Chapter Text
POV Victor
“Huff, huff, huff.” Victor gasped for breath as he followed Uncle Sparks up a hill. “Sparks, huff, how much further?!” He hoarsely shouted.
“Just a little longer, Vic. Just a bit longer. Once we get over the crest of this hill, we’ll rest in a cave on the other side.” Sparks called out, not even out of breath.
‘How is he so in-shape?’ Victor thought as he struggled up the mountain with a large backpack on. ‘Is he a Pokémon or something?’ After much struggling, and some help from one of Sparks’ Pokémon (which Victor would never admit to), he eventually made it to the summit of the hill. “Is this a hill or a mountain?” Victor asked as he caught his breath.
“Both, technically.” Sparks said, amused by Victor’s misery. “It was considered a mountain until a freak landslide occurred and caused the elevation to drop below the requirements for a mountain. Everyone still considers it a mountain. The cave isn’t much farther down, so once you catch your breath, we’ll go.”
It took a few more minutes for them to reach the cave, most of which was Victor struggling not to fall over. “So, Sparks, what’s the deal with this cave?” Victor asked as he rested against the cave wall as they waited for night to fall.
Sparks took a few Pokéballs out before answering. “This cave is where I hid out during that landslide. I was in a bad place, and I blamed a ground-type specialist for something bad that happened. We fought, and a landslide developed. We took refuge in this cave until the weather calmed down enough for us to leave. We talked, and eventually came to an understanding. He promised to help me with my problems as long as I stayed out of his way. End of story. Let’s set up camp, alright?” Sparks asked as he changed the subject.
Sparks tossed out the Pokéballs and released his partners and Victor’s teachers. From his left hand, three large Pokémon were released. First was a large silver pokémon with magnets and a large eye. “MAGNEZONE!” it loudly cried as it emerged from its ball. Next was a large, yellow bipedal form with black tails that looked like electrical cords. “ELECTIVIRE!” it declared as he stood proudly in the cave. The last one from that hand was a smaller yellow and brown mouse with a long tail shaped like a lightning bolt. “RAICHU!” It yelled as he emerged.
Before he tossed the other three, Victor asked a question. “Why does Raichu look so different from other Raichus?”
“He was evolved by stress and electro-psychic energy, not a Thunderstone. As a result, he’s smaller than an average Raichu, but much more powerful because he evolved ‘naturally.’” Sparks said with air quotes. “Rai” Raichu agreed with air quotes of his own.
On second look, Raichu looked like a Pikachu with a Raichu’s tail. He was larger than a regular Pikachu, but that’s normal considering how powerful he was. ‘So, he’s one of a kind.’ Victor thought to himself as Sparks threw the other three Pokéballs.
First out was a regular Pikachu that quickly ran up to Sparks’ shoulder after nuzzling against Raichu’s stomach with a soft “Pika.” Next was a small, corgi-like yellow and white Pokémon with large blue eyes and a long, red tongue. He emerged with a sharp “YAMPER!” before curling up into a ball at Sparks’ feet. The last released was a very small yellow and black Pokémon that sort of resembled Pikachu, except it was smaller and didn’t have the tail. “P-peko?” It whimpered before Raichu picked it up and carried it over to Sparks.
“You’re fine Morpeko, it’s alright.” Sparks reassured Morpeko as he cradled the small Pokémon in his arms. “See, Pikachu’s here.” Pikachu cooed gently as he hugged the smaller creature. “Sorry about that, these three are basically the babies of my team. Jolteon, Ampharos, and the others are watching the other younglings. Morpeko is just a little homesick.” Sparks apologized as his Pokémon surrounded him.
Electivire and Raichu helped Victor and Sparks set up the tents and firepit so Magnezone could light it on fire with a special Tri Attack. Pikachu, Yamper, and Morpeko entertained themselves with balls that were larger than them. Eventually, the little ones tired themselves out, so Raichu and Sparks put them to bed in Sparks’ tent. “Tomorrow we continue on to Celestic Town to rest up before continuing through Mount Coronet. After that, we will travel to Unova for more training.” After Sparks saw the exhausted look on Victor’s face, he continued. “You’ve done good, kid. Even better than I dared to hope. When the Gym Challenge begins, you will be prepared beyond anything they could think up.”
“Why did they change the age requirements for the Gym Challenge anyway?” Victor asked.
“I suggested it. I knew too many trainers that weren’t prepared for the harshness of the journey. The only reason they survived was because in regions like Kanto and even here in Sinnoh, the Pokémon Rangers keep the routes clear and safe for trainers. The Gym leaders help out as well, but in the smaller towns, they can’t do much. Galar is different. Their laws prevent the management of the routes to prevent wild Pokémon from wandering onto the paths. The existence of the Wild Areas helps with that as well, but it is still dangerous for the unprepared. Also, ever since Fiore, Almia, and Oblivia were discovered, the Rangers have been stretched pretty thin because those regions are more peaceful and ban Pokémon battling.” Sparks explained.
“What are those last three regions?” Victor asked.
“Lesser known regions that are only accessible through special means like a Ranger’s Styler or special powers like Aura and Psychic abilities. Don’t worry too much about them. I’ve only been once when I was called to investigate the rampant increase in electric Pokémon’s power levels in Almia. That trip made me an honorary Ranger, and gave me this too.” He held up what looked like a strange gear shift. “It’s a deactivated styler. As much as they liked me and appreciated my work, they couldn’t give me an active one. Too much paperwork and red tape. I simply like the significance that it has. It’s a reminder that I have friends all over the world.” Sparks explained.
They sat in silence for a while, until Electivire hollered to let them know that the food was ready. Yes, Electivire was cooking while they talked. “Curry again?” Victor asked.
“Yep. It’s pretty much all that you trainers eat in Galar for some reason. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good and all, but seriously? All y’all eat on the road is curry?” Sparks asked as his southern dialect crept in slightly, emphasizing that he was getting tired. “So, here it is: Sweet and Spicy Sausage Curry. Let’s dig in.”
As they ate, Victor had another question. “Why aren’t the little guys eating this? It’s really good.”
Sparks laughed before explaining. “They’re still too young for curry. I’ve been feeding them Poké blocks from Hoenn until they’re strong enough to stomach ‘people food.’ Besides, Psy-chu, Raichu’s mate, would psychically make me do the chicken dance on the stage in Hearthome City if she found out I gave her baby curry without her there to make sure it was good enough for her little Pichu.” At that, Raichu and the other veteran Pokémon nodded solemnly at Sparks’ words. “Well, it’s getting late. Let’s turn in and continue on tomorrow.” As Victor began heading towards his tent, Sparks stopped him. “Seriously though. I am so proud of you. These six months backpacking through Sinnoh have been tough, but you haven’t complained. No, you’ve soldiered on proudly. Tomorrow, we will rest in Celestic Town. Then, we conquer Mount Coronet. After that, we make our way north to Snowpoint City where we will catch a flight to Mistralton City in Unova. Good night, Victor. May Cresselia bless your dreams and may Clefairy and Clefables keep Darkrai far from you.” Uncle Sparks finished before he and Victor turned in for the night.