Follow Ran Carr, a teenage trainer setting out on his first journey as a Pokémon trainer, as he sets out from Azalea Town on a quest to acquire Johto's eight badges to participate in the Silver Conference at the end of the league season.
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Prologue, part 1
- Location
- Belgium
Author's note: This story is planned to receive updates twice a week, generally on Wednesday and Sunday. There is a backlog at time of publishing, so feel free to get invested early, this won't just be a flash in the pan. Keep in mind, I've taken the games, the anime, some theories, fanon and my own thoughts, shaken and stirred to come up with my own variation on the pokéverse, so don't assume that all of your pre-existing knowledge ends up correct.
"These Slowpoke are all about equal in strength. They know Tackle, Curse, Growl, Water Gun, Yawn and Confusion. You have one day to catch a pokémon, familiarize yourself with it and show up here for your first battles. Whoever wins, becomes this year's sponsored trainer."
Those words had preceded the three most frantic hours in Ran's life. Well, the most frantic hours thus far, at least. He'd taken off like a startled Zubat, jostling for position with the other five kids who'd made it to the penultimate step of the Azalea Gym Sponsorship process. But where they'd all taken off for Ilex Forest, Ran had taken off in the opposite direction, racing towards Route 33 eagerly.
He'd been forced to slow down long before getting there of course, with Route 33 being quite a bit further away than he could comfortably sprint. He assumed the others had come to similar conclusions in their own sprints towards Ilex, but with them being closer to each other, they'd likely try and overdo it just to be the first to make it to the forest and get the 'best' chance at a destined encounter.
Going towards Ilex made sense, of course. Filled with Bug types, renowned for their fast early growth and relative ease of capturing, they offered an obvious opportunity to the young trainers-to-be. But Ran had discarded that option long ago. After all, it was well-known that in Azalea Town, to get the Gym sponsorship, you'd be loaned a Slowpoke. Slow, part-Psychic Slowpoke.
Especially with weak pokémon, type (dis)advantage often proved crucial. With only one pokéball, one loaned Slowpoke and twenty four hours, Ran wasn't willing to risk it. Instead, he was headed towards the grasslands that led to Union Cave. There, most of the usually present pokémon offered better match-ups: Rattata, Pidgey and Spearow's lack of bulk, Geodude's severe weakness to water (if one wandered out from Union Cave) plus Zubat and Ekans' weakness to Confusion. All of them at a disadvantage against Ran's loaner and, just as important, barring Rattata all of them were strong against the Bug types the other three would likely be tying their fates to.
As he finally wandered into the Route properly, Ran was barely aware of his own eager grin. He'd capture his destined starter, defeat the other candidates and before the week was through, set out on the road and start his journey.
His journey, the well-deserved reward for making it through the Azalea Gym Sponsorship process. There'd been twenty of them at the start and only he, Ran Carr, would be setting out on his journey at the age of twelve without a care in the world. The others would be stuck in Azalea, trying to scrounge together enough funds to give full-time training a real shot.
Getting stopped right at the start was, unfortunately, the fate of the vast, unimpressive majority of aspiring pokémon trainers. There was a lot of money to be made as a trainer, but the start-up costs were substantial as well and for inexperienced trainers, it was very easy to run at a loss rather than a profit.
Fortunately, as Ran finally wandered off the beaten path and into the tall grass, he could soon put the depressing thoughts of those trainers who had to claw their way up without a sponsorship out of his mind, as he caught a faint rustle in the grass ahead of him. Thumbing the pokéball at his side, Slowpoke materialized in front of him just as, with a rattling sound, two yellow eyes rose up from amongst the grass.
"Perfect." Ran muttered, as the Ekans in front of him drew itself up with a threatening hiss.
"Slowpoke, use Confusion!" He cried out enthusiastically, as a feeling of rightness settled into his chest. Ekans would do perfectly.
"Ekans is unable to battle! Ran Carr is out of pokémon! Bugsy is the winner!" After those words, things became blurry for Ran. Afterwards, he'd have near-total recollection of his first twenty four hours as a pokémon trainer, but, from the moment the referee called out Bugsy's name, it was as if he only caught glimpses.
He'd caught Ekans after a tense fight, Slowpoke's trademark slowness making the fight a lot closer than it should have been, but eventually, Ran's lone pokéball had connected with Ekans and successfully captured him. He'd immediately let the snake out of his pokéball and, with eager words and the aid of the Potion he'd been given by the Gym earlier, won Ekans' trust. They'd rushed back to Azalea, turning Slowpoke in to the Pokécenter for proper treatment and getting Ekans' a quick check-up.
Part of him had worried about the time not spent training, especially when the Pokécenter Nurse had confirmed that none of the other candidates had been by yet, but the need for Ekans to be at his very best the next day had left him convinced of the necessity of a check-up. Then they'd spent long hours practicing and figuring out just what Ekans could do.
With Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite and Glare all already in Ekans' arsenal, he'd felt great about their chances. Going to sleep, despite his eagerness for the next day, had actually been a breeze, Ekans already coiled up at the foot end of his bed as if it'd always been that way.
The next morning, they'd spent a few hours drilling lightly, working hard to make sure Ekans was capable of following Ran's orders swiftly. By the time he'd returned to the Gym, Ekans in his pokéball as to not give his competitors an early edge by giving away what pokémon he'd caught prematurely, he'd been confident about his odds.
Confidence which had only increased when two of the other candidates returned without a successful capture. Then his mood had increased further when of the other three remaining competitors, one had been foolish enough to keep his new Ledyba out of its ball. Before the Gym leader had even shown up to announce the match-ups, Ran had already decided how Ekans and he would dismantle the bug.
The lots the leader had them draw had been in his favor, as they saw him meeting Ledyba and its underwhelming trainer in the first round. He'd turned his plan into reality, swiftly dismantling them, with Glare freezing the other pokémon in place long enough for Ekans to close the gap, Wrap around the other pokémon and squeeze it relentlessly into submission.
It had all been going perfectly. Ekans hadn't taken so much as a scratch and, assuming the other fight was more competitive and both trainers had already used their own allotted Potions, they'd be sailing into the final, decisive fight with the clear advantage.
But then… then it happened. Bugsy, as everyone their age had been calling the purple-haired Bug-enthusiast for years, unveiled his own first pokémon. When Ekans materialized on Ran's side of the battlefield, he faced a Scyther on Bugsy's side. Ran had frozen in disbelief for a few seconds, unable to comprehend the sight before him.
He couldn't understand how Bugsy had caught a pokémon that had its place in Conference Finals. It shouldn't be possible for someone to go out with a loaner Slowpoke for a day and come back with a Scyther, one of the premier Bug types not just in Johto, but in the world.
Yet as the shock had faded, he'd noticed the hints of battle damage on Scyther. There were a few minor marks on its carapace, one of its blades had a visible dent in it and there were traces of soot and char across its body. Whatever fight it had faced in the previous round, it had not come out entirely unscathed, unlike Ekans.
For a few moments, hope had flared up once more, as Ran called out an instant order to use Glare when the fight began. Before Ekans had even finished rearing up, however, Scyther had blurred away. They'd changed strategies, Ekans firing out Poison Sting in as wide an arc as he could manage, spraying the battlefield with salvo after salvo of tiny poisonous stingers.
Before they could land a single hit however, Scyther had reappeared, hacking away at Ekans with its blades. Ran's starter fought back valiantly, managing to wrap around Scyther's legs, immobilizing the other pokémon. But by then the damage had already been done, Ekans' last gasp attempt at Bite not connecting before pain, shock and blood loss forced the poison type into unconsciousness.
The referee ended the match and then his recollection of events became much blurrier. Only a few moments stood out: recalling Ekans, watching Bugsy accept the Gym leader's congratulations, sitting in the Pokécenter numbly despite the nurse's insistence that it'd be at least a day before Ekans would be ready to be discharged again, coming home and seeing his father's cautiously hopeful expression fall.
Ran spent the next week in a listless haze, only vaguely processing that Bugsy had set out, Scyther by his side, on the journey that should have been Ran's. Eventually, his father felt that enough time had passed to ask about Ran's failed bid for the sponsorship, which led to a conversation that finally drew Ran out of his rut.
"So you made it all the way to the final two?" His father asked, for what had to have been the third time.
"Yes," Ran affirmed dully once more, "I passed the initial test, the type simulation, the capture test and the first round of the battle test. But Bugsy caught a Scyther and wiped the floor with me."
The first time, his father had muttered in disbelief at the mention of a Scyther, but that reaction didn't rear its head again, the man instead seeming intent to keep the conversation moving.
"The Azalea Town Gym has been sponsoring a trainer every year for decades, Ran. Not once, and I mean literally not once, has anyone started out with a Scyther! Any other year, you would probably have won the whole thing!" His father insisted, irking Ran as those words only felt like needless kicks when he was already down.
"Yeah but I didn't turn twelve during any of those years, did I? I missed my only shot! What, do you think that me losing because of bad luck makes any of this any better? It doesn't!" Ran shouted, as emotions finally punched through the numb fog that'd been hanging over him for a week.
Anger firmly in the driver's seat, he continued, "I did everything right! I studied my ass off to make sure I'd pass the first tests! I made a plan, a good plan! A plan that took into account not just the capture of my starter, but everything all the way to what pokémon the others were likely to have! I did everything right! Telling me that it would have been enough any other year doesn't help me! I'm stuck here!"
His father's answer, ever the disciplinarian, was curt, "You will not raise your voice to me again. Understood?"
"Y-yes sir." Ran stuttered, his ire dying down quickly in the face of raising his father's far more potent brand.
"Good. Now, my point, as it happens, isn't that you were unlucky. It's that you've clearly got the potential to be a real trainer. One who makes a living, a real living, as a battler," His father continued, stern gaze still fixed on his son, "The sponsorship was the sure thing, the guarantee of success. But there are plenty of self-made trainers who succeed without such help, even if it is an uphill battle."
Ran hesitated, a bevy of half-formed retorts on the tip of his tongue, but he knew better than to speak out of emotion again. His father had no such compunctions, continuing to think out loud after a moment's pause.
"Money will be an issue, that's true enough, but there are ways for you to train that Ekans of yours without bankrupting us. As you're not journeying, your own necessities are something you won't have to worry about. So you'd just need to make enough money to feed Ekans, properly care for him and purchase the equipment and supplies a full-time trainer needs."
"You have a handful of free Pokécenter visits a year, so as long as you keep close track of that number and don't overtrain, that's an expense you can avoid. Feeding is something you can cut down on by letting him hunt. It's… not for the faint of heart, but it's how he'd keep himself alive as a wild pokémon in the first place and it's sure to be better for him than the generic cheap chow the Mart has on offer." Ran's father continued to reason out loud, slowly but steadily chipping away at each unspoken objection the boy was yet to give voice to.
"The stakes in low-level trainer battles aren't worth the Pokécenter visits, but you could collect apricorns for Kurt and help out at the Charcoal Kiln. If you're willing to put the work in and if you've really got the talent, you might be one of the rare cases to beat the odds." The older man finally finished speaking, looking at his son's stunned expression shrewdly.
"Unless you'd prefer moping around and going back to school when the break ends in a week?"
One week later, Ran knocked on the front door of Kurt's house, Ekans' pokéball by his side and an eager smile plastered on his face.
Working for Kurt and the Kiln was a good start to get some money coming in, with Ran's first week of labor having resulted in his first payday ever. Now that the weekend had arrived and both Kurt and the Kiln were closed, it was time for another and arguably far more important event. His budding partnership with Ekans was developing nicely, the purple poison-type not appearing to hold a grudge over its capture and in fact proving remarkably willing to listen to Ran's commands.
He'd already proven his strength in their first training session and by getting them to the sponsorship final. But, in order to take on larger jobs for Kurt and the Kiln, Ekans would need to be stronger. Plus, if he was going to become an unsponsored trainer, his starter would probably have to be strong enough to carry Ran and his team through the first few months of his journey without any major delays, to ensure there'd be enough money coming in to compensate for the increasing costs that came with a growing roster of Pokémon.
So, to help his starter get stronger, they'd headed out late on what was otherwise an unremarkable Saturday evening and headed to a secluded clearing near the southern edge of town. Not so far away from civilization as to risk the attention of wild Pokémon, but hidden away enough to realistically expect no disturbances from any curious passersby. Additionally, this place, unlike the 'official' park, unremarkable as that was, wasn't really claimed by anyone in particular, leaving Ran free to take to it with the shovel he'd dragged along from home.
It'd taken well over an hour, but he was rather proud of his work. Although Ekans' doubtful hiss, as his gaze swept over the field Ran had tirelessly prepared, was less than encouraging.
"Look, I know it's hardly a professional course or anything," Ran admitted begrudgingly, as his starter peered at him in disbelief, "But give it a chance! I did a lot of research and there's a logic behind every last bit of this, alright?"
Ekans didn't seem convinced in the least, but a slow, unthreatening wag of his tail, which Ran had quickly learned to differentiate from the far more energetic shaking that was meant to cause Ekans' trademark rattling sound, at least showed the poison-type's willingness to hear him out for now.
"Alright, first of all, I've done a lot of research on everything there is to know about your species. The whole reason why we didn't come here any earlier in the day is because you're generally nocturnal, just to give the most obvious example." Ran explained proudly, his enthusiastic explanation undeterred by Ekans' unimpressed eye roll.
"Second, Arbok generally favor physical attacks, supplementing a wide range of biting and immobilizing attacks with a number of poison-type projectile attacks. Seeing as you don't really get any natural means to increase your speed, like Quick Attack or Agility, that makes your speed and endurance hugely important. Which is honestly perfect, as speed and endurance are two things we can easily train without needing a Pokécenter to patch you up at the end of the day!" Ran continued, now properly on a roll. Ekans slowly perked up as he spoke, clearly increasingly interested in his trainer's explanation, which further emboldened him.
"So that's why I've dug those ditches and pits for you. We'll start out by having you race through the gates and I'll time you as you do so. Hopefully, over time you should get faster at it. Then, I brought this bag of tennis balls. I'll be playing the part of a ranged attacker and you need to make your way across the field to Wrap me up without getting hit," Ekans was clearly fully on board by this point, gaze turning to examine the field far more closely than before, clearly already plotting his eventual approach, which forced Ran to raise his voice slightly to ensure his starter was still listening, "Be gentle though, I'm not as tough as the pokémon you'll be fighting!"
Ekans' head bobbed up and down slowly in agreement, his agreeable body language allowing Ran to lower his voice once more as he continued.
"Finally, to finish, we'll be picking out a few trees with different trunk sizes. Small to big, you'll Wrap them up and try to squeeze right through them! There's no way we can reliably quantify that to compare it to your future progress, but it's the best thing I can think of for you to work on your core strength. Or that's the goal at least, we'll see if you can actually manage that much already, or if we need to start a bit slower and ramp up gradually." Ran finished kindly, not wanting to discourage Ekans by possibly demanding too much on their first day of real training.
The poison-type clearly took offense at the apparent doubt in his abilities however, as Ran was met with a sharp Glare. His muscles locked up instantly, only his fortunately solid footing keeping him from keeling over like a freshly felled tree.
By the time his muscles relaxed and he finally managed to look around properly once more, it was to find Ekans impatiently slithering over his feet, lithe purple form covered in dirt and splotches of mud. A brief look towards the field showed the clear signs of Ekans having raced through it at what was likely an impressive pace. Which left only one problem.
"You're going to have to go again, I didn't time you." Ran told his starter dryly, only to be met with an aggrieved though thankfully not Glare-empowered look.
"Hey, don't look at me!" Ran retorted, "You're the one that paralyzed me!"
Ekans' whole body trembled in clear agitation, but Ran merely waved him back towards the track, "Yeah well it's your own fault. Now, go again!"
"These Slowpoke are all about equal in strength. They know Tackle, Curse, Growl, Water Gun, Yawn and Confusion. You have one day to catch a pokémon, familiarize yourself with it and show up here for your first battles. Whoever wins, becomes this year's sponsored trainer."
Those words had preceded the three most frantic hours in Ran's life. Well, the most frantic hours thus far, at least. He'd taken off like a startled Zubat, jostling for position with the other five kids who'd made it to the penultimate step of the Azalea Gym Sponsorship process. But where they'd all taken off for Ilex Forest, Ran had taken off in the opposite direction, racing towards Route 33 eagerly.
He'd been forced to slow down long before getting there of course, with Route 33 being quite a bit further away than he could comfortably sprint. He assumed the others had come to similar conclusions in their own sprints towards Ilex, but with them being closer to each other, they'd likely try and overdo it just to be the first to make it to the forest and get the 'best' chance at a destined encounter.
Going towards Ilex made sense, of course. Filled with Bug types, renowned for their fast early growth and relative ease of capturing, they offered an obvious opportunity to the young trainers-to-be. But Ran had discarded that option long ago. After all, it was well-known that in Azalea Town, to get the Gym sponsorship, you'd be loaned a Slowpoke. Slow, part-Psychic Slowpoke.
Especially with weak pokémon, type (dis)advantage often proved crucial. With only one pokéball, one loaned Slowpoke and twenty four hours, Ran wasn't willing to risk it. Instead, he was headed towards the grasslands that led to Union Cave. There, most of the usually present pokémon offered better match-ups: Rattata, Pidgey and Spearow's lack of bulk, Geodude's severe weakness to water (if one wandered out from Union Cave) plus Zubat and Ekans' weakness to Confusion. All of them at a disadvantage against Ran's loaner and, just as important, barring Rattata all of them were strong against the Bug types the other three would likely be tying their fates to.
As he finally wandered into the Route properly, Ran was barely aware of his own eager grin. He'd capture his destined starter, defeat the other candidates and before the week was through, set out on the road and start his journey.
His journey, the well-deserved reward for making it through the Azalea Gym Sponsorship process. There'd been twenty of them at the start and only he, Ran Carr, would be setting out on his journey at the age of twelve without a care in the world. The others would be stuck in Azalea, trying to scrounge together enough funds to give full-time training a real shot.
Getting stopped right at the start was, unfortunately, the fate of the vast, unimpressive majority of aspiring pokémon trainers. There was a lot of money to be made as a trainer, but the start-up costs were substantial as well and for inexperienced trainers, it was very easy to run at a loss rather than a profit.
Fortunately, as Ran finally wandered off the beaten path and into the tall grass, he could soon put the depressing thoughts of those trainers who had to claw their way up without a sponsorship out of his mind, as he caught a faint rustle in the grass ahead of him. Thumbing the pokéball at his side, Slowpoke materialized in front of him just as, with a rattling sound, two yellow eyes rose up from amongst the grass.
"Perfect." Ran muttered, as the Ekans in front of him drew itself up with a threatening hiss.
"Slowpoke, use Confusion!" He cried out enthusiastically, as a feeling of rightness settled into his chest. Ekans would do perfectly.
"Ekans is unable to battle! Ran Carr is out of pokémon! Bugsy is the winner!" After those words, things became blurry for Ran. Afterwards, he'd have near-total recollection of his first twenty four hours as a pokémon trainer, but, from the moment the referee called out Bugsy's name, it was as if he only caught glimpses.
He'd caught Ekans after a tense fight, Slowpoke's trademark slowness making the fight a lot closer than it should have been, but eventually, Ran's lone pokéball had connected with Ekans and successfully captured him. He'd immediately let the snake out of his pokéball and, with eager words and the aid of the Potion he'd been given by the Gym earlier, won Ekans' trust. They'd rushed back to Azalea, turning Slowpoke in to the Pokécenter for proper treatment and getting Ekans' a quick check-up.
Part of him had worried about the time not spent training, especially when the Pokécenter Nurse had confirmed that none of the other candidates had been by yet, but the need for Ekans to be at his very best the next day had left him convinced of the necessity of a check-up. Then they'd spent long hours practicing and figuring out just what Ekans could do.
With Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite and Glare all already in Ekans' arsenal, he'd felt great about their chances. Going to sleep, despite his eagerness for the next day, had actually been a breeze, Ekans already coiled up at the foot end of his bed as if it'd always been that way.
The next morning, they'd spent a few hours drilling lightly, working hard to make sure Ekans was capable of following Ran's orders swiftly. By the time he'd returned to the Gym, Ekans in his pokéball as to not give his competitors an early edge by giving away what pokémon he'd caught prematurely, he'd been confident about his odds.
Confidence which had only increased when two of the other candidates returned without a successful capture. Then his mood had increased further when of the other three remaining competitors, one had been foolish enough to keep his new Ledyba out of its ball. Before the Gym leader had even shown up to announce the match-ups, Ran had already decided how Ekans and he would dismantle the bug.
The lots the leader had them draw had been in his favor, as they saw him meeting Ledyba and its underwhelming trainer in the first round. He'd turned his plan into reality, swiftly dismantling them, with Glare freezing the other pokémon in place long enough for Ekans to close the gap, Wrap around the other pokémon and squeeze it relentlessly into submission.
It had all been going perfectly. Ekans hadn't taken so much as a scratch and, assuming the other fight was more competitive and both trainers had already used their own allotted Potions, they'd be sailing into the final, decisive fight with the clear advantage.
But then… then it happened. Bugsy, as everyone their age had been calling the purple-haired Bug-enthusiast for years, unveiled his own first pokémon. When Ekans materialized on Ran's side of the battlefield, he faced a Scyther on Bugsy's side. Ran had frozen in disbelief for a few seconds, unable to comprehend the sight before him.
He couldn't understand how Bugsy had caught a pokémon that had its place in Conference Finals. It shouldn't be possible for someone to go out with a loaner Slowpoke for a day and come back with a Scyther, one of the premier Bug types not just in Johto, but in the world.
Yet as the shock had faded, he'd noticed the hints of battle damage on Scyther. There were a few minor marks on its carapace, one of its blades had a visible dent in it and there were traces of soot and char across its body. Whatever fight it had faced in the previous round, it had not come out entirely unscathed, unlike Ekans.
For a few moments, hope had flared up once more, as Ran called out an instant order to use Glare when the fight began. Before Ekans had even finished rearing up, however, Scyther had blurred away. They'd changed strategies, Ekans firing out Poison Sting in as wide an arc as he could manage, spraying the battlefield with salvo after salvo of tiny poisonous stingers.
Before they could land a single hit however, Scyther had reappeared, hacking away at Ekans with its blades. Ran's starter fought back valiantly, managing to wrap around Scyther's legs, immobilizing the other pokémon. But by then the damage had already been done, Ekans' last gasp attempt at Bite not connecting before pain, shock and blood loss forced the poison type into unconsciousness.
The referee ended the match and then his recollection of events became much blurrier. Only a few moments stood out: recalling Ekans, watching Bugsy accept the Gym leader's congratulations, sitting in the Pokécenter numbly despite the nurse's insistence that it'd be at least a day before Ekans would be ready to be discharged again, coming home and seeing his father's cautiously hopeful expression fall.
Ran spent the next week in a listless haze, only vaguely processing that Bugsy had set out, Scyther by his side, on the journey that should have been Ran's. Eventually, his father felt that enough time had passed to ask about Ran's failed bid for the sponsorship, which led to a conversation that finally drew Ran out of his rut.
"So you made it all the way to the final two?" His father asked, for what had to have been the third time.
"Yes," Ran affirmed dully once more, "I passed the initial test, the type simulation, the capture test and the first round of the battle test. But Bugsy caught a Scyther and wiped the floor with me."
The first time, his father had muttered in disbelief at the mention of a Scyther, but that reaction didn't rear its head again, the man instead seeming intent to keep the conversation moving.
"The Azalea Town Gym has been sponsoring a trainer every year for decades, Ran. Not once, and I mean literally not once, has anyone started out with a Scyther! Any other year, you would probably have won the whole thing!" His father insisted, irking Ran as those words only felt like needless kicks when he was already down.
"Yeah but I didn't turn twelve during any of those years, did I? I missed my only shot! What, do you think that me losing because of bad luck makes any of this any better? It doesn't!" Ran shouted, as emotions finally punched through the numb fog that'd been hanging over him for a week.
Anger firmly in the driver's seat, he continued, "I did everything right! I studied my ass off to make sure I'd pass the first tests! I made a plan, a good plan! A plan that took into account not just the capture of my starter, but everything all the way to what pokémon the others were likely to have! I did everything right! Telling me that it would have been enough any other year doesn't help me! I'm stuck here!"
His father's answer, ever the disciplinarian, was curt, "You will not raise your voice to me again. Understood?"
"Y-yes sir." Ran stuttered, his ire dying down quickly in the face of raising his father's far more potent brand.
"Good. Now, my point, as it happens, isn't that you were unlucky. It's that you've clearly got the potential to be a real trainer. One who makes a living, a real living, as a battler," His father continued, stern gaze still fixed on his son, "The sponsorship was the sure thing, the guarantee of success. But there are plenty of self-made trainers who succeed without such help, even if it is an uphill battle."
Ran hesitated, a bevy of half-formed retorts on the tip of his tongue, but he knew better than to speak out of emotion again. His father had no such compunctions, continuing to think out loud after a moment's pause.
"Money will be an issue, that's true enough, but there are ways for you to train that Ekans of yours without bankrupting us. As you're not journeying, your own necessities are something you won't have to worry about. So you'd just need to make enough money to feed Ekans, properly care for him and purchase the equipment and supplies a full-time trainer needs."
"You have a handful of free Pokécenter visits a year, so as long as you keep close track of that number and don't overtrain, that's an expense you can avoid. Feeding is something you can cut down on by letting him hunt. It's… not for the faint of heart, but it's how he'd keep himself alive as a wild pokémon in the first place and it's sure to be better for him than the generic cheap chow the Mart has on offer." Ran's father continued to reason out loud, slowly but steadily chipping away at each unspoken objection the boy was yet to give voice to.
"The stakes in low-level trainer battles aren't worth the Pokécenter visits, but you could collect apricorns for Kurt and help out at the Charcoal Kiln. If you're willing to put the work in and if you've really got the talent, you might be one of the rare cases to beat the odds." The older man finally finished speaking, looking at his son's stunned expression shrewdly.
"Unless you'd prefer moping around and going back to school when the break ends in a week?"
One week later, Ran knocked on the front door of Kurt's house, Ekans' pokéball by his side and an eager smile plastered on his face.
Working for Kurt and the Kiln was a good start to get some money coming in, with Ran's first week of labor having resulted in his first payday ever. Now that the weekend had arrived and both Kurt and the Kiln were closed, it was time for another and arguably far more important event. His budding partnership with Ekans was developing nicely, the purple poison-type not appearing to hold a grudge over its capture and in fact proving remarkably willing to listen to Ran's commands.
He'd already proven his strength in their first training session and by getting them to the sponsorship final. But, in order to take on larger jobs for Kurt and the Kiln, Ekans would need to be stronger. Plus, if he was going to become an unsponsored trainer, his starter would probably have to be strong enough to carry Ran and his team through the first few months of his journey without any major delays, to ensure there'd be enough money coming in to compensate for the increasing costs that came with a growing roster of Pokémon.
So, to help his starter get stronger, they'd headed out late on what was otherwise an unremarkable Saturday evening and headed to a secluded clearing near the southern edge of town. Not so far away from civilization as to risk the attention of wild Pokémon, but hidden away enough to realistically expect no disturbances from any curious passersby. Additionally, this place, unlike the 'official' park, unremarkable as that was, wasn't really claimed by anyone in particular, leaving Ran free to take to it with the shovel he'd dragged along from home.
It'd taken well over an hour, but he was rather proud of his work. Although Ekans' doubtful hiss, as his gaze swept over the field Ran had tirelessly prepared, was less than encouraging.
"Look, I know it's hardly a professional course or anything," Ran admitted begrudgingly, as his starter peered at him in disbelief, "But give it a chance! I did a lot of research and there's a logic behind every last bit of this, alright?"
Ekans didn't seem convinced in the least, but a slow, unthreatening wag of his tail, which Ran had quickly learned to differentiate from the far more energetic shaking that was meant to cause Ekans' trademark rattling sound, at least showed the poison-type's willingness to hear him out for now.
"Alright, first of all, I've done a lot of research on everything there is to know about your species. The whole reason why we didn't come here any earlier in the day is because you're generally nocturnal, just to give the most obvious example." Ran explained proudly, his enthusiastic explanation undeterred by Ekans' unimpressed eye roll.
"Second, Arbok generally favor physical attacks, supplementing a wide range of biting and immobilizing attacks with a number of poison-type projectile attacks. Seeing as you don't really get any natural means to increase your speed, like Quick Attack or Agility, that makes your speed and endurance hugely important. Which is honestly perfect, as speed and endurance are two things we can easily train without needing a Pokécenter to patch you up at the end of the day!" Ran continued, now properly on a roll. Ekans slowly perked up as he spoke, clearly increasingly interested in his trainer's explanation, which further emboldened him.
"So that's why I've dug those ditches and pits for you. We'll start out by having you race through the gates and I'll time you as you do so. Hopefully, over time you should get faster at it. Then, I brought this bag of tennis balls. I'll be playing the part of a ranged attacker and you need to make your way across the field to Wrap me up without getting hit," Ekans was clearly fully on board by this point, gaze turning to examine the field far more closely than before, clearly already plotting his eventual approach, which forced Ran to raise his voice slightly to ensure his starter was still listening, "Be gentle though, I'm not as tough as the pokémon you'll be fighting!"
Ekans' head bobbed up and down slowly in agreement, his agreeable body language allowing Ran to lower his voice once more as he continued.
"Finally, to finish, we'll be picking out a few trees with different trunk sizes. Small to big, you'll Wrap them up and try to squeeze right through them! There's no way we can reliably quantify that to compare it to your future progress, but it's the best thing I can think of for you to work on your core strength. Or that's the goal at least, we'll see if you can actually manage that much already, or if we need to start a bit slower and ramp up gradually." Ran finished kindly, not wanting to discourage Ekans by possibly demanding too much on their first day of real training.
The poison-type clearly took offense at the apparent doubt in his abilities however, as Ran was met with a sharp Glare. His muscles locked up instantly, only his fortunately solid footing keeping him from keeling over like a freshly felled tree.
By the time his muscles relaxed and he finally managed to look around properly once more, it was to find Ekans impatiently slithering over his feet, lithe purple form covered in dirt and splotches of mud. A brief look towards the field showed the clear signs of Ekans having raced through it at what was likely an impressive pace. Which left only one problem.
"You're going to have to go again, I didn't time you." Ran told his starter dryly, only to be met with an aggrieved though thankfully not Glare-empowered look.
"Hey, don't look at me!" Ran retorted, "You're the one that paralyzed me!"
Ekans' whole body trembled in clear agitation, but Ran merely waved him back towards the track, "Yeah well it's your own fault. Now, go again!"
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Prologue, part 2
- Location
- Belgium
Author's note: Decided to upload the prologue in bite-sized chunks on a daily basis, because the initial response has been quite warm and I'm honestly also just eager to get to uploading the proper chapters already. Once the prologue is finished, updates will return to 2 per week on Wednesday and Sunday for the foreseeable future.
"Everyone shut up, I can't hear the tv!" The Gym leader barked, his deep voice still capable of commanding a room of rowdy spectators despite his ever-advancing age. At the front of the room, the large screen on which the Indigo Plateau Conference was being shown finally became audible again.
Ran was grateful for the interruption, as just at that moment Bugsy - the childhood name having stuck to the boy and, as far as the Leagues were concerned, now his official moniker - stepped out into the arena. Had it not been for the Gym leader's interference moments before, Ran was sure the crowd noise would have become truly unbearable. Now, however, he could listen along with everyone else as the commentators discussed Bugsy's first round performance and his Bug team.
Having missed Bugsy's first round due to its timing unfortunately coinciding with an apricorn-gathering foray for Kurt, Ran listened along enviously as the commentators ran through some quick highlights of Bugsy's performance.
A lone mention of Bugsy's Scyther soon turned to needlessly effusive praise, the commentators' words picking at an old wound, but Ran assuaged those bitter feelings by letting one hand drop to the pokéball at his side. He'd still have to wait another two years, but if Bugsy could complete the Kanto circuit in a single year as a complete, although sponsored, rookie, then Ran felt good about his own odds when he finally got to apply for a Common Gym Challenge license in another two years.
Finally finished with talking up Bugsy, the commentators turned their attention to his opponent. Where they'd treated Bugsy with far too much regard for Ran's tastes, now their bias was really put on full display, as they started singing the praises of the Kanto-native and Oak-sponsored trainer facing Bugsy. There was more than one angry mutter in the room at the thinly-veiled favoritism shown by the commentators, though personally Ran found this round of praise easier to stomach than the prior one, but it was the Gym leader's disgusted hocking of a wad of spit at the ground that best summed up how almost everyone in Azalea Town felt about Kanto's superiority complex. Of course, the Gym leader had actually fought in the war, unlike everyone else in attendance, so Ran could sympathize with the man's feelings.
To Ran's great personal relief, once the fight began, the commentators didn't need to be biased in the least, as the trouncing Bugsy received at the hands of the other trainer's Charizard was one-sided to put it mildly, which Ran wasn't inclined to. So, more accurately, Bugsy got absolutely humbled.
As most of the people who'd been watching slowly started leaving the Gym's large auditorium whilst on-screen the commentators discussed some of the fight's highlights and the officials restored the field to pristine condition, Ran caught sight of Spencer Curtis, the other sponsorship applicant who fell victim to Bugsy's Scyther a year earlier. It was Spencer's Pineco who'd managed more damage to Scyther than Ekans had, though said damage had been inflicted through Self Destruct, which had put a significant dent in Ran's admiration for the other aspiring trainer's performance.
Glimpsing the pokéball by Spencer's side, Ran started making his way towards the other boy, the two only briefly having crossed paths a handful of times over the past year. Though from what Kurt had told Ran, Spencer hadn't given up on his dream of becoming a full-time trainer any more than Ran himself had.
"What's up, Spencer? Can I sit with you?" Ran asked, acknowledging the other boy's attention as it fell on him.
"Sure," The slight, bespectacled boy allowed easily enough, "I've been well. You?"
"Likewise," Ran replied with a grin, "How's that Pineco of yours doing? You reckon Bugsy would've stood a better chance today if he'd gotten one of his own?"
Spencer's face soured slightly at Ran's inquiry, which Ran took for a hopeful sign that the other boy also saw Bugsy for the lucky fluke that he was. Still, despite his clear displeasure, Spencer answered dutifully, "Seeing as he's got a fully evolved team, I assume Bugsy would have had a Forretress if he wanted one. A well-timed Self Destruct might have given him a fighting chance against that Charizard, but he's there and we're here, so I guess that means it's not up to me to judge him."
Slightly caught out by the other boy's answer, something must have shown on Ran's face, because after a moment, Spencer hurried to speak again, "Oh and Bunker is doing well, thank you for asking. How is your Ekans?"
"He's doing well too. Though I haven't named him yet, we're waiting for him to evolve before we cross that bridge." Ran replied, hoping that he sounded curious rather than judgemental.
"Fair enough, but Bunker and I agreed. Eventually, the name will fit him perfectly. For now, it's… aspirational," Spencer clarified easily enough, not at all discouraged by Ran's answer, before changing the topic, "But say, you're pretty much the only other unsponsored young trainer around here with a real shot at a meaningful journey. I've been doing some calculations to estimate things like how much starting budget I'd need and how successful I'd have to be in my first few months and years to make sure I'll be able to reach the point where full-time training becomes viable long-term. I was wondering if you've put any thought into the matter. It'd be quite useful to have someone to compare notes with."
Pleasantly surprised at the turn the conversation took, Ran eagerly confirmed, "I have, actually! Though I'm not going to school anymore, so my math might not be up to your standards, but I'd be happy to get together sometime so we can bounce ideas off of each other.
"Excellent," Spencer nodded decisively, expression and voice professional as he continued, "It'll be good to have a proper sounding board. Bunker is a great listener, but a talker, not so much."
Ran paused, caught off guard by Spencer's nonsensical comment, as only psychic-types or pokémon with at least some natural aptitude for psychic-energy were capable of 'talking' and he knew full well that the Pineco line didn't have any gifts in that direction whatsoever. As the other boy paused for a few moments, Ran wondered if he should be offended at Spencer's seeming assumption that Ran didn't know his stuff, only to be surprised again as the other boy's shoulders sagged and he slouched in place after a moment's pause.
"That was a joke." Spencer clarified with a light blush, clearly embarrassed by Ran's lack of visible amusement.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Ran apologized hurriedly, not wanting to risk his future meet-up with Spencer by offending the other boy.
Spencer shrank into himself even further, only just keeping himself from pulling the back of his blazer over his head as he whined in embarrassment, "That's even worse than just thinking it wasn't very funny."
Eager not to upset his fellow trainer, Ran tried to clarify, "You just sounded so serious that I didn't realize."
"I-It's fine," Spencer waved off his earnest clarification, as he fished out a small card from one of his blazer's pockets, "We all have our talents and humor isn't one of mine. Anyways, the next match doesn't look too interesting and, unlike some lucky people I could name, I do have school tomorrow and then I have to tutor Liz and Meg before I can even get started on anything pokémon-related, so I should really head home for the evening. Here's my card, shoot me a message and we'll figure out a time to get together and compare notes, alright?"
"Sure thing," Ran agreed happily enough, accepting the card before waving Spencer off as the other boy left the auditorium, before taking a proper look at the card in his hands. A small plasticized card greeted him. It held the other boy's ID number and his contact info and, right at the top: 'Spencer Curtis: Tutor and Aspiring Pokémon Trainer'.
Putting the card securely away for the moment, Ran looked back to the screen. Sure, it was only the second round and nearly all of the limited number of Johto-born participants had already been sent packing, but, unlike Spencer, he didn't have school tomorrow. In fact, he didn't start work until ten, when he'd be escorting the Charcoal Kiln's Farfetch'd on another woodcutting jaunt into Ilex Forest.
He settled in for another match, thoughts of the defeated Bugsy temporarily far from his mind.
"Everyone shut up, I can't hear the tv!" The Gym leader barked, his deep voice still capable of commanding a room of rowdy spectators despite his ever-advancing age. At the front of the room, the large screen on which the Indigo Plateau Conference was being shown finally became audible again.
Ran was grateful for the interruption, as just at that moment Bugsy - the childhood name having stuck to the boy and, as far as the Leagues were concerned, now his official moniker - stepped out into the arena. Had it not been for the Gym leader's interference moments before, Ran was sure the crowd noise would have become truly unbearable. Now, however, he could listen along with everyone else as the commentators discussed Bugsy's first round performance and his Bug team.
Having missed Bugsy's first round due to its timing unfortunately coinciding with an apricorn-gathering foray for Kurt, Ran listened along enviously as the commentators ran through some quick highlights of Bugsy's performance.
A lone mention of Bugsy's Scyther soon turned to needlessly effusive praise, the commentators' words picking at an old wound, but Ran assuaged those bitter feelings by letting one hand drop to the pokéball at his side. He'd still have to wait another two years, but if Bugsy could complete the Kanto circuit in a single year as a complete, although sponsored, rookie, then Ran felt good about his own odds when he finally got to apply for a Common Gym Challenge license in another two years.
Finally finished with talking up Bugsy, the commentators turned their attention to his opponent. Where they'd treated Bugsy with far too much regard for Ran's tastes, now their bias was really put on full display, as they started singing the praises of the Kanto-native and Oak-sponsored trainer facing Bugsy. There was more than one angry mutter in the room at the thinly-veiled favoritism shown by the commentators, though personally Ran found this round of praise easier to stomach than the prior one, but it was the Gym leader's disgusted hocking of a wad of spit at the ground that best summed up how almost everyone in Azalea Town felt about Kanto's superiority complex. Of course, the Gym leader had actually fought in the war, unlike everyone else in attendance, so Ran could sympathize with the man's feelings.
To Ran's great personal relief, once the fight began, the commentators didn't need to be biased in the least, as the trouncing Bugsy received at the hands of the other trainer's Charizard was one-sided to put it mildly, which Ran wasn't inclined to. So, more accurately, Bugsy got absolutely humbled.
As most of the people who'd been watching slowly started leaving the Gym's large auditorium whilst on-screen the commentators discussed some of the fight's highlights and the officials restored the field to pristine condition, Ran caught sight of Spencer Curtis, the other sponsorship applicant who fell victim to Bugsy's Scyther a year earlier. It was Spencer's Pineco who'd managed more damage to Scyther than Ekans had, though said damage had been inflicted through Self Destruct, which had put a significant dent in Ran's admiration for the other aspiring trainer's performance.
Glimpsing the pokéball by Spencer's side, Ran started making his way towards the other boy, the two only briefly having crossed paths a handful of times over the past year. Though from what Kurt had told Ran, Spencer hadn't given up on his dream of becoming a full-time trainer any more than Ran himself had.
"What's up, Spencer? Can I sit with you?" Ran asked, acknowledging the other boy's attention as it fell on him.
"Sure," The slight, bespectacled boy allowed easily enough, "I've been well. You?"
"Likewise," Ran replied with a grin, "How's that Pineco of yours doing? You reckon Bugsy would've stood a better chance today if he'd gotten one of his own?"
Spencer's face soured slightly at Ran's inquiry, which Ran took for a hopeful sign that the other boy also saw Bugsy for the lucky fluke that he was. Still, despite his clear displeasure, Spencer answered dutifully, "Seeing as he's got a fully evolved team, I assume Bugsy would have had a Forretress if he wanted one. A well-timed Self Destruct might have given him a fighting chance against that Charizard, but he's there and we're here, so I guess that means it's not up to me to judge him."
Slightly caught out by the other boy's answer, something must have shown on Ran's face, because after a moment, Spencer hurried to speak again, "Oh and Bunker is doing well, thank you for asking. How is your Ekans?"
"He's doing well too. Though I haven't named him yet, we're waiting for him to evolve before we cross that bridge." Ran replied, hoping that he sounded curious rather than judgemental.
"Fair enough, but Bunker and I agreed. Eventually, the name will fit him perfectly. For now, it's… aspirational," Spencer clarified easily enough, not at all discouraged by Ran's answer, before changing the topic, "But say, you're pretty much the only other unsponsored young trainer around here with a real shot at a meaningful journey. I've been doing some calculations to estimate things like how much starting budget I'd need and how successful I'd have to be in my first few months and years to make sure I'll be able to reach the point where full-time training becomes viable long-term. I was wondering if you've put any thought into the matter. It'd be quite useful to have someone to compare notes with."
Pleasantly surprised at the turn the conversation took, Ran eagerly confirmed, "I have, actually! Though I'm not going to school anymore, so my math might not be up to your standards, but I'd be happy to get together sometime so we can bounce ideas off of each other.
"Excellent," Spencer nodded decisively, expression and voice professional as he continued, "It'll be good to have a proper sounding board. Bunker is a great listener, but a talker, not so much."
Ran paused, caught off guard by Spencer's nonsensical comment, as only psychic-types or pokémon with at least some natural aptitude for psychic-energy were capable of 'talking' and he knew full well that the Pineco line didn't have any gifts in that direction whatsoever. As the other boy paused for a few moments, Ran wondered if he should be offended at Spencer's seeming assumption that Ran didn't know his stuff, only to be surprised again as the other boy's shoulders sagged and he slouched in place after a moment's pause.
"That was a joke." Spencer clarified with a light blush, clearly embarrassed by Ran's lack of visible amusement.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Ran apologized hurriedly, not wanting to risk his future meet-up with Spencer by offending the other boy.
Spencer shrank into himself even further, only just keeping himself from pulling the back of his blazer over his head as he whined in embarrassment, "That's even worse than just thinking it wasn't very funny."
Eager not to upset his fellow trainer, Ran tried to clarify, "You just sounded so serious that I didn't realize."
"I-It's fine," Spencer waved off his earnest clarification, as he fished out a small card from one of his blazer's pockets, "We all have our talents and humor isn't one of mine. Anyways, the next match doesn't look too interesting and, unlike some lucky people I could name, I do have school tomorrow and then I have to tutor Liz and Meg before I can even get started on anything pokémon-related, so I should really head home for the evening. Here's my card, shoot me a message and we'll figure out a time to get together and compare notes, alright?"
"Sure thing," Ran agreed happily enough, accepting the card before waving Spencer off as the other boy left the auditorium, before taking a proper look at the card in his hands. A small plasticized card greeted him. It held the other boy's ID number and his contact info and, right at the top: 'Spencer Curtis: Tutor and Aspiring Pokémon Trainer'.
Putting the card securely away for the moment, Ran looked back to the screen. Sure, it was only the second round and nearly all of the limited number of Johto-born participants had already been sent packing, but, unlike Spencer, he didn't have school tomorrow. In fact, he didn't start work until ten, when he'd be escorting the Charcoal Kiln's Farfetch'd on another woodcutting jaunt into Ilex Forest.
He settled in for another match, thoughts of the defeated Bugsy temporarily far from his mind.
Prologue, part 3
- Location
- Belgium
The next fifteen months passed slowly. Ran spent his time working for Kurt and the Charcoal Kiln on weekdays, forays into Ilex Forest and the area immediately surrounding Azalea Town slowly growing bolder, whilst spending his evenings and weekends preparing for his eventual journey. This ensured his days were always filled productively, but his rather monotonous day jobs hardly made the time pass quickly.
At least the time spent working with Ekans flew by, his starter progressing slowly but measurably over the course of their training. To keep track of said progress, Ran spent a lot of time researching, taking notes of known training methods before having to scratch most of his notes out when the reality his limited means posed, asserted itself on his ambitious flights of fancy. Still, he'd eventually worked out a decent system to measure a number of physical baselines.
Unfortunately, where progress had been both significant and consistent at first, Ekans' growth had noticeably slowed over the past months. For a moment, Ran had hoped that this might indicate an impending evolution, but although Ekans had shed twice since being captured, each time increasing noticeably in both size and weight, he showed none of the physical markers Ran's extensive notes mentioned as reliable indicators of approaching evolution.
Thus, the unappealing conclusion he'd come to was that they were reaching the limits of what their current training could amount to. With almost nine months left until he'd receive his CGC - Common Gym Challenge license - and set out on his journey, he had limited options available, outside of battling, that'd allow him to push Ekans further.
So he had run the numbers, with Spencer, who had become a valued friend and training partner on the weekends and who'd be his traveling companion in the future, double checking them just to be safe. They'd come to the conclusion that Ran's savings allowed for two distinctive solutions to the risk of stagnation.
Firstly, he had enough saved up to order a few specialized training items, such as weighted resistance bands and grip strength springs. This would likely allow Ekans to pick up right where his training had started dropping off, and guarantee he'd be well beyond what anyone would expect from an unsponsored rookie's starter when they set out in nine months. Spencer was heavily in favor of the idea, even offering to chip in on the cost of purchase, as long as he'd also get to use the acquired items once he got a Pokémon that could make better use of them than Bunker the Pineco could.
But Ran had opted for a second path, which Spencer had only grudgingly acknowledged as equally plausible. If his only current pokémon couldn't progress much further under the circumstances, Ran would just have to expand his roster, so that Ekans would have team members to train alongside and compete with.
Thanks to Kurt's generosity, Ran was in possession of both a Level Ball and a Friend Ball. This, combined with some very careful budgeting, should make it possible for him to add two new pokémon to his roster, assuming he was realistic in his goals. An Onix, for example, would bankrupt him in a matter of days.
The ensuing discussion with Spencer had been particularly heated, as they'd disagreed quite strongly on who Ran's two additions should be.
Ran had initially expected Spencer to sulk when he'd announced his intent to go for two new team members over the purchase of expensive training equipment. But Spencer hadn't even blinked, merely expressing his personal disagreement before immediately pivoting towards suggesting Slowpoke and Poliwag as the best possible options for Ran's team. The swiftness with which he'd moved on had caught Ran flat footed at first, rendering him mute long enough for Spencer to start extolling the virtues of the suggested water-type pair.
He'd argued that between Hypnosis and Yawn, they'd be the perfect additions for the initial stages of their shared journey. Additionally, with both being water-types, they'd give Ran a leg up with Gym Leader Walter, perhaps to the point that the old man might offer some training or some other form of support. It was a tempting proposition, as the backing of the Gym Leader, even if not in the form of a sponsorship, held a lot of weight. But after a moment's hesitation, Ran had held firm in his decision.
He'd firmly reminded Spencer of Ekans' poison typing, pointing out the lacking synergy between his starter and the pair of Slowpoke and Poliwag. It'd stopped Spencer's enthusiastic planning for a while, as the conversation had derailed into the merits of specializing in a type compared to building a generalist team.
Ran was firmly convinced that specializing in a single type was the better option. It was the more challenging path by far, with each type presenting distinctive weaknesses to any aspiring specialist, but for those that managed it, the reward was great. After all, it was a commonly accepted fact that a type-specialists' pokémon could eventually reach a higher skill ceiling, than those of a generalist.
Spencer disagreed firmly, stressing the benefits of a generalist approach: the easier availability of team members, the option of having a type advantage against any challenger, the lack of any opponent that could 'hard counter' your team, the speed boost offered by a dedicated 'mobility' pokémon and finally the ability to tailor build your team for the first few gyms on your journey. It was the more common path amongst rookies with good reason, as the odds of success were substantially better for those just starting out.
Neither of them disputed the other's arguments, but the value they ascribed to each argument clearly differed. Spencer strongly urged Ran to go for a generalist team, to ensure their first months would be a success, but Ran for his part was firm in his decision. When his friend finally realized that he wouldn't be swayed from specializing in a single type, Spencer returned the conversation to its earlier topic.
He once more suggested Ran capture a Poliwag and a Slowpoke, arguing that water-types offered a lot of upside and would make for a fine, versatile specialization whilst scoring him some points around town as well. Caught off guard by Spencer's insistence, Ran had merely tapped Ekans pokéball insistently, reminding his friend of his starter's existence.
The next few minutes had seen things devolve from a debate to a heated argument to an outright fight. Spencer first callously suggested that Ran merely keep Ekans around until he had five water-types, before retiring, releasing or selling the poison-type to clear a spot on his team for a sixth water-type. Ran furiously shut that avenue down, angrily insisting that he'd stick with his starter no matter what Spencer thought he could suggest.
Spencer hadn't seemed to realize just how angry his dismissiveness was making Ran, as he'd then suggested that Ran could keep Ekans around as moral support, whilst eventually having his future 'more useful' pokémon do the bulk of the work. That hadn't sat with Ran any better, as he angrily questioned how Spencer would feel if he were to speak about Bunker in the same way.
Unlike Ran however, Spencer hadn't gotten angry at all, merely shrugging before stating that in his long term plan, Bunker would serve a purpose on Spencer's eventual team as his designated Explosion-user. Ran was so baffled by Spencer's callous response, that he couldn't immediately muster a response. With Ran unresponsive, Spencer seemingly assumed that he was getting through to the other boy, as he asserted that Bunker would at least have value on his eventual conference team, unlike Ran's Ekans, who Ran would be better off dumping for a team member with more potential.
When Ran had finally mustered a response, it hadn't been a particularly well-argued one, with anger dominating his actions and muddling his recollection of the fight. All he knew for sure was that he'd ended things by storming off angrily, leaving an unapologetic Spencer behind.
They hadn't spoken for two weeks following that debacle, with Ran waiting for an apology and Spencer unwilling to offer one. This had left Ran stuck without his sounding board, but he'd soldiered on regardless, now even more firm in his decision out of sheer stubbornness if nothing else. In short order, he'd listed the poison-types he was confident he'd have access to and summed up their pros and cons.
In total, he had four realistic options, all of them present in Ilex Forest: Weedle, Spinarak, Oddish and Zubat.
Immediately, he disqualified Weedle from the running. Though Beedrill was a fierce battler, the entire line was notoriously fragile and Kakuna in particular was hellish to train. That, plus its bug-typing, reminding Ran both of Bugsy and Spencer, whom he was currently less than fond of, was more than enough for Ran to hardly spare it any thought.
Initially, purely for its bug-typing, he was inclined to eliminate Spinarak just as swiftly as Weedle. Still, doing his due diligence, he did note a few positive points down as well. Spinarak's webs offered a lot of versatility, its ability to slow down opponents offering an interesting tool none of Ran's other options could match.
Next was Oddish, one of the three grass-poison types native to Indigo. Its spores offered a great ability to apply status effects and its ability to learn the full Absorb-line of self-healing moves gave it great staying power in a fight, if utilized properly. Unfortunately, it had little actual power and was desperately slow, leaving it especially vulnerable to opportunistic flying- and fire-types.
Finally, the only choice Ran immediately locked in without giving it much of a second thought, was Zubat. The only true poison-flying type in all of Indigo, the many challenges that came with training the notoriously skittish and fragile Zubat would simply have to be surmounted. To Ran's mind, aspiring poison-specialist that he was, the sheer mobility offered by the Zubat-line, combined with the readymade answer it offered to his chosen typing's weakness to ground-types, essentially made it a must-have.
For his second slot, though Oddish initially appealed to him more than Spinarak, he eventually opted for the bug-type after all. It was a slightly negative choice, as rather than being convinced by Spinarak's positives, Ran found he simply couldn't settle for an Oddish as his grass-type. If he wanted to become a great and powerful specialist, he'd need the best of the best. Which meant he'd eventually need a Bulbasaur. It was extremely unlikely he'd actually manage that particular feat, with the Bulbasaur-line being Kanto-native, rare, protected and ludicrously expensive, but settling for an Oddish right at the start felt too much like admitting defeat.
Thus, his choices made, Ran set out into Ilex Forest late one Friday evening, Ekans by his side and two empty pokéballs on his belt.
At least the time spent working with Ekans flew by, his starter progressing slowly but measurably over the course of their training. To keep track of said progress, Ran spent a lot of time researching, taking notes of known training methods before having to scratch most of his notes out when the reality his limited means posed, asserted itself on his ambitious flights of fancy. Still, he'd eventually worked out a decent system to measure a number of physical baselines.
Unfortunately, where progress had been both significant and consistent at first, Ekans' growth had noticeably slowed over the past months. For a moment, Ran had hoped that this might indicate an impending evolution, but although Ekans had shed twice since being captured, each time increasing noticeably in both size and weight, he showed none of the physical markers Ran's extensive notes mentioned as reliable indicators of approaching evolution.
Thus, the unappealing conclusion he'd come to was that they were reaching the limits of what their current training could amount to. With almost nine months left until he'd receive his CGC - Common Gym Challenge license - and set out on his journey, he had limited options available, outside of battling, that'd allow him to push Ekans further.
So he had run the numbers, with Spencer, who had become a valued friend and training partner on the weekends and who'd be his traveling companion in the future, double checking them just to be safe. They'd come to the conclusion that Ran's savings allowed for two distinctive solutions to the risk of stagnation.
Firstly, he had enough saved up to order a few specialized training items, such as weighted resistance bands and grip strength springs. This would likely allow Ekans to pick up right where his training had started dropping off, and guarantee he'd be well beyond what anyone would expect from an unsponsored rookie's starter when they set out in nine months. Spencer was heavily in favor of the idea, even offering to chip in on the cost of purchase, as long as he'd also get to use the acquired items once he got a Pokémon that could make better use of them than Bunker the Pineco could.
But Ran had opted for a second path, which Spencer had only grudgingly acknowledged as equally plausible. If his only current pokémon couldn't progress much further under the circumstances, Ran would just have to expand his roster, so that Ekans would have team members to train alongside and compete with.
Thanks to Kurt's generosity, Ran was in possession of both a Level Ball and a Friend Ball. This, combined with some very careful budgeting, should make it possible for him to add two new pokémon to his roster, assuming he was realistic in his goals. An Onix, for example, would bankrupt him in a matter of days.
The ensuing discussion with Spencer had been particularly heated, as they'd disagreed quite strongly on who Ran's two additions should be.
Ran had initially expected Spencer to sulk when he'd announced his intent to go for two new team members over the purchase of expensive training equipment. But Spencer hadn't even blinked, merely expressing his personal disagreement before immediately pivoting towards suggesting Slowpoke and Poliwag as the best possible options for Ran's team. The swiftness with which he'd moved on had caught Ran flat footed at first, rendering him mute long enough for Spencer to start extolling the virtues of the suggested water-type pair.
He'd argued that between Hypnosis and Yawn, they'd be the perfect additions for the initial stages of their shared journey. Additionally, with both being water-types, they'd give Ran a leg up with Gym Leader Walter, perhaps to the point that the old man might offer some training or some other form of support. It was a tempting proposition, as the backing of the Gym Leader, even if not in the form of a sponsorship, held a lot of weight. But after a moment's hesitation, Ran had held firm in his decision.
He'd firmly reminded Spencer of Ekans' poison typing, pointing out the lacking synergy between his starter and the pair of Slowpoke and Poliwag. It'd stopped Spencer's enthusiastic planning for a while, as the conversation had derailed into the merits of specializing in a type compared to building a generalist team.
Ran was firmly convinced that specializing in a single type was the better option. It was the more challenging path by far, with each type presenting distinctive weaknesses to any aspiring specialist, but for those that managed it, the reward was great. After all, it was a commonly accepted fact that a type-specialists' pokémon could eventually reach a higher skill ceiling, than those of a generalist.
Spencer disagreed firmly, stressing the benefits of a generalist approach: the easier availability of team members, the option of having a type advantage against any challenger, the lack of any opponent that could 'hard counter' your team, the speed boost offered by a dedicated 'mobility' pokémon and finally the ability to tailor build your team for the first few gyms on your journey. It was the more common path amongst rookies with good reason, as the odds of success were substantially better for those just starting out.
Neither of them disputed the other's arguments, but the value they ascribed to each argument clearly differed. Spencer strongly urged Ran to go for a generalist team, to ensure their first months would be a success, but Ran for his part was firm in his decision. When his friend finally realized that he wouldn't be swayed from specializing in a single type, Spencer returned the conversation to its earlier topic.
He once more suggested Ran capture a Poliwag and a Slowpoke, arguing that water-types offered a lot of upside and would make for a fine, versatile specialization whilst scoring him some points around town as well. Caught off guard by Spencer's insistence, Ran had merely tapped Ekans pokéball insistently, reminding his friend of his starter's existence.
The next few minutes had seen things devolve from a debate to a heated argument to an outright fight. Spencer first callously suggested that Ran merely keep Ekans around until he had five water-types, before retiring, releasing or selling the poison-type to clear a spot on his team for a sixth water-type. Ran furiously shut that avenue down, angrily insisting that he'd stick with his starter no matter what Spencer thought he could suggest.
Spencer hadn't seemed to realize just how angry his dismissiveness was making Ran, as he'd then suggested that Ran could keep Ekans around as moral support, whilst eventually having his future 'more useful' pokémon do the bulk of the work. That hadn't sat with Ran any better, as he angrily questioned how Spencer would feel if he were to speak about Bunker in the same way.
Unlike Ran however, Spencer hadn't gotten angry at all, merely shrugging before stating that in his long term plan, Bunker would serve a purpose on Spencer's eventual team as his designated Explosion-user. Ran was so baffled by Spencer's callous response, that he couldn't immediately muster a response. With Ran unresponsive, Spencer seemingly assumed that he was getting through to the other boy, as he asserted that Bunker would at least have value on his eventual conference team, unlike Ran's Ekans, who Ran would be better off dumping for a team member with more potential.
When Ran had finally mustered a response, it hadn't been a particularly well-argued one, with anger dominating his actions and muddling his recollection of the fight. All he knew for sure was that he'd ended things by storming off angrily, leaving an unapologetic Spencer behind.
They hadn't spoken for two weeks following that debacle, with Ran waiting for an apology and Spencer unwilling to offer one. This had left Ran stuck without his sounding board, but he'd soldiered on regardless, now even more firm in his decision out of sheer stubbornness if nothing else. In short order, he'd listed the poison-types he was confident he'd have access to and summed up their pros and cons.
In total, he had four realistic options, all of them present in Ilex Forest: Weedle, Spinarak, Oddish and Zubat.
Immediately, he disqualified Weedle from the running. Though Beedrill was a fierce battler, the entire line was notoriously fragile and Kakuna in particular was hellish to train. That, plus its bug-typing, reminding Ran both of Bugsy and Spencer, whom he was currently less than fond of, was more than enough for Ran to hardly spare it any thought.
Initially, purely for its bug-typing, he was inclined to eliminate Spinarak just as swiftly as Weedle. Still, doing his due diligence, he did note a few positive points down as well. Spinarak's webs offered a lot of versatility, its ability to slow down opponents offering an interesting tool none of Ran's other options could match.
Next was Oddish, one of the three grass-poison types native to Indigo. Its spores offered a great ability to apply status effects and its ability to learn the full Absorb-line of self-healing moves gave it great staying power in a fight, if utilized properly. Unfortunately, it had little actual power and was desperately slow, leaving it especially vulnerable to opportunistic flying- and fire-types.
Finally, the only choice Ran immediately locked in without giving it much of a second thought, was Zubat. The only true poison-flying type in all of Indigo, the many challenges that came with training the notoriously skittish and fragile Zubat would simply have to be surmounted. To Ran's mind, aspiring poison-specialist that he was, the sheer mobility offered by the Zubat-line, combined with the readymade answer it offered to his chosen typing's weakness to ground-types, essentially made it a must-have.
For his second slot, though Oddish initially appealed to him more than Spinarak, he eventually opted for the bug-type after all. It was a slightly negative choice, as rather than being convinced by Spinarak's positives, Ran found he simply couldn't settle for an Oddish as his grass-type. If he wanted to become a great and powerful specialist, he'd need the best of the best. Which meant he'd eventually need a Bulbasaur. It was extremely unlikely he'd actually manage that particular feat, with the Bulbasaur-line being Kanto-native, rare, protected and ludicrously expensive, but settling for an Oddish right at the start felt too much like admitting defeat.
Thus, his choices made, Ran set out into Ilex Forest late one Friday evening, Ekans by his side and two empty pokéballs on his belt.
Prologue, part 4
- Location
- Belgium
When Ran eventually stumbled back into town half a week later, covered in dirt and debris and with a slight limp, his small prideful smile seemed awfully out of place. To his father however, the two new pokéballs on his son's belt were all the explanation he needed. From Spencer, who Ran encountered on his way home, they drew a dismissive scoff.
Ran didn't let that response dampen his mood however, focusing instead on dropping off his two new acquisitions and Ekans at the Pokécenter, cleaning himself up, getting a warm meal in his stomach and briefing his father on his eventful excursion into Ilex Forest. Though by no means an easy or pleasant trip, he'd managed to capture both his intended targets and that was all he could really have asked for.
The anticipation of working with his new team members for the first time left Ran thrumming with energy for the remainder of the afternoon. Though a nap would have been great after the tiring few days he'd had, he simply couldn't seem to fall asleep, instead anxiously looking at the clock every few minutes as he waited for evening to come, when he'd be able to go and retrieve his pokémon from the Pokécenter and finally get to training.
His father was kind enough to distract him by putting him to work around the house, as Ran worked through the dishes in short order before putting together dinner for them both. Eventually however, the clock finally struck seven, at which point he stormed out the door in a flash. Collecting his pokémon from Nurse Joy was short work, even if it was painful to use his ID to use up one of his limited free Pokécenter visits.
Still, as he finally made his way back to his unofficial training ground, any worries about future Pokécenter visits disappeared from his mind as he devoted his full attention to his planned training session. To start, he brought out Ekans, his starter having been the one to beat both Spinarak and Zubat down to the point where Ran had felt absolutely confident about using his limited pokéballs to capture them.
The purple poison-type appeared on the field easily, letting out a pleased hiss as he recognized the by now very familiar surroundings. His tongue flickered out to taste the air as he turned his eager yellow gaze towards Ran.
"We'll be getting started on training our new teammates today, Ekans," Ran announced proudly, "I'd like you to my right, as a reminder that they lost to us fair and square. I'll do the talking. Try to be a bit welcoming, so no intimidating them right out of the gate, alright?"
Ekans' head drooped slightly, as he let out a low, sulking hiss, before accepting his trainer's words and gliding over to settle in place by Ran's right side. Briefly, Ran offered a gentle scratch of Ekans' scales, right where the skull transitioned to the vertebrae. Ekans' raised his head slightly to meet his trainers trailing fingers, a pleased hiss plenty of confirmation for Ran to know that his starter wasn't actually upset with him for having to be nice to his earlier opponents.
"Alright, we'll do this in order. Spinarak first." Ran announced, hand falling to the Level Ball on his belt before he let his second pokémon appear on the field in front of him.
The Spinarak he'd caught was a largely unremarkable specimen of its kind at first glance. It had the typical green body and yellow legs, with black accents present on both. Her white horn was perhaps a bit on the smaller side, but Ran thought that was more than compensated for by the slight purple sheen to her otherwise red mandibles, which was surely a sign of her potent natural poison.
She'd been a tricky capture, as Ran had walked right past the small hole at the foot of the tree she'd been hiding under. Fortunately, Ekans had been more alert, his sharp senses noticing her presence where Ran hadn't. Once Spinarak realized her hiding place had been found however, she'd fired off a massive String Shot, which had caught Ekans head on. It'd slowed Ran's starter down massively and would have allowed her to escape, as the green arachnid pokémon charged off deeper into the forest ahead of both trainer and starter.
Ordinarily, Ran might've simply let her flee to seek out another Spinarak, but the briefest glimpse of that purple sheen on her mandibles had been enough to draw Ran's interest. Thus, he'd raced right after her, briefly recalling Ekans to free him from the String Shot before releasing him once more. Against a faster target, that might not have been enough to keep up.
Spinarak however, for all her short burst speed, hardly had the greatest top speed, allowing them to catch up to her and confront her in a battle. It had shortly become apparent that for all the utility of her String Shot, she lacked any real ability to stave off Ekans' attacks. Her two main attacks were Absorb and Poison Sting, neither of which troubled Ekans all that much, allowing him to Wrap her up and Glare her into a state where she'd been utterly incapable of resisting Ran's Level Ball.
Now, as she materialized in front of him, Ran immediately noticed just how uneasy she appeared, as she immediately looked around wildly to check just where she'd been brought out. Only after a few seconds of frantic searching revealed no threats, did her gaze briefly lock onto Ran's before lowering to his chest rather than continue eye contact.
"Hi, Spinarak." Ran greeted her gently, as he slowly lowered himself into a crouch, descending to the ground to make himself seem less threatening. Next to him, Ekans offered a single wag of his tail, the solitary rattle intended as a greeting, rather than a threat.
From the way Spinarak flinched, however, it was clear that Ekans' intent hadn't been received correctly.
"You don't need to be afraid," Ran clarified gently, keeping his voice low and soothing, "I captured you to make you a part of my team. We're not going to fight you or attack you anymore, alright?"
For a few seconds, Spinarak didn't outwardly react. Finally, however, her gaze slowly shifted upwards as she finally made eye contact with Ran again. For a brief moment, she seemed to be assessing him. Finally, her small figure sagged slightly, tension visibly leaving her. Still, she didn't maintain eye contact, as her attention instead shifted slightly to Ran's right, a foot or two above Ekans' head.
Unwilling to proceed directly to the training he'd planned due to Spinarak's avoidant behavior, Ran hesitantly dug around in his backpack as he sought after the treats he'd originally intended for the end of the day. After a brief search, his fingers grazed the distinctive texture of the small box he was looking for.
"Normally," He said next, as he brought out the small variety-flavor box of pokétreats, "we'll come here to train. When you do a good job, at the end of the training there might be a treat for you. Because we've only just met though, just this once, you'll get your treat early. I'll put out a few options, you can pick the one you like best. Just one though, these need to last us a while and the others will want some later as well."
Spinarak didn't immediately give any outward sign of acknowledgement at Ran's words. When he opened the box and its many distinctive smells came drifting out however, she visibly perked up, attention shifting to the trio of treats Ran fished out and extended towards her.
She shifted in place, clearly intrigued by Ran's offer, but seemingly unwilling to approach him directly. Initially, Ran wanted to hold onto the treats and force Spinarak to approach him, but as he slowly watched her grow tenser once more, he started to feel guilty. He didn't want his new team member to feel forced into anything she wasn't comfortable with. That'd make for a poor start to their relationship.
So, he slowly laid the three treats out in front of him, spaced a foot or so apart from each other, before taking a small step back. Ekans and he were still close enough to the treats where Spinarak would effectively be entering their 'attacking' range, but she wouldn't have to actually eat the golf ball sized candy directly out of his hand.
It was apparently enough of a concession for Spinarak, as she slowly scuttled forwards, briefly examining the three candies before settling on the leftmost one. Ran briefly made a note that she initially seemed to favor the purplish-blue treats, for future reference, before slowly picking up the other two treats once more.
Spinarak visibly tensed up for a moment as he came closer to pick up the other two treats again, but she didn't actively recoil or retreat, which Ran considered enough of a victory for now. He ignored Ekans' attempt to gain early access to his own treat for the day, as his starter butted up against his knee hopefully.
With his first new capture seemingly calmed down for now, Ran took a few paces away from the slowly snacking Spinarak, before fingering the Friend Ball on the other side of his belt.
"Ekans, just do the same as before. No, actually, get behind me for a second. Spinarak, just enjoy your snack and don't be scared alright, I'm releasing Zubat, our other new team member." Ran announced, pausing to glare at Ekans when his starter didn't immediately move to obey. Further behind the pair of them, Spinarak froze for a second, before seemingly deciding to trust Ran as she continued to consume her treat. At least she seemed quite happy with her choice.
After a brief staredown, Ekans begrudgingly backed down, letting out a few annoyed low hisses in his unique version of grumbling as he did so. Ran understood his starter's attitude to a degree, as Zubat had been significantly more aggressive than Spinarak when they'd encountered him.
Unlike Spinarak, who'd been entirely focused on escape when Ran and Ekans had stumbled upon her, Zubat had actively engaged them in a fight when they'd wandered too close to the tree it'd been resting in. Of course, though its Supersonic had proven annoying, its attempted Absorb had brought it close enough for Ekans to shoot forwards and Wrap it up. The small poison-flying-type had struggled fiercely, but eventually been choked into near-unconsciousness, at which point Ran had easily captured him.
Because of its combative response, Ran understood Ekans' unwillingness to get into a position from which he couldn't easily defend his trainer, but he didn't want to risk a scenario where Ekans' presence might provoke Zubat into aggression. With the Friend Ball involved, which he'd originally intended as a partial countermeasure to most Zubats' natural skittishness, he was hopeful that his newest team member wouldn't be immediately hostile.
After another brief glare at Ekans, to make sure that his starter would remain behind him, which said starter accepted with a final sulky hiss, Ran turned forwards and aimed the Friend Ball in front of him. With a click of the button, the ball opened and out came the typical red energy which soon materialized into the flying form of Zubat, his dark blue body covered in a significant number of thin, slightly darker blue scars.
Unlike Spinarak, Zubat didn't appear skittish at all, mouth briefly opening in a clear moment of echolocation before his attention was firmly focused on Ran.
"Hello Zubat," Ran greeted confidently, "I assume you remember your capture. Welcome to our training ground."
Zubat paused for a moment, before slowly turning in place, using his echolocation to get a better idea of his surroundings. When he'd finished his rotation, otherwise remaining unexpressive, Ran continued to speak.
"This is where, for the next eight months or so, I'll be training you, Spinarak and my starter, Ekans, to be ready for competitive battling. Then, we'll be setting out to take on the Gym Challenge. My goal is to become a professional trainer who specializes in poison-types. For your part, you'll get a lot stronger and you'll eventually become a Crobat." Ran explained confidently, optimistic that Zubat's scarring and earlier behavior indicated a strong fighting spirit.
From the way his proportionally large ears pricked up, Ran seemed to have struck the nail on its head. After a moment, he felt confident enough to gesture Ekans out from behind him, allowing his starter to draw up next to him once more. When Ekans did just that, Zubat's head shook for just a moment, presenting his fangs in a threat display for just a moment, before he seemed to ease up once more.
Pleased at the smooth introduction, Ran felt comfortable finally getting things underway.
"Alright team!" He called out enthusiastically, loud enough to draw Spinarak's attention from where she'd just been cleaning up the last bit of her treat, "Ekans, you can get started on your own, race through the course a few times, then go to work on that big tree over there and try to squeeze through it."
His starter offered a single affirming hiss, before gliding away to execute his orders, giving Ran an opportunity to focus on his two new acquisitions. Glancing from Spinarak to Zubat as he spoke, he opted not to get started on acquiring baseline stats for them just yet, postponing that somewhat monotonous task until the next day. Instead, he had an idea for an interesting cooperative exercise that might also help Zubat in particular see the benefits of Ran's training sooner.
"Zubat, there's a number of flags spread out around the obstacle course. I want you to fly through the course as fast as you can, all the way to the back and then back to the front again, in reverse order. Tomorrow, I'll be timing you as you do so. For today, just to make sure it isn't too easy, Spinarak will be using her String Shot to try and slow you down or trap you. Spinarak, you win if you manage to trap Zubat or if you manage to force him out of the course. Zubat, you win if you make it all the way through without too much delay, alright?" Ran explained eagerly, already perfectly able to picture the upcoming exercise.
Zubat let out an approving cry, clearly enthusiastic at the upcoming challenge. Spinarak for her part seemed significantly less confident, but Ran wasn't discouraged. As Zubat flew over towards the starting point, he merely crouched down and slowly extended a hand towards Spinarak, making sure to keep his palm aimed upwards.
"Don't worry too much, alright? I know you've got good aim, you already proved that. I won't be upset if you have a hard time and I'm sure that Zubat won't mind if you do a good job either. If anything, that'll just drive him to try harder next time. Just do your best, that's all I ask." He encouraged her gently, slowly reaching out as he did so.
Though Spinarak tensed slightly as his hand approached, she didn't withdraw or visibly threaten Ran in any way. Seeing this as permission to proceed, he gently reached out and ran his hand comfortingly down the top of her lower body once. When Spinarak relaxed once he withdrew his hand fully, Ran stood up once more.
"Alright, are you both ready?" He asked, as in the background Ekans slithered over to his designated tree, already finished running the course whilst Ran was still getting his other two team members ready to begin.
Receiving affirming sounds from both Zubat, loudly, and Spinarak, softly, he counted them down.
"3…2…1…Go!"
Author's Note: How do you feel about Ran's choices up to this point? Ekans, Spinarak and Zubat as a starting three is definitely a decision with a fair share of both pros and cons. In the next part, we round out the prologue, skipping ahead to the final year and months before Ran gets to apply for his Common Gym Challenge license. Oh, and Ran isn't the only one with team expansion on the mind...
Ran didn't let that response dampen his mood however, focusing instead on dropping off his two new acquisitions and Ekans at the Pokécenter, cleaning himself up, getting a warm meal in his stomach and briefing his father on his eventful excursion into Ilex Forest. Though by no means an easy or pleasant trip, he'd managed to capture both his intended targets and that was all he could really have asked for.
The anticipation of working with his new team members for the first time left Ran thrumming with energy for the remainder of the afternoon. Though a nap would have been great after the tiring few days he'd had, he simply couldn't seem to fall asleep, instead anxiously looking at the clock every few minutes as he waited for evening to come, when he'd be able to go and retrieve his pokémon from the Pokécenter and finally get to training.
His father was kind enough to distract him by putting him to work around the house, as Ran worked through the dishes in short order before putting together dinner for them both. Eventually however, the clock finally struck seven, at which point he stormed out the door in a flash. Collecting his pokémon from Nurse Joy was short work, even if it was painful to use his ID to use up one of his limited free Pokécenter visits.
Still, as he finally made his way back to his unofficial training ground, any worries about future Pokécenter visits disappeared from his mind as he devoted his full attention to his planned training session. To start, he brought out Ekans, his starter having been the one to beat both Spinarak and Zubat down to the point where Ran had felt absolutely confident about using his limited pokéballs to capture them.
The purple poison-type appeared on the field easily, letting out a pleased hiss as he recognized the by now very familiar surroundings. His tongue flickered out to taste the air as he turned his eager yellow gaze towards Ran.
"We'll be getting started on training our new teammates today, Ekans," Ran announced proudly, "I'd like you to my right, as a reminder that they lost to us fair and square. I'll do the talking. Try to be a bit welcoming, so no intimidating them right out of the gate, alright?"
Ekans' head drooped slightly, as he let out a low, sulking hiss, before accepting his trainer's words and gliding over to settle in place by Ran's right side. Briefly, Ran offered a gentle scratch of Ekans' scales, right where the skull transitioned to the vertebrae. Ekans' raised his head slightly to meet his trainers trailing fingers, a pleased hiss plenty of confirmation for Ran to know that his starter wasn't actually upset with him for having to be nice to his earlier opponents.
"Alright, we'll do this in order. Spinarak first." Ran announced, hand falling to the Level Ball on his belt before he let his second pokémon appear on the field in front of him.
The Spinarak he'd caught was a largely unremarkable specimen of its kind at first glance. It had the typical green body and yellow legs, with black accents present on both. Her white horn was perhaps a bit on the smaller side, but Ran thought that was more than compensated for by the slight purple sheen to her otherwise red mandibles, which was surely a sign of her potent natural poison.
She'd been a tricky capture, as Ran had walked right past the small hole at the foot of the tree she'd been hiding under. Fortunately, Ekans had been more alert, his sharp senses noticing her presence where Ran hadn't. Once Spinarak realized her hiding place had been found however, she'd fired off a massive String Shot, which had caught Ekans head on. It'd slowed Ran's starter down massively and would have allowed her to escape, as the green arachnid pokémon charged off deeper into the forest ahead of both trainer and starter.
Ordinarily, Ran might've simply let her flee to seek out another Spinarak, but the briefest glimpse of that purple sheen on her mandibles had been enough to draw Ran's interest. Thus, he'd raced right after her, briefly recalling Ekans to free him from the String Shot before releasing him once more. Against a faster target, that might not have been enough to keep up.
Spinarak however, for all her short burst speed, hardly had the greatest top speed, allowing them to catch up to her and confront her in a battle. It had shortly become apparent that for all the utility of her String Shot, she lacked any real ability to stave off Ekans' attacks. Her two main attacks were Absorb and Poison Sting, neither of which troubled Ekans all that much, allowing him to Wrap her up and Glare her into a state where she'd been utterly incapable of resisting Ran's Level Ball.
Now, as she materialized in front of him, Ran immediately noticed just how uneasy she appeared, as she immediately looked around wildly to check just where she'd been brought out. Only after a few seconds of frantic searching revealed no threats, did her gaze briefly lock onto Ran's before lowering to his chest rather than continue eye contact.
"Hi, Spinarak." Ran greeted her gently, as he slowly lowered himself into a crouch, descending to the ground to make himself seem less threatening. Next to him, Ekans offered a single wag of his tail, the solitary rattle intended as a greeting, rather than a threat.
From the way Spinarak flinched, however, it was clear that Ekans' intent hadn't been received correctly.
"You don't need to be afraid," Ran clarified gently, keeping his voice low and soothing, "I captured you to make you a part of my team. We're not going to fight you or attack you anymore, alright?"
For a few seconds, Spinarak didn't outwardly react. Finally, however, her gaze slowly shifted upwards as she finally made eye contact with Ran again. For a brief moment, she seemed to be assessing him. Finally, her small figure sagged slightly, tension visibly leaving her. Still, she didn't maintain eye contact, as her attention instead shifted slightly to Ran's right, a foot or two above Ekans' head.
Unwilling to proceed directly to the training he'd planned due to Spinarak's avoidant behavior, Ran hesitantly dug around in his backpack as he sought after the treats he'd originally intended for the end of the day. After a brief search, his fingers grazed the distinctive texture of the small box he was looking for.
"Normally," He said next, as he brought out the small variety-flavor box of pokétreats, "we'll come here to train. When you do a good job, at the end of the training there might be a treat for you. Because we've only just met though, just this once, you'll get your treat early. I'll put out a few options, you can pick the one you like best. Just one though, these need to last us a while and the others will want some later as well."
Spinarak didn't immediately give any outward sign of acknowledgement at Ran's words. When he opened the box and its many distinctive smells came drifting out however, she visibly perked up, attention shifting to the trio of treats Ran fished out and extended towards her.
She shifted in place, clearly intrigued by Ran's offer, but seemingly unwilling to approach him directly. Initially, Ran wanted to hold onto the treats and force Spinarak to approach him, but as he slowly watched her grow tenser once more, he started to feel guilty. He didn't want his new team member to feel forced into anything she wasn't comfortable with. That'd make for a poor start to their relationship.
So, he slowly laid the three treats out in front of him, spaced a foot or so apart from each other, before taking a small step back. Ekans and he were still close enough to the treats where Spinarak would effectively be entering their 'attacking' range, but she wouldn't have to actually eat the golf ball sized candy directly out of his hand.
It was apparently enough of a concession for Spinarak, as she slowly scuttled forwards, briefly examining the three candies before settling on the leftmost one. Ran briefly made a note that she initially seemed to favor the purplish-blue treats, for future reference, before slowly picking up the other two treats once more.
Spinarak visibly tensed up for a moment as he came closer to pick up the other two treats again, but she didn't actively recoil or retreat, which Ran considered enough of a victory for now. He ignored Ekans' attempt to gain early access to his own treat for the day, as his starter butted up against his knee hopefully.
With his first new capture seemingly calmed down for now, Ran took a few paces away from the slowly snacking Spinarak, before fingering the Friend Ball on the other side of his belt.
"Ekans, just do the same as before. No, actually, get behind me for a second. Spinarak, just enjoy your snack and don't be scared alright, I'm releasing Zubat, our other new team member." Ran announced, pausing to glare at Ekans when his starter didn't immediately move to obey. Further behind the pair of them, Spinarak froze for a second, before seemingly deciding to trust Ran as she continued to consume her treat. At least she seemed quite happy with her choice.
After a brief staredown, Ekans begrudgingly backed down, letting out a few annoyed low hisses in his unique version of grumbling as he did so. Ran understood his starter's attitude to a degree, as Zubat had been significantly more aggressive than Spinarak when they'd encountered him.
Unlike Spinarak, who'd been entirely focused on escape when Ran and Ekans had stumbled upon her, Zubat had actively engaged them in a fight when they'd wandered too close to the tree it'd been resting in. Of course, though its Supersonic had proven annoying, its attempted Absorb had brought it close enough for Ekans to shoot forwards and Wrap it up. The small poison-flying-type had struggled fiercely, but eventually been choked into near-unconsciousness, at which point Ran had easily captured him.
Because of its combative response, Ran understood Ekans' unwillingness to get into a position from which he couldn't easily defend his trainer, but he didn't want to risk a scenario where Ekans' presence might provoke Zubat into aggression. With the Friend Ball involved, which he'd originally intended as a partial countermeasure to most Zubats' natural skittishness, he was hopeful that his newest team member wouldn't be immediately hostile.
After another brief glare at Ekans, to make sure that his starter would remain behind him, which said starter accepted with a final sulky hiss, Ran turned forwards and aimed the Friend Ball in front of him. With a click of the button, the ball opened and out came the typical red energy which soon materialized into the flying form of Zubat, his dark blue body covered in a significant number of thin, slightly darker blue scars.
Unlike Spinarak, Zubat didn't appear skittish at all, mouth briefly opening in a clear moment of echolocation before his attention was firmly focused on Ran.
"Hello Zubat," Ran greeted confidently, "I assume you remember your capture. Welcome to our training ground."
Zubat paused for a moment, before slowly turning in place, using his echolocation to get a better idea of his surroundings. When he'd finished his rotation, otherwise remaining unexpressive, Ran continued to speak.
"This is where, for the next eight months or so, I'll be training you, Spinarak and my starter, Ekans, to be ready for competitive battling. Then, we'll be setting out to take on the Gym Challenge. My goal is to become a professional trainer who specializes in poison-types. For your part, you'll get a lot stronger and you'll eventually become a Crobat." Ran explained confidently, optimistic that Zubat's scarring and earlier behavior indicated a strong fighting spirit.
From the way his proportionally large ears pricked up, Ran seemed to have struck the nail on its head. After a moment, he felt confident enough to gesture Ekans out from behind him, allowing his starter to draw up next to him once more. When Ekans did just that, Zubat's head shook for just a moment, presenting his fangs in a threat display for just a moment, before he seemed to ease up once more.
Pleased at the smooth introduction, Ran felt comfortable finally getting things underway.
"Alright team!" He called out enthusiastically, loud enough to draw Spinarak's attention from where she'd just been cleaning up the last bit of her treat, "Ekans, you can get started on your own, race through the course a few times, then go to work on that big tree over there and try to squeeze through it."
His starter offered a single affirming hiss, before gliding away to execute his orders, giving Ran an opportunity to focus on his two new acquisitions. Glancing from Spinarak to Zubat as he spoke, he opted not to get started on acquiring baseline stats for them just yet, postponing that somewhat monotonous task until the next day. Instead, he had an idea for an interesting cooperative exercise that might also help Zubat in particular see the benefits of Ran's training sooner.
"Zubat, there's a number of flags spread out around the obstacle course. I want you to fly through the course as fast as you can, all the way to the back and then back to the front again, in reverse order. Tomorrow, I'll be timing you as you do so. For today, just to make sure it isn't too easy, Spinarak will be using her String Shot to try and slow you down or trap you. Spinarak, you win if you manage to trap Zubat or if you manage to force him out of the course. Zubat, you win if you make it all the way through without too much delay, alright?" Ran explained eagerly, already perfectly able to picture the upcoming exercise.
Zubat let out an approving cry, clearly enthusiastic at the upcoming challenge. Spinarak for her part seemed significantly less confident, but Ran wasn't discouraged. As Zubat flew over towards the starting point, he merely crouched down and slowly extended a hand towards Spinarak, making sure to keep his palm aimed upwards.
"Don't worry too much, alright? I know you've got good aim, you already proved that. I won't be upset if you have a hard time and I'm sure that Zubat won't mind if you do a good job either. If anything, that'll just drive him to try harder next time. Just do your best, that's all I ask." He encouraged her gently, slowly reaching out as he did so.
Though Spinarak tensed slightly as his hand approached, she didn't withdraw or visibly threaten Ran in any way. Seeing this as permission to proceed, he gently reached out and ran his hand comfortingly down the top of her lower body once. When Spinarak relaxed once he withdrew his hand fully, Ran stood up once more.
"Alright, are you both ready?" He asked, as in the background Ekans slithered over to his designated tree, already finished running the course whilst Ran was still getting his other two team members ready to begin.
Receiving affirming sounds from both Zubat, loudly, and Spinarak, softly, he counted them down.
"3…2…1…Go!"
Author's Note: How do you feel about Ran's choices up to this point? Ekans, Spinarak and Zubat as a starting three is definitely a decision with a fair share of both pros and cons. In the next part, we round out the prologue, skipping ahead to the final year and months before Ran gets to apply for his Common Gym Challenge license. Oh, and Ran isn't the only one with team expansion on the mind...
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Prologue, part 5
- Location
- Belgium
The next eight months passed faster than ever before, as Ran worked hard to integrate both Spinarak and Zubat into his team. Compared to Ekans, it felt like it took the new pair longer to grow truly comfortable with Ran as their trainer, but eventually they seemed to find their feet (or wings, in Zubat's case) as trainer pokémon.
Spinarak remained a gentle, timid pokémon, but where she initially seemed to retreat from everyone and everything, more and more she sought Ran out for shelter or comfort. Whenever she was out of her ball and not actively training or otherwise occupied, she tended to look for any form of narrow space that could function as a temporary burrow, whilst remaining as close to her trainer as possible.
Zubat didn't show the same inclination towards physical proximity as either of Ran's other two pokémon, instead remaining a solitary sort. But, where initially he'd stake out a roost and get rattled even if Ran himself approached it, he too eased up over time. Though he continued to seek out resting spaces just a bit apart from the rest of the team, it wasn't lost on Ran that Zubat's chosen resting spaces gradually changed from simple solitary high points as far from the rest of the team as he could get away with, to natural vantage points which gave him a decent position to watch over the whole of the team, whilst remaining slightly isolated.
Aside from gradually discovering more details about his new team members' personalities, habits and preferences, Ran's focus was predominantly on rapidly pushing them to get stronger and stronger. For Spinarak, he did so by predominantly focusing on her ability to pull off the moves String Shot and Scary Face with speed and efficiency. As a relatively limited pokémon until she evolved into Ariados, Ran's first focus was getting her to a point where she could reliably slow her opponent down enough to give her a fighting chance. Alternatively, Ran figured she could be used to slow down a strong opponent before getting switched out for either Ekans or Zubat.
With Zubat, Ran took a different approach, focusing the vast majority of his training on his speed and maneuverability. One day, Zubat would become the noted speedster Crobat. Ran's theory was that any and all speed increases they managed now, whilst Zubat was still in his base evolutionary form, would carry over to an exponential degree upon evolution. Additionally, with Zubat's limited raw power, similarly to Spinarak, Ran wanted the poison-flying-type capable of outspeeding his opponents to such a degree that he'd be able to overcome his relative fragility and limited damage potential.
There wouldn't be any training today however, as Ran was finally in the Gym's auditorium once more, watching Bugsy on the big screen for the first time in two years, after the other boy's seeming absence from the Kanto and Johto circuits the previous year. A lot had changed since then, both on the screen, and off it. On the screen, Bugsy exuded a quiet and unfortunately seemingly well-earned confidence that had been missing two years ago, when he flamed out in the second round of the Indigo League Conference in humiliating fashion. He wasn't being watched by a large crowd in the Azalea Gym auditorium just yet, with this still being the early rounds of the Silver Conference, but it seemed clear to Ran at least that Bugsy's run this year would be a deeper one than his rookie debut two years ago.
Despite his dislike for the boy on screen, Ran still managed to greet Spencer - who'd ultimately apologized for his behavior - enthusiastically, as the other boy slid into the seat to Ran's right mere moments before Bugsy's match was due to begin. Ran's eyes were immediately drawn to the vibrant Fast Ball at his friend's side, that particular addition a very recent one indeed.
"So Scyther finally got a clean bill of health then?" Ran asked with a grin, thinking back to the great scheme Spencer had received his help in just two weeks before. Between Zubat's Supersonic, Spinarak's String Shot and Ekans' Glare, he'd provided Spencer with the perfect circumstances in which Pineco could defeat a Scyther. Spencer and his starter had delivered from there. That intermittently tracking and then trapping a Scyther had taken the pair the better part of six months wasn't quite as enjoyable as the outcome, but Ran was quite confident that now that they'd both gotten over the hump of establishing a proper core to their rosters - even if Spencer had recently started indicating that he might well end up pivoting to a specialty after all, even if that might mean eventually dropping both his current team members - neither Spencer nor he would ever have quite so much trouble capturing a pokémon ever again.
"He did!" Spencer agreed enthusiastically, before lowering his voice when the angry eye of Gym Leader Walter slid their way at the noise, as Bugsy's match began in earnest, "I already got him out of his ball and I explained everything. He's still pretty angry about how I captured him, I think, but he seemed willing to give me a chance, at least."
"Great, so the plan is still on, then?" Ran asked, wanting to double-check, now that he was finally only mere weeks away from truly setting out, that the plan his companion and he had intermittently formed over the past two years was still on.
"Yes. We get our CGCs and immediately challenge the old man at a first badge level. Using our strong and well-trained teams, we beat him on our first tries, which gets us his and thus the town's blessing to set out. We'll be on the road before the end of the first week, Badge winnings added to our budgets, which'll give us a few months' worth of buffer. That should be enough to find ways to make more money and once we're running at a net positive, we'll be real professional trainers." Spencer summarized immediately, ignoring Ran's slight smile.
"I'm aware, Spencer, I didn't need the summary, just wanted to be sure we were still on track. Pineco should be enough to win you your first badge on his own regardless, but we'd never really accounted for the possibility that Scyther wouldn't be obedient by the time we get to our challenges." Ran replied, clarifying his reasoning as in the background the crowd cheered as Bugsy's Pinsir took down his opponent's second pokémon, whilst Bugsy still had all three of his options to choose from.
Spencer faltered, awkwardness rearing its head again for a moment, "Ah- Right."
Ran merely waved him off, "Don't worry about it. It's because we're both actually serious about this that we'll be traveling together in the first place. Did you hear that Tommy finally gave up? With CGC-applications coming up, he's finally realized that he doesn't have anywhere near enough money saved up to set out."
"I predicted as much two years ago, when you first floated the idea of including him in our plans," Spencer reminded him, "His Ledyba isn't bad, but low-level trainer fights don't pay nearly enough to justify the expenses without another source of income and of the fights he had with actual stakes, I never heard about him winning even one of those."
"You did," Ran admitted easily enough, "I just assumed that, as he's held on to his approach for so long, he'd at least set out on his journey in a few weeks, even if he was going to have to return with debts after a month or so."
"Oh, look, Bugsy's won. Good for him," Spencer changed the topic momentarily, both boys insincerely joining the crowd's applause as, on the big screen, Bugsy finished bowing to the crowds in the Silver Conference stadium, "Anyways, Tommy doesn't matter. We should be paying attention to the Conference. If we're planning to participate next year, we'll likely be crossing paths with some of these people. You remember that Whitney-"
"Won the Conference a few years ago and is now Goldenrod's Gym leader, meaning she'll be our second badge challenge. Yes, Spencer, I'm aware of your great love's many accomplishments." Ran cut his friend off with a tired sigh, as he monotonously gave a summary of the countless occasions on which the other boy raved about the pretty Gym leader in the big city.
As always, Spencer immediately flushed and started defending his honor, the by now largely empty auditorium - the already limited audience for Bugsy's match further decreased by a general lack of interest in the early rounds - livened up by the boy's heated rebuttal for the next few minutes.
A few nights later, the auditorium was dominated by a very different atmosphere, the room filled to bursting, the seats so filled with eager viewers as to overflow into the aisles. All the way on the first row, which incidentally was the only row that was merely filled normally rather than uncomfortably, the aged Gym leader and his guests of honor watched intently as, on-screen, Bugsy faced his Final Four opponent.
Night after night, Ran had watched the auditorium steadily draw more and more spectators. It was unusual to see the auditorium draw such a crowd, as Azalea Town didn't have the proudest trainer culture. In fact, the last time a local even made it to the Silver Conference's Top Eight was almost a decade ago, the gym-sponsored Water-type specialist Clarence, the one responsible for that particular feat, now sat in a place of honor on the Gym leader's right hand side.
Where in the past years Ran's visits to the auditorium had mostly been about picking up things he might be able to use in his own career, the past few nights had unfortunately been different, the atmosphere in the large room building upon itself night after night, as the attendances grew to record heights.
Now, surrounded by people who wouldn't know how to properly train or care for a pokémon as anything more than a pet, Ran found himself drowning in the enthusiasm of the crowd, their cheer clashing painfully with his own personal issues with Bugsy. The crowd cheered when Scizor - and hadn't that been a surprise - entered the field and drew the match back from a 3-to-1 hole to a battle of Aces. Then, Ran barely stifled a fist pump whilst the crowd deflated when Scizor was finally overcome, only for him to have to reluctantly join the loud applause that broke out in the room when Bugsy was seen on-screen bowing to the cheering crowds of the Silver Conference before making his way back into the stadium, as his opponent soaked in the cheers for a minute longer.
As the applause in the auditorium finally died down and the first people started shuffling in a clear attempt to make it out of the room before the rush could start properly, Walter, the Gym leader, loudly cleared his throat, standing up and stepping to the front of the room, before turning to face nearly the entire town's population.
"Now that Bugsy has made us all proud by making it to the Final Four of the Silver Conference, I have a long overdue announcement to make," The old man declared, grave expression immediately dampening the mood in the room, "Bugsy will be returning to Azalea Town before the week is through. When he does, I will be retiring as the Azalea Town Gym leader."
It was as if all the oxygen got sucked out of the room for a moment, as everyone gasped in shock at the same time, but not the Gym leader, who merely continued placidly.
"My retirement is long overdue as, in truth, my team and I have been on the decline since the war. It is time for a new generation to take over. Which is why the two most talented trainers Azalea Town Gym sponsored during my tenure as Gym leader, Bugsy and Clarence, will be battling for the title of Gym leader in a week's time. The winner will take over just in time for the new League season. I will remain in town to guide C- the winner for a few months, before traveling once more."
Pausing for a moment, as if undecided whether he should say any more, Walter finally continued a final time, "The Water types of Hoenn have been calling out to me for over a decade. I intend to see them before I become entirely incapable of traveling. This decision is final and I will not be discussing it further. Thank you for your time, it has been an honor to serve this town as your Gym leader for as long as I have been privileged enough to do so."
The applause wasn't quite as loud as earlier, but it lasted a good while longer, Ran clapping along with everyone else even as he knew that Spencer and he were thinking about the same thing.
If Bugsy became Gym leader… Could they stand the embarrassment of challenging their one-time rival for their hometown badge fight? Winning your first badge in your hometown was a rite of passage, even more so than simply getting your CGC was.
Everyone in Johto knew the importance of their traditional town communities. You were a part of your village and your acts and reputation were as much a reflection of your community as they were of you as an individual.
Because of this, whether sponsored or not, the Gym Leader was aware of every aspiring trainer growing up under his aegis. Walter, for example, had cast a curious gaze at the new pokéballs on Ran's belt, the first time they'd crossed paths after Ran's capture of Spinarak and Zubat.
To challenge that Gym Leader for your first badge and defeat him, after he'd kept an eye on you along with every other eager aspirant in town for years, was a way for young trainers to prove to their community that they were ready to set out. At the same time, it afforded the Gym Leader a chance to restrain and guide those that weren't ready just yet.
Ran wasn't particularly fond of the old man, but he'd been an omnipresent feature in his plans nevertheless. He'd start his journey, book his challenge, make sure his dad came to watch and prove to everyone, including himself, that he had what it took to become a successful trainer before setting out with his first badge secured. The thought that now Bugsy would fulfill that role? Was that something he could stomach?
The visceral disgust that sat heavily in his gut at the mere thought was answer enough.
"People of Azalea Town, I present you all to your new Gym leader, Bugsy!" The old Gym leader announced, with plenty of volume but little enthusiasm, to the crowd gathered outside the Gym, before stepping to the side as behind him, the doors swung open and out strode Bugsy, his entirely unscathed Scizor following in his footsteps.
Yet again, Bugsy's name served as a metaphorical bucket of ice cold water down Ran's back. Spencer and he had had a week to come to terms with the possibility that Bugsy might become the new Gym leader, but both boys had put their hopes in Clarence. The other trainer had also made it far in a Conference after all, and he had gained almost a decade's worth of extra experience since then.
They'd agreed that challenging Bugsy for their first badges was more than they could stomach, but not immediately getting a badge in Azalea Town threw their entire schedule on its head, along with saddling them with the social stigma of not having their hometown badges yet. A situation which could have been avoided if Clarence had come out as the winner and which they'd both considered the likely outcome.
Whilst Bugsy began speaking about turning the Gym into a Bug Gym, opening up applications for Gym Trainer positions and the upcoming Azalea Town Gym sponsorship competition, Ran tuned him out, as he looked feebly at the three balls at his side. No first badge meant lower stakes in trainer battles. Less job opportunities. No gym battle winnings to provide the comfortable financial buffer they'd been expecting to have for the first few months.
A glance at Spencer wasn't encouraging in the least, as the other boy looked even more despondent than Ran felt. Which was understandable, as any plans for him to capture a third bug whilst traversing Ilex Forest - as Spencer had planned to initially give a bug-type specialization a go before possibly pivoting - the obvious location for such an attempt, might have to be shelved due to the now far tighter budget each boy would have at hand.
In the span of a week, Bugsy had once more upended both boys' future plans without even realizing what he was doing. As Ran glared at an unaware Bugsy, the new Gym leader still speaking to the curious crowd standing in front of what was now his Gym, resentment simmered quietly within him.
The very next day, all the unsponsored fifteen year olds who had applied throughout Kanto and Johto would be receiving their CGCs and set out on their long-delayed journeys. Where most of them had plans in place that'd been prepared months in advance, however, Ran would be starting almost from scratch. As he glared quietly at Bugsy, who was entirely unaware of the trouble he'd caused Ran yet again, he quietly vowed to himself that one day, he'd get even with the other boy.
Author's Note: And with that the prologue is complete. Which means starting Wednesday, I shift to the 'regular' upload schedule of Wednesdays+Sundays. Now, how we feeling about Ran's mood? He's got some work to do, corraling that poisonous mindset. But then aren't pokémon stories about growing up, in a way? Also, I do hope the characterization of the pokémon themselves is slowly getting to a better point. Please trust me when I say that they'll get more time to shine when the journey properly begins! Oh, and on the fight with Spencer: Could've spent a scene writing out them making up, but it ended up feeling superfluous. Fighting with a friend and making up should feel recognizable enough to most, I hope.
Spinarak remained a gentle, timid pokémon, but where she initially seemed to retreat from everyone and everything, more and more she sought Ran out for shelter or comfort. Whenever she was out of her ball and not actively training or otherwise occupied, she tended to look for any form of narrow space that could function as a temporary burrow, whilst remaining as close to her trainer as possible.
Zubat didn't show the same inclination towards physical proximity as either of Ran's other two pokémon, instead remaining a solitary sort. But, where initially he'd stake out a roost and get rattled even if Ran himself approached it, he too eased up over time. Though he continued to seek out resting spaces just a bit apart from the rest of the team, it wasn't lost on Ran that Zubat's chosen resting spaces gradually changed from simple solitary high points as far from the rest of the team as he could get away with, to natural vantage points which gave him a decent position to watch over the whole of the team, whilst remaining slightly isolated.
Aside from gradually discovering more details about his new team members' personalities, habits and preferences, Ran's focus was predominantly on rapidly pushing them to get stronger and stronger. For Spinarak, he did so by predominantly focusing on her ability to pull off the moves String Shot and Scary Face with speed and efficiency. As a relatively limited pokémon until she evolved into Ariados, Ran's first focus was getting her to a point where she could reliably slow her opponent down enough to give her a fighting chance. Alternatively, Ran figured she could be used to slow down a strong opponent before getting switched out for either Ekans or Zubat.
With Zubat, Ran took a different approach, focusing the vast majority of his training on his speed and maneuverability. One day, Zubat would become the noted speedster Crobat. Ran's theory was that any and all speed increases they managed now, whilst Zubat was still in his base evolutionary form, would carry over to an exponential degree upon evolution. Additionally, with Zubat's limited raw power, similarly to Spinarak, Ran wanted the poison-flying-type capable of outspeeding his opponents to such a degree that he'd be able to overcome his relative fragility and limited damage potential.
There wouldn't be any training today however, as Ran was finally in the Gym's auditorium once more, watching Bugsy on the big screen for the first time in two years, after the other boy's seeming absence from the Kanto and Johto circuits the previous year. A lot had changed since then, both on the screen, and off it. On the screen, Bugsy exuded a quiet and unfortunately seemingly well-earned confidence that had been missing two years ago, when he flamed out in the second round of the Indigo League Conference in humiliating fashion. He wasn't being watched by a large crowd in the Azalea Gym auditorium just yet, with this still being the early rounds of the Silver Conference, but it seemed clear to Ran at least that Bugsy's run this year would be a deeper one than his rookie debut two years ago.
Despite his dislike for the boy on screen, Ran still managed to greet Spencer - who'd ultimately apologized for his behavior - enthusiastically, as the other boy slid into the seat to Ran's right mere moments before Bugsy's match was due to begin. Ran's eyes were immediately drawn to the vibrant Fast Ball at his friend's side, that particular addition a very recent one indeed.
"So Scyther finally got a clean bill of health then?" Ran asked with a grin, thinking back to the great scheme Spencer had received his help in just two weeks before. Between Zubat's Supersonic, Spinarak's String Shot and Ekans' Glare, he'd provided Spencer with the perfect circumstances in which Pineco could defeat a Scyther. Spencer and his starter had delivered from there. That intermittently tracking and then trapping a Scyther had taken the pair the better part of six months wasn't quite as enjoyable as the outcome, but Ran was quite confident that now that they'd both gotten over the hump of establishing a proper core to their rosters - even if Spencer had recently started indicating that he might well end up pivoting to a specialty after all, even if that might mean eventually dropping both his current team members - neither Spencer nor he would ever have quite so much trouble capturing a pokémon ever again.
"He did!" Spencer agreed enthusiastically, before lowering his voice when the angry eye of Gym Leader Walter slid their way at the noise, as Bugsy's match began in earnest, "I already got him out of his ball and I explained everything. He's still pretty angry about how I captured him, I think, but he seemed willing to give me a chance, at least."
"Great, so the plan is still on, then?" Ran asked, wanting to double-check, now that he was finally only mere weeks away from truly setting out, that the plan his companion and he had intermittently formed over the past two years was still on.
"Yes. We get our CGCs and immediately challenge the old man at a first badge level. Using our strong and well-trained teams, we beat him on our first tries, which gets us his and thus the town's blessing to set out. We'll be on the road before the end of the first week, Badge winnings added to our budgets, which'll give us a few months' worth of buffer. That should be enough to find ways to make more money and once we're running at a net positive, we'll be real professional trainers." Spencer summarized immediately, ignoring Ran's slight smile.
"I'm aware, Spencer, I didn't need the summary, just wanted to be sure we were still on track. Pineco should be enough to win you your first badge on his own regardless, but we'd never really accounted for the possibility that Scyther wouldn't be obedient by the time we get to our challenges." Ran replied, clarifying his reasoning as in the background the crowd cheered as Bugsy's Pinsir took down his opponent's second pokémon, whilst Bugsy still had all three of his options to choose from.
Spencer faltered, awkwardness rearing its head again for a moment, "Ah- Right."
Ran merely waved him off, "Don't worry about it. It's because we're both actually serious about this that we'll be traveling together in the first place. Did you hear that Tommy finally gave up? With CGC-applications coming up, he's finally realized that he doesn't have anywhere near enough money saved up to set out."
"I predicted as much two years ago, when you first floated the idea of including him in our plans," Spencer reminded him, "His Ledyba isn't bad, but low-level trainer fights don't pay nearly enough to justify the expenses without another source of income and of the fights he had with actual stakes, I never heard about him winning even one of those."
"You did," Ran admitted easily enough, "I just assumed that, as he's held on to his approach for so long, he'd at least set out on his journey in a few weeks, even if he was going to have to return with debts after a month or so."
"Oh, look, Bugsy's won. Good for him," Spencer changed the topic momentarily, both boys insincerely joining the crowd's applause as, on the big screen, Bugsy finished bowing to the crowds in the Silver Conference stadium, "Anyways, Tommy doesn't matter. We should be paying attention to the Conference. If we're planning to participate next year, we'll likely be crossing paths with some of these people. You remember that Whitney-"
"Won the Conference a few years ago and is now Goldenrod's Gym leader, meaning she'll be our second badge challenge. Yes, Spencer, I'm aware of your great love's many accomplishments." Ran cut his friend off with a tired sigh, as he monotonously gave a summary of the countless occasions on which the other boy raved about the pretty Gym leader in the big city.
As always, Spencer immediately flushed and started defending his honor, the by now largely empty auditorium - the already limited audience for Bugsy's match further decreased by a general lack of interest in the early rounds - livened up by the boy's heated rebuttal for the next few minutes.
A few nights later, the auditorium was dominated by a very different atmosphere, the room filled to bursting, the seats so filled with eager viewers as to overflow into the aisles. All the way on the first row, which incidentally was the only row that was merely filled normally rather than uncomfortably, the aged Gym leader and his guests of honor watched intently as, on-screen, Bugsy faced his Final Four opponent.
Night after night, Ran had watched the auditorium steadily draw more and more spectators. It was unusual to see the auditorium draw such a crowd, as Azalea Town didn't have the proudest trainer culture. In fact, the last time a local even made it to the Silver Conference's Top Eight was almost a decade ago, the gym-sponsored Water-type specialist Clarence, the one responsible for that particular feat, now sat in a place of honor on the Gym leader's right hand side.
Where in the past years Ran's visits to the auditorium had mostly been about picking up things he might be able to use in his own career, the past few nights had unfortunately been different, the atmosphere in the large room building upon itself night after night, as the attendances grew to record heights.
Now, surrounded by people who wouldn't know how to properly train or care for a pokémon as anything more than a pet, Ran found himself drowning in the enthusiasm of the crowd, their cheer clashing painfully with his own personal issues with Bugsy. The crowd cheered when Scizor - and hadn't that been a surprise - entered the field and drew the match back from a 3-to-1 hole to a battle of Aces. Then, Ran barely stifled a fist pump whilst the crowd deflated when Scizor was finally overcome, only for him to have to reluctantly join the loud applause that broke out in the room when Bugsy was seen on-screen bowing to the cheering crowds of the Silver Conference before making his way back into the stadium, as his opponent soaked in the cheers for a minute longer.
As the applause in the auditorium finally died down and the first people started shuffling in a clear attempt to make it out of the room before the rush could start properly, Walter, the Gym leader, loudly cleared his throat, standing up and stepping to the front of the room, before turning to face nearly the entire town's population.
"Now that Bugsy has made us all proud by making it to the Final Four of the Silver Conference, I have a long overdue announcement to make," The old man declared, grave expression immediately dampening the mood in the room, "Bugsy will be returning to Azalea Town before the week is through. When he does, I will be retiring as the Azalea Town Gym leader."
It was as if all the oxygen got sucked out of the room for a moment, as everyone gasped in shock at the same time, but not the Gym leader, who merely continued placidly.
"My retirement is long overdue as, in truth, my team and I have been on the decline since the war. It is time for a new generation to take over. Which is why the two most talented trainers Azalea Town Gym sponsored during my tenure as Gym leader, Bugsy and Clarence, will be battling for the title of Gym leader in a week's time. The winner will take over just in time for the new League season. I will remain in town to guide C- the winner for a few months, before traveling once more."
Pausing for a moment, as if undecided whether he should say any more, Walter finally continued a final time, "The Water types of Hoenn have been calling out to me for over a decade. I intend to see them before I become entirely incapable of traveling. This decision is final and I will not be discussing it further. Thank you for your time, it has been an honor to serve this town as your Gym leader for as long as I have been privileged enough to do so."
The applause wasn't quite as loud as earlier, but it lasted a good while longer, Ran clapping along with everyone else even as he knew that Spencer and he were thinking about the same thing.
If Bugsy became Gym leader… Could they stand the embarrassment of challenging their one-time rival for their hometown badge fight? Winning your first badge in your hometown was a rite of passage, even more so than simply getting your CGC was.
Everyone in Johto knew the importance of their traditional town communities. You were a part of your village and your acts and reputation were as much a reflection of your community as they were of you as an individual.
Because of this, whether sponsored or not, the Gym Leader was aware of every aspiring trainer growing up under his aegis. Walter, for example, had cast a curious gaze at the new pokéballs on Ran's belt, the first time they'd crossed paths after Ran's capture of Spinarak and Zubat.
To challenge that Gym Leader for your first badge and defeat him, after he'd kept an eye on you along with every other eager aspirant in town for years, was a way for young trainers to prove to their community that they were ready to set out. At the same time, it afforded the Gym Leader a chance to restrain and guide those that weren't ready just yet.
Ran wasn't particularly fond of the old man, but he'd been an omnipresent feature in his plans nevertheless. He'd start his journey, book his challenge, make sure his dad came to watch and prove to everyone, including himself, that he had what it took to become a successful trainer before setting out with his first badge secured. The thought that now Bugsy would fulfill that role? Was that something he could stomach?
The visceral disgust that sat heavily in his gut at the mere thought was answer enough.
"People of Azalea Town, I present you all to your new Gym leader, Bugsy!" The old Gym leader announced, with plenty of volume but little enthusiasm, to the crowd gathered outside the Gym, before stepping to the side as behind him, the doors swung open and out strode Bugsy, his entirely unscathed Scizor following in his footsteps.
Yet again, Bugsy's name served as a metaphorical bucket of ice cold water down Ran's back. Spencer and he had had a week to come to terms with the possibility that Bugsy might become the new Gym leader, but both boys had put their hopes in Clarence. The other trainer had also made it far in a Conference after all, and he had gained almost a decade's worth of extra experience since then.
They'd agreed that challenging Bugsy for their first badges was more than they could stomach, but not immediately getting a badge in Azalea Town threw their entire schedule on its head, along with saddling them with the social stigma of not having their hometown badges yet. A situation which could have been avoided if Clarence had come out as the winner and which they'd both considered the likely outcome.
Whilst Bugsy began speaking about turning the Gym into a Bug Gym, opening up applications for Gym Trainer positions and the upcoming Azalea Town Gym sponsorship competition, Ran tuned him out, as he looked feebly at the three balls at his side. No first badge meant lower stakes in trainer battles. Less job opportunities. No gym battle winnings to provide the comfortable financial buffer they'd been expecting to have for the first few months.
A glance at Spencer wasn't encouraging in the least, as the other boy looked even more despondent than Ran felt. Which was understandable, as any plans for him to capture a third bug whilst traversing Ilex Forest - as Spencer had planned to initially give a bug-type specialization a go before possibly pivoting - the obvious location for such an attempt, might have to be shelved due to the now far tighter budget each boy would have at hand.
In the span of a week, Bugsy had once more upended both boys' future plans without even realizing what he was doing. As Ran glared at an unaware Bugsy, the new Gym leader still speaking to the curious crowd standing in front of what was now his Gym, resentment simmered quietly within him.
The very next day, all the unsponsored fifteen year olds who had applied throughout Kanto and Johto would be receiving their CGCs and set out on their long-delayed journeys. Where most of them had plans in place that'd been prepared months in advance, however, Ran would be starting almost from scratch. As he glared quietly at Bugsy, who was entirely unaware of the trouble he'd caused Ran yet again, he quietly vowed to himself that one day, he'd get even with the other boy.
Author's Note: And with that the prologue is complete. Which means starting Wednesday, I shift to the 'regular' upload schedule of Wednesdays+Sundays. Now, how we feeling about Ran's mood? He's got some work to do, corraling that poisonous mindset. But then aren't pokémon stories about growing up, in a way? Also, I do hope the characterization of the pokémon themselves is slowly getting to a better point. Please trust me when I say that they'll get more time to shine when the journey properly begins! Oh, and on the fight with Spencer: Could've spent a scene writing out them making up, but it ended up feeling superfluous. Fighting with a friend and making up should feel recognizable enough to most, I hope.
Chapter 1, part 1
- Location
- Belgium
Author's note: And so, at last, we begin.
On CGC-morning, Ran gets up with disgustingly mixed feelings. The moment he's been looking forward to for nearly three years soured by the knowledge that he'll be receiving his coveted second license out of Bugsy's hands. He still carries out his morning preparations dutifully, sharing a final breakfast with his father. The moment is heavy and emotional, their impending goodbye stilted by their disagreement over Ran's change in plans.
His father doesn't understand Ran's unwillingness to fight Bugsy for his first badge, arguing that the importance of earning his hometown badge surely outweighs any personal issue Ran might have with the new Gym Leader. But Ran wasn't swayed last night and he won't be swayed now, simply finishing his breakfast and not raising the point again. Their final goodbye is awkward and stilted, though his father's hug is fortunately no weaker for it. Then, he sets out towards the Gym.
Arriving a few minutes before the Gym is due to open, Ran isn't surprised to see Spencer already standing there, the other boy's insecurities leaving him incapable of showing up anywhere any later than fifteen minutes early. Taking a good look at his companion's chosen traveling gear, Ran can't help but be somewhat dismissive of the other boy's attire. Sure, the dark shirt, pants and slightly lighter gray coat go well with his naturally dark gray hair, but it's such a formal and uncomfortable outfit for traveling. Add to that Spencer's not particularly sturdy looking glasses, and Ran can't help but worry for just how intact his slight friend's outfit will be after a few days of journeying.
Ran's own trusty purple jacket with woolen lining, fingerless gloves and sturdy black boots are far more suited for the rigors of the road, in his opinion. Of course they'd discussed clothing as part of their extensive planning in the past, but when Spencer had retorted that Ran kept his hair at an impractical length, he'd let the matter rest before they devolved into an actual argument. There was no accounting for taste, after all.
With everything there was to be said between them already long discussed, Ran and Spencer merely wait patiently for the Gym to open up for a few minutes. Before it can, however, they notice another boy their age running towards them.
The familiar figure of Tommy Park comes to a stop in front of them, panting heavily as the tall blonde catches his breath. Surprised by the unexpected appearance, Ran voices the first thought that comes to his mind, "I heard you'd given up?"
Taking in one more breath before properly standing upright again, Tommy jerkily combs a hand through his short hair, his broad shoulders tensing for a moment at the sight of the other two boys, as his eyes lock angrily with Ran's.
"I didn't give up asshole, I was planning to delay things a bit, if you have to know. But that was before good old Bugsy became Gym Leader! He's changing the gym specialty to Bug types and he's looking for Gym Trainers, so I'm here to apply for a job!" The blonde explains with an enthusiastic, challenging grin, before turning his attention to Spencer, voice slightly friendlier as he continues, "You should consider doing the same thing, Curtis. Assuming there's a Bug type in that second ball of yours, or you're not too attached to it yet."
"No thanks," Spencer scoffs derisively, "Working for the guy that beat me for the sponsorship? As an entry-level Gym Trainer? Unlike you, I have some self-worth."
"Oh yeah?!" Tommy blusters, drawing himself up as his face rapidly goes red, now clearly upset with both Ran and Spencer, "You think I won't beat you into the ground just because Carr beat me three years ago? Ledyba and I have gotten a lot stronger since then! We'll dismantle you and that stupid Pineco of yours like it's nothing! You're just a one-trick pony!"
Before Spencer can retort, Ran speaks up, "Tommy, shut up. First of all, Spencer would wipe the floor with you and second, there's someone coming to open the door."
The first part of his statement doesn't calm Tommy down in the slightest, but the mention of the Gym opening does. Just in time as well, as all three boys turn to face the door mere moments before it opens, all of them coming eye-to-eye with a clearly surprised Bugsy.
"Oh, you're all here already! Hello! I suppose you'll be wanting your CGCs then? Come on in! Mister Phillips decided to leave earlier than expected, so I didn't get everything set up just yet, but I know I put them to the side… somewhere…" Bugsy rambles, as he lets them all into the Gym before wandering off through a door towards one of the employee-only areas.
Ran exchanges an annoyed look with Spencer, each second they spend in the Gym a second more than they want to be spending in Bugsy's vicinity. As they all wait quietly for a few minutes, the silence is broken only occasionally by the distant sounds of Bugsy moving things around and digging around amongst whatever stuff he has laying around. Tommy is clearly itching to continue the earlier confrontation, but Bugsy's distant presence appears to be enough to dissuade him, which Ran can be grateful for at least. Though it wouldn't be hard to humble the other trainer, it's a waste of time and effort he's not interested in at the moment.
Finally, the bustling ends and they can hear his footsteps approach once more. With a smile on his face and three licenses in his hand, Bugsy comes back into the entrance foyer, handing out the licenses as he speaks, "There we are, three licenses. Spencer Curtis, Ran Carr and Tommy Park."
"Now," Bugsy eagerly wrings his hands together the moment they're free, "Shall I schedule the three of you for first-level gym battles? I don't have time today, unfortunately, but I could fit you in bright and early tomorrow morning!"
Tommy visibly wilts, but is the first to answer Bugsy's enthusiastic proposal, though he does so with shame writ large on his face, "I only have one pokémon and I can't pay the required fee for a challenge besides. I'm actually here to apply for a position as Gym Trainer."
Bugsy seems slightly disappointed at first, before visibly perking up at Tommy's interest in applying for a job, "Oh you are? That's wonderful! You have a Ledyba, if I recall correctly? That's perfect! I'll set you up with a loaner Weedle I caught last night. Familiarize yourself with it and come back this evening for your battle interview! Oh this is perfect, I was worried about finding a good Gym Trainer for the first and second level challengers!"
Whilst Tommy eagerly nods along, nearly glowing with pride ever since the word 'perfect', Bugsy turns back to Ran and Spencer eagerly, "What about you guys? Tomorrow morning? 9 a.m. and 9:10 a.m.? Two-on-two, first badge challenge?"
Ran has to fight the sour sneer that wants to push to the front of his face, but he manages to keep his reply neutral enough, "No thanks, I'll come back to challenge at a higher level later in my journey."
He doesn't even wait for Bugsy's reply, instead turning on his heel and heading right for the door, only distantly aware of Spencer's own refusal of Bugsy's inquiry, before his traveling companion hurriedly strides after him. CGCs in hand, there's nothing keeping them in Azalea Town for now. Not taking on the Gym challenge will necessitate a return, but after a week spent poring over maps and debating heatedly, there's no more time to be wasted.
The original plan, which Ran recalls fondly, called for departing Azalea with a badge under their belt and heading to Goldenrod, crossing to Cianwood, crossing again to Olivine, then Ecruteak, Violet, Blackthorn and finishing with Pryce in Mahogany. But with them needing to come back to Azalea Town, that plan sees them finish in northern Johto with seven badges. By that point they might have sufficiently large flying types, teleporters or the finances to pay for one of those services, but what if none of those solutions are viable and they do end up short on time towards the end of the season?
Ran is ultimately willing to take the risk, knowing that Zubat's later evolutionary stages are strong enough to serve as flying mounts, even if neither one is particularly well known for offering a comfortable flying experience, like the Pidgey line. But Spencer had vetoed keeping to the original plan the moment it became clear that would mean he'd have to fight Whitney for his first badge. The plan had been a hard enough sell when Goldenrod was the second badge on their schedule, but convincing Spencer to meet Whitney without any badges to his name at all had proven impossible. Not that Ran begrudged him, as Spencer's admiration of Whitney was one he'd been well aware of for years at this point.
Of course, not going to Goldenrod means heading to Violet City instead, a destination both young men agreed on easily enough. It's the continuation from that point on that caused a heated, and still ongoing, debate. The 'obvious' route, which would be the most efficient and is thus the one favored by Spencer, sees them brave the Dark Caves between Violet and Blackthorn, then head west through Mahogany and Ecruteak to Olivine. They'd then make the excursion to Cianwood, head to Goldenrod next and finish in Azalea Town for their eight badge challenge. Spencer is enthusiastic about facing Whitney so late in the journey, hoping to have a team capable of genuinely impressing her by then and Ran won't deny that it's tempting to face Bugsy's Gym at the highest tier of challenge it offers.
But the Dark Caves have a six-badge advisory limit for a reason and, although Zubat might be right at home there, Ran is especially hesitant to trust any of either his or Spencer's pokémon against the numerous Rock and Ground types that are omnipresent in such cave systems. Instead, after Violet City, he suggested Ecruteak, then the Olivine-Cianwood-Goldenrod triangle, heading back home for their sixth badge, arranging a small crossing to Cherrygrove or cutting through the wilds properly along the coastline and then cutting up routes 46 and 45 to Blackthorn before once more finishing in Mahogany.
Admittedly, it had a similar problem as sticking to the original plan, just in the opposite direction. But at least it would hardly see them covering the same routes more than once whilst being an objectively easier journey than Spencer's suggested path.
With them both still firmly disagreeing on the matter, they agreed to postpone the decision until they both owned Violet City's Zephyr Badge. As Ran strides out of Bugsy's Gym and into the Town once more, the disagreement is admittedly far from his mind for the moment. Because soon enough, Spencer and he are sharing a final look as they stand on the village outskirts. Ran in particular has visited Route 33 plenty over the past few years, in his job as an apricorn-collector for Kurt.
But there's something special about standing in front of that same Route now, knowing that they won't be turning back to return to Azalea. Instead, finally, they set out, their journey at last begun.
Author's Note: Oh the swerve, how terrible, how absolutely dreadful. Still, now the bags are packed, the CGCs are secured and they're officially on the road. How about the possible roads to take, huh? Built off of the map in the HGSS generation, a few tweaks have been made, such as the option to cross the waters between Olivine, Cianwood and Goldenrod in any direction. Starting out in Azalea, what route would you have taken? Should Ran just have gotten over himself and challenged Bugsy after all? Or can you empathize with his motivations? And hey, how about that pending discussion over their final route, huh? Who do you think is going to get his way?
On CGC-morning, Ran gets up with disgustingly mixed feelings. The moment he's been looking forward to for nearly three years soured by the knowledge that he'll be receiving his coveted second license out of Bugsy's hands. He still carries out his morning preparations dutifully, sharing a final breakfast with his father. The moment is heavy and emotional, their impending goodbye stilted by their disagreement over Ran's change in plans.
His father doesn't understand Ran's unwillingness to fight Bugsy for his first badge, arguing that the importance of earning his hometown badge surely outweighs any personal issue Ran might have with the new Gym Leader. But Ran wasn't swayed last night and he won't be swayed now, simply finishing his breakfast and not raising the point again. Their final goodbye is awkward and stilted, though his father's hug is fortunately no weaker for it. Then, he sets out towards the Gym.
Arriving a few minutes before the Gym is due to open, Ran isn't surprised to see Spencer already standing there, the other boy's insecurities leaving him incapable of showing up anywhere any later than fifteen minutes early. Taking a good look at his companion's chosen traveling gear, Ran can't help but be somewhat dismissive of the other boy's attire. Sure, the dark shirt, pants and slightly lighter gray coat go well with his naturally dark gray hair, but it's such a formal and uncomfortable outfit for traveling. Add to that Spencer's not particularly sturdy looking glasses, and Ran can't help but worry for just how intact his slight friend's outfit will be after a few days of journeying.
Ran's own trusty purple jacket with woolen lining, fingerless gloves and sturdy black boots are far more suited for the rigors of the road, in his opinion. Of course they'd discussed clothing as part of their extensive planning in the past, but when Spencer had retorted that Ran kept his hair at an impractical length, he'd let the matter rest before they devolved into an actual argument. There was no accounting for taste, after all.
With everything there was to be said between them already long discussed, Ran and Spencer merely wait patiently for the Gym to open up for a few minutes. Before it can, however, they notice another boy their age running towards them.
The familiar figure of Tommy Park comes to a stop in front of them, panting heavily as the tall blonde catches his breath. Surprised by the unexpected appearance, Ran voices the first thought that comes to his mind, "I heard you'd given up?"
Taking in one more breath before properly standing upright again, Tommy jerkily combs a hand through his short hair, his broad shoulders tensing for a moment at the sight of the other two boys, as his eyes lock angrily with Ran's.
"I didn't give up asshole, I was planning to delay things a bit, if you have to know. But that was before good old Bugsy became Gym Leader! He's changing the gym specialty to Bug types and he's looking for Gym Trainers, so I'm here to apply for a job!" The blonde explains with an enthusiastic, challenging grin, before turning his attention to Spencer, voice slightly friendlier as he continues, "You should consider doing the same thing, Curtis. Assuming there's a Bug type in that second ball of yours, or you're not too attached to it yet."
"No thanks," Spencer scoffs derisively, "Working for the guy that beat me for the sponsorship? As an entry-level Gym Trainer? Unlike you, I have some self-worth."
"Oh yeah?!" Tommy blusters, drawing himself up as his face rapidly goes red, now clearly upset with both Ran and Spencer, "You think I won't beat you into the ground just because Carr beat me three years ago? Ledyba and I have gotten a lot stronger since then! We'll dismantle you and that stupid Pineco of yours like it's nothing! You're just a one-trick pony!"
Before Spencer can retort, Ran speaks up, "Tommy, shut up. First of all, Spencer would wipe the floor with you and second, there's someone coming to open the door."
The first part of his statement doesn't calm Tommy down in the slightest, but the mention of the Gym opening does. Just in time as well, as all three boys turn to face the door mere moments before it opens, all of them coming eye-to-eye with a clearly surprised Bugsy.
"Oh, you're all here already! Hello! I suppose you'll be wanting your CGCs then? Come on in! Mister Phillips decided to leave earlier than expected, so I didn't get everything set up just yet, but I know I put them to the side… somewhere…" Bugsy rambles, as he lets them all into the Gym before wandering off through a door towards one of the employee-only areas.
Ran exchanges an annoyed look with Spencer, each second they spend in the Gym a second more than they want to be spending in Bugsy's vicinity. As they all wait quietly for a few minutes, the silence is broken only occasionally by the distant sounds of Bugsy moving things around and digging around amongst whatever stuff he has laying around. Tommy is clearly itching to continue the earlier confrontation, but Bugsy's distant presence appears to be enough to dissuade him, which Ran can be grateful for at least. Though it wouldn't be hard to humble the other trainer, it's a waste of time and effort he's not interested in at the moment.
Finally, the bustling ends and they can hear his footsteps approach once more. With a smile on his face and three licenses in his hand, Bugsy comes back into the entrance foyer, handing out the licenses as he speaks, "There we are, three licenses. Spencer Curtis, Ran Carr and Tommy Park."
"Now," Bugsy eagerly wrings his hands together the moment they're free, "Shall I schedule the three of you for first-level gym battles? I don't have time today, unfortunately, but I could fit you in bright and early tomorrow morning!"
Tommy visibly wilts, but is the first to answer Bugsy's enthusiastic proposal, though he does so with shame writ large on his face, "I only have one pokémon and I can't pay the required fee for a challenge besides. I'm actually here to apply for a position as Gym Trainer."
Bugsy seems slightly disappointed at first, before visibly perking up at Tommy's interest in applying for a job, "Oh you are? That's wonderful! You have a Ledyba, if I recall correctly? That's perfect! I'll set you up with a loaner Weedle I caught last night. Familiarize yourself with it and come back this evening for your battle interview! Oh this is perfect, I was worried about finding a good Gym Trainer for the first and second level challengers!"
Whilst Tommy eagerly nods along, nearly glowing with pride ever since the word 'perfect', Bugsy turns back to Ran and Spencer eagerly, "What about you guys? Tomorrow morning? 9 a.m. and 9:10 a.m.? Two-on-two, first badge challenge?"
Ran has to fight the sour sneer that wants to push to the front of his face, but he manages to keep his reply neutral enough, "No thanks, I'll come back to challenge at a higher level later in my journey."
He doesn't even wait for Bugsy's reply, instead turning on his heel and heading right for the door, only distantly aware of Spencer's own refusal of Bugsy's inquiry, before his traveling companion hurriedly strides after him. CGCs in hand, there's nothing keeping them in Azalea Town for now. Not taking on the Gym challenge will necessitate a return, but after a week spent poring over maps and debating heatedly, there's no more time to be wasted.
The original plan, which Ran recalls fondly, called for departing Azalea with a badge under their belt and heading to Goldenrod, crossing to Cianwood, crossing again to Olivine, then Ecruteak, Violet, Blackthorn and finishing with Pryce in Mahogany. But with them needing to come back to Azalea Town, that plan sees them finish in northern Johto with seven badges. By that point they might have sufficiently large flying types, teleporters or the finances to pay for one of those services, but what if none of those solutions are viable and they do end up short on time towards the end of the season?
Ran is ultimately willing to take the risk, knowing that Zubat's later evolutionary stages are strong enough to serve as flying mounts, even if neither one is particularly well known for offering a comfortable flying experience, like the Pidgey line. But Spencer had vetoed keeping to the original plan the moment it became clear that would mean he'd have to fight Whitney for his first badge. The plan had been a hard enough sell when Goldenrod was the second badge on their schedule, but convincing Spencer to meet Whitney without any badges to his name at all had proven impossible. Not that Ran begrudged him, as Spencer's admiration of Whitney was one he'd been well aware of for years at this point.
Of course, not going to Goldenrod means heading to Violet City instead, a destination both young men agreed on easily enough. It's the continuation from that point on that caused a heated, and still ongoing, debate. The 'obvious' route, which would be the most efficient and is thus the one favored by Spencer, sees them brave the Dark Caves between Violet and Blackthorn, then head west through Mahogany and Ecruteak to Olivine. They'd then make the excursion to Cianwood, head to Goldenrod next and finish in Azalea Town for their eight badge challenge. Spencer is enthusiastic about facing Whitney so late in the journey, hoping to have a team capable of genuinely impressing her by then and Ran won't deny that it's tempting to face Bugsy's Gym at the highest tier of challenge it offers.
But the Dark Caves have a six-badge advisory limit for a reason and, although Zubat might be right at home there, Ran is especially hesitant to trust any of either his or Spencer's pokémon against the numerous Rock and Ground types that are omnipresent in such cave systems. Instead, after Violet City, he suggested Ecruteak, then the Olivine-Cianwood-Goldenrod triangle, heading back home for their sixth badge, arranging a small crossing to Cherrygrove or cutting through the wilds properly along the coastline and then cutting up routes 46 and 45 to Blackthorn before once more finishing in Mahogany.
Admittedly, it had a similar problem as sticking to the original plan, just in the opposite direction. But at least it would hardly see them covering the same routes more than once whilst being an objectively easier journey than Spencer's suggested path.
With them both still firmly disagreeing on the matter, they agreed to postpone the decision until they both owned Violet City's Zephyr Badge. As Ran strides out of Bugsy's Gym and into the Town once more, the disagreement is admittedly far from his mind for the moment. Because soon enough, Spencer and he are sharing a final look as they stand on the village outskirts. Ran in particular has visited Route 33 plenty over the past few years, in his job as an apricorn-collector for Kurt.
But there's something special about standing in front of that same Route now, knowing that they won't be turning back to return to Azalea. Instead, finally, they set out, their journey at last begun.
Author's Note: Oh the swerve, how terrible, how absolutely dreadful. Still, now the bags are packed, the CGCs are secured and they're officially on the road. How about the possible roads to take, huh? Built off of the map in the HGSS generation, a few tweaks have been made, such as the option to cross the waters between Olivine, Cianwood and Goldenrod in any direction. Starting out in Azalea, what route would you have taken? Should Ran just have gotten over himself and challenged Bugsy after all? Or can you empathize with his motivations? And hey, how about that pending discussion over their final route, huh? Who do you think is going to get his way?
Chapter 1, part 2
- Location
- Belgium
The first hours pass easily enough, Ran entirely in his element, as the only difference with the errands he's been running for years so far is Spencer's presence. By lunchtime however, it becomes quite clear that while Ran hasn't just been planning but, thanks to his jobs, also been physically conditioning himself for the lifestyle of a journeying trainer, Spencer hasn't been doing so.
Instead, Spencer admittedly has a far more well-rounded education under his belt and a bigger budget to lean on thanks to his more lucrative occupation as a tutor, but it has left him in significantly poorer physical shape than Ran. Consequently, Ran's suggestion to have their first lunch on the go is immediately shot down by the other boy, as they instead pause by the roadside for a while as they eat an easy lunch, freshly made in the comforts of their own homes earlier that day.
"So," Spencer finally speaks up, "How long until we start running into other trainers, you reckon?"
"It might be a while, honestly," Ran answers after giving the question a moment's thought. "Azalea Town's newest sponsored trainer won't be setting out until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest and whoever that ends up being, they're probably sticking around town until they feel ready to challenge Bugsy himself. There's no other villages between Azalea and Violet City plus Union Cave is supposed to take at least a few days to get through, so I don't know why we'd run into anyone. Maybe if there's any more experienced trainers who are hoping to add like an Onix to their team for the new season, we might run into someone in the Cave, but other than that, depending on how well we progress, it might genuinely take until we're close to Violet City before we really run into anyone."
"I agree," his companion nods, before stunning Ran as he continues, "So it should be the perfect time for me to add a third member to my team."
Gaping uncomprehendingly for a moment, Ran finally manages a reply, "Already? I thought you were still working on making sure Scyther is fully obedient?"
"I am," the other trainer agrees, "but I've given this a lot of thought. Firstly, I'll be at a major type disadvantage for the first Gym, which is a must-win match. Second, with Bugsy as the Gym leader and Ilex Forest right next door, Azalea's new sponsored trainer is very likely to be featuring strong Bug types in his team, if he doesn't become an outright Bug specialist. So if I want to stand out on the circuit or at the Conference, that's not ideal. Not to mention the fact that with how well he did, if I show up with a full Bug team, people are going to be comparing me to Bugsy constantly and that's just not acceptable at all."
"You're not even going to try for a bug-specialty?" Ran asks, aghast at how easily Spencer is jettisoning another cornerstone of what had seemed like firm plans for the future just a few short weeks ago.
"I'm not." Spencer confirms curtly, seeming entirely unbothered by his decision. A clear sign to Ran that he's already made his mind up and is only now seeing the need to catch Ran up on things.
"You're really planning to get rid of your starters eventually, then? You're not planning to be a generalist after all, right? I thought you'd come around on that!" Ran asks in dismay, shocked at the idea that Spencer has reverted to the truly callous approach of simply swapping out team members whenever he acquired a new pokémon with more potential, as he'd advocated back when they'd first become friends.
"I'm not, I'm not." Spencer denies in mild surprise, caught off-guard by Ran's shock. He smiles knowingly at his friend, "You're forgetting that I have another option available to me without having to part ways with Bunker or Scyther."
Embarrassingly, it actually takes Ran a moment to pick up on Spencer's plan.
"You're going to specialize in Steel types?!" He shouts in genuine disbelief, "There's only 5 known lines in Johto and Kanto combined!"
Spencer shrugs nonchalantly, "I'm aware, I'll probably have to arrange a trade or purchase with Hoenn or Sinnoh eventually, or go with two pokémon of the same line, but if I manage it, I'll definitely stand out on the circuit."
"You'd better," Ran scoffs, "I know you've got a bit more saved up than I do, but feeding a Skarmory isn't cheap. Not to mention how long you'll have to wait to get your- hang on what do you mean catch your third pokémon? Magnemite and Skarmory aren't native to an area even remotely close to Violet City!"
"Again, I'm aware. But Onix is." Spencer replies dryly, as he starts to pack up his gear and starts getting ready to continue their journey.
"You've lost your mind." Ran deadpans in disbelief, staring at his delusional friend as if he's seeing him for the first time.
"I really haven't," Spencer insists, "Yes, they're ruinous in upkeep, but they can keep themself fed while we're in Union Cave and the Dark Caves, which by the way they'd be the perfect addition for and by that point I plan to be winning enough matches and doing enough jobs to break even. Ideally, after Blackthorn we'd take a brief detour south to go hunt a Skarmory and then Magnemite could wait until after Ecruteak, assuming all of our information is still up to date, of course."
"Oh so now not only are you going to catch one of the most upkeep-heavy pokémon, we'll also be traveling the route you want before I've even agreed to anything? How lovely." Ran speaks, sarcasm dripping off of every word.
Spencer looks surprised at how annoyed he is, but still answers casually even as he starts walking again, "Your main concern is how dangerous the Dark Caves are, an Onix will solve that concern, so I don't see the issue."
"My concern is that, firstly, an Onix doesn't just 'solve' the threat the Dark Caves pose and secondly, just as, if not more important, there's the likely scenario where you run out of budget and leave me forced to continue my journey on my own!" Ran fumes, catching up easily enough and gesticulating angrily at the other trainer's blase attitude.
"If you're so concerned about the Dark Caves, Violet City has that large lake of theirs, catch yourself a Tentacool as insurance for all I care," Spencer dismisses Ran's complaints, "It's my team and my career and it's my decision. You're my friend and I want you there with me, but my mind is made up, so you can either accept that or we can part ways after Violet City."
Ran looks at his friend in disbelief, walk stuttering to a halt whilst Spencer carries on stubbornly, "Really? Two years of planning together, motivating each other and before we've even been on the road for half a day you're posing ultimatums?"
Spencer doesn't even look back, merely speaking louder to make sure he's still audible even as the distance between both young trainers grows, "I've given it a lot of thought and it's the only decision which makes sense for me. Again, I'd like to have you there with me, but I can't let you or anyone else hold me back. Never again."
For a few seconds, Ran can only stand there mutely, watching his friend's back as the other boy walks further away from him. Finally he stows the feeling of acute betrayal away for now, rushing to catch up once more. They don't speak, barring some orders to their pokémon when a few wild pokémon wander out of the grass and onto the road to confront them, until they start setting up camp later that evening. Even then, the conversation is sparse and stilted, and the topic isn't raised again.
By the next morning, things are back to feeling normal, though the topic is clearly mutually avoided for now. Or avoided on Ran's end at least as, considering Spencer's earlier attitude, his friend might just be assuming that the final word on the matter has been spoken.
Whatever the truth of the matter, by early afternoon they're entering Union Cave, Zubat out of his ball and serving as their first line of defense. Fortunately, the beams of light cast by their flashlights draw little attention, most of the pokémon in the cave choosing to retreat deeper into the darkness rather than confront the intruders to their home. The few wild pokémon they run into early on all suffer the same fate as the first Sandshrew that squares up for a fight.
They come upon it just after a mild right turn in the somewhat narrow path they're currently following. Walking next to each other would be mildly uncomfortable, so Ran and Zubat are leading ahead of Spencer, when up ahead the light of Ran's torch uncovers a Sandshrew. Unlike the previous pokémon they've encountered however, this one turns to face them aggressively, letting out a threatening hiss and presenting its claws.
"Zubat, use Supersonic and then drain it dry with Absorb!" Ran orders, his pokémon immediately crying out obediently, before its mouth remains open even as it no longer produces an audible sound. Or at least, not audible to humans, as Sandshrew, which only just starts forward in a Rollout, sharply veers off course, slamming into the cave wall at full force.
As the unfortunate Ground type uncurls and falls weakly onto its back, Zubat shows no mercy, rapidly closing in before focusing intently, green globules of energy appearing out of Sandshrew's body and flying into Zubat. For a moment, it looks as if the fight is already over, but then Sandshrew's eyes snap open.
"Back up!" Ran calls, Zubat immediately flapping his wings fervently to get away from his target, Absorb fading away.
The order comes just in time, as Sandshrew's forepaws scrape across the ground, the rocky cave floor partially scraping off into an improbable amount of sand which flies up right at Zubat. Although the flying type lacks the eyes that Sand Attack usually targets, Ran still sighs in relief when the attack falls short, as the sheer volume of sand and the force at which it got thrown might have been enough to knock Zubat towards the ground for a moment.
Fortunately, that potential turning point doesn't materialize, as Ran instead calls out another attack, "Astonish! Follow up with another Absorb and then get above it again!"
Zubat dives towards Sandshrew before it can react, a sharp shriek rings out, which is followed by his mouth gaping open impossibly wide thanks to the tiny amount of Ghost-energy Zubat can muster. The sight is enough to shock his opponent into a stupor for a few precious seconds, the following Absorb enough to see the sand mouse think better of the fight and hastily retreat from the direct fight. A few seconds after it disappears out of the light cast by Ran's torch, they can all hear frantic digging, as Sandshrew clearly escapes out of the tunnel they're passing through, leaving Ran free to praise his pokémon's outstanding performance.
The day doesn't get any more exciting than that, the extra speed Zubat gained over his past few months as a trainer pokémon visible in his dominant performance against all takers. Eventually, exhaustion sets in and Zubat and Ran trade places with Spencer and Pineco for the final hour or so, the bug type worryingly eager to meet any challenger with Rollout, even if said challenger is made out of literal rock.
To Spencer's credit however, his starter proves able to take the measure of all challengers, allowing their progress to continue with hardly any trouble, until they eventually pick out a small offshoot of the tunnel they'd been following, opening up into a small, roughly circular room, where they start setting up camp. Not having encountered any Onix yet, Ran quietly hopes that the trend will continue the next day, but said dreams are dashed when, in the middle of the night, he is gently shaken awake.
Waking up confused by something sharp prodding him gently in his side, it takes Ran a moment to make out Scyther's figure in the darkness, the bug type gesturing vaguely towards the other side of their campsite once he realizes that he has Ran's attention. Scrabbling for his torch as he gets up, Ran flicks it on to see Spencer with his ear against the ground, his friend's expression pulled tight in concentration.
It only takes a moment for Ran to connect the dots, a sinking feeling filling him which is only strengthened when Spencer's eyes snap open triumphantly, "There! I heard it again! Something's making the cave rumble! Ran, get Zubat out and help me track it down!"
"I don't know if Zubat's going to be able to-" Ran starts, only to be cut off by Spencer's begging voice.
"Please, Ran! Scyther and I will take care of the battle and the capture, we just need help tracking it down!"
Ran hesitates a moment longer, before yielding, unwilling to deny his friend's foolish dream.
"Fine, get dressed, I'm not hunting for Onix in my sleepwear." He mutters reluctantly as he pulls his backpack towards himself, only for Spencer to throw off his sleeping bag and reveal his normal outfit.
"You never-" "I never changed!" Spencer announces proudly, easily silencing Ran's far more aggrieved voice.
The next few minutes are spent getting ready, with Spencer urging Ran to hurry what feels like every other second, but soon enough Zubat is leading the way out into the tunnels. Under Spencer's enthusiastic encouragement, they're nearly running through the caves, Ran hurriedly tagging the walls with a sharp rock to leave some markers for their eventual return to their camping place.
After five minutes of hurried searching, Zubat halts, Spencer nearly running into the back of the flying-poison-type in his enthusiasm. Zubat's soft, wary call is easily understood by Ran.
"It should be just up ahead. Are you really sure about this?"
"Of course," Spencer mutters dismissively, more focused on examining the walls and ceiling of the tunnel they're standing in than on Ran's question, "You just stay here for a minute, just to be safe. Against an Onix in this kind of environment, there's always a risk of falling debris."
"You realize that you're just as rock-proof as I am, which is to say not at all?" Ran asks sarcastically, but Spencer merely waves him off.
"I'll be fine and if I'm not, I trust you to pull me out." Spencer says to Ran, the shock value of the statement enough to leave Ran struck dumb, as Spencer addresses his pokémon next, "Alright, enough time wasted. Scyther, be ready to intervene, alright? Bunker will be taking the lead."
Then Ran's traveling companion is jogging ahead once more, Scyther dutifully by his side and Bunker the Pineco's ball already palmed.
When everything remains quiet for the better part of a minute, Ran dares to hope that the Onix quietly tunneled away during the brief conversation, but then the deep scraping of rock on rock and a loud 'Onix!' destroy that particular hope. Distantly, Ran can make out the muted sounds of a battle, but Zubat must have stopped them at a pretty respectable distance from the titan up ahead.
Spencer's voice is hard to make out over the din of battle, until he shouts a command with even more volume than the Onix' initial challenging roar.
"Self Destruct!"
Ran's eyes widen in shocked disbelief, as for a single, heart wrenching moment, everything goes quiet. Then the caves shake from the noise of a bone-shaking explosion, Ran hurriedly recalling Zubat as he dives to the ground and covers up as best he can.
Distantly, the sound of the explosion is replaced by the noise of falling boulders, but Zubat's caution pays off, as Ran is only pelted by a few minor pebbles that get shaken loose from the ceiling, before finally quiet returns and everything seems to settle once more. Distantly, Ran hears the disturbed shrieking of a Zubat colony, but the sound is distant enough not to worry him.
Scrambling upright hurriedly, he rushes towards the epicenter of the explosion even as Zubat is once more brought out to serve as his protector. As they hurry onwards, the sight of increasingly large pieces of debris worry Ran deeply. Before he even catches sight of Spencer, Pineco, Scyther or Onix, he's already forced to sidestep and in one case even scale proper boulders, the entire tunnel's geography changed as a result of Pineco's technique.
Finally, however, the epicenter becomes visible, as the tunnel widens into a proper cavern. Or what was once a cavern, as all around its edges lie large pieces of collapsed ceiling, the cave clearly not able to handle the explosive force at such a close distance. Right in the middle of the cavern however, there is a circle of nearly-undisturbed rock floor, charred black. And standing in the middle of said circle, with a panting Scyther by his side and a pokéball triumphantly held aloft, stands a disheveled, but, crucially, unhurt Spencer Curtis.
As he catches sight of Ran, the other boy gives him what can only be called a shit-eating grin, "Told you I could do it!"
Ran merely sags in relief, "You're alive, thank goodness."
Spencer scoffs, "Oh don't be a baby."
"Whatever you say," Ran waves him off with a giddy smile, fear-adrenalin making way for sheer relief, "Let's just head back to camp already before anything else collapses around here."
It's very clear from Spencer's expression that he's about to dismiss the idea of further collapses, but before he can even voice the first syllable, there's an entirely too close for comfort groaning of stone on stone somewhere above them.
Ran turns and starts walking back the way he came, not needing to see the expression on the other boy's face to hear the sudden fear, faint as it may be, in his voice, "Sure, good plan, lead on!"
Author's Note: And with that chapter 1 is completed! How about that Spencer, huh? Dude's suddenly showing a lot more of his hand than he was back in Azalea, that's for sure. Curious to see how all of this evolves? Does Ran find a new equilibrium with his traveling partner, or how will things develop? The next two weeks of updates can be found on my Patreon, for those interested. Also, thanks a lot to everyone for the support, I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
Instead, Spencer admittedly has a far more well-rounded education under his belt and a bigger budget to lean on thanks to his more lucrative occupation as a tutor, but it has left him in significantly poorer physical shape than Ran. Consequently, Ran's suggestion to have their first lunch on the go is immediately shot down by the other boy, as they instead pause by the roadside for a while as they eat an easy lunch, freshly made in the comforts of their own homes earlier that day.
"So," Spencer finally speaks up, "How long until we start running into other trainers, you reckon?"
"It might be a while, honestly," Ran answers after giving the question a moment's thought. "Azalea Town's newest sponsored trainer won't be setting out until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest and whoever that ends up being, they're probably sticking around town until they feel ready to challenge Bugsy himself. There's no other villages between Azalea and Violet City plus Union Cave is supposed to take at least a few days to get through, so I don't know why we'd run into anyone. Maybe if there's any more experienced trainers who are hoping to add like an Onix to their team for the new season, we might run into someone in the Cave, but other than that, depending on how well we progress, it might genuinely take until we're close to Violet City before we really run into anyone."
"I agree," his companion nods, before stunning Ran as he continues, "So it should be the perfect time for me to add a third member to my team."
Gaping uncomprehendingly for a moment, Ran finally manages a reply, "Already? I thought you were still working on making sure Scyther is fully obedient?"
"I am," the other trainer agrees, "but I've given this a lot of thought. Firstly, I'll be at a major type disadvantage for the first Gym, which is a must-win match. Second, with Bugsy as the Gym leader and Ilex Forest right next door, Azalea's new sponsored trainer is very likely to be featuring strong Bug types in his team, if he doesn't become an outright Bug specialist. So if I want to stand out on the circuit or at the Conference, that's not ideal. Not to mention the fact that with how well he did, if I show up with a full Bug team, people are going to be comparing me to Bugsy constantly and that's just not acceptable at all."
"You're not even going to try for a bug-specialty?" Ran asks, aghast at how easily Spencer is jettisoning another cornerstone of what had seemed like firm plans for the future just a few short weeks ago.
"I'm not." Spencer confirms curtly, seeming entirely unbothered by his decision. A clear sign to Ran that he's already made his mind up and is only now seeing the need to catch Ran up on things.
"You're really planning to get rid of your starters eventually, then? You're not planning to be a generalist after all, right? I thought you'd come around on that!" Ran asks in dismay, shocked at the idea that Spencer has reverted to the truly callous approach of simply swapping out team members whenever he acquired a new pokémon with more potential, as he'd advocated back when they'd first become friends.
"I'm not, I'm not." Spencer denies in mild surprise, caught off-guard by Ran's shock. He smiles knowingly at his friend, "You're forgetting that I have another option available to me without having to part ways with Bunker or Scyther."
Embarrassingly, it actually takes Ran a moment to pick up on Spencer's plan.
"You're going to specialize in Steel types?!" He shouts in genuine disbelief, "There's only 5 known lines in Johto and Kanto combined!"
Spencer shrugs nonchalantly, "I'm aware, I'll probably have to arrange a trade or purchase with Hoenn or Sinnoh eventually, or go with two pokémon of the same line, but if I manage it, I'll definitely stand out on the circuit."
"You'd better," Ran scoffs, "I know you've got a bit more saved up than I do, but feeding a Skarmory isn't cheap. Not to mention how long you'll have to wait to get your- hang on what do you mean catch your third pokémon? Magnemite and Skarmory aren't native to an area even remotely close to Violet City!"
"Again, I'm aware. But Onix is." Spencer replies dryly, as he starts to pack up his gear and starts getting ready to continue their journey.
"You've lost your mind." Ran deadpans in disbelief, staring at his delusional friend as if he's seeing him for the first time.
"I really haven't," Spencer insists, "Yes, they're ruinous in upkeep, but they can keep themself fed while we're in Union Cave and the Dark Caves, which by the way they'd be the perfect addition for and by that point I plan to be winning enough matches and doing enough jobs to break even. Ideally, after Blackthorn we'd take a brief detour south to go hunt a Skarmory and then Magnemite could wait until after Ecruteak, assuming all of our information is still up to date, of course."
"Oh so now not only are you going to catch one of the most upkeep-heavy pokémon, we'll also be traveling the route you want before I've even agreed to anything? How lovely." Ran speaks, sarcasm dripping off of every word.
Spencer looks surprised at how annoyed he is, but still answers casually even as he starts walking again, "Your main concern is how dangerous the Dark Caves are, an Onix will solve that concern, so I don't see the issue."
"My concern is that, firstly, an Onix doesn't just 'solve' the threat the Dark Caves pose and secondly, just as, if not more important, there's the likely scenario where you run out of budget and leave me forced to continue my journey on my own!" Ran fumes, catching up easily enough and gesticulating angrily at the other trainer's blase attitude.
"If you're so concerned about the Dark Caves, Violet City has that large lake of theirs, catch yourself a Tentacool as insurance for all I care," Spencer dismisses Ran's complaints, "It's my team and my career and it's my decision. You're my friend and I want you there with me, but my mind is made up, so you can either accept that or we can part ways after Violet City."
Ran looks at his friend in disbelief, walk stuttering to a halt whilst Spencer carries on stubbornly, "Really? Two years of planning together, motivating each other and before we've even been on the road for half a day you're posing ultimatums?"
Spencer doesn't even look back, merely speaking louder to make sure he's still audible even as the distance between both young trainers grows, "I've given it a lot of thought and it's the only decision which makes sense for me. Again, I'd like to have you there with me, but I can't let you or anyone else hold me back. Never again."
For a few seconds, Ran can only stand there mutely, watching his friend's back as the other boy walks further away from him. Finally he stows the feeling of acute betrayal away for now, rushing to catch up once more. They don't speak, barring some orders to their pokémon when a few wild pokémon wander out of the grass and onto the road to confront them, until they start setting up camp later that evening. Even then, the conversation is sparse and stilted, and the topic isn't raised again.
By the next morning, things are back to feeling normal, though the topic is clearly mutually avoided for now. Or avoided on Ran's end at least as, considering Spencer's earlier attitude, his friend might just be assuming that the final word on the matter has been spoken.
Whatever the truth of the matter, by early afternoon they're entering Union Cave, Zubat out of his ball and serving as their first line of defense. Fortunately, the beams of light cast by their flashlights draw little attention, most of the pokémon in the cave choosing to retreat deeper into the darkness rather than confront the intruders to their home. The few wild pokémon they run into early on all suffer the same fate as the first Sandshrew that squares up for a fight.
They come upon it just after a mild right turn in the somewhat narrow path they're currently following. Walking next to each other would be mildly uncomfortable, so Ran and Zubat are leading ahead of Spencer, when up ahead the light of Ran's torch uncovers a Sandshrew. Unlike the previous pokémon they've encountered however, this one turns to face them aggressively, letting out a threatening hiss and presenting its claws.
"Zubat, use Supersonic and then drain it dry with Absorb!" Ran orders, his pokémon immediately crying out obediently, before its mouth remains open even as it no longer produces an audible sound. Or at least, not audible to humans, as Sandshrew, which only just starts forward in a Rollout, sharply veers off course, slamming into the cave wall at full force.
As the unfortunate Ground type uncurls and falls weakly onto its back, Zubat shows no mercy, rapidly closing in before focusing intently, green globules of energy appearing out of Sandshrew's body and flying into Zubat. For a moment, it looks as if the fight is already over, but then Sandshrew's eyes snap open.
"Back up!" Ran calls, Zubat immediately flapping his wings fervently to get away from his target, Absorb fading away.
The order comes just in time, as Sandshrew's forepaws scrape across the ground, the rocky cave floor partially scraping off into an improbable amount of sand which flies up right at Zubat. Although the flying type lacks the eyes that Sand Attack usually targets, Ran still sighs in relief when the attack falls short, as the sheer volume of sand and the force at which it got thrown might have been enough to knock Zubat towards the ground for a moment.
Fortunately, that potential turning point doesn't materialize, as Ran instead calls out another attack, "Astonish! Follow up with another Absorb and then get above it again!"
Zubat dives towards Sandshrew before it can react, a sharp shriek rings out, which is followed by his mouth gaping open impossibly wide thanks to the tiny amount of Ghost-energy Zubat can muster. The sight is enough to shock his opponent into a stupor for a few precious seconds, the following Absorb enough to see the sand mouse think better of the fight and hastily retreat from the direct fight. A few seconds after it disappears out of the light cast by Ran's torch, they can all hear frantic digging, as Sandshrew clearly escapes out of the tunnel they're passing through, leaving Ran free to praise his pokémon's outstanding performance.
The day doesn't get any more exciting than that, the extra speed Zubat gained over his past few months as a trainer pokémon visible in his dominant performance against all takers. Eventually, exhaustion sets in and Zubat and Ran trade places with Spencer and Pineco for the final hour or so, the bug type worryingly eager to meet any challenger with Rollout, even if said challenger is made out of literal rock.
To Spencer's credit however, his starter proves able to take the measure of all challengers, allowing their progress to continue with hardly any trouble, until they eventually pick out a small offshoot of the tunnel they'd been following, opening up into a small, roughly circular room, where they start setting up camp. Not having encountered any Onix yet, Ran quietly hopes that the trend will continue the next day, but said dreams are dashed when, in the middle of the night, he is gently shaken awake.
Waking up confused by something sharp prodding him gently in his side, it takes Ran a moment to make out Scyther's figure in the darkness, the bug type gesturing vaguely towards the other side of their campsite once he realizes that he has Ran's attention. Scrabbling for his torch as he gets up, Ran flicks it on to see Spencer with his ear against the ground, his friend's expression pulled tight in concentration.
It only takes a moment for Ran to connect the dots, a sinking feeling filling him which is only strengthened when Spencer's eyes snap open triumphantly, "There! I heard it again! Something's making the cave rumble! Ran, get Zubat out and help me track it down!"
"I don't know if Zubat's going to be able to-" Ran starts, only to be cut off by Spencer's begging voice.
"Please, Ran! Scyther and I will take care of the battle and the capture, we just need help tracking it down!"
Ran hesitates a moment longer, before yielding, unwilling to deny his friend's foolish dream.
"Fine, get dressed, I'm not hunting for Onix in my sleepwear." He mutters reluctantly as he pulls his backpack towards himself, only for Spencer to throw off his sleeping bag and reveal his normal outfit.
"You never-" "I never changed!" Spencer announces proudly, easily silencing Ran's far more aggrieved voice.
The next few minutes are spent getting ready, with Spencer urging Ran to hurry what feels like every other second, but soon enough Zubat is leading the way out into the tunnels. Under Spencer's enthusiastic encouragement, they're nearly running through the caves, Ran hurriedly tagging the walls with a sharp rock to leave some markers for their eventual return to their camping place.
After five minutes of hurried searching, Zubat halts, Spencer nearly running into the back of the flying-poison-type in his enthusiasm. Zubat's soft, wary call is easily understood by Ran.
"It should be just up ahead. Are you really sure about this?"
"Of course," Spencer mutters dismissively, more focused on examining the walls and ceiling of the tunnel they're standing in than on Ran's question, "You just stay here for a minute, just to be safe. Against an Onix in this kind of environment, there's always a risk of falling debris."
"You realize that you're just as rock-proof as I am, which is to say not at all?" Ran asks sarcastically, but Spencer merely waves him off.
"I'll be fine and if I'm not, I trust you to pull me out." Spencer says to Ran, the shock value of the statement enough to leave Ran struck dumb, as Spencer addresses his pokémon next, "Alright, enough time wasted. Scyther, be ready to intervene, alright? Bunker will be taking the lead."
Then Ran's traveling companion is jogging ahead once more, Scyther dutifully by his side and Bunker the Pineco's ball already palmed.
When everything remains quiet for the better part of a minute, Ran dares to hope that the Onix quietly tunneled away during the brief conversation, but then the deep scraping of rock on rock and a loud 'Onix!' destroy that particular hope. Distantly, Ran can make out the muted sounds of a battle, but Zubat must have stopped them at a pretty respectable distance from the titan up ahead.
Spencer's voice is hard to make out over the din of battle, until he shouts a command with even more volume than the Onix' initial challenging roar.
"Self Destruct!"
Ran's eyes widen in shocked disbelief, as for a single, heart wrenching moment, everything goes quiet. Then the caves shake from the noise of a bone-shaking explosion, Ran hurriedly recalling Zubat as he dives to the ground and covers up as best he can.
Distantly, the sound of the explosion is replaced by the noise of falling boulders, but Zubat's caution pays off, as Ran is only pelted by a few minor pebbles that get shaken loose from the ceiling, before finally quiet returns and everything seems to settle once more. Distantly, Ran hears the disturbed shrieking of a Zubat colony, but the sound is distant enough not to worry him.
Scrambling upright hurriedly, he rushes towards the epicenter of the explosion even as Zubat is once more brought out to serve as his protector. As they hurry onwards, the sight of increasingly large pieces of debris worry Ran deeply. Before he even catches sight of Spencer, Pineco, Scyther or Onix, he's already forced to sidestep and in one case even scale proper boulders, the entire tunnel's geography changed as a result of Pineco's technique.
Finally, however, the epicenter becomes visible, as the tunnel widens into a proper cavern. Or what was once a cavern, as all around its edges lie large pieces of collapsed ceiling, the cave clearly not able to handle the explosive force at such a close distance. Right in the middle of the cavern however, there is a circle of nearly-undisturbed rock floor, charred black. And standing in the middle of said circle, with a panting Scyther by his side and a pokéball triumphantly held aloft, stands a disheveled, but, crucially, unhurt Spencer Curtis.
As he catches sight of Ran, the other boy gives him what can only be called a shit-eating grin, "Told you I could do it!"
Ran merely sags in relief, "You're alive, thank goodness."
Spencer scoffs, "Oh don't be a baby."
"Whatever you say," Ran waves him off with a giddy smile, fear-adrenalin making way for sheer relief, "Let's just head back to camp already before anything else collapses around here."
It's very clear from Spencer's expression that he's about to dismiss the idea of further collapses, but before he can even voice the first syllable, there's an entirely too close for comfort groaning of stone on stone somewhere above them.
Ran turns and starts walking back the way he came, not needing to see the expression on the other boy's face to hear the sudden fear, faint as it may be, in his voice, "Sure, good plan, lead on!"
Author's Note: And with that chapter 1 is completed! How about that Spencer, huh? Dude's suddenly showing a lot more of his hand than he was back in Azalea, that's for sure. Curious to see how all of this evolves? Does Ran find a new equilibrium with his traveling partner, or how will things develop? The next two weeks of updates can be found on my Patreon, for those interested. Also, thanks a lot to everyone for the support, I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
Chapter 2, part 1
- Location
- Belgium
They make it out of Union Cave four days later, the midday sun painfully bright after only having had their handheld torches to provide light for the better part of a week. They come out into a dry, harsh clearing, the forest receding away from the foot of the cave structure they step out of and yielding to the lack of rain on this side of the mountains. Near the northernmost parts of the minor range as they are, the effect the elevated landscape has on rainfall is particularly pronounced.
Both of them eagerly look for any interesting pokémon typically native to warm and dry climates, but after a few minutes of looking around they disappointedly agree that the area is likely too small to have formed its own tiny ecosystem. Still, congratulatory shoulder claps are exchanged at making it through their first proper challenge, before they continue on their way towards the distantly visible but distinct red roof of a Pokécenter.
As they draw closer to their destination for the day, however, they are interrupted by another trainer who steps out from behind a dip in the terrain.
"Well, well, well, looks like the early bird catches the worm!" A guy who looks only a few years older than them calls out. His appearance is largely unremarkable, except for the bulky glove on his right hand and lower arm.
"What's up guys? We usually don't see anyone coming out of the cave in this direction for a few more weeks at least!" The other guy asks with a grin, his gaze dipping to Ran and Spencer's belts and the three balls they each hold.
There's something about the guy that's recognizable to Ran, but he can't quite place it. The strange feeling delays his answer long enough for Spencer to speak up, "We're good, the Cave's pokémon are still pretty placid because there's not too much foot traffic inside just yet."
"Mmh, yeah, I get that." Glove-guy agrees easily enough, before humming in thought, "Bit weird to see guys your age traveling with three pokémon to their name at this point in the circuit though. You boys get an early start at the Azalea Gym? How'd you do against that fat old walrus?"
It's as Spencer starts to answer that Ran finally realizes what's familiar about the guy they're talking to. He's behaving like Tommy used to whenever new trainers were about to enter town. Right before reaching the Pokécenter he'd try and bait them into fights, after fishing for enough information to feel confident about his odds of winning.
Of course, with only a Ledyba to his name and no Gym badges of his own, Tommy still got beat more often than not, but this guy has a confidence and easy-going attitude that Tommy could only dream of.
"We didn't challenge at Azalea. Oh and the old man isn't in charge any more, Bugsy's taken over as Gym leader." Spencer speaks unsuspectingly, seemingly not on the same track as Ran.
"The guy that made the Final Four two weeks ago? You don't say." The other guy replies, expression becoming eager.
Before he can continue to steer the conversation however, Ran intervenes, "That's the guy. What about you, this is an interesting place to hang out in, did you already challenge for the Zephyr Badge?"
Finally, the other guy's expression sours, "Nah, I'm booked for next week. I used to be a Gym Trainer in Violet, actually. But Flynn's boy gave me the sack just days after taking over. Should've seen it coming too, lil' Falkner 's always been uncomfortable around me."
The mention of Flynn, until very recently the Violet Town Gym leader, has Ran wincing in sympathy. It's hard to hear that name without thinking back to his Elite Four challenge just a few months ago. Hopes had been high throughout Johto that, now that the Champion was one of theirs, they might finally gain even footing with the Kantonians in the League's upper echelons.
With Giovanni and Blaine announcing their retirements from the Elite Four in short order, a select few candidates had gotten to battle for the vacant positions. As Agatha the Crone from Lavender Town and Steel-eyed Gholam from Olivine both retained their positions despite almost being fossils of a different era at this point, optimism had been at a high point throughout Johto.
Lance had only ascended to the title of Champion recently after all, and now, for the first time since Oak's Unification, they had a real shot at outnumbering the Kantonians in the League's top 5. Unfortunately, Giovanni's proposed candidate, Bruno, a Fighting-type specialist, had pulverized everyone that stood in his way, including Gholam, to immediately jump him in the Elite Four's internal rankings, before finally faltering before Agatha, who remained the second strongest trainer in the entire League, officially at least, despite her advanced age.
But for the vacancy opened up by Blaine's abdication, there'd been real hope in Johto. Flynn, Violet City's Gym leader, was acknowledged as the strongest Gym leader in Johto, maybe excluding Pryce. There'd been a real sense of confidence when it had become clear that none of the Gym Leaders in Kanto would be challenging for the vacant spot, but then Lorelei had stepped up.
Their fight had been brutal. Unfortunately, it had also been brutally one-sided. By the time the dust had settled, Flynn's pride and joy, his starter Pidgeot, had suffered catastrophic and permanently crippling injuries. On top of having his starter's injuries to mourn, another two of his team members were rumored to also be permanently retired from competitive battling, due to the severity of the injuries they'd suffered.
It had only been a few months later when word of Falkner's ascension as the new Violet City Gym leader had started spreading, his father taking a prolonged leave of absence to travel. Since then, there'd been no known sightings of Flynn and his son's Gym had gained a reputation for its wildly fluctuating challenge level, Falkner seemingly having difficulty finding the right degree of strength for each badge level.
Catching Ran's sympathetic wince, the other guy clearly misinterprets his response, as his next words are delivered with a glare, "Don't you go wincing bitch boy, at least I didn't have to run away from my own town with my tail tucked between my legs, like you two losers. Honestly, if you weren't even good enough to beat a Bug Gym for your first badge, it's a wonder you even made it through Union Cave in the first place."
The words sting, but the earlier comparison to Tommy rears its head again, tempering the flash of anger Ran feels just in time, before he can instinctively say or do something he regrets.
Spencer has no such compunctions.
"We'll see about that! I challenge you to a battle!" The shorter boy cries out defiantly, the offense taken from the former Gym trainer's words clear in his bristling.
"You're on," The other guy grins eagerly, "As the challenged party, I'd like to settle on a two-against-two without substitutions, with the stakes at the no-badge maximum, unless you're willing to go higher?"
Ran can only let out a sigh, as Spencer furiously agrees pulling out some cash to slap into Ran's hand before striding away angrily to open up enough space for an impromptu arena. The other trainer smugly fishes out an equal amount, the total in Ran's hands almost enough to pay for a Great Ball, assuming one has the requisite three badges.
Stepping back dutifully, to give the two trainers squaring off plenty of room to work with, Ran watches with little surprise as the other guy raises his gloved hand whilst bringing his other hand to his mouth. He whistles sharply, only needing to wait a handful of seconds before, with a shriek, a Spearow comes diving down from its concealed roost atop a distant boulder. It alights gracefully on the outstretched glove, staring angrily at Spencer as it does so.
Watching passively, Ran notes the Flying type's sharp claws and, for its species, large build, clear signs that it's in fine condition and likely quite strong. Spencer doesn't seem worried of course, confidently sending Onix out to battle. With Pineco and Scyther both being Bug types, the decision is understandable, but Onix isn't at full health, leaving it as a subpar choice, especially as-
"ONIX!" The large Rock-type roars angrily, writhing in place for a moment before turning to glare furiously at Spencer.
-it hasn't forgiven Spencer for its capture yet.
Opposite Onix, the other trainer doesn't send out his Spearow yet, the small bird remaining in its position on his glove, as he throws out a Hoothoot with his other hand.
"Onix," Spencer appeals to his most recent capture hurriedly, "I get that you're frustrated and I'm sorry that we haven't made it to the Pokécenter yet, but I thought I'd get you something to take your frustrations out on!"
Onix' massive head swings through the air, shifting until its eyes zero in on Hoothoot, but the little bird appears unimpressed.
"Hoothoot, set up Reflect!" The other trainer barks out, clearly taking Spencer's talking to his pokémon as an informal start to the fight. It's a dubious call right at the start, but without a real referee and Ran not having been asked to fill the role, there's nothing he can do but watch quietly as Spencer gets caught with his pants down early on.
"Wha- Onix, stop it! Rock Throw!" Spencer hurriedly orders, compensating for getting caught off-guard admirably, but far too late, as the distinctive sheen of Reflect blinks into existence before fading away again.
"Up, Hoothoot, evade it!" The former Gym trainer barks, showing his experience as he times his order just right for Onix to be mid-throw, leaving too little time for the throw to be readjusted.
Hoothoot lifts straight up, but before either trainer can give another order, Onix lurches forwards. Everyone is caught off-guard, a desperate order for Hoothoot to dodge entirely too late as, with a devastating Smack Down, Hoothoot is slammed into the ground and doesn't get up again.
"Great, its instincts haven't even been broken yet," The bird trainer snarls disgustedly, as Spearow flutters forwards to take up its place in the arena, Hoothoot disappearing back into its pokéball in a red flash, "Whatever, Hoothoot did what he needed to."
Spencer is clearly unbothered by his opponent's words, nearly jumping for joy as he calls out to Onix, "Great job Onix! Didn't that feel good?! Together we'll have lots more victories like that!"
"You shouldn't be using trainer battles to work on getting your pokémon's obedience, kid." His opponent calls out threateningly, as Spearow hurriedly takes off and gains altitude, immediately getting out of Onix' direct range.
"I'm up a pokémon and Onix hasn't even taken a hit yet, why shouldn't I?" Spencer asks smugly, emboldened by his early success.
"Because other people's pokémon are well-trained," The other trainer grins back, as Ran catches a disturbing silvery-gray glint to Spearow's wings from where its hovering high above the battlefield, "And we're under no obligation to wait for you to get ready."
As Spearow starts its divebomb towards Onix, Spencer finally catches on, hurriedly shouting out an order, "Onix, Dig!"
Onix clearly disagrees, throwing its head from left to right, before rearing up to meet the incoming Spearow with another Smack Down.
"Don't! It knows-" Spencer starts to say, only to be cut off in a moment of poetic justice for Ran, as for once he isn't the one to get cut off.
It's no comfort to Spencer and Onix however, as Spearow's dive accelerates even further at the last moment, Onix' attempt at a lazy Smack Down missing hugely and leaving it wide open for Spearow's glowing Steel Wing to cut deeply into Onix rocky exterior. The shrieking of steel on stone is unpleasant, but Onix' pained cry is no more pleasant to listen to, the large Rock type flailing around in pain, nearly catching Spearow in the side entirely by accident, before falling to the ground unconscious.
Unlike Spencer, the other trainer doesn't gloat, merely gesturing agitatedly for Spencer to choose his next pokémon, "Hurry up, hurry up, rules say you have to sub within thirty seconds after a knock-out!"
Spencer is clearly out of his comfort zone, Onix getting one-shotted obviously having hurt his confidence, which is why Ran forgives him for the look of surprise at the other trainer's seeming change in behavior. Unlike Spencer however, Ran hasn't forgotten about Hoothoot's Reflect, the timer of which continues to run down even if there's only one pokémon on the field.
"R-right! Scyther, I'm counting on you!" Spencer shouts, the green bug type materializing on the field.
The look of surprise on the other guy's face is gratifying, but again his experience shows through as he wastes no time whining or showboating, "Spearow, evade and weaken!"
"Don't let it, Scyther! Quick Attack! Keep it up!" Spencer orders hurriedly, as Spearow tries to fly straight up once more.
Scyther blurs forwards, his wings beating madly once he makes it halfway, the sheer acceleration he's capable of on land carrying through into his take-off, even as Spearow lets out a surprisingly deep growl. It doesn't manage to dodge the incoming bug in time however, both pokémon colliding heavily in mid-air before Scyther flies past.
The Bug type merely uses his wings to slow his fall down, touching back down on the ground before turning to line up another pass. Too much time is wasted in doing so however, as Spearow manages to arrest its own fall early on and stubbornly hovers in the air, another deep growl visibly intimidating Scyther, as, despite the size disparity, the Bug type's instinctive fear of Flying types is triggered.
"Don't let it buff up freely Scyther! Quick Attack out of sight and wait to line up another pass!" Spencer orders hurriedly, his second pokémon immediately obeying by blurring away and only briefly appearing in various spots around the battlefield.
Spearow spins in place, trying urgently to track its opponent, but unable to do so for more than a second at a time. Just as it seems like the bird type might give up on its attempts entirely, its trainer's orders provide new directions, "Two can play at that game! Aerial Ace, Spearow!"
Unlike earlier, against Onix, this time Spearow shows off its own impressive speed from the start, nose diving straight at the ground to build up speed before leveling off just a few feet above the ground and zooming through the battlefield in a makeshift crisscross pattern even as Scyther is clearly getting worn down by the constant use of Quick Attack.
Spencer seems to realize that his current approach can only lead to defeat, which is why he calls out a new order.
"Scyther, overpower it! Quick Attack right at it!"
Ran clenches his fists, watching anxiously as Scyther comes to a stop near the edge of the battlefield, pivoting in place to face Spearow, which turns on a dime despite its high speed. Scyther blurs forward and an instant later, green and brown blurs meet with a bang.
Neither one gets thrown back, nor do they halt each other's movements dramatically in the middle. Instead, after a fraction of a moment, green and brown pass each other.
But where the brown blur slows down to become recognizable as a Spearow again even as it slowly lifts off once more and regains height, the green blur turns into a rolling and tumbling Scyther, the wounded bug-type unable to keep his footing and crashing to a stop as he throws up a cloud of dust in his wake.
"Scyther!" Spencer cries out in fright, rushing towards his downed pokémon even as the other trainer grins in delight, strutting towards Ran and snatching the prize money away before Ran can even properly offer it to him.
"Thanks for the payday sucker, have a nice life." The older guy taunts, before walking off as he laughs gleefully. Spencer either doesn't hear him or doesn't care however, focused entirely on Scyther's wellbeing.
Author's Note: Poor Ran is stuck as the spectator for the start of Chapter 2. Also, I should maybe use this time to clarify that, no, not every character is going to be an unlikeable ass. Ran and Spencer were just unlucky enough to run into an opportunist with a plan and a method to achieve that plan. In Part 2, which'll be coming your way on Sunday, we actually get to see Ran and 2 of his pokémon in action in a trainer battle, so that's something to look forwards to! Can't wait? The next two weeks of updates can be found on my Patreon, for those interested. Also, thanks a lot to everyone for the kind words and for the support, I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
Both of them eagerly look for any interesting pokémon typically native to warm and dry climates, but after a few minutes of looking around they disappointedly agree that the area is likely too small to have formed its own tiny ecosystem. Still, congratulatory shoulder claps are exchanged at making it through their first proper challenge, before they continue on their way towards the distantly visible but distinct red roof of a Pokécenter.
As they draw closer to their destination for the day, however, they are interrupted by another trainer who steps out from behind a dip in the terrain.
"Well, well, well, looks like the early bird catches the worm!" A guy who looks only a few years older than them calls out. His appearance is largely unremarkable, except for the bulky glove on his right hand and lower arm.
"What's up guys? We usually don't see anyone coming out of the cave in this direction for a few more weeks at least!" The other guy asks with a grin, his gaze dipping to Ran and Spencer's belts and the three balls they each hold.
There's something about the guy that's recognizable to Ran, but he can't quite place it. The strange feeling delays his answer long enough for Spencer to speak up, "We're good, the Cave's pokémon are still pretty placid because there's not too much foot traffic inside just yet."
"Mmh, yeah, I get that." Glove-guy agrees easily enough, before humming in thought, "Bit weird to see guys your age traveling with three pokémon to their name at this point in the circuit though. You boys get an early start at the Azalea Gym? How'd you do against that fat old walrus?"
It's as Spencer starts to answer that Ran finally realizes what's familiar about the guy they're talking to. He's behaving like Tommy used to whenever new trainers were about to enter town. Right before reaching the Pokécenter he'd try and bait them into fights, after fishing for enough information to feel confident about his odds of winning.
Of course, with only a Ledyba to his name and no Gym badges of his own, Tommy still got beat more often than not, but this guy has a confidence and easy-going attitude that Tommy could only dream of.
"We didn't challenge at Azalea. Oh and the old man isn't in charge any more, Bugsy's taken over as Gym leader." Spencer speaks unsuspectingly, seemingly not on the same track as Ran.
"The guy that made the Final Four two weeks ago? You don't say." The other guy replies, expression becoming eager.
Before he can continue to steer the conversation however, Ran intervenes, "That's the guy. What about you, this is an interesting place to hang out in, did you already challenge for the Zephyr Badge?"
Finally, the other guy's expression sours, "Nah, I'm booked for next week. I used to be a Gym Trainer in Violet, actually. But Flynn's boy gave me the sack just days after taking over. Should've seen it coming too, lil' Falkner 's always been uncomfortable around me."
The mention of Flynn, until very recently the Violet Town Gym leader, has Ran wincing in sympathy. It's hard to hear that name without thinking back to his Elite Four challenge just a few months ago. Hopes had been high throughout Johto that, now that the Champion was one of theirs, they might finally gain even footing with the Kantonians in the League's upper echelons.
With Giovanni and Blaine announcing their retirements from the Elite Four in short order, a select few candidates had gotten to battle for the vacant positions. As Agatha the Crone from Lavender Town and Steel-eyed Gholam from Olivine both retained their positions despite almost being fossils of a different era at this point, optimism had been at a high point throughout Johto.
Lance had only ascended to the title of Champion recently after all, and now, for the first time since Oak's Unification, they had a real shot at outnumbering the Kantonians in the League's top 5. Unfortunately, Giovanni's proposed candidate, Bruno, a Fighting-type specialist, had pulverized everyone that stood in his way, including Gholam, to immediately jump him in the Elite Four's internal rankings, before finally faltering before Agatha, who remained the second strongest trainer in the entire League, officially at least, despite her advanced age.
But for the vacancy opened up by Blaine's abdication, there'd been real hope in Johto. Flynn, Violet City's Gym leader, was acknowledged as the strongest Gym leader in Johto, maybe excluding Pryce. There'd been a real sense of confidence when it had become clear that none of the Gym Leaders in Kanto would be challenging for the vacant spot, but then Lorelei had stepped up.
Their fight had been brutal. Unfortunately, it had also been brutally one-sided. By the time the dust had settled, Flynn's pride and joy, his starter Pidgeot, had suffered catastrophic and permanently crippling injuries. On top of having his starter's injuries to mourn, another two of his team members were rumored to also be permanently retired from competitive battling, due to the severity of the injuries they'd suffered.
It had only been a few months later when word of Falkner's ascension as the new Violet City Gym leader had started spreading, his father taking a prolonged leave of absence to travel. Since then, there'd been no known sightings of Flynn and his son's Gym had gained a reputation for its wildly fluctuating challenge level, Falkner seemingly having difficulty finding the right degree of strength for each badge level.
Catching Ran's sympathetic wince, the other guy clearly misinterprets his response, as his next words are delivered with a glare, "Don't you go wincing bitch boy, at least I didn't have to run away from my own town with my tail tucked between my legs, like you two losers. Honestly, if you weren't even good enough to beat a Bug Gym for your first badge, it's a wonder you even made it through Union Cave in the first place."
The words sting, but the earlier comparison to Tommy rears its head again, tempering the flash of anger Ran feels just in time, before he can instinctively say or do something he regrets.
Spencer has no such compunctions.
"We'll see about that! I challenge you to a battle!" The shorter boy cries out defiantly, the offense taken from the former Gym trainer's words clear in his bristling.
"You're on," The other guy grins eagerly, "As the challenged party, I'd like to settle on a two-against-two without substitutions, with the stakes at the no-badge maximum, unless you're willing to go higher?"
Ran can only let out a sigh, as Spencer furiously agrees pulling out some cash to slap into Ran's hand before striding away angrily to open up enough space for an impromptu arena. The other trainer smugly fishes out an equal amount, the total in Ran's hands almost enough to pay for a Great Ball, assuming one has the requisite three badges.
Stepping back dutifully, to give the two trainers squaring off plenty of room to work with, Ran watches with little surprise as the other guy raises his gloved hand whilst bringing his other hand to his mouth. He whistles sharply, only needing to wait a handful of seconds before, with a shriek, a Spearow comes diving down from its concealed roost atop a distant boulder. It alights gracefully on the outstretched glove, staring angrily at Spencer as it does so.
Watching passively, Ran notes the Flying type's sharp claws and, for its species, large build, clear signs that it's in fine condition and likely quite strong. Spencer doesn't seem worried of course, confidently sending Onix out to battle. With Pineco and Scyther both being Bug types, the decision is understandable, but Onix isn't at full health, leaving it as a subpar choice, especially as-
"ONIX!" The large Rock-type roars angrily, writhing in place for a moment before turning to glare furiously at Spencer.
-it hasn't forgiven Spencer for its capture yet.
Opposite Onix, the other trainer doesn't send out his Spearow yet, the small bird remaining in its position on his glove, as he throws out a Hoothoot with his other hand.
"Onix," Spencer appeals to his most recent capture hurriedly, "I get that you're frustrated and I'm sorry that we haven't made it to the Pokécenter yet, but I thought I'd get you something to take your frustrations out on!"
Onix' massive head swings through the air, shifting until its eyes zero in on Hoothoot, but the little bird appears unimpressed.
"Hoothoot, set up Reflect!" The other trainer barks out, clearly taking Spencer's talking to his pokémon as an informal start to the fight. It's a dubious call right at the start, but without a real referee and Ran not having been asked to fill the role, there's nothing he can do but watch quietly as Spencer gets caught with his pants down early on.
"Wha- Onix, stop it! Rock Throw!" Spencer hurriedly orders, compensating for getting caught off-guard admirably, but far too late, as the distinctive sheen of Reflect blinks into existence before fading away again.
"Up, Hoothoot, evade it!" The former Gym trainer barks, showing his experience as he times his order just right for Onix to be mid-throw, leaving too little time for the throw to be readjusted.
Hoothoot lifts straight up, but before either trainer can give another order, Onix lurches forwards. Everyone is caught off-guard, a desperate order for Hoothoot to dodge entirely too late as, with a devastating Smack Down, Hoothoot is slammed into the ground and doesn't get up again.
"Great, its instincts haven't even been broken yet," The bird trainer snarls disgustedly, as Spearow flutters forwards to take up its place in the arena, Hoothoot disappearing back into its pokéball in a red flash, "Whatever, Hoothoot did what he needed to."
Spencer is clearly unbothered by his opponent's words, nearly jumping for joy as he calls out to Onix, "Great job Onix! Didn't that feel good?! Together we'll have lots more victories like that!"
"You shouldn't be using trainer battles to work on getting your pokémon's obedience, kid." His opponent calls out threateningly, as Spearow hurriedly takes off and gains altitude, immediately getting out of Onix' direct range.
"I'm up a pokémon and Onix hasn't even taken a hit yet, why shouldn't I?" Spencer asks smugly, emboldened by his early success.
"Because other people's pokémon are well-trained," The other trainer grins back, as Ran catches a disturbing silvery-gray glint to Spearow's wings from where its hovering high above the battlefield, "And we're under no obligation to wait for you to get ready."
As Spearow starts its divebomb towards Onix, Spencer finally catches on, hurriedly shouting out an order, "Onix, Dig!"
Onix clearly disagrees, throwing its head from left to right, before rearing up to meet the incoming Spearow with another Smack Down.
"Don't! It knows-" Spencer starts to say, only to be cut off in a moment of poetic justice for Ran, as for once he isn't the one to get cut off.
It's no comfort to Spencer and Onix however, as Spearow's dive accelerates even further at the last moment, Onix' attempt at a lazy Smack Down missing hugely and leaving it wide open for Spearow's glowing Steel Wing to cut deeply into Onix rocky exterior. The shrieking of steel on stone is unpleasant, but Onix' pained cry is no more pleasant to listen to, the large Rock type flailing around in pain, nearly catching Spearow in the side entirely by accident, before falling to the ground unconscious.
Unlike Spencer, the other trainer doesn't gloat, merely gesturing agitatedly for Spencer to choose his next pokémon, "Hurry up, hurry up, rules say you have to sub within thirty seconds after a knock-out!"
Spencer is clearly out of his comfort zone, Onix getting one-shotted obviously having hurt his confidence, which is why Ran forgives him for the look of surprise at the other trainer's seeming change in behavior. Unlike Spencer however, Ran hasn't forgotten about Hoothoot's Reflect, the timer of which continues to run down even if there's only one pokémon on the field.
"R-right! Scyther, I'm counting on you!" Spencer shouts, the green bug type materializing on the field.
The look of surprise on the other guy's face is gratifying, but again his experience shows through as he wastes no time whining or showboating, "Spearow, evade and weaken!"
"Don't let it, Scyther! Quick Attack! Keep it up!" Spencer orders hurriedly, as Spearow tries to fly straight up once more.
Scyther blurs forwards, his wings beating madly once he makes it halfway, the sheer acceleration he's capable of on land carrying through into his take-off, even as Spearow lets out a surprisingly deep growl. It doesn't manage to dodge the incoming bug in time however, both pokémon colliding heavily in mid-air before Scyther flies past.
The Bug type merely uses his wings to slow his fall down, touching back down on the ground before turning to line up another pass. Too much time is wasted in doing so however, as Spearow manages to arrest its own fall early on and stubbornly hovers in the air, another deep growl visibly intimidating Scyther, as, despite the size disparity, the Bug type's instinctive fear of Flying types is triggered.
"Don't let it buff up freely Scyther! Quick Attack out of sight and wait to line up another pass!" Spencer orders hurriedly, his second pokémon immediately obeying by blurring away and only briefly appearing in various spots around the battlefield.
Spearow spins in place, trying urgently to track its opponent, but unable to do so for more than a second at a time. Just as it seems like the bird type might give up on its attempts entirely, its trainer's orders provide new directions, "Two can play at that game! Aerial Ace, Spearow!"
Unlike earlier, against Onix, this time Spearow shows off its own impressive speed from the start, nose diving straight at the ground to build up speed before leveling off just a few feet above the ground and zooming through the battlefield in a makeshift crisscross pattern even as Scyther is clearly getting worn down by the constant use of Quick Attack.
Spencer seems to realize that his current approach can only lead to defeat, which is why he calls out a new order.
"Scyther, overpower it! Quick Attack right at it!"
Ran clenches his fists, watching anxiously as Scyther comes to a stop near the edge of the battlefield, pivoting in place to face Spearow, which turns on a dime despite its high speed. Scyther blurs forward and an instant later, green and brown blurs meet with a bang.
Neither one gets thrown back, nor do they halt each other's movements dramatically in the middle. Instead, after a fraction of a moment, green and brown pass each other.
But where the brown blur slows down to become recognizable as a Spearow again even as it slowly lifts off once more and regains height, the green blur turns into a rolling and tumbling Scyther, the wounded bug-type unable to keep his footing and crashing to a stop as he throws up a cloud of dust in his wake.
"Scyther!" Spencer cries out in fright, rushing towards his downed pokémon even as the other trainer grins in delight, strutting towards Ran and snatching the prize money away before Ran can even properly offer it to him.
"Thanks for the payday sucker, have a nice life." The older guy taunts, before walking off as he laughs gleefully. Spencer either doesn't hear him or doesn't care however, focused entirely on Scyther's wellbeing.
Author's Note: Poor Ran is stuck as the spectator for the start of Chapter 2. Also, I should maybe use this time to clarify that, no, not every character is going to be an unlikeable ass. Ran and Spencer were just unlucky enough to run into an opportunist with a plan and a method to achieve that plan. In Part 2, which'll be coming your way on Sunday, we actually get to see Ran and 2 of his pokémon in action in a trainer battle, so that's something to look forwards to! Can't wait? The next two weeks of updates can be found on my Patreon, for those interested. Also, thanks a lot to everyone for the kind words and for the support, I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
Character Portraits
- Location
- Belgium
Disclaimer: These portraits are AI-generated, but for lack of the budget to commission an artist, they give a very decent represenation of how I picture the characters. They are by no means a must, but in the online fiction format, where people tend to read and follow a lot of stories at once, I figure an easy visual aid is a nice tool for those that want it. This post will be edited when new 'major' characters are introduced.
Last edited:
Chapter 2, part 2
- Location
- Belgium
After a very brief examination, Scyther is recalled as Ran approaches his defeated friend. Hesitantly, he speaks up in an attempt to offer some consolation, "You were unlucky, there aren't many Spearow that know Steel Wing."
Spencer's answer is a sharp snarl, "I know that. Let's just get to the pokémon center."
Wary of provoking his friend's anger any further, Ran drops the topic rather than discussing the battle or the signs that they'd been baited. It's useful information, but with Spencer almost vibrating with pent-up frustration, trying to have a post-fight analysis now feels like it'd only end in another argument.
Instead, he follows more sedately as Spencer starts jogging towards the distant red roof of the Pokécenter. As they get closer however, Ran realizes that what they're approaching isn't actually a proper Pokécenter, when the large shield the building has hanging out front becomes legible.
'Union-32 Rest Stop' isn't a name Ran has ever heard of, but with its position, it's easy enough to understand just what they're coming up on. However, what is hard to understand is the red roof, because the Pokécenter's distinctive look is legally protected to ensure that in cases of emergency, trainers will find it as soon as possible.
Intrigued, Ran speeds up, catching back up to Spencer easily enough. As they approach, Ran gives the building a proper look, noticing the clearly delineated battlefield out back immediately. Next is the sheer number of windows the large wooden building has, hinting at a large number of small rooms. Out front there are a number of large wooden tables and benches, but they, like the arena in the back, are all entirely empty.
Just as Ran is about to ask if the place is open in the first place, he notices the sign on the front door that assures them that Union-32 Rest Stop is in fact open for business. Following Spencer as the other boy bursts inside, it takes Ran a moment to understand just why the building they've entered has a red roof.
Directly in front of them, greeting any entrants, is a large desk, behind which a previously bored young woman visibly perks up as the doors swing open. Directly to the left of the entrance however, is a smaller desk area behind which a surprisingly young nurse is pushing the buttons of a Pokécenter machine Ran doesn't know the purpose of.
Spencer immediately beelines towards the green-haired nurse, the urgency with which he puts his pokéballs on the desk enough to spur the woman into action. Ran, eventually wanting a brief check-up of his pokémon as well, but none of them truly injured, politely heads to the proper front desk, where the receptionist is smiling warmly as he approaches.
As he nears her, Ran takes the young woman in for a moment. She looks about eighteen, with long, light brown wavy hair and pretty dark brown eyes. Wearing casual clothes like jeans and a simple light green top, she doesn't seem uniformed, but still looks perfectly at ease behind the desk.
"Hi, welcome to Union-32 Rest Stop, your one-stop hostel for all your and your pokémon's needs," She greets him cheerfully, "Is this your first time with us?"
"It is." Ran confirms politely, not expanding any further as he is happy to let the receptionist steer the conversation for now.
"Okay, great! We offer private rooms with baths or beds in the common dormitory with common baths on a per-night basis, Pokécenter usage at the standard rates as well as breakfast and dinner options or personal use of the shared kitchen, whichever you might prefer. We also have a common room for relaxation which is freely available to all paying guests. Finally, should you be in need of any supplies, we offer a limited range of products typically found in your standard pokémart." She rattles off enthusiastically, before drawing in a deep breath, her long spiel finally finished.
"Are you interested in staying with us?" She finally asks, as Ran patiently waited for her to recover her breath and ask her question.
A brief animated but good-natured discussion follows, in which Angie happily tries to upsell Ran into getting two private rooms, breakfast and dinner, whilst Ran insists two beds in the common dorm will do and they'll happily use the shared kitchen. Before Angie can really pour the charm on however, Spencer finishes with the nurse and joins the conversation like a grumpy raincloud, his sour expression enough for Angie to drop the matter and quietly let them both pay for the cheapest option on offer.
Spencer immediately walks off, his earlier bad mood only worsened by the current lack of pokéballs on his side. As it's only the early afternoon however, Ran is in no such hurry, calmly heading to the nurse's desk and checking his own pokémon in for a quick check-up. None of them really took any meaningful hits they couldn't just sleep off during their journey through Union Cave, but he figures it's better to be safe than sorry. Then, curiosity piqued, he heads back to Angie, who watches him approach curiously.
"Do you need any help finding anything? We're not busy at the moment, so I could leave the desk unmanned for a few minutes if you'd like." She proposes helpfully.
"No thanks, I'll go settle in properly in a minute, but I'm curious about this place," Ran admits, "I wasn't aware Pokécenters aren't always independent buildings."
"Ohh," Angie says, as she realizes why Ran is still in the lobby, "Well the thing is, usually they are, but there's a few places where having a full-time Pokécenter would just be outrageously wasteful and costly, but not having one would be irresponsible. On the other side of Union Cave, someone in a big hurry can just about make it to Azalea Town within a day, but from this side, Violet City is just too far away to get to fast in case of an emergency. So when my parents opened this place years ago, the Pokémon League reached out about including a small Pokécenter almost immediately."
"That makes sense, thanks for the explanation. Do you get a lot of customers?" Ran asks, interested in any information he can gain about a usual Conference season.
Angie nods happily, "We sure do! We're just coming out of the calmest months of the year, actually. Right at the end of the season and during the first week or two of the next one, we hardly get any traffic at all, because the wild pokémon around here aren't particularly rare or strong and at that point trainers that are still hunting for their final badge are usually strong enough to have alternative means of transportation, cutting out the need to pass through Union Cave. But now that the new season's started and lots of fresh trainers are starting out again, traffic will be picking up again."
"Especially as Violet City usually also gets a wave of rookies from Cherrygrove and then there's all the types that want to do the Elm-route. Ever since that guy's been sending out three sponsored trainers a year, we usually see a huge spike in the first quarter. I'm telling you, if you'd come in a few weeks from now, this place would've been bustling already!" Angie finishes proudly.
Thanking Angie for the information, Ran eventually goes looking for the dormitory, finding it to be a large room filled with four rows of five bunkbeds apiece. Each bed has a large footlocker consisting of two compartments to store away any gear in. Right at the entrance is a big poster showing a Rattata with a red X drawn across it. Underneath, it reads: "No pokémon out of their balls in the dorm!"
Already having claimed a bottom bed in the corner, Spencer is moodily paging through his planning notebook, occasionally scribbling something down. Ran wanders over, claiming the top bunk on the next bed over from Spencer's. He takes a minute to put his backpack away, before, after a moment's hesitation over whether or not to talk to Spencer, he wanders out again in search of the common baths.
The shower stalls he finds aren't anything spectacular but, considering they'd just spent the better part of a week in a cave, Ran still delights in the feeling of warm water pouring over his dust-covered body. Later, after retrieving his pokémon from the nurse and receiving the affirmation that they were indeed in fine condition, Ran wanders over towards the front desk once more.
"So you work here full-time for your parents then?" He asks Angie, who greets him with another smile, "That I do. What's on your mind, Ran?
"I was wondering if you've trained any pokémon," Ran admits, not seeing the point in beating around the bush, "Because it's a bit early in the day for me to just go sit in the common area and laze about for the rest of the day."
Angie grins, leaning forwards on the desk, drawing Ran's eyes downwards, "You did come in a bit early yeah, but honestly, usually by the time rookies make it to us for the first time they're happy for the excuse to crash and unload for a bit. But yeah, I never even applied for my CGCs, but I've got two pokémon."
"That's cool," Ran acknowledges with a smile of his own, doing his best to look the older girl in the face without blushing, "Spencer got baited into a battle earlier today so his team's with the nurse for the moment, but I was wondering if, if you're free, you were interested in a battle?"
"Is that a challenge?" Angie leads, smiling flirtatiously at Ran, leaving him to flush slightly.
"Not yet," He manages to get out without stumbling over his own words, "Just a question, I'd like to know if you're interested and what kind of wager you had in mind, first."
Angie's smile becomes more genuine, her voice warming as she leans back from the desk she'd been using to accentuate her charms, "That guy Spencer fought was a piece of shit with a big bird keeping glove and a Spearow he shows off, wasn't he?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah he was," Ran acknowledges, "I gather you're familiar with him?"
"Sure," Angie waves off, "Win's been staying here for a few days already. I already figured he came down here to prey on rookies for a bit of easy money until he's got his scheduled match with Falkner. We went to school together for a few years, back in the day. It's honestly pretty sad to see that he's still the same smug bully he was back then."
"It's a shame we didn't make it here before running into him, that warning could've saved Spencer a fair bit of money." Ran replies sullenly, Angie's words further confirming his own assumptions about the other guy, whose name he's now finally learned.
"It is, but at least you clearly learned a lesson from it, seeing as you're already avoiding blindly challenging me," Angie encourages, seemingly trying to cheer him up, "Anyways, I'm up for a friendly spar. Head on out back, I'll catch up to you in a minute."
Grinning eagerly, Ran thanks the pretty receptionist before doing just that, the two of them facing off across the Rest Stop's arena not five minutes later.
"Come on out Sentret, we're getting a workout in today!" Angie calls out with a grin, sending out her first pokémon into the field, Ran answering by sending out Spinarak.
"We go when the pebble hits the ground, alright?" She calls out to Ran, lifting up a pebble demonstratively. At his nod, she throws it up in the air, Ran tensing up as he tracks its flight closely.
The moment the pebble hits the ground, their first commands overlap.
"Quick Attack!" "String Shot!"
Sentret's tail flexes hard, letting it burst forwards at Spinarak at speed, but the benefits to Ran's training, forced to focus on practicing moves and execution speed due to not being able to use the Pokécenter as often as he would have liked, show through, as Spinarak manages to act just as fast, a tight jet of sticky string flying directly at the approaching Pokémon. It doesn't slow Sentret down enough to prevent the attack from connecting, Spinarak thrown off her legs and landing harshly on the ground, but when Sentret slows down and turns, it's got multiple thick strands of sticky, tough webbing running across its body.
"Again, Sentret!" "You too, Spinarak!"
Already, the difference is notable, Sentret's charge noticeably slower and slowing even further as Spinarak heaps on even more sticky webbing. Still, the gap closes swiftly, but neither trainer watches quietly this time.
"Pivot into Fury Swipes!" Angie orders Sentret, the still charging Pokémon obediently pulling its arms back, tips of its claws shining with Normal-type energy.
"Make it pay for sticking close! Absorb!" Ran orders in turn, confident in Spinarak's ability to tough it out through Sentret's attack and pay back the damage dealt with interest.
The residual speed from Sentret's Quick Attack is enough to send both pokémon rolling head over heels following impact, with Sentret growling and clawing furiously at any part of Spinarak it can reach, while the bug type, for her part, chitters agitatedly as green globules of enemy get drawn out of Sentret and into her.
It's a tense fight for a few seconds, both trainers remaining mute as their pokémon come to a stop, Sentret clawing away on top of Spinarak whilst the green spider doggedly uses Absorb to recover from the damage she receives and weaken Sentret in turn. Eventually, one of the two has to be winning out, but Ran isn't sure who that someone is.
Angie appears to disagree as after a few more tense seconds, she pulls out her pokéball and calls out, "Sentret, come back!"
Ran looks up in surprise, his entire focus having been on the heated fight between their pokémon.
"Spinarak's Absorb was healing her up almost as fast as Sentret was hurting her, she'd have knocked him out after a few more seconds without really gaining us anything, so I didn't see the point in making him suffer through that," Angie explains for Ran's benefit, before pulling out her other pokéball, "But this fight isn't over yet! Come on out, Gorgeous!"
"Sunflora!" Angie's clear starter cries out as it materializes, dancing around happily in place for a moment before focusing on Spinarak. At the sight of the bug-poison type, the usually smiling sun pokémon's expression sours.
Rather than throwing another pebble, this time there's merely a nod from Angie to show that she's ready to continue, though she doesn't immediately speak. Hoping to take advantage of her hesitance, Ran immediately gives an order.
"String Shot again!"
Angie smiles easily at the command, clearly having gotten what she wanted, as she gives her own order, "Ingrain, Gorgeous!"
Ran barely suppresses a curse, as his first attack proves entirely useless with Sunflora voluntarily immobilizing itself, its roots digging hungrily into the ground remaining entirely unbothered by the webs Spinarak shoots at it.
"Alright Spinarak, your target's immobilized, Poison Sting and get close enough for Infestation!" He orders after a moment's delay, channeling his frustration into a new set of orders rather than continuing to stew futilely.
"Don't let it, Gorgeous! Razor Leaf!" Angie counters immediately, easily accepting the prospect of a shoot-out.
Spinarak fires off hundreds of tiny darts of poison type energy, Sunflora answering with tens of sharpened leaves. Where the two attacks meet, Spinarak's attack is destroyed, but the sheer volume of darts guarantees that at least some get through. From the other side, Sunflora's attack is barely hindered, but where Sunflora is stationary, there's nothing keeping Spinarak in one place.
The end result is Sunflora getting lightly sprayed with Poison Stingers, whilst Spinarak scuttles erratically as she slowly closes the distance. What Razor Leafs hit her definitely have more power to them than her own Poison Stings, but the significant type advantage sees the smaller pokémon advance nearly entirely undeterred. Just as Spinarak starts getting close enough to use Infestation however, Angie gives a command that drains the blood from Ran's face in a moment.
"Earth Power!"
"Get out of there!" Ran cries out desperately, Spinarak doing her best to dash to the side, but too slow to dodge as Sunflora's expression tightens for a moment, before the ground under Spinarak glows ominously. Then the earth erupts upwards, sharp spires erupting outwards and throwing Spinarak flailing into the air, where Ran immediately recalls his pokémon as she hits the top of her flight, before she can start falling.
"I withdraw Spinarak, she doesn't need to take more than one hit like that for a spar," Ran explains, drawing an approving nod from Angie, as his hand hesitates between his two remaining pokéballs, before making his decision, "And I'll meet your starter with my own! Let's show them how it's done, Ekans!"
Angie grins when Ekans materializes, looking at Ran challengingly, "You realize that this one doesn't even have the bug typing to make this hurt less? Right?"
"We'll be alright," Ran replies confidently, before calling out sharply, indicating the spar's resumption, "Ekans, Sunflora's ingrained and knows Earth Power! Glare into Poison Sting and Wrap things up! Coil dodge if it gets the move off!"
"W- Earth Power, Gorgeous!" Angie stumbles for just a moment, before giving out the expected order.
She's a moment too late however, as Ekans' eyes glow menacingly and Sunflora visibly freezes up for a moment. It's enough for Ekans to start sliding forwards as fast as the purple snake can manage, a spray of poisonous darts fired from his mouth to keep Sunflora distracted.
Under the combined hammering of Poison Sting and the lingering paralytic effect of Ekans' Glare, Sunflora takes precious seconds to finally muster up the energy to attack, but still the ground beneath Ekans glows ominously before the distance between both pokémon is entirely closed.
Instantly, Ekans stops slithering forwards, coiling up tightly in an instant before explosively leaping to the side. When the ground ruptures upwards, Ekans' head and front half are already flying out of the danger zone, only his lower half ripped upwards painfully and tearing gashes into his hide. Ekans flips end over end as a result, but manages to land somewhat steadily despite the obvious pain he's in.
"Press on!" Ran shouts, leading to Ekans obediently rushing forwards once more at Sunflora, as their opponents suddenly realize just how much danger they're in with a furious poison-type closing in.
"Razor Leaf! Keep it back!" Angie orders hurriedly, but the few projectiles Sunflora manages as a last gasp effort don't bother Ekans, who wraps tightly around Sunflora, restraining the grass-type and slowly squeezing, as Ekans' head looms just above the sun pokémon's head, mouth gaping wide open and fangs dripping threateningly with poison.
"Ekans, end-" Ran starts to call out after giving Angie a moment to forfeit, before getting cut off when she does just that.
"Forfeit!" She shouts as fast as she can, just in time for Ekans' final lunge to stop after just the slightest hint of forward movement. Obediently, he releases his Wrap and gently starts slithering back towards an enthusiastic Ran, who greets his starter with some cautious petting before allowing him to rest in his ball.
For her part, Angie recalls Gorgeous the Sunflora and saunters over with a begrudging smile, having to step cautiously around the patches of ground destroyed by her own pokémon's usage of Earth Power.
"Well I didn't think I'd actually lose! I thought I was being nice by not putting a wager on things, but I guess not, huh?" She asks wryly, offering Ran a hand to shake, which he eagerly accepts.
"It could've gone either way." Ran answers humbly, not mentioning his Zubat, which would've more easily handled Sunflora under the conditions.
"Maybe," Angie replies, not seeming particularly bothered either way, "But that was fun. I should get back to the front desk though. Enjoy the rest of your evening! If you're bored later, you know where to find me."
"Thanks, you too!" Ran agrees, before looking at the arena again.
"Uh, what about-" He starts to ask, but Angie waves him off immediately.
"Dad's Quagsire will sort it out later, don't worry about it."
"Huh, that's convenient." Ran admits idly, but Angie merely grins.
"Yeah well, neither of my parents had a ground type before opening this place, it took them until about a week after opening before dad gave in and went out to catch himself a Wooper. You really can't host trainers without having an easy way to provide a good arena."
Looking out once more at the amount of chaos even their friendly, low-level fight inflicted on the rest stop's arena, Ran can only nod agreeably before they both head inside.
When he hands over his pokéballs to the nurse for actual treatment rather than for a simple check-up, she actually seems grateful for the work. Before he can even comment on it to Angie however, who is already in the process of returning to her desk, the brunette calls back to him over her shoulder, "Don't get used to it, you're not going to find another Joy anywhere in Johto who gets as much free time as this one!"
Author's Note: Chapter 2 is in the books! Look at Ran, actually being personable for a change. Also, to pre-empt the likely question that'll be raised over movesets: Angie's parents got her the TM for Earth Power as a bit of extra insurance to ensure that their daughter's starter has a bit more punch, just in case she ever needs it. In chapter 3, we're going to Violet City, where more than just a Gym awaits our traveling trainers. Curious to see how all of this evolves? What'll happen in Violet City, are they going to win their first badges or will there be any unexpected difficulties? The answers to those questions can be found on my Patreon, where the next two weeks of updates are already available! Also, thanks a lot to everyone for the kind words and for the support, I hope you continue to enjoy my story!
Spencer's answer is a sharp snarl, "I know that. Let's just get to the pokémon center."
Wary of provoking his friend's anger any further, Ran drops the topic rather than discussing the battle or the signs that they'd been baited. It's useful information, but with Spencer almost vibrating with pent-up frustration, trying to have a post-fight analysis now feels like it'd only end in another argument.
Instead, he follows more sedately as Spencer starts jogging towards the distant red roof of the Pokécenter. As they get closer however, Ran realizes that what they're approaching isn't actually a proper Pokécenter, when the large shield the building has hanging out front becomes legible.
'Union-32 Rest Stop' isn't a name Ran has ever heard of, but with its position, it's easy enough to understand just what they're coming up on. However, what is hard to understand is the red roof, because the Pokécenter's distinctive look is legally protected to ensure that in cases of emergency, trainers will find it as soon as possible.
Intrigued, Ran speeds up, catching back up to Spencer easily enough. As they approach, Ran gives the building a proper look, noticing the clearly delineated battlefield out back immediately. Next is the sheer number of windows the large wooden building has, hinting at a large number of small rooms. Out front there are a number of large wooden tables and benches, but they, like the arena in the back, are all entirely empty.
Just as Ran is about to ask if the place is open in the first place, he notices the sign on the front door that assures them that Union-32 Rest Stop is in fact open for business. Following Spencer as the other boy bursts inside, it takes Ran a moment to understand just why the building they've entered has a red roof.
Directly in front of them, greeting any entrants, is a large desk, behind which a previously bored young woman visibly perks up as the doors swing open. Directly to the left of the entrance however, is a smaller desk area behind which a surprisingly young nurse is pushing the buttons of a Pokécenter machine Ran doesn't know the purpose of.
Spencer immediately beelines towards the green-haired nurse, the urgency with which he puts his pokéballs on the desk enough to spur the woman into action. Ran, eventually wanting a brief check-up of his pokémon as well, but none of them truly injured, politely heads to the proper front desk, where the receptionist is smiling warmly as he approaches.
As he nears her, Ran takes the young woman in for a moment. She looks about eighteen, with long, light brown wavy hair and pretty dark brown eyes. Wearing casual clothes like jeans and a simple light green top, she doesn't seem uniformed, but still looks perfectly at ease behind the desk.
"Hi, welcome to Union-32 Rest Stop, your one-stop hostel for all your and your pokémon's needs," She greets him cheerfully, "Is this your first time with us?"
"It is." Ran confirms politely, not expanding any further as he is happy to let the receptionist steer the conversation for now.
"Okay, great! We offer private rooms with baths or beds in the common dormitory with common baths on a per-night basis, Pokécenter usage at the standard rates as well as breakfast and dinner options or personal use of the shared kitchen, whichever you might prefer. We also have a common room for relaxation which is freely available to all paying guests. Finally, should you be in need of any supplies, we offer a limited range of products typically found in your standard pokémart." She rattles off enthusiastically, before drawing in a deep breath, her long spiel finally finished.
"Are you interested in staying with us?" She finally asks, as Ran patiently waited for her to recover her breath and ask her question.
A brief animated but good-natured discussion follows, in which Angie happily tries to upsell Ran into getting two private rooms, breakfast and dinner, whilst Ran insists two beds in the common dorm will do and they'll happily use the shared kitchen. Before Angie can really pour the charm on however, Spencer finishes with the nurse and joins the conversation like a grumpy raincloud, his sour expression enough for Angie to drop the matter and quietly let them both pay for the cheapest option on offer.
Spencer immediately walks off, his earlier bad mood only worsened by the current lack of pokéballs on his side. As it's only the early afternoon however, Ran is in no such hurry, calmly heading to the nurse's desk and checking his own pokémon in for a quick check-up. None of them really took any meaningful hits they couldn't just sleep off during their journey through Union Cave, but he figures it's better to be safe than sorry. Then, curiosity piqued, he heads back to Angie, who watches him approach curiously.
"Do you need any help finding anything? We're not busy at the moment, so I could leave the desk unmanned for a few minutes if you'd like." She proposes helpfully.
"No thanks, I'll go settle in properly in a minute, but I'm curious about this place," Ran admits, "I wasn't aware Pokécenters aren't always independent buildings."
"Ohh," Angie says, as she realizes why Ran is still in the lobby, "Well the thing is, usually they are, but there's a few places where having a full-time Pokécenter would just be outrageously wasteful and costly, but not having one would be irresponsible. On the other side of Union Cave, someone in a big hurry can just about make it to Azalea Town within a day, but from this side, Violet City is just too far away to get to fast in case of an emergency. So when my parents opened this place years ago, the Pokémon League reached out about including a small Pokécenter almost immediately."
"That makes sense, thanks for the explanation. Do you get a lot of customers?" Ran asks, interested in any information he can gain about a usual Conference season.
Angie nods happily, "We sure do! We're just coming out of the calmest months of the year, actually. Right at the end of the season and during the first week or two of the next one, we hardly get any traffic at all, because the wild pokémon around here aren't particularly rare or strong and at that point trainers that are still hunting for their final badge are usually strong enough to have alternative means of transportation, cutting out the need to pass through Union Cave. But now that the new season's started and lots of fresh trainers are starting out again, traffic will be picking up again."
"Especially as Violet City usually also gets a wave of rookies from Cherrygrove and then there's all the types that want to do the Elm-route. Ever since that guy's been sending out three sponsored trainers a year, we usually see a huge spike in the first quarter. I'm telling you, if you'd come in a few weeks from now, this place would've been bustling already!" Angie finishes proudly.
Thanking Angie for the information, Ran eventually goes looking for the dormitory, finding it to be a large room filled with four rows of five bunkbeds apiece. Each bed has a large footlocker consisting of two compartments to store away any gear in. Right at the entrance is a big poster showing a Rattata with a red X drawn across it. Underneath, it reads: "No pokémon out of their balls in the dorm!"
Already having claimed a bottom bed in the corner, Spencer is moodily paging through his planning notebook, occasionally scribbling something down. Ran wanders over, claiming the top bunk on the next bed over from Spencer's. He takes a minute to put his backpack away, before, after a moment's hesitation over whether or not to talk to Spencer, he wanders out again in search of the common baths.
The shower stalls he finds aren't anything spectacular but, considering they'd just spent the better part of a week in a cave, Ran still delights in the feeling of warm water pouring over his dust-covered body. Later, after retrieving his pokémon from the nurse and receiving the affirmation that they were indeed in fine condition, Ran wanders over towards the front desk once more.
"So you work here full-time for your parents then?" He asks Angie, who greets him with another smile, "That I do. What's on your mind, Ran?
"I was wondering if you've trained any pokémon," Ran admits, not seeing the point in beating around the bush, "Because it's a bit early in the day for me to just go sit in the common area and laze about for the rest of the day."
Angie grins, leaning forwards on the desk, drawing Ran's eyes downwards, "You did come in a bit early yeah, but honestly, usually by the time rookies make it to us for the first time they're happy for the excuse to crash and unload for a bit. But yeah, I never even applied for my CGCs, but I've got two pokémon."
"That's cool," Ran acknowledges with a smile of his own, doing his best to look the older girl in the face without blushing, "Spencer got baited into a battle earlier today so his team's with the nurse for the moment, but I was wondering if, if you're free, you were interested in a battle?"
"Is that a challenge?" Angie leads, smiling flirtatiously at Ran, leaving him to flush slightly.
"Not yet," He manages to get out without stumbling over his own words, "Just a question, I'd like to know if you're interested and what kind of wager you had in mind, first."
Angie's smile becomes more genuine, her voice warming as she leans back from the desk she'd been using to accentuate her charms, "That guy Spencer fought was a piece of shit with a big bird keeping glove and a Spearow he shows off, wasn't he?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah he was," Ran acknowledges, "I gather you're familiar with him?"
"Sure," Angie waves off, "Win's been staying here for a few days already. I already figured he came down here to prey on rookies for a bit of easy money until he's got his scheduled match with Falkner. We went to school together for a few years, back in the day. It's honestly pretty sad to see that he's still the same smug bully he was back then."
"It's a shame we didn't make it here before running into him, that warning could've saved Spencer a fair bit of money." Ran replies sullenly, Angie's words further confirming his own assumptions about the other guy, whose name he's now finally learned.
"It is, but at least you clearly learned a lesson from it, seeing as you're already avoiding blindly challenging me," Angie encourages, seemingly trying to cheer him up, "Anyways, I'm up for a friendly spar. Head on out back, I'll catch up to you in a minute."
Grinning eagerly, Ran thanks the pretty receptionist before doing just that, the two of them facing off across the Rest Stop's arena not five minutes later.
"Come on out Sentret, we're getting a workout in today!" Angie calls out with a grin, sending out her first pokémon into the field, Ran answering by sending out Spinarak.
"We go when the pebble hits the ground, alright?" She calls out to Ran, lifting up a pebble demonstratively. At his nod, she throws it up in the air, Ran tensing up as he tracks its flight closely.
The moment the pebble hits the ground, their first commands overlap.
"Quick Attack!" "String Shot!"
Sentret's tail flexes hard, letting it burst forwards at Spinarak at speed, but the benefits to Ran's training, forced to focus on practicing moves and execution speed due to not being able to use the Pokécenter as often as he would have liked, show through, as Spinarak manages to act just as fast, a tight jet of sticky string flying directly at the approaching Pokémon. It doesn't slow Sentret down enough to prevent the attack from connecting, Spinarak thrown off her legs and landing harshly on the ground, but when Sentret slows down and turns, it's got multiple thick strands of sticky, tough webbing running across its body.
"Again, Sentret!" "You too, Spinarak!"
Already, the difference is notable, Sentret's charge noticeably slower and slowing even further as Spinarak heaps on even more sticky webbing. Still, the gap closes swiftly, but neither trainer watches quietly this time.
"Pivot into Fury Swipes!" Angie orders Sentret, the still charging Pokémon obediently pulling its arms back, tips of its claws shining with Normal-type energy.
"Make it pay for sticking close! Absorb!" Ran orders in turn, confident in Spinarak's ability to tough it out through Sentret's attack and pay back the damage dealt with interest.
The residual speed from Sentret's Quick Attack is enough to send both pokémon rolling head over heels following impact, with Sentret growling and clawing furiously at any part of Spinarak it can reach, while the bug type, for her part, chitters agitatedly as green globules of enemy get drawn out of Sentret and into her.
It's a tense fight for a few seconds, both trainers remaining mute as their pokémon come to a stop, Sentret clawing away on top of Spinarak whilst the green spider doggedly uses Absorb to recover from the damage she receives and weaken Sentret in turn. Eventually, one of the two has to be winning out, but Ran isn't sure who that someone is.
Angie appears to disagree as after a few more tense seconds, she pulls out her pokéball and calls out, "Sentret, come back!"
Ran looks up in surprise, his entire focus having been on the heated fight between their pokémon.
"Spinarak's Absorb was healing her up almost as fast as Sentret was hurting her, she'd have knocked him out after a few more seconds without really gaining us anything, so I didn't see the point in making him suffer through that," Angie explains for Ran's benefit, before pulling out her other pokéball, "But this fight isn't over yet! Come on out, Gorgeous!"
"Sunflora!" Angie's clear starter cries out as it materializes, dancing around happily in place for a moment before focusing on Spinarak. At the sight of the bug-poison type, the usually smiling sun pokémon's expression sours.
Rather than throwing another pebble, this time there's merely a nod from Angie to show that she's ready to continue, though she doesn't immediately speak. Hoping to take advantage of her hesitance, Ran immediately gives an order.
"String Shot again!"
Angie smiles easily at the command, clearly having gotten what she wanted, as she gives her own order, "Ingrain, Gorgeous!"
Ran barely suppresses a curse, as his first attack proves entirely useless with Sunflora voluntarily immobilizing itself, its roots digging hungrily into the ground remaining entirely unbothered by the webs Spinarak shoots at it.
"Alright Spinarak, your target's immobilized, Poison Sting and get close enough for Infestation!" He orders after a moment's delay, channeling his frustration into a new set of orders rather than continuing to stew futilely.
"Don't let it, Gorgeous! Razor Leaf!" Angie counters immediately, easily accepting the prospect of a shoot-out.
Spinarak fires off hundreds of tiny darts of poison type energy, Sunflora answering with tens of sharpened leaves. Where the two attacks meet, Spinarak's attack is destroyed, but the sheer volume of darts guarantees that at least some get through. From the other side, Sunflora's attack is barely hindered, but where Sunflora is stationary, there's nothing keeping Spinarak in one place.
The end result is Sunflora getting lightly sprayed with Poison Stingers, whilst Spinarak scuttles erratically as she slowly closes the distance. What Razor Leafs hit her definitely have more power to them than her own Poison Stings, but the significant type advantage sees the smaller pokémon advance nearly entirely undeterred. Just as Spinarak starts getting close enough to use Infestation however, Angie gives a command that drains the blood from Ran's face in a moment.
"Earth Power!"
"Get out of there!" Ran cries out desperately, Spinarak doing her best to dash to the side, but too slow to dodge as Sunflora's expression tightens for a moment, before the ground under Spinarak glows ominously. Then the earth erupts upwards, sharp spires erupting outwards and throwing Spinarak flailing into the air, where Ran immediately recalls his pokémon as she hits the top of her flight, before she can start falling.
"I withdraw Spinarak, she doesn't need to take more than one hit like that for a spar," Ran explains, drawing an approving nod from Angie, as his hand hesitates between his two remaining pokéballs, before making his decision, "And I'll meet your starter with my own! Let's show them how it's done, Ekans!"
Angie grins when Ekans materializes, looking at Ran challengingly, "You realize that this one doesn't even have the bug typing to make this hurt less? Right?"
"We'll be alright," Ran replies confidently, before calling out sharply, indicating the spar's resumption, "Ekans, Sunflora's ingrained and knows Earth Power! Glare into Poison Sting and Wrap things up! Coil dodge if it gets the move off!"
"W- Earth Power, Gorgeous!" Angie stumbles for just a moment, before giving out the expected order.
She's a moment too late however, as Ekans' eyes glow menacingly and Sunflora visibly freezes up for a moment. It's enough for Ekans to start sliding forwards as fast as the purple snake can manage, a spray of poisonous darts fired from his mouth to keep Sunflora distracted.
Under the combined hammering of Poison Sting and the lingering paralytic effect of Ekans' Glare, Sunflora takes precious seconds to finally muster up the energy to attack, but still the ground beneath Ekans glows ominously before the distance between both pokémon is entirely closed.
Instantly, Ekans stops slithering forwards, coiling up tightly in an instant before explosively leaping to the side. When the ground ruptures upwards, Ekans' head and front half are already flying out of the danger zone, only his lower half ripped upwards painfully and tearing gashes into his hide. Ekans flips end over end as a result, but manages to land somewhat steadily despite the obvious pain he's in.
"Press on!" Ran shouts, leading to Ekans obediently rushing forwards once more at Sunflora, as their opponents suddenly realize just how much danger they're in with a furious poison-type closing in.
"Razor Leaf! Keep it back!" Angie orders hurriedly, but the few projectiles Sunflora manages as a last gasp effort don't bother Ekans, who wraps tightly around Sunflora, restraining the grass-type and slowly squeezing, as Ekans' head looms just above the sun pokémon's head, mouth gaping wide open and fangs dripping threateningly with poison.
"Ekans, end-" Ran starts to call out after giving Angie a moment to forfeit, before getting cut off when she does just that.
"Forfeit!" She shouts as fast as she can, just in time for Ekans' final lunge to stop after just the slightest hint of forward movement. Obediently, he releases his Wrap and gently starts slithering back towards an enthusiastic Ran, who greets his starter with some cautious petting before allowing him to rest in his ball.
For her part, Angie recalls Gorgeous the Sunflora and saunters over with a begrudging smile, having to step cautiously around the patches of ground destroyed by her own pokémon's usage of Earth Power.
"Well I didn't think I'd actually lose! I thought I was being nice by not putting a wager on things, but I guess not, huh?" She asks wryly, offering Ran a hand to shake, which he eagerly accepts.
"It could've gone either way." Ran answers humbly, not mentioning his Zubat, which would've more easily handled Sunflora under the conditions.
"Maybe," Angie replies, not seeming particularly bothered either way, "But that was fun. I should get back to the front desk though. Enjoy the rest of your evening! If you're bored later, you know where to find me."
"Thanks, you too!" Ran agrees, before looking at the arena again.
"Uh, what about-" He starts to ask, but Angie waves him off immediately.
"Dad's Quagsire will sort it out later, don't worry about it."
"Huh, that's convenient." Ran admits idly, but Angie merely grins.
"Yeah well, neither of my parents had a ground type before opening this place, it took them until about a week after opening before dad gave in and went out to catch himself a Wooper. You really can't host trainers without having an easy way to provide a good arena."
Looking out once more at the amount of chaos even their friendly, low-level fight inflicted on the rest stop's arena, Ran can only nod agreeably before they both head inside.
When he hands over his pokéballs to the nurse for actual treatment rather than for a simple check-up, she actually seems grateful for the work. Before he can even comment on it to Angie however, who is already in the process of returning to her desk, the brunette calls back to him over her shoulder, "Don't get used to it, you're not going to find another Joy anywhere in Johto who gets as much free time as this one!"
Author's Note: Chapter 2 is in the books! Look at Ran, actually being personable for a change. Also, to pre-empt the likely question that'll be raised over movesets: Angie's parents got her the TM for Earth Power as a bit of extra insurance to ensure that their daughter's starter has a bit more punch, just in case she ever needs it. In chapter 3, we're going to Violet City, where more than just a Gym awaits our traveling trainers. Curious to see how all of this evolves? What'll happen in Violet City, are they going to win their first badges or will there be any unexpected difficulties? The answers to those questions can be found on my Patreon, where the next two weeks of updates are already available! Also, thanks a lot to everyone for the kind words and for the support, I hope you continue to enjoy my story!
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