David nibbled on half a Chesto berry and watched Pidgey dig into her sachet.

He’d backtracked along the path that he and Joe had taken to find a park. It wasn’t that Celadon had less parks than Saffron, more that it was very easy to get lost in the city. Apartment blocks covered the city center and they were all the same design. That wasn't to say that they all looked the same - the wide variety of paint colors and shopfronts on the ground floor made each one unique, but even that started to blur together when every street corner looked the same. Every turn brought you back to the same courtyard entrance. It was very much like getting lost in a dream. You noticed there was a change, but the structure underneath showed you hadn't moved at all.

These apartment blocks varied in height from 4 to 6 stories, but they were spaced far enough apart that light was able to filter down to the streets. Wide balconies were buried under potted plants or taken up by large tables. Like in the outskirts of the city, people ate breakfast in groups out on the balconies, pausing only to call down to those still streaming into town.

It all gave the city a welcoming feel.

Pidgey paused her meal to look to David’s right. She tensed a little and shifted her talons.

He turned to follow her gaze.

“You alright?” A woman asked. She lightly waved her hand in front of her and tilted her head to examine him. Curly black hair fell to the side and her brow furrowed in concern.

David blinked at her then at his empty hand which he’d been holding in front of his mouth. The berry was long gone. A few drops of juice was all that was left.

Pidgey hopped forward in front of her sachet and narrowed her eyes.

The woman shivered a little under the inspection. She was around his age. No, a little younger with round cheeks that fell as her smile did.

“Pidgey!” David scolded, reaching for his Pokemon. He picked her up and placed her back by her sachet before looking back at the woman who was back to looking at him slightly concerned. He sighed and shrugged. The Pokecenter receptionist’s words came to mind. “Sorry about that. It’s been a long day.”

She snorted, scrunching up her nose and looked at the still rising sun. Her hands settled on her hips. She was wearing leggings that hugged her generous curves. They were more on the side of fashion than activewear. “Right. Well, a few friends and I are heading over to the stands to do some battling.”

She held up her hands as David’s eyebrows rose. “No bets or wagers, just some training battles and,” She gestured at Pidgey. “We wanted to know if you’d be interested.”

Pidgey let out a low squawk as the woman’s hands pointed at her, but she remained crouched low over her sachet.

“Pidgey,” David chided with a wince. It felt like she was being rude. Could Pokemon be rude? Were there social standards for Pokemon?

Pidgey ignored him and kept her focus on the woman.

He frowned and turned back to the woman. Training battles. He wasn’t against the idea. The league started today and he and Pidgey needed to get ready for a gym battle. But. Was it really a good idea to battle without access to healing? He’d left the Pokecenter earlier to try and stay hidden. Did he have a choice? Pidgey needed-

“Huh, it has been a long day. Right, don’t worry about it,” She said with a smile, starting to turn.

“No,” David blurted out, surprising himself more than her. He nodded at Pidgey. “We’d be interested in some training battles.”

Some decisions were easier under a bit of pressure. Pidgey had no issues after battling Fred’s Machop. If she did get hurt, he had a Potion. And the Pokecenter was still an option. He might need to leave Celadon immediately after but that was only a slight possibility. He was getting so lost up in ‘maybes’ he was losing track of the now. Pidgey needed training. She needed to battle.

“Great. I’m Sarah,” She said with another smile. She pointed across the park at a group of three having a small picnic with an Oddish swaying beside them. “We’ll be leaving in about ten minutes if that suits.”

“That works. And David.” He answered.

Sarah nodded and waved at Pidgey, prompting another low squawk, before heading back to her friends.

David frowned at Pidgey. She hadn’t acted this way before with Fred, Libby, Noah or even during their chance encounters with strangers on the Routes. Was it her food? He examined what remained of the sachet.

Pidgey was always watchful while eating, but her attention was usually focused on other Pokemon. Trainer Pokemon were watched warily until they settled down. Wild Pokemon were kept in front of her at all times. Pidgey would even rotate around her food while eating to do so. She hadn't reacted that way to a human before, but then again, people rarely approached them while she was eating.

Either way, he’d have to figure out what she was doing with her gaze and break her of the habit. It was definitely a move. Pokemon social niceties aside, something told him that using moves on humans would not go down well.

 

-.-

 

Martin, a bulky farmer type with hair past his ears that he brushed back, and Sarah led the way to the training grounds. The group sped up as the two of them broke into an argument about the format of the upcoming training battles.

Pidgey and Martin’s Oddish had been recalled before they left and David missed her already as silence reigned between the other three members of the group - Terry, Tulia and him. Most of the talking so far had been done by either Martin or Sarah who seemed to be the more outgoing of the quartet.

It didn’t help that when he’d met them he'd thought that Martin and Terry were brother and sister. They turned out to be cousins in the end, but something about his assumption seemed to have killed the conversation. In his defense they had the same round eyes and shared a similar build, though Terry was smaller and more feminine.

Pidgey’s ball bounced gently against his chest and motivated him to try again. The four locals didn't seem suspicious and while David needed to stay on guard, he needed to help too. Local knowledge or training partners would be invaluable.

“So what Pokemon do you have?” He asked.

Terry adjusted the baggy hat that hid most of her shoulder-length hair before answering. “Sandshrew.”

“Bellsprout,” Tulia said with a wiry twist of her mouth. She poked Terry in the side while she was distracted with her hat. Her overalls swished as she darted back to avoid retaliation. Tulia's clothing was the... oddest in the group. It was made of some heavy waxy fabric and shifted oddly with each step. Given Tulia was lean and pixie-like it was an interesting effect.

“You’ll find that most trainers here have a limited range of Pokemon. Pokemon need to be able to grow things or-” Tulia gestured at Terry. “Help the process somehow”

“That would help explain how the fields don't seem to end.” David replied with a grin. If this was the standard line up for trainers around here then he might have an easier time than expected. Flying had a large advantage over Grass and Ground types. “What about Sarah?”

“Rattata,” Terry said. Her accent was thicker than the others and was obvious even with how little she spoke.

David tensed a little before relaxing. Exposure to the Rattata in the grasslands had mostly cured him of the knee-jerk reaction but flashes of red orbs in the dark were hard to ignore.

“How are Rattata farming related?” He asked eager for a distraction.

“Pest control which is ironic considering that Rattata are the pests in most cities. Here too, but Bug types are a bigger concern.” Tulia clicked her tongue as she considered it. “It’s hard to hide from a Rattata’s nose. Plus they eat anything, which with Bug infestations is two Pidgeys for one Rock Throw.”

“Hey!” Sarah called back at them. “Stop talking shit about Dentures.”

Martin, Terry and Tulia all groaned together. It lightened David's heart even as he fought to avoid thinking of home.

Sarah sniffed and continued walking.

“That has to be the worst one yet.” Tulia muttered.

Martin nodded in agreement, giving an exaggerated shudder before following Sarah.

“She’s coming up with names for her Rattata. Dentures is the fourth today.” Terry explained.

David shuddered himself as he imagined a battle.

‘Dentures, Bite!’

No Pokemon deserved to be called that. It just didn’t work.

“It could be weeks until Rattata speaks too,” Tulia said mournfully. “I’m not sure who’s going to suffer more - us or the poor Rattata when they finally decide on something.”

There was another shout from Sarah but this time it was because they were falling behind. After one last communal shudder the three of them sped up.

 

-.-

 

“Alright, How about Terry and I take the first match?” Sarah asked as they claimed the pitch.

A chorus of yeses went round, and the two took to the pitch before David got a chance to say anything. Which was good as he had all of one Pokemon battle against another trainer under his belt. Seeing someone else fight would give him a chance to learn the rules they used.

He followed Martin and Tulia over to the edge of the pitch where they all sat down to watch.

This training grounds, or ‘stand’ as the four called it, took up about the same area as the stand he’d visited in Saffron, but Saffron's stand had seating, an entrance and food stalls. Celadon’s stand was an empty field. It shared the same manufactured packed dirt ground but here it was broken up by patches of grass, some of which were as tall as he’d seen in the grasslands. Small pools of water were sprinkled around the field but nothing as regular and clearly set out as in the Saffron stands.

The empty expanse was surrounded on all sides by apartment blocks. The balconies would have a great view over any battle, but David wondered how they hosted tournaments. It was just a field.

One end of the training grounds was blocked off by tall metal boxes. The rest had been divided up into pitches for battles, about the same size as the one Fred, and he had used for their practice fight. The five of them claimed one of these pitches. One of the few remaining, as battles took place around them. The whole area was very informal and closer to a park than a sports stadium. Something that David preferred as he watched Sarah and Terry get ready.

“I’ll do a countdown, and they’ll release their Pokemon together on zero.” Martin explained to him as he stuck a calloused thumb up in the air. Martin wasn't very tall, but his bulk made him easy to spot. “We want to do a couple of matches each, so the battles will be to first advantage. I’ll call it for this match and when we battle someone else will call it.” Martin shot him a side glance. “This is a friendly training battle with nothing wagered so withdraw as you wish, but you have to obey the calls.”

David nodded. It seemed simple enough. He had no issues battling Martin either, though this was the first he'd heard of the turn order.

Once Sarah and Terry had both given him a thumbs up, Martin began to count.

On zero David blinked spots from his eyes and wondered why he did this to himself.

When his vision had cleared, a Rattata and Sandshrew were charging across the pitch at each other. David focused on Sandshrew. Light glinted on its yellow-brown plates as it ran on short limbs. Sandshrew’s head bobbed up and down as it ran, revealing short glimpses of a creamy fur chin and belly that was in sharp contrast with its scaly exterior. As a thin tongue darted out to test the air the Pokemon looked like a strange blend of hamster and snake.

Though Sandshrew was small compared to the trainers on either side of the pitch, it dwarfed the Rattata. It was about twice as tall as the mouse Pokemon and bulkier. That bulk had its disadvantages as the Rattata sped towards it twice as fast.

“Quick Attack!” Sarah shouted, breaking the trainers' silence.

Terry was not far behind with a cry of “Scratch”.

Rattata sped up and struck first. It threw itself shoulder first at the larger Sandshrew. A light film of beige formed and snapped as the two Pokemon connected.

Sandshrew shuddered back and let out a squealing hiss under the blow but the Rattata hadn't been able to knock it off balance with the blow. It lifted up on its hindlegs and sprung forward at the Rattata with two front paws.

Rattata shimmied back from the Sandshrew. It was able to escape one of Sandshrew's stubby front limbs, but the other raked its way down Rattata’s side. Rattata let out a pained squeak as thin dark lines formed on its fur.

“Draw,” Tulia murmured from beside him.

“Draw.” Martin confirmed quietly so as not to disturb the battle. “Neither Pokemon benefitted from the exchange.”

“Tack-”

“Defence Curl!” Terry ordered cutting across Sarah.

Sandshrew seemed to shrink as it fell to the side and ducked its head into its body.

“Tail whip!” Sarah switched orders.

Rattata responded slowly which allowed Sandshrew to finish coiling up. Its tail and rear limbs hid every sliver of its creamy underbelly and its eyes were hidden by its forelimbs. A beige haze seemed to form on its plates and sink beneath them.

This beige haze was still appearing when Rattata spun. A snap rang out as its tail slapped against the Sandshrew’s scales. The haze stopped forming around the impact but there seemed to be no other effect from the Move.

Tulia hummed but Martin shook his head and murmured “Wait”.

Sarah ordered another Tackle as Rattata finished its spin.

Terry remained quiet for a second, allowing the Rattata to set up before shouting “Sand Attack”.

Sandshrew sprung out of its curl, scattering the dirt around it. More dirt again was thrown up by a light brown shudder and hurled out at the approaching Rattata.

Rattata blew through the dirt and collided with the Sandshrew. They were both thrown back with a pop, but Sandshrew’s hiss was quieter than before.

“Match!” Martin yelled, interrupting the next set of orders that Sarah and Terry were beginning.

Neither Pokemon moved, both watching the other warily. Rattata seemed to have more trouble with this and was blinking excessively. Both Pokemon relaxed as their trainers called their names and walked over to them.

“Match to Terry!” Martin called as they approached. “Sandshrew was reinforced and Rattata hindered. The Tackle didn't make up for the difference.”

Neither of the two argued the decision though Sarah wore a glum look.

“Who’s calling the next match?” Martin asked, standing and pulling his pokeball out.

“Me!” Tulia said quickly, waving as David and Martin turned towards her.

Martin sighed. “Just don’t call it too early again. You can’t predict what will happen from the moves alone.”

“One sec, I need to let Pidgey know we’ll be battling,” David said, holding up a hand.

Martin frowned. “Just that we’re battling?”

David nodded and released Pidgey.

She appeared in a flash and fixed the group with her gaze. After a quick inspection, her gaze lingering on Sandshrew, she began to hop around to take in the area.

David stepped forward to stop her as chuckles and an “Aw” sounded behind him. Pidgey wiggled between his hands but stopped at his next words.

“Pidgey, are you okay to do a training battle?”

Pidgey let out a loud chirp and looked back at the group behind him.

“Not now,“ He said, spinning her back towards him. ”I’ll recall you first. When I release you again, we’ll be in a battle.”

She let out another chirp and looked back at the group.

He let her go and recalled her as he stepped back. Pidgey hadn’t looked away from the group, but hopefully she got the message.

Martin and he took Sarah and Terry’s spots on the pitch. The stands had grown busier as the battle went on, and their pitch had gathered a spectator or two.

David tried to put them out of his mind and focus on the battle. He held his pokeball out and gave Tulia a thumbs up. She began the countdown.

“1.”

“Go!”

David and Martin released simultaneously, Pidgey and Oddish appearing in two bright flashes.

“Growth!” Martin shouted immediately as the Pokemon appeared.

Seconds later slithers of beige crawled along the floor towards Oddish.

David and Pidgey were a little slower.

Pidgey took a second to adjust to her bearings as she appeared. She took to the skies with a quick flap as she spotted Oddish.

By then David was ready with an order. “Peck!”

Pidgey’s glide across the arena seemed to stretch on as the slithers continued to disappear into Oddish. David could only thank god that Pidgey hadn’t decided to set up for Tackle like when they fought the Bellsprout.

The last slithers disappeared as Pidgey tucked in her wings and dived the last meter.

“Absorb!” Martin called.

Oddish didn’t have time to react before Pidgey struck. The small blue Pokemon let out a heavy gasp as its small blue body was sent tumbling back along the ground.

Pidgey skidded and nearly toppled over as she landed, momentum slowed but not fully halted by the collision.

“Again Pidgey!” David shouted. They had the advantage.

As Pidgey began to hop towards it, Oddish lifted itself up. One of its head leaves was bent and hanging by a thread from its head.

The Oddish ducked its head towards David, exhaling as its broken leaf fell in front of its eyes.

The lack of vision didn’t stop small deep green spheres from shooting out of its head towards Pidgey.

Most of the spheres missed but the few that struck sank into her only to emerge seconds later to fly back to Oddish. The spheres throbbed as they flew back and had doubled in size. Pidgey staggered a little as she landed her next hop but continued on without much pause.

“Match!” Tulia called.

“Pidgey!” David shouted as he stepped away from the market spot. Would she know when to stop? His finger came to rest on her pokeball's button, but he didn’t press it yet. He'd been ready for Tulia to make a call after seeing the damage to Oddish.

Pidgey made one last hop before turning back to him.

David smiled and jogged the last bit over.

“You did great Pidgey.” He said as he smoothed out her crest.

And she had. Yes it could be said that the battle was against another young Pokemon and a Pokemon that Pidgey had a type advantage over, but it was also her second battle. She’d acted correctly before he could make an order and followed his orders afterwards, including the one to stop. This was their first win in many ways.

Pidgey puffed herself up and began to pick at some ruffled feathers on her wing.

David looked up at Martin who was crouched opposite him beside Oddish. Martin gently lifted Oddish’s broken head leaf to examine it as the Pokemon made a whooshing noise.

“Is Oddish okay?”

Martin nodded as he rummaged in his pocket. He pulled clippers out and in a quick motion brought it to the damaged leaf and clipped through the stem. Oddish made a small gasp and its whooshing noise intensified.

“He’ll grow it back in a day or two,” Martin said with a smile as he picked up the small blue Pokemon and held it in the crook of his arm. As he stood, Oddish’s whooshing subsided.

David picked up Pidgey with both hands and stood too. The number of spectators around their pitch had grown, but several were turning away or shaking their heads as he looked back at them.

“Ignore them,” Martin said, looking back at David. “It was a good match. I knew Oddish would struggle, but that was more than I expected.”

David frowned slightly. They were unhappy with him?

Martin grimaced too. “That said, it’s starting to get busy. We might need to recall Oddish and Pidgey.”

Martin sighed and turned back to three sitting at the sidelines.

“Who’s next?”

 

-.-

 

The matches continued until, after David’s next match against Sarah, a woman had stepped away from the crowd around them and was waiting beside Terry.

“Danny here and Terry will be taking the next match.” Martin announced from behind the two with a slightly concerned look.

Danny’s green headband slipped a little, letting long brown hair spill forward as she nodded a greeting to David and Sarah.

David smiled back and gave a tired wave. He wasn’t the one fighting, but these matches could be draining. His and Sarah’s match had lasted several rounds before being ended as a draw. Pidgey and Rattata were limited to physical attacks and between Pidgey’s flight and Rattata’s speed, neither was able to get an advantage over the other in their clashes. It’d been close at the start when he revealed Pidgey’s odd Tackle but Rattata had been able to recover from its surprise with only one Peck inflicted wound. The match had revealed several issues, but the main one was Pidgey's lack of variety. Two moves, three if you counted the dust kicked up from a launch which he really couldn’t, wasn’t going to cut it. They needed more practice.

The ever-growing crowd around them that pressed onto the pitch didn’t help either. Danny might be the start of the end of their pitch reservation.

Danny and Terry walked over to their set positions and readied their pokeballs.

Martin counted down, and both trainers released their Pokemon on zero.

Sandshrew took to the pitch opposite Bulbasaur.

The crowd fell silent.