"Strong Pokémon are born. Strong Trainers are made."
I read this on a book at my home the night before my departure. I thought it was a very cool line at that time. But I'll never agree with the former sentence for it's implications. Pokemon can be trained to become strong. Every Magikarp has the ability to become a Gyarados. Even a bidoof can do wonders if it's trainer has the tenacity to stick with training it.
Even if you can't tell a Pokemon's strength at a glance. You can estimate it's capability and power by comparing it to the mons you've faced before. I couldn't tell a wild pidgey apart from a trained one until yesterday when I faced them.
Wild pokemon are usually weaker than trained pokemon as wild pokemon fight for survival, not to master techniques or timing of attacks like trainer mon. Even among trained pokemon you can clearly notice the difference between the individual skill of the pokemon from the same species.
Pokemon of experienced trainers and gym leaders are far more lethal and accurate in their moves. Their utilisation of some moves maybe totally different. A squirtle who's experienced won't tackle by rushing in blindly but wait for it's opponent to let their guard down after exhausting them by spamming ranged water attacks from a distance.
My goal with Bob is to make him a literal tank. With high defence and ranged power, only the stronger pokemon like dragonite might be able to damage him with effort.
I do agree with the latter remark that suggests trainers aren't born strong, but my current opponent doesn't seem to think so.
"You're lying! How could you beat me after only being a trainer for a day? My raticate and I are partners since months!" a small girl says as she gives me 138 dollars.
"Beginners luck, I guess." I almost smile but I'd feel bad if she starts bawling right now.
Her mistake was to challenge me with only a single pokemon. Trainers usually train one pokemon at a time to get used to their moves, nature, etc.
I thought of testing my newly caught pidgey, Icarus against this girl's raticate who could potentially spam hyper fang or even endeavor. But Icarus ended the fight with a single gust attack.
I think Icarus needs to train against mons larger than him. I have the perfect target, Ekans.
Ekans often live in tall grassy areas where they slither with great stealth. Though often associated as a land Pokémon, they are capable of swimming long distances. When threatened in the wild, it will rattle its tail, flick its tongue to check its surroundings like a snake, and might use the move Glare to scare the opponent and have a possible getaway.
I'll have to force a battle to give Icarus the stimuli to evolve into a Pidgeotto. I feel like he's close and yet so far. After only having picked on weak trainers it's attitude has become narrow, like a frog in the well. I'll need to show it a charizard or something of the same caliber to get him into a competitive spirit.
Having beat two other small fry, each with a pidgey and weedle, I keep walking towards route 22 and come across another soon to be victim. A kid in shorts with his metapod out. These kids think their first partner mons are invincible. I take advantage of their delusions and KO their mons in the first move.
This time I bring out Percy, the spearow.
"SKREE!" he cries out to intimidate his opponent. Only to cackle after seeing it's his natural prey. Even a half baked trainer should know bug types are booty cheeks in face of flying types.
Even little Timmy here starts to complain "Stop being a coward and use your own metapod!"
'This guy is as stupid as a slowpoke.' Why don't trainers use their knowledge to abuse type advantages? If you can score a disadvantage on your opponent that's fair game to me. Fair battles are for naive idiots who think the world is all sunshine and rainbows.
The first step to winning the battle is to make your opponent feel that they're at a disadvantage. The way of the ancient Devil is to make your opponent feel that they're already losing before you've made the first move.
I'm just using that tactic as my approach for battling. It's what I learnt by myself from surviving schoolyard fights, the one who yells the loudest and makes themself seem bigger wins by looking more confident and the quieter one always backs down.
"Finish your battle only using peck." I command Percy as he flies up in the air above the sorry metapod. Metapod are remarkably patient, enduring whatever pain they must to reach their final stages. They must remain upright while biding their time or risk spilling out their innards.
They are often regarded as nearly useless in battle, as freshly-caught Metapod are incapable of damaging foes at all. Luckily, however, the Caterpie line undergoes some of the quickest evolutions known to date, and it does not take very long for Metapod to finally evolve into Butterfree.
If this guy evolves mid battle. It might become an interesting match. Butterfree is a part of the psychic type pokemons, who're notoriously difficult to face in the Kanto region. The only counter to a psychic type is another of it's own.
I'm hoping it evolves though. It'll be interesting to see a butterfree for the first time ever.
"Metapod use harden!"
The metapod hardens it's cocoon like the Red Riot guy from My Hero Academia anime.
Percy uses peck but the damage dealt is negligible. I'm estimating this fight will last from 4-5 exchanges if the metapod can only spam the Hardening move.
Metapod uses harden again and percy just keeps at pecking the tiny guy. The fight is shaping to look like torture for the Metapod. Suddenly, it's cocoon starts to crack open and white light pours out.
'Oh shit it's happening.' I'm excited to face my first psychic type, it was inevitable sooner or later. I'm thinking of training my own Butterfree for it's psychic moves but it's not worth the hassle. I'll get better return of investment on an abra instead.
"Holy shit! You did it Metapod! You are a Butterfree now! I wish you could see how beautiful you are!" this kid looks to be on cloud nine.
"Time to show this loser who's the boss! Use Confusion Butterfree!"
Bad-mouthed children are the worst. I could retort back but I'm curious to see how the move works in real life.
Percy the spearow seems to spasm for a second in air. It seems like a weak telekinetic attack hit him. But I couldn't see it at all. That's so overpowered. With that you could turn someone into a vegetable if you keep spamming it.
This might not be true as humans in this world have evolved differently to live alongside pokemon. I thank God again that I wasn't physically transferred here.
Did it leave Percy confused though? Percy yells out a sharp "SKRAA" to signal that he isn't phased.
"Yeah you're cooked bro." I tell my opponent after Percy goes in for a final peck on the butterfree. Evolving didn't get rid of it's bug typing and actually nerfed it's defence.
I'd have faced some difficulty if the Butterfree was trained in this move but it wasn't, yet. If I plan on using a Butterfree, I would spam stun spores and poison powder on my opponent's pokemon and swap my butterfree for a tanky mon like Bob. This tactic will be decent against trainers who're low on usable pokemon.
"Thanks for the fight. Congrats on your Metapod evolving." I'm happy for this kid. An evolved mon gets a huge boost in stats physically and can even change typings.
Evolving mid battle is one of my favorite tropes. I wish one day it'll happen to me too.
"Thanks. Your Spearow is so strong. I need to catch one myself. You're from Pallet Town I guess?"
"Yeah I came here after becoming an official Pokemom trainer a day ago."
"You're incredibly strong for a day old trainer. Strong Pokemon only listen to capable trainers so it makes me think you're lying."
"I'm knowledgeable about my pokemon bro."
"Seems so, anyone can learn about pokemon though."
"I'm just talented I suppose."
"I'd have it no other way. I've defeated every other kid in this block. It'd look bad if I lost to some nobody trainer. I don't think any kid has a chance at winning against you" he sounds like a fan already. Considering we're at the same age I must look like a genius to him.
"You're pretty good too" I reciprocate his compliment and move onwards. Blue wouldn't even waste his time battling local trainers. That's one of the reasons he'll lose to me.
He knows he's better than others as he believes in himself more than his pokemon. He's a self conscious smart ass. Knowing all the moves to counter the other pokemon is where he gets his confidence from. But knowing how to walk isn't the same as appreciating the anatomy of the human leg.
Well I can't talk the big talk yet as I haven't been able to showcase my ability as a battler so far.
I love battling trainers but I haven't faced a battle where I'm challenged yet. A challenge for me isn't the same as others. If I battle the Champion Lance right now, I won't feel challenged at all. I know I'll lose immediately.
A Challenge for me is when I don't know the outcome of the battle until I've given it my all. Only by overcoming those uncertain challenges I can grow as a battler dynamically. Gathering the data from my previous battles will serve as my foundation to rely on. But facing tough challengers is where I'll actually improve.
Now that every other kid is staying out of my way, I arrive at route 22 at noon and run into a meowth lying face down. 'Sleeping in broad daylight must feel nice.'
I bring out Tyson the rattata and command him to initiate the battle with tackling the meowth. This sleepy guy wakes up after sensing the attack and tries to bite Tyson.
"Stay back Tyson!" I kinda fucked up sending a rat to take down a cat to be honest. But the meowth doesn't look battle ready yet.
'Tyson can use tail whip or tackle, both are useless against this guy.' Then I know what to do.
"Tyson run quickly in between it's legs!"
Tyson gets the memo quickly and starts rushing towards the meowth.
Tyson doesn't waste time in looking to dodge an attack, it knows that it's smaller and faster than the meowth. The meowth's eyes can't keep up with Tyson's movements.
Meowth starts to get dizzy and right as Tyson goes in between it's legs, it lunges to bite Tyson. Only to fall face first in the gravel. It severely overestimated the jumping distance.
Rattata goes to pound town on the meowth, tackling it continuously. I tell him to stop his assault and throw my pokeball, followed by a successful capture.
Pokedex scans tell me the meowth is naughty natured with the ability Pickup. It picks up random items when outside of the pokeball which is basically being a kleptomaniac.
"Your name is Gary." I don't need to name every Pokemon but I do. It's a personal choice. What other difference will it have from a wild mon if it doesn't have a name? It's the least I can do. I won't use it for battles but feeding and taking care of it will handled under my name.
Maybe I'll gift him to Mom to have some more company at the house.
I encounter an ekans soon after. It being six feet long should intimidate every creature even without it's intimidate ability.
"Go Bob!"
Bob the squirtle immediately knows what to do. Poking the beast until it's weakened while keeping away from it's grasp. Once an ekans uses wrap it's over for most pokemon.
Bob can withstand that by withdrawing into it's shell but taking unnecessary risks isn't my style.
Ekans starts to prepare for a poison sting as bob's bubbles don't hurt it significantly.
"Bob withdraw!" He tanks the barb just in time by going into his shell.
"Use bubble again." I need to keep switching alternatively between defence and offence. With this tactic ekans can only choose to close the distance by lunging for Bob to bite him with it's venomous fangs.
Ekans predictively gets annoyed and goes in for a bite. "Withdraw Bob!" even without me telling him, he's already slipped into his shell. Ekans bites his shell with full force but it's unable to crack it.
I get nervous, what if Bob dies here? I can't let that happen.
"Bob attack the body!"
Bob under the unimaginable stress uses the bite move on the side of ekans' head.
The Ekans lets go of Bob from the critical damage it received on it's head. It can't focus on Bob as it is disoriented now. I throw a pokeball immediately. It must be at it's weakest state right now. Further delay might ruin my chances.
With three quick jerks, I hear the sweet ding sound. Signaling it's capture.
"Your name is Sasuke." It's a memorable name, I'll name it's evolution Orochimaru.
I rush worriedly to check on Bob. He keeps crying "squirt-squirt" as to assure me he's completely fine.
"You're tough bro."
Suddenly I hear shouts of adult men from around me.
"Keep searching this area!"
I crouch immediately and notice a couple of heads appear from where the shout came from. All of them wearing the infamous black uniform with a big symbol 'R' on their frontwards.