Unread postby MrRigger2 » September 20th, 2011, 1:40 am
You listen to Professor Elm's phone ring for the umpteenth time. You get that he's busy, but really, he should find some time to check his messages.
"Hello?"
"Professor Elm? Finally, I've been calling you for hours. I just wanted to let you know that I delivered those papers to Elder Li."
"Oh, excellent. I've been meaning to call you to check how it's going but I've been so busy with research, we're getting close to a breakthrough, I just know it..."
"That's great, Professor. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, no, you're fine... Wait, how is that Cyndaquil I loaned you doing?" He sounds eager.
"Actually, he's not a Cyndaquil anymore, he evolved into Quilava the other day when I delivered your papers. Elder Li really knows his stuff when it comes to Pokemon Battles, you know?"
"Evolved already? That's impressive, very impressive. Most Trainers aren't able to bond with their partners so quickly, you see. That you've been able to become so close to your Pokemon that they've evolved already, well, it's certainly unusual, I must say."
Your brow furrows. "Don't Pokemon just evolve once they get enough experience?"
"Yes and no. Most Pokemon, but not all, evolve once they're experienced enough. Others evolve when exposed to external stimuli, commonly evolution stones. Some only evolve when they're incredibly close to their trainer. And others require something else. It's why Pokemon Evolution is a greatly discussed field of research.
"However, one of my theories is that the bond between Trainer and Pokemon can assist in evolution, even when the trigger is a measurable factor like a certain amount of experience. There's evidence to suggest that when Trainers and Pokemon are close, the Pokemon grows faster. Of course, this phenomenon is difficult to study. Therefore, I'd like you to keep Quilava, and report back to me occasionally."
'Didn't have a whole lot of intention to give him back to you anyways.' "Yeah, I suppose I can do that."
"Well, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to get back to."
He's hung up before you get a chance to say goodbye. You stare at the phone for a second before dialing your father. It rings half a dozen times before he picks up.
"Hello?" he says roughly.
"Dad? It's your son."
"I know who you are, it says so right on the caller ID. How's that work for the Professor coming? When are you going to be home? I could use your help around the ranch, you know, and that can't happen if you're off gallivanting around the region like a fool."
"Love you too Dad. I did what Professor Elm needed me to do the other day, but I'm still in Violet City."
"Still in Violet City? What are you still doing there? I thought you were just going to make a delivery and come home. What happened?"
"Well, I met the Gym Leader here, and he saw me battle with one of the Elders from Sprout Tower. He said he wanted me to challenge him, and I think I might have a good shot at winning," you say, excitement creeping into your voice.
"Oh. Oh, I see." He's silent for a long moment. "You know what, if you're challenging the Gym Leader, go ahead, take...take as long as you need. The ranch isn't going anywhere, and I can find someone to help pick up the slack until you get home."
"Thanks, Dad. I'll call and let you know how things go."
"Well good. That Ledyba you sent me is doing alright, by the way. A bit slow on the uptake sometimes, but a good monster, overall. Up with the sun every day so far, trying to help me with the chores. Sometimes I think she makes a better ranch hand than you! Haha!"
You close your eyes and shake your head in exasperation. "That's great, Dad. Good to hear it's working out. I'll talk with you later."
0oOo0
You lean on a tree to catch your breath, fumbling with your backpack for a water bottle. "Good job team, that was a good run. Take a quick break, and we'll head back."
You look over your partners, admiring how fast they've grown. Smoot is sitting at the head of the group, trying to make sure he's the dominant one on the team. He's been a big help in training the rest of the team, making sure nobody falls behind with well-placed embers. Even if the person falling behind is you.
Wright isn't the greatest flyer in the world, his short wings preventing him from flying too far or fast, but you've never seen him quit at anything you've put in front of him. Whether it's flying all day or facing off against Dolly and Hogan, he doesn't stop until exhaustion catches up with him, even if you tell him to take a break. Even now, he's bouncing up and down, ready and raring to go, despite having trained for several hours already.
Swagster is much more laid back than either Smoot or Wright, content to go with the flow most of the time. She's not particularly agile on her underdeveloped legs, so the runs you've been doing over the past few days haven't been easy for her, but she hasn't complained or made any kind of displeasure known about it so far. You have, however, noticed her diffuse some disagreements before they come to blows by putting both targets to sleep.
Hogan seems like a good addition to the team so far, you think. Easily the slowest member of the team, he's quick to fall behind on runs, but makes up for his lack of speed with nearly inexhaustible stamina. On the other hand, he's got a head full of rocks, so maybe he just doesn't know when to quit. You're not quite sure which.
You were unsure about adding Geist to your team, but you've been pleased so far. He doesn't definitely doesn't appreciate being out in the bright sunlight for training, shying away from the light as much as possible, but as soon as you hit the dense, shadow-filled forest north of Violet you've been using for training, he comes alive, or at least as alive as a Ghost Pokemon can be. He's as quick as anybody else on the team, and uses the shadows and his intangibility to his advantage, usually playing defensive in training.
Dolly is the newest member of your team. She's not quite as slow as Hogan, but doesn't have his endurance either. Still, even when she's lagging behind on runs and dodging sparks from Smoot, it doesn't get her down. In fact, nothing seems to. You've trained her against Hogan a fair amount, just in case Falkner decides to use that Gligar against you, but she never seems discouraged or upset that her electricity is useless against him. She just growls at him until he's barely tapping her, and then runs into him no matter how many times it takes, despite the fact that she's slamming her head against a particularly stubborn rock.
You're not fully sure you're ready for Falkner, but the local wild Pokemon are only a challenge for your team if they attack en mass at this point, and the only way you'll know for sure is if you go and actually battle.
0oOo0
Your Party:
Smoot - Quilava - Naughty Nature - Male
Wright - Pidgey - Adamant Nature - Male
Swagster - Poliwag - Docile Nature - Female
Hogan - Geodude - Naive Nature - Male
Geist - Gastly - Careful Nature - Male
Dolly - Mareep - Jolly Nature - Female
With Dad:
Thea - Ledyba - Naive Nature - Female
MrRigger
Last edited by
MrRigger2 on October 12th, 2011, 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
In engineering, the work is only done when there is nothing left to add. In writing, the work is only done when there is nothing left to take away.
Check out
Between Magic and Mount Justice