Chapter 16

It was a bit eerie going to bed in a tent within a dark forest, the only light present from a small camp fire. Thankfully, there was no reason to be scared when Pidgey, Rattata and Chansey all happily stayed outside their pokeballs and slept within the tent with me.

The alarm on my phone woke me up bright and early the next morning and I was up in moments, eager to get started again. It was a lot like when I played a new video game I'd been waiting for, for a long time, only enhanced by a magnitude that couldn't be counted on one hand, I made sure to get some sleep, but the excitement inevitably had me up early and nearly bouncing with energy.

A quick breakfast which was done and dusted within half an hour led to some early morning training. Steel Wing and Iron Tail were coming along really nicely, all I needed to do was leave them to it to practice with. Instead, I wanted to move onto phase two of my plan to deal with Brock.

To that degree, after me and my pokemon exercised a bit under Chansey's Gravity attack to get the blood flowing and got healed up by Heal Pulse once again, we moved on to the main course. Having Poliwhirl teach everyone how to use Rain Dance. Made doubly easy thanks to Rattata's Mimic.

It was a bit hectic really, and I could have done without getting so wet. Thank fuck I was just dressed in a pair of shorts that I slept in, a pair of comfy swimming trunks I'd bought yesterday.

We went at it for about an hour, the pokemon training while I packed up most of my camping equipment. Rattata, thanks to using Mimic over and over, got the hang of it pretty quickly, in a mere half an hour, and then went on to Mimic Poliwhirl's Water Gun on my orders and start with that. He did manage to get it down as well, probably because he now had a familiarity with a water attack, but sadly the only other pokemon on my team that managed to get Rain Dance down a bit at all was Pidgey.

Not that I was really complaining mind you, the progress was fucking amazing.

"Well, good hustle lads," I said, gaining the attention of all my pokemon, each in different stages of being haggard, well except Poliwhirl, he always looked fresh it seemed, before nodding to Chansey, "And lady." I added. Pidgey snorted.

"It's about time we get a move on, we can stop later on and continue then," I said to the assembled pokemon, "At the rate you're all going, you should have those attacks down pat by tonight or tomorrow morning eas-

"Ho there travelerl!" I was interrupted before I could finish. "How do you do! That is quite the collection of pokemon you have there."

I noted Chansey and Rattata looking curiously at the interrupter, Poliwhirl didn't even blink and just continued to look at me. But Pidgey, Spearow and Beedrill all tensed up and I could see the familiar stirrings of anger forming in them. I knew from experience in the last few days what they looked like when angry after all.

Before they could attack whoever was behind me, I turned around to face them myself and almost fell on my ass in shock when I caught sight of a stocky older boy dressed in Japanese-esque armour, a katana sheathed at his hip and a large net sheathed on his back.

"I am looking for Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town," Samurai, fucking Samurai continued, meeting my eyes, "Do you be he?"

How the fuck did this guy ever learn about Ash actually even in canon? Did Gary tell him or something? I know Gary did battle him since Gary started with Squirtle and Samurai's flashback showed him getting his ass kicked by Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle in three separate battles.

"No, my name's Jord Odhar, from Viridian City," I replied with a shrug, "Ash shouldn't be too far though."

"Alas, it seems my quest continues." Samurai nodded dramatically.

Yet instead of leaving, he just stood there and stared into my eyes. "..Do you need something from me?" I asked after a few moments of weird silence.

"Indeed, you may not be Ash Ketchum, but you seem to have a fine collection of pokemon," the sword wielder replied. In one motion he drew the sword from his hip and pointed it at me. My pokemon made a ruckus behind me, Pidgey's snarling squawk of anger standing out the most, but I held my hand out backwards to stop them from doing anything, yet. "Jord Odhar of Viridian City, I the Samurai of Viridian forest challenge you to a battle."

My heart began to beat rapidly as my veins coursed with excitement for the who knows how many times in the past three days. I do need to get some experience battling. "Fine," I agreed, though I didn't want to hang around to long with him regardless of battling him, I need to get to Pewter before Ash runs off with Brock, a lot of my plans hinge on the prize money I can win from him, "I agree, but only a one on one."

"Excellent!" Samurai grinned, reaching into his armour and pulling out a pokeball. He pressed the button on it and released the pokemon from within, "I choose my partner Pinsir! Choose whatever pokemon you desire to face him!"

As he finished, his pokemon solidified into form, the familiar blinding white light receding. "Pinsa!" the massive brown stag beetle roared and I had to stop myself from taking a step back in fright. Only the thought that my pokemon may lose respect for me stopped me from backing down.

But Jesus fuck was it massive. Taller than me, and those pincers on its head, they were more than half the length of my body, and easily as wide as my torso! Sure I have the body of a twelve year old, but fucking still.

I looked over my shoulder at my pokemon, and besides Chansey all of them looked eager to get in there and have a round with the massive brown beetle pokemon. Pidgey and Spearow had already had a few battles by this point, so going down the list: "Poliwhirl, you want to take this?" I asked.

The water types eyes positively lit up, "Poli!" he nodded eagerly, bouncing forward happily and standing in front of me.

The rest of my battle hungry squad practically deflated, "Sorry guys, next time." I apologised before turning around to look at Samurai, "You ready then?"

"Yes I am!" the sword wielding boy bellowed, pointing his sword forward, "Go Pinsir! Use your Vicegrip attack!"

Pinsir snapped its mandibles and with a roar sprinted forward towards Poliwhirl, lowering its head as it charged, the horns on its head beginning to glow bright white.

It was a daunting sight, but I clenched my fist and shook off any fear, "Uppercut!" I shouted.

"Poli!" Poliwhirl nodded and bounded forward off of the tip of his toes in a blur of speed to meet Pinsir. Compared to his clumsy movements when I captured him, there was a massive difference. Pokemon really did learn things at an incredible rate, the basic boxing and kick boxing stances I'd passed on to him had been retained and mastered in the span of a single night.

The speed he'd gained just from the training under Gravity last night, while not mind boggling, is quite something as well. In a split few moments, Poliwhirl met Pinsir in the middle of its charge and ducked just slightly to avoid when its pincers lashed out in an attempt to ensnare him.

Poliwhirl's gloved hands shimmered with a familiar orange energy and off balance as Pinsir was with its method of attack, it had no chance to defend as Poliwhirl surged forward and lay a thunderous uppercut into its face that whipped a blast of air in every direction from the force of the blow and lifted the huge bug type bodily of the ground and into the air a few feet.

Pinsir screeched in pain and the glow faded from its pincers. But Poliwhirl wasn't done, without even another command from me he stepped into his punch and lashed out, grabbing Pinsir by one of the arms and spinning. The ground shook when Poliwhirl bodily dragged the bug type over his shoulder and slammed it face first into the dirt.

"Hypnosis." I ordered after a moment.

Poliwhirl obeyed readily, lifting his gloved hands a red aura appeared around his body before sinking into Pinsir, the bug type immediately going limp as it was put to sleep.

"Pinsir no!" Samurai shouted, "Wake up!"

Well, that wasn't too hard at all.

Poliwhirl stood up, dusting off his gloved hands and I couldn't help but smirk. That was way easier than I was expecting. "I think that's it," I said to the boy, walking over to him, "Pinsir's down and Poliwhirl could just smash your pokemon about with a bunch of Mega Punches without it able to do anything about it."

Samurai growled, his hand clenching around his blade before he sighed and sheathed it, "Very well, I know when I am beaten," he conceded, reaching up with Pinsir's pokeball and returning the pokemon, "..You are something else, not even the three trainers of Pallet Town I have battled so far were able to bring down Pinsir so handily."

That's because I'm using an already evolved pokemon that has been trained under intense gravity and then healed, then repeated for maximum physical conditioning. Sure it had only been a day, but pokemon adapted and grew fast under stress. And what's more stressful on the body than training under high gravity?