After a second meal to recover from the workout, most of my team went back into their balls, and I rode Arcanine back home.
Despite working herself to a froth, she still wanted more, so I let her get a good cool down run back to Viridian City.
We stopped our charge outside the house and I smiled as I slipped off Arcanine who was puffing lightly ready for more, but also ready for a break.
“Take a rest Arcanine. We’ll have more blasting training this afternoon back at the clan house.” I told her, and she whined a bit wanting to run around forever. But I stroked through her sweat soaked mane for a moment and returned her.
Then I was assaulted by Puppies.
“What? Hey stop it! You idiots.” I grumbled, as I was surrounded by Growlithe and barked at like I was an intruder. Of course they knew I wasn’t. Of course I also knew that. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun for them to show off how good they were at surrounding an intruder.
“I guess no one wants treats?” My question was almost completely smothered by the barking they were doing, but at the ‘T’ word entirely different from the one I had to be careful using around Arcanine, they all went silent.
“Grow! Growli!” I was promptly told as they all sat their butts on the grass and rose up begging.
“Papa is a bad influence on all of you.” I informed them, but despite everything I kneeled down and started pulling out treats. Each of them received one for doing a good job protecting home, before they all rushed off to go eat it in their own special places.
“Dorks.” I told their backs as I stepped inside and then headed for what I had returned home for.
The phone.
It took me a bit of digging through my bag. Mimikyu had definitely gone through everything last night, but I found my old school journal that I had used to write down important phone numbers for my journey, including the one I had managed to talk Zelos into giving me.
I plugged the numbers away and then the phone rang once before a deep male voice with a strange accent answered.
“Bia Residence.”
“Oh, I’m looking for Zelos. Is she home from her Journey?”
“Who may I ask is calling?”
“Vicky! I’m Zelos’s friend!”
“I see. One moment.” I waited curiously for about a minute before the phone was picked up.
“Vicky?” The familiar voice came over and I cheered.
“Zelos! Hi!”
“Yes, hello Vicky. Something you need?”
“I wanted to ask you for some training help if you would be willing?” I asked and a moment later I could hear her grumbling through the phone before she spoke clearly.
“What do you have in mind?”
“I want to teach my pokemon Dragon Pulse. Your Fraxure used it before. I was hoping he wouldn’t mind taking a moment to try and teach it to my team. In exchange, I can offer some move services to your pokemon! Or just sparring partners, or anything!”
The line went quiet for a moment, and then Zelos spoke quickly.
“Fine, come over. I could use a sparring partner.”
“Great! Um, Zelos?”
“What?”
“Where do you live? I’ve never been over before.”
The line went silent again and I smiled at the silence.
—--
“Whoa, this is a nice place.” I mentioned as Arcanine came to a stop. Zelos apparently lived in a rich neighborhood, no surprise there, but her small mansion had an actual fancy gate to come onto the land as well!
Not sure what to do I shrugged, and with a motion Arcanine jumped right over the gate, and then trotted up to the entrance, down the gravel driveway.
Before I could even hop off when I finally reached the front entrance, the door opened, and it wasn’t Zelos, but a larger man, that made me blink.
He looked American?
No, it was more that he looked European. Sure a lot of people in Kanto didn’t have the Epicanthal fold, but they usually still had some Asian features.
I just realized that other than Zelos, this was the first Unovan, I had ever met.
“Hi! I’m Vicky! Zelos’s friend.” I said as I hoped off Arcanine and then noticed how the man's eyes were locked onto Arcanine.
“She’s a beautiful creature.” He finally said and I could feel myself brighten up.
“Thanks! Arcanine is great! You should see Papa’s Arcanine, he’s a big ol’ chonker.” I informed the man this important information, and then patted Arcanine who was just happy to have gotten to run around some more.
“Daddy!” Zelos called out as she squeezed out from around him and then spun around facing him. “This is Vicky. She’s my… Friend.”
“So I see.” The man blinked and looked over at me, his big bushy beard kept his lips mostly hidden, but I could see the smile even so. “My daughter had some struggles when she first came to Kanto. Thank you for being her friend.”
“Daddy!”
“No problem! She’s a good person.” I replied back and then looked to Zellos. “Where should we go?”
“Follow me!” She demanded and stomped back down the steps running around to the side of the mansion.
I waved goodbye at Zelos’s Papa, and hurried after my friend. She glared at me when I caught up before sighing and nodding.
“Okay we can use this area for training as long as we don’t ruin it too much. Papa will be mad if we cause too much damage.”
“Okay! So I want to teach my pokemon Dragon Pulse. What can I help you with? I know how to teach Iron Tail pretty well! And-”
“Vicky.” I blinked, nodding, as Zelos cuts me off with an outstretched hand. “I’m pretty good on TM's, if I need a new move I can get one. But what I need is someone to sharpen my pokemon against.”
“Battle buddies!” I whispered excitedly and Zelos slumped.
“Don’t call it that.”
“But that’s what you want!”
“I just need some experience in battling for some of my newer pokemon and… Fraxure needs a challenge. He still hasn’t evolved.” She explained and I calmed down nodding.
“Deal. You teach my pokemon Dragon Pulse, and I’ll give your Fraxure strong challenges.” Already the idea was forming. I knew exactly how to push Fraxure.
Zelos blinked and nodded. “You got it, and I need some battle experience for my new pokemon.”
“Oh you caught some! Yay! Zelos that’s awesome! What cool pokemon did you catch show me!”
She rolled her eyes trying to act distant, but I could see the way her back was straight as she grabbed some pokeballs and a moment later, Zelos’s team appeared and I gasped.
“It’s a Scyther!”
“Scyyyyy-Ther!” The bug pokemon proclaimed at my exclamation raising its blades into the sky and then striking them.
“Of course! A Scyther was a perfect addition to my team! Strong and fast! Skilled attacks to sync with my style!”
“Awesome, and a Ponyta! Eee! Look at its cute little hooves!” I cooed at the Ponyta that looked to me and flung its fiery mane as if not impressed.
It was just like Zelos!
I restrained myself from touching it though. Didn’t want to get burned.
“Gong! Gong-gong!” The third newest pokemon greeted me, this one actually flopping over and wanting attention which I jumped into. Scratching Dewgongs chin, loving its soft silky fur.
“You noticed Dewgong as well.” Zelos said a little snootily.
“She’s so cute! What a friendly pokemon.” I said back, and I could tell Zelos wasn’t entirely happy about the last bit.
“Well, she still needs some training in how to comport herself.” She offered back and I just looked to Dewgong who looked utterly enthralled with my scritching.
Yeah good luck with that Zelos.
“They are fun additions! Where did you even get a Ponyta?”
“Hmph… When I was traveling, I stopped at a Ranch and purchased one for travel. You and your Arcanine gave me the idea.” She offered and I blinked.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Then I couldn’t help but laugh. “Ivy got a Tauros from the Safari Zone, for the same reason!” I informed Zelos who offered her own chuckle.
“Ivy always was obsessed with Mrs. Hikaru’s Tauros.”
“We just got used to dealing with him. You should see her Tauros though, he loves Ivy.”
That earned an actual laugh from the girl as she giggled.
But I pulled away from the Dewgong and rose up.
“So training.” I refocused and Zelos’s eyes narrowed as she refocused as well.
“Training.” She agreed. “You help Fraxure with battle. Scyther with some battle experience, he’s only used to fighting wild pokemon, and he… Well he still underestimates his enemies. And Ponyta could use some help as well… She doesn’t have the endurance she should, I don’t think it’s diet, I double and triple checked that.” She offered and I nodded.
“Dragonite will help Fraxure, Dragon on Dragon. I’ll battle your Scyther with Milotic,. He’ll be the best to give him a surprise challenge, even if the fighting style will be similar to your Serperior. And Arcanine and Chansey can help Pontya. We can figure out what’s keeping her endurance down.”
Zelos nodded.
“Serperior can teach Dragon Pulse… But if your Dragonite is busy with Fraxure that won’t work.”
“Heh! Don’t worry. Dragonite has lots of endurance! We’ll do that part later.” Zelos nodded and we got to work. First I whispered to Dragonite what to do, and she went over to challenge Fraxure.
Best way to get a Dragon to push itself was a stronger dragon challenging it!
Chansey was on Ponyta who looked confused at Chanseys check up.
Then it came down to us.
“Milotic! Iron tail, Let’s go!” I called and Scyther reacted, Zelos guiding him forward.
“Fury Cutter! Deflect the attacks away! Don’t let even one get through!” She called out, as Milotic did exactly what I needed him to. Slowly striking with incredible force pushing Scyther back a step with every deflection even as it quickly learned not to block fully.
I was smiling and so was Zelos as we battled, the roars of Dragons echoing around us, and the fire types quickly getting into a competition as Ponyta’s competitive spirit burned brighter.
But I focused on the battle, and Fury Cutter was growing in strength!
Milotic’s blows went from overpowering completely to actually managing to be stopped by the strong bug pokemon.
“Milotic! He thinks his strength is enough! Now! Iron Tail!” I called out loudly, and Milotic roared as its attack blasted forward, Syther tried to step into the block like it had been, but this time the blow blew through his guard and sent him flying.
“Scyther!” Zelos called concerned, but slowly the Scyther rose up.
“Scy!” He called out a challenge, eyes locked onto Milotic. I looked away to Zelos whose eyes locked with mine. She nodded.
Good. Scyther was feeling actually challenged.
“Alright! Keep it up Milotic!” I called out as I turned to check in with Dragonite.
Serperior was looking arrogant as it belted out another Dragon Pulse, the purplish energy, flowing out of its mouth, with a roar as it arced over the field to hit a small pond the energy caused an explosion of force as the water burst up into the air.
“Drag. Dragon?”
“Serp.” Serperior responded with a scoff. As Dragonite tried. I watched as she gathered Dragon energy, with easy instinct, but then she brought it up to her mouth and roared even louder than Serperior only for the energy to disperse.
“Serp. Serperior!”
“Zelos? Any tips?” I asked her and she just shook her head as she walked over. Looking just as annoyed as Serperior as the two stared down at Dragonite and I.
“I used a TM for Serperior and Fraxure. I didn’t try to teach them directly. That always takes too long. Why don’t you just buy a TM?” She asked me.
It was a question I had considered before deciding not to.
“I don’t think they do a good job teaching a pokemon a move.” I answered back. “There is something about training through the whole process, learning it from the start, the failures, and successes that I think makes a move stronger.”
“That’s why you take time to practice the move after learning it. I’m not talking about just using a TM and then thinking you’ve mastered it.” She grumbled and I nodded. That was definitely a path, but for this? For a Dragon with a dragon type move, I think there is something useful in learning how to shift their dragon energy in a new way themselves.
Besides, the goal was to have a ranged attack to practice energy compression for all the dragons. Dragonite and Dratini might already have Twister, but a dragon pulse would help more for everyone else..
“Ugh fine.” Zelos grumbled, after I didn’t respond having gotten lost in thought. “Serperior! Make it as weak as possible!” She called out, and the snake nodded without hesitation and started preparing it.
A faint wave of dragon energy then escaped her throat, as she roared just as loud as before.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with how loud you roar.” I called out what I noticed instantly, Dragonite nodding along with that slowly. She was looking frustrated already.
Her dragon pride not liking seeing her attacks be weaker than a non dragon.
“Slow and steady Dragonite! Build it up slow. We don’t need to shoot it fast yet.” I added and she turned to do just that, slowly building up the energy in a way that looked about right, and then instead of roaring she opened her mouth and just rumbled in her throat.
Slowly whiffs of purple energy escaped her mouth.
“That’s already an improvement.” I called out happily even if Dragonite turned to look at me with a put out expression.
“It’s called training for a reason! Gotta keep going, again!” I called and she firmed up and nodded.
Training on my team was serious business. It had to be with Arcanine leaping into it with ecstatic desire.
Unless you were a certain lazy fish.
“Don’t think I’m not noticing you slacking Milotic! I want to see Scyther feeling every blow!” I called out and instantly my lazy lazy fish jerked upwards from where he had been sort of slumped over ready to stop and Scyther went from taking an easy to block blow to getting smashed with a powerful sending him flying across the grass.
“Scyther?” Zelos called worried, but he got up and bared his blades again ready to charge in. Zelos’s expression shifted from concern to pride.
“You found a good pokemon.”
“He found me technically.” She answered back. “It was a bit of a surprise. I was cooking, and he popped out of a bush. He had an injured leg, and couldn’t move very fast, so he was starving. I fed him and decided to take him to a pokemon center.” She explained and then didn’t say anything more.
“And he wanted to be your friend after? Your friendship moved his warrior spirit and he chose to spend the rest of his life at your side?” I prompted, but the moment I finished the slowly creeping red growing over Zelos’s face told me that I hadn’t hit the mark.
“It isn’t important!”
I raised an eyebrow and she went red before glaring.
“He wanted to run off! So I tried to force him, but he refused to listen so I had Serperior knock him out, and I captured him! I ran to the pokemon center and got him healed up.”
“Wow Zelos, that’s… Really impressive.” I demurred and that didn’t make Zelos happy. She reached out to smack me, but I dodged and then we were off, she was chasing me around to smack me, and I kept just ahead.
—--
“Dragon Pulse!” I called and Dragonite rumbled and from her mouth came a gathering of energy.
But it wasn’t the same as Serperior.
Where Serperior had sent out a beam of energy, which is what I was expecting, Dragonite instead formed an orb of energy, it was small, and the color was different from Serperiors, but eventually it fired off and smashed into the water.
“That… Was different?” I muttered wondering why it was so different unless we had accidentally learned a different move?
“It’s fine.” Zelos said with a shake. “Fraxure shoots out an orb like that. His is a different color though.” She says with a shrug, and I look back.
That’s right. In the anime, attacks sometimes looked different… I had a sudden burst of inspiration, a surety of knowledge that I had just realized something important. Pokemon moves… They were much more complicated than I had ever realized.
I had always relied on the brute force approach, just honing an ability to hit harder, but Zelos had shown me before that something as simple as shifting how you use a tail attack could turn it from a club into a sword.
Why wouldn’t all moves be so flexible?
Professor Kukui wasn’t it? The professor of Moves?
I suddenly had a feeling that if I ever faced that man in battle he would be a lot lot lot stronger than I would have ranked him before this moment.
“We should take a break.” Zelos suddenly said, startling me right out of my thoughts. “Dragonite looks tired, and you got it now. So there is no point in pushing.” She said and I nodded in agreement.
Then I rushed forward and before Dragonite could respond I jumped into her.
“Great job!” I cheered happily. “You learned it so fast!”
“Preee!” She trilled happily as she swung me around and then we were hugging and laughing. Eventually I was back on my feet, but Dragonites claws were in my hands and we started spinning around dancing in delight as Arcanine howled happily at the sight, and Milotic trilled his own cheer.
“Jeeze, it was just one move.” Zelos said, fingers pressed into her forehead “Let’s just… not let anyone see this.”
“And a hooray for Serperior!” I cheered, and Dragonite did as I said, rushing over and before Serperior could escape the grass snake was lifted up over Dragonites head and the dance continued, all the pokemon cheering in happiness.
Even Zelos’s team got in on the action.
“Please don’t let anyone see this.” Zelos muttered to herself before rushing in and trying and failing to break it all up.
“It’s not that easy to stop a training success party Zelos!” I cheered as I grabbed her from behind and spun her around.
“Let me go you dork! Vickyyyyy!” She howled to the sky as we all trainer and pokemon danced in happiness at another success no matter how small.
—--
I landed back at the Ferrous Clan house a few hours later, after making a promise to come challenge Zelos some more. Ready to do some training.
“Rest for a bit okay?” I told Dragonite who looked worn out, but not terribly so, she nodded and walked over to take a seat next to the river to dip her feet into. A few moments later Dratini was there and she was delighted to see her baby.
“Vicky. Back again?” Grandpa Roy called out from the porch and I waved at him before hurrying over.
“Yep! I just spent the afternoon with a friend teaching Dragonite how to use Dragon Pulse. So I’m going to do some more training with the little ones today. Teaching it to everyone.”
“Oh? Is a move all you needed?”
“It’s a good ranged dragon type move.” I answered back with a shrug. “Is it just you?” I asked back and he chuckled.
“Leo is off doing some work for the clan. Elizabeth is off training, seeing you train yesterday has gotten her fired up. You might get a battle challenge sometime soon, if I’m not mistaken.”
“That could be fun. I could use some more practice.” I answered back, walking over to the table and joining Grandpa Roy.
“Heh. I’m sure Elizabeth is thinking the same. You have everything you need? The clan is happy to help. We could pick up some TM‘s?” Grandpa Roy offered rather leadingly.
I just shook my head. “No thanks. I’ve used a few already. The training to learn the move is important for my team. Especially the little ones.” Although I said that, I kept flashing back to the differences in Dragon Pulse.
I shook it off. “I’ve got some work to do. Thanks for the offer though.” I told Grandpa Roy as I jumped off the porch and rushed over to gather my team with a sharp whistle.
Releasing my pokemon, I looked them over. Everyone that trained with Zelos looked a bit worn, but Chansey had kept them healed up.
“Okay! Dragonite. I do need your help a bit, but just to explain and maybe show a Dragon Pulse once or twice. We just need to show the little ones.”
“Drag.” She agreed and then I called out orders mostly to rest up as it was now the little ones turn.
Jangmo-o, Gible, and Dratini were easy. They both rushed up, while Gible was still in her pokeball.
“Where’s Riolu and Mimikyu?” I asked after looking around, neither Lucario or Riolu were around. Frowning, I realized I needed to focus on the three in front of me for a moment.
“Jangmo-o, Dratini. You two are learning from Dragonite today. Gible? Hey, you want to play with me?” I asked her, and she looked at me.
“Gib.”
Neither a refusal, or an agreement, but I nodded, she was calm so I reached over to her calmly noting the way her eyes followed the motion, but they didn’t dilate, readying an attack, and I stroked her tummy getting a warm rumble as she opened her mouth.
“Let’s play some learning games okay?” I asked, and still got no response, but that was okay. I gathered her up and walked over to an empty area. I wanted a big space for Gible.
“Chansey, can you find the missing ones?”
“Chanse!” She agreed and started asking around. Perfect.
“Okay Gible!” I called out as I settled her back on her feet. “Today we are going to play a game. Called Vicky says! I’m going to call out an order, and you follow. If you do enough in a row, you get a reward.” I explained, even if I was pretty sure she wasn’t picking up all of it. But that was okay. I was trying to associate listening to me with a good thing anyways.
I also didn’t say Treat, because if she started thinking about food, I might not get any response from her.
I settled in the grass in front of her, and waved a little to get her to lock her eyes on me.
“That’s it! First one. Vicky says look at me.” I said and when she kept her eyes on me, I nodded, and started the process. Pulling out a bit of berry which instantly had her drooling.
“Okay Gible, I’m going to hand this to you. Gentle, girl. Gentle.” Muttered calmly as I reached out with my other hand and grabbed her claw and then brought it out to put the berry into her palm.
It was hard as she instantly went for a bite as it drew close, but I managed to adjust her lunge and then plop the berry chunk into her palm.
It took a second as she was trying to swallow nothing before she realized she hadn’t eaten anything…
Or maybe she just thought she had. But then she looked at her palm and instantly stuffed it into her mouth.
“Easy girl. Don’t bite yourself.” I told her, reaching out to pull her hand out of her mouth, but she instantly jerked and snapped at me only barely missing as I grabbed her to keep her back. I held her for a minute as she continued to snap at me for a moment.
After a bit I managed to shift my grip on her, and slowly rub her stomach. She soothed quickly, her eyes dilating back to normal after a minute and then she looked at me as if she had no idea what had happened.
“Papa nicknamed me Trouble, but I think you’re going to be more trouble than I ever was.” I told her. Then frowned…
“Mostly.” I admitted because I knew the depth of my troublemaking better than anyone.
“Ready to continue Gible?”
“Gib.”
“Good. Let’s get you settled back down okay?” I offered and she nodded.
At least I knew what my first step with her was. I needed to wean her off of the food defensiveness. She had to understand food was safe here. She didn’t have to fight for it, or she would bite someone.
“Let’s keep playing our game then okay?” I asked with a gentle smile as I adjusted myself to be able to easier grab her if she went for another bite.