"When did he return his Linoone." I off-handedly thought, looking at the floor of the taxi. The little guy was nowhere to be found.
The flying taxi was literally a small car without any wheels, being dragged by a Corviknight. To my surprise, the ride was very stable and relaxing, with the seats even being pretty comfortable.
My mind drifted a little, still tense about my starter.
While I had some idea forming in my head, it didn't make the choice any less exciting. I'd definitely cherish this moment for a while. Realising my right leg kept going up and down on its own, I stopped it after a moment.
My gaze flicked back up to the boy sitting across from me.
He hadn't moved for a while. Still leaned back slightly, elbow resting against the side, eyes turned toward the window.
'Oh damn, that's Piers.' It clicked in my mind.
The cogs in my brain were turning every time I looked at him, but they finally completed a cycle. Disinterested, punky, sort of edgy and pale as hell. I thought he just looked like his older self, only with shorter hair.
He definitely looked like his old league card in the games.
Funny how things turned out.
Not that I'd disturb his peace. Taking a look outside the window, the world stretched out in a way Spikemuth never did.
Route Eight came into view beneath us, winding paths cutting through rocky terrain, patches of grass broken up by water, cliffs dropping away into the distance. Towns dotted the landscape like afterthoughts, smaller than I expected.
They weren't any named areas from the game, which made sense. There were loads of small towns and areas littered below that I couldn't recall from the top of my head.
The proof was the mountain of forests plaguing some parts of Route Eight.
After a few minutes, I started scrolling on my phone due to my short attention span, hopping through websites about battling. I soon landed on the official Galar League site, reading about the rules.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Basics to Pokemon Battles
1: Attacking an evolving Pokemon is prohibited.
2: Attacking a fainted/downed Pokemon is prohibited.
3: A Pokemon pretending to faint, then striking afterwards is prohibited.
4: Standard battle has a minimum wager of ₱100
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Other rules covered switch-ins and team size limits, but that was too much to learn for now. I could at least have a few battles before heading home.
I had ₱5500, around 55 USD give or take. Plenty of potential for battling. On top of Pokémon Center services being free, because it's already paid by taxes. Pretty neat.
No medical bills here, which is Arceus-send.
The taxi began its descent shortly after.
A small town came into view, but one white building resembling a bird sanctuary at the back caught my attention. It reminded me of gym buildings in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. They definitely looked way more lifeless than the general gyms in other games.
Looking closer, the landing area was already crowded with other flying taxis.
'There are other kids getting their starters too.' As we touched down, the door slid open with a soft hiss.
Piers stood first and stepped outside, while I followed.
Kids our age were everywhere, some in small groups, others with parents, some already clutching their partner Pokémon. A Grookey chattered from someone's shoulder. A Sobble clung nervously to another kid's leg. A Scorbunny bounced excitedly.
That will be me soon.
Corviknight taxis lined the landing area like a wall. It looked pretty intimidating considering there was an army of seven-foot birds.
The man who'd escorted us checked a tablet and waved us off.
"You're scheduled for the day," he said. "No need to rush. Get your Pokémon in the lab and take some time to know them. Maybe go to town and grab a bite."
I nodded, remembering his Corviknight taxi number: 108.
Piers just nodded back.
Since we arrived together, we walked toward the lab side by side.
The lab doors slid open.
Inside was quieter. Cooler. Blue walls filled by posters and screens reminded me of Professor Sycamore's place in the anime. A front desk sat near the entrance, manned by a young assistant who looked up as we approached.
"Names?" she asked, fingers already moving.
"Kenji Mitsusada," I said.
"…Piers Spikemuth," he added, which surprised me slightly.
His last name was straight up the name of the town we lived in. That might explain why he cares so much about the place. I wouldn't doubt the current gym leader of Spikemuth is related to him.
She tapped away, eyes flicking between screens. A pause, then a nod.
"All right, you two are cleared. You'll be Room Three." She gestured down a side hall. We walked again.
The room was smaller than I expected. Clean. Bright. One long desk in the center. Behind it, a massive pane stretched wall-to-wall, revealing a contained sanctuary: grass, trees, structures, dozens of Pokémon running, climbing, playing.
Grookey leapt between branches. Scorbunny raced in circles. Sobble was somewhere.
A woman in a lab coat turned from the glass and smiled.
"Good timing," she said warmly. "You'll be choosing your partner Pokémon with me today."
She moved with easy confidence, holding three Pokéballs and setting them down on the table.
"There are many of each partner Pokémon," she continued, gesturing to the sanctuary. "So don't panic if you both want the same species. Take your time." She also mentioned each starter's egg moves.
I focused, thinking carefully. Before reaching for a Pokéball, I considered moves like Fake Out. In the games, it's a priority move, perfect for disrupting an opponent on turn one. But real life battles? Mechanics might differ. What if timing, distance, or the Pokémon's reaction changed the effect? I'd need to watch carefully.
Light flashed.
Grookey appeared first, landing softly, eyes wide. Its curious gaze landed on both of us.
"This is Grookey, the Chimp Pokémon. Grass-type."
"Groo Groo Groo (Hello Hello Hello)!" It greeted with enthusiasm, and I resisted the urge to pet it immediately.
Sobble appeared next, tail curling nervously.
"This is Sobble, the Water Lizard Pokémon. Water-type."
Sobble's little voice muttered, "Sobble… (Where am I)?"
Scorbunny bounced in last, fists clenched, energy practically radiating off it.
"Scor Scor (Hi Hello Hiiiii)!"
"Finally, Scorbunny the Rabbit Pokémon. Fire-type."
Piers shifted beside me.
"I'm still thinking," he said deadpan. "He can go first. I don't mind waiting."
"…Thanks," I said.
He shrugged, stepping back slightly. The starters' attention shifted fully to me.
Grookey met my eyes, tilted its head, then smiled.
"…Yeah," I murmured. "Okay."
I reached out.
"I'll choose Grookey."
The reaction was immediate. Grookey practically inflated with joy. Scorbunny froze. Sobble slumped.
The Professor smiled. "Good choice."
She handed me Grookey's Pokéball and five empty ones.
"Five to start," she said. "Your Pokédex app has a one-year free trial. After that, standard League rates."
I nodded. Fingers curled around the smooth metallic balls.
Grookey hopped closer, looking expectantly.
"…Hey," I said, kneeling. Slowly petting it multiple times, it growled in satisfaction, bringing a wide smile to my face.
Piers stepped forward.
"I also want a Grookey," he said.
The woman nodded without comment.
"I've registered the Pokéballs in your names. Only registered users can use them. This also lets you view their moves and species info," Professor Haley explained, drawing my attention back to my phone.
Opening the app, I checked my "Party Slots."
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Party
Grookey >
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
I studied the UI carefully. Impressive indeed.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Species: Grookey
Type: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
Attacking Moves: Growl, Scratch, Fake Out (Egg), Hammer Arm (Egg), Strength (Egg)
Auxiliary Moves: Growth (Egg), Leech Seed (Egg)
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
'How does he know [Strength] and [Hammer Arm] but not a grass move?' I blinked. Maybe every starter being given away has broken egg moves too. Not changing my choice, though.
Rillaboom is probably the starter I know most from the games. While mainly used in 2v2, it's bulky and has priority with [Grassy Glide]. Fast, hard-hitting, and can tank hits.
If Cinderace had [Libero], the choice might differ. Due to the hidden ability allowing Cinderace to change typing depending on what move it used which was a scary sight in battle. Grookey also learns [Grassy Terrain] when evolving, almost like a hidden move.
Rillaboom if using [Grassy Terrain], could act as a "hidden ability" while also having his normal one.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
We soon left the lab together.
Grookey followed instead of staying in the Pokéball. Felt right, like Ash's Pikachu in the anime. Would he always be outside of his ball? No, but being outside at times like this wouldn't be bad for bonding.
Piers had put his Grookey away like his Linoone.
He looked at me, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Uh, my name is Piers," he said, extending a hand. "Sorry for not talking before."
"Oh." I shook my head. "Don't sweat it, everyone has those days."
"Wanna head into town together? We still got a lot of time." His deadpan tone screamed awkwardness. I had one thought: Pokémon battle.
"Sure. Say, Piers, do you want to battle with our new Pokémon?"
"No." He answered in an instant. "If you're looking for battles, every town's battlefield is usually behind the Pokémon Center. We can go look."
We checked the map. Pokémon Center icon popped up easily.
"You got PokeNet?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
Sent request. Accepted without comment. Piers interestingly enough only 11 followers. No profile picture. Must not use it much before he started singing.
Fuck, I hate socializing.
Walking a few minutes, the Pokémon Center looked just like the games. Behind it was a sprawling battle area, divided like basketball courts.
We approached the nearest one.
Piers sat on a bench. "I'll just watch."
"Alright," I replied. I held out my Pokéball. "I'll return you just for a bit. First battle."
"Grookey Groo (Okay trainer man)!"
I patted him, indulging for the seventh time since receiving him. Then returned him.
A kid approached with a Scorbunny bouncing beside him.
"Hey, you here to battle? A thousand Pokédollars." He abruptly says, already wagering money instead of introducing himself. Maybe that's how it worked over in the Pokemon world. Fight now, talk later.
"Sure, let's go." We moved to an empty area.
I tapped my Pokéball twice.
"Grooo keyy (Let's get active)!"
A small smirk crept up. 'My first battle, with my first Pokémon. Life is great.'
The opponent moved first. "Scorbunny, [Tackle]!"
Knowing Grookey's moveset from memory, a certain attack came to my mind. Would using [Fake Out], a priority move in the games work the same in real life?
"[Fake Out]," I ordered.
Grookey ran, meeting Scorbunny in the middle of the grounds, slapping his branch and free hand on Scorbunny's face. Causing the poor guy to flinch, completely stopping in its tracks.
"Don't give up, [Tackle]!" the trainer shouted.
Not wasting a moment "[Strength]," I call out.
Grookey in a bright white hue, swung with his free hand. Sending Scorbunny back a metre. Hitting the ground, rolling for a bit.
"Oh no, are you okay Scorbunny?" The Trainer asked worried. It nodded, worse for wear. "[High Jump Kick] now!"
'Oh shit.'
"Run away!" I said, activating my secret move.
Grookey sprinted sideways as the Scorbunny sailed past him.
The miss was bad.
Scorbunny hit the floor, with the recoil finishing the fight. Defeated like Yamcha. Grookey turned around and pumped his stick in celebration.
"Grookey Grookey (I did it trainer man)!"
I jogged forward and hugged him, patting endlessly.
Other kid returned Scorbunny, handed over money without talking. He walked to the Center, head down. I almost felt bad. Still, money is money.