PokéMon is Not for Children

[Dwayna DragonFire]

This will be my first Pokéfic, involving Ame Wyxm, my main PRP character. The title is a bit self-explanatory... this fic will involve gruesome bits. You have been warned.

That said, let it begin!

Chapter One: Misfits

A wizened man looked at his notes, a concerned look spreading over his face as he gripped the clipboard gently. He sighed, ruffling his greying hair slightly as he lowered the clipboard to look at the shelf behind him. His dark eyes peered specifically at one shelf unlike the others, no faces plastered to the glass indicating who owned the strange looking spheres within. The shelf he was looking at was organized very specifically, all of the spheres on this shelf being red and white, which seemed to be the most common type when looking at the other shelves.

Professor Samuel Oak was a well known researcher of strange creatures called PokéMon – short for Pocket Monsters – that each had their own special abilities. The world that he lived in revolved around these creatures and the friendships they made with people, as well as testing the strengths of the creatures against others in battle. Those that had PokéMon and competed with them were normally known as PokéMon Trainers, though other jobs could be pursued.

That was how Oak had gotten to the position he was in today, studying PokéMon to his hearts content. However, studying PokéMon was not his only job in this region of the world – named Kanto. Trainers often competed in something called the PokéMon League, a spectacle that was considered a great honour and privilege to be a part of. It was his job as a Professor to start people off on their PokéMon journey, so that they might be able to take part in whatever endeavors they wanted to in this thrilling but dangerous world.

Today, however, he was not thrilled with the particular line-up of PokéMon that had been set out for him to give to prospective trainers. Every time this happened, he was only allowed to give out three at a time for trainers to choose from themselves on a first-come-first-serve basis. It was always an intriguing endeavor to see which PokéMon would be chosen, but there was always a glaring flaw in the system. If a trainer wanted a specific PokéMon, sometimes they would not settle for any less than what they wanted and leave to come back whenever he would hand out PokéMon next.

It was for this reason that when he looked at the spheres that held the creatures in question that he knew there would be that sort of problem again, if not more so. The PokéMon at the top of the queue were the same three as always – a Grass type, a Water type and a Fire type. The PokéBalls were coloured accordingly to type on the center, but the orange-centered one had a star on it, drawn there in permanent black marker by Oak himself to indicate something special about it.

The tell-tale sign of his lab door swishing open met his ears, his face instantly morphing to his smile of greeting to whomever was visiting. The child before him, no more than ten years of age, looked up to him with a haughty glare of confidence. The boy was one of the ones scheduled to look at the PokéMon today in hopes of starting his journey. Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t start so young, thought Oak to himself, as he dared not share his opinion out loud.

“I've come to get my PokéMon!” confirmed the boy, his tone of voice usually reserved for people who felt that they were entitled to everything. Inwardly, Oak flinched at the boy's demeanour, but nonetheless he turned towards the shelf of PokéBalls again, pressing a button to let the ones on top rotate beyond sight so that the ones next in queue would be at the top for next time.

“You are the first to visit,” said Oak in a quirky but analytical voice, “So you get the full choice of three.” He walked over to a pedestal and pressed another button, the inside of it flipping to reveal the three PokéBalls that had just previously been on the shelf. He picked up each one individually, pushing the green-centered one first to reveal the Grass type.

“Bulbasaur,” he said, as the PokéBall opened with a flash of white light. The light descended to the floor and formed a peculiar shape, which in turn revealed a strange creature when the light cleared. A quadruped that somewhat resembled a young dinosaur with a spotted blue-green hide appeared, with an onion-like green bulb on its back. It's red eyes stared up at the trainer with intensity and curiosity, small fangs slipping just past its maw in a grin.

“Squirtle,” said Oak again, pressing the blue-centered ball. This time it was a light blue turtle creature, its most notable feature being the hard shell on its back. Its tail resembled a squirrels tail, perhaps being the reason behind its name other than the fact that PokéMon were named after the only things they could actually say. Its own red eyes peered at the trainer, before looking away with a huff. Oak picked up the last PokéBall, pressing its center and bracing himself for -

“What is wrong with that Charmander?” said the boy in his spoiled tones, “Its supposed to be orange!” The PokéMon in question was not orange, but in fact a yellowish color that seemed to glisten under the lab lights. This bipedal salamander with some dinosaur and reptilian qualities had four small fangs visible, two each on its upper and lower jaws. It had a cream belly and visible cream coloration on the soles of its feet when it walked around. Its most notable feature was the flame burning on the tip of its tail, a similar yellowish hue to the PokéMon in question.

“I thought you might ask that,” said Oak worriedly. “You see, this particular Charmander is special-”

“It looks weak,” spat the boy. “I want the Bulbasaur.” Oak's usual smile faded slightly, his lips pursing together in his stern glare before he gave the PokéBall meant for Bulbasaur to the boy. He turned back to another table beside the pedestal where he pressed more buttons, the top of the table sinking and then popping back up from the darkness with some more items. He picked them up wordlessly and held them out from his body.

He handed the boy a strange red device with black markings that looked like it could flip open. This was known as a PokéDex, a personal device designed to give information about PokéMon and anything PokéMon-related. The other item was a belt with five PokéBalls on it, at present miniature and empty in order for the boy to be able to catch up to the limit of PokéMon a trainer could have at one point in time, which was six.

The boy snatched his things from the Professor and called for the Bulbasaur to follow him, and the creature obediently trotted off behind the boy out of the laboratory. Oak sighed in relief, but also in concern as he looked to the remaining PokéMon. The Squirtle seemed unfazed, but the Charmander seemed to have taken an emotional blow from being called 'weak', which was perhaps the greatest verbal insult a PokéMon ever received.

Almost the entire day went on the same, with people simply walking out when they saw the abnormal Charmander. A girl did come in and adopt the Squirtle, who delighted in being called 'cute' by the girl in question. Whilst leaving, the Squirtle stuck is tongue out the Charmander, who became all the more disheartened from being rejected. It looked almost like it wouldn't be adopted that day.

The lab door swished open, the only person left on his list today stepping forward. The young girl in question had a neutral expression on her face, but still with hints of curiosity and excitement. Brown hair flowed around her pale face, light green eyes peering through a pair of glasses straight at the professor. He knew her name to be Ame, (ah-may) the daughter of Mister and Misses Wyxm (wick-sum), a relatively wealthy family of the Kanto region.

“I'm here to see what you have left,” she said in almost wistful tones. She would have known if he didn't have any left for the day, as he put a sign up when the PokéMon that he gave out each time was spoken for. Her family had lived here for quite a while, but the word was that Ame stayed at home with PokéMon most of the time whilst her parents attended to their wealthy lifestyle. It was no surprise that she seemed quiet, if not distant from people in general as she had no friends or siblings to speak of.

“I do have the one,” he said, motioning towards the lizard that hesitantly looked out from behind his leg now. “I'm sure you're wondering why he looks different from most Charmander.” He expected her to walk out like all the other trainers, but she surprised him by giving a small nod, looking genuinely curious to learn more about this PokéMon.

“You see,” he began, “In my research I have found an interesting phenomenon. Sometimes PokéMon are born with a rare gene that causes a different coloration to occur. Sometimes it is very subtle, whilst other times it is... obvious.” He looked at the small Charmander, which was visibly shaking now, its blue eyes looking at Ame with a semblance of fear, but of curiosity as well. Then the girl smiled a soft smile, something glimmering in her eyes.

“I guess we're both misfits,” she remarked in a soft voice, looking at the Charmander with an almost understanding gaze. “I'll take him.” It took a moment for that to actually register with Oak, because he had actually expected her to walk off like the others. When her words finally clicked, he smiled then, handing her the PokéBall marked with the orange center before handing her the PokéDex – which was green instead of red because her parents had requested it – and five empty PokéBalls.

He looked to the Charmander then, and was met with a bewildered stare. All of that rejection and he was actually picked? It was a shock not only to the PokéMon but to the Professor as well. The girl then did something else unexpected, dropping to her knees to be of more equal height to the small yellow lizard. The Charmander rose out of his shock to look at the girl who was to be his trainer, looking to her now outstretched hands with a treat in them.

Cautiously, the PokéMon stepped forward and took the treat, chewing it slightly before devouring it enthusiastically. He obviously thought it was delicious, because afterwards he was all smiles. He looked at the girl again, seemed to nod to himself slightly before outstretching a hand of his own. Ame seemed to understand the gesture and shook the PokéMon's hand, a sign of greeting and friendship.

“Thank you, Professor,” she said to Oak, who heard the words scarcely from beginning trainers. He smiled and shook his head slightly, looking to Ame as she stood from her place on the lab floor.

“No, thank you,” he said in reply. “It is always heartwarming to see trainers who are willing to look past the physical and bond with their PokéMon. I wish you good luck on your journey. Do be careful though... it is a rough world out there, despite what you might have heard.”

“Thank you, Professor,” she said. “I'll keep that in mind.” With that said, she left the laboratory with the Charmander in tow, ready to start her journey.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Milady, this is a rare treat indeed! If you writing a Pokemon fanfic alone hadn't intrigued me, getting to read Ame's start will make this even more entertaining. You've started strong and I can already see how Ame and Charles's bond became so deep. Consider this story stalked! And don't worry, I can handle gruesome

 

[Blazi]

...

I want to punch whoever that first boy was.

Hard.

Other than that, great! I like this story a lot, and I can't wait to read more.

Keep it up!

 

[Secad MS]

Ooh, a shiny starter. A quite rare occurrence in the games, now touched upon by a story. Knowing Dway's love of dragons, I have a feeling this Charmander won't end up like Pikachu.

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

Thanks everyone! After a week of absence, I thought it would be nice to bring you guys another chapter.
Again, I must put out the warning that some scenes may be grotesque.

---

Chapter Two: Firsts

Ame walked down the stairs of the large laboratory, looking back at the building for what might be the last time in a long while. Despite the advancements in technology over the years, the building was still very simplistic, with the looks and size of a large barn building. Behind it towered a large windmill, parts of the vast fields beyond peeking out from the sides, letting her catch little glimpses of the PokeMon kept there.

She turned to look down at the small yellow lizard now in her company. The creature was looking around curiously, interested in the outside as if he were seeing it for the very first time. Ame wasn't very surprised about this, having heard that the creatures were specially bred at the laboratory themselves. The Professor was a very busy man, despite all appearances that he seemed to have a lot of time on his hands to visit other regions – he did so to further his research and help other researchers like himself.

“So,” she started, to get the Charmander's attention. “Do you like the outside, or would you prefer to rest in your PokéBall?” She held the ball in her hands questioningly, ready to activate the mechanism that would return the Charmander inside. Her eyes glimmered in the sunlight as he looked at the PokéBall curiously as well, seriously contemplating his decision. However, there was more to Ame's stare than anyone else knew.

The reason why she was a misfit was not because of the fact that she had grown up with only the house servants as friends. When she was younger, she would talk to the PokéMon in her house constantly. What really astonished her was when she started hearing voices back, clear English words resounding in her mind with edges of the PokéMon seeping through. When she told her guardians about it, it was brushed off as a figment of her imagination, even though the worried looks did not escape her.

She had been sent to a specialist for children not long after that incident. The specialist looked her over and listened to her, a certain light of excitement appearing in his eyes when she told him of the faint images as well. He told Ame that she had been born with a special psychic ability that cropped up in children every now and then from ancestors past, allowing her to bond with PokéMon in a telepathic way as well as normally.

After that she barely saw her parents, and she suspected that it was because they were now afraid of what their child had become. She looked absently at the green PokéDex on her belt, wondering slightly if it had been specially made out of her parents love for her, or in hopes to placate her so that she would stay away from them longer.

Her reverie was interrupted by a gentle tug at her pants, the beady eyes of her Fire PokéMon staring up at her eagerly. He walked down the stairs a little bit, to show her that he wished to travel outside with her, then stopped as if to beckon her to walk with him. Ame took a deep breath and started walking down the steps, the Charmander keeping pace even though his legs were very small compared to hers.

She straightened the strap on the black carrying bag she brought with her, well prepared for her journey thanks to her parents budget. If Ame ever needed to stop before she got to a major town or resting area, she had a tent with sleeping gear in what was known as an Item Ball, specifically designed to carry around items that would usually be much heavier. She had also been given a cold weather outfit for the winter seasons, as being a Trainer would now take up her entire life.

Soon she found herself standing at the northern edge of Pallet Town, looking at a small sign standing just outside a path leading north through the trees. The sign confirmed that this was Route 1, which in the Kanto region was considered to be the true first steps on a trainers journey. It was here that Ame would encounter lots of wild PokéMon, the strange outside world, and possibly other trainers looking for a battle.

The tall grass rustled and crunched as she took her first steps onto the Route, her senses now becoming more acute to the world around her. At any time, a wild PokéMon could consider her to be a threat to its territory and attack her, or another trainer could come out of nowhere and challenge her to a battle. It was exciting in a way and scary in another, being unsure of what was going to happen.

Twisting and turning with the path, she felt eyes looking at her from the shade of the trees. The PokéMon that lived around here were obviously regarding her with some interest, but they seemed to stay away and go about their regular business. It didn't really surprise Ame, as she suspected that trainers were a normal sight to see just wandering past.

“Char!” came the small shout from her companion, at which her senses shocked suddenly into overdrive as she looked in the direction the fire lizard was looking. It was a PokéMon alright, but this one was laying motionless in a heap. Brown and tan feathers littered the small, plump body, along with gashes across its body that were clearly bleeding.

“Shame,” she remarked softly. “So many people neglect to send these poor PokéMon to a PokéCenter.” Those were the buildings that were placed around the region which had dedicated nurses that worked night and day to fix the injuries or ailments that PokéMon were often subject to. In previous years, one had to travel the distance to heal PokéMon hurt in the wild or add them to their teams. Now there was a technology built into the PokéDex that could send a wild PokéMon like this to the PokéCenter directly, though one still had to travel the distance if they wanted to heal their PokéMon team as part of the challenge of being a trainer.

It seemed that even with this technology, some still neglected to help injured PokéMon. Judging by the looks of the bird in front of her, it had recently been in a fight, quite possibly with a trainer. She opened her PokéDex for the first time, looking at all the buttons on the pad below a small screen. A mechanical feminine voice came from the device, which was obviously specifically programmed for the first time it was turned on, which happened automatically whenever one opened it.

“Welcome to the PokéDex,” it said, “Often referred to as Dexter. This unit is registered to: Ame Wyxm. If you would like to take a picture, press the 'Camera' button. If you would like to register a friend, press the 'Registry' button, where you can also find your registry number. If you would like to make an inquiry, press the 'Help' button. If you would like to change the settings, press the 'Settings' button.”

My parents obviously went all out on this purchase, she thought to herself, pressing the Camera button. The screen popped up with the view in front of her, and when she looked closer she saw the small camera on the back of the case. She pointed it towards the bird and pressed the 'OK' button, at which there was a small click.

“Pidgey,” came the reply almost instantaneously. “The Tiny Bird. Status: Wild. Critical condition. If you would like more information, press the 'Info' button. If you would like to send this PokéMon to a PokéCenter, press the 'Plus' button. If you would like to return to the menu, press the 'Menu' button.”

Ame found the Plus button and pressed it, at which a small light shone from 'Dexter' onto the small body of the bird. The Pidgey disappeared into the light, and another screen popped up, showing the profile picture of the PokéMon as well as an envelope with a plus sign. Below that it read 'SENT' with a small happy face and 'THANK YOU!' in smaller letters below that.

Feeling much better that the PokéMon was now safe, Ame noticed that it was getting to be about noon already, which meant she should probably sit down for lunch. She opened her bag and pulled out a picnic blanket, sitting herself down on it after she spread it on the ground. She then pulled out what looked to be a PokéBall, but the usual red color was replaced with a glass-like cover, showing miniature food items inside.

The PokéBall opened, and in a glow of red light the food items were removed from under the glass dome and enlarged to become a more normal size, placed on a plate that always came with food items. Ame then pulled out a box labeled 'PokéFood' and filled up a bowl with the small brown pellets. The Charmander took one whiff of the stuff and dug in, the two enjoying a quiet lunch together. She knew that she only had a limited supply, so she would have to stock up when they got to the next town.

When they were finished they set on their way again, only to run across yet another Pidgey. However, this time it was perfectly fine, and it even looked a little bit stronger than the previous one. The black-outlined eyes noticed her, narrowing slightly as the brown and peach crest above them turned towards her. It let out a threatening cry as it spread its wings, revealing the cream feathers all across its wings and chest, a small patch of them on the edges of the front of the wings as well.

“Charmander,” said Ame, “Try to dissuade it with a Growl.” The small lizard let out a growl that was actually quite cute, but the Pidgey didn't seem too disturbed by it. The bird started flapping its wings in a speedy fashion, kicking up some sand from the dirt path in an attempt to obstruct their vision.

“Don't let that bother you,” Ame called, “Push through and try to land a Scratch on it.” She watched as the Charmander jumped through the Sand-Attack, swinging his claws at the source. The sand stopped as the bird cried out, blood beginning to drip from the new cuts that it had been given. This was much different than the shows one would watch on television, where it was simplified into a cartoon version where cuts and bruises generally did not exist. The Pidgey was able to land a Tackle on the Charmander because of their close proximity, the lizard reeling back from the blow slightly.

“Another Scratch,” came the command, and the lizard followed, making new gashes in the PokeMon's side. The Pidgey screeched in pain yet again, looking worse for wear but still kicking about. It tackled Charmander again, which caused the small lizard to make his own pained cry as he rolled to the ground with the blow. When he got up again, he breathed out in an angry manner, the fire on his tail becoming a larger size to exemplify his rage.

The Pidgey lunged towards him again, but this time he was prepared for it. He rolled out of the way just in time to deliver another Scratch on the bird's backside, causing the bird to give one last cry of pain and fall to the ground at Ame's feet. Heaving with the effort, the Charmander fell into a sitting position, holding his stomach for all the pain that it had endured.

Ame looked at the bird with interest, pulling a PokéBall off of her belt with a thoughtful expression. She nodded her head slightly, lobbing the red and white capsule towards the bird. The ball hit the Pidgey and enveloped it with red light, sucking it inside and closing afterwards.

The PokéBall wobbled around in its place, indicating that the PokéMon inside of it was making a decision. When PokéMon were captured, the mechanisms built into the PokéBall would try to bind the PokéMon in question to the PokéBall. Because of the complex inner workings, it would know who was trying to become its Trainer and decide for itself whether or not it wanted to accept the binding. If they didn't accept it, the PokéBall would release its inhabitant and break from the energy expended on trying to bind to that specific PokéMon.

However, that was not the case with this Pidgey, as the PokéBall made a dinging sound and stopped wobbling. This meant that it had accepted Ame as its Trainer and was now resting in an artificially created environment just for it. Ame picked up the PokéBall soon after, reaching into her pack yet again. This time, she brought out a sheet of diamond shaped stickers, each coloured differently with some that had two colors. She took one that was coloured with gray and a very light purple, pressing it to the top red section of the ball to indicate the 'Normal-Flying' type within.

With a new companion in tow, Ame made sure the Charmander was ready to go before they set off again. They travelled a good ways until it was late evening, when they all had dinner together. The Pidgey was still badly injured, but it at least had enough strength to eat something. After that Ame travelled with the Charmander until it was night time, where she brought out the tent and sleeping gear from its Item Ball and settled down for the night, the sounds of the wilderness thriving around her.

She was woken partway through the night by the sounds of a scuffle outside her tent. She fumbled to find her glasses and put them on, peering out the tent flaps to look outside. Her Charmander was fencing off against what looked to be a rat with purple and cream fur. It looked relatively weak, but the lizard was still recovering from its battle earlier that day so it might become a problem.

Ame watched on in amazement as the Charmander's tail sparked with anger, its mouth opening to eject a small stream of flame towards the large-toothed mouse. The Ember washed over the fur of the creature and engulfed it with flame, the frantic rolling of the mouse afterwards just enough to put it out. However, it slumped to the ground soon after that, the burns on its body severe and grotesque. Patches of fur had burned right off, leaving smaller patches of burned skin beneath exposed to the moonlight.

“Good work,” Ame managed to choke out, the sight before her eyes almost enough to make her want to puke. The Charmander looked startled for a moment, then calmed himself and walked back towards the girl, a somewhat haunted look of his own peeking out behind the pride of a job well done. It was different for him because he was a PokéMon and he knew what he needed to do to survive, but that didn't necessarily mean he liked it. Ame opened Dexter again, and took another picture with slightly trembling hands.

“Rattata,” it chirped, “The Mouse. Status: Wild. Critical condition. Burned.” Ame clicked the Plus button as quickly as possible and watched the mouse disappear into red light. She wondered how often the PokéMon doctors and nurses at the PokéCenter saw things like that, growing an all new sort of admiration for them. The 'SENT' screen for the Rattata popped up, giving her enough relief to settle back down for the night.

She had a dream that night, visions of the injured PokéMon that she had encountered swimming through her head. The dream soon turned towards a orange-like shape that seemed to press at the edges of her consciousness in a way dreams never could. It focused into a more discernible form, looking much like the lizard sleeping by her side. A peaceful feeling from the figure overwhelmed her, and she was plunged into darkness for the rest of the night.

 

[Secad MS]

*dances* Yay! I love an explanation for what happens to injured wild Pokemon after they are knocked out for experience. In your universe, it sounds like all Pokemon can be dissolved into data for transfer over some wireless network to be healed. That implies that your Pokecenters can care for Pokemon outside of the Pokeball.

(I also liked the reference to the bloodless cartoon. XD)

 

[Stark]

I think its time I stuck my head in here and made myself known

Glorious piece of writery you're crafting here, I love the neat touch you've added with the Pokedex too! That's really interesting, I'm curious to know if you've always pictured it like that or whether its a new idea to you

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Is it wrong that I started smiling at the carnage wrought by the Pokemon? This is the first I've read/heard/thought about such injuries occurring on a regular basis and suddenly the Pokemon just feels that much more dangerous. I love it! Keep up the good work because your writing is amazing Lady Dwayna!

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

Thanks again for your support, guys. I really appreciate it. :3
You'd be right, Secad. I go more into detail on that with this chapter.
LoN, it was a new idea inspired by an older one... so both... kind of... I guess.
I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, Psycho and company.

---

Chapter Three: Strength

It was early morning when Ame next woke, the rising sun providing just enough shade to make it relatively cool. She wearily looked at the Charmander beside her, noticing that small bruises had begun to form on his cream stomach where the Pidgey – and probably the Rattata as well – had hit him. She worried silently to herself when they would reach the next town, hoping that they weren't too far away.

Her hopes were fulfilled, as there were only a few more twists and turns in the forest before the tops of buildings came into view. Their shadows quickly disappeared behind the Gateway, a building that was often placed between major routes and major cities to separate the wild from civilization. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she passed through the opening, walked through the small hallway there, coming out the other door which read 'Viridian City'.

Small skyscrapers and houses met her eyes first, the main road now leading in both directions. In the distance to the west, she could see the tips of mountains, the peaks beautifully covered in snow. The rest of the town seemed to be surrounded with trees, patches of them even cropping up on the sides of the streets in some cases. Ame saw a patch of red roof peeking over the top of one house, so she walked around the road until she got in front of the building with said roof.

The PokéCenter was an impressive sight, the building much larger than she ever expected. The red roof towered over her, with the large red PokéBall symbol staring at her in the face from above. Ame walked up the stairs with her Charmander, the large glass doors sliding open as she approached. The inside of the building was even larger than the outside, giving the impression that books were not meant to be judged by their covers.

The nurse there greeted her pleasantly, asking for identification. Luckily, the PokéDex often doubled as identification, so she handed that to the nurse, who put it into a computer built for these things. As she was a new Trainer, she was asked to take a quick picture, so she stood where the nurse asked her to and gave a small smile. After that was done, Dexter was given back to her and the nurse ushered her into a large hallway with more doors, one side with plain wooden doors and the other with white doors. The white doors ended up being the examination rooms, large in their own regard as if built to treat large PokéMon, which was probably true considering some got to be very large.

When the doctor came in, she was asked to let him see all of her injured PokéMon. As she only had the two, she lifted the small lizard onto the examination table and released the Pidgey to rest beside him. The doctor looked them over, seemingly unfazed by the gashes on the bird's body, as if he had seen this kind of thing before. He looked through some cupboards soon after, bringing out three different items.

The first appeared to be a salve, which was gently applied to the Charmander's stomach. A small flinch crossed his face because it stung, but the bruise started to fade away before Ame's eyes, the purple and blue swiftly dissipating into the usual cream of his belly like magic. The Charmander was then given a blue berry that Ame recognized as an Oran Berry, found in the wild and often used for healing purposes. Upon eating it, the lizard looked very refreshed and pleased, looking ready to fight again.

The last item was a light blue spray bottle with a purple base and nozzle. This was referred to as a Potion, specially made by the major corporations for mending the injuries of PokéMon. He gently directed it towards the scratches, each spray emitting a small sign of discomfort. Just like before, the wounds re-knitted themselves quickly, leaving nothing in their stead and a happy bird.

Ame thanked the doctor and headed back out with her team, now fully healed and invigorated. The Pidgey chose to stay in its PokéBall, so she had only the Charmander for company as she explored the city. There was a school for aspiring Trainers and a few people milling about the streets, going about their usual daily business.

There was a relatively large building with a blue roof, similar in design to a PokéCenter, with everything blue instead of red. This was known as a PokéMart, a building where one could buy their everyday needs, as well as sections that were dedicated to Trainers. Knowing this, Ame walked inside, her eyes met with several aisles of useful things that she would probably need for her journey.

She immediately picked up some medium-sized Item Balls filled with food, each one good enough to last her two days. There was a good variety in each and they were specially designed to preserve food, so it would last her a good long while before she needed to pick them up again. She also picked up some differently colored Item Balls with PokéFood in them for her PokéMon. Luckily, food was generally cheap, so she didn't need to worry about the price.

The more expensive things were in the Trainer's section, the cheapest being the guides and maps. Ame picked up one of each, expecting that she needed to know as much as possible. As for the rest of the items, new laws had been put into place to make it so only certain items were available depending on one's experience as a Trainer. One needed official badges obtained from the League to gain access to the more expensive items, making it part of one's reward for accomplishing status.

Having no badges as of yet, Ame was limited to a scant few items. However, there were often kits placed in each section full of a variety of the items, giving a more convenient solution to picking up the items individually, sometimes with a little deal here and there for good measure. She picked up a kit with two PokéBalls, two Potions, four other bottles of ailment healers and a low quality fishing rod.

Bringing up all her purchases to the counter, she was given a total of three-thousand PokéDollars, the international currency of the world. These were earned mostly through battles and contests, though other work and selling rare items found were also options. However, trainers were often given money by their parents to start out with, and Ame was no different in this case. She handed over the card that one of the maids had given her, the transaction going through smoothly.

After her shopping trip she went back to the PokéCenter and sat at one of the booths there. She looked over her new items, taking pictures of the other two different types of spray bottles with Dexter. The two filled with a deep yellow liquid was an Antidote, used to cure signs of poisoning from other PokéMon's attacks. The other two bottles with a lighter yellow liquid was a Paralysis Heal, the name speaking for itself.

She then looked at the guide she had bought, looking up information on the PokéMon League. There were eight places scattered amongst the region called Gyms, each with their own Gym Leader, the elite trainers who gave out the official badges of the League. There was apparently a Gym here in Viridian City, but it was apparently considered to be the toughest Gym in the region, so she obviously didn't want to go there first.

Gaining all eight badges gave one access to not only the most useful items of the PokéMart, but an official pass to enter the League Competition, the most prestigious of all events. If one became the winner of the competition, their names went down in history as a Champion of the League.

Reading more into it, her first stop on this endeavour appeared to be the Pewter City Gym, known for its use of Rock type PokéMon. This was bad news for her so far, as Fire and Flying types were weak to Rock type attacks, and she only had the two companions as of yet. From what she knew about Rock types, they had a lot of resistances, but they also had a lot of weaknesses.

The most prominent weaknesses usually associated with Rock types were probably Grass and Water types, of which she had neither. However, Ame had recently obtained a fishing rod, and there was a large forest between here and Pewter City which might have some Grass types. Running that gauntlet preemptively might cause her quite a bit of trouble, however, so it was probably best that she trained her PokéMon some more anyways.

Luckily, there was a small area in town where one was allowed to fish, and quite possibly turn a profit as well. The fishing companies often paid people for their catches so they could continue their supplies of seafood to the masses. Since there was also at least a small chance of her catching a decent Water type along the way, Ame headed down to the small dock on the edge of the lake.

When she got there, she picked up a wicker basket for potential catches, bringing out the fishing rod as she sat on one of the empty spots of the dock. The kit had come with a small box of hooks and bait, so she was well prepared when she cast her line. Now all she had to do was be patient, just like the rest of the experienced fishermen sitting quietly around her.

It was about noon when she got her first bite, the line tugging with great force. Ame was no expert at fishing, but nonetheless she reeled in the line, keeping strength with whatever was on the other end, silently glad that her Fire lizard had moved behind her as a sort of protection from any water that might splash upwards. She gave a great tug and the form at the end of her line surfaced, flopping onto the dock with invigorated movements.

Large, reddish-orange scales met her eyes, the fins of the fish primarily white in color. There were also yellow fins on its head and stomach, each with three points, making the top one look almost like a crown from the side. Yellow whisker-like barbels protruded from the sides of its gaping mouth, big white eyes with small black pupils staring at her. Ame knew this to be a Magikarp, which was considered to be one of the weakest PokéMon in existence, especially since it couldn't properly defend itself out of water unless it was much stronger.

“Put it out of its misery,” she commanded softly to the Charmander behind her, who looked almost a little too eager to follow her orders in this case. The Magikarp flopped around uselessly as the lizards claws dug into its hard scales several times over, finally stopping its movements after a few more blows from the sharp claws. Rivers of crimson seeped out from the holes and gashes made, but by now Ame was getting kind of used to the sight of blood.

The lifeless body was placed in the wicker basket by the Charmander, a gesture that showed he was considerate of the fact that Ame might not want to do it herself. She gave him a grateful smile, appreciative of not only his politeness but also the good work he had done. They stopped for lunch before continuing, with Pidgey being left out this time to look out for potential catches as well.

The routine of fishing became easier as time went on, the process ending up being quite the work-out on her arms. Ame plodded on through dinner and into the early hours of the night, having fun all the while. Her Pidgey even managed to dart out a couple times to catch fish as they were jumping up.

With the help of her Pidgey and Charmander, she had managed to catch at least seven Magikarp. Some were smaller than others, and about half of them had white barbels instead of yellow. She had looked it up in the PokéDex, finding that the color of the barbels helped to determine gender – yellow for male, white for female. What would ultimately matter when she handed them over, however, was the size of the fish rather than the gender.

Ame got a decent amount of money for her hard day's work – a good seven-hundred and fifty dollars. Her companions looked to be stronger for it too, which was always a plus. She decided to stay in Viridian for a little while longer, vowing that if she didn't catch anything worthwhile in the next couple of days that she would move into the forest.

For the next two days she worked at her fishing skills, her arms beginning to get sore when she had rests in between catches. She would now throw the smaller fish back into the lake, if not because she needed the money, than because she realized the fish needed to repopulate somehow. Sometimes the fishermen around her would keep the Magikarp they caught, supposedly because training the pathetic things would actually be worth it in the long run.

It was nearing the end of the second day, after she had procured better bait from the small shop on the dock. She was about to give up when she felt another tug, at which she decided that it would be her last catch of the day. There was a subtle difference to the tugs, as if the being at the end of the line was much stronger than a simple Magikarp. This was proven by the fact that a blue form rose from the depths, spitting out the hook from its small pink mouth as it landed on the dock.

The form was round, a long translucent tail protruding from its backside to make it look like a large tadpole. It stumbled to its feet uncertainly, turning just enough so that Ame could see its round white chest, a clockwise black swirl in the center of the white. A quick picture from Dexter identified it as a Poliwag, who currently did not look very happy with her at all.

“Pidgey,” Ame called, “Tackle.” The bird flapped down from its perch towards the Poliwag with enthusiasm, hitting the round figure in its chest. The powerful blow flipped it over, but it quickly got back up onto its feet in frustration, a display of its power. A Water Gun sprayed from its lips towards the bird, pushing it a fair distance away with the sheer force of the attack. The Pidgey looked a bit worse for wear, but still ready to go.

“Gust,” came the command, at which the bird started to beat it's wings with ferocity. The resulting wind made a small tornado that engulfed the Poliwag, shrieks of pain coming from the form. When the wind faded, visible slashes and irritation marks from the wind were present, some even beginning to seep a deep red.

The retaliation was a pulsing noise that came from the Poliwag, which caused Ame to immediately plug her ears. It was too late for her to call out to Pidgey, as the sound washed over the bird with earnest just as it crashed into the tadpole again. The form of the bird went limp, the effects of Hypnosis being to put things to sleep, which seemed to be the case.

The Charmander bravely stepped forward after Ame recalled Pidgey. She was going to tell him to leave it alone, but he did something she never saw him do before. A black cloud of smoke emerged from the Fire type's mouth, engulfing the Poliwag much in the same way the tornado of air did. The small lizard then rushed into the smoke, claws spread wide and eyes gleaming with determination.

Jets of water and fire crackled in the Smokescreen, sounds of pain protruding from within. It made Ame nervous, to not see anything properly, but she didn't have long to wait. The smoke cleared and the two forms were revealed, one unconscious and the other still standing. The Poliwag laid motionless save for its laboured breaths, its almost inky blood slipping down its body in small rivers from various cuts and burn marks.

The Charmander collapsed to his bottom, the Fire lizard thoroughly doused, red marks on his face where a Double Slap must have hit. The flame on his tail was small at this point, leaving Ame to recall him as well to rest inside his PokéBall, putting him into a harmless stasis. She put him by her side and picked an empty capsule, throwing it towards the prone form of the Poliwag. The tadpole disappeared into the red light of the capsule, which dinged merely seconds later, as if the small powerhouse had already accepted the thought of her being his trainer out of respect.

There was a small applause, which startled her out of her surprise, only to push it further. Without realizing it, the fishermen had turned their attentions from fishing to watch her battle against the Poliwag, gathering a decent crowd who had kept their silence. She smiled meekly, picking up the PokéBall of her new companion, pressing a blue sticker to the surface to indicate its type.

She went back to the hospital after she got her pay for the evening, seeing the same doctor as before. He gave the Poliwag a Potion treatment and the Charmander some more salve and Oran berries, which made them look as good as new. For the sleeping Pidgey, he rubbed some salve where the Water Gun had hit and brought out a spray bottle with a sky blue liquid inside.

“This is called an Awakening,” he explained to Ame, “You can buy it at the PokéMart after you have at least one badge.” He sprayed it over the Pidgey's body, which made the bird rise from its slumber. This would be useful knowledge for the future, but at this point she could do nothing to help the situation. She thanked him again, recalling the bird and tadpole to leave her with the Charmander again.

“Good work,” she complimented towards him after they headed back to the room they had been sleeping at in the PokéCenter. “I'm impressed with your progress as of yet.” The Charmander looked quite pleased with himself, giving her a fanged smile. She found herself smiling back despite her usual calm demeanour, a break in character that she silently marked as a step in the right direction. Perhaps she was finally coming out of her personal bubble, getting along with the creatures that had accepted her as their trainer.

That night, she had another dream, more images of blood and fighting flickering through her mind. When the images stopped, she found herself looking at the orange form again, though this time it was much clearer than before. It was indeed the Charmander slumbering by her side, waves of contentment washing over her from the form, portraying a deep sense of satisfaction.

Suddenly, the form became more solidified, rising from its place to look at her with curiosity. A humble feeling of respect and honor came from it – from him, as she realized he had joined her mind and was not afraid. He reached out towards her, his paw extending to touch her consciousness, but the connection snapped into fragments as the sound of the alarm went off, breaking her from sleep as well.

Ame breathed deep breaths, putting on her glasses and looking at the form beside her. He had also roused from sleep, looking at her with knowing green eyes, the memory still fresh in her mind as she was sure it was with his. She would have to contemplate this later, as she would need the strength of mind and body to tackle their next obstacle: Viridian Forest.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

This chapter was pretty good! I like how you set up the limits on the Marts and the health care of the Pokemon Centers. A question though: Did Ame kill those Magikarp or were they just fainted?

I can't wait to see what adventures will be had in the Viridian Forest!

 

[Secad MS]

They were for seafood, so I think they were dead. I wonder if there is a taste difference between the different fish Pokemon.

This makes me wonder if people counterfeit badges to buy more expensive items.

 

[Valin]

This story is really good. The way you've imagined every aspect of the Pokemon world thus far is just incredible.

Just one thing that I noticed: I just don't have a very good read on Ame's personality. Most of the time, she just strikes me as a tad robotic in her quotes, saying just the barest minimum of what needs to be said, but I guess that might have been intentional, in regards to her background, feeling like an outcast and misfit, alienated by her parents, and all.

Still, your descriptiveness is very thorough, and always interesting to read.

 

[Tatile]

I've seen trainers 'talking' to their Pokemon a lot in stories on this board (or at least, when I was around back then ), but it's pleasant to read of one where the communication wasn't immediate or wholly unexplained.

Also, Ame is disturbingly resigned to the idea of Pokemon becoming severely injured and even killed. You mention that the television shows she watched would tone down the violence, so I'm wondering if there's another reason for her being so detached? I can't imagine myself that her home life would be the sole cause of this - Ame did make friends with Pokemon in her earlier years, which I would have thought would have made her more sensitive to their plight.

On a lighter note, we can't help but make our favourites special, can we?