New Beginnings - Chapter 28

Since Ethan had arrived in the world of pokemon, he’d been awoken by many things. Weird noises in the night, the sounds of wild pokemon battling, the poofs of sweet scent, the leaking of rain through his makeshift cabin… but he’d never woken up to a face full of fire-dog slobber—Until now. 

“Gro!”

Ethan sleepily fended off the abnormally strong pokemon feebly as he did his best to hide beneath his covers. “Stop…” 

“Gro-growlithe!” Growlithe pounced on him, knocking him back and forth and attacking his feet as they moved and wiggled underneath the blankets. 

“Uggg.” Ethan, now unable to fall back asleep, groggily threw the blankets aside and rolled out of bed. Growlithe, successful; in his morning mission of ‘wake up Ethan’ barked and launched himself off the bed and printed out into the living room, zoomie mode activated. 

After getting dressed, brushing his teeth, and taking a shower, Ethan left the comfort of his room to find Chatot, Shuckle, Growlithe, Smeargle, Pachirisu, Dunsparce, and Sneasel sitting around in his living room watching TV and chatting. Checking the time on his phone, he realized he’d woken up much later than his usual 6:00 A.M—It was 7:30 A.M. The repercussions for staying up late, no doubt.

Although his house had electricity, Ethan rarely used any of it. He mostly used it for charging his phone and working some of the kitchen appliances. When Alba and her construction crew built his house, they installed two solar panels on the roof. For emergencies, he also had a small generator which could be powered by an electric type pokemon—Pachirisu in his case. 

The pokemon all lounged about across the floor and sofa, watching the morning news—Except Growlithe, he was still zooming around at mach three. On the screen, a smiling news anchor talked about a crime bust while various images of harsh urban battles flashed in the background. A headline scrolled across the bottom of the screen in large bold letters.

Breaking News: Champion Cynthia takes down Crime Syndicate in Epic Showdown

“... Cynthia and the underground crime syndicate, Team Galactic. In a statement following her victory, Cynthia said, "The safety and harmony of our world and the pokemon we live with are paramount. I will always stand against those who seek to disrupt the balance. Today, we showed that courage and teamwork can overcome any threat."

Sinnoh residents have expressed their immense gratitude and relief. Jubilife City's mayor praised Cynthia's heroism, stating, "Cynthia's unwavering dedication to protecting our region is an inspiration to us all. We are fortunate to have such a remarkable champion."

With Team Galactic's plans foiled and their leader and admins in custody, peace has been restored to the Sinnoh region. As the new day begins across the region, one thing is clear: Cynthia's legacy as a protector and champion has only grown stronger.

In the wake of Champion Cynthia’s heroic defeat of Team Galactic, the Sinnoh region now faces the arduous task of addressing the aftermath of the villainous group's schemes. Authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation to recover stolen Pokémon and property, as well as to repair the damage caused by the conflict here at Veilstone City. Several Pokémon that were forcibly taken from their trainers have already been recovered and are in the process of being reunited with their rightful owners.

However, the path to full recovery is not without its challenges. Many trainers and pokemon are dealing with the trauma of the injustices. The Pokémon Centers across Sinnoh are offering free counseling and support services to help trainers and their Pokémon cope with their experiences. Community volunteers are also stepping up to assist in rebuilding efforts, focusing on restoring the areas affected by the battles and reinforcing the security of important sites.

Furthermore, law enforcement agencies are collaborating with regional Pokémon Rangers to ensure all remnants of Team Galactic’s operations are dismantled. This includes dismantling any remaining secret bases and securing captured Galactic members to prevent any resurgence of their criminal activities. The focus is on ensuring that peace and order are not only restored but also maintained in the long term. As Sinnoh works through these challenges, the resilience and unity of its communities shine brightly, inspired by Cynthia’s courage and dedication to protecting their world.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops. For now, Sinnoh can rest easy, knowing its champion is always ready to defend it from any threat.”

The news program cut to a commercial break about some new pokeball breakthrough from Paldea, a region Ethan wasn’t familiar with—other than having heard its name before. 

“Okay. Let me make some breakfast for everyone, then we can start our day in earnest. Why don’t you guys go outside and have some fun while I cook? Go out and pick out some berries you want in your food?” Ethan walked into the kitchen to prepare cooking as the small horde of pokemon in his living room scrambled outside to pick out their favorite berries. Ethan was glad he chose to plant all those trees so long ago, they were an easy way to connect and motivate pokemon.  

As the pokemon left his home, Ethan quickly sent Cynthia and Looker texts asking about what had happened and if everyone was alright. While it was true he didn’t want to be involved with saving the world, he was the person to give them their information. He did have some lingering responsibility nagging at him. 

After sending the messages, Ethan was just about to start cooking when a loud, angry, and all too familiar roar erupted from out past his berry fields. His heart dropped along with the pots and pans in his hands as he sprinted outside toward the roaring bear, assuming the worst. He had trainers camping about, and while he wished that they weren’t complete and utter idiots willing to disregard his warnings to catch a cute Teddiursa, he couldn’t be a hundred percent sure. 

“URSARING!!!” 

Ethan sprinted through the field of berry trees, just barely catching the sight of Chatot flying up high. He put two fingers into his mouth and whistled loudly, catching her attention as she quickly dive bombed and landed roughly on his shoulder.

“Cha-tot! Cha-cha!” Chatot didn’t sing, but chattered out her name. That wasn’t a good sign. 

After another thirty seconds of sprinting, an utterly winded Ethan exited the far end of his berry field to catch the sight of an angry mana Ursaring, two growling and actually ferocious looking Teddiursa, and the remains of a completely shattered pokeball. The shattered pokeball was on the ground in pieces in between Ursaring and all the camping trainers with their pokemon out and ready. 

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. One of his worst fears had come to pass… on the very first group of trainers he’d welcomed to stay on his ranch. “Who was it?!” Ethan yelled out, absolutely livid, the bitter feeling of betrayal etched into his heart.

He stomped forward, passing by Ursaring and the two Teddiura by a few feet as he bee-lined for the group of pokemon and trainers. “Who was it?!” 

“There’s an Ursaring right there! What are you doing?!” Joji yelled out frantically, eyes flickering between both Ethan and Ursaring. 

“I am well aware of what pokemon are right there! We’re all in her territory! Now, I will not ask again. Who was it?!” Ethan punted the remains of the shattered pokeball toward the group of trainers in his anger. 

Every single guest of his ranch refused to break eye contact with Ursaring, and none of them answered his question. “Okay then. All of you, leave. You’re all banned from my ranch and I will not protect you from Ursaring should she choose to wipe you from the face of the earth. You’re lucky she hasn’t already.” 

Ethan turned to Ursaring to begin his apology, but Joji yelled out in shock. “What!? I didn’t do anything!” 

With a quick turn and a glare, Ethan screamed. “THEN YOU BETTER TELL ME WHO DID!!!” 

He stormed forward, angrier than he’d ever been. “Did you think I was joking when I said there would be no catching pokemon on my ranch? Poaching!? Did you think I made that rule with a five million dollar fine because I wanted money? I made it so that none of you would die to an angry Ursaring should her children be in danger! You absolute idiots!” 

He huffed for breath before stomping on the remains of the pokeball. “Go away. I’ll deal with your mess. Start packing your stuff. You’re all gone unless someone tells me who the culprit is.” 

Without another word, Ethan stormed back to Ursaring and whispered to Chatot. “Go find Pachirisu and Shuckle. Have them keep an eye on the trainers. I want you to listen in on what they’re saying. Figure out who threw the pokeball, alright?” 

“Cha-tot!” 

Chatot fluttered off to find the other members of their family as Ethan approached Ursaring and the two Teddiursa. “Firstly, I’m so very sorry that coming here put you and your children at risk. Secondly, I am glad you didn’t obliterate them for their transgressions. If they managed to capture one of your children, I would hunt them down and force them to release them back to you. I’m going to be calling the rangers here after our conversation to deal with whoever threw the pokeball… Speaking of which, do you know who did it?” 

Ursaring rapidly huffed in air, still very upset and angry about one of her children being potentially stolen from her, but shook her head. However, one of the Teddiursa nodded rapidly and pointed at the group of slowly retreating trainers as it growled its name in what would normally be a display of cuteness. 

As Ethan couldn’t tell which person Teddiursa was pointing at, he started to list them off. “The one with the Noctowl?” 

A shake of the head. 

“The three with the colorful monkeys?” 

Another shake. 

“The girl with the small Mawile?” 

And finally, he received a growl and a nod. Ursaring’s eyes narrowed as she found the target of her ire. Ethan swore as she stomped forward, knocking him aside as her now bloodshot eyes locked onto her foe. 

“Wait! Wait!” Ethan tried his best to stand in front of Ursaring to calm her down, not wanting a death to occur, but when he stood before an eight foot tall, utterly pissed mama bear? He was effectively a pebble who stood in her way. 

“Let me deal with this! I promise you she’ll be punished! Injury isn’t the only way to hurt someone. The rangers are going to be pissed if you go berserk, please!” Ethan pleaded. 

Ursaring didn’t register a single word he said. She stomped off as she heaved in lungs of air, opening her mouth wide as a surge of white light began charging and pulsing. Ethan’s hair stood on end as goosebumps rippled throughout his body.

“Teddi!”
“Ted-ted!”

Ursaring snapped her jaws closed, canceling the Hyper Beam which would have obliterated not just Joanna, the trainer with the Mawile, but his campgrounds, everyone and anything near it, and the forest beyond. She looked over her heaving shoulder toward her cubs with emotions conflicting. On one hand, she wanted to annihilate the one who tried to capture her children. On the other hand, her children were pleading with her to stop. 

Ethan, seeing his chance, spoke up with a shaky voice, still off put by the sheer power of the charging Hyper Beam. “I’ll deal with this. If anyone else comes to cause trouble, you can blast’em.” 

Ursaring side-eyed Joanna with hatred before she turned and scooped up both of her cubs into her arms. Ethan had an idea—hopefully a good one. “Why don’t you go and rest by my house? One of the Oddish evolved into a Gloom. Maybe their pleasant odor will help you calm down?” 

Without a word, grunt, or any indication that he’d been heard, Ursaring walked off through his berry field with her children. 

Once they were out of sight, Ethan collapsed onto his butt and clenched his long hair in his hands. How could this have happened? It was the first time… It took less than two days of being open for business before it was all nearly taken away from him. Going from one good day filled with playing pokemon, evolutions, and joy… to this disaster of a morning… 

After calming himself down, Ethan grabbed his phone and dialed the second number on his speed-dial—The Rangers. The first number was the police. 

“Hello. Eterna Forest Ranger Station B6.” 

Ethan coughed to clear his throat. “Hello. My name’s Ethan Reed, I have a tutoring and breeding ranch here in the forest… Someone just tried to capture an Ursaring’s cub…”