Story Notes:
The journey will go from Kanto to Johto, to Hoenn, to Sinnoh. I may do the battle frontiers but i don't know (we'll see when i get there)Disclaimer: Pokemon and all related characters, locations, items, ect are the copyrighted property of Nintendo and as such I claim no rights to them.I'm currently working two jobs and I'm kinda making this up as I go along, so don't be surprised if there are delays between chapters... I'll try to update this as regularly as i can (I do apologies for the delays, but that's how life goes)Updates...Genre: Adventure/Romance (relationships between characters will begin to develop after the Kanto League)Warning: One later chapter will contain fairly light scenes of sexual intercourse between two characters. (Much later chapter,will be marked for mature content) For now, I'm rating this PG 13
Chapter 3: Road to Pewter City
The next morning, Alex and Melody emerged from the lower decks and stepped onto the upper deck. As they looked out onto the wide sea, the sun beautifully reflecting off the surface of the water, a calm ocean breeze came across their faces. Alex placed his bag and the egg case down, reached for his belt and grabbed one of his pokeballs. The ball opened as he threw it into the air and as the light faded, the Gible that he caught yesterday appeared.
"Alright, let's see what the pokedex says about you" he said as he pulled out his pokedex.
"Gible, the Land Shark Pokémon. Gible once lived in the tropics, and to avoid cold it lives in caves warmed by geothermal heat. Gible are good diggers and will hide in holes and wait for prey to pass by" the voice from the pokedex said.
"Cool" Alex said in amazement, "so what attacks can this little guy use?"
"Gible's attacks: Tackle, Dragon Rage, Dig, Sandstorm"
"Wow, I didn't know this thing could tell me that"
Alex reached for his belt again and called out Mimi, a Feebas he caught at the dock yesterday. As Mimi appeared, he pointed the pokedex at her.
"Ok, so let's see what this says about you Mimi"
"Feebas' attacks: Flail, Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Mirror Coat"
"Wow, that's really good Mimi" he said with a smile.
Melody walked over and saw a slight blush come across Mimi's face. Alex called out the rest of his pokemon. Sophia and Lucas appeared next to Mimi and Gible as Alex brought the pokedex up.
"Riolu's attacks: Force Palm, Quick Attack, Foresight, Counter"
"Vulpix's attacks: Ember, Tail Whip, Energy Ball, Extrasensory"
"Whoa, Sophia can use Energy Ball" he said with surprise. "Wait... what kind of move is Energy Ball?"
"It's a Grass-type move" said a voice from behind.
Alex turned and saw a guy with short black hair walk up from. He was a little taller than Alex and was probably a few years older than him. As he came closer, Alex couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
"My name is Ben" he said.
"That's pretty impressive that your Vulpix can use Energy Ball. That can really come in handy" Ben said as he looked over at Sophia.
"Yeah, but I don't remember teaching her that move" Alex said in confusion.
"That's because it's an Egg-move" Ben replied.
"An Egg-move?" Alex gave Ben a confused look.
"Your Vulpix inherited that move from its parents, more specifically her father" he explained.
"Wow"
"And I think the same holds true for Extrasensory" he added.
"What's that?" Alex asked.
"It's a Psychic-type attack" Ben explained.
"That is so cool" Alex said as he turned and looked at Sophia.
"You're a beginner trainer aren't you?" Ben asked.
"How did you guess?"
"Call it a wild guess" Ben smirked
"Yeah, I'm just starting out" Alex said as he scratched the back of his head.
"And with five pokemon already..."
"Well actually, I have an egg I'm raising right over there" he pointed over at where his bag and case were.
"Where you from kid?" Ben asked as he saw Alex's pokemon
"O yeah, I forgot to introduce myself" he said as he looked back at Ben. "My name is Alex. I'm ten years old and I'm from the Sinnoh region"
"It's nice to meet you, I'm from Kanto and I'm fourteen years old" Ben said, "What part of Sinnoh?"
"Solaceon Town" Alex responded.
"I'm from Viridian City" Ben smiled.
Alex suddenly felt something brush up against his leg. He looked down to see Sophia looking up at him.
"Ok, come here girl" he said as he leaned down and picked up Sophia.
Ben stretched his hand out and was about to pet Sophia, but she tensed up and buried her head into her trainer's shirt. Ben pulled his hand back slightly.
"Sorry, she is a little shy" Alex said as he looked at her. "It's ok Sophia; Ben's not going to hurt you."
Ben brought his hand up and gently placed it on top of the Vulpix's head. She tensed up again but as Ben began to gently pet her head, she started to loosen up a little. Sophia turned her head and looked at Ben curiously. She saw a very warm and kind smile across his face.
"There there, you're ok" he said in a warm tone
Ben moved his hand from the top of Sophia's head to the side of her face and began to gently scratch the side of her face. As he continued to gently scratch the small Fox pokemon, she started to lean her head into his hand. Alex smiled as he felt her starting to relax.
"Wow, I've never seen her so calm around someone new before." he thought to himself.
"He seems like a very kind-hearted person" Melody said to him.
"Try scratching her behind the ear, she loves that" Alex suggested.
Ben moved his hand and began to work behind Sophia's ear. She was loving the treatment and began to smile happily. Melody could tell that she was enjoying herself and that her nervousness was gone.
"Looks like you've made a new friend" Alex said as he looked at his Vulpix.
"How long have you had this little one?" Ben asked as he continued his treatment.
"Hmm... almost two years now" Alex replied. "She has always been nervous around strangers and she hasn't had any battle experience either."
"I thought as much" Ben replied.
"Is it that obvious?"
"My parents are breeders and they taught me everything I know"
"So you're a pokemon breeder?"
"I'm studying to become one. My goal is to become a top breeder"
"Cool"
"Can I ask you something?" Ben asked.
"Sure" Alex replied.
"You say you're a starting trainer from Sinnoh, so why are you going to Kanto? Why aren't you starting in the Sinnoh league?"
"Well, I want to work my way thru the other leagues first before I challenge the Sinnoh league. Once I finish the Sinnoh league, I want to challenge the Elite Four."
"I see" Ben said as a smile came across his face.
"My goal is to become the best I can be. And my dream is to become a Pokemon Master" Alex said with great confidence.
"So how much longer do you think it will be before we get to Kanto?" he asked.
"We still got probably less than an hour left to go before we arrive" Ben replied
Alex suddenly noticed a pokeball on Ben's belt.
"Hey, can I ask you a favor?" he asked
"What's up?" Ben looked at him
"I want to get Sophia used to battling, so could you help me train?"
"Sure, I'll help you out" he said as he placed his bag down next to Alex's.
As Ben and Alex took their places on the deck, Alex placed Sophia down, while Ben reached for his belt and grabbed a pokeball. A bright light erupted from it and an Elekid appeared in front of Ben.
"What is that?" Alex asked as he reached for his pokedex.
"Elekid, the Electric Pokémon. Elekid waves its arms to produce a strong electrical charge and gains strength when lightning is present." replied the pokedex.
"I have been raising this little one for some time now" Ben said.
"Sophia, you ready to get started?" Alex asked.
Sophia turned and looked nervously at her trainer.
"Just do your best ok" he said in a reassuring tone.
She continued to stare at him nervously. Suddenly, Lucas came up and placed a paw onto Sophia.
"Rio Rio Riolu" he said to her.
Alex turned to Melody.
"What did he say to her?" he asked.
"He said; You can do it, I believe in you" she answered.
Sophia looked at Lucas.
"Vulpix" she said with a smile.
"Rio Rio" Lucas said as he made his way back to the other pokemon.
"She said, Thank you. And he said, Good Luck" Melody said.
"Thanks Lucas" Alex said as he looked at him.
"You guys ready to begin?" Ben asked.
"Yep" Alex said as he turned to face him.
"Then let's get started, you can have the first attack."
"Thanks, Sophia use Ember"
Sophia opened her mouth as small bolts of fire began to shoot toward Elekid.
"Elekid use Thunder Shock"
Elekid spun its arms for a second and sparks began to form around its head. It then fired a small blast of electricity towards the Fox pokemon. As the two attacks flew, they collided and exploded in mid air.
"Ok Elekid, let's use Thunder Punch" Ben commanded.
Elekid clenched its fist as it began to glow yellow and sparks of electricity surrounded its fist as Elekid then began to charge. A look of shock came across Sophia's face as she shook nervously.
"Calm down Sophia, let's try Energy Ball" Alex said
Sophia opened her mouth and a greenish-blue ball of energy began to form in front of her mouth. Elekid brought its fist up and as it prepared to punch, Sophia launched her attack. The ball of energy flew forward and struck Elekid in the center of its chest, exploding on impact and sending it flying back a few feet. As it hit the ground, small greenish-blue sparks appeared around Elekid's body. The other pokemon began to cheer Sophia on as her expression changed to one of excitement.
"Way to go, great shot Sophia" Alex congratulated her. "Now, let's follow up with Ember"
Sophia fired another blast of Ember at Elekid as it got to its feet.
"Elekid, Protect" Ben commanded.
Elekid crossed its arms as it protected itself from the attack.
"Let's use Extrasensory" Alex said as the flames hit the barrier.
Sophia's brown eyes began to glow yellow as a bright, almost rainbow colored beam was released from her eyes and struck Elekid as its protective barrier fell.
"Energy Ball"
"Elekid, Quick Attack"
As Sophia prepared to strike again, Elekid charged and slammed into her. Sophia lost her attack and fell to the ground.
"Thunder Punch" Ben commanded.
Elekid clenched its fist and prepared to strike the Fox pokemon.
"Sophia, dodge it quickly" Alex said urgently.
She managed to roll out of the way as Elekid's Thunder Punch struck the ground.
"Thunder Shock"
As Sophia tried to get to her feet, she was zapped by a blast of electricity courtesy of Elekid.
"Now follow with Quick Attack"
Elekid again charged and slammed into her with speed. Sophia hit the ground again.
"Are you ok?" Alex asked with worry in his voice.
"I think that's enough for now" Ben said.
Alex went over to check on Sophia. He picked her up and held her in his arms. Ben walked over and pulled a super potion out of his bag.
"Let me see her" he said as he approached.
Alex placed her on a table and Ben looked at her injuries. Ben then began to spray the potion on her.
"Is she gonna be ok?" Alex asked
"Don't worry; she just has a couple scratches. A shot of this and a little rest and she'll be as good as new" Ben replied.
Alex placed his hand on Sophia's head as she looked up at her trainer.
"You did great, I'm really proud of you" he said with a smile.
She smiled back at him as he continued to pet her. Alex gently picked her up, took a seat and placed her in his lap. She curled up and fell asleep almost immediately.
"Alright, come here Elekid" Ben said as he turned his attention to his own pokemon.
Elekid walked over and received a spray of super potion as well. Ben patted him on the shoulder before he ran off to play with the other pokemon. Alex continued to pet Sophia as she slept soundly in his lap. After a few minutes, he suddenly felt something poke his leg. He looked down to see Gible standing next to his seat.
"What is it Gible?" he asked.
"Gib Gible Gible" the Land Shark said to him.
Alex gave him a confused look. Suddenly, Melody's voice entered his mind.
"He wants to know what his name is" she giggled.
"O yeah, I still haven't come up with a name for you yet have I" he said. "Now let me think, what should I call you?" he pondered.
"Hmm... how about Zack" he said.
Gible nodded his head happily.
"Ok, then Zack it is"
Gible ran over and started to play with the other pokemon. Ben walked over and placed Mimi in a small tank of water. Placing the tank onto the table, Ben reached for his belt again and grabbed two more pokeballs.
"Alright, come on out" he said as the balls opened.
Out of the light, a small blue bird with white wings that looked like clouds and a yellow duck-like pokemon holding its head appeared. Alex grabbed his pokedex.
"Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. Swablu loves cleanliness and is quick to wipe of any unclean surface with its cotton-like wings. Swalblu also love to perch on people's heads."
"Psyduck, the Duck Pokémon. Psyduck suffers frequent headaches and can exhibit mysterious attacks when they become especially intense."
"You two go have fun with the other pokemon, ok" he said with a smile.
Both pokemon nodded and happily did as they were told and joined the others. Ben pulled up a chair and got comfortable as he watched all the pokemon playing together.
"Do you know where the first gym is in Kanto?" Alex asked.
"That would be the Pewter City Gym" Ben answered.
"Is that where the ship is going?"
"No, this ship is going to Vermilion City"
"How far away is Pewter City from Vermilion?"
"It's a fair distance, but I know a short cut that can get you there in no time"
"Really?"
"Yeah" Ben explained, "There is a cave just outside of Vermilion called Diglett Cave, go thru there and you'll end up just outside of the Viridian Forest. Just go thru the forest and it's a short walk to Pewter City"
"Got it, thanks" Alex gratefully said
"I'm actually heading that way myself, so I'll show it to you"
"That would be awesome, thank you"
A half hour later, Sophia woke up from her nap. Giving a long yawn as she slowly opened her sleepy brown eyes. She turned and looked up to see her trainer smiling at her.
"Hey sleepy head, how you feeling?" Alex said in a soft voice.
"You want to go play with the other pokemon?"
She nodded and jumped out of his lap as she made her way to play. Alex leaned back into his chair as he got comfortable. Ben looked over and smiled.
"She is a shy little one but she is really sweet" Alex said as he smiled.
"Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?" Ben asked
"Yeah?"
"How did you know that your Gible wanted a nick name?"
"Oh, Melody told me" Alex answered.
"Melody?" Ben gave him a confused look
"Melody is my Kirlia and closest friend" Alex replied, "I met her when I was visiting family in Hoenn back when I was six, we have been together since"
"So you can understand what she says to you?"
"She speaks to me telepathically"
"You two must really have a close bond" Ben said in amazement
Alex nodded. "You have no idea" he said to himself
"There it is, Vermilion City" Ben said.
Alex looked in awe. He was amazed at the sight. The Vermilion City harbor looked as busy as the Canalave City harbor. As he admired the view, the ship pulled into an open pier.
"Alright everybody, time to go" Alex got to his feet and returned his pokemon to their pokeball as Melody walked to him. After grabbing their belongings and Alex's egg case, both he and Ben proceeded to exit the boat and enter the city. Vermilion was split into two main sections: the center city and the port. The port was busy as Canalave's Alex remarked. As the friends made their way thru the city, they eventually came across a cave just outside of the city.
"This is it, Diglett cave" Ben said as they stood at the mouth of the cave.
"Well, let's get going" Alex said as he began to run into the cave with Melody not far behind him.
"There are Diglett and Dugtrio thru out the cave so watch your step" Ben said as he followed.
As they walked thru the cave, they started to hear noises. Suddenly, many small brown creatures with red noses started to poke their heads out of the ground.
"What the?" Alex reached for his pokedex.
"Diglett, the Mole Pokémon. Diglett love to create underground tunnels. If a Diglett digs through a field, it leaves the soil perfectly tilled and ideal for planting crops."
"Dugtrio, the Mole Pokémon and the evolved form of Diglett. Its three heads move alternately, driving it through tough soil to depths of over 60 miles. In battle, it digs through the ground and strikes the unsuspecting foe from an unexpected direction."
"It's best if we just leave them be, they may not look it but those little guys can be pretty dangerous when threatened or annoyed" Ben said.
"Right" Alex turned as they found a way around the pokemon.
As they continued thru the cave, a Diglett or a Dugtrio would pop up out of the ground every now and then. Ben saw the exit up ahead. They all ran as the light from outside shined brightly on their faces. They saw a path ahead that lead into a forest.
"Well, this is the Viridian Forest" Ben said.
"So Pewter City is just on the other side of these trees?" Alex asked.
"Yep, I used to play in this forest when I was little so I know this place like the back of my hand. Once we're thru it's a short walk to Pewter" Ben answered.
They entered the forest and as they walked along the dirt path in front of them, Alex took in the beauty of their surroundings. Melody smiled as a pair of Butterfree hovered over a patch of flowers in a clearing. A Caterpie crawled its way up a tree to get at a leaf on a tall branch. A Spearow perched on a branch looking down the path they were walking on. Alex looked in a tree to see a Pidgey in its nest as a Pidgeotto returned to feed its baby. A trio of Rattata were playing near the bushes ahead of them. As they continued they spotted a small pond in a clearing.
"Let's stop here and take a break" Ben said as he placed his bag down.
"Good idea, I'm hungry" Alex replied.
Ben laughed, "Well hang on, I'll have something cooked up soon"
"You can cook?" Alex said with surprise.
"Yeah, it's a hobby and a great stress reliever" Ben answered with a smile.
As Ben pulled some supplies out of his bag, Alex decided to let his pokemon out for some fresh air. After they appeared, Sophia and Lucas began to play with each other, while Zack, being coldblooded, sat in the sun warming up. Mimi appeared in the pond and began to swim around happily. Alex and Melody helped Ben get lunch going by gathering up some firewood for him. After getting a fire going, Ben let his pokemon out to play. Psyduck ran over and joined Mimi in the pond, while Elekid joined Sophia and Lucas. Swablu decided to perch itself on Ben's head. Ben smiled as he got to cooking. Alex sat down against a tree as Melody sat next to him. Alex suddenly felt his eyes getting a little heavy. Melody looked up and saw him fall asleep. She couldn't help but giggle. Feeling a little tired herself, she rested her head against him before drifting off. Both of them were awoken to a delicious aroma. Opening their eyes they saw Ben standing in front of them with a bowl of soup for each of them.
"I thought you said you were hungry" Ben said jokingly.
"Guess we fell asleep" Alex said as he stretched his arms out.
"Here you go" Ben said as he handed them their lunch.
"That reminds me, I gotta get everyone their lunch" Alex said as he placed his bowl down.
"Taken care of" Ben said.
Alex looked over to see all the pokemon eating together happily by the pond.
"Wow, thank you" he said in amazement.
"What about Mimi?" he asked.
"Fed and happy" Ben answered.
"I gave her a special blend of pokeblocks in her food" he added.
"Pokeblocks?" Alex gave him a confused look.
"Think of them like the Hoenn equivalent to Sinnoh Poffins" Ben explained.
"Hoenn? I thought you said you were from Kanto"
"I am, but I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who live in Hoenn. They taught me how to cook and how to make pokeblocks"
"Oh... so what kind of pokeblocks did you give to Mimi?" Alex asked.
"I gave her a blend of dry blocks" Ben answered.
"Why dry ones? What will those do?" Alex asked as he picked up his soup and began to eat.
"They will help make her more beautiful"
"More beautiful?"
"That's how Feebas evolves into Milotic, you need to make them more beautiful" Ben explained.
"Wow, I didn't know that" Alex replied in amazement.
"It's said that as Feebas become more beautiful, their rocky scales begin to gleam like diamonds" Ben added.
"Wow..." Alex said as he looked over at Mimi.
After they finished their lunch, Ben and Alex packed up and called everyone back into their pokeballs. Melody helped them finish packing as they got ready to continue through the forest. As they continued thru the forest, they began to hear a buzzing sound. Ben looked around; poking his head thru the bushes he saw a hive of Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill.
"Uh oh..." he said to himself.
Alex poked his head in and saw the hive. Grabbing his pokedex, he held it up towards the Bug pokemon.
"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Although not very dangerous, it is armed with a sharp stinger on its head. Weedle spend much of the time eating leaves from trees."
"Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokémon. Kakuna is an evolved form of Weedle. Kakuna hang from trees and remain inactive until they evolve into deadly Beedrill."
"Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon. Beedrill is the finall evolved form of Weedle. Beedrill are highly territorial and normally live in colonies. Disturbing a swarm of Beedrill will cause the whole colony to attack."
"If we're quiet we can sneak past them" Ben whispered.
They tried to make their way around as quietly as possible, but Alex accidently stepped on a twig. The snapping of the twig alerted the Beedrill, who swarmed almost instantly. Ben, Alex and Melody ran as fast as they could, but the swarm of Beedrill was right behind them.
"Got any bright ideas?" Alex asked as they ran.
"Yeah, run faster" Ben said as he quickened his pace.
They all quickened their pace, but the swarm wouldn't give up the chase.
"Why are they so angry with us?" Alex said as he opened his pokedex once more.
"Beedrill are highly aggressive and will chase after intruders relentlessly. Beedrill's signature attack is Twin Needle."
"We can't run forever" Alex said as he closed his pokedex.
"We gotta think of a way to lose them" Ben said as he looked back at the angry Beedrill.
"I got an idea" Alex said as he reached for his belt.
"Zack use Sandstorm now!!!" he said as he turned to face the incoming swarm.
As the light from the pokeball faded, Zack began to swing his arms around as a violent sandstorm began to form. As they became enveloped in the veil of sand, the Beedrill began to turn around and fly back towards their hive.
"That was some quick thinking" Ben said as he caught his breath.
"Thanks little buddy" Alex returned Zack to his pokeball as he caught his breath as well.
"Looks like we got chased to the edge of the forest" Ben said, "We're almost there"
"Awesome" Alex replied.
The sun began to set as Pewter City came within sight. As they made their way into town, Alex could see that Pewter City was a totally different from Solaceon Town. There were plenty of building around and on top of a hill he saw what looked like either a museum or a laboratory. They eventually found their way to the pokemon center.
"We'll stay here tonight and head to the gym in the morning" Ben said as they approached the front desk.
"No argument there" Alex said as he and Melody walked behind him.
After receiving a room key from Nurse Joy, they made their way to their rooms, said good night to each other and shut the doors. Ben placed his things down, took a shower, and climbed into bed. Alex on the other hand simply placed his bag and his egg down, slipped off his jeans, and leaped onto the bed. He was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. Melody took the other bed and fell asleep instantly.
"Tomorrow, I get my first badge... I can't wait..." Alex thought to himself before falling asleep.Chapter End Notes:Hope you enjoyed i
"Alright, let's see what the pokedex says about you" he said as he pulled out his pokedex.
"Gible, the Land Shark Pokémon. Gible once lived in the tropics, and to avoid cold it lives in caves warmed by geothermal heat. Gible are good diggers and will hide in holes and wait for prey to pass by" the voice from the pokedex said.
"Cool" Alex said in amazement, "so what attacks can this little guy use?"
"Gible's attacks: Tackle, Dragon Rage, Dig, Sandstorm"
"Wow, I didn't know this thing could tell me that"
Alex reached for his belt again and called out Mimi, a Feebas he caught at the dock yesterday. As Mimi appeared, he pointed the pokedex at her.
"Ok, so let's see what this says about you Mimi"
"Feebas' attacks: Flail, Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Mirror Coat"
"Wow, that's really good Mimi" he said with a smile.
Melody walked over and saw a slight blush come across Mimi's face. Alex called out the rest of his pokemon. Sophia and Lucas appeared next to Mimi and Gible as Alex brought the pokedex up.
"Riolu's attacks: Force Palm, Quick Attack, Foresight, Counter"
"Vulpix's attacks: Ember, Tail Whip, Energy Ball, Extrasensory"
"Whoa, Sophia can use Energy Ball" he said with surprise. "Wait... what kind of move is Energy Ball?"
"It's a Grass-type move" said a voice from behind.
Alex turned and saw a guy with short black hair walk up from. He was a little taller than Alex and was probably a few years older than him. As he came closer, Alex couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
"My name is Ben" he said.
"That's pretty impressive that your Vulpix can use Energy Ball. That can really come in handy" Ben said as he looked over at Sophia.
"Yeah, but I don't remember teaching her that move" Alex said in confusion.
"That's because it's an Egg-move" Ben replied.
"An Egg-move?" Alex gave Ben a confused look.
"Your Vulpix inherited that move from its parents, more specifically her father" he explained.
"Wow"
"And I think the same holds true for Extrasensory" he added.
"What's that?" Alex asked.
"It's a Psychic-type attack" Ben explained.
"That is so cool" Alex said as he turned and looked at Sophia.
"You're a beginner trainer aren't you?" Ben asked.
"How did you guess?"
"Call it a wild guess" Ben smirked
"Yeah, I'm just starting out" Alex said as he scratched the back of his head.
"And with five pokemon already..."
"Well actually, I have an egg I'm raising right over there" he pointed over at where his bag and case were.
"Where you from kid?" Ben asked as he saw Alex's pokemon
"O yeah, I forgot to introduce myself" he said as he looked back at Ben. "My name is Alex. I'm ten years old and I'm from the Sinnoh region"
"It's nice to meet you, I'm from Kanto and I'm fourteen years old" Ben said, "What part of Sinnoh?"
"Solaceon Town" Alex responded.
"I'm from Viridian City" Ben smiled.
Alex suddenly felt something brush up against his leg. He looked down to see Sophia looking up at him.
"Ok, come here girl" he said as he leaned down and picked up Sophia.
Ben stretched his hand out and was about to pet Sophia, but she tensed up and buried her head into her trainer's shirt. Ben pulled his hand back slightly.
"Sorry, she is a little shy" Alex said as he looked at her. "It's ok Sophia; Ben's not going to hurt you."
Ben brought his hand up and gently placed it on top of the Vulpix's head. She tensed up again but as Ben began to gently pet her head, she started to loosen up a little. Sophia turned her head and looked at Ben curiously. She saw a very warm and kind smile across his face.
"There there, you're ok" he said in a warm tone
Ben moved his hand from the top of Sophia's head to the side of her face and began to gently scratch the side of her face. As he continued to gently scratch the small Fox pokemon, she started to lean her head into his hand. Alex smiled as he felt her starting to relax.
"Wow, I've never seen her so calm around someone new before." he thought to himself.
"He seems like a very kind-hearted person" Melody said to him.
"Try scratching her behind the ear, she loves that" Alex suggested.
Ben moved his hand and began to work behind Sophia's ear. She was loving the treatment and began to smile happily. Melody could tell that she was enjoying herself and that her nervousness was gone.
"Looks like you've made a new friend" Alex said as he looked at his Vulpix.
"How long have you had this little one?" Ben asked as he continued his treatment.
"Hmm... almost two years now" Alex replied. "She has always been nervous around strangers and she hasn't had any battle experience either."
"I thought as much" Ben replied.
"Is it that obvious?"
"My parents are breeders and they taught me everything I know"
"So you're a pokemon breeder?"
"I'm studying to become one. My goal is to become a top breeder"
"Cool"
"Can I ask you something?" Ben asked.
"Sure" Alex replied.
"You say you're a starting trainer from Sinnoh, so why are you going to Kanto? Why aren't you starting in the Sinnoh league?"
"Well, I want to work my way thru the other leagues first before I challenge the Sinnoh league. Once I finish the Sinnoh league, I want to challenge the Elite Four."
"I see" Ben said as a smile came across his face.
"My goal is to become the best I can be. And my dream is to become a Pokemon Master" Alex said with great confidence.
"So how much longer do you think it will be before we get to Kanto?" he asked.
"We still got probably less than an hour left to go before we arrive" Ben replied
Alex suddenly noticed a pokeball on Ben's belt.
"Hey, can I ask you a favor?" he asked
"What's up?" Ben looked at him
"I want to get Sophia used to battling, so could you help me train?"
"Sure, I'll help you out" he said as he placed his bag down next to Alex's.
As Ben and Alex took their places on the deck, Alex placed Sophia down, while Ben reached for his belt and grabbed a pokeball. A bright light erupted from it and an Elekid appeared in front of Ben.
"What is that?" Alex asked as he reached for his pokedex.
"Elekid, the Electric Pokémon. Elekid waves its arms to produce a strong electrical charge and gains strength when lightning is present." replied the pokedex.
"I have been raising this little one for some time now" Ben said.
"Sophia, you ready to get started?" Alex asked.
Sophia turned and looked nervously at her trainer.
"Just do your best ok" he said in a reassuring tone.
She continued to stare at him nervously. Suddenly, Lucas came up and placed a paw onto Sophia.
"Rio Rio Riolu" he said to her.
Alex turned to Melody.
"What did he say to her?" he asked.
"He said; You can do it, I believe in you" she answered.
Sophia looked at Lucas.
"Vulpix" she said with a smile.
"Rio Rio" Lucas said as he made his way back to the other pokemon.
"She said, Thank you. And he said, Good Luck" Melody said.
"Thanks Lucas" Alex said as he looked at him.
"You guys ready to begin?" Ben asked.
"Yep" Alex said as he turned to face him.
"Then let's get started, you can have the first attack."
"Thanks, Sophia use Ember"
Sophia opened her mouth as small bolts of fire began to shoot toward Elekid.
"Elekid use Thunder Shock"
Elekid spun its arms for a second and sparks began to form around its head. It then fired a small blast of electricity towards the Fox pokemon. As the two attacks flew, they collided and exploded in mid air.
"Ok Elekid, let's use Thunder Punch" Ben commanded.
Elekid clenched its fist as it began to glow yellow and sparks of electricity surrounded its fist as Elekid then began to charge. A look of shock came across Sophia's face as she shook nervously.
"Calm down Sophia, let's try Energy Ball" Alex said
Sophia opened her mouth and a greenish-blue ball of energy began to form in front of her mouth. Elekid brought its fist up and as it prepared to punch, Sophia launched her attack. The ball of energy flew forward and struck Elekid in the center of its chest, exploding on impact and sending it flying back a few feet. As it hit the ground, small greenish-blue sparks appeared around Elekid's body. The other pokemon began to cheer Sophia on as her expression changed to one of excitement.
"Way to go, great shot Sophia" Alex congratulated her. "Now, let's follow up with Ember"
Sophia fired another blast of Ember at Elekid as it got to its feet.
"Elekid, Protect" Ben commanded.
Elekid crossed its arms as it protected itself from the attack.
"Let's use Extrasensory" Alex said as the flames hit the barrier.
Sophia's brown eyes began to glow yellow as a bright, almost rainbow colored beam was released from her eyes and struck Elekid as its protective barrier fell.
"Energy Ball"
"Elekid, Quick Attack"
As Sophia prepared to strike again, Elekid charged and slammed into her. Sophia lost her attack and fell to the ground.
"Thunder Punch" Ben commanded.
Elekid clenched its fist and prepared to strike the Fox pokemon.
"Sophia, dodge it quickly" Alex said urgently.
She managed to roll out of the way as Elekid's Thunder Punch struck the ground.
"Thunder Shock"
As Sophia tried to get to her feet, she was zapped by a blast of electricity courtesy of Elekid.
"Now follow with Quick Attack"
Elekid again charged and slammed into her with speed. Sophia hit the ground again.
"Are you ok?" Alex asked with worry in his voice.
"I think that's enough for now" Ben said.
Alex went over to check on Sophia. He picked her up and held her in his arms. Ben walked over and pulled a super potion out of his bag.
"Let me see her" he said as he approached.
Alex placed her on a table and Ben looked at her injuries. Ben then began to spray the potion on her.
"Is she gonna be ok?" Alex asked
"Don't worry; she just has a couple scratches. A shot of this and a little rest and she'll be as good as new" Ben replied.
Alex placed his hand on Sophia's head as she looked up at her trainer.
"You did great, I'm really proud of you" he said with a smile.
She smiled back at him as he continued to pet her. Alex gently picked her up, took a seat and placed her in his lap. She curled up and fell asleep almost immediately.
"Alright, come here Elekid" Ben said as he turned his attention to his own pokemon.
Elekid walked over and received a spray of super potion as well. Ben patted him on the shoulder before he ran off to play with the other pokemon. Alex continued to pet Sophia as she slept soundly in his lap. After a few minutes, he suddenly felt something poke his leg. He looked down to see Gible standing next to his seat.
"What is it Gible?" he asked.
"Gib Gible Gible" the Land Shark said to him.
Alex gave him a confused look. Suddenly, Melody's voice entered his mind.
"He wants to know what his name is" she giggled.
"O yeah, I still haven't come up with a name for you yet have I" he said. "Now let me think, what should I call you?" he pondered.
"Hmm... how about Zack" he said.
Gible nodded his head happily.
"Ok, then Zack it is"
Gible ran over and started to play with the other pokemon. Ben walked over and placed Mimi in a small tank of water. Placing the tank onto the table, Ben reached for his belt again and grabbed two more pokeballs.
"Alright, come on out" he said as the balls opened.
Out of the light, a small blue bird with white wings that looked like clouds and a yellow duck-like pokemon holding its head appeared. Alex grabbed his pokedex.
"Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. Swablu loves cleanliness and is quick to wipe of any unclean surface with its cotton-like wings. Swalblu also love to perch on people's heads."
"Psyduck, the Duck Pokémon. Psyduck suffers frequent headaches and can exhibit mysterious attacks when they become especially intense."
"You two go have fun with the other pokemon, ok" he said with a smile.
Both pokemon nodded and happily did as they were told and joined the others. Ben pulled up a chair and got comfortable as he watched all the pokemon playing together.
"Do you know where the first gym is in Kanto?" Alex asked.
"That would be the Pewter City Gym" Ben answered.
"Is that where the ship is going?"
"No, this ship is going to Vermilion City"
"How far away is Pewter City from Vermilion?"
"It's a fair distance, but I know a short cut that can get you there in no time"
"Really?"
"Yeah" Ben explained, "There is a cave just outside of Vermilion called Diglett Cave, go thru there and you'll end up just outside of the Viridian Forest. Just go thru the forest and it's a short walk to Pewter City"
"Got it, thanks" Alex gratefully said
"I'm actually heading that way myself, so I'll show it to you"
"That would be awesome, thank you"
A half hour later, Sophia woke up from her nap. Giving a long yawn as she slowly opened her sleepy brown eyes. She turned and looked up to see her trainer smiling at her.
"Hey sleepy head, how you feeling?" Alex said in a soft voice.
"You want to go play with the other pokemon?"
She nodded and jumped out of his lap as she made her way to play. Alex leaned back into his chair as he got comfortable. Ben looked over and smiled.
"She is a shy little one but she is really sweet" Alex said as he smiled.
"Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?" Ben asked
"Yeah?"
"How did you know that your Gible wanted a nick name?"
"Oh, Melody told me" Alex answered.
"Melody?" Ben gave him a confused look
"Melody is my Kirlia and closest friend" Alex replied, "I met her when I was visiting family in Hoenn back when I was six, we have been together since"
"So you can understand what she says to you?"
"She speaks to me telepathically"
"You two must really have a close bond" Ben said in amazement
Alex nodded. "You have no idea" he said to himself
"There it is, Vermilion City" Ben said.
Alex looked in awe. He was amazed at the sight. The Vermilion City harbor looked as busy as the Canalave City harbor. As he admired the view, the ship pulled into an open pier.
"Alright everybody, time to go" Alex got to his feet and returned his pokemon to their pokeball as Melody walked to him. After grabbing their belongings and Alex's egg case, both he and Ben proceeded to exit the boat and enter the city. Vermilion was split into two main sections: the center city and the port. The port was busy as Canalave's Alex remarked. As the friends made their way thru the city, they eventually came across a cave just outside of the city.
"This is it, Diglett cave" Ben said as they stood at the mouth of the cave.
"Well, let's get going" Alex said as he began to run into the cave with Melody not far behind him.
"There are Diglett and Dugtrio thru out the cave so watch your step" Ben said as he followed.
As they walked thru the cave, they started to hear noises. Suddenly, many small brown creatures with red noses started to poke their heads out of the ground.
"What the?" Alex reached for his pokedex.
"Diglett, the Mole Pokémon. Diglett love to create underground tunnels. If a Diglett digs through a field, it leaves the soil perfectly tilled and ideal for planting crops."
"Dugtrio, the Mole Pokémon and the evolved form of Diglett. Its three heads move alternately, driving it through tough soil to depths of over 60 miles. In battle, it digs through the ground and strikes the unsuspecting foe from an unexpected direction."
"It's best if we just leave them be, they may not look it but those little guys can be pretty dangerous when threatened or annoyed" Ben said.
"Right" Alex turned as they found a way around the pokemon.
As they continued thru the cave, a Diglett or a Dugtrio would pop up out of the ground every now and then. Ben saw the exit up ahead. They all ran as the light from outside shined brightly on their faces. They saw a path ahead that lead into a forest.
"Well, this is the Viridian Forest" Ben said.
"So Pewter City is just on the other side of these trees?" Alex asked.
"Yep, I used to play in this forest when I was little so I know this place like the back of my hand. Once we're thru it's a short walk to Pewter" Ben answered.
They entered the forest and as they walked along the dirt path in front of them, Alex took in the beauty of their surroundings. Melody smiled as a pair of Butterfree hovered over a patch of flowers in a clearing. A Caterpie crawled its way up a tree to get at a leaf on a tall branch. A Spearow perched on a branch looking down the path they were walking on. Alex looked in a tree to see a Pidgey in its nest as a Pidgeotto returned to feed its baby. A trio of Rattata were playing near the bushes ahead of them. As they continued they spotted a small pond in a clearing.
"Let's stop here and take a break" Ben said as he placed his bag down.
"Good idea, I'm hungry" Alex replied.
Ben laughed, "Well hang on, I'll have something cooked up soon"
"You can cook?" Alex said with surprise.
"Yeah, it's a hobby and a great stress reliever" Ben answered with a smile.
As Ben pulled some supplies out of his bag, Alex decided to let his pokemon out for some fresh air. After they appeared, Sophia and Lucas began to play with each other, while Zack, being coldblooded, sat in the sun warming up. Mimi appeared in the pond and began to swim around happily. Alex and Melody helped Ben get lunch going by gathering up some firewood for him. After getting a fire going, Ben let his pokemon out to play. Psyduck ran over and joined Mimi in the pond, while Elekid joined Sophia and Lucas. Swablu decided to perch itself on Ben's head. Ben smiled as he got to cooking. Alex sat down against a tree as Melody sat next to him. Alex suddenly felt his eyes getting a little heavy. Melody looked up and saw him fall asleep. She couldn't help but giggle. Feeling a little tired herself, she rested her head against him before drifting off. Both of them were awoken to a delicious aroma. Opening their eyes they saw Ben standing in front of them with a bowl of soup for each of them.
"I thought you said you were hungry" Ben said jokingly.
"Guess we fell asleep" Alex said as he stretched his arms out.
"Here you go" Ben said as he handed them their lunch.
"That reminds me, I gotta get everyone their lunch" Alex said as he placed his bowl down.
"Taken care of" Ben said.
Alex looked over to see all the pokemon eating together happily by the pond.
"Wow, thank you" he said in amazement.
"What about Mimi?" he asked.
"Fed and happy" Ben answered.
"I gave her a special blend of pokeblocks in her food" he added.
"Pokeblocks?" Alex gave him a confused look.
"Think of them like the Hoenn equivalent to Sinnoh Poffins" Ben explained.
"Hoenn? I thought you said you were from Kanto"
"I am, but I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who live in Hoenn. They taught me how to cook and how to make pokeblocks"
"Oh... so what kind of pokeblocks did you give to Mimi?" Alex asked.
"I gave her a blend of dry blocks" Ben answered.
"Why dry ones? What will those do?" Alex asked as he picked up his soup and began to eat.
"They will help make her more beautiful"
"More beautiful?"
"That's how Feebas evolves into Milotic, you need to make them more beautiful" Ben explained.
"Wow, I didn't know that" Alex replied in amazement.
"It's said that as Feebas become more beautiful, their rocky scales begin to gleam like diamonds" Ben added.
"Wow..." Alex said as he looked over at Mimi.
After they finished their lunch, Ben and Alex packed up and called everyone back into their pokeballs. Melody helped them finish packing as they got ready to continue through the forest. As they continued thru the forest, they began to hear a buzzing sound. Ben looked around; poking his head thru the bushes he saw a hive of Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill.
"Uh oh..." he said to himself.
Alex poked his head in and saw the hive. Grabbing his pokedex, he held it up towards the Bug pokemon.
"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Although not very dangerous, it is armed with a sharp stinger on its head. Weedle spend much of the time eating leaves from trees."
"Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokémon. Kakuna is an evolved form of Weedle. Kakuna hang from trees and remain inactive until they evolve into deadly Beedrill."
"Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon. Beedrill is the finall evolved form of Weedle. Beedrill are highly territorial and normally live in colonies. Disturbing a swarm of Beedrill will cause the whole colony to attack."
"If we're quiet we can sneak past them" Ben whispered.
They tried to make their way around as quietly as possible, but Alex accidently stepped on a twig. The snapping of the twig alerted the Beedrill, who swarmed almost instantly. Ben, Alex and Melody ran as fast as they could, but the swarm of Beedrill was right behind them.
"Got any bright ideas?" Alex asked as they ran.
"Yeah, run faster" Ben said as he quickened his pace.
They all quickened their pace, but the swarm wouldn't give up the chase.
"Why are they so angry with us?" Alex said as he opened his pokedex once more.
"Beedrill are highly aggressive and will chase after intruders relentlessly. Beedrill's signature attack is Twin Needle."
"We can't run forever" Alex said as he closed his pokedex.
"We gotta think of a way to lose them" Ben said as he looked back at the angry Beedrill.
"I got an idea" Alex said as he reached for his belt.
"Zack use Sandstorm now!!!" he said as he turned to face the incoming swarm.
As the light from the pokeball faded, Zack began to swing his arms around as a violent sandstorm began to form. As they became enveloped in the veil of sand, the Beedrill began to turn around and fly back towards their hive.
"That was some quick thinking" Ben said as he caught his breath.
"Thanks little buddy" Alex returned Zack to his pokeball as he caught his breath as well.
"Looks like we got chased to the edge of the forest" Ben said, "We're almost there"
"Awesome" Alex replied.
The sun began to set as Pewter City came within sight. As they made their way into town, Alex could see that Pewter City was a totally different from Solaceon Town. There were plenty of building around and on top of a hill he saw what looked like either a museum or a laboratory. They eventually found their way to the pokemon center.
"We'll stay here tonight and head to the gym in the morning" Ben said as they approached the front desk.
"No argument there" Alex said as he and Melody walked behind him.
After receiving a room key from Nurse Joy, they made their way to their rooms, said good night to each other and shut the doors. Ben placed his things down, took a shower, and climbed into bed. Alex on the other hand simply placed his bag and his egg down, slipped off his jeans, and leaped onto the bed. He was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. Melody took the other bed and fell asleep instantly.
"Tomorrow, I get my first badge... I can't wait..." Alex thought to himself before falling asleep.Chapter End Notes:Hope you enjoyed i