The morning air possessed a minor chill as the next day dawned upon a foggy landscape. David and Luna had risen early after spending the night in the comfort of the Pokemon Center in Viridian City. Having fallen asleep not long after being shown to a room, David was rested and ready to go way earlier than he normally would have been. Meanwhile, Luna had spent a decent portion of the night fumbling with the electronic gizmo Oak had given David before departing, a Pokedex. Whatever healing magic this place had discovered was incredible, as she could not remember the last time she felt so full of energy. It had made sleep out of the question.
At least it had given her an opportunity to learn the layout of the region, Kanto as referred to by multiple individuals. Most of the routes of travel were straightforward, so it was obvious the next stop would be Pewter City. She just wasn't sure what of interest the two of them would find there. But first thing was first, they would have to traverse Viridian Forest. Hopefully, this trek would not be a repeat of yesterday.
Luna hated to admit it, but she was at fault for her own injuries. She just didn't like being told what to do, it made her feel useless. After all, she was a princess of Equestria? If she did not know what to do, it was a major problem back at home. She would have to remind herself, this dream was not home. This was a realm David was more familiar with, and she had to rely on David's knowledge.
But as Luna idly passed the time during the night, there was one thing she could not deny. Despite all the setbacks and hurdles, a small part of her was excited. The events of the day reminded her so much of what Equestria had been before it was even a nation. She and her sister had to fight to bring peace to the land, and while the peace was nice, she missed flaunting her might. For the most part, the two princesses were seen as pretty faces, especially as Celestia stood back and let Twilight Sparkle prove herself time and time again. Waiting was not a strong point of Luna's - she was a mare of action, and always had been.
By the time the sun began to peek above the horizon, Luna's mind had been set - she would be approaching this day with an appetite for adventure.
"Thanks again, Nurse Joy," David called out as he passed the counter in the front of the building, Luna in tow. Nurse Joy smiled in response, offering a wave goodbye.
"Not a problem, you're welcome here any time," she replied. "Good luck in your travels, you two."
"Thank you," Luna replied, already forgetting she could not be understood. She felt silly, but then again, it didn't hurt to thank someone regardless.
"So what will we find in Pewter City? I assume that is our next stop," Luna asked, much to the surprise of David.
"Yeah, that is the next stop. The most important thing there is the gym," he replied. The thought of a gym as a place of interest confused and intrigued Luna, so much so that as the pair walked out into the streets of Viridian City, she about ran into a pole. Luna recoiled back in surprise.
"That pole jumped right out in front of you, I saw it," David joked, trying to stifle a bit of laughter. The sheer idiocy of David's joke caught Luna off-guard, making her lose any irritation she had and let out her own burst of laughter.
"Indeed it did," she said, finally getting a grip on her composure. "But you mentioned a gym in Pewter City, I'm not sure I understand the significance."
"Oh, right," David said, his mind snapping back to the conversation at hand. Or, it almost did. "By the way, how did you know Pewter City was up ahead?"
"I was examining that PokeDex device during the night, I was not able to sleep as you did," Luna replied, a bit embarrassed.
"Okay, no worries Luna," David assured her. "Anyways, gyms in this world are meant to prove your battle prowess, both trainer and Pokemon together. You go up against one of eight of the strongest trainers in the region, and by winning, you earn a badge. Get all eight and you are among the cream of the crop. Then you get to challenge the best of the best, but we'll get to that later." He paused for a moment, remembering the issues of yesterday. "If you're interested, that is. I don't want to tell you what to do."
"I am up for the challenge," Luna replied without hesitation. The shock of her response caused David to stop dead in his tracks.
"I... Really?" he managed to stammer out. Quickly he gained a grip on his composure, shaking his head free of the paralysis. "That's great Luna, seriously. I'm just surprised you were so quick to say yes."
"I did some thinking last night while I was up and about," Luna replied, circling around to face David directly. "No, yesterday did not go well, and that is a result of my own pride getting in the way, I am afraid. Yet, I feel as if that battle rekindled a fire within me that had been long dormant. My sister and I fought tooth and hoof to release Equestria from the grip of beings with ill intentions and unite the lands. It was difficult, it was not always assured we would be victorious, but I must say it was a thrill to have that sense of accomplishment when we did succeed. Perhaps this challenge you speak of will allow me the same excitement I felt so long ago."
It took David a moment to process the cascade of information Luna had just dropped on him. Luna had never been too vocal about her past for obvious reasons, so he felt rather privileged to be allowed an insight into her story, even if it was a condensed version. But to hear her sharing the same sentiments he felt with the idea of this dream after a night of thought only increased his own excitement.
"Luna, this is awesome," he shouted, barely able to contain himself. With that, David dropped down to a knee and wrapped his arms around her neck, surprising Luna for an instant before she relaxed. For Luna, the sight and feeling melted away the frustrations of everything that had transpired thus far, allowing a serene smile to grace her face as she flared out her wings and stepped towards her friends, wrapping the appendages around him in a returning soft embrace.
"I also will try to heed your instructions, even if I admit, I am not used to doing such a thing. I said I wanted to learn of your interest in this game and world, so I must be willing to open my mind and listen. We turn over a new leaf today."
"Thanks, Luna," David replied. "I promise I'll listen to your concerns as well. Like I said, this is a team effort, so this street between us goes both ways. While I may see something on the sides of the battlefield, it's more than possible you will see something in the heat of battle that my eyes may not catch."
With that, David rose back to his feet as Luna stepped back, the two composing themselves as once again they set out. North of them, the vast foliage of the Viridian Forest was slowly beginning to make its presence known on the horizon. Even though their destination was set, David kept a lookout for anything of interest in the city proper. He had spied a Poke Mart nearby just as they had left the Pokemon Center, but without any money, there was little use in stopping. He and Luna were definitely going to need to be careful as they traveled for the time being, to avoid the situation they found themselves in just a day ago.
"So, now that we are on the same page, I want to be enlightened. Tell me everything there is to know about battle," Luna said.
"Boy, it's a good thing we have a long ways ahead of us," David quipped. "I'll do the best I can if you can do your best impression of a sponge..."
========
As minutes turned to hours, the duo found themselves in the thick of the Viridian Forest, the city they left behind now just a distant memory. By this point, David's throat was dry after rambling on about all the nuances of Pokemon battles. For her part, Luna stayed attentive, absorbing as much as she could of what her friend put out.
"So, with all these different types, it is critical to match up those that are stronger against another, correct?" she asked.
"It's not necessarily critical, but it helps a lot," David replied. "Sometimes it just isn't possible depending on who you have with you and what the other trainer has at hand. At that point, you just roll with it."
"Do we know what type I am?"
"No, I don't think Oak ever mentioned it," David said, scouring his mind for any memories. His mind shifted to the one tool he had that would likely give him the answer. He reached behind to his backpack, opening up a side pouch and retrieving the Pokedex. Without a word, he opened it up and pointed it at Luna, unsure how to work the device.
Luna stared back at him with a bit of unease, not knowing what to expect. "What are you trying to do?" she inquired after a brief wait. Coming to a halt at once, David did the same after a couple more steps, slow to react due to his distraction. He turned back around to face Luna, still focused on the device in his hand.
"Trying to figure this thing out, I should be able to just scan you and get information, but I don't know how the scan-" Before he could finish his sentence, one of the larger buttons on the device he had pressed triggered a beep, followed by the screen lighting up with a picture of Luna. With hardly a pause, the device began to churn out information, in an odd combination of electronic and feminine tones.
"Luna, the Pony Pokemon. A recently discovered species, not much is known about it aside from its strong-willed temperament. Researchers have theorized Luna's markings give it some sort of connection to the moon."
"Oh, if only they knew," Luna announced, earning a chuckle from David. He continued to fiddle with the device for more helpful information. After a few seconds of trial and error, the Pokedex came to life once again.
"Luna is a combination Normal-Flying type Pokemon. Its evolutions, if any are not known at this time."
"Evolution, what is that?" Luna asked, somewhat nervous.
"Don't worry Luna, it's a good thing. When a Pokemon grows through battle, sometimes that growth and experience trigger a permanent, major change in form known as evolution. Think of it like how your magic changes you depending on your reserves...." David trailed off, listening to his own words. He looked up at Luna, whose eyes were lit up, likely coming to the same conclusion he had.
"Do you think it's really possible I can get to my proper form through this evolution process you describe?" she asked, hardly able to contain her excitement. It was better than the alternative, as her magic reserves could take months to recharge in the waking world, and this dream did not seem kind enough to just give her that back in an instant.
"It's possible, the Pokedex just says your evolutions are unknown. But, there are other ways for Pokemon to evolve so it might not be that easy," David replied, dampening Luna's spirits as her ears drooped in response.
"Well, what about the types I possess, Normal and Flying, those are good, aren't they?" She asked, hopeful.
"It's okay, but it's going to make the first gym a challenge, to be honest with you," he replied, further trouncing the optimism Luna had gained. "Normal and Flying-type moves are not going to be very effective against Rock types, which is what we will be facing up against. Plus, Flying types are weak against Rock."
"You certainly don't sugar coat things, do you?" Luna responded. But David reached down and scratched her behind the ears as a comforting gesture. While not necessarily keen on being treated like a pet, Luna had to admit, the feeling of his digits upon and behind her ears was nothing short of heavenly. Luna let go of her inhibitions and leaned into his hand.
"It will be a challenge, but not impossible, Luna," he said. "Personally, I do like the Flying type, because they tend to have an edge in speed. How good of a flyer are you?"
"Well, I may not be quite up to the level of Wonderbolt material, but I can say with confidence I am rather accomplished in the art of flight," she said, pulling away from his hand and standing tall with pride.
"Good, we might be able to use that to our advantage, now we just need to figure out what other moves you know. Because Flash and Quick Attack aren't going to cut it," he said, scratching his head. "How did you figure out Quick Attack?"
"I just lost control of my anger and charged towards that little fox, it certainly was not planned," Luna admitted rather sheepishly. "The same as when I kicked him, it had somewhat the same feeling. Felt like my magic, but suffused through my body. So, maybe that was a move, too?"
"I guess the only way we're going to figure out what you know is through battles," David said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Then you've come to the right place," came a voice from behind. Both Luna and David jumped at the interruption, David turning around and Luna side-stepping his figure to get a view of the origin.
Dressed in a polo T-shirt and khaki shorts, a young boy stood about four or five feet behind David, his arms crossed and a cocky grin upon his face. David guessed the boy was in his early teens, if that. Uncrossing his arms upon acknowledgment of his presence, the boy brandished a Pokeball in his right hand, holding up for the duo to see.
"How about it? Looks like you're pretty new to the scene and have only that one Pokemon, I'll take it easy on ya," the boy said. David looked down at Luna, who met his gaze and offered a firm nod.
"You're on, I'm David and this is Luna," David announced, as Luna trotted forward. The other boy took a few steps back as he tossed his Pokeball, a flash and electronic pop emanating from the orb as a purple rat slowly took form upon the ground. Barely reaching Luna's knees, the little creature nonetheless let out a high pitched growl upon seeing its opponent.
"I'm Jake, and this is my Rattata," he replied, the Pokemon chirping its name a few times in confirmation.
At least, that's all that David heard.
The Rattata's crimson eyes ran up and down Luna quickly as it twitched in anticipation of battle. "What are you? I've never seen anything like you before," the Pokemon chattered.
"Luna is my name and I suppose I'm.... new to this region," she replied quietly.
"Well it doesn't matter if you are new or not, you're still going down," the rat shot back, gnashing its large incisors.
"We will see about that. It's unwise to underestimate your opponent, as I've learned." Luna narrowed her eyes, waiting for any sudden movements from the rodent.
Meanwhile, Jake pointed to David as the two Pokemon traded words. "Since you're a rookie, I'll let you start off this battle," he shouted.
"Sounds good to me," he called back, before turning his attention to Luna. "Alright Luna, let's start things off with a Quick Attack!"
Luna nodded, galloping towards her foe as she felt the familiar sensation of magic course through her. She took aim before lowering her head in anticipation of a solid hit.
"Rattata, dodge it with Agility, then use Scratch," came Jake's voice, and the purple rodent quickly scampered to the side in a blur, the alicorn rushing right past her target by a wide margin. Luna skidded to a stop, spinning around as quick as she could to regain her bearings. As she did so, a paw caught her right across the muzzle, claws raking through her fur and flesh.
Grunting as she recoiled back in surprise, Luna did her best to shake off the hit, as Rattata came to a halt mere feet away. "You're going to have to be faster than that to catch me," it taunted. The verbal jab caused Luna to again try to strike the little rat, with no success as her attack was again dodged.
"Luna, use Flash," David called out, unsure of what else to do. He could see calling out another charge would be senseless, but what other moves did she know?
"Rattata, use Bite," shouted Jake. Rattata readied itself to pounce upon the blue alicorn again.
Frustrated, Luna did as instructed, also realizing Quick Attack was going to be of little use at this point. A bright burst of light erupted from her horn, allowing her to seize the opportunity to retreat from the attacker, taking flight and heading back towards David.
"Giving up already? That's sad," Jake shouted as Luna hovered in front of David's face.
"Not a chance, we're just still trying to learn each other," David shot back. He adjusted his tone, focusing on his friend. "Alright Luna, I guess we'll have to start trying to experiment. You have to have more moves than those two."
"What do you want me to do?" Luna asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm following your orders as you ask."
"I know, it's not your fault. Maybe try a Quick Attack from the air? That Rattata is more agile, but maybe you will be a bit faster diving towards it."
"I'll see what I can do," Luna agreed, nodding quickly before returning to the battle.
"Now Luna, try an aerial Quick Attack," David instructed. Upon his words, Luna shot up into the air, before swooping downward in a shallow dive. As she gained speed, Luna felt a reserve of magic within herself and tapped into it without hesitation.
In an instant, time itself seemed to slow down, even though Luna could tell she was going just as fast as before. Instead, her wings lent themselves to more abrupt movements than ever before, and as she flew at the Rattata, her vision pinpointed the rat. As the Pokemon tried to sidestep again, Luna jerked to the right, slamming into the purple rodent headfirst.
Luna kept going, unfazed as her senses returned to normal, while Rattata was sent rolling across the ground violently. Stunned by the hit, it took a moment for Luna's foe to rise to its paws.
As David was about to cheer Luna's success, his Pokedex emitted a loud beep. Curious, David reached behind and retrieved the device, opening it up to a screen with Luna's portrait again. But this time, a list of moves was underneath her picture, along with one blinking vividly in bright green.
Aerial Ace.
"Luna, good work," David cheered. "That was a new attack, Aerial Ace."
Luna turned her head. "I am not surprised, it felt quite a bit different from the Quick Attack. Perhaps I should keep trying different things?"
David hesitated for a moment. True, she had lucked out this time trying something off the wall. But would lightning strike twice?
"Do what you feel is necessary Luna, I can't tell you yes or no," David finally said.
"Enough coaching," yelled Jake, frustrated with the interruption of battle again. "Rattata, show them your Super Fang and put a hurting on that horse fly!"
Upon his trainer's order, Rattata's oversized incisors began to glow, the Pokemon scrunching up its body before launching itself into the air.
"Luna, fly higher and dodge it," David commanded. But Luna remained where she had been hovering, just waiting...
As Rattata was just about to reach her, Luna finally made a movement, once again grasping at something she could feel within herself. She kicked her hind legs forward as hard as she could, catching the rat square in the jaws. Rattata was caught completely unaware with no time to brace itself. The violent hit sent it cartwheeling through the air limply. Its trainer rushed forward onto the battlefield, catching the weary Pokemon in his arms.
Another beep, and David's Pokedex updated itself once again, with one more attack added to the list below Luna's picture - Double Kick.
Something clicked in David's mind as he glanced over towards Jake, the Rattata in his arms moving now, but clearly unfit for further battle. That was a Fighting-type move, no wonder it was so effective. That must be what Luna used against Zorua yesterday, he thought to himself, remembering not only were Fighting-types super effective against Normal-type Pokemon, but Dark-types as well.
And perhaps more importantly, Rock-type Pokemon.
Luna fluttered over to David, clearly excited by her success as she reached out and hugged him without warning. "I did it! Oh what a rush that was, I can not describe how exhilarating that felt," she shouted.
"Good job Luna, you were a natural," David praised her, returning the embrace as the excited mare squeezed him harder. "How did you learn those moves? I'm impressed."
"I just felt something within me, I just let it go and instinct took over," she replied, finally calming down from her high as she released David from her clutches.
"That's great Luna, and that last move you used, Double Kick. Make sure you remember that one for sure." David instructed, causing Luna a minor bout of confusion.
"Why is that one so important?"
"We're going to need it if we plan on winning a badge in Pewter City."