Chapter 5
The short walk was uneventful, aside from Ash asking why were taking so many notes. While at first interested at getting money just by finding new Pokémon, he paled at the mention of our extensive note taking and reports we needed to do to receive said money. We soon came to a stop under the shade of some trees to allow the Pokémon to rest while we ate a quick snack. Ash didn't have much in the way of travel rations or snacks so we gave him a couple while he sat with us.
He was… energetic to say the least, but not unbearably so. I likened him to how it would be to have a younger brother and by Michelle's smile I could tell she enjoyed his enthusiasm. She had glanced at me with a knowing look numerous times during our conversation with him and I felt a chill go down my spine each time. I knew what those eyes meant. I wasn't against having kids, but it was just never the right time. Surely now is even more so the wrong time… right?
Ignoring Michelle's gaze I began typing up the beginning of the report and found it surreal that I was doing something I had done everyday for the last few years but for a Pokémon. I detailed my reasons for the way I approached the battle and the reasons for specific strategies. Different micro and macro information I noticed that caused changes throughout. As well as the boring: height, weight, color, claw length etc etc.
Soon nearing the end I realized the camp had quieted down so I glanced up to find Michelle laughing softly while Ash stared intently at me.
"What?" I asked as I stretched and then put the Pokédex back into my bag.
"Lets have a battle!" Ash said now smiling as well but still the burning look in his eyes. I rubbed at my chin already feeling the prickles of beard stubble coming in. Hmmm maybe I'll grow it out in this world for a new look. Seeming uninterested I mulled over his demand before sighing.
"Ehhh, why don't we wait until we reach the next town? We have plenty of supplies, but I'd rather not use too much of it before we get paid."
"Awww c'mon on! I'll make it quick, it'll be over before you know it." He whined as he stood up staring at me. I just sighed scratching at my head and adjusting my hat.
"Tell you what, if you can beat us to Viridian City I'll give you a Pokémon battle. A serious one." His smile grew and he turned to Bulbasaur.
"C'mon Bulbasaur you heard him! If we beat them to Viridian we can battle them! Don't you want to see how strong they are?"
"Bulba!" The green pokemon chorused and they took off running down the route towards pallet town.
"Viridian is the other way, Ash." Michelle called out and Ash comically slid to a stop before running in the correct direction.
"Thanks Michelle!" She just nodded as Ash and bulbasaur took off passed us before turning to me.
"Did you have to trick him?" She asked exasperated.
"I didn't trick him per se. I meeeean I definitely plan on battling when we reach Viridian, but I don't know how long that will take." I said with a shrug as I rocked back and then forward to stand up, Charmander and Pidgey getting up from their resting places at the same time. I could tell Charmander had wanted to battle Ash but I'd make it up to him soon.
"You're horrible." Michelle chuckled with a shake of her head as I lifted her up off the ground.
"That's what you love about me." I smiled before pecking her on the cheek, which she returned with a kiss on the lips.
"Oh ya, no kids." I said as I pulled back and she feigned ignorance.
"I don't know what you mean Jace." She replied as she batted her lashes. This was something she only did when we both knew that she knew exactly what I meant.
"Come on Michelle, even before we came here we weren't sure that we could support a kid the way we wanted to. The way kids should be raised, not forced to fend for themselves like we had to." I explained calmly. To which she nodded hesitantly, but looked up at me.
"Soon? Once we get more stable here? I need something that's ours… It's just us here…" Tears filled her eyes but didn't fall as I hugged her close stroking her hair.
"Give it time babe, I'm sure we can make anywhere our home." I felt a slight nod from her against my chest before she pushed back with a smile
"Well lets get going. We still have a couple hours before nightfall." Smiling I gave one more quick kiss to her forehead and pulled my back pack up onto my shoulders and passed her to her. Pikachu perched on her shoulder and looked at her with worry. I cautiously reached my hand out to rub between his ears, he didn't stop looking at Michelle but he did purr under my touch.
"Keep an eye on her won't you?" To which he just nodded and then nuzzled his cheek up against hers.
"Good. As for where we're going?" I pointed off towards some trees where we could see the branches shaking slightly, and with a zoom in of the Pokédex we could see what they were. Mankey.
"I plan to capture all the Pokémon if I can, so Mankey will be a good first one that I caught the normal way. Rather than punching it myself or getting a Pokémon from the professor."
Everyone agreed and followed my lead as we headed towards the rustling trees. Before we made it all the way one of them dropped from a branch directly in front of us blocking our path. Charmander snarled as he stepped in front and the other 2 Pokémon also readied themselves. I looked at the other Mankey who had stopped swinging from tree to tree and now hung watching us closely.
"I'm looking for the strongest or the one with the most potential. I'm planning on becoming one of the strongest trainers and I want only strong members on my team." The Mankey in front looked back at a more scarred looking Mankey that sat on a branch rather than hanging and grunted back at the one on the ground. It turned back around and grunted as well, punching his fists together. All the mankeys in the trees began grunting before immediately stopping with the call of the leader.
I could feel my heart pumping and a smile crossing my face, it felt like they had played some battle music and maybe they had. Charmander tensed in anticipation and then the fight began. Mankey dashed forward before stopping to kick its leg out low at Charmander's legs.
"Jump!" I barked and Charmander barely managed to leap over the low kick causing Mankey to stumble briefly but quickly regained its balance and leapt for a scratch. Charmander had only just returned to the ground and couldn't dodge this attack.
"Use scratch." Their attacks clashed but Mankey was beginning to win with his longer reach.
"Sidestep to its right and use ember!" I called and Charmander did exactly as I envisioned. He broke the stalemate by directing mankey's paw down and across its body. Mankey had used its right arm for the scratch, so when Charmander deflected the arm away as it sidestepped it left Mankey's side exposed where it caught the full brunt of the ember. It squealed as it rolled away from the pain, but I didn't let up.
"Follow up with another ember and then close the distance with a scratch." Dutifully Charmander began attacking. I knew that strategically my best move was to just keep hitting Mankey with ember, but that wouldn't be the best for their growth. Mankey are physical fighters and will respect me and Charmander more if we win with physicality, but I'm not dumb enough to completely throw strategy to the wind for respect.
As Mankey finished his roll and was about to stand up he was met with another ember that caused him to grunt in anger and pain as he shook his head. This made him not notice Charmander's rapid approach and was caught off guard by scratch that connected with his side. Not expecting a retaliation, Charmander was knocked back by a low kick from Mankey. It seized the opportunity and pounced on Charmander, that led to a straight up wrestling match filled with scratches and kicks.
"Charmander roll right!" Without hesitation he rolled right narrowly avoiding a scratch to the stomach.
"Use your tail to knock it off balance, and then use scratch." Ending his roll, Charmander spun, lashing his tail out at Mankey's legs and knocked him down as Charmander stood up. He immediately brought his right clawed hand down powered by scratch and delivered the final blow to the back of Mankey's head. Letting out a victorious snarl before letting out a small ember into the air. I smiled as I reached for a Pokéball and tossed it at the fainted Mankey, enjoying the satisfaction of the click that signified the capture.
Charmander picked up the Pokéball and brought back to me where I knelt and pat his head before trading the ball for some berries that he liked.
"You did good, eat your berries and rest up." He promptly flopped on to his butt and devoured the berries. Pikachu and Pidgey congratulated him on his battle causing him to pretend he wasn't as worn out as he actually was, and I scanned the ball with the Pokédex to get Mankey's exact statistics.
"Another great battle." Michelle said as she approached mostly looking at the Pokédex in her hand which she had recorded the battle with.
"Thanks." I replied and looked at the screen where she was already cutting up the video that included stills of both Charmander and Mankey as well as the Mankey in the trees.
"Make sure to send me your notes and reports from the battle today and I'll compile them all together to send to Professor Oak." She added as we watched and nodded before turning back to the Mankey and brought out the one I had just caught. I sprayed him with some potion and gave him a few berries.
"You should say goodbye. I don't know how long it will be before you see them again." He tilted his before turning around and beat on his chest rhythmically and for a second nothing happened, but soon the rhythm was echoed by the other Mankey and it almost felt as if the ground was vibrating. Mankey turned back to me and pressed his paw on to the button of the Pokéball and was promptly sucked back in.
"Very well. Lets go everyone. Charmander do you need to rest in the Pokéball?" I asked to which he stubbornly shook his head and stood with his head held high. May need to have him get beat sometime to curb his arrogance. It's good to have confidence but you still need to be smart too, or it does no good. Oh well that can be for another time, for now let's keep going. If I remember right from the show there should be some Sandshrew around as well.
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Just some thoughts.
Probably not going to make every pokemon I catch into a drawn out battle like this was. Most are going to be pretty quick because I do plan on Jace catching as many as possible, only one of each though. I also don't plan on MCs and Ash traveling together, will be some overlap obviously when they meet at different points. At the end of the day Jace and Michelle are basically going to be explorers. So they will have little adventures here and there of exploring things blah blah blah. Towns will pretty much just be used as land marks and obviously for Jace to get badges.
Also I'm not planning to write any sex scenes. At most they'll be hinted at or implied.
Also also. Not really sure how I feel about shiny pokemon. A lot of stories I've read seem to always find a bunch of them and while there's nothing wrong with it, it just personally ruined it a little for me. Shinies are supposed to be the rarest of the rare. With that said MC will probably only get 1 shiny the whole the story.
Anyways thanks for reading. Sorry for the long break, I'm sure a lot of you thought I was using the vacation as an excuse to drop and tbh I considered it. Pokémon is weirdly hard to write for me. It feels like it gets repetitive and then I have to remember moves, when pokemon learn them, figure out timing evolving so that I don't have a fully evolved team by the second gym lol. I'm just rambling now.
Either way be on the look out for either an update for my Walking dead fic, or the first chapter to a new story likely The Beginning After the End because I've really been getting the itch to do a story for it. We'll see.