3-4

Capture​

Every trainer dreams of catching their first pokemon. It's a memory every trainer treasures forever. — Professor Robert Elm​

It turned out that by ornery, Gemma meant that Lilith got real fighty at night. More times than I could count, the fearow would throw us into a steep dive as she chased off some perceived threat. Gemma hooted and hollered in joy while I held on to her for dear life, unconcerned with modesty in the face of terror.

When we finally touched down in front of Cerulean's pokemon centre I could have practically kissed the solid ground. I slipped off her fearow and sat myself against the wall of the pokemon centre.

"Don't got your flight stomach yet?" Gemma asked, slipping off Lilith's back with practiced ease. She had that same mischievous grin, like she had truly enjoyed torturing me about the paras the whole way here. "It'll come with time. Every trainer adjusts eventually if you last long enough."

I clambered to my feet, glaring at the trainer and her psychotic fearow. She returned the bird to its ball and turned back towards me as I gathered some semblance of my lost dignity. "I don't know how to thank you enough. I would have died there, starved to death and been chewed on by another paras."

She shrugged. "Any trainer would have helped. Just make sure you do the same. It's dangerous out there and the league isn't always around to help." She reached into her pocket and pulled out an angular device and flipped it open.

I stared down at the device. A pokegear, something far beyond my means.

She looked up at me. "What's your number, novice?"

I looked at her sheepishly. "I don't have one. I… I can't afford anything like that." A pokegear cost almost as much as my family farm usually made in a month. I had struggled to buy pokeballs and potions, a pokegear was definitely a pipe dream at this point.

She raised an eyebrow. "Figures, you did say you were just a berry farmer." She tapped into her poke gear for a few minutes and then looked up at me with a mischievous smirk. "I need a new one anyways, so give me a minute and you can have mine."

I put up my hand in protest. "I can't take-"

"I've got a league sponsor," she interrupted as her brows furrowed. "Don't worry. I won't have to pay for a thing."

"I can't take this," I repeated sternly. Pa had instilled a distrust of handouts in me over the years, something I was hesitant to shake even if Gemma was being nice. "It wasn't earned."

She stopped and looked at me with an honest smile for what felt like the first time. "That's sweet," she said. "Consider it a gift. I got a soft spot for novices like yourself and to be honest, you could use the help." She winked as the evil grin returned. "You did get your face chewed up by a paras after all."

I looked down at the device as she handed it to me. The screen blinked, booting up to a blank screen with a revolving Silph logo in the centre. "This is the most expensive thing I've ever owned," I said nervously. "I've never really used anything high-tech, so…"

Gemma just smiled. "I'll help you out with it in the morning. For now though, you should probably get some rest."

I nodded, exhaustion seeping back into my bones. The flight here had flooded me with adrenaline, but it was starting to wear off. I knew I had twenty minutes at most before I crashed hard. "Good idea," I half mumbled.

I turned and went to push the door open and walk through. My face collided solidly with the glass door, giving everyone inside a nice close up of my messed up face.

It turned out that the centre only had one room left. I was fully prepared to give Gemma the room, but she insisted I take it. I tried to insist that she take it, but she already had somewhere to crash.

And so it was that after dropping Curie and Luna off at the desk for a checkup and being cleaned up and having the remaining half of my face stitched back together by the overnight nurse, I crashed into the bed and let sleep take me.

I woke to a furious pounding on the door. Gemma was here.

"It's half-past ten, Novice!" She shouted. "We've got work to do!"

I dragged myself up and shuffled over to the door, tripping over my broken bow in its sock. I put it up against the wall and sighed at the loss. It had been a gift from my Pa. The last gift he'd given me. I didn't know whether to be sad or feel relief that I didn't have to be reminded of him every time I used it.

I pulled it open, pushing away the morbid thoughts and looking at her through half-shut eyes. "You couldn't let me sleep?" I asked grumpily.

She barged in past me, not caring the slightest about my grumpy expression. She put the breakfast tray on the side table and sat back on the bed as she devoured a greasy looking sandwich. "So," she mumbled between bites. "I watched your gym battle last night and did some research."

I closed the door and sighed. She certainly did not care about appearances or decorum at all. "So?" I asked as I sat in the small chair beside the bed. I reached over, taking the second sandwich and coffee Gemma had brought. "You watched me outlast Brock by tricking his onix. Big whoop."

"While I commend your creativity, it won't work again. Not against Misty. She's a cold hearted bitch at the best of times and won't allow something like that to work. She'll order her starmie to kill that baby just to prove a point." She downed the last bite of her sandwich and smirked at me with a twinkle in her eye.

She pointed at me. "You made waves with that little stunt in Pewter. Indigo is buzzing with the embarrassment that an unknown novice handed to Brock." She lifted her coffee and downed a large gulp. "Rumour has it, that novice arrived in Cerulean late last night and is already preparing for his next challenge."

I sipped gently on the coffee. It was strong, barely a hint of sugar to temper the dark unovan blend. Perfection, as far as I was concerned. Definitely a sight better than the instant coffee I'd been drinking.

"Your doing?" I asked. She seemed to know how to play the game that was the League.

She smirked at me and I knew the answer. "Word is, your next match has sponsor eyes all over it. Play your cards right and you'll have a League sponsor by the end of the week, novice."

I nodded appreciatively. A sponsor was a big deal in the League. They'd bankroll my challenge, something that was already proving to wring every drop of cash possible out of me.

Truth be told, I had no clue how anyone could challenge the League without one. The Indigo Conference had an entrance fee of almost three times what my family's farm had made per year. Training, I had learned that hard way, was not a poor man's sport. I'd been agonizing over the roadblocks in front of me, but a sponsor would solve many of them.

In return for bankrolling our challenges, the trainers were expected to act as a spokesperson for the company. We could be expected to appear in ads, battle in exhibition tournaments and lobby high ranking League members on the company's behalf.

But, first things first. I wasn't ready to face a gym leader in a proper battle yet, especially one with a mean streak like Misty. I didn't have a type advantage and my second pokemon wasn't able to battle yet. "So," I started as I looked back up at her. "Where do we start?"

We headed north, ignoring the impromptu tournament forming at the end of the Nugget Bridge. As much as I wanted to stop and try my hand against other trainers, Gemma had other plans for the day. She insisted that we get off-route as soon as possible, so we ducked off the League maintained route as it bent towards the small communities on the easternmost point of Cerulean Cape and kept heading straight north.

The entire way out, she kept up her pokegear tutorial. It had a phone, with several numbers already saved in. Gemma had put in her number, plus the number of her League representative and several regional emergency numbers. She showed me how to add new numbers as well, something that I was ashamed to admit I had no clue how to do. I didn't even know how to make a call until she showed me how. Technology was limited to practical things on the farm. There had never been any use for frivolous expenses for training.

The map is what excited me the most. I was an information junkie with an entire world at my disposal. It was interactive and overflowing with information. I could zoom into specific locations and see what pokemon were commonly found in the area. I could overlay a map from the Ranger alert network, identifying specific reports and threats monitored by the Rangers. I zoomed in to Route 25 and the areas northwest of it and raised my eyebrow at the yellow alert highlighting the area.

Caution – Dangerous Wild Pokémon – Ranger Command Cerulean has received multiple credible reports of a nido pack east of Mount Moon. Possible presence of King/Queen, novice trainers take extreme caution– Ranger teams investigating

My eyes kept scanning the report as it continued on about nido packs. It wasn't anything that I didn't know already. So long as we had strength in numbers we would be safe. Nido packs rarely attacked groups, preferring to pick off lone targets in overwhelming surprise attacks. Despite their penchant for surprise attacks, nido packs were decidedly not stealthy. They were easily spotted from the air and made few efforts to conceal themselves when not actively hunting. Not much need to hide when you're usually the strongest around.

I showed Gemma the alert and told her about our own small run in with the pack on the western slopes of Mount Moon. She just shrugged it off, telling me she could handle a nido pack without much trouble. I wasn't sure how many badges she had, but I guessed six or seven based on what I'd seen. She kept five balls on her belt, and I doubted that any of them were significantly weaker than the two I'd seen so far.

We continued on, forging further north until I could hear the distant crash of waves on Cerulean Cape's rocky northern shore. All the while, Gemma kept up the pace, forcing Luna and I to strain ourselves to keep up with our guide. She didn't slow her pace at all, instead giving me the option to fall behind and fail her little test.

I crept through the underbrush, carefully watching where I stepped. Gemma was somewhere up ahead. She'd disappeared several minutes before, claiming that she'd be back after she investigated something. She told me to keep heading north until I hit the coast. I wasn't too happy about being left alone in the wilderness, but to argue would have meant failing her test.

Something was off though. We'd been bushwhacking for nearly half a day. The rough terrain off of Route 25 was difficult and slow going, especially off-route where the league had no real presence. You might run into the odd Indigo Ranger on a wilderness patrol, but they were few and far between. Far too often, the sight of a Ranger was a sign of trouble. It meant that there was something dangerous nearby.

Our entire journey out here had been full of noise. Nature had a way of just never shutting up. Rustling grass, wind in the trees, the distant crash of waves on Cerulean Cape's rocky shore, the far off cry of pokemon, all joined together in nature's cacophony. It was silent now, like something had just flicked off some giant switch.

Luna's ears perked up as we stumbled out of the waist high grass and into a small clearing with several small trees, ringed by a wall of waist high grass. Her ears swivelled and strained for any sign or sound. Her tails swelled and flared she growled menacingly. That was not a good sign. I put my hand on Luna's back, attempting to calm her while I figured out what to do.

Nature was content with not giving us that chance. All the warning I got was a rustling of dry leaves as the underbrush began to crawl with movement. I widened my eyes and clenched my fists. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that this was Gemma's test.

I looked down at Luna and let my nerves fade. She wasn't scared. She was pissed off from a frustrating morning trekking through rough wilderness, ready to fight. As long as I had her at my side, I didn't have to be scared either.

The first rattata burst from the bushes, fangs bared for my neck as a half dozen more burst from the bushes. Luna swatted it out of the air with a blast of flame that sent it squeaking away in fear. Then they came. Dozens of them, flinging themselves at us with reckless abandon as yet more surged past us and into the grass. Every one that Luna scorched and sent running was replaced by two more. We were hopelessly, impossibly outnumbered.

I ducked, one of the rattata sailing over my head as another clamped down on my arm. My jacket held though, and the little pokemon tore furiously at the thick leather sleeve. I smashed it against a tree and it let go with a yelp.

I pointed at the wall of grass before us. "Luna, stem the tide. Incinerate the grass!"

She responded admirably, shrugging off a pair of rattata that attempted to bite at her flanks. She sucked in a breath and spat a stream of flame that ignited the wall of dry grass.

I didn't have time to enjoy the victory. The grass shook as dozens more rattata burst from the flaming foliage. They rushed past us, running headlong into the grass behind me and ignoring my Vulpix's inferno. Luna ducked back, retreating towards me as the swarm surged past her in terror.

I felt my heart skip a beat. This was no test. The rattata were running from something. I felt my heart pound in my chest as I got the strange notion that I should be running too.

A raticate leapt from the grass, heaving madly. Her breaths were ragged and uneven, blood leaking from a trio of oozing purple puncture wounds along her side. Her eyes darted around the clearing, flitting between me and Luna frantically.

A purple blur slammed into the raticate from the side, goring her with a three-inch long horn. The raticate shrieked, scrabbling madly at the nidorino's tough hide ineffectually. A second nidorino burst from the flaming grass, taking the raticate from the other side.

I heard the low rumble of a feral growl and felt the ground shake slightly. It rose from the flames, all purple spikes and armoured plates. Wicked looking spines jutted out from its back. The nidoking flicked its powerful tail back and forth, locking his beady black eyes on me. I felt the earth rumble in response to his growl, like the ground seemed to respond to his displeasure.

I glanced down at Luna as the fear crept back in. We were in danger, mortal danger. Wild pokemon did not conform to battle rules. They fought until their foe was dead or ran. She looked back up at me for guidance and I heard myself whisper one word. "Run."

We turned as one, fleeing for our lives. Luna split off from me as I heard the nidoking bellow angrily at his escaping prey. The ground bucked, nearly tossing me as I staggered away as quickly as I could. I fumbled with the pokegear as I ran, tabbing over to the phone feature and desperately mashing at Gemma's number.

I didn't know if it was ringing, I didn't know where she could have gone, but she couldn't have been that far ahead.

One of the nidorino leapt at me from behind, sailing over me as I ducked and scrambled away to the side. The second one bore down on me as I came back up, but Luna was there. She slammed into the nidorino's flank, throwing off its charge. It tripped as it tried to compensate for the change in direction and plowed into the dirt. A third gave chase as I turned to run, the cries of the rest of the pack echoing around me.

"Break the chase!" I shouted as I sprinted headlong into the grass. I couldn't tell which direction I was going, but away from the vicious pokemon was good enough for me. "Set the grass on fire and stay on my ass!"

I didn't wait for her, knowing she was only half a step behind me. The dry field of grass went up like it had been doused with gas. I could feel the heat licking at my back. Luna ran at my heels, spitting tiny embers of flame into the grass. I could see the nidos out the corners of my eyes, dark purple and pale blue blurs racing to stay ahead of the growing inferno.

I heard a voice screaming out of my pokegear and I raised it up to my mouth. "Nido pack!" I shouted. "Follow the smoke!"

I vaguely heard her shriek an answer but lost it in the roar of the flames and angry grunts of the nidos on my tail. The earth cracked open and shook below my feet. I tripped, my foot catching on a lump of earth that hadn't been there a moment before.

I slammed into the dirt, landing hard on my face. I heard a loud crunch and felt a splitting pain in my nose. I reached up for my face, my hands covered in blood.

Luna shot past me, the pair of nidorino hot on her tail. I knew a third wasn't far behind, but couldn't tell where it could be. They barely spared me a glance, attention locked on the little vulpix giving them absolute hell.

I groaned in pain as I tried to rise, forcing myself to move through the pain. I got one foot under me and steadied myself for a moment. The air was thick with smoke, fire roaring through the thick grassland. Plumes of smoke were rising into the air above us. There was no way that Gemma could miss this from atop Lilith.

Then I saw him. The nidoking saw me. He stepped through the flames like they were nothing, stalking towards me like he knew he had already won. The flames cast terrible spiked shadows across me, giving the nidoking a demonic appearance. I struggled to my feet, my head spinning and protesting the action as I tried to move.

He loomed over me, growling menacingly as he drew to his full height. The flames behind him cast him in glowing red light. The nidoking towered over me, stretching at least two or three feet above me and standing an imposing armoured figure. He raised one armoured paw and I saw his three claws extend slightly.

His expression went slack and a simple look overtook his eyes. The nidoking cocked his head at me and looked at me in apparent confusion. Luna appeared from behind the beast, spitting a barrage of embers at the gaps in the nidoking's armour as she scampered up his back and over his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes as Luna leapt off him, planted her feet and growled furiously.

She was brave, but it was hopeless. She just wasn't strong enough to actually harm the nidoking. The pack leader shook the confusion out of his eyes and sneered contemptuously down at the little creature that dared oppose him.

I heard a piercing shriek and looked up as a winged shadow passed over me. A grey blur was plummeting towards me, moving too fast for my eyes to follow.

Domitian led with his fists as he fell. He slammed into the nidoking at a steep angle, knocking it off balance with a crushing blow from above. Gemma's machamp followed up with his second set of arms, hammering his fists into the nidoking's armoured chest.

The nidoking growled and swung his tail for Domitian's chest. Domitian caught the king's tail in three of his arms and seemed to smirk knowingly at his opponent.

With one last crushing blow to the jaw by his free arm, Domitian knocked the nidoking senseless. The hulking beast stumbled back, swaying on his hind legs. With one more dazed step, the nidoking crashed heavily into the ground.

I vaguely heard Luna yelp in pain and turned in shock and fear. One of the nidorino had decided to stay and fight rather than run like the rest. It pulled its horn out of the puncture wound it had made in Luna's leg, purple ooze dripping from the horn.

"Confuse wisp!" I shouted, knowing we had to level the playing field.

"Keep it off balance."

Fire types like Luna ran hot, giving them a slight resistance to things like poison. It would still hurt her, but her internal flame would delay the most severe damage. Still, I didn't want to push our luck with something as deadly as poison.

I heard Gemma land behind me, but paid her no mind. I could hear something roaring angrily and Domitian bellowing back but spared it no mind. My attention was for Luna, for the battle at hand.

My vulpix spat a swirling ball of eerie flame. She willed it towards the nidorino. He charged her, choosing to press the attack rather than avoid the unnatural flame.

It was the wrong choice. The nido's expression went soft and I caught the simple look in his eyes as he barrelled wide of Luna. He buried his horn into one of the trees and grunted in surprised pain. I watched him thrash violently as he attempted to free himself and felt a sudden clarity come over me.

My hand went into my bag, feeling for the cold metal balls at the bottom. I had two left after losing my first with the sandshrew. My hand closed around one of the poke balls as the nidorino broke free. I planted my feet and stared down the spiteful little nidorino. I was a trainer. I was a pokemon trainer. It was time that I proved it and added to my team.

"Luna," I said calmly, all trace of fear gone from my voice. My voice was calm and collected and my mind was racing through strategies with every heartbeat. "Soften him up. It's time we made our first capture."

She padded over to me, standing between me and the beast that had gored her with his horn. Her limp was almost unnoticeable, but it was there. She was favouring her leg and didn't dare put weight on it. We had to finish this quickly. She growled as the nido stared her down, puffs of smoke curling out of her mouth.

They charged each other, the nido lowering his horn and intending to run her through. Luna leapt to the side, avoiding the nidorino's charge by inches. She torched his flanks as he skidded past. I heard the nido roar in pain as Luna's embers scorched the already badly burned pokemon's flanks.

"He's coming around," I called, watching the nidorino turn back and snort angrily. "Keep him at a distance and hit him with an ember barrage."

The nido pawed at the ground and glanced at me. He glanced back to Luna and I saw realization dawn in his eyes. He knew she was protecting me. He knew I was directing her. He lowered his horn again and charged. Straight at me.

Luna peppered him with embers, doing nothing to slow down the angry nidorino. He shrugged off the barrage and poured on the speed. I made to leap out of the way, but there was no way I would be able to get clear in time. He was just moving too fast.

Luna was a tan blur, slamming into the nido's side with a fierce growl. She drove him slightly off target once more, barely steering the nidorino away as I dove clear.

I used the momentum from my dive and rolled to my feet. I spun on my heels and readied the empty ball. Luna desperately separated herself from the panting and burnt nido, trying to get some distance.

Her injured leg gave out, a loud whimper of pain reaching my ears. She collapsed to the ground less than a stride away from the nidorino. I threw the ball with all my might even as he kicked Luna in the side with his powerfully built hind legs.

It hit him on the side, sucking the nidorino in before he could deliver a second blow and kill or cripple my precious vulpix. He disappeared in a flash of light as the ball went rolling away into the brush.

I waited for what felt like ages, watching the grass where my ball had disappeared intently. There was no way that I had captured him, he was too strong, too fierce for just one ball to capture. He was terribly burned, but had fought like a caged demon. I stared in half fear and anticipation, waiting for him to burst back out and finish us off.

Luna limped back to my side, whimpering. She stood strong, but I could see how bad she was doing. Her ears were flat against the side of her head and her tails hung low between her legs. She was hurting. The poison had to have taken its toll and she was covered in small gashes. Nidorino tended to be covered in small spikes that secreted a powerful poison.

I dug into my bag, pulling out a pair of antidotes. I emptied the first one entirely into the deep wound on her leg. It had a sickly, rancid smell to it and worried me the most. I opened the second and sprayed it liberally onto every scratch or cut that I could find. Her shoulders and neck were covered in them and I found several long, shallow gashes on her sides. The nidos had probably grazed her with their horns more than once. I emptied the rest of the antidote into them.

Gemma laid her hand on my shoulder and I just about jumped out of my skin, almost forgetting she had just saved my life. I turned, eyes frantically scanning back and forth along the grass. It had felt like an eternity and the nido still hadn't reappeared.

"Hey, you can relax now," Gemma said, her voice low. "You caught him."

I let out the breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. Then it hit me. The smell of charred flesh was thick in the air and the bitter taste of smoke lingered on my tongue. "What happened?" I asked numbly. I looked around finally, taking stock of our surroundings.

The field of grass was nearly gone, consumed by the fire. Domitian was kicking dirt onto the few remaining blazes and Lilith sat lazily atop the prone form of a powerfully built nidoqueen. Half a dozen smaller nidorina lay around their queen, all of them motionless.

She tried, but Gemma couldn't hide the shame and embarrassment on her face. "I went to set up your test. Released a few water types off the shore to give you an idea of what you'd be up against with Misty." She frowned and looked away. "The nido pack must have been tracking us since we went off-route. This is all my fault. I'm better than that, I should never have left you alone."

I gingerly poked at my nose and winced. I felt something running down my face and tasted blood, suddenly remembering the trip and fall. "Think my nose is broken, but otherwise I'm fine. Wasn't even the nidos that hit me. I just tripped over the ground." I poked gently again and couldn't help the wince. "Definitely broken," I repeated.

Gemma looked at me closer and I saw the hurt in her eyes. "Here," she started, her voice low and apologetic. "Let me set it for you at least. It'll help with the bleeding somewhat." She pulled a cloth from her bag and gently placed her hand on my now crooked nose. "This is going to hurt," she said calmly. "a lot."

I felt an almighty crunch and the worst pain I'd ever been conscious for.

The rangers arrived not twenty minutes later, a pair of them atop pidgeot that kept their eyes firmly on Lilith. Gemma explained what had happened and kept them off my case too hard. I still got an earful about the dangers of travelling off-route, but not half of what I would have gotten had I been alone. Hell, alone I wouldn't have been alive when the Rangers arrived.

They complimented us on our work, despite their admonishments. The nido pack had been terrorizing the wilds around Cerulean. Three trainers had been hurt in the past few days and another two were missing and presumed dead.

The League had actually placed a bounty on the pack the day before, one that Gemma and I were only too happy to claim for our troubles. We split it both ways, despite my protests that I hadn't actually done anything.

We left the rangers at the site of the battle. I wasn't keen on flying again, but Luna and my new capture needed proper medical attention and my nose still ached something fierce. So despite my reluctance, Gemma and I flew back to Cerulean in near silence.

We dropped our pokemon off at the centre. I warned them that the nidorino was a new capture that I hadn't had a chance to tame yet and they assured me he would be kept sedated the entire time.

Luna was mostly fine, despite the multitude of gashes along her. The antidotes I had used seemed to have stopped the poison and her physical injuries would heal within the week, even faster as long as she stayed at the centre to heal. I kept Curie with me though. I wanted the company.

Gemma's pokemon were fine, but she checked them in anyways. I counted five balls when she handed them to the nurse, noting that she didn't bother giving the nurse any information about them.

She insisted that we go for a drink after our day, and I was in no mood to argue. So we found ourselves in the back of some seedy bar, the lights down low and the hellish day left behind us.

Gemma had ordered us both some cocktail from the bar as we passed and paid for them both without waiting for my insistence that I pay. I'd tried to pay for the next four drinks, but Gemma would have none of it. She was determined to make it up to me.

I looked across the table at her. It had been quiet. Despite our half-eaten meals and array of empty drinks, we'd hardly said a word outside of some small chat around the nido battle itself.

I coughed, to break the silence. She looked at me quizzically with a half-buzzed grin and I couldn't help the swell of nervous nausea in my chest. I'd been building up to this in my mind, unable to broach the simple question of why Gemma thought I was worth all this effort.

"So," I started, "mind telling me what you're doing?" I asked. I stared blankly into my drink as I talked, barely looking up at her. "You take an interest in me, and what? Train me for nothing in return? Drop all this cash on some nobody novice?"

She shrugged, quietly sipping her drink as she considered the question. "Trainers help others. It's something that we all do," she replied stubbornly. "Maybe I learned that lesson a little late, but it's better than never."

"But why me?" I asked again. "Who the hell am I to deserve any of this? I didn't earn any of it, didn't earn any of the kindness you've shown me, or the lessons you've imparted."

"I've barely taught you any—"

"Don't," I interrupted. "You've taught me more about this life in a day and a half than anyone has in eighteen years." I shook my head again. "Why me? What makes you think I deserve the help?"

"What makes you think you don't?" she asked pointedly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I didn't know if I wanted to go there with anyone, much less a person I had just met. I tried to look up and make a sound but my willpower abandoned me.

"Look," she said, breaking the silence. She must have sensed that this was a sore spot for me. "You need the help, right?"

My eyes never rose from the drink, but I nodded slowly.

"I don't need to know why you think you don't deserve it." She shrugged and I felt myself relax somewhat. "Do you want my reasons?"

I shrugged in return, unsure of how to answer.

She sighed and leaned forward. "You remind me a lot of someone I used to know." I saw a warm smile come to her face. "He never got a fair shake. He asked me for help, practically begged me for it." She looked down at her drink. "I was stubborn and didn't give the help that my friend needed."

She looked up at me nervously and tipped back the rest of the drink. I copied her. I had a feeling that I knew where this was going. I wasn't the only one dealing with the trauma of loss.

"He didn't make it and it was my fault. I didn't do enough." She shrugged, her words slow and slurred. "Like I said, you look like him. Same stupid grin when you think nobody is looking, same farm boy kinda style."

"So that's it," I said quietly. "Righting a past wrong." I looked down at my drink again and felt like an ass for pushing Gemma. I had my own trauma, but I wasn't alone in that. Maybe I could trust Gemma not to judge me too harshly if I told her what had happened.

"I'm not him," I said. "I'm not whoever you lost. You can't let that loss rule your life." I smiled and reached out, putting my hand on hers. "For what it's worth, I am grateful for everything you've done for me. You've given more of a crap about my dream than my old man ever did. That alone is more than I could ever repay." I felt my heartbeat quicken and tightened my grip on her hand.

I knew that the moment was now, that Gemma did deserve to know. "I didn't have the help at home. I didn't have help and I had to hide what I was doing, and it got my little sister killed."

She returned the favour, squeezing my hand. I felt my voice waver for a moment but I knew that I had to finish now.

"I snuck out our house at night to train with Luna about three months ago." My gaze fell to my drinks. "I'd been forbidden from taking up training by my Pa, but I didn't listen. She… she followed me out of the house but she must have gotten lost in the dark."

I shook my head. "I don't feel like I deserve the help because I got my own sister killed and wouldn't take the blame for it. I tried to make it my Pa's fault…"

"Marcus," she said calmly. It was the first time she had said my name instead of calling me a Novice. "Nobody can control what wild pokemon do. The world is a dangerous place and—"

"And I didn't protect a person who needed me to." I hung my head. "Dangerous or not, my sister needed me."

"You didn't do it," she said. "You didn't kill her."

"But I might as well have," I replied. "Maybe if I'd told her I was going to train, taught her about pokemon rather than hiding all this from my family, she'd still be here."

Gemma shook her head. "You can't dwell on maybes." She shook her head again. "And refusing help from those who are willing to lend it?"

I shook my head. "It's not that. I knew what I signed up for when I left home and became a trainer. I knew that it would be dangerous when I lost my little sister." I sighed sadly and tipped back my drink. "But it's exactly what I wanted. The adventure, the excitement… it's everything I'd dreamed about on the farm. Yeah, it started in tragedy and that sucked, but it's thanks to you that I know I can handle myself out there."

She looked at me with a mix of half-drunk sadness and acceptance in her eyes. "Ask the paras if he thinks you can handle yourself."

My jaw dropped as the tension dissipated. "That hurts."

The sadness faded in moments and Gemma's constant façade reappeared with her usual savage grin. "Just like your ear?" She quipped. "Or your nose?"

I closed my mouth, smiling at her. "You're alright, Gemma."

She sat back, wiping the barest traces of a tear away. "You think you got Misty without my help then?" She asked.

I smiled and shook my head. "Not a chance." I leaned back and smirked as I signalled the waiter. "But training can wait. Tonight, we drink."

Pokédex entry #34: Nidoking

These apex predators are native to western Kanto, making their homes on the vast coastal plains north and south of Viridian forest. Operating as the patriarch of their packs, nidoking tend to respond aggressively to any perceived threat.

Nidoking are large, quadrupedal pokemon that are capable of standing and moving on their hind legs for short durations. Their body is covered in small spines that secrete a powerful poison. Many a trainer have fought off the initial assault of a nido pack and succumbed to poison before they could seek medical attention.

Nidoking tend to be particularly aggressive towards other males. Only one "alpha" may exist per pack and any successful challenge to the alpha will result in a change of leadership and the loser dead or exiled from the pack

Novice Trainer, KT#07996101, current roster

Luna, Vulpix

Curie, Happiny

Nidorino

4

Cascade​

The first badge is difficult. The second? Well, there's a reason so many trainers wash out of the League. — Leader Volkner Denzi of Sunnyshore City​

I stared intently at the catalogue, reading the prices with dismay. Gemma had suggested that we take a look at the trainer's market for a technical machine. I had no clue how they worked, but they could impart certain techniques into the minds of pokemon.

Luna's list teased me with possibilities. Agility, an ability could increase her speed even more than her usual quick attacks did. Hex, a ghost technique that targeted injuries like burns and used them to inflict as much pain as possible. Then, the one that I couldn't take my eyes off, energy ball. A grass technique that would give us a legitimate weapon against Misty. It wasn't an instant win, but it could turn the battle in my favour.

The list for my newest pokemon just baffled my mind. Ice beam and blizzard, shadow claw, and the most interesting of all thunderbolt and thunder. My mind danced with the ideas of forcing Misty onto her back foot with moves that would never be expected. Then I looked at the prices and sighed with all the earned frustration of a poor man in a rich world.

Perhaps if I'd had a sponsor I could have decked my team out. With my half of the bounty we had claimed, I could afford one. Only one. Only one counter to Misty. I sighed heavily. One wasn't going to win me the battle by itself and I was having serious doubts about my chances since the video session I'd had with Gemma in the morning.

"What do you think?" I asked, turning to Gemma. I showed her the page with my heart torn.

She scanned the page, looking over from her own catalogue of organic supplements and enhancements. "Why not both?" She said, knowing what I was torn between without asking. She shrugged. "Hell, I'll even buy a few of them for you."

I pulled the catalogue back. "Fine, I won't ask." I was sick of charity and despite everything I tried, Gemma was insistent. I slammed the catalogue shut, making my choice and handing my order slip to the clerk.

I turned to look at Gemma and sighed as she scribbled a hasty pair of additions to her own slip. "I hate feeling like this, Gemma. I don't like you buying everything for me."

She shrugged. "I already told you money wasn't a problem for me. Consider it a loan, if it bothers you that much." She passed her slip to the clerk. "You can pay me me back in instalments, no interest."

I glared at her with frustration obvious on my face. "Gemma, seriously I don't want it. Use it on one of your pokemon or something." I crossed my arms and turned to take the small disk from the clerk. "I'm not going to just TM my way to victory."

"Suit yourself, Novice." She took the three disks she had chosen and slipped them into a case in her bag. "Don't cry to me if she wipes the floor with you. You don't have a single counter to any of her pokemon."

I sighed as we left the market. "Like I'm gonna just let that happen."

"It's not about what you'll let happen," she retorted. "The second gym badge is the first real test of the gym challenge. It might still be a novice challenge, but it's intended to weed out the truly interested from the pretenders." She crossed her arms and looked at me as we exited onto the street. "Earning your first badge is easy. Your second?" She trailed off and I caught a far off look in her eyes. "It's meant to test what you're made of. It's meant to push you to the breaking point, to show you that you aren't invincible and force you to overcome some adversity."

I smirked and the motion brought a twinge of pain to my still recovering nose. "Good thing that I've already learned that," I said with a dry tone. "Heaven forbid she send out a paras. I might collapse in fear."

She punched me in the arm, scowling. "Don't be a sarcastic little shit. Do you know the numbers?."

I nodded, shit-eating grin still plastered on my face. "Less than half of all trainers manage to make it to their third badge, a quarter of those dropping out due to significant injury to their pokemon. I know what the odds are." I shrugged, unconcerned with the path I'd chosen. "I know what I want and I know what I have to do to earn it."

Gemma smirked knowingly. "We'll see about that." She pushed a pair of TMs towards me, one green, one electric yellow. "For now, listen to someone who knows better. Sometimes, you just have to TM your way through a fight."

Introducing ourselves to my newest team member turned out to be a chore in its own right. After turning in from a hard day of training, I spent half the night researching training methods. Most of the league registered nido were trained from near-birth. Pack instincts were incredibly hard to break once ingrained in the mind of a pokemon and my new team member had fought me to the point of exhaustion. I couldn't find damn near anything about training freshly caught nidorino, save for a few warning videos where the nidorino gored the trainer.

Fortunately, I knew one potential way to establish a relationship with my new pokemon. Nidos were pack animals. I had to kick its ass and establish myself as the alpha of his new pack. I wasn't entirely happy about that either. Something felt wrong with beating a creature that I'm damn sure was at least as smart as I was. By the time the sun rose on the next day, my eyes were bleary and my head was splitting. I grabbed a coffee on my way out of the crappy motel I'd checked into at and met Gemma at the north gate of Cerulean.

We crossed the bridge out of town and passed by the now-empty tourney grounds. We kept to the route for the most part, only ducking off the route to keep away from other trainers when we'd left Cerulean far behind. I had Gemma stay upwind and out of sight. I needed the nidorino to respect me, not Gemma. I wouldn't be able to gain that respect if I had Gemma looming over my shoulder with her fearsome machamp. Hell, I would just be setting myself up for an ambush once I wasn't around her.

I raised the ball on my belt, Luna standing resolutely at my side. I glanced down at her and gave her my most confident smile. "Ready for this?"

She planted her feet and growled in agreement.

I raised the ball and set the auto-return function. It'd return the nidorino if he attempted to flee and got more than thirty feet from me. I tapped the release button, waiting for my newest pokemon to appear.

He materialized in a flash of red light, his head held low. He was small, much smaller than I remembered. Either he was a runt or he had just evolved from his nidoran stage. I had probably been one of his first real battles, and I had thoroughly embarrassed him in front of his pack before stealing him away.

I raised an eyebrow with as the thought that I might have already broken the pack mentality by capturing him. It would make things significantly easier.

He made no move to flee, no move to attack. He glanced between me and Luna as if he were analyzing us. I stopped, unsure of what to do. I'd been so sure of his guaranteed aggression, so sure that he would attack us on sight. I hadn't put any thought into a peaceful solution.

Luna barked once, stepping forward. I didn't move a muscle, my eyes glued to the nido. He still made no aggressive moves, watching and waiting as Luna slowly stalked towards him. His tail flicked back and forth slowly and I made my decision before Luna could ruin our opportunity.

"Hold," I ordered. "He isn't dangerous," I said, watching the little nido shiver in fear. "He's scared."

Luna stopped and sat. Her eyes never left the nido and the tension never left her body, but she sat and obeyed my order. I saw the smoke curling out from my vulpix's mouth and knew she was not happy with my order, but she obeyed it without question.

I stepped forward, petting the back of Luna's head as I passed. I watched the nidorino's ears perk up and swivel towards me. "That's good," I murmured.

I slowly lowered myself to his level, meeting his eyes and finding them surprisingly clear of anger. He had something twinkling in his eyes, something that I instinctively understood as good. "Want something to eat?" I asked softly. I kept my voice low as my hand slowly dove into my pack. "I've got some treats that Luna over here is fond of. We'll share with you."

I raised an oran berry and smiled. His eyes followed it, leaving Luna for half a moment before flitting back nervously.

"You're with us now," I said, fighting the urge to let my feelings overwhelm me. "a member of a new family."

Family was something I'd lost. I'd lost mine with the death of my sister, with the words my Pa and I had said to each other. But a trainer built their own family.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as clarity came over me. "You're a part of my pack now."

He wasn't aggressive. He was scared. Lost and separated from his pack, he needed a new pack leader and he needed it now. I stepped back, my heart pounding in my chest. With one smooth movement, I raised Luna's ball and returned her without a word. She wouldn't do me any good growling and spitting fire like she thought she was a houndoom. I had to be the pack leader here, not her.

He cocked his head to the side. I heard a growl and feared for a moment that I'd made a terrible decision. I raised the berry and attempted my best calming smile. I still saw the twinkle of fear in his eyes and knew that I wasn't in any danger. He was just scared.

"It's ok," I said quietly. "I won't hurt you again. You're my pokemon. You're the first one I ever really caught on my own."

I dropped the berry in front of him and lowered my hands. He crept forward and snatched up the berry eagerly, looking up at me with some confusion.

"You can come with me," I said softly. "You can be a part of something different."

My hand dove into the bag again and produced another berry. I held it out in my open palm, keeping my voice low. "You're with me now. I know it's not like it was with your family was, but if you stay with me you'll become strong. Stronger even than your old pack leader ever was."

He took the berry again, brushing his snout against my hand as he pulled the berry away. He devoured the berry and looked up at me expectantly, his short tail wagging excessively. I grinned back and knew that the beginnings of a familial bond was there.

"That's a good boy," I said, dropping to one knee. He nuzzled into my hand, careful to avoid scratching me with the spines covering his body. "That's a very good boy."

"Any names yet?" Gemma asked. She had her feet up and a drink in her free hand. Her other hand had her pokegear up to her face, browsing through the day's news. "I still think your first idea was your best."

She glanced up at my nidorino as he shook off the confusion Luna had inflicted on him. He grunted angrily and blinked away the slow look on his face before bounding back after Luna. "Fits him best."

I shrugged. "Pride?" I suggested halfheartedly, quickly losing my patience with the entire naming process. "It's alright, but it just doesn't sound great to me."

"Well how did you choose Luna?" She asked. She bent down and scooped up Curie in her arms as my happiny bounded towards her. My baby had taken an absolute liking to Gemma, practically demanding that the new lady spend her time cooing in her face rather than training me and my team. "How did you choose Curie?"

"They just came to me, naturally. It wasn't like I was giving them a name. They had their names already and I just figured it out." I stood up, grinding my teeth as I watched Luna spar with the nido. He wasn't quick, or even overly powerful. He didn't fight dirty or resort to clever tricks like Luna liked to.

Try as I might, I just kept coming back to the same name. "Pride," I repeated, glancing back at Gemma for reassurance. It was in my head now and I was spiralling into doubt with my ability to name my pokemon.

I got none as Curie incessantly bounced on Gemma's lap, delighted by the exciting new game. She burped and turned a violent shade of green. I suppressed a chuckle as Gemma learned firsthand why bouncing a baby after feeding was a bad idea.

I turned back to Luna and the nido and made my decision. "Front and centre, team!"

Luna looked up at me as my nido barrelled down on her. She leapt over him easily and landed lithely in front of me. My nido attempted to skid to a halt, but he had already built up too much speed. He tumbled end over end and slammed into the tree with enough force to knock a half dozen berries from the branches.

I waited until he had sauntered back over to me, watching him give Luna jealous glares as he joined her side. He plopped down haggardly as his chest heaved with exhaustion. He was raw, not in battle shape and often slow to react. It was a wonder that he'd put up the fight that he had against Luna the first time.

"Alright, team, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Misty is a tougher test than Brock. She's got the type advantages and she knows that we're coming for her. I won't lie to you. This will not be an easy battle." I paced back and forth, looking down at my troops with all the fiery confidence I usually lacked. They needed it from me, and to be completely honest, it would be good for me to avoid self-doubt.

I produced a trio of TM disks from my pack and held them aloft. They glinted pink, green and yellow in the evening sun. "However, we've got a chance. If we're smart and lucky, we can pull off another upset." I lowered the TMs and looked down at Luna. "You're up first," I started. "How does moving even faster than a quick attack sound?"

I groaned with exhaustion and stretched my legs. I tossed the pokegear onto the crappy motel bed and got to my feet. I crossed the room and stared down at the parking lot of dilapidated cars, happy to be looking at anything that wasn't more battle footage. I'd been poring over Misty's gym challenges for days, watching every one of her opponents and analyzing her battle style. I'd even gone back to her own league challenge, watching battles that taught me nothing about her current team to glean some weakness in her style.

She was all attack, pushing the pace of the battle relentlessly. Very rarely would she pull back and play a defensive game, something that I mourned. I wouldn't have the time and opportunity to run circles around her like I had with Brock. Instead, she attacked until she knocked your pokemon out of commission, trusting her starmie's regenerative abilities to win her the day. The only league losses on her record were from Lance and Agatha themselves, two trainers that had both been undefeated for decades.

I had to admit that her style countered Luna quite well and downright terrified me when it came to Pride. I'd seen half a dozen videos of Misty's starmie just tossing nidorinos around helplessly and knocking them out without even worrying about a single blow. I'd turned it off after realizing that the nidorino weren't going to win that matchup.

It was demoralizing, to say the least. I was living my dream and yet I found myself up against a wall with prospects for victory bleak.

Gemma had abandoned me a few days before for some family business, only after pushing the TMs she'd bought into my hands and demanding that I make myself presentable for sponsors. She wouldn't take the TMs back, but I was determined to make a good showing before I dared use the TM moves.

I'd used Thunderbolt it on Pride and he just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. He had to stand there for several seconds while he charged up the necessary energy to fire off a bolt of lightning. Several seconds that we just wouldn't have against a murderous mermaid and her sea star.

It made for a stunning spectacle to be sure, but I couldn't think of any situation where I'd manage to find Pride that kind of time in the middle of a battle with a starmie that outsped him easily and held the advantage at range.

I turned away from the window and sighed. We weren't ready. Luna was getting stronger every day, mastering the use of her two TMs almost effortlessly and even beginning to exhibit some rudimentary extrasensory abilities. It wasn't quite ready to be used in battle yet, but I still devoted an inordinate amount of time to her practicing with them. We needed every edge and I wasn't going to leave any stone unturned with less than two days to my challenge.

Pride's training however, was going about as poorly as it could have. He was still adjusting to life on a trainer's team. He had difficulty understanding some of my more complex commands. We were making some headway, but I couldn't help the nagging pessimism that told me we weren't ready.

He was tougher than Luna, but not by much. He could hit harder than Luna as well, but again not by much. He had speed to burn when running in a straight line, but he couldn't corner worth a damn. I'd taken to devising him increasingly difficult obstacle courses, but there was only so much you could realistically improve in a week. It looked like yet again I was relying on Luna to be my ace in the hole.

Curie rolled over, whining at me from the bed and breaking my concentration. I smiled and let myself forget the upcoming battle. I could rest for one night. I did need to be fresh for the watching sponsors after all.

I crawled into the bed, my eyes half-shut in exhaustion. Curie cooed happily and cozied up against my chest. I felt Luna stir on the bed and crawl up against my leg. Pride rolled over on the floor, his loud breathing rhythmically slowing as my nido drifted off. I immediately lost myself to exhaustion and sleep mercifully took me.

I made my way down the corridor with my head held high. It was dark, darker even than the one in Pewter had been. I caught the faint scent of salty water and felt a cool breeze rush down the corridor as the league's challenge theme began to swell.

I nervously ran my hand through my newly cut hair and straightened the pale grey jacket that I'd bought to replace the ratty one I'd left home in. Gemma had appeared at dawn, handing me a new wardrobe and forcing me out the door and to a hairstylist. I wasn't used to the fuss of doing myself up all nice, but even I couldn't deny that I looked damn fine compared to the night before.

I emerged into the blinding light, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the dazzling arena. A massive wave pool dominated the field, with a pair of winding rivers that emptied into the pool cutting the land portion of the field into three roughly equal portions.

Misty was waiting on her platform, her hair up in a fiery orange bun. Her signature teardrop swimsuit left nothing to the imagination, sweat and saltwater beading up on her bare skin. A bright red whistle hung down between her breasts. It was intoxicating and seductive, even though I knew it was just for show.

I ignored the theatrics and pushed away the distractions. Misty was good. She wanted me off balance, thinking about her body, the music and a thousand other things besides the battle.

I glanced out at the crowd for half a moment and felt my heart flutter. It was nearly full. For a novice match. I caught a glimpse of Gemma waving some absurd oversized sign and knew that she had been busy with more than just family business. Novice matches weren't spectated by this many people ever. I briefly wondered who Gemma really was, but I pushed the distraction away.

I took my place on my platform and it began to raise into the air. The massive screen across the arena wall lit up and the League emblem faded to Misty's personal crest, a single cerulean drop of water.

"GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTS, DO WE HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU TODAY!"

I jumped slightly. The speakers were damn loud here. That or the emcee had practically swallowed the mic.

"THIS WILL BE A NOVICE CHALLENGE TO THE CERULEAN CITY GYM. LEADER MISTY WILL USE THREE POKEMON WITH NO SUBSTITUTIONS. THE CHALLENGER MAY USE UP TO SIX POKEMON, WITH TWO SUBSTITUTIONS."

The massive viewscreen on the wall flickered, mine and Misty's faces flashing across the screen to our respective sides of the arena. Three balls appeared under both our faces and I tightened my fists nervously.

I heard the roar of the crowd, and vaguely caught Gemma's shriek of encouragement over it. I blocked it out as best I could, focusing on Misty and only Misty. The lights were blinding and the noise was deafening but they seemed to fade away as I focused on my opponent.

I saw her smirk with utmost confidence as she released her first pokemon. A staryu dove into the pool and disappeared under the surface. The tan sea star erupted from the surface a half moment later, spinning into a deft landing on the shore. It stood there motionless, a picturesque example of obedience and discipline.

My eyes met Misty's cold glare and I let go of my fear. I would be a trainer. I would crush this cocky gym leader and leave her team flailing in my wake. I was a pokemon trainer. My hand dropped to my belt, lifting the first of my three balls.

"Pride, let's show them what we're made of."

My nidorino appeared in a flash of red light. He pawed the ground aggressively and sighted his first target with an angry snort. He growled at the staryu and lowered his horn threateningly.

Misty planted her hands on her hips and leaned forward slightly. "Your move first, novi-"

"I know how this works," I barked, cutting her off. She met my hard stare with a look of utter contempt, lifting her whistle up to her lips. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and pointed forward. "Pride, horn attack!"

He bounded forward as the staryu levitated off the ground and rocketed towards him as Misty blew two short blasts. They slammed together and separated half a moment later, blood dripping from the spikes on Pride's armoured shoulders. Pride spun on his front paws and attempted to kick the staryu with his hind paws.

The little tan sea star hit the sandy shore hard, but rose back into the air. One of the staryu's limbs was bent at an uncomfortable angle. The jewel in the middle of the sea star shone a dim red. Misty whistled once, low and long, sparking its bent limb began to bend back into position and the bleeding gashes to seal shut.

I knew we couldn't let Misty finish healing. She still had two more pokemon to get through. Attack was the only option.

"Push the pace! Fury attack!"

Pride was back on the staryu, slamming into it several times. He drove it further inland, away from the wave pool. Misty whistled twice in short succession. The staryu whined and spun as Pride came barreling back in for another attack.

The staryu connected solidly with Pride's jaw. He recoiled in pain and shrunk back as the staryu came to a halt and emitted a high tone. Its central gem began to glow as the tone built to a deafening level.

Then the sound was gone, drowned out by the beam of screaming psychic light that erupted from the staryu's gem. It hit Pride cleanly in the side, catapulting my nido across the arena and through one of the streams flowing into the wave pool.

I grimaced for Pride. That had to have hurt. He struggled back to his feet as the staryu floated lazily towards him, the same terrible tone as before building in volume.

"Get clear!" I shouted.

Pride heard the urgency in my voice and it seemed to spur something in him. He bolted as the staryu let loose a second psybeam that tore a shrieking path through the sand. Pride bounded out of the way and dashed along the edge of the shore, giving the staryu a wide berth.

The staryu turned and fired off another psybeam, this one weaker and only half charged. It ploughed into the sand in front of Pride, a vain attempt to lead the target.

"Tighten up," I shouted. "Don't give it the space."

Despite his unfamiliarity with taking orders, Pride was relatively bright. He knew that he would never win a duel with the staryu at range. His only chance was to get in close and pummel the sea star into submission. He turned mid-stride, avoiding another beam of psychic energy that carved uncomfortably close to his flank.

The staryu let loose with a barrage of beams, hoping to trip Pride up or knock him off balance so it could deliver another solid blow. They weren't half as powerful as before, but there were so many of them. The air seemed to saturate with psychic energy and my mind struggled to fight through the haze. We had to close the gap to stop the barrage, but there was no path. There was no clear path to close the gap.

Pride's chest was heaving with exhaustion as he struggled to stay in front of the psybeams. His feet were moving a mile a minute, desperately running an ever tightening circle around the staryu. Any misstep would have resulted in failure. A single mistake would have ended the battle. Pride fought through it all with every ounce of pride in his body.

Then I saw it. One of the psybeams glanced off his flank and he shrugged it off with hardly a thought. We'd closed the distance now, cut the corners of the circle until we were within striking distance. The noose was tightened. The battle would end with the next exchange.

"Now!" I shouted. "Horn attack!"

Pride changed course more quickly than I had thought him capable of. He cut hard under the staryu's barrage and the sea star overcorrected hard. The psybeam tore into the sand harmlessly as Pride closed the last few paces completely unchallenged.

Pride gored the staryu on the edge of its gem, horn sinking deep into the base of the limb. My nidorino didn't let up. The staryu attempted to flee, but its levitation failed as it soared towards the pool. Pride bore down on it, determined not to let his quarry escape.

The staryu disappeared in a flash of red light. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Pride. He limped back towards our side of the field, away from the water. His chest was heaving and I could see him fighting to suck down air.

I got down on one knee and leaned over the edge of the platform. "You remember the plan for this one?"

"WHAT A START FOR THE CHALLENGER!" Boomed the emcee. "MISTY'S STARYU IS DOWN! THIS NIDORINO HAS SOME SPUNK!"

Pride nodded and turned back to face Misty as she released an absolutely stunning goldeen. I paused for a moment, marvelling at her pokemon's flowing fins and radiant colours. It hit me then that I'd never actually seen a goldeen outside of pictures. Pictures that couldn't do justice to the magnificent creature in front of me. I resolved right then and there to learn everything I could about aquatic pokemon, even if only to satisfy my curiosity.

My attention turned back to Pride. He'd taken a few blows, but seemed to be no worse for wear after he caught his breath. He could take a fish. Even one as gorgeous as Misty's.

"MISTY'S CHOSEN HER GOLDEEN NEXT! CAN THE CHALLENGER STAY AFLOAT?"

I grinned ear to ear, knowing that my next move would send shockwaves through the gym. Literally. "Pride," I started. "Light it up!"

He closed his eyes and I watched him bow his head in concentration. Sparks crackled along his flanks, electricity jumping along his spines as they raced for his horn.

I saw Misty's eyes widen in realization. I heard her voice panic as she shrieked at her goldeen to dive. I watched her little goldeen disappear beneath the waves and prayed that Pride's thunderbolt had the power required to saturate the pool.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my nidorino's horn. It split and forked into a half dozen spears that dove eagerly into the water. The surface of the pool broke as Misty's goldeen rocketed over the field in a desperate play to avoid the lightning.

The bolt ended as soon as it began. Pride shook off the stray voltage running along his spines and looked up fearfully as the goldeen plummeted towards him.

"Parry the horn!" I shouted, praying that Pride understood enough to follow the order.

He lifted his head, aiming his horn at the goldeen. But Misty had trained her little fish well. The water type bent and twisted, angling her horn so that it deftly avoided Pride's clumsy attempt to stop her.

The horn gouged a deep red line down the side of Pride's face. My nido bellowed in pain and anger as Misty's goldeen dug in and used the leverage to catapult herself back into one of the streams that divided the beach.

I grimaced as the easy victory I'd envisioned slipped away. Pride was going to have to work for it.

"Get ready," I shouted. "charge another bolt!"

Lightning raced down Pride's spines. He pawed at the sandy ground and snorted, glancing nervously over his shoulder at the river behind him.

Misty lifted her whistle, blowing a trio of short blast. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what the wordless command meant.

Movement in front of him drew my nido's attention. The river splashed and Pride loosed his bolt as the goldeen launched out of the stream.

She smacked her tail into the side of my nido, tearing a network of gashes in her beautiful fin. The goldeen catapulted herself back into the stream behind Pride.

We had barely a moment before Misty blew her whistle again and the goldeen launched back into the air, leading with her horn.

"Double kick!" I shouted.

Pride reared onto his front legs and slammed his hind feet into the fish's face. It sailed back towards the stream, bouncing twice and slipping back into the water.

Misty whistled another trio of blasts, in a different cadence than before. The water went calm. I scanned the trio of streams, waiting for Misty's goldeen to make herself known.

Pride glanced back at me in worry and I nodded in calm assurance. He'd taken a few hits, but he could handle this goldeen.

"Get ready," I warned. "She'll try to gore you again."

As I finished the last word, the water type burst from the wave pool. She spared high into the air, arcing down towards Pride and leading with her horn. Pride tried to turn, raising his horn in a late attempt to parry the horn attack.

This time, the goldeen's horn struck true. It sank deep into Pride's shoulder and the water type stuck. Pride roared in pain but I knew that the round was done.

He shook wildly, bucking off the water type. She bounced into the sand and flapped wildly in an attempt to right herself.

Pride stalked towards the downed fish, another storm of lightning rippling along his body. He was growling low and angry.

Misty already had her ball up, returning the goldeen before any real damage could be done. The crowd erupted in raucous applause and I felt it in my chest.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! CHALLENGER WRIGHT HAS CRUSHED OUR LEADER'S GOLDEEN WITH A THUNDEROUS ELECTRIC MOVE!" The crowd was roaring, Gemma's shriek loud and clear over the din. "THIS NIDORINO HAS TAKEN DOWN TWO OF MISTY'S POKEMON, CAN IT KEEP GOING?"

I nervously bounced back and forth on the balls of my feet. This had all just been an elaborate show. I'd learned something in my research. Misty had a preference for the dramatic finish. She liked to let trainers whittle down her pokemon just so she could crush them emphatically with her starmie. She was an entertainer through and through, and her battle style showed that beautifully.

Misty dropped the whistle back to her chest. She wouldn't need it with her starmie's psychic telepathy. She raised her last ball. We both knew what was coming. She smirked at me from across the field and tossed her ball in the air.

The starmie that had kept me up for the past week spun through the air with ease. It stopped short of landing, the arena humming with psychic power. The starmie let out two low, threatening tones and I vaguely heard the crowd roar with delight in response.

My arm went up with Pride's ball and he disappeared with a flash of red light. A thirty second timer appeared on the screen. I didn't need it. I knew what my choices were. I knew what my only real choice was. Curie couldn't fight this battle.

"WHATS THIS? THE CHALLENGER IS BURNING ONE OF HIS SUBSTITUTIONS!"

"Luna!" I tossed her ball and she appeared with a prance. She tossed her head to the roof and let out a pitchy howl. Her tails flared and she planted her paws in the soft, damp sand. "Let's finish strong."

Misty cocked her head to the side, smirking at me with supreme confidence. As far as she knew, I had played my only trump card with Pride's thunderbolt. I had shown my hand and ensured her victory. How wrong she was.

"Ready to watch your vulpix get washed away?" she spat in derision. "That was a nice trick, but there's no overpowering this water type master!"

I smirked back with the confidence of someone who knew he still had a few tricks to play. "We'll see who's the one that's all washed up!" I looked down at Luna and met her fiery eyes. "Agility!"

Luna rocketed off as I finished the command, appearing as little more than a rusty tan blur as she streaked across the sandy field.

The starmie rose into the air, putting itself out of physical range. It let out a powerful tone and I felt reality bend to its will.

"Faster!" I shouted. "Another agility!"

Desperation crept back in. One hit would be all it needed. One blow and Luna would be vulnerable to a follow up that would put her out of commission.

Luna redoubled her efforts as an unseen force slammed into the sandy beach behind her. A plume of sand kicked into the air and I realized that Misty was not kidding around. She would pummel Luna into the ground to prove that I hadn't actually earned my Boulder badge.

"On the offensive!" I roared. "Just like we practiced!"

Luna stopped for half a heartbeat, green light swirling in her jaws. She loosed the energy ball and leapt away. Another telekinetic slam pounded the sand where Luna had been standing.

The energy ball tore through the starmie's limbs. One of the sea star's limbs crashed lifeless to the sand as two more hung on by the barest threads of tissue. It shrieked a shrill, pained tone as it dove for the water.

"Again!" I shouted. "Before it gets underwater."

Luna surged forward. Green light began to leak from her mouth, giving her tan blur a green streak. She skidded to a halt at the shoreline and let the growing ball of green energy loose.

It sheared into the starmie's bloodied legs again as it fled. Blood sprayed again as it disappeared into the surf, leaving a pair of limbs behind.

I frowned. We hadn't beaten it. Not even close. We hadn't even dealt it any lasting damage since it could just regenerate those limbs for the next bout. All we'd managed to do was annoy it.

The wave pool began to stir and I felt my heart skip a beat. Now we were well and truly at a disadvantage. Our opponent had found her way into her own terrain. Now we would face the wrath of the sea.

"Luna, another agility!"

My vulpix took off in a blur as the starmie burst from the cresting wave. The severed limbs had regrown and its gem was shining with psychic light. I felt the roar of the crowd in my chest and I knew it was hopeless. Luna was beyond fast, but there was nowhere to run.

Luna barrelled inland with a roaring surge of water at her back. The furious starmie soared high above the wave, jets of water forming up on each side of it. Luna skidded and scrambled away from the first jet, but the second struck true. It hit my vulpix on her flank, sending her stumbling. She tried to keep moving, but she'd lost too much speed to stay in front of the tidal wave.

I was at a loss, but my starter had better ideas. She turned on a dime, her body glowing with psychic enhancement. The wave bore down, starmie blaring with a psychic tone. Luna dashed across the water faster than my eyes could follow. A spray of water kicked up in her wake, the only visual cue where she had gone.

My vulpix leapt up above the storm of water, moving faster than I could see. Green light erupted from her jaw, a series of energy balls screaming down onto Misty's starmie.

The wave crashed down onto the shore, pounding the beach into a frothy mess. I lost sight of Luna as she fell towards the surf and felt my heart beat into my chest. We had dealt a devastating blow, but I doubted that the match had been decided yet.

The surf receded and I spotted Luna, sopping wet and covered in sand, but still stubbornly conscious. The starmie was unfocused, concentrating on the enormous amounts of water surging back into the pool.

Luna looked up at me, an expression of complete and utter displeasure on her vulpine face. She was sopping wet, something that I'd only witnessed once when she fell into the pond near my farm.

The starmie let out an angry tone and spun back from the water. It closed on Luna as she struggled to her feet, terrible psychic noise building as its gem began to glow.

I had moments, not enough for Luna to fire off an energy ball. She was spent, her chest heaving in utter exhaustion. She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. She could only watch as the battered starmie toyed with the final moments of her battle.

"Confuse Ray!" I ordered, silently praying that she had the strength to give Pride a ghost of a chance. It wasn't much, but it was all I had.

Luna's eyes glowed as she flared her tails. A trio of eerie lights twisted forth as the starmie loosed a devastating psybeam. It pummelled into my vulpix, finally knocking my starter out of the battle.

I raised my ball, defeat setting in. Luna had been my only real hope. She had been my only counter to Misty's terrifying sea star. Curie was just a baby. Pride didn't have the speed and agility to contest the match, let alone try to run out the clock. We were completely and utterly done. All that was left was to play out the match.

"CHALLENGER WRIGHT'S VULPIX IS DOWN FOR THE COUNT! MISTY'S ACE TURNS THE BATTLE ON ITS HEAD YET AGAIN FOLKS. CAN HE TURN THIS AROUND, OR IS THIS CHALLENGER FINALLY SUNK?"

I raised Pride's ball as my heart sank into my stomach. He appeared on the field, his head held high. He growled at the starmie and I felt my own pride swell at my newest team member. I stiffened my spine in response. If he was going to face his fate with defiance then I would too.

"Pride, horn attack!"

The starmie spun towards him, wobbling almost imperceptibly. My eyes widened. Luna had done it. The confuse ray had landed. We had our ghost of a chance.

Pride charged without fear, his horn lowered in anticipation. The starmie blared another tone and built the same terrible noise as before. I swore as it loosed a powerful psybeam. It went wide, the starmie's aim compromised in its confusion. Pride closed the gap in a bound, burying his horn up to the base in one of the starmie's limbs.

It shrieked in pain, recoiling instantly. It spun, using its telekinesis to catapult Pride away as oozing purple goop leaked from the wound. It shook violently as it levitated away and I saw our opening. It was hurt. The poison likely would interfere with its regenerative abilities, at least until it could purge itself. We had our ghost of a chance.

Pride landed on his feet, skidding to a halt and growling angrily. He lowered his horn, seeming to know exactly what my next command would be.

"Thunderbolt!" I shouted to the heavens.

Pride was already beginning the charge, electricity jumping along his spines. I heard the noise in the arena fizzle and die as my nidorino primed the finishing blow.

Misty's starmie rocketed forward, abandoning its long range abilities. The confusion had compromised its aim and it couldn't be sure of a knockout. It spun as it closed and I clenched my fists. It was close, so close.

A bolt of lightning erupted from Pride's horn. It jumped through the air, impaling the starmie's central jewel before arcing again into a dozen forks that drove into the sandy ground. It was over as soon as it began, but the damage had been done.

The roar of psychic power faded and the starmie crashed into the sand. It remained motionless for a long moment, its gem dark and silent. The crowd was silent. I was silent. Misty was silent. The the silence popped and the crowd erupted with noise.

"LEADER MISTY HAS BEEN DEFEATED. THE CHALLENGER HAS EARNED THE CASCADE BADGE!"

The roar of the crowd was the sweetest noise a guy could ever have asked for. I raised my fist, savouring the applause that was meant for us. Pewter had been a private victory, but this was a proud statement to the world. Marcus Wright had arrived on the League stage.

I looked down at Pride. His eyes met mine and I knew that we would be champions together. Together, we could do anything.

"The first field test of the Project Catalyst prototypes will begin within the week."

The short man scowled in disapproval. "I see," he said. "What results are we expecting from this? We know the device isn't ready."

"Yes, but this test will provide us will real world data. Archer has been demanding it for months, and he wants a test not located in some super remote location."

He frowned in response. "I'll see what I can manage. Civilian casualties must be kept to a minimum," the shorter man replied. "And what of Silph? We must have their prototype, else all this is for naught."

The tall man smirked. "The director outright refused my latest offer. Perhaps it is time to begin applying more than cursory pressure?"

The short man nodded. "I loathe direct confrontation, but it seems we are left with few choices. If the director will not yield the ball then we will take it."

"Then the war for our future begins in earnest," the tall man replied. "There is no retreat from this. Our foe will make itself known and begin real opposition."

"It is what we prepared for." The shorter man sighed. "Pray that Kanto is ready for the storm."

The tall man nodded. "Then I shall alert the necessary operatives. Silph will be placed under siege until we possess what is rightly ours."

Pokedex entry #121: Starmie

This peaceful creature lives on the ocean floor. Despite their formidable psychic abilities, this creature is relatively docile. Their diet consists of microscopic plankton and algae. When threatened, starmie have been known to tear off their own limbs and leave them for the attacker.

Many divers have reported that when gathered in large numbers, starmie will synchronize their gems to pulsate in time with the rest of the swarm. it is unknown what the purpose for this is, but theories range from outlandish ideas like interstellar communication to a much simpler mating display.

Novice Trainer KT#07996101, current roster

Luna, Vulpix

Curie, Happiny

Pride, Nidorino