MATURE: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter 100

[AceTrainer14]

Banner by @canisaries

How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps​

Alaska Acevedo never wanted to be a hero. Or a warrior. Or an icon. Or anything as ridiculous as that (well, maybe an icon). When she left to go on her journey, she simply wanted to prove you don’t need a starter to become a Champion. Unlike her childhood rival entering Kanto's biggest new reality show. Unlike the famous trainers who brought war to her doorstep. It was just meant to be Alaska and her Pidgey against the world.

Yet the gods have other ideas. As Alaska blogs her way across Kanto, she is drawn into a web of revenge, manipulation and violence. For a new war is brewing, with old enemies emerging from the shadows, up against a wounded region unwilling to fight another battle. It falls on Alaska to save the world - whether she wants the job or not.

Warning: Contains frequent uses of coarse language and descriptions of violence that some may find unappealing.

Index:

Spoiler

Prologue: Chrono Island (Here)
Blog One: Introduction

Arc One: The Beginning
Chapter One: One Step Forwards
Chapter Two: Love Thy Neighbour
Chapter Three: The Bird and the Seed
Chapter Four: Leaving on a Grand Adventure
Blog Two: Route This
Interlude One: Darkness Rising

Arc Two: A Forest and a Friend
Chapter Five: Falling Through Autumn
Chapter Six: Sandy in the Forest
Chapter Seven: A Battle of Wits and Wings
Chapter Eight: Revenge is Best Served in a Double Course
Chapter Nine: That Buzzing Feeling
Chapter Ten: If You Can't Stand the Heat, Get Out of the Hole
Blog Three: Toil and Trouble
Interlude Two: Evil Brewing

Arc Three: First Challenges
Chapter Eleven: Sorta Ready to Rock and Roll
Chapter Twelve: Follow the Shadows, He Said!
Chapter Thirteen: Trust This to be Unlucky
Chapter Fourteen: More Bang for your Buck
Chapter Fifteen: Down and Dirty in the Dirt
Blog Four: Celebrate the Good Times
Interlude Three: Thoughts of a Champion

Arc Four: Allies and Enemies
Chapter Sixteen: This Places Needs a Sweep
Chapter Seventeen: Climbing the Ladder of Success, and Kicking Your Competition in the Face as You Do So
Chapter Eighteen: In Mid-Plight with Paras
Chapter Nineteen: Let's Go Digging - for Answers!
Blog Five: A Right Pickle
Interlude Four: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Arc Five: Beneath the Surface
Chapter Twenty: Playing the Training Game
Chapter Twenty One: A Bitch on a Bridge
Chapter Twenty Two: This is Why I Failed Science
Chapter Twenty Three: Life Swap, Pokemon Edition
Chapter Twenty Four: My Monkey, My Enemy, My God...
Chapter Twenty Five: The Water's Fiery Mistress
Blog Six: So That City Went Well
Interlude Five: Six Degrees of Villainous Separation

Arc Six: Sparks of War
Chapter Twenty Six: Breeding... Sexy
Chapter Twenty Seven: Why Can't the Lights Be On
Chapter Twenty Eight: Getting Stoned
Chapter Twenty Nine: The Bronzed and the Bothersome
Chapter Thirty: Oh Zap!
Chapter Thirty One: Electric=MassCarnage2
Chapter Thirty Two: A Taste of Things to Come
Blog Seven: The Bright Side of Life
Interlude Six: Remnants of a War Zone

Arc Seven: The Power Game
Chapter Thirty Three: Oh the Analogies!
Chapter Thirty Four: A Shiny New Puzzle Piece
Chapter Thirty Five: Tart, Slapper, Cow, ETC
Chapter Thirty Six: Alaska Acevedo and the Electric Factory
Chapter Thirty Seven: How to Piss off Kanto in One Very Easy Step
Chapter Thirty Eight: I'll Drink to Your Death
Blog Eight: Yesterday Made Me Feel Old
Interlude Seven: Anger and Anticipation

Arc Eight: A Brush with Death
Chapter Thirty Nine: The Hungover Games
Chapter Forty: An Arrow of Hot and Shock
Chapter Forty One: Smells like Lavender... and Death
Interlude Eight: Meanwhile
Chapter Forty Two: A Surprise Around Every Corner
Chapter Forty Three: Dealing a New Hand
Chapter Forty Four: The Discovery Room
Blog Nine: Ghost of my Former Self
Interlude Nine: The Murderers and Their Victims

Arc Nine: A Time for Change
Chapter Forty Five: A Tunnel Too Far
Chapter Forty Six: Breakfast at Jericho's
Chapter Forty Seven: Fifty Shades of Green
Chapter Forty Eight: The Grass is Always Meaner
Chapter Forty Nine: It's a Freaks Game
Chapter Fifty: Change
Chapter Fifty One: The Mind That Never Sleeps
Chapter Fifty Two: How Alaska Got Her Groove Back
Blog Ten: Victory Thy Name is Alaska
Interlude Ten: Batted, Broken, Beating

Arc Ten: Sandy
Chapter Fifty Three: Take a Gamble
Chapter Fifty Four: Leaving the Earth Behind
Chapter Fifty Five: Life's a Beach
Chapter Fifty Six: Something Fishy This Way Comes
Chapter Fifty Seven: Washed Up
Chapter Fifty Eight: A Dose of Reality
Chapter Fifty Nine: The Tale of Sandy Samson
Blog Eleven: The Paths Untaken
Interlude Eleven: Six Degrees of Madness

Arc Eleven: In the Lion's Den
Chapter Sixty: Waking Up to a Brand New Death
Chapter Sixty One: Shock in the City
Chapter Sixty Two: Science Behind the Madness
Chapter Sixty Three: Parental Consideration Advised
Chapter Sixty Four: Fun Times at the End of the Tunnel
Chapter Sixty Five: Saving Private Acevedo
Chapter Sixty Six: Teenage Bitch
Blog Twelve: #YODO
Interlude Twelve: Motivational Speaking

Arc Twelve: Looking to the Future
Chapter Sixty Seven: A Game of Strategy
Chapter Sixty Eight: That Psychic Feeling
Chapter Sixty Nine: The Least Sexy Chapter
Chapter Seventy: A Neighbourly Chat
Chapter Seventy One: Keep Your Friends Close
Chapter Seventy Two: The Short Walk
Chapter Seventy Three: A Test Too Far
Blog Thirteen: I Should Be So Lucky
Interlude Thirteen: Doing it For Themselves (100th Total Chapter)

Arc Thirteen: Survivors
Chapter Seventy Four: No Escape
Chapter Seventy Five: Need A Hit
Chapter Seventy Six: Feel Me Now
Chapter Seventy Seven: Falling
Chapter Seventy Eight: Addicted to You
Chapter Seventy Nine: Poison Paradise
Chapter Eighty: Intoxicate
Blog Fourteen: Taking Over Me
Interlude Fourteen: Champions in their Field

Arc Fourteen: Fire and Ice
Chapter Eighty One: A Dream of Wars Gone By
Chapter Eighty Two: The Rules of Someone Else's Game
Chapter Eighty Three: Look at Me
Chapter Eighty Four: The World Keeps Spinning
Chapter Eighty Five: A Million Things I Haven't Done
Chapter Eighty Six: One With the Wind and Sky
Chapter Eighty Seven: She Had it Coming
Chapter Eighty Eight: Walk to the Fire
Chapter Eighty Nine: Nobody Will Oppose
Blog Fifteen: Staying Alive
Interlude Fifteen: Face to the Dawn

Arc Fifteen: War Games
Chapter Ninety: How Far We'll Go
Chapter Ninety One: Another Day
Chapter Ninety Two: Feel the Burn
Chapter Ninety Three: Sandy's Choice
Interlude Sixteen: Classless
Chapter Ninety Four: No Education
Chapter Ninety Five: No Dark Sarcasm
Chapter Ninety Six: No Thought Control
Chapter Ninety Seven: No Arms Around Me
Blog Sixteen: Wish You Weren't Here
Interlude Seventeen: Bricked Up

Arc Sixteen: The Final Pieces
Chapter Ninety Eight: The Morning After
Chapter Ninety Nine: Soul Sisters
Chapter One Hundred: So Here We Are
Chapter One Hundred and One: Scorched Earth
Chapter One Hundred and Two: Fiery and Furious
Chapter One Hundred and Three: Exposition Analysis
Chapter One Hundred and Four: Lucky Number Seven
Blog Seventeen: War Wounds
Interlude Eighteen: High Security

Arc Seventeen: Homecoming

Arc Eighteen: Everybody Dies OR The Irreversible Conclusion

Awards:

Spoiler

Fic of the Month: April 2011
Fic of the Month: November 2013

Prologue: Chrono Island

September 7th, 2008

There is nothing like a building spontaneously combusting to confirm your suspicions about its occupants.

For two years, the residents of Chrono Island had wondered what went on behind the blue-grey doors of the mysterious factory. The two-storey building was tucked away at the bottom of the island, hidden by trees and far from the main town, but it was still a sore point for the locals. No one knew who worked there or what its purpose was, but every week someone would show up at the supermarket or a town meeting with a new story of figures skulking around at night and large boats arriving at the private dock.

So when the factory suddenly and without warning exploded, no one was particularly shocked. Of course, they were taken aback by the explosion – on a quiet Saturday afternoon where the only thing people were waiting for was the high tide, to have the earth quiver and a giant plume of orange-tinged smoke rise up from the trees was a little surprising – but once the initial shock passed, most people agreed that it had only been a matter of time.

It took a few hours for firefighters and their team of Blastoise to put out the flaming building, and by the time investigators were allowed in, most of the town had gathered on the forest's edge to watch. They were all stunned by the sight that awaited them: most of the walls had collapsed, the roof had completely caved in, and half the floor had been blown apart. There were no signs as to what had caused it, and everything that remained had been burnt black with ash, but that didn't stop the crowd standing around the melted barbed wire fence from speculating.

"I always heard they were making supplies for the Celadon Game Corner."

"Wasn't that run by Team Rocket?"

"Barry was fishing when the explosion happened. Told me he saw three people come running out of the building just before it happened."

"Well, Steve says he saw the Champion flying away on his Charizard, and those friends of his were there as well."

"Oh my lord, that would explain it – I told Mary she was being silly when she said she saw that Leaf girl and her Blastoise swimming away. Do you think they did it?"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Team Rocket is just the beginning. We are getting closer and closer to the apocalypse with every passing day!"

"Shut up, Carol, no one asked you."

As the locals gossiped and squabbled over rumour and heresy, Detective Inspector Arthur Reynolds focused on the facts at hand, even if he imagined what the townspeople were saying was true. This was no gas explosion, whatever had happened here had come from a device or machine, the cracked crater proved that. Though as Reynolds cast his eyes over the charred rubble, he knew the decimated machines that were scattered around him like soldiers on a battlefield would be far above the intellect and expertise of their forensics department.

We might as well pack up now, there's no way in hell we're going to find out who's responsible. Reynolds felt a tang of guilt even thinking that, but he had seen enough over his career to know it was a fact. As the only arson expert in the Sevii Islands, he had been called to the scene barely minutes after the explosion had shaken the island. He'd been here for nigh on six hours, but he had known as soon as he arrived that everything there was to see was already laid out before them.

Reynolds tore his eyes away from the ash-filled hole and turned his gaze to a nearby office. "John!" He barked, and was pleased that, even after all these years, his hoarse voice was able to command attention from everyone around him.

A young, blond man rushed over eagerly, like a Growlithe returning to its trainer. "Yes, sir?" He asked with unnecessary vigour. Arthur gazed down at the junior officer and internally sighed. He had been like that; bright-eyed, cheery, hopeful. But now Arthur was nearing retirement, his hair and sagging eyelids giving away his age, and his joy for the job had long faded. He had seen too many horrors, most of it over the last few months, and had been thinking about the next stage of his life when the call through that afternoon, a reminder that his work was not done with him yet.

"We should wrap things up for the night. We are losing light, and we are never going to find anything turning over ash in the dark."

"Shall we keep people on site to guard?" John asked.

"Err, you and Wilson can, and I'll see whose on duty to take over later," Arthur said, and John nodded and rushed off. The detective watched him go with exasperation before following after, giving the ruins one last look as he walked stiffly back to his car. Whoever had done this, whether it was Rocket or the Champion, was long gone and out of his reach, literally and figuratively. With no bodies to make it a murder inquiry, the case would sit on his desk unsolved for years, long after the site had been cleared and everyone had forgotten about the mysterious factory that one day vanished.

If the inspector had taken a moment to look back before heading down to the police boat docked at the pier, he might have seen the ground where he had just been standing move. As it was, no one noticed as one of the floor tiles slowly rose upwards, shifting aside ash and rubble. The townspeople distracted by scandal and the investigators dulled with boredom paid no attention as the tile was shoved onto a pile of ash, leaving a hole in the middle of the floor. The two hands that shortly followed were utterly ignored, as was the man they belonged to as he pulled himself up into the factory.

If anyone had paid him any attention, they would have assumed immediately he was a scientist. The man's profession had seeped permanently into his appearance, his lab coat, dark glasses, pale complexion, and slicked back hair turning him into a walking stereotype. The only thing that broke his costume was the fresh, shining wound over his left eyebrow and the many scorch marks muddying his coat.

The scientist hovered beside the hole for a moment to ensure he had not been spotted before scuttling towards what had once been his private office. Though it was more open air now that all four walls had collapsed, leaving only a cracked desk and half melted filing cabinet behind. The sight made the scientist groan into his clenched teeth. He frantically pushed rubble off the desktop, keeping a watchful eye on the disinterested officers, until he found his laptop buried beneath. The discovery momentarily filled his heart with joy, but he only had to hold it up to the fading light to see the hard drive had melted.

"No, no, NO!" The man hissed, and he threw the useless device aside. He had seen this coming; the attack had happened quickly and without warning, and his enemies had made sure to target his computers. He knew that every digital copy of his work was gone, and it took all his willpower not to scream to the heavens.

Angry, helpless, he turned towards the melted cabinet. Similarly, much of the contents had been destroyed in the fire, but in the bottom drawer, there were several folders and a mobile phone that had escaped the flames. Relieved, the scientist turned the device on, the ruins of his office briefly illuminated by blue light before 'GIDEON'S PHONE' appeared on the screen. Footsteps in the distance told him he could not celebrate here; he grabbed what he could and ran back to the hole as stealthily as possible.

Only once the tile was back in place did Gideon turn the lights on. The dim bulbs illuminated the metal bomb shelter that was now home. He had built the room years ago in case of situations like this, but he had never thought he would actually have a need to use it. The room was tiny, made smaller by the number of belongings packed into it: a table, scientific equipment behind clear cabinet doors, an overflowing bookcase, two beds, a fridge, microwave and oven, and an outdated computer and small TV. It would be enough, but Gideon had little interest in comfort when, for the second time in his cursed existence, he had potentially lost his life's work.

"Let's see what the scum have left me with." He began sifting through the folders, trying to contain his rage. He could not afford to start over again. The lab had not been perfect, but it would have served the purpose of rebuilding the Rocket empire, carrying on Giovanni's legacy – his legacy. Now the few meagre resources he had managed to save from their former strongholds were gone, all his plans, formulas and strategies turned to ash. Gideon hoped there was something meaningful in the folders, but as the minutes went by he found only instructions for machines he could not possibly rebuild and plans for defunct projects he had no hope of resurrecting alone.

"USELESS!" Gideon roared and threw the folders across the tiny room. Papers became loose and scattered in the air, landing in a mess on the floor. Gideon sat on his rigid bed watching them fall. Starting over was not impossible, but with no plans, no resources, with nothing to build on, the statistics were not in his favour.

Gideon looked at the ceiling, wondering what might happen if he went back up there and handed himself in. He began calculating how many of the locals he could kill before they got to him when he noticed a strange light; it was purple and moving as though alive, and had not been there when he had gone up before. He stared at the floor and spotted the source instantly: it was a computer disc, but to the untrained eye it could be a portal to another world. It shone unnaturally, the glowing pattern swirling and moving in a way no normal computer disc should. Yet, as Gideon sank to the floor, grasping the circle as though it was some holy item, he remembered just how abnormal it truly was.

"Operation Lavender…" Excitedly, Gideon flung papers aside until he found the ones he needed. He remembered now; how he had buried the project, hidden it away so no one could find it. Gideon told everyone he would destroy it, but he had kept every bit of data, all of which was here: all the instructions, all the resources he needed, all the places to go and people to find, it was all here. This was all Gideon needed to complete Giovanni's master plan, the reason for everything they had done.

Grasping the disc in one hand and the papers in another, Gideon fell to the floor, laughing. The children had tried to end him again, they thought they had succeeded. They may have won, for now, but they had handed Gideon exactly what he needed to destroy them all, and ensure that, once and for all, Team Rocket would reign supreme.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps

Blog One: Introduction

Hello there, internet dwellers.

I figure I should start this off by introducing myself: the name's Alaska. Alaska Acevedo, to be precise. I am of a mere thirteen years of age, and I currently live in Viridian City, Kanto. I have black hair, I'm short-ish and that's all you lot need to know *glares at all you creepy perverts*

So, if you have come across this blog, you are probably wondering what this is all about. Most people don't really put 'conquer' in the title of something, unless they are plotting something diabolical like taking over the world or making sitcoms with laugh tracks.

Well, you'll be pleased to hear, I am not planning anything evil… unless you work for Silph Television Inc.

I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let me set the scene for you all…

Back in 2008, as you all should know, Kanto had a little, shall we say, giant criminal conglomerate issue on our hands. A group called Team Rocket tried to take over the region for, ya know, reasons, and pretty much trashed the place in the process. It all came to a head with a huge battle at the Indigo League, which resulted in a trio of trainers winning. How a bunch of thirteen year olds won I'm not quite sure, but they did, so there you go.

One of them was this guy called Red. Short for Edward, apparently. Anyway, since the Champion before him died during the battle, Red was given the title and he has held it ever since. The only title I've ever had is "Most Beautiful Handwriting" back in Year One, but I only had that for a few days (bloody Susan Smith!)

One of the other 'warriors', Leaf, which unfortunately isn't short for anything, is the current gym leader of Viridian City. The original leader was a guy called Giovanni who, awkwardly, turned out to be the head of Team Rocket, which, as you can imagine, which a bit of a shock for the neighbours. He got replaced by Blue, the third member of the little trio that beat Giovanni, but then he kind of died afterwards…. ANYWAY, Red and Leaf have been dating since then, and they are pretty much the power couple. They are so big they nearly got their own celebrity couple name, but 'Led' and 'Reaf' didn't really help sell magazines in the end.

This probably seems irrelevant, but bear with me!

Around the same time, the Silph Corporation, that big research and development company who most likely made the laptop or phone you're currently on, launched their own cable station as part of their rebranding post headquarters being destroyed. It has really taken off, mostly because of all the reality show franchises they started: Survivor: Mt Moon, The Amazing Evolution Race and Kanto's Next Top Breeder – don't lie, we all know you've watched one of them.

And now they have begun this new one: Indigo Dreams. The premise is that three teenagers will be given one of the three regional starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle), get entered in the Pokémon League, and then a camera crew will follow them around Kanto as they battle the gym leaders and take part in extra challenges to test their skills and win bonus prizes. They start right here in Viridian, and when they return to battle Leaf last, the trainer with the best scores from the challenges will automatically be allowed to battle Red.

Now, everyone is really excited about it. From what I can tell from , the entire world will be glued to this show. It has never been done before, and it has already been sold to Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh – even Unova, and we all know everyone hates them (soz any Unovians out there). I too boarded the hype train fairly early on as I have always wanted to go on my journey, but then one person had to go and ruin it all.

Chloe Carmichael.

Chloe is this, to put it nicely, bitch that lives down the road from me. I could go on for several pages and a couple hundred thousand words describing specifically the kind of person she is, but I'll summarise. Chloe is the type of girl who spends every single weekend throwing extravagant sleepover parties for all her friends. They paint toenails, do each other's hair, try on clothes, sing karaoke – all paid for her by her doting parents.

She sounds repugnant, doesn't she?

For the sake of honesty, the lack of invites did use to upset me deeply as a child. Chloe and I never got along for whatever reason, the way children just clash, and she made a point of excluding me at every opportunity.

I guess the clash came from being entirely different people. I am a very simple, non-materialistic girl. I do have a PokeGear, as practically everyone does, and I own some CD's and DVD's, but I don't flounce about, waving my parent's money around and acting like a Barbie doll that got brought to life. Chloe has had everything handed to her, while I took up a part time job at the local PokeMart just to earn pocket money. A part of me has always resented her for that, and Chloe has seen that in me and likely been punishing me for not falling at her feet every time she passes.

Despite our differences, I must thank Chloe. You see, when I learnt she was going to have the opportunity to potentially battle Red for the Championship, I had to ask myself: why does she get all the glory once again? Why can't someone regular, like, I don't know, me get a chance?

Five years ago, Giovanni destroyed much of Viridian. He turned the city that had shielded him into a statement of his power, a warning to all those that were going to stand in his way. He lost, the city began to recover, but it has made things harder. My mother worries about what might happen if one of her children went out on a journey, while I know that she needs my help to repair the life we used to lead. When I was ten, my parents gave me a Pidgey for my birthday. Paige, as I nicknamed her, has been my best friends ever since, but never before have I ever considered taking her on a journey.

Until now!

Chloe 'Daddy probably bribed the producer' Carmichael and her fellow stars are going to have everything handed to them: TM's, HM's, money, travel, the works. Worst of all, they are being given a starter Pokémon each. Some of the rarest Pokémon in the land, trusted to the care and judgement of Pokémon Professors (a system built on nepotism), these Pokémon have become symbols of only the mightiest trainers. Red began with a Charmander, Kris with a Chikorita, Wallace had a Mudkip – everyone thinks you can only be the very best if you get given a starter.

Paige and I are going to prove them wrong. There is a fire burning within me, and I won't stop until I prove to the world you don't need a fire breathing dragon, sword wielding otter or walking forest turtle to conquer the Championship. I'm going to win, and I'm going to do so with the help of a slightly irritating bird. What could possibly go wrong?

So, I have just eight gyms standing between me and glory! Do you think Paige and I will be able to 'conquer' Kanto? Please post your thoughts and encouragements, and some cash donations won't go astray (don't worry, I'm joking… well, not really...)

Until next time, fare-thee-well kind readers, and I hope to see some of you on our journeys.

Alaska A.


Version One below:

Spoiler

Blog One: Introduction

Hello there, internet dwellers.

I figure I should start this off by introducing myself: the name’s Alaska. Alaska Acevedo, to be precise. I am of a mere thirteen years of age, and I currently live in Viridian City, Kanto. I have black hair and I’m short: that’s all you lot need to know *glares at all you creepy perverts*

So, if you have come across this blog, you are probably wondering what this is all about. Most people don’t really put “conquer” in the title of something, unless they are plotting something diabolical, like taking over the world or making more Disney sitcoms.

Well, you’ll be pleased to hear, I am not planning anything evil… unless you work for Silph Television Inc.


I should probably explain a few things first.


Back in 2007, this guy called Red began the champion of the Kanto Pokemon League. And for SIX years he has held the title. The only title I’ve ever had is “Most Beautiful Handwriting” back in the Year One, but I only had that one for a few days (bloody Susan Smith!) ….

Anywho, Red has been the big boss for ages. He is dating this girl, Leaf, also for six years, and they are awesome! People even tried combing their names together, but “Reaf” and “Led” don’t really sell magazines, do they? Leaf herself is current gym leader of my hood, Viridian City Gym. Her cousin, this guy called Blue, had it for a few years, but than this big thing happened over in Cerulean Cave, and he ended up dying…. Awkward…


This probably seems irrelevant so far, but bear with me!


Several years ago, Silph Co, this big scientific company, began work on their own cable station. It has actually been a pretty big success, and they have managed to grab all of the best dramas from overseas.

But, they are also famous for having great reality shows. “Survivor: Mt Moon”, “The Amazing Evolution Race” and the international hit “Next Top Breeder”.


But now they have begun this new one: Indigo Dreams

The whole purpose is this: three teenagers, two boys and one girl, would be given one of the three regional starter Pokemon (Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle), would get entered in the Pokemon League, and then a camera crew would follow them around Kanto. At several cities, there would be some challenges for them to undergo to test their skills. And at the end, the best trainer would be selected to challenge the Elite Four, and eventually Red.


Now, everyone is really excited about it. It has never been done before, and it has already been sold to Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Isshu! I too was excited about it, as I have always wanted to go on my journey, but then two words ruined it.

Chloe Carmichael.

These are the two most disgusting words on the planet!

Chloe Carmichael is this bitchy snob who lives down the road from me. She spends every single weekend have sleepovers for all the girls in the town… except me. I, apparently, am too much of a ‘downer” and my jet black hair doesn’t allow for me to “fit in.” I used to always cry about it when I was younger, but as we all matured, I learnt about what they did: painted toenails, did each others hair, tried on clothes, and played karaoke games, which Chloe always won.

I am a very simple, non-materialistic girl. I do have a PokeGear, as practically everyone does, and I own some CD’s and DVD’s. But I don’t flounce about, waving my parent’s money around and acting like a Barbie doll that got brought too life. I work at the local PokeMart for a living, and I get a special discount on stuff. When I was ten, my father gave me a Pidgey for my birthday. My and Paige, as I nicknamed her, have been great friends ever since, but we’ve never had the courage or the cash to go on our own journey.

Until now!

When I learnt Chloe “Daddy probably bribed the producer” Carmichael would be given the opportunity for a journey, I realised something: why shouldn’t I be allowed to go on one? I have said up enough pay, I have waited long enough! Paige is growing more and more restless, as my mother doesn’t like the idea of me letting her out to fly. So, I am going to go out on my own journey, but I don’t just want to show Miss Priss up.

I have noticed that trainers who always get the regional starters end up becoming champions! Red got a Charmander and a PokeDex from Professor Oak, and now Chloe and her male castmates are getting them as well. I want to take on the league with Pidgey as my starter, and I don’t even want one of those overused, overrated, over-wanted little critters.


So, I have just eight gyms standing between me and glory! Do you think Paige and I will be able to “conquer” Kanto? Please post your thoughts and encouragements, and some cash donations wanted go astray HA HA!

Well, until next time, fare thy well kind readers, and I hope to see some of you on our journeys

Alaska A.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Blog One

Gama: Thanks The prologue will come back, sort of, before the next blog
Topaz: You can use the idea, I am honoured you have chosen me to base something on

Here we go: the story now officially begins!

Chapter One: One Step Forwards

"Pidgey Pidgey Pidgey! Pidge Eeee Eeee Eeee!"

"I'm nearly done Paige, jeez!"

Alaska Acevedo was tapping furiously, the keys of her laptop threatening to fly off from force, as she rushed to finish the last sentence of her first blog post.

"And… done!" She announced, and clicked the 'enter' key. The screen turned white for a second as the page updated itself, before reloading and revealing the freshly posted blog. Alaska quickly read through it again, making sure there were no typos less she face the wrath of an Internet troll, before smiling. Finally, after three years of putting it off, she was going on her journey. And this blog was going to be what fuelled her feet.

"Pidgey Pidge Pidgey!" A Pidgey squawked loudly and rammed into Alaska's head, as though battering her out the door would make them leave faster. The tawny coloured bird had been in a state ever since Alaska had told her they would finally been leaving, and was now resorting to tugging at her trainer's collar in order to get her to move.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Alaska couldn't blame Paige for being so excited. While most people she knew, neighbours, cousins, older siblings, had gotten emotional about leaving home, she would be shedding no tears. After putting it off for so long, Alaska couldn't wait to leave this house, this city, this life behind.

With a sigh, Alaska stood in the middle of her bedroom, bag hanging from her shoulder, and gazed around it for what she hoped would be the last time. The bare white walls and the tatty single bed were the same as they had been for about eight years. Asides from her desk, the only piece of furniture was her home-made bookshelf; her childhood had been spent reading endlessly, but now her well-worn books hadn't been touched for a year. She had lived in this room her entire life, yet none of this was her. Nothing spoke to who she was. If Alaska wanted to carve an identity for herself, she was never going to achieve that here.

She couldn't blame her parents for this, of course. It was not their decision to let Team Rocket tear their town apart; rather, Alaska thanked them every anniversary, so happy they had dragged her away on that camping trip, thankful that they had avoided the eruption, the tanks, the battle that had literally rocked the region. However, there was no denying how crappy their current situation was: the damage to their house had not been significant enough that they had to leave, but it meant they couldn't apply for compensation either, forcing all their spare money to go towards keeping a roof over their heads.

Alaska shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts and pushing them to the back of her mind. Don't start thinking like this, it's not their fault – I just have to take this chance and make my own name. With a final glance at the few meagre possessions she owned, Alaska hoisted her bag onto her back, let Paige settle on her shoulder, and left the room behind.

One thing Alaska would not miss was opening her door every morning to the sight of peeling wallpaper. The décor was bottom of the priority list post-Rocket, and with her mum working two jobs to make ends meet and keep her siblings in school, the tidying was right down there as well. Alaska made her way down the hall, a stench wafting from the bathroom, her feet kicking up dust in the carpet. While she knew her mother was upset to see her go, Alaska knew the thought of one less mouth to feed, less pressure on the finances, was a secret relief that Robin Acevedo would never say aloud.

"Dad, are you up?" Alaska stepped into the front room, unable to ignore the cracks crawling up the walls and ceiling even in the dark. She got no response, but that was not unusual. She gazed into the kitchen, ignoring the dirty plates piled high in the sink waiting for the weekend, looking for any sign of him.

"Pidge." Paige pointed with a wing into the living room. The curtains were drawn, disguising the ruins of their back yard while blocking out the midday sunlight. You could barely see anything in the gloom, but the flicker of the tiny TV screen was just enough to illuminate the deflated figure staring blankly at it from the couch.

"Hey Dad, I'm just going to register," Alaska called, tentatively approaching her father. William Acevedo did not look up from the screen. Alaska frowned and glanced at Paige, who awkwardly avoided her gaze. "I'll back this afternoon when Mum and Freddie are home. There should be some leftovers in the fridge for lunch." A noise halfway between a grunt and a sigh emitted from his mouth, but Alaska had no idea if he was responding to her or the pop star dancing on screen.

I can't stay here any longer; I can't keep watching this. He had been in this state for so long Alaska wondered if her memories of him were just childhood fantasies, embellished by her desire for the father she thought she once had. The William Acevedo she remembered had been tall, powerful, the life of every room he walked into. He had always put his family first, and had been one of the first people to come back to Viridian and help search through the rubble for survivors.

But the destruction had changed everything for them. When the Pokémon Centre was rebuilt, new automated systems were used to maintain upkeep. People had to be let go, and her father, once the most popular engineer on staff, couldn't adapt to the technology. They couldn't sell the house, not when the land was so damaged and too out of the way to be of any good for the companies. Meanwhile, every job in the town was snapped up by better skilled people migrating from Cinnabar and Johto. There was nothing for William to do but sit around, slowly shrinking in upon himself, and after three years was now just a shell of the man he once was.

Alaska watched him for a few minutes, wondering if he would say something; a kind farewell, a warning of what might be out there, some encouragement for the trip ahead. But William didn't look up at her once, and finally Alaska had no choice but to turn and leave.

***​

It had been five years since the changes had begun, but Alaska still had trouble recognising her own city. She and Paige left the outer edges of Viridian behind, the neighbourhoods that had escaped the brunt of Rocket's carnage, and were soon emerged within the new world that had sprouted up in the heart of her childhood home.

With so many houses destroyed, and with an influx of Cinnabar natives displaced by the hell that had happened there, construction companies had basically been handed the keys to the city. Brick cottages and wooden bungalows with big backyards had been replaced by concrete townhouses, copied and pasted in neat little rows throughout Viridian. It had once been rare for a building to be over two stories, but now small apartment blocks loomed over everyone, a reminder every way you turned of how much it had changed.

For the greater good my arse, Alaska thought bitterly. She looked around it all with contempt, every step easing her guilt over leaving. Three bronze heads shone in the midday sun, visible above every house, and Alaska felt their empty eyes watching her as she tried desperately to avoid them.

The second she left the city boundaries, Alaska felt free. There were no houses on Route 22: only a wide open road, bordered by untampered fields and golden brown cliff faces. The sound of the running stream was like music after the general noise that constantly swelled inside Viridian, and it was all topped off by the snow-capped peak of Mt Silver in the background. The only sign of change was the road, a long, liquorice black strip of tarmac tarnishing the open country. When it was opened, the head of the Pokémon League had said it was a symbol of progress, but with the cracked earth horribly juxtaposing itself alongside, the only thing it symbolised was a band-aid.

However, Alaska wouldn't let herself feel down any further. She was finally here, finally walking this path not as a little girl playing in the grass but as a proper trainer out to start her journey. The sun shone down on her, marking the clear path ahead. There was no one else around; most people signed up on either the first of January or June, and Alaska would have been amongst them a few weeks back had Indigo Dreams not been announced first.

This is better, she thought, looking around at the undisturbed patch of nature. I don't want to be just another name going through the system. I can't just going to fade away into the background, not if I want to prove my point.

"Pidge Pidge Pidgey!" Alaska snapped out of her thoughts and looked up: Paige was flying high above her, doing loop-de-loops and making the most of being free.

"Don't tire yourself out too much – we've still got eight gyms ahead of us!" Alaska yelled. Paige responded defiantly by making even broader loops and picking up speed. Alaska laughed, and she kept watching her, not paying attention to the path ahead. She was so distracted that Alaska only looked down when she felt something brush against her legs, and she froze as she realised where she was.

Everyone knows what happened when you stepped in the long grass. It was one of the first things Alaska had been taught at school: wild Pokémon lurk amongst the green, living out their lives in their natural habitats. They were taught of how Pokémon had agreed to let humans expand their settlements and move around their homes as long as the long grass went untouched.

Alaska could remember how humans had thought they had won, but really Pokémon had the advantage. They could hide amongst the grass or in the surrounding trees, camouflaged by the thick green plant; if a human entered their territory with bad intentions, the Pokémon would know, and the Pokémon would strike first.

As long as you meant well, and if you had your own Pokémon to protect you, Alaska knew that nothing bad would happen to her. Yet this was the first time she had felt the long green blades brush against her, the first time she had even been near a field without her parents or teachers warning them. She gazed around; a Ponyta was chewing some grass near the trees, squealing Rattata were marked by shaking patches in the grass, a Linoone leapt from a tree and dived into the sea of green.

I'll be back, Alaska thought, stepping out of the grass and moving around the field. She glanced up at the trees and saw a pair of beady eyes watching her, but they disappeared as soon as they had appeared. I have to have a good team if I want to win, and I certainly want to fight. But I need to be a trainer first; it has to be official.

The final ten minutes of the walk were much more uneventful. The trees and grass thinned until only a few scraggly bushes remained, and Alaska was too tired to enjoy the view anymore anyway. It turned out a red polo shirt, denim jeans and a ratty pair of trainers was not the best set of clothes to go walking in, while her tatty black bag was digging into her shoulders despite having little in it,

"Next time I embark on a journey, Paige, I seriously have to work out more first," Alaska wheezed to her starter, who had grown tired of flying and now sat on her shoulder. Paige nodded in agreement, a tad too judgementally for Alaska's liking, but all that was forgotten when she looked up and took in the Indigo League Headquarters.

It was one of the most beautiful buildings she had ever seen. The earthy brown walls made it look like it had been carved out of the cliffs itself. A grand stone staircase led from the route up to the glass doors, flanked by magnificent marble pillars that were taller than any building in Viridian. Mirrored black windows added a touch of modernity, but the main attraction was the Indigo League logo, emblazoned in the centre of the roof: the silhouette of a trainer with a PokéBall on his chest, surrounded by flames, leaves and water drops, all this on a magnificent golden badge. Red had had it rebuilt exactly how it had been prior to Rocket destroying it, and Alaska couldn't be happier to be here, staring up at the building that had inspired so many trainers. Even the Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle references couldn't dent her pride.

When I'm Champion, that figure will be a kick ass bitch surrounded by a tornado and feathers, Alaska thought, grinning broadly at Paige. The Pidgey was obviously stunned, her pink beak hanging open. Alaska would have laughed in any other circumstance, but she couldn't; not here, not now.

"Are you ready?" Her voice was quiet, anxious. Paige could hear the frightened tone and turned, her own face a little anxious. But after a moment, she puffed out her chest and nodded firmly, and that was all the encouragement Alaska needed.

"Let's do this then," she said, and took her first step onto the stairs.

When the sliding doors parted, Alaska found herself inside the grandest entrance hall she would likely ever be in. The walls were the same colour as outside, complimented by a rich red carpet mirrored in the ceiling. The size was made more apart by the sparse furnishings: only a dozen black leather sofas and armchairs sat against the walls, while four big desks were spread around. Gazing at the two to her right, Alaska saw one was a mini medical centre, as a nurse sat attentively behind, while the second was selling supplies, manned by a bored looking boy barely older than her.

"This place is fucking huge," Alaska whispered to Paige as she gazed at the crystal chandelier above them. Her voice echoed back to her, and the half-dozen workers all looked up at her. Alaska felt embarrassed, but she took it on the chin and boldly walked towards the two desks at the opposite end. A guard sat in a cubby to the right of them, next to an open passageway leading further into the mountain.

I'll be back for that one later, Alaska thought. Victory Road lay beyond, and she knew that eight badges were needed to get past. A scandalized middle-aged woman was manning the desk to check trainers had the requirements, and Alaska flashed her a beam as she instead stepped up to the registration desk.

"Hello there," the man behind the wooden bench said with a smile. "How may I help you?" He was going grey, had half-moon glasses perched on his crooked nose, and was wearing an old green jumper to which a name badge reading Steve was proudly attached.

"Steve, you have the great honour of registering the next Champion of the Indigo League," Alaska said proudly, and the older man chuckled.

"That confidence will get you far, my dear," Steve said as he took her identification. As he explained the process to her, Alaska drifted off, her eyes flickering towards the entrance to Victory Road: how long would it be before she came back here? Would she ever actually make it back here?

Of course I will, nothing is going to stop me, she told herself. Yet the badge checker was looking at her up and down, lips pursed, and Alaska had the uncomfortable sensation she was already being judged.

***​

"I'M A TRAINER! I'M A TRAINER!"

Her voice echoed throughout the empty valley; Pidgey and Spearow flew up in fright from the nearest tree. But Alaska didn't care: she had her Trainer Card, she was being processed; she was officially an Indigo League trainer.

"We can finally compete in gym battles now; we can take part in the next League Championship; I can challenge Red to a battle!" Alaska cried, practically dancing down the road. "And we are going to do this together – you and me, Paige, showing everyone what we can do."

"PIDGEY PIDGE!" Paige cried, and she twirled about in the air, flapping her wings so vigorously that mini-Gusts were whipped up. Alaska laughed and followed beneath her, clutching her card like it was her life source. Finally, I've wait so long for this. Nothing is going to stop me now. Its clear roads from here on – PAIGE, stop that!" The Pidgey stopped just seconds before she dive-bombed a school of Goldeen bobbing on the lake's surface.

"Pidge Pidgey Pidge!" Paige huffed, turning and soaring instead towards the trees. Alaska looked apologetically at the annoyed Goldeen and chased after her Pokémon.

"I know your happy as well, but now isn't the time to celebrate, we need to head home!" She shouted. Paige just poked her tongue out and dived through the branches of the tree. Alaska sighed and walked up to its roots, trying to get sight of her. She grabbed Paige's PokeBall, ready to withdraw her if she didn't come out. However, Paige's chirping had stopped, replaced with an annoyed growling instead.

"Paige…? Are you alright?" Alaska asked, tensing up slightly. She stepped to her left, trying to get a better view, when something brushed her leg. In the same moment, a loud screech erupted from the trees: Alaska jumped, stumbling further into the grass in her fright, and watched as Paige soared out from the leaves. A ball of white fluff lurched after her, falling just short of grabbing her talons and plummeting to the ground instead.

"What the-" Alaska gasped as she got to her feet. The ball jumped up, limbs and a tail appearing, and Alaska took the creature in: it was small and furry, with stick like arms and legs and a thin but curved trail; its nose was snout like, and its eyes were beady with a nasty edge, glaring at Alaska from either side of its brown nose.

It's a Mankey, she thought. "You were watching me from the trees before, weren't you?"

"Man-KEY-KEY!" The Mankey screeched, and slashed at Alaska. She jumped backwards so the long claws just missed her. It was shocking, but Alaska realised what they had unwittingly stumbled into.

"Paige, this is our first battle," she said, looking at the angry bird flapping beside her. "Are you ready for this?"

"PIDGE!" She cried boldly, glaring at the Mankey, who was poised, ready to strike again.

"Alright then – QUICK ATTACK!" Alaska yelled, grinning broadly, and Paige set off like a rocket. Alaska tensed up, waiting to see how her orders played out, and knew her journey was truly about to begin.

Spoiler

Chapter One: One Step Forwards

“Pidgey Pidgey Pidgey! Pidge Eeee Eeee Eeee!”

“I’m nearly done Paige, jeez!”

Alaska Acevedo was tapping furiously at the keys to her laptop, finishing the last sentence of her first blog post.

“And… done!” She announced, and clicked the ‘enter’ key. The screen turned white for a second as the page updated itself, but than Blog One had been posted. Alaska’s eyes quickly scanned through it, making sure it was perfect, and then she smiled to herself. Finally, after three years of putting it off, she was going to go on her journey. And this blog was going to be what fuelled her feet.

“Pidgey Pidge Pidgey!” Paige the Pidgey squawked loudly, and fluttered around Alaska’s head. The tawny coloured bird was excited to be going on the journey as well, and began tugging at the collar of Alaska’s shirt, trying to get her to move.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming!” Alaska laughed, and she stood up, grabbing her rich purple laptop, which has a blue Silph Co logo on the back.

Alaska looked around her cramped room as she stood up, while Pidgey fluttered overhead. The walls were a simple white, with nothing attached to them. Her single bed was in a corner, with her green and blue sheets in a mess. A home-made bookshelf was in the corner, but Alaska had grown out of most of the books on the shelf. Her desk was also homemade, and the chair she sat on had to be borrowed from the dining table. The Acevedo’s were, quite frankly, poor. Alaska’s father, William, used to be a technician at the Pokemon Center, but had been laid off due to budget cuts. Alaska’s mother, Robin, now had to work as manager of the PokeMart and a nurse at the Pokemon Center to help ends meet, as William spent all day on the coach, watching whatever was on TV. He hadn’t said a word in over seven months, and his health was deteriorating as he put on weight. Alaska worried what would happen to her family while she was gone, but decided not to let that put her off.

A tatty black bag sat on her bed, which had several changes of clothes, some Pokemon supplies from the mart, a black bathing suit, a bag containing a single person tent, a sleeping bag and pillow, and a novel to help pass the time. Alaska picked up her laptop, slipped it into a hard plastic case, and then placed it in with everything. Paige was already pecking at the doorknob, waiting for Alaska to hurry up.

“You should say goodbye, we aren’t going to be back for a while.” Alaska explained to Paige, as she looked around her horribly cramped room.

“Pidge Pidge, Pidgey PIDGE!” Paige wailed, and began fluttering around anxiously. This was the most she ever got to stretch her tiny little wings, and Alaska felt sorry for her. She quickly grabbed Paige’s PokeBall, zipped up and picked up her bag, and finally opened the door.

The Acevedo household was in a bit of disrepair. The white wallpaper was peeling, the carpet was dirty, and there was dusty forming on a small table, which had several plastic flowers in a jar. As Alaska and Paige moved through the house, they passed the foul smelling bathroom, and came out into the kitchen, which had dirty dishes in the sink, an overflowing rubbish bin, and filthy spots all over the surfaces.

“Dad, are you up?” Alaska called, as Paige flew towards a wooden post that was hers. There was no verbal response, but there was a sudden blare of music. Alaska smiled, and strode quickly towards the family room.

The dark green, mouldy curtains were drawn, the lights were off, so the only light came from the television, with flickering images of a pop star’s latest music video. William Acevedo sat a fading red arm chair, staring at the screen. The man, who had once been fit, handsome and with a full head of hair, had gone downhill in the past few months. His gut now hang out of his singlet and over his pants, his black hair was going grey, and a beard was growing like a parasite over his aging face. William looked at Alaska as she walked slowly into the room, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“Hey. I’m just heading down to the Pokemon League to register. I should be back in an hour, when Mum and Freddie are home, alright?” Alaska explained. William just nodded, and looked back at the television screen. Alaska sighed, and walked out of the room, and soon out of the house.


Half an hour later, Alaska was strolling down Route 22, heading West towards the Pokemon League. It was midday, so the sun was shining high above the route, but it was very quiet. Summer wasn’t usually the time of year people started their Pokemon journeys, so the grassy route was empty. Alaska stared around at the rocky wall that made up Victory Road to her right, while tall green trees and long grass stood to her left.

“Isn’t this beautiful weather?” Alaska called up to Paige. The Pidgey was flying high above her, soaking up the sun and enjoying being out and about.

“Pidgey Pidgey!” She cried, and did a loop-de-loop, making full advantage of all the open air available to her. Alaska laughed, and continued walking. She had left all of her stuff behind, planning to collect it as she headed back into Viridian. All she had with her was her identification forms, which she needed for the registration.

Ten eventful minutes later, where the only real change in scenery was a small pond containing some playful Poliwag, Alaska was beginning to grow bored of walking.

Hopefully I’ll be able to improve over the next weeks, otherwise I’m screwed! Alaska groaned inside her head, and looked up at Paige. The Pidgey was going on ahead, and flew over a row of trees that blocked the league entrance building.

“Oi Paige, wait up!” Alaska shouted, and began running as fast as she could. She was dressed in a plain red shirt, denim jeans and three-year old trainers that were a bit too small, so it wasn’t the best outfit for running. But Alaska ignored this, and tried desperately to catch up to Paige. She turned right, following several helpful signs, and plunged into some long grass.

Everyone knows about the long grass. These patches of green that needed a good mow were the homes of numerous Pokemon. As there was nowhere else for wild Pokemon to wander, without the risk of being ganged up on by trainers, poachers or anything like that, they began building nests in trees, lakes, ponds, the ocean, caves and grass. This way, they were able to have the advantage over trainers, and battle them when they felt like it. People respected their views, so those without Pokemon always stayed clear of these areas, and Pokemon, in return, didn’t attack them.

Alaska was very cautious about stepping into the long grass: you never knew if you’d get no Pokemon or a lot of them. And with Paige flying away, that made it more risky. She took several steps forwards, looking anxiously around. A Ponyta was chewing grass by the trees, while, several Rattata ran by the lake. The Ponyta glanced over briefly, but went back to enjoying it’s lunch. Alaska sighed, and ran briskly out of the grassy patch, before sprinting down the road.

She froze as she approached the League Building.

The Indigo League Headquarters had a fantastic building. It had earthy brown coloured walls, with mirrored glass windows so you couldn’t peer in, and a grand stone staircase, leading up to huge sliding doors. There were several grey pillars supporting an extra part of the roof. And, on this extra part, was the current logo: the silhouette of a trainer, with a PokeBall embedded on their chest, while a jet of fire, several leaves, and a waterfall surrounded them. These obvious references to Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise brought Alaska’s elation down a bit, and made her more determined to do what she had set out to prove.

“Pidgey Pidgey!” Paige soared happily out of the sky, and landed smoothly onto Alaska’s shoulder. Her pink beak was currently in a cute smile, and the brown feathered Pokemon looked very happy. Alaska smiled, and gave her a hug and a stroke.

“I’m glad that I’ll be doing this with you.” Alaska whispered.

“Eee Pidge!” Paige agreed, and pecked affectionately at Alaska’s ear. She laughed, and began walking up the steps.

A few moments later, the doors had parted, and Alaska was in the grand entrance hall. The walls were painted the same colour as outside, and had a matching red carpet. Black leather sofas and armchairs were against the walls, and there were two desks on Alaska’s right: one had a nurse behind it, with a large metal box and a computer, while the other had a smiling man with a cash register and several stands of Pokemon supplies.

“Wow, this is a really big hall!” Alaska gasped, and looked up at the crystal chandelier above her head. She began walking forwards, and saw what she was looking for: at the opposite end of the hall, there were two guards standing by another set of sliding doors, but next to them were two more deaks. One was for trainers to come and show their eight badges, and have their record checked and confirmed, while the other was a registration desk.

Alaska rushed towards it, with Paige taking off to flutter ahead. The man at the desk looked up as they approached, and he smiled warmly at them.

“Hello there, how may I help you?” He asked. He was going grey, had half-moon glasses perched on his crooked nose, and was wearing an old green jumper.

“I’m here to sign up for the Indigo League please.” Alaska stated, as she stopped in front of the desk.

“Well, it is lovely to see someone willing to do it!” The man said with a beam, and quickly typed something on his laptop. “Now, you will have to fill out some forms, have a picture taken, and then we can make your trainer card, give you your badge case and some PokeBalls to start off with!” Alaska nodded, and smiled at Paige. She was about to become a trainer!


One hour later, Alaska began walking back down the route, practically dancing as she held her trainer card in the sky.

“I’M A TRAINER! I’M A TRAINER!” She shouted, and spun around in her joy.

“PIDGEY PIDGE!” Paige cried as well, and she twirled about in the air, making Gusts of wind around her. Alaska laughed and danced with joy, and looked up at Victory Road.

I’ll be back here, and I will become the Champion of Kanto! She thought, and smiled proudly. Paige began to fly over the grass, causing the Ponyta from before to run away in distress. Alaska heard splashes as a school of Goldeen moved away from Paige, and she walked forwards.

“Paige, don’t annoy the wild Pokemon, they don’t seem to like it!” Alaska scolded.

“Pidge Pidgey Pidge!” Paige huffed, and began circling a tree.

“Come on, just come here and let’s head home!” Alaska shouted. The Pidgey just poked her tongue out, and dived into the branches of the tree. Alaska sighed, and walked towards the tree. It was towering over her, but she had to get hold of Pidgey. But before Alaska could get close, there was a loud screech. Paige rocketed out of the branches, and was followed by a white ball of fluff.

“What the-” Alaska gasped, and stepped backwards. The ball of fluff landed, but limbs and a tail shot out. The Pokemon stood poised, its eyes narrowed over its brown nose.

“It’s a Mankey!” Alaska gasped.

“Man-KEY-KEY!” The Mankey screeched, and slashed at Alaska. She jumped backwards, and the long claws missed her.

“All right, that’s it!” Alaska snarled, and pulled a PokeBall out. Paige flew down to her shoulder, and Mankey glared at the Pidgey.

“No one claws at me and gets away with it!” Alaska yelled. “Paige, Quick Attack!” Paige rocketed forwards, streaks of energy formed around. The Mankey leapt forwards, ready to unleash more Fury Swipes. Alaska simply watched, ready to catch her first Pokemon.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Chapter One

Chapter Two: Love Thy Neighbour

With white energy trailing behind her, Paige slammed into Mankey's stomach; it was not powerful, but was enough to knock him off balance and let her get away again.

"Man Man Man MAN!" The Mankey leapt back to his feet with an angry glare in his eye. Claws glowing white, he lunged. He jumped higher than Alaska had expected, and she gasped as he managed to grab hold of Paige.

"Pidge!" She screeched, and the two fell back the earth. They landed in a heap in the grass, disappearing amongst the green.

"Are you alright?" Alaska asked frightfully, wondering if her first battle was already over.

"Pidgey Eeey!" Paige stuck her head up, clearly battered but still ready to fight.

"Alright, let's not beat around the bush: hit him with Gust!" Alaska beamed proudly as Paige pushed herself back up, refusing to back down. With a loud chirp, she flapped her wings furiously and hit the stunned Mankey with a powerful gust of wind. The wild Pokémon couldn't stand up to the type advantage and tumbled over once again.

"Finish this with Steel Wing!" Alaska shouted. Paige's wings glowed silver and she swooped down instantly, but Mankey was not as weak as Alaska had thought: he leapt back up, his expression as angry as ever, and ran towards the incoming Pidgey with a raised fist. Paige swerved and avoided his attack, and clipped him with her shining wings. Mankey fell for a third time, and this time he seemed to be staying down.

I can use Gust again and probably end this, Alaska thought, but… he is sprightly and strong… I could use a Pokémon like him. "What do you think Paige, should I catch him?" Paige landed on right shoulder, looking judgingly down at the weakened Mankey. She looked uncertain, or perhaps jealous, but after a moment she gave a little nod.

"Alright then, here goes nothing!" Alaska pulled an empty PokeBall out of her pocket. She had waited years to do this, catch a Pokémon all on her own, and Alaska felt a powerful rush at crossing this accomplishment off her list already.

She threw the ball with all her might, and watched as the red and white capsule hit Mankey on the head. He did not protest as the ball turned him into red energy and sucked him inside. Alaska ran forwards as the ball fell into the grass: it shook once… twice… thrice… PING! Alaska froze for a second, uncertain if it had worked, if she caught her first Pokémon. But when there was no movement, she looked at Paige, at the Bird Pokémon beamed back at her.

"BOOYAH!" Alaska shouted, scooping the ball up. "Who just caught their first Pokémon? I did!" She whooped.

"Pidgeeeeeey!" Paige twittered excitedly. Alaska looked down at the ball like a kid in a candy store: her first capture, her second Pokémon, all on the first day of her journey. This is really happening, isn't it?

"Right, nickname… umm… oooh, this is tough, thinking on the spot… umm… Darwin? Do you like that?"

"Pidgey Pidge!" Paige agreed, and Alaska smiled.

"Darwin it is then. Welcome to the team, buddy. Let's get you both to the Pokémon Centre and heal you up – if we hurry, we might be able to catch Mum." Alaska stepped through the grass with Paige by her side, feeling like she had just run a mile. Her feet certainly ached, but Alaska walked through the pain, refusing to let anything ruin her day.

"Oh my goodness! Alaska, HI!"

Except maybe that. A shiver of disgust went down Alaska's spine as those five words echoed through the balley, and she knew instantly whose voice they belonged to.
Mitchell Melton

The Melton's had always been right next door to the Acevedo's. Mr Melton worked for Silph Co. in Saffron City, while Mrs Melton organised volunteer and charity work around Viridian. As Mr Melton spent most of the year in Saffron, whenever Mrs Melton had to go and organise a food drive or a school function, Mitchell would be home alone.
So, back before Alaska got her job at the PokeMart, her mother had suggested she do some babysitting. Alaska didn't mind at first: all the cool people on TV seemed to be doing it, so why not her?

But that was before the first night.

Mitchell was about as hyperactive as an Electrode on drugs. Alaska had brought board games, but Mitchell kept getting bored and began throwing the pieces at her. The next time, Mitchell broke all the DVD's and tried to blame it on her. Then a fun game of tag cost $5,000 when Mitchell knocked over a bunch of expensive vases and broke Mrs Melton's good china plates. Every time Alaska stepped foot in that house, Mitchell would somehow break something, smash something, stain something, burn something – he once flooded the entire upstairs.

It had gotten so bad Alaska had taken the underpaying job at the PokeMart just to escape him. Mrs Melton had tried and succeeded a few times when her funds were low to get her to go back, but it had been nearly a month since their last interaction, and Alaska had hoped with her journey she would be free of him for good.

And now here he was, running down the road towards her, waving and smiling happily. The ten-year-old looked the same as ever: light brown hair, a slightly elongated face, pasty white skin, oversized bag and mismatched clothing. He gave off the impression of a very unstable Raticate, and the way he looked now, he might as well be coming to re-join his species.

"I can't believe it's you!" Mitchell's squeaky voice exclaimed as he ran towards her. Alaska grimaced and looked at Paige for advice, but was stunned to find her gone. She turned and caught the Pidgey glancing at her from atop a nearby branch before looking inconspicuously away.

"Thanks for your support," Alaska hissed, and took a deep breath before turning to face him.

"Hello!" Mitchell jumped to a stop and raised a hand. Alaska forced a smile and gave him the high-five he wanted.

"Why are you here" She asked, not caring if she sounded rude. But Mitchell didn't notice, smiling stupidly and pointing at the league building.

"My mummy told me you were going on your journey, so I decided I would go on one as well!" He explained happily. Alaska's eyes bulged and her jaw dropped, but Mitchell had looked away and didn't notice. "My mum thought it would be a great idea, so we arranged everything, and now I'm travelling!"

"That's great… just great…" Alaska mumbled through clenched teeth, resisting the urge to jump in the stream.
"Have you already signed up?"

"Yep heading back to town now," Alaska explained. Mitchell frowned, but then his face quickly lit up.

"It shouldn't take more than a minute, right?" He asked, but continued before she could answer. "I'll rush over there, do everything, and meet you back here, and then we can start our journey together!" And before Alaska could reply, Mitchell ran off, waving to her as he went. Alaska watched him go feeling like he had just robbed her of something precious. She felt angry, sad and confused all at once, unable to conjure up anything to say. Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling noise, and Alaska watched as Paige took off from the branch and frantically flew back to Viridian.

"You aren't leaving without me!" Alaska sprinted after her without a second thought. For a moment, she felt a pang of guilt for ditching Mitchell already, but she knew that if she spent more than a day on the road with him, she definitely would jump in the nearest stream – probably with a few stones in her bag, just to be sure.

Viridian was quiet by the time Alaska made it back. It was the perfect hour, between lunch and the end of school when everybody was at work and the streets were empty. Alaska savoured these moments of peace, a reminder of the town she remembered. Today though, she was in no mood for recollection: tired and panting, she collapsed onto a metal bench near the Pokémon Centre, where Paige sat perched waiting for her.

"Remind me… never to run… again!" Alaska groaned, clutching the stitch in her chest. "Pidgey Pidge Pidgey!" Paige looked perfectly relaxed, and Alaska glared at her as she retrieved her drink bottle from her bag and had a well-earned slug. She took the lid off so Paige could have a drink, and then sank back in the bench looking around what had been her home for thirteen years.

Alaska was torn about leaving this behind. She still struggled to recognise the city that lay before her. It had been decimated to such an extent that the memories of returning home, finding everything in ruins was what Alaska always recalled first when she looked to the past. It took a lot of effort to move past that, to forget about what was now and remember what had been before Rocket arrived.

Yet she had lived here her entire life. She had gone to school here, worked here, shopped here, eaten here; Viridian was a part of her. Setting out to cities and routes she had never been to was going to be a huge adjustment, especially when she still couldn't wrap her head around her own city.

Alaska simply sat for a few minutes, taking in the places she wanted to remember. The Pokémon Centre and Poké Mart stood next to each other in the road opposite her: the two had emerged as beacons from the rubble, quickly rebuilt and standing out as the first of their kind in the rejuvenated country. The former was the biggest this side of Kanto, with a bright orange roof and mirrored black windows standing out amongst the browns and greys of the town houses around it. The Poke Mart had been kept the same, sapphire blue roof and white brick outer walls, looking more like a cottage than anything else. It was half the reason Alaska had chosen to work there; it reminded her of what the city had been like, rather than what people wanted it to be.

"Pidge Pidge?" Paige chirped softly next to her, and Alaska realised her eyes had begun to well up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" She replied flippantly, dabbing at her eyes. It was silly to get so emotional about this old place. But everywhere she looked, another memory was stirred up, and Alaska had to accept leaving this place behind would be harder than she thought.

Though I won't ever have to see that thing again, she added bitterly as her eyes settled on the shining head of the perpetually frozen Charizard in the distance. The sight of that was enough to dam her tears, and Alaska leapt to her feet.

"Let's go before Mitchell comes back." Alaska took off and began marching towards the Pokémon Centre, Paige following in hot pursuit. She suddenly wanted to leave the city, leave all the memories and devastation behind, go somewhere where she could turn a corner without having to look at their faces, without having to be reminded about –

"Oh fuck no."

The doors on the Pokémon Centre parted few metres ahead of her, and for the second time that hour, a shiver spread through Alaska's body. A group exited, three teenagers flanked by mostly black-clad adults that loomed over them, and one of them was the last person Alaska wanted to see. She turned to leave, but didn't realise just how loudly she had spoken.

"Oh Alaska, there you are! I was wondering when I might bump into you." Alaska froze, body tense, wondering if it was too late to run back to Mitchell. Yet there was no avoiding Chloe Carmichael once she was on the prowl, and the blonde suddenly appeared in front of her.

"You know, I was just thinking about you." Chloe spoke with a soft purr like a classic movie star, flashing Alaska an unnecessarily white smile. "I mean, you're heading off on your own, underdressed and lacking as always, and I'm going to be surrounded by people who actually want to be around me – just like old times, don't you think?"

"Oh, so you pay your friends at school to follow you as well? Well, that certainly explains a lot." Chloe's smile instantly thinned. As the other members of the reality show moved around them, Alaska felt her already brewing rage intensify, and more than ever she was glad to be leaving.

She and Chloe had never gotten along. If she was being honest, Alaska could not remember how their feud had started: she just knew that there had always been something between them. And over time, their mutual hate had simply festered. They were simply polar opposites, and it was only natural for them to butt heads.

It didn't help that Alaska would only have to turn around and see the Carmichael house looming behind the Pokémon Centre, a mansion rising from the rubble in a city suddenly too small for it. The signs of Carmichael wealth were everywhere in Viridian, and Chloe was a walking advertisement for how well her father had done. Alaska doubted the flowery dress and hot pink heels her foe was currently wearing came from the reality show, and the caked-on makeup and hair styled as though she was twice her age could easily have been her own doing.

"Have they handed you your first Pokémon yet?"

"Just this morning – it's all moving very fast, but of course, it's what I expected," Chloe replied, flicking her hair back. "They've even done all the registration for us already. Did you have to walk all the way to the League building to do it? That must have been such a pain, especially in those shoes," she added, smirking and casting her eyes done.

"A hell of a lot more comfortable than those. Are you going to be in them for the whole show, or will you change into something less comfortable for Mt Moon?" Chloe's eyes flashed with anger and she opened her mouth to reply, but a boy suddenly appeared between them.

"Um, hi," he said, raising his hand awkwardly at Alaska before looking at Chloe. "They need you back there, we're filming again soon." Alaska glanced over her shoulder and caught a thin lipped, black haired woman in a tight dress glowering at them from the middle of a camera crew, and she winked at her before turning back.

"I'll be there in a moment, Damian, I am just making sure Alaska here doesn't forget me on her journey."

"Whatever," Damian mumbled, raising an eyebrow as he looked back at Alaska. "Hey, I'm Damian Darme."

"Alaska," Alaska replied enthusiastically, limply shaking his extended hand. She didn't care how friendly he seemed: if he was going on this show, he had to be as spoilt and self- important as Chloe. He definitely looked the part: tall, tanned, wavy, sandy blonde hair, diamond-white teeth and blue eyes, he looked more like a surfer than a trainer. Alaska noticed that his shirt seemed to a size too small. Turning a thirteen year old into sex symbol; so it's going to be that sort of show…

"Aren't you going to introduce me as well?" A second boy appeared at Alaska's side, basically yelling in her ear. Flashing a cheesy grin, he thrust a hand into her face. "Lachlan Lynch, but everyone calls me Lochy."

"Wonderful." Alaska delicately shook his hand. She could see why he had been chosen: short, skinny, pale, red-brown hair and a face full of acne, this Lochy was clearly the comic relief of the group, the everyman the audience could relate to. Though Alaska could tell already he wouldn't win: his type never did, especially not when Blondie and Bitchface were striking a pose around him.

"My, my, aren't we diverse," Alaska quipped, gazing across their skin. "I see you're not trying to win the Sevii Islands audience then."

"Urgh, I don't want those savages watching me," Chloe scoffed. "Daddy said that once you leave the tourist areas, they all just live in huts and wallow in the –"

"Well, they're homes were destroyed, but it's not like you'd have sympathy for anyone with real problems," Alaska fumed, fists balling up. She wanted to throw something at Chloe, just do something to ruin the first day of her show, but she had more important things to worry about. "Well, as unpleasant as this has been, I really need to get on my way and –"

"Oh my god, guys, why doesn't she come to the Trainer House with us?" Lochy exclaimed, flapping his arms and grinning stupidly. "You should come – we're going there so they can test our skills before the show begins."

"I really should be going on my –"

"Come, it would be nice to test our skills on someone impartial," Damian chimed in. "We're all doing it."

"All of you?" Alaska said, pausing as she tried to turn around. The two boys nodded, and Alaska felt suddenly mischievous. She glanced at her rival, and the look of silent anger on Chloe's face sealed the deal.

"You know what, I can wait a little bit longer to leave," Alaska said, smiling back at them. "I'll heal my Pokémon and meet you there."

"Awesome!" Lochy exclaimed. He and Damian walked off, and a glaring Chloe followed in their shadow.

"I will destroy you," she hissed.

"Bring it on," Alaska replied, and she beamed widely at Paige: first day, first capture, and now time for their first proper battle – there was no stopping them now.

Spoiler

Chapter Two: When Good Neighbours Become Good Enemies

Paige flew forwards as fast as possible, and she slammed into Mankey’s stomach, causing the fluffy monkey to roll backwards.

“Man Man Man MAN!” Mankey shouted, and he jumped up, with his claws glowing white. Alaska watched as Mankey began swiping at Paige.

“Pidge!” She squawked, and crash-landed at Alaska’s feet.

“Oh my, are you alright?” Alaska asked.

“Pidgey Eeey!” The Pidgey replied softly, and managed to get up.

“Alright, I want you to use Gust!” Alaska instructed. Paige smiled, and began flapping her wings furiously, chirping as she did so. A strong gust of wind blasted Mankey backwards, preventing the Pig Monkey Pokemon from using what looked like Focus Energy.

“Now finish this with Steel Wing!” Alaska shouted. Paige’s wings glowed silver, and she swooped down. Mankey leapt up, looking angry about being attacked. He glowed a red-brown and seemed to be gaining energy. Paige turned right, so her left wing cut across Mankey, making him stumble, but not doing enough damage.

“Hmm…” Alaska pondered. “I think I should try and catch him now, right?” Paige nodded as she landed on right shoulder, and Alaska beamed.

“Alright then, here goes nothing!” Alaska said, and pulled a PokeBall out of her pocket. This was a moment she’d been waiting for years to do: to catch her own Pokemon by herself!

“Go PokeBall!” She shouted, and threw it with all her might. Mankey had been focusing on conserving its energy, and was startled as the red-and-white metal capsule hit him on the head. The powers within the ball broke down Mankey’s molecular structure, and his red particles were sucked inside. The ball fell to the ground, and Alaska and Paige excitedly ran forwards. The ball shook once… twice… thrice… PING! Mankey stopped struggling, and the ball came to a stop. Alaska froze for a second, and looked at Paige, who was smiling excitedly. Than, Alaska beamed with like a child in a candy store, and she picked up the small ball.

“BOOYAH!” She shouted, and Paige chirped in agreement. Alaska bounced the ball, and began pondering. “I think I will nickname him…. Darwin!”

“Pidgey Pidge!” Paige agreed, and Alaska beamed. She’d caught her own Pokemon, and had started her journey: it was the best day ever!
“Oh my god, Alaska!”

That perfect day shattered, and a chill of disgust went down Alaska’s spine as she heard those four words, and knew whose voice they belonged to.

Mitchell Melton

Right next door to Alaska, between her house and Chloe’s, was the Melton household. Mr Melton worked for Silph Co. in Saffron City, while Mrs Melton stayed at home, though she did a lot of volunteer and charity work around the city. As Mr Melton spent most of the year living in Saffron, whenever Mrs Melton had to go and organise a food drive or a school function, Mitchell would be home alone.

So, back before Alaska got her job at the PokeMart, her mother Robin had suggested to Mrs Melton Alaska do some babysitting. Alaska didn’t mind at first: all the cool people on TV seemed to be doing it, so why not her?

But than she spent her first few hours there.

Mitchell was hyperactive, sort of like an Electrode on drugs. Alaska had brought board games, but Mitchell kept getting bored and began throwing the pieces at her. Next time Alaska went over, Mitchell broke all the DVD’s she had gotten as he ran around maniacally. The third time, a fun game of tag cost $20,000 when Mitchell knocked over a bunch of expensive vases and broke Mrs Melton’s good china plates. And every time Alaska stepped foot in that house, Mitchell would somehow break something, smash something, stain something, burn something, and he once flooded the entire upstairs.

Mitchell’s maniacal behaviour had forced Alaska to get her job at the PokeMart, hoping that her new job would get her out of the poorly paying babysitting gig. But every so often, she would still be forced to go over to the hellish home, and deal with whatever form of misery Mitchell decide to put her through.

“I can’t believe it’s you!” Mitchell’s squeak voice said again. Alaska looked at Paige, but she had taken off into the air, and had fluttered over towards a bush to hide.

“I’m get you back!” Alaska huffed, and took a deep breathe before turning around.

Walking through the long grass was the now ten year old boy she had come to despise, waving and smiling happily at her. Mitchell had light brown hair, a slightly elongated face, pasty white skin, and was wearing mismatched coloured clothing, with a large bag on his back. His face always reminded Alaska of a Raticate, but only cuter. The awkward looking child stumbled out of the grass, grinning goofily, and walked up towards Alaska.

“Hello!” Mitchell said, and raised his hand. Alaska forced a smile and gave him the high-five he wanted.

“Why are you here” Alaska asked, not meaning to sound as rude. But Mitchell just smiled, and pointed over at the league building.

“My mummy told me you were going on your journey a little while ago, so I decided I would go on mine as well!” Mitchell explained happily. Alaska’s eyes bulged and her jaw dropped, but Mitchell had turned around and didn’t notice. “My mum thought it would be a great idea, so we arranged everything, and now I’m travelling!”

“That’s great… just great…” Alaska mumbled through clenched teeth, and she looked like she was ready to stab someone.

“So, have you already signed up?” Mitchell asked, and he was dancing on the spot, eager to move off towards the building.

“Yes, just a few minutes ago, actually. I’m about to head back into town.” Alaska explained, and pointed over towards Viridian. Mitchell frowned, but then his face lit up again.

“It shouldn’t take more than a minute, right?” He asked, but than quickly cut her off again. “I’ll rush over there, do everything, and rush back here, and we can start our journey together!” And before Alaska could reply, Mitchell began running off, waving too her as he went. There was a rustling sound, and Paige flew out of the bushes, and began frantically flying away.

“Hey, if you’re ditching him, I’m coming as well!” Alaska cried, and ran after the chuckling Pidgey. Alaska didn’t want to hurt the young boy’s feelings, but she knew that if she did travel with him, she probably would have found a nice large cliff to jump off before the end of the week.


After ten minutes of sprinting down the open route, Alaska and Paige arrived, tired and panting, back in Viridian.

“Remind me… never to run… again!” Alaska sighed, and collapsed onto an old park bench at the edge of the route.

“Pidgey Pidge Pidgey!” Paige added, and she roosted on the back of the seat. Alaska had a drink of water from a nearby fountain, and let Paige have a quick drink, before looking the city that had been her home for thirteen years.

Across the road from the route was the Pokemon Center, with its orange roof, cream coloured walls and sliding glass doors. Next to it was the PokeMart, a much smaller building, but one Alaska knew much better. There were more houses, some fancy and modern, others old fashioned but homely, the majority painted white, steely grey or a dull brown. The two storey battling center known as the Trainer House rose up above the houses, and many trainers usually stopped in there to get a feel to battling. And then, in the very corner of the city, was the Viridian City Pokemon Gym. It was closed for the week while Leaf re-battled Red for the top spot, so Alaska had no intention of visiting it.

But she did very a little bit of sadness at the idea of leaving. Alaska did like the city, even if it wasn’t that exciting and most travellers passed through fairly quickly. But she did have a couple of friends, and her family was here, and her well paying job.

Mum said most people felt this way, but I didn’t think it would happen to me! Alaska thought sadly, and let out a sigh.

“Pidge Pidgey?” Paige asked, and Alaska looked at her, wiping a small tear away.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” She replied, and carried on before Pidgey could interrupt. “Now, we better head towards the Pokemon Centre before Mitchell catches up with us!” Paige flew upwards at this, and Alaska laughed. She got up as well, and quickly rushed forwards.

SMACK!

Alaska had been so focused on her sadness that she didn’t notice where she was going, and had walked right into someone. She toppled backwards, and moaned in pain as sharp rocks jabbed her in the back.
“Watch were your goi- oh, it’s you!” A familiar voice sneered, and for the second time that hour, a shiver went down Alaska’s spine. She opened her eyes, and found two figures over her: one was a worried looking Paige, and the other was Chloe Carmichael.

“You, what are you doing here?” Alaska huffed, as she leapt to her feet. “Aren’t you meant to be filming your reality garbage?” Chloe scoffed, and tossed back her luscious blonde hair.

“Of course I am, silly!” She sneered, and laughed loudly and cruelly. Alaska balled up her fists, and examined Chloe, trying to find the best place to hit her. She was wearing a long pink, flowery dress that looked old fashioned but good on her, and was wearing lots of makeup. Behind her, a stern looking woman was talking to a camera crew, while two boys chatted, holding up PokeBalls.

“I’m guessing these are your new buddies?” Alaska asked, smiling, as she looked pointedly at the beer gut on the boom operator, and the flies buzzing around the cameraman’s body. Chloe shuddered slightly, but retained her uptight demean.

“I don’t care for the lower paid peasants!” She said importantly, and clicked her fingers. “Damian, Lochy, will you both come here?” The two boys turned around, and walked towards their female co-star.

“What is it now Chloe?” One boy huffed indignantly.

“Is this one of your friends?” The second one asked.

“NO!” Alaska and Chloe exclaimed at the same time, making Paige leap into the air and caused the boys to exchange puzzled looks.

“This is just Alaska, some loner emo girl from my school.” Chloe explained coldly, and Alaska scowled.

“Watch it Carmichael!” She hissed.

“Now now, no need to get your bloomers in a twist!” Chloe retorted, and Alaska looked ready to attack. The boy who had spoken first stepped inbetween them, smiling warmly.

“I’m Damian, Damian Darme.” He explained. He had sandy blonde hair that a surfer might sport, with tanned skin and dazzling white teeth and blue eyes to match. He looked well built, with a slight muscle underneath his tight fitting T-shirt. He was taller than the others and seemed nice, but Alaska could feel the cockiness and self-importance radiating off him.

“Alaska Acevedo.” Alaska replied, and Damian nodded, shaking his hair slightly as he did so.

“Stop showing off McDreamy!” The second boy laughed, and pushed him out of the way. He was shorter and not as fit, with longer red-brown hair, a sprinkling of acne, and a light brown skin tone that gave Alaska the impression he was trying too hard to be cool. “I’m Lachlan Lynch, but everyone calls my Lochy.” Alaska just nodded, and examined the stars of the show. It seemed the producers had chosen Chloe and Damian to be easy on the eye, while Lachlan seemed like he would be the normal guy/comedic relief/Ron Weasley to these two leads. It was smart choosing, as it would attract different types of people to watch it, and Alaska nodded in her mind at the producers decisions. However, she had her own journey to deal with, and couldn’t waste time with these people.

“That’s interesting.” Alaska replied, nodding with false enthusiasm. “But, if you’d excuse me, I need to get to the Pokemon Center. It was nice meeting you all, and I looking forward to-”
“Hang on a second!” Damian interrupted, and side stepped in front of her. “Are you a trainer as well?”

“Of course not, this Pidgey just stalks me!” Alaska replied sarcastically.

“Pidge Pidge!” Paige laughed, and Damian’s eyebrows narrowed, his attempts at being charming fading away.

“Well, if you’re a trainer, do you want to come with us to the Trainer House? We’re about to go there for our first challenge.”

“It should be a bit of fun.” Lachlan added.

“I’m sure Alaska is far too busy making out with women to come!” Chloe cut in, laughing falsely while glaring at Alaska to leave.

“A lesbian joke, how original of you!” Alaska snapped back, and Damian and Lachlan backed away, sensing the tension from the two. It was clear to both of them that these girls hated each other, and that it would be best not to intervene. Alaska pondered for a moment: should she put her journey on hold for a few minutes while she showed Chloe up?

I’ve waited half my life: I can wait a little longer! Alaska thought.

“Thanks for the offer Damian, I’d be glad to take part.” She said sweetly, and Chloe’s jaw dropped. “I’ll see you all in a minute!” And with that, Alaska walked happily towards the Pokemon Center, glad to delay things if it meant showing her old rival up.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Chapter Two

Chapter Three: The Bird and the Seed

It only took twenty minutes for the nurse to fully heal Paige and Darwin, but it was twenty minutes too long for Alaska. She had never had a proper battle before. Whenever her older brother and sister came back from the Academy, they refused to let her train with them, never seeing Paige as enough of a challenge. Alaska had resorted to occasional battles with school acquaintances and neighbours, enough to keep Paige occupied but never anything that lasted more than two minutes.

So to actually be facing a real opponent in a real battle, especially someone she couldn't wait to defeat, had Alaska buzzing the whole time she was waiting. She practically ran to the Trainer House with Paige flapping behind her, unable to contain her excitement.

Standing at the entrance, The Trainer's House towered above her, radiating the power it seemed to possess. Rebuilt in its original style, the two storey building was made up of wood panelled walls that parted only at the corners to expose the brick underneath. The green roof dipped down so she could just see the top, illuminated briefly by the sun. With all its browns and greens, Alaska had always thought of the House as being like a tree, and the image only made her smile widen as she stepped through the doors.

"Welcome to the Viridian Trainer House." Alaska was barely inside before a woman in a purple skirt, jacket and hat appeared behind the reception desk. She beamed down at Alaska with a megawatt smile, conjuring up images of some evil lavender robot.

"Um, hello, I'm just here for a battle," Alaska replied, dumping her bag on the desk. The receptionist continued to smile, but it wavered the moment the tatty bag landed on her polished desk. Taking the hint, Alaska awkwardly picked it up and glanced around the room: it was done up like some hipster library, with plush carpet, a hodgepodge of sofas and beanbags, calm beige and maroon colours everywhere and a polished bookcase loaded with books.

"Well, our upstairs training facility is free, but our basement battling room is booked out at the moment," the receptionist explained.

"I'm actually here to go downstairs, I'm… I'm a… a friend of Chloe Carmichael," Alaska said, struggling to repress a shudder. The receptionist struggled to hide her surprise, but stepped out from the desk regardless.

"They didn't tell me they were expecting someone else, so let's just sort this out," she said prissily, and led Alaska across the open space to a wide staircase at the other end of the building. As Alaska followed after, bangs and shouts sounded from above, and she and Paige exchanged a look.

"Don't worry, we're structurally sound," the receptionist laughed falsely. Alaska forced a laugh, but rolled her eyes and gave the woman the finger as they headed down the stairs. The same group of black clad people from earlier were milling around at the bottom, and they all turned and watched as the pair descended.

"Miss Anderson, I have a young lady here who says she was expected?" The receptionist called out. The production crew all eyed her up, but Alaska looked away, awestruck by the arena: it was about twice the size of the ground floor, with four different battlefields, huge green, brown and black pitches made from different material. Wooden stands lined the walls, while a huge desk stood before stands of Pokémon medicine and a healing machine on the back wall

"This room is amazing!" Alaska murmured, and she couldn't believe she was having her first battle her. She went to step towards the field, but the reality crew stepped before her, one shoving a camera into her face. She stepped back, startled; she was surrounded, and the stars weren't there to support her. Chloe, Damian and Lachlan stood in the middle of room, talking while a Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle ran around them. Alaska tried to signal to them, but the crew were swarming around her like flies.

"What are you on about, Lucia? I did not order a fourth teenager." The camera crew parted, revealing a tall, thin woman looming beside the receptionist. Alaska first thought was that she'd stepped into a children's book, as the woman looked like she should be the evil teacher in a fantasy series: her jet black hair was pulled tightly back in a bun, showing off her long, thin face and half-moon glasses; she was dressed in a pinched, charcoal pencil skirt with matching blazer, pointed leather shoes, and only the glimpse of a white blouse for colour. She looked down at Alaska like she was a bug, clipboard clutched like she was about to swat her away. Alaska wasn't easily intimidated, but she could tell this was a woman you didn't want to mess with.

"I am Amanda, Amanda Anderson," the woman snapped out quickly in her clipped voice, stuttering slightly on the S. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm Alaska, Alaska Acevedo," Alaska replied, accidentally copying the woman's stutter, earning her an even sterner glare. "I know Chloe and I've come to battle her." Amanda clearly didn't like that answer: her eyes narrowed, her nostrils flared, her fingers rapped against the wooden clipboard.

"I see. I suppose you're a trainer as well then?"

"Nah, I just rent my shoulder out to this Pidgey. She pays me in bird seed."

"How very witty of you," Amanda sneered. She looked between Alaska, her crew and the talent and let out a gurgled sigh. "I suppose I will make an allowance this one time – this is only a test, after all. However, I don't want you disturbing our filming again: I am the producer of this show, and I do not take kindly to interruptions. And you won't post anything about this on social media." Alaska felt like she was being scolded by some uptight nun. She pondered on that last comment, wondering if the sole reason Miss Anderson had approved the battle was out of fear Alaska might bad mouth her on . "You have ten minutes."

"Don't worry; I'll only need five." Amanda simply glowered at her and stalked off, leading Lucia the receptionist away. The rest of the crew watched her gormlessly, and Alaska sidled past them and towards the reality stars.

"Oh great," Chloe mumbled as Alaska approached, cutting Lachlan off mid-sentence. "I was hoping you had gotten lost – it's not as though you're that familiar with the richer part of town."

"Nice to see you too Chloe," Alaska said, forcing a smile. "Ready to lose?"

"I should say the same to you." The blonde was clearly annoyed, but she turned and signalled at the Pokémon nonetheless.

"What's got Amanda in a mood?" Damian asked. Alaska turned and saw Amanda was looming over the receptionist, angry gestures making it clear she was annoyed.

"Beats me," Alaska mumbled, but she could see now she really did only have ten minutes. Her cockiness lessening, she turned to tell Chloe to hurry up. However, three Pokémon had appeared, and Alaska paused and slowly looked down at them.

She had of course seen the three before: there was no avoiding pictures of Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander when the registration push started, their faces covering bus stops and bill boards, appearing in every other ad on TV, covering magazines and newspapers. But Alaska had never seen either one of them in the flesh before, and she couldn't help but stare. Squirtle's yellow and brown shell shone in the light, while Charmander cradled his tail as he watched her, oblivious to the fire dancing near his face. Bulbasaur appeared the most apprehensive of the three, stepping away as she watched them, but all three looked up at her with wide, innocent, curious eyes. They were nothing more than toddlers, pruned and polished to be fit for television, unaware of the journey they were about to embark on.

God how she hated them.

"You must forgive them, Alaska, they are only young after all – they're not quite used to looking at monsters yet." Chloe laughed shrilly as she picked up the Bulbasaur, who instantly relaxed into her grip.

"Look at us, we're just like the Warrior Trio, aren't we?" Lachlan said, beaming stupidly as he picked up his Squirtle. Alaska felt her skin crawl and shot him a look, wiping away his smile.

"I'm ready when you are – let's do this!" Chloe suddenly snapped.

"Is using a Bulbasaur against a Pidgey really a good idea?" Damian asked, eyebrows raised. Chloe's smirk waned and she stared thunderously at him, fists clenching around her Pokémon.

"We're both new trainers, type doesn't matter at this level," she retorted quickly, but began blushing and quickly turned to her end of the battlefield. "Hurry up, Acevedo!"

"Coming, coming," Alaska said, shaking her head and snapping out of her thoughts. She led Paige down to the opposite end, and the crew stepped forwards: a microphone appeared in the air, two cameramen positioned themselves around the field, and one of the producers stepped forwards to act as referee.

"This is just a test at the moment, so there will only be one take," the bristle-faced youth said. "The battle ends when one of the Pokémon is unable to battle. We just need a few seconds to check everything's working, so if you can prepare yourselves…"

"Are you ready, Bulbasaur? This will be fun!" Chloe told her new starter, placing him between her feet before looking wildly up at Alaska.

"Bulba Bulb!" Bulbasaur happily waddled forwards, his little green seed shaking with each step he did.

It'll be fun for someone, Alaska thought. "Alright Paige, ready?"

"Pidgey Pidge Pid!" Paige chirped as she took off, fluttering towards the rafters. Alaska smiled and she looked determinedly across at her opponent: she was finally here, finally having her first battle. And she was going to fight a starter, one of the Kanto starters… she couldn't stuff this up.

"Alright, we're ready," the producer yelled. "How about you two… nodding from both, I like it – alright then, go!"

"Tackle!" Chloe yelled, pointing overdramatically at Paige.

"Sand Attack," Alaska countered, putting all her focus on the two Pokémon. Bulbasaur kicked his legs and prepared to run, but Paige dove down before he knew what was happening: she looked like she would hit the ground, but swooped up at the last second, dragging her wing over the ground and flicking it towards her opponent.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur yelled as dust and dirt got in his eyes, instantly blinding him. Still crying, he ran forwards without any knowledge of where he was going, simply going for where Paige had been a moment ago. However, she had flown back up to the roof, and Bulbasaur pathetically ran into the wall.

"She isn't that hard to spot, use Tackle again!" Chloe wailed, and Alaska saw her eyes flicker between the cameras, clearly more focussed on her image than the battle at hand.

"You do know that Sand Attack lowers the accuracy of your Pokémon's moves, and Tackle already has a low accuracy?"

"Um… I know that – it's just…"

"Hit him with Gust!" Chloe fell silent at the interruption, and watched in horror as Paige frantically flapped her wings: the generated wind hit Bulbasaur square in the face, sending him hurtling backwards. As the boom operator struggled to control his microphone in the gust, the cameras captured as the Grass-type soared over the field. Chloe squealed and raised her arms, unable to stop the unavoidable, and Bulbasaur crashed into her, sending them both tumbling over. Lachlan let out a snort of laughter that echoed throughout the room, and Alaska's serious gaze faded at the sight of Chloe flailing on the field. She let out a single hoot, and soon was struggling to stand up straight

"B-b-b-but… this isn't over!" Chloe shrieked.

"Oh, I think it is!" Alaska said breathlessly. "Finish this Paige: QUICK ATTACK OF DOOM!" Paige stopped smirking and shot forwards at an alarming speed, white energy shooting from her wings as she soared down. Chloe screamed and practically threw Bulbasaur away in defence, and Paige hit him in his airborne underbelly. The smash as the Seed Pokémon hit the wall made Alaska cringe, but as his unmoving body fell to the floor, a strange, joyous sensation rose through her body.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle, meaning Alaska is our winner!" The producer yelled. Alaska paused for a second, taking those words in, and then she screamed and jumped into the air.

"We did it Paige, we won our first battle!" She shouted, pulling the Bird Pokémon in and hugging her tight. Her body was shaking with excitement; she could barely see straight; her mind was a mess. Alaska knew only one thing: she had won her first battle, and that could never be taken away from her.

But as her joy consumed her, a hammering sound began to echo. Alaska looked up and saw Amanda walking towards them, high heels rapping against the hard surface of the battlefield.

Looks like my ten minutes is up. "It was lovely to meet you all," she said quickly, waving to Damian and Lachlan and hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. The two looked amused and impressed, but weren't saying anything. "I suppose this is goodbye… for now," she added, winking at Amanda, and quickly skirted across the field. The producer paused, eye twitching, and Alaska rushed out of her grip. No one stopped her as she left, the cameras simply following her up the stairs as she fled from their lives.

Spoiler

Chapter Three: The Bird and the Seed

It only took ten minutes for the nurse to fully heal Paige and Darwin at the Pokemon Center, so Alaska was soon on her way towards the Trainers House. She’d never participated in a proper battle before, asides from the occasional battle with her younger brother Freddie. Her two older siblings, twins Edward and Emily, had moved to the Sevii Islands to attend a special boarding school and university, so Alaska hadn’t had the chance to know them properly, let alone get the chance to battle them.

But Alaska didn’t want to think about her family too much while she was out on her exciting new adventure, and the teenager put all thoughts of her family into the back of her head, and purposely turned away from looking at her small, sad house as she walked past.

The Trainer’s House towered above her, truly radiating the power it possessed. The two storey structure, with a large basement area underneath, had huge wooden walls mixed in with red-brown brick to support the structure, and a pleasant green roof glowed in the sunlight on top. Because of these colours, Alaska had always thought of the building as being like a tree, and smiled at that image as she slowly walked through the doors.

“Welcome to the Viridian Trainer House.” A woman in a purple skirt with matching jacket and hat stood at a reception desk by the door, a megawatt smile beaming down at Alaska as she stepped in.

“Oh, hey there, what’s going on?” Alaska asked, placing her bag down on the desk. The woman remained smiling, but she seemed to glare at the filthy bag on her nice polished desk. Alaska awkwardly removed it and the receptionist returned to her calmer composure.

“I’m sorry to say that our main battling area downstairs is closed,” the receptionist explained. “But our training area upstairs is still open.”

“I’m actually here to go downstairs, I’m….” Alaska took a deep breath to prevent herself from throwing up before continuing. “a friend of Chloe Carmichael.” The receptionist looked like stunned, but she quickly checked a list of her computer and nodded.

“Let me show you the way.” And she walked out from behind her desk, heading towards a staircase at the end of the large floor. Alaska walked behind her, examining the room as she went. There were lots of tables and chairs scattered around the place, all looking very flash. Two bookcases stood side by side on one wall next to a large white machine, while widescreen Pokemon-PC Computers were on the opposite end for people to do their appropriate research. No one else was on this floor, but shouts and cries could be heard coming down from upstairs, and the whole building shook temporarily.

“Don’t worry, we’re structurally sound.” The receptionist laughed, and Alaska forced a laughed, but rolled her eyes and gave the woman the finger as they headed down the stairs. There was some quiet chatter coming from down here, and Alaska had been expecting a lot more noise than this from a battling arena.

“Miss Anderson, Miss Anderson, I have a young lady here for your group.” The receptionist skipped down the last few stairs, and Alaska trotted after. The battling area was about twice the size of the ground floor, with about four different battling fields, several metal cabinets on the wall, and a refreshment stand for trainers, along with bleachers.

“This room is so cool!” Alaska murmured, finally getting off the stairs. She suddenly found three cameramen standing around her, with other reality show workers only a few feet away. Chloe, along with Damian and Lachlan, stood in the middle of the battle area, talking amongst themselves. A Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle were running around them, their laughter the loudest thing in the room. Alaska wanted to march over to them and challenge Chloe, but then a clipped voice filled the room.

“What do you mean another teenager, we didn’t order a fourth one!” Alaska turned around as the cameramen nervously stood aside. The stern looking woman Alaska had seen earlier marched forwards, glaring down at her. The woman’s jet black hair was done in a bun, showing off her long thing face and half-moon glasses. She was dressed like a secretary with a pencil skirt, white blouse and smart black shoes, a clipboard under her arm. She was looking down at Alaska like she was a piece of filth, ready to squash her like a bug. Alaska didn’t usually get scared, but the way the woman was looking at her sent a shiver down her spine.

“My name is Amanda, Amanda Anderson.” The woman said quickly, stuttering slightly on the S in her name. “And who exactly are you?”

“I’m Alaska, Alaska Acevedo.” Alaska replied, accidentally copying the woman’s stutter, earning her an even sterner glare. “I know Chloe and I’ve come to battle her.” Amanda looked down at Alaska, and then turned crossly at Chloe, who seemed to cower even though there weren’t even near each other.

“I see.” Amanda said, half sighing half snapping. “I am the producer of this television programme, and I do not like it when things do not go the way I arranged them.” Alaska felt like she was being scolded by some uptight nun as the producer stared evilly down at her, this little pest that was interrupting her television show. “I’ll give you five minutes to battle, but then I want you on your way, we have a segment to film here!” And then Amanda walked away, heading over towards the scared looking receptionist. Alaska simply shrugged and moved quickly over towards the three stars.

“You don’t want to piss this woman off.” Damian warned as Alaska arrived. “She already seems like she’s going to be a nasty cow.” Alaska simply shrugged and dropped her bag on the floor. Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander all came to a halt from their chasing game, looking up at Alaska in shock.

“So Chloe, which of these little darlings am I going to defeat?” Alaska asked with a wide grin. Chloe’s eyes narrowed as she glared at her enemy, and then bent down and picked up the Bulbasaur, who nuzzled his new trainer.

“This is my new Pokemon!” Chloe explained, giving Bulbasaur a hug. Charmander and Squirtle moved towards Damian and Lachlan

respectively, and the boys picked their starter Pokemon up as well.
“Is using a Bulbasaur against a Pidgey really a good idea?” Lachlan chuckled, and Chloe’s smiling face suddenly dropped, causing Alaska to burst out into laughter.

“It isn’t about type advantage, we are both new trainers!” Chloe mumbled, but Alaska’s knees began to go weak from laughing, and Damian and Lachlan smirked as well. Chloe growled and angrily marched over to a spot on the battle field. “Hurry up Acevedo!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Alaska said breathlessly through her laughter, and she managed to stumble on over to her position. Damian, Lachlan and their Pokemon positioned themselves to watch, and Amanda stopped yelling at the receptionist in order to watch the match.

“Come on Bulbasaur, this’ll be fun!” Chloe told her new starter, and put the green grass type at the floor between her feet.

“Bulba Bulb!” Bulbasaur said happily and waddled forwards, his little green seed shaking with each step he did.

“Not only will it be fun, it’ll also be quick.” Alaska added, making Chloe scowl, and then pulled her own PokeBall out. “Paige, let’s go!” The PokeBall spiralled through the air and burst open, the Pidgey forming and fluttering into the air.

“Pidgey Pidge Pid!” Paige chirped, looking between Alaska, Chloe and the Bulbasaur. But than she caught on and winked at Alaska, making her laugh.

“Begin with Tackle!” Chloe ordered, and she pointed overdramatically at Paige. Alaska and Paige simply exchanged looks and smirked at each other.

“Sand Attack.” Alaska commanded, and Paige dove down before Bulbasaur knew what to do: she whacked her wing against the ground, showering Bulbasaur in dirt and sand. It hit him in the eyes, instantly blinding him.

“Saur Saur!” He moaned, and ran forwards without any knowledge of where he was going. Chloe gasped as her Pokemon ran straight into the wall, and Alaska and Paige exchanged giggles.

“She isn’t that hard to spot, use Tackle again!” Chloe huffed, and Alaska rolled her eyes.

“You do know that Sand Attack lowers the accuracy of your Pokemon’s moves, and Tackle already has a low accuracy?” She explained, smiling at Paige and pleased that she had read that Beginner Trainer’s Pamphlet they had at the PokeMart. “I’ll just have to punish your silly judgement with Gust!” Chloe looked shocked as Paige flapped her wings frantically, the wind generated striking Bulbasaur and blasting him backwards, sending him hurtling through the air. Chloe squealed and raised her arms, and Bulbasaur bounced off them, making both Alaska and Lachlan roar with laughter.

“B-b-b-but….” Chloe stumbled, and Alaska puffed her chest proudly, Paige doing the same.

“QUICK ATTACK OF DOOM!” Alaska shouted and continued cracking up. Paige moved forwards at an alarming speed, flying into Bulbasaur and striking him. Chloe yelled again as Bulbasaur was sent soaring between her legs, only stopping when he smashed into the wall. Damian ran forwards with a stunned Charmander and looked at the Seed Pokemon.

“He’s fainted, looks like Alaska wins.” He announced. Alaska mimed a curtsey as Paige landed on her shoulder, bowing to the audience.

“I guess I’ll be out of your hair now then.” She said. Chloe was at a loss for words, frozen where she was standing, while Lachlan and his Squirtle were struggling not to laugh and Damian was gobsmacked yet impressed. Alaska waltzed proudly back to the stairs, passed the stunned camera crew, walking by the half smirking, half shocked receptionist, but paused at Amanda Anderson, who was looking outraged.

“Goodbye…. For now.” Alaska said with a wink, and Paige chirped loudly with laughter as they headed up the staircase, leaving half the people behind them looking like they’d been slapped.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Chapter Three

Thanks a lot I thought too many journey fics on here involve the starters, and I think that some of the other Pokemon deserve a chance to shine

Chapter Four: Leaving on a Grand Adventure

Her walk home was, for once, full of glee. Alaska couldn't help but skip down the road, the rush of her first win coursing through her body. The thud of Bulbasaur hitting the wall, the look on Chloe's face, the fact Paige had pulled that off so soon... it was too much to take in, but it only made Alaska hungry for more.

"Didn't that make you feel aliiiive Paige?" She yelled, spinning on the spot and resisting the urge to scream.

"Pidge Geeeeeee!" Paige replied as she soared up into the air and dived back down gracefully, managing to land perfectly on Alaska's shoulder. Alaska just laughed and began wandering through Viridian City in peace. Now that she had completed this battle, there was only one thing left to do: begin her journey.

It was only over the last few days that Alaska had realised how much she had wanted this. Her life and dreams had been on hold for five years now. With her father unemployed, her brother and sister taking off to the Arcethian Academy, Alaska had been forced to step up. She had fantasized about leaving, but it had never seemed likely.

As she headed back towards her house, Alaska suddenly felt very small. This would be the last time she would enter her house for weeks, months, possibly years. The last time she would be in her room, see her family, watch her shows, eat her mum's food… Alaska would have to fend for herself now, and she hoped she would be able to handle it.

As long as I have my Pokémon, I'll be fine. Alaska thought. Paige had been her oldest and only friend for many years, and she pulled out the PokeBall that now contained Darwin. If I keep these two with me, and whatever other Pokémon I catch, I will be fine.

Out of nowhere, a crooked white gate appeared before her. Alaska paused and stared into her backyard, taking the sunset-lit view in for the last time. She could remember all the colours of their old garden; the rich green grass, a rainbow of flowers everywhere you looked. Alaska couldn't remember the ground being flat though. It was always cracked and uneven in her mind now. Her mum had tried to keep the pot plants going, but eventually they had been left to shrivel and die. Alaska could see the grass was beginning to yellow in the summer heat.

Still, it looked better than the outside of the house. It was still upright, that was the one thing Alaska never took for granted – they may not qualify for funding, but they've always had a roof over their heads. Unfortunately, theirs leaked, the cracked tiles and twisted frames making a bad combination. Alaska's eyes gazed over the cracked windows, the peeling paint, the rotten weatherboards. The thing that hurt much about this view was how much it affected her parents. They had been so proud, she remembered that at least. How she wished they would be again some day…

"Come on then Paige," Alaska said quietly. "It's time to say our goodbyes."

"Pidgey Pidge." With her wing, Paige patted Alaska on the back. Alaska smiled, and she walked slowly into her house for the last time. It was dark inside, and Alaska paused beside an old family portrait, stepping cautiously on the creaking floorboards. Had the power been cut again, or had they just not bothered to open the curtains?

"Hello….?" No response. Clutching Darwin's PokeBall, Alaska crept further into the house, the only light coming from her father's television in the distance.

"SURPRISE!" The curtains were flung open, and Alaska was nearly blinded by the low sun. Two figures leapt out from behind the couch, clapping at her shock.

"Told you we'd get her!" A woman who looked identical to Alaska, with greyer hair and a wrinkled face, stepped forwards with her arms extended. "Come here, love."

"Should have known you'd do something like this," Alaska groaned, but accepted the hug from her mother Robin all the same. The stress of the two jobs, financial problems and having a house that was falling down had taken a toll on her once great beauty, but Robin always had a smile and refused to let anything get her down.

"I want a hug, I want a hug!" Freddie came running up to them and colliding with their hips, making both woman groan. Only nine, Alaska still felt like was too short, his head barely reaching over her hips. He had wild black hair, a cute little face with big blue eyes and wore the sort of mismatched clothing typical of all small children. Alaska had spent years caring for him, and as he was oblivious to the issues of the family, his clueless optimism always managed to cheer her up.

"I hope you haven't planned anything else," Alaska said after hugging her younger brother, looking at her mother with a serious gaze.

"Nothing big," Robin replied defensively, shrugging. "Don't look at me like that – we might not see you for months, we have to do something!" There was no messing with her when she wanted her way, and Alaska sighed and prepared for extravagancies.

"We made you brownies!" Freddie grabbed Alaska's hand and led her to the kitchen. The two had whiled away plenty of weekends baking together while Emily and Edward trained without them. Freddie had a habit of misreading recipes though when left to his own devices, and Alaska and Robin exchanged looks as the younger boy threw a tray onto the bench, the "brownies" inside. It looked as though Freddie had sprinkled ash over bricks, as the kitchen knife Robin tried to put through nearly snapped in half.

"It looks delicious!" Alaska began, putting on her fakest of smiles. "I wish I could have some now, but I'm really in a bit of a rush to get going." While Alaska had all the time in the world, she didn't know what else to stay to get out of eating the teeth-destroying brownies.

"Oh, ok." Freddie looked sadly down at his impossibly hard brownies. But then his face lit up and he grabbed a plastic bag from a cupboard. "You can just take the brownies with you!" Alaska's heart sank, and Paige had to land in order to laugh into her wings.

"Great idea Freddie, I can't wait to try them!" Alaska threw the bag with the brownies and a knife towards her backpack, nearly taking a huge chunk of her wall out.

"Must you go now? I was going to make you dinner – roast potatoes and deep fried karp, your favourite!" Alaska's stomach rumbled at the thought, her mouth salivating slightly.

"I'd love to, but I really want to get going. I have to start at some point." Freddie let out a loud sob, and Alaska quickly pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry, I'll be back eventually – I have to come home to fight Leaf, remember?" She explained, though the words filled her with disgust. Freddie nodded, but then let out a wail and ran off towards his room.

"I feel so guilty," Alaska moaned. Robin sighed and gave her daughter a tight hug.

"Don't be, it'll just hold you back," she whispered. "You deserve to go on a journey. You've been a great daughter these past few years, it's about time you got to be a teenager." She paused, and both women glanced at the cracked walls around them. Alaska could see her mother was on the verge of tears, but Robin caught her staring and wiped them away. "Don't you worry about us, we'll be fine!"

"If anything goes wrong, you have to –" but Robin cut her off, pointing firmly at the door. Alaska sighed and smiled, accepting the order. "See you later dad!" There was no response from William Acevedo, which probably meant he was asleep. Alaska was tempted to go and wake him, but what would she say to a man who never spoke, the father she barely knew anymore?

"Let me know if he gets any better, okay?" Robin nodded at this, her eyes welling up again. Alaska shoved the brownies into her bag and checked she had everything, doing it all in silence. They had said all they possibly could say now: if she hung around any longer, the tears would flow and never stop, and Alaska doubted she would find the strength to leave.

Paige was twittering madly on her shoulder, the sentimentality meaning nothing to her. Wanting to laugh, Alaska stood up and headed for the door. She caught Freddie peering out of his room and she waved vigorously before stepping out the front door.

"One last thing." Alaska paused and turned; her mother was standing in the doorway, her face suddenly serious. "Just… just be careful." Robin spoke to her daughter, but her eyes looked towards the town. Alaska knew what she was staring at: even from here, their bronzed heads were visible, particularly at dusk when the sunset hit their faces just right.

"Our journeys are going to be completely different mum. There haven't been any serious threats since Galactic."

"I know, I know, but still… it's a whole new world, isn't it?" Robin said, laughing slightly in her nerves. "I thought the War had been bad enough, but all that…"

"I'll be fine, please don't worry." Alaska threw her arms around her mother again just to silence her, but it felt nice to touch her again, one last moment of contact. Silently they broke apart, and both just smiled at the other. Alaska was the one to turn away first, and as she headed for the gate she had to block out the sound of sob, escaping a second before Robin closed the front door. It was painful to hear, but Alaska pushed the thought aside and looked to her left: Route 2 lay in the distance, a few minutes' walk away before she hit the town borders. Alaska was tempted to run head first towards the long grass and endless fields, but instead she turned right, walking solidly back to the town centre.

There was one last thing she had to do.

***
​

The idea for a statue had been borne out of the idea the town needed a symbol, something to rally around as inspiration as they found their identity once more. The natural place for it had been outside the gym: it was a sign they were reclaiming this facility, taking it back from the monster who had used their town as a shield for his own nefarious plans. It had been commissioned quickly, and its unveiling had signalled the start of construction.

A plaza had been built around it, with cafes, a small museum and plenty of lovely gardens to disguise the horrors that had transpired there. The gym had been rebuilt, a sleek black box with strips of neon lights all around the edges. Normally the area was crowded with tourists and trainers, but Alaska was pleased to find it was empty. She could do what she needed to do in peace.

Stepping up so she was less than a metre away, Alaska stared into the faces of the saviours. Edward Lowe, Leaf Oak, Blue Oak; their faces immortalised in their prime, steely eyes gazing down at the city they had saved. Their starter Pokémon loomed mighty as well: Venusaur low beside Blue, Blastoise crouching next to Leaf, while the almighty Charizard towered behind the already giant Red.

The statue was meant to be confined to the plaza, but it dominated the city, a bronze beast that looked down at them, a reminder that refused to go away.

A strong taste had risen up her throat. Fists clenched, Alaska looked down at the shining plaque directly at her eye level.

WARRIORS

"The monsters have only truly won​

when we no longer believe
that we can defeat them"​

- Edward 'Red' Lowe: Kanto Champion

This statue was paid for in part by the Indigo League​

with donations from the Carmichael family, the …​

Alaska stopped reading there. She felt sick to her stomach every time she saw this, this hideous, gloating hunk of metal. To this day, she still could not fathom that this was what Viridian had chosen as a memorial: not the people that had died, not the lives that had been destroyed, just three people who had brought this hell upon them in the first place.

You didn't save us. You're no heroes. Fists clenched, Alaska looked up at Red's bronze face. Her eyes flickered around, making sure no one was around, and when she knew she was alone, she spat. White saliva hit the plaque with a satisfying splash. Alaska watched it dribble down the metal, smiling.

Everyone wants to be like you, but your nothing but a fraud. One day, I will prove that to you in battle.

"Come on Paige, let's go change the world." The Pidgey chirped in agreement and took off, leading the way towards the boundary lines. With one last look of content, Alaska turned and walked through Viridian City one last time, ready to begin her journey.

Spoiler

Chapter Four: Leaving on a Grand Adventure

Alaska couldn’t help but feel smug as she walked out of the Trainer House: she had just defeated her greatest rival, and very easily at that. The image of Chloe’s horrified face was now firm in Alaska’s memory, and she laughed to herself as she imagined it over and over again.

“Didn’t that make you feel aliiiive Paige?” Alaska asked, calling up to her Pidgey. Paige nodded and spun around happily in mid-air, not even slightly tired from that battle. “I knew you’d be happy, and we did perfectly!”

“Pidge Geeeeeee!” Paige replied, and soared up into the air and dived back down gracefully, managing to land perfectly on Alaska’s shoulder. Alaska just laughed and began wandering through Viridian City in peace. Now that she had completed this battle, there was only one thing left to do: begin her journey. Alaska had been waiting for this moment for many years, but as she headed back towards her house, Alaska suddenly felt very small. This would be the last time she would enter her house for many weeks, months, possibly years. The last time she would be in her room, see her family, watch her shows, have her mum’s food, the last time she’d do tons of things! Alaska would have to fend for herself now, and she hoped she would be able to handle it.

As long as I have my Pokemon, I’ll be fine. Alaska thought to herself. Paige had been her oldest and only friend for many years, and she pulled out the PokeBall that now contained Darwin the Mankey. If I keep these two with me, and whatever other Pokemon I catch, I will be fine. Besides, they could provide food if I get hungry. And Alaska laughed inside her head at her own wit. Paige seemed to have read her mind and glared at Alaska, her beady eyes narrowed.

“Pidgey Pid Pidgeee!” The Pidgey huffed, and fluttered back into the sky in protest, but Alaska could only laugh.

“It’s a good thing you’re coming with me, I’m going to need some comic relief!” She shouted, and Paige turned around in mid air and gasped: she hated being referred to as “comic relief”, and Alaska laughed and sprinted down the road.

“PIDGE!” Paige shouted and chased after her, glowing as she performed a Quick Attack. Alaska was struggling to laugh and run at the same time, but she saw a familiar dilapidated fence up ahead and she jumped over it. Paige soared narrowly past her, her outstretched wings whacking Alaska’s feet as she fell onto an old, brown bush. Alaska lay tangled in the dying branches for a few moments, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Oh god Paige, where would I be without you!” She laughed, rolling backwards out of the bush. Paige merely shrugged as she fluttered over, stretching out her talons to help Alaska get back up. Once she was back on her feet and had brushed broken branches off her clothes, Alaska turned around and smiled: she had conveniently landed into her backyard. Their half broken fence that she had recognised enclosed their small one-storey house, with white paint flakes resting like snow on the yellow and brown grass. Cracked flower pots were fill of shrivelled up flowers, and there were several other bushes as well that were dead as well. It had been a hot couple of weeks, and the Acevedo’s didn’t have the time or money to keep their garden in order, unlike the rest of their street with glossy green grass and bright rainbows of vegetable patches and flower gardens.

The outside of the house was in as much disrepair as the inside. The front window of Freddie’s bedroom was cracked, just like all of the bricks around it. Parts of the plumbing had broken, and most of the paint on the front door had peeled off like the fence. Alaska felt depressed staring at her house for too long: sad that their family wasn’t as well off as other people, but Alaska knew that her mother hated having such a messy house and garden and that it was really taking a toll.

“Come on then Paige,” Alaska said, wiping away a tear. “It’s time to say our goodbyes.”

“Pidgey Pidge.” Paige said, and she patted Alaska on the back. Alaska smiled, but then she scurried on inside, opening up the door and heading, for the last time, inside her house. The house was dark, and Alaska slowed down, stepping cautiously on the creaking floorboards. Had the power been cut again, or had they just not bothered to open the curtains?

“Hello….?” Alaska whispered, and Paige landed nervously on her shoulder. They crept passed Alaska’s bags, walking slowly into the kitchen, the only light coming from her father’s television in the distance.

“SURPRISE!” Suddenly light flooded the room as the curtains were flung open, and two people appeared in front of them. One of them was Robin, Alaska’s mother, while the second was the small bundle of joy that was Freddie.

Robin looked a lot like Alaska, except her black hair had nearly gone completely grey and her face was very wrinkled. The stress of the two jobs, financial problems and being close to eviction had really taken a toll on her looks, but Robin always had a smile and wouldn’t let anything get her down.

Freddie on the other hand was at the opposite end of the youth scale. He was only nine and still rather short, his head barely reaching over Alaska’s hips. He had wild black hair, a cute little face with big blue mystical eyes and wore the usual mismatched clothing of small children. He was oblivious to the issues of the family, and always managed to cheer them up.

“Oh my god, you guys didn’t have to do anything for me!” Alaska wailed, but she ran forwards and hugged the pair of them.

“Of course we had to!” Robin said, jokingly hitting her daughter. “We might not see you for months!” And then she grabbed Paige, who had taken off in fright, and gave the Pidgey a hug too.

“We made you some brownies!” Freddie explained, the cute lisp he had making Alaska smile despite what he’d just said. Freddie liked baking after he had received a cooking game from their grandmother, and always insisted on baking things for special occasions. However, he always misread the recipe and managed to stuff up whatever he made. He either poured in salt or sugar instead of flour, kept eggshells in when he cracked the eggs, or turned the oven up to twice the required temperature. Alaska and Robin exchanged nervous looks as Freddie put a tray onto the bench, the “brownies” inside. But it simply looked as if Freddie had sprinkled ash over bricks, as the kitchen knife Robin tried to put through nearly snapped in half.

“It looks really nice Freddie,” Alaska began, putting on her fakest of smiles. “But I’m really in a bit of a rush to get going on my journey.” While Alaska had all the time in the world, she didn’t know what else to stay to get out of eating the teeth-crunching brownies.

“Oh, ok.” Freddie said sadly, clutching his impossibly hard brownies. But than his face lit up and he grabbed a plastic bag from a cupboard. “You can just take the brownies with you on your trip!” Alaska’s heart sank, and Paige had to land in order to laugh into her wings.

“Thanks Freddie, that makes me feel better.” Alaska replied, and she tossed the plastic bag with the deadly brownies towards her bag, nearly taking a huge chunk of her wall out.

“So, are you leaving now?” Freddie asked, tears forming in his huge eyes. Alaska quickly gave him a hug, not wanting the guilt of him crying to hold her back.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, and I’ll try and visit a few times.” Alaska explained, hugging him tightly. Freddie simply nodded, sniffing and sobbing loudly. He then pulled away from the hug, wiping his eyes, and rushed away to hide in the corridor.

“I feel so guilty.” Alaska moaned. Robin sighed and gave her daughter a tight hug.

“Don’t be, it’ll just hold you back.” Robin whispered. “You deserve to go on your journey, especially now of all times.” And she paused as they examined the mouldy, cracked walls and the holes in the carpet. “I want you to enjoy yourself, and I want you to make sure you do great things.” Alaska nodded, trying hard not to cry herself. Paige was flying in circles around them, tweeting insanely. Robin pulled out of the hug, trying hard not to cry.

“I guess this is me then.” Alaska whispered, and Paige tweeted excitedly at that. “Bye Dad!” William Acevedo didn’t reply verbally, but he did turn the television on and off twice, which they had taken to mean as goodbye. “If he moves, make sure you contact me.” Robin nodded, the tears now streaming down her face. Alaska wasn’t sure what else to say: over the past few weeks they had been building up to this, and during that time they had said all they could possibly say. Alaska didn’t want to start crying, and she just picked up her black bag and hoisted it onto her back, putting the brownie tin in just in case Freddie was watching.

“Pidge Pidgey Pidge Geeee!” Paige cried, and she managed to use her Gust to open the door. Alaska just laughed and took a step out, looking behind her as she did so. Freddie emerged from the shadows, standing alongside a tearful Robin as they watched Alaska leave. Both of them were waving, and Alaska smiled and waved back before leaving the house. She then walked quickly out of the property, heading onto the main street and off towards Route 2, pushing all thoughts of her family away as fewer houses began to pass them.

“Come on Paige,” Alaska shouted upwards to her trusted Pidgey. “It’s time this adventure got underway!”

“Pidge!” Paige agreed, and the two girls embarked down Route 2, leaving Viridian, their past lives and everything they knew behind, ready for their grand adventure.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Chapter Four

Blog Two: Route This

My family and I went on holiday once. My mother decided she wanted a break, and found some brochures to help us decide. The one pamphlet we all gushed over was the one for Quest Island in the Sevii's: it promised white sandy beaches, cloudless skies and cocktails by the pool – we were sold.

It took three days to get there. We had to taxi down to Pallet, catch the ferry, stop off at Cinnabar, got held up for a day, ferried to Knot Island, then took nearly another full day to get there. It was long, tiring, stressful; we needed a holiday more than ever, and were so pleased to finally get there.

And it rained. Endlessly.

The skies were grey the whole week we were there. The beaches turned brown and soggy. Tentacool got washed into the pool. My parents spent a few thousand dollars on that trip, and all we did was make use of the hotels minimal facilities.

Why am I telling you this? Well, in the weeks leading up to Registration Day, the league bombards you with ads: hip, cool kids with Charmanders fighting trainers on the side of the road; a pretty girl with a Squirtle locked in battle with Misty; the two eventually squaring off in explosion fuelled fights at the Pokémon League. They make it look as epic as possible to entice you into signing up. I am so pleased that I never brought into the hype, because after two days on the road, I'd be pretty disappointed if that was what my idea of travelling was.

Things have been fairly slow so far. Mostly I have just been getting used to living in a tent on the side of the road. It's a very different way of living compared to having a nice bed in a nice house, but it's growing on me – a bit.

Though I am not expecting any explosions or car chases like you see in those journey dramas on TV, I will admit I was perhaps expecting to have more luck so far. My two days so far have not quite hit the highs of my first day.

Firstly, I caught a new Pokémon. I'm very pleased to have a Mankey on my team alongside Paige. I decided to name him Darwin, cause, ya know, brains beat brawn and all that. I am still getting used to having a second Pokémon to train; he is more aggressive and eager to defeat opponents than Paige is. Hopefully the influence of a kick ass bitch like myself will keep him in line soon enough!

Secondly, I had my first battle, against none other than Chloe fricking Carmichael. She was filming her little show, and I dropped by to wish her well and – god, I can't even type that without cringing. What actually happened was that I got dragged along to the Trainer House by her co-stars (Damian and Lachlan – let's just say, I know which of them has a better chance of winning), and there I proceeded to kick her perfectly crafted behind.

You would think that a show about Pokémon trainers would cast someone who knew not to challenge an experienced Flying type with a Grass type you got five minutes before the battle, because that's what Carmichael did. We wiped the floor with her within minutes, it was glorious! You should have seen the look on their producers face – I'm pretty sure Red and Giovanni wouldn't have looked at each other as filthily as she did to me.

I walked out of the building feeling like I'd just sniffed something white and powdery behind the bike shed. But I'd only inhaled the sweet smell of victory: it may not be my official first step (that's reserved for Brock), but I couldn't help being pleased that I had defeated Chloe and proved my point so early in this game. The rest of Kanto should be a breeze!

Some things weren't so great. I ran into my high pitched, pasty little plague of a neighbour Mitchell. He's just left on his journey as well, and I kind of ditched him before he latched himself onto me like a disease (Don't worry, gentle readers: he won't read this. I don't think he knows how to turn lights on let alone a computer).

Then there was leaving home. It was quick but painful, liking ripping of a band aid. Except this was a band aid that had been attached to you for 13 years, a part of you for so long you don't know who you are without it (that actually happened to a girl at my school; let's just say it wasn't a pretty sight). It was emotional as I waved goodbye to my parents and little brother, but it is a necessary sacrifice, and they encouraged me to go. As I walked away, I had to wonder if I would ever see them again, if the pain would ever go away.

It did half an hour later, when the pain in my heart was replaced by the pain in my legs.

Consider this my first travel tip to any aspiring trainer: walking along a twisting, turning, sloping route isn't as fun as you may believe.

After two days, I'm shattered. I've been marching towards Pewter City, hunting through the tall grass for wild Pokémon to add to my team. I came close to catching a Rattata on multiple occasions, yet all I have to show for my efforts are blisters upon blisters and several cuts from some rather spiky hedges I passed. Most of them have just fled, or I've gone in too strong and knocked them out. I actually got so annoyed I simply yelled at one Rattata to get in the PokeBall. It instead peed on my tent and ran off.

My team building isn't going great, but I've at least been able to test Paige and Darwin. The three of us have had some impressive battles – well, as impressive as newbie trainer battles can be. They longest fight was probably two minutes, and I'm simply facing a bunch of little boys with Caterpie, shorts hitched up so high once can't help but wonder about the future of Kanto's population.

None of the battles have given me the same glorious feeling crushing Chloe did. I am so tired, my knees and back ache so much, but I am also itching to get back out there and keep fighting. As I prepare to venture into the tall and daunting Viridian Forest, I am keeping an eye out for a good battle. I may not be expecting fireworks quite so soon, but a girl needs a challenge. If I'm going to conquer Kanto, I need something a bit more substantial than a Weedle to battle.

Well, it's getting late and I need to go find some miracle cure for blisters on the internet. Farewell for now!

Alaska A.

Spoiler

Blog Two: Route This

Hello once again, fine readers.

It has been two days since I set off on my journey, and I must say, it was a pretty lolsy first day, if I say so myself.

First of: I caught a new Pokemon!! W00t W00t! It’s a Mankey, that little fluffy fighting Pokemon, and I decided to name him Darwin. Cause, ya know, brains beat brawn and all that. He has been rather helpful in aiding Paige in battle, but he does get a little violent when training…. Oh well, nothing like the influence of a kick ass bitch to bring him down to size!

I then had a little run in with some old neighbours. I feel like I’m on Desperate Housewives whenever I walk down my street: everyone is so weird and bitchy. Anyway, I ran into my high pitched, pasty little plague of a neighbour Mitchell (I don’t need to worry about him seeing this, I don’t think he knows how to turn lights on let alone a computer). He’s going to be stalking me during this journey…. Fun! *rolls eyes*

I also ran into that little tart Chloe Carmichael. She was filming for that reality show, and looked like a hippie had thrown up on her dress. I wanted to move on and get passed her and two cast members (some guys called Damian and Lachlan), however, I found the smug little creature challenging me to a battle. And who am I to refuse such a glorious opportunity to kick her Thighmaster-crafted behind?

We battled at the Viridian Trainer House. The receptionist’s smile nearly blinded me and it looked about as real as the breasts on a supermodel. Anyway, I managed to get a battle with Miss Priss, while her producer (who I swear must have a whole tree shoved where the sun don’t shine) watched on with the deadliest look I’ve ever soon.
Note to all readers: Never take on an experienced flying type with a grass type you got five minutes earlier -__-

As you can imagine, the battle lasted less than a minute. It didn’t take long for Paige to wipe the floor with her Bulbasaur, leaving every in the room looking like they’d been kicked in the stomach. I felt so pleased as I walked out of the building that I felt like I’d just sniffed some white and powdery behind the bike shed. But it was a natural high (this girlfriend only inhaled the sweet smell of victory) and I couldn’t help grinning and nearly dancing. I had defeated Chloe at her own game, and I highly doubted she’d want to rechallenge me any time soon

Than came the sad part: leaving home.

It quick but painful, liking riping of a bandaid…. A bandaid you’ve known for 13 years and has grown attached to you (that actually happened to a girl at our school…. Let’s just say it wasn’t a pretty sight.) I did feel sad as I waved goodbye to my mother and little brother, but it is a necessary sacrifice, as we all know. I wondered when I would see them again, wondered if the pain would ever go away….

It did after like half an hour, when the pain in my heart was replaced by the pain in my legs.

Let me tell you all this: walking along a twisting, turning, sloping route isn’t as fun as you may be led to believe.

My knees were close to buckling as I strutted through Route 2, blasting back other Pidgey and Rattata with help from Paige and Darwin. But as the clock ticked on and the sun got higher into the sky, my joy about going on my journey began to evaporate: I had blisters on my blisters, several cuts from some rather spiky hedges I passed, and got so annoyed I simply yelled at a Rattata to go away.
And the trainers… my god these people are irritating!

I’ve had about five battles with these n00by trainers, and they collectively probably lasted two minutes. They were all little boys, around eight to eleven, and they only brought out Rattata’s and Caterpie. Their tight shorts were hitched up so high that I couldn’t help wonder about the future of reproduction, and the boys who classified themselves as “Bug Catchers” had such huge nets sticking out of their camouflage bags that they must have been overcompensating for something….

After Paige and Darwin defeated their Pokemon in one or two moves each, they would turn and run away crying, and I didn’t feel guilty at all. I’m not a heartless bitch (most of the time), but if can’t complain if you have terrible Pokemon! I just hope that I could avoid some of these trainers as I venture into the tall and daunting Viridian Forest. I would take a Mew on if someone produced it: I just need a good battle!

Well, its getting late and I need to go find some miracle cure for blisters on the internet. Ciao for darlings.

Alaska A.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Blog Two

Im glad your enjoying it There won't be that much of backstory, though we will see some of a character introduced soon

Here we have the first Interlude

Interlude One: Darkness Rising

Sunsets were always best viewed from a high. In order to really experience the shift from day to night, one had to be amongst the clouds, watching the sky turned from blue to orange to black. It was an experience of true beauty, and tonight was no distance. The blueness of the sky was slowly sucked away by the setting sun, like ink poured down a sink. Warm yellows and rich pinks now radiated out from the horizon, heralding the end of the day and calling forth the darkness of night.

Buzz Bolton watched the sunset from the comfort of his office on the eighty seventh floor of the Silph Tower. He felt like a god right now, so high above the world, its people, its Pokémon, watching one of the purest events of nature unfold as though he had personally commissioned it. This is true power, he told himself.

Gazing out of floor to ceiling windows was just one of the reasons Buzz loved this office so much. Mainly, he enjoyed the sense of power it gave him. The windows helped with that, making the room seem larger, more impressive than it really was. Buzz had gone the minimalist route to maximise space, give off the air of power. The walls were decorated with only a few photographs and diplomas; all fake, but they added to his allure. Two leather couches, a Persian floor rug and a small flax plant were the only things aside from his desk and chair. When people came in here, Buzz wanted them to focus on him and him alone.

It was all part of a charade that had been long in the making. Everything about him was designed to exude power and strength. Even his name was fake; Buzz had adopted this moniker shortly before setting his plans in motion. It was more memorable than his birth name, and it helped people remember him, drawing the attention he had longed craved and desperately needed.

Style wise, Buzz gave off the air of class and wealth. He had gelled black hair that was cut by a professional stylist, wore immaculate suits that were tailor made specifically for him, and his buff bronzed skin had been expertly tanned at a nearby salon to look natural. He was average height so his fit body didn't come across as intimidating, but his electric blue eyes were commonly said to be the source of his producing powers: the media commonly joked about the fact they could hypnotize people to do his bidding.

If only they could; hypnotism would have made this all a lot easier. Buzz continued to stare out of the window, thinking about his path here, how he had gotten this view. It had been a long, tireless, carefully constructed process. He had made it though, and nothing was going to stop him now. One day soon enough, Buzz hoped to be as powerful and dangerous as the sun itself, and he smiled as he watched it sink deeper into the world that would soon be his.

His evening ritual was interrupted as his phone began ringing. His secretary, Annie, always went home at five, so his calls went straight to his phone. Buzz knew who it was though, and he pulled a universal remote out of his pocket and put the phone to loudspeaker.

"Sunsets are always a beautiful thing," Buzz called in his booming, movie announcer voice. "It is that one point of the day where everything is calm and peaceful, in between a hectic day and the bustling night. "

"Yes Buzz, I have heard it all before." Amanda Anderson voice sounded throughout the room, brisk and irritable as it so often was. "I didn't call to hear about the sun for the five hundredth time. Have you watched the footage yet?" Buzz chuckled quietly and stepped towards the rug. He pointed the remote at it, and the Persian skin rolled into a neat log, revealing rectangular box underneath. It mainly contained a large touch screen computer, which was now rising up on its hydraulic arm, but the several smaller objects inside briefly distracted Buzz: objects: several key cards, a rolled up blueprint, several handguns and stun grenades, CDs and a charred metal sign.

"I skimmed through it briefly; I haven't properly gone over it yet." Buzz tapped away at the computer until a video file came up. The lights went out automatically, and his view disappeared as the window was transformed into a movie screen. "I liked the first challenge, that obstacle course thing – we need to do more of them. Lachlan also seems better than we expected, try and get more interviews –."

"Not the stupid challenges," Amanda hissed. "I'm talking about the girl – Alaska, the one who battled Chloe."

"Oh, that. What about it?" Buzz scrolled through the files and until he found the right one. He had briefly looked over the battle when the footage had first arrived, but it had seemed irrelevant, unnecessary to what he was trying to construct. "Why did you even bother filming it? I'm not cluttering the show up with them battling randoms, that isn't going to bring in the ratings."

"If you have seen the footage, then I hoped you are as worried as I am."

"Worried? Why should I be worried?," Buzz scoffed as the video began playing on mute. "This girl is a rather talented battler; if she prettier, we could have had her on the show."

"What!?" Amanda snapped. "She is threatening our plans: she and Carmichael have some silly girly feud going on between them, and this battle would have made it worse. Chloe will most likely want to battle her again if their paths cross, and-"

"I seriously don't know what you are on about, darling. This is just first day jitters – I thought you were smarter than this." There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Buzz was always amused when Amanda got hysterical like this: try as she might to wear a brave face, he knew just how fragile she was underneath. And the thought just made him smile.

"Of course I'm worried." Amanda had clearly paused to control herself, perhaps sensing the scorn in his voice. "This is the same thing that happened last time. Giovanni underestimated those… children. If you want to succeed, you can't make the same mistakes he did."

Buzz had not expected her rant to end up here. Part of him felt like laughing, her suggestion completely ridiculous. Instead, he treaded carefully onwards. "Can you hear yourself? You're delusional! Do you really think this girl could be the next Red or Leaf? There's nothing to suggest anyone will get in our way."

"Look at what happened in the other regions. Rocket failed twice because of teenagers. The Magma Corporation is nothing now. And there were brats involved in Galactic, that's what all the stories say."

"There's your answer: make sure the girl doesn't get involved with the show," Buzz replied, beginning to sound rather irritated. "We need this plan to work, and having our lot embarrassed by some stranger isn't going to be good for our image."

"What do you want me to do if she does come across us somehow?" Amanda asked quietly, expecting Buzz to shout back at her. But the executive paused for a moment, pondering over what she had said.

"Just do you best to avoid and ignore her and don't let the cast get involved with her," Buzz replied thoughtfully and calmly. "But if she keeps getting in the way and she proves to be a real threat then… we can't fail here, Amanda, not after everything we've been through. If it looks like she is going to interfere with our plans, then you know what to do." He knew Amanda would have nodded at this, as the call suddenly went dead. Buzz continued to watch the battle for a few more minutes, replaying every order Alaska gave, watching the way her Pidgey responded. Alaska was doing this like it was natural, and seemed to be having laugh.

The part of him that felt like laughing had fallen silent. As the sun continued to set behind the pictures, magnificent shades of navy and purple spreading across the sky, Buzz watched the battle over and over again. Giovanni had never killed the children that brought him down. He had them turned into play things, pawns in his drawn out revenge, at the same time underestimating their skill until it was too late.

I won't let it come to that, Buzz thought finally, frowning as he watched Chloe's Bulbasaur get flipped over for the twentieth time. I've been planning this for too long. If this girl proves a nuisance in any way, she will have to die. A pity, but someone has to go first.

Buzz cut the video feed. His view returned, but by now the sun had set, now only a faint glow on the horizon. The producer continued to stare through the window though as darkness poured in, thinking about all he done and all he would do before his dreams were realised.

***​

It was closing time. The lights were always on at the Pokémon League, but outside, Steve Brookes could see the sky darkening. While the nurse stayed behind to tend to any Pokémon harmed in Victory Road, registrations closed at five p.m. Steve had been manning the desk all day, and he knew it was time for him to head on home.

Yet as the thought of leaving crossed his mind, a subconscious bubble of fear rose up in his stomach. It was a silly feeling, of course. Nothing bad had happened here for five years. However, every time he was here late, Steve couldn't help but remember the day that man had passed through here: dark orange suit, long, flapping trench coat, wide brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face, yet his eyes still shone out, dark, piercing and full of hate. His whole life had changed that day – hell, the whole damn world had. It was so long ago now, but whenever Steve was alone in this giant foyer, nothing to keep him company but the furniture and the beyond, he can't help going back to that dreadful night.

"Now's not the time for that, Steve," the old man told himself. He forced himself to focus on his screen, double checking the two dozen trainers whose details had been entered into the system that day. Making sure everything was in order was important than things that had happened in the past, and Steve worked for another ten minutes to make sure it was all in order.

"Your worrying about nothing, you silly old fool," Steve chuckled as he pulled his green sweater back on, watching the trainer profiles get sent off into the world. "All that stuff is over now." Steve turned his computer off, gathered up his things, waved goodbye to the security guard and nurse, and crossed the foyer humming to himself, doing his best to keep his spirits up as the world outside got blacker still.

Little did he know what he had just done.

Alarm bells were going off throughout the world. The computers of gym leaders, scientists, spies, elite four, socialites and champions were being taken over. Screens turned black, leaving only four words behind. A program had been activated, one that had been lying dormant for decades, lurking in the system, waiting for its purpose.

"What the hell is going on?"

Trevor Archer stood in the control room of the International Police. Hundreds of screens had all gone black. The five largest ones loomed above them all, its message shining red on the faces of all the spies and controllers below.

"Is this a cyber-attack?" Archer roared. "Does anyone know what the hell is going on here?"

"It's the Cynthia Code."

"The – wait, what? It doesn't even say Cynthia, it says –"

"It's a warning, taken from the utterings of a possessed little boy thirty years ago." Trevor turned to the source of the comments. His mentor stood in the shadows, the red letters the only thing illuminating his wizened face. "This is no cyber-attack, boy. It's a warning – peace time is over, everybody. Our next saviour has been found."

The program's namesake was the first of the Champions to notice. In her training room, watching her Eelektross and Lucario square off, Cynthia Carter saw her laptop light up black. Curious, she picked it up, and instantly felt her chest go cold.

My god, it's her… it's actually her. Cynthia collapsed into her seat, shaking. They had been searching for this name since 1985: it was the only one Viktor had told her they could actually track, the only one unique enough that the options were limited. Her Pokémon swarmed her as Cynthia clutched at her chest, the worst moment of her life rushing back to her.

The Fall of Kalos and the War on Three Sides, that sets everything off. It paves the way for Red and Leaf, Krystal and Alaska, Brendan, Bryan, Yasmin, Kieran…

May the gods look down upon you… Cynthia stared at the screen, tears forming, as a photo now joined the text, and she saw the figure the she had long prayed they would never find.

From her darkening porch, Krystal Soul looked up from her drink, eyes flickering from whiskey bottle to laptop. She normally ignored these warnings; her League usually covered it first, less she get too involved, less she damage their brand further. Yet something felt different, and as she stared at the screen, looking at the flashing name and wondering what it meant, voices began to whisper in her head. Kris put her glass down and quietly closed the lid, wondering, for the first time in four years, who the voices belonged to.

On the other side of the mountain, Edward Lowe sat quietly on his sofa, staring at the words, taking in her face. He knew there were no coincidences in life, not his anyway. The rumours, the whispers, the threats; the reality show begins the same down the Cynthia Code activates. Red sank back in his chair and sighed. He had no idea what would happen next: all he knew was that his death was now more certain than ever.

Throughout the five regions, the people who saw the four words became panicked, concerned, worried, curious, excited. Few knew what it meant; those that did wondered what happened next. Everyone knew that, after three years of peace, this simply wasn't good.

Only one person was celebrating. One person had been waiting years for a sign, a hint from the universe that it was time to return. After five years of hiding, five years of working, preparing, analysing, constructing; after five years, he finally had his clue.

Gideon stared at his computer, reading the four words that had just appeared, and he smiled.

Alaska has been found.



That's the end of the first arc of the story! Coming up next: Alaska ventures into Viridian Forest, where she fidns more than just bugs amongst the trees.

For any brand new readers, please note that the last few chapters have been edited for the first time in many years. You will notice more typos and such from this chapter onwards, but if you like the story so far, please bear with me as the grammar gets much better the further into the story you get.

Spoiler

Interlude One: Evil’s Brewing

Silph Co., Saffron City

The sun was setting over the region of Kanto, emitting a mixture of colours: warm yellows, light oranges, rich pinks and purples, all these colours being scattered across the skies. It was truly one of the most beautiful parts of the day, and many people were now turning their heads towards the horizon, watching as the sun disappeared for another day.

One of these men was Buzz Bolton.

Bolton was staring at the sunset from his floor-to-ceiling windows in his top floor apartment at Silph Co. Headquarters. The different coloured light cast different colours across the plain white walls, lighting up the number of photographs and diplomas that adorned them. Asides from two leather couches and a small flax plant that had been a gift from his mother, Buzz had failed to decorate his room well. He’d been meaning too, but when he wasn’t controlling the entire Silph Co. media empire, he always got lost staring into the fiery sun, remembering his purpose for being here.

Buzz was not his real name, though no one knew what it was. His parents had long since passed away not too soon after giving him the pot plant, and he had lost contact with his siblings, making it easier to assume his new persona. He had gelled black hair that was cut by a professional stylist, wore immaculate suits that were tailor made specifically for him, and his buff bronzed skin had was tanned not by the sun he spent so much time staring at, but by a local tanning salon only a few streets away. Buzz was average height so his fit body didn’t come across as intimidating, but his electric blue eyes were commonly said to be the source of his producing powers: the media commonly joked about the fact they could hypnotize people to do his bidding.

If only they actually could, Buzz thought as he recalled this common quote. Hypnotizing would make this all a lot easier. Buzz continued to stare out of the window, and eventually he stood up and walked across his beautiful velvet carpet, pausing on a rug made out of Persian skin that was in between the couches. He was captivated by the sun: what looked like such a small object was one of the most powerful, dangerous forces in their universe, one thing Buzz hoped to be some day.

His evening ritual was interrupted as his phone began ringing. His secretary, Annie, always went home at five’ o’clock, so his calls went straight to his phone. Buzz knew who it was though, and he pulled a universal remote out of his pocket and put the phone to loudspeaker.

“Sunsets are always a beautiful thing,” Buzz called in his booming, movie announcer voice. “It is that one point of the day where everything is calm and peaceful, in between a hectic day and the bustling night."

“Yes Mr Bolton, I have heard it all before.” Amanda Anderson’s voice replied briskly. “I didn’t call to hear about the sun for the five hundredth time, I wanted to know if you saw the footage.” Buzz simply chuckled to himself and stepped backwards. He pointed the remote at the rug, which rolled up into neatly with a loud clang, and revealed a rectangular box underneath. It mainly contained a large touch screen computer, which was now rising up on it’s hydraulic arm, but it also contained other objects: several key cards, a rolled up blueprint, several handguns and stun grenades, CDs and a charred metal sign.

“Of course I saw the footage, it is my job to watch what you film.” Buzz said with a smirk, but he quickly tapped away at the computer until a video file came up. The lights went out automatically, and the window was suddenly transformed into a movie screen. The amazing setting sun was replaced with a still image of Alaska, Paige, Chloe and her Bulbasaur.

“If you have seen the footage, than I hoped you are as worried as I am.” Amanda said.

“Worried? I’m not worried in the slightest,” Buzz said calmly as the video began playing on mute. “This Alaska girl is a rather talented battler, it’s a pity we didn’t get her on the show.”

“What!?” Amanda snapped. “She is threatening our plans: she and Miss Carmichael have some old girly feud between them, and this battle would have made it worse. Chloe will most likely want to battle her again if their paths cross, and-”

“There’s your answer: make sure the girl doesn’t get involved with the show.” Buzz replied, beginning to sound rather irritated. “We need this plan to work, and having our lot embarrassed by some stranger isn’t going to be a good image.”

“What do you want me to do if she does come across us somehow?” Amanda asked quietly, expecting Buzz to shout back at her. But the executive paused for a moment, pondering over what she had said.

“We can’t kill her yet, that would raise too many questions, especially if the cast finds out about it.” Buzz replied thoughtfully and calmly. “If we meet her again, just ignore her and move on. But if you keeps getting in the way, than you know what to do.” He knew Amanda would have nodded at this, and the call suddenly went dead. Buzz continued to watch the battle for a few more minutes, replaying every order Alaska gave, every move Paige did. Alaska was doing this like it was natural, and seemed to be having laugh.

“It’s a pity she may have to die.” Buzz said solemnly, and he cut the video feed. With his call to Amanda done with, Buzz stared at the sun one last time before walking out of his office and heading home.


Five Island

It had been six years since the dramatic explosion on Five Island, but it had been just five years since police had given up on the investigation. Arthur Reynolds had retired, and the Sevii Islands Police Department were no closer to solving who caused the explosion than when they stared, so the case left with the aged police officer. The area was cleared, the warehouse torn down and a new housing complex was built there instead. Now, in 2013, it was as if the explosion had never happened.

But one part of the warehouse had remained.

The Team Rocket Scientist Gideon was still inside his little bomb shelter. When he heard through the internet that the warehouse would be bulldozed, the scientist quickly covered his tile with a mound of earth, continuing to hide him inside. None of the new houses were built over his complex, though he believed some a garden was nearby based on the small children running overhead.

Gideon didn’t look like his 2007 self anymore. His had to cut his hair himself, and it had gone from smooth and gelled to prickly and greasy, resembling a toddler had cut it and washed it with tar. He covered in sweat, filth and ash, his clothes smelt like sewage and he was the same weight of an twelve year old boy instead of a nearly middle aged man. But the bomb shelter was the best place for him: it allowed him to hide from the police still hunting old Team Rocket members, it had a variety of scientific supplies he required and was the best possible workplace.

For seven years, Gideon had been working on Operation Lavender. Masses of papers covered everywhere, every row full of diagrams, numbers, calculations, hand drawn maps and long lists and explanations. He destroyed benches, a kettle, his cell phone and the spare metal bed in order to make a large evolution inducing machine, the strange black and purple disc attached to the very top in front of a light bulb. Gideon had forced his Magneton and Porygon2 to evolve, turning them into a Magnezone and Porygon-Z respectively. Now, Gideon was closer than ever to perfecting Giovanni’s master plans and combining them into one huge idea.

“All I need is to get the fossils and the Old Amber….” Gideon mumbled to himself as he ran over his different papers, grabbing different things and checking multiple lists. “Yes, and I need these chemicals…. and a more suitable metal… and I need to go to the source itself….” Gideon had slowly turned more and more mentally unstable over the years he’d spent trapped and alone. His master plan could be ready in only a number of weeks, possibly within a month if he was lucky. However, one key factor was only just dawning on him.

He needed to go outside.

“Go outside…. I never thought I would have too….” Gideon mumbled aloud, pausing for a second from his rummaging. “It makes sense, I don’t have everything here….” Gideon stared at the patch where the old tile had once been. He had put some metal wire there to cover up the fake patch of earth, and it was the only thing between him and the outside. He hadn’t felt the cool feel of the wind, the warmness that came from the sun or interacted with another human being for years.

“I must, it is the only way….” Gideon said, and he quickly grabbed a pair of sunglasses that he had been using to shield his eyes from bright lights during his experiments. He pulled three Rocket Balls out: ball PokeBalls with a red button in the middle and a red R on the top of the ball. He threw all of them, and three Pokemon formed out of the dark energy. One of them was Electrode, Gideon’s oldest surviving Pokemon. It use to be very hyperactive, but it learnt to behave itself and remained still, smiling up at its trainer.

The other Pokemon weren’t as normal.

Magnezone and Porygon-Z had turned… well, evil, following their forced evolutions. Magnezone was pure lack with a large red eye, resembling a squashed Rocket Ball, with dark yellow sparks shooting all across his murky body. Porygon-Z pink body had turned a dark, flowing purple, with his turquoise bits now a dark black. His eyes were also red, and papers began to rise into the air ominously around him. These two Pokemon were flowing with power, a single attack could be enough to kill a man. That was why they were Gideon’s greatest weapons.

“Ok, this is how we are going to do things,” Gideon explained, walking around them as he grabbed some of the more important papers. “Electrode and Porygon-Z will come with me to collect some supplies. Magnezone will stay here and produce electricity to keep this place going.” Magnezone nodded, and he moved silently over towards the machine holding the strange disc. He touched it with one of his magnets, and within seconds the lights were flickering and the television turned on and off. “Excellent! Now, let’s go!” Gideon didn’t care that it was a rather impulsive thing to do, as it was a necessary thing to do in his quest to take over Kanto. He raced over towards the hatch, Electrode rolling and Porygon-Z floating behind him. There were the distant shouts of children playing above them, and a sick smile came across Gideon’s face: it had been too long since he had last killed a human being, and he waiting to watch the pain and suffering commence.

“Electrode blast the hatch,” Gideon ordered, and then turned maliciously towards Porygon-Z. “Use Tri Attack as soon as we get out: kill anything that moves.” Porygon-Z nodded silently, and they watched as the hole was destroyed by a single Thunderbolt. There were the screams of the children, and than Porygon-Z floated silently up like a ninja, but he was twice as deadly….

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps- Interlude One

After a long time, we know have a new chapter Expect more of these out over March as the Viridian Forest Arc continues.

Chapter Five: Falling Through Autumn

Beautiful forest scenery couldn’t distract Alaska from how bloody bored she was.

It had been three days since her blog post, and Alaska had not had a single good battle since then. The newcomer trainer had left the dullness of Route 2 and had now ventured into Viridian Forest, the first real challenge for trainers from her neck of the woods.

Alaska did have to admit it was a purely gorgeous place to be in. Huge collections of tall, towering trees stretched high into the sky, packed so close together that their leaves blocked out the sky, casting a beauteous green glow over the leafy path. The trees were all different sizes with different sorts of leaves and branches, and Alaska was enjoying herself by examining each tree individually as she moved through. There were large fields of knee-tickling grass that made for a mini voyage in order to get throw, especially with the abundance of bug type Pokemon around.

“I swear, if I ever see another buggered bug Pokemon again, I’m going to scream!” Alaska had shrieked to Paige and Darwin the previous night. Every single grassy field contained a bug type Pokemon: either the green and cream Caterpie that insisted on tying Alaska’s legs together with String Shot, or the amber coloured Weedle that instead choose to jab its sharp white horn into her legs as she passed. If that wasn’t bad enough, there were only bug types to battle in battles as well: Alaska had defeated about a dozen Bug Catchers over the past three days, and had gone from getting a sadistic pleasure out of winning to wishing she could jab a tree branch through her eyeball. Alaska wasn’t a boastful, proud person, but she just wanted to lose at least one battle: she probably shouldn’t have started her journey with a flying Pokemon when she was in Bug Central.

So Alaska didn’t have high hopes for the day after she packed up her tent, which she had positioned next to a mossy green boulder. The tent was helping her get through the nights, as she had her laptop with her that allowed connect with the world outside of the trees. Apparently Indigo Dreams was getting very hyped up and thousands of people were excited for it. Alaska was irritated that the reality show was gaining so much popularity, though she was amused when several fan polls showed that people were more interested to see Damian than Chloe.

I’d like to see that smug tart try and cross me again after that battles of ours! Alaska had thought bitterly after reading the poll results. While she didn’t get a kick out of beating Youngsters, Alaska was looking forward to next time she got to cut Chloe down to size.

So after packing away her tent and other supplies, Alaska had no choice but to keep travelling through Viridian Forest: if she wanted to find better trainers and reach Pewter City, home of her first badge challenge, she would have to push on through the petty trainers. There were two choices for Alaska to go through today: one path led through a brisk, clear path to the right, whilst one with long, entangled grass stood to the left.

“What do you think we should do?” Alaska said to Darwin, who she was spending some time training. The Mankey examined the two paths quickly, and then let out a screech and dived straight into the grassy route.

“Really?” Alaska groaned, watching several hard shelled Kakuna that were adorning the nearby trees.

“Mankey Man!” The Fighting type called, scratching around the grass, hoping to find a good opponent. Alaska smirked and headed after her Pokemon, though she didn’t have high hopes for this area. Her feet were instantly disguised by the long grass, which was stretching far towards her knees. A small group of Caterpie and a lone Weedle skirted away as Alaska passed, and the new coming trainer was desperate to get close to Darwin. She hated being alone in grass: Pokemon could attack any person that came into their habitat, wheter they had a Pokemon on them or not, and Alaska didn’t want to find herself getting attacked.

“Darwin, slow down!” Alaska shouted, struggling to keep the weight of her bag and move through the grass at the same time. Darwin was slashing at the grass with his Fury Swipes, sending blades of grass flying into the sky. The Mankey was always looking for a fight, and Alaska had hopes that she could control the outrageous behavioural aspect of his. She was just about to tell him off when Darwin suddenly froze, his fists high in the air as if they were suspended there. Alaska came to a halt too, stunned by the sudden halt to his activities.

“Darwin, are you alright?” She asked nervously, taking a nervous step forwards. However, she didn’t notice the branch beneath her feet: her shoe landed on it, causing the entire thing to snap. The noise echoed everywhere, and Alaska gasped as Darwin turned dramatically towards her, eyes bulged out in shock.

“Pika?” A soft voice said, and suddenly a yellow figure rose up from the grass. Alaska had seen the Pokemon regularly on television, and was able to identify the long ears, the brown stripes on its back and a long, jagged tail: it was the Electric Mouse Pikachu, a very rare Pokemon in these parts of Kanto. It seemed Darwin had noticed it and had been waiting to strike, which Alaska had unfortunately failed.

“MAAAAN!” The Mankey shouted angrily, and the Pikachu looked startled. Darwin leapt forwards, his claws glowing and ready to slash down. But before he could get close, the Pikachu began to glow white as it shut its eyes in terror. A white-yellow blur suddenly sped off into the trees, and Darwin crashed onto the earthy floor in a heap. Alaska gasped again and rushed forwards, nearly tripping over a Metapod that was camouflaged by the grass.

“Darwin, are you alright?” Alaska asked, flopping down into the grass besides him. The Mankey nodded his fluffy head, a sad, defeated look on his face, one that Alaska knew she had probably pulled lately. Paige and Darwin both wanted better opponents to battle, neither of them satisfied with their battles either and equally desiring a good match.

“Don’t worry!” Alaska said in a cheery tone, giving Darwin a big hug. “We’re nearly out of here, and then we can have some good opponents!” Darwin nodded, and he wrapped a long arm around her. They were all getting a bit tired of Viridian Forest, and Alaska barely even noticed how much her desperation was softening her up. The two sat there for a little while, watching a flock of Pidgey flying through the tree tops above them. Some human voices sounded nearby, and Darwin’s head turned towards the noise excitedly. Alaska laughed and stood up, allowing Darwin to bounce around and begin climbing the next tree.

“Calm down!” She called, struggling not to laugh at how excited he was getting. “It’s not like a great battler is just going to appear out of nowhere like this!” Alaska joked.

However, she didn’t realise how wrong she was.

There was a sudden snapping noise above her, but Alaska barely paid any attention to it, thinking it was just a Pokemon. But than her interest was piked by a sudden loud screaming: Alaska looked up just as a figure burst through the leaves above her, arms flailing, hair wrapped around her face and coming straight for her.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Five

Thanks Winter And sorry for the delay! Hope you all enjoy this new part


Chapter Six: Sandy in the Forest

Alaska didn’t have any time to react: the screaming figure was coming straight for her, unable to control where she was going to land. Alaska only had a few seconds before impact, watching the wide eyed, feminine face coming flying towards her, along with shades of yellow and purple, and only one thought crossed her mind: Shit.

The figure smashed into Alaska, who tried to turn and flee. The trainer too let out a cry as she was sent flying face forwards, the grass soaring up to meet her, several Caterpie fleeing for their lives as she got closer. The weight of the girl was already causing Alaska great pain, and was glad she at least had her backpack on to soften the pain.

With a body shaking thud, Alaska smashed into the muddy ground. Her head whacked against the muddy floor, sending shooting pains right through her skull. The figure remained sprawled on Alaska’s back, forcing her to stay down on the ground, almost rubbing her head in the mud. Alaska let out a soft moan of pain, her back feeling like it had just shattered in two. She could barely feel her legs, and Alaska couldn’t help but wonder, like most people in this situation, if she would walk again.

This is soooo painful… definitely the most pain I’ve ever felt… Alaska thought, trying to push her hands into the ground to lift her up. There was a shift in the weight on her back, accompanied by grunts and moans, and than sudden silence… the sort of silence right before something bad happens…

“OOOOH MY GOOOOD!” Someone screamed loudly, sending Pidgey’s flying into the air.

Alright, make that second most painful. Alaska winced as she felt her eardrums scream in protest, the shrill cry seeming to echo inside. However, the weight on her back dramatically lessened, and Alaska let out a great ‘oomph’ of relief.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…” The voice continued to wail, and Alaska could hear the person running around on the spot, clearly frantic at the idea of possibly paralysing someone. Alaska wanted to get up and wring her neck to make her shut up, but was more focused on actually standing up first: now that the weight was off her back, she could feel her legs again. Alaska pushed her hands and arms hard on the ground, sending shooting pains through her body, and managed to lift her body up off the ground.

“Excellent!” Alaska said with joy, and did her best to ignore the pain that was stabbing her back like knives and tried to get firmly to her feet. As she struggled with what should be a simple process, Alaska noticed it was suddenly quiet: the person who had landed on her was no longer wailing, and seemed to have frozen like a creature sensing its hunter.

“I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!” The return of noise struck Alaska like a cannonball, and she had barely stood up straight before a pair of arms were wrapped around her, tightly squeezing on her already sore back. Alaska could feel her ribs being squeezed as well, and didn’t no anyone could hug so hard.

“It’s fine, I barely feel a thing.” Alaska hissed through gritted teeth, fairly disgusted at the amount of hugging that was going on. She flexed her arms, signalling to let go, and the girl let go and moved backwards, looking very timid and nervous. Alaska could now see that the yellow she had seen before had been the girl’s hair: it seemed to be a mixture of blonde and brunette, reminding Alaska of the beaches near Pallet Town.

“My name is Alexandra Samson, but everyone just calls me Sandy, cause of my hair.” The girl said quietly, crouched as if expecting to be hit or shouted at. Alaska thought this was odd, and began to examine the girl more closely. Sandy looked around Alaska’s age, and was roughly the same height and weight. Her skin looked almost pinkish, giving her a bubbly, young sort of look. Alaska also realised what the purple had been: Sandy was wearing a violent dress with silver white trimming, looking dazzling amongst the green and brown and almost as soft as silk. It flowed elegantly down to her feet, almost covering her purple and white trainers. A dark green satchel bag had fallen off when she fell, and Sandy was now cautiously picking it up. Whilst the dress was very pretty, Alaska was more interested in who this Sandy was, and why she had landed on her.

“I’m Alaska Acevedo, started my journey only a few days ago.” Alaska said, doing her best to try and stare down at someone who was the same height as you. Sandy looked petrified, her bright green eyes wide in shock. “May I ask why you were up in a tree?” Alaska asked, and began to walk around Sandy, almost as if interrogating her.

“I’m a new trainer as well: I only started my journey last week!” Sandy replied nervously, trying to force a smile upon her face. “I’m not use to being out on my own, and I let my Butterfree out to stretch her wings, not knowing what was in here. There was a strong gust of wind, and she disappeared up in those branches. I couldn’t bring her back into her PokeBall, so I decided to climb the tree to investigate.” Sandy finished explaining, and she smiled rather nervously.

“You climbed a tree… in that dress?” Alaska asked curiously. She stared up at the tree: the branches weren’t particularly sturdy either, definitely not able to hold up a human.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Sandy shrugged. “I didn’t expect the branches to be so… brittle, I guess. Oh well, it was a rather fun experience!”

“Not for me,” Alaska growled, and Sandy’s face went pinker as she blushed with embarrassment. The two stood in silence, not sure what to say to each other: Alaska would like to move on, yet she felt as if there was something being hidden from her. She was about to ask something else, when the sound of a twig snapping sounded around them. Sandy looked petrified, turning around as if expecting to see an axe murderer hiding behind the trees.

“Don’t worry, it’s probably just a Pokemon.” Alaska said, looking around for the source of the noise.

She didn’t expect the source to come flying at them.

A cream coloured blur leapt suddenly out of one of the trees, shooting towards them like a rocket. Sandy let out a scream, and Alaska realised the blur was heading straight towards her. Without thinking, Alaska leapt forwards in front of the almost stranger, ready to take the full brunt of whatever this was. She wasn’t sure why she was doing it, but it seemed like the right thing to do. And moving made her realise something: the blur was in fact a Mankey.

“Darwin!” Alaska gasped, and she stuck her arms out to block the Pokemon. Her Mankey smacked straight into her, causing her sore back and head even more pain as her entire body was shuddered. But Darwin didn’t stop there: practically ignoring his trainer, he tried to leap over towards Sandy, his claws glowing.

“MAN MAN MAN!” He screeched, and Sandy leapt backwards in fright.

“Darwin, what do you think your doing?” Alaska scolded, trying to grab the squirming Mankey and hold him still. Darwin ignored her, continuing to screech ‘MAN’ and try and get to Sandy. “Why are you so angry at her, what did she do to you?” Alaska snapped, and a wave of realisation came over her. “Are you angry at her because she landed on me?” Darwin paused for a moment and stared at Alaska, realising he had been caught out.

“Mankey Man Man.” He replied huffily, and glared angrily at Sandy over her shoulder.

“It’s alright, I’m not that annoyed with her.” Alaska chuckled, and Sandy let out an awkward laugh as she backed nervously away. Darwin relaxed now, but he still stared angrily at Sandy as Alaska put him down. She was feeling much better now: it seemed Sandy felt even more guilty now, and it had been good to see how much her Pokemon cared for her. Besides, Alaska wasn’t the sort of person to deny having her ego stroked.

“Why don’t you climb up here and look for Butterfree?” Alaska suggested. Darwin, who was still looking like he’d like to hit Sandy, nodded, and leapt towards the tree Sandy had just fallen from.

“Y-you really mean it?” Sandy appeared at Alaska’s side as Darwin disappeared through the leaves. “You’re not annoyed with me?” Alaska had only said that to please Darwin, not wanting him to attack the girl, but she shrugged and nodded.

“I guess so: I don’t feel sore anymore and I’m not the sort to hold grudges… well, I do hold plenty of grudges, but that’s besides the point! I don’t have a grudge with you.” Alaska finished with a nod, satisfied with the answer. Sandy froze for a second, letting the words wash over her, and suddenly let out a scream of delight.

“Oh my god, that’s so awesome of you!” She screeched, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Before Alaska could react, Sandy rushed forwards and hugged her once again. She was beaming brightly and her sad eyes were now wide and cheerful. Alaska felt another pang of pain in her back, and wanted nothing more than to push Sandy far away from her.

“I’m so glad you’re not upset: I can’t handle it when people are mad with me!” Sandy giggled excitedly, and leapt backwards in a dance-like motion. Alaska just smiled and nodded, struggling not to make some catty remark about how she’d much like to throw something at her.
Alaska was saved by a sudden, thunderous snapping sound: a huge tree branch from the tree Darwin had gone up was sent flying above their heads, and Sandy let out a scream and jumped into a hug with Alaska, avoiding the branch as it crashed into the ground behind her.

“What’s going on?” She wailed, as Alaska subtly moved her foot out from under Sandy’s.

“I think I have an idea…” Alaska mumbled grouchily, and her suspicions were confirmed moments later: Darwin appeared out of the green, his long arms wrapped tightly around something as he swirled around in mid-air. The mixed ball of blurred colours was heading fast towards the ground, causing Sandy to scream once more.

“Fr… Terrr….. Fr….” As Alaska whipped out Darwin’s PokeBall to bring him back, a grunt came from the direction of the Mankey, but Alaska knew it couldn’t be him: there was only one possible Pokemon, and knew this wouldn’t end well for Darwin.

“FREEEEE!” A burst of wind suddenly came from the blur, and Darwin was sent flying as the Gust sent leaves flying into the sky. Alaska shoved Sandy, who was screamed once again, out of the way and grabbed hold of Darwin as he came past, the force nearly sending her rolling backwards.

“MANKEY MAN MAN MAN!” Darwin wailed, flailing his limbs around as he tried to free himself. High above them, Sandy’s Butterfree glared down at Darwin as the sun reflected beautifully off her wings: Alaska temporarily forgot about her fidgeting Pokemon as she became lost in this truly beautiful sight, the shimmering silver-white light almost lighting up the area.

“Butterfreeeee Freeeee!” Butterfree called down in a dazzlingly sweet voice, but her huge pink, bug-like eyes were glaring down at Darwin, clearly not too happy with being attacked.

“I think you… need to… calm … down!” Alaska grunted, struggling to get control of Darwin long enough to bring him back: finally, after nearly two minutes, she was finally able to twist the PokeBall around and bring him back inside. She paused, panting from the effort to control him.

“He seems a bit… violent.” Sandy said nervously. Her Butterfree had floated down, and the two were still embraced in their hug. Alaska simply nodded, her mind racing: why had Darwin acted that way? Was he really that angry with Sandy he lashed out at her Pokemon? Or maybe, like Alaska, he was also getting bored of the forest… it Alaska want to get out of this green and brown prison even quicker, desperate to find some decent trainers.

“I’d better find a Pokemon Center, get him checked out.” Alaska said, and grabbed her black bag up from the ground, everything ready for her to head off.

“Oh, of course, I understand.” Sandy said, not able to keep the sadness out of her voice. Alaska had been ready to head off but paused, surprised to hear how upset she was. Her Butterfree looked rather upset as well, and Alaska figured they must have the same problem with finding good trainers.

“Well…” Alaska said through an irritated sigh: she knew she’d regret this delay later, but she felt rather bad about running off like this. “We could have a quick battle before you go, if you want…” Sandy’s emotions changed as if a switch had been flicked: her eyes and smile lit up again, and she and Butterfree exchanged big beams.

“That would be soooo perfect, I’ve been dying to find a good trainer for ages!” Sandy said quickly, and she and Butterfree moved further down the field they were in, jabbering delightedly away. Alaska simply smiled as she pulled Paige’s PokeBall out and put the bag down: having another battle wouldn’t be too bad, especially as Paige would now be up against a fully evolved Pokemon!

It would make the win that much greater.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Six

Chapter Seven: A Battle of Wits and Wings

A strong gust of wind had started over the past few minutes, but Alaska and Sandy hadn’t noticed it in the drama that had unfolded. But now it made their battle setting even more dramatic: the trees whistled and creaked ominously, whilst leaves, blades of grass and sticks went flying across the field they had created. The grass was rippling softly, but this battle was taking place in the air, and Alaska was ready for it. She could imagine dramatic music playing in the background, a sort of hard rock anthem her father use to listen to, turning their friendly battle into a violent, near deadly match.

“Ooooh, this wind is very dramatic, isn’t it?” Sandy said as she clutched at her dress, and Alaska scowled and grouchily rolled her yes.

“Well it was a moment ago! By pointing it out, you’ve killed it!” She sighed, and Sandy and Butterfree exchanged a rather sad look. “The moment’s ruined, let’s just get on with it! GO PAIGE!” Alaska shouted, and threw the PokeBall into the sky. Butterfree floated forwards as the red energy quickly formed together, and Alaska’s Pidgey appeared, instantly glaring towards her new opponent and ready to battle. Alaska felt a tinge of excitement as the tense scene reformed, the two flying types glaring across at each other: finally, a battle that could actually be a challenge!

“I’ll kick things off!” She shouted. “Quick Attack go!” Paige nodded, and suddenly shot forwards at an alarming speed. Sandy didn’t look worried though, simply watching as Paige sped forwards with beady eyes.

“PoisonPowder as soon as she hits you,” She called out, much calmer than Alaska. Alaska was rather surprised that she was still using her usual airy nature for battling: she had hoped to see a much tougher, stronger side to her now. Instead, the two watched as Paige smashed into Butterfree, who flapped her wings furiously to stop herself from flying backwards. The silvery white wings suddenly turned a rich purple, and with a single waving motion, purple particles were released.

“Pidge!” Paige squawked as the particles landed on her feathers before she could get away. Her entire body glowed purple, and she fell several feet through the air, recovering just in time to avoid colliding with the ground.

“Poisoning…” Alaska mumbled bitterly. “Clever move.” Sandy simply smiled back, and Paige angrily flew back into the air, flapping her wings furiously to show her anger. Alaska wanted to win even more now, and only had a few moves left to do so.

“Gust!” She shouted.

“Confusion,” Sandy called back. Paige flapped her wings vigorously, and the strong wind flowing through the forest was sent crashing directly into Butterfree, battering her with airborne leaves and sticks.

“Free Free!” Butterfree whimpered as she spiralled around, and fluttered her wings to hold herself in place. Than she stared fixatedly at Paige, her large eyes glowing an eerie pink. Alaska wondered what was going on when Paige was suddenly sent flying backwards, nearly crashing into her. As she halted herself and glowed the poisonous purple, Alaska noticed that was moving in a rather odd manner, cross eyed and grinning stupidly.

“Poisoned and confused,” Alaska growled at Sandy, though she couldn’t help but smile as well. “You sure know your statuses, don’t you?” And Sandy simply giggled and winked, and Butterfree did so too. Alaska was even more desperate to win now and triumph over these two setbacks.

“Sand Attack!” She cried.

“You use your Gust!” Sandy said. Paige dived towards the ground, a determined look in her eye, and Alaska thought for a second that she was conquering the confusion already. But Paige didn’t pull up from the dive: Alaska shut her eyes as her Pidgey smashed into the ground with a sickening thud. Butterfree smiled as she flapped her eyes, causing a strong burst of wind that rival that of Paige’s. Alaska watched as Paige was sent spiralling into the air, wailing loudly with displeasure at the treatment.

“QUICK ATTACK!” Alaska shouted, beginning to get worried about her fate, and smiled as Paige burst free of the gust and smashed straight into Butterfree’s head. The two went crashing towards the ground, and Sandy gasped in shock as Butterfree crash landed in the same spot Paige had.

“Gust again!” She wailed. Butterfree rose up, looking pained, and flapped her wings quickly, but Paige easily soared above the wind, smiling down at the Butterfly Pokemon.

“That’ll be Tangled Feet,” Alaska called out with a smile. “When confused, it’s much easier for Paige to evade attacks even if she may hurt herself sometimes!” Sandy was looking rather shocked now, and Alaska was glad to have the upper hand again. “Steel Wing, NOW!”

“Confusion!” Sandy said, and clutched her dark green satchel worriedly.

“Pidge Pidge!” Paige chirped, and flew forwards with a glowing silver wing. Butterfree continued to rise up, still looking pained, but she swerved as soon as Paige approached, leading to the Tiny Bird Pokemon to crash into a tree at the edge. Butterfree’s eyes glowed pink again, and Paige shot backwards, smashing into the ground.

“Butterfree’s Compoundeyes might just counteract Tangled Feet,” Sandy said, breathing deeply and looking rather faint. “This is really getting intense, isn’t it?” Alaska merely grunted back, and watched as Paige rose slowly from the grass: it was quite clear she was close to fainting, with bent wings and a flustered look to her wings. Despite Sandy’s apparent excitement about the thrilling match, Alaska knew it was coming close to ending. Butterfree was looking equally as sore, and both Pokemon were moving their wings with a lot less power and anger than they had before. The next move would decide the match, and Alaska could see Sandy had worked this out as well: it was time to end it.

“Gust!” Both girls exclaimed at the same time. Paige and Butterfree acted instantly and simultaneously: both gave a powerful flap of their wings, and two bursts of wind went hurtling towards each other. The effect was too be expected: the opposite forces collided, releasing a cold, windy shock wave that sent both Pokemon twisting around in a spiral. Alaska cried out as her red shirt and jeans fluttered, and Sandy had to clutch her dress frantically to stop it shooting up. It was impossible to tell who was going to win.

Than, with a single movement, it was over.

Alaska and Sandy watched as the wind suddenly faded, leaving things very still, very quiet and very dramatic. For a moment, Paige and Butterfree remained airborne, looking strange as they simply hovered there. Than the two Pokemon tipped backwards, hurtling back through the leaves and branches, falling dramatically towards them. Alaska couldn’t contain herself, and she rushed forwards, catching Paige before she hit the ground. There was an ‘oomph’ from besides her, and it was clear Sandy had saved Butterfree as well.

There was silence asides from heavy breathing for a moment. Alaska looked down and saw that Paige had fainted: she was squirming in a feeble manner, giving Alaska a rather grouchy look as if it was her fault Butterfree had used those moves, but still hadn’t fainted. Alaska was glad her best friend hadn’t been too badly injured, and she pulled a Potion and an Antidote out of her bag.

“MY GOSH that was exciting!” Sandy boomed from next to her, and Alaska shot her a look as she sprayed Paige with the healing liquids. Sandy was doing the same to Butterfree, and was wearing her same cheery smile. “That was SUCH an exciting battle, I can’t believe how much fun it was! I’m surprised my socks haven’t been blown off,” and she let out a loud, carrying laugh. Alaska was agitated about her irritating loudness, but did have to agree it had been her most exciting battle since she had started her journey.

“Thanks for that, I did enjoy it,” Alaska said once she had drained the two bottles: Paige fluttered up into the air, flexing her wings and fluttering around Butterfree, who remained more calm and sensible than her feathered rival.

“I really look forward to battling you again!” Sandy said, smiling and nodding. “And hopefully it won’t be a draw next time!” Alaska nodded, and put her arm out for Paige to land on, finally feeling like her battling needs were satisfied. However, Paige didn’t land. Confused, Alaska looked up and saw Paige was staring directly overhead, moving her wings slowly and with a glare in her eyes.

“Paige, what’s wrong?” Alaska asked, and turned her head slowly.

She felt like she’d been slapped.

Chloe Carmichael was standing directly behind her, today wearing a bright blue blouse and a denim skirt. She was wearing her usual smirk, the wind tossing her hair around and making her look very model like. Damian and Lachlan were standing behind her, staring at Alaska and Sandy but not with the same vigour and anger that Chloe had in her eyes.

“What do you want?” Alaska hissed, ignoring Sandy as she peered around her. Her blood was beginning to boil, and could feel her elation about the great battle seeping away as Chloe continued to stand there, her nasty little smile making Alaska want to scream.

“I still haven’t gotten over that loss,” Chloe replied, her voice fill with acid despite her smile, and pulled a PokeBall out of her pocket. “I hope your Raticate with wings hasn’t had too much of a hard time: I want my revenge, and I want it now!”

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight: Revenge is Best Served in a Double Course

Alaska rose an eyebrow, and a sceptical look appeared on her face as silence fell between them, broken only by the fluttering of Paige’s wings as she continued to hover overhead, ready to strike at the next opportunity. Alaska simply stared into her mortal enemies face, wondering what motivation she had for wanting a rematch: the last one was so quick and embarrassing that it was curious as too why she wanted to go down the same path again.

“So, are you going to battle me or not?” Chloe snapped, brandishing the PokeBall around. “You’re not scared, are you?” She added with a smirk.

“Me, scared?” Alaska scoffed and burst out laughing. “Don’t be so stupid… oh wait, then you’d have to die, wouldn’t you?” She finished in a slow voice, and Chloe’s eyes widened in shock at the jibe. Paige twittered next to Alaska’s head, finally landing as the two exchanged a wing-to-hand high five, and Chloe glared towards her until another laugh sounded behind her: Lachlan quickly stifled it, but not before Chloe shot him a threatening look. Alaska laughed, and was rather glad to see Chloe’s plan to best her was failing. As her nemesis looked back around, Damian glanced over at Alaska, who saw her laughing, and smiled and gave her a wink. Alaska was rather surprised about this, especially as she felt a sensation occur in her stomach that seemed to rush through her body.

“I have a new Pokemon now,” Chloe explained quickly, with the air of trying to cover up what had just happened. “and I’ve got more experience now through the show! I want Bulbasaur to take you on again, you and that weird thing you call a Pokemon, so he knows what a great Pokemon he is!”

“PIDGEY PIDGE!” Paige squawked angrily and soared off Alaska’s shoulder, diving straight towards Chloe’s chest. Alaska quickly grabbed and restrained her, though it was a rather difficult job as she got smacked in the face with an angry wing, having to spit the feathers out.

“Your Pidgey is very funny!” Alaska turned, and had literally forgotten Sandy was there: the blonde girl was chortling to herself, whilst Butterfree giggled into her miniscule hands along side.

“And who are you, exactly?” Chloe hissed rudely, still clutching her PokeBall as if she was about to throw it. Sandy stopped laughing, and Alaska thought for a moment she had been offended. However, she was left rather surprised as Sandy walked determinedly forwards, her happy face turning to a cross between a snarl and a pout.

“My name is Sandy, and I don’t like you,” She huffed, sounding as if she was talking to a disgusting little animal, but Chloe simply scoffed. Alaska smirked as she continued to restrain Paige, who was now pecking grumpily at her hands, and was rather impressed with how Sandy was staring Chloe down. “If you don’t want to battle her Alaska, I’d gladly take on this little madam!” Sandy added in a slightly vicious tone.

“EXCUSE ME!” Chloe bellowed, her jaw dropping comically as Alaska let go of Paige, doubling over and roaring with laughter. Paige didn’t attack Chloe though: she was laughing as well, and collapsed to the grassy ground as she emitted squawk-like chuckles. Behind them, Damian and Lachlan were failing to stifle their giggles, and Chloe let out an angry growl as she stared around at all those laughing at her.

“I’ll take you both on!” She shouted, and raised her PokeBall as if ti was a grenade, but Alaska ignored her, trying hard not to join Paige on the ground.

“Chloe, you can’t take two of them on!” Damian said as he stepped forwards, managing to keep his smirk under control.

“You’d get smashed,” Lachlan said rather bluntly, not doing as good of a job. “If you want to battle so badly, I’d gladly join you. That is,” He added, glancing at the other two girls, “if these two want to, of course.” Alaska stopped laughing and stood up straight, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. She looked at Paige, who was still chortling as she rose into the sky, and at Sandy, who was having a glaring contest with Chloe. Alaska did want to battle Chloe again: she had gone on this journey because of her and the reality show, and wasn’t going to back down from an opportunity to prove herself to them. A tag battle would make victory that much sweeter, double smiting the reality show.

“I’m game if you are,” Alaska said to Sandy as Butterfree joined Paige in floating in the sky. Sandy whipped her head around to nod at Alaska, and than turned back to continuing staring at Chloe, accidentally giving Alaska a mouthful of blonde hair. Damian and Lachlan smiled, but Chloe merely bared her pearly white teeth and hissed at them.

“Perfect, I’ll go see if the cameramen want to film this,” Damian said, and he turned and began walking off, and Alaska was temporarily distracted by the tight fitting jeans and the long sand-coloured hair…

“Pidge!” Paige squawked, whacking Alaska around the head.

“Ow!” Alaska grumbled. “Alright, sorry!” She said, and she and Sandy began to walk backwards, creating the battlefield. Alaska had an idea of how to battle, and gave Sandy a look to show she had a plan. Lachlan and Chloe didn’t look like they’d be putting their heads together: Lachlan struggled to extract his PokeBall from his pocket, and Chloe was simply staring viciously at them, and Alaska wondered if she hoped laser beams would shoot out and hit the pair.

“I don’t have time to wait for cameramen!” Chloe barked, and she threw her PokeBall to the ground: a burst of light later and her Bulbasaur had formed on the grassy plain, looking to the skies and glaring at Paige, who brandished a clenched wing back at him.

“What!” Sandy gasped, looking at Alaska with her more normal gobsmacked expression. “But we need to plan, I can’t just go running blindly into this battle!”

“I know,” Alaska sighed, shooting Chloe a quick glare. “We’ll have to just follow my lead and hope it pays off,” and Sandy nodded, looking rather grave.

“AH HA!” Lachlan exclaimed, having finally found his PokeBall, and he threw it to the ground. Bulbasaur glanced over as Squirtle formed, and Alaska noted that it actually looked a bit bigger than it had at the Trainer’s House: it had obviously grown more than Bulbasaur had.

“Time to wipe the floor with these fools!” Chloe shouted. “Tackle on Pidgey!”

“We’ll use Tackle on Butterfree then!” Lachlan called. Paige and Butterfree reacted instantly, swerving to become back-to-back as Bulbasaur and Squirtle soared past them, tackling right into the ground instead of hitting them, rolling through the grass and stopping a metre away from Alaska’s feet. Alaska was quick to look at the situation: Chloe and Lachlan weren’t working together properly, same the same moves but on different opponents. The two were weaker than Paige and Butterfree, one who had been training for several years and one was fully evolved. In order to win, Alaska would have to counter their strategy with proper teamwork.

“Use Gust!” Alaska cried. “You use it too!” She whispered to Sandy.

“Gust as well,” Sandy mimicked, “on...” She continued, but Alaska shook her head. Both flying types flapped their wings furiously, and their combined usage unleashed a powerful burst of wind: it struck Bulbasaur and Squirtle as they lay in a heap, causing the two to be blasted apart to opposite trees.

“You wanted to separate them, nice job!” Sandy said with a smile, and Alaska mockingly curtseyed as she smiled back: she knew what to do now, and would have won the match by the end of the next move.

“Now, you use a bug move on Bulbasaur, and just trust what I do next,” she explained, and Sandy nodded in agreement. Chloe looked furious, and Lachlan simply looked shocked at the swift separation. Alaska smirked: if they thought that shocking, they hadn’t seen anything yet.”

“Bug Bite on Bulbasaur!” Sandy called.

“Use Gust on Butterfree!” Alaska shouted, and Sandy gasped, looking thunderstruck. “I told you, trust me!” Alaska reassured, hoping herself her plan worked, and Sandy nodded nervously.

“Turning on your teammates?” Chloe laughed, now looking livid with excitement. “Well, I don’t think that strategy is going to work very well: Vine Whip on Butterfree!”

“Errr…” Lachlan mumbled, thrown off by Alaska’s strategy. “Bubble on Pidgey!” Alaska simply smiled, knowing they’d be too late. Butterfree was already moving, diving towards Bulbasaur with her mouth glowing lime green.

“Pidgey Pidgey Pidge!” Paige exclaimed and flapped her wings quickly: the wind struck Butterfree, and her eyes bulged as she suddenly sped up due to the strong burst striking her wings. Sandy and Chloe gasped as Butterfree rocketed towards Bulbasaur before he could even get his vine fully out.

“Freeee!” She yelled, and smashed into his head due to the force of the Gust. The strong wind was enough to lift the two up, and as the loose Vine Whip came around Butterfree chomped down onto it.

“BULB!” Bulbasaur yelled as Butterfree spun and tossed him towards a tree. Chloe watched as Bulbasaur smacked into the trunk and landed unconscious at the bottom, his vine lying pathetically alongside. Alaska’s face lit up with delight, and Sandy clutched her chest, breathing a sigh of relief: they were so happy they didn’t notice Squirtle firing a series of Bubbles at Paige, who merely glared down at the blue turtle.

“That was a brilliant strategy!” Sandy squealed.

“Of course it was,” Alaska said with a smile, and looked towards their opponents, eagerly awaiting their shock and horror: Chloe’s jaw had dropped to nearly below her neck, not bothering to bring Bulbasaur back, simply staring at him with a look liked she just been punched.

“Squirtle… um… use….” Lachlan was thrown off by his team-mates defeat, and his cheeky attitude had failed him as he tried to think of a counter attack. “Water Pulse!” He said at last, clearly trying to use the most powerful move Squirtle could use.

“Water Pulse, interesting…” Alaska murmured: she hadn’t expected Squirtle to know a move like this, though she figured the reality stars got Technical Machines as prizes for whatever they did when she wasn’t defeating them.

“SQUIRT!” Squirtle bellowed as loudly as he could, and a ball of water that had formed in his mouth seemingly shattered, the cry releasing shock waves of water that soared into the sky, with no clear target in sight.

“Butterfree needs to destroy the pulse somehow,” Alaska explained. Sandy nodded, determined as Alaska was to end this battle now.

“Confusion on the Water Pulse, sent it back to Squirtle!” She shouted, and Alaska beamed in approval at this strategy, leaving things open for her to end it.

“Paige, use Steel Wing as soon as the Water Pulse hits him!” She ordered.

“Freee!” Butterfree cried, her eyes flashing pink. The pulses instantly dispelled, turning from circular rings into large droplets that went careering back to Squirtle. As soon as they struck, covering him in water, Paige’s wings glowed a shining silver and shot towards Squirtle, Lachlan’s jaw dropping in shock.

“PIDGE!” Paige yelled as she smashed into the water starters stomach.

“SQUIRTLE!” He wailed in pain and spun through the air, smacking into a tree opposite from Bulbasaur and landing unconscious on the forest floor: the battle was over.

“YES!” Alaska shouted, leaping up in joy. Sandy let out a squeal of delight and wrapped her arms around Alaska, who didn’t bother to shake her off: once again she had defeated Chloe, bringing the reality stars down to size, and her elation was unstoppable.

“That was brilliant!” Sandy said excitedly, letting go and hugging Butterfree instead, dancing around, and Alaska wondered how many battles her partner had won. But the thought left her as Paige fluttered down, smiling widely and happily.

“You were amazing, that last Steel Wing was perfect!” Alaska praised.

“Pidgey Pidge!” Paige called back, and Alaska smiled warmly. The four of them glanced towards their opponents, hoping for good reactions: Lachlan sighed as he brought Squirtle back, but Chloe looked furious, glaring between her PokeBall containing the unconscious Bulbasaur and Alaska and Sandy, who exchanged beams.

“This isn’t over!” Chloe hissed, clutching the ball like a grenade.

“Really,” Alaska said curiously, “because the Pokemon aren’t fighting anymore: that usually means the battle’s finished: Chloe made a growling sound as Sandy laughed and made to lunge forwards, but Lachlan grabbed her arm.

“I feel so good right now, I can’t help it!” Sandy giggled quietly and Alaska laughed.

“Don’t worry about it: joy is a wondrous feeling, especially after bringing a bitch down to size!” Alaska laughed loudly, and Chloe let out an angry scream as Paige and Butterfree laughed. Alaska didn’t care as Chloe charged forwards: she had won against two of the reality stars, and her elation couldn’t be stopped. But as Chloe got near her, a furious look on her face and a hand raised, a yell suddenly echoed around them. All six of them froze, looking around for the source of the noise: it had been loud and full of fear, and they could clearly tell it had been a male.

“Damian!” Lachlan gasped, and Alaska’s happiness quickly faded: she was not close to either Damian or Lachlan, having only met them twice, but the fear-stricken yell was worrying in this enclosed environment, and Alaska didn’t want to think what would have caused him to cry out like that.

“Butterfree, use your Compoundeyes to try and find him!” Sandy cried out, clearly as worried about the source of the noise as Alaska was. Butterfree nodded, and her eyes glowed slightly as she revolved in mid air, staring around in the direction the noise had come from. Everyone was watching her now, even Chloe, who had forgotten all about being angry in the sudden fear that they were in.

“Free Free!” Butterfree exclaimed after nearly two minutes, and she suddenly shot forwards through the trees. The four humans and Paige rushed after, sending Caterpie and Weedle fleeing as they raced after the Butterfly Pokemon. Alaska hadn’t ventured off the path during her past few days in the forest: the trees were actually very close together, with thick trees combined with large roots and multiple bushes making running all the more difficult. They eventually had to run in a single file, with Paige overtaking them to follow after Butterfree.

“Why would Damian have come in this far?” Chloe sobbed. Alaska didn’t want to answer, and focused on getting between two thick oaks, coming out into a large clearing. It was perfectly circular, as if an artist had planted the trees to make the even round shape. There were no trees in the middle, but their branches and leaves extended so far that only a tiny beam of light shone in the middle. The other three got through the oaks, and they all stared around curiously: there was no sign of Damian here.

“Free Butterfree!” Butterfree called from above, and was pointing downwards with her wing: a small black bag was lying right next to a large dark space in the ground. Alaska took a nervous step forwards and glanced into the space: it was a giant hole, the first few feet being illuminated by the little sunlight, before descending deep into the earth. Long vines were growing up the sides, and a combination of clicking and buzzing was sounding from below.

“It’s Damian’s bag!” Chloe yelled, picking it up and looking shocked. Alaska and Sandy exchanged horrified looks, agreeing on the only possible option for what had happened to Damian.

“And look there!” Lachlan spluttered, his eyes wide with shock. Everyone turned, looking away from the bag and the hole and instead to something white lying in the grass a few feet away. Alaska was closest and picked it up: a white shoe, not big enough to fit Damian, but despite some specks of mud it clearly had only been here recently.

“Someone else could be down there…” Alaska mumbled, and she lifted up the shoes tongue, wondering if there was some identification. A name was indeed on there, but a shiver went down Alaska’s spine as she read it, dark thoughts rushing through her mind about what could be there, and what was happening to the person whose name was written neatly across the shoe.

Mitchell Melton.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Eight

Hey, I hope you all enjoy this latest part They are still in Viridian Forest, but don't worry, this arc will be over at the end of the next chapter.

Chapter Nine: That Buzzing Feeling

A feeling of cold emptiness began to spread through Alaska as she examined the white shoe in her hands. Mitchell was down the hole, Mitchell was possibly injured, or kidnapped, or dead. Yes, Alaska hadn’t liked him very much, and quite a few times when he had been ruining her nights she had considered stringing up to the roof and beating him like a piñata, but she couldn’t do that to him if he was dead… it would be less fun without him squealing in pain.

“I have a frien – acquaint – I know this nice little – oh, I just know this guy!” Alaska said, holding up the shoe as she failed to find words to describe her relationship with Mitchell. “It seems that both he and Damian have gone down this hole, possibly together, and we need to get them out of there, now!” As she spoke, Alaska glanced into the hole: it seemed to stretch on for about a kilometre or two, with no sign of where the bottom lay. “What have you got me into this time Mitchell…”

“I don’t give a Rattata’s ass about getting your friend out!” Chloe squawked hysterically, and snatched the shoe from her hand. “Mitchell Melton? MITCHELL BLOODY MELTON! He’s a little prick, why the hell do you want to save him!” She shrieked and threw the shoe away. Paige soared over and grabbed it, glared angrily at Chloe and then spun, sending it flying back towards her. She screeched and leapt backwards, whacking Lachlan in the nose as she did so.

“Mitchell may be annoying, but I’ve known him a hell of a lot longer that Damian, alright?” Alaska snapped. “If we’re going to save a friend of yours, I don’t see any issue with saving a … person of mine as well!” The two teenagers glared angrily at each other, and Alaska was trying hard not to slap her across the face. She had been pissed off, angry, annoyed, sometimes even furiously envious of Chloe before, but Alaska had never been this mad at how selfish and arrogant she was until now. As they stood there with sliceable tension between them, a timid cough sounded to the side.

“It’s all very nice and well that you want to save these two boys,” Sandy said quietly, twirling her hair through her fingers, “but how do you plan to save them?” Alaska’s wanted to keep glaring at Chloe, imagining her falling down the hole and getting trapped, but she knew that Sandy had a fair point: there was no point arguing when they had no idea what they were going to do.

“I’ll try calling out to them and see if we get any response!” Lachlan suggested, and stood over the hole. “OI, DAMIAN! YOU DOWN THERE?” He shouted. Everyone bent over the hole to listen, but the strange clicking and buzzing only seemed to get louder. “They could be unconscious,” Lachlan said miserably.

“Or dead!” Chloe squealed, and Alaska couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Don’t be so melodramatic and jump to the worst conclusion!” She snapped. “What we need to do is to go down into the hole and see if we can find the two of them and work out how to get them back up.”

“Wonderful plan Alaska, but as your friend pointed out,” Chloe hissed, glaring over at Sandy who looked rather affronted, “how the hell are we going to get down there?” Again, Alaska was left without an answer, but Sandy suddenly stepped forwards. She was given Chloe the same nasty look she had given her earlier, and Lachlan stifled a smirk at Chloe’s stunned look. The blonde haired girl walked up to the edge of the hole, Butterfree flying softly behind her, and grabbed something: a think green vine, one of many that was dangling down.

“If madam doesn’t mind getting her hands a bit dirty,” Sandy said in such an acidic tone that Alaska and Paige couldn’t help but exchange smirks, “we could quite easily climb down these vines.” Alaska and Lachlan examined several others, and saw that there were indeed very thick and seemed to be coming out of the earth, so they should support their weights.

“Alright then team,” Alaska boomed, and Chloe shot her an unnecessarily angry look, “we’ll each take one vine and begin to descend. If something bad happens, just cross your fingers and hope you land on the last person whose vine snapped.” Chloe’s eyes bulged, and Alaska winked at Paige in pleasure before dropping her legs into the hole. It definitely was very dark down there, and Alaska hoped that they would be able to come to a safe landing in the unknown bottom they couldn’t see.

“Race you to the bottom!” Lachlan called, and Alaska was surprised to see he already had both arms and legs wrapped around a vine and was shimmying his way down the natural rope. Sandy let out a hysterical giggle and began to descend her vine as well, Butterfree following above her.

“Come on Paige, we’d better get a move on!” Alaska called, and her Pidgey twittered excitedly, swooping down and nearly whacking Chloe on the head. Alaska smirked as she swung around, quickly wrapping her arms and legs around her vine. It felt both tough and flexible at the same time, and Alaska was temporarily put off the idea of climbing down a piece of nature into a large black hole. Sandy and Lachlan were already moving rather rapidly down, and clearly their vines were able to support them up.

“You’d better catch me,” Alaska warned Paige, and began to move down.

“Pidgey Pidge,” Paige said with an eyeroll, and Alaska gave her a joking glare. The vine felt weird to touch, but Alaska was able to grip onto it firmly, and was beginning to slowly descend down into the hole. The only main issue was that she kept whacking into the wall, tearing a hole in her jean legs.

“What is wrong with this thing?” Alaska grumbled as she was continuously whacked into the earthy wall. She looked up and felt her blood boil once more, the answer right above her head: Chloe was on her vine, descending down like a rock climber pushing off from the wall. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” Alaska shouted up, and Chloe glared down at her, though her features were undistinguishable due to the dimming light.

“I don’t want to climb down vines, these things are unstable and I don’t have a harness!” Chloe shouted back. “If it breaks and snaps, I will feel comfortable enough knowing I’m landing on you!”

“Go on your own vine you stupid bitch!” Alaska hissed, and Paige twittered angrily. Chloe simply ignored her and continued to descend, and Alaska wanted to climb back up and throw her off. Instead, she did the only thing that came into her mind: she grabbed the vine and began to swing it. Chloe screamed as she swung violently through the air.

“STOP IT!” She wailed, still trying to descend as she swung.

“Than get off my vine then!” Alaska shouted back. Chloe just continued to scream, and Alaska swung it again. The whole vine was shaking now, and dirt was beginning to sprinkle down onto Alaska’s face. She brushed it off, but felt a slight rumbling in the earth as she swung the vine again.

“Uh oh…” Alaska mumbled. There was a loud snap that echoed inside the hole, and Alaska’s body lurched as she suddenly tipped backwards into the darkness. Chloe screamed, Paige cried out, and Alaska couldn’t help but yell as she fell rapidly down the hole. She was moving around instead of going in a straight line, and a fourth screaming voice was getting closer. Alaska simply shut her eyes and braced for impact as she smashed into Sandy, and heard another yell signalling that Lachlan had joined the falling bodies. All four of them were falling and screaming, and Alaska felt for Sandy’s hand: if she was going to die, she wanted to die besides the only friendly person in this hole.

CRUNCH

With a body shuddering thud, the four of them all landed onto something that was reasonably soft, but the long fall and impact made it feel a lot harder. Alaska groaned, and for the second time that day she felt someone on top of her. There were other grunts and moans from around her, and Alaska opened her eyes to find she wasn’t in complete darkness, but it was indeed very dim.

“Is everyone alright?” Sandy asked from nearby, and Alaska could feel their hands were still interlocked and she smiled, reassured by some companionship. Everyone mumbled they were fine, though Chloe and Lachlan sounded very sour.

“So, climbing down vines… not the best plan,” Alaska said jokingly, and Sandy sighed.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she replied, and Chloe scoffed a few feet away.

“Well next time, don’t suggest anything until it is a great plan, alright?” The blonde hissed. “But I think Alaska has some of the blame here, as she caused us all to fall down here, didn’t she?!”

“You shouldn’t have gotten on my vine then!” Alaska shouted back, getting to her feet. It seemed they had landed on more vines, judging by what she was standing on, and could see an outline of Chloe’s features in the little light they had. “Don’t start anything Chloe, we’re down here for a reason.”

“Oh, walking away from a disagreement, real brave!” Chloe hissed. Alaska turned angrily towards her, a fast raised in her fury and was ready to strike, willing to fight Chloe like she had been dying too for so long. But just as Alaska began to swing, Lachlan suddenly cried out, and all heads turned. Alaska wanted to know why she was being interrupted, but her anger was suddenly replaced with fear that crawled through her entire body in a second. The strange buzzing sound they heard from above was now obvious, and their fate, as well as Damian and Mitchell’s, was uncertain.

A group of Beedrill were right there.

‘Group’ seemed like an understatement. There was about one hundred Beedrill standing before them, their white stingers raised like swords. Chloe and Sandy both let out frightened whimpers, and Alaska couldn’t help but feel dread and unease creep through her body as the Beedrill began to march forwards. The light in the cave was getting brighter, illuminating not only all hundred of the angry Beedrill, but dozens and dozens of Weedle crawling across the walls, and a large number of Kakuna settled into the wall like very strange ornaments. The light revealed holes like bunkers set into the walls, some leading to a network of tunnels, others simple nesting places that Weedle were gathering in.

“Beedrill Bee! Beedrill Bee!” The Beedrill all buzzed angrily, and began to walk forwards, the front two rows with their stingers raised. Chloe screamed and clung to Lachlan for support, but Lachlan was standing solid and unmoving, his eyes wide with fear and shock. Alaska looked around desperately and saw Paige and Butterfree were still hovering above them all, looking down in fear as well. They caught her eye, and Paige went to move but Alaska shook her head and mouthed ‘Don’t move yet’ up at them. Paige looked surprised, but nodded and stayed airborne around the vines.

“AAAAH!” Alaska whipped her head around in time to see Chloe flying backwards. She was about to ask what had done it when suddenly three of the front Beedrill fired what was unmistakably a String Shot at Lachlan. He was thrown backwards by the force, and Alaska wanted to see where he landed, but instead felt something hard but sticky hit her in the middle. She surprised how forceful it was, and flew backwards and whacked into a wall a few metres away. It was yet another painful blow to her already sore back, and Alaska instantly tried to pull away from the sticky string: it held as if it was made from metal, and Alaska’s arms simply began to hurt as Sandy was thrown to the wall next to her, screaming loudly.

“It’s going to be an even longer day than it already has, won’t it?” Alaska sighed, and was forced to give up trying to fight the String Shot. Someone laughed next to her, and Alaska quickly looked to her left: Damian was stuck to the wall next to her, dirty faced and clothes torn, but was flashing his perfect smile.

“Just be glad the Beedrill haven’t roughed you around, they gave and Mitch here a real warm welcome, didn’t they?” He explained, and Alaska inclined her head more to see her old neighbour. Mitchell was smiling widely and looked rather happy about the whole experience, more so than Chloe who was now crying her eyes out.

“Hey Alaska, we must have missed each other back in Viridian!” Mitchell said quickly. “But it’s good to see you again, do you have any awesome Pokemon yet? I’ve only caught a Rattata and a Weedle so far, but my Weedle is close to evolving, I can’t –”

“Nice to see you too Mitchell,” Alaska sighed and leaned back against the wall. Damian laughed again, and Alaska couldn’t help but smile as well. “He’s my old neighbour –”

“I’m well aware of that,” Damian chuckled quietly. “He was running to try and find you when his shoe came off and he slipped in the grass and fell down here. I heard him scream and climbed down one of the vines like you guys tried, and found him injured and tried to treat him but the Beedrill attacked us. He’s been keeping me entertained for the last hour.”

“You haven’t been down here a hour, you left us at the battle about twenty minutes ago,” Alaska explained, laughing.

“Any time with him seems twice as long,” Damian replied, and Alaska couldn’t help but laugh and nod. She looked towards Sandy, willing to offer her words of support, but the blonde haired girl had her eyes shut and was muttering something quickly under her breathe and Alaska decided not to disturb her. Instead she looked straight towards the large mass of Beedrill before her. They were all standing in perfect rows with their stingers raised, reminding Alaska of soldiers in an army. She was rather scared about what the Beedrill would do to them next: the light they seemed to be creating was lighting up another large circular section of this passage, it’s only main feature being a particularly large hole in the wall.

“I don’t know what their going to do to us, but I really don’t want to stick around any longer to find out,” Damian whispered, all laughter gone from his voice, and Alaska nodded solemnly. “I’ve been pulling my arms free and my right arm is rather loose, I think I could –” but Damian paused there as something changed within the tunnel. A loud rumbling, thudding sound was echoing around them, and Alaska could place it’s occurrence in only one place: the largest hole in the wall. The Beedrill began to buzz excitedly, and many more Weedle crawled out of their holes like spectators to watch what was happening. Something big was coming out for them, and Alaska didn’t want to be around for it. Fear was enclosing her like a disease, but Alaska couldn’t help but let it consume her. She was going to die at the hands of whatever was coming out for them. She would never be able to get any badges, never post any blog entry, never battling with Paige or Darwin again, never see the faces of her mother, her father, Freddie, the twins…

“Freddie…” Alaska whispered, and she felt Sandy and Damian’s eyes turn to her.

“Whose Freddie?” Sandy asked, but Alaska ignored her: the fear was beginning to leave her now, as excitement quickly filled her body up.

“Damian, use your right hand and opened my bag up and feel for a plastic bag,” Alaska said, and Damian nodded and managed to extract his right arm from the String Shot unnoticed due to the Beedrill staring towards the hole instead of them. “When you get the plastic bag, feel around inside for a knife, and then we can cut the String Shot open.”

“Is there a reason you carry a knife with you?” Damian asked, and Alaska simply smiled, remembering as she took a knife usually used to cut ropes from a bug catcher she defeated, and would have used it if she was ever hungry enough to try Fredrick’s brownies. She went to tell the story, but the rumbling was suddenly deafening. All six of their eyes turned towards the hole as a loud screech echoed out of it, and the creature that lived within walked into the open…

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Nine

Dedicated to Instrutilus for his birthday Happy Birthday, and thanks for inspiring me to verse this all together

Chapter Ten: If You Can’t Handle the Heat, Get out of the Hole

For a split second, Alaska thought she had entered some sort of horror movie. Her father was a big fan of classic movies, and the horror genre had been one of his favourites. Alaska was old enough now not to be scared of them, but as a child the monstrous and oversized Pokemon and mutated human beings that rampaged through towns her haunted her nightmares for many years. Many movies had involved the horrific creature emerging dramatically out of or from behind something, appearing before a loud crowd of people that would scream and run in terror as it began to obliterate them.

But this was a much different scenario. The army of Beedrill were staring towards the emerging beast silently, but it was clear that they were excited about what would happen next. The only people horrified about what would happen were currently all stuck to a wall, bugs trapped in a web and were about to be eaten. Damian was trying to cut through Alaska’s String Shot, but he was too nervous about the beast that was emerging.

The rumbling was causing the ground-ceiling (Alaska wasn’t quite sure what to call the dirt above her head) to shake, sending dust cascading down upon them. The creature was now walking forwards into the light, letting out a roar that sounded purely monstrous.

Now it seemed like a movie scene: Alaska was staring at a creature that was a purely nightmarish version of the Beedrill in front of them. It wasn’t normal sized at all; about three times her height with pink eyes that began to glow brilliantly and ghostly. The two poisonous points that normal Beedrill had were now the size of trees, shining in a sleek, metallic way that made them look even shaper and deadlier.

“We’re dead…” Alaska said, unable to take her eyes off the creature as it moved forwards. “There is no way out of this… we’re bloody Beedrill food now.” The gigantic Beedrill wasn’t looking properly towards them, simply staring at the following of Beedrill below it. Horrible mental images of the Beedrill all attacking with their sharp points filled Alaska’s head, and she shivered as she tried to shake them off.

“Alaska, we won’t be dead if you pull your head in!” Alaska looked around, snapping out of her horrific day dream to face Damian. He was smiling a reassuring and gentle smile, and Alaska was surprised to find herself calming down as she stared at him. She also realised that the String Shot had disappeared from around her stomach.

“Swift man, I like it,” Alaska said with a beam, and Damian simply smiled as she took the knife off him and quickly slashed at the String Shot. None of the Weedle, Kakuna or Beedrill seemed to notice two of their prisoners were free now, all eyes focused on the giant Beedrill.

“Ready your Pokemon,” Alaska said, and quickly rushed towards Sandy. She was still muttering quickly to herself, eyes jammed shut, and didn’t even notice that she was cut free into Alaska pulled her forwards.

“Oh my god Alaska, thank you so much!” Sandy beamed breathlessly, instantly back to her airy self. She went to give Alaska a hug, but she suddenly realised the giant Beedrill and froze, jaw dropped and eyes bulging.

“Your welcome,” Alaska said, and turned back around, avoiding staring at the monster as she tried to think a plan. But all six of them were starting trainers, and it would be very difficult for them to defeat all of the normal Beedrill let alone a giant one.

“What are you going to do?” Mitchell asked in a shaky voice as Alaska cut him free.

“No clue,” she replied bluntly, and freed Lachlan next to him. He mumbled his thanks, staring in terror towards the giant Beedrill, but Chloe the worst of all of them: she was beginning to cry and was whimpering, curled up in mid air as the string held her up.

“Oh get a grip,” Alaska snapped, and Chloe screamed as she fell to the ground.

“A bit of warning would’ve been appreciated,” she hissed.

“You didn’t warn me you were coming down my vine!” Alaska snapped back.

“You’re the one who shook the vine, it’s your fault we’re going to be mutilated and killed by some giant bug!” Chloe growled. Alaska opened her mouth to retort, and was ready to practically hit Chloe, but Damian appeared between them, looking serious.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we are about to be killed by some giant Pokemon,” he growled, “and if you two draw attention to us, it’ll happen quicker!” Alaska and Chloe remained with their eyes locked in glares for another moment before turning and walking back to the others with Damian. The Beedrill still hadn’t noticed their prisoners were wandering free, listening to the buzzing coming from the giant Beedrill as it seemed to be giving them a speech. Alaska was looking around, trying to form a plan for their escape. One thing kept coming back to her, and it seemed to be the only one possible.

“What are we going to do then?” Damian whispered. Mitchell and Sandy didn’t seem to him, crouching by the wall and staring at the giant Beedrill and fear and uncertainty. Lachlan was looking rather grumpy, and Chloe was mad as well but appeared to be shaking in fear as well. Alaska was afraid as well, but she knew that they had to and could do something to save themselves.

“If we want to survive, we need to get past all of these Beedrill,” Alaska explained. “Once we clear them, we will be able to get towards the middle of the hole and climb back up some vines to safety.” The others all stared at her, absorbing in her plan.

“What about the giant one?” Mitchell whispered with eyes wide with fear. Alaska glanced back towards the biggest Beedrill of them all, wondering if her plan for it would actually do anything to save them.

“I have an idea, but I’d rather we got our Pokemon out,” she replied, and pulled a PokeBall out of her bag. Darwin the Mankey formed alongside her, flexing his muscles and looking around curiously, and was joined by the familiar figure of Damian’s Charmander, his tail flame adding to their light. Alaska was interested to see if Mitchell actually had caught any Pokemon, and was secretly impressed as he released his two Pokemon: the small furry but sharply fanged Rattata, and the golden coloured Weedle that didn’t look particularly out of place here. They were both smiling pleasantly at their trainer, and Alaska was glad he had something to entertain himself. Chloe still looked sour, but she released a new Pokemon for her anyway: a Spearow, looking as grumpy as her and rising snobbishly above them all.

“Squirtle’s my only Pokemon,” Lachlan explained sheepishly, “he’s still unconscious.”

“I don’t know where Butterfree is!” Sandy said, shaking slightly.

“Don’t worry, Paige and Butterfree will be helpful in a moment,” Alaska replied. “But now you lot,” she said to the five Pokemon before her, “we need to clear past all of the Beedrill so we can get to the giant hole. Just use whichever attacks you can and do your best not to get hit with anything!” All the Pokemon nodded, looking eager to battle and defend their trainer’s. Damian was passing around something, and Alaska was intrigued as she was passed a large grey rock.

“I guess they could come in handy, if we need to defend ourselves,” Damian explained. Alaska beamed and held the rock tightly in one hand, keeping her knife firmly in her other one.

“Brilliant idea! Alright team, let’s go!” Alaska said, and they all nodded and turned.

The Beedrill army was staring at them.

Unbeknownst to them, whilst they had released their Pokemon the giant Beedrill had finished its speech. Its followers were staring at them all, pointers raised, attacks being formed ready to be fired. Alaska knew they were going to have to fight for their lives now. She stared down at Darwin, who nodded up at her.

“BEEEEEE!” The giant Beedrill buzzed in its booming voice. The Beedrill all began to rise up, their collective buzzing almost deafening. Sandy and Mitchell were whimpering, and Chloe was taking a step backwards, but Alaska simply smiled, knowing they had one element on their side.

“DOUBLE GUST!” She screamed, and before the Beedrill could comprehend what she said, they were suddenly sent spinning around. Sandy gasped as Paige and Butterfree zoomed out of the hole, flapping their wings so furiously that the trainers were in danger of being blown away. Damian, Sandy, Mitchell and Lachlan all looked ecstatic, and Alaska beamed with pride at her plan.

“EVERYONE GO!” She screamed, and led the charge forwards. The Beedrill had no idea what was going on, but suddenly they were being attacked from all sides. Paige and Butterfree continued to use their Gust, allowing the Beedrill to stay disorientated as Charmander fired a barrage of Ember attacks to set them on fire, and Rattata rolled up into a ball, burst into flame and sped forwards, taking the Beedrill down with a surprise Flame Wheel. Spearow flew forwards and began Pecking at stray Beedrill until they fainted, and Weedle would use String Shot to simply tie them up. But Darwin was brutal, grabbing Beedrill by the legs, heads and pointer and smashing them into rock, beating them until they fainted.

“MAAAAN!” He screamed, and tackled a Beedrill that was about to hit Alaska and used Seismic Toss to send him spiralling away. Alaska called out her thanks before moving onwards, but the noise of the increasing wind caused by Gust was deafening. Sand was being whipped up around them, and Alaska had to shield her eyes as she charged through the parting Beedrill, not wanting to be blinded. But she could see that the Beedrill’s attacks were missing, as the Gust continued to send them around and prevented them from doing anything. Alaska watched happily as a powerful Ember sent one Beedrill soaring backwards, and noticed Damian was running alongside.

“His attacks are very strong, I’m impressed,” Alaska shouted over the wind.

“That Gust is what’s impressive,” Damian replied loudly, “I don’t know what is up with Charmander, he hasn’t been his powerful before. But your Pidgey seems very…” but Alaska stopped listening, thrown by what he had said: if the powerful Ember wasn’t natural, than what was it? Rattata’s Flame Wheel seemed extremely strong as it rolled past, and Alaska suddenly realised something, and turned to tell Damian. But she was stunned to see he had frozen in his steps, and Mitchell and Chloe were stopping as well.

“What is it?” Alaska asked, and followed their line of eyesight. Before them a row of Beedrill stood there, stingers raised and ready to fire. Green energy was being absorbed in, and Alaska’s theory was confirmed: the light that had been summoned in here was a series of Sunny Day’s, a weather attack that boosted fire attacks and made Solarbeam charge up instantly. Alaska should have known they couldn’t have broken through all the ranks, and simply stood there in fear as the Beedrill absorbed in more light, the giant Beedrill taking slow but booming steps forwards.

“JUMP!” Damian cried, just as the multiple Solarbeam were fired. He and Alaska landed in a heap as they jumped to the same spot, green light exploding over their heads. Ignoring their collision, Alaska raised her knife up, glad that she hadn’t landed on it, and swiped at the nearest two Beedrill.

“Get back!” She growled, circling around as she cut the air. The Beedrill seemed stunned at this weapon and buzzed backwards from Alaska, leading them back towards its fellow Pokemon. The multiple Solarbeam had disrupted the Gust attack, and Paige and Butterfree were now fighting off two and three at a time as they became swamped by them. The other trainers were to the fight and alright, swinging their rocks like Alaska.

“Leave us along!” Sandy squealed, running up to Alaska as she threw her rock at a Beedrill’s head. “We really need to get out of here!” She yelled, and turned around to see the Beedrill was only metres away. “Oh damn! Alaska, I’m scared!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll have this over soon,” Alaska replied calmly, though her mind was going at a mile a minute, hoping changes to her plan would work. Damian was leading the others to safety, and the Pokemon were making their way through the Beedrill. Mitchell threw some rocks, sending Beedrill scattering and allowing Paige and Butterfree to fly through. Paige instantly flew to Alaska and hit her with her wing.

“Alright, sorry, but I didn’t know we were going to be tied up!” Alaska protested as Paige glared down at her. “But good job reacting, you’re a great Pidgey.”

“Pidge Pidge,” Paige replied, nodding merrily, and Alaska smirked. But she caught Sandy’s nervous glare and stared back towards the Beedrill. The ones that hadn’t fainted were all regathering, moving back into rows and ignoring their injuries. Green energy was rapidly being absorbed back into their stingers, more Solarbeams about to be fired. If they would be hit, they would probably be knocked out, left at the mercy of the giant Beedrill. Alaska had to act quickly, and knew just what to do.

“Sandy, Butterfree is our only hope,” Alaska whispered quickly. Sandy was shaking with fear, but she nodded, understanding what Alaska wanted to do. The Beedrill were buzzing excitedly now, and their Solarbeams were ready. Chloe was crying again, and Mitchell was on the verge, their fates nearly sealed.

“BEEEE!” They all buzzed as they fired.

“CONFUSION!” Sandy boomed determinedly. Alaska braced, ready for the attacks to hit them. The green light was engulfing them, and it seemed as if they had been struck down. But Alaska’s plan had worked: Butterfree was faster and more developed, and her eyes were narrowed as they glowed pink, all her Psychic abilities forced towards stopping the Solarbeams. Alaska and Sandy exchanged wide smiles, and the others all cheered slightly at their safety. Alaska wanted to hug Sandy, but the blonde turned back towards Butterfree, and Alaska had a feeling something bad would come from her lips.

“Redirect it towards the ceiling!” Sandy shouted. Butterfree responded before Alaska could shout her protest or stop her, and all she could was gasp and watch in horror: the collective mass of energy smashed into the ground ceiling of the nest. There was an instant rumbling sound, and Alaska grabbed Paige and ran backwards.

“MOVE!” She screamed, but Damian, Mitchell and their Pokemon had already moved. Lachlan pushed Sandy forwards, and Butterfree and Spearow moved behind Chloe. Darwin was glaring up at the giant Beedrill, but Alaska grabbed him with her free hand and kept on running, ignoring the giant Pokemon and trying to ignore the rumbling coming from behind them. The roar was deafening, and a cloud of dust engulfed them, so thick it blocked the light and left them all doubling over coughing, their eyes stinging and throats burning. The uncomfortable combination continued for another minute, but finally the dust began to thin, and they were able to hear deep grumblings instead of the tunnels collapsing with earth.

“Is everyone al-al-alright?” Alaska coughed, looking down to see Paige and Darwin’s bodies were completely brown with dirty dust. They replied with ‘Pidge’ and ‘Man’, looking a bit grumpy but not to fussed. No one else looked injured as the cloud of dust settled, though everyone was particularly filthy now, and Chloe appeared to seething with fury about it. Alaska turned around to face Sandy, who stood there with wide eyes of shock, her sandy hair now dirty, and stared at Alaska rather blankly.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time…” she mumbled, and stared to face her destruction. The tunnel had been completely destroyed, with huge mounds of earth piled up like discarded rubbish. The hole had now completely doubled in sized, and it was only now that Alaska noted how strange it was that the original hole had been perfectly circular. A disjointed stairway of earth had built up, providing them with a much quicker path to freedom as the mounds managed to reach the top. Alaska looked down at the bottom though and couldn’t help but feel sorry for all the Weedle, Kakuna and Beedrill that would have been crushed under the weight.

“What do we do now?” Lachlan coughed, brushing dust off of his clothes.

“Get the hell out of here, duh!” Chloe squeaked, looking as if she has just rolled in mud. Alaska had never seen her this dirty before and stifled a laugh as the blonde ran forwards, dust trailing behind her, as began to clamber desperately up the mounds.

“Chloe, calm down!” Damian called, but Chloe flipped him the finger, and Alaska let her laugh heard as her enemy struggled up the mounds, her Spearow flapping overhead. She turned to share her laugh with Sandy, but her friend was staring upwards, eyes still wide with horror. Alaska looked up as well, wondering what she could be staring at.
Sandy was staring at the giant Beedrill, and the giant Beedrill was staring at them.

Alaska could understand why the Beedrill was angry as it towered over them looking murderous. All of its follower were dead and its feast was ready to escape its clutches. But that didn’t mean she was prepared for what happened next: the creature suddenly smashed the ground with one of it’s stingers, causing dust to fall and the vines to shake, and made Sandy leap up and scream.

“RUN!” Alaska shouted, though Mitchell and Lachlan were already sprinting towards the mounds of earth. The Beedrill aimed for Sandy with its other stinger, but she screamed again and fled. Alaska looked around desperately, and was glad that there was now a lot more natural light illuminating the dirty tunnel. She had hoped that her plan wouldn’t have to be attempted, but it seemed like she had no other option.

“Run, get out of here!” Alaska bellowed as she sped past Sandy, sidestepping Beedrill and its stingers and heading towards the pile of vines they had landed on. Her plan was insane, but Alaska had always been the sort of person to do crazy plans. She had been the child that leapt out of trees, ran away from school groups as they wandered through woods, and would try to eat anything that came her way. If she gave up her outrageous at this point, Alaska would have been annoyed with herself.

“Pid Pid Pidgey?” Paige chirped as Alaska let go of her, coming to a stop by the vines. Alaska didn’t have time to explain, simply grabbing the end of a thick one as Darwin jumped out of her arms and began to pull on it.

“Grab the other end,” Alaska called to Darwin, and the Mankey nodded and quickly responded. The vine was thick enough, but Alaska just hoped they would be able to pull it off. She glanced around to see the giant Beedrill was beginning to beat its wings very rapidly, generating a wind that whipped the dust up. Mitchell and Lachlan were getting close to the top, but Sandy and Damian were running around to avoid the stingers, Butterfree and Charmander moving with them.

“Get out of here, it’s not safe!” Alaska yelled and ran forwards with the vine.

“What makes it safe for you?” Sandy cried back, before screaming as a stinger knocked her flying. Alaska was shocked, but she couldn’t give up her plan now. Damian saw what she doing and gave her the thumbs up before rushing to check on Sandy. Alaska was worried about Sandy, but had to carry on before Beedrill noticed her.

“Darwin, you go that way!” Alaska cried, the roar of the dust and wings nearly deafening.

“Man Mankey!” Darwin responded, and he moved away from Alaska holding the vine. Alaska ran forwards as well, and the vine began to wrap around the Beedrill. Trainer and Pokemon passed each other, and moments later passed again. They had run out of vine, but Alaska and Darwin were now tugging furiously on the long green plant, trying to pull things together. The dust began to settle, and the beating of the wings died down, and Alaska knew they were being caught out.

“Beeeeeedrilllllll,” the giant creature growled, and both stingers got raised.

“Keep at it Darwin!” Alaska shouted, still pulling on the vine as tightly as she can. The Beedrill’s legs were beginning to buckle, but it didn’t look very natural: the legs were literally buckling, dents beginning to form around them. Pokemon don’t get dents usually, especially not bug types… Alaska thought and came to a stop, staring at the legs with such curiousity she didn’t notice the stinger above her head.

“PIIIDGE!”

“EMBER!”

“CONFUSION!”

“BEEEE!”

The combined cries were a shock to the system, and Alaska looked up in fear as she saw the stinger come down. But before it could move an inch, a brown blur smashed into the stinger as it was hit by a ball of fire and was thrust backwards. The stinger suddenly exploded, and Alaska dived out of the way to avoid pieces of metal that were now raining down upon them.

“It’s a robot!” She screamed before she had even got to her feet.

“Well obviously!” Damian yelled back. “Ember again!” Alaska got back up as Paige flew down looking concerned. Darwin had leapt forwards, smashing his fists into Beedrill’s legs as Charmander fired more fire at the machine, which was beginning to grumble and yell.

“I’m fine Paige, I swear!” Alaska said, giving her a smile as she stared towards the Beedrill. What remained of its left stinger was flaming and sparking, and it seemed to be tilting as Darwin whacked its damaged leg. “I think we need to aim for something, like-”

“Don’t do anything.”

Alaska squeaked with shock as a voice sounded behind her. It wasn’t a familiar voice, and it didn’t sound human: it was broken up and distorted, the real voice being disguised behind some sort of machine. A chill went down Alaska’s spine, and she wanted to turn and face the person, but couldn’t bring herself to. The person speaking seemed unnatural and creepy, like being in a room with a dead person.

“You need to run, now,” the voice said. “If you don’t, you and your friends and Pokemon will be killed by what I’m about to do to save your lives.” Alaska normally would have questioned motives behind saving people that could kill them, but couldn’t bring herself to put this together. The person was very commanding, and there wasn’t a way to say no.

“Come on guys, let’s go!” Alaska shouted, sprinting forwards as she covered her head to avoid sparks from Beedrill. Paige was flying alongside her, looking just as appalled and shocked about everything as she was. Damian and Sandy were stunned to see Alaska ran past them, but they began to sprint up the earthy mounds along with her.

“We need to get out of here now!” Alaska explained, beginning to grab at the next mound and haul herself up. It wasn’t quite as easy as it looked, and Alaska’s arms were beginning to ache before they even got to halfway. The earth kept crumbling at her feet and hands, making it difficult to get up and move, and Alaska could see Sandy was struggling as well. Damian was making good time though, clearly taking the opportunity to escape with Charmander on his back.

“Shit, Darwin!” Alaska cried, feeling awful as she looked back down. Darwin was still beating at Beedrill, who was now leaning awkwardly due to the damaged leg. “DARWIN, COME ON!” Alaska shouted. Her Mankey glanced around and saw how high up she was, and began to move towards her, looking rather annoyed. Alaska turned her attention back to climbing, and was pleased to see she was nearly at the top, with Sandy a few mounds ahead.

“Quickly Alaska!” Mitchell’s high pitched voice squealed, and he pointed behind her. Dreading what she would see, Alaska turned around, out of breath, and saw that Beedrill had his other stinger raised, ready to drive it through her. Alaska wasn’t near the top enough to get to freedom, and could feel the ground grumbling, turning against her and leaving her exposed and about to die.

“KEEEY!” Alaska had shut her eyes and was beginning to curse under her breath when something tugged at her, and she opened her eyes as she spun through the air, hitting a screaming Sandy and collapsing to the ground.

“Ah, I love a bit of a payback,” Alaska smirked as she got off Sandy’s back, and the blonde could only nod as she ‘oomphed’ painfully. Darwin landed besides her, flexing his muscles, and Paige came down and watched. The Beedrill was roaring and screaming, his wings beginning to beat again as he pointed his stinger towards them. But before he could do anything else, Alaska’s eyes caught a jet of flame shooting out from the darkness. She watched as the powerful Flamethrower engulfed Beedrill’s body, and it began to roar in pain: the roar was more robotic now though, and the way its body was shaking wasn’t natural.

Alaska was about to yell at them all to duck when the body exploded. Chloe, Mitchell and Sandy all screamed as everyone was hit by the shockwave. Yellow and black metal flew around as Beedrill’s head disappeared inside a gigantic cloud of orange fire and smoke. More explosions sounded, and soon the pit was rumbling as it was filled by the explosions. With what seemed very casual, the opposite end of the hole collapsed and slid down, burying the flames in earth and grass, and stopping Beedrill with it.

For a moment, Alaska wasn’t sure what to make of things. She, Paige and Darwin lay on the ground in a heap, and she gave them a quick hug as she got to her feet, feeling all of the pain she’d suffered that day quite clearly in her bones. Everyone else was getting up as well, and sudden footsteps were joining them.

“What the hell happened here?” The crisp voice of Amanda Anderson called, and Alaska got up as the producer rushed forwards, still looking rather immaculate despite the horrible situation. She was being followed by the same cameraman from before, but was now joined by a rather bulky boom operator, holding the fuzzy microphone above the scene. Amanda looked around at her stars, than Mitchell, than Alaska.

“Ah… I might have known,” she said curtly, her plucked eyebrows narrowing. Alaska smiled and faked a curtsey as she stood up.

“Don’t mind me, I’ll just be on my way,” she snapped, pulling her knife out of her pocket and twirling it threateningly in her hands before bagging it.

“Wait Alaska,” Sandy and Mitchell said simultaneously, but Alaska had already turned, still holding Paige and Darwin.

“Sorry guys, but I won’t to be by myself for a while,” she explained. “Thanks for the battle Sandy, I hope we meet again soon. And good luck with your training Mitchell,” Alaska said simply, and waved them goodbye. Sandy looked rather shocked and sad, and Alaska felt guilty as she began to head through the trees they had come. Damian looked like he wanted to say something as she passed, but Amanda was shooting them nasty looks as she dialled a number on her phone, and Damian simply turned away. Chloe and Lachlan ignored her, and Alaska simply sighed as she headed for the trees.

Alaska simply wanted to get to Pewter City, but the day’s events had surely bothered her. The hole and the tunnels had been so perfectly circular that there was little way they were natural. All the Beedrill seemed to know Sunny Day and Solarbeam, two moves they could only learn through Technical Machines. And most importantly was the robot: how had it gotten there, why was it attacking them, and who was controlling it?

Though she wasn’t sure, Alaska was almost certain someone had wanted to attack them. And based on the appearance of the strange voice and the fire, someone wanted to save them. The questions were who and why, and Alaska needed to rest her injuries before she got too in depth. There was only one thing she did know of: something was definitely up in Kanto right now.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Ten

@WinterVines @Alaskapigeon
Hello everyone! Long time, no speaks! I have returned with our third blog! Prepare to be deeply amused!
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Blog Three: Toil and Trouble

Greetings once again, my ever eager readers!

I haven’t been online for the past few days, and I must say I was thrilled to see how many people have read my blog since I’ve been gone! I was hoping for a few visitors, but I’m nearly reaching ten thousand hits! Thanks for all the support everyone: it’s time to show the Pokemon League you don’t need a fancy starter to kick some serious gym leader booty!

I had a very very very odd day the other day (Vanessa Backlot levels of odd! Remember that Sinnoh chick from the news? Messed up!). It all started when a lovely girl named Sandy decided to try crushing my head. In her defence, she did fall out of a tree. In my defence, my head still hurts. I think I win

Anyway, Sandy turned out to be quite nice, and we had a brilliant little battle that Paige drew against her Butterfree. Girl got some moooves! I was glad to finally find a Bug trainer in this forest that doesn’t wet themselves every time I order Quick Attack, and the battle was probably one of the best I’ve had so far!

The oddness meter kicked up a few notches when (drumroll please… no drums? Oh well!) the reality stars showed up! If any of you are in awe of the fact I saw Damian, Chloe and Lachlan, leave my blog now and don’t befoul it with your lack of brain cells again. Chloe wanted a rematch after the fact I KICKED HER ASS last time we fought, and Lachlan and Sandy joined in for a ripper of a double battle! By ripper, I mean fizzler, and by double battle, I mean that Bulbasaur and Squirtle got schooled at double the volume! Holla! (I watched a rap video before writing this… pardon my temporary lack of insanity.)

Just as I savoured our victory and laughed at the lol worthy faces Chloe was pulling, someone just had to scream and ruin the day! A quick, healthy, knee scaring run through the forest brought us out to a large hole in the middle of a clearing (no pun intended, filthy minds!) I wasn’t too fussed about the fact Damian might have fallen down a hole, but than a found a white shoe.

You ever get the feeling when you know you have to do something, even though you REALLY don’t want too? Well, that’s what happened when I realised the shoe belonged to my little ex neighbour Mitchell. He is the sort of hyperactive little moron who will see a giant hole as some big adventure, so naturally he would have fallen in as well. My mother would kill me if she knew I didn’t save him, and I know my momma’s got some skills, yo. (Apologies again)

So, I did the incredibly dumb thing of climbing down a vine into a pitch black hole, no idea what was going to happen. Of course, it seemed smart at the time. So did swinging the vine I was climbing down due to the fact Chloe was on it. And I’m sure someone, at some point, thought this bloody hip-hop thing was a smart idea too. Anyway, the vine snapped, and we all managed to get caught up and went tumbling down into a large pile.

It kind of sucks when having someone fall on your head and than fall down a hole doesn’t make your day awful.

A herd of Beedrill were waiting for us, and these things were a strange mixture of cult, army and serious stick-up-their-stingers. I must admit, I was a weeee bit frightened by the hoard of stinger wielding Pokemon, and than they went and tied us up in sticky string before I could say ‘we come in peace!’ Damian and Mitchell were there, so at least we’d fell into the right bug infested, about to be killed hole

So while the others began crying and wetting themselves, I realise that I have a) a knife b) no Paige as she and Butterfree are away and c) something is making a hell of a lot of noise. I use the knife first to free myself, obviously (I’m not that stupid) and begin freeing the others.
But this HUUUUGE skyscraper tall Beedrill comes out at is – I mean HUUUUUUUGGGGGEEEEEE! It looked like a horror movie, and I was beginning to seriously freak out at how large and nasty this thing was.
I didn’t go on this journey though to simply wet my pants every time the going gets tough! NO SIR! It was time to fight, and I knew just what to do to defeat this thing.

Everyone is freed, we line up against the Beedrill, our Pokemon all ready, their stingers raised, Chloe still bawling like a baby – and we thrashed them!
Paige and Butterfree pulled a sick use of Gust off, and than we charged through to the other side. I can’t really describe the scene, as I was being blinded by dust and deafened by the noise. Yet when we got through to where the big Beedrill was, I don’t think we were as scared anymore, as we’d just defeat half the Beedrill.

Than things went wrong.

Butterfree redirected a mass Solarbeam, causing the roof to cave in. The Big Beedrill got a bit annoyed at how we’d just kill all its followers, so we began to get abused. Sandy, Damian and I stayed to fight, and Darwin and I got some vines around it. There was a mass blast of attack, and guess what: the Beedrill was a robot! It began to malfunction after we blew a stinger up, and we were left to run up the hill as the thing exploded behind us.

It’s been a few days since then. I’ve been taking it easy, recooperating from that incident and nursing my injuries. I left the others behind and carried on by myself, preferring to think this over in my own head rather than aloud. Sandy was a nice girl and I hope to see her again. It was good to have a friend for those, what, two hours?
I want your feedback on what happened, as I just can’t work things out by myself. It was just such a weird thing to happen. I’ve been through several forests, and never come across anything quite like this. What do you think happen?
Do you think the Beedrill lived there already?
Who do you think created it?
Was it maybe sent after us?

I’m heading to Pewter City now: my first gym challenge awaits! I’m going to let this matter settle for a while as I deal with trying to defeat those blasted rock types. Keep your suggestions coming, and I’ll try and add some more thoughts next time. Wish me luck: if I don’t win this match, this whole journey will be a bit pointless, won’t it?

Until next time dearies: avoid those blasted bugs!
Alaska

Word!

You guys get a bonus: as this is so short, I will be posting the second Interlude later on, that will be answering some questions

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Blog Three

Interlude Two: Evil Brewing

Buzz Bolton was not in a good mood.

He was standing by his windows once again, staring out through the sprawling metropolis towards the sun setting into the horizon. He had hoped the beautiful mixtures and shades of colours would calm him down, but Buzz was shocked to find that even one of the most amazing sights in the world couldn't bring his temper down.

His phone began ringing back on his desk, and Buzz raised his universal remote in a way more forceful than normal. The phone gave a sad bleep in the middle of a ring, almost as if it was scared about what Buzz would do.
"Sunsets are always a beautiful thing," Buzz shouted in his booming voice, today mixed heavily with blinding rage. "It is that one point of the day where everything is calm and peaceful, in between a hectic day and the bustling night. " He then turned angrily around to the phone, his tanned face twisted in a rage in anger it wasn't use to. "Pity I'm too pissed off to enjoy it!"
"It isn't my fault the cast found the girl," Amanda Anderson replied, her voice echoing around the room. "I don't have the time to mind those children every god damn minute of every god damn day!"
"YOU'RE THE PRODUCER!" Buzz shouted back. "It's part of your bloody job description!" Amanda didn't respond to this, and Buzz growled and angrily stamped on his Persian rug, the metal beneath it ringing. He took a deep breath and walked towards his desk, remembering his breathing exercises and slowing his heart rate down. A glass of sparkling mineral water was placed next to the phone, and Buzz took a long, soothing drink of it.
"Did you find a replacement trial?"

"Yes: a simple obstacle course."

"Have you removed all traces of the Beedrill?"

"Yes. The remains will be taken to old incinerator and destroyed."

"Has someone cleared the tunnel of all traces of evidence?"

"A team is working on that now."

"Good, very good," Buzz nodded, taking another drink. The Beedrill had been expensive to build, too many questions asked about it, too many people forced to be silenced, and it hadn't served its true purpose. "It is a pity that it went to waste. But at least we can use another one of the robots I had the scientists whip up."
"Would you like to have one brought into Mt Moon?" Amanda asked in a very assistant manner, and Buzz nodded, forgetting that he was talking to a phone. Amanda seemed to notice though, making notes on a pad she had with her. "Won't it seem suspicious to the cast though? I mean, Chloe knows more about celebrities and music than she does about Pokémon, and Lachlan is a tinkering on the edge of a cliff above stupidity, but I think they would notice if they come across a second gigantic robot." Buzz began to laugh, a deep, booming laugh that sound more maniacal than a normal human being would have liked.
"That's the brilliant part, my dear," he explained. "They aren't going to be the ones confronting the being. That darling angel Alaska will be walking through Mt Moon, celebrating her first badge win, getting a lolly, breathing, I don't know, when suddenly something arises in front of her. Alaska will be petrified and appalled to see a second robot and will try to fight it, but there won't be anyone to help her this time. The last thought to go through that pesky brat's head before the life is squeezed out of her will be regret, regret at ever going on this stupid journey!" Buzz hissed, not noticing as the laughter died and was replaced with rage. It was only when the glass he clutched in his hand shattered that Buzz snapped out of his angry mental state, staring down at his bleeding hand furiously.

"I shall make the appropriate calls and have something shipped in," Amanda said, and went to hang up, but Buzz quickly turned back towards it, his uninjured hand searching for a cloth of some sort.
"Amanda, wait," he called, and he could tell that she had paused. "If Alaska appears again, before you get to Mt Moon, I want you to kill her anyway. Kill her quietly, kill her out of the way, and kill her quickly. Make it look like an accident, suicide, whatever, just make sure she never bothers our doorstep again." Amanda nodded at the other end, and the line bleeped before going dead.
Buzz found a cloth in a drawer on his desk and wrapped it around his palm. He cursed the wound but ignored the glass on the floor, going back towards the window and staring out at the sky, only a hint of orange behind the skyscrapers, the rest of the sky a dull blue. Buzz had never met Alaska, but he very much hated her. She was ruining his television programme, a show he had been planning for several years, one that would bring him a sense of peace no sunset could ever conjure up. He only wanted to hear her name once more in his lifetime, and that would be from Amanda's sweet lips, telling him she was dead.
"I await the day," Buzz whispered to himself, and once more began to laugh, the strange sound echoing around the office. Anyone watching from a surrounding building would see a very tanned, very well dressed man staring at a sunset, blood dripping down his hand onto his carpet, laughing in a way no sane person could understand, and the people watching would definitely be frightened if they knew the horrific reasons why this strange man was laughing.

It had been five years since the dramatic explosion on Five Island, and it had been four and a half years since police had given up on the investigation. Arthur Reynolds had temporarily left, and the Sevii Islands Police Department were no closer to solving who caused the explosion then when they stared, so the case had quickly died down once the lead officer dropped it. The area was cleared, the warehouse torn down and a new housing complex was built there instead. Now, in 2013, it was as if the explosion had never happened.

But one part of the warehouse had remained.

The Team Rocket Scientist Gideon was still inside his little bomb shelter. When he heard through the internet that the warehouse would be bulldozed, the scientist quickly covered his tile with a mound of earth, continuing to hide him inside. None of the new houses were built over his complex, though he believed some a garden was nearby based on the small children running overhead.

Gideon didn't look like his 2007 self anymore. He had to cut his hair himself, and it had gone from smooth and gelled to prickly and greasy, resembling a toddler had cut it and washed it with tar. He covered in sweat, filth and ash, his clothes smelt like sewage and he was the same weight of an twelve year old boy instead of a nearly middle aged man. But the bomb shelter was the best place for him: it allowed him to hide from the police still hunting old Team Rocket members, it had a variety of scientific supplies he required and was the best possible workplace.

For seven years, Gideon had been working on Operation Lavender. Masses of papers covered everywhere, every row full of diagrams, numbers, calculations, hand drawn maps and long lists and explanations. He destroyed benches, a kettle, his cell phone and the spare metal bed in order to make a large evolution inducing machine, the strange black and purple disc attached to the very top in front of a light bulb. Gideon had forced his Magneton and Porygon2 to evolve, turning them into a Magnezone and Porygon-Z respectively. Now, Gideon was closer than ever to perfecting Giovanni's master plans and combining them into one huge idea.

"All I need is to get the fossils and the Old Amber…." Gideon mumbled to himself as he ran over his different papers, grabbing different things and checking multiple lists. "Yes, and I need these chemicals…. and a more suitable metal… and I need to go to the source itself…." Gideon had slowly turned more and more mentally unstable over the years he'd spent trapped and alone. His master plan could be ready in only a number of weeks, possibly within a month if he was lucky. However, one key factor was only just dawning on him.

He needed to go outside.

"Go outside…. I never thought I would have to…." Gideon mumbled aloud, pausing for a second from his rummaging. "It makes sense, I don't have everything here…." Gideon stared at the patch where the old tile had once been. He had put some metal wire there to cover up the fake patch of earth, and it was the only thing between him and the outside. He hadn't felt the cool feel of the wind, the warmness that came from the sun or interacted with another human being for years.

"I must, it is the only way…." Gideon said, and he quickly grabbed a pair of sunglasses that he had been using to shield his eyes from bright lights during his experiments. He pulled three Rocket Balls out: ball PokeBalls with a red button in the middle and a red R on the top of the ball. He threw all of them, and three Pokémon formed out of the dark energy. One of them was Electrode, Gideon's oldest surviving Pokémon. It use to be very hyperactive, but it learnt to behave itself and remained still, smiling up at its trainer.

The other Pokémon weren't as normal.

Magnezone and Porygon-Z had turned… well, evil, following their forced evolutions. Magnezone was pure black with a large red eye, resembling a squashed Rocket Ball, with dark yellow sparks shooting all across his murky body. Porygon-Z pink body had turned a dark, flowing purple, with his turquoise bits now a dark black. His eyes were also red, and papers began to rise into the air ominously around him. These two Pokémon were flowing with power, a single attack could be enough to kill a man. That was why they were Gideon's greatest weapons.

"Ok, this is how we are going to do things," Gideon explained, walking around them as he grabbed some of the more important papers. "Electrode and Porygon-Z will come with me to collect some supplies. Magnezone will stay here and produce electricity to keep this place going." Magnezone nodded, and he moved silently over towards the machine holding the strange disc. He touched it with one of his magnets, and within seconds the lights were flickering and the television turned on and off. "Excellent! Now, let's go!" Gideon didn't care that it was a rather impulsive thing to do, as it was a necessary thing to do in his quest to take over Kanto. He raced over towards the hatch, Electrode rolling and Porygon-Z floating behind him. There were the distant shouts of children playing above them, and a sick smile came across Gideon's face: it had been too long since he had last killed a human being, and he waiting to watch the pain and suffering commence.

"Electrode blast the hatch," Gideon ordered, and then turned maliciously towards Porygon-Z. "Use Tri Attack as soon as we get out: kill anything that moves." Porygon-Z nodded silently, and they watched as the hole was destroyed by a single Thunderbolt. There were the screams of the children, and then Porygon-Z floated silently up like a ninja, but he was twice as deadly….

And so ends the second arc. Up next, Alaska arrives in Pewter City and comes face to face with one of these villains.

Spoiler

Interlude Two: Not that Happy

Buzz Bolton was not in a good mood.

He was standing by his windows once again, staring out through the sprawling metropolis towards the sun setting into the horizon. He had hoped the beautiful mixtures and shades of colours would calm him down, but Buzz was shocked to find that even one of the most amazing sights in the world couldn’t bring his temper down.

His phone began ringing back on his desk, and Buzz raised his universal remote in a way more forceful than normal. The phone gave a sad bleep in the middle of a ring, almost as if it was scared about what Buzz would do.

“Sunsets are always a beautiful thing,” Buzz shouted in his booming voice, today mixed heavily with blinding rage. “It is that one point of the day where everything is calm and peaceful, in between a hectic day and the bustling night. “ He then turned angrily around to the phone, his tanned face twisted in a rage in anger it wasn’t use to. “Pity I’m too pissed off to enjoy it!”

“It isn’t my fault the cast found the girl,” Amanda Anderson replied, her voice echoing around the room. “I don’t have the time to mind those children every god damn minute of every god damn day!”

“YOU’RE THE PRODUCER!” Buzz shouted back. “It’s part of your bloody job description!” Amanda didn’t respond to this, and Buzz growled and angrily stamped on his Persian rug, the metal beneath it ringing. He took a deep breath and walked towards his desk, remembering his breathing exercises and slowing his heart rate down. A glass of sparkling mineral water was placed next to the phone, and Buzz took a long, soothing drink of it.

“Did you find a replacement trial?”

“Yes: a simple obstacle course.”

“Have you removed all traces of the Beedrill?”

“Yes. The remains will be taken to old incinerator and destroyed.”

“Has someone cleared the tunnel of all traces of evidence?”

“A team is working on that now.”

“Good, very good,” Buzz nodded, taking another drink. The Beedrill had been expensive to build, too many questions asked about it, too many people forced to be silenced, and it hadn’t served its true purpose. “It is a pity that it went to waste. But at least we can use another one of the robots I had the scientists whip up.”

“Would you like to have one brought into Mt Moon?” Amanda asked in a very assistant manner, and Buzz nodded, forgetting that he was talking to a phone. Amanda seemed to notice though, making notes on a pad she had with her. “Won’t it seem suspicious to the cast though? I mean, Chloe knows more about celebrities and music than she does about Pokemon, and Lachlan is a tinkering on the edge of a cliff above stupidity, but I think they would notice if they come across a second gigantic robot.” Buzz began to laugh, a deep, booming laugh that sound more maniacal than a normal human being would have liked.

“That’s the brilliant part, my dear,” he explained. “They aren’t going to be the ones confronting the being. That darling angel Alaska will be walking through Mt Moon, celebrating her first badge win, getting a lolly, breathing, I don’t know, when suddenly something arises in front of her. Alaska will be petrified and appalled to see a second robot and will try to fight it, but there won’t be anyone to help her this time. The last thought to go through that pesky brat’s head before the life is squeezed out of her will be regret, regret at ever going on this stupid journey!” Buzz hissed, not noticing as the laughter died and was replaced with rage. It was only when the glass he clutched in his hand shattered that Buzz snapped out of his angry mental state, staring down at his bleeding hand furiously.

“I shall make the appropriate calls and have something shipped in,” Amanda said, and went to ahng up, but Buzz quickly turned back towards it, his uninjured hand searching for a cloth of some sort.

“Amanda, wait,” he called, and he could tell that she had paused. “If Alaska appears again, before you get to Mt Moon, I want you to kill her anyway. Kill her quietly, kill her out of the way, and kill her quickly. Make it look like an accident, suicide, whatever, just make sure she never bothers our doorstep again.” Amanda nodded at the other end, and the line bleeped before going dead.

Buzz found a cloth in a drawer on his desk and wrapped it around his palm. He cursed the wound but ignored the glass on the floor, going back towards the window and staring out at the sky, only a hint of orange behind the skyscrapers, the rest of the sky a dull blue. Buzz had never met Alaska, but he very much hated her. She was ruining his television programme, a show he had been planning for several years, one that would bring him a sense of peace no sunset could ever conjure up. He only wanted to hear her name once more in his lifetime, and that would be from Amanda’s sweet lips, telling him she was dead.

“I await the day,” Buzz whispered to himself, and once more began to laugh, the strange sound echoing around the office. Anyone watching from a surrounding building would see a very tanned, very well dressed man staring at a sunset, blood dripping down his hand onto his carpet, laughing in a way no sane person could understand, and the people watching would definitely be frightened if they knew the horrific reasons why this strange man was laughing.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude Two

@Alaskapigeon @WinterVines
(Remember, if you want a mention, just let me know)

Chapter Eleven: Sorta Ready to Rock and Roll

Alaska had never been so happy to step onto concrete.

After being trapped for nearly a week within the grassy confines of Viridian Forest, Alaska was nearly taken aback as she emerged from the trees and grass onto the familiar stone path. The change in light was rather overwhelming at first, but Alaska was too excited that she didn’t care about the fact that she was blinded, and began running along the sturdy path, eyes half shut and no idea where she was going. Alaska just couldn’t believe that she had finally left the forest and the mysteries it held, ready to embark on the first major challenge of her quest.

Pewter City looked rather different to Viridian, but Alaska was pleased to find it was a completely overwhelming change. The main road into the city branched off into several, leading to a number of houses of similar design to the ones in Viridian and a number of shops, small offices and apartment buildings only a few stories high. Signs pointed towards the Pokemon Center and Poke Mart, and Alaska was surprised to see some large bare sections of grass, simple places for people to relax in. Alaska was amazed at how everyone managed to seem rather relaxed, and walked through the quiet streets, the cheerful greetings she received much nicer than being attacked or landed on.

Alaska quickly healed her Pokemon, not wanting to waste any time in heading towards her first gym battle, but did feel reassured to be back around technology. The nurse was happy to point Alaska in the right direction, and she quickly headed off towards the Pewter Gym. Alaska felt a bit nervous as she walked through the peaceful streets. Had she trained her Pokemon up enough for this battle? Darwin would be alright, but would Paige be able to cope against the Rock types that the leader, Brock, specialized in? Alaska had to win this match if she wanted to prove the point of her quest, but her stomach was beginning to twist in knots. Alaska was having doubts, and was tempted to turn around and do some emergency training.

But than she saw the gym.

If Alaska hadn’t known what type the gym was, she definitely would have known now. About three stories high, the Pewter City Gym could easily be mistaken for a large hill: rounded and circular, large, grey, the building roughed and jagged to resemble a large rock. It was tucked away between trees to keep it out of the way, and had a rather nicely put together rock path that went up to the doors and carried on around the sides of the building.

“Well shit,” Alaska said, staring at in horror. The Viridian City Gym was very plain on the outside, and Alaska had never ventured to anywhere with particularly interesting buildings: this piece of modern urban development was breathtakingly fresh for her. Alaska was so amazed at the building that she began to walk forwards, her eyes focused on the building and not on the way ahead, interested to see what was inside.

The doors slid open, and Alaska’s jaw dropped.

The inside of the gym was amazing. The lighting was dark towards the back half, but the front half was well lit and looked fantastic. The floor was completely covered with golden yellow sand, giving a beautiful outline to the rest of the gym. The stone pathway continued into the gym, cutting through the sand and heading towards the darkness, large boulders that definitely flanked the sides. A wooden bridge suspended high above, and Alaska turned to see rough stone steps heading up the metal walls, providing a shortcut for anyone wishing to avoid whatever challenge the gym possessed.

“That way ain’t for me!” Alaska whispered to herself. She was amazed at the design of the gym, from how high it stretched to wondering what was behind the walls filling up the rest of the rock. But she was here for one reason, and it wasn’t to admire the architecture: Alaska had to fight her hardest and win, showing the world that defeating a gym didn’t require a starter to happen. Her Pokemon were as ready as they could be, and Alaska knew that she had a decent chance to win.

“Alright you two, let’s get going,” Alaska whispered, and walked forward towards the soft sand in front, ready for what might happen.
“Stop right there!” A voice suddenly boomed, and Alaska came to a halt, her foot hovering about the sand, wondering who was talking. “That is not normal sand. If you step on it, you will sink straight through and will not make it to your gym battle!” The voice sounded male, but Alaska could hear a definite robotic tinge in the background.

“Whatever you say, electric ghost…,” Alaska whispered, taking a step backwards, and began walking backwards down the stone path, looking around for the source of the voice. Maybe it was some sort of way of putting the trainers off, and Alaska simply shrugged, deciding to focus on her battle.

A Geodude was in her face.

Alaska froze again, staring at the thing in front of her. Geodude’s face (which really was most of his body) was only a few inches from her own, his hands clasping onto her shoulders tightly. Alaska glared at Geodude, and Geodude glared at Alaska.

“GEOOO!” He roared, and tilted his head backwards.

“Don’t even think of Headbutting me!” Alaska cried, and punched Geodude in the eye. The rock head cried out and let go of her shoulders, collapsing down to the ground. Alaska jumped backwards, but Geodude swung his large hands around, sweeping her legs and knocking her to the floor.

“What do you want?” Alaska growled as she grabbed her bag before it fell into the mysterious sand. The Geodude obviously had some issue with her as it was now climbing up one of the rocks, getting to enough height before violently pushing off. “Damnit,” Alaska hissed, and raised her legs up as much as her jeans would allow, lashing out when Geodude got close enough. But Geodude had expected this and grabbed her legs, swinging her around and send her skidding over the stones.

“What sort of bloody gym is this?” Alaska shouted, watching Geodude as he laughed and came soaring forwards. She desperately reached into her bag, grabbing the first two things she could: the long black charging cord for her laptop and the ever unneeded brownies from Freddie.

“When in Pewter, it seems,” Alaska shrugged, and swung the brownie case into Geodude’s face.

“DUUUUDE!” He roared, flying backwards into one of the rocks. He quickly leapt up, fists clenched as he came back for more. Alaska simply smiled and twirled the cord around once Geodude was near: the Rock Pokemon found his hands bound, unable to move as Alaska held onto the cord tightly. Geodude looked rather shocked as he remained floating in the air, and Alaska simply smiled widely.

“Take that!” Alaska cried, and spun around, letting go of the cord as she did so. Geodude shouted as he went flying through the air, smashing straight into another boulder in a cloud of dust and rocks. Alaska waited a few moments, but then burst into a smile when Geodude didn’t emerge.

“Finally, stupid bloody rock head!” Alaska jeered, dancing a little on the spot as she put the brownies back in her bag. “That’s what you get when you don’t have legs, you –”

“Tut tut, that was quite a pity,” a voice said, and for a moment Alaska thought it was the strange computer voice again. But suddenly the lights turned on, and Alaska turned around towards the other half of the gym. A bare field was right behind the boulders, covered with some sand and rocks from various battles but otherwise empty. At the other end, though, a figure was walking forwards, shaking his head.

“Such a shame, I was really looking forwards to a battle,” the gym leader Brock sighed. He was wearing a thick brown and orange jacket and green jackets, looking fairly casual for a gym leader. His hair was brown and spiky, the same colour as his skin. Alaska wondered how he could see as it looked as if his eyes were shut, but it was possibly a trick of the light.

“What do you mean ‘such as shame’?” Alaska asked, walking towards the field as Brock walked towards here. “I’m here and I’m ready to battle!” Brock simply shook his head, and he pointed towards the boulder. The Geodude lay there unconscious, the cord still bound around his hands. “I defeated the stupid rock thing, didn’t I? Do you want me to turn it into a decorative lawn ornament or something before I battle you?”

“No no,” Brock chuckled, “I wanted you to battle it. With Pokemon.” Alaska stared down at the Geodude and gasped. In her surprise at before confronted, she had completely forgotten about her Pokemon and gone straight into fighting for herself.

“Yes, fighting Pokemon with Pokemon does sound rather logical now that you mention it,” Alaska murmured, grabbing her laptop cord and stuffing it back into her bag. She pulled her two PokeBalls out and raised them up for Brock to (somehow) see. “I have my Pokemon, and they are just as ready as I am to battle.”

“You only have two?” Brock said in surprise, and Alaska clenched the balls angrily at the tone of his voice. “Most trainers I battle usually have at least a full team, even if they are just Caterpie and Weedle.”

“Well, I have a Pidgey and a Mankey: I think that’s a lot better than some silly bugs!” Alaska growled, but was annoyed further as Brock began to laugh, his chiselled head tipping backwards as the cruel laughter echoed around.

“A Pi-Pi-Pidgey? You expect to defeat me with just a Pidgey and a Mankey?” Brock snorted, and Alaska was tempted to bash her brownies across his head in a few seconds. “I’m sorry for laughing, but there’s no way you are going to defeat me with a team like that! Come back later when you at least have a third Pokemon,” and without another word, Brock turned and walked back towards where he had been standing. Alaska simply stared after him with her jaw dropped, her PokeBalls dangerously close to falling out of her hands in her shock. How could he have been so rude to her, for absolutely no reason? There was nothing wrong with her Pokemon, and she had a decent chance at kicking him from here all the way back to Viridian. Alaska’s rage was building up, and she began to storm forwards, ready to throw Darwin’s PokeBall straight at Brock’s smug, laughing head.

“I came here for a gym battle, and I’m not leaving until I get my gym battle!” Alaska shouted, and raised her arm, ready to throw the PokeBall wheter Brock liked it or not. But just as Alaska approached the field, she didn’t notice the rocks scattering across the path by Geodude. As Brock turned around, Alaska suddenly stood awkwardly on one. Her entire body wobbled, and Alaska cried out as she fell forwards, a much larger rock right in her path. Not wishing to be impaled, and furious that she would be embarrassed, Alaska turned over to avoid landing.

Unfortunately, she fell into the sand.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Eleven

@WinterVines @Alaskapigeon

Chapter Twelve: Follow the Shadows, He Said!

Alaska couldn’t help but cry out as she fell towards the sand. The electronic voice had been vague in his warning, but she knew falling into this wasn’t going to be very good. Would it kill her… surely not: if trainers were constantly being killed by quick sand, Alaska had a feeling that the Pokemon League would do something about it. There was only one other option: the sand would lead somewhere.

But than the particles quickly rose up, and Alaska shut her eyes and mouth as she plunged through. She had been expecting it to be hard, but Alaska found herself simply falling through at the same pace as sinking through something slightly congealed. The sand was moving against her body like many tiny hands touching her, and Alaska didn’t quite enjoy the feeling all that much.

If this is what all the other bloody gyms are like, I’m not having a bar of it! Alaska thought grouchily as the sand managed to sting her ears, creeping into every nook and cranny of her clothes. She clutched tightly onto Darwin’s PokeBall, not wanting it to get lost forever amongst the sand. Her body was beginning to roll, the sand somehow spinning her around. Alaska was beginning to feel dizzy and itchy, and wanted nothing more than to climb out of the pit and pushed Brock in to see how he liked it. Her body was beginning to rise up, and Alaska found herself going fasted, the sand beginning to push violently against her. Alaska was desperate to get out of this demented ride, and a few choice words were forming for whoever was waiting on the other end….

With a sudden popping sound, Alaska found the weight lessen off her entire body. In fact, Alaska found that was entirely… weightless. She opened her eyes, ready to find herself hurtling through space via a strange sandy wormhole, but instead found that she was flying a few feet above the ground.

“BUGGER!” Alaska growled, and readied for the impact as she hurtled towards the ground. She bent her knees to absorb the blow, and put her bag around her middle to stop any pain. Unfortunately, Alaska didn’t plan it very well: her legs smashed in the ground at a powerful force, causing Alaska to fall flat onto the ground. Darwin’s PokeBall flew out of her hand and burst open as Alaska’s hand slid across the gravel, and her bag burst open, causing Paige’s PokeBall to roll out as well.

“Bastardised bloody gym!” Alaska growled, staring down at her body: her hands were raw and scratched painfully, blood beginning to flow, whilst the knees on her pants had been torn, badly grazing her knees.

“Pidgey Pidge Pidgey?” Paige fluttered down, clutching her own PokeBall and Darwin’s in her talons, staring at Alaska with wide eyes of horror. Darwin, meanwhile, was glaring towards the gym, making Karate Chop motions in mid air.

“I’ll be alright, nothing that can’t be fixed up,” Alaska said with a sigh, and reached into her bag for some of the plasters her mother had insisted she pack before going on her journey. “I’m more annoyed about the gym – Brock wants me to catch another Pokemon or tain more before I battle him.”

“MAN?” Darwin squealed angrily, wheeling around in mid-chop. Alaska sadly nodded, knowing that Darwin had been looking forward to this match for a while. “MANKEY MAN MAN MAN KEEEEY!” The Mankey yelled angrily, and he smashed his fist into the ground. The tile cracked into pieces, the attack so powerful that a bit whacked Paige on the head.

“Pidgey Gee Gee Pidge!” Paige snapped, shaking a fist angrily. Alaska simply sighed again, knowing how Darwin felt. She was willing to drive her own fists into the ground, but she didn’t want to injure them anymore. As she wiped the blood away and stuck the plasters on, Alaska couldn’t help but feel a bit useless. She had travelled all this way from Pallet, gone through the death trap that had been Viridian Forest, trained her Pokemon up as much as she thought necessary, yet it didn’t seem to be enough. Alaska had no idea how much more she was meant to train them. She had received comments on her blog that Brock was a real pushover: did the gym leader not see Alaska as a worthy enough opponent? Had this trip be worth anything if she wasn’t even going to be given a chance to prove herself? Alaska could see Chloe’s laughing face floating above her eyes, hear the sound in her ears.

I knew you couldn’t do it! Your just a poor, useless loser! And look at that outfit… it looks like an outlet store threw up and used it clothes to mop up the mess!

“Rot in hell!” Alaska growled, knowing perfectly well Chloe wasn’t there (even though she was quite pleased how well she could conjure up a Chloe-grade pathetic insult), but lashed out anyway.

“PIDGE!” Paige gasped as Alaska accidentally whacked her in the face. Alaska gasped and clasped her injured hands to her face as Darwin began to snigger behind them.


“Oh my gosh, I’m really sorry!” Alaska said quickly, getting back to her feet. Paige simply stared at her, a bemused look on her face. Alaska didn’t like it, and quickly realised why: Paige raised her talons and threw the two PokeBalls forwards, giving them an extra whack with her wings. Darwin fell the ground laughing as both balls hit Alaska square in the face, leaving perfectly circular red marks. Paige fell the ground as well as she covered her mouth with both wings, trying hard not to laugh at Alaska’s face. The trainer looked down, her face a cross between anger and amusement, and simply sighed.

“I’m going to get you for that!” She called, and lunged forwards. Paige took off into the air, laughing loudly, as Alaska jokingly clawed after the bird. The annoyance at being stopped from entering the gym quickly left, and Alaska was glad to simply play with her oldest friend for the first time in ages. Though her knees hurt and Darwin’s jumping around threatened to trip her up, Alaska simply laughed and laughed, ready to do this for hours.

A loud horn suddenly interrupted their perfect day.

The sound was loud, rude and unnecessary, and managed to pause Alaska and Paige in their tracks. A small red car had screeched to a halt a few metres away, the male driver poking his head out of the window and yelling at the person who had, presumably, run right in front of him. Alaska glanced around, wondering who was the cause of all of this of commotion, but couldn’t see anyone else in sight.

“Gee Pidge,” Paige whispered, and pointed towards the side of a nearby building. Alaska followed were she was pointing and finally saw who the man was shouting at: it was a figure, gender and age untellable from this distance, though the person was slim and tall and wearing dark clothing. They didn’t seem to care at all about nearly causing an accident, simply rushing away down the street.

Instantly, Alaska thought back to what had happened in the Beedrill nest. There had been the voice that spoke to her: the creepy, unnatural, chilling voice that she didn’t have a face to associate it with. The way this figure was walking, as if it was hoping to get away quickly and without being noticed, Alaska couldn’t help but wonder who it was.

“Come on guys, we’re going,” Alaska said instantly, and bent down and grabbed the PokeBalls and her bag. Paige and Darwin exchanged a glance, but they simply nodded, Paige landing on one shoulder and Darwin beginning to hop alongside. Alaska knew she should be training, getting ready to face Brock again, but this figure seemed too mysterious, and she had to know why and where they were going, if only to solve the question that had been bothering her for days.


The path led, rather surprisingly, towards the Pewter City Museum.
Alaska, Paige and Darwin followed the shadowy figure for ten minutes, moving between buildings and dodging cars, Alaska doing her best to keep an eye out for the person. She managed to keep an eye on him for most of the time, but in the last minute, a speeding cyclist nearly bowled Alaska off her feet. Alaska was ready to fire a few choice insults, but was instead left in stitches when Darwin sent the cyclist flying over the handlebars and threw his bike up onto the roof. By the time Alaska and Paige had stopped rolling on the pavement laughing, attracting many odd looks from the residents, they found the shadowed figure had disappeared from view. The only place he had to have gone in though was the gigantic museum in front.

Alaska had been here only once when she was very young to see an exhibition on ancient ruins with her mother and older siblings, though she couldn’t remember much about it. Standing here, images of the museum came rushing back towards her, though it looked different from last time. It was still three storeys high, with an extensive basement storage underneath, and was painted a very solid shade of mahogany with white along the edges and the windows. Alaska was sure the roof had been pointed last time, but now it appeared to be flat, with several statues of Rock type Pokemon against the edges. A large expanse of grass stood in front, with more statues of both people and Pokemon scattered between trees, magnificent flowers and gazebos that were already full of people.

“This is probably going to be the most intelligent building we visit on this journey,” Alaska told her Pokemon as she made her way forwards up the cracked grey footpath. A revolving door was already turning around, ready to greet them inside the museum. “Now, you two better behave in here. There’s a lot of old crap in here that can’t really be disturbed. Oh, and there’s some ancient displays around as well,” Alaska added with a smile, and Paige and Darwin smirked. Several elderly woman who heard her shot them all wrinkly evil glares, and Alaska simply laughed as she walked up the grand staircase towards the door. A large poster was on either side, showing ancient fossils on a brown background, the large yellow banner reading “FOSSILS OF THE KANTO REGION – Limited Time Only!”

“Looks like we are going to be seeing a few millennium old objects then,” Alaska informed her team, and stepped forwards into the revolving door, ready to find out what the mysterious figure wanted, and wheter it had to do with these fossils.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Twelve

@WinterVines @Alaskapigeon

Chapter Thirteen: Trust This to be Unlucky

Alaska was overwhelmed the second she walked in.

The museum was clearly huge judging just by the atrium. It was the size of Alaska’s entire house, with a few more houses piled on top to make up the extra floors. It was very white and pristine, with huge white tiles that seemed to sparkle as people walked over them. Gigantic columns flanked the marble staircase and the entrance to the other exhibits. More people were staring over the balconies on the other floors, and as Alaska looked up at them, she saw the gigantic glass skylight that was in between two magnificent crystal chandeliers, swamping the room with light.

“I’m going to go right ahead and call it: this is the fanciest building we will enter during this trip!” Alaska told Paige and Darwin, taking a few more steps in and marvelling the structure. Paige nodded in agreement, but Darwin seemed rather bored, probably because there wasn’t anything to punch. Alaska continued to look at the amazing architecture as she joined a short queue to get a ticket, and stared at the murals of different Pokemon running along each of the balconies.

“Hello ma’am, and welcome to the Pewter City Museum,” a woman in a blue uniform said as Alaska stepped up. “It is $50 for entrance, and your Pokemon must be kept near you at all times if –,”

“$50!” Alaska cried, causing several people to turn around and stare. “I’m only going to be here for a few minutes, I’m not paying that much!”

“- at all times if you insist on keeping them out,” the woman continued as if she hadn’t been interrupted, “and even if you here for one minute or one hour, the price stays the same.” Alaska glared at the woman and was tempting to tell her where she could go and shove her price, but realised that she did need to get in and see where this shadowed man had gone.

“Fine, take your money,” Alaska snapped, dropping the appropriate amount onto the counter, “but tell me this: have you seen any strange men come past, most likely wearing all black?”

“Ma’am, we get a lot of strange men in here, it’s a museum,” the woman replied dryly, grabbing the money and putting it into the till. “Our space exhibit takes up the majority of this floor along with our cafes and stores, the next floor is our research facilities, library, history of the local area and Legendary Exhibit, and the top floor is the Fossils of the Kanto Region.”

“Huh, not much for fifty bucks,” Alaska scowled, and left the woman looking like she’d been slapped as she walked past and entered the atrium.

“Pidgey Pidge Gee Pidge,” Paige whispered into Alaska’s ear as they approached the first staircase on the left.

“I know I’m a bitch Paige, just get used to it,” Alaska replied with a smirk, and marched straight through a tour group and began climbing the stairs. Several vases and paintings were displayed all around, and a glass cabinet Alaska passed as the staircase turned had a number of ancient PokeBalls stored inside. Alaska wished to be able to explore the museum more (especially after the outrageous entrance fee that she would rant about in her blog next chance she got), but finding the mysterious man was more important. Space had never interested her that much, and she only liked libraries when she knew something useful could be found within.

“That exhibit on legendaries is permanent, so he could have come here anytime he wanted,” Alaska explained to Paige as Darwin stared away, staring at the number of things on display as they turned and continued up the stairs. “The science equipment I presume would be well guarded, so he probably isn’t going there – Darwin, don’t touch – which leaves the fossils as the last possible thing to go to,” Alaska concluded, grasping onto Darwin’s hands as he reached out towards a collection of ancient plates.

“Gey Pidge,” Paige said, and Alaska simply nodded as they passed another tour group, struggling to hold onto Darwin’s fidgeting hands.

“It isn’t that crowded, so he should be easy enough to find,” Alaska replied, and Paige sighed and shrugged in response. Alaska rolled her eyes and they ventured up the last few stairs in silence, staring around for any sign of the mystery man. The sunlight coming from the skylight was enough to light their way, but Alaska knew it wouldn’t provide as much light as they passed into the wings, and knew the man had to be hiding in there.

But just as Alaska was about to put her feet onto the top floor, thinking about how to find the man, she heard a cry from behind her and quickly turned. A man was running up behind her, a shocked look on his handsome face. Alaska’s heart fluttered a bit as she stared at the man, who looked in his late twenties, and was wearing a black suit that managed to look casual as it snugged his toned body. His face was youthful and tanned, his eyes a sparkling blue and his hair sandy blonde.

“Mind your Pokemon!” He shouted, and Alaska snapped out of her daydream to find Darwin had slipped out of her clutches without her noticing, scaling the wall towards a vase on top of a decorative marble column.

“DARWIN!” Alaska screamed, and the Mankey froze a few feet away.
“Man Man Man Man Man!” He squawked, but Alaska and Paige both shot him a steely glare, and Darwin let out an angry sigh, leaping off the wall and back onto Alaska’s shoulder that nearly sent her toppling, if the man hadn’t given her a hand.

“Your Pokemon seems a bit restless there,” the handsome said, giving Alaska a sparkling smile as he helped her upright. “It could very well be his nature: is he Naughty or Rash by any chance?”

“I have no idea what that means,” Alaska admitted, the two walking up the last few steps together. “I am not really knowledgeable about some of this Pokemon stuff, I just set out to train them and win badges.”

“Ah, like most trainers I’ve met,” the man laughed. “Learning your Pokemon’s natures can help you work out how to train them and where their strengths lie. If you have a PokeDex, that could tell you, otherwise see a scientist or Pokemon Doctor. You know when it could be helpful,” he continued, and Alaska nodded, actually rather interested. She stared at Paige’s attentive and loyal face and than at Darwin’s distracted and slightly twitchy glare: maybe there was some nature behind them that could help her out with training them and gaining an upper hand on the reality stars.

“I’m Mark, Mark Hansom, by the way,” the man said as they headed down the corridor into the fossil section, passing by a multicoloured metal shield as they did so. “I am on the Board of Directors here and helped to organise this exhibit.”

“Yes you are,” Alaska said, thinking it was in her head, admiring how wonderfully his name matched him.

“Excuse me?” Mark said in surprise, and Alaska stopped dead in her tracks, Paige and Darwin giggling on her shoulders.

“I said, I saw your name on the poster when I came in,” Alaska explained quickly, slurring her words slightly. “I’m Alaska Acevedo, and I’m just on my journey.” Mark’s eyes widened slightly as she said her name, but she blinked and they were back to normal, though there was a look across his face that definitely showed interest.

“Well hello then Alaska,” he said, leading her further inside the fossil exhibit. Alaska, Paige and even Darwin began to stare around at the amazing things on display. Around fifty glass cabinets were placed around the room, ranging from ones you could stare down into to ones set into the wall, each one containing either one or two large fossils or about a dozen smaller ones. Photos, descriptions and text were placed on stands next to each cabinet, and a text and photos about the excavation process had been put on the wall. Several interactive screens were going around the room, groups of children giggling as they pressed the buttons, but the thing that attracted Alaska’s attention the most was a gigantic banner right above her, jogging a few memories of things she had learnt back at school.

Several Pokemon had been painted on there, the image truly spectacular. It showed a clawed Kabutops crawling out from the ocean, scythes raised threateningly, as an army of Kabuto and Omanyte crawled out from behind. A single Omanstar was on top of a rock, tentacles wriggling and waving, calling out into the night. And at the very top of the banner, an Aerodactyl was swooping out of the sky, mouth open wide with teeth bared, wings stretched wide with sharp claws raised deviously. The prehistoric scene was dark and stormy, with a bolt of lightning drawn in the backdrop, and the foliage that surrounded was all dark green and ghostly looking.

The banner seemed so life like that Alaska remembered another horror movie she had watched with her father, involving an Aerodactyl coming back to life and terrorising a small town. The movie monster had scared her terribly back then, and Alaska could feel a bit of a shiver staring into the malicious eyes and gaping black mouth.

“I seriously hope you guys never bring one of those things back to life,” Alaska said to Mark, who chuckled. “I swear that thing would be able to pull you to bits and feast on my flesh within a few seconds!”

“Well, if we manage to bring one back to life, we’ll make sure nothing bad happens like that,” Mark laughed. “It is a Water type, so we’ll have plenty of Pokemon on standby.”

“Have you ever brought a fossil Pokemon back to life before?”

“We were planning too, after we found the Old Amber, Dome Fossil and Helix Fossil needed to bring Aerodactyl, Kabuto and Omanyte back respectively,” Mark explained, looking a bit frustrated as he said it. “The technology was ready and waiting all the way on Cinnabar Island, but then…” Alaska made an ‘aah’ sound, seeing where this was going. Cinnabar Island had erupted several years ago, coating the entire island in molten lava that began to set. It was no simply a giant, bare brown lump in the middle of the ocean, a place people avoided in fear of an eruption happening again.

“But don’t you still have the fossils?” Alaska asked as they walked past displays of fossilised Pidgey feathers and Rattata skeletons. Several elderly women smiled at Alaska, and she noticed a young couple making out behind a cabinet, clearly not here for the educational purposes.

“I would like to say so, as I kept the fossils on my after the eruption. But I stored them in my car during another incident, and I returned to find my car had been destroyed. I don’t know what happened to the fossils, as we didn’t find any remnants of them, but we have teams searching Mt Moon for whatever is left,” Mark explained sadly. He stopped in front of another cabinet, and Alaska turned to investigate. Three things were on display: one was a slightly lump orange-red oval, the other two looked like mounds of rock with different things (one a hill, the other a spiral) carved into them.

“Copies of the fossils?” Alaska asked, looking up and staring into the handsome man’s eyes. Mark nodded, looking rather pained as he stared at the copies, and Alaska could understand why: to come so close to turning a pile of rock into a living, breathing thing only to have it destroyed must be a horrible feeling. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find some more fossils, there have to be some lying around somewhere.”

“I sure hope so,” Mark said, smiling down at her. “I just wish Mt Moon hadn’t caved in and we lost half of the area to explore. It is a real bitch digging up the same area time after time,” and Alaska began laughing. She ignored Paige as she began jabbering away in her ear, enjoying her little bonding moment with Mark.

“PIDGE!” Paige squawked, cuffing Alaska over the head with a wing.

“What?” Alaska snapped back, turning to look at her, but quickly froze.

A man was standing a few metres in front of them. He was wearing a long black coat and a black hat, hiding his features from them all. An Electrode was besides the man, sparking angrily at Darwin, who had leapt off of Paige’s shoulder and had his hands raised in a combat pose.

However, Alaska’s eyes were firmly set on the gun clasped in the man’s pale hands, and she began to wish an Aerodactyl would swoop out of the false amber behind her and whisk her away, not wanting to know what would happen next.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Thirteen

@WinterVines @Alaskapigeon

Chapter Fourteen: More Bang for your Buck

Alaska could feel her breath escape her as she clutched onto Paige, watching the strange man in dark clothing as he took a step forwards, and she quickly realised this was the most scared she had ever been in her life. The robotic Beedrill she knew they would be able to take down, but Alaska had no idea how to unarm a man with a gun in a crowded room who also had an evolved Pokemon that could take hers down.

"Fakes, are these Mr Hansom?" The man said, taking a step forwards, and Alaska quickly registered one key fact about him: it was not the man that stood behind her in the Beedrill's nest. It was someone else who had a secret agenda, someone who it seemed wanted the fossils. Alaska reminded herself to tell Paige I told you so later, but she simply stood still and silent for now, wondering how she could get out of here, along with Mark and all the others cowering museum-goers scattered throught the room.

"That is quite a pity," the man said as he walked forwards, now only a few feet away from Alaska, staring towards Mark. The handsome man glared back at the man, doing his best to keep his composure, but Alaska could see beads of sweat running down his skin in fear. However, she was also now able to see what the man looked like. His skin was very pale but was also spotted with filth and scars, and his eyes were hidden behind darkened glasses. His lips kept twitching and curling as he stood there, breathing deeply towards Mark. The black clothes he wore were dirty and tattered, and Alaska couldn't help but wonder where this filthy person had come from, and wheter he was some deranged homeless junkie like the type her mother would cross the road to avoid.

"It is such a shame: I made a special trip to come here and get the fossils, hoping you would have found them by now," the man sighed in an airy, overdramatic manner. "Maybe you aren't the adventurer you used to be… oh well, I must go to Mt Moon myself. I could have taken your Pokemon, but your Kabutops and Omanstar aren't quite what I'm looking for."

"What, I thought you hadn't brought them back to life!" Alaska gasped, and than gasped again as she realised the attention was now on her: Mark staring fearfully at her, and the strange man turning towards her with a smile on his face. Paige's talons cut into Alaska's skin as the Pidgey seized up, and Alaska felt the same way as the armed man walked forwards, revealing stained yellow teeth as he smiled down at her. He didn't say anything, just smiled, and Alaska wanted to reach out and punch him.

"I thought you just meant Aerodactyl," Mark explained quickly. "We brought a Kabuto and Omanyte back to life, and were working on an Aerodactyl and more experiments when the eruption happened."

"Than that's when I stole the fossils from someone's car," the man explained, smiling down at his Electrode as if it was a glorious thing. "Silly little Marky here didn't lock up properly, so I managed to sneak in and steal them during a tiny little fight, and than buried them in Mt Moon so I wouldn't lose them if my base was ever found. Unfortunately, I never made it back, so I thought I would pop by here and see if they were around here before I went to grab them."

"Let me guess, you were too busy living under a rock to go get them?" Alaska snarled, unable to stop herself. Mark and Paige gasped as the man's face fell into a scowl, and before Alaska knew it his hand was flying through the air. She gasped as it smashed into her face, dizzying her and sending her careering back against the wall.

"MANKEY MAN MAN!" Darwin yelled in protest, but the man simply laughed and held the gun up towards Mark's temple before he could act out. Silence fell across the room as Alaska felt her face, tasting blood inside her mouth, listening as several people trapped in the room began to sob. Why wasn't someone around to help them? Surely somebody must have come up the staircase and headed towards this exhibit, only to find the scene at hand and race back to get help. But no one was there to help, and Alaska lay on the floor staring towards the gun, Paige jabbering away besides her ear.

"If you insult me again, or your Pokemon try anything, I will scatter Mr Hansom's brains across this lovely wall," the man hissed through his smile. "It seems there is no other need for me to be in here, so I think I will leave now. But Electrode will stay here, and if anyone tries to leave, he will electrocute everything in here," the man explained, and on cue Electrode began to spark threateningly, causing more people to whimper and cry. "I am just going to grab some of the technology downstairs to help me with my process, then we will be out of your hair and you can sell your stories to the woman's magazines or become addicted to drugs, whatever helps you cope," and the man turned and began to laugh as he walked past Electrode, his gun still pointed towards Mark. Fear was seeping through Alaska as she watched him go away, but she knew she couldn't let him achieve his goals. There was something seriously wrong with this man, but she was getting the idea Mark knew who it was and had dealt with him in the past, as the handsome man had fear in his eyes that was possibly worse than Alaska's. She had to do something to help, and a plan was already forming in her mind.

"Quick Attack on the gun, now," Alaska hissed to Paige. She heard her gasp and turned her head to see the Pidgey's eyes had doubled in size. Alaska reached out and stroked her feathers, giving her a smile she hoped would mask the worry in her eyes. "You have to, its our only hope, and I know you can do it!" Paige relaxed at the calm words, and together the two looked around the room: the elderly women were shaking horribly, the female of the couple was crying, all the children were sobbing wrecks. Paige knew she had to do it, and she gave Alaska a nod.

"PIDGE!" She screamed before rocketing forwards at an alarming speed, energy engulfing her. Electrode spun around to watch her, glowing yellow to fire an attack, but it was too late: the man turned around as Paige smashed into the gun, making it scream as his fingers snapped, and the weapon spun away towards the wall.

"KEY MAN!" Darwin screamed, and ran forwards with hands raised. A powerful Karate Chop smashed into Electrode before it could locate Paige to fire at, and the oversized PokeBall struck a display, electricity shooting out. The case exploded, sending glass and bits of wood flying around like shrapnel, screams echoing everywhere as people dived for cover.

"Excellent job," Mark said, heaving Alaska up for one hand and throwing two PokeBalls with the other. There was a burst of bright light, and suddenly a great furry, furious Primeape and the hideous and threatening Pinsir had formed, their appearances causing a few more screams from the old ladies.

"STOP THEM!" The strange man screamed as he ran for the gun, but Darwin bounded forwards and brought another Karate Chop down on his shoulders, sending the man sprawling to the ground.

"Brick Break and ViceGrip NOW!" Mark screamed, and turned towards Alaska before checking if the moves had been executed properly. "Alaska, you need to get these people out of here, now! Take them down to the lobby and alert the guards! I can hold Gideon off, just go!"

"I think I should stay," Alaska replied, storing away the fact this man's name was Gideon. "The guards are more likely to listen to you, and I imagine the people will just an official like yourself more than a teenage girl!" This wasn't really why Alaska wanted to stay: she wanted to prove herself to, well, herself. After being rejected by Brock before, Alaska needed to show that she was able to kick some serious butt, even if she only had two unevolved Pokemon. She was a powerful, thoughtful and strategic trainer, and stood just as much of a chance as Mark did. Alaska was surprised he didn't protest, simply sighing and nodding.

"You are probably right. Besides, my Pokemon aren't that well trained anyway, despite what I like to think," Mark said with a hint of a sexy smile. As if on cue, Electrode released a powerful Electric attack as Primeape threw him across the room. The bolts caused more glass to explode and people to scream, and the lights all flickered on before bursting as well. "Good luck, I have a feeling you can do this."

"Thanks," Alaska replied, and looked around to try and find her Pokemon: Darwin and Paige were both chasing after the man Gideon, who was throwing bits of fossil at them as he ducked their attacks.

"EVERYONE MOVE!" Mark yelled, and he ran forwards, Primeape and Pinsir going from battle mode to helping mode as they ushered the people forwards. Electrode was embedded in the interactive screen, growling and unleashing more Thunderbolts at the passing people. Mark picked up the gun as he ran and fired it towards Gideon, but the madman ducked behind a case that shattered as the bullets smashed it.

"Paige, Steel Wing on Electrode, now!" Alaska shouted as the last of the people ran away, Mark yelling out in the distance. As Alaska moved slowly towards Gideon, grabbing a fossil as she did so for a weapon, Paige quickly flew forward with her glowing silver wings.

"Trode Elec Elec," Electrode sparked, trying to fire towards her, but Paige was too speedy and dived towards it. Alaska watched as the Steel Wing struck with such force that Electrode became dislodged, smashing into the wall before rolling forwards, unconscious.

"Brilliant work there Paige!" Alaska called out in delight, and turned back towards where Gideon should be, based on how Darwin was dancing around one case. However, a sudden white light began to glow behind her, and Alaska turned around curiously. Paige was shining a dazzling white, resting on top of the banner which had managed to remain intact during this whole incident. Alaska's jaw dropped as Paige's wings began to spread, her body almost doubling in height and width, her claws getting longer, her plumage growing longer, before glowing the brightest white yet.

"PIDGEEEEOOOOTTOOOO!" Was the cry that followed, and Alaska's face lit up as she stared up at the banner, Paige the Pidgeotto nestling there with wings outstretched and a proud smile on her face. Dazzling yellow and pink plumage grew out of her head and rear, giving her a very elegant look, matched by her silky brown and cream feathers and serious black eyes. Alaska couldn't believe this was happening, and completely forgot about Gideon as she ran forwards in delight, Paige swooping down into her hug.

"Congratulations, this is so awesome!" She screamed, and the two old friends stayed in their hug, Alaska remembering back to when she got Paige three years ago, never imagining her turning from anything other than an adorable little Pidgey.

"Maaan!" A cry shattered their hug, and Alaska and Paige looked up in time to see Darwin soaring towards them. Alaska quickly caught him and turned back towards the bullet-damaged case, Gideon know standing there looking furious, a black PokeBall in his hand that Alaska didn't recognise.

"You are a fool to have gotten involved in this," he hissed as Electrode was brought back. "You are now involved in a game bigger than anything you could have possibly imagined, and I hope you are prepared for the consequences for your actions today!"

"Um, let's see... I stopped you from killing anyone or from getting the technology you were planning on stealing… I can live with that," Alaska said with a smile as Paige and Darwin tensed up on either side, but Gideon simply smirked.

"Your jokes won't save you in the end, and I know where else I can find the technology I need," he snarled, and suddenly pulled something from his pocket. For a moment Alaska thought it was a gun and gasped, but looked down at the black leather suitcase Gideon had pulled out.

"What's that: notes for how to dress badly and a packed lunch from your mum?" Alaska asked, and Paige and Darwin twittered.

"No, actually it's a bomb," Gideon explained, and Alaska and her Pokemon froze in shock, causing the strange man to laugh. He pushed a button on the suitcase and threw it towards the middle of the room, and than pressed a button on his watch. "You have about a minute. I hope you make it out alive, I would like to kill you with my bare hands," Gideon snarled before suddenly glowing a white much like Paige's evolutionary light. There was a blinding flash and when Alaska blinked, the man was gone. She cursed under her breath, wanting to have defeated him here and now, but there were more pressing matters to deal with and she turned to the bomb. Alaska could imagine a ticking sound coming from something that was otherwise rather harmless looking, and she felt sweat trickle down the back of her neck, fear swell up inside of her.

"Alright, I'm not touching that thing, so I suggest we just run screaming and flailing," she said, and Paige and Darwin nodded, and they moved quickly. Alaska had never been particularly fast, but she found some energy as she sprinted forwards, Paige flying above and Darwin jumping alongside. She knew they would get out of the room and towards the stairs, but getting closer Alaska could hear the noise of all of the days customers moving down below, and came to a halt at the top of the staircase: it would undoubtedly be blocked, meaning she wouldn't get completely out of harm's way in time. Alaska needed to get off this floor quickly though, and looking around, all she could see was the balcony that lead towards the open atrium.

"Shit!" She screamed, looking fearfully back towards the waiting bomb, wondering if she had any time left at all. "We need to get down but I don't know how!" Alaska stared at her Pokemon, not wanting to lose Paige after she just evolved, or Darwin and his strength, or lose now, before she had even won a battle…

"Mankey Man Man Key!" Darwin suddenly jabbered, and Alaska looked up, wiping a tear away as the Mankey grabbed the colourful shield they had passed on the way into the exhibit. Darwin raced forwards, holding it up, moving towards the balcony.

"That's insane!" Alaska screamed, knowing what he was suggesting, and wanted to shout something else, form another plan. But a loud, rapid ticking was sounding behind her for real now, and Alaska knew the bomb was about to go off. "Oh what the hell: we'll die one way or another!" She ran forwards and grabbed the shield, resting it on the edge of the balcony and cautiously climbed in. Paige grabbed her shoulders and Darwin leapt in, and Alaska stared over the side. Her heart stopped and leapt up into her throat as she realised she would fall two whole storeys into the large crowd of people gathering below. She was die and possibly take some people with her… it was madness… who in their right minds would do this, even to save their own life…

"MAN!" Darwin screamed, and jumped on the shield, causing it to tip and sending Alaska's stomach up into her throat, joining the scream she released as her whole tipped, the shield beginning to fall.

Than the bomb exploded.

Alaska couldn't see it, but she felt the heat rise up above her as the shield fell, felt the force of the wave as it struck the shield, but than blanked out to everything else as the shield began to spin. Alaska couldn't even scream, feeling her head and brain bounce around, all her organs being rearranged, her bones clattering together. She could feel something around her shoulders, and for a moment she thought it was something hitting her from the bomb, but Alaska realised it was Paige pulling on her, trying to control the shield. In her spinning, blurry vision, Alaska could see people screaming and running, flashes of giant orange cloud that was stretching across, concrete and marble flying everywhere.

Than, as quickly as it had started, Alaska found herself upright, the world back to its right proportions, and could hear and feel Paige's long wings beating as she tried to steady them. The crowd was running out of the way as the concrete smashed into the ground, and Alaska realised they were probably all running away from her. She then realised that Paige was losing control, and they were now heading straight for the admissions desk.

"MOVE IT!" She screamed, before clutching the metal and shutting her eyes.

"KEEEEY!" Darwin screamed in delight, clearly enjoying the experience.

"OOOOTTOOO!" Paige screamed in horror, clearing not enjoying the experience.

The force of impact shuddered through Alaska's body. She heard wood shatter and felt things battering against her, felt the shield being torn away, felt things tearing her clothes and cutting her, and finally felt relief as Alaska rolled along the floor, finally coming to a rest against something.

Alaska groaned as she opened her eyes. People were screaming and running all around, causing a great deal of noise she didn't need to deal with. She glanced around to find the majority of the admissions desk had been destroyed by the falling shield, which now looked fairly dented. Paige was resting against a swivel chair breathing deeply, while Darwin danced excitedly on the spot, clearly enjoying what happened.

"Well… that was interesting," Alaska mumbled, getting to her feet and swaying slightly as she did so. She watched as more people ran past, and looked up towards the section of balcony she had fallen from, which had now been blown apart. "That was a bloody long fall," she said, and Paige grunted in acknowledgement.

"Ma'am, you need to leave, now!" A familiar voice said, and Alaska turned to see the same person who had greeted her before was behind her, dust from the falling concrete across her uniform. Alaska simply gave her the foulest look she could manage, not wanting to deal with anything after what had just happened. She deserved to be thanked for helping to save people and congratulated on managing to survive, not get hurried outside by some museum tart.

"I think I deserve a refund," Alaska snapped, pushing a button on the still intact till and pulling fifty dollars out. "It wasn't really worth the money after all," she added with a touch of acid, leaving the woman with her jaw dropped. Paige and Darwin laughed as they got back on Alaska's aching shoulders, and she turned and headed for the door. She wanted to sit down and think about what had happened. She wanted to find Mark ask what the hell was going on. She wanted to go on her laptop and post about the roller coaster like fall she'd just gone through.

But mostly, Alaska wanted to find Brock and defeat him. She was pretty sure she was ready for him now.