Friday, June 2nd, 1978, 0615

I blinked my eyes awake as my natural alarm woke me up like clockwork. Since I turned five and officially started training, I had been expected to rise with the sun daily. Even though it was still early, I could already feel the summer heat creeping into my tent. The inside of my tent was damp with condensation, and I could tell I had been sweating in my sleep.

I tentatively gave my body a whiff and grimaced at the sharp tang of sweat. I was going to make it a priority to rinse off before I ran into Ellie, not wanting to risk what I thought was as relatively strong first day with my first acquaintance outside of the family near my own age. I had a sinking feeling that it would be something she would never let me live down after my comments about her packing habits. I yawned and stretched my arms out over my head, trying to shake the sleep out of my body.

I could feel a few twinges of soreness shoot through my legs. Although I had been prepared for this, a long hike like yesterday's still had an effect, however minor. I quickly got dressed and took stock of my surroundings. The sky was clear, and it looked like I would be able to enjoy my morning routine with a beautiful view of a violet sunrise. I could hear Ellie snoring fitfully even from here. I stifled a chuckle, knowing how sore she would be from the first day. No offense to Ellie, but my initial assessment of her physical capabilities left lots of room for improvement.

I grabbed my pack and filled my water bottle from one of the side pouches; much of the hidden volume was dedicated to carrying clean water. It was relatively easy to find potable drinking sources, but there was no guarantee on a long excursion like this, so I had planned accordingly. I took a long pull from the bottle and headed towards the same clearing we had been training in last night.

The vestiges of our training last night were visible despite Ellie's pokemon being new to battling. The trees around the clearing sported a variety of wounds from her pokemon trying their hardest to muster up an actual attack. I smiled at the progress before settling into my morning routine.

Just because I was on the road didn't mean it was an excuse to neglect my own physical training. As I had told Ellie last night, the Seiichi was predominantly a military clan, including its people and pokémon. I wasn't as good as Sula or Kiriel, but I was still a decent combatant in my own right if the situation called for it. I had been trained in archery, polearm use, and hand-to-hand combat from a young age even thought there was hardly any likelihood I would ever make use of those skills.

I slowly settled into the familiar routine, starting with a series of movements that progressed from static to dynamic stretches before culminating in a circuit of different calisthenics exercises. I could feel the slight soreness from the previous day dissipate just a few minutes into the workout. Although counterintuitive, working out like this helped the body recover from strenuous exercise and I was a large proponent of active recovery days.

I quickly built up a sweat as I let myself relax into the process. The familiarity helped me center myself for the rest of the day. As I finished, I took another pull from my canteen and headed towards the nearby stream to clean myself up. Nana and Eon followed suit silently while constantly checking the surroundings for any threats. While I had been exercising, they also worked on building up and maintaining energy in their bodies without actually expelling it.

Barring actual combat, it was the best way to expand their capacity to channel various attacks without causing a huge ruckus. We made it to the stream uneventfully, and I enjoyed the peaceful solitude provided by the sound of the gently running water. I didn't jump in entirely, but I wiped down my body as well as possible. As soon as I was sure I could pass the smell test I had previously failed, I had Nana turn up his ambient body heat to help me dry off. We returned to the camp, where Ellie still appeared to be dead to the world.

Using some wood I had collected the previous evening, I had Nana start a fire so I could begin preparing breakfast: green tea, oatmeal, and some dried meat. We would likely have the same breakfast every day for the foreseeable future. It wasn't anything glamorous, but it got the job done.

As I waited for the kettle I had set over the fire to boil, I decided to look at the map Sula had given me. It contained a spattering of notes for the region, including common pokémon in each area, the best place to eat out in each town, and other random observations that caught Sula's fancy as she traveled throughout Kanto her first year.

I was impressed with the amount of detail it contained. Ellie was right when she said trainers hoarded journals like this; Sula probably could have sold this for thousands of credits had she wanted to, especially since she had taken off in popularity the last year. The worst part of her fame was that it wasn't uncommon for people to mistake me for her, leading to an all-around awkward situation. Sula loved it, of course, but for me, it was mortifying. I still had high hopes our appearances would diverge as I finally got hit harder with the puberty stick.

The area we were in had little noted on the map; Pidgey, Venonat, Bellsprout, and Weepinbell were the most common, but there were occasional sightings of Venomoth in the evening.

Rattata and Raticate spread throughout the country since they could survive just about anywhere; they would make up most of my pokémon's diet during our travels, considering they were relatively weak and much more aggressive than their size warranted. From my experience, they often found themselves in losing battles with nothing to blame but their genetics.

As I looked at the notes, I mentally reviewed the route we were planning on taking. Starting in Fuchsia, we would travel east along the southern coast for about a week through moderate forest before hitting the eastern coast. Then, we would follow the coastline for a few days until we came to the junction between Vermilion City and Lavender Town.

This route was sparse besides the League-mandated ranger camps. However, there was a distinctive symbol that caught my eye; it looked like some type of hot tub that had a large golden star sticker stuck next to it. I surmised that it was some type of hot springs inn. They were a popular destination in the country for urbanites looking to get away for a few days, and they were scattered throughout Kanto. After that, It was just a short journey West until we reached Vermilion, the site of our first gym battle against Kuon of the Kumire Clan, who specialized in electric types.

The first leg of the journey was undoubtedly going to be the hardest. Fuchsia was at the edge of Kanto and was relatively difficult to reach. It usually only saw a surge of trainers later into the season as they worked up the courage to challenge Kiriel. I hoped the Larvitar egg would hatch soon, as I planned on immediately throwing it into the grinder to prepare it for battle against the electric gym. Its ground-rock typing would severely hamper Kuon's options in the match, hopefully letting me start the circuit off with a bang.

The guide Kiriel had provided gave a breakdown of the Larvitar line's strengths and weaknesses; it apparently had great offensive and defensive stats but was solidly lacking in speed and had several debilitating type disadvantages we would need to prepare for. Water and Grass type-energy would hit the little guy hard. I would need Ellie's pokémon to help the Larvitar build resilience as we traveled.

I fished around until I found a journal to begin writing down the beginnings of a potential training plan for the soon-to-be baby pokémon. My strategizing was interrupted barely after I started by the sounds of my camping partner bumbling her way out of the tent. I put away my journal and directed my attention to the sad mess I saw before me.

Gone was the bright and chipper young woman from yesterday. Her auburn hair was strewn every which way, and her eyes had already lost the excited luster that had been so charming.

"I can't move; please help," Ellie groaned pitifully as she limped out of her tent towards the fire. "Caffeine, please. Do you have coffee?" she asked as she plopped heavily on the ground.

I shook my head vigorously. "I don't apologize for the inconvenience, but there is no coffee here. I do, however, have some tea for you."

I poured her a cup of the aromatic brew I had been working on.

Ellie was clearly unimpressed as she screwed up her face in distaste.

"Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has a small amount of naturally occurring caffeine," I explained as I sat down to enjoy my cup of the precious liquid. "Coffee messes with your blood sugar levels, leading to a later crash. It also increases the amount of dilute urine produced in the body, which causes you to become more rapidly dehydrated, which is dangerous in hot summer weather like this."

I glanced up to find that Ellie was looking suspiciously my way. "What are you, some kind of doctor? Why do you even know that kind of stuff?" Ellie asked as she reluctantly sipped her tea. "And also, you're doing it again. Stop talking so mechanically. It's weird."

I shrugged. "This is just how things are in the clan. We're expected to maintain excellent physical health and awareness of the effects of various substances on our bodies. Kiriel strongly believes that pokémon take inspiration from their trainer; if you're healthy and focused, strong pokémon will follow. It's not like I have a lot of leeway to challenge protocol that has existed for decades in my family, anyway."

I downed my cup of tea, already feeling rejuvenated, before moving to change the topic. "How are you feeling today? That was a long walk for someone just getting into hiking."

"It's already hot. I want to shower. My legs feel like lead, and I want a cup of coffee,” she groaned.

"But…," she paused, as if considering her words carefully, "I still feel pretty happy, all things considered. I think this will be good for me!"

I chuckled at her simple breakdown of the situation. "I'm happy to hear that! I was worried you would be down for the count today, and we would have to wait for you to recover," I said as I scooped up some oatmeal into a few camp bowls for the both of us. "Nana found a stream just north of here. It's not the same as a shower, but you can at least wipe your body down."

I handed her the bowl with an apologetic smile. "The water is still lukewarm, but it might as well be a fresh mountain spring in this heat. I already took a turn at the stream, so it's all yours to freshen up after we finish eating."

"Cool, thank you," she said between bites. "By the way, I meant to tell you I really like your hair. It's so pretty for a boy! You must take excellent care of it. Most boys I know just keep it short and don't really do anything with their hair. I have to work really hard to make sure mine looks decent. It's such a hassle. I might as well shave it if every day is going to be like yesterday," Ellie mused aloud while plucking at a rogue strand of auburn hair sticking perpendicularly out of her bed-head.

I looked up at her in surprise, not expecting a random compliment. I was generally self-conscious about my hair since it was not the norm for boys my age. It was just one more factor separating me from others. A smile tugged its way onto my face against my will. "Thanks, I guess? I feel self-conscious about it most of the time," I said.

"Why?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "It makes you stand out."

"That's exactly the problem," I replied. "I don't want to stand out. I'll happily shave your head for you, though, if you're serious. Maybe Kiriel would let me shave my head too if we showed up like that in Vermilion."

"Hmmm," she mused as she slurped up the last of her breakfast. "I'll think about it, but let me test things out for the next few days before I make such as big decison. I do think my hair is pretty, after all. Just annoying. The curse of being woman, I suppose?"

Not sure how to respond, I changed the subject. "A-anyway, you should hurry up and get yourself cleaned up so we can get some ground covered. The sooner we get onto the main route, the sooner we can start fighting other trainers."

"Yes, yes, I'm hurrying. We're just going to be walking all day anyway," she pointed out.

"The sooner we start, the sooner we end! I'll wait here for you," I said with a wave towards the nearby stream.

Ellie finally got the message and sauntered out of the camp with River and Petal dawdling behind playfully.

I finished eating and started packing what I could while waiting for Ellie. In just a few moments, I had packed my stuff and sat around waiting for Ellie to wash up. Most predators hunted at night, so I wasn't too worried about her running into anything. However, that didn't mean I wasn't listening just in case something did happen. It would be embarrassing to report I wasn't able to protect her, especially this close to Fuchsia.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

I enjoyed the peaceful solitude for a few lovely minutes before a shrill voice interrupted the moment.

"Mare! Get over here! There's a pokémon over here! It's big and blue, and it doesn't seem very friendly," Ellie screamed frantically.

Cursing, I sprinted towards where it sounded like Ellie was and abruptly found myself nearly face to face with a medium-height bipedal pokémon walking steadily towards the sound of her shrieks.

It had spiraling loops of black and white flesh making up its torso and was topped with two bulbous eyes that were narrowed threateningly. I must have surprised it; its fists came up, and it swung at me immediately. Fortunately, I managed to jump back to avoid the strike that would have certainly ended my journey early.

As if to balance out my good fortune, I also happened to trip over a protruding rock in the stream and fell heavily into the water in front of the pokemon. As I shook the water out of my eyes, I managed to piece together the situation.

It looked like the Poliwhirl had inadvertently wandered into Ellie's impromptu bathing area and was responding to what it perceived as threat to what was likely its territory. A gaggle of Poliwag were huddled up in fear across the stream from me, not knowing how little a threat we posed to them.

Of course, we would run into an entire family of wild pokemon.

Ellie looked about halfway through her process; her hair was soaking wet, and she was stripped down to her underwear and a sports bra.

Stupidly, my hormones were able to make out that she was wearing what was colloquially known as 'granny panties.' I filed that information just in case I ever truly needed to defend myself from her incessant comments about how I spoke. Not that it mattered, now. I braced myself as the pokemon stepped towards me, hoping that Eon and Nana were on their way.

Ellie's eyes were wide in fear and concern. "Petal! Use Vine Whip," she shouted with a clear note of panic in her voice.

As the large pokémon loomed over me, I finally felt a trickle of fear begin to make its way into my chest. Before it could grow into something more, I saw a flash of green blur towards me, and Petal stood defiantly between me and the Poliwhirl. Her usually benevolent mien was distorted as she bared her teeth and viciously growled up at the water type.

Just as I scrambled up and out of the water, Petal lunged forward, her vines extending with a crack as they made direct contact with the larger pokémon. The hit immediately drew blood, which caused the Poliwhirl to recoil in pain before taking a big breath and shooting out a line of hardened marble-like bubbles that splashed painfully across Petal's small torso, drawing small welts that I knew from experience hurt like crazy.

"Bulba. Bulba- Saur!" Petal cried out threateningly as she sprang forward again to repeat the same move. Once again, her aim was true, and the vines cracked violently against the wild Poliwhirl. It went down without any retaliation and retreated into the forest on the other side of the stream with its offspring.

Petal let out a bellow of victory as she watched her defeated opponent recede into the brush. She excitedly hurried back to her owner, mewling with pride at what I imagined was her first battle.

"Shit," I muttered as I scrambled out of the water and towards Eon and Nana, who were waiting on the near side of the stream behind me. They must have bolted over when they realized there was an actual threat. My pokemon looked away from my glare; it was their job to monitor the perimeter and they clearly let something slip. I would have to have words with them, later. But now was not the time.

"Nice work, Ellie," I congratulated as I turned my back and started squeezing as much water as I could out of my clothes. I was soaked and subtly shaking from the close call but was trying to draw attention away from my reaction by staying as calm and self-assured as possible.

"T-thanks," she said. "All Petal though, if I'm being honest. Are you okay?"

"Completely fine. Thanks for asking," I replied as I tried to sneak in a few breaths to calm down. "Uh, I'll be over back at camp if you need something. It seems like you have it well in hand, however. Sound like a plan?"

".... Sure. Thanks for running over so quickly. Petal might have done the thing, but you definitely distracted that Poliwhirl by uh, falling."

I could hear the hint of a smile in her statement, so it seemed like she was doing okay. Better than me, probably.

"Right," I sighed. "Can we agree to not talk about that?"

"Maybe," she giggled. "See you in a few minutes, Mare."

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We made it back to the main trail without any further incident. We settled into a comfortable pace for the day, traveling primarily in comfortable silence as the sun rose higher into the sky. Ellie had to return her pokémon early on as they didn't have the stamina to keep up with our much longer strides. I made a mental note to encourage her to keep them out longer; they would never get stronger if she constantly babied them like that. We didn't stop for lunch, relying on dried meat and trail mix prepared for long journeys like this.

Ellie didn't complain, and I was impressed by her adaptability to what was undoubtedly a hard shift from her regular lifestyle. I had been hiking all summer with Sula, so I had thought myself resilient to the heat.

But it was hot. Really hot. I was dripping with sweat and finally decided to forgo my usual tunic and go shirtless to cool down. It was a calculated risk, as much of the path had moderate tree cover. Ironically, getting soaked at the start of the day had actually kept me quite temperate for much of the morning, at the cost of some mild chafing. A worthy trade, in my opinion. But now, I was dying of heat and was ready to risk a mild sunburn to stay cool.

I consulted my map and realized we were getting close to an outpost; it wouldn't have a full pokémon center or anything like that, but it would have a small aid station manned by a pokémon ranger.

They were required by law to be placed at least every thirty kilometers along wilderness routes to try to mitigate at least some risk for trainers. Deaths were rare, but they did happen. The fact that we were already closing in on one meant we had been making crazy good progress this morning, covering what I estimated was nearly twenty kilometers in the last five hours or so.

"Okay, I need a break," Ellie breathed out heavily. "It is hot as balls out here! I'm literally dying. Can you at least talk about something to distract me? Like, how did you get those nasty scars, for example?"

Ellie was soaked with sweat to the point that she looked about the same as she did while taking a makeshift bath earlier that morning, but thankfully more fully clothed, else I doubted I would be able to be anywhere near here without blushing and stuttering like an absolute fool.

She sat heavily with a sigh and started guzzling water as quickly as possible, completely ignoring the water spilling over her neck and chest.

I gulped at the sight before registering her question. She probably was wondering about the recent wounds from Koga's nasty snake. The wounds were healing nicely but I knew they still looked pretty nasty from an external perspective, so her question made sense.

I decided to keep it vague, shrugging, "It was just a training accident. Happens all the time; I'm hardly the only one with scars. These really aren't that bad compared to some of my trainers."

"Right," she nodded slowly, looking like she thought I was messing with her. "That's fucking wild, man. That's not normal, you know that right?"

"It is where I'm from," I said, shrugging once more. I really didn't like the attention being directed my way; it made me uncomfortable. "But believe me or not; it makes no difference to me. But anyway, I was actually just about to tell you that we're getting close to the first checkpoint out of Fuchsia City; they're spread along the coast to Vermilion. They should have food and water so we can take a break there, and we might even be lucky enough to find someone to battle," I added, relishing the opportunity to battle someone outside of my damn clan for once in my life.

"Of course, that's what you would think about," Ellie said with an eye roll. "I am excited to see an actual pokémon battle, though, like trainer against trainer. I've seen videos online and on TV, but I think the real thing is probably a lot different than I imagined."

I bobbed my head excitedly. "It's definitely an adrenaline rush. The hardest part is trying to stay calm and make the right calls so your pokémon doesn't get injured for no reason. I'm excited to battle someone that isn't Kiriel or Sula," I admitted. "I've actually never even won a match, so I don't know what to expect from someone outside of the Seiichi. To give a bit more context to your question, though, I basically just get beat up all the time," I said with a gesture to my shoulder and back.

"Yikes," she said with a pitying look. "Your family seems tough."

"Yup," I confirmed.

"So, uh, that won't happen to me if I lose a match, right?"

I chuckled, imagining Ellie running around our training field from Koga. The image brought a smile to my face. "Nope, not at all. In general, trainers are something like coaches for their pokemon and won't ever be physically impacted from the matches besides some elemental effects. You'll be fine, I promise. We're unique in how we train as far as I know. Some of the other old clans might do something similar, but a lot of them have been modernizing quickly."

"Right..." Ellie trailed off, and we walked in silence for a few moments before she finally spoke up. "You've really never won a match? Like at all? They didn't even let you win when you were just starting?"

I shook my head and confirmed, "Not a single time. The women in my family are ruthlessly competitive, even against a ten-year-old. Their pokémon are stupidly strong. Poor Nana and Eon here are far more resilient as a result," I said with pride, stroking Eon's lustrous fur that was unfortunately matted with brambles.

Eon had been trotting alongside me the whole time. She leaned into my hand, purring gently, "Vee, vee," she cooed.

"You too, Nana, I know you're there," I called out to a thicket of brush ahead of us. Nana popped his head out before continuing ahead to scout. I knew he felt bad after this morning, and he was more cautious than usual to make up for it. "Nana is normally very diligent. It's hard to get him to take a break besides pulling him into a pokeball against his will."

Ellie shook her head. "That's kinda messed up, dude. My dad isn't much of a battler, but I know he would've let me win at least once. I guess it makes sense why Nana and Eon seem like little soldiers with lives like that."

"Don't feel sorry for them. They do this of their own volition. I don't think they would have this any other way, and neither would I. I don't want anyone to look down on me and let me win. I'd rather lose every single time. Wins don't make you stronger; losses do."

"Okay, okay. Don't take everything so seriously. Jeez. I'm sorry for feeling sorry for you guys," Ellie apologized as she held up her hands defensively before continuing, "You've had such a different life than me that it's going to take a minute for me to adjust to how hardcore your life has been. I just got thrust into this and barely know anything about pokémon besides how cute they can be. If it weren't for my parents' divorce, I would've never gotten talked into any of this. I would've been comfortably sitting back in Goldenrod with my mom watching contests or hanging out with friends."

She shrugged her shoulders, easily conveying a sense of acceptance or apathy. I wasn't sure which. "My dad ended up getting custody of me due to the income from his job, but he was forced to move for the JTP, and my ass just got dragged along. Watching the project stall out after he put so much into it was heartbreaking. When he came to me with the plan he cooked up with your dad, I just didn't have it in me to refuse, especially since it was partially my idea."

I could hear some combination of sadness and regret in her voice as she continued her explanation. "He legitimately thinks this whole thing will work perfectly and fix all his problems. It's a stretch, but whatever. I'm here!" She stood up and brushed off her pants before readjusting her backpack. "Let's get to this break spot!" she said with a dazzling smile that was at odds with her words.

I nodded slowly, unsure how to react to what she had just shared, choosing not to press the issue. We began hiking again in silence, this one feeling a bit forced.

True to my word, we wandered into the ranger camp in just a few more minutes. There was a smattering of small cabins scattered around a large clearing to the north of the trail. Much to my surprise, we weren't the only ones here; there was a rowdy group of teenagers circled around a roughshod arena in the middle of the clearing, watching a match.

I could feel my adrenaline kick in with excitement. I was finally going to get to battle another trainer my age! "C'mon! Let's go check it out! I didn't think we would see anybody here. Let's see if we can get in on something," I exclaimed, heading towards the arena as Ellie lagged behind.

As we got closer, I assessed the ongoing battle; a Meowth lunged toward an opposing Venonat. As it closed in, the fluffy purple bug pokémon violently shook itself, emanating a cloud of yellow spores; as the cat pokemon closed in, it inadvertently inhaled, causing its muscles to lock up as the paralysis set in. It jerkily attempted to continue its swipe but fell flat on its face as its trainer groaned in frustration.

"Nice job, Venonat, use Psybeam," its trainer called out. The pokémon glowed with a pale pink light as a purple beam shot out of its forehead to hit the helpless cat pokémon. The Meowth cried out in pain before fading from consciousness as the psychic waves relentlessly assaulted it. The losing trainer pulled out a pokéball and recalled the downed pokémon. He shook his head in disappointment before walking up to the center of the arena.

"Good match," the Venonat's trainer remarked coolly as she shook hands with her defeated opponent.

"Man, I really thought I had you that time, Dani! Your Venonat is so fast with her Stun Spore," the other trainer said with a resigned grin. The two trainers exchanged a handful of small bills before returning to their respective sides of the arena.

Based on the defeated trainer's reaction, I concluded he was used to losing to this particular trainer. It was too bad, really. Once you decided somebody else was better than you it was difficult to come back from it. It was no wonder he lost with that attitude.

"What are they doing?" whispered Ellie as she leaned close to catch my attention.

"Paying up," I answered, "it's common practice to bet on the match's outcome during trainer battles. Sometimes, it's small, like fifty credits, but there's technically no cap as long as both trainers agree. Depending on your badges, Gym Battles can pay up to 100,000 credits for an eight-badge match."

Before Ellie could respond, the trainer who had just won the match shouted, "What are you two whispering about over there? Got something to say?" she said icily.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, not expecting to get called out like this just for chatting with Ellie. She must really have something to prove if she's lashing out at new arrivals like that.

She wore gray hiking pants with a cream-colored, collared linen shirt hung loosely over a teal undershirt. The outfit was quite stylish and made her look very adult-like. She seemed like she might be a year or two older than us. Her dark blue braid was draped stylishly along her shoulder, and she had cold gray eyes that immediately conveyed her intensity. Her pale skin was nearly translucent, and I absently wondered how she maintained that with all the sun most trainers saw.

Frankly, she was stunning. I tensed up with nerves as I psyched myself up to reply. As confident as I was about many things, attractive young women were not one of them. Ellie was largely an exception since it was a clan assignment. That made me mostly immune to any charm she might otherwise have. Lucky for me.

I took a breath and stepped forward. "Not much. I was just telling my friend how fortunate you were that your opponent had no idea what he was doing. Clearly, your Venonat was baiting the Meowth in for a spore attack. Care for a match? 500 for the winner? Two pokémon each?"

"You're on," she growled with a fierce grin before stomping off towards her end of the arena as the onlookers fizzed with anticipation.