Chapter 600: Black's First Trainer Battle! (1)
~Black H. POV~
[Unova Region, Later, Route 1]
The Pokémon League.
That was the only thought that mattered for me, Black Hilbert, but my friends call me Black. For 9 years—three thousand, two hundred and eighty-five days—it had been the singular, burning sun at the center of my mental solar system.
Every book I read from the library, every record I memorized, and every dream I had revolved around the Hall of Fame. I knew the names of every Champion, the move-sets of their signature teams, and the exact strategy used to clinch every victory since the Unova League's inception.
But as I stood on the dusty, sun-drenched path of Route 1, the reality of my situation hit me like a Rock Smash to the gut. I said resolutely, crouching down to look my new partner in the eyes, "Listen up, Tep."
Tep, the Tepig I'd just received from Professor Juniper, tilted his head, his large, innocent eyes blinking up at me. I began speaking in a calm tone in a confident voice, "Training isn't just about getting stronger. It's about synergy. It's about combining your skills with Musha and Brav. We're a team. One unit."
I gestured to the two Pokémon standing behind me. Musha, my Munna, floated lazily, her floral patterns shimmering in the heat. Brav, my Braviary, perched on a nearby jagged rock, his feathers ruffled by the breeze.
Brav screeched, nodding in agreement, "SKREE-AW!"
I continued in a determined tone, pacing back and forth on the rocky terrain, "We can battle wild Pokémon, sure. And we can spar against each other. But the real growth... the real test... that comes from battling other trainers. That's where the sparks fly. That's where champions are forged."
I sighed, kicking a loose pebble.
*CLINK-CLINK-ROLL*
I muttered, my voice dropping an octave, "The problem is, I've never actually had a real battle. Not a fully-fledged one."
Tep oinked in confusion, "Tep??"
I defended myself, waving my hands, explaining to my new friend, "It's not my fault! Bianca's parents are so strict they won't even let her breathe near a Pokémon battle without a lecture on safety. And Cheren... he's so worried about what the 'adults' think, about being 'proper,' that he refuses to engage in 'unauthorized skirmishes.' They think it's uncivilized. Can you believe that? Uncivilized!"
I looked at the horizon, where the sky met the jagged peaks of the Unova landscape. I uttered, "But now... now we're on our journey. No more parents. No more rules. I bet this route is crawling with trainers just waiting to test their mettle."
I stood up straight, my heart hammering against my ribs. I felt the itch in my palms—the craving for a command, for a strategy, for the rush of a win.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, cupping my hands around my mouth, "HELLO?! IS THERE ANYONE OUT HERE?! ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BATTLE?!"
Silence followed.
*WHOOOOOOOO-SHHHH*
Only the sound of the wind whistling through the crevices of the rocks replied…
I grumbled, "Great. First day on the job and the world is empty."
I started to walk further out, my boots crunching on the gravel.
*CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH*
I was about to give up and look for a Patrat to bully when a voice—calm, resonant, and strangely melodic—echoed from the shadow of a large overhanging cliff, "You're looking for a challenge? You shouldn't shout so loudly. You'll scare away the local Sewaddle."
I froze. My breath hitched.
That voice... it didn't sound like a rookie.
It sounded like... authority.
A figure stepped out from the shade. He looked to be about seventeen, a few years older than me. He had an air of effortless confidence, the kind you only get after seeing everything there is to see.
Over his shoulder sat a Pikachu, its cheeks sparking with a soft chirp. On his head, nestled in his hair like a crown, was an Eevee. And peeking out from the collar of his jacket was a Pichu... though something about that Pichu felt different, its eyes a bit too mischievous, its presence too vast.
*BOOOM*
I felt like I had been struck by a Thunderbolt. My mind raced, flipping through the mental files of the Hall of Fame records I had obsessively studied for nearly a decade.
The hair. The posture. The legend.
I whispered, my voice trembling, "Azure... Azure Sky."
The 'Uncrowned Champion.' The man who had won four different regional leagues. The one who had conquered the Battle Frontiers of Hoenn and Sinnoh. The hero who had literally saved the planet from the Grand Meteor Delta.
Every aspiring trainer in the world knew his face…
… but seeing him here, on Route 1 in Unova?
It was like meeting the Final Boss that spawned in Route 1…
I WAS NOT READY FOR THIS!
I'M NOT EVEN A CHAMPION YET!!!
Azure smiled—a casual, friendly grin that didn't match the weight of his reputation. He replied, "Guilty as charged. But please, just Azure is fine. I'm here to take a crack at the Unova League myself. Starting fresh with a new team."
He looked down at my Tepig, then back at me, his eyes scanning my form with a practiced, analytical gaze. It felt like I was being X-rayed.
He only gazed at us, but I felt he already knew enough. He said calmly, casually eyeing us, "You've got a good look in your eye. And that Tepig... freshly minted from Professor Juniper, I assume?"
I could only nod, my tongue feeling like a lead weight.
Azure said coolly, reaching into his jacket, "Tell you what. I accept your challenge. But let's make it interesting. A singles format, three Pokémon each. In each round, we use one Pokémon. No switching allowed. And regardless of the outcome, we rotate to a new Pokémon for the next round. The one who wins the most rounds is the victor."
He paused, his grin widening, adding, "And don't worry. I won't use any 'gimmicks' on a rookie. No Mega Evolution, no Z-Moves, no Terastallization. Just pure, fundamental battling. How does that sound?"
*Bdmp*
My heart was racing so fast I thought it might burst.
This was it.
My first battle wasn't just against any trainer—it was against a living legend.
This was the ultimate obstacle, the mountain I had to climb if I ever wanted to reach the League.
I shouted, the adrenaline finally overriding my shock, "I... I accept! I'm Hilbert Black! But call me Black! And I'm going to be the Champion!"
Azure chuckled. He stared me in the eye as he said calmly, "I like the spirit, Black. Show me that fire."
He tossed a Poké Ball into the air with a casual flick of his wrist.
*POP*
In a burst of white light, a Pokémon materialized. It was small, orange, and had a curly tail with a red bulb at the end.
A Tepig.
My jaw dropped, muttering, "A mirror match?"
Azure nodded as he explained calmly with his arms crossed, "I thought it would be a poetic way to start your first battle. My Tepig is still learning the ropes, just like yours. Let's see whose bond is stronger."
I looked at my Tep. He was shaking—not with fear, but with excitement. He could feel the aura coming off Azure's Pokémon.
I need to focus. I can't think like a normal person right now.
I need to see everything.
I turned to Musha. Then commanded, "Musha! It's time! Eat my dreams!"
Azure raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued, muttering, "Eat your dreams?"
Musha floated over to me, her pink smoke billowing out. She pressed her snout against my forehead.
*MUNCH—MUNCH—SLURP*
In an instant, the world changed.
My mind, usually cluttered with a million facts about League history, statistics, and frantic anxieties, went completely, blissfully blank. The "white" noise of my obsessive dreaming was sucked away, replaced by a "solid black" void of pure logic and perception.
Reasoning Time.
The world didn't look like Route 1 anymore. It looked like a series of interconnected data points. My vision shifted into a hexagonal overlay.
I could see the wind speed—3.4 knots coming from the northeast. I could see the structural integrity of the rocks. I could see the slight twitch in Azure's Tepig's left hoof, indicating a preference for leading with a physical tackle.
I said calmly, my voice cold and rhythmic, "Tep. Initial engagement. Move at a forty-five-degree angle to the left to negate his line of sight. Use Ember, but aim for the ground in front of him to create a dust screen."
Azure's eyes widened slightly, muttering, "Impressive focus shift. Tepig, use Defense Curl and hold your ground!"
I countered, "Tep! Now!"
*FWOOSH*
*CRACKLE-POP*
My Tepig lunged, spitting a concentrated burst of red-hot embers into the dry dirt. A cloud of thick, grey dust billowed up, obscuring the battlefield.
Through my hexagonal vision, I could see the heat signature of Azure's Tepig. He was curled into a ball, his hide glowing with a faint silver light as his defense rose. I analyzed, "He's hunkering down… He expects a head-on collision. Tep, ignore the screen. Use Odor Sleuth to lock onto his position through the smoke, then follow up with Tackle at maximum velocity!"
*SNIFF-SNIFF*
My Tepig's nose twitched. He let out a determined PUI! and charged into the smoke.
*THWACK*
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed across the route. I saw the impact—my Tepig's head slammed into the side of the curled-up opponent. Azure's Tepig skidded back, his hooves digging into the dirt.
*SCREEEEEECH*
Azure called out casually, his voice calm despite the hit his Pokémon had taken, "Not bad… You're seeing the field differently from most rookies. But don't forget, Black—a battle isn't just a math equation."
Suddenly, a voice rang out. It didn't come from Azure. It was high-pitched, metallic, and came from the device clipped to his belt: "DATA ANALYSIS: ATTACK WAS EFFECTIVE, BUT DEFENSIVE BUFF MINIMIZED TOTAL KINETIC TRANSFER-ZOR!"
I blinked. My Reasoning Time flickered for a split second.
What was that?
Then, a darker, raspier voice echoed from the very shadows beneath Azure's feet, whispered, "Heh... the kid's got a weird brain. Smells like flowers and old paper. Let's see if he can handle a real burn, Gengar-ga!"
A pair of glowing red eyes and a wide, jagged grin appeared in the shadow behind Azure for a fraction of a second before vanishing.
My concentration shattered.
The Pokémon... they're talking?
No, for real talking?
Talking?
I stammered, the hexagonal grid in my vision stuttering, "What... what was that? Azure, did your Pokémon just... speak?"
Azure smirked as he wagged his finger, scolding me, and said casually, "I did say I had a unique team. You shouldn't let it distract you, though. In a battle, the unexpected is the only thing you can count on."
I asked, "But—!"
Azure commanded, his voice cutting through my confusion, "Tepig! Strong Style! Use Rollout!"
STRONG STYLE?
That wasn't a standard Unova command.
Azure's Tepig didn't just start rolling. He began to glow with a fierce, primal orange aura. The air around him seemed to thicken, the pressure rising….
*WHOOOSH*
He took off like a cannonball, but there was a weight to it—a crushing force that seemed to distort the air!
*WHIRRRRRRRRRRRR*
I shouted desperately, trying to force my mind back into the black void of Reasoning Time, "Tep! Evade!"
But the image of the talking shadows and the metallic voice kept intruding. The dreams are leaking back in! Focus!
My Tepig tried to leap aside, but the Rollout was too fast, too heavy.
*BOOM*
The impact was like a grenade going off. My Tepig was sent flying backward, tumbling across the rocky ground…
*THUD-THUD-ROLL*
He lay there, panting, with swirls in his eyes. I ran toward him, my heart sinking. I yelled, "Tep! Hold on there!"
The hexagonal vision vanished completely, replaced by the stinging reality of the dusty trail. Azure said, though there was no referee, "Tepig is unable to battle."
He walked over, his own Tepig trotting happily beside him, looking barely winded, adding, "The first round goes to me."
I knelt beside Tep, picking him up gently, saying softly, "I'm so sorry, Tep. I lost my focus. That was my fault, not yours."
Tep oinked weakly, licking my hand. He had fought hard, but the gap in experience—and the sheer shock of Azure's world—had been too much.
Azure reached into his bag and pulled out a spray bottle. He tossed it to me, stating, "Here. Use this."
I caught it. A Super Potion.
I muttered, feeling a flush of embarrassment, "Thanks."
*PSHHH-T*
I sprayed the medicine onto Tep's bruises. The wounds began to knit together instantly, and Tep's breathing steadied.
Azure said, stepping closer, "Don't beat yourself up."
The Pikachu on his shoulder chattered something that sounded suspiciously like 'Nice try, kid.' Azure continued, "Reasoning Time is a powerful tool, Black. I've seen a lot of psychics and strategists, but the way you use your Munna to clear your head? It's brilliant. But a battlefield is loud. It's chaotic. If a little talking from the sidelines can break your grip, then your 'black' mind is still too fragile."
I looked up at him, my resolve hardening. The embarrassment was being replaced by a fierce, driving curiosity.
I couldn't help but ask, "How do they do it? The talking?"
From Azure's pocket, a Rotom in a specialized phone popped out, its plasma blue body zipping around my head. Rotom spoke in a proud tone and a smug grin, "IZZZZ-SIMPLE! I am a Rotom-V, integrated with high-level linguistic processors! And Gengar over there is just a show-off-zort!"
The shadow at Azure's feet rippled again. Red eyes and a mouth showed, replying, "Show-off? I'm the heart of the party, you glorified calculator!"
I stared, mouth agape. A talking Rotom and a talking Gengar.
I shook my head, trying to process it all, muttering, "This is... this is insane. This is way more than what the books said."
Azure grinned, and for the first time, I saw a spark of true excitement in his eyes. He wasn't just testing me; he was enjoying himself as he answered, "The books only tell you what has happened, Black. They don't tell you what's possible. You want to be the Champion? Then you have to be ready for the impossible."
He stepped back, returning his Tepig to its ball, stating, "That was round one. You lost the mirror match, but the match isn't over. We have two rounds left. Heal up your Tep, let him sit on the sidelines and watch. He'll learn more from observing this next round than he would from a wild battle."
I stood up, holding Tepig against my chest. He looked up at me, his spirit seemingly restored by the Super Potion and the sheer presence of the legend standing before us. I said, my voice growing steady, "I won't be surprised again."
I looked at Musha and Brav as I continued, "I don't care if your Pokémon start singing an opera or if the rocks start dancing. I'm going to stay in the zone."
Azure's grin turned sharp as he replied, "Good. Because for round two, I'm stepping things up. I hope one of your Pokémon is ready for a real dogfight."
He reached for a second Poké Ball.
I took a deep breath. I could feel Musha's presence behind me, ready to clear the fog of my mind once more. I looked at the "Uncrowned Champion" and realized that this wasn't just a hurdle. This was a gift.
A baptism by fire on the very first day of my journey.
I whispered, "Musha. Get ready. We're going back in."
*WHIRRRRR*
The wind picked up, swirling the dust around us. The second round was about to begin, and despite the loss, I had never felt more like a trainer in my entire life.
Azure announced, clicking the button on his Poké Ball, "Round two. Let's see if you can keep up with a pro rookie."
The ball flew. The light flashed.
*POP*
And I prepared my mind to turn pitch black once more.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter and reaching 600 chapters in a fanfic!