EPISODE 115: Welcome to the Team!

<Ma?>The Pokemon uttered with shock and confusion. It had the voice of a cute Pokemon.

"Go on Kalem, open the box. She's waiting for you." Zedrick insisted.

I slowly opened the box, hoping to see a strong and cute Pokemon. My hands were shivering with excitement as the box slowly lifted.

<Mawile!?>The Pokemon uttered with shock.

"Ah! It's name is Mawile!" I beamed with excitement.

"You are correct. Mawile is a fairy and steel type Pokemon. Let me ask you Kalem, how many Pokemons do you have now?" Zedrick queried.

"With Mawile on the team, I'll have eight Pokemons!" I beamed with excitement.

Mawile had a cute yellow face with a jaw like structure on the end of her hair. She smiled pleasantly towards me and Riolu. Her jaw had a pink hair with a small yellow patch.

"You're extremely lucky you know?" Zedrick complimented.

"Lucky? Why? Is Mawile super strong?" I beamed with excitement and determination.

"Um, yeah... but have you noticed something different?" Zedrick queried.

"It's actually my first time to see a Mawile. Hey Irys, can you please scan Mawile for me?" I pleaded.

"Mawile! The Deceiver Pokemon. A steel and fairy type. Don't be taken in by this POKéMON's cute face - it's very dangerous. MAWILE fools the foe into letting down its guard, then chomps down with its massive jaws. The steel jaws are really horns that have been transformed" Irys explained.

"Huh, Mawile's hair is black in the picture... which means, my Mawile is a shiny Pokemon!?" My heart turned intense.

"Yes, Mawile is indeed a shiny Pokemon. So better take care of it. These three Pokemons were rescued from a black market. Mawile was one of them." Zedrick explained.

"I can't believe my eyes. Mawile is a shiny Pokemon!" I beamed excitement.

"Mawile currently knows four moves, Fire fang, Ice punch, Fairy wind, and Psychic Fangs. They're all offense moves, but she'll learn a defense move soon. She also has a gentle nature." Zedrick explained.

"That's amazing. So Mawile, wanna come with me and Riolu?" I queried.

<Ma? Mawile?>The Pokemon tilted her head with confusion.

"You know? Like traveling together, and seeing new places! We'll also work together in battle competitions and Pokemon leagues. So what do you say? Want to come with me?"

<Mawile! Maw!>The Pokemon leaped to my torso and hugged me. She gave me a pleasant smile and a cute look as well.

"I guess that's a yes." Zedrick smiled and hunched.

"Great, just tap this Pokeball and you'll automatically be mine!"

<Mawile Mawile!>The Pokemon chuckled and pressed the Pokeball. She didn't hesitate to be caught. Her Pokeball automatically teleported to Professor Bellice.

"Huh!? Kalem caught a new one again?" Professor Bellice uttered with surprise.

"At least Treecko's no longer lonely." Professor Bellice smiled and brought the Pokeball to the dome.

My dome is, dome number 14. Which means, all the Pokemons I cought will be staying in that dome. The dome is an artificial habitat just like the Pokemon room.

My dome has a short man-made stream where my future water types will be. It also has an area for rock and ground types. It has patches of grass where my other Pokemons will be staying. Trees and small man-made waterfalls can be found inside my dome. A bicycle could fit in my bag, so I guess it's possible to build a waterfall in a dome.

"Alright, come out!" Professor Bellice tossed the Pokeball to the sky. Mawile descended with gentleness.

Treecko on the other hand was taking a nice sleep under a small tree.

"Ah!? A shiny Mawile!?" Professor Bellice uttered with shock.

<Mawile? Maw!>The Pokemon greeted the professor with a pleasant smile. She was amazed by the beauty of the dome, it was like Earth, inside Earth. Mawile walked gently with curiosity around the grass and streams.

Professor Bellice was left with shock and surprise.

"I guess you have your second member of your bench team." Zedrick hunched.

"Yup, Mawile is my second Pokemon of my bench team. It's a vast world out there, and I can't wait to meet new Pokemons." I beamed with excitement.

"That's the spirit young child! Now go and train some more for your gym challenge against Murdock. He's strong alright, but I think you're stronger." Zedrick complimented.

"You really think I'm stronger!?"

"Yes, the way you battle shocks me. I see a bright future ahead of you. I was once like you, a strong and passionate boy, with a dream of becoming a champion."

"Oh..."

"Now? I'm a Pokemon Master! Except that, I'm in rank 5000, which is pretty low actually." Zedrick explained.

"Wait, so you're telling me, I defeated a Pokemon Master!?"

"A weak one, you're right when you said it's a vast world out there. In that vast world lies thousands of masters. I'm just one of them, champion Arc is one of them."

"The world champion is a Pokemon master?"

"Of course, he's the world champion! Actually he ranks number two!"

"Then who's number one then?"

"Who else? It's Beatrice of course. She likes to stay humble, you know? A regional master instead of a world champion." Zedrick uttered.

"No one has ever beaten her before. Except for my mother Lyra."

"Now I see why you're strong. Your mother's blood flows through you. We'll meet again Kalem, we'll meet again." Zedrick uttered with a suspicious voice.

"Meet again? When?"

"Soon enough, I know where you're heading young boy. I'll be waiting for you there!" Zedrick whispered to my ears and slowly walked out of the room.

"Trust no one..." Mewtwo's voice uttered in my head. Who is Zedrick's true identity?

"Hey Zedrick, may I ask what I can do in the city? Places I can explore except for the three towers?"

"Fantasma city lies in a mountain, so there's pretty much nothing you could do but to explore towns or go shopping! Your mother gave you a master credit card, it's time for you to use it." Zedrick suggested.

"Hey, how do you know about my mother's credit card!?"

"We'll meet again, definitely. " Zedrick uttered softly.

I left the tower with a little worry and shock. Could Zedrick be a member of the Chaos regime? I mean, it's too early to presume right? He doesn't have any Chaos symbols on his shirt, who is Zedrick!?

"It's been a long time Lyra." Zedrick uttered softly while holding a picture of my mother.

"Your son is like you, a spirited trainer! If only you were here to see him now." Zedrick uttered softly.

"Zedrick seems weird, right Riolu?"

"We can't just judge people by the way they speak. He said you'll meet him soon. I guess we'll have to meet him next time to know." Riolu uttered while clinging to my shoulder.

"Your son is coming to meet you..." Zedrick uttered softly.

<Match call>

Bellice: Kalem! You caught a shiny Mawile!?

Kalem: Hi professor, I won against Zedrick, the battle master.

Bellice: So, that means you received a shiny Mawile as your reward. I miss the old days when I used to participate in challenges like that.

Kalem: Professor, I'll be needing Mawile, I'm planning to switch Scyther for now.

Bellice: Sure, just place Scyther's Pokeball, and I'll place Mawile's Pokeball.

Kalem: Sure thing. *Places Scyther's Pokeball*

Bellice: *Places Mawile's Pokeball* Just press the button when you're ready!

Kalem: *Presses the big obvious button*

(SENDING)(SENDING)(SENDING)(SENDING)....

Bellice: Is Mawile there with you?

Kalem: Yup, she is!

Bellice: Great, I received your Scyther.

Kalem: Thanks again professor.

Bellice: No problem Kalem...

<Match ended>

"Alright Mawile, come out!"

*Mawile comes out of her Pokeball with gentleness.*

<Maw? Mawile!>The Pokemon gave Kalem a happy and big smile.

"Nice to see you Mawile, welcome to the Pokemon center, it's where Nurse Joy heals Pokemons." I smiled and explained.

<Mawile! Mawile!>The Pokemon beamed with joy and happiness while walking gently.

"You sure are a gentle Pokemon! This is Riolu, you guys go play together first, I'm gonna call my friends." I beamed back with joy. Riolu hopped down from my shoulder and introduced himself to Mawile.

"My name is Mawile, nice to meet you too!" Mawile squinted her eyes and smiled pleasantly.

<Xtransciever match call>

Glade: Oh, hey Kalem! You're done with your challenge already?

Kalem: Uh yeah, why do I hear a noise in the background?

Glade: We're here in the tower of blessings, aka the gym!

Kalem: Oh, you're watching Murdock battle?

Glade: Yup! Arc asked us to watch and cheer for him.

Kalem: Wait, Murdock's fighting Arc!?

Glade: Yes...

Kalem: Who's leading?

Glade: Sad to say, Murdock is in the lead. He still has three Pokemons.

Kalem: That's how powerful he is!?

Glade: Oh you bet! He's extremely powerful.

(Zhery joins the call)

Zhery: Oh hi Kalem!

Kalem: Hi Zhery, my challenge is done.

Zhery: Let me guess, you lost against Zedrick right?

Kalem: Huh? How did you know I was against Zedrick?

Zhery: Simple, Arc lost against him. Zedrick's the number one champion of all time! No one can defeat him!

Kalem: Impossible! He told me he was in top 5000! Arc is in top 2 and your mother is top 1!

Zhery: Um, my mother is top two. He is top one, while Arc is top three. Arc said, he was defeated by Zedrick's Greninja!

Kalem: No, Zedrick doesn't have a Greninja. he has a Krookodile, Flygon, and I forgot the other one.

Zhery: Are you sure you're not dreaming? Zedrick is more powerful than Cynthia, he doesn't compete in the Pokemon World Championships.

Kalem: That's weird... I won against him.

Zhery: You won!?

Kalem: Yeah... he used ground type Pokemons against me. He knows my mother and my mother's credit card. Do you think, he made himself lose?

Zhery: I'm not sure... but, you explore the city first, we'll just finish Arc's match, we had to force Camellia.

Kalem: Force Camellia?

Zhery: Yeah, she's not interested in watching Arc's battles. She even looks drowsy now!

Kalem: Oh, ok then. We'll meet in the Pokemon center.

Zhery: Ok, bye!

(Zhery leaves the call)

Glade: Bye Kalem! See you later!

<End call>

I was so eager to know about Zedrick's profile, I sat down on a small bench inside the Pokemon center while Riolu and Mawile played. I opened my Rotom phone and searched for his name.

"Zedrick, ranks number one in the whole world, making him the strongest trainer ever. He surpassed Beatrice and Arc! He has won multiple matches, even against Beatrice!" I read the statements slowly.

"Zedrick defeated the world champion a while ago, and the regional champion as well. Why is he not the world champion then?" I thought deeply.

"In a Pokemon world championship, anyone can join. If the champion was defeated by a gym leader or any trainer, he remains champion, if he was defeated in the PWC, then that's the only time a new champion will be crowned." I searched the mechanics for a Pokemon world champion. It's clear to me why Arc is still the champion.

"Then why is Beatrice the regional champion!? She was defeated by Zedrick?" I queried slowly.

Zedrick seems suspicious just like Kalem. Does he really have a Greninja? Why does he know my mother? What happened to him? Mewtwo told me to trust no one, should I trust Zedrick?

We'll know soon when the journey continues...