Kanto Wilderness V – Coming up with a Plan
“You have the most angry Mareep I have ever seen. No, the angriest Pokémon I have ever seen. And I once saw a Primeape smash its face into a wall because it existed.”
Slate had only walked a little way down Route 6 when Ranger Holly had landed nearby on her Skarmory. He took a small break to let her check over her Pokémon and even permitted her to use his Chansey to heal some of their bumps and bruises that they had gained from fending off a migration of Spearow. But an incident occurred when Slate released the rest of his Pokémon to let them stretch their legs.
Mareep had taken one look at Holly's Pokémon and bleated a challenge. Skarmory had watched with no small amount of bafflement as the small, fluffy Mareep charged toward, throwing off Thunderbolts like they were going out of style. Skarmory screeched in surprise as it was blasted but rallied back, throwing Mareep into a tree with a Wing Attack.
Slate's Pokémon shook it off, before trying to attack again. Slate and Holly regained their wits just in time, returning their Pokémon before the duo could ransack the nearby area. Slate had barely opened his mouth to apologize when Holly declared her opinion of Mareep.
Slate rubbed the back of his head, trying to avoid eye contact. “Yeah, Mareep hasn't calmed down since I caught him.”
Holly snorted, releasing Skarmory again so Chansey could finish healing him. It seemed to glare at Slate before walking off in a huff, with Chansey following it. “Where did you find it? From some former Electric-type Specialist who wanted to retire and raise something sane, like a Gyarados?”
For a moment Slate pondered the possibility of Mareep facing off against Harry's Gyarados but shook himself out of his daydream. “No, from a feeder ranch on the way to Saffron.”
Holly stared at Slate in disbelief. “You're full of it,” she said.
“Nope.”
“There is no way-”
“He is.”
“-that thing-”
“He is.”
“-is from a feeder ranch. I'll eat my boot,” Holly said, shaking her head. Slate smirked at her.
“Hope you like the taste of leather.”
Holly shrugged. “Part of Ranger Training is a week-long survival challenge. I've had to eat worse to pass.”
Slate didn't have anything to say to that considering he once ate a Caterpie. That had been an unpleasant mouthful.
“So you got it from a ranch, huh?” Holly asked before shaking her head. “Well it happens sometimes.”
“What happens?” Slate asked, his mind still on the poor, unfortunate Caterpie. Holly gestured to Mareep's Poké Ball.
“The feeder Pokémon are usually Wild, they're bred to be that way so there's no guilt about eating a sentient creature. There's still the hang up of eating something that someone could bond with, of course, but most people like to quietly ignore that. But all that breeding sometimes flips, making a Pokémon like Mareep.”
“Pissed at everything and willing to fight a god if it had the balls to show its face?” Slate asked in dry amusement. Holly coughed.
“Well, yeah. It'll make a fantastic battler if you can control it though. Judging by how it attacked Skarmory, I doubt you can though.”
Slate nodded, confirming Holly's words. “I've managed to impress on him that attacking me will end badly for him. It seems everyone else is fair game.”
Holly grinned at him. “How about a battle?”
Slate couldn't agree fast enough and a moment later the pair were across the field from one another. Holly gripped a Poké Ball eagerly.
“I've got a new League issued Pokémon I'm hoping you can help me run through her paces. She's a fierce one though, I don't know if poor, little Mareep will be up for it,” Holly taunted. Slate frowned.
“Well if you don't think Mareep will be up for it, I shouldn't send him out,” Slate said. Holly's face fell.
“No, I'm trash talking you! It'll be fine,” Holly said.
Slate narrowed his eyes. “Why would you trash talk me?”
“I. No, you. You're supposed to trash talk!” Holly finally managed to say. Slate nodded thoughtfully.
“I see, you want me to feel bad about my upcoming battle,” Slate said sagely.
Holly stared at Slate as if she had never seen him before and the sight of it finally caused Slate to break down with laughter. She glared. “Oh, you little bastard. I'll make you regret that! Go, Ponyta!”
A beautiful Pokémon appeared with a mane of flames dancing on its head and neck. Slate was suitably impressed by her as she already stood taller than him. He held up Mareep's Poké Ball. “Go, oh bugger.”
Mareep didn't wait for Slate to release him, instead choosing to release himself. The angry Pokémon didn't wait for a single moment before charging Ponyta, Electric-type energy crackling all around him.
“Stomp,” Holly ordered.
Ponyta waited until Mareep was right in front of it before bringing its hoofs down violently. Mareep took the blow to the face and wobbled backward, before shaking his head to clear his dizziness. Holly looked mildly impressed.
“Well it's got a thick skull anyway. Ponyta, use Ember!”
“Mareep, you need to dodge, you can't tank the hits!”
Mareep ignored Slate's order, charging forward once more. It took Ponyta's flame attack straight on but managed to land a single Thunderbolt on the Fire-type. Unfortunately for Mareep it didn't do much damage.
“Agility, then Flame Charge!”
“Mareep, you have to slow it down! Take out its legs!” Slate ordered.
Mareep ignored Slate once again, instead matching Ponyta’s approach, galloping forward. Ponyta ignored the meager sparks that danced across Mareep’s body as it again landed a solid hit on Mareep, this time burning him severely and throwing him to the ground in front of Slate.
Slate knelt, seeing that Holly was content to have Ponyta wait. “Mareep, you need to listen to me. You can't fight on your own, not against an unknown like this. You need my help.”
Mareep glared at Slate and stubbornly rose on its feet, trembling all the way. It managed to take three steps toward Ponyta before it fell over, overcome by its injuries. Slate frowned as Chansey moved forward to heal the stubborn Pokémon.
Holly and Ponyta approached, her hand trailing fondly along its back, untouched by the flames. “You did a good job, girl. Why don't you stretch your legs?” Holly asked, gesturing to the nearby forest with her chin. Ponyta neighed before galloping away, leaving hoof prints of fire in her wake.
“Well that went about as expected,” Slate said as the two Trainers watched Chansey work.
Holly hummed. “It's a powerful Pokémon. It has stamina and pain tolerance in spades, it just has a horribly aggressive personality. How did you say you convinced it not to attack you?”
Slate quickly explained how Mareep had chosen Chansey to battle before being beaten down by the gentle healer. How Mareep had attacked them in the night before being cut down by Scyther. How Slate had given him a choice between dying or being healed, healing him the slow way so he'd wear the scar as a reminder of that night. Holly's eyes lingered on the ropy scar on Mareep's body before turning to Slate.
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She twisted his ear painfully.
“We do not punish Pokémon,” she said firmly. “We are Trainers, we train Pokémon. We do not beat and wound them when they disappoint us.”
Despite the pain he was in, Slate was not in the wrong, not in his mind. What he was, was trapped in a vulnerable position and he learned years ago how to escape such situations. He had long ago internalized the ruthlessness needed, the willingness necessary, to endure great pain to strike a sure blow.
Holly gasped as Slate slammed a closed fist into her diaphragm. She doubled over, releasing Slate who swiped her legs out from underneath her. Slate clutched his bleeding ear while he kept wary eyes on Holly, while their Pokémon circled them. She looked up at him, gasping for air, but couldn't speak. But Slate could.
Yet as he opened his mouth to say something, say anything, the words caught in his throat. He could not identify the emotion that clutched his chest, lingered on his arms and neck like a spiderweb. All he could identify was an almost nauseous feeling in his stomach. He was dimly aware of Mareep and Chansey standing by his side.
“We're leaving,” he finally said, no louder than a whisper but perfectly audible. Chansey returned herself to her Poké Ball but Mareep did not, choosing to walk behind Slate as they left Ranger Holly behind.
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Hours later, Slate finally stopped walking. It had long ago turned dark but he had not stopped in his march away from Ranger Holly. The whole time Mareep stayed by his side, body still tense with aggression and alert, but not directed toward Slate. It was toward the Wild Pokémon they passed, the trees on either side of them, and even that one stump that looked at it funny. It blasted all of them in warning with Thunderbolts and Slate couldn't find it within himself to stop him.
Slate looked down the Route in both directions, before moving closer to the trees on the left. He released his Pokémon, who clustered around him, sensing his dark emotions. “Make camp,” he said and his Pokémon reluctantly pulled away to do so.
Slate sat heavily against a nearby tree and Mareep settled down in front of him, with his back toward Slate. It kept watchful eyes on the rest of the world, eyeing Slate's other Pokémon with less suspicion than it did any other. Slate considered Mareep for a long time.
“She doesn't understand.” Mareep's ear twitched toward Slate but it made no effort to turn to face him. “She doesn't understand what it's like to fight for your survival, even as a Ranger.”
Mareep finally turned and for the first Slate didn't see rage in the Pokémon's eyes. But he knew the eyes Mareep had well for they were the same eyes Slate saw staring back at him every time he looked in a mirror: determination.
“I should have died a hundred times over on Mt. Silver. But I didn't and each moment taught me a lesson, each corrected a mistake I will never make again,” Slate said. Mareep said nothing but he didn't have to.
Because at this moment Slate understood Mareep. He understood what would drive a Pokémon, who should be calm and docile, into a furious rage, charging at every perceived foe. Because in a life where you are to be raised for the slaughter, everyone is your enemy. And defeat means death.
“You are not alone, Mareep. Our team is small now but it will grow. In strength and numbers we will grow. And I want you there with us because you understand what it's like to be waiting for death and to refuse it.”
Slate took in a deep, ragged breath as his raw emotions raged within him. “Will you stand with us?” he asked.
Silence filled the campsite. All of Slate's Pokémon were watching them, determination in their paws and limbs and eyes. Pokémon understood the way of the world best, they understood what life on this planet truly was, for it was the first lesson each had to learn when they hatched: You have to Struggle to survive.
Mareep was silent as he stared back at Slate. The young man felt no need to look away because it wasn't fear he felt when he looked into Mareep's eyes but kinship. A fellow survivor. Mareep rose to his feet.
Slate watched as Mareep walked up to him, walking past Slate’s sprawled leg. He stood beside him, breathing in his face, never breaking eye contact as he thought things that Slate could never know. And then he nudged Slate's arm gently.
Smiling, exhausted and drained from the day, Slate rubbed Mareep's head fondly. “Welcome, Mareep. Welcome to the team. We're going to do great things together.”
And then they went to bed.
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The cold woke him. It was not Slate’s first time sleeping exposed to the elements, the ropes and tarps he bought protecting him from the windchill adequately. He was used to cold nights with far less protection but this wasn’t that sort of cold.
Ever since gaining Vulpix, his Pokémon slept near him. Scyther preferred to nest in the nearest tree, invisible amongst the branches and leaves, a sentinel even in her sleep. Vulpix enjoyed stretching out by Slate’s side, her nose and paws pressed into him as she lay as still as a snowdrift, and her presence just as cool.
Aron, helpful as he tried to be, often tried to claim Slate’s pillow for himself. It wasn’t uncommon for him to wake up with cold metal stuck to his cheek. Chansey sat upright by Slate’s feet, asleep like all others of her species, her perfectly balanced body only moving with her breathing.
Mareep, new and uncertain of them, laid under a tree opposite of Scyther. He was within sight but on his own, and Slate hoped that he would one day feel comfortable to rest near them.
So close to so many warm bodies, to their steady breathing, was a new experience for Slate. During his youth it meant danger, it meant an enterprising Pokémon sought to make a meal of him in his sleep. When he was rescued and taken to the Pokémon Center it was uncertainty, being around other humans in an unnatural structure. It took months for Slate to stop sneaking out to sleep in the nearby trees, alarming his caretaker Maggie each time she woke up to find him missing.
But not all of their bodies were warm. Vulpix’s was cold in the way a snowdrift was on a warm winter’s day. It was remarkably different from the cold night air, something that Slate had slowly taken comfort in over the past few weeks. Waking up in the middle of the night to find her place empty, the chill of the night air replacing her own, was startling.
So Slate rose from his bed. He didn’t have to go far to find his missing Pokémon, he saw her on the other end of their camp, sitting on a boulder. Her eyes were turned up to the moon, almost glowing at the reflected light. As Slate approached, she didn’t turn to him although her ears tracked him.
He sat down beside her, following her gaze with his own. “It’s beautiful,” Slate said. He reached out a hand and gently stroked Vulpix’s head.
Vulpix purred, her tails swishing slightly to thump his side. Slate laughed softly, mindful to not wake the others. “Yes, you’re beautiful too.”
His Pokémon stopped her fluffy assault and continued her stargazing. For several long minutes they sat there in silence, their eyes gazing at the celestial bodies far above. And then Slate spoke quietly.
“There are many theories that Pokémon came from the stars, that they were passengers that landed here long ago. They use the Fairy-type to back up their claim, the fixation the Pokémon have on the moon and stars as proof of their otherworldly origins. To be honest I think that’s absurd.”
Vulpix’s tails lazily moved back and forth causing Slate to snort. “Keep your secrets then. I only bring it up because I’ve always thought that Fairy-type Pokémon were unique in their actions for a different reason. That they look at the night sky and see something that others cannot. Is it beauty, is it power? Is it the observation of a home long since left? Or do they simply like shiny things?”
That earned Slate another heavy thwack of Vulpix’s tails. Slate continued petting her even as he spoke his thoughts.
“Thank you,” he said. Vulpix turned to face him. Up close Slate could see how her eyes were not just glowing with Psychic-type Pokéenergy but with a strange, hollow silver substance. It wasn’t Fairy-type Pokéenergy, Slate was certain of that, but it was something else. “Thank you for permitting me to be your Trainer. I hope to live up to it.”
Vulpix huffed as she jumped onto his lap. She pressed her cold nose to his hand before she curled up into a ball, resuming her observation of the cosmos. Slate smiled as his hand returned to her fur, joining her in her vigil.
Time passed and sleep slowly took them both. Slate carried Vulpix back to their shelter, placing her by his side and settling himself back in. He winced as his head struck Aron’s hard shell and almost flinched when Vulpix shoved her cold nose into his neck.
But as Slate drifted off to sleep he had a smile on his face. Mareep, once far away, had moved to behind Chansey, curled up in a ball for warmth as he used her to hide from the wind.
Slate’s hand found Vulpix’s fur, feeling the soft coolness of her fur in contrast to the night air. He wouldn’t give this up for anything.
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Time Tracker:
Days passed in Chapter: 1
Total Days: 72
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: 6/10
Key items: Lucky Pebble, Aron’s Rock
Pokémon: 6
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 (M)
Type: Electric
Potential Moves: Charge, Thunderbolt, Cotton Guard
Core Moves: Rest, Endure
Name: Machop (F)
Type: Fighting
Potential Moves: Counter, Revenge, Poison Jab, Snore, Close Combat
Core Moves: Rest, Swift, Detect, Substitute