Pokemon : An Unexpected Journey

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Austin stood on one end of the battlefield, his shoes digging into the floor that was now a battlefield, the exhilarating rush of the pending battle coursing through his veins. He reached for the red and white sphere at his waist, an extension of himself now. With a hearty chuckle, he hurled the PokeBall into the air, a swift arc of crimson and ivory against the grey ceiling.

There was a flash, then a Wartortle stood in the field, the dark blue color of his skin seeming to blend with the shimmering, relentless wave of heated air above the dusty battleground. His shell, a robust armor against the odds, added a firm resilience to his stance.

As Wartortle appeared, he tossed his black glasses into the air, a playful flourish that was a testament to his affinity with his trainer. Wartortle moved fluidly, an elegant display of finesse and strength. He spun and flipped, a torrent of energy and discipline. The glasses finally came to rest on his face, and he braced himself for the fight.

Sabrina, standing on the other end of the battlefield, observed the spectacle, her voice devoid of any emotion. "Quite the energetic Pokémon, you have," she droned. "You may have the first move."

Austin didn't hesitate. "Wartortle, let's set the stage. Rain Dance!"

Clouds began to form on the ceiling darkened at his command, a crescendo of thunderous clouds that echoed the intensity on the battlefield. The rain started to fall, each drop sizzling as it hit the heated arena. Sabrina responded in kind. Her Solrock started to shine, an aura of psychic energy radiating around it, as it used Calm Mind to raise its stats.

Austin was quick to respond, "Water Pulse, Wartortle!" A powerful surge of water erupted from Wartortle's mouth, speeding towards Solrock. But the psychic Pokémon wasn't stationary. In the blink of an eye, Solrock moved, positioning Wartortle between itself and the water pulse.

Austin gritted his teeth. "Wartortle, use Counter Shield!" In a split second, Wartortle spun in the air, a wall of water forming around him. The Water Pulse collided with the shield, creating a massive splash that soaked the arena, temporarily blinding Solrock.

But Sabrina was unfazed. "Solrock, Solar Beam!" The psychic Pokémon started to gather light, preparing for a powerful attack.

Austin wasn't going to let that happen. "Wartortle, Ice Age combo!" Wartortle fired an Ice Beam at his water shield, solidifying it. He then used Rapid Spin to turn his ice-coated shield into a spinning blizzard, which intercepted Solrock's, Solar Beam. The two forces clashed in the middle of the arena, creating an enormous explosion that sent a shockwave rippling through the stadium.

The dust cleared, revealing Solrock. It was still in the air but looking visibly worn. However, Austin was far from done. "Now, Wartortle, Cannon Castle!" Wartortle immediately formed a Protect shield around himself, simultaneously charging an Aura Sphere. The psychic assault from Solrock bounced off the shield, and Wartortle shot back with a powerful Aura Sphere, slamming into Solrock and sending it crashing to the ground.

Sabrina grimaced, her usual cool composure wavering. She quickly ordered Solrock to use Confusion to lift Wartortle off the ground. But Austin was ready. "Rapid Iron Bash, Wartortle!" His Pokémon executed a high-speed Rapid Spin while simultaneously swinging his Iron Tail, knocking Solrock away and breaking free from the Confusion.

Austin's confident grin faded a bit as he saw Sabrina calmly brush off the dust from her clothes, her eyes still locked on the battlefield. Her Solrock, despite the onslaught it had just suffered, was still floating, its spectral gaze unwavering.

"Solar Beam, Solrock," Sabrina commanded, her voice serene but commanding. Solrock started charging once again, its body radiating intense light. Austin immediately countered, "Wartortle, Spiraling Jet!" But even as Wartortle rocketed towards Solrock in a spiral of water and Aura Sphere, Sabrina seemed undisturbed.

In the blink of an eye, Solrock used Teleport, evading Wartortle's Spiraling Jet. The Solar Beam was released, a searing beam of light aimed directly at the water Pokémon.

"Redirection, Wartortle!" he shouted. His voice echoed across the battlefield, the command clear and decisive. 

With a burst of energy, Wartortle dove underground using Dig, the deadly Solar Beam narrowly missing him. Sabrina, however, was a step ahead. Her calm, steady voice rang out, "Solrock, Earthquake!" 

As if on cue, the ground erupted in tremors, tearing the field apart and tossing Wartortle out of his burrow. The Water Pokémon was flung into the air, disoriented and struggling to regain balance.

A smug smile formed on Sabrina's face, her eyes closed as she seemingly savored the moment. Austin watched her closely, a hunch forming in his mind. "She's using her psychic abilities to predict our moves..." he muttered. 

With this realization came a new plan. Austin's voice cut through the tension, "Wartortle, Lightning Rod!" Wartortle slammed his Iron Tail into the ground, the action pulling in the surrounding electrical energy.

"Ready for a new play? False Narrative!" Austin called out. Wartortle swiftly used Rock Tomb, raising a barrier of stones around him. To any outsider, it seemed as though he was cornered, but Austin knew better.

Predictably, Sabrina commanded, "Solrock, Psychic!" This was the moment Austin had anticipated. From within his rocky fortress, Wartortle executed Mirror Coat. With the added electric energy from Lightning Rod, a burst of dazzling light erupted from the rock tomb, effectively disrupting Solrock's Psychic attack.

Simultaneously, Wartortle blasted out of the Rock Tomb with Rapid Spin, taking advantage of Solrock's momentary disorientation. "Now, Wartortle, Icicle Rain!" Austin yelled. The pouring rain swiftly morphed into a torrent of razor-sharp icicles, falling unrelentingly on the bewildered Solrock.

Austin knew this was not the end, however. As his confidence returned, he could see Sabrina open her eyes again, her gaze sharper than ever.

Before the trainer or his pokémon could comprehend what had happened, Wartortle was enveloped in a funnel of flames, before nose-diving into the floor with a large explosion.

Solrock stopped spinning, staring down at its opponent, with its squinted eyes and seemingly-bored expression.

"Wartortle," Austin yelled out in worry. "Are you all right, buddy?"

The water pokémon lifted his claw in the air, the dents and bruises on his shell visibly distinct, before grunting out defiantly.

 The stupid know-it-all might have been speedy, but that didn't mean that he would be defeated so easily.

Austin chuckled. "That wasn't a slight on you, my friend. I was just being worried."

Wartortle grunted again. His trainer was a worry-wart.

"However," said the trainer wasn't done speaking. "I think your abilities would be better served elsewhere. I need you to return." Saying so, his trainer lifted up his Pokeball, pressing the red button.

Wartortle sighed. Well, at the very least, he would get another chance to battle today. He gave a withering glare at the floating psychic type once again, before the red light dematerialized him, returning him to his Pokeball. 

"Looks like you're not playing around, Sabrina."

The Saffron gym was one of the toughest gyms out there, even for someone going by the normal route instead of elevating his trainer status via… unconventional means. 

So yes, he was screwed since Sabrina was using her full skills of an Elite Four in this fight.

But then… When had something like that ever stopped him?

Austin clasped his next PokeBall, raising his gaze to meet Sabrina's. With a sly grin, he began, "Hey, Sabrina, mind doing me a little favor?"

Sabrina's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Austin with a wary gaze. "I've already set up a barrier around our match," she replied, her voice cautious, "They can't see us."

Austin chuckled, his grin widening, "Perfect."

Suddenly, Sabrina's cheeks tinged with a faint blush, an affronted expression flashing across her face. "Ash," she scolded, her tone icy.

Austin blinked, the name taking him by surprise. He tilted his head, offering a nonchalant "Yes?"

"Stop imagining me in skimpy bikinis," Sabrina said flatly, her eyes sharp as they pierced into Austin's. The corner of her mouth twitched, a mixture of annoyance and disbelief coloring her features.

Austin, however, ignored Sabrina's request entirely, his grin replaced with a cheeky smirk. "If you're so keen on reading my mind for this battle, Sabrina," he teased, "You'll quickly learn a man's mind isn't always about Pokémon battles."

Then, without skipping a beat, he declared, "I choose you, Charmeleon!" He threw his PokeBall into the arena, the red and white sphere splitting open with a brilliant flash of light. His Fire-type Pokémon materialized, roaring as it entered the battlefield. Sabrina could only shake her head, a resigned sigh escaping her lips. The battle was on.

The black dragon stood on his hind limbs, his maw lifted into the air, as he snorted out a thin bluish flame as a declaration of his power. Of course, Charmeleon hardly needed to do so, considering his unusual physiological features. Even as a second-stage pokémon, he stood head and shoulders equal to the height of most average Charizards out there. Apparently, whatever must have kept his growth hindered had been… removed, allowing Chameleon to quickly reach a more than respective height, enough to send most opponents cowering with relative ease.

"An unusual pokémon," Sabrina commented from her spot. "I am yet to decide if not seeing the future of this battle was a good decision or a bad one."

"Do you often see the future of your battles?" Austin prodded out of curiosity. Being able to see the future was a supreme advantage. That was for sure. 

"More often than I would like," the Saffron gym leader answered with relative nonchalance. "You should quell your thoughts, Ash Ketchum. I can't see the outcomes of your bloody suicide mission with Team Rocket.

 I only see the outcome of my future battles, if only to see if the trainer is worth my time or not."

"I… see," Austin answered Pikachu looked confused as he tapped Lucario's feet and asked pointed at Sabrina as he wanted Lucario to explain what Sabrina meant.

"Interestingly enough, I did not look into the future for this battle. For someone with so less experience, you have certainly moved up in our world, Ash Ketchum, enough for the League to start noticing you, and the... team you have been known to cultivate."

Almost instantly, Cynthia's words replayed in his mind. He had the attention of the legendary deities of their world. People found him interesting.

Interesting people are stuck in people's minds.

"I'm flattered," Austin answered. "I will try not to disappoint you."

Sabrina just smiled back at him in return. "Let us return to the battle."

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[ Omake Paragraph ]

If the domestication of Oddish and Miltank created civilization, the domestication of Steelix created empires. Wars in the Bronze Age, before pokeballs and most domestic Pokemon, were fought with weapons: spears, shields, javelins, and chariots pulled by Ponyta. For a time crawling behind trained Onix was a common tactic to avoid ranged attacks, similar to more recent modes of trench warfare. Onix, however, could not move easily in the grasslands and flood plains where many wars were fought, and their thin joints rendered them vulnerable targets, so their effectiveness was limited; they could not protect many men, and the valuable Onix were themselves often slain.

And then came the Iron Age, which is often dated not from the use of iron tools, but from the application of metal coats to Onix, creating the first Steelix. Larger, stronger, and most importantly, sturdier than their predecessors, not only could a hundred men advance behind them (if the old historians are to be believed), but they could break a chariot with a single thrash of their tail, and spears bounced off them like thrown rocks. Armies declined and became abandoned outright for a time, for the only thing which could beat a Steelix was another Steelix, and a community's military power became based on access to Onix caves and iron.

Thus human battles were replaced by Pokemon battles. Centuries later, great upheavals occurred as the first grass and water pokemon were domesticated and a tactical revolution swept the world. Steelix, despite their strong physical defenses, were slain in war and abandoned in peace. The modern population of Steelix descends not from the Steelix champions of the Iron Age, but from wild Onix fashioning coats of their own from scrap metal to protect themselves from predators; ancient Steelix is known only from ruins.