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Rattata Chapter 53: Inbetween season
🕑 Added 2025-03-10 03:00:04 +0000 UTCThe rough waves stirred up from an eastward wind slammed against the barren cliffs south of Pallet.
Joey stood on the rocky outcropping, holding up a pair of binoculars that had been a part of Oak's camping package.
Far away in the distance, not perceivable to the naked eye, lay Cinnabar and its famous volcano. Right now, it was just a tiny dot in the distance, but in a few months, it was the place where he'd get his sixth badge.
"It's cold, isn't it?" Joey asked aloud, shivering slightly. It was a sunny and pleasant day, but the wind was rough, and it made the cold penetrate straight to his bones.
It was always the wind that was the issue, not the temperature. He shook his head and zipped up the yellow and blue ranger jacket that had also been included in the equipment ensemble.
"Sorry, Jessie, I'll have to be a fashion disaster for a few more weeks," he muttered to himself as he blew into his hands to reheat them.
He could have very easily gone full ghost to ignore the temperature, but sometimes, it was good to face the elements. After all, this was the testing phase for next year's journey. Although, by this time next year, he'd likely be done travelling. There was a reason that the season was put on break for the winter months. Winter in Kanto was relatively mild, but even during irregular snowfall and temperatures that barely fell below zero, outside activities still became unnecessarily difficult.
The year after next, he'd likely be going to Hoenn, which had a tropical climate. He'd heard that they didn't truly experience winter, but rather a harsh monsoon season. It was then that they'd set their League break period.
"So, what do you think?" Joey asked, turning around to face his team.
It was interesting that he only had small Pokemon. He was the biggest.
Rattata, standing on his haunches, was as tall as his knee, while Diglett was even smaller. Metapod reached to his waist, and Misdreavus, while floating and thus appearing larger, was basically only as large as his torso.
The tent he'd gotten was big enough to accommodate his entire team for a while more. And even when the egg he'd rightfully stol- acquired hatched, he'd have a Happiny before he got a Chansey.
He still felt giddy at that. A Chansey. A dream come true.
His eyes inadvertently shifted towards the light brown tent in which the egg was resting, nestled in the sleeping back next to a lit oil lamp.
The only issue with the Happiny plan was that by the time he got his fifth badge and expanded his carry limit again, the egg might very well hatch.
Thankfully, one could carry baby Pokemon for a while before catching them, and it was even recommended.
He'd think about it when it came to that, however.
Rattata tilted his head as if asking what Joey was actually talking about, referring to his previous question, 'So, what do you think?'
The youngster swept out his arms, encompassing in one movement the sea, the sun and the forest behind them. "The journey!" he exclaimed. "Traversing the rugged nature in search of victory and personal development. Roughing it in the wilds to build character. Facing unpredictable challenges and always being on our toes against unforeseen dangers. A trek through the whole country, a man's romance!" Joey continued excitedly.
His Pokemon remained unimpressed.
"Bleurgh," Metapod puked out a large batch of poison on the floor, where it started sizzling at the windswept grass. She obviously hadn't been listening and had instead been working on degrading that Everstone.
Rattata, for his part, was idly picking his ear, looking unimpressed at the tent that Joey had staked into the ground. He slumped together. Out of the whole team, he was the one who'd stayed in Joey's room at the orphanage the longest. Long enough, apparently, to develop a bit of a taste for inane luxuries such as heating and walls.
Misdreavus, for her part, simply bobbed up and down thoughtfully as if considering Joey's words. She was a very old ghost, so Joey knew that once she started thinking about something too deeply, she'd be stuck like that for a while.
He slumped together before looking at Diglett. The little Mole-like Pokemon was staring up at him with sparkles in his eyes. "Dig," he said in wonderment, probably only not shouting because of his shy nature.
"You understand, Diglett," Joey said with a satisfied nod of his head. "Conquer the region, conquer the gyms, all while using our two feet to map the world," he said, receiving blank looks from three of four team members who didn't have feet.
Joey turned around and pointed to Cinnabar. "It is there that our future lies, and we shall defeat anyone that tries to stop us," he said, only for the part of the sea he was pointing at to spontaneously evaporate as what appeared to be a dozen or so Hyper Beams suddenly shot into the sky hitting the few clouds on it and ruthlessly dissipating them.
Immediately after, an entire school of Gyrados emerged from underneath the waves and started attacking each other fiercely, churning up the water around them into a jacuzzi of blood and violence.
Now, all of Joey's Pokemon looked at the youngster sceptically. The youngster sweatdropped. "We'll defeat almost everyone, okay? " he corrected himself.
The Gyrados were suddenly swept up in a dark blue draconic twister, and Joey could barely make out in the distance as a huge Kingdra emerged from the deep sea to glare at the chain attack of Magikarp evolutions that had occurred in its territory. It blew its majestic snout and sent the tornado of angry Gyrados, still sending out Hyper Beams in another direction. Thankfully, it was not towards Joey or Cinnabar but westward, towards the open sea.
"We'll defeat most of those who stand in our way," Joey said with a line of snot trailing down his nose.
The Kingdra descended back into the rough sea, turning the blue expanse featureless again.
He turned around to see his Pokemon's wide-eyed looks before coughing into his hand.
"Ignore that," he said helpfully. "Let's plot a course for next year instead," he said, trying to switch the topic.
He'd put a lot of thought into determining the trail he'd blaze through the region and had come to some obvious conclusions as to which gyms came first and which came last.
"First, we're going to head to Pewter for the rock-type gym," he informed his Pokemon. "I checked, and the fifth badge team doesn't use moves such as Magnitude or Earthquake yet; this means we can focus on fighting rather than just surviving," he said, nodding at Diglett, who preened from the attention. "Ground is super effective against rock, so you'll be our main weapon, Diglett," Joey concluded. "We'll work on your Mud Bomb, and then we'll unleash you on our enemies. I know that your move-set is a bit simplistic, consisting of mostly ground-type moves, but there is nothing that speaks against building a strong base in your main element before expanding the move-set. Astonish can be set aside for the moment."
Diglett nodded enthusiastically at Joey's words and blushed a bit.
The youngster turned to Rattata. "You'll be our second focus; with your Rock Smash and Counter, we'll even the odds further. This and Dig will be our focus for the next two months."
His starter nodded seriously.
Then to Metapod. "You'll come out first, like usual, to prep the terrain. Diglett's sandstorm will carry the poison. Rock types are just as vulnerable to poison as any other, and if nothing else, it will be the continuous damage that may help us break through the defence they are known for.
Metapod vomited a river of poison on the floor.
Joey turned to Misdreavus, who had a faraway look in her eyes. "You don't have any specific advantages, and we still have to solidify your foundation, so you'll come in when needed, but if all goes to plan, we'll wipe Pewter with three Pokemon."
Joey paused. "It's in Cinnabar where we'll get the sixth badge. The gym leader there will be a former Elite Four member, and he'll focus on fire types. Diglett, you'll be the main again," he said, at which point Diglett blinked in surprise. "It's here that the solidification of our ground-type moves will come in handy again. Super effective against fire."
He turned to Rattata. "That's why we'll be focusing on Dig as well," he said. "Metapod, you might have to sit this one out more; the fire can burn up the poison, and the string shot quite easily; Misdreavus will take third here. Maybe by then, we'll have Dream Eater down," he mused the last bit out loud.
"After this comes Koga, the poison-type specialist. For the purposes of that gym, you'll be front and centre, Metapod," he said. "Your immunity to status effects will be the saving grace when the time comes to reset the field. Similarly, Rattata," he said, turning to his starter. "We'll get you started on immunity training now, just like Metapod did back then with the toxic orb."
Joey's starter nodded enthusiastically.
"Then Misdreavus, and then Diglett," Joey decided for last. "For the eighth badge, we'll take on King and his water types again. I don't quite know the strategy yet because it will be in a year, but we'll figure it out."
His Pokemon grew more serious at the mention of the slightly rotund Cerulean gym leader. Not wanting them to dwell on the defeat they'd experienced, still fairly recently, two weeks ago, Joey clapped his hands.
"Let's get to work!"
-/-
The next two weeks camping on the cliffs south of Pallet passed by in a satisfying blur. It was the first time in a long time that Joey had been able to focus exclusively on his Pokemon and on themselves rather than have them prepare for different jobs, challenges, and gym battles.
The biggest change that he noticed was the fact that in comparison to the beginning when he'd started training each and every one of them, the training had, if anything, become easier.
They'd all matured massively throughout the recent tribulations. Rattata was calmer and more thoughtful, Metapod less hateful and hasty, Diglett less shy and more assertive, and Misdreavus, well, Misdreavus hadn't changed that much. She'd been with the team for the shortest time, after all.
Another benefit of the time that had passed was that all of Joey's Pokemon were now, if anything, quite battle-hardened. After all, having gone through five gym battles and having four gym badges meant that the youngster technically had a team that was half-ready for the Indigo Conference. This, of course, didn't mean much as even being battle-hardened meant one could lose in the first round, but it was true that his Pokemon had started undergoing the process of becoming veterans of battle with all the increased knowledge of their own move-sets and experience using them that this came with.
Rattata was finding out how much unpleasantness his first teammate, Metapod, had been going through all this time as the Toxic Orb now hung on his neck alongside the Everstone.
To his merit, he didn't complain at all, occasionally sending a pitying or challenging look towards Metapod but otherwise staying completely and utterly focused on training his Rock Smash and Counter. The trees, rocks and Pokemon in the area were starting to feel the pain and bruises, suspiciously the exact size of the small Pokemon's closed paw. Counter was a bit more difficult to train since it required being hit with a physical move first, but Diglett occasionally came over with Dig to helpfully provide the energy.
Joey had considered if he should try to teach Rattata Iron Tail as well but had eventually decided against it. The thing was that while Rock Smash and Detect had both reached an absurdly high level, Counter was a technique that his starter was still struggling with and was powerful enough to merit a singular investment. Counter for Flint and then Dig for Blaine. Rattata's moveset was actually very well-suited for the challenges ahead. Quick Attack, Hyper Fang and Swift were all maxed out, even if the latter would likely never deal a particularly high amount of damage. Bite would likely forever remain a work-in-progress, but it was serviceable enough. Iron Tail wouldn't actually expand Rattata's damage by too much, and the fighting type had more super-effective matchups. So, maybe after he mastered Counter, it would be time to teach Rattata Shadow Ball or Thunder Wave or something. He'd decide later.
Diglett was meanwhile working hard on solidifying his moveset as well, oddly fitting as it was for the next two gyms as well. Ground type was super effective against fire and rock. As a mostly new technique, they were still eeking improvements out of Astonish. Currently, there was no need to focus on new moves.
No, the two Pokemon focused on new moves were actually Metapod and Misdreavus, or as he liked to call them, the M&M combo. Misdreavus had a good move set that still needed perfecting, but Dream Eater was progressing at a rapid pace.
Misdreavus wasn't a priority against Flint or Blaine, but she'd be instrumental against Koga with her resistance to both Bug and Poison and her super-effective Psywave and Dream Eater. Since in addition to taking little damage, she could also heal herself, it would get a bit nasty.
Of course, for Dream Eater, you needed a practice partner, and it was here that Metapod came in. With her ability Shed Skin, she didn't stay down too long from the Hypnosis, allowing Misdreavus to train in both the necessary moves. It was here that Joey had finally decided to use a TM that he'd already had, in addition to buying the Dream Eater one for Misdreavus. He'd given Metapod Sleep Talk, with the possible future intention of giving her Rest as well when she evolved. The reason was that it was unfair to have Metapod sleep away her training time just to help Misdreavus, especially considering that while she was an absolute master of Harden, Poison String and Bug Bite, she still needed to work on Iron Defence and Electroweb.
Sure, it was a bit dangerous, and all the other participants had to run for their lives occasionally, as the sleeping bug shot out Poison String or Electroweb rather randomly when Joey called out "Sleep Talk," but practice made perfect.
Everyone was on a fast track of improvement, the battle experience gains they'd made by battling it out against anyone they could find the whole year being solidified into a functional whole as they finally got a breather, not having to prepare for one specific opponent to an almost obsessive degree.
This was why, for the first time since the beginning of his career, Joey didn't appreciate the interruption of his training, which came in the form of a battle request.
Joey looked at the other brown-haired boy who'd appeared on what he was starting to consider his cliff just to interrupt one of his last sessions before he went back to Pallet and then to the Conference with Oak.
"Professor Oak told me I'd find a good trainer to practice against here. Are you sure he meant you?" David asked disparagingly.
Joey didn't reply and looked the other boy up and down. The last time he'd seen David was when he'd lost against Surge in Vermillion half a year ago. The boy had grown a bit since then and was wearing a combination of hiking boots, jeans and a brown jacket.
"Shouldn't you be busy losing to a gym leader despite a type-advantage somewhere," Joey responded in kind, seeing as the kid had insulted him in the first sentence. Who even did that?
The boy ran red in the face before unzipping his jacket to show off that he had eight badges. Distinctly missing were the two badges from Koga and Giovanni. Instead, the two slots were replaced with those of minor gyms. "I have eight badges," he bragged. "How many do you have?" he asked, looking at Joey's team, which had stopped training. "What, one, you still have a Metapod?" he guffawed before furrowing his brows when he saw Misdreavus and Diglett.
Joey's team, which had stopped their training at the sudden interference, bristled at the insult, and Rattata protectively went to step in front of his bug teammate. To protect David, that was, since Metapod would have likely blasted the kid in the face with an Electroweb if the line of attack was clear.
"Did you literally only come here to be an asshole?" Joey asked confusedly. Who did this kid think he was? "I don't even feel like battling, so go away," he said, making a shooing motion with his hand.
David grimaced. "The professor gave me a message for you and raved about how impressed he was by your showing that he gave you a Pokedex. Do you really think you deserve it?"
"Whether I deserve it or not is really not up to you," Joey muttered. "What's the message?"
David snorted. "Tomorrow at 8 am, we're all leaving for the conference. Be there," he said.
"Alright, messenger boy, you did your job. Now blow off," Joey replied.
David sneered, his small brown eyes wrinkling even further. "Someone from the youngster program doesn't deserve a Pokedex. Battle me; when I win, you can give it back."
"Literally no," Joey replied, finally standing up. "Why would I even battle you with that ante? You have nothing I want."
David huffed. "I see that you're just a coward. Let's do it for money then. 10.000 Pokedollars."
There was an option on the PokeNav battling program to set your own ante instead of letting the system determine what was fair. Suffice it to say, if Joey lost to David under normal conditions where badges determined odds, he'd barely lose anything if he lost, whereas David would lose a lot.
"What are you, scared?" Joey asked. "System-generated badge-based rewards, 100x ante," he replied. Adding a multiplier to the win was how you actually hedged a bet, not by inputting a flat amount to supersede the badge difference.
David obviously hesitated. Joey would owe the boy 200 Pokedollars if he lost, which, multiplied by 100x, was a hefty sum of 20.000 if David lost under those conditions. An eighth badge trainer losing to a fourth badge one would owe at minimum 2000 Pokedollars, times a 100, that was 200.000, a budget of several months worth. It was probably the boy's entire savings.
David was obviously hesitating because he realised this. He'd likely tried to be safer by offering a 10k flat, assuming that this was a lot of money for Joey, but not for him. Now, the tables were reversed. He probably hadn't expected to be called out on his trick.
"Fine, let's do 10x," Joey said with a roll of his eyes. "You fucking loser," he added.
David angrily pulled out his Pokenav. Joey did the same.
"I still want to train hereafter, so a 1v1 should do," Joey muttered as he added a 10x multiplier and sent the battle request.
David accepted.
Comments
Ethan medabot
Thx out of all your books this ones my favorite and I hope for a lot please on my hands and KNEES here it's so good 😭🙏
bor902
I post an update schedule once a month, it should be pinned on the main page :=)
Ethan medabot
Can I ask what's the update schedule for this book?
iDogei
thanks for the chapter!
Simplexity
Use Metapod and style on him.......
