Garchomps threat display was aggressive which was expected. Roaring and releasing Dragon Breath around it showing off its power.

It was strong for sure. This was the Queen of this mountain, without a doubt.

Which is why I stepped off Arcanine.

“Mimikyu, keep an eye out behind me okay? I’m going to be a little distracted, if any of the Gible or Gabite try to attack me, hit them with… Do you know Play Rough?” I asked and Mimikyu was silent for a moment before sliding down out of my hat, taking a second to untangle himself. He looked up at me, as he fell into my arms and nodded.

“Perfect, Play Rough will hit them pretty hard. Just don’t hurt any of them too bad. If it gets too much, call out, and I’ll release some backup, but I’ll be trusting my back to you.” I told him, and that was all he needed.

“Kukkkukuku!” He cried out and leapt landing behind me. I nodded and focused on the Garchomp that was already preparing to strike.

“Arcanine. Go.”

That was all that needed to be said as she crashed head first into the Garchomp an instant later the echoing noise of a gong blasted out across the mountains.

I could hear how the noise startled the Gible and Gabite. But I didn’t care.

Because it was time to battle!

A second later Garchomp rose out from a cracked boulder she had been slammed into and Arcanine howled her strength.

But I frowned because on her head, despite Iron Head being in effect, there was definitely a bit of blood.

The Garchomp had Rough Skin.

“Be careful! The Garchomp will scratch you back with every attack!” I called, and Arcanine nodded taking in the information.

And then as the Garchomp snarled out a roar and charged again, its axe fins glowing with Dragon type energy. Arcanine charged back in with a Flame Wheel. The fire burst into life around her as she ran and made her seem so much bigger.

Arcanine hit first, but Garchomp despite being overwhelmed, roared and slammed its fins into Arcanine and they both fell into the ground in a scuffle, of fire teeth and scales.

I winced as Arcanine used a Fire Fang to bite down on Garchomp and in turn ended up getting those sharp scales tearing into her mouth and tongue.

She yelped which gave the Dragon enough room to do something I didn’t expect. The ground rumbled, and as Arcanine was on her hind legs from flinching away sand ripped up from the earth and suddenly her footing was gone as she sank a few inches into the earth, as the sand also rolled up her limbs grabbing her.

“That’s… Sand Tomb.” I remembered. And tsked. That was a hold move.

Garchomp had a few moments as she rose back to her feet and roared.

The Gible and Garbite roared in time with her, but despite the damage Arcanine was taking fighting against the grabbing earth….

Roaring in her face was a quick way to really piss her off.

“AAAARC!” She Roared back and fire burned around her. I smiled, because someday, there would be a time when the sand holding her back wouldn’t just be blasted at by flame, giving her all the movement she needs.

It would be turned to glass. But that day wasn’t today. Despite our strength, we still had a long way to go yet.

But Garchomp? She wasn’t equal to Blaines Magmar. Or even Koga’s team.

She was strong, true, but wild power didn’t match trained strength.

Arcanine prepared an attack, but I cut her off.

“Stop playing! And instead Play Rough!” I called, and that was it. Garchomp moved to run into Arcanine again, but it was too slow.

Arcanine shifted, and instead of a brutal attack, the energy around her shifted into a fog as the noise of multiple blows reached out from within the hidden area.

It was over in an instant.

The fog cleared, and Garchomp was down.

A moment later I jerked and looked behind me because the same noise echoed out, and I looked to see Mimikyu appear standing on top of the Gabite that had made a move on me while I was distracted.

Many of the Gible were looking on as well. Their eyes sort of blank, but I had a feeling that depending on my actions I might just get swarmed.

I smirked.

“Come on out!” I threw a pokeball even as Gabite slowly tried to return to its feet looking beaten, the pokemon obviously intending on fighting, but then a cheerful call echoed out.

“Chansey! Chanse!” The descended goddess cheered and looked around nodding. Then she motioned as if she was rolling up her sleeves.

And despite the dragon types' hesitation none of them could keep up with her as she simply bulldozed through them on her quest for healing.

A Gible leapt at her, as she hovered over Gabite, and instead of getting a bite it was slapped straight into the sky.

One Gible tried to blast her with Dragon breath, only for her to pick up a boulder to block the attack without even really focusing on it and then slam the rock onto the Gible to quiet it. I could see the poor dragon twitching weakly under the rock.

Yep.

That’s Chansey alright.

Despite winning, Arcanine was humbling herself before Chansey, whining as she scooted over to her tail between her legs as she showed her slightly bleeding tongue.

Chansey glanced over from healing a Gible which was held in her fins and looked sort of shocked about it’s new position but Chansey nodded, and blasted Arcanine with a Healing Pulse, then simply stuffed a Soft Boiled egg into Arcanines mouth which she gently chewed already looking better.

Then Chansey turned her eyes onto Garchomp.

Without hesitation she walked over and started her work. Healing up the mighty Dragon. A moment later Garchomp jerked awake and rose instantly, locking eyes onto Chansey.

They stared into eachother eyes, even as Chansey continued to heal the dragon.

“Gar-”

That was as far as the Dragon got into what had looked like a rather nasty bite before it was grabbed by its horn protrusion and just tossed directly into the side of a mountain with one move.

The Gabite and Gible all jumped at the sudden noise of their leader smashing through rock, and I looked over to see Garchomp herself seemed startled at her new position.

Then Chansey as usual just hurried over and started healing again.

I could almost see the thought shoot through the Garchomps head, it probably didn’t know exactly what happened. So it just relied on instinct.

She made to attack Chansey again.

This time the dragon came to upside down, having been embedded into a boulder. And a much less happy Chansey looming over her.

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“Chanse.” She demanded simply, a single word.

And the Garchomp staring at the upside down pink blob must have realized something was up.

She nodded.

And Chansey’s frown turned into a smile.

“Chansey!” She cheered and then finished her job of healing.

“K-k-k-k-k-k!” Mimikyu seemed to stutter as I looked down and found him hiding behind my leg.

“Yeah Chansey has that impression on pokemon. She’s great though. You’ll be good friends with her, I know I am.” I assured my little buddy and he nodded, but didn’t stop sort of cowering.

But he would get comfortable with her soon. He still needed a full checkup after all. I don’t think Chansey would let that pass.

So instead I focused on what I was here for.

It wasn’t beating up on Dragons, despite that being pretty fun too.

I walked over to Garchomp. Completely at ease despite walking up to a pokemon that towered over me. This was a pretty big Garchomp too. She wasn’t Alpha big, but she was big enough that she was probably close.

“Hi! I’m Vicky. I’m a pokemon trainer! I travel all over and take part in powerful battles. But what I really do is find friends that want to grow to be the strongest together with me!” I said and the Garchomp turned her eyes on me, and just glared teeth bared.

“Oh don’t worry. I'm not looking to capture you. This is your home, your family. Instead… I want to find one of the Gible, a Gible that wants to come with me. To see the world. To battle pokemon all over, the strongest pokemon in the world! And then? Defeat them.” I finished my speech with a clenched fist.

Garchomp’s teeth slowly disappeared as her lips lowered back over her jaw.

“Gar?”

“That’s right! I’m looking for a new friend! So how about it? I think my pokemon proved they are strong right? Let me find a Gible that wants to come with me, and I’ll leave you and your family alone! I mean… If you don’t accept my offer. I’lll leave. I won’t force it if you refuse.”

“Gar.” She scoffed looking deeply down on me. “Gar. Garchomp gar.” She said with distaste in the way her voice rumbled.

I frowned at her as well.

“Chanse.” Chansey interrupted then and pointed at my belt instead of answering my confused gaze.

Right at a specific Pokeball. Well far be it from me to not follow Chanseys advice. I pulled it off my belt and released it at my side.

It’s kinda funny. I don’t really think about how big my pokemon are most of the time. Or how far they have grown under my care.

So when I released Dragonite who stomped onto the earth as her weight landed on the rock I blinked in realization. Dragonite was kinda big. She a big girl. A great big honker chonker.

She dwarfed Garchomp completely. Wider and taller, and just from a glance between them healthier. Garchomp had dozens of old scars across her body, and a leanness that hinted at food not always being easy to get.

Dragonite had none of these issues and instantly the Garchomp was on the back foot. I could read it in her body language. She went from downtrodden but petulant to seeing a true threat to her in a way Arcanine and Chansey weren’t.

“Drag. Dragonite dragon.” She greeted Garchomp and then looked around at the Gible and lone Gabite. The dragons all watched her with a locked on gaze. Not one of them let their eyes wander.

It was interesting how different these dragons were from the Dragonite I had met on the island. There everything was relaxed. Here? Not so much.

The Gible were much more aggressive. It was neat.

Finally though, whatever Dragonite was saying got through to Garchomp, and she huffed out a rumbling growl then stomped off towards the Gible.

“Kukkkukukuk!” Mimikyu whispered from my shoulder which he had climbed back up onto in all the commotion. He was looking around in shock at all the powerful pokemon that surrounded him.

“My friends are pretty amazing. Don’t worry. You’re on my team now too. We’ll get you trained up too.” I assured him, which earned me a shadow claw through my hair as he seemed to worry at it.

I rubbed my head against him for a second before refocusing.

Garchomp walked down into the Gible pit and then roared. A call that echoed out, and instantly the Gible reacted. Running all over each other to gather around.

How cute! They all gathered in a semi circle in front of Garchomp. Gabite was the only one that stood at her side. But even from out of the holes in the walls more Gible showed up. What I had seen so far wasn’t even the entire group. Likely some had been sleeping, or just weren’t strong enough to fight.

I watched as they piled out, little shark dragon faces all focused on their leader.

Then she huffed and turned to me, eyes locked onto my own.

Ah. I guess I got to pick after all.

I stepped forward fearlessly, walking down the sand covered rock ramp that led down into their little creche.

And as I walked, the attention of the Gible turned from their leader, onto me. If I was a normal person I might be getting a little worried at walking down into a pit of sharks, but honestly?

It just made me want to pick them up and play with them all! Look at their little teef! They all had cute little over, or underbites! It actually was slightly different on each Gible! One little female I noticed had an overbite that made her look like some genki girl anime character.

I threw her a smile, and then she opened her mouth showing her teeth. That was a threat display! How cute! Kinda like a croc or an alligator!

I walked past the Garchomp, who had definitely leaned over to try and intimidate me, but how could I be scared when there were so many cuties!

Besides, it was just an ego threat, and not an actual one. She loomed, and her mouth opened, but her axe fins were kept well back.

One of Garchomps eyes kept shooting over towards Dragonite who was quite literally casting a shadow over the entire proceedings standing on the edge of the pit with the sun behind her.

The first Gible I walked up to took a bite at me unconsciously. It was just their pure instinct at work. I stepped back and avoided it. Giving it a look. It had no intention of not trying again. Kinda cute, but not what I was looking for.

“Gib!” “Gib gib.”

“Gible!” They chattered to each other as I walked closer among them, but none of them were standing out to me.

Even if my instinct was to grab all of them. Then I saw it. A scuffle. One of the Gible noticed another pushing forward and when he looked back he reacted smashing into the other one to knock it back.

The smaller Gible didn’t just get pushed away, she was knocked away, rolling in the dirt. Then despite having just taken an attack she rose up and pushed against the back of the Gibles in front of her again.

Only to once more be snapped at, and pushed away once she was noticed.

The Runt.

A tiny female. That’s what I was seeing. She was tiny compared to the others, covered in old scars… Yet.

She got up.

I moved through the crowd without hesitation pushing away Gible that snapped and bit. Stomping on one larger Gible’s head, that made to bite at my legs, literally walking over him.

These little guys weren’t strong enough to be scary. Their bites would hurt, but they would have to actually bite me first.

Then I pushed the Gible in the back that was snarling at her to the side, grabbing his fin and tail, and just swinging him away as he rolled around in the dirt like a wheel for a few seconds.

Then I was there. The female rose up and noticed that the Gible that had just hit her wasn’t there, instead I was.

“Hi.” I whispered calmly, as I pulled out a Potion from my bag. “My names Vicky.” I introduced myself, and then I moved to spray the potion ready for what was going to happen.

The snapping jaws came down, but not on the potion but instead biting down on the Oran berry I had prepped for the attack.

The look of surprise on the Gibles little face was pretty cute. I reached out before she could react and sprayed the potion on a bite that she had just earned for herself.

“There you go.” I whispered quietly, and she seemed confused for a moment, before her instincts came out and she instantly gobbled down the berry. Like a feral dog given food, she nearly choked on it, getting it down far enough it couldn’t be stolen from her. “Doesn't’ that fe-Shoot!” I cursed.

The moment her mouth was cleared she leapt for a bite. Realizing I didn’t have a good defense as I had gotten too close, I shoved my hands forward, dropping the potion bottle and grabbing top and bottom jaws.

It didn’t quite work, and I winced as the line of sharp teeth hidden behind her gums cut my hands, but I kept her from biting down entirely. Muscles in my arms strained as I held back the pokemon that had me in a dangerous position.

I breathed in and out.

The anger flowed out of me, even if the pain distracted me.

I could hear a growl flow over the audience and I recognized it.

Dragonite.

Okay time to calm things.

Instead of pushing her away, I instead pulled her closer. Until we were eye to eye.

My blue eyes met her black ones.

And I held her gaze. I couldn’t allow fear to stop me. The pokemon would react to that, so despite the pain, and the surprise at being bitten, I just held that little dragon's attention.

“Don’t you want something more?” I asked her, and that earned a widening of her eyes. As the feral instinct gave way to the intelligence behind it. “If you do. If you want to be more. I can help you get that.” I grunted out as I felt blood flown down my fingers.

“Gwib.”

“Do you want to come with me?” I asked directly, and that was when I felt it. The other Gibles moving in around me.

Ah that’s right. I was kneeling on the ground with my back turned to an entire army of shark dragons.

But the sound of whistling calmed me, and let me stay focused on the dragon in my hands.

Slowly her jaw unclamped making me wince at the feeling of teeth leaving my flesh.

Owie.

Dragonite was there behind me, looming and a single Gible under her foot. The one that had just leapt at my back teeth first.

Yeah I was safe.

Mimikyu also made his presence known as he growled out something that sounded particularly threatening from behind me. “KUKukuKuKUKUU!” He nearly howled and I could feel a coolness brush my back. Some kind of attack was being built up by him.

But I kept my eyes locked on Gible, and it finally stopped biting fully, letting me clutch my very ouchie hands to my sides to hide how bad it hurt.

“Gib? Gible?”

“Yeah I’m sure. I looked over all the Gible here, and you? You are the one that I know will become more powerful than them all.” I said confidently, with a hissed breath I reached into my bag ignoring the mess of blood and held out a Premier ball. Putting it between us. Even as its white shell ran red. “Join me.” I said confidently, and a moment later Gible looked at the ball to me, and then nodded, but didn’t do anything with the pokeball.

Ah, it was confused. It didn’t know what a pokeball was!

“It’s a pokeball, you rest inside it, and a trainer can take you all over the world. It means… It means you’re part of my family.”

It tilted its head, which was actually its whole body, and I pressed the ball against Gible.

A moment later it disappeared inside, and the pokeball only rocked a few times almost like it was surprised, before it calmed and the pokeball locked.

A moment later, Chansey was at my side. “Chansey.” She whispered gently, and let go of the pokeball that I had been staring at to see… Yeah that was pretty bad.

“Chansey.” She huffed at me and I looked away from the blood and instantly my resolve crumbled.

“Owie.” I said, and then more and more it hit me, and my eyes clouded over. “C-chansey!” I cried and she looked at me as if trying to decide whether me doing something this stupid meant I deserved comforting…

Then she reached out and patted me on the head. “Chansey chanse.” She assured me, and a pink light flowed out from her palms bluntening the pain instantly.

I was still trembling and crying a bit as she then scooped up the same potion bottle I had used on Gible, and sprayed my hands down, with a surety that she had done that before. Then she reached out. “Chansey.” And poked my pokeballs.

“Miii!” Milotic cried out in an angry trill as he appeared and instantly wrapped me up in his coils, turning towards the Gible behind me, and in just a single hissed verbiage sent out a warning that would have caused my spine to tingle if it had been aimed at me.

“MILOTIC.” He growled and Mimikyu eeaped behind me.

“Chanse.” He was interrupted and Chansey’s order cut through his anger. A moment later some cool clean water was flowing over my palms and I flinched. But chansey gently soothed me, and was cleaning up my hands.

“Garchomp!”

“Dragon. Dragonite Dragon drag.”

“Gar! Garchomp! Gaaa-Eck!”

There was a whistling noise behind me and then a massive crash.

I think Garchomp said something silly.

Then it was mostly over. I sniffled a bit as Chansey continued to take care of me, and Milotic trilled against my ear as he rubbed against me.

Owie.

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and looked at my hands.

There were little bite marks of pale flesh now. The wound completely healed away with a bit of potion and Chansey’s work, but… They still hurt a bit. A dull ache, that I knew from previous healings would fade over the next hour or so.

Pokemon medicine really was crazy.

“Chansey chanse. Chan chan.” I was assured and Chansey smiled and patted my head.

I guess I was okay.

“Lets… Let’s get out of here.” I decided and rose up, walking over and picking up Gibles, blood covered Pokeball.

I stared at it for a moment. I would never be able to tell my parents I had done this. They would kill me.

Hell I should be calling myself a moron for it too. What kind of moron puts their hands anywhere near a Gibles mouth…

But, that was just it wasn’t it? Pokemon training was as safe, or as dangerous as a trainer wanted it to be.

If you wanted to be safe, there were plenty of Caterpie, or Pidgeys in Kanto that would grow strong with some training. Lot’s of easy to get along with pokemon that would love you without danger.

But… I wasn’t a safe trainer. The same urge that had sent me to Dragonite Island.

The same desire that sent me into a stream one late night to find a Magikarp.

I loved Pokemon. I loved them. Would I accept the pain of injury to make a new friend? No, that wasn’t the real question. Would I accept pain to help a friend? Of course. So of course if I saw a pokemon in need of help I would reach out a helping hand. Regardless of the pain I might receive in return.

Gible deserved to be happy too.

“Drag?”

“Milo? Miiiiilo?”

“I’m okay.” I said confidently. As I wiped at my eyes a bit and turned to see my pokemon looking worried for me. Mimikyu was literally reaching out to me, his shadowclaw hidden in the shadow Dragonite and Milotic cast, too afraid to get in between me and my team, but looking worried.

I flashed him a happy smile and held out my arms. “Come on Mimikyu. Want a hug?” I offered and was instantly slammed into which had me twirling a bit as I giggled. “I never introduced you to everyone huh? We'll do that when we get out of here. I think Garchomp is about done with us.” I mentioned looking over and seeing her very much not happy as she was standing in front of another Garchomp shaped hole in the rock.

“Return everyone. Yes, that means you Arcanine.” I called out as my girl had been basically running circles around the pit the entire time.

“Dragonite? Can you fly us back to the cave?” She nodded gently picking me up and even being nice enough to princess carry me as we fled into the sky.

I leaned into her, one arm cuddling Mimikyu to my chest.

The other holding Gibles bloody pokeball.