Both Kai and Ethan faced off against the Team Rocket grunts, with both Sandshrew and Cyndaquil facing down the Murkrow and Ariados.
"Alright, let's teach these punks a lesson," the leader of the grunts said. "Ariados, use poison sting!"
"Murkrow, use peck!" The other grunt shouted.
Kai could tell that Ariados was strong, knowing he would have to be careful of its poison type. Having to act quickly, knowing that Pokemon battles in the real world of Pokemon didn't give you time to wait around like a turn-based game.
"Quick, Sandshrew use rollout on the Murkrow!" Kai yelled.
"Cyndaquil, use ember on the Ariados!" Ethan also yelled.
All four Pokemon lept into action as they clashed against one another with their attacks. With Sandshrew breaking through the peck attack of the Murkrow, hitting it hard with its rollout attack.
Cyndaquil had unleashed its fire-type attack, shooting an ember towards the poisonous spider Pokemon, however, at the last minute, its trainer yelled out.
"Ariados, dodge it and use Shadow sneak!" The Rocket trainer commanded.
Suddenly, Ariados seemed to sink into the shadows in the ground before it reappeared behind Cyndaquil, hitting it hard with the attack.
"Cyndaquil, look out!" Ethan yelled, not being able to react in time.
Kai, on the other hand, could see that his foe's Murkrow was on its back foot now, taking advantage of the situation.
"Sandshrew, quickly, use rollout and help Cyndaquil!" He yelled out, watching as his Sandshrew rolled at speed toward the Ariados, smashing into the side of it.
"What are you doing, Ariados!" The Rocket trainer yelled, clearly annoyed that his Ariados hadn't seen the attack coming.
"Quickly, take it out!" Kai yelled to Ethan, who nodded as he understood.
"Now Cyndaquil ember, quick!"
Cyndaquil jumped into the air and unleashed its fire attack, letting the flames on its back burst to life from the effort.
"Don't forget about me!" The other Rocket trainer yelled, having his Murkrow swoop back in. "Murkrow, hit it with Gust attack!"
Suddenly, the Murkrow unleashed a powerful gust of wind, enough to blow the Cyndaquil off balance and even push its ember attack off track, missing the Ariados as a result.
"Nice one! Now Ariados use string shot and slow that Sandshrew down!"
Kai knew what he was trying to do, knowing that Sandshrew got faster and stronger each time he used his Rollout attack as long as he didn't stop.
"Sandshrew don't give it time, use Rollout again on the Murkrow!"
Sandshrew rolled along the ground, moving faster after landing two hits so far before it bounced off the ground, hurling toward the flying-type Pokémon.
"Shit! Murkrow use—" But it was too late.
Sandshrew slammed into the Murkrow, hitting it with a super effective Rollout and knocking it down, where it crashed into the ground.
"Murkrow!"
Meanwhile, the Ariados unleashed its string shot toward both Sandshrew and Cyndaquil. "We don't think so, Cyndaquil use ember to counter it!" Ethan shouted.
Cyndaquil unleashed its fire attack again, burning the silk thread that the spider Pokemon had unleashed, rendering it uses less as it burnt away with ease.
"Cure you... Ariados use poison sting!"
"Cyndaquil, dodge it with Quick Attack!"
Cyndaquil moved away from the Ariados, dodging to the side before it slammed its small body into the spider.
"And now, ember!"
"Cyn—daquil!" The small fire Pokemon roared as it unleashed the ember, giving it everything it had.
This time, the Ariados couldn't move out of the way fast enough and took the ember attack head-on, taking a super-effective hit.
"No! Ariados!" The Rocket leader yelled, watching as his Ariados dropped to the ground, unable to battle anymore.
"Alright, Cyndaquil!" Ethan yelled out in joy, with Cyndaquil following suit.
"We did it!" Kai joined in, hitting a big high-five with Ethan in celebration.
A crowd of people had also gathered around the group now, watching their battle in amazement, as cheers started to erupt around them.
"Why you brats..." The leader said, also noticing the crowd of people now.
"Well, looks like we won fair and square," Ethan said, looking smug while both the Rocket grunts returned their Pokemon back to their Poké Balls.
"Y—yeah... It would seem so." The Rocket leader said, looking left and then right to his teammates.
"As for our request, we want you to return the Pokemon that you stole from the other trainers." Kai then cut in, getting a questioning look from everyone around them.
"Hey, now that I think about it, they look familiar." Voices in the crowd started to say.
"Yeah! It's them!"
"This isn't looking good, boss." One of the grunts said to the leader.
"Seems we need to make a getaway." He then said, reaching for another Pokeball on his hip.
"Here, take this kid. You earned it." The grunt leader said as he tossed a shiny item toward Kai.
"We won't forget this kid." The Rocket grunt yelled out as he released his Koffing.
"Koffing use smokescreen!" He yelled, watching as the poison Pokémon unleashed a powerful smokescreen that blinded everyone in the area.
Everyone started coughing and rubbing their eyes until the smokescreen settled, revealing that the Team Rocket members were gone.
"No way... They got away." Ethan said, not being able to see them anywhere.
"It looks like it." Kai agreed, returning his Sandshrew to its Pokeball before he looked at the item the grunt had thrown toward him.
"No way, it's a nugget!" Ethan said, picking it up for Kai. Man, these things are worth some serious coin!" He said, getting a shocked look from Kai, knowing what it was.
"I guess that battle wasn't for nothing then," Kai said as Ethan handed it over to him.
"Anyway, we should head to the Pokemon centre before something else happens." Kai then said.
Ethan agreed, and the two of them headed off.
With their victory over the rocket grunts, both Kai and Ethan had made it to the Pokemon centre by the pier, heading over to heal their Pokemon before making their report to the police who had now arrived at the scene.
However, getting through to them was easier said than done, with them being so busy and receiving numerous reports about the sighting of the grunts. Still, Kai and Ethan did their job by giving their statement and could now go back to their original task.
Both of them could also see how much quieter this Pokemon centre was compared to the main one in the city centre, making sure to put their name down on a room for the night while they could.
Ethan was still a little pissed that they had let the rocket grunts get away. But still, they had given them a nugget which would fetch them a high price of 5000 PK$, meaning 2500 each.
Kai made his way over to the telephones and dialled the professor's number so he could speak to him and report that he had made it to Cherrygrove City.
"Is that you, Kai? Have you finally arrived in Cherrygrove City? Excellent!" The professor said while he tended to his work, never seeming to take a break.
"Ok, Mr Pokemon said he would be staying in a cabin just on the outskirts of the city past Route 31." Professor Elm said. "He will be there for another three days, so don't feel the need to rush."
"Here, I will send the coordinates to your Pokegear so you can see it on your map." He then said.
"Anyway, once you meet up with him and have the package, make sure to give me a call ok?" Elm said, seeming to become a little more serious than usual.
"Not a problem, professor," Kai said with a nod of his head.
"Excellent, I look forward to hearing from you soon, Kai. Safe trip." He then said, cutting the call a little short, seeming to be as busy as always.
"Was that the professor?" Ethan asked as he walked over to Kai.
"Yeah, but you just missed him," Kai said.
"Sounds about right," Ethan said with a sigh.
"He is always so busy, I swear he doesn't even sleep," Ethan said again with a chuckle, taking a sip of the drink in his hand.
Kai's Pokegear beeped, alerting him to a message he had received before he opened it to take a look.
"Here are the directions to where Mr Pokemon is staying. Looks like it's not far from the city." Kai said, getting a nod from Ethan as he looked at the map too.
"Hmm, looks like it is still half a day's walk from here," Ethan said, looking at the distance that was displayed on the Pokegear.
"Wait here, I have an idea," Kai said, deciding to walk over to the desk and ask nurse Joy, leaving Ethan in the dark for a moment.
-----
"Well, that certainly was a better idea than walking," Ethan said, with both of them now finding themselves on a bus that was leaving the city via the main road.
"The fair was cheap, too," Kai said, looking at the bus routes that went around and outside of the city. I had no idea they had buses and trains running... Kai thought to himself, knowing that it made sense.
"This way we will get there with plenty of time to spare," Ethan said, looking at the map on his Poké Gear.
"Yeah," Kai said, thinking the same thing while studying his trainer card out of habit.
So far, with the added bonus of selling the nugget they had won from the rocket grunts, Kai found himself with around 5000pk$ to his name. Never mind the piece of amberight that they had been given for helping save the Donphan, being told it was worth a whopping 20K.
With all of that to his name, he would be able to buy some new gear for himself and his Pokemon, along with plenty of food and even a treat for himself, aiding in the journey that was ahead of him.
"Here's our stop," Ethan said, bringing him away from his thoughts and back to the real world.
Both Kai and Ethan hopped off the bus onto the path, seeing they had arrived at route 31, being only a ten to fifteen-minute walk away from the place Mr Pokemon was staying.
"The map is saying to head this way," Kai said, following one of the paths that led toward a large field that was overlooked by a small hillside and a beautiful lake.
"Oh, hey, looking like the sign here is saying there is a lodge by the lake," Ethan said while he read the sign, putting two and two together.
"Let's get moving then," Kai said, closing his Pokegear and putting it back into his pocket.
Both of them continued to follow the path as they got closer to the lake, taking in the beautiful sight as the sun's rays reflected off the water, while Pokémon splashed and swam around.
"There it is, Kai," Ethan said, pointing over to the lodge as it came into view.
Kai nodded his head and carried on walking, wanting to get there as quickly as possible, finally reaching his first goal.
The two of them finally reached the building and stood in front of the door before Kai knocked, waiting for a response.
A moment later, the door opened slowly, revealing an elder man wearing a suit and tie, complete with a hat in matching colour.
"Yes, may I help you?" He asked, looking both Kai and Ethan up and down.
"Mr Pokemon?" Kai asked, getting the man's attention.
"I take it you must be Kai." He said with a smile.
"Professor Elm told me you would be along at some point." He said as he opened the door fully. "Please come in."
Kai and Ethan accepted his invitation and walked into the lodge, taking in the beautiful décor and interior.
"We have guests, Professor." Mr Pokemon said, speaking to another who was not Kai or Ethan.
"Is that so?" A familiar voice said, causing Kai to think he had heard it before.
"Please, allow me to introduce Professor Oak, from Pallet Town in the Kanto region." Mr Pokemon said, making the introductions.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Professor Elm has told me a lot about you two." He said, getting up to greet them both properly.
Kai was shocked. A little lost for words even as he came face to face with the one and only Professor Oak. The most famous Pokémon professor in all of the franchise.
"P-Pleased to meet you, professor." Kai finally said, struggling to get his words out.
"Wow, from the Kanto region. I think I saw you on TV not long ago, Professor." Ethan said.
"Yes, well, I try not to make an appearance as much these days." He said, scratching the side of his head with a grin on his face.
"Anyway. It would seem that you have arrived just in time." Mr Pokemon said, sitting back down at the table he and Professor Oak had been sitting at.
"Now Professor Elm said I would be able to entrust this parcel to you and that you would deliver it to him in person, yes?" He then asked.
"That's correct," Kai said.
"Excellent." Mr Pokemon said before he placed what looked like a Pokemon egg onto the table, causing both Kai and Ethan to study it.
"This is a rare Pokemon egg that I have been studying with the help of Professor Oak here. However, Professor Elm is the leading expert in all things related to Pokémon eggs. So I would like him to take a look at it. However, he told me he was unable to make the trip, but said he would be able to have someone fetch it for him so he could study it more in his lab."
"I understand it has taken you over a week to get here on foot, coming from Newbark town. However, I believe this will make things a little easier for you on the journey back." Mr Pokemon said, taking out a train ticket from his pocket before handing it over to Kai.
"Hey, look, that's a train ticket, with that you will be back in Newbark town in a matter of hours rather than days," Ethan said with a smile on his face.
"Yes, there really is no time to waste, so we wanted to make sure that you could deliver the package to Professor Elm as soon as possible." Professor Oak said.
"But, I'm sure your adventure here was not a waste. I hope you were both able to record lots of Pokémon into your Pokedex and catch some along the way." Oak then said with a smile.
"I did, Professor. But I'm afraid Kia here doesn't have a Pokedex just yet." Ethan said.
"Is that right?" Oak asked, not seeming happy about it, before he crossed his arms over his chest.
"That will not do. We can't have a promising young trainer like you travelling around without a Pokedex." He then said, before he reached into his coat pocket.
"It just so happens that I have a spare here with me. I never leave the lab without one." He said with a laugh.
"Please, take it."
Kai was shocked, feeling as if he should refuse the offer.
"Here, please have it. After all, I was the one who invented it for young trainers such as yourselves to discover and record as much about Pokémon as you can. It is only wasted on me, besides I have plenty more where that came from." Oak said, practically putting it in Kai's hand.
"T-Thank you, professor," Kai said, being forced to take it off of him, a feeling of warmth spreading through his chest.
"Please don't mention it. However, I am surprised that Professor Elm didn't give you one himself." Oak said.
"Wow, Kai, look, you finally got your own Pokedex!" Ethan said in excitement, taking a good look at it in Kai's hand.
"It's one of the newer models, too." He then said, feeling a little jealous.
"If you insert your trainer card into the back there, it will automatically update your information each time you discover and catch a Pokémon. It also had many other features. But I will let you play with it to get the hang of them yourself." Oak said with a smile as he explained it to Kai.
Kai placed his trainer card into his Pokedex and watched as it recorded all of his and his Pokémon's information, including their moves and abilities, as well as giving him access to more information on his Pokémon themselves that Kai had not known about before, such as their strengths and stats.
"Amazing..." Kai said, taking only a quick look before he put it away, not wanting to seem rude.
"Excellent. Now that we have cleared that up, I believe I can trust you to deliver this to Professor Elm." Mr Pokémon said as he handed over the Pokémon egg in a special carry case that would keep it safe.
Kai took the case and nodded to Mr Pokemon and Professor Oak.
"I won't let you down." He said, getting a smile from both of them.
"Excellent. Have a safe trip." Oak said, flashing them both a smile.
With that, Kai and Ethan bid farewell to Mr Pokémon and Professor Oak, heading back toward the bus stop that would take them back to Cherrygrove City.
"I can't believe you got your own Pokedex, and from Professor Oak too!" Ethan said, still a little excited over it.
"Let me take a look, I bet it makes mine look old."
"I know. I didn't expect it either." Kai said, taking another look at his new device before handing it over to Ethan.
"Woo... You should test it out." Ethan then said, trying to think of a way to do so as he flicked through it like a pro.
Just as he had started thinking about it, a wild Spearow landed not ten feet from them as it pecked at some bread crumbs on the ground.
"Perfect! Kai, quick point your Pokedex at that Spearow!" Ethan yelled, causing Kai to almost tumble the Pokedex that Ethan put in his hands before he got a good grip on it and aimed it at the small flying-type Pokemon.
[Spearow. The small bird Pokémon. Spearow is very protective of its territory, it flaps its short wings busily to dart around at high speed.] The Pokedex said after a moment.
"Nice," Kai said, seeing some additional information pop up on the screen of the Pokedex, including the Spearow's current move set.
"Well, that certainly makes things easier," Kai said, looking up at the Pokemon before it noticed him and flew away.
"See, much better than having to deal with everything yourself. It's like you were almost blind before and now you can see." Ethan said, coming up with a good analogy for it.
Soon, the next bus pulled in at the stop not long after, and the two of them hopped onto it to catch a ride back to the city, making good time and arriving back in the city for mid-afternoon.
"So what's the plan, Kai?" Ethan asked as they found themselves walking through the city again, carrying the Pokemon egg.
Kai knew that he only had one train ticket and that Ethan would not be able to come with him back to Newbark town.
"I guess I should catch a train back to Newbark as soon as I can," Kai said.
"Yeah, Professor Elm will be waiting for you once you get back," Ethan said, knowing what he was like.
"How about you?" Kai asked.
Ethan smiled before he answered.
"I'm going to head toward Violet City, where I will be able to challenge the gym leader," Ethan said with confidence.
Kai nodded, having no doubt that he would become much stronger than he was now.
"Well, you had better get a head start on me while you can, Ethan," Kai said, getting his attention.
"Because once I have delivered this to Professor Elm, I will be hot on your tails." Kai then said, getting a smile from Ethan.
"Yeah, I have no doubt about that," Ethan said, extending his hand toward Kai.
Kai smiled and took it, forming a friendship pact between the two of them, feeling that he had made a real friend for life.
"You had better get going, you don't want to miss your train," Ethan said after a moment, getting a nod from Kai.
"Yeah," Kai said, saying his final goodbye to Ethan.
"Oh, and Kai..." Ethan said, getting his attention one last time.
"The next time we meet. I want to battle with you to see how strong we have become." Ethan said, looking into Kai's eyes with a burning rivalry.
"I wouldn't have it any other way,"
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That's the end of this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!