Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thomas stared at the poster for the fourth time that week.
There wasn't really anything special about it, it was the same poster that had been hanging in the window for a few weeks now, but Thomas just couldn't seem to take his mind off it. The poster was fairly simple, announcing the official dates of the Pokémon League. It seemed to call out to him.

Thomas knew that most of his friends already had their own Pokémon, but he didn't. He had simply never had the courage to go to Professor Oak's lab and ask for a Pokémon, and he knew it would be fairly difficult to win a Pokémon battle without a Pokémon. So, in a sudden burst of courage, he turned and started up the path to the professor's lab before he had a chance to change his mind.
–

“So you, just, got a Pokémon?” Joan asked, still completely baffled by the situation.

Joan and Talyn, Thomas’s best friends, had been hanging out at Joan’s house when Thomas dropped in, eager to show off his newly acquired Eevee. “Yeah,” Thomas replied sheepishly. “ I was hoping that you guys would, maybe, wanna come with me? On a journey?”

Talyn, who was already smothering Thomas’s Eevee with hugs, lit up at the idea. Joan however, was a little more dubious. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, you haven't even been in a Pokémon battle before, and now you're going to try and enter the Pokémon League?”

Thomas gave them a cheesy grin. “Come on, what's the worst that could happen?”

Joan gave the man an exasperated look and rubbed their face with their hands. “So, we leave in the morning?” The other two cheered, wrapping Joan in a big hug, Talyn almost dropping Eevee in the process.

–

Thomas threw on his bag and checked his hair one last time before sprinting out the door. After all, he didn't want to be late meeting up with his friends.

When he arrived at Joan’s house, both his friends were already there, waiting for him. “Ready?” Talyn asked excitedly.

“You bet!” Thomas replied with a smile.

“Well if you're going to enter the Pokémon league, you'll need to get 8 gym badges. The nearest gym is in Sapphire City. If we leave now, we could make it by tonight.” Joan explained.

“Let's go, then!” Thomas shouted eagerly, already starting down the path. Talyn followed, practically bouncing with every step he took.

Joan stayed completely stationary. “Guys, Sapphire City is that way,” they said, pointing in the opposite direction.

“Oh,” Thomas laughed, now walking in the correct direction. Joan rolled their eyes and followed shortly behind.

–

The trio walked down the slightly wooded path in search of Sapphire City, trying to guess what the gym leader would be like.

“I’ll bet they're a water type trainer,” Talyn speculated. “Y’know, 'cause sapphires are blue, and water is blue?”

“My money's on a steel type gym,” Joan countered. “Besides, there are plenty of blue Pokémon that aren't water types.”

“Well, I’m sure that whatever type of trainer they are, I can beat them easily!” Thomas added confidently.

The other two gave him doubtful looks. “Thomas, you haven't even been in a Pokémon battle before, and gym battles are different. Gym leaders are a lot stronger than regular trainers,” Joan warned.

“Yeah, I-”

Talyn’s sentence was cut off by a loud rustling in some nearby bushes. The cause of the sound?

A small Turtwig.

“Ah-HA!” Thomas exclaimed. “This is my chance to catch a Pokémon and prove I have what it takes to beat the gym!”

“Oh, brother,” Joan sighed under his breath.

“Eevee, I choose you!” Thomas cried, bringing Eevee out of its Pokéball. The Turtwig glanced over, squaring to battle. “Eevee, use tackle!” Eevee charged at the wild Pokémon before it.

Turtwig tried to dodge, clearly taken off guard by Eevee’s speed, and the attack landed head on. “Yes!” Thomas cheered, taking out a Pokéball to throw. While the Turtwig struggled to regain its footing, he took his shot.

The Pokéball bounced off its head, opening and capturing the Turtwig in a red light. As the Pokéball rolled on the ground, the three friends held their breath.

It rolled once. Twice. Three times. Then, it let out a successful ‘ping’.

Joan let out a relieved sigh, Talyn cheered, and Thomas froze in shock. He hadn't really expected to catch it, and it took a moment for his victory to sink in. He walked up to the Pokéball as if it would explode, and picked it up carefully. He stared at the ball for a moment, then turned and joined Talyn in his cheering.

–

The sun was setting on the hill as the three friends spotted Sapphire City just on the horizon. Talyn was the first to spot the towering skyscrapers, Joan and Thomas catching a glimpse after a moment. As the sun sank below the buildings, it painted a beautiful picture of orange, pink, and blue against the black shining silhouette of the city.

Not wanting to walk too far in the dark, Joan suggested they set up camp just outside the city. It took a while to set up camp, so by the time the three were done, the sun had almost completely disappeared. The sky was clear, aside from a few small clouds, and the stars shone bright. Together, they spent a while simply enjoying the night, pointing out constellations when they recognized them.

One by one, they retreated into the tent, Thomas opting to stay out a bit longer. He stared up into the endless sky and couldn't help but think about what great friends he had.

Eventually, he too retreated to the tent, smiling to himself as he settled into his sleeping bag.

Chapter Text

On their way to the Sapphire City gym, the group stopped in a coffee shop for breakfast. Joan and Talyn shared a small plate of cookies, and Thomas had gotten himself a muffin.

Despite being tucked slightly away from view, the shop seemed to attract all kinds of customers, from college students enjoying the free wifi with their snack to passerbyers looking for a conversation. Thomas listened to the bustle as he finished his drink, waiting for his friends to be done before heading out.

They began walking through the city, unsure of where the gym might be. Being in such a big city, there was plenty to see. Towering skyscrapers glimmered under the afternoon sun and stretched as high as the eye could see, their glass windows reflecting the puffs of cloud that drifted across the sky. Neon signs flickered with bold colors, advertising everything from cozy cafes to cutting-edge tech stores. The sidewalks buzzed with life—businesspeople in sharp suits weaved through tourists clutching maps, street performers captivated small crowds with music and acrobatics. The aroma of roasted coffee beans mingled with the tempting scent of food carts. Bike bells rang out in rhythmic bursts, blending with the murmur of conversations as Thomas and his friends passed.

After a while of walking, Joan noticed a sign with a map. They ran up eagerly, ready to be done walking around aimlessly. "Look," they pointed at the map, "the gym isn't too far from here."

"Oh, good, it's only a few blocks further," Thomas said, peeking at the map over Joan's shoulder.

"Well, let's get going, then!" Talyn exclaimed, grabbing Joan's wrist and pulling them along. Thomas chuckled and followed their lead.

They only made it about a block or so before Talyn got distracted. A wild Skitty just down the street seemed to be the source of the distraction.

"OH MY GOODNESS, JOAN," he shouted, running and picking up the small Pokémon, who seemed distressed by the euphoric human. "LOOK! IT'S SO FREAKING CUTE!" Skitty yelled and squirmed in his arms, but Talyn was unfazed as he held it tight.

"Here, can I hold it?" Joan asked carefully, holding their arms out. Talyn nodded happily and handed them Skitty. As soon as Talyn let go, Joan set it down on the ground, and it bolted down the road.

"Aw, why'd you do that?" Talyn pouted. Before Joan had a chance to respond, Talyn let out a loud gasp, a huge smile on his face. He ran up to a nearby window display. "Joan, look, they have stuffed animals! Can we get one, pleeeease?"

"Talyn, we don't need a stuffed animal," they said.

"Oh come on, Joan," Thomas interjected. "Let him have a stuffed animal."

"Guys we don't-" Joan started, but stopped when they were met with Talyn's puppy dog eyes.

"Pleeeease, Joan?" He begged.

Joan started the man down for a moment before giving in. "You're lucky you're cute."

"YAY!"

-

“This one looks like a Squirtle!”

Talyn was happily digging through the collection of stuffed animals and plushies that the store carried, while Joan and Thomas looked around at everything else the store had to offer. The store had all kinds of clothing and shoes, as well as Pokémon accessories. There were standard Pokéballs for those who were short, and specialized Pokéballs in case you were looking for something more specific. Thomas even noticed a small case full of evolution stones, vaguely remembering something about Eevee needing an evolution stone in order to evolve.

“Oh, and this one looks like a Togepi! I think this one is my favorite,” Talyn declared, holding the small plush triumphantly over his head.

“Great,” Joan deadpanned, “can we go now?”

–

Talyn skipped along happily, holding his brand new stuffie close to his chest, humming as the trio (finally) made their way to the Sapphire City gym.

They walked for a while, listening to Talyn chatter excitedly about his stuffed Togepi like a child on Christmas, when Joan stopped suddenly, Thomas running into their back.

“Oof, sorry,” Thomas apologized, stumbling back. “What’s up?”

“I think we've made it.” Joan pointed up at the large building just up ahead. The outside was fairly plain, just square-shaped and painted a dark grey. The grass outside was perfectly kept, and tall hedges lined the sidewalk leading to rather intimidating tinted glass doors. Thomas’s breath caught as they approached.

With each step toward his first gym battle, he felt his anxiety rise in his chest and his thoughts go wild with all the worst possible scenarios. It was only his first battle after all, against a gym leader nonetheless. Thomas reached out as he approached the door, his hand shaking more than he would have liked as he rested it on the door handle.

Joan put their hand on his shoulder, grounding him for a moment. “It's alright if you're not ready, Thomas.” Joan's words seemed to reflect Thomas's thoughts. “You know you don't have to rush right into this.”

“We're right here if you want to do more training first,” Talyn added.

Thomas gave his friend a small smile and made his decision. “No, I’m ready for this. I'm going to go in there, I'm going to give it everything I've got, and I’m going to win,” he declared, pulling the door open.

Or, at least, trying to pull the door open. The tinted glass slab was heavier than Thomas had been expecting, and it took an almost embarrassing amount of effort to get it to budge.

The inside of the gym was nearly pitch black. It was eerily silent, aside from the sound of Joan and Talyn shuffling around behind Thomas and the heavy doors slamming shut behind them. Thomas struggled to make out even the ground below him, much less any walls or other defining structural features.

“H-hello?” He called into the darkness. It echoed slightly, but no one responded.

“Maybe no one's home?” Talyn whispered, his voice filled with worry.

A loud clatter from the other side of the room caused the three of them to jump, confirming that there was, in fact, someone else here.

“Hello?” Thomas called out once more, a little more confident this time. “Who's there? Show yourself!”

“As you wish,” replied a mysterious voice. The lights suddenly flooded the room, and the trio had to shield their eyes from the unexpected barrage of light.

Once his eyes had adjusted, Thomas’s eyes wandered around the room. A battlefield laid before him, a traditional rocky terrain with small boulders jutting up along the sides. On either side of the battlefield was a set of bleachers, likely for any audience to sit in and watch the battle. The ceiling was covered in painted stars, planets, comets, and other celestial bodies. Decorations hung down from the ceiling, creating layers so complex it was hard to tell where it ended, if it did at all.

On the side of the room opposite to Thomas and friends, a tall man stood on a platform, wearing a black polo shirt with a dark blue tie and jeans. He stared down at Thomas through his black glasses, his face painted with a completely stoic expression.

After a moment of watching the trio in silence, the man jumped down from his platform , landing perfectly on two feet. Even without his high ground, he was still several inches taller than Thomas.

“Salutations,” he said, pushing up his glasses, which caught the light as the smallest of smirks crossed his face. “Welcome to the Sapphire City gym.

“My name is Logan.”

Chapter Text

“My name is Logan.”

Tentatively, Thomas stepped forward, glancing back at his friends before staring down the man before him. My opponent, he reminded himself. “I’m Thomas, and I have come to challenge you to a gym battle.”

“I assume you are already familiar with the rules, so I will make it quick. We will each use two Pokémon. Are you ready to begin?”

Thomas felt his confidence waver under Logan’s scrutinizing gaze as he responded, “N-no, sir.”

Logan paused for a long moment before echoing, “No?”

“I’m not really familiar with the rules, see, this is my first gym battle.” Thomas explained, feeling himself shrink as Logan squinted at him with suspicion.

“Ah, yes, I see. Well, in a gym battle, both trainers are only allowed to use a certain number of Pokémon. In Sapphire City, this number is two. The battle continues until all of one trainer’s Pokémon have fainted. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Any questions?”

“No, I think I got it-,” Thomas said, his sentence cut off by the loud slam of the glass doors.

“Hiya, Logie, I’m back,” the newcomer exclaimed, before catching sight of Thomas and friends. “Oh, look, you have friends!”

“Logie?" Talyn laughed, caught off guard by the nickname. 'Logie' seemed caught off guard as well, his perfectly serious demeanor now replaced by an embarrassed shade of scarlet Thomas hadn't thought was even possible.

"Patton," Logan groaned, trying to hide his face behind his hands, "I told you before I don't like it when you call me that."

"Um, hi. Who are you?" Joan asked, turning back to the stranger in an attempt to cut to the chase.

“Oh, gosh, where are my manners? I’m Patton,” the stranger said, extending his hand, which Thomas promptly shook.

"So, you must be Logan's friend." Thomas smiled.

Patton blushed slightly. "You could say that."

Logan, however, was determined to shut the conversation down before he could be humiliated further. "Thomas and I were just about to have a battle if you would like to sit in and watch."

Patton seemed ecstatic at the idea. "Oh, I know! You'll need an officiant! Can I, Logan? Can I? Pleeeease?"

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose in defeat, knowing full well this was an argument he was not going to win. "Fine, you can be the officiant."

"Yippee!" Patton cheered. "Wait, is he qualified enough for that?" Joan pointed out, still rather skeptical of the whole situation.

"Despite his... exuberant personality, I assure you Patton is more than qualified to officiate." Logan reassured.

"Sounds good, we'll be cheering for you!" Talyn called, grabbing Joan and dragging them by the sleeve up the bleachers.

Thomas watched his friends climb up the bleachers. A question from Logan brought his attention back to the field. “Are you ready to proceed with our battle?”

Thomas nodded confidently. He was more than ready, and he was going to prove it.

“Very well. You may call your first Pokémon. I will be using Espeon first,” Logan stated plainly, pulling out a shiny Pokéball. He tossed it up into the air, the Pokéball letting out a bright red flash, revealing the Espeon in question.

Thomas took a moment to think before making his call. “Turwig, I choose you!” he cried, throwing the Pokéball.

Patton, who was practically dancing with excitement, waved his flag. “Battle begin!”

“Go Thomas!” Joan cheered.

“You got this!” Talyn joined in.

Thomas made the first move, eager to get this over with. “Turtwig, use tackle!”

“Espeon, use Protect!” Turtwig changed at Espeon full force, only to be stopped cold by the force field protecting Espeon.

“Wait, what?” Thomas exclaimed in confusion.

“Protect is a move that completely foils any attack from an opponent.” Logan explained, just a little too smug.

“Oh, man. That’s gonna be tough to get around.” Thomas muttered, mostly to himself.

“Espeon, use Psybeam!”

“Turtwig, use Withdraw!” Thomas called out. If he couldn’t attack, then he could at least defend. He hadn’t been counting on Espeon’s speed, though, and Espeon landed a direct hit before poor Turtwig could even finish the move.

“No, Turtwig!” Thomas screamed. Turtwig struggled back to its feet, clearly feeling the effects of Espeon’s attack. Turtwig used Withdraw, raising its defense slightly. “Alright, use Tackle!”

“Espeon, Psybeam!” Turtwig charged once more with all its might, but didn’t stand a chance against its much more experienced opponent. Turtwig fainted before landing a single hit, and Thomas was forced to call it back.

“Turtwig is unable to battle! Espeon is the winner!” Patton called, waving his small flag.

“Take a good rest, buddy. You earned it,” whispered the younger trainer as he returned his fallen Pokémon to its Pokéball. “Eevee, I choose you!”

Eevee appeared in a familiar flash of light, and immediately shuddered noticeably. Thomas simply stared in confusion, so Logan took that as his cue to provide valuable insight. “That would be Eevee’s ability, Anticipate. When Eevee is substituted into a battle, it will shudder if the opponent has a move that is super effective against it.”

“So that means…” Thomas trailed off before he finished his sentence, but he didn’t need to finish the question to know exactly what it meant. Espeon had a move that would do severe damage to Eevee, and Thomas had no way to counter it.

“Allow me to demonstrate. Espeon, use Double Kick!” Logan grinned smugly. The attack landed only twice, but it was enough to send Eevee flying, slamming harshly into the rough terrain beneath it. Eevee struggled to regain its balance, clearly having taken a beating from the attack.

“Eevee! Can you still battle?” Thomas called out to the injured Pokémon, clearly worried for his partner. Eevee gave a confidant nod, no less determined than before despite the larger amount of damage taken. “Alright Eevee, use Tackle!”

The opposing Espeon had clearly not been expecting the attack, taking a direct hit. Thomas felt his stomach drop, however, when the dust cleared and Logan’s Espeon seemed almost unfazed, while Thomas’s own Eevee was tired, injured, and nearly out of breath. And when he heard Logan call his final attack, he knew that this was it.

“Espeon, use Psybeam!”

-

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center! Would you like to rest your Pokémon?"

Thomas nodded solemnly, handing his Pokéballs to the annoyingly cheerful woman in front of him.

He lost.

The realization had hit him hard as a wave of guilt and regret had washed over him. But the battle was over now, and he still couldn't quite believe it.

He lost.

He had let his confidence get to his head, and he failed to train his Pokémon to an acceptable standard. He planned poorly, and tired out his own Pokémon while barely making a dent in Logan's roster.

He refused to listen to his friends and rushed in head first to a situation he knew nothing about.

Joan put a hand on Thomas's shoulder, momentarily pulling him from his depressive spiral. "Don't worry about it, bud, everyone makes mistakes. The only thing that matters is how you choose to move forward."

“Yeah, it’s alright! We’ll help you train, and then you can march back in there and demand a rematch and beat that guy’s butt!” Talyn chimed in enthusiastically.

“Thank you for waiting! Your Pokémon are all better now!” Nurse Joy’s light voice came from behind him, causing Thomas to jump slightly.

“Oh, uh, t-thank you,” Thomas stuttered quickly, grabbing his Pokéballs and moving toward the exit, prompting his friends to follow.

“We hope to see you again!” Nurse Joy waved after them before turning to help the next trainer in line.

Thomas pushed through the perfectly symmetrical double doors and stepped into the warm outdoor air. “Well, what are we waiting for?” Thomas turned back to his friends, “We got a lot of training to do.”