Helix and Hooves: Trainers of the Future

by The Kelduo

Chapter 11: The Rose's Thorn

For me, the southern path wasn't quite as exciting as the Multi Battle and Galarian Farfetch'd encounter on the main path. Nonetheless, it did have plenty to offer. For instance, I found some Heal Balls hidden by a wide patch of grass where Stufful roamed; and the first Trainer on the lower path, a chef, battled me with what appeared to be a worm in an apple, a Pokemon called Applin. Overtaken by curiosity, I tried looking for Applin in the patches of grass, but I had plenty of trouble finding any. According to my Rotom Phone, Applin were quite uncommon. Even when I did manage to find one, the Doctor beat me to catching it. Blast!

After sending Applin to his Pokemon Box, the Doctor glanced over at me. "Why so glum, Helix? You could always just catch other Pokemon you haven't yet registered in your Pokedex."

"I would, but there's one small problem with that..." I took out some certificates from my pocket. "See these? They're proof that I completed the Pokedex for all the other regions I've been to: Kanto, Hoenn, Alola, you name it! That means I've already caught some of the Pokemon you see wandering around here. I find it redundant to catch Pokemon I've already caught, unless I intend to add them to my team. That's why my heart's focused on catching Pokemon exclusive to Galar!"

The Doctor took a step backwards, caught by surprise from my sudden assertive attitude. "Look, I understand how you feel. I consider it to be quite excessive to have more than one of, say, a certain collectible. If I can go for 100 percent instead of attending to more redundant matters, then I will. But right now... the Pokedex isn't what we should be focusing on. We can always come back later to finish our Pokedex."

I gave the Doctor a stern look while putting away the certificates. "And by later you mean over a year from now, after we finish our adventure. Do you realize how long that is?!"

"Of course I do! It's just that sometimes, it's best to live in the present. We can enjoy what the present has to offer while simultaneously looking forward to what the future has in store. Besides, 100% completion isn't our top priority. Our top priority is to become skilled enough in the ways of Galarian Pokemon battles that we can overwhelm the might of Lord Tirek."

I almost instantly stopped being upset when I heard what the Doctor had to say. "Live in the present... Oh Celestia, I completely forgot about Lord Tirek! You're right, I need to stop worrying about Pokedex completion and get to work training my team like the Champion I am!"

With a sudden burst of energy, I powered through the southern path, taking every chance I could to strengthen my Pokemon and grabbing every item I found. I also took a moment to visit a Pokemon Camp near the pond before proceeding back to the main path. There were a pair of Trainers near the end of the southern path, but the Doctor had already beaten them.

When the south path merged with the north path, I was pleased to see a Pokemon Nursery right in front of me. I knew that I hadn't caught any evolved forms of Pokemon exclusive to Galar, but I went inside anyway. I've often found that Pokemon Day Cares and Nurseries had more to offer than simply breeding Pokemon. However, all I got were a few very small EXP Candies. The person who gave me the candies said she would've given me a Pokemon hatched from an Egg, but apparently she had already given it to, and I quote, "a talking horse who said he feels right at home here in Galar." I could only assume that she gave the Pokemon to the Doctor.

I left the Nursery and continued along the road. When I reached a long stone bridge, I found the Doctor and a physician staring in surprise at a pair of Team Yell grunts who appeared to be left in shock. "Whoa, what happened here?" I asked.

The Team Yell grunts looked at me and the Doctor. "Oi, if it isn't you lot. Look, normally we'd be up for a bout with you, but we just got our tushes handed to us."

I looked at the Doctor, who shook his head. "I just got here. I couldn't have beaten them in a Pokemon battle."

We looked at the physician. "Not I. These Team Yell goons were trying to steal this bike." He took out a portable bike that could be folded up for easy storage. It had a predominantly red paint job. "But a kind lass showed up right on time, and her Pokemon gave them a good thrashing. It was a real sight!"

"Really?" the Doctor asked. "You know where she went off to?"

"Yeah, I tried to hand her this bike as a gift, but she said she didn't need it and took off across the bridge. If you're fast enough, you may be able to catch up to her." The physician began to see us off, but stopped. "Actually, hold on... Do either of you two have a Rotom with you?"

I nodded. "We both have a Rotom Phone." We showed our phones to him.

"Really? That's fantastic! Would either of you like to have this bike instead?"

"I might take you up on your offer, but I need to check my bag first. Victor lent me some of his stuff, so I might already have a bike on me." The Doctor rummaged through his saddlebag, and he finally found a bike in the Key Items pocket. "Ah, here it is! Sorry, but it looks like I already have one. What about you, Helix?"

"I'm not sure. Let me see..." I looked through my coat pockets, but I didn't find a folding bike. "Huh, guess I left my bike at home. Okay then, I'll accept the bike."

The physician smiled. "Great! Now, you probably know how much Rotom love motors, right?"

"Yep, their specialty is entering motors of various appliances. I've even used a Rotom Pokedex!"

"Right! So the idea of Rotom entering motors made me think about the possibility of attaching a motor to a bicycle so that a Rotom could zip into that as well."

I put a wing to my chin. "Hmm... A Rotom entering a bicycle? That's a pretty interesting idea. Perhaps the Rotom could give the bike some kind of turbo charge."

"My thoughts precisely! If you work together with Rotom, you can go places you wouldn't have been able to go on your own! If you and Rotom work as one, there'll be nothing that will get in your way!" The physician gave me the bike. "Go and ride to your heart's content!"

I got on my bike, and my Rotom Phone attached itself between the handlebars. The Doctor and his Rotom Phone followed suit. "So, a bike that can be given a turbo boost by Rotom..." I gave the Doctor a grin. "You know what this means?"

"What does this mean?" he asked.

I gripped the handlebars tightly with intense resolve in my eyes. "It's time for us to team up with Rotom! By working together, the sky's the limit! In other words... it's time to Double Boost!"

I blasted forward, nearly leaving the Doctor in the dust. When he caught up, I began to sing, "Together we can show this world what we can--" Without warning, our Rotom Bikes decelerated to a more casual speed. "Well, that didn't last too long. Guess we need to ride around at the normal speed to recharge the turbo boost."

"That's a good thing if you ask me," the Doctor replied, clearly dazed from the sudden burst of speed. "Next time, at least give me a warning before utilizing the boost, would you?"

I gave a bashful chuckle. "Yeah, sorry about that... It's just that the ability to unleash a turbo boost powered by teamwork convinced me to make a reference."

"Save the non-Pokemon references for when you get further into this adventure, guys." We slammed on our brakes just in time to avoid hitting a familiar face.

I gave her a confused look. "Amy? Shouldn't you be back in Turffield Stadium waiting your turn to take on the Gym?"

Amy shook her head. "Actually, I'm not taking on the Gym Challenge. I came here just to explore the Galar region with my Pokemon."

"You're not fooling me. I see the League Card you have tucked in your right pocket."

She looked in said pocket, then back at me. "Looks like there's nothing that won't go unseen in your line of sight, Helix! You called my bluff, but I'm only participating in the Gym Challenge to get to know my Pokemon even better."

"That still doesn't answer my question about you being in Turffield Stadium."

"I was, but I overheard someone say something about Team Yell over on Route 5, so I ran right over and made sure to give those bootleg Team Skull grunts what for. I continued on ahead across this bridge because the whole ordeal caused me to forget about my first Gym Mission, so thanks for reminding me."

"No problem," the Doctor answered. "Now, shall we see you back to the stadium?"

"It's okay, I can make it back myself. However, I'm disappointed at how little of a fight Team Yell put up. Think either of you could make up for it with a battle against my partner?"

The Doctor stepped forward. "I'll challenge you. I was hoping to battle those Team Yell members, but you already took care of them. You'd better not disappoint me with an easy battle, because I'm ready to give it my all!"

Amy twirled a black Poke Ball with gold rings around it on her right index finger. "Good, because I'm not gonna hold back! Let's see how you stand up against my ace..." She tossed the Luxury Ball, releasing a slender, quadrupedal Pokemon with very short legs and a long, striped body. "Go get 'em, Walker!"

"Time to learn about this Pokemon." The Doctor checked his Rotom Phone, only to put on a confused look. "How strange... All I'm getting here is a question mark."

"It must not be in the Galar region's Pokedex," I replied. "But don't worry, because I know what this Pokemon is. It's known as Furret, the Long Body Pokemon. A Normal-type, it is quick and agile despite its short legs. They build narrow burrows that are very difficult for other species to enter. And even if predators do manage to enter their burrows, the burrows become more maze-like deeper inside, making it even harder to find Furret's nest." I paused. "Also, some guy used Furret and the theme of Accumula Town to create a meme known as the Furret Walk. Now that's almost the only thing this skillful Pokemon is known for," I continued with a groan. "And before you say anything, Doctor, you wouldn't understand what a meme is because Ponyville is nowhere near technologically advanced enough to have memes. I'll explain the concept after our adventure."

"Oh, okay. And you said Furret was a Normal-type? I'd normally go for a type advantage with Rattlerock, but I've a feeling Amy has a trick up her sleeve." He sent out his Yamper. "So it's your turn, Spark Bark!"

"Alright, Walker!" Amy smiled as she began snapping her fingers. "Let's take it from the top! One, two, three, four!" She started clapping her hands rhythmically as her Furret, appropriately named Walker, swayed its body from side to side and grooved to the rhythm.

A drop of sweat formed on the Doctor's forehead. "I may have made a mistake in challenging Amy..."

"How do you know?" I asked.

The Doctor hurriedly dismissed my confusion. "I'll tell you later. Spark Bark, go for a Nuzzle! It's our only hope!"

Spark Bark attempted to ram into Walker with his electric sac, but Walker deftly dodged as it sang:

They say Normal-types aren't strong, but they're wrong
I will prove to you that I can fight! Yes, that's right!

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Well, I guess that's out of the picture. Let's try using Nuzzle defensively this time!"

Spark Bark hunkered down and charged up his electric sac for a counterattack, only for Walker to swerve around the sac and deliver a powerful slam to his back.

I'm good with offense and speed, that's all
I need to be strong 'cause I've got my friend! We'll fight to the end!

I would've tried to assist the Doctor in helping Spark Bark retaliate, but the impressive battling style of Walker had the entirety of my attention. Never before had I ever seen a low-tier species such as that of Walker predict its opponent's movements and react accordingly. If Spark Bark dodged, Walker curved her attack in the direction Spark Bark dodged to compensate. If Spark Bark tried to fool Walker with a fake-out, she wouldn't fall for it. And whenever Spark Bark made a mistake, Walker ensured that he got harshly punished for his blunder.

They say you must have good stats and a great strategy
The truth is, friendship and working together is the key
You don't have to burn, freeze, scare, read minds, or fly
Just work with an ally!

Spark Bark was weakened and ready to have the rest of his HP depleted, and Walker knew that. With a nod towards Amy, she summoned a large wave of water to finish the battle.

You've fought bravely, we can tell--quite well,
But it's time for us to end this fight! And what a fight!

Ears folded back in sorrow, the Doctor walked over and stroked his drenched Yamper, making sure to avoid the electric sac. "I'm sorry, Spark Bark... If I'd known Walker was going to sing, I would never have sent you out there, let alone challenge Amy."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Amy used a Max Revive to fully restore Spark Bark's health and Power Points. With a wink, she continued, "Besides, it isn't every day you run into a Trainer who's also skilled in Pokemon Contests."

"Thanks for healing Spark Bark," the Doctor replied. "But I'm afraid that won't heal the weakened bond of friendship between me and Spark Bark caused by him fainting."

"Relax, Doc. I'm sure he won't be mad at you over fainting a single time. If you really want to have a good friendship with your Pokemon, though, I've got something you might want." Amy gave the Doctor a round bell with a loop of red string attached to it. "Have your Pokemon wear this Soothe Bell. The calming chime should cause the wearer to grow closer to you."

"I really owe you one," the Doctor said as he put the Soothe Bell on Spark Bark.

Amy laughed. "You already did by putting up a better fight than those yellow-bellied Team Skull rip-offs. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure if they even have a leader!"

I shrugged. "Beats me. Although, there is a question that's been on my mind ever since your battle started." With astonishment and exasperation in my voice, I nearly yelled at the Doctor, "How the heck did you know that you were in trouble when the Furret started singing and dancing to the tune of the song I mentioned earlier?!"

Putting on a smug yet innocent smile, the Doctor answered, "Don't you know? Back in Equestria, it's not uncommon to spontaneously break into a song-and-dance routine. Songs are practically our second language! As such, I daresay I somewhat understood what Walker was singing. But that's besides the point. The point is, we Equestrians seem to be unstoppable whenever we sing. Therefore, I assumed the same went for Walker." He sighed. "And of course, my hunch just had to be right."

If I had eyebrows, they would be furrowed in confusion. "If you knew that singing made you harder to beat, then whey didn't you counter Amy's musical strategy with your own song?"

"Because I want to save that for the tournament. A real hero never utilizes his full power until the very end! Have you never read any comics?"

His answer satisfied me, only to leave me with another question. "Wait... You read comics too? I thought you were all about science and technology!"

"I am. But you should know that comics such as Power Ponies have all kinds of futuristic technology. I've even tried building some of the time machines featured in certain comics, but none of them worked. Besides, what kind of pony from my generation hasn't read a Power Ponies comic?"

"You make a good point. Now that my questions have all been answered, shall we press on to Hulbury?"

"I agree, we should get going. Amy, we'll see you later!" The Doctor waved as Amy went back to Turffield to take on the Gym there, leaving us to continue through Route 5 and clear out the rest of the Trainers and items on the route.