Mastering A New Start(PG-13)

[BladedScizor]

Well, that server outage kinda threw off my updating schedule, but here's Chapter 9.

As I'm sure you've noticed, the question-based titles are no longer in use as of now. I knew I wouldn't be able to come up with relevant ones forever, and this seemed like a good time to make the switch.
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Mastering a New Start
Chapter 9: Heroic or Stupid?
The Bold Rescue!​

A grove of trees, not quite large enough to be considered a forest, stood calm and undisturbed in the afternoon sun. The peace was shattered as a figure forced his way through the foliage, clearly intent on reaching the other side quickly. A pair of eyes looked out with both concern and determination as the figure pressed on.


It took a few moments, but Mark managed to recover from the shock of achieving a last-minute victory against Forrest, the Pewter City Gym Leader. Realizing that he had spent that time staring at the Boulderbadge he had just acquired, the trainer slid his backpack slightly off of his shoulder so he could reach a specific pocket on it. The pack was fully equipped for a Pokemon Trainer, and even contained a special compartment for holding Gym Badges; it consisted of numerous smaller pouches, so that badges could be held individually inside with little chance of falling out or getting damaged from rubbing against each other.


"That is some Pidgeotto you have there; I've never seen one that could take on a rock-type, much less two of them." Forrest's compliment came forth when Mark turned back to face him. Mark, now seeing the Gym Leader as a fellow trainer rather than a rival, decided to return the praise.


"I gotta say, you didn't make it easy. How your Onix was able to tell where Pidgeotto was from underground was something else." After Forrest accepted the comment, the trainer went on, "Well, I better get going; my Pokemon will probably need to be looked at after that match." With that, Mark gave a farewell to the first Gym Leader on his journey, and hurriedly made his way out of the building.



As Mark was starting to get used to, the trip to the Pokemon Center was uneventful to the point of being boring. Nurse Joy was as cheerful as usual, enthusiastically congratulating Mark on his Gym victory before escorting the spheres containing Poliwag and Pidgeotto to the back room. The trainer chose to stay in the Center during his Pokemon's treatment this time, and stretched himself out along one of the cushioned sofas before perusing the magazines spread across the nearby table.

After an hour, Mark retrieved the pokeballs containing his newly recovered Pokemon from Joy and quickly left the center. With one Gym Badge now in Mark's possession, his thoughts had already turned to the next Gym on his journey, and he wasted no time in departing from Pewter City. As the trainer exited through the city limits, the road smoothly transitioned from a paved street into a dirt path. A grin appeared on Mark's face as he started forward.


An hour and a half had passed by the time Mark came across a wide, clear field alongside a stream. Instantly coming to a decision, he ran his hand along his belt, tapping the button on each of the three occupied pokeballs that hung from it. The spheres opened in response, each releasing a mass of red light from its innards. Within moments, Poliwag, Pidgeotto, and Scyther stood beside their trainer, all waiting to hear what he had in mind.


"Okay everyone, let's start some training. Scyther, Pidgeotto, you two train together for now; I'd like to work with Poliwag myself for awhile." An expression of slight disappointment flitted across Scyther's face at the news; it faded quickly, however, and he turned to Pidgeotto with a friendly smirk as the two moved to a spot where they would have more room. As the mantis and the bird prepared to fight, Mark turned to the tadpole Pokemon still standing beside him, suddenly noting a dejected look across her features and a slump in her posture.


"I'm sorry about the Gym Battle today, Poliwag; I should have given you some training before you set you against a Gym Leader. Can you forgive me?" The water-type looked back him in shock, as though surprised the human was the one apologizing. Apparently deciding not to wait for an answer, Mark went on, "If it helps, I'm going to make sure that you're prepared for your fights from now on." To punctuate his statement, the trainer took a few steps away from the tadpole before turning around and speaking again.


"Okay, let's get started. You attack; try and get through to me." Poliwag visibly brightened at the opportunity to train and quickly straightened herself. Mark, meanwhile, had settled into a fighting stance; after a movement from the direction of the road distracted him for a moment, his right fist uncurled, and with a grin his fingers moved back and forth a few times in a 'Come on' gesture.



The sudden silence was broken as quickly as it appeared when Poliwag took in a deep breath; within moments, the air was filled with pressurized bursts of water. Mark was already moving when the projectiles reached him, his arms making short, sharp movements to redirect the force of the attacks. Though the trainer's vision was dominated by a cloud of glimmering water droplets, he briefly caught sight of a shape making its way towards him.

Mark stepped back just as Poliwag leaped at him, his face moving out of range of her downward-swinging tail by mere inches. The tadpole landed lightly in front of the man and immediately went back on the attack, swinging her tail around at his right knee. The trainer's right arm shot down, effectively halting the tail in mid-swing; the water-type was undeterred, launching another Water Gun attack, which Mark's left arm just barely managed to deflect.


The water soon cleared from Mark's view to reveal Poliwag lunging forward once more, her tail coming around toward his left side. As the attack met his left arm, the tadpole rebounded off of the limb, using the force to twist herself in midair, and her tail swung forward again, this time at his right side. That attack was also stopped, and the water-type launched herself backward as she fell back to the earth.


As Poliwag returned to the ground, Mark was able to see her face, noting that the determined fire he had become accustomed to seeing in her eyes had returned. The new resolve was accompanied by another Water Gun, this one coming forth in a single, powerful stream. The trainer's arms immediately shot in front of him to block the attack; the effort was successful, but he quickly realized that the force was far more powerful than her previous attacks, and he found himself sliding backwards as the assault pressed on.


After several long moments, Mark was finally hurled from his feet by the ongoing force of the Water Gun, and landed gracelessly on his back. As the trainer stared into the sky from his new position, a triumphant gurgling sound filled his ears. Mark slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, where he found Poliwag gleefully hopping up and down, a bright smile spread across her face.


The trainer then turned his eyes to the spot Pidgeotto and Scyther had moved to, finding them slowly descending to earth for a short rest. Quickly deciding a lunch break was in order, Mark called the mantis and the bird over, and the four companions shared a light meal. Making a closer inspection of his Pokemon, he found that Pidgeotto had been slightly bruised in places, and had one or two small cuts, but nothing that really demanded attention; Scyther, on the other hand, had no visible injuries at all, seemingly only slightly winded at the most.


The trainer then turned his gaze to the surrounding area. The field was featureless, only covered by a somewhat thin carpet of grass. The side of the area opposite the road he was previously traveling on bordered a small stream, one shallow enough that even Poliwag wouldn't be able to completely submerge herself in its waters. The other two sides of the meadow were bounded by small groves of trees, their thick coverings of leaves not quite enough to cover the Pidgey nests they carried.


After the three Pokemon and their trainer had finished eating, Mark recalled his partners to their pokeballs and fished out his Pokedex. The trainer realized that he only won his first Gym battle out of luck, and he didn't plan on relying on getting such a break again. Calling up the information on the Cerulean City Gym, Mark immediately set to reading.


Like the Pewter City Gym, Cerulean's Gym was also family-run. It had four different trainers operating it at different times, though one of them apparently led the Gym much more often than the other three. All four trainers, however, specialized in water-type Pokemon and abilities. Mark was surprised to find that the Gym actually had a very wide range of difficulty ratings, depending on which of the four Leaders were running it at the time.


As Mark leaned back to consider how to prepare for challenging his next Gym, a piercing, feminine scream shook him out of his thoughts. The trainer grit his teeth as his hands shot to his ears in an attempt to shut out the inhuman screech, not so silently cursing the apparently common phobia girls of this world had of bug Pokemon. After a few moments, Mark gave an exasperated sigh as his hands returned to the ground, when a new noise of splintering wood came forth, followed by the same loud voice as before, only this time forming a coherent word.


"HELP!"


That was all that the trainer needed to hear, and he sprang to his feet, taking only a moment to snatch up his backpack before racing into the grove of trees separating him from the source of the sounds. It didn't take a Pokemon expert to realize that the sound of crushing wood he heard could not be made by the likes of a Caterpie or a Spinarak, so it was clear that whoever was calling for help actually needed it. Mark sped through the trees, ducking low hanging branches and leaping over fallen logs, eyes casting from side to side in a frantic search.


Without warning, the foliage gave way to a large clearing. Immediately, he found the girl that had been calling out, sprawled on her back trying desperately to back away from a Pokemon. Though the mouselike creature before her wasn't particularly large, coming up only to just over Mark's waist, the sharpened claws on its hands and the array of dirt brown spikes sprouting from its back were enough to make it look quite dangerous.



The Pokemon's furious eyes were firmly locked onto his soon-to-be victim as he lunged forward, serrated claws at the ready, so he failed to register the incoming fist as it crashed into his midsection. The creature's limbs flailed as he was hurled backwards, wincing slightly from the blow. He crashed heavily to the ground, though he quickly managed to recover and find his way back to his feet; as he looked up, he found that a new being had placed itself between him and his target, another human.

Mark stared down the Pokemon as it rose to its feet, taking care to ensure he was constantly standing between it and the girl. Aside from the nest of spikes that adorned its back, the creature was a sandy brown color, and its mouselike features were dominated by a hateful glare; the features were enough for the man to quickly recognize the Pokemon as a Sandslash. Not having the time to call out one of his own Pokemon before, the trainer went for the new opportunity, reaching for the spheres on his belt, only to find nothing there. After a moment, a red object appeared on the ground in the corner of his eye; Mark scowled as he realized that the Sandslash must have knocked the pokeballs from his belt when he punched it.


Mark's muscles tensed into a fighting stance as his eyes narrowed, having quickly decided to abandon his initial plan of battling the ground type with one of his own Pokemon in favor of keeping the opponent in his sight. He took a deep breath, noting that though the opponents he fought himself up to this point weren't going for blood, he doubted he would be as lucky here. The Sandslash sneered at the sight of the human, and extended its claw-tipped hands in a menacing gesture.


The Pokemon lunged forward without warning, its right hand coming forward toward the trainer's right shin. Mark reacted immediately, sliding the target leg back quickly enough that the shrew's attack passed harmlessly by. The ground type was undeterred, continuing to press on to attack the other leg in front of it. The human's leg shot upwards, out of range of the attack before coming back down to knock the Sandslash's hand to the ground; the leg didn't stop there, shooting forward so its foot crashed into the Pokemon's face, sending it stumbling backward.


After recovering, the Sandslash's head came back up, its face revealing the newly intensified rage that boiled inside it. The ground type raced toward the human once more, this time curling itself into a ball, with the sharp spines on its back facing outward. Mark stepped back slightly in the face of the spiky projectile before tensing his body again in preparation. The man dropped into a crouch as the Pokemon closed in, and raised his arms toward the ball of Sandslash in an attempt to turn its momentum away from the girl he could only assume was still behind him. A grunt of pain forced its way from between his clenched teeth as droplets of bright red flew from his limbs as the spikes cut into them; the effort was successful, though, and the Pokemon crashed into a nearby tree, sending shards of bark in all directions.


Moments after the Sandslash dropped to the ground, it emerged from its curled position, dazed and apparently pained from the impact. The two injured fighters stared each other down for several long moments, when the Pokemon lifted its muzzle to the air and let out a loud chattering noise. The call was soon answered by faint squeaks coming from all directions, and Mark turned his gaze from side to side in an attempt to find the source.


His inspection revealed that the area was dotted with molehill-like protrusions of soil, and he noted that the sounds were coming from them. Small movements began to accompany the sounds as Pokemon emerged; these were similar to the Sandslash, but their backs bore a sandlike covering rather than a mass of spikes. The Sandshrew didn't appear as angry as their apparent leader did, but they still adopted a threatening look as they approached the trainer. Mark's red-streaked arms slowly rose into a defensive position; while he considered that he should have planned out this rescue a little better, a bland voice came forth with the only response he could come up with to the situation.


"How annoying."


Three of the newly arrived ground types lunged toward Mark's right side, only to find a green figure appear in their path. With a burst of movement, the Sandshrew were swiftly knocked aside, and figure turned to assess the trainer's condition, revealing itself to be Scyther in the process. A second trio of the shrew Pokemon approached from Mark's left, and were promptly thrown back by several bursts of water.


The trainer spun around swiftly, finding Pidgeotto and Poliwag behind him, battle-ready looks already in place. Slightly behind the two Pokemon was the girl, three now-empty pokeballs before her crouched form and with a determination in her face that was making a valiant effort to hide her fear. Understanding the situation immediately, Mark turned back toward the advancing Pokemon with a smirk, finding the lead Sandslash shaking off its daze and preparing to attack once more.


Shaking aside the burning in his arms for the time being, the man launched himself forward with clenched fists. Mark made his way toward the Sandslash, grinning slightly as a small group of Sandshrew charged at his side in an attempt to stop him, only to be thrown aside by a powerful Gust attack. The Sandslash was moving as well, ignoring the losing battles its comrades had found themselves in as it charged forward.


The ground type leapt into the air as the two combatants closed in on each other, its features contorted in rage. The human's arms flew up as the Pokemon's came down, and the Sandslash's limbs were caught, effectively halting its attack. Mark wasted no time in retaliating, drawing the ground type in closer and driving his suddenly raised knee into its midsection. The trainer's assault continued, raising the stunned Pokemon before letting go of its forearms, and sending his fist crashing into its face.


The Sandslash was out cold by the time it crashed to the ground, punctuating the end of the battle. Scattered throughout the area were scattered Sandshrew who were either unconscious or trudging away from the area in defeat. Mark's Pokemon positioned themselves at various points in the quiet chaos, watching their beaten opponents to ensure that they wouldn't make another attempt to harm the two humans in the area.


By crossing the clearing, Mark quickly found his way to the girl, who had by now made her way to her feet and appeared to have fully calmed herself. Straight blond hair framed her face, which exuded both gratitude and unease. Thin, lightly tanned arms cradled three pokeballs, which she then presented to her rescuer. The man retrieved them with a grin, and the girl spoke as he returned the orbs to their place on his belt.


"Thank you… for helping me. I… Oh, your arms!" Mark's eyes widened as he pulled his arms up to inspect them one at a time, having briefly forgotten his injuries. Much of the blood on his limbs had already dried, though a few trickles still escaped from the gashes; the sight of the wounds seemed to remind him that they were supposed to be painful, and the trainer gritted his teeth when they began to burn once more.


When Mark looked up again, the young woman had already slung her backpack from her shoulders, and was rummaging through its contents. The various clattering and rustling sounds of various items lightly colliding with each other soon ended as her arm remerged, bringing a first aid kit with it. In moments, she had begun clearing the crusted blood from the trainer's forearms, eliciting a slight grin of appreciation from the man. Mark spoke up, voicing a question he had just realized he had.


"Why exactly was that Sandslash after you, anyway?" The girl clenched her mouth into a grimace as she considered her answer.


"I was walking through the forest looking for wild Pokemon, when I must've ended up in its territory. I tried battling him with my own Pokemon, but I just became a trainer today, and I couldn't defeat it." She had pulled forth a new pokeball at this point, and was staring into it, as though trying to silently apologize to the Pokemon that was housed inside it. After a moment, Mark turned his attention toward his newly bandaged arms, noting that the pain emanating from them had diminished to a light stinging that could be easily ignored.


"Well, if you have an injured Pokemon, you might want to head back to Pewter City to get it taken care of. We should be able to get back there before nightfall if we move quickly." The girl had turned her eyes toward the ground when she replied.


"Thanks, but I'll head back by myself; it was probably a bad idea to try and become a trainer, now that I think about it." Mark's hand found itself placed firmly on her shoulder, and a firm reply came forth in his voice.


"Hey now, you learn from your mistakes, not let them throw you off completely. If your Pokemon is anything like the ones I know, it'll forgive you." She seemed to consider the advice for a moment, and a slight smile made its way to her lips. She turned toward the man again, and her voice had found a slight hint of confidence as she spoke again.


"You're right, thank you. I think I'll still go back by myself, but I'll be back on the road as soon as Nidoran here is back on her feet." With that, she set off on the road leading back to Pewter City, turning back for only a moment to wave goodbye. Mark waved back, and then turned toward the grinning faces of his own Pokemon. The trainer donned a smirk of his own, and spoke in a loud, clear voice.


"Okay everyone, let's get moving."
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Author's Notes: There had been a bit of confusion over the gender of the girl's Nidoran, so I'll just say now that's it's of the female persuasion.


As for the girl herself, she may appear again, or she may not. I don't like giving spoilers.

 

[IceDragon2439]

Another amazing chapter for Mark and his Pokemon. I liked the Sandslash battle, and always enjoy when Mark battles. It is a different twist and it is enjoyable to read. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for Mark.

And I'm glad you don't use spoilers, I like being surprised.

 

[BladedScizor]

Sorry, I've been lazy about posting this, haven't I? Well, here's Chapter 10, enjoy.
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Mastering a New Start
Chapter 10: Lost in the Darkness!
Journey Through Mt. Moon.​

A deep, rocky cavern stood in near silence, with nothing but a seemingly impenetrable darkness to be seen within its confines. Suddenly, something cut through the inky black, taking the form of light emitted from a device that hung from a figure's arm. The glow revealed a pair of eyes that searched about, taking in the rocky features of the labyrinth that were being slowly revealed.


After fending off the pack of Sandslash and Sandshrew, as well as seeing off the girl the aforementioned Pokemon had been attacking, Mark continued onward, making his way down the road with his three partners alongside him. The walk was uneventful, with few Pokemon making themselves known, and none making any attempts to confront the group. The trainer was almost grateful when the sun began to set, seeing the need to set up camp as a perfect opportunity to relieve the boredom.


After purposefully taking meticulous care in assembling the tent to take up time, the four companions retrieved some food and began to eat. In between chews, Mark took a second look at the area he had chosen to settle in for the night. The clearing was grassy, with the road bordering one side, and sparse groves of trees enclosing the other three. The most prominent feature visible from the trainer's vantage point, however, was the massive Mount Moon, which stood a short distance down the road from the campsite.


The rocky slopes towered over their surroundings, and lead up to a large crater instead of a peak, where a meteor had apparently crashed into the formation long ago. On either side of the mountain were several smaller ones, forming a range that effectively separated Pewter City from Mark's next destination of Cerulean. The trainer had already consulted his Pokedex, and determined that a sprawling cavern located beneath Mt Moon was the only way to get through the mountains by land.


Mark turned back toward his immediate surroundings, finding that his Pokemon were preparing for slumber. Pidgeotto had perched herself on a branch of the nearest tree, while Scyther leaned his body against the trunk of the same tree. Poliwag, lacking a source of water to sleep by, stepped toward the same tree to curl up beneath it. Feeling his eyes start to involuntarily close by themselves as well, Mark made his way into his tent, finally succumbing to his fatigue upon wrapping himself in his sleeping bag.



The trainer's eyes opened in response to a loud series of buzzes, accompanied by the rapid beating of insectoid wings. Having just enough conscious thought to recognize that the sound was coming from the sky, he turned so that he was facing the source of the noises. At first, only a floating green blur was visible, and Mark quickly rubbed his eyes before turning back to what was revealed to be one of his Pokemon.

Scyther was quickly rising into the air, unleashing a volley of mock strikes into the air before him. Every few moments, he would swiftly twist himself so he would face a different direction and continue attacking an imaginary opponent. The trainer grinned at the sight; he had noted how annoyed the mantis was at its inability to combat the Fearow they had met earlier due to its weakness while in midair. It was obvious that Scyther's efforts had been quickly making short work of the limitation.


The bug-type suddenly halted the volley of blows, and crossed its arms in front of itself, his scythe-shaped forearms facing outward. The Pokemon then started to spin in a drilllike motion as he began to launch himself forward. However, after only a few moments, Scyther fell out of his spinning movement, thrashing about awkwardly as he struggled to remain airborne; with a little effort, he managed to recover, though a scowl found its way to his face as he hovered in place.


The mantis' inner thoughts were broken as he noticed that his trainer had awoken, and he made his way down to earth to greet the human. Hearing another sound coming from a different direction, Mark lifted himself from the ground to investigate. When he turned, he found Poliwag firing a volley of Water Gun attacks at Pidgeotto, who was weaving through the air to avoid the blasts. The bird gave out a trill upon seeing the man sit up, and the water-type quickly stopped her barrage to look as well. Deciding that he had the full attention of his Pokemon, Mark took a moment to speak.


"Okay guys, after breakfast we're gonna head through the cavern under Mt. Moon. I figure it might be best to leave you all in your pokeballs, just to make sure nobody gets lost. Figuring in the time it'll take to eat and sleep, we should be out by tomorrow afternoon. Sound good to everyone?" Receiving no objections from his companions, the four settled down to eat.


After the meal was devoured, the human and the three Pokemon set out on what turned out to be a short and uneventful trek to the base of the high mountain. Finding the rocky opening immediately, Mark stepped forward to take an assessing look inside. As he thought, there was nothing to see in the cave but pitch-black; it seemed that bringing extra batteries for the lantern was a good idea after all.


Taking a moment to first fish the aforementioned lamp out of his pack, the trainer recalled his Pokemon and stepped through the cave's entrance. After a few steps, even his ability to see well in the dark wasn't enough to distinguish anything, and he lifted up the lantern to switch it on. The man's eyes squinted almost shut in reflex as the glaring light burst from the device, opening them slowly as they began to readjust to the brightness. Mark suddenly heard the sound of grinding noises coming from several directions, and just managed to catch sight of a small, rocky body moving away from him; he realized that the sounds were simply Geodudes that were retreating to the usual darkness of their habitat.


Deciding to leave the rock-types alone, Mark set out deeper into the cavern. Though his eyes could sense nothing outside of the lantern's range, his ears were a different story; all around, Mark could hear miniscule drips as water droplets slowly formed on the ceiling to eventually break away and fall toward the floor. The occasional squeak signaled the presence of a Zubat, and sometimes an unidentifiable sound indicated that something else was nearby. Though Geodude and Zubat were usually the only Pokemon that lived in these caves, other species would sometimes find their way into the caverns as well, usually by means of a human.


After a time, a quick look at the Pokedex revealed that a little over three hours had passed since Mark had entered the caves, and his legs were sending him a clear message that a rest was in order. However, as he prepared to settle down, a barely audible whimpering sound coming from just outside that range of his light source caught his attention. The trainer immediately decided to investigate, lifting the lantern back up to head level as he moved toward the noises.


The shining beam uncovered a small, shivering, foxlike creature huddling into itself. Frightened black eyes stared up at the man as she started to struggle to lift herself from the rocky ground. As she made her way to her feet, it was easier to see the rest of her features; ragged yet bushy fur made up both her tail and a sort of mane around her neck, and her coat was unkempt from lack of grooming. After a glimpse at the Pokedex, Mark looked back at the newly identified Eevee as she backed away on shaking legs.


Moving as slowly and unthreateningly as he could, the trainer reached into his backpack, pulling out what would be a decent-sized piece of food for a Pokemon of her size. He gradually lowered himself down to the foxlike Pokemon's level, and smoothly reached out in offering. A concerned look showed in his face as he quietly spoke.


"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. You seem to be hungry, so you can have this if you want." The Eevee took a few experimental sniffs at the gift, unsure whether or not trusting the human was a good idea. Hunger eventually won out over caution, as the fox reached her muzzle forward to take the food from Mark's hand. Despite her haste to down the meal, she ate in a neat and polite manner, occasionally raising a forepaw to brush at any crumbs that may have found their way to her muzzle.


It took only a minute or so for the Eevee to finish, and she looked back up at the human, her expression having lost most of the fear that had been present moments ago. As Mark looked back, he couldn't help but wonder how the Pokemon came to be lost under Mt. Moon. Deciding after a few moments that the 'how' and 'why' weren't important, he spoke to the fox again.


"Well, I was just getting ready to stop and take a rest when I found you, so if you want to join me, go ahead. I'd imagine it'd be better than sitting here in the dark." That was all the convincing the Pokemon needed, and she quietly followed as the man strode back to the spot he had picked out earlier. Upon reaching his subconscious destination, he sat down and stretched out his limbs, resting his back against a smooth rock inclined so that he could lean back. When Eevee reached the trainer, she curled up against his side and promptly drifted into a peaceful slumber.



About an hour later, Mark slowly rose to his feet, and looked down at the furred form of Eevee, who was still quietly dozing. The trainer wasn't particularly surprised; he had no idea how long the Pokemon had been lost in this place, but he felt he could safely assume that it had been for quite awhile. Still, he had to get moving, and he wasn't going to leave the Eevee here after he had already started to help her out. Coming to a decision, Mark bent down and gently lifted up the Pokemon, then straightened himself smoothly enough that the foxlike creature snuggled against his right arm didn't awaken. After determining that the Eevee's rest wasn't disturbed, the trainer picked up the lantern with his free hand and continued on.

Mark traveled through the caverns in the near silence, taking an occasional moment to take an assessing glance at Eevee. After an hour, the fox did wake up, but made no move to escape the human's hold on her, seemingly content in her current position. Considering how little the Pokemon weighed, Mark didn't feel the need to take the time to set her back on the ground, either.


Suddenly, the various noises in the cave began to be overtaken by numerous overlapping squeaking sounds; though quiet at first, they began to increase in volume, making it clear that their sources were drawing closer, despite the fact that they couldn't be seen outside the light given by the lantern. Mark felt a slight pressure against his chest, as the Pokemon held in his right arm began to press herself into it, quivering noticeably as she began to whimper softly.


A small, winged shape broke free of the darkness that surrounded Mark and dove directly at him with a short screech. The trainer dropped into a crouch, allowing the creature to pass harmlessly over his head. Another silhouette made its way into the light, its flapping wings guiding it to the human's new position; Mark responded by shifting to the right of the being's path, his body hunching over the Eevee protectively.


Before the assault could continue further, the trainer dropped to his knees and quickly set the lantern on the ground. With his hand now unoccupied, it was able to reach to a certain pokeball on his belt and press the button on it. A bright red glow came forth, only to give way to a mass of green as Scyther's form materialized. Just after the bug had taken shape, its right arm suddenly shot out and caught a shadow that had been previously on a collision course with him, roughly knocking it to the ground. With the creature now still, it was revealed to have no eyes, and it instead had large, batlike ears and wings.


"Alright Scyther, I'm gonna need you to fend off these Zubat. I'd do it myself, but I'd prefer not risk have the cuts on my arms open up again." As expected, the mantis grinned at the statement, reveling in the opportunity to face new opponents.



The bug-type settled into a fighting stance, already preparing to focus his concentration on the enemies that hovered just out of sight. Two of the batlike Pokemon soon launched themselves out of the inky black toward their new prey. Their lunge was short-lived, though, as Scyther's forearms quickly rose and fell, striking the poison types with the back of his blades and sending them earthward.

Three more Zubat burst forth, latching onto the bug's back with bared fangs that already glowing a light green in preparation for a Leech Life. However, the teeth merely glanced off their intended target, clearly not strong enough to pierce the toughened exoskeleton. Not bothering to restrain a smirk, Scyther threw himself into a spin, using the force to dislodge the Pokemon, and then sending a hard strike to each of the attackers with the flat of his blades, sending them spinning out of sight.


Five more Zubat came into vision as they lunged at the mantis head-on. Scyther was undaunted, quickly lifting his right arm toward the oncoming menace, his predatory smirk still in place. The limb blurred into a volley of green-colored slashing motions without warning, and the bat Pokemons' formation broke apart as the Fury Cutter sent the creatures tumbling out of the air.


A deeper pitched squeaking began to ring out when the bats struck the ground, and a significantly larger shadow detached itself from the shade. Though similar in appearance, this creature was several times larger than the Zubat that came before it, and it sported small, beady eyes, unlike the previous batlike Pokemon. The newly arrived Golbat eased itself forward on flapping wings as it eyed the mantis before it with a vicious glare.


The bat lunged at Scyther, both wings swinging forward to strike. The bug-type was ready, though, and his arms shot up, effectively stopping the Wing Attack. However, the mantis wasn't ready to stop there, and its arms shot forward and down in a crossing motion; both green-glowing blades swept across the bat's body, and the poison type was hurled back by the X-Scissor attack.


The Golbat quickly managed to stop itself in midair, clearly not intending to back down just yet. It slowly started for the mantis, its features twisted into an angry grimace. Suddenly, the Pokemon shot forward as its mouth began to open in order to bare its sharpened fangs. A bladed forearm came straight up before the bat could close in, though, and the Slash attack delivered by Scyther sent the Golbat tumbling backward; the bug-type wasted no time in continuing its assault, and the same forearm fell back down, catching the poison type's body with its back side and bearing the attacker to the ground. The impact of the bat's body being pressed into the rocky ground rang out with a resounding 'thud', and the Golbat fell still, having been completely knocked out by the maneuver.


The sounds coming from the group's surroundings returned to normal, indicating that Scyther had dispatched the last of the attackers. The aforementioned mantis glared at his downed opponents in distaste, clearly having anticipated a more difficult battle than the one he received. His features returned to a grin as he turned back to his trainer, though, and Mark gave the Pokemon a sincere 'thank you' before recalling him to his pokeball.



The remainder of the journey through Mt. Moon went without incident. Though the trainer had decided to let the constantly alert Scyther out of his pokeball when it came time to sleep, the lack of attention the group received from the native Pokemon proved that precaution unnecessary. The following morning, Mark took time to groom Eevee's ragged fur before setting out, and before long, her coat began to shine with the healthy luster that Eevees usually had.

It was late in the day when Mark and Eevee finally found their way back into the fresh air, the dimming light indicating that the sun was beginning to set. The trainer grinned as he emerged from the cave, relieved to be able to travel without needing a lantern just to be able to see his surroundings. He had a few scrapes on his arms, and his clothes had patches of dirt in various places, but he was otherwise none the worse for wear.


Eevee almost seemed like a completely different Pokemon than the one Mark met just the day before. Her coat, though slightly dirty, looked almost completely unlike the ragged, filthy fur she had previously been covered in. While she was once almost too afraid of Mark to come near him, she now seemed ecstatic at simply being in his presence, often looking up at him with shining eyes.


The trainer gazed out at the road ahead of him, mentally figuring how far he would be able to travel before it would become too dark to see. From his information, Cerulean City was still a few days walk away, and he wanted to get there soon. Suddenly, his attention turned to the foxlike Pokemon next to him.


"Well, we made it out okay, didn't we? The area around here seems just a bit more inviting than the inside of that cave, so I think you'll do fine here." With a cheerful wave, he turned to walk down the road ahead of him; he quickly stopped when he heard a barking that started to come up behind him. He soon felt something soft against his leg, and he looked down to see Eevee nuzzling her face against it. He addressed the Pokemon again in a concerned voice.


"Look, you wouldn't really want to come with me. I tend to ask quite a bit from the Pokemon I work with, and it's eventually gonna be the same with… Whoa!" His statement was cut short when the fox pounced on him, the trainer's surprise at the action causing him to topple over, and he quickly found himself sprawled on the ground, Eevee standing on his chest. The Pokemon then began to lick at his face, but was quickly stopped when the trainer lifted her body off of his and set her back on the ground. Mark made his way to back to his feet, and looked back down at the fox with a slightly exasperated look; his eyes closed in contemplation for a few moments, and then reopened as he spoke again.


"Are you sure about this?" Eevee responded with a constant, eager nodding of her head, as though afraid the man would misunderstand her answer if she stopped for even a moment. The Pokemon stopped when the trainer began to move; her eyes gleamed as Mark withdrew an empty pokeball from his belt and lowered it down to her level. The man spoke one more time, a grin spread across his face as the welcoming tone came forth.


"Well, let's get going, then."
Author's Notes: Though the members of every area I've posted this chapter in to date have assured me that my inclusion of Eevee here is perfectly acceptable, I'll mention this anyway. I didn't put Eevee in here to conform with all the fics that have Eevees, and I didn't do it in defiance of all the people who say that owning an Eevee is a step on the path to creating a 'Gary-Stu'-type character. When I cast Pokemon to be caught or seen, I do it simply because that's the Pokemon I feel fits the role best(Though personal preference kicks in here and there as well).

I feel that good writing makes a Pokemon story like this, not what kind of Pokemon are cast in it, and I'll do my best to ensure that the quality of this fic continues to improve, no matter what kind cliche Pokemon or situations are found in it.

It was also pointed out to me about this point that Mark getting attacked by gangs of Pokemon may be getting slightly overdone by this point. If anyone here has noticed that, I can assure you that it'll be taken care of in the future.

 

[IceDragon2439]

Well as each chapter is posted, I like your story more and more. I think it is very well written and the inclusion of Eevee, to me, did fit wonderfully. I can't wait for the next chapter!