Paldean Knights - Chapter 7

Alola will claim that hawlucha is one of their native species.

Paldea will say that it's one of theirs.

It's very clear that the flying-fighting type was one of the early transplants from one of the regions to the other. I mean, space-llama magic being what it is, there's entirely the possibility that the species originated in both regions simultaneously or was time-traveled back into existence by someone who ran into celebi or something.

But my money was on hawlucha being Paldean.

And that wasn't just regional pride talking, either.

While the debacle with the Four Treasures had destroyed a lot of history, there were some murals that depicted birds that looked a lot like hawlucha fighting side-by-side with the early Paldean Knights as they invaded Orre to the south in the first wave of expansion beyond our homeland. Now, they were disputed, but... on a meta-level, hawlucha was totally a luchadore.

I mean, c'mon.

But the Kahuna very much like to insist that the Old Empire were looters and raiders instead of traders and explorers. Which... yeah, there definitely was raiding and looting going on, but there's also a reason why certain Kahuna are blacklisted from the islands' histories, yet have lavish tombs and surviving descendants with deep pockets even today.

What I’m saying is that there was also a lot of trade going on, and hawlucha populations dipped suddenly around the time when we got into contact with Alola.

For some mysterious reason.

Pawmot, on the other hand, is much more cut and dry.

It's a Paldean original, full stop.

Three stages from pawmi, pawmo, and pawmot. The first is pure electric, the second and final forms are dual-type electric-fighting. Academically, there's some discussion as to whether or not they're an evolutionary (the slow kind) off-shoot of the raichu line. They tend to be heavier, more muscular, slightly taller, and more prone to hibernating than the electric squirrels are, though.

Unlike hawlucha, they're also illegal to export and are on a restricted list for traveling trainers along with about three dozen other pokemon that are regionally-recognized as some of the last true Paldea ecological heritage. Within Paldea, though, they're very common, very friendly, and have a good bit of potential to turn into a top-tier battler.

Oh, and I've heard that researchers have actual fist-fights over whether or not it qualifies as a 'bond evolution' or not, so there's that too.

“Let's get moving!” Nemona cried, and that was good enough for the start of the battle.

“Paw!” The orange-yellow pokemon cried, beginning to bounce around the field energetically.

Agility, huh... interesting that she's not going for the quick finisher.

Hawlucha, after all, had a secondary flying typing. That meant a weakness to electric types. And this pawmot had been in a top eight team for a conference battler. Nemona could have finished this in one blow, if she'd wanted to. Regardless of my pride in the above-average size and strength of pokemon in this reserve, they were still wild pokemon.

And the vast majority of wild pokemon just couldn't stand up to a competently-trained one.

Especially with type advantage.

I watched as the hawlucha stayed back, brandishing its claws as they shone with dark energy.

“Mow!” Sprigatito cried from my shoulder, keenly watching the battle.

“Yep, that's right. It just used 'hone claws,'” I nodded, recognizing the dark-type move as a common preparatory move for their breed. “You already know that one, huh?”

If hawlucha loved to do one thing above all else, it was to show off.

“Prr,” Sprigatito rumbled, nodding proudly.

“Make it fast!” Nemona ordered, and – in an instant – Pawmot was across the field.

Agility into quick attack, basic but useful. Speeding up into a priority move.

I blinked. W-was she tutoring me?

Hawlucha was struck, sent reeling, but landed on his feet with a slight stagger. Then he turned and glowed with grayish-

Pawmot's eyes widened and he sped up again, launching himself across the grassy field and heading right into a-

I blinked again, tilting my head as Pawmot's back slammed into the ground. “Did he just clothesline that pawmot?”

“Encore and wing attack!” Nemona gushed. “Oh, you'll be a great addition to my team. Pawmot, let's finish this! Strike him down!”

That seemed to be all the encouragement her pokemon needed as, with a mighty heave, it was up and glowing a bright yellow. The air around us stung with a static charge before the move was released. Instantly, hawlucha tried to dodge, but it was no use as the yellow energy transitioned to a blue cage of expanding lightning.

“Discharge.” Nemona's quiet declaration rang out, her grin just as fierce as Pawmot's. “Paw-Paw!”

“Lucha!” The bird across from him replied in a sharp caw as he stood up...

Or tried to. Small arcs of electricity coursed over its legs and I grimaced.

“Mrow?” Sprigatito asked.

“Paralysis,” I told her, not taking my eyes off the climax of the battle. “Hawlucha will have a hard time moving until it gets treated or healed. That's in addition to the damage it took.”

“I don't want to hurt you,” Nemona stated loudly, taking a step forward. “Is that enough? If you become my pokemon, I'll make you strong, I promise!”

I frowned again, my eyes flicking between the trainer and the injured flying-type.

Does she really not know? Is all that instinctual?

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. She was a high-level ace trainer, no doubt. But still... there was only so much you could practice and train. Some things boiled down to natural aptitude and talent, even if you didn't know you had it.

“Haw!” The pokemon cried out defiantly, then winced as it tried to move again.

It was still clearly ready for a fight.

Nemona frowned, then snorted as her expression twisted into a smile. “I admire your spirit! I'll catch you after you're knocked out. Alright then, get ready! The next one is going to finish it!”

Hawlucha nodded jerkily, readying himself.

“Thunder shock!” Nemona cried.

“Pawmot!” Her pokemon roared, glowing again.

“Hawlucha!” The bird shouted back, shifting subtly as its eyes gleamed with the faintest orange light.

My eyebrows rose and my lips twisted upwards.

The lightning didn't hit. By the slimmest of margins, the bird danced between the strikes, pushing itself through the paralysis as it desperately tried to keep up. Then, as the attack faded, hawlucha jumped, hit the ground, and went high-

“It bounced, Pawmot!” Nemona shouted. “Take the hit and nuzzle it!”

“HAAAA-AAAAAW!” Hawlucha cried out at the apex of its jump.

“PAW!” Pawmot shouted, determined as it set its feet in the ground, ready to absorb the blow.

The collision of the two monsters was heavy, the ground shaking briefly as they collided. Pawmot had been knocked flat once again, but he'd held on as he fell, taking Hawlucha with him to the ground this time. And, in the wake of their mutual collapse, sparkling electrical discharge filled the air once again.

“Haw!” The bird squeaked, pulsing with the discharge of another electrical attack, then collapsed entirely.

A moment of quiet expectation hung in the air.

“Phew!” Nemona sighed, chuckling in relief. “That was a nasty little surprise. I can't believe you already know detect, too. Man, you're going to be useful.”

“Mrow?” Sprigatito asked as she looked up from my lap.

“Detect is a move that can prevent damage from an opponent's technique, if it's successful. You usually find it commonly among fighting types and normal types, though some other types have it – a few dark and ghost types, even.”

“Mow?” She asked again, tilting her head as Nemona pulled out a pokeball and threw it, Pawmot having gently lowered the unconscious hawlucha off itself and onto the grass beside it.

“Ah... no, you don't learn that one normally,” I replied, carefully searching my memory. The sprigatito line had a fairly well-documented traditional move set. “But you do learn protect, which is usually called its counterpart. Instead of allowing you to dodge or miss damage, protect shields you from it. Very useful.”

She purred and nodded, then leaped up onto my shoulder as I nudged her so I could stand.

“Good battle,” Lyra offered, giving Nemona a respectful nod.

“Thanks!” The tanned girl grinned, her cheeks flushed with energy, then she grinned at me as she picked up her now-full pokeball. “I hope the prince was paying attention, too!”

“I was,” I nodded respectfully. “I wouldn't pass up a chance to get a few tips in.”

“Good, I'm glad-” Nemona began, then was cut off by a ruckus.

“Haw-Haw-Lucha!” The pair of birds behind us cheered excitedly.

Nemona and Lyra tensed.

“Are they going to attack?" Lyra asked, looking to me.

I snorted, shaking my head. “They're celebrating. Hey, we're going to head off, okay? You guys can have your party!”

There was a quick exchange of calls, then another cheer as they bounced into the trees and disappeared. Instantly, Lyra and Nemona relaxed as their calls faded into the distance.

Really? I mean, c'mon... even if you don't understand them, it's pretty obvious from tone and posture that they were happy!

“Okay, we should be heading... that way,” I pointed off towards a thicker tree that cut through the afternoon sun and cast deeper shade.

“Ah,” Lyra said, sighing.

“What's wrong?” Nemona asked, looking between us.

“That's the bug-type section of the forest,” Lyra sighed, rubbing at her short-cropped red hair. “With a bunch of ghost types sprinkled in.”

“It's during the day, so most of the ghosts will be sleeping,” I waved her off, then paused. “Actually, the bugs we'll be going for are usually nocturnal as well. But they'll get up for me.”

“Huh, there are ghost types here, in the forest?” Nemona asked, looking around. “I thought ghosts mostly preferred abandoned areas that were... built by humans?”

“For the most part, that's the case.” I hummed, then paused in my walking. “But the catacombs beneath the palace extend at least partially underneath this forest. So ghosts frequently phase through the ground to get up here.”

“Catacombs?” Nemona asked, looking down at her feet. “I've never heard about those...”

“They're not frequently a subject of polite conversation,” Lyra chimed in, her tone slightly reprimanding, and I just rolled my eyes. “But, yes, there are catacombs beneath the palace. They were originally constructed in the wake of the Four Treasures, but have been expanded over the centuries to serve as burial grounds for the royal family.”

“Hmm... yeah, I guess a place like that would be popular with ghost pokemon,” Nemona hummed aloud. “Are there any interesting lines down there?”

“Gengar, golurk, mismagus, polteageist, a cofagrigus or two, sabeleye, chandelure, banette, a few houndstone, gimmighoul... I think that's it,” I muttered, thinking over all of the ghosts I'd seen down there. “Plus a few others. Bugs that like the dark. Dark types, too, obviously.”

“...that's a lot of ghosts,” Nemona replied, her eyes wide.

“There are two or three that prefer the forest, though,” I nodded off to the side where a series of small stumps were nearly-hidden next to a small pond. “Phantump, for instance. Ghost-grass dual types tend to prefer habitats where they can get sun, feel the wind, and have fresh water.”

“How many ghost types are there around here?” Nemona asked in disbelief, her head on a swivel.

“Not quite all of them...” I frowned in mild disappointment. “Seriously, would it be too much to ask for a honedge?”

“Ahh... I know that feel,” Nemona chuckled. “Those are popular ghosts in Kalos and Galar, aren't they?”

I nodded grumpily. “Ghost-steel types, very good pokemon. They're on the short list of pokemon I'd like to have on whatever team I eventually build for the conference.”

“Though... Miss Lyra, you must have a high tolerance for ghosts if you follow him down into the catacombs and all around this forest,” Nemona grinned. “I'm impressed.”

“Ah...” Lyra began, wincing.

“I usually don't bother her when I head down there or come out here,” I waved Nemona off as I looked around and spotted the specific tree I was looking for.

“Eh?” Nemona blinked, staring at me. “But... you just got your starter today, didn't you?”

“Yeah, why?” I asked, mostly preoccupied with pulling berries out of my bag. I knew which ones these guys liked.

“So... who, um... escorted you?” Nemona asked awkwardly. “Your parents are usually busy, right?”

“I usually just go by myself,” I shrugged, setting my bag down fully and kneeling by the tree. Sprigatito shifted on my shoulders and I paused for a moment, adjusting to the weight. I'd need to get used to that. I mean, there was someone who had played babysitter for a while. But I couldn't exactly talk about Aunt Francisca without starting a whole shitstorm, so... “Let's see, how did that go? Right.”

Shave and a haircut, two bits!

“You go by yourself,” Nemona replied in a dull tone of disbelief.

“Shh,” I cautioned her as part of the bark began to move. “They're skittish. No loud noises.”

Lyra sighed in the background, taking a step back.

I did the knock again and, slowly, the patch of bark moved out of the way entirely. A sleepy bug finally came to the exit of the small underground din, flexing its mandibles in a wide yawn. Why did bugs yawn? No fucking clue.

“Niii~iiin,” it whined, squinting against the dim sunlight streaming through the densely-packed trees.

“Oh? Not even for berries?” I asked, showing one off and getting its attention. “I thought so.”

“Nin-nin!” Nincada chirped out tilting its feelers back towards the opening under the tree.

“Oh, what are those?” Nemona asked.

“Nincada,” I replied, glad that she was at least keeping her volume low. “Bug-ground dual-type. Not native to the region, so you wouldn't know them. They're actually listed as an invasive species and you're supposed to report them to rangers if you find them.”

“Really?” Nemona frowned. “I've heard of that, but... the only other pokemon I can remember on those lists are... pidgey? Yeah, I think that one. Tiny bird, right?”

I snorted, nodding as a few more nincada streamed out of the nest, selecting berries as they emerged. “They compete with rookidee over common food sources and, when they're not doing that, they and their evolutions devastate the arboliva line's olive crops and oil.”

Yep, pigdey was illegal in Paldea.

Or, well... not illegal, necessarily. You could still import one and they were common enough no one really cared when you brought one to a different region, but they were absolutely illegal to release into the wild here. The mountain range between us and Kalos kept all but the rare and stubborn pidgey out of the region, so the only way for them to get here – usually – was for them to be smuggled or released by careless trainers.

“Nincada have a similar problem to pidgey,” I sighed, doling out scratches and attention to the timid bug types. “They're mostly-nocturnal and make dens underneath trees, but the species of tree that they prefer isn't native to Paldea, either. Our trees don't take kindly to bug types making giant burrows underneath their root systems, so it kills them. The trees around here, that cast more shade? Those are a variety from Galar that won't be harmed by their nesting habits. There was an incident...

I paused, thinking about it.

“...about fifty years ago?” I nodded slowly. “Where a breeder died and his stock got loose into an orchard next to his land. Ruined not just the crop, but the trees as well. He'd been trying to introduce them to profit off the webbing they make. It's unusually strong and can seal cement cracks in large structures.”

“Why not just use spidops?” Nemona asked. “I thought people used them for that, plus they're... well, they're okay battlers, too. And if those are ground types, you wouldn't be able to use them near or underwater, would you?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, that's pretty much what everyone he tried to sell them to thought as well. Spidops webbing isn't the best at it, but no one really wants to pay top-dollar when something less expensive will get the job done. So no one really wanted to buy one.”

“That's a shame, they're pretty cute for bug types,” Nemona hummed, taking a cautious step over and holding out a hand for one to rub their antenna along. “Not poisonous, right?”

“They can pick up a poison type move or two if they get strong enough,” I replied, watching her tense as she tentatively pet one. “But not in the wild, no. They're naturally very timid pokemon, hibernate for significant portions of any given month, and generally don't like battling.”

“Huh,” the tanned girl muttered, looking at me oddly. “And... you want one, right?”

“Mow?” Sprigatito asked, having been observing the pale bugs curiously. “Mrow?”

I chuckled and nodded. “Don't worry, any pokemon can become strong enough if you train it well. And... there are always exceptions to every rule.”

At last, one final nincada stumbled out of the nest, limbering up in the warm air before pracning over to me. He was a bit bigger than the others, a bit more muscular and focused. We'd worked hard at building up a tolerance for light, after all. “Hey buddy, I know it's early, but are you still on board?”

The bug paused, rearing up slightly in surprise. Large, over-sized eyes blinked at me, neon green irises growing and shrinking as it focused on me.

“Cada?” He chirped, tilting his head.

“If you still want to see the world,” I nodded, pulling out a pokeball.

“Inca?” He pressed.

“Yep, I promise,” I replied, unwilling to vocalize the specifics. Like almost every pokemon who could, he wanted to evolve. Even if I guaranteed that, though, Nemona didn't need to know about the surprise that it would generate.

I really didn't know what was up with the pokedex that nincada wasn't detailed.

I'd even checked to see if Professor Oak was alive and, by all appearances, he was perfectly fine running a research lab. Granted, it appeared to be in Viridian instead of Pallet, for some unknown reason, but he'd done a lot of work on the 'dex as per what I knew of canon. Granted the pokedex I expected to get at school looked more like a huge '80's-style cell phone brick than the sleek and modern smartphone I'd seen in the later versions.

So, yeah, fuck if I know why poke-tech was just not quite as advanced, but I'm kind of glad I got shortchanged on the 'dex rather than... healing or whatever.

Maybe Sinnoh had more information on them? I remember some being in the Eterna Forest vaguely, but they were rare in Kalos, and Galar considered them pests.

Heck, my parents and grandparents only knew about nincada because of the infestation I'd mentioned earlier and my own chattering about them. Because nincada were generally pretty reclusive pokemon. You had to go out of your way to find them, moreso than most others. They also tended towards being nocturnal, which reduced their 'encounter rate' further.

...and, honestly, I wasn't all that confused about why no one had reported them evolving. Ghost types had a pretty bad rep in most regions, even if Paldea, Galar, and Kalos were better than most of the other regions. If you caught a 'neat bug type' for the sake of rarity and one day it evolved, producing two pokemon, one of which was a shed husk that happened to be a ghost-type...

A lot of people probably ran screaming from that discovery and, without evidence, people understandably called bullshit.

Or, a worse possible outcome was that they looked into the haunted husk where ninjask removed itself from the shell.

If I recall correctly, there were pokedex entries that indicated it, 'stole your spirit' if you looked inside. So... any trainer unlucky enough to decide to closely inspect their newly-evolved pokemon might have just ended up dead. I considered it... somewhat unlikely that shedinja accidentally killed its trainers, but... I mean, mimikyu existed.

I wasn't going to risk it, in other words.

Hmm... maybe make shedinja a little cape or something?

I pushed that thought aside as I extended the pokeball to nincada and smiled. “You still want a place on my team, it's yours, buddy.”

“Nin!” It chirped and leaned into the ball, tapping it and allowing it to open and suck the bug into it in a swirl of red light.

Beside me, Nemona made a noise of frustration, and I blinked as I turned to her. “What?”

“Nothing,” she sighed, rubbing at her face tiredly.

I traded a look with sprigatito and shrugged.

“Okay, I'll be visiting a little less now that I'm moving to a bigger nest, guys,” I warned them, rubbing at various carapaces and doling out a few more berries. “But I'll try to swing by every now and then, okay? Oh, and the offer's still open if you want to move to my stable. Think about it and I'll transfer you next week if you like the idea.”

There were a few more chirps and attention-seeking probes sent my way, but we were allowed to leave without further fanfare, the pokemon filing back into the underground den and sealing it behind them.

“So, I've got to ask... you going to fill up your entire team today?” Nemona poked me lightly, her expression curious. “I think that'd be a first, as far as I've heard.”

“Well, I already had my egg,” I pointed out, tapping the incubator's case from where it hung under my left arm. “Sprigatito makes two. Smoliv is three. Nincada is four. We've only got one more to pick up today, though, so I should have an empty spot on my battle team.”

“Oh, what's left? Want one of those stump-ghosts we passed? Another grass type?” Nemona guessed.

I chuckled and shook my head, grabbing my bag and standing up as I dusted myself off. “Nope to all three. But we've got to get to the other side of the forest from the hawlucha, though.”

The curiosity in her gaze intensified as Lyra sighed deeply. “Your highness... they're a nuisance.”

“A useful one, though!” I replied happily.

~~~

>Starts to write Mind Games.

>Finds himself a thousand words into a chapter of pokemon.

Anyway! I hope people enjoy more pokemon. Again, just on a kick for this story for some reason. I've got one more chapter in this introduction arc and then we'll be back at the house doing some training and having a birthday before going to school. That'll be fun. Also, I've planned a few surprises to give Aznaro an unexpected friend group and some deep plot hooks for later on. Also, this is a buffer chapter, so enjoy having a larger stack of exclusive stuff for this one as it builds to its own thread.

As for the next update? Definitely Mind Games. Got a good chapter planned and should have it up in a few days. My regular work hours do restart on Monday, what with the big storm's leavings finally defrosted, but I'll still try to get a headstart on the chapter tomorrow.

February Polls will be up in an hour or so, look forward to that.