Mastering A New Start(PG-13)

Hey all, I'm new to the Pokecommunity. I've been on Serebii for awhile now, and since a couple of my favorite authors from there have posted their stuff here as well, I figured I'd do the same. Since the story is up to nineteen chapters at the time I'm typing this, I'm just going to post one chapter here a week until it's fully caught up. So, here it is:
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Mastering a New Start

Overview:
Anyway, this is a 'zapped to the pokemon world' type fanfic, but I'm going to do my best to make sure this comes out both believable and interesting.

The only piece of background info that isn't really mentioned in the story, I think, is that this fic happens about ten years after the events of the Pokemon cartoon.


Last Update:
8/28/08: Chapter 10 has been posted. Enjoy! In addition, the chapter links have all been posted, and I've put down a spot for all of the completed chapters that have not been posted here yet.


Rating:
PG-13 for violence, blood, and minor gore. Will most likely be cranked up to R in later chapters, but I'll be sure to give a warning before things get that far.


Chapter Listing:
Chapter 1: What Just Happened?
Chapter 2: What Do I Do Now?
Chapter 3: When Do I Start?
Chapter 4: What am I Doing?
Chapter 5: Is This How It's Done?
Chapter 6: What Did He Call Me?
Chapter 7: What are You Looking For?
Chapter 8: What's Really Important?
Chapter 9: Heroic or Stupid? The Bold Rescue!
Chapter 10: Lost in the Darkness! Journey Through Mt. Moon.
Chapter 11: ???
Chapter 12: ???
Chapter 13: ???
Chapter 14: ???
Chapter 15: ???
Chapter 16: ???
Chapter 17: ???
Chapter 18: ???
Chapter 19: ???
Chapter 20: ???
Chapter 21: ???
Chapter 22: ???
Chapter 23: ???
Chapter 24: ???

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A key was hurriedly pushed into an ignition. An engine burst to life as the strip of metal was turned. A pair of hazel eyes glanced into a rearview mirror, partially hidden under a crown of messily spiked dark brown hair. A thin mouth framed by a neatly-trimmed goatee formed itself into a grin as the vehicle was filled with the sound of blaring rock music. A head faintly bobbed to the rhythm of the song as the car pulled out of a parking lot and onto the adjacent road.



Mark didn't hate his job by any means; after all, working at the local GameStop was one of the most enjoyable jobs he ever had. However, being on a schedule had just never completely agreed with him; so he relished the points where there was no longer some sort of plan requiring him to be somewhere and he could do what he wanted.

He lazily glanced from lane to lane, keeping track of the various vehicles about him, as he kept the car moving in the direction of his apartment. His thoughts, searching about for the first thing that should be done upon arriving home, were broken when a small boy ran into the road not far in front of him. His features did little more than twist into a frown when his foot steadily pushed down the brake, slowing down the car enough that it came to a stop shortly before it could reach the petrified kid.

Mark impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while fighting the urge to glare at the child, who had most likely been scared enough for the time being. When his path was vacated once more, Mark gave an exasperated sigh, wondering what that kid could've been thinking when he continued on.



Mark perused the features of his apartment upon entering it. A small number of weapons adorned the area, including a long broadsword held onto a wooden plaque hanging from the wall, a bo-staff leaning in a corner, numerous chips and scratches indicating it was well-used, and, his personal favorite, a gleaming, black-handled katana held on a mount over his entertainment center. Granted, he wasn't formally trained in the use of most of them, but he enjoyed collecting them.

A frame on the wall held a certificate indicating his being recognized as a green belt in Seibukan Karate. Mark often regretted the fact that he no longer lived near enough to his instructor to train with him more than occasionally anymore, but he felt there wasn't much that could be done about that at the moment.

An entertainment center was filled with a respectably sized television, a DVD player surrounded by cases containing numerous action and comedy movies, and a number of gaming systems. Old school gaming classics and new gaming technology continuously warred for his attention, and he had yet to decide which he preferred.



Mark ignored all these for the time being, his athletic form striding towards his bedroom instead. His quest to check his e-mail was cut short as his vision was suddenly filled by a bright light that was just short of blinding. His eyes swept from side to side, but were unable to distinguish anything from the rudely persistent glow.

After a few moments, a small shadow suddenly appeared in the center of Mark's vision, but vanished just as quickly. As if the shadow itself triggered it, the light began to dim, giving way to a blurred wave of brown and green. Mark immediately felt the unmistakable sensation of the spring sun's gentle warmth on him, followed by the equally distinctive sense of a light breeze against his left side.

After rubbing his eyes, Mark found the green and brown haze replaced by a lush forest. Quick jerks of his head in every direction confirmed that he was at the edge of this forest, and that he was standing next to a road that seemed to separate the forest from a grassy field that stretched out to the edge of his vision.

After calming himself as much as he could, Mark soon found himself scratching his head. Spending one moment in your own apartment and the next in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere didn't really strike him as something that happens in a typical day. He considered that it could have been a dream, but he dismissed the notion, sincerely hoping that he could not actually fall asleep while he was wide awake and in the middle of walking somewhere.

The futile attempts to determine how and why he was in his current location were quickly abandoned in favor of thoughts that concerned what actions he should take now. After several minutes of deliberation, finding civilization found its way to the top of the 'to-do' list, and the dirt road he was standing next to seemed a convenient way to do so. After a moment, Mark decided to go down the road stretching to his right, and he set off with his eyes continuing to glace from side to side, taking long, leisurely strides in concession of what promised to be a long trek.



Hours seemed to go by, and the landscape continued its stubborn refusal to display any sign of human habitation. Frustrated thoughts didn't have a chance to enter Mark's mind, as a rustle in the bushes interrupted them just as they were about to form. Not knowing what might happen to live in this area, Mark jumped into a fighting stance; his right leg moved to point forward, his left leg swung back to form a ninety degree angle to it, and his fists positioned themselves in front of him.

His battle-ready glare was met by a brown-feathered bird that launched itself out of the bushes toward an area somewhere to his left. It was about the size of a chicken, with a short, rounded beak and stripes of tan feathers over the eyes giving an impression of eyebrows. The eyes themselves were its most shocking feature, looking more like they would belong on a human rather than a bird.

A second rustle caught Mark's attention, this one coming from near the tops of the trees. A second, slightly larger creature shot from the green, but this one had a clearly aggressive look about it. Its jagged sharp beak led the red feathered form's flight in the direction of the first bird.

Acting from a sudden instinct, Mark quickly spotted a branch lying on the ground, picked it up, and swung it into the speeding bird's side, sending it crashing to the ground before the pursuer could catch up with the pursued. The animal slid to a stop just short of the nearby road, unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of its chest indicating that it was still breathing. Mark let the branch fall from his hand and carefully made his way to the first creature he had seen, which was now lying on the ground as well.

Though he didn't hate animals by any means, Mark didn't really care much about them either, and he surprised himself by deciding to pick up the feathered oddity and inspect it for injuries. Satisfied that it seemed to be tired more than anything else, Mark returned to the road with the creature cradled in his arms.

"Don't suppose you happen to know where the nearest sign of civilization is, do you?" Mark whispered. He stiffened as the bird's strange eyes opened up at this; it then looked around and, with a faint coo, craned its neck in the direction Mark had been going before settling limply back into his arms.

Mark's right eyebrow jerked up at the unexpected answer to his rhetorical question. "Oookaaay, that was kinda weird," he stated, more to himself than anything. The bird didn't seem to have a response to that, so he relaxed, dismissing its earlier motion as at least harmless before continuing on.



The trek continued on, and Mark soon found himself ascending as the road took an uphill turn. Exhaustion began to set in, and Mark could feel his energy slip away with every step as every new movement felt more and more forced. Resigned to what was surely going to be another view of uninhabited fields and forest, Mark stared over the crest of the hill once he had reached it.

Instead, a small village presented itself; it was mostly a gathering of small homes and shops, but there were a few large, sprawling buildings lying at the outskirts of the town. Not willing to stand in one place and study the scenery any longer, Mark raced down the hill as quickly as he could without dislodging his equally exhausted cargo.

As the wildlife on either side of the road gave way to buildings, Mark anxiously searched about in a faint hope that he could find someone who could tell him at least where he was. His efforts were soon rewarded as a man wearing a red polo shirt and tan slacks found himself in Mark's path. With a great deal of effort, Mark slowed himself to a stop before a collision, and additional exertion held the still resting bird back from an unwanted flight.

"Sorry… about that… sir", Mark gasped in between difficult breaths. As the shock dissipated, it suddenly occurred to him that starting a conversation with a bombardment of questions involving what kind of place he was in and what was he doing there might not be the best way to create a first impression. Scrambling about for something to say, he suddenly remembered his passenger.

"I, ah, found this… bird… out in the forest a distance from here; is there anywhere around here it can be checked for injuries?" As the words left his mouth, Mark silently berated himself for how idiotic that had to have sounded. The stranger on the other hand, and much to Mark's surprise, seemed to accept the question as being perfectly normal.

"Of course, just follow me and I'll bring you to the Lab; they'll make sure that Pidgey is as good as new before you know it," was the answer Mark received, delivered by a kind, yet professional voice.

So this type of bird was called a Pidgey; that sounded familiar somehow. Mark inspected his new guide; he was clearly on the older side, with grey hair that was rapidly approaching white that had been groomed so it would sweep to the left side of his head. Surprisingly youthful brown eyes peered out of a face slightly lined with age. Most striking was the air of authority he had about him, as if the man's mere presence could easily command the respect of nearly anyone around him, even if the man himself didn't choose to.

After a short period of walking, the two men and the Pidgey came to one of the larger buildings Mark had noticed upon first spotting the town. It struck Mark as a particularly inviting place, the warm sunlight brightening its off-white walls and reflecting from its clean windows. As the small group casually made its way through the glass doors, Mark realized that he had completely forgotten to introduce himself.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Mark Rowley. I appreciate you taking the time to bring me here." Mark's voice came forth in his most sincerely grateful tone, and the stranger seemed to pick up on this, realizing that this man seemed to have even more pressing concerns behind his worried look than an injured animal.

"Don't worry about it; I was on my way here when you found me anyway. My name is Samuel Oak."

Mark briefly paused at that; Pidgey, Oak, the names reminded him of something, but the more he mulled it over, the more elusive the answers seemed to become. He shook his head firmly, as if trying to jar the solution from his mind by physical force. The shock of what's happening was affecting his thinking, he decided; he'd have to calm down if he was going to figure out anything about what's going on.



The inside of the lab matched Mark's expectations; his vision was dominated by diligently cleaned lab tables and various pieces of equipment, though the latter were completely unfamiliar to him. Two people were waiting for them, or more precisely, waiting for Oak, considering the inquiring looks made in his direction.

The man of the duo appeared to be in his mid-twenties, wearing a buttoned white lab coat that draped from his neck to his ankles. Untidy black hair framed the thoughtful look on his face, coming down to just above his shoulders. The young woman was dressed in a cliché nurse's outfit, complete with a cap marked by a red cross crowning her pink-haired head.

"Hello, you two; Nurse Joy, we have a Pidgey here you might want to take a look at," came from Oak, snapping Mark to attention as he held out the bird for the woman to take.

Nurse Joy stepped forward, gently lifted the injured avian from Mark's arms, and soothingly spoke in a low voice, "Relax, I'll make sure your pokemon is just fine." At this, Mark visibly froze.

Pokemon; now THAT one he recognized immediately. One would be hard pressed to find someone who had Mark's interest in video games who hadn't at least heard of the fictional creatures. Apparently, wherever he was now, they actually existed in reality.

Joy had already turned around, and didn't notice Mark's stunned reaction as she strode from the room. Oak took the opportunity to address him, failing to catch his attention until he cleared his throat exceptionally loudly. Mark blinked as he jerked his head in the direction of the sound.

"Sorry about that, but I believe there is a little more worrying you than a tired Pidgey." Mark sighed at the authoritive tone, unsure of how to proceed. After a few moments' hesitation, he decided the direct option would be the best.

"Okay, I'm not quite sure how to say this and make it sound believable, so I'm just going to say it; I'm not from this world, and pokemon don't exist in the reality I come from. I was minding my own business in my home, when I suddenly was caught in a bright light, and I wound up in a forest a ways out of this town. I followed a road here hoping to find people, and, now that I have, I really have no idea what to do now."

The two listening men stared blankly; whatever they had been expecting, that definitely wasn't it. The blank looks quickly gave way to ones of deep concentration, and a few moments passed before Oak and the lab coat clad man shared a look that seemed to indicate similar thoughts. Oak spoke again, in a tone that almost seemed to show suppressed excitement:

"When you were surrounded by that light, did you see anything else before you found yourself in the forest?"

Mark took a moment to register the fact that they seemed to accept the story without any further convincing before he recalled that he was being asked a question. He racked his brain for a moment, sifting through his recent memories before a relevant image presented itself to him.

"That's right, I did see a faint shadow in the light for a few seconds; the forest appeared just as the shadow went away." Mark's delight was apparent in his voice, though that gave way to confusion when the man in the lab coat quickly rushed toward what appeared to be a computer. Oak remained where he was, apparently taking it upon himself to explain this latest development.

"You see, over the past few years, scientists have begun to theorize that there are a number of universes alternate to our own. We believe that certain pokemon may be able to travel between them at will, but no one has yet to find any proof of this. Professor Sketchit and I believe that the shadow you saw may have been a pokemon with this very ability."

Mark slowly rubbed his forehead, as though the motion would allow the explanation to sink in more thoroughly. Sure, he was familiar with the concept of multiple universes, but he heard of them in movies and books, not in serious scientific research, with the possibility that they might actually exist. Then again, there weren't many other stories that could explain how he suddenly ended up in a world populated by video game characters. For now, he'd trust this explanation, though there was still one thing he didn't understand; he voiced his concern:

"Why me, though? Why now? What would make this pokemon suddenly decide that I should come to this particular universe?"

Oak closed his eyes and shook his head. "That, I don't know. Sometimes, a pokemon's intentions can be near impossible to figure out. The best chance you have of finding an answer to those questions is actually finding the one that brought you here and asking it yourself." His tone came out both apologetic and frustrated, clearly not enjoying the feeling of not having an answer available when one was needed.

"I don't suppose there's a way for me get back?" Mark inquired, already dreading the confirmation he knew he would receive from the answer. Oak shook his head again slightly before speaking:

"Many scientists are working on projects meant to allow travel between universes, but at the current rate, it'll be several years before any of them are at a point where they can be tested."

Mark deflated at this, sinking into a nearby chair with his head hung in defeat. He squeezed his eyes shut; somehow hoping he could open them and simply find that he had, in fact, fallen and this whole experience was really nothing more than a dream. His attempts to wish himself away from this strange place were interrupted by a warm hand on his shoulder and a reassuring voice:

"You can stay here as long as it takes," Oak stated. "In Pallet Town, we take care of those who need it, and I can't think of a situation where one would require help more than being in a strange place with nothing but the clothes on one's back." Mark's reply came forth with nothing but sincerity lacing his words:

"Thank you."
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Author's Notes:
During previous postings, I recieved feedback noting that Mark accepted his sitation rather easily. Anyway, it's not so much that he is accepting it, as it is he realizes there is at least some chance that what he is seeing might actually be happening, and sitting next to a road in the middle of nowhere not accepting where he is may not be a very good idea.

It was also pointed out that Oak and Tracey accepted the story a little too easily, which is true, as the story mentions, but I like to think I have a decent explanation for that, too. After all, in their world, pokemon are such an integral part in their lives I'd imagine a story about a world where pokemon don't exist would seem too crazy for someone to just make up.

This chapter was written nearly a year ago and was one of my first real attempts at writing, so I like to think that I've gotten better since then.

Wow, a week and nothing? Harsh...

Oh well, here's chapter two at any rate, and I'll post the next one in another week.
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Mastering a New Start
Chapter 2: What Do I Do Now?
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The sun rose over the horizon, brightening a particular room within a certain lab situated in a solitary town. A pair of hazel eyes slowly forced themselves open as the sunlight hit them, and their owner lifted his fit body out of a bed. As his eyes grew open enough to take in his surroundings, his head suddenly began to jolt from side to side, not recognizing the bed, or even the room.


Mark stopped his paranoid inspection of his sleeping quarters as the events of the previous day flooded into his mind. After being unexpectedly transported from his home world to this one, he had saved a Pidgey, found his way to Pallet Town, and was allowed by Samuel Oak to stay in one of the spare rooms of the Pokemon Lab.


After pulling on his jeans and dark blue T-shirt from the previous day, Mark ambled down a nearby staircase in a groggy daze. As he found where he recalled being shown the kitchen area the previous day, he half-walked, half-stumbled inside. Nurse Joy was already there, looking exactly as she did the day before; her pink and white nurse's outfit without a single wrinkle and her hair flawlessly styled in what seemed to be her usual look. Apparently, she was a morning person. She was standing at the stove cooking something, though he couldn't see exactly what from this angle.


Joy's naturally cheerful grin grew into a wide, welcoming smile when she turned around and saw him. "Good morning, Mark! Did you sleep well?" she animatedly inquired. Mark responded with a garbled cross between a grunt and a yawn.
Joy's features shifted to reflect confusion, as though she thought the sound was a sort of expression where he was from and was trying to decide how to respond to it. Mark's dulled responses registered the question after a moment, and he shook his head to clear the haze in it before deciding a rephrasing was in order.


"I slept just fine, I'm… just not very good at waking up. Thank you for asking." Nurse Joy seemed to accept this, and her smile returned as she went back to her work. As Mark ventured further into the kitchen, Joy spoke up again:


"Go ahead and sit down at the table; breakfast will be ready in a minute." Mark frowned at this, and took only an instant to voice his concerns:


"Joy, you don't have to cook for me; I'm imposing on you all enough as it is." Joy was unfazed, laughing and waving off the statement as though it was entirely insignificant to her.


"Professor Sketchit is constantly forgetting to cook for himself and probably wouldn't even eat at all if I didn't remind him, so I'm already used to doing all the cooking around here. Besides, I might as well get everyone's breakfast ready at once, don't you agree?" Mark saw the reason in her explanation and quietly sat down at the circular, four-person table.



The aforementioned minute went by in silence, which was broken by the sound of food being loaded onto plates. Joy turned back toward the table, setting down a plate in front of Mark before laying another at the spot across from him and sitting down behind it. The two ate in silence for a few moments, before Mark cut in with another inquiry:

"What about Professor… Sketchit, was it? Where is he right now?"


"He's making his early morning rounds in the Preserve at the moment, making sure the nocturnal Pokemon are all asleep in areas where they won't be in the way. He should be coming back here to eat shortly." Nurse Joy's reply came easily, making it clear that this was the everyday routine for them, and Mark's arrival wouldn't change that. Mark himself felt a little bit of relief at this, knowing that he wasn't getting in the way as much as he imagined.


"So, there are quite a few more of these Pokemon living around here?" As Joy answered in the affirmative, Mark went on, this time more to himself, "Might as well go out and see them; if I really am going to be living in this world for as long as it looks like I will, I might as well start making them an everyday sight."


"There are a number of Pokemon here that need to be cared for everyday, almost more than Professor Sketchit and I can manage by ourselves. If you could help, it would be a great deal easier on us." Mark smiled in gratitude at Joy's offered chance to pay his beneficiaries back and gave a brief nod, confirming that he would do just that.


About this time, a mass of billowing white capped by messy black hair burst into the room, grasping the remaining plate of food next to the stove and settling down in the seat to Mark's left. He gave a nod of acknowledgment to both of the people already seated before working down the cooking, his haste making it clear he was taking this meal only as a concession to Nurse Joy and was hoping to get back to his beloved work as soon as possible.


The trio finished breakfast at about the same time, and as Professor Sketchit rushed out of the kitchen and through a hall unfamiliar to Mark, Nurse Joy spoke again:


"We'll catch up with him soon enough, but the Pidgey you found yesterday woke up not too long ago and she wants to see you." Mark surprised himself at the attachment he suddenly felt towards the bird, and he eagerly followed Joy to yet another section of the Lab that had remained unseen by him until now.



The room they entered was clearly a sort of medical center, with hospital beds each paired with an array of monitoring equipment lining the wall to the right and various larger pieces of medical technology against the left. Mark's attention was drawn to one of the beds to his right; where the Pidgey he had met yesterday had just jumped onto the rail at the foot of the cot, where she was waving her wings and cooing happily. Mark addressed the Pokemon with a grin:

"It's good to see you're doing well, too." Mark made a brief gesture to his left shoulder, which Pidgey seemed to instantly pick up on, as she flew towards him and alighted on his shoulder. He lightly scratched at the avian's neck, eliciting a happy chirp, before he turned back to Nurse Joy.


"Well, let's get started with those Pokemon, shall we?" Joy smiled warmly and led him out of the room and toward the hallway Sketchit had taken earlier. After the two people pushed through the large double doors at the end of the hall, Mark and Joy felt the morning sun on their faces as they beheld a large field populated by creatures of various shapes and sizes. Now able to recall the brief period in which he played the Pokemon games himself, Mark was able to recognize some of the forms he was presented with, but several were still a complete mystery to him.


"We usually start with the water Pokemon, so the Professor should be this way." Nurse Joy led Mark in the indicated direction, and he halted his examination of the meadow to follow. After about a minute of walking, a lake came into view; Sketchit was there, and was surrounded by yet more of the strange looking creatures, these seemingly taking the shapes of various sea animals.


"Ah, you're just in time, Nurse Joy. Is Mark going to be helping out as well?" Professor Sketchit's professional voice greeted them, and Mark quickly nodded an affirmative to the question. Sketchit grinned at this, and decided to continue:


"Okay, then. Kingler, come on up." A nearby area of water began to ripple just before making way for an ascending creature. Mark inspected the animal as it scuttled onto land; it was an immense crablike creature whose height came to his waist, not including the pincers, of which the left was noticeably larger than the right. It had a red shell with patches of green in places, and a line of spikes formed a crown on its head. Sketchit's voice broke in once more as Mark's inspection of the Pokemon was just ending:


"This is what you're going to do, Mark," began the Professor. "The green spots on this Kingler's shell are lichen that have stuck to it. Every few days, we scrub his shell to clean them off. I'd appreciate it if you could take care of that for us today." Pidgey left Mark's shoulder to perch on a nearby rock as the man took the offered brush from Professor Sketchit and turned to the newly arrived Pokemon.


Mark lowered himself to the Kingler and immediately began as he was instructed, running the cleaning brush smoothly over the splotches of green continuously until only red showed. After a few moments, Mark caught movement out of the corner of his eye; a large pincer was coming toward him from the right side. A quick glance to the left confirmed that the right pincer was coming toward him as well from the other side.


Mark wasted no time; his right leg rose to his waist, then shot forward, catching the shocked Pokemon in the face and sending it staggering backward. The human pushed off of the creature, dropping into a backwards roll. After gaining some distance from the crab, he launched himself back to his feet in a fighting stance.


"Whoa, hold on!" Mark only movement was a momentary look in the direction of the voice before returning his sight to the threat before him. Sketchit ran up to the man before continuing, "Kingler is just a little affectionate sometimes; he's not going to hurt you."


Mark straightened at this revelation, and looked at Kingler more closely; the crab was now rubbing the spot where he struck it with its smaller pincer while looking up at him with a hurt expression in its humanlike eyes. Mark's face softened, and he bent down to Kingler's level slowly, unsure of how the Pokemon would react to him now; he carefully spoke in an apologetic voice:


"Sorry about that; I'm a little unused to Pokemon, so I misunderstood what you were trying to do. Can you forgive me?" Kingler looked thoughtful for a moment, and then, apparently not one to hold a grudge, wrapped both arms around Mark in a crushing hug. Now that he knew what the Kingler's intentions were, Mark simply let it happen, a slight grin finding its way to his face.



The rest of Mark's chores were completed without incident; as he had found the Pokemon here were friendly and there was no need to be defensive around them. It was noon by this time, as was evident by the midday sun shining over them. Mark, with Pidgey once again on his shoulder, found his way back to the entrance of the Lab, where Joy was already waiting; Professor Sketchit also appeared after a minute, when he spoke to the young woman:

"Nurse Joy, you wouldn't mind making lunch again, would you? Profess… I mean, Oak called saying that he had some information for Mark. I'll need to get him started on it." Joy grinned and rolled her eyes at the question, knowing she always made lunch anyway, and nodded an affirmative before walking into the Lab. After Mark let Pidgey fly off of his shoulder and into the Preserve, Sketchit addressed Mark as they entered the Lab as well:


"I'm sure you're going to want to learn about society in this world, so Oak put together some information on that subject for you." About this time, the two had arrived in front of what appeared to be an unused office, bare except for a desk holding a computer near the far right end of the room and a window at the far left side that allowed sunlight to flood in. Sketchit led Mark to the computer and continued:


"Okay, everything's on here; is there anything about the computer that's unfamiliar to you?" Mark inspected the computer, finding few noticeable differences between it and the numerous other computers he had operated in his life. After letting Sketchit know this, the researcher continued, "Well, I'll go see how lunch is coming; I'll bring you some when it's ready."



As the professor left, Mark began studying the data laid out before him. It seemed that much of society seemed to revolve around these Pokemon, as well as 'Pokemon Trainers', humans who spent their lives partnering up with various Pokemon and battling alongside them against other Pokemon Trainers.

Apparently, those in high positions, the ones who made important, wide-affecting decisions, were determined by which trainers commanded the most power. Mark found himself a little unsure of how well civilization would fare with such a system at first; however, the information also told him that Pokemon tended to thrive while under the care of caring, considerate trainers, so those who didn't possess these qualities never went far enough to achieve any positions of real importance.

As Mark continued on, he found more detailed information on this world's equivalent to a governing body. Each major region in the world had their own 'Pokemon League', which handled all major decisions involving relations with other regions, medical care facilities, use of land, and so forth. They also did everything in their power to protect both the citizens and the environment of their region from whatever may threaten to harm either.


Each town or city large enough had a person who was referred to as a 'Gym Leader'. This person had to be approved by both the town they operated in as well as the Pokemon League. Their job was threefold; the first required them to protect their city from danger, or contacting the Pokemon League for assistance if they are unable to do so by themselves. The second was to represent their respective city in all major decisions made by the Pokemon League. Their last duty was accepting battle challenges from upcoming trainers and providing the worthy ones with a 'Gym Badge'; this was the one trainers often viewed as the most important, as eight Gym Badges were needed in order for a trainer to be accepted in that region's Pokemon League Competition.


Pokemon League Competitions, official tournaments in which Pokemon Trainers would battle against each other, provided the basis for the next few rungs in this food chain. Those trainers powerful enough to rank among the eight best trainers in a Competition became eligible to become a 'League Enforcer' for the Pokemon League hosting said Competition. These League Enforcers receive free housing courtesy of the Pokemon League, as well as a steady flow of spending money; in return, they are required to assist in the Pokemon League's goal of protecting that region's citizens and environment. The winner of a Competition, in addition to this offer, also receives the right to challenge the Elite Four in hopes of becoming the Region Champion.


The Elite Four of any region were, as their title would imply, a group of four of the most powerful trainers that particular region had to offer. These people had the final say in important matters involving the Pokemon League they were part of, and were occasionally called upon to resolve situations requiring greater expertise than an ordinary League Enforcer could provide. In return for providing these services, the Elite Four members are typically provided with luxurious homes and a considerable paycheck.


Any 'Competition Champion' is allowed to officially challenge each member of the Elite Four to Pokemon matches. In doing this, if the challenger successfully defeats each member of the Elite Four in an official Pokemon battle, that trainer becomes recognized as the Region Champion; however, if there is already a Region Champion in place, the newcomer would have to defeat that trainer as well before taking their position. A Region Champion is also provided with his or her own spacious accommodations and substantial cash flow, and is obligated to help with the most dangerous threats that may face the region.



Mark pondered this information for some time; the Pokemon Trainers were certainly influential here. He continued to a different section of information; this one actually describing the beginnings of a Pokemon Trainer.

According to the data before him, a person would have to be at least fifteen years of age before becoming eligible to begin an official Pokemon training career. In addition, the would-be trainer would have to take a written exam on the subject of Pokemon and caring for them, proving that the newcomer has at least the basic knowledge he or she would need. With both of these requirements met, the trainer would receive a Pokedex, which served as both a portable encyclopedia on virtually any Pokemon's basic statistics and as the trainer's identification. In addition, a starter Pokemon would be placed in the new trainer's care, as well as five free pokeballs with which to capture new Pokemon.


As Mark perused a few accounts of journeys undertaken by Pokemon Trainers, a strange idea crept into his mind. He dismissed it immediately, considering it to be completely foolish; however, the idea returned, and continued to do so, always bringing with it a new reason for it to be pursued. After a few minutes, Mark recognized that he was only delaying the inevitable; he had conjured up notions like this before, they seemed crazy at first, but they had a way of coming back to him enough that he always ended up pursuing them in the end.


Mark retrieved the dishes that had earlier contained his lunch, though in doing this he realized that he had been so engrossed in his reading that he had failed to notice Professor Sketchit bring his lunch to him and then leave. He left the room, setting off to the kitchen in order to drop off the filthy tableware.


While traveling through the hallways of the Lab, Mark continued to ponder the decision he was making; the more he rationalized it, though, the more sense it seemed to make. After he entered and left the kitchen, Mark heard the telltale tapping sound of a computer keyboard, and he walked in the direction from which the sound was coming. The sound led him to another office, though this one was clearly occupied, with various papers and office tools scattered all over the surface of the desk, a wastebasket filled to overflowing with wadded scraps of paper in the far left corner, and a grey metal file cabinet in the against the wall to his right.


Professor Sketchit was behind the desk, furiously typing at the keyboard, a look of pure concentration etched on his features as he continued at his work. After a moment, the scientist began to slow down until his typing eventually came to a stop. Whatever he was working on seemingly completed, Sketchit leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. He quickly caught sight of Mark and greeted him:


"Hello, Mark! Have you finished with that information Oak sent?" Mark nodded a confirmation to the question, and, after a brief pause, the researcher leaned forward, seeming to sense that the man before him had something else to say.


"While I was going over everything, I came to a decision. I…" Mark went through his reasoning in his mind; sure, it sounded like it made some sense, but he still couldn't help but shake the feeling that it was crazy. However, he knew that this concept just wouldn't leave him until he at least tried to put it in motion. He took a deep breath:


"I want to become a Pokemon Trainer."

____________________________________
Author's Notes:
Wow, pasting my stories onto this board is real pain in the @ss.

Anyway, the fifteen year age limit for trainers was implemented before I found out that manipulating canon in such a way was often frowned upon. However, at Chapter 20, I feel it's a little late to just go back and change it now.

Hey, Scizor. It's me from serebii in case you didn't figure it out already. xP

I really have to catch up on your (and many other people's) fics.

Oh yeah, to readers, this is a very well done and realistic fic. I highly suggest you give it a read.

Hey just wanted to say that I like your story. I like the part:

"this world's equivalent to a governing body. Each major region in the world had their own 'Pokemon League', which handled all major decisions involving relations with other regions, medical care facilities, use of land, and so forth. They also did everything in their power to protect both the citizens and the environment of their region from whatever may threaten to harm either."


I was wondering why people always wanted to challenge the pokemon league.

I just read your Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 and I must say that I was very impressed. You write very well on the sentence-level, but tend to use "big words" when they are not necessary, like me.

The story, though, is really good so far and I'm very interested to see what Pokemon Mark starts with, as well as how he actually does as a beginning Trainer. Also, when he finally challenges the Pokemon League I will be very interested to read that. Keep going man!

Oh, and if you'd like you can read and review my Fan Fic in my sig. It is similar, but the characters are native the the world of Pokemon.

I hope to read more awesome chapters from you!

Thanks to those who have reviewed so far, and thanks for the vote of confidence Griff; it's good to see you, too.

To Brawler, yeah, I have a tendency to use bigger words than I really have to sometimes. When I'm writing, I tend to forget the obvious words for what I'm trying to say and end up using the long, semi-obscure ones.

Anyway, here's Chapter 3, and I'll post the fourth in another week.

________________________________

Mastering a New Start
Chapter 3: When Do I Start?
​

In a spacious and well-equipped work area in a large Laboratory, three pairs of eyes looked into a fourth. The first three quietly contained emotions of surprise, doubt, and concern. The last held some doubt, but that doubt was diminishing rapidly, and was quickly being overwhelmed by a growing determination. The man behind the fourth pair of eyes again drifted to thoughts of how this scene came to happen.


After Mark told Sketchit about his decision to become a Pokemon Trainer, the researcher initially displayed no emotion; instead, he told Mark that he would call Oak so Mark could inform him, along with Joy, as well. Upon the older man's arrival, they all met in their present location, where Mark proceeded to tell them of his sudden decision. This brought him back to the present time.


"Mark, are you sure about this? You've only been here for one day, after all." Mark smiled at Oak's response, the same argument having dominated his own thoughts for the better part of the previous hour. His reply came quickly, in a voice that continued to gain confidence.


"I don't plan on actually leaving for awhile; I'm aware that I still don't know much about Pokemon, but I plan on taking time to change that. I'm sure you're also wondering how I could come to this decision after so little time in this world, but, after going over the facts, this is the only real course of action to take."


The trio he was addressing was dumbfounded at this, and Oak just barely managed to work out a request for Mark to explain. The man smiled, pleased at the opportunity to get his reasoning into the open, and continued:


"If I stay here, I won't be doing anything to help my situation; I'll be simply sitting around, hoping that one of those groups of scientists out there will actually manage to find a way to get me home before I die of old age. I've read the Trainer's accounts in your information, Oak; they come across things on their journeys that few other people ever see. I may very well come across something or someone that could get me home much sooner if I go on a journey of my own."


"Then, there's the question of what I'm doing here in the first place; Oak, Sketchit, if your theory is true and a Pokemon did really bring me here, there has to have been some sort of reason for it. Pokemon Trainers are among the most influential people in this world; becoming one will be my best chance of finding out what that reason is."


"Finally, I… never had a chance to really help people back in my world; sure, I've done little things to assist people around me, but that just didn't feel like enough. I've always admired the people who would put their own lives on the line in order to save others. Now that I'm in this place, I can start out fresh, and I may get the chance to do things like that myself if I go out into the world."


First Oak, then Joy, and finally Sketchit lost the surprise and doubt in their faces, and, though they still appeared concerned, they also donned looks of approval. Oak strode forward, and put his hand on Mark's shoulder. Nurse Joy and Professor Sketchit stepped forward as well when Oak spoke with a grin:


"Well, far be it from us to try and stop you, Mark. We'll help with your preparations as much as we can." Mark's reply was a confident grin, followed by a brief nod of acknowledgment.



As Mark thought back, the past month seemed to have come and gone rather quickly. All in all, the daunting task of familiarizing himself with a world greatly different than what he spent twenty years getting used to wasn't actually as hard as he had imagined it would be. As Mark reminisced, he decided that those he had found himself living with were the inspiration that made the ease of the transition possible.

Sketchit continued to have Mark assist him in caring for the Pokemon in the Preserve. He washed thick fur coats and rough, scaly skin and he cleaned hardened carapaces; he polished sharp horns, claws, and fangs. Though there were numerous types of Pokemon Mark had yet to encounter even after his work with Sketchit, he learned what he needed to keep the body of nearly any Pokemon he may capture in proper shape.


Joy also chose to help Mark prepare, showing him a few areas of her medical training that would be the most useful to him. The soon-to-be trainer learned about how to treat most injuries a Pokemon would receive in battle, as well as how to effectively operate the Potion and Antidote Sprayers that were in common use. Mark also learned about the various natures of Pokemon; he discovered that the different types of Pokemon had just as many different needs, such as the desire for most water types to get a chance to swim as often as possible or the need for most grass types to be around sunlight and clean soil whenever they could. Allowing the Pokemon to indulge in these, Mark found, was essential in keeping them happy and healthy.


Oak, apparently having been an experienced trainer in his younger days, took it upon himself to teach Mark the nuances of Pokemon battling. Despite having already learned about type advantages and disadvantages from his own experiences, Mark took in everything he was shown, not willing to take the chance that the game world he had experienced and its real-life counterpart did not work quite the same. Oak showed the younger man everything he could, from the basic rules dictating Pokemon battles, to information regarding some of the most famous trainers and Pokemon battles in history.



Mark, for his part, decided that to be a strong Pokemon trainer, having a strong body himself would be a necessity. None of the available humans around having much in the way of fighting skills, Mark turned to the local Pokemon instead. Fortunately, one among them presented itself that had the abilities he was looking for; it had a spherical, furry body from which a pig like snout and ears protruded, as well as muscular arms and legs. The Primeape's coat of fur was slightly thinner than the image he had seen of this Pokemon in its prime, indicating he was on the older side. However, if this Pokemon did practice martial arts as adamantly as the information on his species indicated, he wasn't going to let a little thing like age slow him.

His guess proved accurate when he first made his request of the fighting-type Pokemon. Soon after the request was agreed to, man and Pokemon stood a small distance apart in their respective fighting stances. A shared glance signaled the start, and the ape-like Pokemon leapt forward, left fist preparing to shoot forward.


Mark slid to the right, and his left arm came up to deflect the punch away from him before bringing his right leg up and around in a roundhouse kick. The Primeape shot back to avoid the attack, then came forward once more, right leg coming up to what could be considered a waist before launching itself forward. The human stepped to the left side of the attack before coming toward the fighting-type again, his right fist coming forward to lead the charge. This attack landed, imbedding itself into the Pokemon's gut.


Primeape clenched his teeth in acknowledgment of the pain, then dropped his airborne leg back into the ground behind him and twisted his body rightward, letting his left fist crash into Mark's back, between his shoulder blades. The man was sent hurtling to the ground and fell into a roll upon his arrival, traveling several feet before managing to force himself to a stop. Mark came back to his feet, and man and Pokemon rushed forward to clash once more.


After several minutes of this, the two combatants stopped, having grown both tired and bruised, and slumped to the ground in a sitting position. After catching their breath and sharing a grin that showed their mutual acceptance of the draw, Mark agonizingly pulled himself to his feet, and trudged back to the Lab. These fights occurred daily from that day on, with neither side ever completely giving in to the other.


Mark also spent a good deal of time with Pidgey, and the flying-type Pokemon did what she could to help the trainer-to-be as well. At the man's request, she would dive at him as quickly as she could, so he could practice dodging her attacks. However, Mark quickly proved to be capable of dodging the small bird with little difficulty, and Pidgey visibly put all the effort she could muster into making herself faster and more maneuverable in an attempt to make herself into the challenge that Mark had wanted.


It took somewhere around two weeks, but the results of the feathered Pokemon's efforts were easily noticeable. Her Quick Attacks became faster by the day, and Mark found himself having to concentrate more and more in order to keep up. One day, Mark was just a little too slow, and the Pokemon barreled into his stomach, driving him to the ground. Pidgey quickly dropped down, coming to a landing on the man's chest, and looking into his face with concern. Mark issued a pained, yet approving, grin, and he reached up to lightly scratch the bird's neck as he coughed out a faint laugh.

One month after declaring his intent to become a Pokemon Trainer, Mark walked down the stairs from his room, on his way to do just that. Black tennis shoes led his blue jean-covered legs down his path, and a dark blue sleeveless shirt enshrouded his upper torso. His right arm curled up to grasp one of the straps that held his black backpack to his body, and his left hand was buried in his pocket.

As he walked out the front door, he was met by four approving faces, three human and one Pokemon. He turned to Sketchit, who gave him five empty pokeballs, each with a clip that allowed Mark to attach them to his belt. After doing just that, he directed his gaze to Oak, who was holding out three pokeballs.


"Well, here are the three starter Pokemon that are provided to new trainers. Feel free to take your time in making your decision." The man looked at each of the three spheres, already having made sure he knew as much as he could about what was contained within each. Within one was Charmander, the fire breathing lizard, inside another lay Squirtle, the water-type turtle, and Bulbasaur, the animal and plant hybrid, rested inside the third. However, Mark had already made his decision.


"I appreciate this, Oak," Mark started, "but I've already got a partner. That is, if she thinks she can stand me." The last statement having been directed at the non-human member of his audience, Pidgey quickly understood his meaning and flew to his shoulder, letting out a loud, happy trill. Oak stepped toward Mark, his face beaming as he held out a different pokeball.


"I had a feeling you would say something like that, so I already took the liberty of having another empty pokeball handy so you could make it official." Mark grinned at the older man as he retrieved the sphere. He turned toward the bird on his shoulder and, after a short coo that indicated Pidgey was ready for what he was going to do, tapped the ball against the Pokemon's wing.


The sphere opened itself where the red and white halves met, and the feathered Pokemon's form dissolved into a red light that launched itself into the opening. The ball quickly closed itself once more, this time with the button on the face of the ball flashing a red light. The ball lightly vibrated once, twice, three times, before the red light dimmed and the ball lay still once more.
The new trainer minimized the ball and returned it to his belt before turning to his benefactors once more. He respectfully shook the hands of Oak and Sketchit, and returned the crushing hug Joy threw at him. After a heartfelt thanks and a fond farewell, Mark set off, making his way north toward Viridian City.



Mark walked down the dirt path set before him, going over in his mind the details of what was ahead of him. From what he had seen, the trip between Pallet Town and Viridian City would take about two hours at walking speed. The man grinned to himself; back where he was from, spending that much time traveling anywhere always felt like too long. Oak had told him that, while on a Pokemon journey, the time spent on the road can be just as important as the time spent at any one destination; it seemed he would have to get used to that.

The new trainer looked from side to side, spotting the occasional Rattata or Pidgey that just barely missed escaping his notice. Mark ignored the tiny creatures, already deciding that he wouldn't bother capturing just any Pokemon that came his way. If he was going to stay in this world, he wasn't going to do the Pokemon Trainer bit halfway, and he would only bother training Pokemon that were willing to take the challenge of ascending the ranks as high as he planned to go.


A new rustle caught his attention, having been caused by a greater sized being than any of the Pokemon he had noticed up until now. His walking slowed slightly as his gaze fixed on the bushes. The rustling returned for a moment before a figure leapt out of the leaves, the movement prompting Mark to drop into a crouch, left hand held in front of him in a protective position as his right went down to hover at his side, near his belt.


The newcomer was a human, dressed in black pants and a black shirt, with a black hat casting a shadow over his face. His clothing was tattered and filthy, and the shirt bore a large, red 'R' on the front. The man spoke, his works coming in a harsh, shady voice:


"Hold it! Now hand over your Pokemon, in the name of Team Rocket!" Mark stared incredulously for a moment, and, after a moment, burst into mocking laughter. Catching his breath after a few moments, the trainer snickered at the dark clothed man.


"Heh heh, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but that sorry band of Pokemon thieves disbanded years ago. They never even managed to pull off anything significant while they were around; heck, the only reason I heard of you guys at all was because the current Regional Champion of Kanto is known for fighting against Team Rocket on numerous occasions." The thoroughly insulted criminal grew indignant, and shouted his response.


"Well, Team Rocket is going to come back, starting with me! Go Ekans!" His last words were punctuated by the pokeball he hurled at the ground between the two men. The sphere burst open upon contact, releasing a red light that formed into a long, purple snake with a yellow underbelly; the creature let out a long hiss before facing Mark.


"So, that's the way you want to play it, eh?" Mark lifted the one occupied pokeball from his belt and brought it up. Despite his confident outburst, Mark was concerned; Pidgey were naturally prey to Ekans and were terrified of them by nature. Deciding to take a chance, the new trainer pressed the button on his own pokeball, allowing the red light inside to burst forth and condense into the familiar feathered form of Pidgey. Mark whispered his concern to his partner:


"Pidgey, can you take him?" The Pidgey, though appearing slightly unnerved, turned toward him with a short glance accompanied by a confident chirp before turning toward her opponent. The unnamed Team Rocket member let out a loud laugh before speaking.


"Ha! You're setting a Pidgey against an Ekans? Here I thought no one would be dumb enough to try that; Ekans, use Bite!" The snake shot forward at its trainer's command, baring its fangs in anticipation of sinking them into the bird. Mark, despite not having commanded a Pokemon in battle before, felt he knew what the flying type needed to hear.


"Pidgey, just avoid and counter, exactly like we've practiced before." The bird gave a short trill, indicated she understood his message, and flew in place, waiting for the snakelike Pokemon to come to her. Its arrival came within moments, and it reared its head back for a moment before thrusting its jaws at its supposed prey. Pidgey, however, dropped down and backwards, well away from the poisonous fangs before launching herself forward with her wings spread, the Wing Attack catching the Ekans in its underbelly, its own forward movement serving to increase the impact of the bird's attack.


The snake's upper half fell, and Pidgey flew back up at Mark's command, gaining distance from the poison-type to avoid any possible sneak attacks from it. Mark's shocked opponent took a moment to regain his composure before he commanded his Pokemon once more:


"Ekans, get up and take that puny thing out with a Poison Sting!" The downed creature took only moments to comply, raising its head from the ground to launch a barrage of white needles from its mouth in the direction of the airborne Pokemon.


"Pidgey, show him your diving Quick Attack." The addressed creature took to the command instantly, gaining altitude to avoid the projectiles of her opponent's attack before folding her wings back and firing herself earthward at dizzying speeds. During this time, Mark himself leapt forward, quickly making his way around the battle before moving towards the human in front of him. The Pokemon thief was taken aback at the action, clearly never having expected an attack on his person.


Pidgey hammered into the Ekans with a crushing impact just as Mark's fist forced its way into the wannabe Team Rocket member's stomach. The human dropped to the ground just as his Pokemon did the same. Mark's eyes were quickly drawn to his own Pokemon, who began to glow brightly.


The glow that was once Pidgey shifted and expanded, forming itself into a shape entirely different from what it started with. After several moments, the glow dimmed, giving way to a different form. In many ways, she was still similar to the Pidgey she once was, but she now sported a crown of red feathers that draped over her back, rather than the eyebrow-like markings she once possessed. In addition, her tail feathers, once brown, were now striped with bright red and yellow. Mark now stood before a Pidgeotto.


"Pidgey… Pidgeotto, thank you; I know facing down one of your natural predators couldn't have been easy." The bird gave a happy trill, dismissing the statement, and indicating that the fight was easy with Mark alongside her. The trainer looked down at the fallen would-be thief, his rasping breathing and low grunts of pain indicating that he was still conscious.


Mark hooked his foot underneath the man and lifted, rolling him onto his back. He leaned down toward the black-clad man's face, a harsh glint in his eyes.


"Okay, you have really annoyed me today; you had seriously better hope that we never meet again." With that said, Mark's foot rose, and then crashed down into the man's already bruised midsection. The struck man's body folded into the attack, and his eyes rolled back into his head as the triumphant trainer stepped over him.


Man and Pokemon continued on the path before them, Pidgeotto now flying evenly at about shoulder level, as her new size prevented her from riding on her usual perch. Mark's arm rose to give a dismissive wave to his enemy as he confidently strode away.


"Bye!"
___________________
Author's Notes:


Yes, I'm sure there are those who think Pidgey's evolution may have been rushed. However, this felt to me like the best part of the storyline to make that evolution happen in. If it makes it any easier to swallow, an evolution won't happen this quickly again for the rest of the story.

Man, this is the second great story I've read today, I'm on a roll. All three chapters were amazing and I really was drawn in right away. You are an awesome writer and I hope to get this good. Can't wait for chapter 4.

Thanks again to those who have been reading, and here's the fourth chapter; sorry I posted it a little late.

________________________

Mastering a New Start
Chapter 4: What Am I Doing?
​

At the end of a particular dirt road, a small yet bustling city gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. A pair of eyes gazed from a hilltop overlooking this city, and quietly examined the busy metropolis from his bird's eye view. The man behind these eyes grinned at what he saw, and started forward once more.


Mark was both pleased and disappointed with the lack of interruption in his journey after his brief encounter with the Pokemon thief. The part of him that was still used to how he went about his actions in his own world appreciated how little time was taken traveling between Pallet and Viridian. On the other hand, the trainer he was starting to become had desired more experience in actual Pokemon battling before arriving in a major city.


As the trainer reached the city limits, his thoughts shifted to what he should attempt to accomplish here. By consulting a guide to the Kanto region Oak had provided, Mark had already found that the Pokemon Gym in this city was out of the question for now, the leader here being ranked far too high for a new trainer to even have a chance in a Pokemon battle. As he continued through the streets, he started to make his way to the Pokemon Center, having decided that he should make sure Pidgeotto received a thorough medical examination before anything else.


As Mark walked through Viridian City, he glanced from one area to another, examining everything. The buildings, the streets, the houses, all had few differences with those he constantly saw in his own world. However, upon looking at those who were walking the streets, it was evident that he wasn't home any longer. The people looked no different, but the Pokemon greatly stood out to the man.


Beings that were clearly neither human nor animal dotted the city, walking alongside humans and helping with normal day-to-day tasks. Many of the Pokemon's forms were unfamiliar and exceptionally strange compared to those he had encountered up to that point. Fortunately, Mark had spent a month growing accustomed to the unusual, and continued on his way without incident.



After several minutes of searching, the large, bright building with the pokeball-shaped sign came within view, and Mark made his way towards it. The twin glass doors in the front slid open on the trainer's approach, and the man strolled into a large, well-kept room. The area to his immediate right seemed to be a waiting area, with a number of light blue couches surrounding a large, wooden table stacked with a number of Pokemon-related magazines. To his left was a staircase leading to an upper floor, and the area in front of him was dominated by a large reception counter at which a woman and a Pokemon were stationed, who both came to attention at his entrance.

The woman was… Nurse Joy? Mark blinked, wondering how Joy made it to Viridian City before him, not to mention what she was doing here in the first place. After a moment, he recalled something Joy had told him during the past month; it having been something about her relatives running most of the Pokemon Centers in the world. The man shook his head in disbelief; he had known identical twins that were easier to tell apart than this. It seemed that the Pokemon weren't the only oddities in this world.


As Mark strode up to the desk, he took a quick glance at his Pokedex to identify the pink, egg-shaped Pokemon standing alongside the nurse. The entry that appeared on the dark blue device's screen identified the creature as a Chansey; it also clarified that they were found in most Pokemon Centers working with the resident Nurse Joy. As Mark reached the counter, he lifted the only occupied pokeball from his belt and placed it in front of the patiently waiting nurse.


"I'd like for you to check Pidgeotto for me. She was just in a battle that caused her to evolve." The trainer's request came simply, and he waited just long enough for Nurse Joy to explain that she should be done with the assessment within a half hour before he gave a nod of appreciation and left the Center.




As Mark departed from the Pokemon Center, he decided to travel in a new direction. As he had nothing to accomplish here, he didn't feel like staying long, and had decided to leave the next morning. As a result, he determined that he might as well see as much of the city as possible before he left. After several minutes of nothing noteworthy, a building came within view that caught his interest.

It was large, much bigger than any of the buildings he had seen in this city so far, with a stadium-like structure. It also had a large, three dimensional image of a Charizard struggling against an unidentifiable rock-like pokemon mounted high on the stone outer wall, directly over the words 'Pokemon Arena', which were printed in red letters. Apparently, this building was used to allow trainers an ideal place to battle their Pokemon.


Intrigued by the possibility of seeing the strategies employed by other trainers, Mark quickly walked inside. Upon entering the building, the trainer found himself in a spacious lobby; at the far end of the room was a desk, behind which a single man sat. The apparent employee of this stadium appeared bored, leaning back in his chair and seemingly attempting to count imaginary objects on the ceiling. Upon hearing Mark's entrance, he slowly straightened himself in his seat and glanced at a clipboard while addressing the newcomer.


"Welcome to Viridian City's Pokemon Arena. Do you have a battle scheduled today?" The welcome was spoken in an automatic tone, making it clear that the cheer in his voice was heavily forced. Mark shook his head as he made his request to watch one of the battles already taking place. The receptionist pointed down the corridor to Mark's left as he answered in the same practiced tone.


"Of course, all of the battles at the moment are in this half of the stadium; the doors with lights blinking over them are rooms in which a battle is currently in progress." Mark quickly thanked the man and started off in the indicated direction. He almost immediately came across a door that was signaling that a Pokemon battle was taking place on the other side of it, and Mark quietly stepped through.



He found himself in another large room, and discovered that he was separated from what appeared to be a rocky field by a transparent barrier made of an unfamiliar material. On the field itself, two young men faced each other down intensely from opposite ends of the expanse. They stood behind what Mark could only assume were their respective Pokemon, who were already crouched, sharing their trainer's fierce gazes and ready to attack at any moment.

Before the trainer on Mark's right was a large, purple creature that stood on its hind legs. Spikes ran from the top of its head down to its powerful looking tail; the Pokedex described it as a Nidoking. On the other end of the field, a man-sized, doglike Pokemon stood in front of its own trainer. The beast that the Pokedex identified as an Arcanine was covered in a coat of deep orange which was striped with black. A mane of tan fur surrounded its head, while its tail was thick and made up of coarse fur of the same color.


A loud buzzer sounded from somewhere above, apparently signaling the beginning of the battle. Both trainers wasted no time in getting started, the man on the left calling for a Flame Wheel attack while the other commanded his Pokemon to perform a Take Down. Their Pokemon were equally eager, both leaping forward to follow their orders without hesitation. After a short but furious lunge, the powerhouses collided in the center of the field, Arcanine jumping into the attack headfirst, surrounded by dancing flames, and Nidoking crouching forward, his right shoulder leading the charge. The impact resounded throughout the field, rattling the barrier before Mark and forcing the two competing trainers to brace themselves to stay upright.


The two battlers quickly broke apart with a simultaneous grunt as new sets of commands were issued to them. Nidoking threw himself forward, his horn in front, which was then glowing with a greenish color; Arcanine flung his own body to his left as the Megahorn attack crashed into the ground and responded with a growl, accompanied by a powerful stream of flame bursting from his maw. Nidoking was forced back, taking the Flamethrower to his right side.


As the fiery assault broke, the now enraged Pokemon started forward with a bellowing roar and struck the fire-type with his left fist. The attacking hand was glowing with a sickly purple color, indicating he was using the Poison Jab attack his trainer had just called for. The Arcanine was thrown back by the blow, and he went into a short roll upon contact with the ground before returning to his feet.


The doglike Pokemon's trainer called out for a Fire Spin, which was responded to with a burst of flames from his battler's mouth, which formed itself into a spiral that quickly made its way to his opponent. Nidoking charged forward at his own trainer's command, his horn glowing a green color once more. As the purple beast reached the twisting inferno flying towards him, his Megahorn attack swung up and around, slicing through the blaze, causing it to scatter and fade.



As Mark watched this contest of power unfold, he began to find himself overwhelmed by the enormity of what he had chosen to take on, now fully understanding the obstacles that stood between himself and his ambitions. As his line of thought went down this path, he soon found himself questioning whether he could ever match the power commanded by the two younger trainers before him. His mind conjured up only answers that he didn't want to hear.

Mark grudgingly accepted that he never belonged in this place, and could never hope to match those who spent their lives understanding the lessons he spent a mere month only scratching the surface of. He let himself fall backwards, slumping against the wall behind him as the two combating Pokemon continued to lash at each other with increasingly powerful attacks. Dejected, the trainer wandered out the door as a stream of intense flames shaped into a star met with a beam of bright orange energy, resulting in an explosion that rocked the arena. He heard a short exclamation of triumph, though he wasn't certain which trainer the voice belonged to.


The disheartened man trudged through the seemingly longer streets of Viridian City, making his way back to the Pokemon Center. Though he paid little attention to where he walked, he still managed to find his way to the large building, even the pokeball-shaped sign seeming to mock him now. Mark sluggishly stepped through the glass doors and found Nurse Joy and Chansey happily welcoming him back. After he gave a brief nod to acknowledge the pair, he made his way to the counter. Joy held up Pidgeotto's pokeball and glanced at it while delivering her diagnosis.


"Well, we've gone over Pidgeotto, and there isn't anything wrong with her. As a matter of fact, this is one of the most well trained Pidgeotto I've ever seen; I actually had a hard time believing that she just recently evolved." Mark allowed himself a faint smile on his partner's behalf, and replied:


"Thanks, but I… I didn't have much to do with how well off she is now, to be honest." Joy's features formed into a puzzled expression at his self-demeaning tone as she answered him back in a warm voice.


"I wouldn't be so sure about that; this Pidgeotto seems to care about you a lot. I wouldn't be at all surprised if all the training she's done was for you." The nurse suddenly looked from Mark's face, to the pokeball still in her hand, to Mark again, and she quickly took on an expression of understanding, "You're Mark Rowley, aren't you?" Joy began to explain when Mark's features shifted to surprise.


"I've been talking with my cousin over in Pallet Town recently, and she's talked about what you've been going through. She says that you've been training constantly, like you have something to prove, and thought that you would end up like this sooner or later." At Mark's confused look, Joy laughed and continued.


"Come on, you know what I mean! You look like you have to fight a Machamp with both arms tied behind your back! You have to understand, trainers never start off powerful; it takes a good deal of experience as well as training, and it's going to be the same for you. Of course, if this Pidgeotto's condition is any indication, I think you're going to do just fine here." A smile slowly returned to Mark's face as he began to speak; it was weak, but sincere.


"Thanks, I guess I needed that. I'll be back to get a room to stay the night in after a walk to clear my head." Joy handed over the pokeball with a grin, and Mark walked back into the streets.



Mark wandered along, feeling only slightly better after Nurse Joy's advice, and still wondering if he really could go as far in the Pokemon League as he hoped. He abruptly stopped when he came across what appeared to be a park, considering it was a large, grassy area spotted with small clusters of trees. As he began examining the area, the man noticed several other trainers with their Pokemon, practicing various attacks together and going through several exercises.

Mark briefly glanced at each of the trainers and their partners, immediately knowing that the pokemon these people commanded were well trained. He continued on along the park's boundary, seeing still more trainers along the way, until he came across one who looked back at him with what seemed to be recognition. The young man confirmed this when he gave a shout:


"Hey, you!" Mark unsurely pointed to himself, the gesture silently asking whether he was the one being addressed, and the trainer continued, "Yeah, I'm talking to you. The name's Jason; I remember you from when I was in Pallet Town not too long ago. Since you seem to be a Pokemon Trainer now, are you up for a battle?" Despite his current state of gloom, Mark had never been one to back down without good reason, and he made his way to where the boy was, accepting the challenge.


"Alright, let's make this a standard three-on-three match, okay?" The young man's speech was interrupted by a hesitant reply from Mark.


"Actually, I only have one Pokemon at the moment; I'm afraid this will have to be a one-on-one instead." Jason's features twisted into a sour look as he gave out a humorless chuckle.


"You haven't caught any Pokemon yet? Shame, I was hoping you might have been a trainer worth my time. Oh well, go Squirtle!" The younger man's last words were punctuated by removing one of the pokeballs from his belt and tossing it to the ground before him. The red light that came forth quickly condensed into the easily recognizable form of a Squirtle, who let out a short, gurgling sound as he began to stare down Mark. Mark recognized his challenger now, having seen him receive this very Pokemon from Professor Sketchit a few days ago.


Not feeling up to defending his decisions at the moment, Mark simply brought his own pokeball from where it rested on his belt and pressed the button on its face, releasing its own shimmering red light. The light quickly dimmed to reveal Pidgeotto, who announced her presence with a series of chirps. The feathered Pokemon glanced back at her trainer, noting his unusually hesitant posture with concern before turning back to the Squirtle crouched in front of her.


"I'll start this off; Squirtle, Water Gun!" The mentioned Pokemon responded quickly, as a powerful burst of water shot from the turtle-like Pokemon's mouth at the large bird. Pidgeotto rose briefly to avoid the attack as Mark finally issued his own order.


"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack, but avoid staying in a straight line." The flying-type wasted no time in spreading her wings back as she began to dive toward the earth. Jason shouted out again in response.


"Use your Water Gun again, Squirtle! Knock it out of the sky!" More pressurized streams of water were issued from the water-type in an attempt to halt Pidgeotto's progress, but the feathered Pokemon continuously weaved from one side to another, causing the projectiles to pass harmlessly by. Quickly realizing that his opponent's Pokemon wouldn't be stopped this way, Jason changed tactics.


"Squirtle, Withdraw!" The addressed Pokemon immediately followed his trainer's confident order, and drew his head and all of his limbs into his shell just as the large bird hammered into him. The shell flew backwards, bouncing several times before coming to a stop. Only a moment passed before Squirtle emerged from his haven, slightly disoriented, but otherwise unharmed.


Mark hung his head in despair, knowing that his own Pokemon wasn't nearly strong enough to breach a defense as solid as what this Squirtle displayed. Just as the trainer began to give in, a loud chirp broke his thoughts; he looked in the direction of the sound, finding Pidgeotto trilling her encouragement to him. He gave a weak grin to his companion, and frantically racked his brain searching for an answer to the dilemma. Suddenly struck by inspiration, the man spoke once more.


"Pidgeotto, let's see another Quick Attack." The feathered Pokemon didn't hesitate for a moment, and quickly launched herself at her opponent. The other trainer smirked, calling to Squirtle to Withdraw once more, and the turtle quickly complied as its form retreated into its shell. As the bird closed in, Mark's grin grew wider as he issued a new command:


"Pidgeotto, grab the shell and carry it into the air!" The flying type complied, and her opponent soon found himself airborne, held up by the holes his arms usually occupied. As the two Pokemon climbed higher into the air, Mark's grin evolved into a smirk, and he revealed the final stage of his plan with a newfound confidence.


"Now dive back down and let go of the shell just before you reach the ground!" Back in his own world, Mark had once heard of birds that would pick up shellfish and hurl them into jagged rocks in order to break through the shells and get at the animal inside. Since this battle was taking place over a grassy field rather than a group of sharp rocks, he knew this attack wouldn't have nearly as dramatic an effect on the Squirtle, but he was hopeful that the impact should still damage the water type, even through his shell. As the pair hurtled downwards, Jason quickly grasped Mark's intent, and frantically called for a Water Gun pointed at the ground in a last ditch effort to slow his Pokemon's landing.


The turtle was not as quick, however, and the ground rushed up to meet him just as he prepared to follow his trainer's orders. A loud crash and a rising cloud of dust drew the attention of everyone nearby who wasn't already watching the battle. As the sandy cloud dissipated, the revealed Squirtle was face down, and sprawled unconscious on the ground as Pidgeotto hovered triumphantly over him. The losing trainer quickly recalled his downed Pokemon, made his way towards Mark, and spoke in an apologetic voice.


"Well, I guess you won; it seems you're better than I thought." After Mark gave his thanks for the compliment, the other trainer continued, "Well, I hope we get a chance to battle again." As Jason turned back towards the park, Mark went back on his own way, Pidgeotto now at his side, and ready to continue on his way to the top.



As Mark entered the Pokemon Center, he quickly postponed his plans to secure a room for the night when he noticed a woman speaking with Nurse Joy. The unfamiliar female wore a police officer's attire and had green hair flowing from underneath her cap. The two had serious looks on their faces, and Mark, noting that they were making no effort to hide their conversation, decided to listen as well. The policewoman was speaking by the time he began eavesdropping.

"No one is sure what it is just yet, but it's been attacking wild Pokemon in Viridian Forest. It doesn't seem to be attacking any humans going through the area, though." Nurse Joy's voice held a deeply concerned tone as she voiced her own thoughts.


"Are the Pokemon alright? Have they been able to recover?" The officer nodded with a weak smile as she answered.


"Yes, they're all fine. Fortunately, it hasn't caused any serious injuries to its victims; so far, it has never gone farther than knocking them out."


Mark tuned out of the discussion and mulled over this new information for a few moments. It seemed there was a Pokemon stalking Viridian Forest that had some noteworthy fighting skills. A smirk formed on Mark's face as a single word came out.


"Interesting..."
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Author's Notes:
This is probably one of my least favorite chapters of the story so far, and I already ended up rewriting it once just to get it to where I thought it was good enough to post. It gets better after this though, I promise.

Great as usual. I really like how you showed that Mark was unconfident.

Well, I really liked this chapter. I liked the battle strategy, it was good. Can't wait for 5!

Chapter 5, actually on time this time around.

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Mastering a New Start
Chapter 5: Is This How It's Done?​

The sun shone over a thick forest's canopy, casting splotchy shadows onto the earth beneath. A pair of hazel eyes stared intently into the wooded expanse, narrowed as if attempting to peer farther into the forest than the clusters of thick tree trunks would allow. A large bird hovered in the air a few feet to his right, waiting for the man behind those eyes to move forward.


When Mark had received permission from Joy to stay in the Pokemon Center for the night, the two had started up a brief conversation, during which the subject of the trainer's plans arose. As Mark revealed he intended to traverse Viridian Forest in order to reach Pewter City, a worried look spread across the nurse's face. Despite already knowing what was bothering the pink-haired woman from listening to her earlier conversation, Mark remained silent and let her voice her concerns.


"You might not want to go that way." She began, "There have been reports of a wild Pokemon in that forest that has been attacking other Pokemon in the area. It doesn't seem to be going after humans at the moment, but I don't think you should take any chances." A look of surprise crossed Joy's face as Mark began to smirk.


"Well, now you've gone and made me want to go that way even more. I just can't resist seeing a Pokemon that can cause that kind of trouble." The nurse grew mortified at this, and countered with a shocked reply.


"You can't be serious!" However, the man's stern face said everything, and, after a moment, Joy relented with a sigh, then continued in a frustrated tone. "Well, I can't really do anything to stop you, but please, reconsider." Mark sighed as his face softened, and he gave a gentle response.


"I'm a Pokemon Trainer, remember? I'm going to have to battle strong opponents if I'm going to get any experience, and this mystery Pokemon of yours seems to be just what I need. If it makes any difference, I will be careful, but I am going through Viridian Forest either way." Joy hesitantly nodded, and Mark gave out a quick goodnight as he walked away toward his assigned room.



Mark abruptly broke out of his flashback, and turned toward Pidgeotto with a wide grin. As the flying-type caught his confident glance, she gave out a happy trill, and the two started off, side by side, into the vast woods.

The trainer and his Pokemon both moved cautiously, keeping a careful watch for anything threatening. Mark knew that Viridian Forest was large, and there was no way of knowing where the dangerous Pokemon he heard about was, but he was determined to discover it before he left this place. Pidgeotto seemed to sense how important finding the Pokemon was to her trainer, and her sharp avian eyes also maintained a constant watch for anything out of place.


As the trek went on, however, nothing extraordinary revealed itself. A caterpillarlike Weedle slowly made its way along an overhanging limb, a group of green, cocoonlike Metapod hung suspended from a group of branches a few feet to his left, and a Spinarrak quickly crawled up a tree trunk somewhere to the right. All, however, were quite common in Viridian Forest, and none displayed the aggressiveness that the Pokemon Mark was searching for would be sure to have.


With the sun obscured by the thick foliage, Mark had to rely on his Pokedex to determine when the day reached noon. With his focus on both making his way through the Forest and finding the mystery Pokemon, he had completely failed to notice his growing hunger and fatigue, but with the brief distraction of checking the time, they began to make themselves known in force. Noting that Pidgeotto was in a similarly tired state, he quickly opted to take a break and carefully sat down on a sturdy log, his feathered companion softly alighting on a spot to his right.


As the two slowly ate lunch, Mark's mind wandered once more. He had noticed that the woods became far thicker beyond that point, and realized that Pidgeotto would have little open space in which to stay aloft; he would most likely have to recall her to her pokeball to avoid difficulty. Without a second pair of eyes to help him, though, it would be much harder to spot his target if he happened to come by it. He dismissed the thought, immediately realizing there was little that could be done about it.


After several minutes, the pair lifted themselves back up, feeling fully revitalized for their journey. Mark turned to Pidgeotto, explaining the conclusion he had come to, and recalled the birdlike Pokemon to the stasis of her pokeball. The trainer gently returned the sphere to his belt, and continued down the increasingly narrow path winding around the thick trunks.



For nearly an hour, Mark continued on, still finding no Pokemon that caught his interest. His increasing boredom, however, was soon broken by the sounds of hurried movement in various places in the leaves to the left ahead of him. The trainer turned and faced down the disturbance with a growing excitement until the sources finally revealed themselves.

A small flock of Pidgey burst from the leaves above him, speeding across the path ahead of the trainer to the trees on his right. On the ground, a small Caterpie made its way out of the bushes and moved down the road in the direction from which Mark had come. The man then noticed a movement behind him out of the corner of his eye; as he turned to get a better view, he found it was a Spinarak leaping out of the trees to skitter across the path to the bushes on the other side.


Mark watched this behavior with curiosity, as a new sound faintly reached him. He paused, knowing that he had not yet heard a harsh, buzzing sound like this in this forest. He listened more closely, now hearing more buzzing noises; they carried a similar threatening tone, but were clearly different enough that they didn't come from the same being that gave the original noise.


The man quickly determined that something was going on in the direction the sounds were coming from that was frightening to the weaker native Pokemon, and went off of the path to his left, hastily making his way through the forest. His arms quickly positioned themselves in front of his head, redirecting the branches in his path away from his face. He soon began to faintly regret his preference of sleeveless shirts as his arms soon became crisscrossed with long scratches where the thin, sharper sticks in the limbs barely failed in breaking the skin.


As Mark grew closer to the source of the sounds, they came in angrier and angrier tones, clearly signaling a fight in the making. Within moments, the trees gave way to a large clearing, and the trainer stopped just outside it, watching the events taking place. Instantly, Mark knew he found what he was looking for.


In the center of the clearing stood a green, insectoid Pokemon that stood about as high as Mark's shoulder. Numerous scars marked his head, arms, and torso, though their appearance indicated that none of them were inflicted anytime recently. Four clear wings spread from his back, and his forearms were shaped into long, sharp blades. Fierce eyes stared out of his triangular head as his maw formed into a confident smirk.


As Mark discreetly looked at his Pokedex, he found that he was looking at a Scyther; he idly wondered for a moment what one would be doing in this forest before he turned back to what was happening. The Scyther was glaring down a group of five clearly antagonized Beedrill, who were obviously mere moments away from attacking. The lead Beedrill gave a deep, heated buzz, to which the Scyther replied with one that was lighter in pitch, and seemed to be almost dismissive. The Beedrill's next buzz was far louder as it quickly raised its arm stingers and shot forward.



The Scyther grew a predatory grin as he sidestepped to the right, completely avoiding the poison bug's Twinneedle attack, and responded by swinging his left arm down, catching his opponent with the flat side of his blade. The other four beelike Pokemon flew at the attacker as their leader was sent crashing to the ground, their loud buzzing giving away their fury.

The mantis Pokemon was undaunted, crossing his arms in front of him with the blades facing outward. As the Beedrill came close, he began to spin, quickly reaching a speed at which his shape became indistinguishable. With a glance at his Pokedex, Mark discovered that Scyther was using Swords Dance; from the data, he found that the rapid spinning would not only allow him to see attacks coming from any direction, it would concentrate his energy to his blades, giving his attacks additional power.


The maneuver proved effective, as the attacking Beedrill were violently knocked away wherever they approached the spinning mass of green. Quickly catching on, the beelike Pokemon backed off and emitted impatient buzzes while waiting for their opponent's move to come to an end. After a few moments, Scyther's spinning movement slowed to a stop, and he effortlessly shifted into an attack stance, the five Beedrill surrounding him.


The mantis wasted no time in going on the attack and launched himself at the insectoid directly in front of him; his blades glowed with a green color as he repeatedly slashed at the hapless Pokemon. As his feet touched earth once more, he quickly spun around to face the other four while his previous target fell to the ground, effectively knocked out by the Fury Cutter. The remaining Beedrill shot forward, their stingers rising to an attack position as they launched a relentless assault on Scyther.


The bug-type was ready for their attack, however, and the bee Pokemon found themselves unable to land any hits at all as Scyther dodged and weaved his way through the multitude of poisonous stingers. After a moment, the mantis made his move, launching himself backwards, well out of range of the Beedrill, before shooting back forward with his blades at the ready.


The scythelike blades made white lines of light as they broke apart the group of poisonous bugs, sending them crashing to the ground, unconscious. Scyther himself hovered in the air for a moment, casually inspecting his handiwork, before returning to earth. He gave a small sigh of what seemed to be disappointment before turning and making his way to the far edge of the clearing.


Mark's eyes widened as he began to understand the reality of this so-called dangerous Pokemon. The fact that all of Scyther's 'victims' were able to fully recover wasn't a stroke of luck at all; Scyther was only looking for challenging Pokemon battles, and had no intentions of actually injuring his opponents. A wide smile broke out on Mark's face as he realized there was a chance to get even more out of this situation than he initially thought.




The trainer burst into the clearing just as the triumphant bug-type was preparing to leave it. Scyther whirled around, prepared for a counterattack from one of the Beedrill, but was taken slightly aback when it found a human in its field of vision instead. The surprise shifted to amusement when the person spoke.

"Scyther, I've noticed that you seem to enjoy challenging fights. If you come with me, I can assure you that you'll find yourself in plenty of them." As Mark removed Pidgeotto's pokeball from his belt, he was shocked when Scyther let out a mocking buzz before turning to walk away. His mind raced as he struggled to determine what exactly Scyther was thinking and how to get the bug-type to battle him. Insult him, he immediately thought, but he remembered that was exactly what the mantis used to provoke the Beedrill, so Scyther would be able to recognize the ploy for what it was. Suddenly, almost instinctively, Mark realized what was driving the bug's actions.


"You don't want to take orders from someone who can't fight you himself, do you?" The Scyther turned around with a dumbfounded look in his face, clearly not having expected this kind of statement from a human. Mark's mouth shifted into a sly smirk as he moved into a fighting stance, pulling his hand away from his belt. Realizing he caught the bug-type's interest, the trainer continued.


"You heard me right, I'm going to fight you myself; if I win, you come with me. If I lose, I'll leave and forget I ever saw you; does that sound fair?" Scyther's mouth pulled into a smirk as his body crouched into a fighting stance as well; his feet spread shoulder width apart and both elbows pointing downward, directing his blades up and forward. The two held their position for a moment, and then Scyther took the initiative and shot forward.



The mantis moved to Mark's right side, and his arm came around, his light-enshrouded blade coming around in a Slash attack. The trainer responded quickly as his own right arm came up, catching the flat side of the blade and directing it away. Scyther shot back as Mark's left fist thrust forward, the bug-type just escaping the range of the human's attack. A foot came up just as the fist pulled away, and the mantis slid to the right to avoid the kick while using the momentum to swing his left arm around in another Slash attack.

The human just barely avoided the attack by sliding backward, and then retaliated by stepping back to his opponent, his left leg again lashing out at his opponent's midsection. This time lacking the time to evade, Scyther's still lifted left arm came down, the backside knocking Mark's leg away before it could connect. His right blade then came up once more, and since Mark had not yet fully returned to his stance, all he could do was raise his left arm in an attempt to redirect the glowing attack away from his body.


A grunt of pain came out as the Slash attack ran across the length of Mark's forearm before being knocked aside. As Mark took the attack, he quickly reflected that Pokemon in the wild do tend to use their teeth and claws to take down prey; however, in Pokemon battles, Pokemon would direct their energy into any sharpened extremities and attack only with that energy, rather than actually biting or slashing their opponents. The practice prevents Pokemon from suffering lasting injuries from Pokemon battles, as no tissue actually becomes damaged as a result. As the trainer found out, however, that didn't make the strike any less painful.


Biting back the agony, Mark's right foot came forward, this time catching the bug pokemon in the midsection and sending it sliding backward. The trainer shifted into a fighting stance once more as he faced down a surprised, but unhurt Scyther. It took a moment for the man to realize that the exoskeleton would make it much more difficult for physical blows to affect the mantis. He dimly realized that challenging Scyther himself may have been a bad idea; however, he didn't plan on giving up that easily.


Mark moved first this time, forcing his left arm to function as he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks at his opponent. Scyther's speed was allowing him to dodge the majority of them, just as he had recently done against the Beedrill earlier; Mark anticipated this, however, and sought to outmaneuver the Pokemon. By using one attack to try and direct the mantis in a specific direction, the trainer intended to use that opportunity to catch Scyther with the following assault. The tactic was apparently successful, as dull thuds began to punctuate the hits Scyther was starting to take; however, none were able to affect him much through his natural armor.


As Scyther started getting struck more often, he decided to go on the offensive and lashed out again. Mark was forced to dodge and redirect the swipes of the Fury Cutter as the bug-type's attacks came faster and faster. The trainer gritted his teeth, concentrating on ignoring the pain from his arm so he could focus on his current predicament. The Scyther was faster, though, and he soon managed to connect with a swing that caught Mark across his chest, elicting a grimace from the human. A new flurry of swipes followed, streaking across Mark's body and sending him sprawling to the ground, his agonized breaths displaying the attack's effect on him.


Eyes that were screwed shut in pain slowly forced themselves open as Mark took in the now-blurred image of Scyther once more. He sluggishly lifted himself from the ground, silently willing his body to listen to his commands. As he reached his feet, he again moved into an unsteady fighting stance facing the mantis, whose battle-ready grin had shifted into an unreadable expression.


Moving as quickly as his pain-wracked body would allow, Mark started toward his opponent. The trainer kept the bug-type in sight as he moved forward, his mind focused on seeing through his self-appointed quest to make this Scyther his partner. His trudging charge was put to a halt when he stumbled, falling to his knees and then instinctively moving his arms forward to halt his descent as his upper half started to drop as well. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he struggled to find the energy to force himself back to his feet. As he managed to push himself back onto his haunches, Mark immediately caught sight of a blurred green line directly in front of him.


As his eyes refocused, Mark discovered with a start that the line was the backside of Scyther's right forearm, which the mantis Pokemon was holding out to the trainer. Startled and confused, the human decided to take the offered assistance and was smoothly pulled to his feet by his opponent. As his concentration returned to Scyther, Mark noticed that the bug-type's stance had changed, his arms now spread in what appeared to be a gesture of acceptance. The trainer had an idea of the Pokemon's intentions, but he had to be sure.


"You… want me to capture you? I couldn't beat you, though; I didn't even come close." As his looked into Scyther's eyes, however, the respect he found in them told him everything he needed to know. As he reached toward his belt for an empty pokeball, Mark idly wondered if anyone had captured a Pokemon in this manner before. The trainer looked from the pokeball back to the Pokemon he intended it for, and the mantis slowly nodded his head, indicating that he was ready.


Mark lightly tapped the pokeball against Scyther's forearm, and the entire Pokemon quickly dissolved into a red light. At the same time, the sphere cracked open, the mechanisms inside beginning to fulfill their duty of drawing in that light and locking it in stasis until the next time the Pokemon inside would be released. After the shimmering light disappeared inside the now-closed ball, the orb began to vibrate softly, then again, and then one final time as the red light in the button dimmed. The trainer stared into the ball in surprise and disbelief; this quickly gave way to triumph, as a wide smile spread across Mark's face. Feeling the need to say something on an occasion like this, Mark quietly said the first thing he could think of.


"Welcome to the team, Scyther."
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Author's Notes: Actually, I got nuthin'. Hope you enjoyed.

Another wonderful chapter. It was awesome. I really like the way Mark does things and the way he captures his pokemon is cool and different. Anyways, I really can't wait for the next chapter!

Here we go, Chapter 6. Like Chapter 4, I consider this a sort of 'filler' chapter, separating out the major events so it seems less like everything is happening right after the other. However, I do like this chapter considerably better than four, and so did most of the people who have read this story thus far.
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Mastering a New Start
Chapter 6: What Did He Call Me?​

As the sun beat down on a wide clearing in the middle of a vast forest, two pairs of eyes glared daggers at each other. A third face looked on from nearby, anxiously watching the silent confrontation unfold. As the tension between the two competitors continued to thicken, the third party prepared to intervene at any moment.


After Mark captured the warriorlike Scyther, he limply dropped back against a tree, worn and pained from his long battle. Fortunately, as the attacks he was struck with did no actual damage to his body, all he needed to do to recover was to take a short rest. After he made sure he was out of sight of the still unconscious swarm of Beedrill scattered across the clearing, he did just that, sitting down to relax against a hard but comfortable tree trunk; his breaths still came out deeply, but now much more smoothly.


After awhile of staring into the treetops and randomly daydreaming, faint buzzing sounds reached the trainer's ears. Knowing the source already, Mark turned toward the clearing, where the downed Beedrill groggily lifted themselves from the ground and into the air. Mark's muscles tensed, ready to react in the case that the insectoids would come his way. His caution proved unnecessary, however, as the poisonous bugs left the clearing in the direction opposite him.


Having noticed a greater ease in moving that he did earlier, Mark flexed his limbs again; sure enough, the stabbing pain inflicted by Scyther had diminished, and energy made its way back to his arms and legs. As the human rose to his feet, he glanced down at the pokeballs on his belt, and quickly decided that his two Pokemon should get a chance to meet each other before he moved on any further. Before he had a chance to think twice, Mark acted, taking the pokeballs that contained his two Pokemon and pressing the button on each one.


Two bursts of shimmering red light burst forth, and began to take shape. Within moments, the masses had taken on their natural forms, and Pidgeotto and Scyther were revealed. The bird spread her wings wide and let out a joyous trill upon her release, while the mantis looked from side to side with fierce eyes and rubbed his blade-like forearms together once, resulting in a sound resembling the ring of metal against metal. Mark loudly cleared his throat, successfully drawing the attention of both of his partners.


"Okay, I guess some introductions are in order. Scyther, in case I didn't mention it to you earlier, my name is Mark." The mantis nodded in understanding, and Mark continued, turning to each Pokemon as he addressed them, "Now, Pidgeotto, this is Scyther, your new teammate; Scyther, this is Pidgeotto, who you're going to be working with from now on." Pidgeotto eagerly responded to the news with a quick nod of acceptance.


However, the look that crossed Scyther's face indicated that he was less than thrilled with the arrangement, and he emitted a harsh buzz to communicate his displeasure. The sound given by the mantis had an immediate effect on the flying-type, who promptly turned toward him, letting out a series of scolding chirps showing her disapproval of his remark. Scyther was unfazed by the verbal lashing, and replied with more demeaning sounds which served to upset the bird even more.



So began the staring contest between the two Pokemon, Pidgeotto demanding Scyther to take back his comments, and the bug-type steadfastly refusing to do so. As Mark watched events unfold between his two Pokemon, he knew that Pidgeotto wouldn't resort to violence here, knowing from experience that she would need a better reason than this to blindly jump into a needless fight. At the same time, if what the trainer guessed about Scyther's remarks was accurate, the mantis had no interest in fighting Pidgeotto at the moment, either. After deciding that the silent conflict had gone on long enough, Mark firmly broke in.

"Okay, you two; that's enough. I'd prefer to get through the thickest part of the forest before nightfall, so I'm going to have to recall you both. Okay?" Pidgeotto made one final glare at her teammate, and turned to her trainer with a sharp nod. Scyther's face shifted to a bored expression as the bird broke her gaze, and he lazily nodded his assent as well.


After returning his displeased Pokemon to their pokeballs, Mark turned back to the forest, making his way through the bramble to the path he had been taking earlier. As the trainer contemplated ways to resolve the tension between his two partners, the well-used dirt path suddenly returned to his view. His intense thoughts continued as he resumed his course for Pewter City.


Time went on as Mark traveled through the woods, finding the sights to be as uninteresting as when he first entered. A green Caterpie crawled up a tree trunk to his right, a small pack of Rattata made its way across a small break in the bushes ahead of him to his left, and a lone Pidgeotto winged its way overhead to disappear into the foliage somewhere behind him. As he was facing upward, Mark took a quick glance at the sky and determined that he still had plenty of time before the woods would be enveloped in darkness.


Sometime later, the trainer eventually came to a crossroads between his own path and another, and caught sight of a couple seemingly near his own age. The pair was standing in the middle of where the two paths converged, staring intently at a map held between the two of them. As Mark approached, the two turned towards him, their faces carrying identical faces of desperation and frustration.


The man of the pair stood to around Mark's height; his dark brown eyes were surrounded by a boyish face, and a mess of black hair reached from his head in all directions. The woman was half a head shorter, with fiery hair flowing to her shoulder blades. Her blue eyes looked hopefully at Mark as she spoke, feigning cheer in her voice in a vain attempt to mask her annoyance.


"Excuse me, but my husband seems to have gotten us lost. Do you know where we can get to Viridian City from here?" The aforementioned husband immediately brought up his hand to scratch at the back of his neck as he chuckled in embarrassment. Mark's grin was a combination of amusement and sympathy as he pointed down the path from which he had come.


"I do, as a matter of fact. Just head straight down this road; there's no way you can miss it." A faint muttering of "You'd be surprised" from the woman barely caught his ear before the couple gave their thanks while returning the map to the man's backpack and setting off. He began to move onward himself, but stopped when small pieces of the conversation behind him made themselves known.


"Boy, after all this time, you still can't read a map right. You'll never grow out of things like that; will you, Mister Pokemon Master?" Mark paused in surprise at the redhead's teasing remark to her companion.


'Pokemon Master' was the title given to a Regional Champion that had managed to capture and sufficiently train one hundred and fifty different species of Pokemon. Due to the exceedingly rare number of cases in which anyone managed to accomplish such a feat, the title was all but forgotten, with only those under the employ of Pokemon Leagues still knowing of the position's existence at all. As a matter of fact, Oak being the one who taught him about Pokemon Trainers was the only reason Mark knew the term himself.


The man silently turned back to examine the retreating couple; though Oak had told him about the current Regional Champion's accomplishments, Mark was told nothing about his appearance. As they came into view, his eyes widened as he noticed that there was actually a third member of the group, as a matured and obviously powerful Pikachu had scampered up the black-haired man's side to his shoulder. Mark idly remembered something Oak said about the Regional Champion having had a Pikachu as his constant companion on his journeys, and now began to seriously wonder if that trainer was, in fact, this man he had just met. However, he realized that the couple was clearly in a hurry, as was he, for that matter, so he decided not to pursue the matter and continued on his own way.



Eventually, the rapid pace Mark had undertaken paid off, as he found his way out of the thick bramble of wood and leaves with plenty of time to spare before nightfall. The trainer inspected the scene before him, finding the area to still have numerous trees around, but they were much more thinly placed, rendering most of the sky visible once more. Mark glanced from side to side leisurely, looking for any signs of new species of Pokemon that may inhabit this particular area of the forest. Finding nothing other than a few old and ruffled brown feathers scattered along the ground, he began walking again.

As Mark continued, his thoughts were soon interrupted by a sudden series of loud, screeching caws coming from the treetops. As the trainer quickly turned toward the sounds, two large, brown feathered shapes emerged from the foliage. As Mark looked closer, the features of the two nearly identical Pokemon came into focus; their jagged beaks were long and thin, and a red crown of feathers graced the tops of their heads.


The human cautiously kept the new arrivals in sight as he glanced at his Pokedex to determine their identities. They were identified as Fearow, the evolution of Spearow and extremely aggressive as a species, especially if their terrain is invaded. Mark inwardly cursed at himself for failing to recognize the feathers from earlier as the territorial markings that they were. As the two flying types lunged, the trainer dove for the ground, avoiding the various natural weapons of the Pokemon by mere inches.


Wasting no time in responding, Mark reached for his belt and removed the pokeballs containing his own two Pokemon. Upon their release, Scyther and Pidgeotto caught sight of the attackers immediately, and began to face down their new enemies. As Mark began to rise to his feet, he heard a dismissive buzz come from Scyther's direction; once he looked up, he found that the bug-type had already taken to the air, winging toward the Fearow with a predatory sneer on his face. Pidgeotto remained where she was, glaring at the rising form with an irritated expression etched on her features. Mark turned toward the birdlike Pokemon and began to speak.



Scyther launched himself at his two new opponents, anticipation of a new fight burning in his mind. As the mantis grew closer to his targets, he brought his blades to bear, each arm swiping at a Fearow in a Slash attack. His strikes went wide, however, as the flying-types split up, each darting off to a different side of the hovering bug.

As Scyther watched the two Pokemon move effortlessly through the air, he scowled, realizing that his past recklessness had begun to get the better of him once again. As powerful a fighter as he was on land, he had not yet trained himself to be particularly maneuverable in the air. In addition, without being able to use the solid ground to brace himself, his abilities to attack and block would be greatly hindered as long as he remained airborne.


After a quick mental note to correct this shortcoming as soon as possible, the bug-type's mind furiously raced in an attempt to determine how to combat the combined assault of the Fearows from his less stable position. Returning to the ground was out of the question for the time being; his opponents would be on top of him well before he could reach it. Turning to glance at one Fearow, then the other, Scyther took a different line of thought; he knew that he would be able to block one of the bird Pokemon's attacks, though he would be left completely unbalanced and vulnerable to the other one. The mantis' face hardened, deciding that taking one attack was better than taking two, and moved into a somewhat uncertain fighting stance.


The Fearow had already started moving, racing toward their clearly disadvantaged prey with an angry squawk, beaks and claws at the ready. Scyther unsteadily turned to his left to face the nearer flying-type, despite knowing that he was leaving his back open to his partner. As the Fearow came close, his gleaming beak leading the charge, Scyther's right forearm rose and fell, catching the Pokemon in the back and sending it spiraling downward. Though momentarily pleased with his success, the bug-type quickly tensed his body waiting for the next assault to hit. The attack never came.



"Work with her? You gotta be kidding!"

"Look, nothing against you, Birdie, but you just aren't that strong. Leave the fighting to me."

"Stay here, Birdie; I'll handle this."

Scyther's words cut through Pidgeotto's mind as she took to the air, and, for a moment, she almost decided to stay put and let him fight the two aggressors on his own like he wanted. She pressed on, however, as the recently spoken words of her trainer came to the front of her mind.


"I don't think Scyther has really cooperated with other Pokemon before, so he might need some time to get used to the idea. Whatever it was he said, don't worry about it too much; I'm sure he'll take it back eventually. Now, I have a feeling that he'll need your help soon, whether he'll want to admit it or not. Please give him that help, for me if nothing else."

Though the bird doubted that the egotistical bug would ever take back what he said, she would sooner give up flying than deny Mark a request like the one he had just made. A determined look hardened her features as Pidgeotto collided heavily with the charging Fearow just before the sharpened point of her beak could reach the mantis, sending the other Pokemon spinning away. Pidgeotto firmly chirped at Scyther as she turned to face him.


"I'll take this Fearow myself; you get back to the ground and finish the one you've started on." A startled look from Scyther greeted her orders, which soon melted into a feral grin as the bug unexpectedly did just that, dropping to the ground at a careful, but rapid, pace. Though shocked at the ease at which Scyther responded to her, Pidgeotto turned to face her opponent, who had recovered from the attack to glare venomously at her as well.


The flying-type made a quick glance down at her trainer; any commands he might try to make would never reach her at this height. To her surprise, she didn't find the concept as frightening as she thought it would be. The bird-like Pokemon quickly realized that she had been finding it easier to have confidence in herself ever since she evolved from Pidgey. The knowledge emboldened Pidgeotto as her mind focused completely on the battle at hand, just as her opponent started forward.


Fearow's outstretched beak met nothing but air as Pidgeotto flung herself upward; the graceful bird wasted no time in going on the attack, after flipping so that her head faced the ground, she flapped her wings once, then twice, both times unleashing an intense burst of energy that was forced toward her opponent by the powerful wind her movements created. The angered Pokemon flinched as the two Gust attacks struck their mark, and she quickly spun around to dive at Pidgeotto once more.


The two birds circled each other, each taking turns making vicious lunges at the other. Pidgeotto soon began to grow frustrated; though she had yet to take any major hits, she found that her opponent was too quick to land any hits on as well. She quickly came to realize that she would have to find a way keep the Fearow from moving at full speed if she was going to have a chance of winning. Quickly perusing a mental list of her combat abilities, she immediately stumbled on a strategy that she felt had a chance of working.


As her opponent's next assault came, Pidgeotto evaded by darting straight up; as the Fearow looked up to glare at her, the more graceful bird made her move. She began to flap her wings at the area ahead of her, turning slightly to the left or right between each beat of her wings; bursts of wind were emitted by the motions, coming forth in a precise pattern instinctively known by most Pidgeotto. Her efforts soon proved effective, as a whirling pillar of wind began to form, which quickly began to reach downward, enveloping the shocked Fearow.


Pidgeotto immediately took her new opportunity, climbing into the air slightly before shooting straight down the eye of the Whirlwind attack she had just created. When she reached her full speed, she promptly found her opponent, who was fiercely struggling to remain steady in the rampaging winds. The full force of the Quick Attack hammered into the Fearow, and the two bird Pokemon plummeted to the earth.



Scyther was taken aback when he turned to find Pidgeotto hovering in the spot he was sure to find the second Fearow in. His surprise grew more, most likely even showing on his face, when 'Birdie' actually tried to command him, telling him to let her deal with one of his opponents while he finished the other. After a moment of incredulous staring, a grin spread to the bug-type's face; maybe there was more of a fighting spirit to this Pidgeotto than he first thought. He decided that he would humor her this time, and made his way down to earth.

As he touched down, Scyther saw his opponent awkwardly hovering above the ground several feet away, still attempting to shake off the blow the mantis had just dealt. The bug-type easily slid into a fighting stance, and waited for the bird-like Pokemon to make his move.


After a few moments, the Fearow obliged, launching himself forward with his jagged beak thrust out. Scyther held his position and, as the flying type came close, pulled the backsides of his blades together in front of him, catching the natural weapon between them and effectively halting the Pokemon's charge. With a smirk that clearly said 'Nice try, but you lose', the mantis turned to his right, using his arms to pull the Fearow over his head and drive his body into the ground behind him, the crushing impact kicking up a rain of heavy dirt clumps.


Just as Scyther determined that his opponent was fully incapacitated, a towering pillar of dust punctuated by a thunderous crash caught his attention, and he immediately deduced that this was the result of the battle between Pidgeotto and Fearow. The bug-type judging neither combatant capable of getting back up after an impact like the one he just witnessed, he faced the slowly receding dust in an attack stance, preparing himself for the possibility that his comrade failed.


The last of the sandy brown cloud dissipated, leaving the sight of a hovering Pidgeotto behind. An 'I told you so' smirk was plastered on her face as the second Fearow was sprawled unconscious on the ground beneath her. Not one to put things off, Scyther sighed to himself and started toward his teammate, steeling himself for something that he had yet to find a way to adequately train for. A new series of buzzing were emitted from the mantis, this time with an apologetic tinge.


"I, uh… guess I was wrong about you, Birdie. I'll admit that I look forward to fighting alongside you from now on." The bug emphasized his apology by outstretching his right arm to Pidgeotto. The bird's eyes closed in contemplation for a moment, then opened the orbs that shimmered with new trust, and she touched the offered blade with her own right wing, completing the gesture of comradeship. As Scyther and Pidgeotto grinned at each other, having resolved their differences, a faint whisper came from their trainer.


"I knew you had it in you."
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Author's Notes: I'm sure you've all guessed who the couple in the forest was, and chances are, you're probably right. I will let it be known now that this is not a shipping fic though, as neither of those characters will be appearing often, and their actual characters and relationships will not be dwelt on very much even when they do show up.

Wow, I love how in the end Pidgeotto and Scyther trust each other. I'm really enjoying this story and can't wait for the next. I also like the couple as well =)

hum the "couple" rings a bell, are they who i think they are? and will they be seen again?

Chapter 7, whoo!

kcander, seeing as how I'm not too good at subtlety, they probably are who you think they are, and they will indeed appear again, though not often.
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Mastering a New Start
Chapter 7: What Are You Looking For?​

As the morning sun shone over a bubbling stream, two pairs of fierce eyes glared from opposite ends of a nearby field. The forms surrounding the eyes were locked in their respective fighting stances, silently waiting for a signal known only to them. Driven by a thirst for battle rather than malice, the two combatants suddenly rushed at each other with eerily similar grins.


As Scyther and Pidgeotto chatted amicably with each other, Mark glanced at one of the Fearow, still lying unconscious in the spot where he had been thrown by Scyther, the masses of soil uprooted by the impact still surrounding him. He then turned to the other, who had not yet woken up to remove herself from the deep imprint in the earth in which Pidgeotto left her. Deciding that neither one of the flying types would bother to listen to him should he try to capture them, the trainer turned toward his own Pokemon instead and spoke.


"Well, looks like we still have plenty of sunlight left, so let's keep going. Now that the forest isn't as thick anymore, what do you two say to traveling in the fresh air?" Pidgeotto's joyous trill revealed her approval of the development; Scyther was more subdued in his response, but also appeared pleased as he gave a slight nod. Mark turned back to the path with a grin and continued on his way, the mantis and the bird in tow.


At one point while the trio moved through the woods, the trees to their left gave way to a large, grassy field. As the trainer looked closer, he noticed the slithering, purple forms of numerous Ekans; the field was swarming with the snake Pokemon, which apparently served as their nest. Mark idly noted that there were a lot of snakes on that plain as he passed by.


As the sun began to slowly sink into the horizon, the trainer's thoughts turned to finding a place to spend the night. He shifted his gaze from side to side in an attempt to find an area that stood out as not having any obvious dangers that could appear in the night. There were several Kakuna hanging from a tree overlooking one location; there were sure to be Beedrill coming back to that spot soon enough. In the growing shadow of another tree were what appeared to be fairly new eggshells; the protective mother of newborn Pokemon wasn't something he really felt like possibly having to deal with. A Spearow squawked out a cry from its perch on another tree branch; Mark didn't feel the need to explain to himself why he was going to avoid that spot.


As the traveler's frustration steadily grew, a new sound faintly reached his ears. Mark strained to listen, and soon recognized the sound of gently rushing water. After giving a quiet signal to the two Pokemon following him, the trio shifted course, making their way toward the calm gurgling.


Restrained frustration gave way to happy relief as Mark gazed upon the sight that greeted them. A stream just wide and deep enough to swim in bubbled out a gentle greeting to the exhausted group, and a single tall, surprisingly unoccupied, tree stood guard over the tranquil sight. The trainer pulled his backpack from his shoulders as he carefully considered how to go about setting up camp.



Mark stared up into the stars after wrapping himself securely in his sleeping bag, having decided that the weather was pleasant enough that a tent was unnecessary. Pidgeotto and Scyther were already asleep, the bird settled peacefully on one of the lower branches of the nearby tree, and the mantis leaning against the tree's trunk, still seeming to maintain a level of alertness despite being unconscious. Satisfied that his present was secure for the time being, Mark turned his worries to the future.

Despite immersing himself in the culture of this Pokemon-based world, Mark had yet to forget that his true objective was finding a way to return to his own world. As time went on, though, he began to wonder what would happen when – he refused to say 'if' – that happened. He decided that it would be safe to assume he would no longer have a job upon his return, and what had happened to his apartment and possessions he could only guess at. One good thing about having no immediate way home, he decided, was that he had plenty of time to try and figure something out.


A slight bobbing movement in the middle of the stream briefly distracted Mark before he returned to his thoughts. As his previous line of thinking returned, the man idly wondered what the people in his world would have thought had happened to him. The only answers he could come up with were clearly not good, and he felt slightly guilty at relaxing while his friends and family were undoubtedly worried about him at that very moment. Mark shook his head firmly, knowing that taking the path he was already on was the best way to get back to them, and he couldn't very well travel without getting some sleep. He turned back to the stream for a moment before settling himself into a comfortable position and sinking into a troubled slumber.



A bright light rudely forced itself upon Mark's eyes, waking him from the dream that, predictably, was just getting to the good part. He lazily drew his eyelids apart, taking in the sight of the newly rising sun on the horizon. Directing his gaze closer to the ground, the trainer marveled at the sight made by the sunlight as it danced off the ripples of the stream, as well as the vast forest that the stream was separating him from.

After Mark struggled his way out of his sleeping bag, he groggily rubbed his eyes and made a more thorough examination of the area. Scyther was already awake and training; the mantis was smoothly gliding slightly above the field, occasionally coming to a quick stop before launching himself in a new direction. It appeared that Pidgeotto was also up and about, as the branch he saw her in last night was now empty; upon looking up, he spotted the flying-type circling above the clearing.


Deciding that it would be a good idea to fully wake himself up before doing anything else, Mark rose to his feet and made his way to the nearby stream. As he looked into the crystal clear water, he realized that the close relationship the people of this world had with Pokemon also caused a greater respect for all of nature, making pollution a rare occurrence here. Mark smiled as he brought up the almost unrealistically clean water in his cupped hands and splashed it against his face, letting the cool liquid drag him out of his sleepy daze.


Now fully invigorated, Mark turned to see Scyther standing behind him, right arm pointing at the man and a smirk on his face. The trainer grinned, instantly knowing exactly what the bug-type had in mind. He walked smoothly away from the stream, making his way to a spot on the field opposite his Pokemon. As Mark reached the area he subconsciously decided to start from, he sank into his fighting stance as the mantis did the same, their faces seeming to mirror each other.


As man and Pokemon rushed at each other, Mark somehow knew that this wouldn't be a repeat of his last fight with Scyther. The mantis knew that his trainer was willing to fight while the Pokemon was using his full combat abilities, so he would be content with simply having a vigorous morning workout today. Mark's guess was confirmed when the bug's arm swung forth; the back of his arm was leading this charge, rather than his blade.


The human's right arm lashed out, catching Scyther's arm in mid-attack. The two combatants locked with their forearms pressing together, each in their own mission of overpowering the other. The pair immediately found the action futile, and they broke apart, Mark quickly lashing his left leg out and around in a roundhouse kick at the bug's flank.


Scyther leapt back, avoiding the blow completely, before coming back forward, his arms crossed at the elbows, the backsides facing forward. The trainer reacted immediately, catching the Pokemon's forearms in his hands as they began to uncross in a scissoring motion. Locked in a stalemate once more, the opponents each kept their gaze on the other, searching for any weakness to take advantage of.


Without warning, Mark's hands came up, bringing the bug's arms up with them; the man shot forward beneath the momentarily flailing limbs to bury his left fist in the mantis' abdomen. The impact rang through Scyther's solid exoskeleton, surprising the Pokemon with the pain that the blow brought forth. It still wasn't enough to faze him much, though, and his left arm lashed out, catching Mark in the chest and sending him earthward.


The human sent himself into a backwards roll upon landing and quickly sprang back to his feet. Just as he was about to rush back into the fight, a loud gurgling sound caught his attention. Though he was willing to admit that he was hungry, the fact that the noise came from the stream instantly crushed any suspicion that his own stomach was the culprit. Mark and Scyther turned as one to face down the source of the new disturbance.


The newcomer was a Pokemon, standing on the shore of the stream, just outside the water. Her eyes stared out from on top of her dark blue oval shaped body, and she had a white belly containing a black spiraling line; a tadpolelike tail helped her maintain her balance on her short, barely developed legs. Mark immediately recognized this Pokemon as the water-type Poliwag, having seen several at the Lab in Pallet Town.


Upon realizing that she had captured the attention of her intended audience, the Poliwag shot forth a series of gurgling noises. Scyther's face showed a slight surprise at the water Pokemon's speech, and he responded with a few quick, inquiring buzzes. The Poliwag bent the upper portion of her body downward in what appeared to be a nod, and Mark gave an inquiring look to his own Pokemon in an attempt to determine just what was transpiring. In answer to his trainer's unspoken question, Scyther pointed at the water-type, then to himself.


"This Poliwag wants to challenge you?" Mark's hesitant question was confirmed when the mantis nodded an affirmative. With a gesture signaling his consent, the man wiped the sweat of his previous exertion from his forehead, and he silently made his way to the nearby tree, where he found that Pidgeotto had recently returned. The trainer turned to lean against the sturdy trunk as the two Pokemon make a silent inspection of each other, Scyther's eyes narrowed in a serious expression, and Poliwag's shining with resolve and something he couldn't immediately identify.


As Mark looked on, he realized that Scyther, given his obvious experience in battle, was a competent fighter on his own. Any commands he might make would only interfere with the bug-type's already well-developed instincts during battle, so he decided that he would avoid giving any unless he had a good reason to do so. With that decision made, the trainer watched without saying a word as the battle began.



As Mark continued watching, Scyther held his position while Poliwag immediately went on the attack, inhaling a deep breath before releasing it in a cloud of glowing light blue spheres. The mantis did nothing as the Bubble attack flew toward him, only lifting his right arm as the barrage began to close in. The appendage disappeared in a series of blurred lines as it sliced through the air, each effortless move sending his blade through one of the water-type's projectiles, effectively destroying it.

Poliwag was apparently unfazed by her attack's failure, and began to furiously unleash several bursts of water from her mouth. Scyther remained still, and continued to move nothing but his right arm, which he turned so that the flat side faced his opponent. The arm shifted from side to side as the flat of the mantis' blade deflected the Water Gun attacks away from his body. After a few moments of easily repelling the projectiles, the tadpole Pokemon started moving.


Poliwag continued her watery barrage as she barreled toward the bug-type, only stopping once she was close enough to lunge. The water-type's airborne body swiftly twisted around, so that her back was facing the mantis. Poliwag's tail lashed out repeatedly, swinging back and forth in a swimming motion. Scyther maintained his composed state in the face of the Doubleslap, letting his arm sway from side to side to stop each blow before it could reach him.


Before long, Scyther went on the attack, taking the moment between Poliwag's attacks to swipe at the water-type, the Slash catching her across the back and sending her tumbling to the ground. She recovered immediately, using her tail to spring back to her feet as she started forward once more, eyes continuing to burn with determination. Scyther watched intently as his opponent drew closer, attempting to determine what her next move might be.


The tadpole closed in on the mantis and pounced, launching her body heavily at him in a Body Slam. Scyther avoided the assault without difficulty, falling into a crouch and using the flat of his blade to guide the water-type's body safely over his head. Poliwag wasn't so easily deterred, however, and used the motion to turn back around in midair, unleashing a new volley of watery blasts.


The bug-type had turned as well, though, and he effortlessly blocked the bombardment, leaving him still unharmed by the time Poliwag returned to earth. Though the raging fire had yet to leave her eyes, her body seemed to have other ideas, as her upper half sagged forward and her breathing came forth in gasps. She shook herself, as though to cast away the weight of her fatigue, before she moved once more.


A new assault of Water Gun attacks led the charge, which Scyther again managed to deflect. The tadpolelike tail swung around, aimed at the bug-type's ankle in a clear attempt to knock him off balance. This, too, was halted in its tracks by Scyther's right arm; the arm moved again as Poliwag moved to swing at his left side, then again as she tried for his midsection.


Scyther lashed out with another Slash attack, catching his opponent again and sending her rolling backwards. The water-type's return to her feet was slower this time, her sluggish movements betraying the toll the battle had taken. Her eyes, though still maintaining the determination that had been with her the entire time, began to reveal glimmers of admiration for the strength possessed by her opponent.


Poliwag faced down Scyther one more time, unable to completely prevent her body's slight swaying. Her ragged panting was broken by a single, deep inhalation; as the tadpole let the breath out, a new stream of water came with it. The attack didn't even reach Scyther, falling back to earth after only a few feet. Poliwag dropped to the ground, her resolve no longer enough to keep her tired body going.



As Mark looked on with concern, the defeated Pokemon turned her attention to him, her eyes begging in an unspoken request. Understanding immediately, the trainer reached for his belt and retrieved an empty pokeball, eliciting a small grin from the tadpole. The sphere was lightly tossed toward the fallen Poliwag, lightly grazing her side; the brief contact was enough, as the Pokemon's body disappeared in a flash of red light, which was quickly drawn into the red and white ball. As the device struck earth, it began to shake; only falling still after the third movement.

Mark left his post at the tree to make his way to the now occupied pokeball. The trainer grinned to himself as he crouched down the retrieve the sphere containing his new partner; though Poliwag was not yet particularly powerful, her persistence was something else, and that, he felt, was more important. As Mark stood up, he found that Pidgeotto and Scyther had come forward, both with slightly inquisitive looks. The trainer returned the pokeball to his belt and spoke.


"Well, let's get something to eat and then get moving. I'd like to have a real introduction with Poliwag, too, but I think it'd be best if we let her rest for now." The trio wasted no time in setting the plan in motion and devoured a quick but full breakfast. With that done, Mark repacked his sleeping bag, and the three started off in the direction of Pewter City.


The forest was calm as the man and the two Pokemon traveled through it, with only the occasional common Pokemon appearing from time to time. The three chatted and joked amongst each other as they strolled, Scyther and Pidgeotto making several gestures during their comments in an attempt to help their trainer understand what they were saying. Only occasionally catching on to the conversations of his Pokemon, Mark was simply pleased at how well the two were getting along, and began to plan when to start Poliwag's introduction.


Lunchtime quickly came, and as Mark, Scyther, and Pidgeotto settled down to eat, the trainer took the opportunity to meet the newly captured water-type. With a burst of shining red light, the tadpole Pokemon was revealed, announcing her own release with a happy bubbling sound. Pidgeotto gave a cheerful but cautious trill of greeting while Scyther gave a friendly buzzing of his own, both of which were graciously returned by the water-type. Relieved at the lack of complications this time around, Mark addressed Poliwag.


"Well, my name is Mark and I'm going to be your trainer from now on." The tadpole replied with an eager nod accompanied by an excited gurgling sound. The introductions made, the four settled down to eat; Scyther and Pidgeotto took the time to chat sociably with Poliwag, who seemed quite friendly for someone who was picking a fight with them only a few hours ago.


After they began moving once more, the next few hours went by uneventfully, causing the various members of the group to find new ways to occupy their attention. As Mark fiddled with his Pokedex, Scyther started to occasionally break into a minute or so long series of mock blocks and strikes. Poliwag let loose a small cloud of bubbles from time to time, watching the sunlight play from the reflective surfaces, and Pidgeotto sometimes climbed higher into the sky so she could launch herself into a series of aerial acrobatics.


As the sun began to go down, the relentless boredom quickly paid off, as a large city soon came into view. Excitement and anticipation coursed through the man and the Pokemon as they took in the new sight, wide grins spread across their faces. The light of the setting sun gleamed off of the stone buildings of the city, and towering mountains framed the city from seemingly every side. Pewter City awaited them, as well as the Gym Leader who lived there; as he gazed at the scene before him, Mark grinned as he whispered.


"Ready or not, here I come."
__________________________
Author's Notes: I got nuthin'.

Awesome BladedScizor and I liked the way Poliwag was accepted. I really do enjoy reading your story and can't wait to visualize your next chapters =)

This will be my last post like this. Yet again a great chapter. You only post the chapters on here, do you frequent a different forum?

Here we go, Chapter 8, and the first Gym Battle.

Actually kcander, I'm usually hanging around Serebii, though I am trying to make more appearances here as well.
_________________

Mastering a New Start
Chapter 8: What's Really Important?​

The sun slowly rose over a sprawling city, the light shining off of the stone walls of the buildings that composed it. One structure seemed to stand out from the rest, almost seeming to issue a silent challenge to those who passed it. A pair of fierce eyes stared at the door leading to the inside, the man behind them preparing himself to answer that very challenge.


Mark entered Pewter City just as the lights overhanging the streets began to come to life, brightening the city in response to the sunlight's sudden absence. As the trainer walked with his three Pokemon alongside him, he decided that he would have to wait to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader, despite how distasteful he considered the thought to be. Even if the Gym was still accepting challenges this late, Mark's Pokemon had been walking all day, and were in no condition to fight at their best. A night's rest was clearly in order.


After quietly returning his Pokemon to their pokeballs, Mark started on his way to the city's Pokemon Center, various signs along the roads helpfully guiding the way. As the long day of walking began to take its toll on the trainer, he began to pay little attention to the city around him, focusing only on finding rest for himself and his companions. The buildings and people that were passed by barely registered in Mark's mind as he pressed on, trying to ignore the increasing heaviness in his limbs.


Mark soon found himself in the Pewter City Pokemon Center, with a brief examination revealing that it appeared almost exactly like the one he encountered in Viridian City, complete with a Nurse Joy and Chansey standing expectantly behind the far counter. The man trudged his way to the two, giving a tired grin in acknowledgement of their cheery greeting. After he reached the desk and placed his three occupied pokeballs on it, he finally spoke.


"Good evening, Joy, Chansey. I have three Pokemon that might need a going over, and the Scyther and Poliwag haven't had an official examination yet." Without missing a beat, the nurse smoothly transferred the balls to a tray and handed them to the egg shaped pokemon, who cheerfully took them into a back room. As Joy turned back to the trainer, her typically cheerful expression had been replaced by an inquisitive one. Mark nodded slightly at the nurse, indicating that he knew she had a question to ask and was willing to hear it; in a small voice, she gave her inquiry.


"You said that you caught a Scyther recently; did you find it in the Viridian Forest?" When Mark answered in the affirmative, Joy continued. "As you may have known, there has been a wild Pokemon attacking the ones in Viridian Forest for some time; we didn't know what it was at first, but yesterday a trainer came here saying he saw a Scyther take down a large flock of Spearow. That Scyther of yours may be the same one." Having briefly forgotten Scyther's reputation with the nearby towns, Mark hastily gave his answer before he could think about it.


"Yeah, of course he is." Upon seeing Joy's terrified glance at the back room Chansey had just entered, the trainer realized his mistake and frantically grasped for a way to fix it. "Oh, but you don't need to worry about him, though. I've gotten to know him a bit since we met, and I know he doesn't want to hurt anyone." The fear hesitantly left the nurse's face at the confidence in Mark's last statement, though she still appeared curious about something; she didn't wait to voice her query this time.


"The trainer from yesterday, he said that he tried to capture the Scyther himself, but that it defeated all of his Pokemon single-handed. How did you manage to catch it?" Mark unconsciously rubbed his left forearm as he considered how to answer the question. After a few moments of deliberation, the trainer issued an amused grin and gave his answer.


"Well, I'll tell you one thing: I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone else." Before the baffled Joy could respond, Mark continued, "I hope you don't mind, but I've been traveling all day; could you let me know which room I can stay in for tonight?" After some hasty arrangements, the trainer made his way up the stairs to the second floor of the building, where he shoved open the door to his room and crashed onto the bed.



Mark's eyes opened again several hours later, surprising himself when he found that sun had not yet risen, though the light on the horizon indicated that time wasn't far off. Deciding to take advantage of the fact that he manage to wake at a much earlier time than usual, the man immediately gathered his belongings and returned to the main room of the center. Nurse Joy and Chansey were already there, and wasted no time in greeting the newly awoken trainer, which Mark returned with a "Good Morning" of his own. Three pokeballs were already on the desk as Mark reached it, and Joy quickly spoke up.

"Well, all of your Pokemon are perfectly healthy. With the rest they've gotten last night, they should be ready for anything now." The trainer gave his thanks as he smoothly returned the spheres to his belt. With a confident stride, Mark left the Pokemon Center, stopping only a moment to return the farewell sent his way by the nurse.


After a quick breakfast for himself and his companions and then a short walk, the trainer found himself standing before the Pewter City Gym. Like most of the other buildings in Pewter City, it was made out of stone; however, its design appeared slightly rougher than the others in the city, as though whoever built it had the intent of making the Gym look more like a rock formation than an actual building. The structure itself even seemed to have an intimidating presence of its own, letting those around it know just who resided within its walls.


Deciding to take a few moments before stepping inside, Mark pulled out his Pokedex so he could use its data to look up what he could on the Leader that lived in this city, just as he had done so many other times over the past few days. The information didn't seem to have changed since the last he checked: the Gym Leader was a man slightly younger than himself, and a specialist in rock-type Pokemon. The Gym was apparently a part of his family, and had been run first by his father, and then his older brother. Though he occasionally took temporary control of the Gym, it was only recently that he was declared the official Leader of the Pewter City Gym; it was mostly for that reason that he was ranked relatively low among the Gym Leaders, deemed as the best one in Kanto for a beginning trainer to start with.


Steeling himself, Mark stepped forward, and pushed the stone door aside so he could make his way inside. Upon entering the Gym, the trainer found himself in a large room, and set perfectly in the center was what Mark immediately recognized as a Pokemon Battlefield. The field was marked the same as the others Mark had seen before, but this one sported a rocky floor, as opposed to the tightly packed dirt that covered a usual battlefield; in addition, several rock formations seemed to push their way out of the ground in various areas. Overall, the Gym seemed to boast at every turn that its Leader was a rock-type specialist.


An "Oh, hey there!" shook Mark out of his thoughts, and he spun around to find a young man walking into the room. The newcomer's brown hair spiked out from his head, and his tanned face featured eyes that seemed to be locked in a squint. A friendly voice that seemed to combine authority with a hint of unease came forth as the man spoke again, "My name is Forrest, and I'm the Leader of this Gym. What can I do for you?" Recovering his confidence after the impressive display of the Gym, Mark issued a grin and spoke.


"I'm here for a Gym Battle."



After a few minutes of introductions and explanations, Mark found himself on one side of the battlefield, while Forrest stood facing him on the other. The Gym Leader's face was locked in a neutral expression, his barely visible eyes seemingly making the poker face all the easier to perform. The challenging trainer let his hand drop to his belt, waiting for his opponent to make the first move.

"Go, Graveler!" The Gym Leader punctuated his call by tossing one of his pokeballs onto the field, which burst into a cloud of shimmering red light upon landing. The mass took the form of what appeared to be a large boulder; the appearance only became more convincing when the red began to fade to the Pokemon's natural stone gray color. The newly revealed Graveler came up to just below Mark's chest in height, and was supported by two stubby legs; four thick arms protruded about halfway up its rocky body.


Mark's grin spread, a rock-type he could deal with. Wasting no time, the trainer pulled a pokeball from his belt and pressed the button on its side, releasing its own crimson light onto the field as well. The form of Poliwag quickly revealed itself, and the tadpole Pokemon announced her presence with a gurgle before narrowing her eyes at her opponent. The tension between the two trainers and their Pokemon built, until Forrest gave a "Let's begin", signaling the start of the Gym Battle.


"Poliwag, Water Gun!" The Pokemon responded immediately, firing a barrage of bullet-like water blasts from her mouth. Forrest was undaunted, though, and responded only with a smirk as the projectiles raced toward his battler. Only a few moments passed before he spoke up with a command of his own.


"Graveler, Rollout!" The rock-type had already begun moving, curling himself into a quickly rotating ball; as the Water Gun attacks struck, Graveler's rapid spinning knocked them all harmlessly away. As Mark scowled, Forrest's Pokemon began to make his move, using his rolling to race towards Poliwag at a speed much faster than his legs could carry him. The water-type faced down the charging Graveler, patiently awaiting her trainer's orders.


"Dive to the left, and fire a Bubble attack at his side as he passes by!" Though both Forrest and Graveler heard the command, the boulderlike Pokemon was moving too fast to do anything about it, unable to stop himself as he recklessly charged at the readied tadpole. Poliwag grinned as she deftly stepped to her left, giving room for her opponent to go by as she released a barrage of light blue orbs. Since the rock-type's sides weren't spinning as quickly as the rest of his body, the Bubble attack successfully collided with the Graveler's side, knocking the Pokemon away and sending him crashing to the stony ground.


The boulderlike Pokemon slowly but steadily rose from the ground; he was apparently not hurt very badly, despite the type advantage of the attack that struck him. It was clear that being the Pokemon of a Gym Leader, this Graveler was tougher than most. Mark began to call out for another Water Gun, but Forrest's voice rang out first.


"Earthquake, now!" With only that for warning, the addressed Pokemon flung himself to the ground, the impact causing the entire field to shake violently. Though both Mark and Forrest were able to easily remain on their feet, the smaller Poliwag wasn't as lucky, stumbling around awkwardly in an effort to stay upright. As Mark soon realized he lost sight of the Pokemon that started the attack for a moment, he quickly glanced around in an attempt to locate Graveler once more.


"Poliwag, to your left!" The water-type managed to pry her concentration from staying on her feet long enough to find the boulder Pokemon rolling straight at her from the aforementioned direction. Not having had quite enough warning to move completely out of the way, the tadpole was knocked roughly aside by the spinning Graveler, and tumbled across the rocky field for a few minutes before she could finally force herself to a stop.


A bruised Poliwag slowly returned to her feet, her eyes beginning to burn brightly in determination. The still-spinning Graveler had made a U-turn, and was beginning to make his way to the tadpole once more. Poliwag was undaunted, defiantly holding her position before her opponent's charge. Seeing the resolve in his Pokemon, Mark understood that she wanted to try something herself, and he chose to allow her to do so.


The tadpole Pokemon quickly braced herself, and inhaled a deep breath; it was quickly let loose in a powerful stream of water pointed straight at her approaching opponent. The water met rock, and though the liquid was still being thrown aside by the rotation, the force of the Water Gun seemed to be enough to begin slowing the Graveler down. Mark watched the struggle intently, a neutral expression etched on his feature, until his eyes widened in surprise.


Though Poliwag's powerful bombardment had not slowed, the Graveler continued moving, his speed easily enough to keep him on a collision course with the tadpole. Having noticed the development as well, the fiery glint in Poliwag's eyes brightened, and the Water Gun began to come forth with even more force, crashing heavily against the rock-type. Both Forrest and Mark looked on, each attempting to keep the emotion from their face.


Clear droplets of water flew in every direction as Graveler burst through the watery barrage, smashing into Poliwag and sending her flying backwards. The water-type's body impacted heavily with a rock formation, the blow enough to knock her unconscious before she could do anything to prevent it. Mark's hand slowly came up as the tadpole slumped to the ground, the pokeball held in it quickly opening to recall the downed Pokemon. The trainer's voice was hushed as he spoke to the now occupied pokeball.


"I'm sorry, Poliwag. I thought that since you had a type advantage, you would have no problem here. I should have realized that I haven't trained you enough to deal with opponents like this Graveler yet. Please, forgive me." As Mark solemnly returned the sphere to his belt, he looked out to the field; Forrest had called for a two-on-two match, so whichever Pokemon he brought out next would have to be able to take down Graveler as well as whoever the Gym Leader would bring out next. Not even a moment of hesitation passed before Mark pulled out an orb.


"Let's go, Pidgeotto." Though Scyther was tough, Mark still didn't know the bug-type powerhouse well enough to know everything he was – or wasn't – capable of. Pidgeotto, on the other hand, had learned nearly everything she knew about battling from Mark, so he knew every trick she had at her disposal. In addition, Mark had taught her a move during his month of training he had specifically meant for this very Gym.


The flying type appeared with a flash of shimmering light and a loud trill, and she then turned to face down the Gym Leader's Pokemon. Both Forrest and Graveler appeared slightly amused at the sight of the bird Pokemon, no doubt due to the type disadvantage he had allowed himself to get into. When Forrest called for the match to resume, Mark wasted no time in calling out the next attack.


"Pidgeotto, Steel Wing!" Though the attack was far more effective when used by Pokemon that actually had metallic wings, Mark decided to take a gamble that Pidgeotto's high speed and power would be enough to make up that deficiency. On cue, the bird Pokemon's wings began to glow a gleaming gray color as she focused her energy on giving her wings the hardness of metal. As the flying-type launched herself at her opponent, Forrest called out an attack of his own.


"Mega Punch, Graveler!" The fist of the rock-type's upper right arm began to glow with a white color as his energy flowed into it. The punch began to shoot forward as Pidgeotto closed in, her glowing wings spread. Graveler's attack went wide as the bird maneuvered to the left of the outthrust fist, leaving the Gym Leader's Pokemon helpless to defend against the steel-type attack. The rock-type was thrown backward by the impact, and was effectively knocked out by the time he crashed to the ground. Forrest calmly returned his unconscious Pokemon and spoke.


"Impressive; it's not often a new trainer can effectively teach Steel Wing to a Pokemon who doesn't learn it naturally. Don't get comfortable, though; my next Pokemon isn't going to let you hit him nearly as easily." The man ended his statement by tossing another pokeball to the field; when the sparkling red light came forth, it spread wider and higher, and quickly began to tower well over the other three occupants of the room. The light dimmed to reveal an immense snakelike being consisting of large boulders; the Pokemon let out a bellow that sounded much like an avalanche when the final round of the battle began.


"Alright, Steel Wing!" The bird immediately responded to Mark's command and rushed at the rock snake with her now silvery wings spread. The Onix was ready, though, and Pidgeotto's attack only found air, her intended target having already dug his way into the ground beneath the field. The bird rose into the air as Mark scanned the field, searching for a sign of the rock-type.


The sign came without warning as Onix burst from the ground, his rocky body throwing itself heavily at the flying-type; the attack barely connected, but it was enough to send Pidgeotto spiraling away. Once the bird had managed to right herself, the rock snake had already retreated underground once more. Mark kept watch over the field as he considered the situation. The Dig attack that the Onix was using normally didn't affect flying types; however, Forrest's Pokemon was large enough that he could strike even at flying Pokemon from underground.


The trainer's thoughts were interrupted when the rock snake emerged from the ground again; Pidgeotto was expecting the move this time, though, and managed to avoid the attack. Mark furiously wracked his brain as he watched the battle go on. Onix continued to rise out of the ground to strike at Pidgeotto; though the bird kept avoiding the attacks, the rock snake would always return to the underground before she could launch a counterattack. Suddenly, an idea came to him; though it would be a risk, he decided that it was the best chance he had.


"Pidgeotto, Double Team!" In hindsight, Mark realized he should have properly trained the flying-type in that technique. Not having seen the potential use for Double Team earlier, Mark had only briefly shown it to her, so her ability to use it was limited. Sure enough, only four images of Pidgeotto became visible over the field, and all of them made the same movements as they scanned the field. A bead of cold sweat swam down from Mark's forehead as he watched helplessly from the sidelines; if Onix attacked one of the images, his Pokemon would finally have a chance to counter, but if the rock snake struck the real Pidgeotto, she wouldn't be able to keep fighting after a direct hit.


The tension built as Onix burst from the ground, its rocky head aiming directly at one of the bird Pokemon circling overhead. The rock-type let out a gravelly bellow as the Dig attack collided with Pidgeotto. Onix's stony features somehow managed to give an expression, a look of what appeared to be shock as the strike passed directly through the substance less image. All the illusions faded away, leaving only the Pidgeotto to the left of the rock snake remaining.


Knowing already what her trainer had in mind, the bird quickly charged at her opponent. Her broad wings surrounded themselves with silvery energy once more as she hammered into Onix, sending the rock snake crashing into the field. A wave of stones and debris flew into the air from the impact, which quickly returned to the ground to reveal a proud Pidgeotto perched on top of a motionless Onix.


The two trainers walked toward each other as they recalled their Pokemon, picking their way across various holes and craters. Mark's face held a look that combined surprise, disbelief, and relief, and Forrest kept a calm look, though he also seemed to show a hint of pride. As the Gym Leader and the challenger came face to face, the former held out a hand as he spoke.


"Here's the Boulderbadge, Mark; you've earned it." The trainer looked at the polished rock-shaped badge for a few moments before he respectfully took it from Forrest's hand. Pride and confidence filled the man as he gazed into the glimmering emblem. A grin came to the trainer's face as he whispered.


"So, this is a Boulderbadge."
_____________________
Author's Notes: Actually, not much to say on this one, either.

Another great post. I'm sorry I don't give much of a review but I know you have had this somewhere else and I haven't ever seen mistakes. I just really enjoy reading your story. It gives me so much to visualize. It's cool that Pidgeotto came through and it shows how much trust are between trainer and poke'mon. I really can't wait for the next chapter.