The Pokémon Center is a facility for weary travelers and their Pokémon to rest after a long day's journey. It is run by Nurse Joy and her faithful Pokémon assistants, Chansey and Audino. There are plenty of rooms for the travelers to rest upstairs on the second floor, as well as a cafeteria if they're hungry. There are also PC's, video phones and even a trade center for anyone to use if needed.
Laram pushed open the glass doors of the Pokemon center and blinked as the air conditioned room hit his skin. As the warmth of the outdoors faded from his skin, the trainer approached the front counter."Good afternoon. How can I help you today?"The nurse's automatic smile never failed to creep Laram out. He didn't understand why, but something about her smile felt robotic in nature. The fact that every center had a nurse Joy, and every nurse Joy looked exactly the same. It felt unnatural to Laram. But he ignored his discomfort and placed two capsules on the counter. Fletchinder and Thorn had gotten pretty hurt earlier, and Thorn looked like he was still unconscious."Oh dear, they seem to be in bad shape, don't they?"The nurse retrieved the Pokemon and placed their capsules on a tray. After she had Laram sign some papers, she took his Pokemon into the back and returned."They were pretty banged up, but they should make a full recovery by morning time. You should get some rest while you wait."Laram nodded and exited the center with the rest of his team tow around him. He thought it was time to head back to the guild and get some rest. It had been an eventful day, and he and his team were tired.
"Defend yourself!"Laram instinctively dodged, just as a foot flew by the back of his head. Wheeling around, he pulled his knife from its' sheathe and held it in front of him at the ready. His assailant was a young woman who seemed around the same age as him. She was wearing athletic clothing from head to toe, and she had her hair in a tight ponytail. Laram didn't have long to take in the sight before she attacked again, this time swinging for his torso with her fist. Laram slapped it out of the way and kicked her in the side of her knee, causing her to it to buckle under her. As she dropped to her knee, she grasped a capsule from her belt and released a small brown dog from it. Laram jumped back and scanned it with his pokedex. It was called Rockruff, and apparently it was a rock type."Rockruff, use bite!"As the trainer called out her command, she lunged at Laram once again; this time aiming for his face with her fists. As Laram backpedaled to avoid her attack, he called out his own orders."Shadow, cut."
Laram's Froakie formed a dagger of light in his hand that looked very similar to Laram's bowie knife. Then he leaped toward his new opponent the way only a frog could. The puppy Pokemon latched onto it and shook its' head as Shadow released the weapon from his grip. As he did, it disappeared and the Rockruff's jaws clicked shut."Shadow, water pulse." As Laram called out his orders, he swung at his assailant to throw her off balance. It worked, and she was to distracted defending herself that she didn't tell her Rockruff what it should do. So Shadow's attack hit it dead on. Laram had learned earlier that rock was weak to water, and the information checked out. The puppy reeled from the blow and landed on its' side before shakily standing up again. It was hurt, but it seemed like it wanted to continue fighting. Laram still didn't understand why this trainer had attacked him, but it looked like she was already getting worn out. He only had to conserve his energy and wait for his opportunity to end it. So that's what he decided to do. Returning his knife to its' sheathe with one hand, the trainer blocked what were now sloppy punches that seemed to have no direct target. At this point, she was flailing. In an desperate voice she called out to her Rockruff.
"Rockruff, use stone edge!"Her voice was shaking as she called out. It felt like she was desperately trying to win. As if her life depended on it."Shadow, smokescreen and double team."Being quicker than the Rockruff, Shadow managed to expel the smoke from his maw as he doubled twice, into four identical versions of himself. The Rockruff seemed confused, but tried to follow its' trainer's orders as best as it could. But with the limited visibility and extra targets, it had a hard time picking which one to go for. So as the stone spikes launched from the ground, they struck two of the Froakie's apparitions. This gave Shadow enough time to create enough distance that he felt relatively safe."Rockruff, use bite."The fight was over, and Laram knew it. Both trainer and Pokemon looked to be on their last legs. So Laram figured it was a good time to finish things up."Shadow, water pulse one more time. Wait until it's close."As both Rockruff and its' trainer charged their opponents, both Laram and his Froakie stood still, waiting for them to get close enough. Once they were in range, the Froakie formed a spiraling ball of water between his hands and slammed it into the Rockruff's open jaws. Simultaneously, Laram grabbed the trainer's wrist and twisted it behind her back in one fluid motion. He held her in place as the Rockruff hit the ground."Rockruff! Let me go!"Laram released the trainer and allowed her to attend to her fainted Pokemon. He was cautious, but not cruel. He understood how that would have been torturous to her. The trainer knelt down beside her Pokemon and stroked its' fur as Shadow retreated to Laram's side."So...You want to tell me what that was all about?"
"Just go away. You won didn't you? That's all that matters."Laram didn't really know how to respond to that. It was said with such anger and rage, but also with desperation and sorrow. He wasn't sure if she was just trying to play the victim after a failed attack; but if she was, it was a rather convincing act. Laram carefully approached the trainer, cautious and wary for any other surprises from her. Making sure to keep himself a safe distance away, he spoke to her again."Why don't you start with telling me why you attacked me. I don't recall doing anything to provoke you."It was a bit of a loaded question, but Laram's compassion for others was a bit hindered by his new, foul mood. Being attacked for no conceivable reason could do that to a person."It doesn't matter now. They'll never let me back in the dojo."The woman began to silently sob, and Laram was inclined to try to comfort her. However, he kept his distance. She was obviously not in a stable emotional state, and there was no telling what she would do."The dojo. Let's start there. What happened?"
She gave him a confused look, but he could tell that she wasn't a threat anymore. So he knelt down beside her and pulled a potion from his pack. Rather than use it on her Rockruff, he sprayed Shadow a couple of times with it first, then handed the concoction to her. She reluctantly accepted his kindness and began using the potion on the puppy in front of them."Dash and I have always been the joke of that place. None of the other students take us seriously. What with Dash being a rock type and all. But I wanted to prove that we belonged there. The master didn't mind us training, but the rest of the students tortured us. Then one day, Clyde, one of the top disciples told me that I wasn't allowed to train anymore unless I brought back the Pokemon of an expert trainer as proof of my skills."The story sounded a bit far-fetched to Laram's ears, but he believed her. Sighing to himself, he stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants."Couple things. First, I'm not an expert trainer. I've only just started. So even if you had succeeded, my Pokemon would not have gotten you what you wanted. Secondly, it wasn't a real task. It was meant to be something impossible for you to accomplish so that you wouldn't come back. My advice, heal Dash here, and return and speak with your master. I don't know how dojos work, but I assume his word is law there. If he wants you to train there, then he'll make it happen. Good luck with it."With that, Laram left his mystery attacker behind and headed towards the guild. He and his team were tired, and a bed sounded fantastic.
Laram pushed open the doors of the Pokemon center with purpose. The egg that the professor had given him needed to be brought back into his care so that it could hatch properly. While Laram wondered whether or not Trish was the authority on egg hatching, he trusted her. She had proven to be trustworthy and knowledgeable in the short time that he had known her."Good morning. How can I help you today?"There was that smile again. So robotic, so inorganic. Laram wondered if he would ever get used to it. Maybe the nurses were genuinely sweet and nice people, but the trainer had his suspicions. It didn't help that they all looked identical to one another. Conspiracy theories danced through his minds. They ranged from clone duplicates grown in vats to mass hypnosis of the entire population; each one more outlandish than the last. However, he didn't try to dwell on them for too long."Yes. I left a Fletchinder here last night, she was injured pretty bad. I was told that she would be ready to check out by this morning?"
"Yes. I have her information right here. It says she made a full recovery, and you are correct. She can be released at this time. However, I would recommend that we keep her here until the egg she is incubating has hatched. This way we can monitor it and ensure it has a safe hatching."Trish had called it. The center obviously thought they were the authority on Pokemon care. Which Laram was inclined to believe. They certainly seemed to know what they were doing. More than the trainer anyway."Would you like to know the gender and species of the infant?"That surprised the trainer. He had no idea that they could know that information. But he did want to know."Uhh sure.""Well, from what we can tell, it's a healthy, male Charmander. We can't tell how big he's going to be until he hatches, but we predict that he will be showing up in the next hour or so if you wish to wait."The nurse gestured with her hand to the waiting area in front of the counter. Laram thanked her for her assistance and gratefully took a seat. However, he didn't have long to rest."Hey there kid. I overheard the conversation you were having with that nurse. Congrats."
Laram turned in the direction of the new voice. It's source was a middle aged man. He looked a little rough around the edges, but his eyes showed him to be a relatively gentle person. However, none of this accounted for his taste in clothing. The man was wearing a too-large, button up Hawaiian shirt; paired with a pair of tan cargo shorts that sat at his knees. Around his feet were strap on sandals, with long, white socks that stopped halfway up his calves. He wore the shirt with three buttons undone at the top and a gold pendant hanging around his neck. His mustache and beard were untrimmed and a little shaggy. He looked as if he required a shower, but he smelled as if he made up for that by trying to use cologne. It permeated the trainer's nostrils as the man occupied the seat next to him. Stretching one, overly hairy arm behind Laram's back, the man spoke again."Sorry to bother you, but you looked like a deer in headlights there. My name's Bobbie. I've been a trainer since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I know a thing or two about taking care of babies. I figured I'd part my wisdom on to you if you'd like."
For some reason, the smelly, hairy man didn't set off any warning signals in Laram's brain. He actually seemed like a nice person, even if he didn't necessarily look the part. Laram felt uneasy though. He had a hard time with people offering him things for free. He couldn't trust it, considering his childhood. But Bobbie seemed pretty down to earth."My name's Laram. It's nice to meet you Bobbie. That sounds great, I'm a very new trainer.""Sounds good. First things first, let's get your mind off of things. Nothing better than a battle. I just so happen to be a pretty ace trainer. I've won a few badges." Bobbie stood up and walked out of the Pokemon center and the new trainer followed. After they retreated a safe distance away from all the buildings in the area, the old trainer turned and faced Laram. He shrugged his shoulders and retrieved a capsule from the back of his belt."Okay kid. Let's see what you got. Loudred, let's go."A large, blue creature appeared in a flash of light. It looked like a giant mouth with ears, arms, and legs. The trainer scanned it with his Pokedex and placed the device back in his pack."Jack. You got this."Laram's Bunnelby stepped forward and squared off with his new opponent. It was sure to be a good battle.
"Let's start things off right. Loudred, screech."The blue Pokemon stamped the ground and opened its' maw wide towards Laram's Bunnelby. As it did, it released a terrible screeching sound so bad that Laram had to cover his ears. He could only imagine how horrible it must have been for poor Jack. His ears were quite large. The poor Pokemon practically keeled over in pain as he tried to clutch his over-sized ears. But it seemed like the damage was already done. The small jackrabbit shivered as he tried to stand his ground. Laram, yelling through his near deaf ears, tried to get his Pokemon to hear him."Jack! Use dig! Get underground!"But it was as if the Bunnelby couldn't hear his trainer's voice."You kind of made a poor choice there. Loudred is called the "Big Voice Pokemon" for a reason. What did you think would happen using something with such massive ears?"Laram could barely hear the middle aged man. His ears were ringing, and the problem didn't seem to be dissipating at all. But the trainer clenched his fist and tried again to reach his friend."Jack! Use dig to get underground!"
This time, the Bunnelby at least seemed to notice that his trainer was speaking, and it turned towards him to try to make out what he was saying. But on the other side of the battlefield, Bobbie had other plans. "Loudred, supersonic."Once again, the blue Pokemon stamped the ground and opened its' large mouth. But this time, it seemed like the air in front of him distorted in waves rushing towards the brown rabbit. He was still straining to hear his trainer when the distorted air reached him, and as it did, he adopted a dazed look. Confused, Laram could do nothing but ask the seasoned trainer what he had done. "What did he do to Jack?!?"Loudred put a status effect on your Pokemon. That one's called confusion. Let's finish this up quick. Loudred, hyper voice."One last time, the Pokemon opened his mouth and released a blue beam of soundwaves at his opponent."Jack! Dodge it!"The rabbit staggered around, completely oblivious to his trainer's commands. Then the attack struck. Hard, and down went Jack the Bunnelby. It was obvious that Laram was green, and Bobbie was not. The old man chuckled and withdrew his Pokemon as Laram did the same. "Sorry about that. Old instincts are hard to suppress. We're not good at holding back. Here, this guy isn't as experienced as the rest of my team. It will be good for him and you, I think."Bobbie tossed another capsule from his belt onto the ground. In a flash of red light, a small, cat-like creature appeared."This is Litleo. Let's see what you can do against him."
Laram scanned the new Pokemon in front of him, with his Pokedex. According to the machine, it was a type of lion; whatever that was. But the trainer did learn that it was a fire type. Which worked out for him. After all, water trumps fire. Laram nodded at Shadow, who nodded in return. The two of them had already seen some combat together since they started their journey. They were somewhat comfortable with one another. As the frog hopped into position, Laram couldn't help but smile a little. He actually loved watching his friend fight. The Froakie was very acrobatic, which was fun to see. The lion cub Pokemon growled to an unblinking frog, and the field was set.He came out the gate swinging last time. I should try to interrupt his momentum this time around. Laram knew what he needed to do, attack first, and don't let up."Shadow. Double team and water pulse. Hit him hard."The Froakie nodded, then split in to two. Then four, and finally into eight. As he finished splitting, all eight images of him brought their hands close together and formed a sphere of translucent water. Then, all eight figures rushed towards the cub at a quick pace, covering the distance between them in little over five seconds. But it was enough time for the veteran trainer to react.
"Hyper voice."The Litleo looked a little confused at the multiple targets rushing him, but at the sound of his trainer's voice, he planted his feet and stood his ground. As the cub roared out his challenge, he also loosed a blue beam of light from behind his fangs. Turning his neck, the brave cub erased image after image of his foe as he arced his attack across his vision. But this time, Laram was a little more prepared. As his nerves began to soothe, he gave his partner another command."Dodge it with bounce, and hammer him from the sky."Orders given, the Froakie tucked his body around his attack and somersaulted back towards the ground. As soon as his feet touched earth, he crouched and leapt into the air with all his might. Soaring above his opponent, the Froakie paused briefly at the peak of his ascent before leaning forward and bringing his attack downward towards his opponent. The acrobatic feat from Shadow momentarily caused the Litleo to let up his attack. But the young lion also had some experience in battles. He craned his neck upward and let loose another hyper voice attack without an order from his trainer."No Litleo. Get out of the way! Dodge it!"
But it was too late. The attacks collided, but it seemed like the Froakie's held the edge in strength. The ball of energy, swirling in his palms, cut through the sound wave an struck the Litleo directly in his face. The force of the attack caused the Pokemon to fly backwards and land in the dirt. At the same time, Shadow flipped backwards towards his trainer, awaiting more orders. However, no more were to come, as a nurse rushed towards Laram frantically."Sir! Sir! Your egg is about to hatch. Please come inside."Startled, Laram looked at Bobbie with desperation in his eyes. It was obvious that he wished to end their match. The older trainer nodded knowingly and Laram silently thanked him as he rushed off back towards the Pokemon center.
Laram and what was left of his team scrambled through the front door, following the nurse that had summoned them. The trainer was incredibly anxious. Something about babies seemed to make everyone excitable."Please sir, follow me into the back. It is very important that you are the first person your infant sees. This way it can imprint on you."Laram had no idea what she was talking about. But she was a nurse, and he was just a street urchin, with barely any experience as a trainer."Lead the way."Laram followed the nurse behind the front counter and into the back. It was just a couple of exam rooms and one medium sized room with several large machines along the walls. The nurse turned inside one of the examination rooms where Laram's new Fletchinder was. The bird was clutching the egg as heat waves were emanating from both. As Laram stepped into the room, the Pokemon cowered away, clutching the egg tighter with her wings.
"She has been like that since she came in here. She refuses to let anyone near her or the egg. We had to scan it while she was still in her pokeball."Laram nodded reassuringly to the Fletchinder while he spoke to the nurse."I asked her to protect it. I think that's what she's trying to do. Maybe try to leave for a second? I'll yell if anything bad happens.""Very well."The nurse bowed before disappearing down the hall. Laram gingerly took a step forward, making sure to keep eye contact with Fletchinder at all times. As he did, the bird once again tucked the egg farther away. She was obviously scared. He lifted his hands in the air to show her that he wasn't trying anything, and knelt down to try to reduce how big he looked to her."Easy now. It's me. Remember me from yesterday? I brought you to the Pokemon center remember?"The trainer tried to talk as smoothly as possible. As he spoke, he could see the wheels turning in the bird's brain. It must have forgotten what happened at some point. But it seemed to remember what had happened. She eased up and allowed Laram to come closer and sit beside her."You're doing amazing with that. So good in fact, they say it's about to hatch soon. What do you say we both be here for it when it does?"The Fletchinder nodded and surrendered the egg to her trainer. As soon as the egg was in Laram's hands, it flashed a bright, white light. The trainer was forced to squint as the egg's shape morphed into something different.
He could start to make out a tail, then two arms and legs, until finally a round head formed in the light. All of a sudden, a yellow lizard emerged from the light, clutched by his new trainer. Laram stared at the little guy, while it stared back at him. The trainer was dumbfounded. He had just witnessed a miracle."Char char!"Laram blinked as he examined the newly hatched infant in his arms. He was fairly small, around two and a half feet. He probably weighed about twenty five pounds. But what shocked the trainer was the small flame at the tip of his tail. He would have blown it out, and he tried out of instinct. But the baby looked uncomfortable when he did. It didn't seem to be hurting him either. "Well look at you, little one. Don't you look strong and tough.""Charmander!"The lizard smiled at him as the nurse walked back in."Oh my! He is just adorable; and look at that yellow skin. That's extremely rare."Laram gave the nurse a weird look."Rare? What does that mean? Is he sick?"The nurse ignored him and kept examining the Pokemon."He's rather large for a newborn of his species. My goodness! I would say he's probably bigger than ninety percent of his kind. Aren't you a big, handsome boy?"The nurse scratched Laram's new Pokemon on the head, seemingly oblivious to his presence."Char char!"Laram couldn't take being ignored anymore."No seriously. What about his skin?""It's very rare, but sometimes a Pokemon is born with a different color than their species. It's perfectly fine. He is in no danger. In fact, I would say that your Charmander is in perfect health. Congratulations."Laram thanked her and stood up. After the birth of his new Pokemon, Laram scanned him with his pokedex while the nurse gathered up some basic supplies to take care of him. With all of his new stuff, and his new companion in his arms; Laram left and made his way back towards the guild.
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*Exit*
Pickup Ability Counter: 6/10
Pokémon
Name: Zeus Species: Rufflet Gender: Male Nature: Brave Egg Move: None TM Moves: HM Moves: Rock Smash
After a busy day of back-breaking work and nearly getting himself killed by a flock of Murkrow, Regal was enjoying a very well deserved shower. The tiny cuts peppering the trainers body stung slightly as the hot water washed over him, but he couldn't have cared less. It felt like as if he'd died and gone to heaven.
Nurse Joy had panicked a little when he had first come in looking like he'd been through a hurricane, but after assuring her that he was fine, the trainer had left his team with the nurse to get healed up while he got himself some much needed R&R in his room. Reaching for the shampoo, Regal found himself humming a little ditty to himself as he lathered up his mane of snow white hair. It seemed he had been more tense than he had realized. Now that he thought about it, the man noted with a frown that he had been going at it full throttle ever since he had arrived in the region. That's not to say that he wasn't thoroughly enjoying his adventures so far, but Regal knew that he would be a poor excuse of a trainer if he let himself burn out without realizing it. After all, how could he expect to care for a whole team of Pokémon if he couldn't even take care of himself?
After finishing up in the shower, the trainer got himself dressed and blow dried his hair before plopping himself down on his bed and taking out his Pokégear. Since he still had twenty minutes or so until Nurse Joy was finished with his team, Regal figured that the time would best be spent on more research for his gym battle. He had already taken notes on common steel type Pokémon, attacks and abilities, so now it was time to take a look at the gym leader himself. Harvey Wellspring, also known as The Man of the Future in some circles, was widely considered to be a top notch Pokémon trainer as well as a brilliant inventor and architect.
Not surprising, given that he was born and raised here in Nix.
Having had a glimpse of the famous Techmech street earlier today, it was probably safe to assume that Harvey had spent most of his life surrounded by machines. And according to the articles he was pouring over, Nix City was actually more industrialized back when the gym leader was still a kid than it was today. The guy's gym was actually a remodeled factory that used to belong to his family. It was easy to see how that could have shaped him into a steel type specialist. What Regal was really interested in, however, was what kind of battle tactics Harvey used.
The gym leader didn't seem to be the social type, so it took a lot of digging, but eventually the trainer was able to find a few videos of Harvey participating in battles, and even a rare interview the gym leader had done where he talked about what kind of tactics he used in his gym. With his Pokémon's natural defenses serving as a solid foundation, Harvey seemed to prefer using high accuracy moves such as Magnet Bomb, Shock Wave, and Lock-On to round out his fighting style. Since his Pokémon already had the advantage in terms of toughness, it seemed logical that he would prefer the slow and steady approach.
So it's not just his defense that poses a threat. If I can't dodge his attacks, my team will get worn down in no time...
Satisfied for the time being, Regal put his homework aside and went downstairs to collect his team. He had just clipped his Pokéballs onto his belt when the trainer's Pokégear beeped in a notification informing him of a new job request. Apparently the local general store was having issues with a wild Pokémon and needed a hand. It was just around the corner, so the trainer decided to see if he could help and maybe earn a little extra money. Break time was officially over.
[Exit] [Egg Post Count: 29/65] [Honey Gather Count: 5/5]
Regal ate a quick dinner after finishing his job at the general store and was in bed especially early after all of the hard work he had gone through. He woke up early the next morning feeling a little sluggish and decided to forgo his usual morning workout for a light jog instead. That combined with a cold shower helped revive the young trainer, who quickly gathered up his team and went down to the center's cafeteria for breakfast.
As he worked his way through his second plate of eggs, sausages, baked beans and toast, Regal contemplated his plan of attack for the day. He had already used his new TM to teach Nova and Terra the Dig technique, so now it was a matter of getting his Pokémon a chance to practice using it in battle. The trainer was still set on getting his Charmander enough experience to evolve, and he knew that would involve some more hard work. According to the locals, the cliff side over on the western edge of the city was a famous training spot for challengers to toughen up their teams before facing the gym leader, and Regal had to agree that it sounded like a good idea. There were sure to be some hardy Pokémon there for him to catch as well, so it would definitely be worth his while.
Gulping down the last of his coffee, the trainer swiped one last bagel for the road and made his way out of the cafeteria. He would see if there were any new jobs over on Techmech Street first, then head for the cliffs. All in all, it sounded like another day of sweat and hard work. He could hardly wait.
[Exit] [Egg Post Count: 31/65] [Honey Gather Count: 2/5]
Nurse Joy and her Chansey were already busy at work by the time Regal arrived at the Pokémon Center. He was out of breath and had a painful stitch in his side, but the trainer listened patiently as she explained the current situation involving the Luxio he had found. The first aid he had applied up on the cliffs had helped stabilize it temporarily, but the lion Pokémon had been severely weakened as a result of its wounds and poisoning.
"It's a good thing your Pidgey got him here as quickly as it did." The Nurse said as she gestured at the bird Pokémon resting on his shoulder. "He might not have made it otherwise. We've administered a small dose of Secret Potion, so now it's simply a matter of letting him rest."
Nurse Joy smiled as she took in the look of relief on the trainers face. He'd clearly been very worried about the Luxios well being. Patting him on the shoulder, she praised for him for his quick thinking and told the young man to get some rest while she returned to work, and that she would let him know once the Luxio was finished healing. She took the rest of his team to get some well-deserved healing and left the trainer to his own devices. He would rather eat dinner with his team than on his own, so Regal passed the cafeteria and went over to his room instead. He took a hurried shower and then immediately collapsed onto his bed. It hadn't really registered with him at the time, but as he stretched out on the sheets and got comfortable, Regal came to the realization that the poacher he had fought earlier was genuinely trying to hurt him. If not kill.
There really are people like that, huh? He thought glumly. People that would use Pokémon to do such terrible things...
It shouldn't have really come as much of a surprise. Regal wasn't a child anymore, and he knew that it took all kinds of people to build a world. Every region seemed to have some sort of organized crime that used Pokémon for their dirty work. Even his hometown back in Kanto had nearly been taken over by Team Rocket way back in the day, though he hadn't even been born then. None of that was news to him. So why did it bother him so much?
Because it was real. The trainer realized. There's a difference between knowing something's out there and actually seeing it.
Despite the gloomy thoughts, the trainer managed to nod off for almost an hour before a ping on his Pokégear woke him up. A message from Nurse Joy, informing him that his team was fully healed and ready for pick up. Drifting over to the bathroom, Regal rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and splashed some cold water on his face to finish waking up before heading over to collect his team. The Luxio was still recovering, but he was happy to have the rest of his crew back with him. He was about to suggest that they all grab some dinner when Nova popped out his Pokéball of his own accord. Immediately, the salamander Pokémon was enveloped in a soft, otherworldly light as it began to grow in size. Regal recognized the phenomenon as evolution, and actually pumped his fist as the fire type finished evolving into a Charmeleon.
"You did it!" He cried as he released Nova from a rib crushing hug. "You freaking did it! You're amazing, partner!"
Any negative thoughts plaguing the trainers mind were forgotten as he and his team dug into their celebratory dinner. He couldn't honestly remember the last time he had been so happy. Novas evolution was firm proof that their hard work was paying off. With the new firepower on their side, the trainer finally felt confident enough to challenge the Nix Gym Leader, and resolved himself to do just that tomorrow morning. For now though, he was content to just let himself be happy.
Regal woke up earlier than usual the next day, but knew better than to try and fall back asleep. He was filled to the brim with nervous energy, which was to be expected since he was planning to challenge the local Gym Leader in just a few short hours. With the exception of Jarvis, the rest of his team was sleeping away peacefully, so the trainer took the artificial Pokémon with him and went for his usual morning jog. On the way back, he checked in with Nurse Joy to get a progress report on his Luxios condition. The lion Pokémon was recovering well thanks to the medicine from yesterday, and the nurse was hopeful that he would regain consciousness by the afternoon. Delighted by the news, the trainer thanked the nurse for all of her hard work and went to collect his team for breakfast.
Over scrambled eggs and sausages, Regal went over his game plan with his Pokémon. Since he was a new challenger, the official gym rules stated that the match between him and the gym leader would be a two on two battle. Since they were the only ones with super effective attacks at their disposal among his roster, Regal had decided to use Terra and Nova to battle Harvey. The Rockruff would be at a disadvantage against its steel type opponents, but the trainer was confident that puppy Pokémon would pull through. Nova would then follow up as the teams trump card. His recent evolution and impressive firepower would be their best chance against the leaders tough defenses.
With his game plan laid out, Regal gulped down the last of his coffee and returned his Pokémon into their balls. Strapping them carefully back onto his belt, the trainer made his way out of the building and went off towards the gym. He was still nervous, but deep down he knew they had this. In just a few short moments, he would return to the center with a brand new gym badge!
[Exit] [Egg Post Count: 38/65] [Honey Gather Count: 4/5]
Regal was still beaming as he returned to the Pokémon Center and made his way over to Nurse Joy to have Terra and Nova healed up from their difficult battle against Harvey. The nurse congratulated Regal on his victory before taking his Pokémon to the back, leaving the young man to his own devices. He was starting to come down from the rush of the gym battle, and the trainer realized that he hadn't planned his journey any farther than earning his first badge. Making his way over to the centers computers, Regal pulled up the regional map and began searching more gyms.
"Hm... It looks like my options are either the forest or the port." He muttered while clicking away on the mouse. The closest gym to him now was in Applegate City, which was relatively close to Nix but separated by a colossal forest which would certainly prove difficult for the new trainer to navigate. His other option was to catch a boat over at the nearby port to ferry him to another section of the region. It wouldn't be easy, but overall Regal felt that traversing the forest was the better option. The whole point of him running away from home was to have an adventure and prove his mettle, so shying away from the difficult path wasn't an appealing option. Besides, the forest was sure to be filled to the brim with rare and exotic Pokémon that he hadn't seen before. From a research standpoint, it was a no brainer.
With his plans made, Regal logged off of the computer and went back to meet with Nurse Joy, who had a surprise waiting for him. Along with his Charmeleon and Rockruff, the nurse handed the trainer a third Pokéball containing his now fully healed Luxio. The lion Pokémon, which the trainer dubbed Regis, swished its tail happily within the capsule as Regal welcomed him to the team before clipping the ball to his belt. Now that he had all of his Pokémon back with him, the trainer decided to head out again. Now that he had a gym badge to his name, the young man would now be permitted to take on more advanced jobs at the local request boards. If he was going to power through Rowling Forest, he would need some extra money to stock up on supplies. Thanking the nurse once more for her help, Regal stepped through the doors and started on his way, another smile spreading across as his face at the thought of a new adventure.
[Exit] [Egg Post Count: 50/65] [Honey Gather Count: 1/5]
Regal wasn't much of a napper, but he decided to make the rare exception as he handed his Pokémon off to Nurse Joy for healing. The trainer was exhausted after his adventures in the cities old factory district, and he was in desperate need of a little R&R. He made his way over to his room and went straight for the shower, putting the water on hot and letting the warmth melt away the soreness in his muscles. He had already told Julia that he had her Electabuzz, and the chef had told him to take his time and come around dinner time so she could thank him the way she knew best. The thought was a pleasant one, and images of barbecue flooded the young mans brain as he got out of the shower and changed into his lounge clothes. He hopped into bed and just barely remembered to set an alarm before passing out.
An hour and a half later, Regal finally woke up feeling both refreshed and hungry. Eager to sample more of Thunder Barbecues fantastic cooking, the trainer changed back into his regular clothes and collected his team from Nurse Joy. Pausing only to swap his Charjabug for his Cutiefly at the PCs, the trainer dashed out of the Pokémon Center and began making his way to what was sure to be an exquisite dinner.
