Behind the Pokémon Centre, there were three battlefields laid out in a long stretch. All of them run down in the same tired way. Cracked black pavement. Old painted lines that had sort of faded, like the car park lines at an Asian grocery.
Because the overhanging veranda blocked most of the sunlight, the whole area was in a permanent half-shadow. The only reason it wasn't pitch black was because of the artificial lights bolted to the ceiling above.
It really added to the beat-down aesthetics of this place quite well. No wonder Marnie and Piers were so emo.
I almost felt depressed staring at the place.
Even the cage covering each court had numerous holes and seemed to be bent, as if a football had been kicked into them constantly. 'I'm not sure how this place looks even more beat up than the basketball courts in my old high school.' I thought in slight surprise.
The layout did remind me of where Grookey and I had our first battle. Just extremely damaged.
Taking a better look, the closest battlefield had kids. Around six to eight years old, maybe. I chuckled at their antics as the trainers just roared out orders, and every time a Pokémon landed a hit. The group on the sidelines would shout in excitement. I just shake my head at the Rookidee and Wooloo there.
The middle field was different. Teenagers around my age, with some just a bit older and the farthest court seemingly with the more experienced trainers.
'I wonder if those guys are team yell members… I do remember that most, if not all, gym trainers were team yell members.' I thought, moving forward.
It was like school basketball courts in school. Each grade sort of had a designated court they played on everyday. Not that it was a rule, but more of like sitting on a seat at the first day of school and not moving.
"Hey," one of the guys in line said when he noticed me. "You here to battle? I haven't seen you here before."
I held in my thoughts of saying "no shit" like it was a lifeline. But one of my life motto's is to not be a dick to others. Yeah sure I can say things in my mind, but saying such thoughts out loud is too far.
"Yeah," I simply answer. "I'm a rookie just looking for some battles."
"Are you sure you don't belong on the kiddy court?" A different guy laughed out loud. Hearing this, I grin. I wanted to have a Pokémon battle, and he was right there.
"Let's find out ourselves; we should settle it with a Pokémon battle." My words make the teen get a predatory grin. He definitely wanted the smoke, and unfortunately for me, this could be an embarrassing match. I watched the battle ahead of us end. One trainer recalled their Pokémon with a tired sigh. The other bumped fists with them before stepping off the field.
"I dibs a battle, lads." He tells the others, to which they make room; if anything, they seemed amused and looking forward to this. One of the lads, pulled out some popcorn from the inside of his jacket.
'Wait, how does he have popcorn?' I question myself.
After making a two-on-two ₱200 wager, it was time for us to get to it. Walking forward, the guy turned around with a more relaxed expression.
"The name's Oliver, you?"
"Kenji."
I clipped Shellos' Poké Ball free.
"Let's see how you do," I murmur. Tapping the pokeball once, I soon threw it up in the air. Shellos appeared in a flash of red light, blinking once before settling low to the ground. Oliver released his Pokémon.
A purple ball with a multitude of bumps, which had holes, entered my view. Seeing the Pokémon release gas from the holes in its body, I frown a little. Koffing floated into view, grinning.
"Poison Gas!" Oliver called immediately.
Koffing didn't waste anytime, spitting out a cloud which expanded faster than I expected. 'It's too wide to dodge, no point wasting energy. Let's see if ground moves which can hit a Levitating Pokémon work and don't magically disappear…'
"Stay calm, Shellos," I say. "[Mud-Slap],"
Shellos, with a disgusted look, opened his mouth and sent out small mud bullets straight at Koffing. The attack splattered across Koffing's face, forcing it back and covering its eyesight a bit.
As this occurred, Shellos was poisoned and shivered at the horrible feeling. A rush of purple made it groan in pain.
"[Tackle]!" Koffing lunged forward.
"[Yawn] now!"
Shellos opened his mouth and let out a slow, heavy sound just before the impact. Koffing slammed into him, sending Shellos skidding back as poison damage ticked again, but I saw the effect.
A slight smile crept up my face. Koffing wobbled mid-air.
"[Tackle]/[Mud-Slap]!"
Another barrage of mud hit Koffing, causing him to miss his attack. Watching Oliver physically be frustrated was a sight to behold. I can be a petty little bastard sometimes. It's like beating your Niece/Nephew in Mario Cart after they call you bad.
Sometimes, things happen…
Shellos looked rough now as another poison tick happened. A soft glow spread across Shellos' using [Recover]. After this, Koffing's eyes started to close, and its balloon-like frame dropped to the ground in a thud.
The disbelief on Oliver's face was immediate.
"[Recover], then start using multiple [Mud-Slap]."
Shellos didn't waste time after fully healing with a grin. Mud-Slap after Mud-Slap to stack the mud on top of Koffing. When Koffing, after being beaten up for a bit, finally stirred. Which wasn't something I wanted. "[Yawn] now!"
Shellos landed the move easily on the still target, as it went back to sleep. 'This might be the funniest thing I've ever seen.' I thought, holding in my laugh. The bench on the sidelines, though were cracking up and shouting.
"Koffing, please, I have a parlay." One shouted.
"Is that even legal?"
"Probably?"
"Stop it, he's already dead!" Another joked.
After a few more attacks, Oliver realised that Koffing had fainted and couldn't battle. Watching in bated breath, he sent out his second Pokémon. A small feline Pokémon with purple fur.
"Purrloin!"
The moment it appeared
"[Fake Out]/[Yawn]!" We both shout.
Shellos wasn't fast enough and got hit, watching Purrloin's ridiculous speed, I wince. It also uses a quick attack, sending my boy flying towards me, barely alive. Shellos, soon after tanking two hits, was able to let out a last-ditch [Yawn].
'Holy shit! Shellos, you legend.' I clenched my fist, face in excitement as my mouth resembled the letter O.
Shellos barely managed it before collapsing as another poison tick knocked it out. I returned him without hesitation and sent out my starter. Grookey hit the field just as Purrloin yawned and promptly fell asleep.
"Damn it, no! Purrloin, wake up!"
I'm so sorry, little one…
"[Growth]." Those simple words made Oliver widen his eyes, while the spectators cheered. But it wasn't enough. Even Grookey was started to smirk with an evil smile.
"Again."
Twice. A white glow surrounded Grookey as he got more pumped up. Right after, Purrloin stirred a little.
"[Hammer Arm] Grookey." The chimp surged forward with a sienna glow and ended it in one hit. Slamming his arm onto the poor Purrloin, using all his body weight.
There was a short silence before a laugh from the other side could be heard. "I thought I had you after the poison," he admitted, sending over the wager money. "Great battle, man, are you gonna come here often?"
"As much as I can, I need the experience," I said, pocketing it. Now that we sort of talked more, did I feel bad beating him like that? A little, since my thoughts were a little immature. I might be petty like that.
Still, winning was satisfying. Seeing that Grookey still had some left in him, we soon found a match with someone else in the crowd.
"Wingull, get in the air!"
"[Growth]," I order, squinting my eyes. Another battle where I have no range, Shellos wasn't an option due to Grookey already being out there. Even then, Shellos was in no state to battle.
Wingull was fast. Too fast. [Water Gun] only hit once out of four attacks. Grookey, who was on the floor, started to growl, annoyed. Every [Leech Seed] was just smacked away, which was pissing even me off to a degree.
"Grookey Groo (You coward, stop running)!" In frustration, I watched him suddenly twist his whole body as if pitching a baseball. A multitude of leaves swooshed through the air and hit the Wingul.[1]
'That should be [Razor Leaf]?' I thought in joy.'
This joy didn't last as the opponent had his Wingul nose-dive Grookey and one-shot him with [Wing Attack]. Well… shit.
"Good battle, man, come here more often. All of us here battle as a hobby and come around the same time today. Don't be shy about asking the trainers on the back court, though." Hearing his words, I nod, shaking his hand.
Right after giving him ₱500.
I spent a few hours chilling and chatting with the group of four. While they were mentally younger than me, listening to anyone chatting about Pokémon really negates that. Each one had different inputs and got their start from their parents.
Some worked normal jobs which made sense. Oliver himself worked at the bakery in the main street.
With even a few of them participating in the tournament in a few weeks' time.
Oliver got Purrloin from his father, who was actually battling in the back courts. Jimmy had a Wingul who beat me. While Roach and Brace had a Nicket. Honestly, nothing about their words really surprised me as much as learning that a parent named their child Roach.
That's actually foul.
…
I later walked home after healing Shellos and Grookey.
Grookey walked beside me most of the way back, unusually quiet. Seeing his sad face, even his shades didn't cheer him up. I looked at this a bit conflicted. I wouldn't be the first person to say I'm not good at consoling people, much less Pokémon.
"Hey Grookey, do you want a name?" I ask. The little chimp perked up at my words and nodded.[2]
'I'm not sure if I'll call him his nickname every time, but it will be registered on my pokedex… We will see if it sticks.' I thought. Watching his wide eyes stare at mine, my expression couldn't help but soften.
Picking him up, I scratch his chin. Earning an approving growl.
"Groo (Yes)!"
"How about King Kong? Kong for short." Grookey's eyes shone at the name. Nodding frantically, which made me chuckle. "Your name is based on a powerful ape. A lonely person who helped and battled with another giant monster, Godzilla."
Grookey was fully on board, eyes sparkling, happily listening to me recite the summary of some movies. Dad was already out back when we arrived.
The yard was flat and had a few trees located here. It looked pretty neat but full due to a few Pokemon such as Rillaboom and Tropius outside. Thinking about Rillaboom, my mind started to wander a little.
Ignoring that the ape was fucking over seven feet tall. 'Can't he teach my Grookey [Grassy Glide] as a tutor move?'
"Back already?" Dad asked.
"Yeah, I battled for a little bit," I said. "Dad, can you help me train Grookey?" He raised an eyebrow at my words, but was easily on board. Not that he would refuse any chance to train with me, which I was thankful for.
I quickly went over his Rillaboom teaching Grookey any tutor moves he had, so we both checked his pokedex app.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Species: Rillaboom
Type: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
Height: 2.2m (7'2)
Weight: 120kg (264lbs)
Health Rating: 8/10
Attacking Moves: Growl, Scratch, Branch Poke, Razor Leaf, Knock Off, Slam, Uproar, Wood Hammer, Double-Hit, Drum Beating, Hammer Arm (Egg), Acrobatics ™, Protect ™, Bulldoze ™, Grassy Glide (Tutor), Mega Punch (Tutor), Mega Kick (Tutor),
Auxiliary Moves: Taunt, Screech, Grassy Terrain, Noble Roar, Worry Seed (Egg),
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
'Thank god he has [Grassy Glide], but can Rillaboom even learn Mega Punch & Kick through tutor?' I was confused. Maybe it worked differently here. Ash's Gengar learned a fire move with the help of Infernape in Pokémon Journeys.
So it isn't impossible. Dad's Pokedex has the weight and height add-on, with another thing called health rating. Maybe I should test that out sometime.
We didn't waste time spending a couple of days training. While Grookey spent a few hours his time a day with Rillaboom, trying to learn a strong physical stab move. Shellos was just exerting his energy practicing his power and aim with [Water Gun] & [Mud-Slap]
I set him up near the far end of the yard. I was controlling a circular target using my psychic powers. Slightly making a moving target to help Shellos hit moving targets. This definitely helped as Shellos started to aim where they would be.
Sort of like in basketball on a fast break. You don't pass to a person's location, you passed it where their momentum and direction they were heading.
"Water Gun," I said.
Again.
And again.
We focused on pressure. This training did help Shellos learn a new move. The repetitions made the attack transform into a [Water Pulse]. By the end, he was breathing hard but holding himself upright.
"Good job, buddy!" I cheer, picking him up.
"Shell… (Sleep)." Right after this, the little bugger slept in my arms in an instant. Chuckling at his antics, I let him rest in his Poké Ball.
Grookey watched from the side, cheering, tapping his stick lightly against the ground. Rillaboom stood behind him, sitting at an imposing height, looming over Grookey. I watched Grookey straighten up without realising it.
I let them practise for a few hours a day before Grookey had some dodge training. In my hands were three relatively large books. Lying them on the floor, my eyes glowed as I sent out my psychic powers to make them float.
'It's easier now.' I thought, feeling all three books fully in my control. Moving all three at the same time, doing different movements and at different speeds felt natural.
"Grookey," I called. "Ready?"
He looked over, eyes sharp.
I sent one book flying toward him at a relatively medium pace. He dodged and dodged again, getting into a sort of rhythm. I varied the angles and speed, which nicked him a few times. Besides getting overwhelmed by pure numbers.
The only time I could hit him was with a feint.
We kept going until my head started to throb slightly. That was my limit for now. I dropped the books gently to the ground and sat back. Grabbing my head, it felt like staying up at night for too long.
My eyes were feeling a little sore.
"Good control," I hear father say, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Can I ask you something?" he said."Sure."
He kept his voice casual. "Your… powers. Is there anything else besides moving things?"
I just shook my head, which made him sigh in relief. He studied me for a second, then nodded. After a moment, he added, "A friend of mine told me about psychics when I asked him about your powers."
Now that got my attention.
"Apparently, there are three rough types," he continued. "First are psychics with great control, weaker power. Usually grows over time. Second is the balance. Decent control, decent strength, who show slight signs of teleportation. Third…"
He paused, seemingly hesitant to talk, completely bewildered at the idea.
"Extraordinary stuff. Future sight. Mind reading. Reality-bending. Champ, I'm usually not one to be scared, but I've met some psychics in that category, trust me, it isn't a pretty time."
Hearing his words, I instinctively gulp down some saliva.
'I think Sabrina is pretty…' My slightly dirt mind instantly thought.
"Where do you think I fall?" I asked carefully.
Dad looked at me fully now. "One or two, better than the third option at least." Watching his expression, he must truly be terrified of psychics. I wonder what experiences he's had. To be fair, though, people like Sabrina literally turn their parents into dolls.
Wait.
Does he know Sabrina and what she did to her parents, and got scared? That would actually make sense. The only other psychic I remember is Caitlyn, who had short outbursts and kept away from the public.
Both of them are strong ass trainers.
By the end of the week, Grookey successfully learned [Grassy Glide]. I finally had a reliable grass-type move. There were a few days until the tournament, so I wanted to head off to the wild for a bit.
See if I can catch anything.
'Lets see their progress…'
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Species: Grookey
Level: 15 (Novice)
Type: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
Attacking Moves: Growl, Scratch, Branch Poke, Taunt, Razor Leaf, Fake Out (Egg), Hammer Arm (Egg), Strength (Egg), Grassy Glide (Tutor)
Auxiliary Moves: Growth (Egg), Leech Seed (Egg)
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
'Already level 15? Typically, starters do evolve at level 16, so maybe he just needs a push before he can evolve.' I thought feeling a little giddy. I'm not particularly sure what that push has or needs to be for evolution. Just battling whoever seems to be working quite well.
Just keep the grind up!
I was more than satisfied with his progress. The same can be said for my second member.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Species: East Sea Shellos
Level: 14 (Novice)
Type: Water
Ability: Storm Drain
Attacking Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Water Pulse
Auxiliary Moves: Harden, Recover, Yawn (Egg)
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Despite falling down on the level department compared to Grookey, they don't exactly mean everything in a battle. Especially since he was a new capture beating a trained Koffing. His auxiliary moves are just so versatile, paired with a good water move now.
There isn't much for him to train physically, to be honest. I can't make him crawl faster, can I? I'll have to scour around for Cynthia's Gastrodon and see how he battles.
Either way, at a higher level, we can attempt to learn [Counter Shield] that Ash made.
Feeling that this would be the most we could train for now, I headed off. Outside of town and into the forest to the right of Spikemuth. Father said there were a variety of Pokémon here.
"Grookey, stay by my side, we are gonna adventure a little, alright? There will most definitely be some battles."
"Grookey grookey groo (I don't want peace. I want problems always)!" He pumped his chest out, growling to the sky. The little guy definitely seemed pumped up at the opportunity to battle.
Don't Pokémon adopt their trainer's personality?
That can't be…
…
Word Count: 3120
[A/N: For most battles, I will be writing. They are run through Pokémon Showdown against my girlfriend. In this case, Koffing was level 15, and Purrloin is 16. While Grookey and Shellos are level 11 & 12.
We did a second battle where Kenji sent out Grookey first and obviously lost. Shellos surviving on a sliver of HP with a last ditch Yawn was goated.
Small changes, Veteran > Ace. So Ace isn't the top rank or level, but below Veteran.]
[1] It's similar to a Pokemon using a nerfed leaf storm in the anime.
[2] Just to say even if the chapter already specified. I probably won't name drop Kong a lot unless he's against another of the same species.