Pokemon : An Unexpected Journey

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As Austin and his group sat around a table in the Pokémon Center, eating a quick meal, the tension from earlier seemed to lift just a bit. Wilton, the guy who helped them out, asked Austin, "So you're here for a Gym battle?"

"Yeah," Austin replied between bites, glancing at his Pokémon as they dug into their food nearby. Pikachu, Caterpie, and Rattata were chowing down like they hadn't eaten in weeks, while Pidgeotto and Spearow kept giving each other death glares from opposite sides of the table. Those two really need to chill, Austin thought, hiding a smirk. It was almost like watching siblings fighting over the last piece of cake.

Wilton nodded, though Austin noticed his eyes flicker toward Yellow, who was sitting with a small smile on her face, cradling her Weedle. Wilton seemed wary of her Pokémon but didn't say anything about it, probably saving that conversation for later.

"I'm going to focus on training my team," Austin said, feeling a burst of determination surge through him. He couldn't afford to be overconfident—Brock's Rock-types weren't going to be a walk in the park.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Wilton asked, giving Austin a curious look.

"Well," Austin started, taking a deep breath, "I'm going to teach Pikachu and Rattata Iron Tail and Dig. For Pidgeotto and Spearow, it's going to be Steel Wing. And I’ll train Caterpie until he evolves into Butterfree." The words came out steadier than Austin expected, but internally, his mind was a storm. Am I being too ambitious? he wondered. Are they even capable of learning these moves so soon?

Wilton's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Those are good moves, but hard to teach," he said, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Do you know how to train them?"

Austin gave him a slight nod. "I’m planning to get some advice from Professor Oak," he said, catching Pikachu giving him a curious glance before he went back to sniffing at the bottle labeled 'Ketchum.' Austin still didn’t know what was in that thing, but it always piqued Pikachu's interest.

"Hey, can I watch your Gym battle when you go?" Yellow asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Wilton turned to her with a stern look. "Don't think you're out of trouble, young lady," he said, making Yellow's face fall. "... But if you don’t disappear on us again for the next week, maybe I’ll allow it."

Yellow’s smile returned, brighter than ever. Austin shrugged, giving her a nod. "I don’t mind," he said. To be honest, he didn’t see the harm in her watching the battle. If anything, it might help her learn a thing or two.

That’s when Austin noticed Wilton giving Yellow a knowing look, like he was seeing something Austin couldn’t. Wilton seemed to be holding back a laugh as he glanced Austin's way. What’s so funny? Austin thought, confused. But then he caught Yellow sneaking glances at him from across the table, her face turning pink every time their eyes met.

Wait a second… does she have a crush on me? Austin almost choked on his food at the thought. Oh man, this is so awkward. What do I even do with that information?

The next day, Austin stood with his Pokémon in a clearing near the Pokémon Center, a spot specifically set aside for training. His heart was pounding, but this time it wasn’t from fear—it was from anticipation. This was their first real step toward the Kanto Gym battles, and Austin could feel the pressure bearing down on him.

"Alright, team, listen up," Austin said, trying to sound as confident as possible. "We’ve got a lot of work to do if we want to stand a chance against the Kanto Gyms." He looked at each of them in turn, and they all stared back at him, waiting for what he’d say next. I’ve gotta nail this, Austin thought. If I mess up their training, we’re toast.

"We haven’t experienced a loss yet," he continued, "but that doesn’t mean we can get cocky. We’ve only been in three battles so far, and the real challenge hasn’t even begun. We need to train, travel, and earn eight Gym Badges to participate in the Regionals."

To Austin's surprise, they all let out excited cries. Even Spearow and Pidgeotto momentarily stopped glaring at each other.

"First up is the Rock-type Gym," Austin said, noticing how Pikachu and Caterpie both grimaced. Spearow and Pidgeotto also looked a bit on edge. Only Rattata seemed unfazed, pawing at the ground like she was itching for a fight.

"We’re not going to have an easy time," Austin admitted. "That’s why we’re going to train like crazy."

He pulled out his notes, a result of his late-night consultation with Professor Oak, and took a deep breath. "Pikachu, Rattata, you’re going to be learning Iron Tail," he said, turning to them. Austin saw the confusion in their eyes when he picked up a couple of rocks and reached into his backpack for some rope. Okay, here goes nothing, he thought, tying the rocks to their tails.

"To learn Iron Tail, you need to build up strength in your tails," Austin explained. "Think of it as weight training." Pikachu and Rattata nearly toppled over from the weight, their eyes widening in shock.

"Don’t worry," Austin said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "You’ll get the hang of it."

Then he turned to Spearow and Pidgeotto. "You two will be doing the same thing, only with your wings," Austin said, watching as they both gave him puzzled looks. "And you’re also going to learn how to move quickly on the ground."

Spearow looked like he was about to protest, but then he noticed the determined gleam in Pidgeotto’s eye. Not to be outdone, he squared his shoulders, ready to take on the challenge.

As they struggled to get used to the rocks tied to their wings, Austin turned his attention to Caterpie. He crouched down, meeting his eyes. "You want to become a Butterfree, right?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer. Caterpie’s tiny body trembled with excitement, his little legs wiggling as he nodded eagerly.

Alright, Caterpie needs to gain experience somehow, Austin thought, rubbing the back of his neck. His mind flicked to Yellow's Weedle for a second, but he shook the idea away. No, I can’t ask her to battle right now. She just got Weedle; she’s not ready.

An idea suddenly clicked, and Austin looked at Pikachu. "Hey, Pikachu, can you come over here for a sec?"

Pikachu hopped over, looking a little awkward with the rock tied to his tail. "Pika?"

"I know you’re busy with your own training," Austin said, "but could you help Caterpie gain some experience? He really wants to evolve."

Pikachu’s eyes softened as he looked at Caterpie, and then he gave a firm nod. "Pi!" he said, clenching his paw in determination.

Austin couldn’t help but smile as he took a step back to watch them train. Spearow and Pidgeotto were stumbling around, racing each other on foot while trying to keep their wings steady. Rattata was fiercely swinging her tail up and down, pushing herself harder with every movement. And Pikachu was darting around, dodging Caterpie’s String Shots as they trained together.

Unbeknownst to all of them, Flint stood hidden behind a tree, watching their training session with a keen eye.