Contents

Previous Entry

Music

23/06/2007

The next few days were a lot less eventful. Well, they weren’t uneventful, it was that by this point, a status quo had begun to form. Wake up, have some breakfast, walk, have a lunch break, walk, stop for the day, eat dinner, wash up, sleep, rinse and repeat. At some point during each day, we’d meet someone new or run into Team Rocket breaking the law, most of the time both. Luckily, since Ash and crew were here, they were never able to do anything before Pikachu sent them into orbit. On this particularly nice day, we had met a self-proclaimed travelling bard by the name of Nando.

Just like in the episode, both Dawn and Ash battled his Budew, a grass type Pokémon. Dawn’s battle, which happened to be her first, was what she called a “contest battle,” which she ended up losing when a Solarbeam, a grass type move that’s as powerful as a Volt Tackle, blindsided her.

“What happened?” Dawn questioned indignantly, “I thought Solarbeam takes a while to charge up before it shoots. Why did it charge up so quickly?” She had looked at me when she said that.

“Dawn,” I said, with Elaine sleeping in my arms, “first, why does Solarbeam need to charge?”

“Because it needs to absorb sunlight first.”

“Right, which is why it was a lot quicker than normal, this time, it’s a really sunny day.”

“Oh…” she sighed, “that makes sense.”

During Nando’s battle with Ash, his Budew began to glow a brilliant bright white. It was almost as blinding as the sun. Underneath the light, Budew’s form began to shift into an all-new shape, larger than before. When the light faded, what was left was a new Pokémon, a Roselia, green, bipedal, and with a red and blue rose instead of hands. It was the first time I witnessed the miracle of evolution in a Pokémon.

Despite the power increase that Budew, now Roselia, received, Ash was still able to take the victory.

After both battles, Nando complained that he could not decide whether he should strive to enter the Sinnoh Grand Festival or the Lily of the Valley Conference. The former involved attempting to win five ribbons from Pokémon Contests around the region before you could enter whilst the latter involved defeating eight of Sinnoh’s Gym Leaders in a Pokémon Battle before being granted entry.

This qualm quickly prompted Ash and Dawn to get into an argument about which was better, if it could even be called that. It mostly devolved into a shouting match.

“Contests are better!”

“No, Gym Battles are!”

“Contests!”

“Gym Battles!”

It was this point that Nando left without anyone noticing, or at least no one said anything about it. Although we did manage to catch manage to catch up with him later on that night, quietly appreciating the sounds of wild Pokémon, which helped to finally calm down the stubborn kids, somehow.

As we were all heading to bed, a thought occurred to me. “Hey, Elaine?”

“Vu?”

“I was wondering, you know how Pikachu is always outside of his Pokéball, right?”

“Vm?”

“Do you want to stay outside of yours?”

“Vm…” she seemed to consider, “Jack, Vah.”

“Uh… Is that a yes or a no?”

She didn’t nod or shake her head.

“A different answer?”

“Vah,” she nodded.

“So… is the answer, sometimes?”

“Vm…” she hummed with neither confirmation or negation.

“Unless I have to?”

She hummed again.

“You don’t know?”

She shook her head on that one.

“So there’s definitely an answer, I just can’t tell what it is.”

She nodded.

“I wish I chose Pokéglot.”

“Vm?”

“Oh, it was one of those perk things the white guy offered on his sheet, it would have allowed me to understand Pokémon the same way I do humans.”

“Vah…” she nodded in resignation.

“I’m sorry Elaine.”

“Jack…”

I embraced her tightly and slowly fell to sleep.

24/06/2007

In the afternoon, we ran into another group of people, a lot of them, kids, having a bunch of battles with each other. As they saw us coming, they asked us if we wanted to join. Brock and Misty decided to watch, Ash and I were all for it, and Dawn said something along the lines of “why not.”

Lucas seemed unsure about it, “But, what if I’m not any good?”

“Then that’s okay!” Ash replied. “Battles are meant to be fun, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. If you win, it’s an amazing feeling, but even if you lose, you can learn from your mistakes and become even stronger afterward.”

“Okay then, Ash. I’ll battle!”

“Oh I forgot to mention,” one of the trainers said, “we’ll be playing for money. Only eighty Pokédollars though, nothing big.”

Wait… money? But I’m flat out broke! Pumping out eighty bucks from an empty wallet might seem impossible, but eighty Pokédollars were more like eighty cents from how things were priced in the Pokémart in Sandgem. A loaf of bread, for instance, was about as much as a Potion at three hundred Pokédollars. Yet it was still just as impossible to get that much from my wallet. I doubted the Australian coins I had would work as payment. Luckily, Brock was generous and loaned not just me, but the twins as well, some money for the fights.

We were each paired with whoever was available. The battles were all one on one. My first opponent was a youngster named Tristan who had a Starly. It was when I met him that it clicked. Wait… is this the Elf giving me the game’s Trainer Battles? Whether or not this was divine intervention or not for the sake of game balance, I sent out Elaine to battle.

It was over pretty quickly after Elaine spammed Confusion, the kid only attacked once. The rest of the battle he was using Growl to weaken my Pokémon’s attack stat. I gave him a lecture on Physical and Special attacks, and how Growl only weakens Physical ones.

The next battle with a lass, Natalie, fought with a Bidoof. The fight was almost a carbon copy of the one I had with that wild Bidoof yesterday. The only exception was that during Bidoof’s final charge, instead of attempting to dodge, Elaine had suddenly split into two. There was not one Ralts, but two, both transparent and ghostly. Bidoof charged into one of them which suddenly dissipated while the remaining version of Elaine solidified and used Confusion on an already confused Bidoof.

Elaine had used a new move, Double team. It creates the optical illusion of there being a copy or copies of the user, statistically increasing their evasion. It was a move I never used in the games due to the accuracy and evasion stats being too luck based for my liking, but in a real-life scenario, it could open up a bunch of opportunities in combat.

My last battle was with another boy by the name of Logan. He had a Burmy as his Pokémon. The fight was a lot slower paced, mostly due to Burmy’s overuse of the move Protect, which blocks any attack. Luckily, what my opponent didn’t realise or didn’t put into consideration was that the move Protect when used consecutively one after another, had a higher chance of failing. I was able to exploit that fact. After a Protect succeeded, I would call for Elaine to use Confusion, which prompted Logan to call for another Protect. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. Each time after Burmy’s Protect failed, I would call for Elaine to use Double Team so that if Burmy did try to attack, it would have a lower chance of working. I lectured the kid about the properties of Protect after our victory.

Apparently, Lucas and Dawn ended up in a battle with each other, which Lucas threw. I mean, he used his Starly against Dawn’s Piplup when Turtwig would have been a lot better choice. The rock-paper-scissors relationship that Grass-type, Fire-type, and Water-type Pokémon have is one of the first things you learn about the Pokémon battle system. Though I’m pretty sure he just didn’t want to upset Dawn.

“I heard you talking to those kids back there,” Misty said, striking up a conversation, “you seem to really know your stuff. How long have you been a Pokémon Trainer?”

For god’s sake, Misty! Stop asking me questions where answering truthfully doesn’t make sense. I don’t want to lie, but why do I know all the technical mechanics of Pokémon battling? Well, the games obviously, but they don’t exist in this world… wait, no. Some NPCs in the games have DSs and they talk about trading, so…

“Jack? Did you hear me?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s just… well… I’ve only been a Trainer for… three days?”

“Only three days!” Misty echoed loudly.

“What’s three days?” Lucas asked eavesdropping on the conversation.

“Apparently your friend’s Pokémon Trainer career,” Misty explained.

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. “But that’s how long I’ve had Turtwig, he had Elaine longer than I did, because when I met Jack he had already caught her.”

“I hadn’t actually caught Elaine by that point,” I explained, “that happened later when I was…” Oh… my first Pokémon was caught… in a bathroom… while I was mostly naked… note to self, never tell that story. “At… your place.”

“Wait, I’ve been a Trainer longer than you?” Lucas asked, dumbstruck.

“Yep.”

“But you know so much more about Pokémon than I do. You know about type-effectiveness, abilities, whatever that attack bonus thing was, what you told those trainers earlier, and even legendary Pokémon. I’m sorry sir, but I just can’t believe that you’re a beginner. Wait, no, sorry, not “sir,” Jack.”

“It’s okay, Lucas. You’re right… I do know a lot more than a newbie should. I…” Stuff it, I don’t have any other excuse, if this doesn’t work, I’ll have to admit I’m an alien. “It’s because I played a lot of video games about being a Pokémon Trainer since I was seven, it’s a mix of that, watching TV and the internet that gives me all my knowledge.”

A voice from behind me piped up, “So you’re a nerd?” Dawn asked.

“Oh, you have no idea,” I announced with an ominously deep voice.

After we all gave back the money we borrowed to Brock we walked away from the battles with an eight hundred Pokédollar profit. Aside from Lucas who fought his sister, everyone had a perfect streak. Dinner that night was very celebratory and we had something Dawn would eat.

“Hey, Elaine?” I asked as we went to bed.

She jolted upright.

“Did I just wake you up.”

“Vmhm.” She exaggeratedly shook her head.

“Right… Anyway,” I said as I sat up, “I was thinking I could try figuring out your question from last night.”

“Vuhuh?”

“So, the answer isn’t entirely yes or no, but sometimes doesn’t entirely explain your answer… what did you say again?”

“Jack, vah!” she exclaimed pointing at me.

“Right, thought so, was just making sure.” Which was true due to my Savant perk giving me perfect memory, though it hadn’t been as perfect as it said on the tin. “So… your answer somehow involves me?”

She nodded curtly.

“In what way, though?”

Elaine sighed.

“Sorry, I just want to make things good for you, you know?”

“Chack, vah!”

“Mispronounced the ‘j’ there – wait… You said the same thing. So… what would you have said there?”

“Jack, vah!”

“I said… I wanted to make things good for you… Thank you?”

Elaine shook her head.

“What would I say? Hey Jack, I want to make things good for you… Oh, I don’t mind?”

“Vah! Vah!” Elaine nodded vigorously.

“You… don’t mind… Heh, well that doesn’t help me out.”

“Vuuu…” she groaned.

“Wait, how does that involve me?”

Elaine sighed.

“Okay, I’ll stop.” If you don’t mind, can I keep you out of your Poké Ball?”

“Vhm,” she nodded.

“Alright, goodnight Elaine.”

“Vuvah, Jack.”

Jesus, you’re adorable.

25/06/2007

After a scramble with Team Rocket, Pikachu ended up under the protection of a wild Turtwig, who mistook the group of us as being a threat of some sort. Seriously, why in the hell did I not get myself Pokéglot. After that got sorted out, we met an elderly woman who was a friend of the Turtwig, who described the Pokémon’s strong sense of chivalry and justice. After the Rockets showed up again, Ash ended up catching the Turtwig. So that’s, what, three Starly, two Turtwig, and two Chimchar to keep track of now? It’d be nice to have some more variety.

“I’m glad I gave you a name, so it’s harder to confuse you for other Ralts if we meet any,” I said to Elaine.

“Vewahn…?”

“Are you trying to say your own name now?”

“Vm.”

“Don’t try to focus too much on speaking, otherwise you might end up like Meowth.”

“Vm?”

“I mean, he’s not very strong is he.”

“Vm… Veh… Ehwa…”

“You’re adorable, you know that.”

“Vm!” she pouted.

I chuckled at her exasperation. “Although seriously, I think that Pokémon that learn to speak a human language can’t get stronger anymore because their minds have been reformatted or something.”

“Vuh?!” Her response somehow filled my subconscious with a pang of dread.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. The amount you speak now doesn’t seem to be affecting your power. You learned Double Team while you knew how to say my name.”

“Vm…” The dread was replaced by a strong sense of disappointment.

“Are… Are you sending me your emotions?”

“Vhm,” she nodded.

“Maybe you could learn to talk through your psychic powers or something?”

“Va!” she exclaimed, then she suddenly began to vibrate and then it was is I felt a near-literal explosion in my head.

“Ow! Ffff… My head…”

“Jack! Vah… Vah, vua!”

“Did you use Confusion on me?” My vision was blurred and I felt dizzy.

“Vuahu…”

“I’m alright now, there’s no need to worry. It just means we’ll have to be careful and take it slowly if you want to talk telepathically.”

“Vm…”

“We’ll be fine Elaine, and I don’t mind if you can’t talk.”

26/06/2007

We ran into Paul and Ash immediately challenged him to a battle, which Team Rocket interrupted of course, which ended up sending the two trainers down a cliff into a forest inhabited by Stantler. We managed to regroup afterward, and the battle resumed.

Paul’s Chimchar was victorious over Ash’s Turtwig, mostly due to the type advantage it had. Despite the poor matchup, they fought well, but it meant that Paul actually considered himself a better trainer than Ash, which of course lead to bitter feelings between the two of them.

27/06/2007

After another debacle with Team Rocket over a collection of berries, Dawn was the one to dispatch of them this time. This was thanks to a Bubble attack she had taught Piplup to use while spinning in place.

Misty had a lot of fun playing with all the Water-Type Pokémon that had collected the berries.

28/06/2007

Team Rocket was up to their usual shenanigans again, this time they were disguised for a scheme to steal Pokémon as an official Pokémon Gym offering to train them. Despite their “disguise,” it was immediately obvious who they were from one look, at least it was to me. No one else caught on to their identities. Okay, seriously. People cannot be this bad at facial recognition. I mean, who else has hair like Jessie’s?

I was going to expose them, as soon as I saw them, but then when I saw the purple and bipedal frog Pokémon under Jessie’s temporary control, I decided against it. This was because, in the anime, Brock becomes the owner of the Croagunk.

However, I suck at keeping secrets, so I decided to confide in someone.

“Hey, Lucas?” I said as Jessie was battling with a girl about my age named Minnie who told us of the gym in the first place when we met her on the road, of which Brock became immediately became infatuated with as he does with anyone female.

“Yeah?”

“You notice anything weird about the Gym Leader and her workers?” I motioned to James who was refereeing the battle.

“You too?”

“Wait, you noticed who they look like?”

“Yeah, those Rocket people. Do Ash and his friends have a plan or something I don’t know about?”

Huh… That’s different.

“I don’t think they actually realise it’s them.”

“Really? I don’t mean to be rude but who could mistake that girl’s uh… interesting hair as belonging to anyone else? And that’s obviously a talking Meowth, right?”

“He is.”

“So then there’s some plan I don’t know about, right? I mean, Misty said they’ve been dealing with Team Rocket for years now. They’re playing along for some reason.”

“If that’s the case we’ll ask them later, don’t want to blow our cover.”

I decided to play along with Lucas’s theory, didn’t want to stress him out with vague meta-knowledge just for Croagunk and Brock to meet. He and I had calmed down about the fact that criminal were hunting down Ash and crew daily, due to their ultimate inconsequentiality. I mean it’s hard to be scared of three idiots who can’t take a single Thunderbolt.

The plot continued, Team Rocket’s plan to steal Pokémon under the guise of a free training program was revealed and thwarted, and Croagunk joined Brock’s team.

Brock made an advance at Minnie when we were about to leave which was interrupted by Croagunk striking him with a Poison Jab to the abdomen. So… we’re keeping that then. This running gag is going to be annoying up close, isn’t it?

“Vm…” Elaine emanated an emotion of worry.

“He’ll be fine Elaine.”

29/06/2007

Dawn finally caught a Buneary today. She failed to do so in the morning but then the Buneary came back because of her flagrant crush on Pikachu. Unreciprocated love seems to be a recurring theme here. Also, Team Rocket was there, doing nothing new, though Buneary was responsible for getting Pikachu back from them this time.

Next Entry