//------------------------------// // The City of Evergreen // Story: Pokemon: Earth and Sky // by raven618 //------------------------------// Viridian City was much larger than Applejack anticipated. She had been expecting a larger version of Pallet town, but this… “It’s like something out of a Science Fiction comic.” Rarity said in awe, while also putting words to Applejack’s thoughts. All around them were large buildings made of glass and cement, instead of the wood and plaster of their hometown. The streets were lined with concrete sidewalks where unfamiliar faces walked with unfamiliar Pokémon. “Excuse us.” Rarity said, walking up to a lady with a red furry Pokémon, “Could you tell us where the Pokémon center is?” “Oh yes. Turn around that corner and follow the street until you reach the big white building with the red roof, that will be the Pokémon center.” “Thank you.” The two followed her directions until they stopped in front of what seemed to be the right building, except… “It’s big and it’s white, and it has a bunch of Pokémon trainers walking in and out of it. That’s got to be the Pokémon center.” “But she said a building with a red roof.” Rarity pointed to the roof, “That is clearly amber, a shade of orange.” “Ah know that, but do ya see any other buildings that even remotely look like that?” Rarity didn’t, thus she conceded to Applejack’s wishes and they entered. The inside of the building looked like a hospital, with sandy colored walls and a large open space before the front desk. Above said desk was a large stone plaque. Oddly, there was evidence of tire skids on the linoleum floor. Manning the desk was a young woman in a pink nurse’s outfit with pink hair. “Hello,” the woman said, “welcome to the Viridian City Pokémon center. I am Nurse Joy. May I help you?” Applejack spared Rarity the ‘I told ya so.’ And pulled out Bulbasaur’s pokeball. “We’d like a room fer the two of us and mah Bulbasaur got hurt in a Pokémon battle a few hours ago.” Nurse Joy took the pokeball and released Bulbasaur. She looked the grass-type over before smiling. “He just needs a bit of rest. He’ll be fine by tonight.” She hit a few keys on her computer. “Chansey, Come and bring this Pokémon to the resting ward.” A pink fluffy egg in a hat walking in, picked up Applejack’s Pokémon and walked away. “I’ll show you two to your room.” Both girls followed the nurse as she led them into the back of the center. = = = The room was sparsely decorated. Besides some viridian green curtains, the only décor was a poster for the Pokémon League. Rarity had quickly corrected this by adding some diamond shaped throw pillows to the bunk beds. “That’s better.” She said with a satisfied smile. “Now, shall we plan our next move?” AJ sat down and pulled out their map, “Well, it took us right around a day of waking ta get from home,” she put her finger on Pallet Town, “ta here.” She slid her finger along the paper until it hit Viridian City. “So, it looks like the next closest place is Pewter City. Problem is, there’s a great big forest between here an’ there. I reckon it’ll take maybe two days a’ walking. Cerulean City’ll be another two, maybe three days after that.” “Then I suggest we get a good night’s sleep tonight and set off early tomorrow. We can restock on supplies once we reach Pewter City.” Both stood up and made to leave the room, “For now though, I’m going to go wash up before dinner.” They parted ways, Rarity towards the bathrooms and Applejack towards the main area. The nurse had said the food court was on the other side of the Pokémon Center. So, Applejack waited in the lobby for Rarity. As she waited, she got a closer look at the plaque over the main desk. It was divided into four squares, each a different color. The top right one was blue and depicted a Pokémon with large feathery wings. A wide tail fanned out beneath it. To its left was a red carving of another Pokémon. This one also had wings, but they looked to be bare, with the feathers carved in separately. This one also had no tail and was standing as opposed to flying. Underneath the blue carving was a yellow one, the Pokémon here was far more bestial than the other two. It stood on four legs and had a hairy looking mane and tail. Applejack could clearly see stripes on the Pokémon's back and legs. The fourth panel was by far the most confusing one. The green stone almost looked bare if not for the discoloration. The figure was just a mass of jagged lines with a second layer of jagged lines forming something resembling a head or face, except the face was empty save for two narrow cuts that looked like eyes. “AJ?” Applejack turned towards the sound of the voice and saw a young girl. She had pale, cream colored skin and dull green eyes. Her hair was a soft red with a floral pink lock on the right side of her face. She wore a green miniskirt and half jacket over a pink blouse with the image of a rose printed on it. “Rosie!” Applejack said in both surprise and joy. The two girls pulled each other into a tight hug. “Ya left Pallet almost a month ago. What’re ya still doing in Viridian?” The red-haired girl stepped out of the hug and cringed at her words, “I was going to keep going on to Pewter, but I had an, accident, in the Viridian Forest.” Applejack looked down, her shapely legs were on full display because of her skirt, but so was the cast on her right foot. “Ah, jeez, I’m sorry Rosie. How come I didn’t hear about it?” “I only told my parents and Professor Oak. I didn’t want anyone else to know I’d fallen behind.” She began looking around the room. “Hey, is Rarity here?” “Roseluck, darling!” “Forget I asked.” She was pulled into her second hug and began reexplaining her situation to the fashionista. The three girls all moved into the food court to have their dinner. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Roseluck.” Rarity said. Turquoise sat in her lap eating some specialized Pokémon food. “It hasn’t been a complete loss.” She pulled something out of her jacket, “I’ve had plenty of time to win my Earth Badge.” It was a yellow-green piece of metal shaped like a feather or a leaf. “You’re challenging the Pokémon League?” Applejack asked. The Pokémon League; an annual tournament where trainers travel across the Kanto Region, challenging Gym Leaders until they have acquired eight Gym Badges. Each Leader specializes in a different Pokémon type, ensuring that trainers can deal with different battle scenarios. “I thought you were going to study under one of the Gym Leaders?” She put the badge away, “I was, but…” “Bulba!” Bulbasaur suddenly ran up to the girls and jumped up on AJ’s lap. “Hey Bulbasaur, you’re looking well.” “Ba!” Roseluck smiled, “So that’s your Pokémon, huh.” She pulled out a pair of pokeballs. “Check out mine.” The first was a red furry Pokémon with sharp triangular ears. A patch of crimson hair sat on its head. Six furry tails fanned out behind it. The second was a sandy feathered Pokémon. Thick black tear stripes marked its face. “It’s so cute!” Rarity immediately grabbed the red Pokémon and began snuggling it. It didn’t resist but was clearly startled by the sudden action. “That’s my Vulpix, Renarde,” The winged Pokémon fluttered onto her arm. “and this is my Pidgey, Faucon. They’ve been great. Once my foot heals, we’ll be back on the road to Celadon City.” Faucon began preening her hair. “I trust you will be more careful about where you put your feet?” Rarity jest. Roseluck took the joke in stride, “Yes, I will.” She took a bite of her meal. “Wha’ about you two?” She said through the mouthful of food. “Where are you going next?” “We’re leaven’ for Pewter City in the morning. Now, if ya’ll will excuse me.” Applejack picked up her dishes and made for the counter. “Where are you going?” “Fer a walk. I want to know what’s so great about this city night life I keep hearing about.” “Better take your Pokémon with you.” Roseluck said, indicating Bulbasaur. “There’s a lot of young trainers in this town who might be looking for a fight.” Bulbasaur seemed to perk up at the prospect of a match, and it did seem like sound advice. “Alrighty then. Come on Bulba.” “Bulba!” The green Pokémon hopped after his trainer. Rarity scoffed, “Well how do you like that? We spend all day walking and how does she decide to relax? By walking even more.” She let Renarde go as she took another bite of her dinner, “Sometimes I just don’t understand that girl.” “Then why do you two stick together?” Rarity laughed a little, “Because for all the times we don’t see eye-to-eye, when we do work together, we always seem to, click. Do you understand?” Roseluck scratched Renarde behind the ear, “I think I’m starting to.” = = = Applejack deposited her dishes at the counter so the staff could wash them, making sure to grab that dinner roll that she had forgotten to eat, then made her way outside, Bulbasaur trotting along beside her. The night air was cool, not uncommon for this time of Spring, but it would probably be the last night like this for a while. The streetlights cast the world in a yellow glow separated by dark shadows. Not too unlike the streets of Pallet Town at night. But while those nights had a tendency of making Applejack feel small, here she felt absolutely puny. The strangers walking past gave her and her companion little regard, instead solely focused on their own affairs. She passed by a café, where the sounds of celebration made her pause. A group of boys and girls, all around her age, were enjoying a large meal in the outdoor patio. Each of them was wearing the same uniform. The boys wore a dark green blazer over a white dress shirt and tie, with black pants. The girls wore a green vest over a white shirt with puffed out sleeves, a green and dark green striped skirt and black stockings. A green triangle icon was printed on their left breast and many wore pokeballs on their belts. A girl stood up from the head of the table, a stem glass filled with a purple/red liquid in her hand, (the bottle of grape soda on the table giving an idea of the glass’s contents). “A toast!” she said in a haughty but soft voice, “To the first class of Viridian Pokémon Academy! To us!” “To us!” The rest of the group raised their glasses in response. Applejack was a little confused on what she had witnessed but, recognizing that this was a private affair, moved on. Bulbasaur, despite his shorter legs, kept up with her well. He seemed to be watching the various Pokémon and trainers more than the city. He caught sight of a group of trainers and trotted off towards them. “Hey! Bulbasaur, come back!” Applejack chased after the Plant Pokémon. She grabbed him as he started barking at an older man and his Tauros. “Ah’m sorry about that mister. He just ran off on his own.” “No harm done, lil’ lady.” The man said. “Say, you wouldn’t be from the Safari Zone, would ya?” “No sir, Pallet Town.” “Really? Well my apologies to ya then. Are you here to challenge the Viridian Gym?” “’Fraid not. I’m just passing through with a friend.” “That’s a real shame, that Bulbasaur a your’s looks like a real fighter.” “He does?” Applejack looked at her Pokémon. He was still leering at the Tauros and some of the other Pokémon. Then she remembered how eagerly Bulbasaur responded to Rainbow Dash’s challenge earlier. “Heh, I guess he is.” “Bulba!” “Oi! Farmgirl. Grandpa.” One of the trainers walked up to them. “If yer looking to challenge the Gym, ye might as well head home. The leaders gone and scarpered off.” “What?” Applejack asked in total confusion. “He’s taken a holiday. Ain’t seeing no challengers today, tomorrow, no time.” “Well ain’t that a shame.” The older man turned back to Applejack. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, lil’ lady. Good luck on your journey.” “Thank you, mister. Good night.” She put Bulbasaur down and the two of them began the return trip to the Pokémon center. It was a few minutes later when they heard a commotion. They were back in front of the restaurant they had passed earlier and the same girl who had been giving a toast was now running out of the building chasing a small purple Pokémon. Applejack followed the girl into a small alleyway where a pile of wooden boxes was blocking the Pokémon from fleeing. Now that it had stopped, she recognized it as a Rattata; a furry Pokémon with round ears, a long tail, and large front teeth. In its mouth was a white triangle of food with a black band on the underside. The girl pulled a pokeball off her belt, “I’ll teach you to steal my dinner. Geodude! Go!” The energy from the pokeball briefly illuminated the dark alley, to fade as the Pokémon materialized. It was a round and tough looking creature, with rock-like hide, no legs, and two muscular arms. “Geodude, use Tackle!” Geodude used its arms to launch itself into to the air. It slammed into the Rattata hard, throwing it into the crates. “Hey!” Applejack yelled, running up to the girl. “I can understand that you’re angry, but this is taking things too far!” The girl and her Pokémon turned to look at her. “And who are you?” “My name’s Applejack. I’m a trainer from Pallet Town.” The girl scoffed and ran a finger through her wine-colored hair. “Oh? Is that all? Well I’m Giselle, class president of the first graduating class of Viridian City’s Pokémon Academy. That’s the most prestigious school for Pokémon trainers in this part of the region. Now if you will excuse me, I have a vermin to remove.” She began to turn back to the Rattata, but was stopped by Applejack’s hand on her shoulder. “It would seem your teacher forgot to teach you how to be a decent human being.” Bulbasaur barked in agreement. “If that Rattata is bothering you so much, why don’t you just let me catch it.” Giselle laughed, “You can’t be serious. You would waste a spot on your team with a low level Pokémon like that?” “Level? What are you talking about?” “Do they not teach you even the most basic of lessons in Pallet? A Pokémon's level is a measure of its strength. A common street Rattata like that one would only be classified as level 2. While my Geodude is a perfect example of a level 5 Pokémon. Still in the beginning stages, but far stronger and more useful than that little thief.” The Geodude raised itself up proudly. “Is that right? Well then how about this; I’ll wager I can capture that Rattata without battling it at all. If’n I can’t, I’ll leave you alone.” Giselle seemed taken aback by her wager, but smiled and said, “I’ll be amazed if you can pull this off.” Applejack smiled and turned to Bulbasaur. “You stay back here for now, okay?” Bulbasaur seemed conflicted, but sat down just the same. “Bulbasaur.” Applejack smiled and walked towards the fallen Rattata. It had been watching the two humans arguing, and now the tall one was approaching. It bared its teeth, ready for a fight. It was a surprise when the human female instead held out a piece of bread. Most of it had already been eaten, and it was dry, but it was food. Rattata looked warily at the female, but saw no malice or anger in her eyes. Applejack tore a pinch off the roll and put it into her mouth, to show that she wasn’t trying to poison it. The Rattata still looked nervous, but it started nibbling on the bread. “There you go little guy. Now, doesn’t it taste better when you don’t have to steal it?” Rattata looked up at her and, while it didn’t nod, it did pause before going back to eating. Applejack pulled an empty pokeball out of her bag. Rattata stopped eating and made to run away, but stopped when she dropped the ball on the ground and backed up. “I won’t force this on you. But if you come with me, I can promise to look after you, and take care of you.” Rattata stood his ground. Giselle was confident that this girl had lost her bet, and got ready to tell Geodude to attack, only for Rattata to call out. “Rattata!” the purple Pokémon approached the ball, sniffed it a little, then purposefully hit the trigger button with his tail. He turned into red energy as the ball opened, drawing the Pokémon inside. The ball gave a shake, then another, then it gave a soft ding to signal a successful capture. “Bul-baba!” Bulbasaur gave a resounding cheer as he ran up to his trainer. Applejack picked up the pokeball and looked at the occupant within. “Now, let’s get you a proper meal and some rest.” She put the ball on her belt and picked up Bulbasaur. She didn’t say anything to the shocked Giselle as she passed her. A few moments after she left, a few boys wearing the Viridian Academy uniform ran up to her. “Class President! There you are. When you didn’t come back we got worried. Are you alright?” She recalled her Geodude and walked out of the alley. “I’m fine.” She turned her gaze towards the direction Applejack had gone. “There were just a few more vermin than I expected.” = = = The next morning saw Applejack up at seven. Nurse Joy had taken Rattata last night to get his injuries healed. While she was waiting for them Applejack, Rarity and Roseluck were having their breakfast when she spotted the same older man from last night. “Good morning!” She called, getting up from her seat and walking over. “Well, hello lil’ lady.” He said. “I wanted ta thank you for what you said last night, about my Bulbasaur being a fighter. I never really knew what I wanted from my Pokémon journey. I thought it’d be enough to help my friend with her journey. But once ah got out here, and met all these different trainers, I realized that I’m a fighter too. So I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna join the Pokémon League and learn just how strong a fighter ah am.” The older man smiled, “Well I’m glad I helped you realize that. And ah look forward to seeing you at the Indigo Plateau. Oh, where are mah manners.” he held his hand out, “My name’s Harry, most people call me Hiker Harry.” She shook his hand, “Ah’m Applejack.” “It’s nice to meet you, Applejack. You take care now.” “I will. Thank you.” She returned to the table where the other two were looking at her. “And when were you planning on telling me that you were joining the Pokémon League?” Rarity asked. “Right about now I imagine.” “Well I think it’s a great idea.” Rosie said. “I’m not sure what the rest of our class’s plans are, but I’m really glad I’m not the only one out there representing Pallet Town.” Rarity sighed, “If this is really what you want, I will support you all the way.” She took Applejack’s hand in her own. “Have you told your family about this yet?” “I called Professor Oak’s lab this morning and spoke to them then. Apple Bloom’s more hyped up than a Magikarp in a soda fountain. Granny and Big Mac are gonna be routing for me too. Just about all that’s left is to actually sign up.” “I’d be glad to help you with that.” The nurse said as she walked up to them, Ratatta sitting on a small cart with his pokeball. “Thank you very kindly, Nurse Joy.” Applejack said. She rubbed Ratatta’s head, “You ready to see the world, little guy?” “Rat-tata.” He squeaked. “Then if you will all follow me please.” The girls all quickly finished their breakfast and went to the front desk. Nurse Joy turned on the computer and began typing away. “Anyone can challenge a Gym Leader to a battle for a badge, but being registered for the league means that you receive a certain discount from League sponsored Pokemarts. Now, just tell me your name, your parent’s names and your hometown.” “Applejack, Bright Mac and Pear Butter, Pallet Town.” “Now hand me your trainer ID.” She did so and the Nurse inserted the card into a slot on the computer. It whirred a bit then she pulled the card out and gave it back to her. “You are now fully registered.” “Thanks again.” She turned to the so-to-be fashionista. “Well, you ready to hit the road?” Rarity went back to the table and grabbed their bags off the floor. “I am now.” She turned to Roseluck, “It was good to see you again, darling.” They shared a quick hug. “You let us know the second your foot heals, okay?” “I will.” Roseluck gave Applejack a hug as well. “I’ll look forward to facing you in battle. Good luck out there.” “You too, Rosie.” Applejack grabbed her bag and released Bulbasaur from his pokeball, “You two ready?” “Bulba!” “Ratatta!” “Then let’s move out! Next stop, Pewter City.” With that, the group went on their way, their goals fully realized and with good friends to help them achieve them.