//------------------------------// // Go for Grass! Loss is Nature's Greatest Motivator! // Story: Pokemon: The Dawn of Twilight // by TheAlienBrony22 //------------------------------// You reach your hand out and smile at Shrubunny. Sure, this Pokémon was being a bit of a brat, but that wasn't gonna stop you from trying to befriend it, and get it to understand. At first, Shrubunny seems hesitant to let you touch it, but after a good minute and a half of trying, the bunny seems to become more receptive, nuzzling into the palm of your hand as you gently pet its head. Professor Nocturna seems rather surprised by your choice. "Shrubunny, hm? Gotta admit, would not have been my first pick. Bombirdi or Gumgew, maybe, but Shrubunny are rather stubborn little hares. Are you sure you want to pick Shrubunny, the grass type Pokémon?" You waste no time at grabbing Shrubunny's Poke Ball, and offering it to the Pokémon itself. Shrubunny let a mischievous grin form on its face, and it eagerly went inside of its Poke Ball, locking in your choice. "Well, can't say I'm not surprised, because I am. I was half-expecting you to be put off by the little brat, but I suppose you've got a good head on your shoulders, you'll probably be fine. In any case, congrats on picking your starter, but let's see if your Pokémon can withstand the power of my own, just so I can educate you properly on Pokémon Battles." the professor stated. Before you knew what happened, Bombirdi and Gumgew fled to the top of the staircase, all while the professor stands adjacent to you, staring you down with a determined smile. "It's been a while since I've had a battle, so don't worry. You're new, so I'll use my weakest Pokémon against you, but don't expect it to be that easy." The professor cautioned. You ready Shrubunny's Poke Ball as several research assistants move the table away. You and the professor lock eyes as she readies a Poke Ball of her own. The professor shows off two more poke balls in her off hand, while she sends out her first Pokémon, revealing one of those Mintimusk that was harassing someone in town earlier. You send in Shrubunny, who seems rather eager to fight. You could tell that for a first battle, this was going to be rough. The professor was gonna use three Pokemon, while you only had your starter. Nevertheless, you decide to try and brave the difficult challenge, hoping that with a proper strategy, you can come out on top. You're not exactly sure what type Mintimusk is, but you're hoping that Mintimusk isn't poison type. The professor smirks and laughs. "Already feeling uneasy, and we haven't even attacked yet! Alright, I suppose I can help you understand, and that's without words! Let actions do the talking, like so! Mintimusk, hit 'em with a Tail Slap!" The professor commanded. The opposing Mintimusk rushed forward to try and swat Shrubunny with its tail, but the grass type was able to hop over it, dodging the attack. You tell Shrubunny to use Pound, if it knew the move. It didn't seem to know it, and was immediately smacked by a Tail Slap, causing the grass type to skid across the floor. Shrubunny picks itself up, clearly irate at being hit by the move. Shrubunny grits its teeth and swiftly charges forward, scratching the Mintimusk angrily. A couple scratches manage to land, but otherwise, Mintimusk seemed to be hurting pretty bad after that attack. Yet, Mintimusk was still willing to fight. Nocturna laughed. "Seems like your Shrubunny is more of a solo-fighter. You'll have to work hard to rein that one in, not that it'll matter soon. Mintimusk, stun him with your Smokescreen!" Nocturna commanded. The Mintimusk shot a thick ball of smoke from its nose, enveloping the field in a cloud of black smoke. You could feel your lungs struggling to get some fresh air, despite the fragrant mint-scented smell the smoke was filling your nostrils with. Shrubunny seemed to be getting the worst of it, coughing and sputtering, all while Mintimusk lurked in the cloud, hiding in plain sight. You tell Shrubunny to stay on its guard and get out of the smoke. Despite having a coughing fit, the bunny blocks its face with its arms and ears, and runs towards where your voice came from. Shrubunny finds its way out of the smoke, and the entire cloud dissipates, but Shrubunny can't seem to open its eyes. Shrubunny turned to where Mintimusk was, all while trying to open its eyes safely, with little to no avail. "If this is all you can do with a Pokémon at your side, then you're really starting to disappoint me. Don't get me wrong, you've lasted pretty well, for how short that time frame was. You're putting up a fight, sure, more than my last assistant did. However, this is where our little pow-wow ends, consider this my way of teaching you how battles aren't always fair, even to newcomers. Mintimusk, finish it off with a Mint Bomb!" Professor commanded. It was becoming abundantly clear to you, that the professor was not being fair. If these were her weakest Pokémon, you'll have to get stronger to beat her in a much fairer fight. She beat you with just one Pokémon, you shudder to imagine what the other two are capable of. The Mintimusk lets a potent mint-green smell exude out of its nose, eventually forming into a bright mint-scented ball of gas. It tosses the gas ball into the air, and swats it towards Shrubunny. However, before the ball of gas can hit your Pokémon, you jump in front of your starter and take the hit head-on. The impact of the attack left you a bit winded, but you manage to take a knee and try to relax. Aside from your chest feeling sore, and also spontaneously smelling minty fresh, you went out of your way to protect your Pokémon from an unfair matchup, if it was even deemed "fair" to begin with. You smile at Shrubunny and put them back in their Poke Ball, only to slump to the ground and feel very tired. Professor Nocturna returns her Pokémon to its ball as well, and quickly comes over to you as the smokescreen dissipates. The professor helps you back onto your feet, looking down at you with an intrigued expression. "You intervened and protected your Pokémon from harm's way. Can't say that's a legal move in Pokémon battling, but it already proved to me that you're a pretty hardy individual. Despite not having any experience with raising or having a Pokémon of your own before coming to Eqtrot, you risked your safety in a battle that was not in your favor, yet you still provided a decent show of your potential." Nocturna remarked, seeming almost proud of your sacrifice. You give her a skeptical look, and she laughs heartily. "Yes, I'm well aware that you didn't stand a chance, that was the point. If you continued to keep fighting, eventually, you would've widdled me down and won, letting your Pokémon grow stronger, all while proving your strength and potential as a trainer. Even when you lost, you still proved your strength and potential, willing to risk your safety for that of the Pokémon you command. Shrubunny is quite the stubborn little one, it often gets fussy when it doesn't get its way, but I imagine your sacrifice will change its tune, in due time." Nocturna explained. You look at Shrubunny's Poke Ball for a moment, and the professor walks over to an old, ancient chest that sat in-between the joining corners of some bookshelves. She unlocks it and pulls out a couple items, then walks back over to you. "Now, while you did lose, I'm a more humble and generous kind of winner. So, I've decided to give you a few tools to help aid you in increasing the strength of your Pokémon, and strengthening your bond with them. These are also going to be your beginner's tools for the tasks you'll help me with. Might as well give them to you now, so you can familiarize yourself with how they function." The professor stated. You find yourself holding a handheld device in your left hand, and five small empty Poke Balls in your right. The handheld device looks to be purple, colored with light grays and patterned with dark gray buttons. "This here is your PokéDex. From what I learned from my various travels, their handheld digital encyclopedias that can register and record all forms of data about the Pokémon you've seen or encountered. I spent the last twelve years perfecting the final model. Most PokéDexes you see others have in their possession are finalized versions as well, but they weren't exactly made by the scientific minds of Eqtrot. They were all made by licensed big brand companies, like Silph Co., the Aether foundation, or those cheapskates at Macro Cosmos," you could tell by how the professor struggled to say those names that she clearly had a negative opinion on them. She noticed your expression and lightened up a bit, regaining her composure. "The PokéDex I'm bestowing unto you is special, because I personally constructed, programmed and built it. This was made all on my own, going off of the ancient info inside recently recovered Eqtrot scrolls. Each scroll had information that tied back to this region's native Pokémon species of olde, but some of these species still live on in the modern day, so I wrote down and re-translated the ancient texts the best I could." Nocturna explained. You power up the machine, and notice a huge list full of empty dex entries, all except for Shrubunny's entry, and Mintimusk's half-completed entry. "That's the thing about Pokémon, young sir. A PokéDex can't completely register a Pokémon's info unless you catch it. In this case, since Shrubunny is in your care, as you are its trainer now, the complete entry is completely accessible to you. Mintimusk's, on the other hand, well, you've already seen it in our battle, so you can use the Dex to find its habitat. Good thing I gave you those Poke Balls, too, you'll need those to catch wild Pokémon, otherwise, what else are ya gonna use them for, decoration?" Nocturna explained. You turn your PokéDex off and put it in your pocket, along with the five empty Poke Balls you've received. Before the professor can say anything else, the front doors to the lab swing open in a violent manner, startling the staff and alerting the guards. Two worried individuals rush inside, making their way towards the professor. One looked like a guard, but seemed a bit younger, yet some how bigger than the rest, and had a few medals, ribbons and badges fastened to his chest piece, like he was a war hero, or at the very least, a youthful, but still well respected veteran. The other looked like a woman, dressed in what looked like very casual clothing, though her shoes looked to be adorned in various small jewels. Even by having her hair tied up in a pony tail, you could just barely tell that this new girl just exudes a royal and prestigious aura. "Princess Nocturna! We need your help, it's an emergency!" The woman cried out in panic. Nocturna straightened herself up and cleared her throat, though she seemed a bit disinterested. "Carmilla, and mister Andrew as well? Must be quite the problem. What seems to be the issue this time?" The professor looks at you with a knowing smile. "Why don't you make your way back to Ponville Town and try to get stronger for a bit. Don't worry about me, sometimes being a princess is a "royal pain", as it were." Nocturna responded nonchalantly. You take this opportunity to walk around the two frantic individuals and walk to the wide-open front doors. You're not sure why, but you feel as if that situation is going to rebound back towards you in due time, so you decide to do a bit of looking around and explore a bit of the Everfree Forest. As you step out of the lab, you're immediately met by the sight of Jackson, who's wielding a rather large woodcutter's axe as she whistles and walks through the woods. You walk over, and she seems to take an important note of you being in this particular location. "Well I'll be, here I thought ya ran fer the hills! Ya vanished like a ghost-type, partner! Everyone was tellin' me how ya supposedly went to this 'ere forest, but I know no one's dumb enough to go in here, especially without a Pokémon," as Jackson says that, Shrubunny manages to muster enough strength to let itself out of its Poke Ball, only to collapse in your arms, likely still exhausted and sore from that last battle. Jackson was rather surprised, as well as impressed, but she was more-so concerned about your Pokemon's condition. "Looks like the poor feller needs healing. Ah know I got a Sitrus Berry or two in my pocket, just gimme a moment. I am rather surprised, though, ah wasn't aware that you were tryin' to make yer way to the professor all on your lonesome. Mind if ah ask what you're reckoning with, from one trainer to another?" Jackson asked, pulling out a Sitrus Berry for Shrubunny. You sit Shrubunny down on the ground and give it the berry with no hesitation, and the lagomorphic grass-type eats it in a frenzy. Jackson smiled and laughed at the small Pokémon's voracious appetite and turns to look at you. "Quite the hungry little one, ain't it? Y'know, ah had a friend that chose Shrubunny a long time ago, but we haven't exactly been on speaking terms.. I guess seein' you with one reminded me ah better days, back when I wasn't bustin' my behind on the farm, to provide fer my family, havin' fun with friends..." As Shrubunny finishes eating the berry, it hops up and seems eager for another chance at beating the professor's team. You watch as it tries running back to the lab, eager for a rematch, but then you gently hold it in place by gently grabbing its ears, watching it flutter its feet against the ground and kick up dust in your direction. Jackson smiled, watching as the grass type tried to escape with little to no avail. "Her Shrubunny was just as stubborn as can be, also rather temperamental. Though you don't seem to be as much of a pushover as she was, so I think you'll do fine raisin' this little varmint." Jackson remarks with a smile. You nod and decide to explain your situation, even the stuff she had no business in knowing, you just felt like it needed to get off your chest. As you explain everything, Jackson's expression becomes more curious with every word you say. By the time you finish your explanation, Jackson seems reassured by what you told her. "Partner, it takes a lot of strength to be that honest with someone ya just met, especially if yer trustin' me with that kind of knowledge. I may not be book smart, but ah know these parts like the back of a Stallfalo's hoof. Whether it's the town's layout or the routes that trainers and wandering traders like to brave, I'm familiar with every part of these specific lands in Eqtrot. I may not be familiar with whatever Pokémon that must've attacked ya, but I'm sure if ya tell Princess Solesta about it, she'll know what to do," You nod in agreement, smiling slightly that someone understands your situation a bit better. "Is there anything else ya wanna tell me?" Jackson asked. You thought about the situation for a moment, and suddenly the realization hits you like a speeding locomotive. You've never tried to catch a Pokémon before. You pull out one of the empty Poke Balls the professor gave you, and you ask Jackson if she could teach your the basics on catching and battling Pokémon, which actually manages to confuse and surprise the farm girl. She looks at you skeptically, as she does feel quite dumbfounded. "Yo-you're jokin', right? How in tarnation do ya not know how to catch or battle with Pokémon?! Where in tarnation do ya come from!?" You tell her the name of the region you came here from, and suddenly, the pieces start putting themselves together, and Jackson now feels a bit silly. "Orre, huh? Well shucks, well don't I feel a bit ditzy... had I've known that, I woulda picked mah words more carefully. Look, ah can bet that yer not a bad guy, yer certainly not with them "Team Snagem" sons ah guns that were makin' shadow Pokémon, or whatever stupid plan it is that they had, that's fer sure, otherwise Appampire would've chewed ya up like ah piece of jerky the moment it got close to ya," Jackson thought about the whole situation for a moment, and finally came to a decision. "Alright, I'll help ya learn the basics of bein' a Pokémon trainer. Yer lucky ah got ancestors who battle as good as they tend to their farms, which is pretty darn good, I'll tell ya what. We'll start at the crack of dawn, and I'll teach ya the basics of battle. For now, however, I need to go collect a few Timber Sticks before the sun goes down, can't use the wood stove, wood furnace, or the fireplace if we ain't got wood," Jackson swung the axe over her shoulder and started to walk away, until she stopped and looked back at you. "Hey, before I up and forget, seems like Nurse Redheart is throwin' a mighty fit that ya up and vanished. She and her doctor friends can't seem to find ya, let alone seem aware that you're in the Everfree. Ya better get back to the hospital, it seems important if Redheart's freakin' out." Jackson explained. As Jackson walks away, Shrubunny hops onto your shoulder, and points to the lab. You give your starter a look and it eventually backs down. You decide to go back the way you came, but then you notice something in a tall patch of grass. With unnecessary encouragement from Shrubunny, who seemed pretty eager for a fight, and your own curiosity piquing your interest, you move to the patch of grass and encounter a semi-familiar Pokémon. While you never owned one, you did see someone from Unova move to Orre and have one as a housepet, and this one has seemingly adapted to the Eqtrot region's environment. A small black feline with gray-ish green eyes stares through the brush, stanced up like its ready to pounce. You notice that it has its claws unsheathed, so it's clearly ready to battle. You look at Shrubunny, and they seem eager to fight. You watch as your starter hops off your shoulder, and stances itself up to fight, and you ready an empty Poke Ball and your new PokéDex, just in case. The feline Pokémon lunges out of the grass, and Shrubunny charges at it, readying itself for a proper first fight, and you get ready to fend for yourself in this instigated battle.