Jonas trudged along the dusty road, the midday sun beating down on him and Flint. The dry road crunched beneath his boots, baked hard by the sun, and Jonas lamented the fact that they were only just starting. They had come far enough that Jonas couldn’t see Canis Creek when he looked back, but he still worried they weren’t making progress quickly enough. He crouched to run a hand through Flint’s dusty fur, then fully sank down to sit in the scant shade of a withered tree to take a long drink of water from his canteen.
“We’ve still got a long way to go before we reach Nova City,” he yawned. The growlithe lay beside him, panting, his pink tongue lolling. Jonas fished Flint’s ball from his rucksack. “Here, buddy. Why don’t you get in your ball?” He offered. “There’s no sense in you having to walk all the way too.” Flint snorted at this suggestion, defiance in his eyes, and Jonas chuckled. “Okay, I understand. Silly thing. I guess you’re a Brooks too, huh?”
Suddenly, Flint tensed, leaping to his feet, his hackles raised. “What is it, boy?” Jonas asked at the same time a blur of red emerged from the weeds behind them and rammed directly into Flint’s side. Flint absorbed the impact and stood firm, growling at the intruder, who skidded to a stop several feet away. It emitted a whirring sound that seemed like a challenge to Jonas.
“What do you think, Flint? Can we handle it?” Jonas asked, jumping to his feet, his voice firm with resolve. Flint barked aggressively, taking a few steps toward the chittering venipede.
Jonas wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, sucking in air through his teeth. As much of a pokémon enthusiast as he was, Jonas had never been in a battle before. The closest thing was when Flint played with Pignite, or the odd encounter with pests in the orchard, but those were never dangerous. Pignite was too gentle and too lazy to ever hurt Flint, and the wurmple usually crawled away at just the hint of an attack. But this venipede seemed determined.
“Flint! Use...uh…ember!” Jonas haltingly suggested, searching his mind for everything he had learned about pokémon battling. A burst of burning embers shot from Flint’s mouth toward the venipede, but it rapidly moved out of the way, moving much faster than Jonas expected. The flames hit the spot where the bug had been moments before and erupted in a shower of sparks, the smell of scorched earth rising with the smoke. Flint’s senses were keen though, and he kept track of the venipede, turning to keep it in his sight. It skidded to a halt in the middle of the road, then rolled into a ball.
“Defense curl?” Jonas puzzled aloud. “Why would it do that? Now’s a perfect chance. Flint, use ember again!” The embers found their mark this time, and the venipede let out a sharp squeal as the flames licked its exoskeleton. It started to spin in place, kicking up dirt and rocks before shooting toward Flint with incredible speed, a blur of red and green. The impact pushed Flint back several feet, and he fell to the ground before standing again, growling.
“Be careful, Flint!” Jonas warned, “I think it’s getting faster.” Flint woofed in agreement as the venipede rolled toward him again, and leapt out of the way just in time. The venipede whirred past, hitting the tree where they had been resting, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions.
“Alright, let’s try a howl!” Jonas shouted, seeing an opportunity. Flint let out a primal howl that seemed to rattle the venipede even further. Flint stood taller, seeming more fierce and alert than ever.
The venipede unrolled, its antennae twitching. Jonas watched its mandibles begin glowing a bright purple. He swallowed hard and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his nerves. It seemed worse for wear after its collision with the tree, but Flint had already taken a couple of nasty hits, and Jonas wasn’t sure how much more his partner could handle.
“Flint, let’s switch it up! When it comes at you, use bite!”
Flint crouched down low, almost flat against the ground, and waited patiently for the venipede to attack. Soon, the bug scuttled forward at a blinding speed, and Jonas lost track of it completely until he heard a shrill screech. Flint held the venipede aloft, jaws clenched tightly around its abdomen. He gave it a rough shake and tossed it to the ground, where it shuddered, then stopped moving.
“Good job, Flint!” Jonas grinned, running to pet Flint. “I can’t believe we won our first battle! That venipede was no pushover, though. How are you holding up?” Flint responded with a hearty woof, his sides heaving with heavy breaths. He kept one eye trained on the venipede, watching for signs of movement.
Jonas thought for a moment, then added. “Fast and strong. What do you think, Flint? Should we bring him with us?”
Without waiting for an answer, Jonas pulled one of the regular pokéballs from his bag and chucked it at the bug. His aim had improved greatly since his childhood, and the ball struck the venipede squarely, enveloping it in a bright light. With a thud, the ball hit the dirt, where it wobbled once, twice, and then clicked. The venipede was caught.
“Alright!” Jonas shouted. “We got a new friend! If that’s how our entire journey goes, we’ll be perfectly fine! Nova City, here we come!”
Flint barked again, then collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
***
As Jonas walked slowly in the afternoon heat, Flint’s ball felt heavy in his hand.
“You just rest for now, buddy,” he said to the ball, unsure if Flint could hear him from inside. Jonas was incredibly proud of his partner. He knew Flint was tough, but he couldn’t help but worry. The battle with the venipede had taken a lot out of them both.
Replacing the friend ball in his rucksack, he withdrew the plain brown and red pokéball that held his new venipede. He replayed the battle in his head over and over, thinking of where he had gone wrong and what he had done right. Ashamed, he realized that most of the work had been done by Flint. He had stumbled his way through the battle, but for Flint, it was pure instinct. Jonas smiled, pride filling his chest. His little partner was strong and fiercely loyal. He had never considered himself a pokémon trainer, but Flint had just proven himself capable of shoring up Jonas’s weak spots and even helping him capture another pokémon.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Jonas didn’t know much about venipede. Sure, he had seen the bug-type around, but they mostly stayed out of the orchard due to Pignite’s influence. His only real reference for bug pokémon was wurmple and, of course, combee. But Jonas was certain that the venipede was nothing like either of them. They didn’t produce honey like combee, and he had certainly never seen a wurmple move that fast.
That speed… Jonas marveled. Never mind wurmple. Jonas didn’t think he’d seen anything move that fast.
“You rest up too, Dash,” Jonas told his venipede, settling on a name. “I can’t wait to get to know you. Jonas frowned as he stowed the pokéball back in its pocket. He only had two more.
Half an hour later, Jonas heard the rumble of an engine behind him. He stepped to the side of the road as a battered old truck approached. It rattled noisily as it rolled to a stop beside him.
The driver stuck his head out the window. He was an elderly man with thin white hair and a face weathered by years in the sun.
“Where are you headed, son?” He asked with a smile.
“Nova City, sir,” Jonas replied.
The old man nodded. "I'm on my way to Kepler. That’s about halfway to Nova City if you want a ride."
Jonas’s eyes lit up. “That would be wonderful, sir! Thank you so much!” He hopped in the passenger seat, grateful to give his feet a rest.
As the truck trundled back onto the road, the old man glanced sideways at Jonas. “Name’s Hank, by the way.”
“I’m Jonas,” Jonas replied. “Jonas Brooks.”
“Well now, Jonas. I suppose you’re heading to Nova City on account of that race?” the old man asked.
“Race? What race?”
“I’m not too sure about the details. It’s all over the papers. Some publicity stunt from Steel Innovations. All a bunch of hullabaloo over nothing, if you ask me,” Hank grumbled. “Steel thinks he can bring in that factory and put all those good, hardworking, honest folk out of business, then make it all better with some silly race and prize money? That doesn’t sit right with me.”
At the mention of prize money, Jonas stopped listening. He nodded along as Hank filled the silence of their ride, but paid no attention to what the man said. Prize money, he thought, staring out the window at the passing countryside. His mind was already racing with plans for how to spend the money. Thinking of home, Jonas rested his head on the window frame, and in a few moments, he fell asleep.
***
Jonas was awoken by the rumbling of the truck suddenly coming to a stop.
“We’re here, Jonas.” Hank spoke quietly as Jonas stirred.
Jonas jolted upright to look around him. Although it was evening, there was enough light for Jonas to see that Kepler, although small compared to Nova City, was much bigger and more modern than Canis Creek. The buildings were made of brick and metal; none of the wooden homes and storefronts that Jonas had grown accustomed to in his sixteen years. Food vendors lined the automobile-filled streets, and Jonas was a little overwhelmed by the number of people.
“Thanks, Hank!” Jonas said excitedly, reaching for the handle of the door.
“No problem, kid. Be careful out there.” Hank gave Jonas a small smile as he exited, then restarted his truck and drove away.
Jonas stretched his arms overhead and took a deep breath. He could smell food cooking and hear lively chatter all around. Reaching into his bag, he took out Flint's pokéball.
"Come on out and see the city, Flint!" he said as he released the growlithe. Flint barked excitedly, his tail wagging as he looked around. The window of a department store glowed in the dim evening light nearby, filled with gaudy displays of clothes on mannequins. Jonas’s eyes caught sight of a newspaper stand, and he approached it with curiosity. Among the headlines and articles, a colorful flyer caught his attention. Jonas eagerly picked up the flyer, his eyes scanning the details.
Pokéball Run
Embark on a thrilling journey from Nova City to uncover the mysteries of the Lintang Region!
¥1,000,000 await the bold trainer who captures Jirachi!
Attention Trainers! Are you ready for the challenge of a lifetime? The Pokéball Run is calling all pokémon enthusiasts to partake in an epic race spanning the Lintang Region. Your mission: to capture the elusive Jirachi, the legendary wishmaker pokémon! Explore scenic landscapes, conquer challenging terrains, and uncover the secrets of the Lintang Region as you chase the stars to find Jirachi. The excitement doesn't end there—the trainer who captures Jirachi will be rewarded with an astounding ¥1,000,000!
Gather your pokémon, hone your skills, and register now for the Pokéball Run! The journey of a lifetime awaits you!
Sponsored by Steel Innovations
Excitement bubbled within Jonas as he read, his mind racing with thoughts of joining the race, the thrill of the competition, and the potential rewards. The prospect of winning that much money filled him with determination. Jonas turned to Flint, who was curiously eyeing the flyer as well.
"What do you think, Flint?" Jonas said with a grin. "Should we enter the race?" Flint barked eagerly in response, tail wagging.
"Alright, it's decided then. We're going to do this!" Jonas pumped his fist, steeling his nerves. One million pokédollars was a lot of money, enough to pay off the farm and more. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for.
Jonas looked up at the sky, the first few stars beginning to blink into view. Somewhere out there was Jirachi, waiting to be found. Jonas smiled, picturing the legendary wishmaker pokémon that would be their key to victory.
"Let's get you and Dash healed up and find a place to spend the night. We'll head to Nova City first thing in the morning to sign up." Jonas said. Flint barked his agreement.
As Jonas walked down the busy street, taking in the sights and sounds of the unfamiliar city, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. This was the start of their grand adventure. With loyal Flint by his side, he felt ready to take on any challenge the Pokéball Run would throw at them. The race - and Jirachi - awaited.