Chapter 3

The Striaton City airport was a hive of activity as Drayton disembarked from the plane with Titan's Poké Ball securely attached to his belt. 

The transition from the icy climes of Icirrus City to the warm embrace of Unova's breeze was immediate and welcome. Striaton City had a unique blend of urban and nature, with buildings interspersed with beautiful greenery, and its high-rise buildings eclipsed by the imposing mountains to the east. 

'There's so many wild Pokemon running about,' he mused, slightly startled as a Patrat jumped out of a tall tree and scampered across the street.

'This place is so different from Opelucid,' Drayton reflected, comparing Striaton's lush vegetation to Opelucid's barren streets– it wasn't bleak per se, but rather just urbanized.

Shaking his head, Drayton continued to venture deeper into the city, eagerly taking in the new sights. 

His awe, however, was short-lived, with his eagerness to tackle his first gym soon winning out over it.

The anticipation of facing the gym seemed to add an extra spring to Drayton's step as he hurriedly made his way over to the nearest hotel, knowing no matter how much he longed to face the gym today, it would be best to acclimate to trainer battles some more before taking on the challenge.

The gym had three possible leaders after all, and Drayton, much to his chagrin, had not yet run into enough trainers with the typings of the gym leaders - grass, water, fire - to feel certain of his victory. 

"Just a little more time Titan, then we'll have our first badge," Drayton muttered, patting the Poké Ball at his side.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, Drayton was greeted by the desk clerk's warm smile. "Good evening! How may I assist you?" she asked, her voice welcoming.

"I'm looking for a room. I didn't get a chance to book in advance," Drayton admitted sheepishly, embarrassed at his oversight.

"We have some rooms, but they're on the pricey side," the clerk cautioned.

"That's fine. I'll manage," Drayton said, waving off her concerns, as he produced his Poké Card: a compact and sophisticated card that had become an integral part of all trainers' lives. In short, the Poké Card was a debit card for trainers.

As Drayton went to pay for his accommodation, the clerk's eyes momentarily widened, her gaze fixed on the name on his Poké Card before her gaze flickered back to Drayton.

"Schultheiss?" she remarked, her eyes lighting up in recognition. "Are you, by any chance, related to Lucille Schultheiss?"

Drayton perked up at the mention of his sister, clearly happy with the line of questioning. "Yeah she's my elder sister; you know her?" 

The clerk's smile broadened, as she nodded briskly. "Oh, absolutely! Lucille took on our gym a few years back. It was a battle that's still talked about around here. She left quite an impression on the gym leaders… and on the city as a whole," she shared, seemingly lost in memory.

A wide grin split across Drayton's face, listening to the older woman raptly, as his heart swelled with pride. 

He was not just any trainer passing through; he was a Schultheiss, and expectations, albeit unspoken, hung in the air. "Thank you! I hope to do just as well," Drayton replied receiving his keycard.

After settling into his room, Drayton promptly plopped onto his bed and pulled out his Pokedex. "Let's see how many registered trainers nearby are willing to battle," he muttered as he clicked a few buttons on the device.

The Pokedex had a unique feature where you could post your location and badges and see if anyone with a similar amount in the area was willing to battle. This especially helped newer trainers gain experience, as they didn't have to go searching as far for an opponent who wouldn't decimate their team.

'There's a small clearing close by that's used for training?' Drayton mused, easing into his bed as he saw how many trainers there were for him to face. 

"Well I can go there tomorrow, for now, I need some rest." With that said, he closed his Pokedex, wished Titan goodnight, and turned off the lights.

… 

Under the bright morning sun, Drayton hastily made his way over to the clearing, waving to the passerby as he did.

As Drayton neared the clearing he could make out a series of explosions echoing in the distance.

"Seems like I'm here," Drayton chuckled, remembering all the times he heard similar explosions back in Opelucid when Lucille and Drayden would go at it with each other.

Following the trail of sounds, he quickly found himself before a compact training area, tucked away from the city's streets. The clearing, whilst not large, was currently home to a slew of trainers, each engaging in battle with those of similar skill.

Around the battleground was a small but enthusiastic crowd who had gathered to watch, and cheer on those currently engaged in battle. As the league had just started the trainers were primarily those who had just received their starter Pokemon, so there were several suitable opponents for Drayton and Titan.

Eyeing one particular bout between a Roselia and Ducklett, which Roselia ended up winning handily, Drayton allowed a grin to form, ready to show off his Duraludon and watch the look of awe on all the onlookers' faces.

He scanned the surroundings for someone in charge and noticed an elderly man by the sidelines, whose demeanor suggested authority over the arena activities. 'That must be the person to talk to,' Drayton concluded, approaching the man in hopes of securing an opponent.

"Excuse me, do you think it's possible for me and my Pokemon to join in on the battles here? We're looking to get some practice in before taking on the gym challenge," Drayton inquired, gesturing to the Pokeball hanging on his waist.

The elderly man turned his attention towards Drayton and gave him a once-over. A smile crept across his face, reflecting curiosity. "We always welcome new challengers– that being said it might take some time before you get called up, our lineup is quite full at the moment."

Drayton nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. Thanks for your help," he replied, trying to find a suitable spot to wait until he got a chance to participate in the upcoming battles.

After nearly ten minutes of waiting Drayton was finally called up to battle. He was now standing across from a teenager, who was seemingly near the same age as Drayton, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Sporting a confident smirk, his opponent, whose name was Rocky, called out. "Haven't seen you before, you new to the city?" he questioned, receiving a nod from Drayton. "Well then, don't leave Striaton crying when I beat you– we're known to be a hospitable place after all," he laughed as Drayton only shook his head in amusement.

"You don't have to worry much about that considering I'm going to be the one who wins!" 

Before the two could continue their banter, the old man's voice smoothly cut in, "It will be a one-on-one battle– victory goes to whoever's Pokemon knocks the others first. Forfeiting is allowed as well. Are both trainers ready?" 

After giving the acting referee a slight nod both trainers threw their Pokeballs into the arena. 

Titan emerged first, materializing in a flash of light that momentarily illuminated the training arena. 

Opposite him, Rocky released his Herdier, a Normal-type Pokémon distinguished by its luxurious, creamy-brown fur that swept into a distinguished mustache and a three-pointed crest. Dark blue, shaggy fur cloaked its body, ending in a short, expressive tail. 

Almost everyone in the clearing, including the old man and Rocky, stared at Duraludon with confusion, having never seen the Pokémon before. 

Titan, with his striking light gray and dark blue body, marked by distinctive zigzag patterns and gray bands around his arms, was not something the crowd could recognize.

"What the hell is that," Rocky muttered, eyeing Duraludon warily.

"My partner, Duraludon," Drayton replied proudly, pleased with everyone's fascination with his Pokémon. 

Before Rocky could ask any further questions, both trainers' Pokémon let out low growls, returning the attention of their respective trainers to the battle at hand. 

"Begin," the old man shouted as both trainers bellowed out their orders. 

"Alright, Titan let's do this! Use Metal Sound to disorient then get in close and Rock Smash!" Drayton ordered before Rocky had the chance to dish out a single command.

'As long as I can control the pace of the battle I should be able to wrap this up fairly quickly,' Drayton thought, not truly finding the canine to be a threat. 

Its speed was something Titan would have to counter, but once he figured that out it would be smooth sailing.

Titan, not wasting any time, immediately carried out his trainer's order by emitting a piercing sound wave from his body. 

The high-pitched wail clawed at Hardier's ears drawing a wince from the canine causing it to flinch, momentarily lowering its defenses, giving Titan the perfect opportunity to close the gap.

Rocky, however, wasn't a slouch either, and he quickly commanded his Pokémon. "Herdier, try and shake it off and use Work Up!" 

Despite the disorienting sound, Herdier, not wanting to disappoint his trainer, managed to regain its bearings rather quickly, briefly being surrounded by a red aura. 

Once the aura waned, the canine's body language had shifted: the Pokémon was crouched lower, and its fangs bared as it prepared to strike back with increased vigor.

Despite Herdier's increase in power, the one thing Drayton was supremely confident in was Titan's defenses, hence he didn't take very long to give his Pokémon his next command. "Titan, continue closing in and nail it with a Rock Smash!"

The command surprised Rocky, making him pause for a moment before he quickly snapped back to reality and shouted his countermove. 

"Dodge! Hit it with Thunder Fang right after!"

Herdier, possessing an agility that Titan couldn't hope to match, deftly dodged the Rock Smash, and bit down onto Titan's body with electricity crackling from its fangs.

However, this proved to be the wrong course of action as Titan tanked the attack without even flinching.

"Shit! Get out of there!" Rocky hurriedly yelled, but it was too late.

"Now, Titan, Metal Claw!" Drayton commanded. 

Titan's claw, enhanced with metallic strength, struck Herdier with a swift motion. The attack, further powered by Titan's steel-type, hit Herdier hard, causing the canine Pokémon to stagger back, visibly shaken as it yelped in pain with blood dripping, dyeing the Pokémon's fur a bright red.

Rocky, seeing his Pokémon's injured state knew the fight wouldn't last much longer. "Herdier, one last attack," he began as the Pokémon eyes snapped onto him with somber acceptance. "Cheer up, one attack is all we'll need! Now go, use Bite!" 

Herdier closed its eyes for a moment before they snapped open as he began his charge toward Titan with renewed vigor. 

The Pokémon knew its chances of winning weren't slim, they were nonexistent, but that didn't mean it would go down without a fight. His trainer believed in him till now, and as such he would believe in his trainer, and faithfully carry out his command.

But Titan was ready, patiently waiting for Drayton to relay his own command. "End this, Rock Smash!"

Having been given their respective orders both Pokémon charged toward the other. Hoping to gain an advantage, Herdier leaped into the air, mouth open as dark energy swirled around his jaws. Titan, not willing to be outdone, swung his right claw which began to shine with a bright orange aura.

"Intercept the Bite, Rock Smash to his jaw!" Drayton added decisively, and Titan used to his trainer's tendency to give delayed commands, altered the trajectory of his claw ever so slightly.

The two opposing energies collide with a thunderous impact, with the dull orange hue of Titan's rock smash quickly overpowering Herider's bite. Sending the Pokémon flying with such force that everyone had no doubts about the outcome.

And just as everyone predicted, once the dust from Herdier's impact cleared away, the Pokémon could be seen sprawled out on the ground with swirls in his eyes.

The referee, after a brief moment, finally ended the bout. "Herdier is unable to battle. Victory goes to Drayton and Duraludon!"

Rocky recalled his Pokémon quickly, eyeing the Pokéball with sorrow. "Sorry buddy. You trusted me and I let you down, but I promise you we'll have our day." 

As if having heard his trainer's apology, Herdier's Pokéball shook ever so slightly, allowing Rocky to breathe a sigh of relief as he strapped the Pokéball onto his belt with utmost care.

Drayton, whose heart had been pounding as a result of his victory had quickly rushed to his Pokémon's side, offering congratulations as Duraludon let out a roar announcing his triumph.

"Great work, Titan," he began voice filled with pride. "You did incredibly."

And he wasn't wrong, Titan had acclimated to trainer battles far quicker than Drayton had expected. He was able to react to even last-minute commands quickly, and never strayed from the orders Drayton gave.

'Man am I glad I chose Duraludon, these early battles are going to be so easy.' He smiled at that thought, feeling even more grateful toward Lucille. 

Although he was still technically a newborn, Titan had proven himself to be able to easily match far older, and far more experienced Pokémon without too much of a struggle.

As Drayton finished his musings, he realized that everyone's eyes were glued on Titan, which the Pokémon seemed to greatly enjoy if its preening was anything to go by. 

… 

Word Count: 2400

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Not really used to writing Pokemon fights so sorry if it wasn't that great. 

I didn't want to drag this fight out because Duraludon (Titan) had a massive type advantage with normal type moves being not very effective, and with Herdier's move set simply being unable to deal any real damage to Titan.

Anyway, hope you all have a nice day, and join the discord to talk, and give your feedback and wants for the future of this story.

Discord: https://discord.gg/vkdvxFePp5