The Winds of Change

“So where have you been all day?” Chris asked Rich after they had returned all their Pokemon to the Pokeballs. Rich looked a little distant at first, but after a moment he replied, “Bro, you might have met me in Cleansweep, but this here’s my hometown.” rich smiled slightly and continued, “I used to have a bud, and me and him were tight, who lived around here. I was hoping he’d have gotten pack from his Journey yet, but he ain’t here.”

“Oh, well where did your friend go to?” Rich reached up and picked up Pichu, placing him on his shoulder while he fixed his hair, “Man, he went to another region to look for a certian Pokemon.” he shrugged, “But he’ll be fine, we gotta go to Elm’s lab, right?” Chris nodded and politely let the subject go. He could tell Rich missed his friend.

“Alrighty, well onward to the lab!” Chris said, over enthusiastically. So enthusiastically that Pichu got excited regardless of whether or not he knew what was going on. Pichu began to hop around in anticipation of reaching the destination. Rich chuckled and followed Chris down the hill.

When they arrived at the lab, the door was slightly ajar. “Hey!” Chris yelled, “Anybody here?” in reply he heard someone muttering softly. “Hello?” he called out once again. Rich and Chris looked at each other, shrugged, and went inside.

The lab was cluttered, machinery and textbooks as far as the eye could see. Chris and Rich couldn’t help but notice a common theme, Pokemon Eggs. There were incubators, books on Pokemon Breeding, and similar things everywhere. After traversing the path for a little while, they came across a young man in a white labcoat hunched over a microscope.

“Uh… are you professor Elm?” The man leapt up surprised, “WHO ARE YOU?!?!?!” This scared Pichu, who fell backwards into the hood of Rich’s hoodie. Rich fished Pichu out of his hoodie while a startled Chris replied, “Was that necessary?” Elm  looked quite apologetic, “I’m sorry, I just get so into my research that… well… sometimes theives get into the lab and try to steal my Pokemon. But that’s why I always lock the door tight!” He said triumphantly.

Chris and Rich exchanged sideways glances, “Uh… man…. that door ain’t shut.” Rich sighed. Elm looked over at the sure enough open door and a glum look spread over his face. “Oh, yeah, that would explain how you two got in, huh?” Chris and Rich both nodded. “Well, enough about me, what did you guys come here for?” Chris nodded, “Gruden sent me, my name is Chris and he said you’d be able to help me with my Pokemon Journey.”

“Oh, Gruden huh?” Elm grinned, “We went to school together a long time ago. He’s a talented Pokemon trainer.” Elm wandered over to another table, “Let’s see… where is it…” Chris and Rich watched, confused. “AH HA!” Elm held up what looked to be a red cellphone. “What is it?” Chris asked.

“It’s a Pokedex!” Elm explained and set it down on the table next to Chris, “It’ll tell you everything you need to know about a specific Pokemon! It’s very helpful and it helps us researchers alot too by monitoring what Pokemon you see in which environments.” Pichu leapt onto the table, and curiously tapped the button on the Pokedex. It responded in a loud, monotonic voice, “Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokemon. It’s small electric sacs are incapable of storing much electricity. The capacity will get much larger as it evolves into a Pikachu.” A little suprised, Pichu hopped back to Rich.

“I’ll keep an eye on it so it dosen’t get you.” Chris laughed as he picked it up, “I really appreciate this, Professor.” Elm nodded. “Oh, and if you catch more than six Pokemon, the Pokedex will automatically send them here, to the lab, for storage. You can call me at any Pokemon Center to switch them out.” Chris nodded. “Well, that’s about it. It’s getting late, so you should get back to the Pokemon center and hit the hay if you wanna start on your big adventure tommorow. What’s your goal, if I may ask?”

Chris thought for a moment, “Uh… well… I don’t know. I guess I was going to get badges.” Professor Elm nodded, “Ah, the Pokemon Leauge.” Chris shrugged, “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much.” Rich stepped forward to explain, “Well bro, the Pokemon leauge is a place where the best of the best throw down to see who gets the Indigo Cup. There’s one in… like every region, though Johto share’s it league with Kanto. ” Chris looked a little starstruck, “That sounds exciting.” Elm nodded, “Very exciting! Well, make that your goal, Chris. Your first challenge is going to be Falkner, the flying type gym leader. So prepare accordingly.” Chris nodded and they headed back to the Pokemon Center to get some rest.

“Hey Rich, how many badges are there?” Chris asked. “Well, the Pokemon Leauge can authorize anyone they want to hand out badges,” Rich replied, “But you need at least eight to take part in the Pokemon League challenge.” Chris pulled out his Motorbadge, “So this dosen’t count?” Rich chuckled, “Not for the Leauge, no.” Chris looked at it for a moment, then suddently he pulled out a small chain and attached it to the badge, putting it around his neck like a necklace. “Well, I’m never gonna forget my first challenge.” he smiled, “I’ll always remember my battle for the Motor Badge.” Rich gave him a thumbs up and laughed, “Right on, brother.”

The School of Hard Knocks

Nidoking roared a roar load enough to shake the ground and began to approach. Chris buckled down, he knew Eevee couldn’t win this battle, but he had to try. He opened his mouth to give the first command, “Eevee! Qui..”

Suddenly Chris was cut of when a loud voice cut through, “HEEEEYYYYYY!!!!” the voice bellowed. It was Rich, standing next to his Electabuzz. “Tough guy, you’re gonna take down an Eevee? Man, I’m shaking in my boots.” Rich laughed. The Nidoking, aggravated by the taunt, forgot about Chris for a moment. “Hey man, I got an idea. How bout’ you take on somethin’ a little more your size, eh?” Rich motioned towards his Electrabuzz, “My Electrabuzz is even weak against your Nidoking’s ground type, so whattya say, friend?”

The boy looked even more furious, “Nidoking!” Nidoking began stomping towards Electabuzz, but Rich looked unfazed. “Electabuzz, start this off with a Quick Attack.” Electabuzz nodded and dashed quickly, slamming into Nidoking with great force. Nidoking fell back from the blow, looking confused. “Nidoking!” Rich looked aggrivated, “You gonna give it orders, or are you gonna yell at it?” Suddenly it dawned on him. “That ain’t your Nidoking, is it?” The kid looked angrier, “Of course it’s my Nidoking!” Rich was too busy laughing to hear him. “You’ve just been challenging newbie trainers and waiting for them to forfeit, huh? You don’t even know any of Nidoking’s moves!” Rich was on his knees, laughing hysterically. The kid’s face went red and he began crying. He returned Nidoking to it’s Pokeball and ran away in shame.

After Rich composed himself, he walked over to Chris and patted him on the shoulder, “You got guts kid,” he smiled, “You probably didn’t know going in, but you would have beat that Nidoking anyways.” After Chris’s heart rate returned to normal, he chuckled, “So what have you been up to all day?” He asked, and Rich shrugged, “New Bark’s my hometown, bro.” He looked out at the wind farm in the distance, “I had some things to take care of.” Chris nodded, not wanting to pry any further. He reached down a patted Eevee, who still seemed on edge.

“You did good, buddy.” He reassured Eevee. Eevee continued to stare in the direction the kid left in, looking vigilant. Chris picked it up and gave it a hug, “You can relax now buddy, return.” he returned Eevee to it’s Pokeball and headed off towards the Pokemon Center. They were going to need a nice long rest after today.

New Bark Town Meet and Greet

Chris and Rich walked into town and made a beeline for the Pokemon Center. It was late, and Chris was exhausted from his Pokemon battle, so he healed his Pokemon and passed out on the first empty bed he could find. The next morning he woke up and Rich was gone already. Unusual considering Rich was the type to sleep in. He had left a note on Chris’s pack, “Hey bro, I know you got stuff do in town, and so do I. I’ll meet you at the Pokemon center after we’ve gotten out stuff done. Stay Chill, Rich.” Chris crumpled up the note and threw it away, wondering what Rich had going on. He shrugged it off and headed to Elm’s lab.

As he approached he noticed five people standing outside the lab. Four men and a lady all were conversing feverishly about Pokemon. He stood there and watched for awhile when they all stopped talking suddenly and agreed to “take a break”. As they walked off in seperate directions, a heavyset, jolly looking gentleman walked in his direction.

“Excuse me sir,” Chris asked, “Have you seen Professor Elm?” The man looked at Chris, “I think he just went inside… are you a beginning trainer?” The man asked. Chris shook his head, “No, I already have an Eevee and a Poliwag, I was just told to visit Professor Elm before I started my journey.” The man sized up Chris and nodded suddenly, “Boy, my name is Professor Birch and I study Pokemon Habitats. I’ve decided to give you a special starter Pokemon from the Hoenn reigon.” Chris was quite suprised. “Uhh… well I’m Chris and… thank you.” he stammered. “Not that I’m being ungrateful, but why?”

Birch rummaged in his pack and replied, “Because, you have the makings of a great trainer. I can tell just by looking at you. And everyone needs a starter Pokemon!” He pulled out three Pokeballs. “Here, I have three Pokemon!” He pulled what looked to be a cellphone and flipped it open. The machine explained to Chris his choices, the grass Pokemon Treeko, the water Pokemon Mudkip, and the fire Pokemon Torchic. Chris stared at the Pokeballs for a little while, then picked up the Pokeball with a leaf on it.

“I’ll take Treeko,” he said decidedly. Professor Birch smiled and nodded, “A good choice! But let me tell you this… Pokemon are our friends and our teammates. I don’t know how you feel about them, but you should always remember that they rely on you and they help you. Make sure you  give your Pokemon your love and suppourt.” Chris stared down at his three Pokeballs. He knew the strategies, but did he know his Pokemon?

“Thanks Professor.” Chris responded. “Well, I have to get back to the conference,” Professor Birch explained, “But you can catch up with professor Elm when it ends in a few hours.” He shook Chris’s hand and disappeared into the lab.

Chris walked to a nearby park and set his pack down. “Time to get to know my Pokemon.” he said resolutely. “Come on out you guys.” He released his three Pokemon and they all appeared standing next to one another.

“Hey guys!” Chris said with a big smile, “My name’s Chris and I’m your trainer!” Eevee and Poliwag listened intently, while Treeko seemed to ignore him. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to do this, but I’m new at being a trainer, so I hope you’ll forgive me.” Eevee and Poliwag nodded. Chris looked at Treeko, puzzled. “Hey buddy, can we be friends?” he extended his hand to shake Treeko’s, but Treeko turned around quickly, smaking his hand with it’s tail. Chris was a little hurt, but he tried to ignore it, “All right guys, I’ve got some sandwiches, let’s have lunch!”

A few hours later, Eevee and Poliwag were playing tag while Treeko sat in a tree. Chris watched and laughed as they ran about. Suddenly, a loud crash came from nearby.

“You’ve got no chance against my Nidoking!” a boy yelled, and Nidoking crushed a bench next to a young kid and his Rattata. “I don’t wanna fight anymore!” the young kid cried, but the boy just laughed as his Nidoking stood over the child.

“Hey!” Chris yelled, “Stop that!” he approached the group warily. “Pokemon aren’t for personal gain or bullying!”. The kid laughed at Chris, “Look, buddy, when you have a Pokemon like Nidoking, you make the rules!” Chris looked aggrivated, but he knew none of his Pokemon stood a ral chance against a Pokemon as strong as Nidoking. Eevee leapt in front of Chris and began growling.

“Oh man,” the boy laughed harder, “An Eevee? That’s it? Wait a second… Eevee’s are pretty rare… did you find that wimpy thing in Sprout Tower?”  Chris looked at the boy shocked, but quickly regained his composure, “What’s it to you?” the kid shrugged, “That’s the wimpy Eevee I ditched!” he pointed at Eevee rudely, “It couldn’t even beat a Bellsprout!” Chris became angry, “Yeah, well, I doubt your Nidoking is much better off when it’s limited by a trainer like you!” The boy stopped laughing and glared angrily, “What did you say?” Nidoking stomped hard on the ground, and Eevee growled more fiercly.

“Poliwag, Treeko, return!” Chris put the Pokeballs away, “I said that my Eevee could run circles around your Nidoking!” the boy flew into a rage, “Nidoking! Beat them both black and blue!” Nidoking began closing in on Chris and Eevee. Chris stood his ground, ready to stick beside his Pokemon… no… his friend.

On the Way to New Bark

Chris and Rich left Cherrygrove early the next morning in good spirits. As they walked down the road, Chris kept an eager eye out for oncoming trainers. After a little walking, Chris spotted two people in the distance. He smiled and waved to them and they waved back. As they got closer, Chris saw a boy with dark black hair and a girl with light blue hair. They both had Pokeballs at their belts.

“Hey!” Chris said as they approached, “I see you guys are trainers, do either of you want to battle?” The trainers looked at each other, “I’ll challenge you.” the boy replied. “My name’s Vayne, and this is Lisa” Lisa nodded and raced over to stand next to Rich as a spectator. “How many Pokemon do you have?” Vayne asked. “Two.” replied Chris.” Vayne nodded excitedly, “A two on two single battle then.” Chris agreed and the battle was set to begin.

Both trainers pitched their Pokeballs on the field, revealing Eevee and Sentret. “All right, Eevee, stay on your guard.” Chris called out. Vayne pointed at Eevee, “Quick Attack, Sentret!” Sentret charged forward towards Eevee. Chris grinned, “Eevee, Sand Attack!” he ordered, but Sentret was not so easily strayed. It charged through the sand and connected with Eevee, sending Eevee rolling. “Eevee! Use your tail!” Eevee extended it’s tail, stopping it’s roll and allowing it to land on it’s feet. “Good Job!” Chris cheered, “Now give it a Quick Attack of your own!” Eevee rushed towards Sentret, who was still shaking sand out it’s eyes, and hit it hard. Sentret fell back, breathing heavily. “Sentret! Use Defense Curl!” Sentret rolled up into a ball. Chris watched and laughed to himself. “Eevee, give it a Bite!” Eevee rushed in and bit down on the curled up Sentret. “Now Sentret! Tackle!” Vayne yelled. Sentret came out of it’s defensive curl and quickly hit Eevee dead center. Eevee flew through the air. “Eevee! Tackle!” Eevee righted itself midair and landed at a run. It head towards Sentret and landed with devastating force. Sentret wobbled slightly and fell.

“Awww man!” Vayne sighed and returned his Sentret, “But I’m not out of the game yet!” He pitched another Pokeball onto the battlefield, “Go! Totodile!” Totodile appeared, looking excited. Eevee looked exhausted, “Come back Eevee!” Chris called out, returning it to his Pokeball for a rest, “And go, Poliwag!” Poliwag appeared in a flash of light and prepared itself to battle. The two Pokemon squared off, awaiting orders. “Totodile! Use your Scratch attack!” Totodile rushed forward, claw held high. “Poliwag! Counter with a Doubleslap!” The two Pokemon collided and began attacking one another quickly at close range. “Poliwag, make some distance with a Bubble attack!” Poliwag followed orders and released a stream of Bubbles, pushing Totodile away. “Two can play at that game!” Vayne replied, “Water Gun!” Suddenly Lisa shouted, “NO!” but it was too late. Water Gun hit Poliwag and it’s wounds seemed to heal.

“What?” Vayne looked confused. “That’s Poliwag’s Water Absorb” Lisa called out from the sidelines, “Water attacks will heal it! I told you to study more!” She scolded him. Rich laughed heartily, “We were all beginners at sometime, kiddo, welcome to the school of hard knocks.” Vayne looked aggrivated, but gave the next order, “Totodile! Rage attack.” Chris suddenly looked confident. Totodile rushed forward, slashing blindly in Poliwag’s direction. “Poliwag, dodge and use Belly Drum.” Poliwag leaped away and used the attack, “Rage may power up Totodile when I attack it, but if I finish this battle in one hit it won’t get a chance to use that power! Body Slam!” Poliwag slammed into Totodile with all it’s might. Totodile buckled and fell over.

“Wow!” Vayne said as he recalled his Totodile, “You’re really good.” Chris scratched the back of his head and smiled, “I was studying all last night.” Lisa glared at Vayne, “And that’s why he won.” Vayne ignored her comment and continued, “So have you met out buddy Marl? He started a day ahead of us with a Cyndaquil!”

Chris thought, “Oh, I battled a guy with brown hair who had a Cyndaquil on the way here.” Vayne nodded, “Yup, sounds like him.” Rich looked over at Lisa, “So that must mean you have a Chikorita, right?” Lisa smiled and nodded, “Yup! And my mom let me bring the family Growlithe too!” Chris shook hands with Vayne, “Well, I’ve got to be getting to New Bark Town before the sun goes down. But that was an awesome battle! Thanks!” Vayne nodded in agreement as they shook hands, “And next time, I’ll be more than a match for you!” “Because I’ll make him study!” Lisa added, and they all laughed.

To Be a Trainer

Chris spent the rest of the day studying all the reference materials he could get his hands on. After his talk with Zane, he learned about different sources to study from and good things to be aware of. He studied type match-ups, attacks (especially Eevee’s), and strategies. Rich decided there was no way he was going to waste such a nice day inside, so he left for town to find something to do. Late that night, when Rich returned, he came back to Chris passed out on a book, Eevee trying to wake him up gingerly.

“Bro! The Pokemon Center’s gonna be miffed if you drool all over that thing!” he yelled behind Chris’s head. Chris sat bolt upright, “EEVEE CAN EVOLVE TO SEVEN DIFFRENT POKEMON, FLAREON, JOLTEON, VAPOREON, ESPEON, UMBR” Rich smacked him across the back of the head to shut him up. “Dude!” Rich whispered harshly, “People are sleepin’!”. Chris rubbed the back of his head, wiped the drool off the book, and returned it to the counter. “So, you feel like you soaked that knowledge up today?” Rich asked optimistically.

“We’ll see…” Chris said sternly, he looked around, “Wait, there’s no one sleeping!” Chris gave Rich an annoyed look. “I know, right?” Rich said, grinning, “But it gave me a good reason to pop you a good one for scaring Pichu.” Chris looked up and realized Pichu was still cowering behind Rich’s microphone band.

“Sorry buddy.” Chris apologized, “As I was saying, I plan on catching a Pokemon tomorrow.” he seemed quite determined. “The more I learned about type matchups, the more I figured I needed to vary my team.”

Rich shrugged, “I dunno, my electric types have never let me down. But that’s just me.” he stared out the window at the lights of the town, “Maybe you should vary your arsenal a little.” Chris nodded in agreement.

“Well, I’m going to hit the hay, I’ve got a big job ahead of me tomorrow.” Rich patted his shoulder as he walked into the back room and settled down for a good night’s sleep.

The morning was brisk, as a cool breeze swept over the field outside town. Chris and Eevee stood on a hill looking determined, waiting to spot the next member of the team. In the distance, Chris spotted a rustling bush.

When he finally caught up he found the culprit, a Poliwag was eating berries off the bush. Poliwag tried to flee, but Eevee stuck faster, “Eevee, quick attack!” Chris called out. Eevee dashed forward and slammed the Poliwag before it had time to dive into the nearby water. “Good job, but don’t slow down… Tackle!” Eevee charged once again, but this time was met by a Bubble attack. Suprised, Eevee rolled away and prepared for the next assault. “Now Eevee! Bite!” Eevee bit down on Poliwag’s tail, hard. Chris watched Poliwag as it’s struggling weakened and decided it was time, “Pokeball, Go!” he shouted. The Pokeball arced through the air and connected with a “tap”. Poliwag was drawn into the ball and the ball began shaking. Chris looked at it intensely, waiting for the result. The ball shook slightly from side to side, seeming to be deciding the outcome of Chris’s capture. After what felt like hours, the button on the Pokeball turned off and Chris had done it… he had captured his first Pokemon.

“YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Chris shouted, echoing off the terrain. He has made another big step on his journey. Poliwag was his new partner, and a step towards diversifying his team. He excitedly thrust this fist into the air and smiled at Eevee. And for the briefest of moments, he knew they were the best team in the world.

A Clamor in Cherrygrove

The sun is setting as Chris and Rich make their way into Cherrygrove for a night at the Pokemon Center. Rich’s Pichu had decided that it couldn’t wait and was nestled down in Rich’s wild hair, sleeping peacefully.

“Don’t you ever get sick of Pichu sleeping in your hair like that?” Chris asked as he stared at the barely visible Pichu. It seemed quite comfortable regardless of the fact that it looked like it could tumble off at any moment.

“Dude, I don’t even feel it anymore.” Rich shrugged, “Little guy’s got a nice little crib up there.” He reached up and petted Pichu, who twitched in it’s sleep slightly, “It chills up there anytime it’s feeling lazy. Which tends to be… alot.” Rich chuckled.

Chris smiled and looked at the Pichu. It seemed to be extremely young and he wondered for awhile when Rich would start training it. Before he could even really finish that thought they were at the Pokemon Center. “Ah, time to get a little sleep, huh?” Chris sighed as he entered and headed towards the desk.

The nurse smiled as he approached, “May I heal your Pokemon today?” Chris nodded, barely able to reply. It had been a long day for him, what with his first ‘gym challenge’ and making a new friend. The nurse quickly healed up both Eevee and Electabuzz and Chris and Rich slunk back to the trainer room, passing out on adjacent beds.

Chris woke up first the next morning. Rich was passed out, Pichu cuddled up to his chest. Chris grinned at the sight and walked out into the main hall to look at the map.

“Not far left to New Bark town,” he said to himself. He stretched and walked out into the main room to get some coffee. Suddenly someone busted in the door, “Look out! There’s a mob of angry Ursaring rampaging through town!” Chris looked outside and sure enough, about fifteen Ursaring were rampaging through the streets.

Chris stared. He knew Eevee was nowhere near powerful enough to take down that many Ursaring, but he couldn’t just stand idly by. Suddenly a familiar figure stepped out into the street.

“It’s that guy!” Chris exclaimed. Indeed, it was the same fiery red-haired trainer from Sprout Tower just days before. The trainer looked calm as he stepped into the Ursaring’s path. He pulled up a Pokeball and tossed it. Suddenly, a Gardevoir appeared. Gardevoir calmly put its hand in front of it, putting up a Reflect that stopped all the Pokemon dead in their tracks. Chris watched in awe as each Ursaring was weakened by a strong blast of Gardevoir’s Psychic and caught in a Pokeball.

Chris ran outside and headed over to the trainer. He arrived just as the man was catching the last Ursaring. “Thanks for your help at Sprout Tower,” he started, “And I’m sure everyone appreciates you stopping the Ursaring.”

“It was only common courtesy,” the man extended his hand and shook Chris’s, “You’d do the same in my situation. By the way, I neglected to introduce myself… my name is Zane.” Chris was awestruck, but managed to find his voice to respond, “I…I’m Chris… and you’re Zane?” he asked, “As in Champion Zane?”

Zane smiled, ‘The very same.” he looked over, “But before we continue out introductions it seems I’ve got business to finish up.” he motioned over to a Teddiursa, “Seems like this little guy was running with the big kids.”

Chris stepped ahead, “I can handle this!” he exclaimed, he was excited about catching his first Pokemon anyhow. He sent out Eevee, who leaped forward enthusiastically.  ”Alright buddy, time for a morning workout!” he called out, “Start this off with a Tackle!” Eevee charged forward towards Teddiursa. Suddenly Teddiursa sat down and started crying. Shocked, Eevee stopped in it’s tracks.Chris looked on, stunned.

“Chris, watch out, that’s Teddursa’s Fake Tears attack!” Zane called out, “Don’t let your guard down!” Chris turned to call an order to Eevee but it was too late, Eevee was dealt a harsh Slash attack. Chris was shocked, but recovered quickly, “Eevee! Quick Attack!” Eevee dashed in and clipped Teddiursa, who dodged quickly in the last second and connected with a Fury Swipes. “Eevee!” Chris called out, but it was too late, Eevee fell to the ground, exhausted.

Chris ran up to his collapsed Eevee and picked it up to keep it from getting harmed any more by the Teddiursa, but Teddiursa had already wandered away. “Well at least it’s gone.” Zane said. Chris looked down at his Eevee and sighed.

“Get him to the Pokemon Center,” Zane said at his patted Chris’s shoulder apologetically, “You’ll do better next time.” Chris nodded and took Eevee inside the Pokemon Center, handing it to the Nurse. Just as he handed Eevee over, a disgruntled looking Rich walked out of the back room, looking like he’d just crawled out of bed, Pichu following behind energetically.

“Eh… bro… what the heck’s popping off out here?” he muttered, but Chris was distracted by his own thoughts. It wasn’t Eevee’s fault it lost to Teddiursa, it was his… and it was time for him to start learning what it meant to be a Trainer.

Showdown for the Motor Badge!

As the light from the opened Pokeballs dimmed, Electabuzz and Eevee were left squaring off in the ring. They both looked intent on winning the match.

“Alright Electabuzz, let’s rock this with a Tunderpunch!” Electabuzz began charging at Eevee, fist raised high. Eevee crouched slightly, preparing itself to recieve the order. “Eevee! Jump up in the air!” Eevee followed orders, leaping just slightly above the Thunderpunch, “Now, Bite!” Eevee opened it’s mouth and bit down on Electabuzz’s arm, hard.

Electabuzz started shaking it’s arm to try to free itself. “Calm down and use a Thundershock!” Rich commanded. Electabuzz closed it’s eyes and loosed a Thundershock, sending Eevee reeling off it’s arm. Eevee ht the ground but quickly rebounded and got to its feet. “Eevee, don’t let it relax, hit it with a Quick Attack!” Chris instructed. Eevee began charging at Electabuzz, moving almost too fast to see. “Electabuzz!” Rich yelled, he tried to think of a defense and suddenly it came to him. “Another Thundershock Electabuzz! Make a barrier!” Electabuzz sent a surge of electricity out, but it wasn’t enough to stop the charging Eevee, it rammed through and made a direct hit on Electabuzz.

“No!” Rich cried out, “Come on, get up!” Electabuzz started to stand up, but collapsed to the ground. The judge stood up from his bench and made the call “Electabuzz is unable to battle! The winner is the challenger!”

“Alright!” Chris yelled. Rich smiled and returned his Electabuzz. “You did well, what’s your name?” Rich said warmly. Chris turned to him, looking a bit cautious but smiled, “I’m Chris, from Violet City.”

Rich held out the Motor Badge, a white windmill-blades shape with a circle of yellow lightning surrounding it and smiled, “You earned this, man. Flash it in any of the local joints and they’ll kick back the prices some.” Chris took it and held it against the light, taking a moment to bask in his victory. “It ain’t an offical badge… but it looks pretty fly, right?”

“Sure does.” Chris responded. “Thanks for showing me your skill! I only won because of Eevee.” Rich chuckled and nodded. “That’s a good thing to remember bro, we only ever take the gold thanks to our Pokemon. Show them mad respect and they’ll return it in kind.” Chris listened to his advice and nodded. Then he took off out the door, ready to hit the town. After he left, the Judge walked up to Rich and chuckled.

“You knew the kid was a greenhorn, that’s why you chose Electabuzz. It was still tired from the last challenger.” The old man stated. Rich laughed and looked back at the man. “Well gramps, I gotta lose sometimes. And the kid looked like he could use a little confidence boost. Dude’s got ability, but he needs to hone it, ya know?”

Rich watched out the window as Chris made his way downtown, remembering when he was just beginning his own Pokemon Journey. He patted the Pokeball containing Electabuzz, ‘We’ve come a long way, huh buddy?”

Later, after Chris and Eevee had both enjoyed hearty meals and collected plenty of discount gear, it was time to head off to Cherrygrove. Chris recalled his Eevee and started down the path to leave town.

“Hey, bro!” Chris looked back to see Rich walking up. “Feel like some company?” Rich grinned and gave Chris a thumbs up.

“But what about your gym?” Chris asked. He looked back to see the judge standing next to a Galvantula and waving.

“That’s my gramps, he’s gonna kick it with my Galvantula back in the gym while I’m gone. He’s a terrible battler but my Galvantula won’t pay him no mind and’ll win anyhow.” He grinned sheepishly, “That is, if you don’t mind me hanging around.” Chris nodded and extended his hand, shaking Rich’s hand and starting their journey together as friends.