Back to Another Beginning
Chapter Six
After the humiliating loss at the Viridian City gym, I made my way back to the Viridian City’s Pokecenter, to heal my pokemon, “My, my Pokemon are injured and I ran out of potions to heal them with, also I’m low on cash right now, but if you call my parents I know they’ll wire you the money to treat them”.
“That’s ok, at all official Pokecenters, the treatment of sick and injured Pokemon is free of charge”, responded the Nurse I was talking too.
“Hope you don’t mind if I ask, but how is it free”, I questioned.
“Well Pokecenters are funded by taxes and it’s also partially funded by the trainers fee your parents have to pay once a year”, the Nurse stated.
“A trainers fee! My parents never mentioned anything about a trainers fee”, I exclaimed.
“A trainers fee is only paid by the parents who have a son or daughter that is a license pokemon trainer and is under the age of 18, they probably didn’t mention it, so as to not put much pressure on you, besides its only a small fee and it helps keep the Pokecenters going. Now if you don’t mind, may I heal your pokemon?”
“Oh sure, thanks”.
“Have a seat, the light on the door will go off, signifying that your pokemon has been healed", the Nurse assured me.
The Nurse went to the backroom with Joule and Pidgey and I pretty much sat there and waited until my pokemon were healed. After I got my pokemon I thanked the Nurse and started to make my way out when, I remembered I made a promise to Mom that I would call her at every Pokecenter I went too. Also, since I’m short on cash she can add some credit, over the Vid-phone, to my Pokedex, which only allows me to buy Pokemon products.
I had a pretty typical Mother to Son conversation and reaffirmed her that I was doing all right, she added the necessary credit to my Pokedex, and told me that if I wanted to earn some cash for other expenses. I should apply for jobs here and there, since a lot of business would hire Pokemon trainers for odd jobs. After the talk with my mom I headed to the local shops in town to pick up supplies like super potions, antidotes and other pokemon aids, as well as food for my pokemon and I.
There was still a good deal of sunlight left in the day, so I decided to head for the Viridian Forest. Upon venturing into the forest, which is famed for the all the bug pokemon that resides there, a girl came running up to me.
“Are you headed through the forest also”, the girl, which I noticed was about my age, asked and I answered yes to. “Can I come with you, I’m also a Pokemon trainer and its always safe to travel with other. Especially in the outdoors when nobody else is around”, she asked again.
“Ok, I wouldn’t mine having some company”, I answered back.
“Thanks, by the way, my name is Sarah, what’s yours"
“It’s Peter”, I replied back, shaking her hand.
After an hour of wondering through the forest to we started talking about the Pokemon gyms we will have to defeat to make it to the Pokemon league. “So where do you plan to go once you make it out of this forest”, Sarah asked.
“Well let’s see, (taking out my map) on this map it says that up ahead, if we stay on this course, there’ll be a fork in the road. One leading to Crystal Loch (a lakeside town) and the other to Pewter City”, I explained.
“That’s where Brock’s rock type gym is at, but you aren’t allowed to face him yet. He’s one of the ten official gyms of the pokemon league. I bet you haven’t even got a single junior badge yet”, Sarah said.
To get into the Pokemon League, one has to collect Badges from nine of the ten official gyms, which represent the league. The gyms are all specialized to a single type of pokemon, like Brock’s rock type gym or Giovanni’s Ground type gym. The trainers were chosen to represent the gyms, because they are regarded as one of best trainers of that particular type of pokemon. Since they are often too hard to compete on the same level with other trainers, the league has set up a series of junior league gyms, to help trainers get ready to face the official gyms. There are 16 different junior league gyms, which are separated into four different colors of badges one can receive upon defeating them, they’re the red, blue, green, and yellow gym badges. Unlike the Official gyms, the gym leaders don’t have to battle exclusively with certain types of pokemon and can use any type that they choose too in battle. Also one only needs to receive eight of the badges to be qualified to challenge an official pokemon league gym, but they are required to have at least one badge of each color.
“There’s a city just beyond Crystal Loch that’s supposed to have a blue badge gym, maybe we should head there instead of Pewter City”, I recommended to Sarah.
“No, I would like to pay Brock’s gym a visit, it doesn’t hurt to see who you’ll eventually have to face. Besides I have an Aunt that lives in Pewter, if we can reach her house in time, then we won’t have to camp out for the night”, she replied. “Ok then, but according to this map it looks like it might take at least a three day trip if we keep up a steady pace to reach Pewter City, so we better get a move on then”, I said.
“Huh”, she interrupted, “your Pikachu looks worn out, maybe you should keep it inside the ball so it wouldn’t have to exhaust itself on the trip to Pewter”.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, its kind of afraid to get in the ball right now”, I said, with Joule shaking its head nervously. “Here Joule take a ride on my shoulder you look exhausted anyways”
“Pika pikachu”, Joule said, happy to get a free ride on my shoulder.
“So is that your only Pokemon”, Sarah asked.
“No, I have a Pidgey as well, how about you”.
“Well I haven’t had any luck yet, the only pokemon that I’ve got is the first pokemon I received as a starter, a male Nidoran. That’s why I’m looking forward to venturing into this forest I heard it was famous for Bug pokemon, I’d love to capture a Butterfree”, she said.
“So would I, oh hey look over there”, I said, pointing to a Caterpie foraging for food on the ground, “Do you want to try and capture it”.
“No you go ahead, since you spotted it first”, she assured me.
“Go Joule, thundershock now”, Joule ran up to Caterpie and was about to thundershock, when all of a sudden the Caterpie used its stringshot on Joule, which covered its cheeks preventing it from executing the thundershock. “What happened”, I shouted, “Pokedex analyze”. The Pokedex went off saying that because Caterpie’s stringshot is an organic fiber, it is able to absorb and conserve electricity. Joule tried to use another attack, but was caught off guard, when Caterpie leapt up, and like a torpedo, tackled Joule.
With Joule down, Sarah, wasting no time, “Now it’s my turn, Go Nidoran”. At the site of Nidoran’s poisonous horn, Caterpie made a mad dash up a tree where Nidoran couldn’t follow. “Awe man, that’s a slippery little worm isn’t it”, Sarah commented.
“Nice try, Ok Pidgey it’s your turn”, Pidgey flew up to meet Caterpie, “Pidgey, Quick Attack”. Caterpie took a deep breath and sprayed stringshot all over Pidgey, disabling its flight and sent it falling. At the site of Pidgey falling, I ran and made a diving catch, “Don’t worry Pidgey I got you”.
“Pidgey gey”, Pidgey giving me a little poke thanks.
“Did you see where that Caterpie went”, I asked Sarah.
“I think it’s hiding behind all the leaves up in the tree”, she said.
“Humph, we might as well move on, it’s too hard to catch”, I said.
“Yeah, my Nidoran can’t climb trees anyways”.
“Ugh, do you know how to get this gunk off of my pokemon” I said, trying to pull out the stringshot.
“I think you’re supposed to wait a couple of hours, till it dissolves away”, Sarah said.
“Alright then, Pidgey, Joule hop on”, with Joule and Pidgey on my shoulders we went on are way.
A couple of hours have passed, the stringshot has dissolved away from my pokemon and it was starting to get dark. We were about to settle down for the night when I noticed Sarah was still searching for pokemon. When I saw her, she was knelt down behind a bush with her Nidoran by her side, I went down beside her and whispered, “What do you see Sarah”. “Look over there it’s a Weedle”, she pointed to Weedle foraging for food like that Caterpie awhile back, “Ok Nidoran we’re going to try ambush that Weedle, get your poison sting attack ready”.
“Rando”, the Nidoran replied.
“Nidoran attack”, Sarah screamed, which took the Weedle by surprised, but it was still able to worm its way out of the Nidoran’s poison sting and delivered its own poison sting attack. “Nidoran, no”, yelled a concerned Sarah.
“Joule thundershock that Weedle”, but no good as the Weedle sprayed stringshot on Joule like the Caterpie did, for awhile there I was afraid the Weedle might poison sting Joule as well. Instead it used its horn and quickly dug itself underground to escape.
“Nidoran are you ok, don’t worry I got some antidote and some rest in the pokeball will cure you by the morning”, Sarah said, concerned over her Nidoran.
“Wow that Weedle’s poison sting is powerful”, I commented.
“What do you mean”, Sarah queried.
“Well aren’t Nidoran’s a poison type pokemon, if the Weedle was strong enough to poison a Nidoran, I’m just glad that it didn’t try to poison Joule”, I said in relief.
“Yeah it would’ve of made good pokemon to train”, Sarah said with remorse, probably because she missed another chance at a pokemon capture.
“Hey tomorrow is another day, lets just try to some sleep”, I said. We set up camp and both pulled out our sleeping bags to turn in for the night, “Pidgey, you better return to your ball for the night”, I returned Pidgey and Joule rested on top of a tree stump that we set up camp around. I went to sleep with the thought that I need more pokemon if I ever want to compete for badges, since it's recommended that you have at least five before you face any gym leader, but I guess it's best if I trouble myself over this problem tomorrow.