Pokemon - Stats

[Brawler360]

Pokemon - Stats
A Journey on an Epic Scale!​

Introduction​

Welcome to Pokemon Stats! Now, you might be asking yourself why the name this Fan Fiction is so ridiculous. Well, I am going to tell you. Firstly, let me preface this by saying that I love Pokemon games and Pokemon stories both equally. Also, let me please say that, yes, you are right, this is ANOTHER "Original Trainer" Fan Fiction, but it is done in a slightly different way.

I have written a few Pokemon Fan Fictions in the past but they have all been met with failure (well, inactivity). Thus, I have developed a new means of writing a Fan Fiction. I will write it like any other Fan Fiction you have read, but in mine I will keep track of the Trainers' stats and Pokemon as the story progresses, in quite a bit of detail. This way, I feel, it will keep the story fresh and interesting for both the readers and myself. That is why it is called Pokemon - Stats, by the way.

Table of Contents​

1 - Pallet's Youth - 1
2 - The First - 2
3 - Rescue - 3
4 - A Parting of Ways - 4
5 - Rematch - 5​

Characters​

Sean Florian

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Character Info
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 170 lbs.

Appearance: Standing only slightly above-average height-wise, Sean's has an athletic build. Having always been fairly physically active throughout his life, he has maintained good physical fitness since he was 13 years of age, when he really began training himself. His skin is tan, do to his above-average exposure to the outdoors. He wears a dark gray vest with a fair amount of pockets. Underneath he wears a long-sleeve gray t-shirt with black khaki cargo pants and black and gray sneakers. He has long, spiky black hair, which is almost always unkempt. His eyes are steely gray-blue, which he would tell you are probably his best feature.

Personality: All in all, Sean could be described as a pretty nice guy. Being average in almost all categories (size, intelligence, physical attributes, etc.) he finds that his, sometimes, over-polite nature will separate him from the pack and help him to be successful. In social situations he is usually fairly reserved, but will not hesitate or joke around quite a bit if he is in a good mood. He would do anything for his friends and family, but only if they are willing to help themselves first. Because of his caring and helpful nature, however, there have been many times when people have taken advantage of him.

History: Being born to an average middle-class family in PalletTown, Sean Florian was raised with his twin sister, Sarah. Growing up with her, everything in his life had always been a competition, as he was constantly trying to out-do her to prove his worth. Obviously, the two loved each other greatly, as a brother and sister should, but that aura of competition has always been between the two of them. Having had no real stressful situations in his life, he would tell you he was raised very well by his caring and loving parents and, partially, his sister. At the age of 10 his parents declared him too young to begin his journey, so it was not until he turned 16 that they allowed him to go out and journey the region of Kanto by himself.

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Isaac James

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Character Info
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 190 lbs.

Appearance: The first and most noticeable thing about Isaac's appearance is his stature. Although not very tall, his broad shoulders and jaw-line convey an image of power and respect. Wearing a white dress shirt with a red cross design on it, he also has blue-jeans with white casual shoes. He has a light skin tone and long white hair, which is usually swept to one side.

Personality: Isaac is what you'd call a perfectionist. Desiring everything in his life to be neat and in line, his own morals and principles are guided by these values as well. Valuing power over love, Isaac would be described as heartless by some. He values people (and Pokemon) for the strength they possess, not necessarily for their hearts. Putting himself before everyone else, Isaac is on a quest to become the best Pokemon Master of all time, and nobody is going to get in his way.

History: Unlike Sean, Isaac was born to a rich family on the outskirts of CeladonCity. He had a pampered life up until the age of 5. He got everything he wanted, when he wanted it. It was one day, however, when all of this came crashing down when his parents were murdered in front of his eyes as the three of them (his mom, his dad, and Isaac himself) walked down the streets of Celadon at night. Getting moved to a foster home in PalletTown, it was there where he met Sean and Sarah Florian, the happy-go-lucky twins with perfect lives. Oh, how he hated them. They were so ignorant as they were stuck within their peaceful lives, oblivious to any potential threats around them. Isaac, finally being old enough to leave the orphanage at 16, decided to leave on his Pokemon Journey. It would give him freedom, but, more importantly, it would give him power.

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Sarah Florian

​

Character Info
Gender: Female
Age:16
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 140 lbs.

Appearance: Standing much taller than most of her female counterparts, Sarah a very athletic build, and is in much better shape than her brother. She has long black hair which goes to about halfway down her back. She wears a tight black t-shirt and has baggy brown pants with sandals to match. Her eyes are a steely blue-gray, like her brother's. Having received many compliments about her attractiveness from the opposite sex, these have only served to increase her desire to maintain her fit form.

Personality: Sarah is very unlike her brother as far as personality is concerned. Being very outgoing, she has many friends and acquaintances. Almost always in a good mood, Sarah is a natural people magnet. All the girls want to be her, and all the guys want to be with her, quite simply. She knows all of this, yet chooses to remain like a goof ball in public settings, never really taking herself too seriously. Perhaps it is this modest nature, despite all of her accomplishments, which is the true attraction people feel towards. Deciding that boys are just a waste of time, although not outwardly spiteful towards them, Sarah focuses her time and energy on her personal goals.

History: Raised alongside her brother, Sean, to a loving mother and father in PalletTown for her whole life, Sarah has always been outgoing and popular among her peers and superiors. Getting straight A's almost entirely throughout her life, she also has held many awards for athletic achievements throughout her life. Somehow, between all of her studying and training she managed to find time for her friends and to party. Although her parents did not approve of this, they did not stop her from doing this, due to her successes. She had always wanted to become a Pokemon Trainer, for reasons other than her brother's however. For her, the real motivation came from being able to excel at one more thing and to surpass her brother with it. So, she readied herself for the day Sean decided to start his Journey, choosing to go with him on that day.

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Jill Maxwell

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Character Info
Gender: Female
Age:14
Height: 5'3''
Weight: 125 lbs.

Appearance: Obviously very short, Jill has no problem with that. Having very soft and round features (especially around her face), Jill wears a green vest with dark green shorts. She wears high green boots and tan gloves, mainly used for her constant gardening. Her hair is straight and brown, and stylized to her liking. Her skin is a healthy tan color.

Personality: Jill, quite simply, is a happy-go-lucky child stuck in a teenager's body. She absolutely loves gardening and spending time out in the sun and she's definitely not afraid of laughing or having a good time. Quickly becoming friends with almost everyone she meets, Jill only sees the good in people, but she doesn't look too far. After all, what is the point of sweating all the small things?

History:Having grown up in a cottage on the outskirts of PalletTown, Jill's parents were a very loving and accepting duo for her. Letting her do almost anything she wanted, whenever she wanted, the girl quickly found a home outside among the trees and flowers as she tended to and cared for them. Despite her school work suffering because of her devotion to her plants, her parents didn't seem all too upset about it. She was enjoying her life, wasn't she? At the age of 10 Jill was desperate to begin her own Pokemon Journey so she could get a chance to raise something besides plants. Her parents, as accepting as they were, refused to let her leave home, telling her the outside world just wasn't safe enough. When she grew to be 14, though, her parents saw all the other children in the town of Pallet leaving to become Trainers so, not wanting to be mean to their daughter, let her go on her Journey.

Chapter 1
Pallet's Youth​

Four figures stood were inside the large, technologically advanced white and gray room. In the center of the room was a large, round terminal-like device with three circular small indents in it. Inside of these indents were small red and white orbs known as Pokeballs. The walls of the room were filled with shelves and cupboards, each containing a different device involving the study of Pokemon, in some form or another. On opposite ends of the room were sliding glass doors, leading to other sections of the rather large lab the four youths stood inside of, presently.

The one furthest to the left had black hair and was one of the tallest of the group. His name was Sean Florian, and he was in this lab, Professor Oak's lab, to get his first Pokemon. Along with his sister, standing to the right of him, he hoped to begin his journey today and become a powerful Pokemon Trainer. As he gazed upon the table in front of them with his steel-gray eyes, he had the same worry that everyone else here had. There were four people, and only three Pokemon available. Someone was going to leave empty-handed.

"This is crap!" the youth with white hair exclaimed, after the four of them had stood there for several moments. "This old guy called four of us here today to finally get our Pokemon, and now one of us isn't going to get one! I can tell you all, I'm leaving here with Charmander, like it or not."

There was an awkward moment of silence, as nobody really felt like challenging him. Then, suddenly, the girl furthest to the right piped up.

"That's fine with me, Isaac!" she said to the soon-to-be-trainer in the white dress shirt, walking towards the table and examining it closely simultaneously.. "I love plants, so I want Bulbasaur!"

She giggled with glee at the name of the Pokemon. Judging by her entirely green outfit, this didn't surprise Sean at all. She also had brown hair, giving her a very…earthy…appearance.

"Give me a break," Isaac James said calmly to the younger girl. "Charmander would destroy Bulbasaur. He's obviously the most powerful Pokemon here."

Again, there was a strong silence from the power of the youth's words, but this time the girl with long black hair responded to him.

"What about Squirtle?" she asked in response, rather nicely. "I mean, it is a water type."

Isaac slowly turned to her, as if she had insulted him. The fair-skinned would-be-enemy clenched his fists, as if ready to strike her. Sean, seeing his sister in potential danger, stepped between her and the threatening stranger. The two of them, Sean and Isaac, locked eyes for a moment, only twelve inches from each other. If it came to blows, Sean wasn't sure how well he'd do. This Isaac guy seemed pretty tough, just by looking at him. Refusing to back down, however, he continued to hold his gaze, refusing even to blink. Jill, still next to the table, quickly ran between the two of them, putting hand on each of their chests and pushing them apart.

"Hey guys, come on now!" she told them cheerily. "We're here to get our first Pokemon and start our journeys today! There's no reason to get upset!"

Sarah, hating it when her brother stood up for her like this (she was very capable of taking care of herself, thank you very much!), put a hand on his shoulder and ripped him away from Isaac. Resisting her only slightly, Sean Florian finally obeyed his twin and resumed his spot next to her as he gazed upon the table. He had only known Isaac for a five minutes and already he hated him.

Not even looking over, due to his temper, Sean decided to keep his gaze focused on the Pokeballs on the table until the professor arrived, too upset to actually talk to anyone. Jill, happy as always, resumed her place at the table to closely examine the Pokeball containing Bulbasaur as if staring at it would make the Pokemon appear. Sarah, not really sure which Pokemon she wanted (although leaning towards Squirtle), kept herself right where she had been previously, refusing to give any ground to the jerk that was Isaac standing right next to her. Isaac himself did just what Sean was doing as he stared at the table, seemingly lost in his own thoughts of power and glory.

It seemed like an eternity but, in actuality, only three minutes and thirty-two seconds later, Professor Oak walked through the sliding glass doors on the opposite side of the room, carrying a small black briefcase with him as he rounded the table in his path, facing the trainers as they quickly lined up in front of him, eager to get their first Pokemon. Sean noticed that the Pokemon expert had very white hair, and he appeared to have aged greatly since he had last seen him (granted, it had been almost a year). Despite living in the same small town as the professor, hardly any of the citizens ever saw the man. He was always locked inside his lab, trying to crack the "code" that was Pokemon. After he set his briefcase at his feet, Oak then spoke.

"Good morning!" the aging professor greeted all of them with a warm smile. "And welcome to my lab. I must apologize for my absence. I was dealing with a rampaging Caterpie in my yard outside the lab."

There was a silence, as if he had made a joke and all of the teens were supposed to laugh. None did, that is, until Jill Maxwell had realized it was actually meant to be funny. Letting out a light and obviously fake giggle, the professor promptly continued his speech.

"Ahem. Well, after reviewing all of your applications to receive your first Pokemon, I must say that I'm very impressed with how easily I was able to match each of you to one of these Pokemon here on the table. Each one will have traits very similar to the Trainer I have assigned it to, so you all do not need to worry about that. Seeing as you've all already gotten the ins and outs of Training down, due to your exceptionally high Pokemon Trainer Testing scores, let's get right down to it."

Sean felt butterflies in his stomach now. He really didn't know why he was nervous all of a sudden. After all, he would be very happy with any of the Pokemon on the table. He didn't have any real preferences. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses to balance them out. Quickly putting his hands in the pockets of his black cargo pants, to prevent fidgeting his hands, he suddenly began paying very close attention to what Professor Oak had to say. Quickly glancing over, he noticed that the other three were showing signs of nervousness as well. That was good, at least. He wasn't the only person antsy about the outcome of his assigned Pokemon.

Picking up the first ball on the table, labeled Bulbasaur beneath it, Oak held it out in his palm in front of all of them.

"This is Bulbasaur, the grass-type Pokemon," he started. "It is a very balanced creature as far as its attributes are concerned. After carefully reviewing the applications, I have decided that Jill would be the best Trainer for this Pokemon. The two of you share a strong love for nature and plant-life. Being part-plant itself, I feel that Bulbasaur would be a great partner for you, Jill Maxwell."

Squealing with glee at getting her first choice, the brown-haired 14-year-old ran over to the professor, grabbing the Pokeball gratefully from his outstretched hand as she then gave him a giant, prolonged hug.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" the girl said excitedly. "My parents are going to be so proud!"

"You are very welcome, Jill. You've earned it," he said to her, slowly prying her arms from around his aching back, grimacing slightly as he did so. "But let's get back in line now, so I can give everyone else their Pokemon."

"Oh, right," she said, calming down slightly as she only just realized her own outburst. Snapping the ball into the belt at her waist, she took her place in line next to Isaac yet again, trying desperately to contain her glee with muffled giggles.

Sean was sure he heard a rather loud scoff come from Isaac James, but he chose to ignore it. There were more important things right now than dealing with that creep.

Oak, promptly grabbing the next red and white orb from the table, seeing how antsy everyone was indeed become, spoke once more.

"This one I have in my hand is Charmander. It is a fire-type Pokemon and, I feel, it matched your personality very well, Isaac. You desire power and to be the greatest Pokemon Master of all time. Well, Charmander is all about a strong offensive with fire-type attacks. He will be a great companion to you," Professor Oak said as he held the ball out, waiting for the new Pokemon Trainer to grab it from him.

Isaac walked forward slowly and surely. If he was anxious at all he did not show it. There was nothing about his demeanor at this point that could really be classified as anything but calm. Grabbing the ball from Oak with un-do force, he snapped the Pokeball into his belt, resuming his place in line without a word.

The professor, choosing not to let the boy's rough attitude affect his ceremony, quickly grabbed the last remaining Pokeball from the table. It was at this point that Sean's nerves really shot through the roof. This was the last Pokemon! This meant that either he or his sister were going to go without. Sean could tell she was scared that she wouldn't get a Pokemon as well, judging by the fidgeting of her feet.

"And this is Squirtle," the professor started. "It is a water-type Pokemon with a strong defense, but capable of powerful water attacks under pressure. After careful consideration, I have decided that you, Sean Florian, would be the perfect trainer for this little guy. He is very loyal and will do whatever you command him to. I see great moral fiber in you, Sean, and it is because of this that I have decided to confer Squirtle upon you."

Sean, stunned in disbelief that he actually had his own Pokemon now, grabbed the ball from aging Oak as he then snapped it into his belt after gazing at it for a few moments in disbelief. Suddenly, he realized that his sister was did not get a Pokemon from Oak. Walking over quickly to console her, he put a hand of reassurance on her shoulder. Shaking the hand off, Sarah quickly dismissed her twin as she stood there, remaining strong in spite of defeat. And, just as she thought she was about to leave the place to do other things with her life, Oak put the briefcase up onto the table, opening it slowly as he revealed another Pokeball within it, held in place by padded foam.

"Don't think I forgot about you, Sarah," the old man told her as he took the ball from the black case, holding it out for her. "This is a special Pokemon, and it shares a special bond to the Squirtle I just gave to your brother, Sean. They, too, are twins, yet something is…odd…with this one," the professor said as he referred to the Pokeball in his hand. "You see, after it hatched from its egg I quickly realized its hue was not correct and it did not match any other Squirtles I have ever encountered before. Other than its color, it appears to be perfectly healthy, but I leave the mystery of to why it is the way it is up to you. If you can solve that, you'll have helped me out a great deal."

And, as Sarah grabbed the ball from Professor Oak and snapped it into her belt like the others, the four of them stood there expectantly; ready to get on with their Journeys and meet their brand new Pokemon.

"Hold on, hold on," Oak told them, as if almost sensing their desire to begin their quests. "I only have a few more things for you. Firstly, here are some empty Pokeballs for each of you," he said as he pulled out the orbs from a drawer in the terminal next to him. "Use them to capture weakened wild Pokemon to add to your team! And, right here in my hands, which I'm sure you are all familiar with, is a Pokedex for each of you. These have at least some recorded data on all 151 Pokemon in existence. They will help you greatly along your Journeys. Here you are."

And, each of them taking five Pokeballs and a Pokedex, they were all set and equipped to start off. Saying their respective good byes to Oak, who gave them each his phone number in the lab, they all left the building, stepping out into the bright and sunny morning sun of PalletTown. Sean noticed the grass was soft beneath his feet as a cool breeze shifted through his messy hair. He paused for a moment, despite his eagerness, to take in the wonderful weather and to enjoy what was actually taking place. He was finally beginning his own Pokemon Journey, after years and years of waiting. Opening his eyes, slowly, and taking the ball from his belt, he knew he would remember this moment forever. Pressing the button in the center to enlarge the object he was about to toss it to the ground to see his Pokemon for the first time.

"HEY!" Isaac called out to him as he tossed his own Pokeball up and down in his hand. "So you have a problem with me, huh?"

Sean Florian assumed to trouble-maker was referring to the incident inside the lab in which the guy had insulted his sister.

"Yes, I do in fact," the brand new Pokemon Trainer quickly responded as he stepped towards his new, apparent, adversary. "I'm assuming you want to fight about it?" Sean replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, I do," Isaac James quickly responded. "Let's test out our new Pokemon. I'll show you what it takes to be a Trainer," the youth said calmly and coolly.

Sarah, seeing that, this time, she wouldn't be able to stop the two from fighting, hesitated on releasing her own Pokemon. Jill did the same, as she had just been about to see her Bulbasaur for the first time. She waited, however, as the two fresh rivals held their Pokeballs in their hands, ready to do combat for the first time with their Pokemon.

"Let's do this," Sean replied confidently, not really sure what he was getting himself in to.

 

[JX Valentine]

To tell you the truth, most people actually just skip things like profiles and author's notes (unless you're on FFNet for some reason) because the story should really be the one that's telling you everything you need to know. Think about it this way: do books come with detailed profiles of every character? Not comic books or manga. Books that just rely on words.

If you're not relying on the profiles to tell half the story, then you'll probably want to know that it really doesn't matter to us whether or not you take out the profile part of this thread. Profiles are good as supplements if you're building your own website or for your own notes, but for a story in a thread, to avoid cluttering up the thread and forcing us to scroll down just to get to the first chapter, it's probably better if you saved the profiles for your site, discussion thread, or notes.

That out of the way, I have two things left to say before I get into the actual review:

1. I skipped over all of the profiles, so if I bring something up that you mentioned in the profile, it's because I'm trying to show you the effect relying on a supplement to tell your story does to what you really should be focusing on.

2. You don't need formatting tags in your story. In fact, it's better if you don't use font and color tags because not everyone uses the same skin. With PC's library, you really don't know if you're making it easier for the reader to view your story or if they actually have to highlight because the forums are black or another dark color for them. It's better to just leave your text in the default font.

Four figures stood were inside the large,

Right off the bat, I can see you have a problem, which is really not good for the first sentence. The problem is that it doesn't really make sense. Stood and were are both past-tense verbs. Stood implies an action. Were can be anything but, assuming you took out "stood," implies the exact same thing.

In other words, read over your work before posting this. Seriously, you have to. Aloud, if you must. Otherwise, you may end up creating something awkward, and awkward is especially bad for the first sentence. It tells the reader that they're probably going to see more of this, and it tells them that they're going to be tripped up later on in the story and will have to read at a slower pace. You want to make sure they're reeled into the story itself, so you want to make your writing as smooth and flawless as possible so the reader has no problems reading what you wrote. That means they'll be less distracted by your writing and can then focus completely on what you're actually saying.

To trip the reader up in the first sentence, then, is really to turn the reader off a little. What this says is that you probably didn't care enough about the story to be careful, so they may not want to come back for another chapter -- or worse, hit the back button before finishing the first.

So, yeah. Read over what you write for your sake.

technologically advanced white and gray room.

How was it technologically advanced? I'd probably drop that description because you're implying that the room is technologically advanced because it's white and gray. I know you mean to go on to describe the machinery in the room, but you still have to be careful about the placement of your words so you don't conjure any odd images.

In the center of the room was a large, round, terminal-like device with three circular, small indents in it.

Place commas between like adjectives, such as adjectives that describe what something looks like. That way, you separate descriptions.

Inside of these indents were small, red and white orbs known as Poke Balls.

"Poke Balls" is actually canonically a phrase of two words. Look it up in your game to see.

involving the study of Pokemon, in some form or another.

The comma doesn't actually have to be here.

the four youths stood inside of, presently.

First off, I would probably replace the word "youths" with something else, like "young men and women" or "children." The reason why is because read it aloud. It doesn't quite roll off the tongue all that well, and it won't sound right to the readers.

Also, again, the comma really doesn't serve much of a purpose here, so you can drop it. Presently is an adverb that modifies "stood." You don't want to separate it from that word with a comma.

There were four people, and only three Pokemon available.

Here's a trick: cover up the first half of the sentence up to and including the word "and" and read the second half aloud. Then, move your hand to the second half (including the word "and") and read the first half aloud. If both halves can stand on their own as sentences with a subject and predicate, then you have a compound.

Here, however, you don't. So, the comma really isn't needed here.

she said to the soon-to-be-trainer in the white dress shirt, walking towards the table and examining it closely simultaneously..

First off, drop the second period.

Second, this is a bit wordy for a dialogue tag. You're just cramming too much into a small amount of space, so it comes out awkward. First, you're indicating that she's speaking. Then, you're describing her rival. Third, you're having someone (see below) walking to the table and examining it. It's just too much, and it actually creates a mess.

The reason why it creates a mess is because you've just opened yourself up to a misplaced modifier. Usually, when you have a comma followed by a dependent clause (a phrase that doesn't stand alone as its own sentence), the dependent clause refers to the first noun before the comma. In this case, it's the trainer in the white dress shirt, not the girl, who's walking to the table. Even if you meant to have the girl walk to the table, you're actually conjuring a contrary image.

So, what do you do? Why not start a new paragraph? Describe what she sees, what she does, and/or how she looks doing it. Take your time with it, and don't be afraid to break it up into several sentences. You don't even have to have her mention her fondness for plants until she's done or until she takes a moment to look at the table.

Alternatively, you could simply start a new sentence. It's okay if you have another sentence in the paragraph in which she's speaking as long as she's doing whatever it is she's doing as she's speaking (or in a small pause before she starts speaking again). That can simulate a very short hesitation before she adds something else to her comments.

her a very…earthy…appearance.

I know this is supposed to simulate Sean's hesitation, but you may want to just drop the ellipses and show how he reacts to said earthy appearance. Otherwise, you slow down the pace of the story and force the objective narrator to take on Sean's voice, which you probably don't want to do.

"Hey guys, come on now!"

I'd suggest moving the comma one word to the left (because this is a direct address), inserting an exclamation point where it used to be (to avoid a run-on), and capitalizing "come."

Sarah, hating it when her brother stood up for her like this

Try "who hated." Since it's a constant thing, you really don't want to leave it at "hating" because that implies she only hates it at this very moment.

he gazed upon the table.

At, not upon. You can't really gaze upon unless you take your eyeballs out of their sockets and put them on something.

He had only known Isaac for a five minutes and already he hated him.

This, however, is a compound sentence. Try the trick I mentioned earlier with this sentence, and you'll see what I mean. You'll want a comma after "minutes."

Also, "a five minutes"?

Not even looking over, due to his temper,

Drop the first comma. Whenever you say "because" or a phrase like it, you don't need a comma simply because the cause is linked to the effect very closely.

seemingly lost in his own thoughts of power and glory.

As a warning, if you make it too obvious that a rival is going to be a powerhungry psychopath too early in the fic, we're just going to expect what you're probably going to do in later chapters.

That is to say, you may want to add a bit more dimension to your characters because right now, the rival is slowly descending into a stock character. You really don't want that because one-dimensional characters are entirely too predictable. They're just not as interesting as someone who doesn't fit any stereotype at all.

It seemed like an eternity but, in actuality,

Move the first comma one word to the left. This is, again, a compound sentence.

walked through the sliding glass doors on the opposite side of the room, carrying a small black briefcase with him as he rounded the table in his path, facing the trainers as they quickly lined up in front of him, eager to get their first Pokemon.

Read all of that without taking a breath.

Yeah, it's a bit much, in the same way that cramming the table bit from earlier into the dialogue tag was a bit much. Although Professor Oak is doing all of this, you just want to separate this into different sentences because, put simply, it's too lengthy as it is. The lengthier you get (or at least the more dependent clauses you pile on), the more awkward the story reads. Again, you want your writing to be as smooth as possible for the benefit of the reader, so you really have to learn when to break off a sentence and put information into a new one. Here, I would suggest breaking it off at "room" and describe that he had a briefcase with him (including a description of the briefcase itself, if you're going to draw attention to it) in one sentence, the fact that he approached the table and faced the trainers in a second, and the fact that they lined up in front of him and appeared eager to get their Pokémon in a third.

Sean noticed that the Pokemon expert had very white hair, and he appeared to have aged greatly since he had last seen him (granted, it had been almost a year).

Move the period to just after the word "him" and treat the part in parentheses as its own sentence. Just because it's in parentheses doesn't mean it's not a standalone piece. Take out the parentheses, and you'll see what I mean. You create a run-on sentence, which you really don't want to do.

After he set his briefcase at his feet, Oak then spoke.

You actually don't need the word "then," given that the word is already implied by the word "after" and the rest of the dependent clause.

"Good morning!" the aging professor greeted all of them with a warm smile.

I would drop "all of them." Leaving it in implies that you're creating a new sentence (and not a dialogue tag), which means you'd actually have to capitalize the word "the."

"And welcome to my lab.

If you would normally have written "Good morning and welcome to my lab," then you actually don't want to start a new sentence. Instead, replace the exclamation point after "morning" and the period after "smile"' with commas, and then the piece before the dialogue tag will flow seamlessly into the piece after.

None did, that is,

Drop "that is." Right now, you're actually creating a run-on sentence by leaving it in because the phrase is not a conjunction (nor can it serve as one).

the Trainer

You don't capitalize the word "trainer" earlier in the fic, so why are you doing it now?

Training

Verbs usually aren't capitalized in the middle of sentences.

Also, I find it odd that these trainers would have to apply to receive their first Pokémon, when all Ash had to do was show up (and beg Oak for anything he had left).

Quickly putting his hands in the pockets of his black cargo pants, to prevent fidgeting his hands,

There's no reason why the first comma should be here.

Picking up the first ball on the table, labeled Bulbasaur beneath it,

I would suggest adding "the one" or "the ball" in front of "labeled." Otherwise, it sounds as if you're trying to say that Oak was the one who was labeled (or the table, for that matter).

Squealing with glee at getting her first choice, the brown-haired 14-year-old ran over to the professor, grabbing the Pokeball gratefully from his outstretched hand as she then gave him a giant, prolonged hug.

Right now, you're implying that this happened all in one instant, which conjures an odd image between grabbing that Poke Ball and giving him a hug. I would suggest trying to break this up into multiple sentences.

slowly prying her arms from around his aching back, grimacing slightly as he did so.

Drop the comma and opt for the word "and." Otherwise, read it aloud. It doesn't sound quite right, and it looks like you're piling on dependent clauses again.

from Isaac James,

You really don't need to keep repeating their last names. Think of it like this. Whenever someone's talking about you, do they always say your full name?

but he chose to ignore it. There were more important things right now than dealing with that creep.

I highly suggest you avoid having the narrator call someone a creep and instead opt for the word "him." The more you make the narrator biased towards a certain person, the less reliable the narrator becomes to the point where the reader can't completely trust it to tell the story.

That and you're building a character to be a certain way, rather than allow his words and actions to state who he is for him. When you do that, you end up creating a stereotypical character who, as I've said before, really is less interesting than one that's a bit less predictable and more dimensional (with a developed personality).

Oak, promptly grabbing the next red and white orb from the table, seeing how antsy everyone was indeed become, spoke once more.

Yet another case of "you piled on too many dependent clauses and created an awkward sentence." Try separating this part into multiple sentences.

It is a fire-type Pokemon and, I feel,

Move the first comma one word to the left (because this is a compound sentence) and drop the second altogether. There's no reason why the second comma should be there, given that the actual subject of the second independent clause is Professor Oak.

all about a strong offensive

"Offensive" is an adjective, so you'll need a noun after it. Either that or use the word "offense," which is a noun.

with un-do force,

"Un-do" is a verb that means "to unfasten" or "to untie."

Which means you're right now conjuring an odd image in my head.

"It is a water-type Pokemon with a strong defense, but capable of powerful water attacks under pressure.

Drop the comma. It's not needed because this is not a compound.

grabbed the ball from aging Oak as he then snapped it into his belt

I think you want the word "and" instead of "as he then." The reason why is because "as he then" implies that something is happening instantaneously, which means he can't really grab for the ball and clip it on his belt at the same time. If he did, he'll get odd looks from Oak, I'm sure.

after gazing at it for a few moments in disbelief.

I'd suggest moving this piece to some place before he snaps it on his belt, not only to heighten the emotion that he's surprised but also because it just sounds awkward to be dangling this after he finally takes it.

that his sister was did not get

Again, read your story before posting it.

he put a hand of reassurance

Since the hand can't be made of reassurance, you'll want to rephrase this.

opening it slowly as he revealed

I would suggest replacing "as he revealed" with the phrase "to reveal" because he's opening the briefcase because he wants to reveal the Poké Ball. He's not opening the briefcase for no apparent reason and then revealing the Poké Ball simultaneously (as in, yeah, at the same time he undoes the latches on the briefcase and opens it a crack) as a side thought.

told her as he took the ball from the black case, holding it out for her.

And held, not holding. Otherwise, you're piling on dependent clauses again.

after it hatched from its egg I quickly realized its hue was not correct and it did not match any other Squirtles I have ever encountered before.

Comma after "egg" (because this is an introduction clause of more than four words) and after "correct" (because this is a compound sentence.

Other than its color, it appears to be perfectly healthy, but I leave the mystery of to why

Drop the word "to" just before "why." This is not an infinitive, so the word doesn't actually belong here.

Also, I would suggest dropping "to be" because it's also unnecessary, as the word "appears perfectly healthy" says everything that needs to be said about Squirtle's condition.

And, as Sarah grabbed the ball from Professor Oak and snapped it into her belt like the others, the four of them stood there expectantly; ready to get on with their Journeys and meet their brand new Pokemon.

First off, I'm not sure why you felt the need to throw in a semicolon here. A semicolon separates either items in a list of three or more that each have commas or two independent clauses that are very closely related. This example is neither, and really, it's exactly like any other instance that you've used a comma earlier in the fic.

Also, speaking about earlier instances in this fic, it's not necessary to Randomly Capitalize Words That Can Possibly Be Related To Pokémon. Especially since you started off the fic leaving things like "trainers" lowercase. The rules don't change just because it's Oak speaking.

he said as he pulled out the orbs from a drawer in the terminal next to him.

Since you've already used a dialogue tag earlier in this paragraph, it's not necessary to establish another one. Just write this as its own sentence, even if it occurs in the middle of a dialogue paragraph.

"Use them to capture weakened wild Pokemon to add to your team!

Because Professor Oak is incredibly excited about the idea of capturing wild Pokémon!

Seriously, I would use the exclamation point only sparingly, when you actually want to bring out the idea that the speaker is excited or otherwise shouting. Considering he's trying to keep them calm and from running off before he's finished, it's best if you just used a period.

And, right here in my hands, which I'm sure you are all familiar with, is a Pokedex for each of you.

With five Poké Balls per new trainer and considering the fact that you don't mention the fact that he passed the balls out or stopped to let the trainers react to this gift, you're right now conjuring an image of a multi-handed Oak because of how much he's carrying at this very moment.

Pallet Town

Why you found it necessary to put the town's name in its own font tags is beyond me. Please don't tell me that you're planning on using a different color per town because someone's eyes are going to bleed if you do that (for reasons I've mentioned before I started into this review).

He was finally beginning his own Pokemon Journey, after years and years of waiting.

Why did he wait? The minimum age for trainers is aged ten, so all of these newbies will probably have their rears handed to them by twelve-year-old trainers who have been training for two years. Not to mention you really don't explain anywhere in this chapter why the four of them are older and what was stopping them, so right now, your readers are probably waiting for you to fill in that gap.

assumed to trouble-maker

…Yeah. Don't forget to read over your story.

towards his new, apparent, adversary.

Drop the commas. You really don't need them.

"I'm assuming you want to fight about it?" Sean replied sarcastically.

Again, since you've already put a dialogue tag in this paragraph, you don't need another one. His tone is conveyed enough through body language and what he's actually saying.

the youth said calmly and coolly.

I'm not sure what it is about this chapter, but you started out decently in the "keeping only one dialogue tag per paragraph" department (along with the keeping consistent department), but it slowly went downhill until this point. You've got to really be careful. Yes, you're doing a lot of writing, but you still have to take your time so you don't do a rush job near the end of a chapter. The more you're rushed, the stranger your story will turn.


Overall, it starts off as any other story, really. Let me just break it down for you.

Structurally, this needs a lot of work. You change the rules you're following concerning capitalization literally halfway through the chapter, and even then, you capitalize things canon doesn't even capitalize itself.

On top of that, commas. A lot of people make mistakes with them, but really, if you can learn the rules, you'll be fine. Here's a link to a page that explains commas. Read over it and try to memorize it because commas are really one of the most common forms of punctuation, and oftentimes, you just trip up on them.

Additionally, you've got to learn that it's okay to write short sentences but it's not okay to string together dependent clause after dependent clause. You'll learn this from experience, but just remember that longer sentences don't make your writing sound more sophisticated. In fact, you run a risk of having them make a mess of what you're trying to say. Be careful of misplaced modifiers, and try to find ways to say something in multiple sentences, especially if you have multiple actions happening in a succession.

That's another thing. Oftentimes, I had the feeling that you were trying to make your writing sound sophisticated, but really, you've got to be careful about the way you word things. It's usually safer to write casually. I don't mean chatspeak or anything like that. Just imagine that you're telling this story to a friend. Phrase it in a way that would make them really understand what's going on.

Also, I can't stress this enough, but read everything you write aloud. Let twenty-four hours lapse before you do it too so you can see everything the way the audience would see it. If you read everything aloud after that length of time, your ear will be able to catch a lot of odd phrases like the one in the very first sentence of the chapter.

In terms of the story, as I've said before, the characterization could use a bit of work. Although I know it's the first chapter, you're really treading cliché waters with Isaac. You seem to be intent on making him look like the bad guy, but really, your readers will probably want someone who's a bit more human and multi-faceted as a villain. If you just have Isaac be a jerk who loves power, they're going to come to expect that he's going to do X, Y, and/or Z. You want them to see Isaac as a human being because once they see him as a human being who actually thinks and feels (rather than just as a character who fills the niche as The Rival), they'll be more likely to feel some sort of emotion for that character, even if it's just being pissed off at him. Trying to make your characters seem human – usually by figuring out what they're like on the inside and thinking inside the minds of your characters – creates a more believable figure that the reader can connect to. Once you do that, it's easier to get into the story.

Also, you do details decently. I can imagine everything fairly clearly (although the characters seem to be a little rigid in my mind because of the above). Still, don't forget to take the time to explain little details that may seem off about your world, such as the fact that these characters aren't ten years old.

I will have to say, though, that I liked the fact that you handed the shiny off to someone who wasn't the main character, assuming your focus character is Sean. Usually, these OT stories tend to start off with the main character getting the special Pokémon, rather than a side character or rival. It's refreshing to see the main character get a Pokémon from the starting batch instead.

Regarding that, I just have to say this. You may try to make your story different with profiles, but it's not the profiles that makes a story different. It's really not supplements or glitz and glamour. It's the story itself. If you want to make a stand-out original trainer story, you've got to really think about what it is that would set you apart from everyone else. Maybe think about the stories you've read already concerning original trainers and try to think of a storyline or element that hasn't been done yet. Maybe work on a storyline people have already written but cast a character you've carefully worked on to the point where they practically live and breathe, use elements that actually make sense, and generally work your tail off to make sure your story is nearly perfect and as emotion-grabbing as it can possibly be. Point is, don't pay attention to those profiles. We don't. Pay attention instead to the story itself, and that's how you'll create something new and different – something a lot of people will pay attention to.

To me, this story, I admit, is a bit better written than a lot of other OT stories I've come across, but again, you really need to focus on what you're writing because of the errors in writing (that will, as I've said before, trip a reader up) and the rigid characterization. It's not really a bad thing. You just need to really put your nose to the metaphorical grindstone if you really want to create something well-received.

Hope that helps and good luck with future writing.

 

[Brawler360]

Well, I gotta say that I really appreciate you taking the time to critique my story. You bring up a good point about the profiles, so I think I am going to make a seperate forum to put them in. Yeah, I know my writing needs work though, and I also admit that I did not read it through after I wrote it. Maybe I'll go through and edit it.

I've been working on Chapter 2, and it'll probably turn out a bit better then Chapter 1 did. But yeah, thanks again for the massive review. I will definitely try to improve the quality of my writing, and I'm looking over those comma rules right now. Thanks man.

 

[ProtrainerEon]

Since I'm pretty sure covering something Jax Malcolm hasn't already is impossible, I'd just like to say I like the way this is coming along. The stats thing isn't so appealing to me, but I'd rather read it first to judge the style of writing.

I like how you took the game events and incorporated them into the story, while adding a touch of realism and life to your characters and, hopefully, their Pokemon.

I look forward to reading more. Chapter length is not short, so I have nothing to complain about there.

Great job, I'll try to stick around and review when I can.

~Pro~

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

I swear this was a closed thread somewhere...oh yeah....no chap that time :D
Well, it's pretty good... ProTrainer's right, Jax can pick off every spot of dust off a fic (:D)
Keep up the good work...:D

 

[Brawler360]

Chapter 2
The First​

Before he even knew it, Sean had already tossed his Pokeball onto the soft grassy patch between himself and Isaac. The red and white orb landed and, just like that, exploded into a burst of light as a small blue Pokemon emerged with a brown shell on its back.​

"SQUIRTLE!!" It cried in a raspy voice as it came forth, striking a fighting pose as it prepared itself for combat.

Isaac, doing just as Sean Florian had done, tossed his own Pokeball to the ground and that ball, too, burst open in red light. This time, though, a small orange lizard came out, complete with a brightly glowing flame on its tail.

"CHARMANDER!!" the lizard Pokemon exclaimed, baring it teeth towards its blue adversary, ready to strike it down.

Sean quickly studied both of the Pokemon carefully. He, of course, had seen many Pokemon battles in his day, but never had he been in control of one, and the feeling was a bit overwhelming. He noticed how loyal his Pokemon appeared already. Without even questioning Sean's motives, the little blue turtle had already positioned itself against Isaac James' Charmander, ready to fight to the very end for its trainer.

The bright morning sun, as it was nearing the middle of the sky, shone strongly on both the combatants and the onlookers. Jill Maxwell stood by in silent disapproval whereas the black-haired Sarah Florian watched in careful curiosity. She wasn't quite sure if she exactly approved of the battle, but she certainly was curious to see how her brother handled himself in his very first Pokemon battle. Then she realized the red object Professor Oak had given them. Her Pokedex cold give her more information on both Pokemon! As she took out the tiny red machine she flipped it open, pointing the laser on top of it towards Squirtle first, then Charmander.

Squirtle – 007

Type:Water
Height: 2'8''
Weight: 19.8 lbs.
Description: The tiny turtle Pokemon. After birth, its back swells and hardens into a shell. It powerfully sprays water from its mouth.

Charmander – 004

Type:Fire
Height:2'0''
Weight: 18.7 lbs.
Description: The lizard Pokemon. It prefers hot places. When it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail.

After gathering the information she needed on the two Pokemon, Sarah put folded up her Pokedex and watched the battle that was about to begin.

Sean, not really sure what commands to give his Pokemon, yelled out the first thing to come to his head. Isaac, on the contrary, knew exactly how to command his Charmander in battle. He had studied them specifically for months for this very moment…for his first victory.

"Use Scratch, Charmander!" Isaac calmly said as he gave his first command.

"Tackle it!" Sean exclaimed, hoping Squirtle would be able to use his weight advantage.

The tiny turtle Pokemon charged straight towards Charmander, his shoulder lowered as he was ready to plow the lizard Pokemon into the ground. As they ran towards each other, the little dinosaur managed to time his attack just right, scratching his blue-teal adversary right across the top of his lowered head. It hadn't been a complete victory, though, as Squirtle continued his charge, ramming into Charmander as the two smashed into the ground. From there, both rebounded to their feet quickly, ready to continue their combat. Sean saw that his Pokemon needed another order.

"Tackle it again, Squirtle!" he commanded. "Hit Charmander as hard as you can!"

Isaac, hearing this command, issued his own order.

"Use Growl," he said with a cool head.

Seeing as the two Pokemon were very close to each other, Squirtle didn't have to go far to chase his target down, running straight towards Charmander yet again in an effort to smash right into him. Before Squirtle could get close enough, though, the orange lizard Pokemon let loose a stunningly loud guttural sound, taking the tiny turtle Pokemon completely by surprise. Losing much of his momentum due to his temporary fright, Squirtle's attack on his opponent had a minimal effect and was barely able to knock Charmander over. Promptly, without even an order given, Charmander saw his opening as Squirtle attempted to regain his feet. Letting loose another Scratch with his sharp claws, this time Charmander scored an extremely effective shot, landing his swipe right between Squirtle's eyes. The blue Pokemon, very angered by this, reacted instinctively as well, quickly turning around into a 360 degree spin and smacking Charmander across the face with a Tail Whip. The orange lizard Pokemon stumbled away towards his Trainer as it was left temporarily stunned.

"Alright!" Sean exclaimed. "Awesome job, Squirtle! Now Tackle it again while it's stunned!"

"Scratch it again, Charmander, before it even gets to you," Isaac said softly yet sternly.

The stumbling lizard Pokemon could make out a charging blue blur as it grew larger and larger, ready to drive him into the ground hard. Charmander knew this attack would hurt a great deal, because that Tail Whip had severely weakened his defenses for the moment. Squirtle knew this, and, charging in blindly and at full speed drove Charmander straight into the ground, but with a price. The orange Pokemon managed a last second Scratch across the severely weakened Squirtle's chest as it got in close. It didn't do much, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Slamming Charmander hard into the ground, Squirtle was simultaneously felled by the desperate maneuver. Both Pokemon, after crashing hard into the soft grass and kicking up bits of dirt, lay semi-motionless on the ground, moving just enough so that the Trainers knew they were still alive. Sean rushed over to Squirtle, picking up the brave water-type Pokemon in his arms as he congratulated him. Isaac, greatly upset that he hadn't actually won his first Pokemon battle, simply returned the wounded Charmander into his Pokeball.

"You're not going to see if it's okay?" Jill asked, very scared for both participants' lives. "That was a tough fight for it!"

Isaac waved a dismissive hand towards her.

"He didn't win the fight. He doesn't deserve my attention. He'll heal on his own, don't worry," the cold-hearted Trainer responded to Jill. "You just worry about that pathetically weak Bulbasaur of yours. I hear those things don't even evolve."

"Stop being a jerk, man," Sean told Isaac as he attempted to walk away. "Just leave if you're going to be so negative to everyone."

"That's what I'm planning on," the white-haired Trainer responded quickly and coolly. "Despite how weak this Pokemon I have is, I'll find a way to make it stronger. And when I do you'll be very sorry you said those things. Have fun, losers."

And with that, Isaac James was gone. Heading north, the remaining trio assumed he was headed for ViridianCity via Route 1. Regardless, though, Sean had other things to tend to; like his wounded Pokemon. Looking down into his arms, Sean suddenly realized he was holding a living, breathing creature in his arms. He had several scratch marks across his face and a few across his body. None of them were bleeding too badly, though. Too bad there weren't any Pokemon Centers in PalletTown.

"Where should I take him?" the new Pokemon Trainer asked. "He's hurt. Look at him."

Sarah came over to inspect the wounded creature. He let out a soft coo as she touched his forehead to comfort him. He was obviously too injured to actually walk on his own at this point. Suddenly, Jill spoke up, ripping something out of her bag rather quickly.

"A Potion!" she exclaimed, even more excitedly then usual. "My dad gave this to me before I left this morning. It's supposed to heal wounded Pokemon! Here!"

The small brown-haired girl ran over as fast as her legs would take her, raising the container up and spraying it all over the tiny turtle Pokemon. It appeared almost magical, Sean thought to himself. As soon as the soft spray made contact with the water-type's body, it appeared to be healed almost instantly. Every single area that the short Trainer covered with the Potion appeared to be healing almost as if Squirtle had never even been in a fight! The blue Pokemon, after a few seconds of healing up, promptly leapt out of Sean's arms onto the soft grass, ready to go another round if his Trainer had wanted.

"Squirt, squirt, squirtle!" it said, running over to Jill and hugging her leg in gratitude.

Sean called his Pokemon over to himself.

"Blue!" the new Trainer said unintentionally.

It seemed fitting, because immediately the water-type Pokemon turned away from its tight embrace on the green-suited girl, running over to Sean and leaping up to his chest and gripping the black-haired teen in a hug as well. The Trainer, not sure what to do at first, quickly decided that he had better return to favor, because it just felt right. Hugging around the turtle's tough brown shell, the two stood there for a moment as they enjoyed each other's company. After a short while, the Pokemon released its grip and leapt down to the grass once more.

"I think that's a good name for your Pokemon, Sean," his twin said to him. "Blue suits him well. You should keep it."

The thought never really crossed his mind, but after thinking on it for a few moments, he didn't see why not. It seemed a perfect fit, especially for a water-type Pokemon. Sean walked over to his new companion, getting down to one knee and congratulating the battler once more on a job well done. Blue seemed overjoyed at the praise, blushing red as he tried to hide his face in his hands. Suddenly, Sean had an idea.

"Why don't we get a look at your Pokemon, guys?" he asked the other two. "I mean, you haven't even seen them yet."

Jill, nodding quickly, almost as if she had been waiting for someone to ask, she threw her ball to the ground as she cried out Bulbasaur's name. In a flash of light a green, four-legged Pokemon with a bulb on its back appeared. It was almost like a mix between a plant and an animal, Sean noted. He took out his Pokedex to get an accurate reading on the grass-type Pokemon.

Bulbasaur – 001

Type: Grass/Poison
Height:2'4''
Weight: 15.2 lbs.
Description: A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with this Pokemon.

After taking all of the information in, Sean watched the plant-like creature carefully. It surveyed its surroundings slowly, then, as if it already knew, it stared up at its new Trainer. Jill was overjoyed by this, unable to contain herself as she picked up the Pokemon and gave it a massive hug. Bulbasaur appeared to be gasping for air as it struggled to free itself.

"Oh, you're so cute! I'm going to call you Solara, because you get your energy from the sun, like a plant!" Jill squealed happily.

Once Solara was returned to the safe ground, she slowly ventured over to Blue, sniffing him carefully before the two of them realized the other was not a threat. Both then returned to their own Trainers, apparently uncomfortable with other Pokemon at the moment. Sean looked up and noticed Sarah twirling her Pokeball on her finger.

"My turn," she told the other two as she tossed the ball into the air. "Go! Squirtle!"

And, just as Sean's Pokemon had appeared, another turtle-like Pokemon emerged from the Pokeball, shouting its name as it came out. Except, Professor Oak had been right. This one was a different color. Structurally, it appeared to be identical to Blue (excepting the fact that it was female) but it had lighter blue skin and a green shell instead of a brown one. This seemed odd, and as far as Sean knew, gender differences did not cause Pokemon to be different colors.

"You're going to be Lola, after my grandmother," Sarah told her new Pokemon as she patted her on the head. "Welcome, Lola!"

The tiny Squirtle looked over towards the strange creature with the bulb on its back, and then to its double. It was puzzled for a moment, as was Blue, but the two soon averted their gazes from each other. Sean noted how Lola appeared just as uneasy about other Pokemon from other Trainer's as Solara and Blue did. Perhaps that was worth noting. They were just so used to battling each other, the Trainer figured, that they really didn't know what to do with each other when faced with friendly, social situations. Despite the tense air about the Pokemon, after a few minutes of getting to know each other and the Trainer's trying to figure out their new companions, things seemed to be a little bit better. The three then decided to return their Pokemon back into their Poke Balls to give them a bit of a rest. After all, there were no enemies present and the teens knew that their Pokemons' skills would be put to the test when they ventured along Route One. There were wild Pokemon about.

"So, are you guys ready to head off for Route One, then, and get this thing started?" Sean asked excitedly, as he tried to remain calm. "We can't let Isaac get too far ahead of us, after all."

"Agreed," Sarah said simply. Sean wondered if she actually hated him more than Sean did.

"Sure thing!" Jill replied, in a tone full of hope.

So the three brand new Pokemon Trainers headed north, to the place called Route One with the noon-hour sun directly above them. Their destination was ViridianCity. Their goal: to be the greatest Pokemon Trainers of all time.

 

[Brawler360]

Chapter 3
Rescue​

The mid-afternoon sun loomed over the heads of the trio of Pokemon Trainers, Poke Balls at their waists as they continued walking along the grassy path. There was the occasional tree, although none were very large, and every once in a while the adventurers passed over a small stream, which all seemed to head off to their right. Sean looked over as they continued walking and noticed they all fed into a rather large pond which was glittering in the bright only slightly clouded-over sun. There was a small hill up ahead, and the dirt path they traveled on led right to it. The two girls and the guy continued along their route, hoping to reach ViridianCity before nightfall.

"It's so nice out!" Jill exclaimed.

Neither Sean or Sarah was surprised by her sudden outburst of joy. The two of them had already gotten used to her random and happy musings about nature and other similar things. Choosing not to respond, the black-haired male hoped that his twin sister would say something to placate the girl before she began yet another about how the glory of mother earth…or something like that. Expecting to be disappointed by his long-haired sibling, the teen was pleasantly surprised only a moment later.

"It sure is, Jill," Sarah responded to her, trying to nip the proverbial bud. "But listen. I have an idea. Sean, that lucky jerk, already got to have his first Pokemon battle, but we still haven't gotten to test ours yet. How about a friendly match between Solara and Lola?"

The joyous girl suddenly got a neutral look on her face, and for her, not having a smile on was quite a feat! She did, however, respond to the question.

"Sure thing!" she instantly responded with a brief giggle. "I'm sure Solara would love to get out of her ball and engage in a friendly competition."

"Great!" the taller teen said as she unclipped her ball from her belt, enlarge it after.

Jill did the same, and, after calling out the names of their Pokemon the two of them tossed the orbs into the air. Backing up to put some space between themselves before the battle actually began. Sean, realizing very quickly that if he didn't move he'd be smashed in the head by two falling metal balls, he too backed up to a safe distance. Leaning up against a nearby tree, he was at a perfect position to watch the two girls put their new partners to the test for the first time. This was exciting, he admitted to himself. Yes, he had already battled once, but there was difference between taking part in a battle and simply being able to kick back and watch one. Plus, he wanted to see if his know-it-all sister would be a natural at this, just like she was with everything else she tried. Secretly, the Trainer was pulling for Jill and her Solara, just so the Trainer would have the satisfaction of being better than his rival of a twin at something.

The Bulbasaur and the off-colored Squirtle burst from their Poke Balls, instantly facing off against each other as they took fighting stances, preparing for combat. After crying their names as battle cries, the battle was on. Quickly, Sarah ordered her Squirtle to Tackle Solara, with Jill ordering her Pokemon do perform the same attack. The creatures charged straight towards each other, running full speed. Lola's lowered shoulder made contact with Solara's head, and hard. Both Pokemon bounced off of each other from the force of the collision, taking a substantial amount of damage.

"Tackle it again," Jill commanded once more.

The green-clothed girl's inexperience as a Pokemon Trainer was showing. Not really know what her Pokemon was capable of, she repeated the same attack once more, hoping for a better result this time. Sarah had an edge because of this. Having watched Sean's battle against Isaac, she knew what her Squirtle, Lola, was actually capable of. She already had a strategy in mind, and Sean knew it by the look on her face. She had a look of what appeared to be complete thoughtlessness. The male twin new better though. This was the same look she got every time she was about to beat him at something. Waiting until the last moment to issue the order, Sarah was finally able to belt out her command when Solara reached close enough to the blue battler.

"Use Tail Whip, now!" Sarah shouted quickly.

Following its Trainer's orders without question, right as the green four-legged Pokemon was about to smash into her, the female Water-type whipped her tail out quickly, smacking Solara across the face with the blue appendage. The Grass-type was stunned by this as she was almost completely halted in her tracks by the shot, left stunned for just a brief moment.

"Tackle it, quick!" the tall female ordered.

It almost seemed as if Lola knew this command was on its way. Performing a full-body lunge at her stunned opponent, she smashed Solara right on her forehead. The green Pokemon was knocked with such force that she flew backwards a few feet and landed on the bulb on her back, wriggling viciously so she could regain her feet. Sean looked over and saw Jill was very distressed by this, but it was almost as if she was trying to hide it.

"That's okay, Solara," Jill said to it. "Get back up and do your best!"

Eventually, the Bulbasaur was able to roll onto its side and get back to its four legs. Squirtle, instead of attacking its helpless opponent, had waited patiently for it to get its bearings. Now that the battle had commenced once more, Solara quickly started off the new exchange. Letting loose a guttural growl from the bottom of her throat, Solara used Growl in hopes of intimidating Lola. Although Sarah had just told her Squirtle to use Tackle simultaneously, suddenly her Pokemon had lost its nerve and refused to actually fight her opponent.

"What's wrong, Lola?" Sarah said.

"Squirt, squirtle, squirt," the tiny blue Pokemon said as it pointed towards its "scary" adversary.

Solara, not wasting another second, took advantage of her frightened target, charging forward at full speed yet again, performing yet another full body Tackle. This time it was Squirtle who was taken off guard, getting shot backwards onto her shell as she skidded along the grass. Lola quickly retreated into her shell after the attack had made contact. It was obvious she had taken a lot of damage from the assault, and was close to defeat at this point. The Pokemon slowly came out of her shell, one limb at a time. Poking her weary head out, it was clear she had no intentions of continuing. Perhaps this was a good idea, Sean had thought to himself. He noticed a large lump growing on Solara's head where Sarah's Pokemon had hit her. Sean noticed that his sister wanted her Pokemon to rest as well, but did not want to forfeit the match. He decided to step in.

"How about we call it a draw, huh sis?" he asked her nicely, just barely having learned how to deal with her after all these years. "It looks like a pretty close match, and I wouldn't want any of you guys' Pokemon getting hurt. Plus, we still have to travel the rest of Route 1. That would be quite a task with two fainted Pokemon…"

Slowly, yet surely, the look of fiery determination faded from Sarah's eyes as she returned her Pokemon into its ball (after congratulating it on a battle well-fought, of course). Jill did the same, then meeting Sarah halfway as the two shook hands as a sign of good will after their match.

"You looked pretty good with Solara," Sarah said, struggling to compliment her recent opponent.

"Thanks!" Jill exclaimed. "It looks like you picked up some battle tips from your brother!"

Obviously, the young teen had imagined Sarah would take that remark as a compliment. That simply wasn't the case, though, as a look of anger glazed over her eyes. Sean knew Sarah became very unfriendly when he bested her in anything, and especially angry when it was implied that she had copied something he had done. Deciding to let sleeping dogs lie, the black-haired Trainer walked over to the two females, patting them both on the shoulders and complimenting them on their performances.

"You guys looked really good," he told them. "Now I've got three rivals to look out for."

Jill giggled at the un-funny joke as Sarah said nothing, choosing to sulk in her own misery instead. This was fine for Sean. It was certainly better than her talking about how great she was all the time. Perhaps he had found something he could best her at. But it was too soon to tell, and the 16-year-old certainly didn't want to jinx it.

Five minutes later the trio had already resumed their trek towards ViridianCity. The weather was still very nice out, but he did notice some ominously looming storm clouds in the distance. Hopefully they'd be able to make it off of Route 1 before that hit. So, as Sarah began walking ahead of the other two they decided that it would be best to leave her alone for a few moments. She wasn't displaying any real outwards signs of anger, but Sean knew her well enough to leave her to her own emotions after a loss. It's not like it mattered where any of them walked after only a couple minutes, though.

Up ahead, what appeared to be a wounded bird Pokemon was laying in the middle of the dirt path. As Sean got a closer look, he noticed that it was definitely hurt. It had brown and white feathers, but they appeared to be stained red with blood splatter. It looked like the poor Pokemon had been stabbed…or, more accurately, bitten. Quickly, the Pokemon Trainer took out his Pokedex to get some information on the wounded creature.

Pidgey – 016

Type: Normal/Flying
Height: 1'0''
Weight: 4.0 lbs.
Description: A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand.

"Pidgey…," the flying-type Pokemon said weakly, as it barely had enough energy to move.

Without even thinking, Sean knew what he had to do. None of them had any more Potions to heal it, the black-haired Trainer was assuming, so he pulled out one of his empty Poke Balls. Tossing the red and white orb towards the poor Pokemon, it was instantly absorbed into the container via a red light. Then, the ball fell towards the ground, landing softly as it rocked back and forth only once, and then making a soft dinging sound which signified a capture.

"Congratulations," the brown-haired 14-year-old said to Sean. "You saved the Pidgey!"

She gave him a brief hug to congratulate him for his efforts. When Sean looked over to his twin she only gave a slight nod of approval. She was still upset with her loss. But, what had caused this to happen to the poor Pidgey? It had obviously been attacked by something, which Sean naturally assumed to be a wild Pokemon. And just as he clipped the Poke Ball back into his belt, which was now full with his very first captured Pokemon (which the Trainer was very excited about), his questions about the assault were answered.

Suddenly, a small purple Pokemon; no three small purple Pokemon, jumped from a bush to the Trainers' left, very near to where the hurt Pidgey had been. They had four legs and a tail, with small whiskers on their faces as well as two long front teeth. They looked like rats. Whipping out his Pokedex once more, Sean gathered information on the wild creatures.

Rattata – 019

Type:Normal
Height: 1'0''
Weight: 7.7 lbs.
Description: It bites anything when it attacks. Being small and very quick, it is a common sight in many places.

Instantly, though, all three Pokemon Trainers knew that these wild creatures had been the ones to cause to the damage to Pidgey. Taking out their three respective Poke Balls, they each tossed them towards the ground to release their contents. In a simultaneous flash of white light the three Pokemon appeared. Blue, Lola and Solara faced off against their new foes, ready for their second ever battles. The Rattatas reacted instantly to these new threats, each charging forth towards one of the trained Pokemon. Both Squirtles returned the favor, charging straight for two of the rat Pokemon with Tackles as the grass-type Pokemon stood back, using Growl to stun the charging attackers. The turtle Pokemon had the size and strength advantage, knocking their own two targets flying backwards as they skidded across the dirt path on their backs. The middle Rattata appeared to be stunned in a momentary fear from the Bulbasaur's guttural sound. Taking advantage of this moment, Solara charged at her target with a Tackle, hitting it hard with her head and knocking it even further than the Squirtles had knocked theirs.

Instantly, the Rattata who had been hit furthest, after regaining its feet, appeared to lose its will to fight, seeing that it was outclassed by the trained Pokemon. Turning tail and quickly retreating as soon as it had arrived, the Pokemon had disappeared in a matter of moments. One of the other Rattatas, seeing its partner run away, quickly did the same as it was gone in less than a second. This only left one more of the normal-type Pokemon, and Sean noticed a fierce look of determination on Sarah's face. She was going to capture this one, he just knew it.

"Finish it with Tackle, Lola!" the tall girl commanded.

Her Pokemon obeyed as it ran towards its target. The wild Pokemon was already making an attempt to escape, but the strangely colored Squirtle was not going to allow this. Just as the Rattata had gotten to its feet, ready to take off in a flash of speed, Lola was already upon it. Lowering her shoulder into the four-legged rat's side, the purple Pokemon was sent flying into a nearby tree, smashing into it hard and clearly being knocked unconscious by the powerful shot. Quickly tossing an empty Poke Ball at the Pokemon, Sarah then waited it hopes that it would work. The ball only rocked a few times after encasing the Rattata, promptly making the same sound it made after Sean's capture of the Pidgey.

A huge sign of relief spread across Sean's twin's face. In her own mind, she had just redeemed her loss to Jill. She had captured a Pokemon before the grass-type owner, and this was a victory for Sarah Florian. Without a word, she walked over and snapped the ball back into her belt. The three Trainers then summoned their Pokemon back into their balls, heading for ViridianCity as they looked up, noticing the storm clouds coming ever closer. Realizing that they really didn't feel like getting soaked to the core by buckets of rain, the three took off in a jog, hoping go reach the now visible ViridianCity before the wicked weather hit.

 

[Brawler360]

Chapter 4
A Parting of Ways​

It turns out that Sean, Jill and Sarah had made a very good decision in running to ViridianCity after encountering the wild Pidgey and Rattatas. As soon as the trio had arrived and made it into the PokemonCenter, the rain came in a torrential downpour. Sean looked outside of the large glass windows of the orange-roofed building he was in and saw that the sky was completely dark. There were storm clouds in almost all directions as far as he could see. Occasionally, off in the distance towards PalletTown, he could make out occasional flashes of lightning accompanied by rumbling thunder. He was glad that they had made it into safe and cozy PokemonCenter, that was for sure.​

"Well, hello there!" a red-headed woman greeted them warmly as the trio entered the PokemonCenter.

She spoke to them from behind a large desk. Behind her was a large machine which appeared to be a massive computer. It had screens, monitors and buttons all over it. In the front of it were six round slots which looked to be perfectly sized to fit a Poke Ball. There were two large white and orange swinging doors to the left of it. Sean assumed they led to the actual operating rooms of the PokemonCenter.

"I'm Nurse Joy," she said as she waved to the three of them, speaking loudly to attempt to drown out the pounding rain. "You guys look like you just barely beat the weather."

"Thankfully," Sean said, stepping forward.

Sarah followed her brother to the counter while Jill appeared to be very fascinated by a potted plant in the corner of the building, near the entrance to the place. She was examining it very closely, picking up individual leaves and scoping them out carefully. Sean chose to leave her to her own designs for now, not really sure what she was doing.

"I'm sure you'd like me to heal your Pokemon," the red-head said to them, offering a small tray with six round slots in it. It appeared to fit in perfectly to the machine behind the counter. "Just put your tired Pokemon in the tray I'll have them feeling better in no time!"

Sean and Sarah both did as they were told, using the same tray for both of their Pokemon, seeing as each of them had only two each. After receiving the Poke Balls from the Trainers, the nurse looked over to Jill, who was still intently viewing the green leaves.

"Excuse," Nurse Joy called over to Jill. "Can I have you Pokemon so I can heal it for you?"

"Oh, right," Jill said, finally distracted from the foliage.

She got up, walked over to the counter and handed over Solara's Poke Ball to the nurse. Putting the red and white orb into the tray, the red-head then inserted the tray into the machine, shutting a door and pressing a large green button. She then turned to face the Trainers.

"It should only be a few minutes," she said to them. "In the mean time feel free to sit down and take a break from your journeys."

So, taking the nurse's intelligent advice, Sean found the large, most cushiony chair he could and claimed it as his own. Sitting in it and picking up a copy of Pokemon Today. Admittedly, it wasn't a very interesting magazine for the 16-year-old. I mean, who cared about the politics of Pokemon anyway? Those kinds of things just seemed to ruin the purity of the lifestyle. Sarah decided to take a seat near her brother. She had that look on her face, the look that she had something to tell him. Perhaps it wouldn't be anything bad this time. Jill walked back over to her plant once more. Oddly, Sean noticed, that the plant he kept referring to was really just a group of a few leaves sprouting up from the dirt. That was really strange, but he knew nothing about the green stuff, so he didn't question it.

"So, what did you think?" Sarah asked as she looked over at him.

"About what?" the male twin responded.

"About my battle? I'm sure you were overjoyed that I lost my first Pokemon match," she quickly said. "Right?"

The black-haired Trainer wasn't really sure how to respond to her question. The correct response would obviously be to comfort her, but Sean wasn't really sure if he wanted to or not. He always been bested by her in everything they ever did, and this wasn't something the Trainer was proud of in the least. In truth, he had been glad that she had lost her battle against Jill. He wasn't overjoyed, but there definitely was a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling that was very foreign to him when comparing himself to his twin.

"Of course I'm not glad that you lost," he said to her. "You both fought very well, and I think Jill had just a bit more skill to pull off the win. After all, she adores grass-type Pokemon, so she already probably had some knowledge on her Bulbasaur. At least, more than you had on Lola."

"So you're saying I'm dumb!?" Sarah yelled, working up a rage. "Well if that's the case, why don't you just leave me here to myself in the PokemonCenter and continue your Journey alone! I'm sure you and Jill will have a great time together. After all, you are both expert Pokemon Trainers, apparently."

Sean shook his head in disbelief. Sarah, despite all of her great qualities he would never admit to her face, was a sore loser. It wasn't as if she tried to be that way, though, but it was just that she never really lost, so being a loser was a foreign concept to her.

"Well, it would probably a good idea if all of us split up. We can't be wandering all over Kanto together and hope to catch any rare Pokemon. We'd scare them all off in our huge group!"

Sarah, not seeing the humor in her brother's statement, crossed her arms angrily as she stared straight into his soul, it seemed.

"YOU THINK WE SHOULD SPLIT UP, HUH!?" she shouted at him, drawing attention from Nurse Joy and Jill as well. "FINE!! SEE YA LATER BROTHER! I HOPE YOU AND JILL HAVE A BLAST!!"

And, after storming out of the PokemonCenter into the pouring rain, she teen only got three steps before she realized she had forgotten something. Storming back in, although sopping wet this time, she tracked large puddles all over the floor as she snatched her Poke Balls from the machine, despite the fact that they weren't fully healed yet. Snapping them into her belt furiously, the girl then stomped back out of the building, completely ignoring Sean and Jill's bewildered gazes. After only a few strides her figure was no longer visible in the pouring water from above. Sean had half a mind to go with her to make sure she was alright. Half a mind…

"That was…interesting," he said aloud to himself. "But not unexpected. I feel bad, but it was her choice. We'll probably catch up with her in PewterCity."

Jill looked at him blankly; finally a smile was gone from her face. The intense rage of Sean's sister had probably frightened her. Admittedly, it had scared the teenage boy too, but he chose not to show it.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the Pokemon Trainer walked over to the orange cushiony seats and sat down, trying to calm himself while simultaneously trying to figure out how to deal with his temperamental sister. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to pass the time while his Pokemon were being healed…



"AHHHHHH!"

Sean Florian's eyes snapped wide open as he tried to get to his feat, hoping to figure out what has awoken him so suddenly. Still a bit groggy, the Trainer's legs gave out as he fell to the hard (yet very clean and shiny) PokemonCenter floor with the side of this head smashing against the hard surface. Not dazing him at all (in fact, the jarring actually served to knock the sleepiness out of his body), Sean got up from the hard floor and looked towards where he thought the scream came from.

Jill, still staring at her plant intently, was now on her feet and backed up towards a the glass window of the place. The black-haired Pokemon Trainer noticed the plant was moving, quite often, and upon further inspection he realized that it was actually outside of the soil! In fact, he didn't think it was a plant at all. This thing looked very familiar. Taking out his Pokedex, he pointed it at the creature and allowed the robotic male voice to speak.

Oddish – 043

Type: Grass/Poison
Height: 1'8''
Weight: 11.9 lbs.
Description: During the day, it keeps its face buried in the ground. At night, it wanders around sowing its seeds.

"Calm down, Jill," Sean called over to her. "Look. It's just an Oddish."

Sean pointed to the Pokedex screen after it had spewed out its data. Jill seemed to calm instantly, realizing that, indeed, the moving plant was simply a grass-type Pokemon. Excitedly, with a sudden shift of mood, the girl ran over to the weed Pokemon, petting it on the head. The male Pokemon Trainer had thought to advise Jill to be careful around the Oddish. After all, they had powerful toxins that they could release. The little two-legged creature, instead of retreating from the brown-haired girl, warmly accepted to touch.

"Oh, so you've met Oddish!" the Nurse said to Jill as she played with the Pokemon. "She's a wild Pokemon that wandered in here a few nights ago, so I let her live in that pot. I think she's afraid of the other wild Pokemon outside."

"Oh, how cute!" Jill exclaimed, barely able to contain herself. "I just love grass-type Pokemon!"

"Well it seems to like you too," the red-headed nurse said the girl in the green-outfit. "Maybe you can take it with you and let it see the world."

"Would you like that?" Jill asked the Pokemon, as if it would understand.

And understand it did. Nodding its head (or body) in agreement, the small blue Pokemon let out an "Odd!" as it jumped up and down in joy.

"I'll call you Mini," Jill said to her brand new Pokemon. "Because you are happy all the time, like me!"

Sean realized that he could not disagree with that statement…

After Oddish made the rounds of meeting everyone, Jill returned her into the an empty Poke Ball she had. Then the two Trainers grabbed their fully healed Pokemon from the counter, snapping the full Poke Balls into their belts.

Outside, the weather had almost completely stopped raining. There was a slight drizzle, but after Sean walked towards the window to look out of it he noticed that almost all of the clouds were gone and a large, bright and colorful rainbow hung above the residents of ViridianCity. Waving good bye to Nurse Joy, the duo of Pokemon Trainers left the PokemonCenter which had taken care of them so well, ready to continue their great adventures. As Sean was staring off to the north, ready to head for ViridianForest, Jill tugged at his sleeve. He turned to face her, and noticed her permanent smile was much less apparent.

"I think you were right in there," she said to him.

"What are you talking about?" the black-haired Trainer asked in response.

"When you were talking to Sarah. You said we should all split up, and I think you were right. We're never going to catch any rare Pokemon if we're running all over Kanto together," the green-suited girl said. "So I think it's time the two of us went our separate ways."

Sean said nothing. Although he wasn't saddened by it, he was stricken by the sincerity at which Jill was talking to him. She was rarely this serious. Acknowledging the truth in her statements, though, he nodded his head as he responded to her.

"You're right," Sean said. "Maybe we should split up for a while. After all, these are supposed to be solo Journeys, right?"

The 14-year-old ran over to Sean, hugging him tightly as a tear fell from her eye.

"What's the matter?" he asked her. "We'll meet up pretty soon, I think. Come on now. You're stronger than this."

The young teenager looked up into Sean's steel-gray eyes and noticed the confidence with which he spoke. Smiling widely again, she hopped up and down, returning the position she had been standing in previously. Sean then turned away from her as he headed for ViridianForest.

"I'll catch you in PewterCity," the Trainer said reassuringly as he turned around to speak.. "We can take on Brock together. See ya!"

And with that, Sean set off to the north, heading towards the large natural maze which was ViridianForest. Jill, watching him slowly leave her vision, wasn't sure what to do with herself. Should she follow? No, she decided to herself. It was time to be strong. It was time to independent.

 

[Brawler360]

Chapter 5
Rematch​

​

It had only taken Sean a few hours to reach the entrance to ViridianForest from the time he had left ViridianCity, and Jill, behind. In truth, he did feel a bit bad that he had left her to go her Journey alone, but he knew deep down that it had been the right decision. She was young, but the 16-year-old knew she could take care of herself. She already had two of her own Pokemon for protection, and her Bulbasaur, Solara, was growing in experience rather quickly. Along the way, Sean had let Blue out of his Poke Ball to get to know him a bit better. Walking alongside the black-haired Trainer, the Squirtle already seemed to get along very well with its companion. Waddling along at a fast pace in order to keep up with Sean's strides, the little water-type happily enjoyed the evening sun which was slowly setting behind them. Before the two of them knew it, their shadows were cast upon a large building in front of them.

"ViridianForest Gatehouse," Sean read aloud to Blue. "Well, are you ready to go in and see how we handle it?"

The small Pokemon nodded confidently and happily. He was very loyal, Sean had already noticed, and he was very proud of that fact. Kneeling down, he patted his Pokemon on the head, getting a very satisfied response from the tiny turtle Pokemon. After he stood back up, the Trainer decided that it would be a good idea to put his Pokemon back in its ball. After all, Squirtle would need to keep its strength up for the almost guaranteed upcoming battles in ViridianForest. Sean had heard too many stories of powerful bug Pokemon from his friends and family who had come through the place, and he wanted to be prepared.

"Yo," a voice called out.

Sean turned behind himself, where he had just come from. Cresting the hill only twenty feet away, the sun at the figure's back, the gray-eyed Trainer could barely make not make out who it was for the life of him. The voice seemed familiar though. Not necessarily friendly, but familiar. Then, as he got closer, the Trainer knew who it was, and his blood immediately began pumping. He recognized that white hair anywhere. Isaac James.

"What do you want?" Sean asked rudely.

"Whoah, easy!" the white-shirted youth responded, coming to a stop only five feet from Sean, twirling a Poke Ball in each hand. "What's with all the hostility?"

Sean was shocked a bit by this question.

"Well, you haven't exactly been the nicest guy to me or the other two," the Squirtle-owner stated. "That's the main reason. Oh, and from what I've seen you don't take very good care of your Pokemon."

The smile on Isaac's face quickly faded.

"I didn't come here to get judged by you, Sean Florian," the rival Trainer said. "I'm not heartless. I'm tough, to make them tough. Blaze here would wipe the floor with your Squirtle now. I've been training him long and hard over the last couple of days. Plus, I caught a new Pokemon."

"Congratulations," Sean replied sarcastically. "And so have I."

Sean unclipped the Poke Ball containing his rescued Pidgey, Falcon, and held it out in his hand.It was obvious at this point that Isaac was just poking and prodding at Sean, hoping to get him to accept a battle. The Pokemon Trainer wasn't exactly against the idea, and he was more than willing to rectify the draw he'd had with Isaac earlier. Blue had a scowl on his face. He knew this person, and he didn't like Isaac one bit. He'd seen how he treated his Charmander, Blaze, earlier, and the Pokemon had felt very bad for the fire-type. This wouldn't stop the Squirtle from fighting it, though, because Blue's first responsibility was to his Trainer.

"So how about we go for round two?" Isaac then asked. "I'd really like to show you how strong I've become in this short while."

There was a slight smirk on the Trainer's face again, and Sean was determined now to wipe it off for good. Tossing his Poke Ball containing Falcon up lightly and then catching it, Sean nodded his head in agreement.

"Let's do it then," he told his enemy.

There were no more words to be said. Isaac walked slowly backwards to put some distance between himself and his opponent. Then, he tossed both of his Poke Balls (one from each hand) onto the dirt path as they exploded in bursts of light, releasing the creatures inside.

"Let's show him how hard we've been Training, Blaze and Ace," the white-haired Trainer said as he did this.

Next to the orange lizard Pokemon, referred to as Ace, was a brown and red bird Pokemon that Sean vaguely remembered seeing on his walks through the countryside as a child. If he remembered right, it was a Spearow, and they were mean and nasty Pokemon. The Trainer pulled out his Pokedex anyway to get some more information on it.

Spearow – 021

Type: Normal/Flying
Height: 1'0''
Weight: 4.4 lbs.
Description: It eats bugs in grassy areas. It has to flap its wings at high speeds to stay airborne.

It stood next to its battling partner, ready to wage war against whatever Sean threw out. The gray-eyed Trainer had never done a double battle before, but he had seen them done. It seemed like a daunting task, to have to command two Pokemon at once in the heat of battle, but there was no way he was backing down from this fight. He would be Isaac on his own terms to prove he was better.

"Get in there, Blue," he said, pointing towards his Pokemon's enemies. "Help him out, Falcon!"

As the red and orb exploded in mid-air with a burst of light, the familiar brown and white pigeon Pokemon appeared, hovering slightly as it flapped its wings, a look of determination on its face. So Blue and Falcon faced their foes, Blaze and Ace, ready to defeat them in pure combat. Before any Trainers even issued orders, the Pokemon began the fight for themselves. Blaze, being the overall fastest of the four, started things off by charging straight towards Blue with a Scratch attack. The tiny turtle Pokemon had very little time to react as the fire-type Pokemon charged straight at him, slashing him across the face and causing him to stumble backwards a bit. Blue, after taking only a moment to regain its composure, decided to use its newest attack. Sucking in air for only a moment, he then let loose a steady stream of Bubbles towards the lizard Pokemon. Charmander, having never seen the attack before, was taken completely off guard and the Bubbles hit him hard. Blaze was thrown onto its back from the force of the super effective water attack.

Looking at his opponent, Sean noticed Isaac was very surprised by this maneuver. He had never seen it before either, obviously, and Isaac appeared shocked as to how much damage it seemed to inflict.

"It's type advantage," Sean said to his rival. "Water beats fire."

Meanwhile the two starter Pokemon were fighting each other, the two bird Pokemon had been going at it. Falcon and Ace flew straight at each other, trying to prove which bird Pokemon was superior. Falcon, with a Tackle attack, collided directly with the slightly faster and more powerful Ace, who used Peck. Although the Spearow took damage from the full-body Tackle, it was Sean's Pokemon who took most of the damage from the exchange, being Pecked right in its right wing and sent spiraling towards the dirt path beneath it. Luckily, Falcon was able to scramble a mid-air recovery in time and took back towards the skies before it smashed into the ground.

Now, Blaze and Ace had reformed next to each other, deciding to attack Blue and Falcon in unison. Sean's two Pokemon decided to do the same, getting side by side as they waited for their opponents to attack.

"Blaze, use Ember! Ace, attack with Leer!" the white-haired Trainer ordered his Pokemon.

Suddenly, the orange lizard Pokemon fired a small fireball from its mouth as the brown and red bird Pokemon gave an intimidating stare down towards its foes. Blue and Falcon, both stunned by the Spearow's Leer, were unable to avoid Blaze's Ember. The tiny turtle Pokemon was the only one hit by the attack, though, as he stumbled backwards after the ball of fire hit his chest. Blue recovered quickly yet again, thanks to his relatively high toughness and his natural resistance to fire-type attacks.

"Blue, use Bubble again! Let's see a Sand Attack, Falcon!" Sean ordered after his Pokemon had regained their composure.

Falcon reacted first, flying close to the ground as she began kicking up loose dirt by flapping her wings quickly. The blinding sand got into both Blaze's and Ace's eyes. Charmander was momentarily blinded by the attack, bringing its tiny hands up to its large blue eyes as it rubbed them vigorously. Ace seemed unaffected by the Sand Attack, though, and quickly countered with a Peck attack, flying in swiftly towards Falcon to get revenge. It dodged Squirtle's Bubble attack as it flew in, and the beam of Bubbles headed straight for Blaze. They slammed into him hard once more, this time knocking him even harder into the dirt path. The Charmander hadn't even seen the attack coming. To Sean, it looked like the orange lizard Pokemon had been knocked out, but he had been wrong. After a few moments of regaining its wits, the fire-type Pokemon jumped back to its feet, the flame on its tail twice as large as it had been previously. Firing off another Ember attack in a rage (which was twice the size of the last one), the tiny Pokemon roared the first half of its name simultaneously.

Sean was impressed by Isaac's Pokemon, he admitted to himself. But only to himself.

Blue, noticing the incoming Spearow, decided to help Falcon out this time. Leaping up high into the air in order to intercept Ace, the water-type Pokemon pointed his back towards the incoming bird. The Pokemon's Peck attack hit Blue hard, but he had only taken about half the regular damage, due to his hardened shell. Spearow bounced off the hard object as it tumbled backwards through the air quickly. Falcon saw this moment of weakness, and capitalized on it, charging straight in with a Tackle attack and slamming the Spearow hard, straight towards the ground beneath them. Both birds smashed into the dirt very hard, propelled by both their body weights. Ace hit its head on a nearby rock and was knocked completely unconscious from the force of it. Falcon slowly recovered to her feet after her assault, but was nowhere near fighting condition. Sean quickly returned her into her Poke Ball, seeing as he didn't want her to fight in such a delirious state. The red beam issued forth from the object, quickly returning her as the Pokemon Trainer clipped the ball back into his belt.

Turning his attention over to Blue and Blaze, he saw something which was very impressive, but also very bad for him. Blue had his back turned to Blaze, with his head and arms tucked in as he was using his shell as a shield against the massive fire balls Blaze was now shooting out, thanks to its near-fainting status. The tiny Blue Pokemon, although it wasn't taking much damage from the attacks, clearly was being whittled down as each fire ball smashed into his shell, rocking him with each connection.

"CHAR! CHAR! CHAR! CHAR!" the fire-type Pokemon shouted with each oversized Ember it shot.

"Squirt! Squirt!" Blue said as he absorbed the damage from each attack.

Isaac had a grin on his face, obviously very confident that his Pokemon would pull through for him and defeat Blue. Sean was nervous, but also wasn't very sure what other commands he could give. The Embers were coming with such force and frequency that the black-haired Trainer really didn't want his Squirtle to expose itself for a moment and get hurt for it. Watching his Pokemon's reactions, Sean could tell that Blue wouldn't be able to take very many more of these. He knew when to call it quits.

But just as he was about to take the Poke Ball from his belt and summon his weakened Pokemon back into it, the Embers stopped coming. When he looked over to Isaac's Pokemon, Sean noticed that Blaze was teetering on his feet. The Charmander had exhausted all of its energy, and it was ready to collapse! And just like that, the little fire-type Pokemon fell straight on to its face, with no energy to spare. Blue, highly weakened but still able to stand, poked his little bald head out to scope out his surroundings. Noticing his defeated opponent, he let out a small shout of victory, because that is all his body would afford him.

Isaac was disappointed by the outcome of the battle yet again. Returning both Ace and Blaze into their Poke Balls, he said nothing once more, instead briskly walking by Sean and "accidentally" bumping into Blue and knocking him over. Sean would've said something, but he knew his actions had already said everything he needed Isaac to know. He had beaten him once more.

Sean then pulled a couple Potions from his backpack which his father had given him, and administered one to Blue by spraying the small water-type Pokemon with it. Instantly, he seemed to be back at full fighting strength.

"SQUIRTLE!" he said happily as he did a surprisingly nimble back-flip.

Sean laughed at his Pokemon's energy, and then summoned Falcon from her Poke Ball and administered a Potion to her as well, healing her up to full strength.

"Pidgey, pidgey!" she said, also thankful for the treatment as she flew up and nuzzled Sean's face.

"You guys deserve it," Sean told them as-a-matter-of-factly. "You guys battled with all your strength, and that's all I can ask for as a Pokemon Trainer. I'm really impressed by you guys."

They both seemed to take the praise rather well, which Sean was glad for. Returning them into their balls to keep them at full strength, the now up-beat Pokemon Trainer turned on his heel and headed through the doors to ViridianForest, close behind his rival, Isaac. Behind him, the sun was beginning to set behind the horizon, and the shadow he cast while walking towards the building grew longer and longer with each step.