Hilbert was ready for the new day. He and his partner, Elekid, had met in Virbank Complex, as he enjoyed playing around the area as a child. It hadn’t taken much convincing to get him to join his Pokemon journey. They were just the average Trainer and enjoyed battling around Virbank Complex during the day.
The duo walked into the area bright and early, ready for another fun filled day. They knew the outer Complex like the back of their hand. Only one star Pokemon like Elekid roamed the area, making it relatively safe for them.
“Which way should we go today? He asked his partner with a smile.
Elekid stood in the middle of the large road that cut the Complex in two. He turned his head back and forth, trying to decide their direction.
“That way?” He asked.
Elekid stuck out his arm, signaling their journey forward. It was their hobby to find new areas they had never been before. Battling wasn’t on the top of their list as much as having fun.
They twisted and turned before coming to a strange sight. A large blue dome sat in the middle of a usually empty outdoor space. The tent had black lines where the supports were, but was otherwise rather shiny.
“Someone was sleeping here?” He wondered aloud.
The duo gawked at the sight, unsure what to do. It seemed strange to sleep somewhere dangerous when hundreds of meters away they could rest safely in the city. Pokemon Centers catered to Trainers for just that reason.
The duo stepped forwards, but were stopped as a presence filled the area. They stopped short and gave up on the idea of investigating. They turned in fright as the pressure decreased. The duo turned away, none the wiser how close to disaster they had come.
***
Lilith woke up with a big smile. The previous day had been one of great productivity. They had learned a new move, and acquired a new item. It was evening, with the sun still up. They packed as fast as they could before hurrying inside to their safety. No direct sunlight hit the small courtyard due to the height of the walls, but she could feel the sensitivity growing by the day. It was odd how the energy from her two Pokemon continued to change her.
“Yawn!” Reflexively her hand was brought to her mouth.
Warm air escaped her as she inclined into a sitting position. The motion shook Absol awake but kept the gem-like Pokemon still. Her fur stood ready for an attack, but followed her Partner’s unbothered care. A hand calmed her as they both lay together.
It took some time, but the duo eventually got up. Sableye received a kick in the rear and finally got into motion. He loved to sleep more than any of them, considering his natural habitat being underground. The caves his species trolled were untouched by the day and night cycle. Time was much more subjective when nothing environmental could be used as a reference.
“Let’s go!” Lilith cheered for another fun day.
The group set off once more.
“What should we do today?” She wondered aloud.
Sableye gave his best shoulder shrug impression while Absol let out a bark.
“Hmm, I agree. Practicing Will-O-Wisp should be our priority.” She thumbed her chin, “ Maybe some power training afterwards…”
The only question remaining was where to go. The area with Growlithe wouldn’t work as Fire types couldn’t be burned. Unfortunately they were the only other Pokemon seen in their exploration thus far. Random Pokemon all alone like the Dunsparce weren’t reliable enough as a source, so the group was at a loss.
“Guess we just have to run around and see what comes up…” They all sighed.
With that, the group chose a different direction to explore. They pushed through a creaky set of doors into an unlit hall. Others might have found the ambiance spooky and mysterious, but the group could see through it all. Floor tiles lay unearthed and crumbled while the pain on the walls was dried up and cracked.
Vines and greenery pushed through at different places as the Complex was returning to nature. That didn’t stop them in their move forward. Not Pokemon approached them, but pawprints in the dust and dirt signaled their presence. The hallway was similarly long as the others until it branched off in different directions. They chose a new path at random, heading deeper into the darkness.
It took some time, but a new room eventually opened up before them. The room was set up similarly to the assembly lines they had seen previously. A crack in the roof bled a sliver of the setting Sun and illuminated the center of the large room. Metallic scrap was piled into heaps and divided the room.
Sableye took a step inside to investigate. Before he could get too far, something scampered across the floor.
Stolen story; please report.
“There…” She whispered to the other two.
A small purple coat glimmered in the sunlight. Sableye followed her pointing, until he locked onto the rat Pokemon. Without knowing its intentions, Sableye stayed out of sight. The edge of the room was the darkest and hid them from sight. He activated Will-O-Wisp and got ready for the surprise attack. Everyone watched and waited until the flames became more noticeable. He could hide them no longer.
Sableye jumped out from behind an overturned cart while Absol watched from the doorway. His incursion caught the Rattata off guard as the flames spun through the air and made contact with his body.
Lilith expected the attack to be much more flashy, but instead, seemed to seep into its target's body. The Rattata became obviously uncomfortable as the flames ate away at his internal energy. Before he could retaliate, however, Sableye disappeared from view.
In his initial fear, the small Rattatta ran around in circles. He appeared to have little consideration or thought to his movement. To his credit, Status Conditions were crippling in the wild. Freeze and Sleep wore off with time, but Burn, Paralysis, and Poison stayed until one of three scenarios.
1. The user had a move like Heal Bell to negate the condition.
2. The user has access to an item that cures the specific type.
3. The user feints.
Rattata tried fleeing but was intercepted with a Fake-Out. His stunned reaction gave time to succumb to the Burn. The Pokemon lay on the ground, unconscious and alive.
“Haha!” Lilith cheered.
Everyone converged onto the downed Pokemon to analyze further.
“So it isn’t a physical burn, but one that affects the energy within. That must be why they go away once feinted, because there isn’t any more fuel to keep the infection going…” Lilith poked and prodded the unconscious Rattatta while writing on her notepad.
It felt cruel at first, but the Burns were superficial.
After they had their fill, the group tucked away his body under a small pile of rubble. Escape would be easy once recovered, but they wanted to make sure he would be okay after they left.
Once done, they turned back to their surroundings hoping for another battle. Much to their surprise, everything had vanished. The initial commotion scared all Pokemon away, leaving them alone.
“Well…” Lilith sighed.
With one success, all there was left to do was grind out some experience. The team took to the halls like a vengeance. Any stray Pokemon was attacked at sight before tucking them away after defeat. No new or surprising Pokemon jumped out at them, mainly being similar to the game. Patrat, Rattata made nests on the ground while Pidove roosted in the raptors above. They were the hardest to reach and few were ever felled.
Sableye was handing out burns like candy. His Prankster ability did wonders for practice. Even if they were spotted first, he would get his attack off first. The small flame orbs appeared at will.
Magnemite were a rarer and extremely territorial encounter. They attacked anything that moved and continued to fight even if outclassed. It was a wonder how anyone caught them, let alone train them.
Elikid and Magby were supposed to be around, but none were seen. It made sense in hindsight, having considered how they weren’t Unovan in origin.
Lilith was pleased with Sableye’s training overall. She was glad they had spent the night training, but was getting a little tired of camping outside.
It was time to head back and rest up in a Pokemon Center. The Gym Challenge wouldn’t schedule itself, leaving another item on their to-do list. Levy and Sam had yet to be contacted.
There was no need to make camp, heading straight for the entrance of Virbank Complex. An exact map of the area wasn’t given out, only a blank radius showing the total area. Two dots lit up the screen, showing the users location, as well as the entrance. It helped the team maneuver their way back to the main road. The path cut the area in two, making their journey back uneventful.
‘It must be a deliberate decision, considering they could have an accurate map in no time at all.’ She thought.
The Sun arched over the smaller buildings to her right, signaling the new day. It had been an entire night of training and the time had flown by. Young Trainers lined the road and were already up and about their day. It was the place everyone went to get their battles in. The location proved to be ideal, given that no battles were allowed in the streets of Virbank. The Gym was welcoming, but much smaller than Aspertia’s so they went where the space was. With both cities being relatively new, they should have been the same size, but Cheren’s fame over Roxie’s led to a growth spurt unlike anything the League had seen.
The Complex made for a unique attraction, increasing with the rare species not normally seen in Unova. It was one of the few reasons they could compete in size.
Purrloin and Pidove faced off against each other as she walked back. Trainers stood across from one another, while younger kids watched from the side. Despite the relative danger, no one ever got hurt. The lane was the safest place even for kids without Pokemon. The city guard patrolled the central lane and kept everyone safe. Once someone stepped off the main reload, however, they were on their own.
“Come on! You can do it!” Someone cheered.
The air was rousing and everyone cheered along. Both Pokemonwere relatively low level, but Lilith couldn’t help but slow and watch. They clashed continuously and she found herself excited for some action, an itch she needed to scratch.
“Hey! Do you want to battle?” An eager young boy ran up to her. “ You look strong!”
Lilith stopped and took in her competitor.
‘Just in time!’ She thought.
He still looked relatively young, but so did she. He had on a blue baseball cap and loose sportswear. It was hard connecting to people who looked so young, despite her looking the same. There was no prize money considering kids gambling on how strong they were was a bad idea. There was no reason to refuse.
“Sure, how many Pokemon do you have?” She asked.
“I’ve got two! What about you?” he said excitedly.
“The same.” she replied.
The standard rules were accepted, having two random Pokemon to start with and no switches. With the start of a new battle, the smaller kids crowded around, ready for another exciting clash.
“One Two Three!”
The crowd cheered and the battle began.