Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 25

Hi all,

I have gone back to chapter 22 and changed how Psychic Moves work, but it applies to all Moves.

It was too confusing, so I simplified it a lot. Most Moves are contact-based through physical contact or energy attacks with Special and Status Moves. There is no Accuracy or Evasion since evading an attack relies on the Pokemon's Speed and training.

There are some instantaneous Moves, as shown in this chapter. It’s not going to be perfect, as I’m making the rules for specific Moves as I go along since there are hundreds of them. It’s never going to feel truly realistic, as it's still based on a turn-based RPG, and my writing skills are limited.

Enjoy.

Chapter 25

The camping grounds were quiet as everyone had settled down for the night. Lucas and his team pitched their tents on the outer edges of the clearing. They arrived late, so they had to settle for the least secure point. There were no convenient walls here, so everyone depended on each other to help when someone was in trouble.

Since it was a mild night, Lucas decided to sleep outside with his sleeping bag. Faith and Jason had already settled into their tents, and his Pokemon were asleep, sprawled out next to his sleeping bag.

Ron crawled out of his tent and came to sit beside the fire. The teenager had been an amusing companion on the way to the campgrounds and got on well with Jason, especially as they both had similar personalities.

"Man, why didn't I bring some marshmallows?" Ron sighed. "I could have made some S'mores."

"Because there are more crucial things taking up space in your pack," Lucas said dryly. "Wait till we get to Terracotta Town."

Ron nodded to the book in his hands. "So, you're an Aura User? Why aren't you attending the Academy?"

Lucas placed the book — The History of the Aura Guardians, Volume 1 — down and lay back on his sleeping bag with his arms folded under his head, staring up at the night sky.

"Because I wanted to be a trainer."

"Are you teaching yourself?"

"Nope," Lucas smirked. "Faith and I are being used as guinea pigs to try a different kind of education that allows us to learn as we travel."

Three weeks ago, they met the two people behind the initiative to try out this brand-new form of education; a senior Aura Guardian and the Principal of the Aura Academy. They had discussed the details and agreed on how the two would work towards gaining their Aura Mastery.

Since the Pokemon Circuit was still more important, they didn't have to rush their studies. The first subject involved learning the entire history of the Aura Guardians and their first use of Aura, which spanned ten books, and then taking an exam when they reached Cerulean City.

The deal was beneficial to them in several ways. Firstly, they were not obligated to join the Aura Guardians, although Lucas agreed to sell any new Aura skills he developed.

Additionally, the exclusive catalogue gave them access to a wide range of global resources unavailable to most of the public. However, they had to pay exorbitant delivery fees, which could get expensive depending on the item and the distance.

Last but not least, it was all free. The Academy spared no expense to experiment with a new method to improve its declining attendance records.

“There is a favour I would like to ask of you,” Lucas said after a few moments of companionable silence.

“What is it?”

“Can I get a sample of Eevee’s blood?”

"What the heck!?" Ron gasped.

"Let me explain," Lucas hurriedly replied. " As a researcher and inventor of new kinds of incense, your Eevee gave me the idea to make something that helps them breed more easily in captivity. For that, I need some of her DNA for research.”

Ron sat back down, relieved. “You had me worried for a moment there. Can incense really perform that kind of magic?” he asked.

“Professor Oak and his daughter have created incense that aids in breeding the three starter Pokemon.”

“That’s awesome,” Ron said. “Have you created anything of your own?”

He took out one of each incense he had created. To date, six types of incense have been invented; grass, electric, fire, water, psychic, and fighting. He was happy with the results so far. It was challenging, however, to create the seventh type - ground.

His research capabilities were limited as he could only use ingredients native to Kanto. Despite being able to locate some ingredients from other regions here, they were a lot more expensive. Considering how many ingredients he went through to invent a new recipe, the costs could get astronomical.

Now that Premier Pokefoods had licensed his incense, the CEO would work to get him access to some suppliers in other regions. Until then, he had to be satisfied with the six he created. It was enough to make a big debut, and he anticipated a lot of sales.

The CEO was planning to launch the new products at the beginning of next month. Since they weren't difficult to make, setting up a production line was easy, but the real challenge was securing a steady supply of ingredients.

Ron was surprised when Lucas explained the incense capabilities.

“Man, you sure are smart,” Ron said in admiration.

“Pokedollars are a great motivator,” Lucas smiled. “So, name your price.”

“Eh?”

"To use Eevee's blood. I understand your reluctance, so it's important that you get compensated."

Ron scratched his nose. “Pokedollars is okay, but I wouldn’t know what would be a fair amount."

“How about a thousand Pokedollars per sample,” Lucas suggested. ”This product can potentially make a lot of money, so I don’t want to short-change you.”

“Alright, but how are you going to extract the blood?”

After rushing ahead without thinking through the matter, Lucas sheepishly said, "It'll have to wait until we get to Terracotta Town. We can ask at the Pokemon Centre since they could handle it easier without hurting Eevee.".

“Alright, I’m going back to bed,” Ron yawned, crawling back into his tent.

Lucas watched him go before walking a few metres away from the camp and calling Giru.

“Giru?”

The robot appeared behind him, trying to scare Lucas. Sonya probably added some personality quirks to the little robot, but why didn’t she give it the ability to talk besides its name? At least it could understand what he was saying. Maybe there will be an update in the future?

“Hi, Giru,” Lucas said. “How are your power levels looking? Do you need Max to give you a top-up?”

Giru shook its head.

“Okay, can you keep an eye out on the camp tonight and warn me if there is any trouble?”

“Giru,” the little robot nodded before going invisible again.

Although he couldn't rely on Giru for protection, he could still use him as a lookout. After returning to camp, Lucas went to sleep."

{0(((..)))0}

11th October

They started early the following day since they had a lot of ground to cover. From the camping ground, they headed north. By evening, they planned to reach Route 22, the main road passing by Terracotta Town.

Before the group stopped for lunch, they didn't run into any trouble. There were plenty of Wild Pokemon encounters, but they didn’t cause them any problems. They rotated their Pokemon to keep them fresher for longer. Lucas primarily used Dante and Max to increase their level. Even though Adventure Mode restricted the amount of experience he and his Pokemon received from Wild Pokemon, it was still viable to grind some early levels.

Both were now level three, and Lucas spent their AP covering some of their weaknesses. For Dante, he raised his HP and Defence. Maximus got an increase in his Aura and Defence.

After lunch, they continued for another two hours before encountering an obstacle.

“It doesn’t show up on the map,” Lucas commented.

“It must go on for at least a couple of kilometres in either direction,” Faith shielded her eyes and peered either way.

Ahead of them was overgrown grass—that reached above their heads. There was no way they could walk through that, as it would seriously hinder them and create unnecessary danger. Even if Lucas could see Auras, being able to respond in time was the issue.

"If it isn't on a map, then it is very recent." Ron frowned. "I could have Beedrill scout ahead."

Beedrill buzzed in agreement.

“No, the situation is too strange,” Lucas said. “It’s like a powerful Pokemon came along and cast an overpowered Grassy Terrain. We need to alert the authorities. A high-levelled Pokemon may have entered the area.”

Lucas called the Rangers helpline and briefly described the situation. They told him to avoid the obstacle until they could arrive to assess the situation.

“Man,” Jason kicked the ground. “That’s going to add a few hours onto our destination."

“How about we retreat a few hundred metres and wait until the Rangers arrive,” Faith suggested. “They may be able to solve the problem quickly, and we can avoid going around.”

They agreed to that plan, so they backtracked about four hundred metres and hid behind a massive pine tree. Lucas sat down beside Faith and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The Pokemon arranged themselves around the group, occasionally glancing at the three Pidgeys perched high up in the trees above them.

‘Can you sense anything?’

{Dante} ‘No, but it pays to be cautious.'

‘That's for sure.'

The Pidgeys eyed them with interest, chirping softly to themselves. Lucas had considered whether he should capture a Pidgey before, but there were other Pokemon he was interested in getting. Once he got a Water Type, he would have a full team that was allowed with his current Trainer Level. Any extra Pokemon would have to be kept at home. If he managed to get another Baby Pokemon, it could be trained at home, but he still needed to spend time bonding with them.

“Think they are planning to attack?” Ron asked nervously.

“Don’t worry, I got it,” Lucas said.

‘Calming Aura.’

It was as if a gentle hand had reached out and petted them. The Pokemon calmed down and turned their attention away from the teenagers, and the others looked at him with amazement.

“What was that?” Faith asked, peering up at him curiously.

“It’s an Aura projection ability that pacifies Pokemon that are aggressive. It is limited still, as it only works on low-level Pokemon, but it is certainly useful. Do you want me to teach you?”

Thankfully, Arceus was generous and gave him the method of how the skill operated so that he could teach it to others. The Aura Guardians already knew a similar skill, though, so he couldn’t sell it for profit.

“After I increase my skill with Aura Manipulation,” Faith frowned. “That’s what’s holding me back from learning harder skills.”

Lucas kissed her forehead. “There’s no rush. What do you have to worry about with me by your side?”

Faith cuddled into his side as they waited for the Rangers to come.

Jason and Ron whispered something to each other and sported massive grins. Should he be worried about them joining forces to cause some mischief?

“So, have you heard anything more about the trial?” Lucas asked quietly.

Faith shook her head. “It probably won’t happen until next year. He will be locked up for now, so it’s a huge weight off my mind.”

Ever since Kline had been arrested, Faith looked much happier. For so long, she was the only source of support for her fellow Sinnoh orphans, even though she wasn't yet an adult. Amid Kline's attempts to isolate and terrorise them, Faith had a heavy responsibility to look out for them. She finally had some time to pursue her dreams.

It was Vivian Edward's job to clean up the mess left behind by Kline when she became the new Orphanage Director. The Sinnoh orphans moved back into the main house, and she laid out strict rules that each orphan had to follow. Some orphans were sent to military schools because of their violent behaviour.

“I got a call from Haley earlier,” Faith's face lit up with a smile. “Honestly, that girl lives in a state of perpetual happiness. She remained untouched by all the stuff going on at the Orphanage. I’m glad she wasn’t affected by the ordeal.”

“She exists purely on sunshine and moonbeams,” Lucas chuckled.

Ten minutes later, they spotted a few Ranger vehicles travelling through the grass fields and stopped a way back from the overgrown grass. They grabbed their packs and made their way over.

The man in charge was barking orders to his subordinates when they approached. Two Rangers released two Farrows that screeched before flying towards the centre of the strange phenomenon.

“Are you the ones that reported the situation?” The Ranger asked.

“That’s right,” Lucas said, stepping forward. “My name is Lucas Walker, and these are my friends.”

“Lucas Walker,” The man smirked. “I have certainly heard of you. I’m Major Joshua Hayes.”

“The Rangers I met don’t announce their titles,” Lucas pointed out.

“Brigadier General Armstrong plays by her own rules. She is very strict in most aspects but hates titles.” The man chuckled before turning serious. “What can you tell me about the situation?”

“Nothing much,” Lucas shrugged. “We knew it was unusual immediately, and we were not going to wade our way through the grass and potentially get ambushed.”

“Smart,” Hayes said. “You don’t want to know the statistics on how many people have died out here due to a lack of caution.”

“Do you think it’s a high-level Pokemon?” Lucas asked.

“We are not ruling it out,” Hayes replied. “But I have seen this situation before, and it's because a Leaf Stone has been oversaturated with type-energy. It shatters, releasing all of its potential in one go, causing all the nearby grass and foliage in the surroundings to undergo massive growth.”

“Wait, do Evolution Stones absorb type energy?” Lucas scratched his cheek. “I thought that they were found fully formed.”

“They absorb energy just like every other living thing on the planet,” Hayes replied. "Since we have some time, let me explain something to you. Do you know what Aura is? Why do Pokemon and humans specifically have Red and Blue Energy, respectively?"

The group of teenagers shrugged.

A nearby Ranger groaned. "Oh no, here comes Professor Hayes and one of his lectures."

"Shut it, you," Hayes yelled before turning back to the teenagers. "Aura is a byproduct the Aura Node produces when it passively absorbs and filters type energy from the world around us. Think of it as waste, except it lingers in the body and can be harnessed to do incredible things.

The big difference between humans and Pokemon is simply the Nodes. They filter the type-energy differently, which results in two different byproducts.

In the Pokemon's case, its Node allows it to filter the type energy but retain its properties, which is why you have Move Types. However, Red Energy is produced and is a highly corrosive byproduct.

For humans, Blue Energy is the byproduct produced by the Aura Node. However, it doesn't retain the type-energy properties like a Pokemon, but it has its own beneficial effects. Humans learned to harness Blue Energy by imitating Pokemon like Riolu."

It was an interesting subject. Lucas had yet to delve too deeply into the minutia details since he first read the book on the opposing energies. Did that mean that his Aura Node had effectively changed and filtered type-energy differently from others? But as far as he was aware, he couldn't harness type-energy. With a team of Pokemon at his side, he didn't think it was necessary either. They could do it much better than him.

Hayes continued. "Do you see where I am going with this? Evolution Stones are crystals very similar to an Aura Node, but they filter differently from Pokemon and humans. It does not create a byproduct but is pure type energy.

Depending on the size of the crystal, its capacity varies. They don't stop absorbing energy when they reach the limit, causing them to shatter. The different types will have various effects. For example, a Leaf Stone will cause nearby foliage to grow explosively. The benefit to this is that if you knew when it will shatter, you can grow whole fields of crops or plants within hours."

On Cinnabar island, Lucas had received a Fire Stone as a reward, and he'd forgotten about it ever since. When he arrived at Terracotta Town, he would examine it more closely.

Evolution Stones were just items used to evolve Pokemon in the games, but they were so much more here.

A few minutes later, the Fearow reported back that they found the remains of a Leaf Stone, and there were no signs of any dangerous Pokemon.

“Well, that’s a relief,” Hayes relaxed. “Now we can safely remove the grass. It’s not safe for it to remain here.”

“How are you going to clear it?” Jason asked.

Major Hayes retrieved a Pokeball from his belt and released a Pokemon in front of him. A Scyther.

“So cool,” Ron shouted.

Lucas' eyes were filled with greed. After defeating the first Gym, Scyther was on the short list of Pokemon he wanted. They were scarce, and their territory was Viridian Forest, a massive forest in which you could easily get lost. You could go weeks without finding one, and they are dangerous due to being super aggressive. If a person wasn’t careful, Scyther could slice a person in two with one swing of its blade.

There was little knowledge of their evolution. There have only been three Scizor ever recorded, and none exist today. With only Fire as its primary weakness, Scizor had great type-protection. As well as being immune to poison, it had several other resistances.

“Do you need to get through? I can clear a path for you first,” Hayes suggested.

“That would be awesome, thanks,” Lucas said.

{0(((..)))0}

13th October

“That might be a tough fight,” Faith worried her lip, staring at the angry Mankey blocking the road in the near distance.

Lucas had alerted them, and they paused, looking at the Mankey in concern. They could tell it was the toughest Wild Pokemon they had faced so far. Lucas knew for sure. It was level eight.

They had travelled for the last two days, moving as quickly as possible, but they kept getting interrupted by Wild Pokemon. They showed no hesitation in throwing themselves at the group. As a result, Elekid and Dante levelled up to four, and Imara hit level five.

The group had to go through their stock of Ethers, which restored a hundred Aura, as they didn’t have time to waste to stop and have the Pokemon regenerate it slowly. They were not cheap either, each one costing five hundred Pokedollars.

Alchemists created them, who made a lot of Pokedollars selling different types of Potions to trainers. It was a lot more complicated than making incense and involved a lot of work, even with his ‘System,’ so he had held off learning the skill. He had enough Pokedollars to buy any Potions he may need, but it was something he could look at getting into later.

Lucas put another five AP into Elekids Defense and spent five AP on Dante's Special Attack. Imara had 10 AP on hand, which went straight to her HP. Overall, they were looking much stronger from a couple of days ago.

However, the first few levels were easy to obtain. The experience curve was already rising sharply after level five, so he would have to rely on Trainer Battles.

They had travelled down Route 22, where they got a breather from battling Wild Pokemon, before turning left onto the road that led to Terracotta Town. Along the way, he received a message from the Pokemon League stating that he had received twenty points for his victory over Ron.

They were running a bit low on Pokemon Food, but they were alright as long as there were no delays. The area ahead was a Yellow Danger Zone, hence why many Rangers didn’t patrol it.

It was currently mid-morning, and they should reach the town before lunch. Now, they just had to pass the obstacle in front of them.

‘I can use Calming Aura to avoid the fight. What do you want to do?’ Lucas asked his team.

{Dante} ‘Let me fight him.’

‘Are you sure?’

{Dante} ‘In order to grow, we cannot avoid tough fights.’

Lucas motioned for Dante to step forward. His type advantage and high Special Attack would go a long way to bridging the level gap.

Lucas checked his partner's current parameters.

=====

Pokemon: Ralts | Name: Dante | Age: 0 | Gender: M | Type: Psychic, Fairy | Potential: A | Affection: 90 | Favourite Foods: Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

Description: Ralts can sense people's emotions. If its trainer is in a cheerful mood, this Pokemon grows cheerful and joyous simultaneously.

Stats

Level: 4 | Next: 10% | AP: 0 | HP:130 | Aura: 135 |

Attack: 49 | Defence: 46 | Sp Att: 75 | Sp Def: 52 | Speed: 70 |

Traits

Evasive Movement - increases the user's ability to evade attacks slightly.

Special Ability

Trace - The Pokemon copies a foe's ability.

Balance - Increases Aura by 25%.

=====

Moves/Mastery

Special

Disarming Voice: (Fairy) [Power: 50] (Cost: 6) [Mastery: Max]

Grass Knot: (Fairy) [Power: --] (Cost: 8) [Mastery: Max]

Confusion: (Psychic) [Power: 60] (Cost: 8) [Mastery: Max]

Psybeam: (Psychic) [Power: 65] (Cost: 13) [Mastery: 56%]

Status

Growl: (Normal) [Power: --] (Cost: 5) [Mastery: Max]

Disable: (Normal) [Power: --] (Cost: 5) [Mastery: Max]

Double Team: (Normal) [Power: --] (Cost: 6) [Mastery: Max]

=====

Dante had learned some new Moves, and Lucas continued utilising him as a long-range caster. It wasn’t until he evolved into Gallade that he would learn some Fighting Moves. He needed to learn more Psychic Moves, as the Same-Type-Attack-Bonus boosted damage by thirty per cent.

The trait Dante received from training with Poliwrath was different from the other two. He didn’t know if that was because Dante was a Psychic Pokemon or because he was smaller, but it was a helpful trait nonetheless.

‘Get him, Dante.’

‘This will only take a moment.’ Dante walked forward.

Lucas quickly checked the Mankeys parameters, specifically for its special ability.

=====

Pokemon: Mankey | Age: 1 | Gender: F | Type: Fighting | Potential: B | Affection: -- | Favourite Foods: --

Description: Extremely quick to anger. It could be docile one moment, then thrashing away the next instant.

Stats

Level: 8 | HP:160 | Aura: 210 |

Attack: 90 | Defence: 45 | Sp Att: 35 | Sp Def: 45 | Speed: 80 |

Traits

Dirty Fighter - uses cunning and cheap tactics to gain an advantage in battle.

Special Ability

Anger Point - Anger Point raises the ability-bearer’s Attack to its maximum; +6 stages for the next attack; when it receives a critical hit..

=====

When he saw the trait, he got a bad feeling. “Everyone step back. Raise your shield, Faith.”

They complied, and Lucas searched for any other Pokemon in the vicinity, but he couldn’t see anything.

Mankey screamed and charged Dante when the Pokemon was within range. Dante didn’t bother to copy Mankeys special ability since it only affected his Attack Stat, and Dante didn’t have any Physical Moves.

‘Double Team.’ Luca ordered.

Dante executed the Move, and an exact Pokemon copy appeared next to him.

The methodology behind Double Team was that it was both an illusion and a movement skill. Once per cast, the user could substitute their bodies instantly with the copy, saving them if they were about to be hit. Of course, it wouldn’t work if the Move targeting them was an AOE attack and managed to hit both simultaneously or if the opponent had a skill or ability that countered the Move. Furthermore, the more you used Double Team, the more chances that the substitute would fail.

Mankey ran straight toward Dante, claws glistening with a white aura, and struck out with vicious swipes of its arms. Meanwhile, the copy had shifted to the side, and Lucas commanded them to switch the moment before the attack landed.

Mankey tore through the copy with a flurry of swipes—Lucas quickly ordered another Confusion.

Dante’s eyes glowed purple, and a spiral of purple psychic energy manifested above his head before shooting straight at Mankeys back, who had paused momentarily in bewilderment.

Mankey has taken 86 damage.

It's super effective!

Mankey went sprawling forward, and she got up with a screech of rage. However, she did something unexpected. She charged the group, looking to take out the humans.

“You sneaky little shit,” Lucas muttered. “Brace yourselves.”

Mankey hit Faith's Shield hard, but she managed to hold off the attack. The group of Pokemon were outraged, and they appeared like they were going to attack the Mankey together.

However, seeing that her attack had failed, Mankey retreated from the group and turned her attention back to Dante—in time to avoid another Confusion.

Mankey executed another Move quickly, and two white hands appeared above her head and started clapping.

Lucas Observed the Move but didn’t warn Dante in time, and the Pokemon was trapped in the spotlight that appeared above his head.

Dante has been affected by Encore. The next three Moves are restricted to Confusion.

Lucas cursed. He couldn’t use Double Team temporarily, which was his plan to deal with the Mankeys superior speed. Encore was a hard Move to avoid. There was only a split second where you could recognise it and move out of the way before the spotlight appeared above the Pokemon’s head.

‘You need to use up the three Confusions quickly, but take evasive manoeuvres.

Mankey rushed toward Dante, who retreated and cast another Confusion. Mankey avoided the attack and leapt forward with her arm raised — claw gleaming with three sharp lines (Scratch)—bringing it down with violent force on Dante.

Dante dodged to the left but couldn’t avoid it altogether. Dante cried out as the attack cut his arm, a thin line of red appearing.

Dante has taken partial damage: [102/130]

‘Dante, are you okay?’

‘Fine.’

Dante dodged the next attack and managed to get another Confusion off, again missing slightly to the side. The dramatic fight continued as Dante tried to evade the Pokemon. By the time he could get rid of the Encore, he had lost a further 61 HP and sported a couple of extra nasty wounds.

Mankey charged back for another Fury Attack, but Dante dodged it. He was starting to adjust to the speed, and it helped that he had a trait that helped him evade attacks.

‘Disable.' Lucas commanded.

Dante glowed with a white Aura, and Mankey screeched in rage at the audacity of his opponent in returning the favour of doing a dirty trick.

Mankeys Fury Attack has been disabled for sixty seconds.

Disable was an unavoidable attack that prevented an opponent from using his last Move for ten to eighty seconds, but it could only restrict one Move at a time.Since Pokemon were not restricted to four Moves like in the games, Disable's utility was limited. However, if you wanted to eliminate a specific Move, it could be a game changer.

A frustrated Mankey launched a Low Kick at Dante, who dodged it smoothly. Responding to Lucas' command, he conjures up a Psybeam. It wasn't as cost-effective as Confusion, but it did edge it for power. Ending the fight quickly was important since Dante was injured.

Mankey turned around only to be struck by a beam of Psychic energy to its face.

Mankey has taken 93 damage.

Mankey has fainted.

Lucas has gained 36 Experience

Dante has gained 36 Experience

Due to a tough battle, Dante has earned: 1 Hp + 1 Defence.

Lucas rushed forward to see how his partner was doing. His Pokemon swayed, having lost a fair amount of blood. The others arrived and watched as Lucas applied a Potion to the wounds.

Not only did it restore health, but it could heal minor injuries. There was no underestimating how essential the item was in emergencies.

Dante sighed in relief as his wounds closed. Lucas picked him up, and the usually independent Pokemon let him, snuggling into his arms. That had been a terrifying fight as one Move had utterly changed the situation in the other Pokemons' favour. Seeing his buddy getting injured was a sober reality of how brutal fights could get, so he needed to do better.

“Is he okay?” Faith petted the Pokemon’s head.

“He should be,” Lucas murmured. “But I want to get him to the Pokemon Centre to have him checked out.”

“Alright then, let's hustle,” Jason said.

{0(((..)))0}

Forty minutes later, the ground began to slope downwards, and they glimpsed the sea of red; the distinctive terracotta rooftops created striking imagery. A canal ran through the middle of town, emptying into the sea to the west of the harbour. Scores of small to medium-sized boats were currently docked there, along with a sailing yacht that had to be at least forty metres long. Beyond that was the vast open sea, the sunlight reflecting off the sparkling blue water.

“Got to take a picture of this,” Jason exclaimed, taking out his phone.

Near the entrance, the bright red roof of the Pokemon Centre stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Let’s get going,” Lucas said.

They descended the slope next to the road and approached the massive walls built out of golden-coloured sandstone. Just like Pallet Town, they had a small gate for travellers on foot to enter, and they walked into the town proper.

=====

The player has discovered Terracotta Town.

The player has earned 300 experience points.

The Inventory is now accessible.

=====

Not wasting any time, they made their way to the Pokemon Centre. The sliding doors parted as they approached, and they entered the cool exterior. Lucas carried the Pokemon to the counter, where a Pokemon Nurse stood waiting.

“Good afternoon, my name is Nurse Agonee; what can I do for you this morning?”

“Can we get a Nurse with a less ominous-sounding name?” Jason joked. “Maybe Nurse Joy or something.”

Faith punched his arm, and the teenager yelped.

“Sorry about my friend,” Lucas smiled. “My Ralts here was involved in a fight with a Wild Mankey. He received a few open wounds and lost some blood. I used a Potion, but I want to get him checked out.”

“Mankey is a big problem for travellers around here,” Nurse Agonee sighed. “Give him to me, and I will get him checked out. Your other Pokemon may also come, so I can restore them to perfect health.”

“Can you draw some blood for my Eevee?” Ron spoke up.

“Eevee?” Eevee looked at her partner in alarm.

“Why does Eevee need her blood drawn?” Nurse Agonee asked.

“I’m going to research and try to increase the breeding capabilities of Eevees in captivity,” Lucas explained.

Eevee backed up slowly before her partner caught her. The look of betrayal she sent Ron was adorably heartbreaking.

“Interesting. Well, I can do that for you, but there will be a small fee," Nurse Agonee pointed to a doorway. "The canteen and the rest area are through the door over there. It shouldn’t take too long to heal them.”

Two hours later, the Pokemon were in good condition, and they ventured outside to see the town. The Pokemon Centre was located in a large central square, which held many services, such as inns, restaurants, a pokemart, training faculties, a Rangers station, and a small stadium for trainer battles.

The group stopped at the local Pokemart to stock up on supplies. Lucas still had plenty of items in his inventory, so he browsed the aisles.

They left the square and explored the town further. Terracotta Town was well known as an artisan town, with art being a central feature of its cultural identity. The group passed numerous art galleries, museums, theatres and cafes as they explored.

The locals utilised the canal for most of the heavy transport, which kept the streets clear of vehicles, and people could be seen casually using the middle of the road like a sidewalk.

As the harbour appeared in the distance, Lucas stopped. “I am going to see if I can find a good fishing spot,” Lucas said. “Is anybody else interested? Or should we split up here and go exploring on our own?”

They decided to split up and meet back at the Pokemon Centre at five in the evening. Lucas whistled as his Pokemon followed him down to the harbour. Even if it took him a week, he would get a shiny Water Pokemon.

So, what do you think? Is anybody watching the Game Awards? Since I’m a huge RPG fanatic and Final Fantasy simp, I’m looking forward to the FF16 trailer.

Thanks for reading.