story have to do with Stoutland?” Derak asked.

Draykus chuckled again.

“One warlord came quite close to bringing forth the coming of Arceus,” he continued. “He led the kingdom of Dragnor and its Dragon-type Pokémon in a campaign across the whole of Ransei. And yet, when the power of Arceus was so near…it was snatched from his grasp. So many in Ransei stated that the power was not his to bear, but all the man had wanted was to create a truly peaceful world where humans could live in harmony alongside Pokémon.”

Mr. Vagabond narrowed his eyes. He had a bad feeling that he knew how this speech would end.

“I will succeed where there was once failure,” Draykus continued. “With Stoutland’s power, I will force that world into creation. Once all of the world is under my thumb, I shall bring about an age of peace unlike any other!”

“Let me guess…you take away freedom in the process?” Derak sighed.

“Unfortunately…sacrifices must be made,” Draykus admitted, yet showed no signs of regret or remorse. “Are a handful of lives not a worthwhile trade for true peace?”

“…okay, this is messed up,” Derak said, giving his head a shake. “Governor…ever since I was little, I spent what little free time I had watching TV. You were always on there, always talking about peaceful solutions and democracy and things like that…that’s not who you are now. Who are you, really?”

A truly sinister smirk crept onto Draykus’ face. He removed a unique-looking Pokéball from his pocket, one with a black upper half and two yellow stripes painted on the top.

“The man who will change this world,” he said. “Now…Ultra Ball, go!”

Mr. Vagabond gasped in horror as Draykus threw the ball. He made to block it, but Conkeldurr clubbed him with one of its pillars, sending Mr. Vagabond skidding across the floor and into the wall. Derak stood paralyzed, unable to move as the reality of Draykus’ persona sank in. The Ultra Ball struck Stoutland’s body and fell to the floor.

It shook once…

…twice…

…three times…

…and clicked.

Draykus had captured Stoutland.

“At last,” Draykus grinned, retrieving the Ultra Ball. “At long last…the power to truly change this world…is in my hands.”

“…guess it’s true what they say,” Derak muttered. “No one’s who you really think they are.”

Draykus glanced at him and smirked.

“I suppose I do owe you a bit of knowledge on that subject,” he said. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name—my true name—is Nobunaga Oda.”

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 17: Links to the Past






“I knew it,” Mr. Vagabond snarled. “I knew from the very moment I saw your sickening face on television, when I saw those greedy eyes of yours, that you were the man I so deeply despised.”

“Indeed,” Draykus—or rather, Nobunaga—nodded. “It was I who once ruled over the kingdom of Dragnor, leading my armies forth in my efforts to conquer Ransei. It was I who nearly summoned Arceus. And it will be I who rules this world in the present day.”

“Wait, wait, back up,” Derak sputtered. “You’re the warlord of Dragnor? Didn’t you just say that the wars in Ransei were hundreds of years ago? How in the heck are you still alive? People don’t live for that long.”

“Not without special aid, they don’t,” Nobunaga smirked. “Perhaps your friend can tell you more about that.”

Derak whirled on Mr. Vagabond, at first appearing as if he would say something, but soon found his palm meeting his forehead.

“Why am I not surprised you didn’t give me all the details?” Derak groaned.

“Would you have believed me?” Mr. Vagabond snorted.

“Good point,” Derak said. “I’m not even sure I believe this creep.”

“Is that any way to talk about your ancestor?” Nobunaga smirked. “It was through myself and my concubines that your bloodline came to be, boy.”

Derak blinked. “…excuse me?”

“Your blood is my blood, Derak,” Nobunaga continued, extending one hand. “Join me…together, we can create the ideal world. Pokémon and humans will finally be able to truly live in harmony. There will be no war, no strife…the world will become a perfect utopia.”

“Uh, yeah…the overdone ‘I-am-your-father-join-me’ thing aside, that sounds great and all,” Derak said, “but your whole ‘end-justifies-the-means’ thing is kind of turning me off.”

Mr. Vagabond looked at Derak out of the corner of his eye, trying his best not to smile.

“So be it,” Nobunaga sighed. “This is not the first time my own flesh and blood has turned against me.”

“Sounds like whoever did it before me was the smart one in the family,” Derak said. “You’re crazy, Nobunaga. You’re a complete and utter loon, and in all honesty, I’d like to keep relatively sane company.”

“…I see,” Nobunaga said. “In that case…we shall battle for the fate of this world.”

“Good,” Mr. Vagabond growled, Sigilyph levitating by his side. “I have long awaited this chance.”

“Not you,” Nobunaga corrected. “I want the boy to battle me. After all, it is only fitting that it is a battle between ancestor and descendant that decides this world’s fate.”

“What?!” Mr. Vagabond roared. “After all that you put me through, do you really expect me to—”

“Hold it,” Derak cut him off, looking back to his ancestor. “Okay, Nobunaga, you’re on…but on one condition.”

“And that is?” Nobunaga asked.

Derak pointed at Mr. Vagabond. “He battles with me.”

The cloaked man in question looked at Derak as if he had grown some odd appendage out of his armpits.

“What?” Mr. Vagabond gasped.

“Hey, you’re the one with all the experience,” Derak shrugged. “Besides, if you want a go at this lunatic so badly, be my guest.”

“Hmph…I suppose this is an acceptable agreement,” Nobunaga grunted. “Even after all these years, the honor of Ransei’s warriors appears to have remained in my system.”

He began to walk past Derak and Mr. Vagabond, heading out of the tower.

“Our paths will cross again,” Nobunaga said as he left, “but we shall not battle until you conquer the remaining Gyms and reach the Indigo Plateau. It will be there, when you will be strong enough to be worthy of my blood, that the world’s fate shall be decided. Try not to keep me waiting.”

With that, Nobunaga Oda departed the Pokémon Tower, taking Stoutland with him.

“Boy…just when you think you know someone,” Derak muttered before looking over to Mr. Vagabond. “So…anything you want to tell me?”

“Not now,” Mr. Vagabond said, but it was not with his usual sternness or irritation...it was with a more tragic tone that he said this. “Nobunaga has brought…painful memories to me. I…I need some time.”

“…okay,” Derak nodded. “That works, I guess. Come on, let’s go. We might as well move on to Celadon City.”

***

The two trainers once more entered Lavender Town, trudging through the streets. The day was bright and cheerful, and the bird Pokémon soared through the skies in true jubilation. And yet, on the ground, Mr. Vagabond’s mood was anything but cheerful. His head was low, and his eyes were shut, prompting his memories to arrive in their fullest.

“So…if you don’t mind my asking…what exactly did Nobunaga do to you?” Derak asked. “I don’t need the whole story right now, just…”

“I thought I told you I did not want to talk about it,” Mr. Vagabond spat. “Just know that…Nobunaga has caused me great tragedy. No matter how I examine the circumstances, in the end, everything points to Nobunaga.”

“Hey…sit here for a second,” Derak said, placing himself on a nearby bench. Mr. Vagabond reluctantly complied. “So…Nobunaga did bad things to you, right? And you don’t want to talk about them because they’re not exactly fun things to relive?”

“…essentially,” Mr. Vagabond replied.

“…I guess I can respect that,” Derak shrugged.

“I lost people who were dear to me because of Nobunaga,” Mr. Vagabond said. “I still see their faces when I go to sleep at night. That is why I cannot talk about my past now.”

“All right…I understand,” Derak nodded. A mutual silence hovered over them for a moment. “Hey, I just thought of something.”

“What?” Mr. Vagabond grunted.

“So, quick question…if I tell you my story…will it make you feel more comfortable with yours?” Derak asked.

“Why would you suddenly want to tell me your own past?” Mr. Vagabond asked. “You despise me, remember?”

“Yeah, but we’ve got a common goal, now,” Derak shrugged. “Might as well work together for it. Besides, I’m going to need your help when I eventually battle Nobunaga.”

“Hmm…I think I can see your point,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Very well. I do occasionally wonder how you survived an existence with that pitiful excuse for a father.”

“I had a motivator,” Derak said, as memories began to flood into his mind. “I found it about three or so years ago…”

***

With a blue shirt, tan pants, and noticeably shorter hair, nine-year-old Derak Kadir clambered up on the railing, watching a ship drift lazily into Gateon Port. The sheer excitement in his young blue eyes greatly contrasted with the more emotionally distant eyes of the boy’s present-day counterpart. Regardless, once the ship’s passengers began to depart, Derak looked them all over. Most of them had Pokéballs on their belts, fanning the flames of Derak’s excitement.

Pokémon. They actually had real live Pokémon.

He thought about greeting one of the trainers, but second thoughts began to enter his mind. What if his father saw? What if the trainer had no desire to speak with him? Most of them seemed to pass him by without looking, anyway.

Except for one.

A young man in an orange jacket and grey pants looked over at Derak with his pale grey eyes, the dirty blonde hair on his head shaking slightly.

“Hey, there, kid,” the trainer said calmly. Derak almost wet himself. A trainer actually spoke to him! And now the trainer was walking towards him!

“H-hey!” Derak greeted, getting off of the railing and meeting the trainer.

“What’s your name?” the trainer asked.

“I’m Derak,” said the younger boy. “Are you a…a trainer?”

“Yep,” the trainer nodded. “My name’s Trip. I’m from the Unova region.”

“Unova?” Derak asked.

“Yeah,” Trip said. “It’s this really far away region where the Pokémon are totally unique.”

“Wow!” Derak cried. “So, why did you come here to Orre?”

“I wanted to check out the Colosseum circuit,” Trip said. “I heard the best of the best when it comes to trainers go and compete in the Colosseums. Maybe someday I’d be battling you.”

Though his intentions were far from it, Trip’s idle comment actually caused Derak to burst into tears. Although the young child tried to hold them back, the mist in his eyes took on a life of its own.

“Hey…hey, Derak, what’s wrong?” Trip asked.

“Muh-my…my dad doesn’t want me to be a trainer,” Derak choked. “He wants me to be a businessman like him…and he…he hates Pokémon.”

“Is that right?” Trip asked with a raised eyebrow. “Derak, let me show you something.”

Trip pulled out a Poké Ball and opened it, releasing a Pokémon larger than the both of them combined. Trip’s Pokémon was a long, pale green serpent with a chalk-white face and piercing orange eyes. It had yellow markings at various places along its body, which ended in what appeared to be a dark green sprig. A wide, dark green collar sprouted from this Pokémon's back, and two ear-like protrusions emerged from the back of its head.

“Is…is that…a Pokémon?” Derak gasped.

“Sure is,” Trip smiled. “This is my Serperior. It was the first Pokémon I ever got, and it’s been my partner for a long time, now.”

“It’s so cool!” Derak cried. He reached out with one hand. “Can I…?”

“Knock yourself out,” Trip smiled, a gesture that even the reserved Serperior mimicked.

Derak gently laid his hand on Serperior’s body. It felt as if he was touching grass, but this grass felt astonishingly pleasing. He tried to get every ounce of enjoyment he could from it, as it would likely be the only time he would ever have this opportunity again.

“So, Derak,” Trip said, kneeling down to the boy’s level. “You really like Pokémon, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but—” Derak started, but Trip cut him off.

“I know, I know,” Trip said somewhat impatiently, “your dad hates them. But, listen, only an idiot hates Pokémon. That’s basic.”

“Okay,” Derak nodded, trying to absorb this information.

“It really doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks of you,” Trip said. “If you do what you think is right, if you stand by what you believe in, then you’ll always find a way to succeed.”

“Is that basic, too?” Derak asked. Trip chuckled slightly.

“Not really,” Trip answered with a smile. “That’s more of the philosophy I ended up with during my travels in Unova.”

“DERAK KADIR!” the boy’s father bellowed. “Where are you?! We’re leaving!”

“Guess the business deal went bad,” Derak said sadly, finally taking his hand off of Serperior. “I have to go, Trip.”

“I understand,” Trip said, his face becoming serious. “Derak, I want you to promise me one thing,” he said.

“What?” Derak asked.

“When you turn ten years old, you’re legally able to become a Pokémon trainer, no matter what anyone says,” Trip explained. “Maybe your dad won’t let you be a trainer at age ten like everyone else, but if that happens, I want you to get yourself ready and wait for your chance. Once you feel like you’re ready, I want you to do whatever it takes to start your Pokémon journey. And when you do, live by what you believe in.”

“Okay, I promise,” Derak said.

“Good,” Trip smiled. “Hang on a sec.”

He pulled a green digital camera out of his pocket and snapped a picture of Derak with his Serperior.

“What are you doing?” Derak asked.

“Chronicling my journey,” Trip replied simply. “Now, get going. Don’t want to give your dad any ideas just yet.”

***

“…I never saw Trip again after that,” Derak finished. “But I knew I wanted to be a trainer like him. So, ever since that day, I started trying to copy him, just to try and be like him. I even made plans for my first Pokémon to be something that somehow became a Serperior.”

“And was it copying this Trip that caused you to become so annoyingly sarcastic?” Mr. Vagabond asked with a hint of a smirk.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Derak chuckled. “Trip wasn’t exactly Mr. Sarcasm, but I kinda ended up going my own way from a basic idea. It all worked out, though. To be honest, it made me realize how lousy the world tends to be. Especially…”

“What?” Mr. Vagabond asked. “What are you trying to say?”

“Trip…wasn’t the only reason I wanted to be a trainer,” Derak said. “You know how I like to be brutally honest with people? That’s because my ‘dad’ wasn’t completely honest with me.”

“Somehow, I am not surprised,” Mr. Vagabond sighed.

“Yeah, really,” Derak laughed. “But…once or twice, I saw pictures of this really nice-looking woman in my dad’s office. I asked him if that was my mom, but he just kicked me out of the office and told me to do something else.”

“Do you not have a…?” Mr. Vagabond trailed off. But Derak simply shrugged.

“No idea,” he said. “I never knew my mom, but I’m certain that…oh, hang on, it should be here somewhere. I snatched it out of my dad’s office the day I left Phenac.”

Derak began digging through the pockets of his pants, and after a moment, he pulled out a photograph. The picture was of an attractive-looking woman whose hair—colored in orange, green, and blue hues—was tied in a ponytail. Mr. Vagabond noticed two distinct emotions in her eyes. On one hand, she was happy, likely from having a family. On the other hand, she appeared sad somehow…as if her life was incomplete.

“I’m a hundred percent positive that this is my mom,” Derak said. “When I look at this picture, I get the feeling that I’ve seen her somewhere before…but I don’t actually remember seeing her recently.”

“You may be right,” Mr. Vagabond nodded. “If she is indeed your mother, you may have some faint infantile memories of her.”

“Probably,” Derak said, stuffing the picture back into his pocket. “The other reason I became a trainer, besides to follow what Trip said…it was to try and find my mom. Then maybe…I can fix my family.”

He looked up into the sky, fondly visualizing his ideal family with a faint smile on his face.

“My dad won’t be such an arrogant piece of crap…my mom will actually be there…and I’ll be a trainer,” he said. “I know, it’s unrealistic, but…a kid can dream, can’t he?”

“I suppose,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Do you know what your mother’s name is?”

“…Liana,” Derak said. “The name ‘Liana’ rings a bell, even though I’ve never met anyone who goes by that.”

“Hmm…I do not believe I have heard that name before,” Mr. Vagabond said. “But if this journey continues, we may just find her.”

“Wait, ‘we’?” Derak said. “Thought you wanted nothing to do with what I wanted.”

“You said it yourself…we are working together,” Mr. Vagabond said. “We may as well cooperate.”

“Well, what do you know?” Derak smirked. “Miracles really do happen.”

“Ugh…enough joking,” Mr. Vagabond sighed. “We should move on to Celadon City.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Derak said. “Nobunaga’s not going to wait forever.”

“And neither can I,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Let us go.”

The two got off the bench and left Lavender Town. As they walked, however, Mr. Vagabond’s eyes trailed up to the sky.

You will know my story one day, Derak. he thought. Not today…but one day.

***

Back on route eleven, the Snorlax that had caused Melissa such grief plopped onto its rear, contentedly eating from the mound of berries it carried in its hands. Its bliss was interrupted, however, by a sharp voice.

“HEY! FATSO!”

“Lax?” Snorlax grumbled, peeking over the berries to find that Melissa had returned, holding out her starting Pokémon’s ball.

“That’s right, I’m back!” she continued. “And I’m ready for you this time.”

Snorlax paid her little heed, however, instead continuing to shovel berries into its mouth.

“You’re going down, you giant freak!” Melissa cried. “Chesnaught, report for duty!”

Rather than the Quilladin from before, its evolved form—Chesnaught—now stood at the ready. Its five-foot-three body itself was thick enough with muscle, but the spiky shell-like armor curving around its form added additional mass alongside its long tail. Chesnaught’s white-furred face broke into a smirk as it pounded its brown-fingered fists together, clearly sharing its trainer’s newfound confidence.

Snorlax paused, realizing that it would once again have a fight on its hands, and dumped the remaining berries into its mouth before standing up. “Snor…”

“Let’s get this started with what we learned in the Fighting Dojo!” Melissa yelled. “Chesnaught, use Zen Headbutt!”

A blue dome of energy emanated from Chesnaught’s forehead as the final evolution of Chespin charged forth. Snorlax, however, channeled a red glow into its arm, preparing a Hammer Arm to counter.

“Quick, switch to Spiky Shield!”

Chesnaught abruptly stopped, crossing its arms in front of itself as the green armor on its forearms shifted and merged into a round, spike-covered shield. Snorlax’s blow merely bounced off the shield, but thanks to the spikes, Snorlax groaned in pain as it recoiled.

“Now, Power-Up Punch!”

The Spiky Shield vanished, allowing Chesnaught to charge forth and drive a red glowing fist into Snorlax’s stomach. Another groan came from the Normal-type, but as it stumbled back, it lurched forward again with a Body Slam.

“Spiky Shield again!” Melissa ordered.

Again Chesnaught’s barrier returned, bouncing Snorlax off and sending the Sleeping Pokémon collapsing into its back. It did push itself to its feet, however, its squinting eyes curving in anger.

“Power-Up Punch!”

Again Chesnaught charged, driving its fist into Snorlax’s stomach. A red glow flashed through Chesnaught’s eyes in time with the successful impact.

Remember what Nanu said, Melissa thought. Remember patience. Every time Chesnaught uses Power-Up Punch, its overall attack power increases. If we keep this up this pace, we can win.

Once more, Snorlax charged, forming the bullet-like aura of Giga Impact. Chesnaught narrowed its eyes, recognizing the move that defeated it as a Quilladin. It knew what to do, but still waited for its trainer’s order.

“Spiky Shield!”

With the order given, Chesnaught formed the Spiky Shield once more. This time, Snorlax’s attack pushed against the barrier for longer, but was eventually met with the same fate as its other moves. The Sleeping Pokémon stumbled back, granting Melissa an opening.

She thrust a hand forward. “Power-Up Punch, one more time!”

Before Snorlax could react, Chesnaught barreled into the fray and once again drove a glowing fist into the Normal-type’s voluminous stomach. Snorlax again reeled from the blow, moaning as its body began to wear down.

“Now, we finish this!” Melissa cried, readying a Pokéball whose coloration—unlike that of the regular Poké Ball—was largely white save the black circle beneath a red crest and two red lines running down the sides. “Timer Ball, go!”

With a mighty throw, Melissa’s chosen Pokéball struck Snorlax’s foot, absorbing the beast as a whole inside. The ball landed on the ground, and shook once…

…twice…

…three times…

…before clicking.

“Finally,” Melissa sighed, walking over to retrieve her Timer Ball.

“Not bad, kid.”

Melissa turned in the direction of the voice, finding that Nanu had also returned. He offered the girl a smirk before continuing to speak.

“I see you figured some things out,” Nanu said. “Kudos on not giving up.”

“Oh, uh…thank you, sir—I mean, thank you,” Melissa cut herself off.

“Nice save,” Nanu smirked. “You actually remembered that I didn’t like your calling me ‘sir’, too. Little surprising, but welcome all the same.”

“Er, right,” Melissa said, rubbing the back of her head. “So, if you don’t mind my asking, what exactly brings you out here?”

“Eh, I’m just taking a stroll,” Nanu shrugged. “I’m in Kanto in the first place on a favor, but until the time comes to actually do it, I guess I’m just putzing around. How about you?” he added once he saw Melissa open her mouth to speak again.

“Oh, me? Well, uh, I was on my way to Vermillion City when—”

“Then you might as well get going,” Nanu interrupted, nodding towards the now-open Diglett’s Cave. “Thanks to you, the route’s clear.”

Melissa smiled widely, heart swelling with pride. “I’ll do that, then. I guess I’ll see you again sometime?”

“You just might,” Nanu nodded slowly as he turned to leave.

Once Nanu had departed, Melissa clutched the Timer Ball to her chest for a moment, then clipped it to her belt.

“Once I get to the Pokémon Center, you’re going in the PC, where you’ll never see the light of day again,” she said somewhat menacingly to Snorlax’s new home. “Now, to finally cut through Diglett’s Cave and reach Vermillion City.”

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 18: Training Day




Celadon City proved itself a metropolis. Skyscrapers towered over the populace, and people busily buzzed from building to building. Trainers had battles in the streets, and shoppers inspected the local perfume shop. To say this city was bustling would be an understatement.

In the local Pokémon Center, however, Mr. Vagabond pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh of irritation.

“Let me see if I understand this correctly,” Mr. Vagabond said. “Despite bringing in a Pokémon that is both Poison and Flying-type, a Fire-type starter Pokémon, and a Pokémon with a reasonably strong Poison-type move…you still lost to the Celadon Gym Leader without defeating even one of her Pokémon.”

A day had passed since Derak and Mr. Vagabond arrived in Celadon City. After a quick training session in which Derak learned of the moves in Echo’s arsenal, the boy went to challenge the fourth of Kanto’s Gyms. Unfortunately, fate was not on Derak’s side.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Derak protested, nursing what appeared to be a broken nose. “The Gym Leader’s Tangela used Ancient Power to clobber Echo, then it evolved into some freakish ball of vines that—for some weird reason—doesn’t care if its arms get eaten. Then it instantly beat Brute with a Poison Jab to the chest, and then it threw out another Ancient Power that launched Wildfire right into my face. Don’t blame me for other people’s use of cheap tricks.”

“Evolving mid-battle is against no official rules,” Mr. Vagabond sighed. “Were you not the one who simply said to try again if beaten?”

“That was before Erika unleashed her Tangrowth of Super-Armed Death,” Derak grumbled. “How are my guys supposed to fight something that can hit them from across the whole battlefield?”

“We train,” Mr. Vagabond said flatly. “I believe we will be able to use one of my Pokémon’s attacks to simulate Tangrowth’s elastic arms. Once your Pokémon are finished healing, we can begin that.”

“I guess that’ll work,” Derak muttered, still massaging his injured nose.

Mr. Vagabond only nodded and took a drink from his canteen.

“Okay, what is it with you and that canteen?” Derak asked. “Nobunaga-related trauma probably won’t relate to why you obsessively drink out of that one canteen.”

“You would need to know my story in its entirety in order to fully understand why I only drink from this canteen,” Mr. Vagabond sighed.

“…lactose intolerance?” Derak guessed. “That’s the first thing I can think of, anyway.”

Mr. Vagabond blinked at Derak’s somewhat random response before shaking his head. Before their conversation could continue further, a pair of familiar faces entered the Pokémon Center. Mr. Vagabond narrowed his eyes upon recognition, still bitter from his encounter outside Pewter City.

“Good day to you, Nurse Joy,” said Nando, giving the nurse a polite nod of greeting. Teresa, the shy Coordinator, clung to his cloak as if fearing that he would suddenly vanish without a trace. “We would appreciate it if you would heal our Pokémon.”

“That’s no problem at all,” Nurse Joy nodded. “Just give them here and they’ll be good as new in a couple of minutes.”

Nando handed Nurse Joy a set of six Pokéballs. Teresa followed suit with her four, albeit with a hard swallow and shaking hands. The nurse took the balls and went over to a healing machine, where Derak’s own three Pokéballs sat.

“Hey, it was, uh…Nando, right?” Derak asked.

“Ah, hello there, Derak!” Nando smiled. “Yes, that is correct. Teresa, this is Derak and his friend Mr. Vagabond. Derak watched your Contest debut in Pewter City.”

“Hel…hello,” Teresa gulped, tightening her grip on Nando’s robe. “It’s…nice…to meet you?”

Derak merely raised his hand in acknowledgement.

“And how are you, sir?” Nando said, turning to Mr. Vagabond.

“…I am well,” Mr. Vagabond growled. Derak winced, expecting his cloaked companion to attack Nando once more.

“That is good to hear,” Nando nodded. “So, my friends, how has your journey been thus far?”

“Lost at the Celadon Gym a little while ago,” Derak interjected with a raise of his hand, primarily to keep Mr. Vagabond restrained.

“Ah, that is unfortunate,” Nando said. “I wish you the best of luck in your next match.”

Teresa added a nervous nod.

“I think I’m going to need it,” Derak sighed. “Maybe one of my Pokémon will spontaneously evolve and wreck the Leader’s team. That’d be a nice change.”

“One can only hope,” Mr. Vagabond sighed.

“If I may…the Celadon Gym Leader prefers Grass-type Pokémon, correct?” Nando asked.

“Yeah, why?” Derak asked.

“I believe I have an idea that would benefit all involved parties,” Nando began. “It just so happens that I have quite a collection of Grass-types myself. I would like to offer my services as a training partner in order to better prepare you for your upcoming rematch.”

“Not on your life!” Mr. Vagabond growled.

“Oh, shut up, jerk,” Derak groaned, leaning back in his chair. “You’re still mad that Nando gave you decent advice back in Pewter.”

“That has nothing to do with it!” Mr. Vagabond snapped. “I still have need of you, and I will not have your training trusted to some chronically-drunken bard!”

“Even if said drunken bard actually knows what he’s talking about?” Derak retorted. “No offense, Nando.”

“None taken,” Nando smiled. “Unsporting opponents have often called me worse.”

“Seriously, Mr. Vagabond, get over yourself and let Nando lend a hand,” Derak said. “Training with him will probably give me what I need to beat the Celadon Gym. How is this going to turn out bad for either of us?”

“Hmph…I suppose I can accept, then,” Mr. Vagabond said begrudgingly. “My Cradily may not be able to fully prepare you, anyway.”

“Excellent, then we are all agreed,” Nando smiled. “Once our Pokémon are finished healing, we shall begin our training.”

***

A few moments later, Nando and Derak stood in the streets of Celadon with enough distance between them for a battle. Mr. Vagabond and Teresa remained on the sidelines, the former with arms folded and the latter seemingly attempting to hide in her jacket.

“In order to simulate the Gym battle, we shall each use three Pokémon,” Nando began. “Now, let us begin, Lilligant!”

Nando’s Pokémon was a feminine creature with chalk white skin and orange eyes. Its body was primarily composed of a large bulb that was physically similar to the lower half of a dress, and atop the Pokémon’s pale green hair was a large flower positioned as if it were a hat. Two leafy arms fanned out from the Pokémon’s sides, and swirled about as the Pokémon did a pirouette in place.

Lilligant,” the Strategy Memo identified, “the Flowering Pokémon and the evolved form of Petilil. Grass-type. No matter how much time and money are spent on raising a Lilligant in captivity, its flowers bloom best when in the wild. The fragrance of the flower differs slightly depending on the soil where it grew up, and sniffing the aroma can calm the heart and mind.

“Hmm…perhaps that bard may be worth something after all,” Mr. Vagabond mused.

“Uh…um…e-excuse me? Sir?” Teresa stammered. “Why do you…how come you don’t really…like Nando?”

“Because of his attitude towards life,” Mr. Vagabond growled. “He has no idea what sort of suffering life holds. Not like I do…”

Meanwhile, Echo appeared from Derak’s first Pokéball, flapping excitedly at its chance for a new experience.

“An interesting choice,” Nando remarked, observing Derak’s Zubat. “You may have the first move.”

Derak sighed. Something he noticed during his travels was that, whenever someone said that, they usually had something planned in advance. Realizing that he had little choice in the matter, however, he gave his first order.

“Echo, use Double Team!” Derak cried.

Still hovering near Derak, Echo suddenly duplicated itself multiple times. Soon, roughly a dozen duplicate Zubats formed a semi-circle in front of Nando and his Lilligant.

“I see. We shall use a preparatory tactic, as well,” Nando said. “Lilligant, use Sunny Day, please.”

Lilligant’s leafy arms began to glow a bright orange, and with an elegant ballerina-like twirl, the Grass-type lifted its arms into the air. An orange comet erupted from each the Flowering Pokémon’s arms, spiraling into the air and vanishing over the sun. Suddenly, the sunlight’s brightness and intensity were increased twofold, forcing Derak and Teresa to shield their eyes. Due to their choice of headwear, however, Mr. Vagabond and Nando had little difficulty.

“Now, Lilligant, shall we go on the offensive?” Nando asked. “Please, use Magical Leaf.”

Lilligant did another pirouette, this time summoning a swarm of glowing leaves that shot high into the air. The leaves then barreled down towards one specific Zubat clone on the far right, but despite the attack being a seemingly random shot, it struck the clone and knocked it to the ground. Derak’s eyes widened in shock as the remaining illusions vanished, Nando having broken the effect of Double Team.

“Echo!” Derak cried. “Quick, use Sludge Bomb before he can follow up!”

“Lilligant, please dodge, then use Energy Ball,” Nando said.

Echo took a deep breath, then spat out a wad of slime that hurdled towards its feminine foe. Shockingly, Lilligant vanished in a green blur, reappearing just behind Echo with a ball of emerald-colored energy already formed between its arms. The ball was flung directly into Echo’s back, launching the Zubat high into the air.

“Oh, no! Echo, return!” Derak cried, quickly withdrawing his Zubat before it could hit the ground. “How…how did Lilligant move so fast?”

“That would be because of Lilligant’s ability, Chlorophyll,” Nando replied calmly. “When the sunlight is particularly bright, such as when the effects of Sunny Day are in play, a Pokémon with Chlorophyll becomes significantly swifter in movement.”

“Great,” Derak sighed. “Anything else I should know?”

“Just that numerous Grass-type Pokémon are capable of having Chlorophyll as their ability,” Nando replied. “It is quite likely that a Pokémon in the Celadon Gym will be just as capable, and will seek to use that ability against you.”

“Ugh,” Derak groaned. “I already know how this is going to end.”

“Please, do not be discouraged,” Nando said. “Shall we continue?”

“Fine,” Derak sighed. “Brute, let’s go.”

Upon appearing, Brute narrowed his eyes at the sight of Lilligant. The Fighting-type could tell just by looking that its latest opponent was quite strong, especially with the Sunny Day still bearing down from overhead. Brute cracked its knuckles and prepared for a tough challenge.

“Ready, Brute?” Derak asked, to which he received a nod. “Okay, use Vacuum Wave!”

“Lilligant, please counter with Leaf Storm,” Nando said.

Brute released its Vacuum Wave, but Lilligant began to rapidly twirl in place. A cyclone of leaves whipped up around the spinning Grass-type, generating a wind that collided with the tunnel-shaped wind blast that was Brute’s attack. The Vacuum Wave was dispelled, but Lilligant’s Leaf Storm did not subside. The leaves suddenly burst forward in waves, blasting Brute off of the ground and sending it sailing across the pavement. As with Echo before it, Brute was also knocked out in a single shot.

“Brute! Ugh…return,” Derak sighed. “You did your best, given the circumstances.”

“Do not despair,” Nando said. “You are doing well.”

“Yeah?” Derak snorted. “What makes you say that? We’re kind of getting clobbered, here.”

“And yet you have an opportunity to turn the tables,” Nando said. “Leaf Storm, while indeed a powerful move, becomes weaker every time it is used. Should your opponent know Leaf Storm or similar moves such as Overheat or Draco Meteor, you may be able to exploit their weaknesses. Shall we try exploiting Leaf Storm’s weakness?”

“…I guess it won’t hurt,” Derak sighed. “Wildfire, let’s go!”

“Ah, an excellent choice!” Nando complimented upon seeing the Chimchar before him. “After all, Sunny Day also increases the power of Fire-type moves. Now, let us continue. Lilligant, use Sleep Powder, if you please.”

“Wildfire, use Protect!” Derak cried.

Lilligant released a glittering flurry of green powder from the flower on its head, the powder somehow maintaining an arrow-like shape as it headed towards Wildfire. The Chimchar, however, crossed its arms and formed a green bubble around itself. The Sleep Powder made contact with the Protect, but the former dissipated into nothing after touching the latter.

“Ah, well-played,” Nando complimented. “You may, however, have used that move too soon. Lilligant, please, use Solar Beam!”

“Wildfire, Protect again!” Derak ordered.

The Flowering Pokemon began to absorb particles of light into its flower, and after a brief moment of charging, the flower flashed once. With its charging process complete, Lilligant released a colossal beam of light into the air, allowing it to barrel down on Wildfire. In response, the small Fire-type put up another Protect, but unlike the first, this one faded away mere seconds after it was raised. A wide-eyed Chimchar then found itself on the receiving end of Lilligant’s Solar Beam, with only a burnt body and a large crater left where Wildfire once stood.

“WILDFIRE!” Derak yelled, rushing to his starter’s aid. “H-hey, are you okay?”

“Please forgive me,” Nando said as he approached his young opponent. “We may have done a bit too much in our last attack.”

“Lilll,” said Lilligant with an apologetic bow of its head.

Derak said nothing as he recalled his unconscious Chimchar. Nando offered the boy a hand, but Derak did not take it, instead rising on his own. Despite this, a smile remained on Nando’s face as the bard began to speak once again.

“It has been an honor to help you train,” Nando said.

“What training?” Derak snorted. “We got slaughtered.”

“That was merely because of my greater amount of experience,” Nando said. “Although you were at a disadvantage, you performed admirably.”

“Sure,” Derak said, but his tone suggested disbelief. “I guess this’ll have to do for the Celadon Gym.”

“Assuming you learn how to use Protect properly,” Mr. Vagabond interjected. “It may be useful, but it cannot be used twice in a row.”

“Indeed,” Nando nodded. “Also, you may want to consider the possibility that your opponent may know how to use Solar Beam. It normally takes a short while to charge, but when Sunny Day is in effect, it is capable of being fired instantly.”

“Let me guess, a lot of Grass-types can use Solar Beam?” Derak sighed.

“You would be correct,” Nando nodded. “You may have a difficult challenge ahead of you, but I am confident that you will succeed.”

Derak, wishing for a second opinion, looked over to the two spectators. Teresa gave a nervous nod, while Mr. Vagabond simply shrugged. Derak gave a shrug as well, and turned back to Nando.

“All right, then,” Derak said. “Hope I don’t disappoint.”

“If I may, will you give me the privilege of observing your Gym battle?” Nando asked.

“Don’t you have a Contest or something to go to?” Derak asked.

“There is plenty of time before the next Contest,” Nando smiled. “And I cannot simply abandon a new friend.”

Ugh, when will this bard ever shut up and admit that he has no idea what he is talking about? Mr. Vagabond thought with a grunt.

***

Back in Orre, Anoch Kadir grew impatient. It had been several months since Derak had fled home, and Nick Spire had not contacted him in some time. Anoch gripped his head in his hands, grimacing as he wondered what was taking Spire so long.

A loud thump from outside caught his attention. Thinking that it might be Spire with Derak in tow, Anoch quickly headed for the front door. Just as he reached it, he hesitated. Through the door, he could hear something…something akin to heavy breathing.

Something inhuman was outside his door.

A blast of energy tore through the front half of Anoch’s house, knocking the businessman flat onto the floor as the roof was ripped away as if by a giant hand. Derak’s father could only stare in horror as a giant beast with three serpentine heads glared down upon him, snarling viciously. An object fell off of the beast’s back, and Anoch’s eyes widened as he realized that it was the unconscious body of his lawyer.

“Wh-what the hell is going on?!” Anoch cried.

The three-headed beast lowered itself to the ground, all six of its red eyes fixed on Anoch, and a familiar figure stepped off of its body.

Nobunaga.

“Anoch Kadir…a pleasure to meet you,” Nobunaga smirked. “Let me and Hydreigon here show you what we think of your interference with your son’s journey.”

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 19: The Aroma of Battle




The day after his training with Nando, Derak entered the greenhouse-like Celadon Gym alongside both Teresa and the bard himself. Inside was a sight that seemed rather out-of-place in a city as industrious as Celadon: a large assortment of various types of plant life, arranged in such a way that they surrounded a large battlefield.

“This certainly is a unique Gym,” Nando remarked. “I look forward to battling here myself.”

“Don’t get too cozy,” Derak advised. “The Gym Leader bans people if they don’t like perfume. Seriously.”

“Well…I suppose we all have our priorities,” Nando commented, although he did seem slightly taken aback by this revelation.

Some of the denser plants over at the opposing end of the field began to rustle, and a young woman emerged from within. Despite having passed through dense plant life without aid from any sort of tool, her yellow-and-red kimono appeared spotless, as did her neck-length dark hair.

“Oh, hello again, Derak,” said the young woman. “Have you been doing training with your friends there?”

“Pretty much,” Derak shrugged, remembering some of the last-minute tips Nando had given him. “It was…Erika, right? Can we just get on with this?”

“Sure,” Erika nodded. “Let’s get started.”

All the present humans took their respective places. Derak stood at one end of the battlefield, Erika at the other. Nando and Teresa found a bench on the sidelines, and an apron-wearing girl on the side edge of the arena held up two flags to indicate her status as the referee.

“This will be a three-on-three Pokémon battle!” the referee declared. “Each trainer will use three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon are unable to batt—”

“Okay, can we skip this intro stuff?” Derak interrupted. “I mean, we’ve already heard it for the last battle, and I don’t think Gym rules get changed every five minutes, so what’s the point of listening to it again?”

The referee blinked, looking to Erika for the answer. The Gym Leader merely shrugged.

“Okay, then, begin the match!” the referee cried, swinging her flags upward.

“All right…Bellossom, you’re up first!” Erika cried.

The first of Erika’s Pokémon was rather small, just barely over a foot in height. It appeared to be, for all intents and purposes, a green-skinned hula girl. It even had a leafy, green-and-yellow skirt and two vibrant red flowers on its head, completing its thematic attire. In its hands, however, was a small brown rock covered in crimson crystals.

“New tricks, huh?” Derak remarked, pulling out his P*DA. “Nice of you to not start off with the Tangrowth that slaughtered me.”

Bellossom,” the Strategy Memo reported, “the Flower Pokémon and the evolved form of Gloom. Grass-type. When a heavy rainfall season ends, groups of Bellossom gather and seem to dance as a ritual to summon the sun. The smellier the Gloom it evolved from, the more beautifully it grows flowers.

“Somehow, I can already guess what this thing’s going to hit me with,” Derak sighed, remembering his battle with Nando’s Lilligant the previous day. “Echo, let’s go!”

“Zubat versus Bellossom!” the referee declared once Echo appeared on the field. “Begin the--!”

“All right, now you’re just treating us all like idiots,” Derak interrupted again. “We do have working eyes, you know.”

“He’s…er…a bit, uh…mean…isn’t he?” Teresa said slowly.

“Perhaps,” Nando chuckled, “but that is simply who he is. There are many sorts of people in our world, just as there are many sorts of Pokémon.”

“Oh…I see,” Teresa nodded slightly, turning her gaze back to the battle. Erika’s Bellossom gracefully danced aside to evade a sequence of Sludge Bombs from Derak’s Zubat, much to the former’s pleasure.

“Let’s start our counter-attack!” Erika cried. “Use Sunny Day!”

Of course, Derak thought bitterly.

Just as he had predicted, Bellossom’s tiny arms did indeed charge with orange energy, which coursed through the strange stone that it held. The Grass-type lifted the stone into the air, allowing its Sunny Day to pass through and burst into the sky, much like the Sunny Day that Nando’s Lilligant had used.

“Okay, Echo, go in for Zen Headbutt!” Derak cried.

Echo’s pointy ears shone with a blue light as they began to emit a series of blue energy waves, somehow using the waves to form a protective wall in front of its head. The Zubat then charged directly towards Bellossom, aiming to strike it literally head-first, only for the Grass-type to suddenly vanish in a blur of green.

“Ugh, there’s Chlorophyll again,” Derak sighed. “Echo, go up in the air and send out a few more Sludge Bombs!”

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Erika yelled. “Bellossom, stop it with Teeter Dance!”

The Flower Pokémon reappeared in another blur of movement, this time standing in the center of the battlefield. Echo took to the skies, attempting to find an angle from which a Sludge Bomb would deal maximum damage. Before the Poison-type could fire, however, Bellossom began to rhythmically sashay from side to side in a manner truly befitting of a hula girl. Although it lacked any visible means of actually seeing Bellossom perform this dance, some mysterious quality to the attack completely fouled Echo’s sonar, causing it to fall to the ground in a befuddled heap.

“Echo!” Derak cried as his Zubat lied on the ground, attempting to dance along with Bellossom using only its wings. “Uh…what are you doing?”

“Derak, be careful,” Nando advised. “Teeter Dance can inflict confusion upon opposing Pokémon, which appears to have happened to your Zubat.”

“How is that even possible? Echo doesn’t have any eyes!” Derak complained. “Ugh, nothing we can do about that…Echo, return.”

“I have to commend your wisdom here,” Erika remarked as Derak recalled his Zubat. “Switching out your Zubat will cure it of confusion. I’m glad to see you’re not giving up.”

“I didn’t give up after a giant vine monster destroyed my team,” Derak said. “Pretty sure a dancing plant-girl isn’t that threatening. Okay, since Sunny Day is supposed to juice up Fire-types, too…Wildfire, let’s go!”

Upon materialization, Derak’s Chimchar eyed the Bellossom viciously. It knew that it was chosen to fight in this battle again for some reason. It knew that it absolutely had to redeem itself for its earlier failure, or else the worst could happen.

“All right, Bellossom, use Sludge Bomb!” Erika cried.

“Dodge and use Ember!” Derak cried.

Bellossom mimicked Echo by spitting out a wad of slime, which Wildfire agilely leapt over. The Chimchar landed with a quick somersault, releasing a storm of small fireballs that burned more intensely once exposed to Bellossom’s Sunny Day. Consequently, Bellossom was knocked onto its back by the Ember’s increased power, whereas before it would have only cringed.

“Bellossom, no!” Erika cried. “This is a bit of a gamble, but we’ll have to try and hit that Chimchar as hard as we can. Use Solar Beam, quick!”

“Wildfire, block it with Protect!” Derak cried.

Bellossom’s petals began to glow brightly as energy from the sunlight began to flood into them. Again repeating the patterns demonstrated by Nando’s Lilligant, the Flower Pokémon unleashed an enormous beam of light into the air. Just as the beam curved down, however, Wildfire put its Protect in place, allowing it to harmlessly disperse the Solar Beam.

“Use Solar Beam one more time!” Erika cried.

“Use Pro…wait, we can’t use Protect, can we?” Derak muttered. As he struggled to come up with a new command, however, Bellossom’s Solar Beam was already in the air. “Aw, crud! Wildfire, just…I don’t know, do something! Something that works!”

The beam bore down on Wildfire, but the Chimchar barely noticed. Its steely gaze was transfixed on Bellossom, knowing that its trainer caused Wildfire’s own trainer to lose. And it was all Wildfire’s fault. It had to redeem itself…it had to!

The Solar Beam found its mark, the fire monkey completely obscured by the blinding light. Derak and Teresa shielded their eyes, but all Nando had to do was simply lower his hat. Only Erika saw a wheel of fire burst from the light and collide with Bellossom, hitting the Grass-type with such force that it was unconscious by her feet in moments.

“…what? What happened?” Derak blinked, finding the flaming wheel still burning but spinning in place, its target having already been recalled. The flames soon dissipated, revealing Wildfire within. “Wildfire…? You’re okay!”

“I think it’s more than okay,” Erika corrected. “Your Chimchar has just learned how to use Flame Wheel.”

“That’s what it’s called?” Derak remarked. “Well, it fits, I suppose.”

“Don’t celebrate too soon,” Erika warned, another Pokéball in hand. “Now it’s time for my second Pokémon!”

Her next choice was a rather odd-looking creature, resembling a deflated yellow balloon with a pair of large leaves at its base and a third leaf covering its circular pink mouth. Two unpleasant-looking eyes gazed out from underneath a pair of sharp fangs, and a long brown vine hung behind the Pokémon. The fact that its cry sounded like a human woman’s scream only added to its unusual nature.

Victreebel,” stated the Memo, “the Flycatcher Pokémon and the evolved form of Weepinbell. Grass-and-Poison-type. Once ingested into this Pokémon’s body, even the hardest object will melt into nothing. The long vine extending from its head is waved and flicked about, as if it were an animal, to attract prey.

“…wonderful,” Derak sighed. “Note to self, keep away from anything that waves around in forests.”

Wildfire glared harshly at Erika’s Victreebel, but Derak held out its orange Poké Ball.

“Sorry, pal, I need to save you for that Tangrowth,” Derak said as he returned Wildfire to the confines of its Pokéball. “Echo, come on back out!”

Derak’s Zubat appeared once again, apparently recovered from its disorientation. It nonetheless winced a little, however, as a cave-dwelling Pokémon was clearly uncomfortable with the still-intensified sunlight.

“Shouldn’t the sunlight have gone back to normal by now?” Derak asked, using his hand to cast a shade over his eyes.

“Normally, yes,” Erika replied. “But not this time. Bellossom was holding a Heat Rock, which lengthens the amount of time Sunny Day is in effect.”

“Brilliant,” Derak sighed. “Guess we’ll have to roll with it. Echo, use Supersonic!”

Echo began to screech incessantly, releasing a series of sound waves that bombarded Victreebel’s hearing. The balloon-like plant began to wobble dizzily, its trainer gasping as she realized that Echo had returned the favor from Bellossom’s earlier Teeter Dance.

“Oh, no!” Erika cried. “Victreebel, try and pull through with Vine Whip!”

The Flycatcher Pokémon's long brown vine lashed out angrily but, due to the Grass-type’s confused state, only struck the ground a few feet away from Echo. The vine soon came back to its owner with some force, slapping the space between Victreebel’s eyes. Noticing an opportunity, Echo looked over to Derak and let out a small screech as it used one of its needle-like legs to gesture to its opponent.

“You want to attack, huh?” Derak asked, to which Echo nodded. “I guess we’ve got the upper hand, so go ahead and use Zen Headbutt!”

Echo complied by charging once again, this time slamming its glowing head into Victreebel’s stomach. The Grass-type’s eyes bulged as the force of the impact became apparent, sending the Flycatcher Pokémon tumbling across the dirt with a large bruise on its front. Victreebel shoved its vine against the ground, struggling to push itself up. Noticing this, Echo prepared a Sludge Bomb that would finish off its balloon-shaped foe.

“Hold on a second, Echo!” Derak called. “Let’s give Victreebel a chance to get up first.”

Echo made an inquisitive screech, but nonetheless obeyed. As Victreebel slowly rose, Nando smiled widely.

“Do you see, Teresa?” he said. “Even if some people may seem unpleasant, beneath that may be something more.”

“I…I see,” Teresa nodded.

“I must say, you are certainly a gifted learner,” Nando said with a reassuring smile. “It honors me to be the guide for your journey. Now, let us observe the rest of Derak’s battle. It is sure to be most excellent.”

Nando’s vision returned to the battlefield, but Teresa’s mind was on other subjects. She knew someone who was utterly vicious in his temperament, and Derak’s rudeness occasionally reminded her of troubling circumstances she faced while in proximity to that person. But now, knowing that Derak was not so poor of character…what did that say about the bully she once knew?

“I have to give you credit. You’re really sporting,” Erika remarked.

“Nah,” Derak shrugged. “I just don’t like beating my opponents senseless.”

“Well…whatever the case, let’s continue!” Erika cried. “Victreebel, use Vine Whip!”

Victreebel prepared to lash its vine forward once more, but its eyes suddenly squeezed shut as feminine whimpers came from its circular mouth. Echo allowed itself a small smile, realizing that the bruise its Zen Headbutt had inflicted was causing Victreebel to flinch, rendering the Grass-type unable to attack. The Zubat looked back at its trainer, gesturing to the flinching Victreebel.

“Well, now that it’s up, I guess we can start our attack again,” Derak shrugged. “Finish this with Sludge Bomb!”

Echo finally fired its Sludge Bomb, and—despite its lack of eyes—was able to aim for the bruise on Victreebel’s stomach. The effectiveness of the blow was greatly increased by this decision, causing the Flycatcher Pokémon to fall in defeat.

“Victreebel, return,” Erika said. “You did very well…and so have you, Derak. You have yet to lose a single Pokémon in this rematch, yet I’ve lost two out of three.”

“I’ve been playing it safe for now,” Derak said grimly. “I know what’s coming next.”

“I’m sure you do,” Erika nodded. “Tangrowth, come on out!”

There it was.

The huge, shaggy beast that had destroyed Derak in his previous encounter with it. Covered head-to-toe in dark blue vines, the only distinguishable features of this monstrosity were two cartoonish eyes near the top of its body. Two slender, red-tipped blue arms emerged from the beast’s sides, stretching down to its stubby black legs.

“Tang-gang!” Tangrowth chattered, whipping the ground with one arm.

Derak snarled at the memory of this horrendous beast. It had evolved from a Tangela—a smaller ball of blue vines—and obliterated his entire team. Now, it was time to settle the score.

“Okay…here we go,” Derak growled. “Ready to keep going, Echo?”

The Zubat nodded eagerly. It, too, desired a chance for revenge.

“All right, let’s start off with Double Team!” Derak cried.

“Tangrowth, use Power Whip!” Erika cried.

Echo produced a plethora of illusory Zubats, hiding itself among them. Tangrowth, however, appeared unconcerned as one of its arms began to glow green. The shaggy beast swung the glowing arm in a wide arc, cutting through all the Echo copies and knocking the real one to the ground.

“Now, follow up with Ancient Power!” Erika cried.

“Not this time!” Derak cried. “Echo, quick, fly up and use Sludge Bomb!”

Echo pushed itself off of the ground and sailed into the air, releasing a Sludge Bomb that barreled directly towards Tangrowth. The Sludge Bomb’s target, however, became surrounded with an aura of silvery energy that swirled into a ball that Tangrowth held between the tips of its arms. It flung the ball towards the Sludge Bomb, and the two attacks collided in an explosion of smoke and slime.

“Tangrowth, Brick Break!”

Derak had no idea where Tangrowth was, seeing as the smoke generated by the explosion had clouded the entire battlefield. Echo was screeching desperately, trying to use its echolocation to find its monstrous foe. Unfortunately, one large vine-like arm suddenly slammed down on Echo’s back, sending the Poison-type into the dirt. The smoke soon cleared, revealing that Tangrowth had performed something of a karate chop on Echo’s body.

“Aw, great,” Derak grimaced. “Echo, return…well, this is going to go badly.”

“Derak, please, do not give up just yet,” Nando called. “Two Pokémon remain on your side. Is there a way that you can turn this around?”

“Hmm…well, the Sunny Day looks like it’s still going,” Derak said, observing that Bellossom’s attack still had yet to fade away. “Might as well try and make it count while I can. Wildfire, let’s go!”

Upon seeing Erika’s Tangrowth, Wildfire grimaced as well. This monster had utterly decimated the fire monkey before. Perhaps, now that it knew Flame Wheel, it could turn things around?

“It’s our turn, now!” Erika cried. “Tangrowth, use Poison Jab!”

“I know how that works, so…Wildfire, use Flame Wheel along Tangrowth’s arm!” Derak cried.

The tips of Tangrowth’s arm began to glow purple, and with a sudden burst of speed that was likely provided by yet another instance of Chlorophyll, Tangrowth’s arm shot forward. Wildfire, however, managed to time its jump in such a way that the Poison Jab would thrust into the ground, allowing the Chimchar to execute its newly-learned Flame Wheel. As Derak had instructed, Wildfire rode its Flame Wheel along Tangrowth’s arm, quickly slamming into Tangrowth’s main body and knocking it back slightly.

“Now, follow up with Ember!” Derak cried.

Wildfire obeyed, but Tangrowth merely used its other arm to block the ensuing storm of tiny fireballs. Tangrowth then brought its arm downward in another Brick Break attempt, only for Wildfire to shield itself with a Protect. Rather than retract its arm, however, Tangrowth instead dug its extended arm into the ground behind Wildfire’s Protect.

“Now, Tangrowth!” Erika cried. “Use Body Slam!”

“Oh, crud!” Derak sputtered. “Wildfire, get out of the way!”

Using its anchored arm as leverage, Tangrowth pulled itself towards Wildfire with alarming speed. The sight of a massive vine-covered beast hurdling towards it caused the Chimchar to panic, its feet frozen to the spot. Tangrowth collided full-force with Wildfire’s body, pressing the small Fire-type into the ground.

“Aw, come on,” Derak sighed. “Wildfire, return.”

“Will…will he be able to win?” Teresa ventured.

“He does seem to be in a tight situation,” Nando agreed, “but he still has one Pokémon left. And sometimes, that one Pokémon may make all the difference.”

Derak sighed as he held up Brute’s Pokéball. All his hopes were riding on the first Pokémon that he caught. He refused to be ridiculed by Mr. Vagabond because he could not win this battle. Brute had to do this…he knew that it could.

“Okay…last one,” Derak gulped. “Brute, let’s go!”

The Machop appeared with its arms crossed, its eyes narrowing at the sight of Tangrowth. It knew what it had to do, and regardless of how difficult it would be, that task would be complete.

“Tangrowth, use Poison Jab!” Erika cried.

“Again?” Derak blinked. He glanced upward, seeing that the sunlight was not quite so bright as it had been. “Wait, I’ve got an idea! Brute, grab the arm!”

Brute nodded with a smirk, realizing where Derak’s plan was going. Now that the sunlight had finally faded, Tangrowth was moving with reduced speed. Despite this, the monster’s arm still lurched forward quite quickly, aiming straight for Brute’s chest. The Superpower Pokémon, however, simply side-stepped the attack and grabbed hold of Tangrowth’s arm.

“What?!” Erika gasped. Nando merely smiled.

“Okay, let’s take that freakish ball of death for a ride!” Derak cried. “Use Vital Throw!”

Brute dug its heel into the ground and pulled on the arm, yanking Tangrowth towards it. Although the latter Pokémon was almost three times the Machop’s size, it was nonetheless swung around in a circle several times before being thrown into the air by Brute’s immense strength.

“Oh, no!” Erika cried. “Tangrowth, quick, try and counter with Body Slam!”

“Now we’ve got it,” Derak smirked. “Brute, use Poison Jab!”

Tangrowth plummeted down towards Brute, who dropped the shaggy beast’s arm and allowed it to be retracted. The Machop, however, prepared its own Poison Jab, drawing back one fist. Just as Tangrowth came down upon it, Brute thrust its fist into Tangrowth’s stomach, the damage from this critical hit furthered by the momentum that the Grass-type had gathered from its fall.

“Tangrowth, no!” Erika cried.

“Marvelous,” Nando smiled. “What a brilliantly-played move.”

“Tang…gaaaanng,” Tangrowth groaned as it fell off of Brute’s fist, landing just beside the Superpower Pokémon. The Machop smirked, giving its trainer the thumbs-up sign. Derak heaved a sigh of relief as he fell to the floor, but nonetheless managed to return Brute’s gesture.

“Tangrowth, return,” Erika sighed. “Well, Derak…I’m impressed. You really turned your situation around.”

She approached Derak and handed him a colorful flower-shaped badge.

“This is the Rainbow Badge,” Erika said. “You’ve earned it.”

“Finally,” Derak sighed, placing his fourth badge in his badge case. “C’mon, Brute, let’s go get you and others healed.”

“Chop,” Brute nodded, massaging its arm. Although the average Machop could lift multiple Geodudes, a Tangrowth was nonetheless quite heavy.

***

Back in the Pokémon Center, Mr. Vagabond sat lazily at a table, drinking a strange glittering water out of his canteen. The sound of metal slamming upon the table caught his attention, and the cloaked man found Derak forcefully presenting his open badge case. Nando and Teresa stood behind the boy, the former smiling as always.

“Finally got that freaking fourth badge,” Derak sighed. “Now we can get out of here.”

“It is about time,” Mr. Vagabond grunted as he stowed his canteen back inside his cloak.

“Before you go,” Nando interjected, “let me say that it has been an immense pleasure to train with you. I am honored to have been a part of your victory at the Celadon Gym.”

“Excuse me, but did you say that one of you won at the Gym?” the local Nurse Joy asked.

“Yeah, that’d be me,” Derak said. “What about it?”

“Please, we need you to help us,” Nurse Joy begged.

“Ugh, what do you want?” Mr. Vagabond groaned. “We have places to be.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know where else to turn,” Nurse Joy said. “I can’t call the police because this isn’t really a crime, but…”

“Huh?” Derak blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Well…there’s this old mansion in Celadon that’s been around since the city was first founded,” Nurse Joy explained. “Lately, there have been strange noises coming out of there. We need a strong trainer to investigate.”

“Why are you asking me?” Derak asked. “Don’t they have TV shows about this kind of thing?”

“There may be Pokémon that need help in there!” Nurse Joy pleaded. “You have to do this, I’m begging you!”

“Ugh,” Derak sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it, but it’s for the Pokémon’s sake. Can we get some rest, first, though? It’s been a long couple of days.”

“Indeed it has,” Nando nodded. “Tomorrow would be the ideal time for you to investigate this Celadon Mansion, as well as to challenge the Gym Leader myself. I can only hope that my efforts will be as successful as yours.”

***

A distance outside the Pokémon Center was a decrepit old manor, complete with rotting wood and broken windows. Although quite large, the mansion’s size only added to its repulsive nature. Just one look could tell that no one had lived in this mansion for years.

Despite this fact, lights flashed from within the mansion. The front door slowly creaked open, allowing an eerie sound to escape.

“Eeeeeee….eeeeeeeeee…”

***
 

Morpher01

Bewear my power
Chapter 20: Celadon Mansion





The day after Derak’s victory at the Celadon Gym, he stood outside the decaying Celadon Mansion. He still had no idea why the local Nurse Joy would trust the investigation of this building to a random trainer rather than the proper authorities, but he was nonetheless aware that a Pokémon could be injured inside. The police, he believed, would only worsen the situation.

As he prepared to approach the front door, a light gust passed across one of the higher windows. One of the shutters dropped off, its hinges having all but disintegrated by this point. The fallen shutter landed with a loud crack in front of Derak’s feet, splitting in two.

“Wow, can’t see why this place would be abandoned,” Derak sighed. “I’m starting to see why the old man didn’t want to tag along.”

He stepped over the broken shutter and carefully ascended the stairs, his every step producing a loud groan from the wood beneath him. He took the knob in hand, but upon attempting to turn it found that the door was already ajar. Derak gently pushed the door open and was greeted with nothing but darkness.

“I swear, if some guy jumps out of the bushes with a camera and tells me I’m on one of those pranking shows…ugh,” Derak muttered as he poked his head inside. “Hellooo? Anyone home?”

Silence.

“Okay…I’m going to walk inside, now,” Derak said. “If that’s not okay with you, then just let me know.”

He took one step forward, but before he could take another, the floor suddenly gave way. Derak’s weight on the brittle floor caused him to drop into the basement, landing directly on his rear end.

“…ouch,” Derak groaned as he got up. “Yeah, Mr. Vagabond was definitely the smart one this time.”

“Eeeeeeee…eeeeeeeee,” moaned a faint, high-pitched voice.

“Uh…hello?” Derak blinked. “Is someone there?”

“EEEEE!” the voice cried, and a blast of chilled—yet somehow purple—air suddenly threw Derak onto his back.

“I’ll…take that as a yes,” Derak grunted as he got up, rubbing his backside. “Okay, look, you’re clearly a Pokémon. But, here’s the thing, you didn’t really have to do that. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Eeeee?” the mysterious voice moaned again, this time making a clear vocal response.

“I’m telling you the truth, honest,” Derak said, taking a few steps forward. “Look, I’m not sending out a Pokémon or anything…actually, now that I think about it, you might not be able to really ‘see’ me, but…you get the point, right?”

“Eeeeee,” the voice moaned again.

“Okay, I’ve got an idea,” Derak said. “I can’t really see too well in here, but if you keep making that noise, I might be able to find you. Okay?”

“Eeeee…eeeee…eeeeee,” the voice replied with an affirmative tone.

Derak followed the voice, occasionally stopping to try and position himself in such a way that he would continue to accurately approach the voice’s owner. He eventually came upon an area in which a decent amount of light poured in from a small basement window, as well as numerous holes in the ceiling. In the center of the light was a small quadruped Pokémon with dominantly brown fur, aside from its fluffy tan-colored collar. Its long, pointed ears and brush-like tail were drooped with depression, and its dark chocolate eyes were filled with pain and sadness.

“Hey…hey, was that you making all that noise?” Derak said as he kneeled down to the Pokémon’s level. “You’ve got some strong lungs for such a little guy.”

“Eeee,” the Pokémon groaned, favoring an injured leg.

“Hang on,” Derak said as he removed his P*DA. “Let me see what you are, first. Might actually help for once.”

Eevee,” the Memo declared, “the Evolution Pokémon. Normal-type. Eevee possesses an unstable and unbalanced genetic makeup that is influenced by its surroundings. Though scientists have not discovered why only Eevee has such unstable genes, current studies have shown that it can evolve into an incredible eight different species of Pokémon.

“…once again, the Strategy Memo doesn’t really help that much,” Derak sighed. “Well, at least now I know that you’re an Eevee.”

“Veee?” the Eevee moaned, looking up at Derak.

“Okay, so, how did that leg injury get there?” the boy asked.

Eevee gestured to the window, which appeared to have been opened at one point.

“Did you…fall in through there?” Derak asked. “Wait, you weren’t abandoned by a trainer, were you?”

Shockingly, Eevee nodded. Derak let out a long, irritated sigh.

“Why are people so unbelievably stupid?” he groaned. “I don’t see anything wrong with you, myself.”

“Vee?” Eevee squeaked inquisitively.

“Yeah, you’re just fine aside from that leg problem,” Derak said. “Hang on, I’ve got someone I’d like you to meet.”

He opened a single Pokéball, and Brute appeared in a flash of light. Eevee cringed, but once Brute simply sat down in a non-threatening posture, the Normal-type relaxed.

“Okay, so here’s the deal,” Derak said. “This is Brute. I found him outside Pewter City…where his last trainer abandoned him.”

“Eeev?” Eevee looked at Brute.

“Chop,” the Superpower Pokémon nodded sadly.

“He wasn’t feeling so emotionally great, either,” Derak said. “He kinda started taking it out on the local wild Pokémon…which is kind of how he got his name, actually. But, listen, Brute’s gotten a whole new chance at life since I took him in. You can have the same thing, if you want.”

“Oh, grow up!”

Derak turned to find the source of the voice, only to watch as a blue Pokéball with yellow stripes running across it in an X-pattern sailed into Eevee’s body. The Evolution Pokémon was absorbed inside, allowing the ball to shake three times and click, indicating a successful capture.

“I keep telling you that babying Pokémon is a bad idea,” snapped Melissa Armare as she retrieved the Quick Ball that had captured Eevee. “Why don’t you ever just listen?”

“Because you’re not worth listening to,” Derak narrowed his eyes as he stood up. “And just who invited you here, anyway?”

“I just came into town and heard from the local Nurse Joy that something was wrong in this house,” Melissa explained. “I’m here to correct it, with or without your help.”

“After what you just pulled?” Derak sneered. “Yeah, I’m not helping you find a lost toothbrush, let alone fix up this dump.”

“Fine!” Melissa snapped, clipping Eevee’s ball to her belt and exchanging it for a Net Ball. “If you’re not going to do the right thing willingly, then I’ll—”

Another blast of chilled air whipped through the room, causing all present to fall to the ground. Melissa quickly returned the Net Ball to her belt as she got up, Derak and Brute following suit.

“Aw, again…?” Derak groaned. “Hang on, if you captured Eevee…then why is that wind still coming?”

“That wasn’t a normal wind, you idiot!” snarled Melissa. “That was Ominous Wind, a Pokémon attack. Eevee can’t even learn that move, let alone use it.”

“So, if Eevee wasn’t making that wind…then what was?” Derak asked.

As if to answer Derak’s question, a flash of light burst from some of the ceiling holes, accompanied by several sparks showering down from above. A bolt of lightning suddenly smashed through the ceiling, ricocheting off the floor and then several walls in succession. When the lightning finally stopped, the source was revealed: a small red ball-shaped Pokémon with a long spike emerging from the top of its head and a stubby ball protruding from the bottom. Two frozen bolts of lightning seemed to function as the Pokémon’s arms, and a mischievous grin paired with two large blue-and-white eyes served as the Pokémon’s face.

“There’s our answer,” Melissa remarked. “A wild Rotom.”

“A what?” Derak blinked, looking to his P*DA.

Rotom,” the Strategy Memo identified, “the Plasma Pokémon. Electric-and-Ghost-type. Its body is made of plasma, and it has been known to infiltrate electronic devices and wreak havoc. Research continues on putting Rotom’s abilities to more constructive use, and promising results have come from a project in the Alola region where a Rotom was placed inside a Pokédex.

“Rotom!” chirped the Plasma Pokémon itself, bouncing around wildly. “Ro-tom-ro-tom-ro-tom!”

“Huh, that’s interesting,” Melissa said, putting a hand to her chin. “Who would’ve thought something almost as hard to find as a Legendary Pokémon would just fall into our laps?”

“Ro?” Rotom blinked, as if trying to figure out what Melissa meant. Its trickster grin widened, however, upon realization. “Ro-tom-tom!”

The Electric-type suddenly began spinning madly, releasing what was unmistakably another Ominous Wind. As Derak and Melissa now saw the attack coming, however, they were able to remain standing and shield each of their bodies with one arm. Brute was knocked off its feet, but Derak managed to grab hold of the Fighting-type’s arm to keep it from being seriously harmed.

“So that was you causing all this trouble!” Melissa cried, preparing a Poké Ball. “That settles it, I’m bringing you in! Growlithe, report for duty!”

In a flash of light that illuminated the basement, Melissa’s newest Pokémon appeared. It resembled a small canine, with orange fur and tiger-like black stripes. Its tan muzzle broke into a growl as it stared down its Rotom target.

Growlithe,” Derak’s Memo identified, “the Puppy Pokémon. Fire-type. It has a brave, loyal, and trustworthy nature that leads it to fearlessly stand up to bigger and stronger foes. Growlithe has lived among humans since long ago; its bones have been found in excavations of ruins from the Stone Age.

“Oh, there is no way I’m letting you get another Pokémon after you just snatched up Eevee!” Derak growled. “Brute, looks like it’s time to get in there!”

Melissa’s Growlithe continued to growl at Rotom, adding in some barks for good measure. Rotom only let out a deranged cackle, seemingly finding Growlithe’s snarls amusing. Brute narrowed its eyes, realizing that this match could be quite difficult.

“Then we’ll see who catches it first!” Melissa cried. “Growlithe, use Bite!”

Growlithe darted forth, opening its mouth in an effort to clamp Rotom between its fangs. The Plasma Pokémon, however, easily vaulted out of the way and sprang off a wall.

“Brute, use Vacuum Wave!” Derak cried.

Brute swung its arm forward and did release the windy attack, but Rotom made no effort to dodge. The reason for this soon became apparent: Brute’s Vacuum Wave simply sailed through Rotom, causing the Electric-type no visible harm whatsoever. The Plasma Pokemon countered by putting its two bolt-like appendages together and shooting a blast of blue lightning from them, electrocuting Brute with what appeared to be a Thunderbolt.

“How did you make it through multiple Gyms?” Melissa sneered. “Fighting-type attacks have no effect on Ghost-types like Rotom! Growlithe, go for another Bite!”

Growlithe lunged once more, but this time Rotom dodged by spontaneously rocketing through the ceiling. A series of loud thumps could soon be heard, each one closer than the last.

Oh, great, Derak thought. What’s that hyperactive psycho up to now?

Rotom soon returned the same way it exited: crashing through the ceiling. This time, however, its form was much larger, and the Plasma Pokémon landed on the floor with a loud bang. Its body now somewhat resembled a refrigerator, and the irises of its eyes—along with its now-blunted bolt-like arms—had turned purple.

“What in the…?” Derak stared. “What happened to Rotom?”

“It must have gone inside that refrigerator to take control of it and change its abilities,” Melissa commented. “Growlithe, it’s time for us to change tactics, too. Use Flame Charge!”

Growlithe snarled once more, flames soon covering its body as it rushed forth. The Electric-type grinned again, however, and opened its two refrigerator doors. A shower of ice and snow somehow erupted from Rotom’s open doors, and due to its positioning, Growlithe was fully caught in the frigid assault, its fire being doused instantly. The Puppy Pokémon soon fell to the ground, eyes wide but body completely encased in ice.

“Are you kidding me?!” Melissa cried. “How did a Blizzard freeze my Growlithe in one shot?!”

Well, Growlithe is obviously out of the running, Derak thought. Okay…Melissa said that Rotom’s abilities change when it possesses stuff, and she had Growlithe use Flame Charge instead of Bite. Maybe…

He looked down at Brute.

“Ready for another try?” Derak asked. “I know this sounds like a stupid idea, but…”

“Ma-chop,” Brute nodded.

“Okay, use Vacuum Wave!” Derak ordered.

Brute again wound back one fist and threw forth a small wind tunnel, but this time Rotom’s eyes went wide in horror. With the bulk of its new refrigerator body inhibiting its movement, Rotom was helpless as the Vacuum Wave threw it to the floor. The refrigerator-bodied Electric-type began to glow, however, and the true form of Rotom soon emerged.

“Roooh?” Rotom groaned, using one of its bolt-arms to rub its apparently aching head. The Plasma Pokémon looked up and saw Derak and Melissa towering over its own small body.

“Aren’t you done yet?” Derak sighed. “There’s only so much that people can take of your crazy antics, you know.”

“Tom!” Rotom narrowed its eyes and crossed its bolt-arms. “Rooooh-TOM!”

A small ball of electricity formed around Rotom’s arms, and when the Plasma Pokémon quickly uncrossed its arms, the ball was launched forth. Rather than simply strike Derak or Melissa, however, the ball instead split into a large net-like shape. The electric net caught both of the young humans inside it, trapping them on the floor as a cackling Rotom levitated into the air.

With a psychotic grin in place, Rotom put its bolt-arms together and began firing Thunderbolts randomly around the basement. Walls began to fall apart, fragments being blasted out by Rotom’s attacks, and the already-fragile ceiling began to drop pieces. Despite this, Rotom appeared to be even more thrilled, launching Thunderbolts with a renewed vigor every time something fell and made a loud noise.

“Oh, no,” Derak mouthed, eyes going wide. “That crazy Rotom’s going to bring the whole mansion down on our heads!”

“You’re right!” Melissa cried. “We need to get out of this Electroweb, now!”

As Derak’s rival scrambled about in her attempts to break the net, Brute hurried to Derak’s side and quickly tore the Electroweb open. Derak fell out, Melissa following suit. Rotom noticed their escape, and in response, redoubled its efforts. The ceiling was now minutes from collapsing thanks to the Plasma Pokémon’s wild Thunderbolts, leaving the trapped trainers with few options.

“We’ve got to get out of here!” Derak cried, jumping as a piece of the ceiling fell beside him. “That Rotom’s going to kill us all!”

“This way!” Melissa cried. “We’ll escape through the window!”

Despite the window’s small size, Melissa was able to push it open, clamber up, and squeeze through. Derak needed a boost from Brute, but was able to make it as well. Once outside, Derak recalled Brute and fled the scene. Rotom stopped firing Thunderbolts for a moment, long enough to realize that its prey had escaped.

And it simply let out another cackle as the Celadon Mansion crumbled around it.

***

“What…in…the…world?” Derak panted, his body flat on the ground. “That Rotom…just tried…to kill us!”

Melissa initially said nothing, instead grabbing Derak by the arm and pulling him to his feet. She gestured sharply to the ruined Celadon Mansion.

“See that?” she began. “That is why you shouldn’t baby your Pokémon: they’re capable of destruction on a huge scale, they’re animals with no fear, and the only good Pokémon is one completely under human control. I mean, come on, they’re called pocket monsters! Maybe you should think about that next time you try buddying up with them!”

With that, Melissa turned on her heel and stormed off. Derak took a moment to seethe, his hatred for the girl growing, before he sighed.

“Ah, forget this, I’m going back,” Derak said, looking to the fallen wreckage of the Celadon Mansion. “Just need to try and figure out how to explain that.”

***

That night, after Derak had gone back to the Pokémon Center, some of the mansion’s rubble began to shift. A rigid lightning bolt protruded the wreckage, and an entire body followed soon after. Rotom looked around at the night sky, and let out an excited cackle.

This was going to be fun.

***
 
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