Chapter 216: Chance Encounter [Bonus]
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Oldale Town]
Oldale Town was a charming, bustling hub, slightly larger than Littleroot, serving as the first true stop for many fledgling trainers. Its central plaza was alive with activity – trainers battling, vendors selling local delicacies, and children chasing after their Pokémon.
Azure decided a short break was in order once he arrived. After checking Ralts into the Pokémon Center for a thorough check-up and some much-needed rest, he allowed his other Pokémon to stretch their legs and explore.
He took a moment to savor a local specialty, a sweet berry juice that tasted of sunshine and the rich Hoenn earth. Pikachu and Eevee happily shared a bowl of Pokémon treats, while Metang observed the town with its usual quiet dignity.
Vulpix found a patch of cool shade to rest, its unique aura drawing curious glances, and Psyduck, surprisingly, seemed fascinated by a street performer's juggling act. Treecko, however, was restless.
It watched the various trainer battles unfolding in the plaza with an intense gaze, its tail twitching with eagerness. It wasn't long before Azure's presence, and particularly his unusual team, drew attention.
A young trainer with spiked, red hair, his arm around a sturdy Zigzagoon, approached him cautiously. The rookie Trainer asked, "Hey! You new around here? I haven't seen you or your Metang before!"
Azure offered a friendly smile. He replied, casually waving his hand, "Just arrived from Kanto. My name's Azure."
Blake's eyes gleamed with youthful excitement. He then requested a challenge, "Kanto, huh? Wow! I'm Blake! My Zigzagoon and I are just getting started. Your Pokémon look really strong! Mind if we have a quick battle? My Zigzagoon could use the experience!"
Azure glanced at Treecko, whose eyes were practically begging. This was exactly what he'd hoped for.
Azure chuckled as he replied, making Treecko chirp enthusiastically, leaping forward, "Certainly, Blake. I'm looking to give my Treecko some battle experience. Sound good, partner?"
Happy, they both took to a nearby empty battlefield with other Trainers watching nearby, interested in the match to pass the time. Blake called out, his voice filled with adrenaline, "Alright! Zigzagoon, Tackle!"
*Zoooom*
Zigzagoon charged, a determined look on its face. Treecko, light-footed and agile, easily sidestepped the attack.
*Wooosh*
Azure instructed calmly, "Treecko, Quick Attack! Keep moving!"
*Zooom*
Treecko zipped around Zigzagoon, landing multiple swift blows before the Normal-type could react. Zigzagoon, though resilient, was taking damage.
Blake ordered in a panic, "Zigzagoon, use Growl!"
*Wooosh*
But Treecko, too quick, darted in again, its movements fluid. Azure commanded, "Now, Leafage!"
*Wooosh*
Treecko gathered energy, and a volley of sharp, emerald leaves launched themselves at Zigzagoon, striking true. Zigzagoon yelped, a spiral of dizziness in its eyes, and collapsed, fainting.
A nearby bystander declared, acting as an impromptu referee, "Zigzagoon is unable to battle! Treecko wins!"
Blake rushed to his Zigzagoon, praising it for a good effort. He looked at Azure's Treecko eyes sparkling, amazed as he said excitedly, "Wow, your Treecko is super fast! Good battle, Azure!"
Before Azure could properly respond, another trainer, a girl with a confident smirk and a proud Lotad by her side, stepped forward. She boasted proudly, "That was impressive. But my Lotad has a different kind of speed! I'm Maya! Let's go!"
Maya challenged him as he nodded. But first asked his Treecko curiously, "Treecko, ready for another?"
Treecko, still buzzing from its victory, pounded its fist against its chest. With that, the battle began with Maya commanding, "Lotad, Water Gun!"
*Splash*
A stream of water erupted from Lotad's mouth, arcing towards Treecko. Azure countered, "Treecko! Quick Attack!"
*Zoooom*
Treecko blurred, becoming almost invisible as it expertly weaved through the water stream, with its speed. Azure saw an opening as he ordered, "Now, absorb some energy with Mega Drain!"
*Shiii*
Treecko darted in, its tiny hands glowing green as it latched onto Lotad, siphoning away some of its life energy. Lotad flinched, its expression one of surprise.
Maya countered quickly, "Lotad, Astonish!"
*Wooosh*
But Treecko was already pulling back, its energy replenished. The battle continued, a dance of dodging and striking.
Treecko's raw speed and burgeoning power were proving a formidable combination. Finally, with a well-aimed Leafage, Treecko managed to overwhelm Lotad, securing its second victory.
Word of the Kanto trainer and his remarkably swift Treecko spread quickly through the plaza. More trainers, intrigued and eager for a challenge, lined up.
Azure, sensing Treecko's boundless energy and eagerness to learn, agreed to each challenge. His other Pokémon within the Poké Balls observed the matches with mild curiosity.
Treecko faced off against a defiant Wurmple, a nimble Taillow, and even a surprisingly tough Shroomish. Each battle pushed Treecko a little further, helping refine its moves much to Azure's joy as they developed its Agile and Strong Style mid-battle.
It learned to anticipate, to conserve energy, and to exploit weaknesses. Its movements became more refined, its attacks more precise. Azure, meanwhile, used these battles not just for Treecko's growth but to observe its quirks, its strengths, and its potential. He saw the spark of a true champion in its yellow eyes.
During one particularly intense battle against a Feebas that surprisingly knew Dragon Breath, Treecko found itself cornered. The Feebas, though fragile, unleashed a torrent of dragonic energy that scorched the ground.
Treecko, dodging frantically, slipped. Azure urged, a rare note of concern in his voice, "Treecko!"
*Wooosh*
Immediately, Treecko back-flipped out of the danger. Managing to avoid the Dragon Breath in time, as this gave Azure his moment.
Grinning Azure ordered, "Now! Energy Ball!"
*PEW*
Treecko channeled its inner strength. A shimmering orb of green energy formed in its hands, growing larger and more intense. With a mighty roar, Treecko hurled the sphere of life force at the Feebas.
*BOOOM*
It struck Feebas with devastating force, ending the battle in a brilliant flash of light. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Treecko, though tired, stood tall, its chest puffed out in pride. Pikachu nudged it affectionately, and Eevee nuzzled its leg.
Even Metang emitted a soft, whirring sound that Azure knew was an acknowledgment of Treecko's impressive display. But just as it did so…
*Shiii*
… Treecko's body began to be enveloped in light. Azure's eyes widened as Treecko was evolving. The crowd waited to see the transformation.
As the light finally died down, in Treecko's place was now a Grovyle. Grovyle is a bipedal Pokémon similar in appearance to a theropod dinosaur. It is primarily green with a red underside. There is a belt-like green stripe across its belly. Grovyle's hands have two clawed fingers and powerful legs with birdlike feet.
Adjusting to the new form, in surprise, Azure checked its data with his Arc Phone and smiled as he muttered, "It learned Leaf Blade as its inherited move. Nice."
As the last trainer, a young man with a confident Mightyena, approached, Azure decided to give Grovyle a break. Azure said kindly to the trainer, "That's enough for Treecko, or I guess Grovyle, for today. But I'd be happy to show you another of my partners."
The trainer asked, intrigued, "Oh? Who then?"
Azure smiled, a glint in his eye. He held up a Poké Ball as he declared, "Let's see if you can handle something a little... hotter. Vulpix, it's your turn!"
*Pop*
A shimmering fire fox materialized, its six tails fanning out gracefully. A collective gasp went through the crowd.
This Vulpix was different, radiating an aura of superiority and increased size. The Trainer's eyes narrowed with cause as he ordered, "Mightyena, use Crunch!"
The dark wolf Pokémon lunged, its fangs glowing. Azure commanded sharply, "Vulpix, Agile Style! Flamethrower!"
*Sssss*
Vulpix didn't move from its spot, but from its mouth, a stream of fire erupted, intercepting Mightyena mid-air. The fire struck Mightyena with surprising force, sending it skidding back, its momentum broken.
Azure grinned as he pressed on, "Now! Strong Style! Flamethrower!"
*SSSSS*
The Vulpix responded with a breathtaking display. Instead of a single stream of fire, a graceful torrent of blue-tinged flames erupted, swirling and dancing towards Mightyena, almost like a mystical aurora.
Mightyena yelped, singed, its confidence wavering. The trainer urged desperately, "Mightyena, take it down with Take Down!"
*Zooom*
Mightyena fought through the pain and charged ahead. Azure's voice was calm as he countered, "Vulpix, Strong Style Ember!"
*Ssss*
Vulpix shimmered, releasing a condensed fireball and firing it at Mightyena...
*BOOOM*
… the crowd's eyes widened, seeing the explosion that engulfed Mightyena. Azure smirked as he thought proudly, 'It's a good thing that Vulpix always has Flash Fire active. Because of its biology of having a flame inside its body that never goes out, we use that as fuel to always have her fire attacks at 50% boost.'
The powerful attack left Mightyena burnt, the Pokémon collapsing, unable to continue. The plaza was silent for a beat, then erupted in awed murmurs.
The power of Azure's Vulpix was undeniable, a testament to the diverse and extraordinary Pokémon he had gathered. Vulpix merely licked its paws, cleaning itself, delighted with its victory, and training paid off, "Vull! (Hmph! Pathetic mongrel!)"
As dusk deepened into night, Azure gathered his team, the scent of evening blooms perfuming the air. Ralts, now out of the Pokémon Center, floated calmly beside him, its fear replaced by a quiet sense of belonging.
Grovyle, exhausted but proud, rested on his side. Pikachu and Eevee curled up at his feet, content. Metang floated nearby, its sensors still humming faintly. Even Vulpix and Psyduck seemed to exude a quiet satisfaction.
The day had been a whirlwind of new sights, a rescue, and multiple challenging battles. Treecko had grown into Grovyle, Ralts had found a home, and the team's bond had deepened.
Azure looked up at the Hoenn stars, brighter and more numerous than those over Pallet Town, as he muttered in awe, "It certainly has more stars than Pallet Town. But at the very least, though it's calm here–huh?"
While he was enjoying seeing the stars through the Pokémon Center window, his eyes caught notice of Ruby entering inside. Azure chuckled slightly as he greeted him, "Oh! Young man, how are you doing in your travels?"
Ruby startled, looking to see Azure mildly surprised. His eyes darted at him, sounding surprised, "Wha – oh it's you… Azure Sky, right? I've heard about – oh my goodness, who's this beauty!"
*Wooosh*
Ruby immediately headed towards Vulpix, startling it. But ultimately, Vulpix deflated as he brushed its fur in a proud tone, "Your Vulpix fur! Neat and so clean! You, good sir, certainly know how to take care of this Pokémon and – oh my!"
He then darted towards Eevee, Pikachu, and Ralts. Ralts, feeling timid and shy, hid behind Eevee as Ruby gushed proudly, "Your Pikachu's fur is soft and conditioned! All top-notch, along with your Eevee fur neatly organized, and a correctly appropriate ratio of perfect symmetry showing its cuteness. Although your Ralts could use some work to become beautiful…"
Ruby then looked at Azure's Metang and Grovyle, seeing how tough and cool they looked. Ruby nodding approvingly, much to the duo's embarrassment, "Your Grovyle and Metang. Both tough and cool… and finally…!!"
Finally, Ruby paused, seeing Azure's Psyduck tilting its head, muttering proudly, "Psy? Psyduck! (What about me! I'm the - )"
Psyduck never got to finish his words as Ruby bluntly said, shattering its pride, "Why the heck do you have that ugly thing?"
*THUD*
Psyduck fell comically, hearing that, making its cry, "Psyyy… (Sigh…)"
Azure sighed as he stopped Ruby he saying bluntly with his arms crossed, "Sigh… first off, I appreciate it if you stop making my Psyduck depressed."
Psyduck looked at Azure gratefully, defending it, "Psy!! (Thanks!)"
Azure cheekily smiled, nodding at Psyduck, sensing its thanks. Then he continued staring at Ruby, calmly stating, "Secondly, a bit rude to come into our personal space like that. Isn't that right… Ruby?"
Ruby froze his face in shock as Azure gloated mentally, 'Ha! Seeing that caught face is priceless!'
Just as Ruby was about to bolt out there Azure showed Ruby's previous Contest in the Johto Region website forum as he continued overdramatically, "… Ruby the Johto Pokémon Contest Champion!"
*THUD*
Ruby comically fell, looking at Azure a bit surprised as he thought in relief, 'Wha… oh. Must be a previous fan. If that's the case… a fellow contestant follower!'
Meeting a fan, Ruby's eyes widened as Azure introduced himself properly, "It would be rude not to introduce myself, as I know everything about you. I'm Azure Sky, Indigo Champion, currently on my Pokémon Journey in Hoenn pleasure to meet you."
Ruby froze again from the shock. Ruby did recognize Azure, as he lived in Johto, seeing the Ninth and Tenth Pokémon League Tournament match as he thought, stunned, 'Wha-WHAT! THAT GUY IS HERE?! AND HIS TALKING TO ME?!!'
Ruby.ExE short short-circuited…
/////
A/N: Reach the goal of 200 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!