TEEN: Shadow of the Pokemon

[Rexasaur]

Introduction

Stephan stepped out of his bedroom, looking dazed and tired, and made his way to the living room. He was still in his pyjamas, striped blue cotton trousers and a top with a Vulpix on it. His red hair was standing up in odd places, and his bright green eyes were drooped.

“Hey sweetie.” A woman called from the kitchen as he walked through it.

“Hey mum.” He replied half-heartedly. He sat down at the table as his mother placed down his breakfast; two buttered pieces of toast, a bowl of cereal and a glass of berry juice, in front of him.

“Why do I have to get up early on my birthday?” Stephan asked, still not completely awake, and cranky. The clock on the wall pointed towards 5am, and his mother’s head poked out of the doorway and smiled at her son.

“You’ll see soon enough, now eat before your dad comes home!”
After a few minutes, Stephan had eaten all his food and had full awoken to his senses, he got dressed and ready, when he heard the front door open and close. Quickly, he walked to the entrance hall, where he saw his dad, dressed in his full business suit, holding a package with an envelope on it.

“Happy Birthday son!!” he exclaimed joyfully, and thrust the package toward Stephan, who took it eagerly with a bow of respect, and said his thanks.

He took the present into the living room to sit down and better unwrap the present. As he placed the package down, his parents both shuffled into the room, Stephan’s mother holding a camera that was on record, and his father looking down nostalgically at his son. Stephan looked at the package, but although he longed to open it, he thought it better to open the card first. He ripped open the envelope, and took out the card, which had an image of a Pikachu holding ten balloons, with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ under it. He opened the card and read out.

“Happy Birthday son – Dad
Hope you enjoy your present! – Love Mum
Thinking of you little brother – Alicia xx”

There was also a small paw-print at the bottom of the page where Alicia, who was Stephan’s sister, had made her Glaceon sign it. Stephan grinned. He was 10; he was finally going to get his first Pokémon. He had always loved playing with Alicia’s Pokémon, at first her Eevee, but after she had left to become a trainer in Japan near the volcanoes, he played with the Pokémon she sent back home. His favourite was her Growlithe. When she had returned, Eevee had evolved into Glaceon, much to the surprise of the whole family, who had assumed that she would become a fire-trainer.

Stephan looked closely at the package, which there was no doubt was a box containing a Pokéball, which had his first ever Pokémon inside. He gave a breath to calm himself from the overflowing excitement, then ripped open the box as only a 10 year old could, then held up the red and white ball in his hands. He couldn’t conceal his joy, and looked up at his parents in a gaze of pure happiness.

“Well,” his dad said. “Call it out!!”

Stephan held out the Pokéball, his hand grasped tightly around it.

“Go! Pokéball!” he shouted. As he did so, a blinding white light erupted from the Pokéball, consuming the whole room. Stephan put his hand in front of his eyes, closing hem tightly. Then he heard a faint cry, and his hand fell away from his face. His smile broadened tenfold as his eyes gazed upon the shape of the yellow sheep-like Pokémon.

“WOW! You got me a Mareep!” Stephan exclaimed, and he moved towards his new Pokémon and hugged it. But before his dad could pull him away, an electric current passed through him, and he fell to the floor, twitching. The Mareep bleated its name as Stephan’s dad pulled him up, throughout which his mother laughed hysterically.

“Mareep’s wool is highly electrified.” Explained Stephan’s dad as he ruffled his son’s hair. “You have to pat her on the head before touching her wool.”

Stephan looked at his Mareep, who was looking at him with sparkling eyes, then nudged his hand gently with her nose. Stephan slowly patted her on the head, and smiled as she bleated ‘Mareep’ in content. A large smile broke on his face as his placed his other hand on her back, the soft yellow wool tickling his palm. Suddenly, in a strange burst of emotion, Stephan pointed to the distance and cried out;

“Come on Mareep! Thanks to you I’ll become the greatest trainer in the world!” And he made his way to the front door, Mareep in toe, but before they could exit the room, his mother pulled him back.

“Oh, no you don’t!” she told him, “We’re taking you to trainer school first, so you can learn how to be a proper trainer and how to take care on your Mareep. Also so that you can find out what you want to do later in life.”
Stephan’s face dropped. “School!” he cried aloud. “Really?”

“Alicia went to school before going to Japan!” His father told him. “And I promise, with that Mareep, You’ll be the best in your class!”

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 1 Part 1

Stephan opened his eyes, and through his long red hair he saw his opponent Carl.

“Trainers, this is a friendly battle between Stephan Aldridge and Carlos Delight!” a voice sounded from the side of the battle court. “The rules are; three Pokémon, no items, three KO’s and you win.”

It had been four years since Stephan had received his Mareep. Much had changed since then. He had caught three other Pokémon; a Tailow, a Lillipup and a Sandshrew. His sister had gone to Canada to work as a Guide in the cold mountain ranges, and his dad had lost the power to walk due to a work accident which included a rogue Golem, and his mother had had to work extra jobs to make sure that Stephan could still go to school. Stephan felt that he has to prove himself to make their sacrifices worth it.

“Trainers, Are you ready?” asked the referee, Madame Fultar, a large French lady who was Carl’s tutor.

“Yes!” Carl called out, a faint smile on his lips. Carl was in all aspects Stephan’s school rival, and had made Stephan’s early days in school a nightmare, all because he hated the fact that Stephan could connect with Pokémon better than he could.

“I am ready.” Stephan said, almost too silently to hear.

“Call out your Pokémon! And begin!” shouted Madame Fultar.

“Go Sandshrew!” summoned Stephan, and out came a small mouse-like Pokémon with a hard looking hide and sharp claws. Its eye’s were deep black, and stared defiantly at Carl.

“Poliwag, I choose you!” Carl shouted, throwing his Pokéball into the air. Out from the flash of light came the blue sphere-like Pokémon, with its long clear tail held high above it. Its black spiral could be traced from the bottom of its belly around and around clockwise, going to the centre of its body.

Stephan’s smile left him, a water type against his ground type, it was an unfortunate match-up for him, but he could see that Carl was happy with his choice, and that made Stephan determined not to lose.

“Sandshrew! Poison sting!” ordered Stephan. The Pokémon curled up tightly, then let out a sharp cry and lashed out every body part, extending its body, and a small dart flew from the Sandshrew’s mouth and impacted straight in Poliwag’s large body. The touched Pokémon fell backwards, dazed by the hit, but it was not enough to make it lose focus, and it narrowed its eyes.

“Watergun!” Carl cried out.

“Dig Sandshrew!” Stephan countered, hoping that his Pokémon was faster. Sandshrew dived into the air and fell onto the ground, his paws pulling out giant quantities of dirt and earth over his head, but before it could fully dig its way to safety, it was hit by Poliwag’s jet of water.

“NO!” Stephan cried aloud. “Sandshrew? Are you ok?”

But the Pokémon did not answer. All that was left was a Sandshrew sized hole where he had burrowed his way down, and a large splash mark of water. Stephan’s face was torn between worry and anger. If Sandshrew had fainted from the attack, Stephan wouldn’t be able to pull him out from underground; the Pokéball’s beam to return him could not go through earth.

“Hahahaha,” Carl chuckled. “The only way out is surrender!”

Stephan knew that Carl was right. Several seconds passed, and nothing was happening. The large crowd at the side-lines was tense and whispering to one another, but Stephan fazed them out. Poliwag was jumping up and down, happy with itself. Then, to the surprise of everyone in the court, it stopped, as if it had just heard something.

“What’s wrong Poli – ARRGH!” Carl cried in surprise. The ground had opened up, and Poliwag had gone flying through the air and right into Carl, who had fallen onto his back. Dust flew around the shape of Sandshrew, who had dug far below the ground to gain enough momentum to make sure his attack would be fatal.

“All right! Sandshrew!” Stephan punched up in the air with his right fist, elated. He was back in the game.

“Both Pokémon have been knocked out!” The strong accent of Madame Fultar ploughed through the cheers of the nearby crowd.

“Huh?” Stephan looked down and saw that Sandshrew had indeed fainted, and was lying flat on its front. He picked up his Pokémon just as he heard Carl shout “Poliwag, return.”

“You did great Sandshrew.” and he stroked Sandshrew’s head, and heard his faint ‘Sand....shrew...’

Stephan held out his Pokéball and called Sandshrew back, the red beam enveloping his Pokémon and transporting it into the ball. Stephan got up, a smile on his face.

“I don’t know why you’re smiling.” called out Carl, who had pulled out his second Pokéball, and was tossing it up and down.

“I’ve got all the reason to be happy.” replied Stephan, picking up his next Pokéball.

He heard Carl say ‘Arrogant arse’ under his breath; even though he was on the other side of the room, and saw him throw his Pokéball. This was nowhere near finished.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 1 Part 2

“Oddish! Go!” Carl said as he threw his second Pokéball. A small bulb Pokémon with several huge leaves sprouting from its head materialised in front of its trainer.

“Tailow, do your best!” Stephan lobbed the Pokéball high up into the air, and out came the small swallow-like bird Pokémon.

“Tail-OW” she cried out, her voice sharp like her talons. No guesses who had the advantage this time. Stephan’s grin grew, and he called his first attack.

“Tailow, gust attack!”

The small Pokémon dived down from her hovering position so that she was only a few metres from the Oddish, and then flapped her wings vigorously, and a gust of air cut through the opposing Pokémon. The attack was devastating, as Oddish was part Grass type. It flew back not unlike the Poliwag before it, although Carl managed to sidestep the oncoming Pokémon before it could throw him to the floor. The Oddish jumped up onto its feet after a few moments, shaking its head as if to regain its senses.

“Good Oddish! Now, sleep powder!” Carl ordered. The Oddish pointed its leaves at the hovering Tailow, who was looking down at it in a look of challenge, and a bright jet of golden powder flew at her. However, Tailow dodged it and squawked ‘Tailow!’ as she flew under the jet.

“No Tailow!” Stephan yelled to his Pokémon, but it was too late, the jet had exploded above Tailow and fell delicately, almost mockingly, on her wings and back. Slowly, the powder took effect, and Tailow’s flapping stopped.

“Damn it.” Stephan cursed as his Tailow fell to the arena floor, asleep. Carl let out a small laugh, as Stephan couldn’t use any items to wake her up. Despite managing to get Oddish to almost faint, not he was on the back foot, and he was helpless to stop what was to follow.

“PoisonPowder Oddish” Carl said slowly, as if to make Stephan feel even more useless. Once again the leaves pointed at Tailow, who was snoozing away, unaware of the oncoming danger. The purple powder floated down gently, mocking Stephan. As the powder fell on Tailow, she gave a small squawk of pain in her sleep. Stephan knew now that it was only a matter of time before Tailow would faint.

“Tackle! Now!” Carl called. As the Oddish ran up to the helpless sleeping Tailow, Stephan heard the gasp of the nearby crowd of students behind him. The impact of the Oddish made the small bird Pokémon skid on the arena floor, then collapse painfully.

“Come on Tailow. Wake up.” He whispered desperately. As if the small swallow heard his plea, one of her eyes opened sharply. The tackle had moved most of the powder off her body.

“Tackle again Oddish!” Carl snarled, victory in his reach. But before Oddish could make contact with its attack, Tailow beat her wings once, one powerful flap that removed all of the powder from her.

“Yes Tailow!” Stephan jumped in joy, and grinned when he saw that Carl’s smile had disappeared into an expression of shock and horror. Behind him, the crowd cheered. “Now Gust attack!”

A quick look from Tailow told Stephan that she was about to faint, but she gave a sharp nod, and pride filled Stephan’s heart at the loyalty of his Pokémon. She beat her wings once, a gloriously powerful flap that moved the air all around her with such strength that not only did Oddish go flying, knocked out by the wall of air that had hit it, but Carl fell back onto his backside as well.

Despite this triumph, and the crowd cheering behind him, Stephan did not jump in joy. Tailow hovered back down to the ground, landing at Stephan’s Feet, and gave a squawk.

“You did brilliant Tailow, you’ll know what Oddish is capable of for next time.” Stephan told her, as he moved a finger up and down her neck. “Return.” He called.
Carl looked like he was about to explode, but he let out a breath, and returned Oddish to his Pokéball.

Stephan stood back up, and picked up another Pokéball, the one he had got four years ago.

“Go Mareep!” he called, and threw the ball. As he did, he saw that Carl had done so at the same time.

“Mareep!” both Pokémon cried, looking into each other’s eyes, ancient rivals.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 1 Part 3

Both Stephan’s and Carl’s first Pokémon had been a Mareep, and ever since their first day of Trainer school, they had been in stiff competition over one another, trying to beat each other at anything and everything, to make the other realise that their Mareep was the best.

Stephan could feel the anticipation in the crowd behind him, and heard one person shout “Show him Stephan!”, although he wasn’t sure who it was.

“Thunder Wave!” Carl ordered loudly, taking the initiative. Carl’s Mareep let out a high pitched bleat and a wave of electrical energy passed through the air, but it was not powerful enough to actually reach Stephan’s Mareep.

“Cotton Spore!” Stephan shouted. His Mareep opened her mouth wide, and darts of shiny wool sped out of it, flying straight towards her opponent, causing it to bleat in dismay. It now had difficulty moving. Stephan took advantage of this temporary loss of speed and ordered his own Mareep.

“Tackle!”

In a moment that resembled the Oddish tackling his Tailow, Stephan saw his Mareep run toward Carl’s, and knock it at full force. The impacted Mareep was thrown towards Carl, giving a cry of pain as it hit the floor. “Again Mareep! You can do this!” Stephan encouraged. Once again, his Mareep shot towards Carl’s and took advantage of its slowness to barge it to the floor.

“Thundershock Mareep!” Carl shouted in desperation. Just as Stephan’s Mareep charged in for the third impact, a bolt of bright lightning flashed from Carl’s and struck her. She jumped back in recoil to the hit, and gave a weak struggled bleat. ‘Paralysis’ thought Stephan. ‘Damn him.’

“Mareep.” Carl said, and his Mareep turned itself to the helpless shaking body of Stephan’s Mareep. “Take Down!” Stephan’s face turned into a look of absolute horror.

Take Down was the greatest impact move Mareep could know at this level, and Carl had already mastered it! He hoped not. But his hope was misplaced, as Carl’s Mareep charged fast and had into Stephan’s paralysed Mareep, who skid back on the ground of the arena. Stephan saw that Carl’s Mareep had hurt itself in the process, but Carl was so intent on winning that he did not see it, and ordered the attack again.

“Mareep! Thunder Wave!” Stephan called. But it was no use, Mareep’s paralysis prevented from attacking, and worst of all, it took another Take Down, and skidded again, stopping at Stephan’s feet. He looked down, and saw her beaten body. He fell to his knees, and put a hand on her head.

She looked at him, his caressing hand soothing the pain, and then she saw a tear fall from his face, and drop onto hers. She gave a weak bleat, and nudged Stephan’s hand.

“You better get out of the way, cause I’m about to finish this battle!” Carl jeered. “Mareep! Tackle!”

Carl’s Mareep, let out a quiet bleat of relief at the choice of attack, and readied himself for the final attack. It started to charge, even though Stephan had not gone out of the way.

Suddenly, Stephan’s Mareep got up and let out a sound breaking ‘MAREEP!’ and charged at Carl’s Pokémon, who was unable to dodge at the speed he was going.

Both collided in the centre of the court and a huge rumble occurred, and a blinding white light erupted from the bang, forcing both Trainers and the crowd behind the court to cover their eyes as the light shone and made their eyes sharply in pain.

After several seconds, Madame Fultar’s voice could be heard. “Stephan Aldridge is the winner, Spark being the final move used by his Mareep.”

Stephan removed his arm from his face, and saw Carl on the floor again, this time with his Mareep fainted on top of him. His own Mareep was in the centre of the arena, panting her name in a constant ‘Mar...eep...Mar...eep’

“Mareep!” Stephan called out and he ran towards her and down to her head level and wiped the tears from his eyes. His Mareep was still panting, her breath slow but heavy, and Stephan could feel the electrical charge in the surrounding air. He placed both hands on the sides of her face, and stroked her gently as he spoke,

“You make me proud, you always make me proud.” And he lent in and kissed her on the nose, and she licked his face in response. He then gave her a hug and returned her to her Pokéball.

“You disgust me.” Carl sneered to Stephan. “That’s your Pokémon, not your girlfriend! Then again, Jenny does look like a Mareep.” And he laughed as he walked off through the double doors of the arena.

Stephan got up, shaking his head. ‘Just because you can’t show your affection to your Pokémon’ he thought to himself.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 1 Part 4

Stephan turned towards the crowd of people, although it was much smaller than it had been during the battle, obviously having left once it was over. The only people left were some first year trainers, hastily taking notes on the battle, and Stephan’s friends; Jennifer and Eric. They both looked very pleased that he had beaten Carl.
As he walked closer to them, Jennifer spoke

“I heard him, but don’t listen to him, he’s just a sore loser.” She told him, shaking her head, which made her blonde hair sway around her. She re-adjusted her black glasses, and then said. “Although it is very odd how close you are to your Mareep”

Stephan rolled his eyes.

“I’ve told you before, if you had a pet dog or cat, you kiss them if you love them. I love my Mareep, it’s why I’m better than Carl.”

But Jennifer gave hive a stern look, unconvinced.

“I love you both as friends, and as much as Mareep, but as she’s a Pokémon, she responds better to hugs and kisses. It makes her feel special and she’ll do better in battle.” He explained to both of them. There was a small moment of silence, then Eric broke it with a loud “Anyway!”

“Shouldn’t you go to the Centre to heal your Pokémon?” he asked.

“Yeah, I should.” Stephan agreed, and they made their way to the main school buildings. They left the battle area, and as they walked along the long corridor, lined with battle courts, they talked of the upcoming end of school exam. If they passed, they would be free to become trainers, or follow any career involving Pokémon.

“I just can’t fathom why it’s an exam though!” exclaimed Jennifer, “you’d think that as a trainer school we’d battle other trainers to pass.”

“Jen,” Eric said with a sigh, “you know that that would mean that you have to stay for another year if you lost. And being a trainer isn’t always about winning battles, it’s about making your Pokémon grow.”

“Talking about making Pokémon grow,” Jennifer said to change the subject that she obviously wasn’t winning, “Why do you never use your Lillipup Stephan?”

But he didn’t answer. He was in his mind, thinking deeply. Both Eric and Jennifer smiled at each other.

“Oh! Stephan!” Eric called.

“Whaa?” Stephan replied, dazed.

“If you like her so much, just talk to her.” Eric told him.

“Who? What?” Stephan said, trying to seem confused, but his face betrayed him, as he had gone red from embarrassment.

“Rosaline!” said Jennifer, “We know that you still like her, despite what you try to tell us. She came to your battle you know.”

“She did?” Stephan suddenly felt alive. Both Eric and Jennifer laughed, and did so up until they passed the sliding doors of the school’s private Pokémon centre.

“May I help?” asked the Nurse at the counter, staring sternly at the pair giggling. No one ever knew her name, and as such she had become known as Nurse Temper as she had a short temper.

“Yes. Could I have my Pokémon healed please?” Stephan asked, handing over the three Pokéballs that he had used.

“Certainly!” Said Nurse Temper, taking the Pokéballs carefully, then walking back to the healing booth behind the counter. Stephan turned to his friends, seeing them still smiling.

“What did you want to ask me before Jen?” he asked, trying to move the conversation away from his crush.

“I asked you?” said Jen, confused. She mentally retraced her steps of the conversation, until she finally remembered what she had asked. “Ah yes! Why do you never use your Lillipup in battle?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Said Eric before Stephan could answer, “It’s so weak that I doubt it could knock out a Magikarp!”

But Stephan shook his head, and gave Eric an evil glare.

“Actually it’s because I wanted to give it to my Cousin Bruce, who turns ten next week. My aunt couldn’t catch any Pokémon because she has to look after both Bruce and Zoe, my other cousin, so I caught him one for her.”

“That is so sweet,” said a girlish voice from behind. He heard a quiet ‘Togepiii” as he turned and his heart skipped a beat. He saw a girl who had dyed her hair purple, and was wearing a black dress that fell to her ankles. She was holding a small, cute Togepi in her arms.

“Hi... Rosaline...” Stephan greeted shyly.

“You’re so kind to everyone, and you really love your Pokémon!” complimented Rosaline. Stephan saw her deep brown eyes flicker with what he thought was the lights of a thousand stars.

“Th...Thanks,” he stammered, blushing. He realised that Jenny and Eric had left them both in the centre of the Pokémon centre.

Rosaline rolled her eyes with a smile, and Stephan’s heart dropped.

“For someone who has so much kindness and passion with Pokémon, you sure lose that confidence around girls!” she said, a smile breaking on her angelic-like face.

“That’s because you’re... just so much... just so beautiful.” Stephan managed to say. He said it so silently that she only just managed to hear him, and her smile widened. The noise from the Common room part of the Pokémon centre drowned out slowly as Rosaline moved a step closer to him, as said in a hushed voice.

“Stephan.” He shivered with delight as she said his name, “I’ve liked you for almost a year, and that is the biggest sentence you’ve said to me.”

She closed her eyes, and leant into Stephan’s face. He panicked, but inside his head he heard his Mareep bleat in encouragement, and he pressed his lips against hers. It felt as if the thousand stars that made up her eyes had exploded into existence. Her lips were as soft as Mareep’s wool, and they made him feel elated. They broke apart and looked into each other’s eyes; Rosaline’s dark brown eyes looked like a sea of stars to him, and Stephan’s deep green eyes like emerald in the night to her. She then spoke to him,

“I’ve wait for that kiss for a long time.” She gave a sweet giggle which made Stephan’s heart leap with joy.

“When you two are quite finished!” Nurse Temper shouted, who was holding Stephan’s Pokéballs on a tray. “This is a school!”

The pair broke apart, looking embarrassed. The whole common room stopped talking for what seemed an age to Stephan. He looked past Nurse Temper to see Carl, horror struck by what had just happened. Smiling, Stephan took the Pokéballs from the tray and the noise remerged from the silence.

Rosaline then took Stephan’s hand once Nurse Temper had walked away, shaking her head saying to herself “this is a school, honestly!”

Rosaline pulled him towards and through the sliding door, and out into the school grounds.

 

[Continent Turtle]

That was good! I enjoyed it. But you should be more diverse with your word choice becouse the sentence: "He realised that Jenny and Eric had left them both in the centre of the Pokémon centre." feels a bit unnatural. Of all the people I know, not many would phrase "in the centre of the Pokémon centre" like that. I think "middle of the Pokémon centre" would have been better. It also feels a bit rushed, you should take your time. The only thing I know about Eric and Jennifer now, is that Jennifer is blond with glasses, and that she and Eric are friends with Stephan. These are just tips, and I'm sure you will continue writing good stuff.

 

[Rexasaur]

Thanks for the feed back, and i do try to make it interesting, but as i've written it on paper, then change little bits to fit into what i want it to be, it gets a bit weird. I sort of had a brain-fizzle on the centre of the cntre bit, where i got stuck for about 5 minutes trying to think of a word, and couldn't, so i just moved on.

Thanks for the feedback, and i'll try to post more later today or tommorow

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 1 Part 5

The school grounds were, in Stephan’s eyes, huge. Only one fifth of the whole grounds were buildings for the students and teachers to do lessons, the rest was for the Pokémon to interact and relax in their natural habitat, and for the school’s research department to study Pokémon. There was a huge forest, filled with oaks and evergreens for the grass and bug type Pokémon, which encircled a marsh in the middle of it for those Pokémon which were poison type. There was a small artificial rocky hill for Rock, ground, steel types, although flying types would also roost there as well. There was a Zubat infested cave in the hill that led to the school’s massive generator, which Electric types would usually group in. There was also a lake, which not only served as a home for plenty of water types, but also as a fun way to refresh in the summer for the students. In the distance, Stephan saw the scaffolding which surrounded the foundations for a ‘Dark Tower’, which was to be home to Psychic, Ghost and Dark types.

Rosaline pulled Stephan towards the clearings that both joined and separated each area, and headed towards a small clump of trees near the Lake. The sun was shining low, as it was nearing the end of the afternoon, and the sky was turning red. When they finally reached a big redwood, Rosaline sat down and rested her purple hair on the white bark behind her. Stephan sat down in front of her, and looked at her Togepi as it ran around the tree trunk, chanting its name joyfully. He reached for his belt and unclasped a Pokéball.

“Out Tailow.” He said quietly, trying not to upset the serene silence of the lake several metres away. Tailow came out and stretched her wings, she didn’t like her Pokéball as she found it too confining, and then gave a sharp look at Rosaline as she became aware of her. The Pokémon hopped onto Stephan’s lap, then his arm, and finally leapt onto his shoulder, and rubbed herself against his head, still gazing murderously at the girl sitting in front of Stephan.

“She’s jealous.” Stephan explained to Rosaline as he noticed her looking unsettled by the look she was receiving. “Tailow hates lack of attention and likes to be the dominant female.”

“Then why is she jealous of me?” Rosaline asked.

“Because you’re so beautiful.” Stephan replied with a grin. Rosaline blushed, then lifted herself from the tree to give him a peck on the lips.

“OW!” Stephan cried, and Rosaline flinched in surprise. “Why did you do that!?”

She realised that Tailow had given him a peck of her own, and he was in fact telling her off. She leant back and looked amusingly at the pair.

“Just because I’m with another girl doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten you!” He snapped at his Pokémon, and then placed her down on the ground and gave her a stern and adult look, which Tailow stared back at, trying to win the stare off. Eventually, Tailow gave in a sunk her head, looking at Stephan’s feet, and Rosaline noticed Stephan’s angry stare change into a loving, caring gaze. He lifted the Pokémon up, and stroked her underbelly. She gave a tiny Squawk of apology, and hopped down to Rosaline’s feet, which were bare. She reached down to stroke Tailow’s head, but the Pokémon, quick as the wind, jumped onto Rosaline’s arm and then her shoulder, then pecked her affectionately on her nose. Rosaline giggled and gave a look to Stephan that made him smile.

“Anyway,” he began, “If I remember right, you have a Purrloin?”

“Yes I do,” she replied, and reached into her bag which she had placed to her left. She took out a Premiere Ball, and threw it into the air. Out came a small purple kitten with a cream back and neck, and large green eyes. “She’s called Darkness, because my mother caught her at night and she’s a dark type.”

Darkness gave a small purr, and looked amused at the running Togepi, who was still doing laps around the couple and the tree.

“I’m scared to nickname my Pokémon, as I don’t know if they will like it or not” Stephan told her. “And I can never think of a good nickname anyway.”

“Well I haven’t nicknamed my Eevee or my Togepi, I like their names the way that they are.”

Stephan’s eyes lit up suddenly.

“You... you have an Eevee!” he exclaimed, slowly and with awe.

“Yes,” she said, stroking Darkness d gently on the head, “It was a gift from my Sister.”

“My sister had an Eevee, and i used to play with it all the time when I was little. She was such a cute and playful Pokémon.

Rosaline made a slight snort. Stephan looked up to her, and realised that Tailow had made a comedic eye roll which had made Rosaline laugh.

“What?” he asked, smiling.

“Your Tailow is very funny.” She commented. “You take really good care of her.”

“Oh I do, I always try to be better than Carl. Plus I love every single one of my Pokémon. But I’ve always wanted an Eevee.”

“Well you sound like you want to be a Pokémon breeder.” Rosaline said

Stephan shook his head “No, I want to travel around the globe and compete in the world championships!” he got up and held out his hand for Rosaline to take, and he lifted her up to her feet. She slipped on her shoes as he talked on. “It will take a lot of work, but I will train up my Pokémon to be the best they can ever be. And with Mareep, Sandshrew and Tailow at my side, there is no one who can get in my way!”

Rosaline saw that Stephan believed strongly in his Pokémon, and admired him for it. She took hold of his arms, and kissed him. They stayed there for a while, until
Tailow pecked them both on the head.

“Ok!” they both said to the bird, who winked at the Purrloin on the ground.

“We better go back.” Rosaline said, and she picked up Togepi. “I had a great time Stephan.”

“So did I Rosaline” he replied.

“Call me Rose, I don’t like my full name.”

“Ok Rose.” He smiled to her, and they both walked back, hand in hand, to the school, closely followed by Darkness and Tailow, who were chatting to each other.

(End of Chapter 1)

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 2 Part 1

"Hey mum!" Stephan called as he entered the hallway, took off his shoes, and placed his bag on the floor. He then made his way to the living room to see if he had any post, then made to proceed to his room, but was stopped by his mother, who blocked his way through the kitchen door.

"Good afternoon young man." She said in a condescending tone. She was wearing house-working clothes; ragged trousers, an old blouse and a dirtied apron, and her scarlet hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail. Stephan gulped,; she was annoyed at something.

"How was your battle with Carl?"

"I won, but it was too close," Stephan replied nervously, this couldn't be the subject. "Tailow was hit by sleep powder and that meant it had to be a Mareep finish."

His mother let him into the kitchen, but positioned herself to prevent him from going into the hallway behind and into his room. He decided to go into a cupboard and take a few biscuits to eat.

"You know, your father and I met in trainer school." She said, looking at Stephan with knowing eyes.

"Why do I need to know that?" he replied, still wondering what she was getting to with this conversation.

"Well," she said to him, and folded her arms as she leant on the doorframe. "I got a call from the school's Pokémon centre Nurse, who told me that you were having 'physical contact' with a girl in the middle on the centre."

Stephan froze halfway through a biscuit, and could feel his heart thumping heavily in his chest. he swallowed, and was about to speak when his mother interrupted him.

"I would quite like to know what she meant by 'physical relations'?"

Stephan stammered, caught off guard. "J... Just kissing." his heart was racing in embarrassment.

"And with who?" She persisted, "Jenny?"

"No, a girl called Rosaline." He replied.

"And is she acceptable?" his mother asked, the hidden and ultimately important question. But before he could answer her, his dad limped in, and placed both his hands on Stephan's shoulders, and looked his wife in the eyes.

"Now now honey," he said "I'm sure that Stephan knows who is acceptable and who isn't. In fact, if I remember correctly, your mother wasn't fond of me at first." He turned to look at his son. "But remember Steph, exam first, girls second."

"Yes dad." Answered Stephan, and he smiled at them as he made his way to his room. That could have gone worse.

Chapter 2 Part 2

The next three weeks of Stephan's life were full of mock exams set by his tutor, Mr Hill, who even fought Pokémon battles with his students, getting them closer to their Pokémon and teaching them winning combos and tactics. Mr Hill had beaten four of the eight gyms in the UK, and had turned to teaching since losing to the fifth ten times. His Vulpix and Growlithe were determined and award winning Pokémon at the annual teacher's contest.

Stephan also spent a lot of time with Rose, either battling against her, or spending time with her in the school grounds, letting their Pokémon play with each other, and talking about themselves. Stephan learnt much about Rose; she had an elder Brother called Liam, who worked as a Pokémon ranger in Scotland, and a little sister who was called Lily, who would start school the following year. He also found out that her parents owned a corner shop in town, and that her great grandfather was 2nd in the 1954 World championships.

Lastly, Stephan helped Jenny and Eric with their exam practise, as they both found it harder than Stephan did. Although Jenny always wanted to know what he and Rose were up to in the school grounds, and he always replied talking and walking, but Jenny wasn't so sure. Eric always got annoyed by Jenny's continuous side tracking, until one day he got her quiet by reminding her that if she failed this test she would have to sit back a year, and worse of all, with Carl, who was obviously bound to fail. Ever since, Jenny was more inclined to study.

The day of the exam finally dawned one warm day at the end of spring in June. Stephan got up as usual, dressed and ate his breakfast, then said his goodbye's to his parents, and walked out of his front door and headed for Rose's. The sky was a cloudless light blue, and the sun heated up everything it touched, and soon Stephan was regretting wearing his light school jacket. His bag was heavier as he had filled up on potions and full heals for his battle with Rose after the exam, and it was adding to the strain already caused by the heat.

He turned as he came to 'Violet Road', and headed down the street. In the distance he could hear the cars zooming down the dual-carriageway. He looked up at the sky as he heard a group of Starly's flying above, and he proceeded to walk on towards house 38. As he turned to face it, Rose opened the door, and closed it behind her. He smiled as she turned after locking it behind her, and she smiled back when she saw him waiting. She was wearing a white summer dress, which suited her newly dyed red hair, which she had done to match Stephan's. She ran to him, and jumped into his arms, kissing him tenderly. When they parted, they both said 'hi' and laughed.

"I missed you." She told him, still smiling. The sun reflected down on her face and hair and made her seem more alive.

"I missed you too." Stephan replied. "You look as beautiful as ever."

Rose pecked him, and took his hand. Then they made their way to the school, going back the way Stephan had come, and talked about what could be in the upcoming exam.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 2 Part 3

"Sit down! Pens out! No Talking!"

The voice of Mrs Nolkin, the deputy headmistress of the school, resounded around the large hall. She looking around , her piercing blues eyes managed to look at each and every one of the students taking the exam in one sweep of the hall. Stephan always wondered how she did it. To her left was Mr Phizer, the deputy headmaster and her colleague, holding what was a huge stack of exam papers. He was a short man, bald with thick black glasses that belonged in the nineties. He had a reputation of taking everything too seriously, and was the worst of all the school teachers with his Pokémon. Mrs Nolkin, on the other hand, was the head of the Psychic department, and was well known for her excellent teaching methods and was generally quite a laid-back person, but Stephan could see that today something had ticked her off.

"You will be given your papers by both Mr Phizer and my Gardevoir, who will both check if you have any ghost or psychic Pokémon on you. If anyone would like to amend that, now would be the time."

Three people got up and gave in their Pokéballs, embarrassed under the disappointed gaze of the deputy headmistress. The Gardevoir, a human like Pokémon with a white 'dress', didn't walk and hand out the papers; she floated off the ground slightly, and the papers dispersed from the levitating pile in front of her onto the students desks.

"May I remind you that failure in this exam will mean that you must re-sit for another year, hence spending another year of your parent's money." Her stare landed on Stephan, and as he looked back at her he noticed her gaze change from stern to wonder, then back again to stern as she looked sharply to his right. Gardevoir had stopped her sweep, and was in front of Carl, who got up and went to hand his Pokéball in to Mrs Nolkin. Stephan grinned, although he wondered what ghost or psychic Pokémon Carl had caught. His attention returned to the exam when Mrs Nolkin spoke again,

"Any Ghost or Psychic Pokémon found once the exam has started will be disqualified."

Stephan could hear Eric playing with his pen behind him, and wished that he would stop. He looked to his left at Jenny, and saw that she had her eyes closed, trying to relax herself just like she did before that start of a Pokémon battle. He looked to his right, and met with Rose's brown eyes. She smiled at him, and looked to the front when Mr Phizer gave her her paper. Stephan heard Eric stop with his pen, and realised that Gardevoir was on her way. When she floated on, she stopped just at Stephan's desk, and turned to him. Stephan's heart began to race, he had no Ghost or Psychic Pokémon! Mrs Nolkin's look turned to him, but she said nothing. Instead, Stephan heard a voice inside his head, a deep yet soothing female voice; "You have a great future ahead of you." He realised that it was Gardevoir who was speaking to him. "But you will have to sacrifice to gain. Never give up Stephan, for she will remain by your side forever." And the Gardevoir moved on, leaving Stephan to wonder what the meaning of the words spoken meant.

"You have your papers!" Mrs Nolkin's voice echoed once again. "The exam is two hours long, the clock on the wall says 9.03, you may start!"

The hall was then filled with the ruffling of papers and the clicking of pens as every student in the hall turned to the first page. Stephan was still stunned by the words of Gardevoir, and was the last to turn his paper. He took one of his four pens (Just in case) and looked down upon the first questions: Multiple choice.
Most of the them were testing the knowledge of the students on which item to use for which status condition, and Stephan knew most of these, as he had visited Rose's parent's corner shop, which sold all of the items a trainer may need. the last two, however, were about which move had no effect on a Golem and then a Magnemite. Stephan knew that the last was a trick question, as there was no poison type move in the list, which Magnemite was immune to as a steel type. However, due to Magnimite's levitation ability, ground type moves had no effect.

Happy with his choices, he turned to the following page. Short answer questions. The first was tricky, but Stephan felt confident, and so answered it quickly. The next was equally difficult; 'What needs to happen to a Slowpoke for it to evolve into a Slowbro?' It took a few minutes but eventually Stephan remembered the teachings of his evolution teacher, Mr Harris, that 'A Shelder must bite its tail for it to evolve.'

He moved on to the next few. His least favourite question was by far 'Which Dark type move automatically causes a Pokémon to flinch.' Stephan was sure that it was bite, but he also knew that the flinching was not automatic. It took him five full minutes, and skipping to the following question, for him to recall that Rose's Darkness uses the move; 'Fake out'.

Next was the two essays. He got his pen ready, looked quickly at the clock, which showed that he had just over an hour to do both. He read the question, and a wave of relief fell upon him. 'Explain and Analyse the pros and cons of each evolution of Eevee, including how they evolve.' Stephan got his pen and wrote;

" Eevee is a normal type Pokémon which experts categorise as 'The Evolution Pokémon'. This is because it evolves into seven different Pokémon, each in a different way. But what defines them from one another, and which is the one that is better?

"Flareon is a fire type Pokémon, and evolves from Eevee with the use of a fire stone, which are usually found near volcanoes and foundries. Flareon's fur coat is naturally warm and can be ignited when it feels threatened. being a fire type, it is naturally suited to battling against Grass, Bug, Ice and Steel types, but is vulnerable to Ground, Rock and Water type moves. Flareon is also more suited to using physical moves.

"Vaporeon is a Water type Pokémon, and evolves from Eevee via the use of a water stone. which is found in the deep sea or coral reefs. It can survive in waters as low as -30ᵒC, and swims at a speed of 20mph. It is used by lifeguards near the beaches to save stranded swimmers. It is strong against Fire, Rock and Ground type Pokémon, but is strongly affected by Electric and Grass moves. Vaporeon had a very high special stats, and so is suited at ranged battling.

"Jolteon, an Electric type Pokémon, evolves with a Thunderstone, found near power plants. It can move at lightning speeds, and its moves are super-effective against Water and Flying types. However it is weak against rock and Ground types. Jolteon are used by the Red Cross emergency rescue teams as they can find those who are trapped or stranded fast. It is no surprise that Jolteon is the fastest of the Eeveelutions.

"Umbreon evolves differently and mysteriously compared to the previous three evolutions of Eevee. When, as an Eevee, it completely trusts its trainer, and it has battled at night, it will evolve into the Dark type - Umbreon. Its moves greatly affect Ghost and Psychic types, but it is weak against Bug and Fighting moves. However, due to its high defences in both physical and special, it can withstand these super-effective attacks much better than any of the other Eeveelutions.

"Eevee also evolves into Espeon in the same way as Umbreon, although it will happen if the Eevee battles at day. This is why Espeons are much more common than Umbreons. As a Psychic type, its moves are usually effective against Poison and Fighting Pokémon, whilst it is much weaker against Dark, Ghost and Bug types. Espeons are very loyal, and are very much kept for their company as well as their battling skills, as their ranged attacks are the strongest of all the Eeveelutions.

"The final two Eeveelutions evolve so mysteriously that experts have only recently discovered the cause. this evolution may only happen if an Eevee battles near mystical rocks, one moss ridden, which has an odd warm aura, and the other a rock of un-melting ice, which the same warm aura.

"Leafeon is the Grass type Eeveelution, and evolves near the moss rock, and being grass type, it is weak to Flying, Fire, Poison, Bug and Ice moves, but strong against Rock, Ground and Water type Pokémon. Leafeon aren't usually used for battling, as they in fact hate it, and are kept as companions or as competitors in Skill contests rather than battle contests.

"The final Eeveelution is Glaceon, and it evolves via the Ice rock. As an Ice type, it is strong against Grass, Dragon, Flying and Ground types, but is vulnerable to Fighting, Rock, Fire and Steel types. Glaceon is very good at ranged battling, and is capable of taking physical damage without fainting too soon. It is used by trainers who live in mountainous regions such as Canada or the Alps.

"Of all the Eeveelutions, the best of them is Eevee. This is because every evolution of Eevee is right for each different trainer. A trainer who is a park warden may want a Leafeon, whilst a Hiker may want a Glaceon. It all depends on the trainer in question."

Stephan finished his answer with a smile of relief. he knew that he had done well, and although his conclusion was his own opinion, he had followed the rule that Pokémon are the friends of humans, and that together, Pokémon and trainers work to the best of their ability to overcome any obstacle and achieve their goals. He placed down his pen and scratched his head. he looked around and saw that everyone else was deep in thought. he then saw Gardevoir's eyes locked on him. As he looked at her, she smiled and bowed, then looked away. Stephan was confused, but shook it away and looked down at the last question. 'Evaluate the decision of the UNP (United Nations for Pokémon) for banning the use of Pokémon in the military,' Stephan sighed. This was going to take some thinking.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 2 Part 4

"Seviper, Poison Tail!"

The giant black snake waved its tail, a blade at its tip, and swiped it at the opposing Pokémon, a Whimsicott. It hit the female Pokémon in the body, sending her flying through the air.

"No! Whismy!" cried out the Whimsicott's trainer, a small girl, barely 12. She ran towards her Pokémon, who was on her back, breathing heavily. The girl was in a blue summer dress, with matching blue shoes. Her hair was blonde, and she was very pretty. The Seviper's trainer was a man wearing a dark red suit, and tinted black sunglasses over his straight face. He also wore a top hat, and had a cane which he leant on. He looked at the girl, and then said, in a Scottish accent;

"I have won, now I'd like my winnings." The girl got up and returned her Pokémon, then clipped the Pokéball back onto her belt, and fished out 150 Poké dollars, which was her week pocket money. She reluctantly gave it to the man, who smiled behind his deep black glasses.

"Thank you my wee girl." The girl flinched at his voice, and looked at the ground. "I'm surprised that you managed to evolve your Cottonee into your Whimsicott there, but in time, you will get stronger." He ruffled her hair with his gloved hand, and handed her back her money and a caramel sweet. She smiled, he may look dark and evil, but he wasn't, at least she didn't think he was. In fact, the Trainer only wore dark clothes because he only wished to fight those trainers who were brave enough to fight him. He was surprised that the girl had asked to battle him, and also beaten his Heracross, who had succumb to Whimsicott's Psywave.

"Mr?" the girl spoke, her deep green eyes alight with wonder and shyness. The man turned to her, and crouched so that they were eye to eye. "Yes miss?" he replied.

She blushed in embarrassment, as she saw his handsome features around his glasses.

"I was just wondering..." she began. she looked over his manly jaw line, string and clean shaven. She looked down at the ground, which was dry under the unrelenting summer sun. The man put his hand to her chin, and raised up her head.

"Yes?" he said softly.

"Would it be possible for me to be your student trainer, as my parents cannot afford to pay my entry to trainer school?" she asked finally. If a young person could not afford to go to Trainer School, then apart from training yourself and thus having difficulty finding good jobs, they can ask older, more experienced trainers, to take them into their care and teach them how to be a good trainer, as well as follow them on their adventures. Since about a quarter of all trainers never found a job (or indeed try to find one) until they were in their mid-thirties, these would be the general target for apprenticeship seekers.

The man stood up, smiling as he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Karina" she answered, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Well, Karina, take me to your parents so that I can arrange your apprenticeship." and he took off his top hat and glasses, revealing the face of a young adult, no more than 23, with clear blue eyes and a tattoo of three stars above his left eye. "My name, to you, will be Dusk."

Despite the mysteriousness of his name, Karina did not press to know why that was his name, and led him towards her house. They walked towards the street next to where they were battling, and Dusk noticed that the houses were all ill kept and small, the gardens were areas of dried mud, and the windows were dirt ridden. Dusk realised that Karina must be dying to leave the neighbourhood, as she had been brought up in a harsh environment. Karina turned sharply left and as she opened the rusty front gate of the house, a burly man, unshaven and unclean by the look of his clothes, opened the front door. His Poochyena squeezed through the man's legs, and began to growl ferociously at Dusk.

"Father! Father!" Karina spoke, full of happiness and confidence. "this trainer is willing to take me as his student!"

But the happiness did not rub on her father. He just looked at Dusk, a glare of mistrust in his deep, brown, eyes.

"An' what's this 'ere trainer wan' in return?" He asked, his strong Welsh accent pierced through the air.

"I want nothing other than your consent for me to train your daughter. I promise to look after her as if she was my own, and I will not stop until either she or you are satisfied with her training."

Dusk's monologue had worked with families twice before, and both those families had had their son's become gym leaders. He told this to Karina's father, and Karina's smile widened. Finally, her father nodded, and the Poochyena quietened.

"I will allow my daugh'er to go with you, but I wan' a copy of yer trainer card!"

Dusk nodded, smiling. Karina had ran and hugged her father, then raced up the stairs and into a room on the left right after her stairs. Her father welcomed Dusk into the house, apologies about the mess (Which was vast in Dusk's opinion) and they talked whilst the trainer card was being copied.

After twenty minutes, Karina walked down, wearing tight black walking shorts, a green top, big brown walking shoes and a green rucksack. Dusk left with her, her father and Poochyena saying their goodbyes.

Finally, Karina was going to be a real trainer.

End of Chapter 2

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 3 Part 1

Rose jumped into Stephan's arms, kissing him tenderly outside the exam hall.

"Do you know how sexy you are when you think?" she asked him, a mischievous smile on her lips. He was bewildered, which was included in the fact that he had not been ready for his girlfriend to jump him. Eric had screamed in surprise, which had made Jenny laugh aloud, mocking him. He lowered his shoulders in a sign of annoyance with himself for screaming like a surprised girl, and turn to give evils to Jenny. She just flicked her shoulder length blonde hair, and smiled cheekily to him. Eric then turned to the two lovers, and seeing that they were still in a deep kiss, rolled his eyes. "We're right here you know!" he protested. When they didn't stop, he face palmed himself in frustration, and turned to Jenny, who shrugged. They both sighed heavily so as to get the two to hurry up. Jenny looked at Eric's sharp facial features; his straight jaw line, his neatly cut brown hair which hid the top of his ears, his light blue eyes, his straight nose. She smiled and gestured towards the double doors, where the sun could be seen shining through the small glass panes. Eric nodded and they both walked away, through the doors.

"Hey! Wait up!" came the call of Stephan, and the pair turned to see them both walk quickly to catch up. "I'm sorry guys, but-"

"Yeah, yeah. We know." Eric said, slightly annoyed. "Just don't forget us so often."

"Eric," Stephan said, trying to apologies."I'm sorry-"

But he just walked away. Stephan looked to Jenny, who smiled, and reassured him, "He's probably worried about the exam. He doesn't mean it."

Rose kissed Stephan on the cheek, and said to him and Jenny, "Should we make our way down to the Coffee Shop then?"

Jenny nodded, and they walked, following Eric from a short distance, and talking about the exam. Jenny had become friends with Rose very quickly, but Eric was much more reluctant to accept her. Rose had tried to bond with him, but Eric never said more than a few words, as he had always been studying for the exam when she talked to him. Stephan had remarked that he may just be too involved with the exam to bond, so Rose had decided to wait.
When they reached the edge of the town centre, Jenny edged to Stephan, and told him that he should go and talk to Eric, to which he nodded. He gave Rose a peck on the cheek, and walked quickly to catch up with his best friend. Eric barely acknowledged his presence as Stephan arrived next to him.

"Hey, you ok?" Stephan asked. Eric only grunted, looking down at his feet as his walked. "Come on Eric, you're my best friend, you can tell me anything!"

Eric looked up at Stephan, and sighed. "I'll tell you when we get to The Coffee Shop." he said. Stephan nodded, but did not press his friend for more. Instead he asked how the exam went. Eric believed that the multiple questions went well, having noticed the trick Magnemite question. However, the UNP essay was very difficult . Then Eric asked Stephan something he had not thought about or expected.

"What are you going to do when you graduate?"

Startled, Stephan only replied that he didn't know. "Why? you thought of something?"

Eric nodded. "I wanted to ask if you would join me on the Championship journey?"

Stephan blinked in disbelief. The Championship journey was the road around the country that took trainers around each League Gym, so as to gain the Badges, and thus compete in the National Competition. Stephan had thought about going, but was unsure if that was really what he wanted.

"Wow." He said, happy that his friend had asked. "I will think about it, but know that whatever my answer, it wouldn't please me to go on that journey with anyone but you." and he gave Eric a friendly side hug as they neared The Coffee Shop. They both waited for the two girls to join them, then all entered the coffee lounge, ready to finally take their minds off the stress of exams and school.

 

[Rexasaur]

*NOT PART OF THE STORY*

Hey guys, just wanted to apologies for the inactivity of my story. I've been really busy lately with getting ready for University, so haven't had time to write. However, when i am settled in, expect regular posts every week.

I'm truly sorry, and thank you all for your comprehension

Rexasaur

 

[Rexasaur]

*I am so sorry for being away, but as a Full time student and YouTuber, I have little free time. However, I now have enough of it to carry on the sorry. Thank you for being patient with me*

Chapter 3 Part 2

The coffee shop was very large, having two floors, as well as an area which was used as a Dance floor if the tables were put away. It was also very cosy, with a warm brown colour surrounding the whole place, and couches surrounding big square coffee tables. In the middle of each floor was the counter, where the waiters and waitresses made and served the beverages to the many customers. As it was a working day however, the place had only twenty or so customers. Stephan and Eric made for the largest couches and waited for the girls to get their order before getting theirs.

As Stephan sat down he noticed a strange figure in the corner of the room, arms crossed, wearing a dark red suit and an odd top hat. He was about to ask Eric about him when a little girl, blonde with black walking shorts, a green top and walking shoes, came up to the man with two mugs, and sat down in front of him. 'Must be his daughter', Stephan thought to himself.

The girls came back, and both Stephan and Eric were surprised that they had bought them their drinks too. Stephan smiled as Rose gave him his hot chocolate, and as he went to kiss her, he saw a look in Jenny's eyes as she gave Eric's coffee to him that made him wonder, 'are they?'

They sat down opposite one another, Stephan and Rose sitting on a couch together, whilst Eric and Jenny sat on the couch-like chairs either side, facing the dark brown wooden table. Eric then looked at the three and sighed.

"What's wrong Eric?" Rose asked, which Stephan found odd, since it was a question he was expecting Jenny to ask herself.

Eric looked down at his shoes, both hands clasp around the other. His longish hair covered his eyes from where Stephan was sitting, wondering what was wrong. As Eric sat there, Stephan couldn't help but glance at Jenny, who was sitting cross-legged on the chair, her head slightly tilted to the side, waiting patiently, although a small sign of worry was on her face. 'If they were, she was hiding it well.' Stephan thought to himself.

Then Eric stood up, got out a Pokéball and placed it on the table, then fell down onto his chair. Stephan was bewildered, for it was not any ordinary Pokéball, it was black with green ovals on it, and an orange edge at its circumference.

"This is my Granddad's Dusk ball, which contains his oldest friend." Eric said, a small sob.

Stephan realised what he was saying, his granddad had passed away, and Eric had been given one of his most precious things, his Pokémon.

Eric look down at the Pokéball. "I don't want to call her out, not whilst she mourns, not whilst I mourn, but not seeing her is making me miss him even more."

Rose rested her head on Stephan's shoulder, and he looked at Jenny, who's eyes behind her glasses were fixed on the dusk ball.

"What Pokémon is she?" Jenny asked, in a quite tone.

"My Granddad was a Pokémon master back in the day, he had won the World Championships twice, and had met hundreds of Pokémon. He had caught many, made friends with them all, let some of them go, out lived a few, and saw some of them grow from an egg. But from the beginning, he had one faithful friend, one Pokémon that had put him on this road in the first place, The one that was born on the same day he was, and had never left his side. This is Kris, my granddad's Houndoom."

Stephan looked down at one of the most famous Pokémon in history. Kris had been the strongest Pokémon in the world for four years, two of which she had made Eric's Granddad, Mark, a Pokémon master. She had grown up with him, from a Houndour, and had aged with him. She was not as strong as she once was, but that didn't mean anything, she was still stronger than any Pokémon in Great Britain, that was fact. Stephan would hate being separated from Mareep, but what Kris was feeling right now, he didn't want to think about it.

"You know that we will be here for you, forever and always?" Stephan told him, "I'm sure that after a few days, she will want come out, and will call for you."

"But what if she doesn't accept me? What if I'm not good enough for her, what if she thinks that I could never replace Granddad?"

"You can never replace him," Jenny said, to which Eric and Stephan both flinched. "Mark was all that Kris stood for, and all she would fight for, Replacing him is impossible. But You shouldn't try to replace him, you should just make her willing to do the same for you, you need to show her that you are a capable trainer, and that you can do just as good a job as Mark!"

Eric smiled, and his eyes met with Jenny's never yielding, and Stephan saw that there had to be something.

"All right? What's going on here then?" A voice, familiar and very unwelcome sounded from behind the group. An arm reached in and grabbed the Dusk Ball.

Carl's smirking face looked down at Eric. "Your new toy is it?" And before Eric could react, he threw the ball across the room.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 3 Part 3

As if in slow motion, Eric saw the ball, it's darkness somehow reflecting the sharp light of the coffee shop, flying through the air, spinning slowly, almost mocking Eric, over the heads of the other customers, who looked up to see the commotion. He looked at Carl, who had started laughing, and two boys, bigger than any boy should be at their age, stood behind him, laughing too.

He clenched his teeth together, anger rising. He was about to get up and do something unlike himself, when he saw Jenny gasp in relief, and he looked back to his ball. It wasn't flying anymore, it wasn't on the floor either, it was in the hands of a girl, Eric would guess about 13, with jet black hair, wearing a black T-shirt with the Poison skull and crossbones which you could find on Koffins. She lowered her hand and walked toward the group.

***

Carl had stopped laughing as he noticed that the ball was in the girl's hand, and Stephan could tell he was annoyed. During the short moment in which the ball had left Carl's hand and arrived in the girl's, he had got up and was reaching down to call out Tailow to deal with him. Rose had done the same, although he had no idea which Pokémon she was going to call out.

When the girl was two tables away, she gave a sharp look to Carl. "Maybe you should use a tennis ball if you want to play catch with one of your dogs!" she scolded, nodding towards one of the boys behind Carl, to make sure they knew who she was on about. Carl merely sneered at the little girl.

"Think you're tough girl?" Carl jibed, trying to intimidate her. Stephan saw the look that the girl gave him, that stern look that he knew so well, but from where?

He looked at her closer. The girl had to be in her second or third year of School, but he had never seen her before. Her hair was straight and so black that it could not be natural. Her dark blue jeans and Converses complimented her Poison T-Shirt, and he could see that her attitude and confidence correlated with that Poison symbol. Her eyes however, he swore that he had seen them before, the deep brown that resembled dark chocolate.

"What about you?" She answered him, "You think you're tough, talking like you own the place to a 10 year old?"

Everyone looked startled at her revelation. How could she be only 10!

"You know what, sir," She said with obvious sarcasm, and she gave Eric back his dusk ball, "How about we battle? Two on Two?"

Carl regained his composure. He was sure that he could beat a 10 year old, and there was no way he could lose to Eric.

"You're on, but don't go running to your mummy when I thrash you." Carl said, a smile on his face. He'd wanted to teach Eric a lesson for a very long time, that up himself know-it-all, always thinking himself better than everyone else just because of his family. He knew that the group were a bunch of losers since the start, but Rosaline? Why was she with them? What did Stephan have that he didn't? Beating Eric might mean fighting Stephan, then she would see him win, and maybe she would realise that he was better than him.

"OK," the girl said, but instead of looking to Eric as Carl was expecting, she looked to Rosaline. "Sis? Wanna teach this loser a lesson?"

"Sis?" Carl and Stephan both said at the same time.

"You bet Lily!" Rose said, nodding, and stood next to her sister. Stephan saw now why he thought he had seen Lily before, she was identical to Rose, although a lot younger. "You accepted the challenge, now choose your partner!"

Carl stood in utter disbelief, completely taking by surprise. But then, maybe if he beat HER, she would see how strong he was. And then he wouldn't have to fight Stephan, who seemed to always have the luck he need ed to beat him. "Phil, let's go." the boy to the right of him grunted. He was still in school uniform, his shirt was un-tucked and his shirt seemed to stretch due to his broad body. Phil wasn't fat, not like Jeff, the other boy, but was big and muscular. A girl at school once said that she had seen him pick up a man and throw him across a road from one side to another. Stephan did not doubt that.

"We will battle in the council arena then." Lily concluded. Carl nodded, and he turned with his 'bodyguards' to travel to the Arena. Lily stood there watching them leave, her arms folded. "Hmm ," she said, "There's no way they're beating us," she turned to Rose, who had the same determined look on her face, "right sis?"

Rose gave a sharp nod as the backs of the three opponents went out of sight of the door. "No way in hell." She then turned to Stephan and grabbed his hand. "Come on guys, let's see Carl lose to a pair of 'girls'."

 

[Crimson Penguin]

This story is great! Just a question, can I take the school idea and put it into my own FanFic or not?

 

[Rexasaur]

This story is great! Just a question, can I take the school idea and put it into my own FanFic or not?

You may, as long as you say where you got it from somewhere in your preface or at the end of the fanfic Thank you for asking first

 

[Crimson Penguin]

Ok thanks mate. Also im looking forward to more chapters!

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 3 Part 4

The council arena was a set of Pokémon battle courts that were open to the public from 12 until 8 at night, within a huge building complex worth several million Poké dollars. The courts were payable for one battle at a cost of 200 Poké dollars per participant, but were free for students at the school. The building was filled with 10 full sized courts over two floors, and was heated during winter, and had air conditioning in the summer. Having opened only two years ago, it had managed to break even at the start of this year with the constant usage and the fact that it was the only one in the UK, so it was used for amateur competition
and even for touring gym leaders.

Rose paid for her sister, as she was too young to have a student card and then the group made their way to the centre court, which Carl and Phil were waiting by. Jeff seemed to have disappeared, but Phil still looked menacing. Stephan wasn't sure what Pokémon the boy had, but he was sure that they must be just as big and strong as him, maybe a Ryhorn or a Boldore. Either way, Stephan was sure that he was a rock or ground type trainer.

Rose turned to Stephan and gave him a hug, which he returned, and then before they broke apart she kiss him, a short kiss that told him what she felt for him, and that everything would be fine. As she made to turn to take her place next to her younger sister, she winked and smiled, then made the 'V' sign with her fingers, the influence of the Japanese use of the sign during pictures which she had copied because she thought it was cool. Stephan just thought that it was cute. He stood next to Eric, who in turn was standing next to Jenny, and looked at the unfolding battle.

"Ready to face defeat?" Lily called to the two boys on the other side of the court to her.

"Fat chance!" Carl retorted, and unhooked one of the Pokéballs from his belt, tapped the centre button, and let it expand in his hand. Phil had already taken out his Pokéball, and was holding it out in front of him.

Lily took out her Pokéball from her pocket, as she hadn't enough money to buy herself a belt, and hadn't been given one by the school, as she was too young.
She held hers out, and Rose soon followed suit. All together, as if rehearsed for a play, they threw their Pokéballs into the air, shouting the names of their Pokémon, but it was such a confusion of noise that Stephan could not make out who said what. It wasn't until the Pokémon had fully exited their Balls that he could make out who had sent out what.

Carl had started with his faithful Oddish, the green leaves that stuck out of its head had lengthened in the last few weeks. Expectedly, Phil had sent out a Rock type, Geodude, a large floating rock with human like arms. Lily had sent out a Vulpix, which strangely only had four tails rather than the usual six. "That Vulpix is still very young," Eric pointed out. "The tails on a Vulpix split with age, until the sixth tail is grown, then it stops until it becomes a Ninetails."
Rose had sent out Murkrow, who was doing circles in the air a few metres up from the ground. The low ceiling would prevent a fly attack, but it still had the ability to dodge the attacks sent on it by the other Pokémon, who were firmly lodged on the ground.

From the Pokémon sent out, Geodude was the only one that could pose a problem, as it had moves that were super-effective to both Vulpix and Murkrow. On the other hand, Oddish was looking pretty bad, with a flying and a fire type on the other side of the court. Stephan could see by Carl's annoyed expression that he knew he had picked the wrong Pokémon to start with, but he was sure that that would not dissuade him from trying to win with it.

The match started all of a sudden, when the two sisters both pointed at the Pokémon opposite them and called out. "Go! Confuse Ray!"

Both Murkrow and Vulpix opened their mouths, and a ray of pulsing light shot out, aiming for Oddish and Geodude. Geodude was much faster than Vulpix, and so managed to dodge the attack with relative ease, although Phil also had to side step to get out of the way of the attack. Oddish however, was too busy getting one of its leaves out of its line of sight to see the ray coming down to hit it. The impact cause Oddish to jump up and down vigorously, and helplessly cry out its name.

Rose gave a smile, one that made Stephan feel attracted to her, that confidence in her eyes, her posture, it made him feel lucky to be with such a girl. Lily also smiled, but Stephan was not sure why, she had missed her attack, and was about to be on the receiving end of...

"Geodude!" Phil called in his loud voice that resembled that of a military drill sergeant. "Rock Tomb!"

The Geodude seemingly pulled out a pile of large rocks from nowhere, and threw them into the air. Lily quickly shouted, "Ruby! Agility!" and the rocks fell down to the ground, expelling a large cloud of dust, and engulfing the Pokémon that were fighting. Stephan tried to see what had happened, but the court was separated by the thick cloud. All he could see was Lily's worried expression on her face.

 

[Rexasaur]

Chapter 3 Part 5

The silence was broken by Rose's order to her Murkrow "Whirlwind!"

The small bird mustered up its power and beat its wings forcefully, creating a large gust of wind that expelled the thick cloud of dust and rock away, revealing what had happened. Ruby had disappeared, apparently surrounded by a thick layer of stone. Lily whined in frustration, but Carl decided to take advantage of this moment to order his Oddish on.

"Sleep Power that stupid bird Oddish!" he called. The Oddish however, had been confused by Murkrow's confuse ray, and so it sprayed its powder toward the nearest floating thing, which happened to be a Geodude. The powder was launched into the air, and fell gracefully onto the proud rock Pokémon, much to Phil's irritation.

"Why did you do that!?" Phil growled, which Stephan thought was very out of character of him, to argue against Carl, who seemingly had all the power in the trio.
Rose took this chance, and called her Murkrow, "Wing Attack!"

The Murkrow circled the arena, and then descended rapidly at the dizzied Oddish. The small bird's wings started to glow, then a sharp white light emerged from them, and as he fell to swipe the Oddish, Lily shouted.

"Ruby! Fire Spin!"

Nothing seemed to happen at first, but as Carl's Oddish took the full force of Murkrow's super effective attack, the tomb of rocks started to redden. Carl cried out in sorrow for the loss of Oddish, who had been flung to his feet, and swiftly called it to return to its Pokéball. Meanwhile Phil was begging Geodude to wake up from the forced sleep that Carl's attack had accidentally put him under. It looked to Stephan as if the two sisters would pull the win off easily, since Carl and Phil weren't communicating and combining their attacks. He glanced to Eric, who was standing arms crossed and looking intently on the battle. Jenny was standing with her arms tight to her body, her hands under her chin, still worried about what had happened to Lily's Vulpix.

"Go! Mareep!" Carl called out, throwing his Pokéball high up into the air. The yellow woollen Pokémon bleated out as it appeared, and immediately went into an offensive stance. Stephan could feel the static electricity that it was giving off from where he stood. 'Rose would have a hard time with that Mareep,' he thought.

"Vulpix is about to get out," Eric mumbled, either to himself or to his two friends stood beside him, Stephan was not sure. But what he had predicted was happening. The Rocks were shaking under the stress of the heat which Ruby was conjuring. In a flash and a loud crack, the previously solid rock tomb both collapsed and melted around the small fox Pokémon, who looked exhausted from the continuous use of Fire Spin to get out of the constraining rocks.

Nevertheless, both Jenny and Lily could not suppress their joy at seeing that Ruby was fine, and jumped for joy. Jenny even hugged Eric, who was startled by it and almost lost his footing.

"Mareep, Shock wave!" Carl ordered.

"What!?" Stephan asked aloud, shocked, how did he know that move!

The Mareep yelled out and a large wave of electric power propelled itself from its body, like a huge screen moving forward. There was no way that either Murkrow or Vulpix could dodge it, and so they shook under the brute force of the attack. The whole group behind Murkrow and Vulpix shielded their faces from the intense attack, but it did not affect them. When Stephan looked back to the battlefield, he saw that both Pokémon hit had fallen to the ground, fainting after such a powerful move. Rose and Lily both called back their fallen partners, and Lily gave a menacing look to Carl, who was congratulating his Mareep. Stephan could not help but be impressed at the scale and power of that move.

"Go, Darkness!" Called out Rose, and her Purrloin entered the field, claws out and growling at the Mareep.

"Ekans! I choose you!" Lily threw her Pokéball across the field, and out came a purple snake-like Pokémon, hissing violently at the sleeping Geodude.

It seemed to Stephan that Phil was soon going to have to switch it out for a healthy Pokémon, but as this was a three Pokémon per trainer fight, it was probably not a good idea to do that, better to let your opponent tired themselves on a useless Pokémon than potentially lose a fresh one. One thing was for sure, this was far from over.