Gregory awoke to a mouth full of a fluffy tail the following day. The vixen was asleep on his chest, her tail flicking back and forth in random intervals in response to unknowable situations in a dream. He spluttered once more, getting a face full of fluff. With a wave of his hand, he swatted the offending limb away, causing a grumble from Fennekin as she got up and tried to fall asleep in a different spot. With a stretch, he rose from the sleeping bag, changing into a new set of clean clothes.
"Come on, girl, it's time to wake up," he said as he went over to his still-sleeping Pokemon, knelt, and gently shook her awake.
Her only response was to crack one red eye open and give him a wholly unimpressed look before shutting it closed again. Giving the lazy fox a sly smile, he turned to leave the tent, calling back over his shoulder, "Oh well, I was going to see if you wanted to go see if there were any berries around the campsite, but if you'd rather sleep some more, I guess that will just leave more for me." Before he was out of the tent, a yellow streak shot out ahead of him, and when he exited, he saw her sitting in front of the tent, giving him a look as if he was the one keeping her waiting. Gregory just laughed and motioned for her to follow him into the surrounding woods.
After about 30 minutes of searching the surrounding area, they found several varieties of berries. With the help of Fennekin's keener senses, they had found some Oran, Pecha, Cheri, Razz, and Bluk berry bushes. They took a few handfuls of each, carefully leaving some for the native Pokemon, Gregory placed the ones they didn't eat into his berry pouch.
The pouch itself was a medium size. However, just like his backpack, it used a unique technology that allowed it to store way more than what one would think based on its size.
Of all the Berries she tried, Gregory noticed that the Bluk berry seemed to be Fennekin's favorite. Trying one himself, he noticed that it had a primarily dry flavor.
“Not a fan of sweet things are you?” Gregory commented as they continued to walk through the surrounding woods.
Their berry hunt had been a success, and the two returned to the camp. As they walked up, Gregory noticed that a small gathering of trainers had formed over in an open field at the far side of the campground. Curious, he made his way over. Closing in on the group, he heard the sounds of a Pokemon battle.
His Curiosity only doubled, and he picked up the pace. On one side of the makeshift battlefield, he saw that Nora and Mudkip were one of the ones battling. Their opponent was a man who looked to be in his early 20s.
He had the look of someone who had been on the road a long time; his clothes were dusty and worn, with a few spots that looked to have been patched. Peeking out below a ballcap that should probably have been retired long ago was a shock of black hair. The man's dark brown eyes were laser-focused on the action before him. Out on the field, he had sent out an Ivysaur.
If it had been standing next to Gregory, it would have come up to his waist, which included the sizeable red bulb that sprouted from its back. The bulb looked like a closed flower that hadn't yet bloomed, with four large frond-like leaves sticking out from every cardinal direction. It had light teal-colored skin with darker blue spotting peppered around its body and face.
The Ivysaur's face was determined, its dark red irises locked onto its opponent. It had four squat legs spread out, giving it a stable foundation to respond to its trainer's commands.
Gregory whipped out his pokedex and aimed it at the Pokemon as Fennekin jumped up to his shoulder so she could get a better view of the battle. The scan was completed, and he listened as his dex read the Pokemon's entry.
"Ivysaur, the Seed Pokemon. Upon evolution from Bulbasaur, Ivysaur become larger and more powerful. However, as a trade-off for their bulk, they also lose their ability to stand on their hind legs due to the mass of the bulbs on their backs. Ivysaur are able to naturally learn the powerful Grass-type attack Solar Beam, a move whose execution time depends largely upon the weather. The bulbs on their backs must receive ample sunlight to photosynthesize and develop. When Ivysaur are preparing to evolve into Venusaur, they will spend more time sunbathing, and their bulbs will emanate a sweet, pleasant aroma."
Closing the device, he returned it to his pocket so he could focus on the fight. Though a novice battler himself, even he could tell that this was not going to go well for Nora. Her Mudkip was still young, and Nora wasn't any more experienced than he was. Her opponent's Pokemon looked well-trained and cared for; and if its trainer was as old as he looked, he was most likely an Ace trainer.
The Ace league was for the professional battlers, and only those who had made it to at least the top 8 in one of the various regional conferences could compete. Those who compete try to rise up the rankings by defeating other ace trainers; winning or losing will either net you or cause you to lose points. Every year, the top-ranked trainer in the ace league, or those who place 1st in the silver or indigo conference, may challenge the Elite Four.
"Mudkip, dodge right!" Nora Ordered, the command snapping Gregory's focus back to the fight. The little amphibian was just able to roll out of the way as a long, thin green vine that the Ivysaur extended out from below the bulb on its back slammed down in the spot he was just standing in. The force of its impact was enough to cause clods of earth to spray out.
The tension of the battle had Nora's brows drawn down in a frown, her jaw muscles clenched in what looked to Gregory as frustration. Her eyes darted all around the field, trying to glean any advantage.
"Charge in for a tackle, Mudkip!" she demanded.
Mudkip looked spent; its body littered with micro cuts, and there was a large bruise in the middle of its head, as its lungs heaved like a bellows. However, the little guy released one of its croaking bellows and pushed through its injuries to follow her order.
The man she faced just stood there as Mudkip charged, not yet verbalizing an attack or an order to move. Gregory could've sworn he saw the Ivysaur's eyes flick back to him, but he couldn't be sure. Just then, Mudkip connected bodily with the other Pokemon, and a bursting cloud of off-yellow dust exploded from the Ivysaur.
"No, Mudkip! Get out of there," she ordered, but it was too late. As soon as he inhaled some of the powder, his body locked up, causing him to collapse into the dirt. The Ivysaur was extending its vines again towards the downed mud fish Pokemon, but before he could finish off Mudkip, a thin beam of red light engulfed his body, sucking him back into his Pokeball.
Gregory saw her bring the Pokeball close to her mouth and whispered something he couldn't make out before she clipped the ball back to her belt. Once Nora secured the ball to her belt, she let off a deep sigh, the tension her body held in until that second was finally released.
The man began walking across the field toward Nora, his Ivysaur falling in beside him as he passed it. When he finally made it to her, they began to converse, talking too quietly for Gregory to have heard what they said.
Nora looked to have asked him a question, though. Gregory thought that she had a hopeful expression on her face. The man shared a look with his Pokemon, then shrugged and nodded.
At that time, two other trainers had started making their way to either end of the impromptu battlefield, a new challenge having been issued. Nora and the man started making their way back to the campsite they had used the previous night. Gregory followed after the pair.
They had just sat around the used-up ashes of last night's fire when Gregory caught up with them.
"Hey Gregory, where were you this morning?" Nora said, having finally spotted him.
"Fennekin and I were looking for some berries out in the forest," he said, then trying to be subtle, he flicked his eyes to the man sitting in their camp. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question.
"S-sorry, Gregory, this is Brian," She began nervously, " I had challenged him to a battle and, well, I lost pretty decisively," she said that last part with a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
"Yeah, I did catch the tail end of your battle, but you know we have only ever had one battle up until now. We just got our Pokemon yesterday." He said, giving her a sympathetic look, as he attempted to cheer her up.
Her shoulders lifted in a half-hearted shrug, as her green eyes flicked away briefly, momentarily unable to maintain eye contact with him. Gregory thought that he had been successful because when her eye did finally meet his she had a small smile gently curling her lips.
"That is true, I suppose. Anyway, after the battle, he was kind enough to offer me a few tips to help Mudkip and me get stronger," She said after a moment.
Brian, who had up until this point been pulling out cooking implements and various different food items, finally turned to look at Gregory, giving him a grin and a nod of acknowledgment.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Brian. My name is Gregory." Gregory said, Returning his smile and nod before he continued, rather excitedly, " Your Ivysaur looked super strong out there. What other Pokemon do you have? Are you an Ace trainer? Would you mind giving me some tips, too?"
Gregory wanted to be the best trainer he could be, and this was an opportunity he just couldn't let pass him by.
"Slow down there, kid, one question at a time," Brian chuckled as he raised his arms palms out as if to ward off the rapid-fire assault of questions.
"First off, just call me Brian; the Mister just makes me feel old. To answer your second question, yes, I am an Ace trainer, but I just debuted in the circuit a month ago," The older trainer answered. He took a second to rummage into his pack again, bringing out four large-sized bowls. He set them beside the cookware he had placed down earlier.
Gregory noticed that while his attire was roughed up and travel-worn, his backpack, and equipment were all brand new. All of them had the same small decal engraved onto their surfaces.
"I don't mind giving you some tips too. I was mostly just going to give Nora a rundown of some of the basics. So you both should be able to benefit from it. As far as my other team members, it will be easier to show you. I was just about to get their breakfast ready anyway." He said as he stood up and walked a few feet from the firepit. With a practiced ease, he ran his hand over the remaining five pokeballs on his belt, his fingers hitting all the release buttons in rapid succession of each other.
Gregory and Nora had to briefly look away as five consecutive bright flashes of light filled the area. Turning back around, the two teenagers could now see the rest of Brian's team flanking him. Each Pokemon cried a greeting before finding a place to sit around the campsite.
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Gregory and Nora both took out their Pokedex, scanning each new Pokemon. The first one Gregory noticed looked like a large boulder, but if the boulder had a face, four arms, and two legs. Its body was rugged looking, covered in bumps and groves like a rock with bits eroded away. All four of its arms had three thick, stubby fingers, two of which were shorter and kept tucked close to the front of its rounded body.
"Graveler," the Pokedex recited in its computerized monotone, "the rock Pokemon, though carefree and not at all aggressive Pokémon, they are one of the main dangers trainers face while hiking in the mountains. They roll down mountainsides carelessly, smashing trees, boulders, and anything else standing in the way--including unwary travelers--until they reach the bottom. They are tough to stop once they pick up momentum from their tumbles and can appear almost out of nowhere due to the high speeds they can reach. Graveler actively enjoy rolling down mountains and will climb to their peaks simply to tumble back down. When not rolling down mountains, Graveler consumes rocks, especially enjoying those covered in moss. They rarely walk and are pretty slow when lumbering around on their feet. They can be observed clinging to cavern walls while asleep using their bulky arms."
The rock pokemon slowly trudged over to where Brian's Ivysaur lay, napping and catching the rays from the mid-morning sun, where it joined it in taking a nap.
The next Pokemon that drew his gaze was bounding over to the fire pit. It was small, covered in short pink fur, and had a tail bound into a swirl pattern, above which sat a pair of small wing-like growths resting above its tail. An odd quirk Gregory noticed was that it seemed to move like one would expect to move on a planet with a lower gravitational force.
This time, Nora was the one to scan the Pokemon.
"Clefairy," once again the computerized voice intoned, "the Fairy Pokemon, are mysterious Pokémon. Believed to have extraterrestrial origins, they make their earthly homes on mountains like Mt. Moon in Kanto and Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh. They can also be found in the Giant Chasm of Unova, a mysterious site with ties to outer space. Their habitats tend to have odd magnetic activity, and some even say Clefairy themselves warp the surrounding electromagnetic field. Many theories have formed regarding these popular Pokémon. One explains their tendencies to steal things as gathering materials to build spaceships to take them back home. They also are very strongly connected to the moon. They worship Moon Stones, the trigger for their evolution, and allegedly store moonlight in the wings on their backs to float in midair. Despite their rarity, their cute appearance and voice have made Clefairy popular symbols in media and merchandising."
As he listened to the Pokedex rattle off the information it had on Clefairy he noticed that the fairy Pokemon had jumped up on the log beside Nora and was listening along. Once the Pokemon heard the Pokedex mention Moon stones, it visibly perked up, looking around at each human hopefully.
"Sorry, Clefairy, we don't have a moonstone for you," Brian said as he sat beside the now crestfallen Pokemon. He placed a comforting hand on it, trying to assuage the Pokemon's disappointment.
While they were scanning the first two Pokemon, Brian restarted a fire in the ashes of the one from last night. He then started hanging some of the various pots he had pulled out over the fire.
Gregory sat on one of the logs around the fire, Fennekin jumping up to claim her spot on his lap. She spun a single circle, apparently getting comfortable, before promptly curling up atop his thighs. He just chuckled at his Pokemon's antics, pulling out a branch for her to chew on, using the hand not holding his Pokedex to stroke the soft yellow fur of her back.
Just then, a tiny, if Gregory had to guess, about two feet or so, human-like Pokemon came twirling into view. It looked like a little ballerina with thin, green legs, a white upper body with a Tutu-like frill around its waist, and two red horns coming off the sides of its head.
Gregory and Nora both cracked smiles as the little Pokemon pirouetted around the camp. Its dance routine seemed explicitly designed to lighten their mood. The Pokedex entry for this Pokemon confirmed Gregory’s hunch as he listened.
"Kirlia, the Emotion Pokemon, draw their power from positive emotions. Because of this, only cheerful, optimistic trainers can raise strong Kirlia. It is said that they become more graceful and powerful the more often they are exposed to positive feelings. When happy, they will dance and twirl to amuse those around them. This, in turn, makes onlookers happier, giving Kirlia more energy to dance, and so on. Kirlia are highly intelligent, with well-developed brains capable of harnessing respectable psychokinetic powers from the emotions around them. The horns on their heads concentrate their powers, allowing them to distort the space around them and create visual mirages."
Gregory watched the Kirlia dance around for a moment longer until a chuffing noise of annoyance from his lap reminded him that he had stopped stroking Fennekin's fur.
"Those are some useful devices you got there. Where did you come by them?" Brian said, now standing over the largest of the pots on the fire, adding large quantities of meats, vegetables, and berries and stirring them together. The other pot looked to have rice cooking, steam wafting through a small valve in the pot's lid.
"Professor Elm from New Bark Town gave these to us. He asked us to help him collect data on any Pokemon we see," Nora answered; she had released Mudkip earlier and was now rubbing him down with a rag sprayed with some potion. After every swipe of the rag, his cuts and bruises seemed to get smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared altogether. The amphibian looked way better already, though he was still exhausted.
"Well, maybe I'll have to go give him a visit. Those things look damn convenient," Brian said, staring at the devices in their hands with open interest and maybe a little bit of envy.
Nora and Brian made small talk while Brian finished cooking his Pokemon's breakfast. Meanwhile, Gregory had finished scanning the two remaining Pokemon of Brian's team Pupitar and a Gabite.
The former was a large cocoon-like Pokemon, and its shell was silver blue with four spiky protrusions that made up a face plate on either side of its eye holes. Above this sat a crest of three more spikes. It had yet to move from the spot it was released from. The Pupitar maintained a silent watch over the camp and its inhabitants.
The latter was a squat bipedal Pokemon. The Gabite’s body was covered in rough purple scales with a red underbelly. Its two arms were thin and only had one giant claw each. However, sticking out from either arm was a small fin-like appendage. It had two additional fins sticking out from its mid back and stubby tail. Protruding out the side of its head were two torpedo-like horns set slightly up and behind its two striking yellow eyes.
The Gabite initially gave Nora and Gregory a hard stare as he paced around the camp. However, a sharp word from Brian caused the dragon-type Pokemon to ignore them the rest of the time.
Setting out all their bowls, Brian measured out their portions of the food, topping them all with additional berries. Each one suited to the specific Pokemon's unique tastes. The food had been set out, and with a nod of Brain’s head, all the Pokemon rushed to their bowls and began eating happily and with much gusto.
"Is your Pupitar not going to eat?" Nora asked, a concerned look on her face as she noticed that the hard-shell Pokemon had remained in its previous position.
"Pupitar doesn't need to eat, actually. He has all he needs stored inside his body from when he was a Larvitar," Brian said; he briefly glanced over at the Pokemon in question before returning to cleaning up all the dirty pots from cooking the food.
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"Ok! Now that they have gotten their food, we can start going over some of the basics of Pokemon training," Brian said as he sat next to Gregory, all his cooking equipment cleaned and returned to his bag. All around them, Brian's Pokemon team was relaxing, letting their full bellies digest the food.
"Now, you both got your Pokemon yesterday, right?" Brian asked, pausing to give each of them a glance as they nodded in the affirmative.
"That's what I thought. The good news is that since you just got your Pokemon, they will improve exponentially because of how young they are. It will also let you build up a good foundation for them."
"So what do we need to do to set up a good foundation?" Gregory cut in. He had grabbed the journal his mother had gifted him and had it open to the first blank page, his pen poised above it, ready to take notes. His complete focus was on the older trainer before him, much to Fennekin's dismay. As Gregory was no longer giving her attention, the little vixen huffed and went to find a new spot to nap.
"Well, there are three things I would recommend you do," he began holding up a finger as he listed each thing, "First is nutrition; if you aren't giving your Pokemon the correct amount of calories or nutrients they require, then they just won't be able to perform. No matter how determined they might be."
"Now, the pre-packaged food they sell at the pokemart isn't the worst, but if your goal is to reach the pinnacles of Pokemon battling, then you will need to either buy specially blended mixes made specifically for your Pokemon or you will need to make it yourself," He said the latter part motioning to the now empty bowls he had used to feed his pokemon.
"Second," he punctuated this by holding a second finger up, "You need to condition your Pokemon."
"Your Mudkip couldn't do nearly as much as he could've because he got gassed way too early," Brian said as he turned his gaze to Nora. Mudkip, who had been listening to the conversation, let loose a grumbling croak as he turned his head away in a pout. Nora just ran a comforting hand down his back, accepting the critique for the truth that it was with a slight nod of her head.
"Just like a human would lift weights or go on a run to grow their muscle or gain endurance, pokemon also need to do the same. I can show you a few starting routines you can use." He chuckled as he noticed the almost pleading looks on the teens' faces as he said the latter part.
"Now, the last thing is that you must work with your Pokemon to help them master their moves. Now I know what you’re thinking; that is pretty obvious," Brian said with an eyebrow raised as he looked at Gregory, who had, in fact, just been thinking that.
"You'd be surprised how many new trainers don't actually do that, but the main reason I bring this up is that besides being able to be more accurate or more powerful with their moves. They will be able to use them in more creative ways."
"Is that why your Ivysaur was able to release that stun spore so fast?" Gregory asked, thinking back to the earlier battle.
"Yes and no," Brian stated, shaking his hand in a so-so manner, "in that instance, I had given him a signal to prepare it and wait for Nora's Mudkip to get closer, but it was due to his mastery of the technique that let him release it at the correct time."
Nora and Gregory asked him a few more questions about the tips he gave them. Nora focused her questions more on Pokemon nutrition. She had also pulled out a notebook to write down the answers. Gregory, however, was more focused on the ins and outs of Pokemon conditioning and move training.
Brian was patient in answering their questions and demonstrated a few exercise routines they could use. However, after about thirty minutes, he finally got up, returned all his Pokemon except for his Ivysaur, and slung his pack over his shoulder. Then he departed, bidding them a happy farewell.
"Brian sure was a nice guy, huh?" Nora said offhandedly as they watched as Brian made his way down the road, waving merrily at his retreating form.
"Yeah, he sure was," Gregory replied before turning his head down to look at Fennekin, sitting beside him, "So, are you ready to train, girl?"
A wide grin stretched across Gregory's face as she gave him a determined nod.
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Gabite are highly territorial, viciously defending their domains against intruders. Unlike Gible, Gabite are very swift, allowing them to actually chase prey instead of waiting for their approach. The two protrusions on either side of their heads emit ultrasonic waves that help them navigate dark caverns. They enjoy collecting sparkly items, particularly gemstones. They will dig into cave walls in search of jewels (and Carbink), hoarding them in large piles in their nests. They will remain motionless for hours at a time keeping an eye on their hoards. Gabite scales are thought to have medicinal properties. Some people believe that grinding the scales and then consuming the resulting powder will cure any illness. Though illegal to sell, the difficulty of obtaining these scales makes them very valuable on the black market in many regions. Gabite shed their scales along with their skins periodically as they grow, but these shed scales are regarded as lower quality in traditional medicine than "fresh" ones.
Pupitar are limbless (discounting the growing arms and legs within their shells), but they are not immobile. When threatened, they will thrash about violently in hopes of bludgeoning or piercing foes with various parts of their bodies. Even if they fail to make contact, their sudden movements often topple unstable portions of their mountainous homes, trapping foes in rockslides. Such occurrences don’t harm Pupitar; their shells are as hard as sheet rock. Additionally, the carapaces of these Pokémon contain highly pressurized gas. By venting this gas out of their shells in a controlled manner, they can propel themselves at high speeds toward attackers. The force of these launches can dent solid steel without even scratching their shells. They can also use this gas to find new places to hide. However, Pupitar cannot replenish this gas once released, so they do not practice this method of defense and locomotion often. Pupitar do not eat, relying on the energy they had stored as Larvitar for survival. Even when not in danger, these Pokémon will thrash about in order to relieve themselves of stored gases, leading to the common belief that they are temperamental and impatient for evolution.