Pokemon Jewel!
 

((Been a long time. I've been on a Pokemon jag lately, and here's my attempt at a Pokefic. Please reply with comments and opinions.))

Pokemon Jewel!

The sun arose on Littleroot Town one morning, giving off a beautiful golden shine. To you and me, this would have been just any other day. But to Trent, it was the day he'd prove himself to everyone that he had what it took to make Littleroot proud of him. Today was his tenth birthday, the day he would officially become a Pokemon Trainer.
After waking up, Trent put on a reddish polo shirt, dusty gray jeans, sneakers, and, as a final touch, a maroon bandana over his black hair. He pulled his brown backpack out of his closet and put it on. Only one word could describe this look, and Trent in general: Cool. As of today, Trent would prove that he could take care of himself. All his life he'd always been looked after by his parents, and now he could prove that he was big enough to make his way in the world. That was what being a Trainer was all about, right?
Trent ran downstairs and had his hand on the doorknob when he heard his mother's voice from the kitchen.
"Finally up, are you?"
"What do you mean 'finally'?" Trent asked, poking his head into the kitchen.
His father was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, and his mother was washing dishes in the sink.
"You slept through breakfast," his mother told him. "You must have been up late last night thinking about today."
"I was!" Trent struck a pose as if he were holding a Pokeball out in his right hand. "Today is the day I become an independent. No more being a little kid for me!"
"So, shall I make some breakfast for you, or..."
"No time, Mom. Gotta get to Birch's place before all the good Pokemon are taken!"
And Trent was off and out the door.
Magi was standing outside her house leaning against the tree in her front yard. She had golden blond hair that was tied in two short pigtails and she wore a pale pea-green shirt and brownish-red pants and pale yellow sneakers and had a pink backpack in which she held her clothes and other essentials for her Pokemon journey. Her brown eyes focused on the sky above her as she relaxed.
"Make way! Independent Pokemon Trainer coming through!"
Magi's previously cheerful look soured. "Oh great, it's Mr. Big Head." She casually stuck out her right foot and Trent fell face first sprawled out on the ground.
Trent jumped back up and glowered at Magi, a fist raised. "What'd ya do that for!?"
"You were gonna trip over something one way or the other," Magi told him in a casual manner. "Either it was gonna be my foot or your ego, kid."
"Don't call me a kid!" Trent said indignantly. "As of today, I'm an independent Pokemon Trainer! And besides, you're the same age as I am."
Magi went nose to nose with Trent, "Only by four hours!"
"So what?" Trent challenged. Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey, have you been to Professor Birch's already?"
"Do you think I'd be here if I had?" Magi asked him. "I was just spending the last few minutes with my mother." Her look of annoyance changed to one of smug amusement. "I'm guessing you overslept, right?"
Trent blushed in embarrassment. "I...well...uh....What of it!?"
The smirk widened. "Your lucky Victor was the only other kid in town to become a trainer last week. But let's not forget, other people from nearby towns tend to come here for their first Pokemon, too. There might not be anymore Pokemon left for either of us..."
A look of horror came over Trent's face. If that's true, who knows how long it will take for Professor Birch to get new Pokemon to give out to new Trainers! He took off so fast he raised some dust up, causing Magi to cough.
"Hey!" she cried out before taking off after him. "I was just kidding!"
Professor Birch lived on the edge of town in a large building which he used as his lab to examine all sorts of Pokemon previous Trainers had sent to him. He was considered one of the head experts on Pokemon in the Hoenn Region and held in very high esteem by the community. Some of the kids who were too young to officially become trainers also knew about him and had often seen him out in the fields and forests around town doing work and interacting with the Pokemon that lived their. To them, he was like an uncle they didn't have.
Trent burst through the front doors of the lab. "I'm here for my Pokemon, please!" Trent panted, having to double over from having run so fast while the Pokemon Professor stood at a table with a tongue depressor and an Oddish sitting on the table.
"You must be Trent," Birch said. "I was just giving one of the local Oddish a check up, but I'll be more than glad to let you choose your first Pokemon." He crossed the room to a desk and opened a drawer, taking out a Pokeball just as Magi entered the lab as well.
"Man you're fast, Trent," Magi huffed, her hands on her knees.
Birch approached Trent with a Pokeball. "You're in luck, this is the last Pokemon I have. The other two were taken a month and a week ago."
Magi looked at the bearded man in shock.
Ignoring her, Trent took the Pokeball. "No matter what it is, I'll be happy with it." He threw the Pokeball upward. "Come on out!"
Out of the Pokeball came a small, blue four-legged Pokemon. It had a fin on its head shaped much like the tongue depressor, three small orange spikes on each cheek, and a pale blue tail fin. The Pokemon blinked up at Trent. "Mudkip!"
"Its name is Mudkip," Birch told Trent, "and it's a Water-type."
"It's cute," Trent said. He bent down and picked up Mudkip around the middle. "Mudkip, my name is Trent, and as of today, you and I are a team!"
"Mudkip!" Mudkip wagged its tail fin and smiled.
It was then that Birch seemed to notice Magi, who was looking with envy at Trent and Mudkip. "And who is this?"
"I'm Magi, and it's my tenth birthday as well," Magi told him. "B-but...if Mudkip really is your last Pokemon....I guess..."
Trent looked at Magi. "That's right. Sorry, Mag." And he truly looked it.
Professor Birch, however, seemed to be thinking. "I do have three other Pokeballs you could choose from."
Magi clasped her hands together hopefully. "Really!?"
Birch nodded. "Come this way." He walked back over to the desk with Magi following him and he pulled out three other Pokeballs, putting them each on the desk in front of her. "They were imported from the Johto Region the other day. A colleague of mine also gives trainers their first Pokemon. Feel free to choose whichever you want."
Magi chose the one on the far left. "Come out."
The Pokeball opened and the Pokemon that emerged was small and four-legged like Mudkip. But it was much different. It looked like a cross between a small dinosaur and a pear with a "necklace" of sorts around its neck, a large leaf on its oval-shaped head, and big red eyes.
"Chika!"
Trent blinked at the little Pokemon in front of them. "Who's that Pokemon?"
"My colleague told me it's a Grass-type called Chikorita," Birch answered.
Magi and Chikorita looked at each other for five minutes.
"It's....it's....sooooooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!" Magi squealed as only a girl could and got on her knees. "Come here and give me a hug, you darling little thing!"
"Chika!" Chikorita ran over on its four stubby little legs and placed its forelegs against Magi in as best a hug as it could manage, the leaf on its head wagging back and forth.
"You're even cuter than Mudkip!" Magi told her new Pokemon.
Trent looked at Mudkip, then Chikorita. "It's not that cute," Trent said dryly.
Birch approached the two new trainers with two devices that looked much like a cellphone. They were red in color.
"You'll need these," he said, handing them to the new trainers. "They're called Pokedexes, and they'll give you information on any Pokemon you encounter. Also," he gave six Pokeballs to Trent and Magi.
"Thank you," Trent and Magi both said.
After leaving the lab, Trent walked along the forest that led to Route 101 with Mudkip in its Pokeball. He wasn't into the forest for more than twelve feet than he felt he was being followed. Trent turned around. "What are you doing?"
Magi had been following him.
"I'm walking. That's not a crime, is it?" she asked.
"You're following me," Trent said accusingly.
"Don't be ridiculous," Magi said. "Why would I follow you? This just happens to be the only way out of Littleroot."
"Well, why not keep your distance?" Trent asked.
Magi smirked. "Nice attitude. I hope Mudkip doesn't take after you."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" asked Trent angrily. "Just worry about your own Pokemon and not about mine!"
"Hoothoot!"
"Pooch, Pooch!"
Trent looked over his shoulder and Magi followed his gaze. On the path in front of him were four Pokemon.
Three of them looked like gray wolf cubs with black feet and muzzles. They had red noses and yellow eyes with red irises. Two teeth stuck out on either side of their mouths, and the hair near the tail was bristled.
The fourth was a small Pokemon with a rounded body covered in brown and beige feathers on its stomach. It had a small pale-pink beak and stood on a single four-toed foot. Its eyes were wide and red and it had black feathers about them. Theses feathers seemed attached to a crest that looked like the hands of a clock.
Trent took out his Pokedex and pointed it at these creatures.
"Poochyena," the recorded voice stated. "Using its sharp teeth, this Pokemon will gang up on any intruders in its territory and bite them until the intruder has been driven off." It went on to the next Pokemon. "Hoothoot, an Owl Pokemon that normally sleeps during the day. It often stands on a single foot while hiding the other in its feathers."
"If it sleeps during the day, why is it awake now?" Trent wondered aloud.
"Maybe our fighting disturbed Hoothoot and the Poochyena," Magi nervously suggested.
Hoothoot and the three Poochyena leered unpleasantly at Trent and Magi.
"Trent, they're going to attack!" Magi cried out.
"Let them," Trent said. "Mudkip, go!" He threw the Pokeball and Mudkip appeared in a flash of light. "Mudkip, use Water Gun!"
Mudkip opened its mouth and unleashed a blast of water.
Hoothoot flew upward and two of the Poochyena jumped aside, but the one that had been standing behind Hoothoot had been hit. The other two Poochyena lunged at Mudkip.
"Chikorita, help out Mudkip!" Magi threw her Pokeball and Chikorita appeared. Two vines appeared from the row of green buds on its neck. One vine slapped one Poochyena across the face and another across the forehead.
"Nice Vine Whip!" Magi said to Chikorita.
"Hey, this is a battle between Mudkip and me and Hoothoot and the Poochyena!" Trent told Magi as he and Mudkip looked over their shoulders. "We can take them!"
"You gotta be joking!" Magi told him. "There's four of them and just two of you!"
"Those are odds I can handle!" Trent answered.
Mudkip nodded. "Mud!"
The Poochyena that had been struck sprang at Mudkip and bit it on the fin on its head, forcing Mudkip down and placing a paw on its back. This would make using Water Gun difficult for Mudkip.
Trent cried out, "Mudkip!"
"Chikorita, use Vine Whip and get Poochyena off Mudkip!" Magi ordered.
Chikorita complied and struck Poochyena between the eyes with a single vine, then out shot another and it used both vines, chasing after Poochyena as it ran from battle. It didn't see the Hoothoot was flying above it.
Hoothoot dove it, both clawed feet now visible, and it looked ready to use its claws for an attack. But before it could, Mudkip's Water Gun struck it from behind and launched it into a nearby tree. The owl-like Pokemon fell to the ground dazedly.
"Nice work, Mudkip!" Trent told his Pokemon. "Now to make sure that Hoothoot doesn't cause anymore trouble for us." He threw a Pokeball.
The Pokeball struck Hoothoot on the back and Hoothoot was sucked into it in a red light. For a few minutes the Pokeball wriggled, then opened and flew back into Trent's hand. "No good, its still strong enough to fight back."
"Trent, look out!" Magi cried.
The two Poochyena that had stayed behind had tackled Mudkip as the first one hand down, forcing it to lay down on its belly. One had it by the fin on its head, and the other had it by the tail fin.
Hoothoot shook itself, then flew on its stubby wings at Mudkip.
"No, Mudkip!" Trent ran to his Pokemon. "Get off of it!" He shouted at the Poochyena.
"Chikorita, get them off Mudkip!" Magi cried out.
"Chika!" Chikorita slammed into the Poochyena that had hold on Mudkip's head fin, then tackled the one that had its tail before using Vine Whip to drive them both away.
Hoothoot was now engulfed by white streaks starting from its beak.
Trent, who had often watched battles on TV, recognized it as Aerial Ace, a Flying-type move that could do a lot of damage to Chikorita if it it. And Chikorita and Magi had their backs to Hoothoot, chasing off the two Poochyena that had fled in the opposite direction. "Look out!"
Chikorita and Magi turned.
Suddenly Mudkip cried out loudly, causing Hoothoot to call off its attack.
Trent looked at Mudkip. It must have used Growl. He turned to Magi. "You okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded dumbly before turning her eyes on Hoothoot. "Trying a sneak attack, huh?" Magi said angrily. Chikorita looked angry, too.
"I think we need to teach it a lesson," Trent commented. "What do you think, Mudkip?"
"Mud-kip!" Mudkip nodded in agreement.
"Hoothoot!" The Flying Pokemon looked nervous and fluttered its wings frantically.
"Vine Whip!" Magi ordered.
The vines grabbed Hoothoot, trapping its feet. Chikorita then began to swing Hoothoot around in circles, causing it to become dizzy. Chikorita then released its hold on Hoothoot, sending it flying to Mudkip.
"Now, Tackle, Mudkip!" Trent called out.
Mudkip tackled Hoothoot in the front, sending it crashing backwards into a tree.
"Now...." Trent took out the same Pokeball he had used before. "Go!"
The Pokeball hit Hoothoot and it was sucked inside in a red light. It fell to the ground and wriggled a few times, the button that was on the front flashing red now and then. Finally, the button ceased flashing. Hoothoot was caught.
Trent walked over and picked up the Pokeball. "And now I have my second Pokemon!"
"Congratulations, Trent," Magi said.
"Thanks," he returned. "And...thanks...for helping Mudkip."
"Welcome," said Magi.
Trent looked toward the path ahead of them. "Ya know....maybe....it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we traveled together...to watch each other's back."
Magi looked at Trent for a minute or two, then smirked. "Sure. Why not? Besides, you need someone to keep you in line and out of trouble."
Trent swung his face around to her. "Excuse me!? What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Just what it sounds like," Magi teased before running ahead of him, Chikorita in toe.
Trent ran after her with Mudkip. "Get back here! I'm still an independent Pokemon Trainer, ya know!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Magi laughed.