Sighing in relief, Jarek picked up the Pokéball and put it away. That was a rather tough Pokémon to fight, and he had no idea how it went through the smoke, but hey, he caught it. So who cares now...unless he has to fight another one from the wilds or from a trainer?

"Uhh...so it gets...dumber the more it evolves? That sounds...backwards." Shouldn't Pokémon get smarter the more it evolves? Why evolve at all if that's not the case? He's pretty sure that Volt doesn't want to evolve, like the Pikachu of some other famed trainer.

Glancing around for any more Pokémon to catch, he spotted one weird and fat squirrel on a tree munching on berries...and some...whatever sitting the shades of the trees, fanning itself and meditating. They didn't catch his interest, and they're just chilling. It be cruel to interfere with that.

Jarek Brager // absalom steel

The job mostly said that he had to protect this site, but it also said that he can help out. Again, maybe he can keep a fossil or stone he finds. Well, he doesn't have Pokemon that evolves with a stone...except for his Pikachu, but it's best to pack some in case he does catch Pokemon that requires stones.

Also, some lady...who probably is a worker or something, sounds like she was insulting him. "Safer?! I can do this!"

So, grabbing a pickax, Jarek hammered and stabbed it into the earth...

...and it got stuck there.

"Argh! C'mon...!" Trying to pull it out... "AGH!!" ...he managed to, but stumbled off his feet in the process.

"Kid, don't touch the tools!" one of the archeologist warned him. "Just keep wild Pokemon off our backs!"

"Aw man," he groaned, rubbing his back. He was just himself from trying to prove his worth and independence. But just like back home, he made a fool of himself in front of people.

Jarek Brager // Madeline McKenna

☉

So...this Pokémon is from the ancient past that...came here through some...weird...warp thing? Man, where was he when this happened? The major past must hold a lot of amazing and powerful Pokémon he could have in his arsenal. "Man, you sure got lucky!"

Pyre, feeling bored while the two trainers talked, waddled and looked around the environment...until she spotted a large shape hovering out of the woods...something menacing. Scowling, the Charmander slowly approached it...

"...Pyre?" Jarek noticed his Pokémon about to go off on her own. "Where you going? You can't go on you-"

Rushing out of the woods, a metallic creature aimed its metal fist at the fire salamander. But because she sensed its hostile intentions, she was able to dodge the crushing punch.

"What?!" Whatever reason that thing was attacking them (They were standing on some minerals, underground, that emitted magnetic energy it feeds on) it was trying to hurt Pyre, so it's going down! "Pyre, use Smokescreen!"

"Cha!!" Roaring, she spewed a blanket of black smoke on the steel-type…

WHAM!!

…but the Metang punched the fire-type without the smoke blinding it.

“It didn’t work?!” Jarek gawked, but didn’t had time to ponder it as the Metang was going to continue the assault. “Pyre, use Fire Spin!!”

“Cha!!” Spewing flames, she managed to manipulate to wrap around the hovering metal creature, halting it in its tracks while burning it.

“Now Flamethrower!!”

Pyre then pumped up the intensity of the flames into an explosive blast that rammed the Metang out of the twister and into a rock.

“You’re mine!!” Seeing the opportunity, Jarek pitched an empty Pokéball.

Jarek Brager // absalom steel

Well those woods were an adventure and a half, but he at least got a bit of rewards from that job back there. Now it’s just a trip across that bridge up ahead then it’s a trail to the next city.

He noticed something along the way; there’re not a lot of trainers around his age in this region. Is the age requirements a lot older than in his region? If so then he thought his region was strict. You have to be thirteen to be a trainer, as well as attend a semester in Pokemon school to obtain a trainer license. It took him a while to get one while one of his rivals got it before he did, and she’s not very bright.

But he’s here now, and that’s what matters.

Jarek Brager

Jarek and his Pokémon walked by a large deep stream with rather...weird looking fish jumping out of the water. He's no expert when it came to Pokémon environmental locations, but he's pretty sure Pokémon like that belong in the ocean.

At least the deer don't look so out of place, for he can see a pack racing through the woods opposite from the river. That looked like a happy little race they were-

"WAH!!" And some pale kid just...appeared in his path when he looked back at the road, startling him. For a second he thought he saw a ghost, but...it was some...well...emo-looking kid he guessed? "...uh...y-yeah uh...kinda spooked me there for a second."

But there was a ghost creature beside him; a Pokémon that reminds him of a Zoroark, a Pokémon known in the Unova region. In fact, it may as well be a Zoroark. Maybe a shiny! "Whoa, what's up with your Pokémon there?" Checking it with his Pokédex...

Ohhh...a regional version. He heard about Pokémon like that, but his region doesn't have regional verities. But what's a Hisuian? Another region, maybe? "Cool looking Zoroark. I thought it was a shiny."

Jarek Brager // absalom steel

Well those woods were an adventure and a half, and the trainers on that bridge were rather...rude. But he can see a massive city further past these greens, just one step away to getting a badge.

...sure, he has his Pokémon, and right now he let them out to walk with them (or carry in Cherri's case, Volt riding on his head, and Vix flying), but it still feels rather lonely. Maybe it doesn't help that Pokémon can't talk, outside saying their names. When he attending Pokémon School at (insert region name here), his friends graduated before he could, because he flunked an exam. He did take a makeup exam, but it took a while, and all his friends had a head start. He came to this region because that's where they are, but he hasn't ran into any of them.

No way it could happen for it wasn't THAT long ago, but what if they already got all eight badges and competed in the Pokémon League?

"Piii..." Sensing his doubts, Volt kept slapping his head.

"OW!" he flinched. "Okay okay, I'll stop moping!" he whined. "Not even my own Pokémon will let me brood..."

With a cheeky grin, Volt was not sorry.

Jarek Brager // absalom steel

Continuing his trek to the next town, Jarek had to cut through the Petalburg Forest. Nothing but bugs and grass Pokémon around here, which he wouldn't mind catching, but he rather spend a little more time with Cherri, the first Pokemon he caught in this region.

However, his trainer app, on his Rotom Phone, got a mission that's happening in the woods; some sort of...stone digging or some sort of archeology that needed protecting. Whatever it was, it'll pay him, and he's running out of Pokéballs and other items he need to aid his Pokémon.

It didn't take long to find a digging site in the middle of the forest. Many holes were around the area, with researchers either digging deeper, chipping rocks, or just looking at them. He wonder if he does a good job, they'll reward him with a stone or fossil. Well, won't do any good until he can find who's in charge here.

"Ah, did you answer the ad?" a chubby bearded man, in a typical explorer outside, approached him.

"Uh, hi. Name's Jarek, sir," he greeted. "What are we looking at here?"

"Fossils, young man. These are very rare compared to some of the regions, like Sinnoh, and the Devon Corporation are always looking to study them."

"You mean fossils that can be revived as Pokémon?"

"Why yes indeed."

Jarek looked down at one of the holes, spotting researcher carefully chipping out a Skull Fossil. Just having one of these fossils would so cool to get a Pokémon out of it.

Jarek Brager // Madeline McKenna

☉

"YEAAAAAHH!" And Jarek managed to ride on a wave...a rather big wave that lifted him so high... "AAAGH!/PIKA!!" ...it tossed them off the board and crashed into the waters.

Jarek and Volt were brushed to shore, gasping for air. However, he felt he was on something...like a jewel. "...uhhhh...wha-AAAAAGH!!" And it spun, throwing him onto the sand. Looking up, he saw a large purple starfish hovering off. Though it had no face, the way it spun its back star, it looked angry. "...uh, nice Starmie?"

And it fired a beam of psychic energy.

Just as Jarek covered his head, Pix swooped in and took the blast that shocked his head. "FREEEE!!" Though it staggered him, Pix endured and shook off the pain.

"...oh you're gonna get it! Pix, use Bug Buzz!"

Rapidly flapping his wings to increase his cry, Pix created a piercing soundwave caused such a migraine on the Starmie, knocking it off the air.

Getting on his feet, Jarek threw an empty Pokéball. "You're mine!!"

Jarek Brager // capture attempt

☉

"Here we go!!!" Running through the waters, Jarek leaped and got on his board as his Pikachu held onto his head. Paddling deeper to the sea, he kept his eyes for any waves further ahead so he can get ready.

Gasping, Volt perked up, "Pika!" And pointed at something blasting out of the waters ahead.

A massive Mantine soared over the waves like a smooth bird, and trailing behind it was a school of little version of it struggling to stay in the air like little chicks rapidly flapping their little wings.

Sure, there're dangerous Pokémon like that ugly crab, but there're wondrous Pokémon to behold that just want to mind their business. Best not to disturb them. Some of his teachers back in his old Pokémon School told him never try catching Pokémon that clearly has a family. Some people do give trainers a bad rep about stuff like that, like the so-called Team Plasma that supposedly are about Pokémon freedom. A load of bull they turned out to be, but still...

Jarek Brager // next wild encounter

☉

Cherri ran towards the waters as fast as she could, then when she leaped, she used Tetter Dance to twirl and hover over the waters as best she could before she would drop...

BANG!!

...accidentally on a Corphish when it poked out of the waters. Feeling such a headache, the two were brushed by the waves, and thrown into the muddy sand.

Hopping onto her feet, Cherri apologetically cried to the lobster...but judging by the furious eyes it was giving her, it wanted vengeance instead...

...and its rage gave it so much power, its body glowed and grew...



"YEAAAAH!!" Jarek cheered, riding nearly on the top of a wave with his body-board.

His Pikachu surfed on the board, hoping to one day surf on his own... "Pika?" When he noticed a large enemy crab swinging its claws on something...a cheery-like Pokémon, Cherri! "Pikachu!" he cried to his trainer, trying to avert his attention at the assault.



"SWEEE!!" Cherri barely rolled away from the massive claw, but the force erupted the muddy sand, catapulting the little Pokemon.



"Hey!! Leave her alone you walking seafood dish!" Jarek scowled when he saw the fight they were closing in on. "Volt, use Thunderbolt!"

"Chu!" Springing off the board, Volt built up so much energy in his body, "CHUUUUU!!" And unleashed it at the Crawdaunt.

The large lobster barely could stand after getting electrocuted like that, knowing it won't stand a chance. So it desperately dived into the water, jetting through the waves to escape the dreaded mouse.

When his board slid onto shore, Jarek hurried over to his Pokémon. "Cherri, are you okay?" Picking her up...

...the little fruit Pokemon was whimpering. "Sweee...!!"

"Awww, don't worry. That ugly crab is gone." But it seems that Cherri would be too scared to be left alone. So he picked up her Pokéball. "Here, you wanna go back in your ball?"

"Bou," she nodded, squeezing her eyes to try to dry her eyes before she was zapped back into her Pokéball.

Well, at least she was safe, but even this beach is full of wild Pokémon, even big angry ones. But...he knew that from before. He can't believe that he forgot. Might be a chance to find some good water Pokémon.

Jarek Brager // next wild encounter

☉