Requiem for the Fallen
Requiem for the Fallen
Chapter 1: The First Steps On A Long Journey
Cinder City was a small, quaint town found along the south western shore of the Hokkai Region. The town had been built along the length of a pristine white sand beach and only had one road that ran the entire breadth of the town with rows of buildings on either side. Cinder City is also where the Hokkai Police Academy is located and it's the largest building in town. There was of course a PokeCenter, but the Pokemart chain had yet to open up shop in Cinder City mostly because its inhabitants much preferred its open air market with its side street stalls and friendly local vendors. The Hokkai Police Academy and the Cinder City Market, along with the nearby PokeCenter both made up opposite sides of town with the residential homes and the school snuggled comfortably between them. Despite its size, Cinder City had once even sported a prominent gym, but its doors had been closed for some time now and the building remained to serve as a reminder of a sad event in Cinder City's history that occurred a little over two years ago. The only other attraction was the domed research facility and lab of the highly respected Professor Maple. Her lab was located less than a half of mile out of town and was perched atop a steep cliff face that provided an incredible view of the ocean.
But our story begins on the other side of town where the main road meets a dirt bike path that leads to a small stream that flows out of the Verdanwood and empties out into the sea. The stream is where Reno was at now, sitting beneath an old willow tree with a fishing rod in hand. Reno was a young man, recently turned seventeen who had dark, spiky red hair and amber eyes. He was sitting on his red jacket with his back against the willow tree's trunk. He wore a black long-sleeve shirt and a pair of grey denim jeans with red shoes that matched his jacket. Right now he was fishing in the stream for Magikarp, which is something he often liked to do, and as always Calcifer was at his side. Calcifer was the name of Reno's Growlithe who had been a gift from his father before he went missing and was the offspring of his father's Arcanine. The two of them have been inseparable ever since. Calcifer was curled up near Reno's feet napping in a ray of sunshine that had managed to peek through the branches of the willow tree. Reno had dedicated a lot of time to training his Growlithe, with the help of his dad's old partner Officer Jenny and his life long friend Gacy, and now he almost never kept him confined to his Pokeball.
Reno reels in his line as a gust of wind ruffles his hair and makes the willow branches creak. Calcifer opens his mouth to let out a big yawn before repositioning himself in his sleep. The red headed boy casts his line back into the stream and watches the cork fashioned to resemble a Pokeball bob up and down before finally coming to rest on the surface of the water. This what Reno spent a lot of his time doing when he wasn't helping his mom with chores or doing odd jobs for Professor Maple with his friend Gacy. Gacy would be receiving her very first Pokemon from Professor Maple today and together the two of them had decided to register for the Hokkai League. Reno had aspirations of joining the league for a long time now. He was determined to make it to the tournament and even face off against the Elite 4 so that he could obtain his gym license and one day reopen his father's gym. Two years ago his father went missing while investigating a new criminal organization that called themselves Team Comet. For months he waited for news of his father but it never came and he eventually had to accept that his father must be dead, though a body was never recovered. Since then, he has ridden his bike by his father's gym day after day and felt an overwhelming urge to become Cinder City's next gym leader to preserve his father's legacy. He would take his first step towards achieving that goal today when they registered for the league and began their journey.
He rests his head back against the willow trunk and smiles contentedly while daydreaming about what their adventures would be like, no longer focusing on his cork in the water. It was safe to daydream. He hadn't gotten a single bite all morning, but that wasn't why he enjoyed fishing. What he enjoyed the most about it was sitting underneath the shade of the tree with his friend Calcifer and enjoying the peaceful sounds of the stream and the feeling of the ocean breeze pressing against his cheek. Reno rarely caught anything out of the stream except for the occasional Magikarp that he would simply toss back into the water. And because the stream was so scarce, he was the only one who ever fished it which made it a special place for him to get away and enjoy some peace and solitude.
Suddenly, a small flock of Fletchling burst out of the trees and flew overhead and across the stream towards the Verdanwood. The rustling of their wings and abrasive calls rouse Calcifer from his sleep and he makes a gruff grunting noise as his head jerks up to observe the source of the noise that had interrupted his nap. Seeing the tiny bird Pokemon, he jumps to his feet and runs towards the edge of the water and promptly starts barking like mad at the noisome birds who pay him no heed and disappear into the forest. The Growlithe stands squarely at the edge of the stream with his tongue lolling out his mouth and his tail wagging as he searches the tree line for any sign of the Fletchling as if daring them to return. After realizing that they weren't going to be coming back he trots proudly up to Reno as if he had scared the Fletchling away. Reno chuckles and sets his pole down to scratch Calcifer behind the ears which starts his tail wagging even more fiercely.
"You know you probably just ruined any chance I might have had at catching something this morning don't you?" He asks the puppy Pokemon but Calcifer just cocks his head to the side and gives Reno a quizzical uncomprehending look. The young trainer just smirks and scratches the top of Calcifer's head which elicits a sharp bark followed by a good slobbering of the inside of his hand as he licks the boy's palm. Reno laughs and makes a disgusted expression before wiping his hand on his jeans until it's dry. Calcifer returns to his sunny spot to resume his nap but before he can get settled he suddenly stands to attention and his ears perk up facing in the direction of the bike path up the hill behind them. Reno gets up to see what had grabbed Calcifer's attention and sees his mother standing at the guardrail with her Gogoat carrying woven baskets filled to the brim with groceries saddled over his back. A gust of wind whips at her pale blue sun dress and nearly knocks her wide brimmed hat off her head and she has to place a hand on top of it to keep it from flying off.
"Hey honey, how are you?" She calls down the hill. "I saw Gacy's father at the market. He said that his daughter was looking for you and that she was heading over to Professor Maple's lab. I think she's eager for the two of you to get started on your trip!" She says with a big warm smile. "I thought you would want to be there when she got her first Pokemon so I came down to tell you."
"Thanks mom!" Reno calls back and gives her wave. His mother nearly loses her hat again when she tries to wave back. She catches it and holds it firmly to her head as she makes her way back down the bike path heading home with her Gogoat following close behind. Reno runs back over to where he left his jacket it and throws it back on but when he reaches down to grab his fishing rod the cork shoots beneath the water and since Reno didn't have a firm grip on the rod it gets pulled into the stream before he can catch it. Reno slaps the top of his head and looks down at Calcifer.
"You know, I blame you for this." Calcifer cocks his head to the side and gives him an innocent expression before rearing up to place both paws on his leg and wags his tail begging to be petted. "Alright buddy, we gotta hurry to Professor Maple's lab. Gacy will ring my throat if I'm late." He says with a smile and bends down to pet his Pokemon. Together, Reno and his Growlithe start to make their way up the hill but the boy stops and turns when he hears a loud splash coming from the stream. He turns to see a very rare and magnificent sight as a golden scaled Magikarp leaps out of the water with Reno's hook and line stuck firmly in its mouth.
"Wow...a gold Magikarp. You know, that's supposed to be a sign of a prosperous future." Reno says to Calcifer. They watch the Magikarp splash its way down the stream for a while before racing up the hill to the path where Reno had left his bike propped up against the guardrail. The red headed trainer jumps on his bike and starts peddling fast towards the direction with Calcifer right on his heels easily keeping pace with the bike. They quickly catch up with his mother who was still walking home and as Reno races by, the wind he kicks up knocks her hat right off her head and sends it sprawling on the dirt. Reno looks back feeling bad but she just waves him off and he starts peddling faster to get to the professor's lab on time. As they enter town they pass the police academy and outside there was a row of new recruits with their own Growlithe standing at attention as their instructor drilled them. Calcifer stops to observe only long enough to recognize that Reno hadn't stopped as well and races off to catch up with his trainer.
Together, the boy and his Growlithe make their way past the old, dilapidated gym but where Reno would normally stop to pay his respects he just keeps on peddling. They navigate their way through the crowded market as fast as they can without knocking into people or the stalls where vendors sold fresh produce, homemade Pokemon food, medicine, flowers, berries, incense, and much much more. A couple of familiar food vendors wave at Reno and whistle at Calcifer as they race by. They continue to follow the road up to the cliff side laboratory which looks out over the pristine ocean waters. The lab was a large white building with a glass dome top and as Reno and Calcifer approach they scare up a flock of Wingull whose raucous squawking announces their arrival. Reno brings his bike to a stop while his Growlithe runs into the flock of Wingulls scaring them into flight and boy and Pokemon watch as they fly out over the ocean.
Cinder City was a small, quaint town found along the south western shore of the Hokkai Region. The town had been built along the length of a pristine white sand beach and only had one road that ran the entire breadth of the town with rows of buildings on either side. Cinder City is also where the Hokkai Police Academy is located and it's the largest building in town. There was of course a PokeCenter, but the Pokemart chain had yet to open up shop in Cinder City mostly because its inhabitants much preferred its open air market with its side street stalls and friendly local vendors. The Hokkai Police Academy and the Cinder City Market, along with the nearby PokeCenter both made up opposite sides of town with the residential homes and the school snuggled comfortably between them. Despite its size, Cinder City had once even sported a prominent gym, but its doors had been closed for some time now and the building remained to serve as a reminder of a sad event in Cinder City's history that occurred a little over two years ago. The only other attraction was the domed research facility and lab of the highly respected Professor Maple. Her lab was located less than a half of mile out of town and was perched atop a steep cliff face that provided an incredible view of the ocean.
But our story begins on the other side of town where the main road meets a dirt bike path that leads to a small stream that flows out of the Verdanwood and empties out into the sea. The stream is where Reno was at now, sitting beneath an old willow tree with a fishing rod in hand. Reno was a young man, recently turned seventeen who had dark, spiky red hair and amber eyes. He was sitting on his red jacket with his back against the willow tree's trunk. He wore a black long-sleeve shirt and a pair of grey denim jeans with red shoes that matched his jacket. Right now he was fishing in the stream for Magikarp, which is something he often liked to do, and as always Calcifer was at his side. Calcifer was the name of Reno's Growlithe who had been a gift from his father before he went missing and was the offspring of his father's Arcanine. The two of them have been inseparable ever since. Calcifer was curled up near Reno's feet napping in a ray of sunshine that had managed to peek through the branches of the willow tree. Reno had dedicated a lot of time to training his Growlithe, with the help of his dad's old partner Officer Jenny and his life long friend Gacy, and now he almost never kept him confined to his Pokeball.
Reno reels in his line as a gust of wind ruffles his hair and makes the willow branches creak. Calcifer opens his mouth to let out a big yawn before repositioning himself in his sleep. The red headed boy casts his line back into the stream and watches the cork fashioned to resemble a Pokeball bob up and down before finally coming to rest on the surface of the water. This what Reno spent a lot of his time doing when he wasn't helping his mom with chores or doing odd jobs for Professor Maple with his friend Gacy. Gacy would be receiving her very first Pokemon from Professor Maple today and together the two of them had decided to register for the Hokkai League. Reno had aspirations of joining the league for a long time now. He was determined to make it to the tournament and even face off against the Elite 4 so that he could obtain his gym license and one day reopen his father's gym. Two years ago his father went missing while investigating a new criminal organization that called themselves Team Comet. For months he waited for news of his father but it never came and he eventually had to accept that his father must be dead, though a body was never recovered. Since then, he has ridden his bike by his father's gym day after day and felt an overwhelming urge to become Cinder City's next gym leader to preserve his father's legacy. He would take his first step towards achieving that goal today when they registered for the league and began their journey.
He rests his head back against the willow trunk and smiles contentedly while daydreaming about what their adventures would be like, no longer focusing on his cork in the water. It was safe to daydream. He hadn't gotten a single bite all morning, but that wasn't why he enjoyed fishing. What he enjoyed the most about it was sitting underneath the shade of the tree with his friend Calcifer and enjoying the peaceful sounds of the stream and the feeling of the ocean breeze pressing against his cheek. Reno rarely caught anything out of the stream except for the occasional Magikarp that he would simply toss back into the water. And because the stream was so scarce, he was the only one who ever fished it which made it a special place for him to get away and enjoy some peace and solitude.
Suddenly, a small flock of Fletchling burst out of the trees and flew overhead and across the stream towards the Verdanwood. The rustling of their wings and abrasive calls rouse Calcifer from his sleep and he makes a gruff grunting noise as his head jerks up to observe the source of the noise that had interrupted his nap. Seeing the tiny bird Pokemon, he jumps to his feet and runs towards the edge of the water and promptly starts barking like mad at the noisome birds who pay him no heed and disappear into the forest. The Growlithe stands squarely at the edge of the stream with his tongue lolling out his mouth and his tail wagging as he searches the tree line for any sign of the Fletchling as if daring them to return. After realizing that they weren't going to be coming back he trots proudly up to Reno as if he had scared the Fletchling away. Reno chuckles and sets his pole down to scratch Calcifer behind the ears which starts his tail wagging even more fiercely.
"You know you probably just ruined any chance I might have had at catching something this morning don't you?" He asks the puppy Pokemon but Calcifer just cocks his head to the side and gives Reno a quizzical uncomprehending look. The young trainer just smirks and scratches the top of Calcifer's head which elicits a sharp bark followed by a good slobbering of the inside of his hand as he licks the boy's palm. Reno laughs and makes a disgusted expression before wiping his hand on his jeans until it's dry. Calcifer returns to his sunny spot to resume his nap but before he can get settled he suddenly stands to attention and his ears perk up facing in the direction of the bike path up the hill behind them. Reno gets up to see what had grabbed Calcifer's attention and sees his mother standing at the guardrail with her Gogoat carrying woven baskets filled to the brim with groceries saddled over his back. A gust of wind whips at her pale blue sun dress and nearly knocks her wide brimmed hat off her head and she has to place a hand on top of it to keep it from flying off.
"Hey honey, how are you?" She calls down the hill. "I saw Gacy's father at the market. He said that his daughter was looking for you and that she was heading over to Professor Maple's lab. I think she's eager for the two of you to get started on your trip!" She says with a big warm smile. "I thought you would want to be there when she got her first Pokemon so I came down to tell you."
"Thanks mom!" Reno calls back and gives her wave. His mother nearly loses her hat again when she tries to wave back. She catches it and holds it firmly to her head as she makes her way back down the bike path heading home with her Gogoat following close behind. Reno runs back over to where he left his jacket it and throws it back on but when he reaches down to grab his fishing rod the cork shoots beneath the water and since Reno didn't have a firm grip on the rod it gets pulled into the stream before he can catch it. Reno slaps the top of his head and looks down at Calcifer.
"You know, I blame you for this." Calcifer cocks his head to the side and gives him an innocent expression before rearing up to place both paws on his leg and wags his tail begging to be petted. "Alright buddy, we gotta hurry to Professor Maple's lab. Gacy will ring my throat if I'm late." He says with a smile and bends down to pet his Pokemon. Together, Reno and his Growlithe start to make their way up the hill but the boy stops and turns when he hears a loud splash coming from the stream. He turns to see a very rare and magnificent sight as a golden scaled Magikarp leaps out of the water with Reno's hook and line stuck firmly in its mouth.
"Wow...a gold Magikarp. You know, that's supposed to be a sign of a prosperous future." Reno says to Calcifer. They watch the Magikarp splash its way down the stream for a while before racing up the hill to the path where Reno had left his bike propped up against the guardrail. The red headed trainer jumps on his bike and starts peddling fast towards the direction with Calcifer right on his heels easily keeping pace with the bike. They quickly catch up with his mother who was still walking home and as Reno races by, the wind he kicks up knocks her hat right off her head and sends it sprawling on the dirt. Reno looks back feeling bad but she just waves him off and he starts peddling faster to get to the professor's lab on time. As they enter town they pass the police academy and outside there was a row of new recruits with their own Growlithe standing at attention as their instructor drilled them. Calcifer stops to observe only long enough to recognize that Reno hadn't stopped as well and races off to catch up with his trainer.
Together, the boy and his Growlithe make their way past the old, dilapidated gym but where Reno would normally stop to pay his respects he just keeps on peddling. They navigate their way through the crowded market as fast as they can without knocking into people or the stalls where vendors sold fresh produce, homemade Pokemon food, medicine, flowers, berries, incense, and much much more. A couple of familiar food vendors wave at Reno and whistle at Calcifer as they race by. They continue to follow the road up to the cliff side laboratory which looks out over the pristine ocean waters. The lab was a large white building with a glass dome top and as Reno and Calcifer approach they scare up a flock of Wingull whose raucous squawking announces their arrival. Reno brings his bike to a stop while his Growlithe runs into the flock of Wingulls scaring them into flight and boy and Pokemon watch as they fly out over the ocean.
---Miss---Kin---strude---
Requiem for the Fallen
Reno tried his best to shield himself from Gacy's assault but her little bony fist sent a sharp pain through his arm. He knew she would be mad but he had hoped she wouldn't resort to assaulting him this time. When she wasn't looking his rubbed his bruised shoulder and scowled at the back of her head. She was always hitting him. But he deserved it this time. He had arrived a lot later than he thought for she had already chosen her Pokemon. He regretted not being there when Professor Maple presented her with her choices. Reno would have liked to see the excitement and indecision in Gacy's eyes as she had to choose. She had chosen a fire type like Reno, a Charmander at that. They were notorious for being difficult to train and it clearly showed as soon as the fire tailed Pokemon left the Pokeball. The Charmander even went as far to attack its own trainer before Gacy called it back. Clearly it hurt her, and not in the physical way, so Reno walks over to console her.
"It's not that it doesn't like you. It's your first Pokemon and you're its first trainer. It will take some time for you two to become comfortable with each other. You just have to spend a lot of time with it, train it. Let it know that you two are partners, equals, and you will eventually earn its respect and friendship." He says putting an arm around her shoulder.
Suddenly, a thunderous bellow echoed out from across the sea. A dark speck to shape in the distance flying beneath the clouds close to the water's surface. It was coming fast because what started out as a black speck just a second ago suddenly took on a whole new form. Another bellow reached Reno's ears and the boy walked closer to the edge of the cliff to get a better look at what was coming their way. Reno raises his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and as the figure grows larger in the distance he can't believe his eyes. It was a Pokemon, the biggest one he had ever seen. It had orange scales and a pair of small wings and the thing looked to be nearly seven feet tall. Reno suddenly grew very excited. He knew exactly what kind of Pokemon this was.
"Gacy, I can't believe it!" Reno shouts. "It's a Dragonite!" The Dragonite lets out another loud bellow as it announces its arrival and pulls up sharply soaring just above the heads of the two young friends and beats its wings furiously as it crests the cliff side and comes to a hover before touching ground on the edge of the cliff right in front of the two friends. The beat of it's wings kicked up thick clouds of dust that stung at Reno's eyes and whipped at his clothes. The gusts were so powerful that he had to crouch to keep from getting knocked over.
"What's all this noise out here?" Comes a feminine voice from behind them. It was Professor Maple coming to investigate the ruckus. "Oh, you've finally arrived." She says as she approaches.
"Professor, what's going on?" Reno asks.
“Why don't you come and see?” She replies. The Dragonite had a large canvas parcel bag draped across its shoulders and as the two aspiring trainers approached they saw it reach into the bag and pull out a pair of packages and hands them to the professor who accepts them with a smile and a thank you. Then the professor turns and walks back towards the lab leaving the pair of them dumbfounded. What was in the mystery parcel? Reno wondered.
The dragon Pokemon beats its wings and hovers in the air for a moment before it turns back towards the ocean and is off like a bullet, the wind produced by his flight sending up more clouds of dust that whip at their clothes, and just as mysteriously as it appeared the Dragonite was gone. Reno watches in awe as the Dragonite flies away and runs up to the lab entrance, his curiosity getting the best of him and wanting to know what her packages were.
"Well c'mon Gacy. Always making people wait for you, gah!" Reno says with a laugh and sticks his tongue out before retreating inside. The inside of Professor Maple's lab was a clean sterile area with light blue colored floors clean enough to see one's reflection in and clean light blue walls. The great glass dome ceiling overhead was large enough for the enormous telescope centered in the middle of the room to peer through, which Professor Maple used to observe the mysteries of the cosmos. Professor Maple was a scientist renown for he study in the myths and legends of the various regions around the world. She knew more about Hokkai's history than anyone else in the world and had made the region her point of study concerning the many legendary Pokemon that were believed to exist here.
As he enters the main laboratory Reno immediately notices Professor Maple's two assistants sitting on opposite sides of the room at their desks, and judging by their grumpy expression he could guess that they were feuding once more. Jenny's desk was tucked away on the left side of the room surrounded by shelves stacked with several different books from regions all over the world, containing histories as well as myths and legends within their brittle pages. Jenny was a mouse of a woman with soft light brown hair, large black framed glasses to match her large brown eyes and a sharp pointed nose that was mostly found stuck in a book. She was trying very hard to make it seem like she was nose deep in a book right now but her sideways glares at her partner on the other side of the room revealed the anger bubbling beneath the surface.
Hido was on the right side of the room sitting at his desk and pretending to look over one of the many maps and charts that littered his station and lined his walls. He was tapping the slim black pen that was gripped beneath his fingers furiously on the surface of his desk, his other hand pulling at the front of his dark hair. The space between them almost crackled with negative energy and Reno carefully made his way between the feuding couple towards the back of the lab where Professor Maple would be located. As he made his way to the back of the lab, Professor Maple stepped into view from behind a glass partition that seperated her work space from the rest of the lab.
The professor was an attractive middle aged woman with long, dark brown hair that fell down to the middle of her back, her brown tresses hanging down well past her shoulders. Like her assistants she wore a long white lab coat but underneath she was wearing a green button up blouse tucked into a milky brown skirt that was cut short just above her knees. Her station was like a chaotic mix of maps and books and electronic devises. A trio of large computer screens lined the back wall each one displaying a different image and each one littered with yellow post-it notes. Several large machines were also stationed in the area. A transportation device stood next to a long machine with a black surface containing six empty spaces where Pokemon trainers could place their Pokeballs containing injured Pokemon to heal them. The transportation device was cylinder shaped and stood over six feet tall. She had also arranged a number of waist high pedestals in a semi-circle around her workspace. Each pedestal was adorned with a small metal case with a red cushioned interior. Some of the boxes contained a single Pokeball, but most of them empty where other trainers had come to receive their first Pokemon from the professor as well. Only a handful of Pokeballs remained, likely reserved for other fledgling trainers eager to receive their very first Pokemon. Reno took a moment to examine the transportation device. It contained a Pokeball like the boxes but was clearly seperate from the others the professor had arranged and Reno wondered what Pokemon was resting inside it.
"Hey Professor. What's in this Pokeball?" Reno asks.
"Ah, a unique specimen reserved for a young trainer such as yourselves. She should be by later this afternoon to pick it up."
"Reno, what have I told you about Pokemon walking around freely in my lab? This is a sterile environment. Please put Calcifer away."
"Sorry professor, in all of the excitement I must have forgot." He didn't forget, he just didn't like cooping Calcifer up in a Pokeball. The Growlithe was probably cleaner than Reno anyway. "C'mon buddy, you're getting paw prints all over Professor Maples clean floor. It'l only be for a few minutes." He says as he squats down and ruffles the top of the Growlithe's head before pulling out a small red and white standard Pokeball. He presses the capsule button with his thumb and the Pokeball grows five times larger before opening up and emitting a arch of neon red light that consumes Calcifer in the mysterious energy held inside the device before retreating back into the ball leaving an empty space where the Growlithe once stood. Reno places the Pokeball back in his pocket and grin and the professor's nod of approval.
"Professor Maple, what was that all about? What did you get?" He asks excitedly.
"Well aren't you the nosy one?" She says with a smile. "Actually, these aren't for me, they're for you two. I had them special ordered for the pair of you. Here, open it up." She hands each of them a paper wrapped package and Reno eagerly tears into his.
As he pulls the paper away it reveals a single small silver device and Reno can barely contain his excitement after realizing what it was. It was a C-Gear, and the latest model at that, brand new and just released this year in commemoration of the annual Hokkai League. His family had never been able to afford such an expensive piece of technology and he was thrown by the professor's generosity.
"It's called a C-Gear, as I'm sure you both already know." The professor explains. "Most other trainers will be in possession of such a device and it will be a great asset on your journey. It has all of the basic functions. You can call home and text message, both of your numbers are already in each others C-Gears. It also has a clock and GPS system with a map so you shouldn't get lost out there. But more than that I also ordered it to come with a variety of applications already downloaded, the most useful of which is a Pokedex. A Pokedex is an essential tool for any trainer, even a veteran one. Normally I would have given both of you a classic Pokedex, but this is a little more modern and a little flashier.” She says with a grin. “There is also a built in camera and another important feature, the Hokkai League Registration app.”
"What's that?" Reno asks but is interrupted by a computerized voice emanating from the C'Gear." Voice recognition activated. Pokemon Trainer Reno, age 16, male, ID# 25551" The voice says before it scans Reno's face with a flash of green light. Suddenly, Reno's face was on the top screen with a list of stats and basic information beside it.
"The Hokkai League app has just recorded your trainer identification and you are now officially registered for the Hokkai League. When you get the time later, scroll through it. The app has information on every trainer registered for the league and all their basic information, including where they stand in the ranks. It also means that you're the owner of that C-Gear and no one else can use it.”
"This is amazing Professor Maple. Thank you so much." He says and rushes her for a hug that she returns warmly.
"You're quite welcome, both of you. I see amazing potential in you both and I know that you two will go on to do great things in the league and become great trainers. And it's the least I could do for you both for helping me in the lab so much."
"Well, I should probably get home. I've got to pack and mom will want to know how it went."
---Miss---Kin---strude---
Requiem for the Fallen
On the way home is anticipation grew until it threatened to burst out of his chest. He couldn't wait until morning and he doubted he would be able to get any sleep tonight. However, on the way back the anticipation starts to fade and is replaced with something else as he realizes where he was going. He steadily slows down as he gets closer and closer before coming to a full stop in front of his father's old gym with his head hanging low. He looks down at Calcifer who looked back up at him with an concerned expression on his canine face. Reno offers him a sad smile of assurance before getting off his bike and walking up to the boarded up doors. The building, once a symbol of town pride was now nothing more than a dilapidated ruin, locked up and forgotten. He stood before the door staring up at the sign and recalling all of the magnificent battles his father had inside. With his Arcanine by his side, his father had been nearly unstoppable. He remembered how he always held back, preferring to teach and encourage growth in the trainers that came to his gym. Reno had always admired him for that.
But now the gym was just a constant reminder that his father was gone, a reminder of what he needed to do. He had to succeed. He had to dominate every other gym. He had to win that tournament so that he could earn the right to open these doors again and restore his father's legacy. He clenches his fists in anger as he feels the hot tears filling his eyes. His emotions flooded him and he tried to hold them back. He had to be strong. But he was young, and the loss of his father was still a fresh wound.
He wipes the brimming tears away and gathers his resolve. Calcifer approaches the boy warily, sensing the mood and wanting to help. At his Growlithes concerned expression Reno smiles through and kneels down to embrace the Pokemon in a tight hug. With a Pokemon as strong and loyal as Calcifer at his side he was confident in his abilities as a trainer capable of achieving such a high goal. Then and there he swore that after today he would not return to this place until he was the new gym leader of Cinder City. He takes one last look at the old gym before getting back on his bike before leaving the gym behind to go and pack for his journey. When he got home his mother was working in the garden and she got up and brushed herself off when she noticed him approach.
"Hi Reno. So how'd it go?" She asks.
"Well, I was late and Gacy hit me again, but after that it was great. She received a Charmander from Professor Maple!"
"Oh, she'll have her hands full with that one." His mother says with a laugh.
"Yeah, but she can do it. After that, we saw a Dragonite! It flew right up to the lab. It was carrying packages for Professor Maple. Look what she got us!" He says and shows his mother the C-Gear and the trainer app that displayed his League identification.
"That was very generous of her. I'll have to be sure to thank her. Maybe I'll bring her some Persim and Cheri Berry jam. Well, you probably have a lot of packing to do so I won't keep you. Oh, Officer Kelly is inside. She wanted to see you before you left."
Reno leaned his bike against the house and went inside to find Officer Kelly sitting at the kitchen counter in her uniform with a cup of tea cupped in her hands. Kelly had been his father's old partner before he became a detective and had been a friend of a the family since before Reno was born. In fact, she was the one who introduced his father to his mother.
"Reno! I was hoping to see you before I had to report to the academy." She says with a smile and gets up to give him a hug. "I just had to see you before you went. I brought you a gift to give to Calcifer." She explains and retrieves a slender gift wrapped box that was laying on the counter. Reno tears into it, surprised and elated to receive two gifts in one day. Opening the lid what he found inside was a black collar with an ornate tag with Calcifer written on it.
"He'll look so handsome wearing this." She says, lifting the collar from the box and kneeling down to clasp it around Calcifer's neck. "There we go, now don't you look the charmer." She laughs, scratching his head before standing back to her feet. The Growlithe puffed out his chest and lifted his muzzle look mighty proud and dapper showing off his new collar which drew a chuckle from the boy and the officer.
"Thanks Officer Kelly." Reno wraps his arms around the woman and she squeezes him tight before letting him go. "Well, I have to get back to work. Stay in touch okay? And don't forget to write your mother." And with that she left to return to the academy where she was an instructor. Reno meanwhile rushed upstairs to his room to pack his things. Something he should have done the night before but neglected to. As he packed he turned the television to see if they had announced the beginning of the league season yet.
"Good afternoon all you trainers out there! It's me, Buneary Girl, and with me as always is my Diggersby, Captain Jack!" Says a short haired dressed in a glittery Buneary costume and next to her was a smiling, lucid Diggersby. "It's that time of the year again! The Hokkai League Season starts today! New trainers from all over have taken the first steps towards the Hokkai League Tournament. So lets all wish them the best of luck, right Cap'n?" She says excitedly and the Diggersby grunts and nods agreeably. "Alright trainers, tune in frequently to hear the latest news! And good luck out there! This is Buneary Girl and Captain Jack signing off!" She says with a sharp salute. Reno turns off the television and gathers his bag before heading down stairs to say goodbye to his mom. She was waiting for him outside with her Gogoat.
"Oh, I'm gonna miss you so much. Be careful out there and you and Gacy look after each other okay? I packed you some food and some treats for Calcifer. It's not much but it should be enough to see you well fed until you reach Petalgrove Town. Good luck out there and tell Gacy I said good luck to her as well. I love you." She says and kisses his cheek, hugs him and stuffs his bag with the extra food she had packed for him before sending him on his way. He jumps on his bike and races through town towards Route 1 where he was supposed to meet up with Gacy. He finds her waiting on the side of the trail at the edge of the Verdant Wood.
"Hey Gacy." He says as he comes to a stop and jumps off his bike. "Are you ready?" He asks, already knowing what her answer would be. Of course she was ready. They both were. They'd been ready for a week. Ahead of them lay the Verdant Wood, a large swath of forest that separated Cinder City from Petalgrove Town, their first destination and the location of the first gym. The Verdant Wood was full of wild Pokemon who made their homes among the brush and the trees. There would be other trainers like the two of them as well, catching and training Pokemon and challenging each other to earn as much battle experience as possible before confronting the Petalgrove gym leader.
---Miss---Kin---strude---
Requiem for the Fallen
"Hahaha, yeah right! I'm not carrying you. It would be like trying to carry a Snorlax!" He laughs and ducks instinctively expecting to be assaulted because of his insult. "It will take a couple of days to reach Petagrove Town. It would be easier and safer to push our bikes instead of trying to pedal through this forest." And Reno was right. Even though the routes was frequently traveled, the forest encroached on all sides and there were plenty of rocks and tree roots that could trip them up a lead to serious injury. "Just try to enjoy the journey. This forest is beautiful and there are wild Pokemon everywhere! You should get a ton of great pictures out here Gacy. And plus, we'll have plenty of opportunities to train our Pokemon out here. So quit griping and keep up Slowpoke." He teases. Nothing seemed to worry him. Not the challenges he would face in the league, not the dangers of the Verdanwood, nothing. Was he really that confident or was it just arrogance?
The road eventually turned north west leading deeper into the forest. The Verdanwood was a veritable wall of tall sentinel trees. Reno took a moment to take in of what lay ahead of them in the forest, mentally psyching himself up for the challenges ahead. Calcifer barks up at his trainer, eager to head in and Reno smiles down at him and trudges forward. Though it was around noon and the sun was bright and clear, the thick canopy above cast the entire forest in shadows. The forest floor was covered in thick bush. Ferns, clover, and tall grass covered the ground and thick lichen crept up the trunks of trees that were hundreds of years old. The sunlight that was able to filter through the leaves was gold as honey and the air on which it shined was thick and yellow with pollen. The calls of a dozen varieties of bird Pokemon filled the air. Reno had never seen so much life before.
They follow the route for a while in stunned silence and wonder. Reno was surprised that had yet to come across any other trainers yet. He assumed that they must lie deeper in the forest, waiting for new trainers to test their skills against. Reno was eager to test himself as well and Calcifer and he needed as much experience as they could gain before challenging the first gym. They round a curve in the trail and startle a Stantler that bounds off into the forest and more than once he saw Sentrets pop their heads up out of the tall grass to watch them travel by. None of these interested Reno much but he was still determined to capture a Pokemon before the end of the day. But the sudden grumbling from his stomach was enough to distract him from that goal for now. Hours had passed and while he wanted to keep moving onward, he was tired and so was Gacy. The sun would be setting in a couple of hours and now was as good a time as any to find a place to set up camp for the night.
"Why don't find a nice spot to sit down and camp for the night. We can have a picnic. I need some grub." Calcifer barks in agreement and they veer off the path for a while until coming to a small clearing of clover that would provide a nice cushion to sit on while they ate. Reno leans his bike against a tree and drops his pack before digging through it to find his provisions. He pulls out a small slender case and unlatches it to reveal a handful of small metal capsules with a round button adorning their tops.
"These were my dads. He always brought them with him when we would go camping together. They're C-Tek capsules, based on Pokeball technology. Here, step back and watch." He says to Gacy. C-Tek was a bracnh of G-Corp that had made innovative steps in harnessing the power of Pokeball technology and putting it to other uses. He picks one out with the letters GCT-M/00923 engraved on the side. He pressed the button with his thumb and tosses the capsule away. As the capsule spins through the air it emits a blinding white light, an energy similar to a Pokeball's energy, and suddenly in the clearing there was a dome shaped light blue domicile large enough for one person to sleep in.
"See, they're great. You don't have to sleep on the ground, keeps the weather out and protects you from wild Pokemon at night. I have one for you too." He says, picking out another capsule with GCT-F/00592 engraved on the side. He tosses this capsule next to the other and out springs an identical unit but was a light shade of pink. The two domiciles sat side by side and would provide a more comfortable nights sleep than laying on the ground.
"There we go. Now all was need it firewood and we'll be set up for the night. Let's split up and gather as much firewood as we can. It will give you a chance to bond with your Charmander some more. I think Calcifer and I would make it nervous. Try to get back before dark." He calls back as he was already heading off to gather enough firewood to see them through the night. Reno took a moment to consider if stepping off the trail was a good idea. He didn't want to end up getting lost in this thick forest. But looking down at his Growlithe, he knew that the Pokemon's incredible sense of smell would lead them back to camp so he steps off of the path and makes his way through the brush looking for dry twigs and broken limbs.
"Hey Calcifer, before we head back why don't we train a little huh? We've got time before the sun sets." He says after having gathered a sizable stack of wood. He sets down the firewood and searches the forest floor for pebbles. The Growlithe watches him with his head cocked to the side wondering what his trainer was doing, but the Pokemon soon caught on when Reno offered him a smile and tossed a pebble up and down. Calcifer then started hopping up and down excitedly, barking in anticipation.
"Okay, we'll try one pebble first." The boy says and tosses the pebble up in the air. "Fire!" He shouts and the Growlithe spits out a plume of embers into the air which engulf the stone and sends it falling to the earth scorched black.
"Yeah, you remember this game don't you?" Reno laughs. "Alright, we're going to try three this time." He says, holding up the stones between hie fingers for Calcifer to see before throwing them into the air. "Fire!" He shouts, and the Growlithe spits out three balls of fire in quick succession landing a perfect hit each time and the stones fall to the ground a pile of scorched rock.
"Good boy!" Reno says encouragingly and kneels down to catch the Growlithe as he leaps into the boys arms. Reno rubs the Pokemon's head and back furiously and gets Calcifer's wet tongue licking at his face in return.
"Not bad. I see you've taught your Growlithe a couple of tricks." Says a young man as he steps out from behind a tree with a Pokeball in his hand.
"I wasn't teaching him tricks. We were training." Reno retorts, getting to his feet.
"Well then I guess that makes you a trainer." Says the stranger with a cocky smile. "And where's your friend? Is she a stranger too?"
"How do you know about my friend?"
"We were watching you set up camp. Wanted to see if you two were worth challenging."
"We?" Reno asks.
"Yeah, we. See I'm traveling with a friend too. We weren't going to bother with you two, but when you split up we saw an opportunity. You're just a couple of newbies, but our Pokemon could use the confidence they'll get from wiping the floor with you two." He laughs. But he stopped laughing when he saw Reno's expression. The boy didn't express fear or apprehension. Instead, a smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth, his brow furrowed and his eyes took on a determined expression. Reno was excited for a challenge, and he was ready.
"Heh, you're itching for a battle aren't yah?" The stranger asks. "Alright, you wanna battle, then lets battle!" The man says before he lets out a yell and tosses his Pokeball into the air.
---Miss---Kin---strude---
Requiem for the Fallen
Pokemon Beats: "Battle Theme" by Maklibek
Reno watches his opponent's Pokeball as it gets tossed out into the open air. A flash of brilliant red light illuminates the dark forest around them and as the Pokeball retreats back into the trainer's hand, what's left in it's place is a Treecko with a piece of long thin grass sticking out of its mouth.. The Treecko was short in stature but had a fierce look in its eyes and a cocky posture with its arm crossed over its chest. The Pokemon looked fast but Reno felt confident he would win. Treecko was a grass type, which were susceptible to the fiery attacks of his Growlithe. Reno and Calcifer just had to wait for the right moment to strike and not let the Treecko's speed outpace and confuse them.
"You're outmatched guy!" Shouts Reno. "You're grass type Pokemon is gonna get burned away."
"Oh yeah newbie, let's see what you've got!" The other trainers confidence was a little demoralizing, but Reno wasn't going to let himself get psyched out. Surely, this other trainer had more experience, but Reno had more hunger for victory and he had the advantage.
"Alright Treecko, show this brat what you can do!" The older boy yells. The Treecko narrows its eyes into a malicious Leer, staring down the Growlithe. Calcifer doesn't allow himself to become unnerved and opens his jowls to spit out a ball of fire. The Treecko spits out the blade of grass and sprints towards the Growlithe. It looks as if the embers were going to hit their mark but suddenly there is only singed grass where the Treecko used to be. Reno and Calcifer don't have time to be surprised as the Treecko reappears behind the Growlithe and with a powerful swipe of its tail sends the Growlithe sprawling into the ground and skips away before Calcifer can retaliate. The Treecko was even faster than Reno thought.
"Ha! Not so confident now are yah kid? This is what a real battle is like. But you wouldn't know anything about that would yah newb?" The trainer laughs. "Oh, and don't worry. You're little friend is learning the same lesson." He sneers.
Enraged, Reno yells out a battle cry and Calcifer chimes in with an intimidating Roar of his own that sends dirt and grass flying into the Treecko's eyes and should have sent the Pokemon running for the hills. But the Treecko stands his ground and as quick as lightning rushes the Growlithe, its body nearly touching the ground as it sprints fast as a bullet and swings its tail at Calcifer again. Moving to fast to change its direction, the Treecko is surprised by a sudden burst of embers that hit it full on in the body and stops it dead in its tracks.
"What? How could your Growlithe have anticipated that?" The trainer shouts, looking down at his singed Treecko lying prone on the ground. But the battle wasn't over yet. Calcifer's lucky shot might have critically injured his opponent, but the Treecko was tough and slowly got back to its feet though covered in scorch marks.
"Don't think you'll get a hit in like that again. Finish this Treecko!" He shouts and the Treecko pounces forward. Calcifer spits out balls of fire in rapid succession but the Treecko's zigzag running pattern and superior speed allowed it to evade each shot and suddenly the grass Pokemon was upon him and started Pounding Calcifer with its fists. Punch after punch meets its mark and the Treecko starts driving the Growlithe back.
"C'mon Calcifer! Look for an opening!" Reno shouts. "You got 'em once, you can do it again!" But the flurry of blows looked like they might be too much for the inexperienced Growlithe. But Calcifer wasn't going to give up. Timing it just right, he narrowly avoids a jab to the head, the momentum of which knocks the Treecko off balance. Calcifer seizes the opportunity and bites down on the Treecko's exposed arm and bears it to the ground. Prone and defenseless, the Treecko can't wriggle free of its assailant, event as the Growlithes powerful jaws clamp down on its neck. The Treecko lets out a scream and thrashes about but is unable to escape the vice like grip of Calcifer's jaws. The fight was going to end and Reno and his Growlithe were going to win their very first battle. What either of them failed to notice were the beads of ambient green light being absorbed from Calcifer's body by the Treecko. Calcifer didn't let go until the Treecko had stopped struggling and had fallen limp. Then finally the Growlithe lets go and proudly trots up to his trainer.
"Great job Calcifer! We've won our first battle! You were amazing!" The boy celebrates.
"This isn't over." The other trainer sneers and the Treecko's eyes pop open. The grass Pokemon wasn't defeated yet. Those green beads of light were Calcifer's life force being drained away and absorbed by the Treecko, giving it just enough vitality to make one last desperate attempt at winning the battle. The treecko spins off the ground back to its feet and attacks Calcifer from behind, swinging its powerful tail at the oblivious Growlithe.
"Calcifer look out!" Reno shouts. It was just enough warning as the Growlithe turns in time to see the attack coming. Calcifer leaps into the air and time seems to slow down for Reno. The boy watches as the Treecko's tail sweeps the ground beneath Calcifer's feet, missing him by only a few inches. And he watches as Calcifer fires a sizzling ball of embers mid air down at the surprised Treecko. It all happened so fast that Reno couldn't recall what had happened next. He just stood their blinking in shock at the Treecko lying unconscious on the ground and Calcifer standing over it beaming with pride. An arch of red light envelopes the Treecko as its trainer recalls it back to its Pokeball looking utterly defeated.
"You've got moxie kid, I'll give you that. I was overconfident. But I doubt your friend did so well." The trainer growls and stalks off into the forest.
"Gacy!" Reno shouts, suddenly remembering that his friend could be in serious trouble. Calcifer, we have to get back quick! Gacy might be in trouble!" The pair of them start running back towards the direction of camp completely abandoning the stack of firewood they had gathered and scaring up pair of Zigzagoon who had been watching the battle from behind a fallen stump. Branches snag at his clothes and pine needles sting his eyes but he just swats them away as best he can, not caring to be careful. When they arrived at the campsite Reno had expected Gacy to still be gone, or that she had returned with a severely injured Charmander. What he did not expect was the warm glow of the fire and the pair of them sitting contentedly. The Charmander appeared to be fine and it even looked as if it had warmed up to Gacy more.
"Oh good, you're okay." Reno sighs with a sigh of relief. His chest heaved as he tried to get his breath back after having sprinted through the forest. "There was this trainer, a really nasty guy. He challenged me and said that his friend had gone to ambush you. I was worried." He's able to get out through panting breath. "So what happened?" He asks.
He and Calcifer find a seat by the fire that kept away the encroaching darkness of the night, and got comfortable to hear Gacy explain what had happened to her in the forest. The trees started coming alive with sounds as night fell. The chirrup of Kricketune could be heard resonating throughout the Verdantwood, as well as the croaking of Palpitoad from some nearby body of water. Reno crossed his legs and propped his arms up behind him as he stared up at a star filled sky. That doesn't seem right. He thinks to himself. We shouldn't be able to see the stars through the trees. And then the stars started to move and it suddenly dawned on him. They weren't stars at all but were instead the flickering lights of Volbeat and Illumise as they courted each other high up in the trees.
Reno watches his opponent's Pokeball as it gets tossed out into the open air. A flash of brilliant red light illuminates the dark forest around them and as the Pokeball retreats back into the trainer's hand, what's left in it's place is a Treecko with a piece of long thin grass sticking out of its mouth.. The Treecko was short in stature but had a fierce look in its eyes and a cocky posture with its arm crossed over its chest. The Pokemon looked fast but Reno felt confident he would win. Treecko was a grass type, which were susceptible to the fiery attacks of his Growlithe. Reno and Calcifer just had to wait for the right moment to strike and not let the Treecko's speed outpace and confuse them.
"You're outmatched guy!" Shouts Reno. "You're grass type Pokemon is gonna get burned away."
"Oh yeah newbie, let's see what you've got!" The other trainers confidence was a little demoralizing, but Reno wasn't going to let himself get psyched out. Surely, this other trainer had more experience, but Reno had more hunger for victory and he had the advantage.
"Alright Treecko, show this brat what you can do!" The older boy yells. The Treecko narrows its eyes into a malicious Leer, staring down the Growlithe. Calcifer doesn't allow himself to become unnerved and opens his jowls to spit out a ball of fire. The Treecko spits out the blade of grass and sprints towards the Growlithe. It looks as if the embers were going to hit their mark but suddenly there is only singed grass where the Treecko used to be. Reno and Calcifer don't have time to be surprised as the Treecko reappears behind the Growlithe and with a powerful swipe of its tail sends the Growlithe sprawling into the ground and skips away before Calcifer can retaliate. The Treecko was even faster than Reno thought.
"Ha! Not so confident now are yah kid? This is what a real battle is like. But you wouldn't know anything about that would yah newb?" The trainer laughs. "Oh, and don't worry. You're little friend is learning the same lesson." He sneers.
Enraged, Reno yells out a battle cry and Calcifer chimes in with an intimidating Roar of his own that sends dirt and grass flying into the Treecko's eyes and should have sent the Pokemon running for the hills. But the Treecko stands his ground and as quick as lightning rushes the Growlithe, its body nearly touching the ground as it sprints fast as a bullet and swings its tail at Calcifer again. Moving to fast to change its direction, the Treecko is surprised by a sudden burst of embers that hit it full on in the body and stops it dead in its tracks.
"What? How could your Growlithe have anticipated that?" The trainer shouts, looking down at his singed Treecko lying prone on the ground. But the battle wasn't over yet. Calcifer's lucky shot might have critically injured his opponent, but the Treecko was tough and slowly got back to its feet though covered in scorch marks.
"Don't think you'll get a hit in like that again. Finish this Treecko!" He shouts and the Treecko pounces forward. Calcifer spits out balls of fire in rapid succession but the Treecko's zigzag running pattern and superior speed allowed it to evade each shot and suddenly the grass Pokemon was upon him and started Pounding Calcifer with its fists. Punch after punch meets its mark and the Treecko starts driving the Growlithe back.
"C'mon Calcifer! Look for an opening!" Reno shouts. "You got 'em once, you can do it again!" But the flurry of blows looked like they might be too much for the inexperienced Growlithe. But Calcifer wasn't going to give up. Timing it just right, he narrowly avoids a jab to the head, the momentum of which knocks the Treecko off balance. Calcifer seizes the opportunity and bites down on the Treecko's exposed arm and bears it to the ground. Prone and defenseless, the Treecko can't wriggle free of its assailant, event as the Growlithes powerful jaws clamp down on its neck. The Treecko lets out a scream and thrashes about but is unable to escape the vice like grip of Calcifer's jaws. The fight was going to end and Reno and his Growlithe were going to win their very first battle. What either of them failed to notice were the beads of ambient green light being absorbed from Calcifer's body by the Treecko. Calcifer didn't let go until the Treecko had stopped struggling and had fallen limp. Then finally the Growlithe lets go and proudly trots up to his trainer.
"Great job Calcifer! We've won our first battle! You were amazing!" The boy celebrates.
"This isn't over." The other trainer sneers and the Treecko's eyes pop open. The grass Pokemon wasn't defeated yet. Those green beads of light were Calcifer's life force being drained away and absorbed by the Treecko, giving it just enough vitality to make one last desperate attempt at winning the battle. The treecko spins off the ground back to its feet and attacks Calcifer from behind, swinging its powerful tail at the oblivious Growlithe.
"Calcifer look out!" Reno shouts. It was just enough warning as the Growlithe turns in time to see the attack coming. Calcifer leaps into the air and time seems to slow down for Reno. The boy watches as the Treecko's tail sweeps the ground beneath Calcifer's feet, missing him by only a few inches. And he watches as Calcifer fires a sizzling ball of embers mid air down at the surprised Treecko. It all happened so fast that Reno couldn't recall what had happened next. He just stood their blinking in shock at the Treecko lying unconscious on the ground and Calcifer standing over it beaming with pride. An arch of red light envelopes the Treecko as its trainer recalls it back to its Pokeball looking utterly defeated.
"You've got moxie kid, I'll give you that. I was overconfident. But I doubt your friend did so well." The trainer growls and stalks off into the forest.
"Gacy!" Reno shouts, suddenly remembering that his friend could be in serious trouble. Calcifer, we have to get back quick! Gacy might be in trouble!" The pair of them start running back towards the direction of camp completely abandoning the stack of firewood they had gathered and scaring up pair of Zigzagoon who had been watching the battle from behind a fallen stump. Branches snag at his clothes and pine needles sting his eyes but he just swats them away as best he can, not caring to be careful. When they arrived at the campsite Reno had expected Gacy to still be gone, or that she had returned with a severely injured Charmander. What he did not expect was the warm glow of the fire and the pair of them sitting contentedly. The Charmander appeared to be fine and it even looked as if it had warmed up to Gacy more.
"Oh good, you're okay." Reno sighs with a sigh of relief. His chest heaved as he tried to get his breath back after having sprinted through the forest. "There was this trainer, a really nasty guy. He challenged me and said that his friend had gone to ambush you. I was worried." He's able to get out through panting breath. "So what happened?" He asks.
He and Calcifer find a seat by the fire that kept away the encroaching darkness of the night, and got comfortable to hear Gacy explain what had happened to her in the forest. The trees started coming alive with sounds as night fell. The chirrup of Kricketune could be heard resonating throughout the Verdantwood, as well as the croaking of Palpitoad from some nearby body of water. Reno crossed his legs and propped his arms up behind him as he stared up at a star filled sky. That doesn't seem right. He thinks to himself. We shouldn't be able to see the stars through the trees. And then the stars started to move and it suddenly dawned on him. They weren't stars at all but were instead the flickering lights of Volbeat and Illumise as they courted each other high up in the trees.
---Miss---Kin---strude---
Requiem for the Fallen
While Gacy described her encounter with the other trainer earlier that evening, he rifled through his bags looking for something to fill his empty stomach. His mother had packed him plenty of food to last them through to Petalgrove City. He decided on having a heel of crusty bread, Tamato berry jam his mother had made herself, and Miltank cheese. Of course, Calcifer had to eat as well and Reno had made sure to pack some of his favorite Pokemon food. So, he digs out a can of Bouffalant Bill's Poochyena Brand Pokechow. He opens up the can and sets it on the ground in front of the Growlithe who immediately starts wolfing down. The battle had certainly worked up an appetite in both of them and soon Reno was unceremoniously stuffing his as he listened to Gacy recount events. When she was finished, Reno shared her anger. They had both run into a couple of nasty trainers and it was a little disheartening to learn that they were going to encounter people like that on their journey. What surprised him though is that she was worried he would make fun of her for losing the battle.
"Gacy, I would never make fun of you. You've only had your Charmander for a day, and you were outmatched. there's no shame in what happened. In fact, I think what you did, recalling Charmander and conceding like that was an honorable thing to do. I don't care what that trainer said. I know Charmander appreciated it, and in only a day he's already grown closer to you. It's a step towards trust, and I think you definitely did the right thing." He explains his own feelings, hoping that it would make her feel better about what happened and the decisions she made.
So that was how they spent the early hours of the night, swapping stories and talking about what they wanted to get out of this trip. Reno tried not to sound too boastful as he told her about the battle with the other trainer, but he was incredibly proud to have won his first Pokemon battle and was still feeling the rush of victory. Calcifer meanwhile lay sleepy and content near the fire, his belly swollen with food and his eyes droopy, drained of energy. Reno had thought that their first night away from home, alone and camping in the dark woods would be scary, but he actually found it quite peaceful. He had a warm fire and great company and he enjoyed lying on his back and staring up at the Volbeat and Illumise as they danced through the branches. But the tranquility was disturbed more than once as Reno kept having to chase off Rattata who would sneak into camp and start chewing on the wheels of his bicycle.
They knew it was finally time to call it a night when they felt the first drops of rain. Wishing each other a good nights rest they crawl into their individual domiciles to settle in for bed. There wasn't much room inside, just enough to comfortably lie down or sit up in. Reno climbs into his sleeping bag and Calcifer curls up in his arms and promptly falls asleep. Reno was left to contemplate Gacy's request to help her train her Charmander. Of course he would help her. That's why they were doing this together, to help each other and offer support. So, he pulls out his C-Gear, its faint blue light illuminating the inside of the dome, and he starts pulling up information on the Pokedex about Charmanders.
They woke up the next morning to the smell of the damp forest. The dark rich smell of the soil mixed with the fresh scent of pine needles and provided a stark contrast to the smell of the ocean that Reno was so accustomed to. It was a refreshing experience as Reno crawled outside of his hut to breath in the fresh air. Calcifer went tromping around the camp looking for something to play with, meanwhile Reno went about making breakfast for everybody. The fire from the night before had died leaving nothing but cold wet ash and the rain had drenched their stockpile of firewood, but Reno was able to salvage enough from the bottom of the pile to start another fire with the help of Calcifer. It was a humble breakfast of bread toasted over the fire and slathered in peanut butter as well as a couple of small cans of fruit. Calcifer only stopped playing around long enough to gobble up another can of food before he started sniffing around and rolling in the damp leaves again. He was always so energetic in the morning.
"So I was thinking about what you asked me last night and I did a little research on Charmanders. I don't think it will respond well to conventional training. It says that Charmanders and their evolutionary line are always striving to challenge themselves. They like hard work and overcoming adversity. The thrive on competition and will usually only battle other Pokemon that they think are stronger than themselves. I don't think that practicing burning inanimate objects is going to work for your Charmander. Not unless you turn it into some kind of challenge, like a puzzle or something. Of course, the real experience will come from battling other Pokemon. There are plenty of wild Pokemon in the forest and we're sure to run into plenty of other trainers before we get to Petalgrove City. I know you don't want to see your Charmander get hurt, but one only gets stronger by battling a stronger opponent. That's what my father always used to say to the trainers that came to his gym."
"Well, I suppose we should get going. We should try to cover as much ground as we can before nightfall. I'm eager to get to the next town. I can't wait to challenge our first gym leader!" He exclaims before getting up to pack his belongings. "Besides, we still haven't caught our first Pokemon yet. I'm sure we'll find plenty on the route through the forest. This place is full of wild Pokemon. There's got to be at least one Pokemon here that I can train for the league."
And indeed there were plenty of Pokemon in the forest. Reno knew that most trainers caught as many Pokemon as they could, trying to build their collection, but Reno wasn't interested in any of that. He didn't want to take a wild Pokemon away from its home in the wild unless he could train it to be a valuable member of his team. He wanted a connection with his Pokemon, not just a bunch of Pokemon he could show off to other trainers. And he was a competitor whose only goal was making it to the Hokkai League Tournament on Victory Road. So while he saw plenty of Pokemon as they made their way through the forest, none of them really caught his eye. That is until they came across a distressed Pokemon on the side of the trail. After rounding a bend in the trail Calcifer started barking excitedly. On the side of the path was a small furry Pokemon. It was a Teddiursa, a Pokemon common to the area. The Teddiursa was mewling pitifully and Calcifer's barking only frightened it more.
"Shhh, quiet Calcifer. It's scared and all by itself. It looks like there's something wrong." Reno says and upon closer inspection noticed that the poor little Teddiursa had its paw stuck inside a hole in a tree. It pulled franticly but just couldn't get its paw free. It's cries grew louder and louder as Reno approached to help it.
"Hey, it's okay little guy. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just gonna help you get your paw free. Okay?" He says in a calm soothing voice as he kneels down to get a better look. The Pokemon's hand was stuck in there pretty good and covered in sticky sap. The little Pokemon just wasn't strong enough to pull its paw free. So Reno carefully grabs the Teddiursa's arm and starts to pull gently but forcefully. With a little effort he was able to get the Teddiursa's paw free. Surprisingly it didn't try to run away even though it had been so scared earlier. It looks down at its paw and then looks up at Reno as if it recognized that the boy had helped it. Its paw was still covered in sticky sweet sap, which is apparently what it was after in the first place because it pops its paw in its mouth, sucking on the sap while still staring up at Reno. But then it wasn't staring at Reno, it was staring at something behind Reno. Calcifer's barking had grown louder and more frantic and Reno slowly turns around to come face to face with a solid wall of fur. Reno was confronted by a six foot tall Ursaring that stared down at the trainer menacingly. Terrified Reno slowly steps back toward the direction of Gacy and Calcifer.
"Gacy, slowly get on your bike. I think this Ursaring is that Teddiursa's mother and she doesn't look very happy to see us." The Ursaring suddenly lets out a bone shattering roar which sends the boy in a sprint back towards his bike. "Gacy we have to get out of here, let's go." He jumps on the bike, stalling only long enough to return his Growlithe back to his Pokball and starts pedaling as fast and furiously as his legs will allow him. Furious, the Ursaring chases after them, snapping branches that dare to impede her path. On the uneven terrain Reno couldn't pedal fast enough and the Ursaring was slowly closing in on them. Suddenly, Reno's front wheel hits a rock in the middle of the path and his bike pops up into the air. Reno loses control and its at that moment that the Ursaring swipes at his back wheel with her powerful paw and sends boy and bike crashing into the ground. Reno tumbles across the forest floor which gives way to a steep hill. Banging into rocks and overgrown roots Reno tumbles down the side of the hill and splashes into a stony creek.
Reno struggles to get to his feet, but the the current kept knocking him over and he was injured. He eventually makes it to the shore only to find the Ursaring towering over him. The bear Pokemon lets out another mighty roar and Reno can feel the heat of her breath on his face. Scared witless he fumbles for his Pokeball and releases Calcifer who immediately confronts the Ursaring barking like made trying to draw her attention away from the boy. It works and the Ursaring advances on the Growlithe roaring her terrifying roar and swiping at the air in front of the Growlithe who narrowly avoids each swipe as it backs away from the Ursaring drawing her away from his trainer. Calcifer gives Reno enough time to get to his feet, but cold and scared and beat up he could barely stand on his feet.
"Calcifer, watch out! She's too strong for you!" Calling out to his Pokemon was a mistake as it distracts the Growlithe and he doesn't see the Ursaring's attack coming as rakes her claws through the air and scrapes the Growlithe with her deadly claws. The force of the blow was so powerful that it sends the Growlithe spiraling through the air and into a tree with an audible thud. Reno forgts his fear and his injuries and runs to the aid of his Pokemon. He falls to his knees and scoops Calcifer's unconscious form in his arms. The Ursaring roars and charges the boy who lays Calcifer back on the ground and picks up a fallen branch to defend himself.
"Back! Get back!" He shouts, waving the branch in front of him trying to ward the Ursaring away. For a moment it looks as if it might work as the Ursaring takes a few cautious steps back but there was a deadly glint in her eyes. As far as she knew, Reno was trying to hurt her little cub and she wasn't going to stand for that. With a snarl she swipes the branch out of his hands and a deep guttural growl rumbles from her throat as she raises her paw into the air to deliver the final blow. Just then another Pokemon sprints down the hill towards the boy and the wild Ursaring. It's cloven hooves send sparks flying as they make contact with the stone littering the hillside and it gracefully leaps over fallen logs and small boulders to splash into the creek behind the Ursaring. The bear Pokemon turns to see a Sawsbuck in its summer foliage standing in the middle of the stream and baring a rider in a red jack wearing and a red beret. The man riding the Sawsbuck was a Pokemon Ranger, trainers dedicated to protecting the wild places of Hokkai aiding Pokemon and trainers alike. The ranger dismounts and uncoils a whip hanging from his belt. The Ursaring growls and advances and the ranger cracks his whip startling the large Pokemon. The Ursaring roars and swipes at the air and the ranger cracks his whip again, never taking his eyes of the Ursaring's. He cracks his whip with each step and with each step forward the Ursaring takes a step back. Eventually the Ursaring plants all fours on the ground and with a grumble races off into the forest to return to her cub.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" The man asks Reno who was cradling Calcifer in his arms.
"I'm okay, but my Growlithe is hurt bad. He needs help. And my friend, she was with me until I fell down the hill."
"I already saw her. She told me where to find you. Don't worry, you're Growlithe will be fine. I'll escort you to the Pokemon Reserve. We have a Pokemon Center there that can heal your Pokemon. We'll get you bandaged up to. get some hot food in you. Everything's going to be okay." The ranger says as he helps Reno to his feet.
"What's your name kid?" He asks.
"It's Reno." The boy replies.
"Nice to meet you Reno. My name's Maverick. Let's get you out of here, yeah?" The ranger and the boy make their way up the hill with the Swasbuck following close behind. Meanwhile, Reno's bike forgotten and discarded is set upon by a small group of Ratatta.
---Miss---Kin---strude---
The night was surprisingly restful despite the sounds of the forest that lurked out past her little tent. The adventures had drained her all the way down to the bones, leaving her exhausted. The sound of the rain faded sometime around twilight and left a fresh dew and mist that slithered along the ground even into the early rays of morning sun. Reno woke first – but that was nothing unusual. Gacy loved her beauty sleep and would sleep all day every day if she could get away with such a lazy life. Once she was up and roaring to go, it was an entirely different story. But to say that the girl was not a morning person was a vast understatement. She stayed in her sleeping bag, feeling like a toasty cinnamon bun until Reno’s voice floated through the tent and roused her from her slumber. Even then she only undid the tent flap to hear him better, but remained face down mumbling into her pillows. He usually beautiful head of blonde hair was a deadly fright come the morning, pooled around her head in an unruly flop. It took the coaxing of food to push her out of her tent and around the fire. She draped her sleeping bag over her shoulders as she munched on the small breakfast and struggled to wake up.
“Yeah...fighting stronger opponents,” she mumbled through her bites of food. She looked dazed and slightly confused. “Charmander has to get stronger,” she continued to repeat what he said in a low mumbled as she ate. It wasn’t long after having a full belly that she suddenly snapped to life, and after dressing herself and packing up the gear, she was ready to go with a slight yawn. They rode along the slightly dampened path and Gacy smiled through the cool air. The rain had taken all the warmth from the air that had plagued them the day previous. Now it was only replaced with a damp cool that left the skin dried and refreshed. They were just heading down a path when Reno noticed something off to the side and pulled off. Gacy paused and climbed off of her back, seeing a small Teddiursa with its paw trapped. “Careful Reno,” she warned lightly, but picked up her camera which was almost permanently strapped around her neck. Stepping carefully around the two, she crouched in the foliage and began to snap pictures of the trapped Pokémon.
“Aha! Yes, perfect,” She smiled as she caught its paw going into its mouth. She was too busy concentrating on taking pictures of the Teddiursa to pay attention to Reno and the current situation that he was facing. “Gacy....slowly get onto your bike,” Reno told her. But his voice had changed to something slightly more fearful. Using the camera she pointed it towards him and was met with shock as a mother Ursaring growled into his face. But Gacy was frozen and couldn’t move even as Reno got onto his bike and began to pedal further down the path. The Ursaring didn’t pay any attention to Gacy and began her advance on Reno. Quickly replacing the cap on her camera she ran over to her bike and hopped back on. The Teddiursa, unaware of the risk it had put Reno in let out a cute growl and continued to lick the sweet sap off of its paw. Gacelyn peddled as fast as her legs would allow her, and could barely make out the shape of the Ursaring in the distance of the foliage. She couldn’t see Reno until he tumbled and flew down the hill.
“Reno!!” She screamed, her voice echoing through the forest and threw herself off of her bike. Instinctively she reached for the poke ball on her waist and gripped onto it heavily. She hit the centre button with her thumb and it expanded, and as she reared her arm she was about to make a flying leap down the hill and to the centre of the scuffle below.
“Stop!!” A booming voice distracted her. Turning, she stared puzzled at the ranger atop the Sawsbuck. “Don’t put yourself into trouble!” He looked like he was about to dismount the Pokémon before Gacy started pointing down the hill and gasping for his help. “Please! My friend is being chased by an Ursaring! He fell down the hill, you need to help him!!!” The man paused, and then snuggled back down upon the Sawsbuck. As he started down the hill, he stared at her sternly, “Stay here.” She didn’t need to be asked twice and she watched him rush down the hill, but what happened after that was quieter and couldn’t be seen through the thick, lush foliage. She waited for what felt like hours before she heard conversation floating up from the creek and let out a relieved sigh. It would appear that Reno was okay at the very least. She leaned against her bike, taking that moment to catch her breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding. “That was scary,” she moaned to herself, thinking of how much trouble they could have been in if that Ranger hadn’t happened along them. She was almost too distracted from her thoughts to see the little flicker of yellow from behind the trees.
But she had, and it was there, and she noticed it move and squinted to see what it was. The only thing she could see through the brush was bright yellow fur, almost electric. Cautiously she took a few steps forward and peeked through the branches. A tail came into view, geometric in shape and almost flat, a black tip blending into the forest behind. Gacy’s breath caught in her throat, and the noise seemed to startle the Pokémon who set off into the trees. “No! Wait!!” She cried after it, and pushed herself off of the path and out into the open expansion of forest. Her bike was left behind, everything but the backpack she had strapped to her was in a heap off the side of the path. The front wheel spun slowly, looking as though she had left in a hurry to anyone coming upon the scene.
Gacy pushed through the trees, ducking under branches as the flash of yellow led her deeper into the bowels of the forest. A light sweat dusted her forehead as she pushed on, trying so hard to keep the yellow in sight of her. Her heart pounded in her ears from the mixture of excitement and adrenaline from giving chase. Out here there was no path, nothing to tell her where she had come from or where she could possibly be going. There was only dense tree and bushes, plants sprouting from the ground and the random burrow that she managed to avoid falling into. Still, her eyes upon that little yellow ray of light she trudged on, getting more and more lost and hopelessly desperate at this point to catch up. It was at that sudden moment that the yellow fur disappeared and Gacy pushed forward even faster. The next series of branches she parted and she was almost blinded by the light. Here the forest ended almost too promptly, leading to a very sharp drop off. Letting out a small cry, Gacy stopped just before toppling off the edge, staring down to the rushing waters below. It would appear that the rushing current that flooded through their village eventually winded through to here, some magikarp splashed below.
Taking a step back from the edge, Gacy turned and saw what she had spent nearly 20 minutes in pursuit of. A large, yellow mouse stared back at her with curious large black eyes. It had a small nose and red cheeks. Its large ears flopped to the side and the tips were black. It walked on two legs, but had paused and was staring at Gacy as intently as the trainer was staring at the Pokémon. It WAS a Pikachu! Quickly she fired up her C-Gear and booted up the pokedex, which promptly told her about the Pokémon. “A FEMALE Pikachu,” Gacy exclaimed happily. Never before had she wanted a Pokémon so intensely. Like Reno, Gacy had no intention of filling herself with every Pokémon she could dare get her hands on. She wanted a very select team of special Pokémon. Pokémon she wanted to be around. And a Pikachu had a lot to do with her family – they had documented the first Pikachu after all. Without hesitation, Gacy reached and pulled out her Charmander, only this time she let the Pokémon fly with a small, cry.
“You’re mine,” she exclaimed, almost greedily as Charmander burst forward and stood facing the Pikachu. For a moment the Pikachu looked like it was going to turn and run, but suddenly Charmander widened its stance and tried to intimidate the electric type Pokémon. “You want a stronger opponent, you’ve got one,” Gacy whispered to herself as the two Pokémon stared at each other. The Pikachu followed through shortly afterward, a spark of electricity flooding through her cheeks. Suddenly the yellow fur ball was gone and had made an advance at her Charmander, slamming her body into the orange scales. She was fast, that wasn’t much of a surprise to Gacy. Charmander slid backwards a bit, but let out a low growl.
“Charmander, use your scratch!” Gacy ordered, and Charmander slammed into the Pikachu with its paw, pushing the Pikachu away from him. “She’s fast, Charmander,” Gacy yelled across the field. “Keep on your toes and watch your tail!!” The Pikachu made for another advance, leaping up into the air at the Charmander. The fire Pokémon retaliated by once again swinging its paw and scratching the Pikachu across the face. A cry came from one of the Pokémon, which one Gacy couldn’t tell and they both rushed each other. Pikachu’s tiny arms swatted helplessly at her Charmander as she tried to pound him. But Charmander had some reach and kept her firmly at bay, laying swat after swat upon her body. Gacy watched from a distance, her fists clenched in tension as the battle raged on in front of her. “Charmander! Swat her with your tail!!!”
Charmander stopped the swats and turned to give the Pikachu a thunk, but the yellow mouse flashed out of the way, using the time of release to put some distance between the two of them. Gacy could tell from the haggard breaths coming from the Pikachu that she was starting to tire and pulled out her poke ball.
But apparently she wasn’t that tired, and she made a running leap towards Charmander, electricity flowing through her cheeks. This was her chance!
“Charmander! Get out of the way,” she ordered strongly. Charmander waited, then leaped out of the way as the Pikachu tried to shock him. “Poke ball, go!” Gacy called, throwing the empty poke ball. It sailed through the air a few meters before opening and latching upon the Pikachu who was still mid-air. She looked confused before disappearing into a flash of red, and the poke ball closed and fell with a clunk to the earth below. For a few seconds it wiggled in the grass, the entire time Gacy held her breath and clenched her fists. Finally all went still and silent and the sound of a clicking made Gacy cry out in excitement. She had finally caught a Pokémon, and it was a Pikachu!! The trained leaped into the air, both hands in fists as she rushed forward and snatched her new Pokémon into her hands.
“Good job, Charmander!!” She praised, rushing forward to gather the Pokémon into her arms. “You deserve a treat when we get back,” she smiled, and then put him back into his poke ball to rest. Letting out a breath of air, the adrenaline was finally started to leave her – making her remember the position she had put herself in. She had no idea where she was, how to get back to the main trail, and only had her small backpack with her. Standing with her back to the cliff face, she stared out at the forest and let out a sigh. “Well damnit,” she groaned. At least with the river behind her, she knew it had to be forward, and gritting her teeth started forward. Good thing it was still early morning, the sun wasn’t threatening to set any time soon.
Requiem for the Fallen
"Thanks for showing up when you did." Reno says as he allows the Ranger to help him up the hill. "I had a friend with me. Is she okay?" Reno asks feeling very worried.
"Yes she's fine. I told her to stay put at the top of the hill. She almost went down after you."
"Well, we were really lucky that you arrived when you did. Otherwise, she would have gotten hurt too."
"Yes she would have. There are many wild and very dangerous Pokemon in this forest. What did you do to provoke the Ursaring like that? You should know better." The ranger scolds.
"I didn't do it on purpose. There was a Teddiursa on the side of the trail. Its paw was stuck in a hole in a tree. I stopped to help it and once I got its paw out the mother showed up. I guess she thought I was a threat to her cub. I don't blame her really but it was just a big misunderstanding."
"Hmm, I see. Well that's actually very admirable. You may have inadvertently put yourself in danger, but it was to help a Pokemon in distress. I can respect that. Glad to know you're not just a pair of punk trainers running around trying to harass or catch Pokemon that are too strong for them."
"Yeah, I think we ran into a couple of trainers like that last night. I didn't know we'd be running into nasty people like that."
"It's been my experience that most trainers are like you. Kind and respectful of Pokemon and other trainers. But there are a few bad eggs every year. It just can't be avoided unfortunately. That's why the Pokemon Preserve was built. Every year disreputable trainers abandon their Pokemon because they're not "strong enough". It's a real shame. But we're able to give them a refuge until we can find good hearted trainers to give them a new home." The ranger explains.
"And that's where you're taking Calcifer to heal from his wounds?" Reno asks.
"It sure is. Your Growlithe will be better in no time. We've got a really well trained medical staff. But that Ursaring hit him pretty hard. They might hold him over night."
"That's okay. I just want him to get better. He saved my life." Reno says as they crest the top of the hill to find that Gacy was no where to be found. "Where's Gacy?" Reno asks out loud.
"She must have left in a hurry. Her bike is still here. Maybe she hasn't wondered too far off." The ranger says.
"Gacy! Gacy! Where are you Gacy?" Reno calls out, but there was no response. The ranger squats down to examine the footprints she left behind and discovers the direction she went.
"She went into the forest. She could easily get lost in there."
"C'mon, we have to find her." Reno says and starts limping towards the direction Gacy left in.
"No stop. You and your Growlithe need medical attention.
"We can't just leave her here!" Reno argues.
"We won't. My Sawsbuck knows the way back to the preserve. He'll take you there to get bandaged up and I'll stay behind to look for your friend. Tell the other rangers that if I'm not back by nightfall to send a rescue party."
"Do you think it will take that long?" Reno asks, growing more and more worried. The ranger just smiles and pulls out a Pokeball. He presses the button and out pops a Stoutland in a flashing arc of red light.
"Don't worry. Stoutland here is an expert tracker. We'll find her in no time. But it never hurts to have a contingency plan. Now let's stop wasting time." The ranger says as he helps Reno climb up on the Sawsbuck. The Stoutland meanwhile immediately starts sniffing around Gacy's bike and footprints and with an excited bark starts rummaging through the forest hot on Gacy's trail.
"See him home safe." The ranger says to the Sawsbuck before waving goodbye to Reno and setting off after the Stoutland.
..........................................................................................................................................
Riding the Sawsbuck was an exhilarating experience for Reno. The young trainer had never ridden a Pokemon before and while the Sawsbuck moved quickly through the forest, it moved with such grace that it felt to Reno as if the Pokemon never even touched the ground. There wasn't the slightest jarring as the Sawsbuck deftly maneuvered over rocks and roots for which Reno was grateful as he looked down at his unconscious Growlithe cradled in his arms. Time seemed to fly as fast as the Sawsbuck and in no time at all Reno could make out the great stone walls of the preserve through the trees. As they broke through the treeline and into clear view of the preserve he saw just how monumental those walls were. They must have been built so high deter Pokemon poachers, Reno assumed.
The Sawsbuck slow down to a walk as they got closer and closer to the outer gates flanked by two trainers in the same ranger garb as Maverick. Both of the ranger guards were women. One of them had long red hair, green eyes and freckles across the bridge of her nose and the other had short, black curly hair and stark blue eyes. As Reno and the Sawsbuck approached the two rangers moved to intercept them but as they got closer they seemed to recognize the deer Pokemon.
"Hey, that's Maverick's Sawsbuck!" The curly haired woman exclaims. "But where's Maverick?"
"He helped me in the forest. I was cornered by an Ursaring and he came and drove it off." Reno starts to explain while the red head walks up for a closer look.
"This boy's Growlithe is badly injured." She observes out loud. "We need to get them both inside quickly. You can explain to us what happened after we see to those injuries." She says and gingerly takes Calcifer from his arms while the other ranger helps the boy down from the Sawsbuck.
"You did a good job Sawsbuck." The dark haired woman says approvingly while gently stroking his neck. "Let's get you something to eat inside." She says before leading Reno and the Pokemon through the gates.
"Follow Nomi, she'll take you and your Growlithe to the medical facility."
"Okay, thank you uh...what's your name?" Reno asks.
"I'm Tess." She says with a smile. Reno expresses his gratitude and follows the red haired woman down the corridor.
"He's going to be okay right?" He asks.
"Oh he'll be fine." She says with a sweet voice and beaming smile. "You look pretty beat up too."
"I'm fine. Just some scrapes and bruises."
"Well, let's have a nurse take a look at you anyway." And she led him to the medical facility which was grand in size and packed with male and female nurses caring after a variety of Pokemon and even injured rangers.
"Hey Kevin. That Rhyhorn got you again huh?" Nomi calls out to a young man with his arm in a sling.
"Yeah, he still doesn't trust people yet. But we'll get there. It'll be a slow process after what he's been through." The ranger says sadly.
"Well, if anyone can get through to him it's you Kevin." She says, offering a smile of encouragement.
"Okay here we are. Nurse Milly will look after your Growlithe." Nomi says referring to a young woman with long curly brown hair and thick spectacles.
"Ooh, what happened to this poor fella?" The nurse asks as Nomi hands Calcifer over.
"We were corned by an Ursaring in the forest. He was trying to protect me and got hurt pretty bad." Reno explains.
"Well aren't you brave." The nurse coos as the Growlithe in her arms. Reno watched as she carried Calcifer away and would have rather waited there in the main corridor but Nomi convinced him to get his wounds examined as well. As Reno thought he had only suffered a few scrapes and a couple of bad bruises but he was going to be fine. Reno and Nomi found Tess waiting for them in the waiting room and the two rangers led the boy to the mess hall where he was able to get a hot meal. After he had finished eating they all had a cup of hot soothing tea and waited for word of Calcifer or Maverick and Gacy. While he waited for his Growlithe to be released he began to explain to Nomi and Tess everything that had happened, starting with finding the Teddiursa. He told them how he fell down the hill, how Calcifer had bravely come to his defense, the arrival of Maverick and finally he told them about how Maverick had staid behind to find his friend Gacy.
"Well, don't you worry Reno. Maverick and Stoutland will find her and bring her back safe. You can both get a good night's rest here." Says Tess.
"And tomorrow we can give you a tour of the preserve!" Nomi says excitedly.
"Gacy would love that and so would I!" Reno says with a smile. The two rangers were very courteous and stuck around to keep Reno company while they waited for Maverick to return with Gacy and the hot tea did a lot to relieve the pain Reno was feeling in his bruised ribs and scraped up knees.
---Miss---Kin---strude---