[A Week Later, Somewhere Along Route 203...]
A helicopter swept over the tranquil forest and plains that covered the land below, the repeating propeller blades batting away everything that came near. It was an unmarked craft, but was coloured a solid bold red colour. There didn't appear to be that many people inside, three people including the man controlling the vehicle at the front. "Coming in for a landing, get ready for departure, Rangers!" The pilot radioed in, and a clearing appeared up ahead, allowing them a place to safely land. It was a rough landing as the landing skids bounced against the grass...
Through the side-entrance a young woman jumped out, her teal hair tied up high behind her head, and sitting atop her shoulder was a small cream coloured Pokémon with red ears and cheeks, a Plusle. Another Ranger followed her, a young man with shaggy blonde hair. A small parrot flew at him, brightly coloured and with a musical note adorned to its head, a Chatot. He smacked the side of the helicopter, signifying for the pilot to leave, and they had suddenly found themselves in the middle of a dense forest.
"Calling in to Ranger Union, this is Ranger Jack Walker rank nine, and Ranger Solana rank three, confirming successful arrival, beginning mission." He spoke into his shoulder, the small pendant attached to his shoulder that displayed his rank doubling as a radio. Neither of them appeared all that old, though he was a year or too older than she was. He wore the iconic Ranger uniform, a short-sleeved red and orange jacket. It was made to allow enough movement in any environment, but also stand-out enough so that the public could identify them at a glance...
There was a small amount of static that buzzed for a moment before a woman's voice responded. "Rhythmi here, keep on the look-out, reports of Hunters have sprung up all around that area, and some Rocket grunts too. You both know your tasks, good luck." Walker chuckled. "Couldn't have asked for a better Operator to be guiding us along." There was an audible sigh from the other end. "Not now, Jack. This is important, we need to prove that the Rangers won't just sit by and allow these Hunters to attack our neighbours."
"Sure, sure." He responded, shaking his head. "I'll call back when we find something, over and out." And with a small click the line was disconnected, leaving them both with only the sounds of nature and their own selves to keep themselves company. "Where are we headed first?" Solana asked him. Jack pulled out his Capture Styler, a small red device that fit within his pocket. He snapped open the top and a small display of the local area appeared.
"I'll head up towards Oreburgh Gate, scout out the area, see if there's any commotion. You make sure there's no trouble going on over here, alright?" Jack said with a certain nod. Solana nodded back. "Good, I'll contact you if I see anything. And remember, we're just doing reconnaissance, if you do see something don't engage, we need to wait for back-up." Plusle did a mock salute and called out its name in a high-pitched voice. The two Rangers sling heavy bags over their shoulders and dispersed, going off in opposite directions. It wouldn't take more than a few days to scout the area on the ground, that was what they hoped anyways...
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[A Few Hours Later, Beginning Of Route 203...]
It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining down upon the Sinnoh region in full force, a rare event in the usually frigid land. There was a blue sky as far as the eye could see, not a single cloud in sight, and a warm breeze swept through the leaves and bushes...
The nice weather was a good distraction away from the events a week prior, the intensive fighting that took place in Eastern Jubilife, and the subsequent announcement one day later by Sinnoh's Champion, Rowan. They were cracking down on the organised gangs and everything let out a big sigh of relief, glad to know that things were going on to thwart further terrorist activity. However, while that may have been the prevailing feeling, many were still shaken up by the event, and there was a marked rise in young Pokémon trainers leaving the profession for other things.
Most described their sudden departure as a fear for not only their lives, but for the lives of their Pokémon, and that they hadn't set out to fight criminals, but to catch, tame and battle in friendly, competitive tournaments. Were they wrong to leave? Not necessarily. The very fact that such a big tragedy occurred, whether or not Rowan promised to improve regional security, was a major pause for many young folk. It was their decision at the end of the day, and their decision to make it alone. It certainly didn't help with the already declining enlistment figures, but that was bound to happen...
There was some good news though. A conference had been called in Hearthome City, within the Eastern portion of Sinnoh. All the region's top trainers were to be assembled, be them the Champion himself, the Elite Four, the Gym Leaders, up-and-coming trainers, Ranger affiliated and members of the International Police. It was an attempt to establish a unified command structure, and a plan that would fully lay-out a plan of action so that everyone was finally on the same page.
It was no coincidence that it took place in Hearthome of all places, the second largest city in Sinnoh, and the eight largest city in the world, just after Jubilife. It was an older city, one that was created as a place for all people and Pokémon, and it quickly transformed into a regional hub of trade and commerce. Consistently voted as the most desirable place in Sinnoh, it was also the home of Sinnoh's largest Contest Hall, where all the largest Pokémon Contests were held and broadcast across the entire island. If the Pokémon Association wanted to present an image of stability then making that step in Hearthome was the smartest choice.
And yet, for four Pokemon in particular, they were not concerned with the goings on across the other side of Mount Coronet, rather, they were occupied with a much more important issue...
Training.
"CHIM!" Chimchar raced out from under a heavy underbrush, racing forward on all-fours, pounding the floor with every leap and bound with a fierce determination. The fire that sat upon his back was burning brighter than ever before. Those were the flames of the Pokémon who was going to win no matter what!
And yet, dashing from out the greenery was another Pokémon, a small bluish penguin who refused to be shown up by the excitable fire monkey. "PIP!" She screeched out, her small beady eyes locked onto the target before her. Chimchar turned to look back at her and ran backwards, sticking out his tongue and pulling down his bottom eye-lid in a mocking fashion. Piplup's eyes erupted with a rageful flame and from out her small beak an explosive blast of water began rapidly building, a swirling vortex that tracked the monkey's movements...
Despite how much Chimchar moved he simply couldn't seem to shake her, but that didn't mean he would simply give up. After only a few moments Piplup unleashed her beam and it crashed forward with a surprising amount of force for a Pokémon her size. If it hit the fire-type then it certainly would've done considerable damage, if it hit. Unfortunately, Chimchar's athleticism was simply too great, and with the nimbleness of an acrobat, he jumped and swerved and raced around the bolts with a general ease.
And all while making rude gestures and laughing at his pursuer!
Piplup simply couldn't stand having her pride insulted in such a way, it simply couldn't be allowed to stand, but continuing to fire the same attack over and over seemed foolish...
Chimchar didn't wait for her to think and broke off once more into a sprint, easily outrunning the small penguin. Piplup was left sitting in his dust, visibly dejected. However, a sudden gentle headbutt got her attention. "Turt!" The grass turtle said, motioning for her to ride atop his armoured back. There was a moment of confusion but she quickly understood Turtwig's plan, and they both shared a conniving laugh.
However, racing past both of them was Starly whose wings cut through the air with an unmatched speed, and he slowly. He chirped at them, passing by with little trouble. Piplup cried back and threw her fist towards the sky. Yet, the flying-type was less concerned with the two at the back or the race. His main competition was the monkey, way off ahead of them all...
And Starly simply couldn't accept being anything else but first-place! Everything below meant nothing, second place was the first loser, and he was no loser! "STAR!" He screeched, quickly closing the gap between himself and the fire-type. Chimchar glanced back and jumped in fright, not realising how sudden the flying-type was catching up. He bit down and buckled in, there wasn't a chance of throwing the game away now, not when he was so close to the finish line!
The two were neck and neck and tensions were starting to rise. Starly had to make his move and he dive bombed from out the sky and with both wings outstretched wide, he struck the small fire-type with a Wing Attack. However, this had been exactly what Chimchar was hoping for, and as the flying-type got close he unleashed a deadly barrage of Fury Swipes. They were both knocked to the ground from the force of their respective attacks, temporarily dazed, but they shook their heads and got back up...
They faced one another down, growling and chirping in tandem. This was it, the grand finale, and neither one of them were willing to give up the game, not now, not never!
Starly lowered his head and in a sudden brilliant flash multiple copies of itself appeared on either side, confusing Chimchar who couldn't tell which was the illusion and which was the real one. He remained calm, building up a destructive Ember in his mouth, and the flames upon his back only grew more savage. The flying-type charged, propelling himself forward with an impressive speed, but the fire-type was ready, and a wave of flames spilled forth from his open mouth, consuming everything around him...
The two battled back and forth, but both of them were unprepared for a crazy sight, as, in the blink of an eye, Turtwig and Piplup flew past them, rocketed forward by a massive Water Gun. Chimchar and Starly were frozen in place watching the two blast past, despite the fact that they were the slowest out of the four. "TURT?!" The small grass turtle cried out, unable to control the speed or momentum, but the water-type didn't stop, rather, she only seemed to increase her attack, making them fly past even faster!
Chimchar and Starly looked at one another with another glare and gave chase, they couldn't be outshined, not when they were so close to the end...
They quickly cut the distance in half as Piplup's attack couldn't last forever, and it was Turtwig's job to carry the both of them towards the end. He threw nervous glances back, left and right, and on either side of him there were two very determined Pokémon, each just as committed to victory. "Turt..." He grumbled, lowering his head. The water-type on his back tried to catch her breath after having used her attack continuously for nearly a minute straight. He wasn't just fighting for himself, he was fighting for both of them, and letting her sacrifice go to waste couldn't be allowed!
"TURT!" He roared, stalwart. Piplup screamed words of encouragement, while haphazardly firing off attacks at the two behind them, Chimchar and Starly were faster and more agile, easily able to out manoeuvre the small penguin...
"Mesdames et messieurs, I can believe what I'm seeing here today! Drama, courage, teamwork, conflict! It is truly breath-taking! What will happen next?! I am sitting at the edge of my seat!" Sycamore shouted like a commentator, watching the small Pokémon race towards the finish line, his Skiddo lying down upon the grass following along with its eyes. They had come up with an orthodox strategy to train a few core areas, their general strength, speed and durability, but also their instincts in a battle. A trainer ordered them and in turn they entrusted them to lead however that didn't take all the responsibility off of their shoulders. A trainer could say which move would work best but the Pokémon was the one actually in the battle, it was up to them to properly execute the strategy.
"Starly, go for the kneecaps! Chimchar Taunt them! No, no! Go the other way, damn it! Turtwig you're doin' great buddy! Piplup let 'em have it!" [Y/N] called out, standing at the finish line, showing no support for any one of his Pokémon more than the others. That wasn't the point of all of this, it was about training them all and making them stronger so that they could take on any enemy! He found himself grinning watching them duke it out, shrugging off hits and coming back stronger each time, always focused upon the goal ahead of them.
It had only been a week since the events in Jubilife, a week since the harshness of the world that he had found himself. He had awoken in the lonesome forest and found fortune's favour having Cynthia and Rowan be the first people to find him. Had he awoken in a different place, a different time even, there was a good chance that he wouldn't have survived for very much longer. More importantly, his mindset had changed. He was already determined to become the strongest because of the promises made but now he had seen the tangible impact that Team Rocket could have on Sinnoh, and the world. Becoming the strongest was a necessity...
[Y/N] was deep in contemplation and wasn't prepared for all four of his Pokémon to come charging at him, each of them just as eager to finish first, and in one massive heap they all collided into his torso. He was knocked back against the grass, the weight of his entire team sitting atop his stomach, each shouting their victory cries, and bickering amongst themselves as to who really won. "Holy shit..." He slowly caught his breath, sitting up to face them.
"Couldn't have had a little more care where you were all aimin' for, huh?!" He shouted, shaking his head. They all shouted back at him. It was clear that they wanted their winnings for all the training they had done. "Oh, come on! None of you even won, it was a tie! I can't reward people for participating, I need winners here!" [Y/N] shook his head and stood up, dusting off his coat. Turtwig took a big bite at the bottom of his trousers, Piplup and Chimchar grabbing the other one. Starly hovered above his face and snatched his hat from off his head, leaving his head bare.
"Lousy good-for-nothing..." He grumbled. "Fine! You'll get your stupid rewards!" [Y/N] surrendered, yanking back his baseball cap, roughly setting it back upon his head. They celebrated once more. "My, my, how excited you all are." Sycamore chuckled, marching over. He held a pouch out, a rich smell emanating from within that drifted along the wind and caught the attention of their senses...
They raced over and Sycamore dropped a few berries to the floor, all exotic colours and shapes. It was one of his tips for training Pokémon, a reward structure, but also knowing exactly what sort of reward each of them would prefer to get the most out of them. Turtwig preferred a sour taste, and so he got a Belue Berry. Piplup had a more dry palette and so she earned an Apricot Berry. Chimchar had a sweet tooth, he got a Salac Berry. Starly enjoyed a spicy kick to his food, and devoured a Liechi Berry.
Had [Y/N] simply been left to hand out each berry he certainly wouldn't have understood the specific characteristics each one held, or which ones his team would enjoy more...
He hated to admit it but Sycamore was proving to be an incredibly useful partner, aiding him along his journey as a trainer. It was clear that when it came to studying Pokémon he had done the time and put in the effort. He could name each one, and their entire evolution line, typing and moves, potential abilities and so forth. However, when it came to actual battle strategies that was [Y/N]'s job. A researcher knew the numbers and the data but putting that into a real fight was a completely different point.
The notebook Berlitz provided him became one of his most useful items, and [Y/N] constantly pulled it out and jotted down notes, some better than others, building a sizable bank of strategies and thoughts. He hadn't crafted any bullet-proof plans yet but small combinations were fine for now. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each team member was a good solid foundation, and the battle experience would come with time, he was sure...
"Alright, mon ami, how about we settle down for the night, non?" Sycamore asked, as the sun was starting to slowly fall. Oreburgh City was their destination but it was a good week's journey, a little less if they really pushed themselves. However, they took long breaks in between for training which extended the distance by quite a large margin. It was worth it, and his Pokémon were already starting to display a greater strength, and a greater aptitude for battle. The next time they were challenged [Y/N] wouldn't need to come up with some excuse! He trusted that his team could handle a beginner-level trainer, and win handily.
"Sure, you're making dinner this time though." [Y/N] said, throwing his supplies to the floor. He wanted to get his tent up before the weather turned for the worst and started raining. Considering his usual luck, anything was possible...
After just about thirty minutes they had assembled two small tents and a campfire between them, a pot of some roasting stew bubbling over the flames. Sycamore also happened to be a great cook, he would've made the perfect house husband all things considered. [Y/N] was just happy to be eating a warm meal and not some pre-prepared flat sandwiches days out of date.
With a long spoon he swirled around a brown mixture of meat and vegetables that let off a delicious smell that made his mouth water. Each of their Pokémon ate away at their own meals, a few bowls filled with crumbly brown blocks with a sticky glaze coated overtop, enjoying the fire's warmth. They found sitting against Sycamore's Skiddo the most comfortable position, sinking into its shaggy hide. It was soft and bouncy and made for a perfect makeshift pillow...
"What is your plan when you face Oreburgh's Gym Leader then?" Sycamore asked, throwing him a glance. [Y/N] was flicking through his Pokédex, sinking up the data with his Pokétch. He could simulate battle scenarios with the wrist-mounted device, like a digital fight. Testing which moves worked best and against what types. He hadn't expected it to be as useful as it was.
"Oreburgh Gym is run by a guy called Byron. From what I've been able to gather he's a pretty formidable foe." He flipped through some notes he had made before leaving Jubilife. The Pokémon Centre gave them access to the internet and he could simply go through all the information that people had posted online. He had written extensively, the Gym Leader's names, their main Pokémon that they used, their partners, what moves they usually used and what strategies seemed to show up often. Many battles were filmed for people to watch around the region, so there was no lack of content for him to study up on...
While [Y/N] may have given off the impression as a bit of a dumbass when he was committed to something then he really got to work, and never had he been more determined. Any advantage out there, he was sure to exploit!
Gym Leaders didn't seem to use any one specific team. They had many Pokémon, and they used different teams based on the skill level, and the amount of badges a trainer had. It made it easier for people to start from any part of the region. Importantly, their role was twofold, to test and assess the strength of trainers, but to protect and defend the towns their Gyms were located in. Most Gym Leaders were just below the Elite Four when it came to strength, who were in turn just below the Champion. It was a pretty simple hierarchical system to show the differing levels of strength...
"Well I'll start with Chimchar, I need to abuse the type advantage--" [Y/N] began to respond, only to be interrupted by a small feline-adjacent animal drooling in between his legs, facing the boiling broth. Sycamore stopped his stirring and the two of them stared at the new Pokémon, completely taken by surprise. How had they not noticed it until now?! It had light-blue fur, while its back was a darker black, with little tufts of hair that jutted out randomly. Its ears were enormous and marked with yellow, star-shaped markings, and its tail was similarly tipped with a star shape. "Sshhiiiinnxx..." It mumbled, unable to look away from the food.
[Y/N], on instinct, pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the small creature. "Shinx, the Flash Pokémon." The synthetic robot voice said. "By the extension and contraction, its forelegs have a muscle-based system of generating electricity. All of its fur dazzles if danger is sensed. It flees while the foe is momentarily blinded. Excited trembling is a sign that Shinx is generating a tremendous amount of electricity." It answered succinctly.
However, there seemed to be something wrong with the Pokémon. The Shinx's body appeared skinnier than the image displayed on his Pokédex, and it seemed a little woozy, slowly swaying from left to right. "Maybe it hasn't eaten in a while?" [Y/N] said. Sycamore held his chin and nodded. "That would be the most obvious conclusion." They simply couldn't sit by and let the poor thing go without eating, especially considering they didn't know how long it had gone without food...
"Alright, you adorable thing." [Y/N picked it up, holding his hands underneath the Shinx's front legs. It felt light and didn't seem to have much of a will to resist, simply accepting its fate. Sycamore fished out another bowl and filled it with some stew. "Eat up, little fella." He mumbled, passing it over to the young trainer.
Yet, a loud shout startled them from behind. "Stop where you are, I don't want to see any sudden movements!" It was a woman's voice. [Y/N] and Sycamore furrowed their brows and turned to look only to be met with an unfamiliar figure. "Huh, the hell d'you want, crazy lady..." He mumbled, shaking his head....
She didn't seem to like that. "Freeze! I'm being serious, you evil poachers! I won't let you hurt any more Pokémon around here! Under the authority of the Ranger's Union, I'm putting you both under arrest!" Her expression grew stern, which made her look all the more disjointed. Her outfit clung to her tight, bright coloured and cut off short, revealing her arms and legs. A large red band wrapped around her forehead, while her teal hair was tied up into a strange tail that sat up. Surprisingly, she was quite well-built, with obvious muscle heavily packed onto her body.
"You have one chance to comply, or I'll take you both out!"