~Tim~

I had never wanted the apprenticeship. My parents forced me into it. All through my school years I had shown promise in poke studies. My mother had pulled the right strings, and I was all ready to pursue a comfortable career in an air conditioned building.

But that’s how life had always been for me. When I first started school I had picked a fight with another boy, and ended up starting a riot. I could have been suspended but at the sight of my mother’s money the boy’s parents quickly stepped off their high horse.

I soon discovered that for me there were no boundaries. Whatever I did, my parents would always be there to bail me out.

When I started high school I was so confident that I paid no attention in class, flirting with the girls or talking to the hundreds of sycophants who wanted to be my friend. However, because of the line of work my mother was in I did know quite a bit about pokemon, so I slipped under the radar academically. I never actually had one for myself, I could never be bothered. There was always something much more interesting on T.V, or some wild party I could attend. At least, that’s what I told everyone. But the truth was, it was expected far too often of me. Dr. Willow’s son, he must be one heck of a trainer! Well, I wasn’t about to do anything that would force me to live in her shadow. Despite my longings for an easy life, I didn’t want it forever in the dark.

Then, a few weeks after my 15^th birthday, my whole world came crashing down.

Willow, Callan, read the name at the top of the Higher School Exam. And my parents were not pleased when they saw it.

“How could you let your grades slip like this?” demanded my mother, glasses falling down her nose. Despite her bookish appearance, she was quite beautiful. Though I’d never tell her that.

“We didn’t give you every opportunity possible for you to fail your HSE!” yelled my father.

I shrugged indifferently. In truth they were hypocrites. They never paid any attention to my schooling at all, never encouraged me to do better. Mum had always assured me that I would be cared for after school, guaranteed. But now that moment had arrived it seemed she was going to have to confront it. About time

Heated conferences with the teachers revealed the fact that I hadn’t put any effort at all into learning. When she finally got me alone later that week, Mum was furious.

“And to think, your father once told me I spoiled you!” she cried.

Sure, but he said it while handing me my two hundred dollar allowance for that week.

We were standing in the middle of the huge laboratory, and all the other scientists turned to stare at us. Mum blushed.

I appreciated the huge amounts of time and effort she put into her career. She had turned a small pokemon research lab into a sprawling centre, filled with pokemon and the country’s top scientists. Metropolis was the largest city in Raeg, and my mother was the famous professor Willow. Every year thousands of young trainers made a pilgrimage to her lab, to obtain their pokemon license and their very first pokemon.

And I had never chosen my pokemon, though I was in possession of a gold pokemon license. But I was fervently wishing that I had something to protect me from my mother’s rage.

“Come into my office,” she said quietly, with a hint of menace.

I shook my head stubbornly.

Mum didn’t speak, merely pulled a shiny pokeball from one of the deep pockets of her lab coat. She pressed the button, and with a flash of red light a Bulbasaur appeared.

“Bulba!” it growled.

“Vine whip Bulbasaur,” commanded my mother, and the little green pokemon shot two vines from its back straight at me. I yelled in surprise as they coiled around me, and roughly yanked me into the air.

“Now let’s go into my office,” said mum, leading the Bulbasaur.

I could only struggle helplessly in the tight grip of the vines as I was carried into mum’s spacious office.

Once inside she absently recalled the Bulbasaur. I fell to the ground with a crash.

“I have a problem on my hands,” she said, polishing her glasses. “It seems that all the years I’ve spent tending to your every whim have come up short. Now I have a son who has left himself with no options for future employment, and severely limited his choices for the rest of his life. So now I’m about to make one for him.”

I dreaded hearing what was next.

“I’ve spoken at length with several of the gym leaders across the country, and finally found one willing to take you on as an apprentice.”

I gaped at her.

“Leave Metropolis? No way!”

My whole life centred around the city. My friends, my girls, the parties I attended, they were all situated in that urban jungle.

“Way,” she countered firmly, “And what’s more, you’re going to make something of yourself. I’ll expect full progress reports, and if you haven’t improved by this time next year, I’m sending you to the pokemon academy in Johto.”

I gulped. Johto was a long way away, much further than the neighbouring country Hoenn. I knew my mother was not making idle threats, I had seen her send hundreds of wannabe trainers overseas to gain a little ‘seasoning’.

“Which gym?” I said finally. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. It could be in Habbas, or Kempsi. One of the larger towns, close to the city. But mum smiled deviously.

“The leader who has very graciously agreed to take you in is Danielle of Meadowlea.”

My heart dropped. Meadowlea was at least three days away. I would have to leave everything behind; my friends, my room, the opulence that I had been surrounded in since a young age. And to top it off, the leader was some lady, a gardener if I could remember correctly.

Before I could open my mouth to protest she silenced me.

“No need to argue, I’ve already made arrangements. You will leave tomorrow. Now, you’ll need a pokemon, and it’s about time you got one anyway. Seeing as you are already such good friends, why don’t you take this Bulbasaur?” she threw the ball at me, and I caught it with one hand, eying it warily.

“It’s a female. What will you call her?”

As much as I didn’t want to go along with this I found myself searching for the perfect name. Finally it came to me.

“Sprig,”

“Well if that’s the best you can do,” sniffed my mother, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Then she surprised me by coming over and hugging me tightly.

“Believe me, this is all for your own good.” She held me for a few moments, then abruptly pushed me away. “Now go home and pack.”

The next day I sat in the front of the SUV, sunglasses on to hide my tears. In the drivers seat was Sera, a colleague of my mothers who was young and attractive. We had just left busy Metropolis and were speeding along the highway to Habbas. On either side of the road trees and fields flew past.

“So, leaving the big smoke for the little T, huh?” said Sera, eyes firmly on the road ahead.

I didn’t reply.

“Oh come on, Callan, you can talk to me, you know that.” She pushed her hair out of her face. “I remember what it was like being a teenager, hell it was only a few years ago anyway.”

Suddenly I didn’t remember who I was. A quick check in the rear view mirror proved that I looked the same; short, black hair, serious brown eyes and thin lips. But inside I felt alien, like I was changing permanently. And in a way, I was. I sighed and told Sera about all my problems and fears. She listened intently, then at the end was silent for a while. Finally she spoke.

“So you messed up the first part of your life. You didn’t pay attention in school, and now you’re paying the penalty. But don’t look upon this apprenticeship as a punishment. Look at it as a second chance. After I got hooked on drugs in my teens, I was in a downwards spiral. But your mum found me, and she gave me a second chance. At the time I resented her, but now I’m thankful.”

I still remained doubtful. Compulsively, she leant over and kissed my cheek.

“Don’t look so sad, you’re far too cute. It’ll all make sense one day.”

After that I cheered up a bit.

It was early evening when we reached Habbas, and Sera drove us to her relative’s place, where we spent the night in comfort. The next morning we set off again, towards the Island town of Spleta, where two rivers cut the land in half. We crossed the bridge over The River Claire at midday, the wheels of the SUV clattering all the way across. We were making good progress so we kept going from Spleta. Once we were over the bridge on the river Freyja though, the clattering from below became louder, and finally somewhere between the Meadowlea turnoff and Spleta the tires blew. Sera groaned and left to check the damage.

All four tires had been punctured by glass, probably the result of a prank on the road. We only had two spares, so the two of us had to walk.

“Meadowlea should be closer than Spleta,” reasoned the girl, “if we cut across the fields.”

Much of western Raeg was grassland, flat and fertile. But the fields were large and deserted, and wild pokemon ran rampant. I didn’t want to be dinner for a Houndoom.

“We could just wait for someone to drive by,” I suggested hopefully.

“Forget it. At this time of the night the Naregg-Spleta road is virtually deserted. I’ll get the torches.”

I sighed and gathered my belongings. I was about to slip my pokeball containing Sprig into my luggage case when Sera cautioned me.

“It wouldn’t hurt to stay protected,” she said, gesturing to the pokeballs clipped to her shirt. I gulped and slipped Sprig’s pokeball into my pocket.

It was a dark night, and the dark clouds hiding the moon bore the promise of rain. The vast fields spread out in front of us, shadowy trees littering it everywhere.

“The western grass plains have been declared a nature reserve,” informed Sera. “Now the land is closed off to development forever, so the pokemon can live in safety.”

I glanced around, shivering despite the warm summer night. Maybe the pokemon were safe, but what about us?

After walking for about an hour I began to get tired. The beam of light from the torch seemed pale compared to the overwhelming blanket of darkness. Then, from a nearby copse of trees I heard something rustle.

“Did you hear that?” I whispered urgently to Sera. She nodded grimly, unclipping the first of her two pokeballs. As we neared the copse the rustling was heard again, and Sera’s grip on the pokeball tightened. Then, with a deep breath she threw it to the ground.

A beautiful sleek Persian appeared, licking its paw indifferently.

Sera bent down to hug him, patting him fondly. The Persian purred loudly.

“Tybalt, investigate those trees over there,” she asked him gently. The large cat obediently slunk off into the copse, green eyes blazing. There was some more rustling, then a loud screech as Tybalt found whatever it was, Then the sounds of a scuffle, and all was quiet. When he finally emerged from beneath the trees something pink and furry was clutched in his mouth.

“Don’t hurt it,” cautioned Sera. Tybalt carefully dropped it at her feet, then lay down with a yawn.

“Good job,” she said absently, and then picked up the wet bundle.

A small, purple pokemon with huge floppy ears trembled in her hands.

“A Whismur!” she gasped. “What’s one of these doing so far from the mountains?”

Pidgeots and Fearows are common here,” I replied. “They often pick unsuspecting Whismurs from the mountains and carry them back to their nests here. This little fellow must have wriggled free and taken refuge in the trees.”

Sera stared at me.

“I’m not completely dumb,” I said, blushing.

“Well,” she said slowly, “I think you should keep him.”

“What, you mean capture him, right here and now?” I asked, horrified.

“Of course, you’re an apprentice gym leader, aren’t you? Well you should catch pokemon to battle.”

“But I don’t have a pokeball!”

“Here, take one of my spares.”

I took the red and white ball in my left hand, and she passed the Whismur to my right. Sighing, I pressed the ball gently on it, and it went in without a fight.

When the button light stopped flashing I released the Whismur again. He looked haggard and unkempt.

“Poor little thing,” remarked Sera, “He wouldn’t have survived for long out here.”

“How do you know it’s a he?”

“Before I was a scientist I spent some time sexing pokemon. Male Whismurs have slightly longer ears, and are a darker shade of purple than the female.”

Just then the Whismur opened his mouth and let out a deafening screech. I recoiled and dropped it to the ground. Sera stood next to me, hands over ears. I quickly returned him to his pokeball.

“I think I’ll name him Sonic,” I said, ears ringing.

We reached Meadowlea an hour later, the rest of our journey being uneventful. The town was sleeping, and we had only the street lights to guide our way down the dark stretches of asphalt. Staggering into the poke centre we startled the Chanseys on duty. One of them went to fetch the nurse from her sleeping quarters.

A woman with shoulder length auburn hair appeared, stifling a yawn.

“My, you two are up late. My name’s Nurse Dee. How may I help you?”

“Our car broke down on the highway, and we were wondering if we could spend the night here.”

“Of course you can. I’ll take you to the trainer’s quarters.”

The trainer’s quarters were small but clean and tidy. Three bunk beds sat underneath a fluorescent light, facing a large bay window.

“Have a good rest,” said Nurse Dee, “And I’ll get officer Gerald to come see you tomorrow. He’ll talk to you about your car.”

“Thank you Nurse Dee,” said Sarah, settling into a bunk.

I hesitated.

“Nurse Dee?”

“Yes?” She turned to face me with bright blue eyes.

“Um, could you please do a check up on my Whismur? I just caught him, and I think he’s a bit under the weather.”

“No problem,” replied Dee, “I’ll have him good as new by morning. Now, good night!”

“Good night,” I mumbled, already halfway to my bunk.

Chapter Three

The gym didn’t look as forbidding as I felt it would have. It was made of wood, like a large log cabin, but it was converted for pokemon purposes. The gardens were spectacular. Flowers were everywhere, and the grass was lush and verdant. A quiet stream wound its way behind the gym, splashing occasionally when the water flowed over jagged rocks.

Sera had not come with me. Officer Gerald, a young man with shocking red hair, had insisted on retrieving the car as soon as possible in case of theft. I’m sure there was more to it than that, though, from the looks they were trading. But Sera kissed me good bye and made me promise to write, saying that she would come visit me soon. Then she was off, a distant smudge on the horizon. My whole life in a suitcase and a rucksack, I stepped inside my future home.

Instantly I felt disorientated. I had stepped inside, and yet the sun was still shining brightly. Then I cursed myself for a fool, remembering the roof had been made of glass. I supposed it was for the grass pokemon.

My first glimpse of Danielle was from behind. She was bending over to tend to a small pokemon on the ground. The gym didn’t have a floor; instead rich black earth spread to the far corners. She finished what she was doing, and then stood, wiping her hands on her smock.

Her green eyes were intense, almost boring straight to my soul. Her long brown hair, pulled back from her face by a headband, fell down the back of her green overalls, over which she wore a plain yellow smock. Her eyes drilled into me for a few more moments, and then she abruptly broke off and smiled.

“You must be Callan. Welcome to Meadowlea.”

I had made up my mind to hate her, but I found it impossible when faced with the cheerful young woman in front of me.

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Well, I’m quite busy training these Sunkerns, so if you find Ali I’m sure she’d be more than happy to show you around. In the meantime why don’t you unpack your belongings? Your room is the one in the far left corner.”

And with that she turned back to the ground. I walked to where she had pointed, and entered my new room.

It was small, smaller than what I was used to certainly, and though the floor was tiled it smelt of soil and manure. I wrinkled my nose in distaste, and quickly dumped my stuff on the single bed in the corner. Then I returned to the main gym and headed outside, glancing back at the leader.

Once outside I felt a lot better. There was something unnatural about the inner sunlight that made me feel uneasy. I sauntered down to the stream and released Sonic. Nurse Dee had fixed him up, and now he was full of energy and bouncing around. I had grown fond of him, though I was careful not to do anything to make him cry.

He splashed in the shallows of the stream for a while before a shadow fell on him. I lounged on the bank, contemplating things in Metropolis, and so didn’t notice the dark shadow descending until Sonic emitted another ear-splitting supersonic.

A huge Fearow had him in its talons, long sharp beak glinting wickedly in the sun. I rushed at it without thinking, and received a swift, sharp peck to my arm. I felt the hot blood trickle down my side and thanked my lucky stars that it hadn’t been a drill peck.

But the Fearow flapped its massive wings, and as it rose into the air I fumbled frantically with Sprig’s pokeball. At first I had been reluctant to release her because of the enmity between us, but now I was desperate. She appeared on the ground growling angrily at me, but I pointed to the Fearow. Her eyes narrowed and the vines extended from her back. But as they curled around the Fearow’s neck it veered sharply left, dragging Sprig into the air with it.

“Help!” I cried hysterically. A girl around my age came running over, her long pink hair streaming behind.

“What the hell did you do!” she cried, spotting the spectacle in the air. Before I could explain she released a pokemon. Her Tropius stood majestically, the large fronds on its back quivering with excitement.

“Palmia, fly up there,” she commanded, jumping onto its back.

Then they were off, high in the air. It was almost comical to see a Tropius fly, its fronds rotating rapidly like an oversized propeller. But it moved surprisingly fast, catching up to the Fearow easily. With one snap of its jaws the vine attaching Sprig snapped, and the Bulbasaur plummeted to earth, finally landing in the stream with a splash. I dived in and retrieved her, clothes and all.

Meanwhile in the air the girl was instructing the Tropius, and it was moving to rescue Sonic. But the Fearow had noticed Palmia, turned quickly to stab at it. The girl steered out of the way, and leaves began to fly at the giant bird, cutting and ripping at its feathers. Finally, defeated, the Fearow dropped its prize and flew off in search of easier meals.

Palmia dove, and the girl easily caught Sonic.

They alighted in front of me, and she daintily stepped off her Tropius to walk over to me.

“You should be more careful,” she said casually, tossing Whismur into my hands. Then she sashayed back into the town, her pokemon dutifully trotting behind her.

I comforted the shivering Whismur then returned both my pokemon to their pokeballs. I was angry. The girl, however brave she was, had been rude. She had recklessly risked Sprig’s life, and tossed Sonic as if he were a ball. And she never even told me her name.

“I hear you had quite an adventure,” remarked Danielle when I returned to the gym, her eyebrows arched.

“Does word travel fast in Meadowlea?” I asked.

“Word travels fast in any town,” she replied evenly. “Besides, I always know what happens in my town. So Ali tells me you have no experience whatsoever with battling. Is this true?”

I could feel myself beginning to blush.

“Was Ali the girl who rescued my pokemon? Because I’d like to speak to her.”

“I suppose you would. But first I would like a word with you. Seeing as you are starting an apprenticeship, and you have no battling experience at all, it would be most unwise for me to keep you on.”

I felt my heart begin to soar. Maybe I could return to Metropolis now.

“However,” she continued with a toothy grin, “I always did enjoy challenges. You’re about to gain your first experience today. A trainer is in town, and he has dreams of obtaining the hedge badge from this gym. As per accordance with the league rules, he must fight at least one apprentice. Normally Ali would do the honours, but seeing as I have two apprentices now…” she left it hanging.

My heart sunk again, to be replaced with fear. A battle? I knew nothing about battling! And yet, if this was to be my career, I would have to start soon. So I mustered all my courage, and spoke.

“I will battle as your apprentice,” I said, sounding braver than I felt.

“Good. I will be watching you the whole time, giving you advice as is regular for an apprentice. Now I know you have a Whismur, but this gym is for grass pokemon only, so whenever you battle for this gym you will have to use your Bulbasaur.”

I nodded silently. Just then the doors burst open, and a boy of about ten with a determined look in his eyes walked in.

“Oh good,” said Danielle, still smiling. “Right on time.”

Alright, so the battle didn’t completely go as planned. But hey, it worked out in the end didn’t it?

The boy was your typical pokemon trainer. Small, determined, and filled with aspirations of becoming the greatest pokemon trainer in the world. As if that could ever happen. But the three pokeballs he wore expertly on the belt about his waist told me that this would be no pushover battle.

So I had never battled before. Big deal. I’d watched my friends do it plenty of times, and it seemed like a piece of cake. At least, that’s what I hoped. I prayed that my knowledge of pokemon would help me through.

“My name is Ian Singan, and I am going to be a pokemon master,” said the trainer. What a surprise. “I’ve come to challenge the gym leader for the badge.”

“Well met, Ian Singan,” said Danielle politely. Her demeanour had changed, form the warm, kind woman I had seen before to a refined, business-like gym leader. “It will give me great pleasure to battle you. However the rules are clear; you must challenge one apprentice before you fight the gym leader. Callan here has generously volunteered.”

Ha, I liked the way she said that. Ian stared at me eagerly, waiting for the battle to commence. I sighed.

“Alright then, shall we start?” asked Danielle, in that same infuriating polite tone. “One on one. Let the battle begin!”

Ian had already released his first pokemon, a small Pidgey, while I was fumbling with Sprig’s pokeball. Get a grip, I ordered, you look like a fool. Finally I managed to release her, and she growled, alert and ready.

I knew I was at a disadvantage; flying types like Pidgey were super-effective against grass types like my Bulbasaur. He had prepared for this, I realised. But only one pokemon was allowed, so there was nothing for it but to battle.

Bulbasaur, um…” I searched my memory to think of a technique Bulbasaurs learnt.

“Pidgey, peck!” commanded Ian, not waiting for my decision. As the little bird flapped its way towards Sprig I finally remembered one of her techniques.

“Sprig, tackle,” I blurted out. It was a basic move, but reliable. Sprig dodged the swift jab of the Pidgey’s beak and slammed into its side. Caught unawares, it drove into the ground, copping a beakful of soil. But Ian wasn’t done.

“Pidgey, use your tackle!” Pidgey’s tackle came form the air, like a swoop, and Sprig was totally unprepared. As the bird rammed into her, tiny wings outstretched, she yelped. But it would take more than a tackle to finish her off.

We were just trading blows, basic attacks to test the limits of each trainer. A common technique; it appeared that Ian had also done some study on pokemon. But he wouldn’t have my extensive knowledge, I was sure of that.

“Pidgey, growl!”

The bird’s growl was a small, throaty coo, and I was not impressed at all.

“Sprig, show them a real growl,” I said enthusiastically.

I was really getting into the whole idea of the battle. It was even exciting somehow! Sprig’s low pitched growl intimidated the Pidgey, making it step back just a fraction. I took the initiative and directed Sprig to tackle again. But Ian had been waiting for this all along, as soon as my Bulbasaur was close enough, he yelled loudly,

“Gust attack!”

Sprig couldn’t stop herself in time, and the vicious little whirlwind that kicked up in front of her sucked her in. trapped in the swirling vortex of air and flying soil, I heard her frantic yelping and knew this strategy was going to cost me.

The gust spat Sprig out, sending her tumbling through the air into the opposite wall. It was quite a strong gust. The Pidgey must have been on a high level. Battered by the flying attack, Sprig struggled to get to her feet. I glanced at Danielle, whose face betrayed no emotion. But I could sense a feeling of disappointment in her eyes. Ignoring it, I ran to check if my Bulbasaur was ok. Despite clashing with her the day before, I still felt a connection to her. She was my pokemon, and therefore my responsibility.

As I was coaxing Sprig to stand the pink haired girl from before entered the gym. Witnessing the scenario spread in front of her she glanced at me and smirked. I recognised that glance; I had seen it on my teachers’ faces often enough. It said that all she thought of me was correct, that I was just a stupid city boy with no skills whatsoever. I gritted my teeth and resolved to prove her wrong.

Sprig came to her feet, bruised and shaken, but otherwise alright. I decided to take a different approach. She needed to replenish her energy. Hoping that Mum had levelled her high enough, I put my plan into motion.

“Tackle, Sprig,” I ordered. She turned to glance at me curiously, but I winked, and she knowingly turned around.

“Don’t you ever learn?” said Ian smugly. “Pidgey, gust attack.”

But this time I was ready for him.

“Stop, Sprig!” I called. Then, “Leech seed!”

She hesitated for a moment, and I wondered if she knew it. But then, three seeds shot into the air from the bulb on her back, flying gracefully to rain upon Ian’s Pidgey. The first one missed and the Pidgey easily dodged the second, but the third caught him on the wing, and it burst open, diggings its roots greedily through the feathers. As the small seedling grew, Sprig gained strength. They were connected by some magical bond. Ian snarled and ordered Pidgey to peck. This time he connected, but Sprig could take the pain with her leech seed providing nutrients. Another tackle, and the small bird was lagging in the air, tired from lack of energy. The tide of battle had changed. In a last, desperate attempt to win Ian cried out his command.

“Pidgey, razor wind!”

I was stunned. How had he managed to get a hold of a TM at so young an age? They were quite expensive. Of course, razor wind was designed for stronger level pokemon, like Fearows and Swellows, but even the small Pidgey could deal a formidable blow to a grass pokemon with that move. The order to get the hell outta there was on my tongue when the vicious wind came, ripping at Sprig like flying daggers. I was buffeted by it as well, and soil sprayed everywhere. In the pandemonium I could not locate anything. But when the wind finally stopped Sprig lay still in front of me on her back, and Pidgey was flying high in the air. Ian looked ecstatic, a triumphant grin upon his face. Suddenly Pidgey glowed, white light emanating brightly from its body. As it evolved to a Pidgeotto my heart reached a new low. Not only had I lost, I had actually helped the trainer develop his pokemon! His Pidgeotto could easily defeat Danielle’s grass pokemon. And the pink haired girl…

She was laughing! How dare she! Seeing Sprig turn slowly to look at me with pain filled eyes I spoke softly, barely containing the rage in my voice.

“Vine whip on Pidgeotto.”

She strained with the effort of producing the vines, but they eventually curled their way out of her back. Ian, dancing with joy, didn’t notice them slowly snaking upwards. When one caught the newly evolved bird around the talon it cried in alarm. Ian stopped dancing and stared into the air frantically. But it was too late for action; Sprig’s vines were already firmly wrapped about Pidgeotto’s feet. Wrenching with all her might, Sprig heaved it to the ground.

It tried to struggle, but the Bulbasaurs’ strength was surprising. With a loud thud it crashed into the ground. Sprig withdrew her vines, growled weakly, and fainted. Ian rushed to his Pidgeotto, and turned it over to find it too had fainted. Danielle began to clap loudly.

“Well done, both of you! A noble draw it is!”

Ian looked disappointed, but spoke up.

“So can I still fight you?”

“Of course you can,” answered Danielle evenly, “But first I’d imagine you would want to heal your Pidgeotto. After all, I’m sure your other pokemon don’t hold quite the same advantage over mine as that flying type one, eh?”

He blushed, and left for the pokemon centre.

“Extremely well done, Callan,” applauded Danielle. “I liked your strategy of pretending to lose, but wouldn’t it have been more efficient just to beat him and be done with it?”

She was mocking me, I realised, noting the twinkle in her eyes. But the rest of her face remained solemn, so I had to take her seriously. I stole a glance at the girl with the pink hair. But this time she wasn’t laughing. She scowled darkly at me. And I smiled back.

* * *

After I had healed Sprig I returned to the gym, and Ian had just defeated Danielle. He looked exhausted, but Danielle was smiling and pinning the Hedge badge to his shirt. It was in the shape of a semi circle, green with curved lines splaying out from the centre. As he walked past me he looked extremely proud of himself. I shook his hand.

“Congratulations, man.”

“Thanks. I hope you become a gym leader some day.”

“Yeah, and good luck with the pokemon master thing.”

We shook again, and then he left. Danielle had turned back to her pokemon in the far corner, carefully smoothing the dirt. I walked over to her.

“What is that thing?” I asked. The bottom half was buried, but the top half was green and yellow striped, with two round black eyes.

“It’s a Sunkern,” explained the gym leader. “I breed them by growing them in the rich soil. When they’re strong enough I offer them to beginner trainers, or release them into the wild to germinate more Sunkerns.”

Then she stood, stretching her arms.

“You did well today,” she remarked, yawning.

“But I lost, and so did you,” I blurted.

Danielle laughed, rich and deep.

“That’s what Gym Leaders are supposed to do. It wouldn’t work if no one could beat us, would it?”

I blushed, and she laughed again.

“Don’t worry, you’ll learn. But you must work. There are no servants to do everything for you here.”

I nodded, and then she suggested I go buy some lunch from the bakery. Taking my wallet from my room I headed out the gym door.

Halfway down the main street the pink haired girl, Aliya, came blazing up to me.
“Look, Mr. rich city boy, I don’t know how you pulled off that first battle, but your skill stinks from here all the way back to that smog covered hole you came from.”

She was damn attractive close up, even when she was angry. Her hair hung in a single braid down her back, and her sapphire eyes blazed with fury. A light sprinkle of freckles dusted her petite nose. Her cleavage wobbled and I found it hard to concentrate on her face.
“Hello? I’m talking to you?”

“Really,” I retorted, “Sounded like you were shouting.”

“Don’t get smart with me shit head. I could kick your ass back to where you came.”

Three pokeballs studded the belt around her jeans. I knew she was telling the truth.

“Look, I don’t wanna be here any more than you want me to, so just stay out of my face, alright?”

I pushed her out of the way and continued down the street. She didn’t follow me. I guess what I said must have made her hesitate. But as I strolled inside the bakery I couldn’t help thinking that maybe what I had said wasn’t the truth.

The summer passed fairly quickly, and soon I was gaining a lot of experience in battle. Trainer after trainer arrived to test their skills; some I was able to beat, some I wasn’t. But the best thing of all was watching Danielle battle. She was so graceful, commanding her grass types with ease, using the field to her every advantage. I once saw her knock out a Charmeleon; the fire type had crushed my Sprig earlier, but Danielle’s Sunflora had used a powerful solarbeam to wipe it out. She raised my interest in pokemon.

Aliya continued to hassle me; it was obvious she was jealous of the attention Danielle bestowed on me as her more inexperienced apprentice. I don’t know why though. She came a close second to Danielle in skill. It was only her fiery temper that got her in trouble. Twice she lost a battle because she continued to attack a pokemon with high defence, even though the damage she was dealing was very low. I mostly tried to stay out of her way, using my free time to train Sprig in the fields around Meadowlea.

One day I found and fought a Seedot, and when it fainted I threw a poke ball I had purchased the day before at it. It shuddered for a while, but then the pokemon was mine. I named him Onsel. After that I could battle two on two, and I trained both of my grass pokemon with equal care. Whismur was more of a pet than a battler; I would let him out to play, and he would watch as Sprig and Onsel held mock battles, until one of them would accidentally get hurt and he would start to cry. I would usually return him to his pokeball then, to stop the whole town from appearing to find the cause for the ruckus.

Another time I was battling a pale haired girl from the north. When Sprig managed to beat her Swinub the bulb on her back started to twitch funnily and it unfurled into three spiky leaves, revealing a pink flower bud at the centre. Then she glowed brightly, completing her evolution into an Ivysaur. From then on I was a lot more attentive to her needs. The higher level the pokemon is the more crucial it is to maintain a strong bond, or else that pokemon will become disobedient and stubborn.

One grey, chilly autumn day I emerged from my room to find Danielle putting Sunkerns into pokeballs. I had watched her rear the Sunkerns from weak seedlings to strong, healthy pokemon. She truky was a great trainer.

She noticed I was awake and smiled brightly.

“Good morning Callan!”

“Morning Danielle,” I said sleepily.

“Did you hear the news?” asked the leader. A newspaper lay on the ground next to her. She passed it to me, and on the front cover was a picture of my mother and the leader of the Elite Four, Samuel. They were shaking hands in front of a table covered in documents. The story read:

I read the entire article then turned to face Danielle, trying to read the reaction on her face. But she merely smiled and placed the pokeballs in a round cylinder case.

“This new law has got me thinking,” she said. “I work you and Aliya far too hard. You should have more time to gain experience, to see the world and encounter different people and pokemon. Which is why I’m giving you both a holiday. Spend two weeks away from here, sample as many different things as you can, and when you return I expect you to be enriched with experience. Conveniently, I also need someone to deliver these Sunkerns, so don’t lose track of your journey.”

I grinned cheekily. She smiled, briefly, then her face turned serious.

“I want you to promise me something. I don’t want you to return to Metropolis. I told your mother that I would keep you out of trouble, and I don’t think you’re ready to return home yet. Also, stay with Aliya. I know you two don’t get along, but I’d sleep much better at night if you travelled together for safety. So, pack your rucksack, you can leave today.”

Something inside of me leapt at the anticipation of an adventure. But the other, more cynical side of me argued that I was no rookie, pokemon master wannabe. I was the son of the leading professor in all of Raeg, and I was above all of this. Still, two weeks alone with might have its benefits. I was beginning to think she and I would go well together. Very well. Her thoughts were all too clear though. She burst in while I was packing my bag.

“Can you believe that we have to do this!” she screamed in my face. “I can’t believe I’m spending all my holidays stuck with you!”

“You never know, we might just learn to love each other,” I remarked casually. She glared bloody murder at me.

Ok, so maybe we weren’t suited to each other. Still, you can’t blame a guy for trying, eh?

She obviously could. After receiving two harsh slaps for my comment she stormed off to pack her own rucksack.

The southern road to Lop was virtually deserted, with only a few cars passing by every so often. Aliya walked ahead stonily, having not said a word since we’d left Meadowlea. The tranquil fields still surrounded us, but on the horizon there was a dark blot, spanning as far as the eye could see.

That was our first destination, the great Lopwood forest. In the midst of the dense forest was the thriving logging town Lop, where we had to deliver one of Danielle’s Sunkerns. She also hinted that we might try battling the town’s gym leader, Calista Betel. Everyone knew the story of how Calista, together with her friends Evelyn Eyebright, Samuel Kautum and Callum Horon, had revived the poke god from his slumber, induced by the ever irritating rockets. I doubted that the story had much relevance other than a child’s bedtime story, but I still wanted to meet her.

Another car zoomed past, bringing a loud noise to the atmosphere. After it had sped off towards Meadowlea we noticed the uncanny silence in the area. No sound could be heard whatsoever, except for the rumbling of the clouds overhead, dark and angry. We hadn’t traveled for more than twenty minutes before the autumn rains kicked in. Ali turned to scowl at me, as if accusing me of bringing down the torrent. I shrugged, rain wetting my clothes and hair. She turned around, muttering to herself.

We were nearing the forest, and trees that were once nothing more than distant illusions could now be outlined clearly. The rain had not let up, however, and Ali became increasingly furious until she could take it no longer.

“I’m not tramping along in the fucking mud any longer,” she declared, “getting soaked by the rain that’s pissing down!”

“There’s no other way,” I retorted, “unless we can just hitch a lift with the next car. Funny, though, I don’t see one.”

“You really are a stupid fuckwit, aren’t you,” she giggled, shaking her head.

Drawing the first of her pokeballs she showed off by tossing it into the air, where it curved in a graceful arc before landing in her other hand, releasing her pokemon.

Her Tropius soaked up the rain happily, pawing the mud while Aliya arranged herself on her back.

“C’mon, Palmia, let’s get to the cover of the trees before something important gets wet,” she said soothingly. Then, casting a distasteful glance at me, she took off into the air, flying high near the clouds.

I splashed in the puddles angrily, splattering my jeans with mud. Why did she think she was above me? Why couldn’t she just accept me as a normal person?

The clouds above showed flickers of lightning, and the shadows flitting behind it left me uneasy. Shaking it off, I decided to let Sprig out for a drink. Onsel could sit on my shoulder.

Sprig came out eagerly at first, but then after examining her surroundings began to growl, a low, throaty sound I had never heard before.

“What is it, girl?” I asked gently.

The Ivysaur shook her head, and settled for trotting warily beside me. On my shoulder Onsel shivered, despite his love of rain. Far in front, almost at the forest, was Aliya and her Tropius Palmia, swooping through the skies like carefree Spearows. The more I thought about that the more my uneasiness grew, until I could stand it no longer, and searched my memory for any connection between Spearows and storms.

No, there couldn’t be any, Spearows hate rain and storms, and migrate south during the wet Autumn months, in huge colonies, led by a Fearow.

Huge colonies…

I gasped as I realized what Ali had gotten herself into. She loomed close to the clouds, and as the electricity grew I cursed her and belted into a sprint, quickly returning my pokemon.