This is a fic inspired by the Pokemon I'm raising for a competitive team. Just a one-shot dealing with the anticipation of them at their peak, and the way I see them now. I hope that competitive battlers and regular game-players alike can relate to the story!
I had LOADS of fun writing it.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Krookodile stood facing the champion's Drudiggon. She looked in his eyes. She knew he couldn't take her on, she was feeling stronger than ever. This is precisely where her father had always wanted her.
His advice rang so true to her, "Darling, listen to me, you'll be taken on a glorious journey. Your strength will be put to the test. No matter what happens though, put your trust in your trainer. He took me far. He'll take you farther, I guarantee it. It's in your nature."
Krookodile smiled, it was so clear on this day. Her trainer had taken her to this point, and she knew that he would take her even farther. She awaited his command against her newest opponent.
"Krookodile, use foul play!"
Krookodile's eyes flared, it wasn't the move she expected. Outrage would surely be the right move in this case, but without hesitation she used the move she was commanded to. She measured up her opponent's strength in an instant, she knew he was capable of brutal attacks. She took that strength to her own as she launched an all-out frontal assault towards her opponent. The Druddigon fell over, his body hitting the ground with an intense "thud," but he wasn't out. His trainer was right on top of things.
"Druddigon, use superpower!"
Druddigon got up quickly. He had equal trust in his trainer, it was true. Before he could execute his attack, Krookodile's trainer called out a move to her.
"Use bulk up!"
Krookodile braced herself, and felt herself becoming stronger. She was ready to take this hit. Here it came, one powerful blow, right to her head. The pain was nearly unbearable. She fell to the ground. Lights went out. She couldn't make it, not after that blow, could she?
* * *
A forever ago... as memory serves... at the Day-Care... it all began...
"Hey, Deino, paws off! That's mine!"
Little Sandile was pushing her buddy Deino away from a twig he was playing with. Her friend immediately pushed back and they began to wrestle.
"Hey, I wanna join!" a voice echoed from a short distance.
Suddenly both Deino and Sandile were choking on some poisonous gas.
"Oh, Gastly!" Blurted Deino, "that really is just awful, Gastly, what is that smell?"
"That smell? It's me, got a problem with it? Smell me again! Hehehehehehe!!"
Gastly's laugh was adorably maniacal. Sandile couldn't help but laugh along.
"Come on, Deino," said Gastly, "let's fight about it, you wanna make a stink over it? Hehehehehehehe!"
"Okay," said Deino, "let's fight about it." Deino winked at Sandile, a gesture that was invisible, regardless, considering his hair covered the entire upper half of his face, "Watch this."
Deino opened his mouth and let out a ferocious stream of blue energy that sent Gastly down immediately and calmed the terrible smell that was coming from him. Deino licked his lips then smiled, "How about it?"
Sandile shook her head, "He's such a rash little guy, isn't he? Always picking a fight, most of the time one he can't finish."
"Boy, I sure finished it, didn't I?" Deino said, beaming.
"Mmhm." was Sandile's only response as she walked in front of Deino, picked up the stick they were fighting over, and walked away.
Deino frowned and looked at the ground, "And now she finished that..." He blew a tuft of hair up and let it fall back where it was as he laid on the ground.
Sandile walked towards the pond. No other Pokemon in the area seemed to want to get too close to her. She had five friends that came and went, while all the others seemed to be afraid of her. What was it about the other five that were willing to stay around her? Even wrestle her? Deino was, without doubt her closest friend. He was so dear to her, she should let him know.
Across the pond, she saw her friends Litwick and Drifloon. They looked and smiled at her. She dropped the stick she was carrying and smiled back. Being with her friends made her so happy. She loved to hear them laugh and make them smile, and sometimes tease them. All her friends loved her dearly too, and they were like her. None of the other Pokemon their age wanted to be around them. She made her way to her friends as quickly as possible.
"Hey, Litwick, hey Drifloon. Where's Shuppet?"
Litwick shrugged, "You know," she said, "He's the lonely type. Drifloon scouted for him for a little while, but in the end he and I decided we'd relax together and let him do his own thing."
"Okay," said Sandile, "well how about all three of us go out to find him?"
"Maybe you should go ahead, Sandile," Drifloon said. His voice was always so droopy, as if he didn't have it all in the brain. Despite what his voice sounded like, his words always did sound wise when considered, "You know, Shuppet always prefers one-on-one time with others, rather than being part of a large group." Sandile nodded and began walking away in search of her friend.
Sandile didn't have to look for long. As soon as she took just a few steps, a herald of great fun ran by at blinding speed. It was Stoutland! Trailing behind him was her friend, Shuppet. He slowed down and whirled back around to talk to Sandile, "Stoutland is here! He's got something to tell us!"
"Us who?"
"The six of us, me, you, Drifloon, Litwick, Gastly, and Deino! He's rounding up the rest of them now!"
"Oh, well let's meet him!"
"He'll be right at the back door. Come on now, let's go!"
Sandile sat with her friends in front of the great storyteller Stoutland, and the one they called "Mamma Slugma," who was there when all six of them were hatched. Her friends were being rowdy, and clamoring with excitement, but Sandile could only pause and wonder why the six of them were being singled out. Most of the time, story time was for all the Pokemon in the Day-Care.
"Okay, okay," Mamma Slugma said in her calm, evenly-toned voice, "settle down, all of you! Stoutland has some very important things to say. Go ahead, Stoutland."
Stoutland cleared his throat and began just before complete silence blanketed the small Pokemon in front of him, "The six of you obviously have a strong connection with each other. I'm glad of it, the six of you will make a wonderful team!"
"Oh, we do!" Deino shouted, we've made a great team!"
All six of the young ones began shouting in happy agreement.
Stoutland smiled, "Yes indeed you have, and you will continue to. Today, though, you all must brace yourselves. You're about to be taken from this place you've known all your life to go on a journey that few other Pokemon or teams of Pokemon have succeeded on. It's a journey to become stronger than the legends of what trainers call, 'The Pokemon League.' Your trainer, the one who's watched over you all since birth, has conquered the league many times, but the pressure is on. Word is that this trainer expects the six of you to be greater champions than any other he's ever raised."
All six were now staring, mouths agape, holding their breath.
"I know, it's a lot to take in, but I promise you this, success or failure, this trainer of yours will still love you. He has certainly proven that with all of his Pokemon."
"But, Stoutland!" Litwick piped up, her voice small and faint, "How can we be expected to be the best? We're so small, and I've heard stories of the Pokemon League... the way you describe those Pokemon... it's scary!"
"Well, Litwick, did you know that there's not much scarier than a properly raised Litwick? Not a whole lot, no, I certainly wouldn't want to go against you at your peak, no I wouldn't."
Litwick giggled and relaxed a bit more.
"Sandile, you know more about this than any of your friends. Your father was on your trainer's very first championship team. And although all of your parents were raised by this trainer, Sandile, your father was by far the greatest of them. You have quite a legacy to live up to. I think you've got the moxie to challenge any Pokemon, though."
Sandile breathed deeply. "Me and my friends, we're treated differently because we're the champion's Pokemon, aren't we?"
"Yes, Sandile, you are. But they don't distance themselves from you because they don't like you. It's out of respect for your power. Your trainer expects you all to surpass the abilities of your parents. Sandile, your father and I can't help but agree with that. You will, without doubt, be more greatly known than your father as one of the strongest Pokemon to ever set foot in the Pokemon League."
"Stoutland," said Shuppet, "tell us more about our trainer's original team."
"Oh, young ones, no, Stoutland hasn't that kind of time." Mamma Slugma said.
"Nonsense, Slugma, I've got all the time for these youngsters. I'll tell them everything they need to know. First of all, you must know of Sandile's father. He stood bravely against the most powerful Pokemon in Unova, and he conquered them, his trainer always trusting in him, and he in his trainer. Then there was Darmanitan, a strong and brutal fire-type."
Litwick's eyes lit up at the mention of a fire-type, "He was the strongest, wasn't he?"
Stoutland laughed, "Well, who's to say which of these were the strongest? They all played a vital role in this monumental victory. Darmanitan had a strong body, and a strong mind. He even possessed psychic powers!"
The six young Pokemon were surprised to hear of that, a fire type with psychic powers, "Maybe I could be just like that!" Litwick said.
"Maybe so," returned Stoutland, "Then there was Electross. He stood without weakness against all Pokemon. His electric power surged through every pore in his body, and he was nearly unstoppable. And of course, Serperior, the Pokemon your trainer started with. He was so regal, and carried himself with an heir of pride in his power. Water-types feared him. He could even make Sandile's father flinch, and that wasn't easy for anyone to do!"
Sandile got excited, "You think I could take him on? Do you?"
Stoutland smiled and nodded, "If you've got the same kind of fighting spirit as your father, you could conquer any Pokemon, I know it."
Sandile smiled and sat down, listening intently for more.
"So, there was also the wicked water-type Simipour. She was so awesomely powerful. She could apply water with such pressure to break through a brick wall. She stood up fearlessly to all types, and could even burn her opponents with scalding hot water. Lastly, there was the legend of Unova, Zekrom!"
All the Pokemon leaned forward and spoke all at once, with a mix of words like, "Really?" "He had?" "Zekrom?" Legendary!" "No way!"
"Okay," Mamma Slugma interrupted, "That's enough excitement for old Stoutland today, young ones, go and play now."
The young ones let out a sigh of disappointment. They always wanted more story time. They hung their heads and walked away until Deino shouted.
"RAAAAAWWRR!! I am the legendary Zekrom!"
Sandile giggled and jumped up at Deino, "Oh yeah? Well, let's just see how tough you are! Let's go!"
Drifloon saw the action and began cheering, "Go, Deino! Haha!"
Shuppet piled in with the others, while Litwick began playing with fire.
"One day," said Litwick, "I'll have psychic powers!"
Litwick looked up from her fire as she heard distressed cries coming from where her friends were.
"Oh, no! Gastly, again?! That smell!!"
Gastly laughed again, that adorably maniacal laugh.
* * *
Krookodile woke up. She shook her head. She was up! Was she still in the fight? She looked around and saw her opponent, Druddigon, was still there. She couldn't have been out for long. He hadn't even started his attack yet. Suddenly her trainer called out the move she had expected this whole time.
"Krookodile, use outrage!"
Krookodile felt the bulk up move she had used take effect as power surged through her body. She let out a terrible barrage of powerful blows, one after the other. The energy she had in her escaped, and hit Druddigon, sending him down, this time for good. She felt so good about taking out that Pokemon, more energy surged through her. Nothing could take her down now!
Her trainer's opponent sent out one final Pokemon and spoke to her trainer. She didn't quite hear what he said, but she heard her trainer's response.
"Come on now, Alder, you haven't beaten me since our first match, you haven't touched my Pokemon but once, and my Krookodile is still good to go since Drifblim passed his evasion stat over to her. You'll be lucky to make one more mark!"
Krookodile grinned and looked at her opponent, Escavalier. But she was stuck in her outrage. If everything her trainer said was true, she would make it, even though she hated bugs. They hurt her like many others couldn't. She let out another outrage attack.
She saw her opponent lunging toward her. Instinctively, she spun out of the way, just barely avoiding that powerful lance. One more outrage attack made contact with her opponent, who simply couldn't take any more. The battle was over.
Krookodile was zapped back into her Pokeball. After a few moments, she was outside of the Pokeball looking at her friends and their trainer, with a photographer in front of them. She heard the photographer say, "This one is for the Hall of Fame... again." then a flash went off. Krookodile turned to face her friends, and they all faced each other. They had just done it, it was their first time here and they did it, all together. She looked at Litwick, now Chandelure. She was beautiful and she did end up having psychic powers after all! She looked at Shuppet, now Banette. He was so full of loneliness, and his body was full of hatred, but she'd hardly known him any other way. Drifloon was now a Drifblim. His baton pass had just aided her considerably against her last foe. Krookodile smiled at Deino, now Hydreigon. He had grown so much, and grown two heads! She still loved him all the same, her closest friend. He winked at her, a gesture made very obvious with all three heads doing it at the same time. Krookodile giggled.
Gastly, now Gengar spoke up, "That laugh, Krookodile, it still hasn't changed. Say, remember back when we were younger?"
...
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