Kanto Wilderness IV - I’ve Never Seen That Before
After being released from his duties Slate decided to continue on with his Journey instead of returning to Cerulean City. The long hike between Cerulean and Saffron City would help him reorient himself after the past few exhausting days, something he felt he desperately needed. So rather than hitchhike like so many other Trainers on this route, Slate walked.
Almost the entire stretch of land between Cerulean and Saffron was developed as farmland to feed the hungry cities of Kanto. The area used to be bordered by Rock Tunnel to the East and the rocky hills of Mt. Moon to the West, turning the valley into a truly peaceful stretch of land. After Gyrados’ rampage, a heavier Ranger presence would be needed in the future to keep the civilians in this area safe. Slate idly wondered if Ranger Holly would be assigned that duty, while he released his Pokémon to join him.
Their day passed slowly and without trouble. Slate and his Pokémon relaxed in the quiet environment, the distant content cries of Cattle Pokémon, safe and happy in their fields, only added to that. Slate had them lightly train as they walked, focusing more on technique and stamina than anything else. Eventually they made camp at the end of the first day in a well developed rest area created for travelers and slept soundly.
If Slate had known how the next day would have gone, he would have stayed safely wrapped up in his cocoon of warmth with Vulpix cooling his side.
It was almost noon when a brilliant blast of lightning shot through the sky. Unlike normal lightning, this didn't come from the clouds above but by something much closer to the ground below. Slate quickly recalled his Pokémon and rushed toward it, wondering if someone was in danger.
Another blast of lightning led him to a dirt path off the main road. As he followed it, more and more blasts of lightning shot through the air, leaving thunder in its wake. Slate quickened his pace.
At the end of the path he found a large ranch. Cattle Pokémon of all kinds were safely locked within their corrals, but the Pokémon were terrified; they were pushing one another against the barriers in an attempt to escape whatever was launching the blasts of lightning.
Slate jumped over a locked gate and approached a large ranch home situated there. Another blast of light flew from behind the house and he quickly ran around. What he saw baffled him.
Four men and two women were surrounding a single Mareep, trying to throw ropes around its neck. The moment one would succeed, the Mareep would charge them with a furious bah, slamming into them harshly. The Mareep would then let a blast of light off into the sky as warning.
“What's going on?” Slate shouted. The nearest ranch hand abandoned his efforts and dove toward Slate, knocking him down. “Get off me!”
“Gotta get you outta here, kid,” the man said, dragging Slate away. “That Mareep ain't right!”
“Let me go!” Slate said, shoving the man away from him. “What do you mean it isn't right?”
The man scowled, grabbing a Poké Ball from his waist. A large Tauros appeared, huffing intensely. “Take Down, Tammy!”
Tammy the Tauros ran toward the enraged Mareep, with its head lowered. The other ranch hands backed off, giving the charging Pokémon room, but it didn't matter to the Mareep.
With a furious yowl, it matched the charging Tauros with a charge of its own. A logical man would claim that the larger and heavier Pokémon would win. Mareep would take that logical man and bend him into a pretzel.
Tauros was knocked backwards, dazed and confused. Mareep blasted it with another blast of lightning stunning it further and causing it to whine in pain. The farm hand recalled it in disgust.
“We're supposed to only get proper Cattle 'mons!” he complained. “Nice calm Pokémon that were bred to be docile, not this monster. Marge, fetch my gun!”
“No!” Slate shouted, stopping Marge, a rather homely woman who looked as though she could throw Slate through a tree. He hastily added, “I'll take care of it.”
The farm hands backed off while Slate approached the furious Mareep. Just one look into that Pokémon's eyes and Slate knew there wasn't going to be a reasonable conversation between them. But the Mareep was strong and it was a fighter, and Slate wanted that.
He sent out Vulpix.
“Blow Mist at it with Icy Wind!” Slate shouted. Vulpix obeyed, shrouding herself with Mist before sending it toward Mareep.
It tried dodging but its thick wool caught most of the Mist, becoming soggy. Ice began to form on its thick coat, slowing it down marginally. Unfortunately for Slate all this truly managed to accomplish was to make the angry Pokémon a wet, angry Pokémon.
Mareep charged forward, gaining speed with every step despite the added weight.
“Ice Shard! Try to take its legs out from underneath it!” Slate ordered.
Vulpix landed a solid blow on the Mareep's front leg, causing it to flip end over end as it neared Vulpix. Unfortunately for Vulpix this was too close as the Mareep let out a blast of lightning at the ground, shocking everyone and everything, including itself.
Slate grunted in pain as his muscles locked, causing him to fall to his knees. The moment passed and he grit out through clenched teeth, “put it down, Vulpix!”
Sparks dancing along her limbs, Vulpix snarled and sent more Ice Shards at the recovering Mareep, throwing it violently across the yard. It slammed into a wooden barn and laid still. Slowly, Slate relaxed and stood up. “Well done-”
Slate's congratulations were cut off by Mareep throwing a lightning bolt right at his face. It would have hit him had Vulpix not reacted faster, taking it for her Trainer. She fell, knocked out and sizzling from the intensity.
Slate's fury knew no bounds. Time to put this Mareep down hard. He released Aron while recalling Vulpix to safety. The tiny Steel Pokémon warbled a hello to everyone nearby, wriggling its tiny body in excitement. Mareep huffed angrily as though it were offended by Aron’s presence, and it pulled itself free of the barn. It lowered its head and charged once more at Slate's Pokémon.
“Iron Defense,” Slate called out coldly.
Aron did as he was trained, turtling in place and becoming an immovable object. Mareep hit him full force and the force behind its charge was enough to finally knock it out. Aron warbled happily in his place, unmoved by the energetic charge.
“Well done, buddy,” Slate said. He then turned to the watching farm hands. “Do any of you mind if I capture this Mareep?”
As far as Slate was concerned, Mareep was exactly what he was looking for. It was tenacious, did not care one bit about the number of foes it faced or how it was outclassed, and it still kept coming back for more. Slate wanted it for his team and he would do anything to get it.
Fortunately, the ranch was done with this Mareep. “Take it and get it out of here,” one of the farm hands spat. The others nodded in agreement. “The League is supposed to look out for these kinds of things.
Slate turned and threw an empty Poké Ball at the stationary Mareep, sucking it in. To his shock it broke out of it, shattering it, and began to stir. Slate wasn't going to have any of that. “Aron, use your head!”
Aron obediently smashed its adorable round head into the stirring Mareep's face, knocking it down once more. Slate threw another Poké Ball, and this time Mareep stayed caught.
“Well done, Aron,” Slate said. Returning his Pokémon. He turned to the farm hands. “You all good now?”
They nodded. “Yes, please just take that monster away from here! None of us are Trainers and ol' Tammy ain't meant for battlin',” the first farm hand said.
Slate took a moment to grasp that before nodding. “Well, thanks then.”
“No, thank you!” As Slate walked away he could hear them talk a little more. “Poor bastard.”
“His loss is our gain.”
“I don't want to ever see another Mareep again.”
“Stanley, we have a pen full of them.”
Slate ignored their comments. Mareep was perfect.
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Slate walked to a nearby rest stop, choosing to make camp early that day so he could treat his Pokémon and speak with Mareep. He first released his other Pokémon.
“Some of you already know but we have a new member for our team,” Slate explained while Chansey began to heal Vulpix. The Ice-type crooned in thanks. “They're a bit temperamental but I think with some solid work we'll come to rely on them greatly in the future. Hopefully.”
His Pokémon, especially Vulpix, did not look overly certain of that. Still, they stood at the ready in case Mareep proved to be a handful.
The moment Mareep left its Poké Ball Chansey hit it with a Heal Pulse. It shook itself awake, looking around at its new surroundings with blatant curiosity. And then its eyes landed on Aron.
Mareep charged forward, sparks flying from its wool. Aron, who had already dealt with Mareep once before, resorted to standing there and waiting. Slate nearly winced at Mareep slamming into the thick metal skull Aron possessed, and coughed to get Mareep's attention.
“Hello Mareep. I admire your fighting spirit,” Slate began, trying to flatter its ego with compliments.
Mareep woozily shook its head to clear it. It finally focused on Slate and began pawing the ground aggressively.
“I was hoping to ask you if you'd be interested in joining us,” Slate said, gesturing to his Pokémon all around them. “We're traveling the region, fighting strong foes, and becoming stronger.”
Slate was interrupted by a furious bleat as the Mareep charged him. Scyther intercepted it from the side, sending it skipping across the campsite until it hit a tree. Chansey hit it with a Heal Pulse.
“You're a fighter,” Slate said, “but so are we. We'll prove it to you if you'd like.”
The Mareep glared furiously at Slate but a calculating gleam entered its eye. Slate took that as a good sign.
“You can pick one of us to battle if you'd like. To prove our strength.”
Mareep seemed to look over everyone around it. It blatantly ignored Slate, deeming him beneath its notice, and it looked at Scyther and Aron with wary eyes. But its eyes lingered on Ralts and Chansey.
Before Slate could say anything the Mareep turned its body so it was facing Chansey. Chansey seemed to huff before stepping forward with determination in her eyes. Slate, hoping this wasn't a huge mistake, allowed it to happen.
Mareep and Chansey squared off in the middle of the campsite. A moment passed between the two Pokémon before Mareep charged forward, its wool sparking menacingly. Chansey was unmoved and her normally warm eyes were cold.
It wasn't until Mareep brought itself in range did Chansey act. Chansey, so warm and gentle that one time Slate had caught her humming as she rocked Aron to sleep, used Drain Punch on Mareep's face, knocking it straight into the ground. Slate smiled as Chansey raised her hands, readying herself to show off why the Dragons of Blackthorn respected her.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
A Heal Pulse left Chansey's opposite hand, healing the damage she just dealt. As Mareep rose, Chansey used Drain Punch again, brutally driving it into the ground. Another Heal Pulse fixed Mareep right up and the stubborn Pokémon once more got to its feet only to be knocked down again.
Again and again it happened, and Slate and his Pokémon watched on in stunned disbelief as Chansey continued attacking and healing her opponent. It took longer and longer for Mareep to stand each time and even with the Heal Pulse it was taking its toll on the battered Pokémon. It was Chansey, not Slate, who deemed when it was enough.
Instead of healing Mareep with a Heal Pulse, Chansey used Life Dew, spraying everyone with the refreshing mist. Mareep, uncomfortable with its wet wool, tried to stand but found itself too weak and dazed from the repeated strikes to the face. It moaned pitifully and as Chansey moved away Slate moved forward.
“Chansey is as sweet as a Sitrus Berry. She deplores violence actually even if she is rather effective at it. But she is our Healer and you shouldn’t judge her based on her appearance. After all, she took it easy on you. Do you understand?” Slate asked.
Mareep gave a weak moan.
Slate nodded, satisfied. “You will stay with us tonight. Tomorrow you and I will talk again about joining us. Should you refuse, I'll take you off Route somewhere and release you away from civilization so you can go your own way.”
Nothing else was said that night. Slate prepared bowls of food for each of his Pokémon, placing them down one by one. Mareep was also given a bowl but the aggressive Electric-type huffed, ignoring it, and turned away from Slate and his Pokémon. Slate shrugged. It did not matter to him if Mareep refused to eat.
Eventually night fell and everyone fell asleep. The distant sounds of nocturnal Pokémon out foraging and hunting was peaceful in its own way, an indicator of how calm the local area was. It was Ralts, laying wrapped up in her own small blanket next to Slate that woke up without warning. She sat up, and chirped at Slate, slowly rousing him.
“What is it, Ralts?” Slate asked, sleep heavy in his voice.
The bolt of electricity that hit the tent drove all thoughts of sleep from his mind.
Slate howled in pain, as did Ralts, from the force of the Electric attack. It was quickly cut off and a terrible crash filled the campsite. Scrapes, growls, and wood breaking could be heard all around Slate.
Not that Slate could see what was happening. His body was painfully locked from paralysis, the electricity overwhelming his nervous system temporarily. It might have been minutes or hours, but eventually a soft nub like hand touched Slate's face and relief flooded his body as it painfully unlocked itself.
Slate groaned and looked up at his rescuer. “You're the best, Chansey,” he said with ragged breaths. She preened but an uncharacteristically serious look came over her face. She quickly cured Ralts of her own paralysis and the trio exited Slate's ruined tent.
The campsite was trashed. Trees were burnt and torn all around them, black spots marked the earth and Slate could see small fires here and there. And the cause was Scyther and Mareep.
The two Pokémon were heavily breathing on opposite ends of the clearing. Scyther, still standing, shivered in pain as paralysis hit her. She looked murderously across the clearing at Mareep who lay gasping for breath on the ground. But the real surprise was little Aron, who stood between them facing Mareep, and projecting a flickering barrier. Despite the circumstance, Slate gave Aron a proud smile.
As Slate approached he could see why Scyther remained where she was. Mareep's side was ripped open and Slate could see the exposed bone of its ribcage. Without intervention, Mareep would bleed out.
“Help Scyther,” Slate ordered Chansey, approaching Mareep himself. To Vulpix he ordered her to fetch his first aid kit.
Vulpix returned with it just as Slate sat next to Mareep. The Electric-type glared at him weakly.
“Should I let you die?” he asked. No answer came and Slate frowned. He grabbed the back of Mareep's neck and caught its eye. “Do you want to die?”
A moment passed and Slate thought Mareep would remain defiant to the bitter end. But he could see the moment where the fight left it, how it felt the fear of dying. He released its neck and opened his trauma kit.
“What was the plan? Kill me and run off into the surrounding farmland? You do realize if you succeeded you wouldn't live to see another moonrise. And not because of Scyther or Chansey or any of my other Pokémon. The other humans would have hunted down the murderous Pokémon and put it down like the Wild it pretends to be.”
Slate worked carefully, cleaning Mareep's wound. He sprayed a Potion to help encourage regeneration on the muscles, but put it aside when it came to closing the wound. Instead he pulled out a needle and thread.
“I trust each of my Pokémon with my life. You don't know anything about us, so let me correct your ignorance. I survived on Mt. Silver for nine months. Scyther fought me, head on, in combat before she yielded to me. We won Vulpix in a tournament against many Trainers and she has proven herself a dozen times over since then.”
Slate was aware of his Pokémon gathering behind him but continued his speech and the stitches he was applying to Mareep. “Ralts lost her Trainer. Every day she wakes up with that loss but she still chooses to continue on. Aron? He had no herd when we found him, no family. He chose to come with us because we were kind. And before Chansey went to heal and fight Dragons, she cared for me when I was at my most vulnerable.”
He sat back. Vulpix’s tails brushed along Slate’s arm, chilling him slightly, while Chansey stepped beside her. Scyther flanked Slate’s other side, her scythes gleaming with blood, and Aron stood boldly in front of them all, ready to act as a shield for Slate. Slate felt honored by their trust in him.
“We are stronger because we work together, train together, fight together. And we're offering you the opportunity to do the same, to become something more than just another trained Pokémon but a legend in your own right. But you will not attack us like that again. Because if you do, it will not kill us and we will get our retribution. And no one will put you back together at the end.”
Slate gestured to the stitched wound. “That will heal but you will wear that scar in the hopes you remember what we've talked about tonight. After all, I remember everything my scars have taught me,” he said. He pulled off his shirt to expose his bare chest to Mareep. Faded scars from his time on Mt. Silver glinted slightly in the weak light, but Slate could see the Mareep's eyes tracing each one, tracing each memory of mortal peril that Slate had overcome.
Slate went back to bed.
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Slate woke up the next day refreshed and covered in a small pile of Pokémon. Aron had made a decent attempt to replace Slate's pillow with himself but had apparently given up halfway through, leaving the little guy resting in a soft nest. Slate slowly woke up Vulpix, Chansey, and Ralts and exited the tent to find Scyther resting in a nearby tree. Slate greeted her before eyeing the last Pokémon.
Mareep had dragged itself under a broken tree trunk, using it as cover for the night. It lay on its uninjured side, exposing the wound to the open air. Slate felt a brief flash of pity but ruthlessly crushed it: Mareep had tried to kill him last night.
He stomped closer, using the sound of his feet to wake Mareep up. It sluggishly awoke, staring up at him with nearly vacant eyes before sharp clarity returned to it. It began to struggle to its feet.
“Stop,” Slate said, holding out a hand. “If you tear those stitches I'll have to give you new ones and neither of us want that. But I do need to check you for an infection.”
Mareep watched Slate with open suspicion but did not stop him from approaching and examining his handiwork. Slate nodded in satisfaction.
“No signs of infection. But you're not allowed to walk today so you're going to get rest in your Poké Ball,” Slate said, pulling out Mareep's Poké Ball. It glared but made no other objection as it was pulled inside.
An hour later Slate was on the road with his Pokémon. He encouraged them to practice the less damaging of their moves, which were mainly those that affected status. After a few minutes of walking, Scyther realized she could practice her Fury Cutter on Aron’s Protect, enabling them both to benefit. Even though a few strikes slipped through, Aron’s armor was more than able to deflect the worst of it.
Of course, this only attracted Chansey’s ire as she healed the tiny Steel-type. She would then use Gravity on Scyther, causing her to screech and use Agility to escape. Slate kept a careful eye on their actions to ensure that no hard feelings formed after such encounters.
When Chansey wasn’t healing Aron, she was learning how to use Swift from Vulpix. It took a fair bit of experimentation with her hands to figure out the best way to use it, but Vulpix was patient in helping Chansey, using Swift as often as she was able to. Slate volunteered himself to be her target, although each Swift that hit him felt like a hard punch. After several unfortunately sensitive areas were hit, Slate focused on using his limbs to block, although he wasn’t always successful.
Vulpix spent her time experimenting with Mist. She would try to have it linger around them, in thick and dense clouds. The air dramatically dropped in this area, to the point that Slate sometimes thought he saw snowflakes form in the air around them. While they always vanished before he could get a proper look, Vulpix seemed to be enjoying herself.
Unfortunately, the farmers who called this route home weren’t enjoying themselves as much.
“Henley! Are you freezing my crops again?” one man shouted. Slate hastily walked away.
“Who’s freezing my well?” a woman shouted. Slate kept walking.
“My sauna!” another man wailed. Slate decided that perhaps his Pokémon had enough training for the day and quickly ended it until they could get away from the more populated areas.
Instead he talked to them. He knew that Mareep could hear him inside the Poké Ball and Slate wanted to show the angry Pokémon that it was among friends, that it didn't need to fight against them but with them. Slate wondered if he was hoping for too much.
“We're almost to Saffron, Ralts,” Slate told the tiny Pokémon. She was sitting on his shoulder, a tiny hand wrapped through his hair to secure her in place.
Ralts chirped happily but grew sad a moment later. Slate looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
“What's wrong?” Slate asked. Ralts said nothing and Slate thought about why Ralts might not be happy about coming home. “Ah, you're going to miss us.”
Ralts chirped morosely, confirming Slate's suspicions. He rubbed the feathers on her head affectionately causing her to frantically push his hand away. He chuckled.
“We're going to miss you too, you know. So much that we'll definitely be stopping by to visit whenever we're in Saffron. So long as your family lets us that is,” Slate added. Ralts seemed to frown at that. He shrugged his shoulders gently to get her attention.
“None of that. They're your family too, your Trainer's family. You belong with them,” Slate gently explained. Ralts grumbled.
They walked in silence for several minutes before Slate felt something odd, almost like a headache if a headache caused no pain. He shook his head and continued, putting it from his mind.
A few more steps passed before the sensation returned, slightly stronger than before and this time Slate frowned. “What was that?” he asked his Pokémon at large. They all looked at him in confusion.
Slate suddenly doubled over in pain as the sensation returned. STAY, rang clearly through his mind and he flinched at the intensity of it. His Pokémon crowded around him out of concern.
“I'm alright, I'm alright,” Slate said, calming them down. But he looked toward the suddenly shy Ralts on his shoulder. “But I think someone just learned how to use Telepathy.”
His Pokémon seemed quite pleased with that and talked to Ralts in their own way, congratulating her. Slate carefully rubbed her head. “I can't stay, Ralts.” She shot him a look of betrayal so he hastened to explain.
“I'm on a journey, Ralts. I need to find my Starter, I need to know she’s okay. I also want to be a Generalist Master and I can’t do that if I settle down in a city. I have to explore and learn if I want to succeed,” Slate gently explained. When Ralts looked away he gave her a gentle touch on the head to reassure her. This time she didn’t push his hand away.
“I've learned a few things about myself and what I want, Ralts. I want friends and family, ones who can stand with me because they've gone through the same struggles and trials I have. Who refused to give up even when the impossible was before them because in their minds defeat wasn't an option. I want to help people and Pokémon, helping make this world a better place, a safer place. I want to see the world and learn all about it.”
Slate was startled when Mareep's Poké Ball wriggled and shot out a beam of red light. Mareep appeared, heavily favoring its injury, and Slate's Pokémon all reacted by turning and facing the intruder warily. But Mareep only stared at Slate for several long moments before glowing red and returning to its Poké Ball. Slate blinked at Mareep’s sudden appearance and disappearance but a small smile touched his lips.
Stay, wafted through his mind once more, quiet and almost a whisper. Slate turned to Ralts and gave her a sad smile.
“I cannot, just as I cannot ask you to come with me on my journey. I've only known you a little while but I will miss you every day we're apart, Ralts. That's how I know I'll see you again.”
Ralts said nothing more. She buried her face into Slate's neck and he could feel little teardrops land on his skin. He placed a comforting hand on her back and resumed his walk.
And even though every step felt as though he were ripping his own heart open, Slate kept moving. He had to. He made a promise to return Ralts to her family and he was going to keep it.
Even if it hurt.
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Time Tracker:
Days passed in Chapter: 3
Total Days: 69
Trainer Card:
Name: Slate
Occupation: Trainer, Healer, Trainee Joy, Field Healer
Ambitions:
* To find his long lost Starter
* To become a Generalist Master, a Master of all Types
Badges: Boulder(II), Cascade(II)
Trophies: Inter-Regional Rookie Tournament Qualifier (3rd)
Carry Limit: 5/10
Key items: Lucky Pebble, Aron’s Rock
Pokémon: 5
Name: Scyther (F)
Type: Bug/Flying
Potential Moves: Counter, Fury Cutter, Air Slash, Focus Energy, Silver Wind, Agility
Core Moves: Rest, Swift
Name: Alolan Vulpix (F)
Type: Ice
Potential Moves: Moonblast, Ice Shard, Confuse Ray, Draining Kiss, Icy Wind, Mist
Core Moves: Swift, Rest
Name: Aron (M)
Type: Steel/Rock
Potential Moves: Dragon Rush, Iron Defense, Rock Polish, Heavy Slam
Core Moves: Rest, Protect
Name: Chansey (F) (Non-Combatant)
Type: Normal
Potential Moves: Seismic Toss, Life Dew, Drain Punch, Calm Mind, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Soft-Boiled
Core Moves: Rest, Swift
Name: Mareep (?)
Type: Electric
Potential Moves: ?
Core Moves: ?