Percy watched the back of the military man as he walked the group out of the gym and into the square in front of the building. The man led them to a group of people leaning against the Gym. They wore the same outfit across the board.
A yellow jacket and green shorts was seen on all of them and they looked at the military man. "I've got the Prodigies let's go." He said. All 10 of the trainers sent glances at the Prodigies. Some of them were 16 years old and others were older than 40. The glances contained all different kinds of emotions.
Curiousity, hostility, or disgust. The military man and his group walked past the Prodigies. "We'll be guiding you to the Spinaracks area of activity now. It's our job to get you their safe so please trust us with your safety. My name is Hunter and I am the second in command of Honey Gym. These people are the best trainers of Honey Gym and are here to protect you." The military man said. The group of people then left the city and started on their way. They were heading to the North West of the city which led to a more forested area than what Percy had been through so far. A river could be found about 12 kilometers northwest and stretched into victory road.
(AN: I'm too lazy to do some genuine research to know if this is right but I'll try to stick to actual geography.)
Percy wasn't scared of any kind of Pokémon but he was extremely uncomfortable with sneak attacks and traps that Spinarack and Ariados are well known for. Getting stuck in some sort of web is one of Percys worst fears. Maybe its not the action but the feeling of helplessness that comes with it. Some of the more social Prodigies tried to make conversation with the Honey Gym trainers but were unsuccessful.
The trainers were oddly disciplined for not training in the wild. Percy thought that Hunter trained the trainers of Honey Gym to take orders easier. It was clear that Hunter used to be a part of the military in some way and was disciplined. But why come back from the military and become the right hand of a tier 3 city gym leader? A man who worked in the military could easily survive off of government funds for the rest of his life.
They walked for about 45 minutes until they reached a forest. The forest was oddly quiet and was missing the sounds of life. "This is where we let you go. Most of the forest is where the Spinarack are active. They are nocturnal so you should be able to investigate during the day with little worry." Hunter and his trainers left the Prodigies and headed back to the city. "It's weird that they'll prioritize our safety to get here and not for the action." Ash commented. "Heuning probably doesn't want to be on Professor Oaks bad side. Us being here is our own decision so she doesn't have anything to technically do with it. Showing us here was the extent of her responsibility." Jasper explained.
Kushida was able to get some information from one of the trainers and learned why some of the trainers were hostile toward the Prodigies. Apparently the Trainers were tasked with finding the main nest but their job was taken away from them and given to the Prodigies. So some of the trainers blames the Prodigies and directed their distaste to them.
Not all of the trainers felt this way but a majority of them did. All of the Prodigies turned toward the eerie forest and felt chills go down their backs. Barely any sun got through the thick canopy of leaves making the forest uncomfortably dark.
Almost no Pokémon could be heard in the forest if any. "I'll guess we'll set up camp out of the forest." Everybody agreed and they quickly set up camp. Soon enough the camp was completely set up and 15 tents were circled around a big campfire. Kushida stood up from a foldable chair, "Let's get started then. How about first we all show each other our Pokémon to estimate each other's strength and know what to expect." All the Prodigies release their Pokémon. Percy refrained from letting out Pharaoh as he didn't know how Zoe or Kai would react.
Since both of their clans main Pokémon are Growlithe it might be a little tense. A shiny Growlithe is another thing in its self. Only the absolute top members of the clan can have a shiny Growlithe and if somebody who's not even a clan member has one things can become heated.
Percy scanned all of the Pokémon too know what kind of strength the other Prodigies have. (Warning. A lot of information inbound. Skip if you don't want to read all of it. I'm only putting all this information here if you want to know more about each character than just the overview. I know suddenly there's a bunch of characters being introduced and it seems overwhelming. But bare with me and read on. I'll explore each of these characters individually to flush them out and make them seem different and unique. There will be plenty of interactions that slowly explore Percys relationships as well as others. The Spinarack arc is where the biggest characters are introduced so it may seem a little slow.)
Haley's Pokémon:
Pokémon: Heracross
Level: 26
Abilities: Guts, Moxie
Gender: Female
Potential: Red
Moves: Leer, Tackle, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace, Horn Attack, Harden, Endure, Counter, Megahorn (Inherent Move), Brick Break [E] (Inherent Move), Protect (TM), Bulk Up (TM)
Pokémon: Charmeleon
Level: 27
Abilities: Blaze
Gender: Male
Potential: Light Blue
Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Breath, Fire Fang, Slash, Flamethrower, Dragon Rush [E] (Inherent Move), Dragon Dance [E] (Inherent Move), Flare Blitz [E] (Inherent Move), Protect (TM), Defense Curl (TM)
Marcus' Pokémon:
Pokémon: Exeggcute
Level: 20
Ability: Chlorophyll
Gender: Female
Potential: Light Blue
Moves: Absorb, Light Screen, Hypnosis, Reflect, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Confusion, Teleport [E] (Inherent Move), Psychic (Inherent Move), Giga Drain (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Misty's Pokémon:
Pokémon:: Psyduck
Level: 24
Abilities: Damp, Swift Swim
Gender: Male
Potential: Dark Red
Moves: Scratch, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Confusion, Fury Swipes, Water Pulse, Disable, Zen Headbutt, Screech, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam [E] (Inherent Move), Psychic (Inherent Move), Protect (TM), Calm Mind (TM)
Pokémon: Staryu
Level: 23
Abilities: Natural Cure, Analytic
Gender: N/A
Potential: Red
Moves: Tackle, Harden, Iron Defense, Water Gun, Confuse Ray, Rapid Spin, Minimize, Swift, Brine (Inherent Move), Water Pulse (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Pokémon: Poliwag
Level: 20
Abilities: Water Absorb, Swift Swim
Gender: Female
Potential: Light Red
Moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Pound, Mud Shot, Bubble Beam, Liquidation (Inherent Move), Defense Curl (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Graces Pokémon:
Pokémon: Buneary
Level: 16
Abilities: Run Away, Limber
Gender: Female
Potential: Light Red
Moves: Splash, Pound, Defense Curl, Baby Doll Eyes, After You, Quick Attack, Copy Cat (Inherent Move), Solar Beam (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Ishigami's Pokémon:
Pokémon: Duskull
Level: 22
Abilities: Levitate, Frisk
Gender: Male
Potential: Dark Red
Moves: Astonish, Leer, Disable, Shadow Sneak, Confuse Ray, Night Shade, Payback, Phantom Force (Inherent Move), Foul Play (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Pokémon: Gastly
Level: 21
Ability: Levitate
Gender: Female
Potential: Dark Red
Moves: Lick, Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, Mean Look, Payback, Spite, Curse, Sludge Wave (Inherent Move), Shadow Ball (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Lunas Pokémon:
Pokémon: Zorua
Level: 21
Abilities: Illusion
Gender: Male
Potential: Dark Red
Moves: Scratch, Leer, Torment, Hone Claws, Fury Swipes, Scary Face, Taunt, Extrasensory (Inherent Move), Sucker Punch (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Pokémon: Ekans
Level: 17
Abilities: Shed Skin, Unnerve
Gender: Male
Potential: Red
Moves: Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare, Screech, Dark Pulse (Inherent Move), Poison Jab (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Kushidas Pokémon:
Pokémon: Bayleef
Level: 20
Abilities: Overgrow, Leaf Guard
Gender: Male
Potential: Dark Red
Moves: Tackle, Growl, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Synthesis, Reflect, Magical Leaf, Sweet Scent (Inherent Move), Synthesis (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Baxter's Pokémon:
Pokémon: Ivysaur
Level: 23
Abilities: Overgrow, Chlorophyll
Gender: Male
Potential: Light Blue
Moves: Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Growth, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Seed Bomb, Take Down, Bullet Seed, Solar Beam (Inherent Move), Skull Bash (Inherent Move)
Kai's Pokémon:
Pokémon: Growlithe
Level: 25
Abilities: Flash Fire, Justified
Gender: Male
Potential: Light Blue
Moves: Ember, Leer, Howl, Bite, Flame Wheel, Helping Hand, Agility, Fire Fang, Double Edge (Inherent Move), Fire Blast (Inherent Move), Focus Energy (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Pokémon: Pidgeotto
Level: 23
Abilities: Keen Eye, Big Pecks
Gender: Male
Potential: Light Blue
Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Twister, Hurricane (Inherent Move, Steel Wing (Inherent Move), Tailwind (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Auroras Pokémon:
Pokémon: Chansey
Level: 19
Abilities: Natural Cure, Serene Grace, Healer
Gender: Female
Potential: Light Blue
Moves: Sweet Kiss, Disarming Voice, Covet, Charm, Minimize, Pound, Heal Bell [E], Copycat, Defense Curl, Tail Whip, Echoed Voice, Life Dew [E], Sing, Aromatherapy (Inherent Move), Protect (Inherent Move), Light Screen (Inherent Move)
Zoe's Pokémon:
Pokémon: Growlithe
Level: 23
Abilities: Intimidate
Gender: Female
Potential: Dark Red
Moves: Ember, Leer, Howl, Bite, Flame Wheel, Helping Hand, Agility, Overheat (Inherent Move), Double Edge (Inherent Move), Protect (TM)
Percy didn't even know what to make of all this information. He could only grasp the basics of the other Prodigies but not much else. Protect was a move all the Pokémon knew except for Baxter's Ivysaur.
Percy also noticed that when Baxter let out his Ivysaur it immediately left him and went to check out Pokémon it hadn't seen before. It seemed to already be acquainted with most of the other Pokémon and eventually made its way to Percys Pokémon. Percy had Crash, Fúria and Jormun out. Crash and the Ivysaur almost immediately started butting heads.
The hot blooded Ivysaur tried to get some reaction from Crash. A single disappointed glance from Percy stopped Crash's behavior and his Pokémon lined up obediently next to him. Percy decided to ask Haley for some training advice to learn how she's so strong and efficient. "We are going to need some sort of leader if we want to get this task done." Kushida spoke up.
When it comes to bringing people together for diplomatic or social reasons Kushida was clearly number one. She radiated honesty and her words was something everyone held onto until her voice could be heard no longer.
She would be the kind of person to always be surrounded by great people. When it comes to handling hostile Pokémon in a potentially dangerous environment Kushida was definitely not the number one choice. The best person for the job was easily Ash by a long run. The other choices lacked in a few categories.
For example Haley has incredible battle sense and ability but she's as dumb as a rock. Jasper, Jason and Percy lack the charisma to pull people together. While Ash has both charisma and battle sense so he would be able to make full use of the situation. The prodigies looked between Ash and Kai as the ones that knew Kai thought he would try to take control.
Kai looked at the faces watching him and snorted. "Ash can take the lead." Kai turned away and went into his tent. Ash breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the Prodigies. "I'll think up something so just chill and we'll meet back in half an hour." Ash sat down next to the fire and everyone dispersed doing their own activities. Percy sat next to Ash and sharpened his hatchet with a whetstone. Jason and Jasper sat around the fire as well. Crash sat in front of Percy and watched the flames until suddenly a green bulb tackled him.
Baxter's Ivysaur tackled Crash into the ground and Crash did not appreciate it. Crash bound up and lunged toward the Ivysaur with his jaws open. "No." Crash stopped and sat down glaring at the Ivysaur. Percy looked around for Baxter but couldn't find him anywhere. "What's your problem man." Percy asked the Ivysaur. The Ivysaur head butted the ground and said some unintelligible Pokémon words. "He said he didn't like the way Crash looked at him so he was going to teach him a lesson." Jason explained.
Percy forgot that Jason can talk to Pokémon psychically. 'Things would be so much easier if I could do that.' Percy thought to himself. Eventually with enough training Percy could communicate with Pokémon using aura. Unlike psychics Percy wouldn't be able to understand the Pokémon's thoughts but he could understand the emotions of the Pokémon.
With practice that could be transferred to speech and Percy will be able to communicate with Pokémon. "Well if you want to fight Crash do it outside of the camp. But let's make a deal." Percy smiled. The Ivysaur immediately nodded and prodded Percy with its snout. "If Crash wins you have to give him all of your Pokémon food whenever he wants it. If you win I'll buy you a high quality potential item." Percy suggested. The Ivysaur immediately started jumping up and down in excitement.
To him this was an easy win that wouldn't even be a challenge. He had a powerful move that could easily one shot Crash as he had type advantage. "Go ahead then. I'll referee the match and I won't give any advice to Crash." Percy and all the boys around the fire went to a clear area next to the camp. They attracted some attention and were followed by some of the Prodigies.
Misty, Grace, Luna, Haley and Ishigami followed behind the boys as Percy marked out the battle arena. "I thought you were supposed to be making a plan or something Ash." Misty commented. Ash turned his head and said "I just needed a little break." "You've been thinking for five minutes." "Ok?" Everybody looked at Ash and shook their heads. Ash was a sucker for battling and would watch literally any battle in the vicinity. Percy made sure both of the Pokémon knew the rules and started the match.
The battle started and Crash immediately began preparing a move. The Ivysaur prepared a move with a smug look on his face. Energy started developing above his bulb and he starting charging the move Solar Beam. Solar Beam would definitely one shot Crash as it was one of the strongest moves a grass type Pokémon can learn. Crash ran forward and his teeth glowed a light blue. Ivysaur still was charging the Solar Beam so all it could do was take the hit.
It was a cloudy day so Solar Beam charged slowly and would take a couple more seconds to finish. Crash used Ice Fang on Ivysaur and it was super effective. The Ivysaur stood his ground and finished preparing the move. That single Ice Fang did more than 35% if his health and he wasn't looking good. A beam of energy flew toward Crash who was too close to dodge it, not that he would've been able to dodge it if he wasn't close.
Solar Beam was an extremely fast moving attack and Crash was in no way a quick Pokémon. An opaque white shield appeared in front of Crash and saved him from being obliterated. Fortunately Protect was able to block all of the attack. If Ivysaur had been the same level he could've broken through the shield so Percy considered Crash to be lucky.
Ivysaurs face dropped when it saw that it's big attack was blocked. It had to reassemble its plan to defeat Crash. It was hoping to eat the damage Crash did and one shot him. It didn't bank on the fact that Crash had Protect and would be able to nullify his trump card. Ivysaur thought that having a Protect TM was a luxury and that was the only reason his trainer hadn't bought him one yet.
He thought that only the richest trainers get Protect. The Ivysaur prepared Vine Whip as it was one of the only options lefts. If he prepared Solar Beam Crash would be able to get off two more Ice Fangs and knock him out. So the only option was some quick grass type moves to knock Crash out. Crash recovered from being pushed back by Solar Beam and prepared his own move.
Although Crash prepared later he finished first as he used Aqua Tail. The move being on Expert was super useful as Crash could move and use the move at the same time. Crash closed the distance and Ivysaur finished preparing his move. Whips emerged from the side of him and struck toward Crash. Crash used his tail to counter strike against the whips.
His tail repeatedly striked against the whips and he was slowly pushed back. Although Aqua Tail was on Expert rank and Vine Whip wasn't, Vine Whip still had a type advantage and was able to push Crash back. Neither of the Pokémon took damage from the exchange but Ivysaur was able to create some distance between them. Both Pokémon watched each other for a second before preparing new moves.
Crash's fangs glowed light blue and he leaped forward his jaws outstretched. Ivysaur lowered its head and charged toward Crash. His skull started glowing and he became faster. Percy grimaced at the thought of the Skull Bash making contact with Crash. An untrained Ice Fang would stand no chance against a trained Skull Bash. But Percy did think that Crash could withstand a single Skull Bash and strike back while Ivysaur recovers. Although Crash will be hard pressed to stay in the battle Percy believed in his stubbornness.
Since the move Skull Bash requires about 10 seconds to recover from, and there will be plenty of time to hit Ivysaur with Ice Fang. Their moves clashed against each other and dust flew in the air covering the battlefield. Crash was sent out of the dust cloud and came to a sliding stop.
Crash was extremely hurt and could barely stand. The dust settled and Ivysaur could be seen slumped over and struggling to recover from Skull Bash. Crash's fangs turned light blue and his breath could be seen blowing out in clouds as his mouth was so cold. He started in a limp before breaking into a run toward the Ivysaur.
Crash glowed in a bright blue light and his muscles started expanding making him run faster and faster. Freezing air covered his body and he pulled his fists back. Ice cold energy covered Crash's fist and he jumped into the air. Ivysaur picked his head up from off the ground and looked at the icy figure blocking out the sun.
It's pupils dilated and for the first time in its life, felt fear. Crash's fist slammed into the head of the Ivysaur. A critical hit slammed the Ivysaur into the ground and an icy aura spread throughout the area causing everybody to become chilly. Once the dust cleared Crash could be seen standing on top of the unconscious Ivysaur roaring in victory.