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Feel The Ground Shake (Pokemon - Ground-type specialist)

Reader mode
Heliel43 said:
I'm surprised you of all people not getting enough views here in QQ. I think you need to write some lewds to summon more QQ degenerates my man.
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I put the One Piece story in the NSFW section to get better traffic and used the excuse that I could conceivably put M-rated sexual content in it someday.

I don't imagine putting NSFW stuff in this story though so moving over there just for better views would feel dishonest.
 
Heliel43 said:
I'm surprised you of all people not getting enough views here in QQ. I think you need to write some lewds to summon more QQ degenerates my man.

Anyway good story, thanks for the chapter
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No one ever checks the SFW section. I only found this through checking the Pokémon tag and I didn't know it was in SFW until I saw your post.

That's why there's so many SFW fics in the NSFW section. And even those are Spacebattles/SV fics cross posted here.
 
LordVishnu said:
A/N: Meant to go back to my One Piece story after getting the first four chapters of this out, but for some reason this story is the only thing my fingers want to type right now.
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…Trying not to complain, but we waited sometimes months for an update on South Blue, yet there are six updates on this one in less than a week.

Wolven098 said:
No one ever checks the SFW section. I only found this through checking the Pokémon tag and I didn't know it was in SFW until I saw your post.

That's why there's so many SFW fics in the NSFW section. And even those are Spacebattles/SV fics cross posted here.
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…I found this by going through New Posts…
 
Moran said:
…Trying not to complain, but we waited sometimes months for an update on South Blue, yet there are six updates on this one in less than a week.
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I've had a slight but important change at my job these past two weeks. Without getting into too much detail about it, I now have access to Google Docs. So those 20-30 minute lulls or dead times in the day can now be spent clickety-clacking on the keyboard instead of sitting around.

We'll see how long it lasts.
 
I honestly only found this story through some guy's signature. Glad I did though, I am looking forward to more!
 
Really enjoyed this fic so far, thanks for your efforts!
 
Oh yeah, this hits the spot quite nicely for a fic of yours, glad I discovered it. Nice to see all pokemon given some personality and I like the cheat the MC has, it's not too strong but it's a real time saver in training a top tier team.
 
Fucken love Pokémon stories. This is looking great.
 
I found this thread by a recommendation in another thread that also is a pokemon story--and when I saw who was writing it?

I clicked on that link faster than a fat kid eats cake!

I am loving the characterization you're giving all of the 'mons, making them their own characters rather than props.

Also, I am curious as to how his mercenary work with Team Rocket came about--how the hell did his first meet n'greet went?

All in all, this story is a great reason to visit the SFW section of the site! :D
 
Thanks for the story, I really enjoyed your tale so far.
 
I'm so glad to see you writing! I'm really enjoying this story so far, I'm excited to see the payoffs to the bits you've been teasing.
 
I usually don't check the SFW section but someone had this fic linked in their signature in another thread and when i saw it was Vishnu writing it i knew i had to check. As expected it is quality
 
So glad i was lurking in other people history search since this doesn't have the tag i was searching for (self-insert instead of si/oc), i almost missed this gem. Hope more chapters will come soon, thx for the new fanfic!
 
Chapter 7
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 7

    Ecruteak City, The Burned Tower

    So this is the place huh?

    I walk along the charred -yet somehow preserved- wooden floorboards. There's a flap of a Zubat's wings up in the rafters and the air has a slight pungent odor to it that tells me there's at least one Koffing lurking around here somewhere.

    In the main game series this is the location where your playable character encounters the three Legendary Beasts for the first time. Also known as the 'Legendary Dogs' by some of the fanbase. Which as an aside has never made much sense to me considering they're all clearly designed off of cats. A lion, tiger, and leopard respectively.

    I descend down a public ladder that leads into the basement. 'I'll concede that maybe there can be some confusion with Suicune. He does have some canine-like features. Maybe Entei too. But in what world could someone look at Raikou with its sabertooth teeth and somehow consider that a 'dog'?' I kick over a blackened rock and cast my eyes around the dimly lanterned room.

    If this were a different tale I suppose this would be where the seed of some grand adventure would start for the Main Character. Maybe Ho-Oh flying overhead and letting a single feather drift down through the open ceiling. Perhaps some ancient writing etched onto a secret tablet in Unknown letters that in some way shape or form is related to Lugia or Celebi.

    Heck, maybe that complete Suicune fanboy Eusine could show up and… I dunno… do something. He could at least make for some good Exp. 'Wait a minute. Is his name an anagram of Suicune?' I mentally rearrange the letters. 'No. He's missing the 'c'. And we need to change an 'e' into a 'u'. Still though... being only two letters off is a liiittle suspect. Enough that I'm willing to put money on the table that Eusine isn't his real name. Don't fanboy too hard kids. That shit's cringe as hell.'

    Tapping the center of the stone floor with my boot, I send off a pulse of Ground energy to get a look beneath the surface. Any caverns? Hidden spaces? A secret basement only used by the monks who manage the place maybe?

    …

    …

    Nope.

    Just solid bedrock.

    Not even a Sandshrew nest to accidentally wake up. 'That was a bad day. Mama Sandslash angry.'

    "Alright guys, let's roll out of here." I communicate to the team. "We'll see if we can rustle up any good matches before lunch and then start heading east."

    "Gli!" Vlad chirps inquisitively from my shoulder. "Gli! Gligar?"

    I hum thoughtfully. "That is true. We did see a so-called 'Ace Trainer' mopping up some of the local competition outside. Might be fun." 'I think I vaguely recall his face from when I was in the crowd of a tournament a few months back too...yeah…now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure it's the same dude…tried to coast by on his Typhlosion and then got riggity wrekt when the rest of his team was hella underleveled.'

    And based on the Skiploom and Granbull I saw him employing in a doubles battle when I walked past, it's an issue he still hasn't corrected.

    "Gli! Gligar!" Vlad agrees, having gleaned an idea of what I was thinking.

    I laugh. "Alright, fine fine." I begin ascending the ladder back up. "You've convinced me. Let's go see how we match up against a 'Circuit Pro', even if this one is a bit of a scrub."

    Route 42

    Johto tradition demands that one travels westward after obtaining the Fog Badge and finishing up with Ecruteak City. That way lies Route 38 and the path to Olivine and Cianwood. The "fifth and sixth" Gyms of Generation II.

    It's a relatively noteworthy Route gameplay wise. Has some uncommon Pokémon in it such as Tauros and Farfetch'd -who, sidenote, both make excellent HM slaves in the older games- as well as some useful ones like Magnemite which a trainer might consider scooping up for their main team. Especially if one has knowledge of Magnezone. There's also Johto's largest Miltank farm and the biggest supplier of Moomoo Milk in the region. 'Both cheaper than Super Potions, and more nutritious for your Pokémon!'

    To tradition I have to say, get bent.

    I've got shit to do in this direction.

    Besides, battling Pryce and Claire before Chuck and Jasmine won't even be my first deviation in the Gym circuit from the classic route everyone's familiar with.

    Technically.

    You see, back in Azalea Town...I have to confess that I didn't actually beat Bugsy. The reason for that being, that the young Bug-type enthusiast is a literal child at this point in the timeline that I find myself in. As in more so a child than he was in canon. 'Which was what? Twelve years old maybe? Fourteen if we're being generous? Insane that the League let that happen. To let an actual preteen be put in charge, prodigy or not.'

    Instead my second Gym Badge was awarded by a different native son of Azalea Town. The Psychic-type specialist, and Lori's eventual successor in a few years, Will.

    Now I know what you might be thinking. What? The Psychic guy with the dumb mask? Why would he be in charge of the Gym? The town is right next to Ilex Forest, it has to be Bug themed! Caterpie, Weedle, Pineco, Paras and Venonat, they're all right there!

    To that I have to say, 'ho ho ho, not so fast, Psychic may not be the large stretch you think it is.' Azalea is also home to the famous Slowpoke Well and neighbors Union Cave. And what does Union Cave connect to? Why, the Ruins of Alph of course. Your one stop shop not just for the mysterious secrets of the Unknown but the Psychic bird Pokémon Natu as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure every Xatu Will has, originated from that local flock.

    Moving in the other direction, the Ilex Forest has more to offer than just an infinite supply of Bug-types. There's also populations of Exeggcute if one knows where to look. And moving beyond the forest into Route 34 one can get access to both Abra and Drowzee.

    Discounting Legendaries, that's basically 50% of all the Psychic species in Indigo covered right there.

    So yeah, not really much of a stretch.

    "No! Nidorina, get back up!"

    Oh shoot. Caught myself daydreaming in the middle of a match. Gotta stop doing that.

    Nidorina: Lv. 22
    Nature: Sassy
    Potential: E+

    'Poké Maniac' Shane grits his teeth angrily. "It's not fair…it's not fair!" he begins to shout as his frustration starts to boil over. "I've been out here for weeks looking for a Moon Stone. Weeks! And we haven't found shit! If only we had…if we had this wouldn't be happening! It would be you who's losing!"

    From the other half of the field Simon starts looking uncomfortable at the other trainers' breakdown. He's dropped his new battle pose and is now rubbing at his arm nervously, glancing between me and the downed Nidorina as he's not sure what to do.

    Golett: Lv. 34
    Nature: Docile
    Potential: S

    Leaving the subject of Simon's nature somehow changing for a different day, there is a part of me that does sympathize with Shane here. Knowing that an evolution item exists and you just can't seem to come across it…it's frustrating.

    For Moon Stones it can be especially bad. There's not a lot of places they can form. You need the right type of mineral to be exposed to the right amount of moonlight for the right minimum amount of time and…it's just a pain. Plus, since four of the six species who can evolve from it are here in Indigo, the demand massively outstrips supply.

    Then you get into things like purity, size, grade and natural effects that laboratory settings just can't replicate well and… I don't want to get into it. It's a whole monster of a subject.

    So I understand Shane's feelings. Even if he is just being a whiner instead of searching for a solution.

    'If you're really that desperate, why not just do some jobs for Team Rocket like I did? That's how I get into bed with them.' A few shady projects. Some unscrupulous contracts. I did the work required and soon enough I was the owner of a high quality stone that shined just like the moon in an empty night sky. 'Nidorino on a Wednesday. Moon Stone on a Thursday.'

    Nidorina disappears into a beam of red light and her trainer glowers at me. "This isn't over! You hear me! I'm gonna rematch you someday and then you'll be the ones left in the dirt!" With an angry shout he twists on his heel and sprints away full speed in the direction of Mahogany Town…and I let him go. There was no agreed upon bet for the match. He was just looking to vent off some steam. 'No matter. His personal issues aren't my problem.'

    My head turns up to the immense cliff face towering over the valley that is Route 42.

    Mt. Mortar.

    The bronze medalist for most dangerous place in Johto. It only loses out to Victory Road and Mt. Silver itself.

    "Alright Grundy..." I murmur under my breath. "As promised."

    Inside the Mountain, Lowest Floor

    Nidoking laughs as the group of Machoke all try to dogpile him. There's one at each of his legs, another trying to circle his waist, and a fourth failing at getting the Alpha Pokémon into a headlock. With a large meaty hand he grabs one by the bicep, casually peels it off, and then flings it upside down into the nearest rock wall where the stone cracks and splinters from the impact.

    Air Cutters from a Golbat up above rain down at Grundy's backside but the new king of the mountain just laughs them off, weathering the onslaught with only minor annoyance or by clutching one of the Machokes and using them as a… well not a human shield, but you get the idea.

    Nidoking: Lv. 70
    Nature: Bold
    Potential: B

    Of everyone I've recruited for my team, Grundy remains the only exception that I've made in regards to potential. Pokémon that are D and E rank? They're the chaff. The antithesis to 'cream of the crop'. Encountering 'mon's out in the wild, at least 50-60% of everything you're going to see will fall in one of those two categories. C's are a little more uncommon but they're not rare. B's a tad more so. When you wander into a new area and find some local 'boss' Pokémon who's running the show or has marked that area as its territory or some such, you can reasonably expect it to be at least a 'B'.

    It's the 'A' ranks that you have to really search for. You remember the 1% encounter rates from the games? Think of that. Except now you're actually trudging out in the wilderness instead of just moving a character through a patch of grass over and over.

    It's one of the reasons why finding Simon at 'S' was so monumental.

    Vlad was found at A-rank when I caught him, as was Ma Ma. Obviously neither has evolved since I obtained them. K.Rool…I searched for a long time in that desert looking for an A-ranked Sandile. I think they might have been being killed off. Older males eliminating potential threats before they can grow up and evolve, that sort of thing. Which is not a nice mental image, but they're Dark-types who live in a desert. They're not meant to be nice.

    Regardless, a B+ 'mon as part of a three-stage evolutionary line was probably just as good. Once K.Rool evolved from Sandile into Krokorok against Whitney he entered 'A' territory and has kept my streak going of only working with the best.

    Which leaves Grundy as the exception. He was only a middle of the road C-rank Nidoran. 'For whatever that even means when you've been blessed with Alpha genes.'

    Machops, Machokes, Geodudes, Gravelers, Golbats, Raticates, a Makuhita -'Oh, that's rare. That Fighting type shouldn't be here.'- they're all working together to try and stop the rampaging purple dinosaur that has suddenly found its way into their home. Grundy opens his mouth wide and sprays an Ice Beam at a ledge where two Graveler are harassing him with Rock Throw. In mere seconds the entire upper ridge has been transformed into a jagged deathtrap of misty blue-white crystals with his assailants no longer to be seen.

    'Frankly I don't think my little 'cheat' is capable of reading him accurately.' I admit within my mind. Just another way in which the ability is limited. 'He's just too much bulkier, heavier, stronger than a typical Nidoking for me to believe anything else. Unless Alpha's are operating on their own separate scale which would mean...Nope. Not gonna think about that. We're gonna ignore 'that' terrifying notion.'

    "Ki ki ki ki king! Ki ki ki ki king!" Grundy laughs as the resistance of the local mon's starts to waver, his voice a deep rumbling gravelly thing. Like a living mountain himself. "King! King!" he taunts to the leader of the Machokes, asking -nay daring- for them to come try again. That this is just starting to get fun for him.

    Water erupts from the nearest underground pool and the biggest Seaking I've ever seen leaps dozens of feet into the air. "Seaking!" The fish Pokémon hits the zenith of its aerial arc and then begins homing in on Grundy like a missile, the point on its head shining green with the incredible power of Megahorn!

    And with one Sheer Force boosted Thunderbolt, the Lv. 45 lord of the miniature lake is already unconscious. Its eyes whited out as thin lines of smoke waft from its electrically scorched body.

    I sigh. "Ma Ma, could you go throw that back in the water please?"

    "Ring!" she objects. "Ursa-ring!" which is easy to translate as 'Why do I have to do it? I didn't make that mess!' She eyes the overly large fish and licks her teeth instead. "Ursa…ring ring?" she proposes as an alternative.

    "No, you're not eating it." I order with no nonsense in my voice. "We don't waste food like that. Most of it would go unused and besides, you've already had your berries, your Poké chow, and a whole Goldeen today. How many bites would you even get in before you're full? Now go toss it back. Please."

    "Ursa..mmgh..ring, ursa" Ma Ma grumbles under her breath as she stomps forward. Pulling her leg back she delivers a swift -and almost contemptuous- kick into the Water-type's side, punting it back into the pool with a tremendous splash. "Ursaring." she then pouts, folding her arms together and taking a seat cross-legged on the rocky floor.

    An angry Machop charges at her -due to us being clearly associated with Grundy- but she dismissively catches the wild 'mon by its head and then throws him in the water too.

    'I swear,' I look between the sulking grizzly and the -for all intents and purposes- Pseudo Pseudo-Legendary that's still tearing the place up. 'Some days I really don't know why I bother.'
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 8
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 8

    Mahogany Town

    Ah. The smell of home.

    Well, Brad's home at least. Though I think one of the few things he and I would agree on is how nice a cool temperate breeze feels. It's Autumn now and we're right in the middle of that transition between the hot and cold seasons. It always gets a little more chilly in Mahogany -for obvious reasons- and it's the perfect weather to break out a light jacket.

    The town is relatively small, just like in the series. There's a reason it hasn't earned that 'city' designation yet despite its long history.. In fact, Azalea's near twice as big and it hasn't earned the privilege of that name change either. Of all the settlements on this half of Indigo, only New Bark Town is smaller. 'And we'll see how long that lasts. New Bark's population rises and rises every year whereas Mahogany…has been this way for a loooong time. I give it five years until she's back on the bottom.'

    Old faces wave as I pass them by, chewing on the Oran Berry and chocolate of my Rage Candy Bar. There's the Martins who run a bakery. Mr. Takahashi, who owns the Poké Mart and Ms. Lila, who's Brad memory tells me used to babysit him when he was little.

    My feet take me past the infamous 'souvenir shop' and…yep. It seems like they've finally moved in.

    There's a young man sweeping the porch out front and though he looks about as cliché a shopkeep as one can be -white shirt, green apron, yellow broom- I recognize him as a Grunt from some of my Rocket dealings.

    He pauses in his chore to meet my eye as I walk past…gives a silent nod of acknowledgement as men often do…and then drops his gaze down to go right back to his work.

    'It certainly took them long enough to get that place operating.' After all, I helped lay its foundations months ago.

    There's a rather large advertisement set up right next to the Poké Center. A big colorful booth with a League functionary manning it with a smile. Her dress suit is canary yellow and…oh snap! For real?

    The League's hosting a mid-season tournament up at the Lake of Rage in a few days! How did I not see notices back when I was in Ecruteak or Goldenrod? Did I just miss them?

    'Let's see here'. I step up to the booth to begin reading the details of the event proper. 'Matches will be 3v3, entree fee of 1,500 which could be worse…Holy crap! Prize pool of 250,000 Poké dollars split among Top 8 with additional items to be revealed later!' Now that's something that might be worth our time. Since this is being sponsored by the League as opposed to just a city or company you just know the prizes will be worth it.

    'Competitors must have at least two Gym Badges but less than eight…aww sick! It's a tourney to see new up-and-comers. That'll keep the really high levelers out.' I feel a grin creeping up as I continue to read. 'Tournament will be five-rounds Swiss followed by a cut to Top 8 competitors. Nice!'

    Of course the words don't actually say 'Swiss' here. It's 'Sevii' instead. My brain just likes to mentally replace it as it means the same thing here. Straight elimination-style tournaments have been falling out of favor ever since a new format hit the mainland from the Sevii Islands and was met with a roar of approval.

    For those unfamiliar with the 'Swiss' system, well…they can look it up. I ain't got time to explain it to you. The important part is you can't get eliminated by just one bad match. A Ground specialist like me might obliterate a Fire themed trainer only to then get shredded by a heavy Grass team right after.

    Does that mean the Grass trainer was the strongest of all three of us? No! It very well could have been the Fire guy. It's all just rock-paper-scissors but on a larger scale. The Sevii style minimizes this issue and provides a much better chance that when it's time to list the quarter-finalists, it's the eight most deserving of being there.

    The one major downside is that it makes tournaments take longer. Usually whole days instead of just one, singular. Straight elimination tournaments may not always provide the "correct" winner, but they are certainly efficient at getting there.

    Of course, if you go ask the copper counters over at the League then they wouldn't say this is a downside at all. More days to sell merchandise. More meals for stalls to sell food. More rounds for competitors to buy Gems. You remember the words I had on that particular subject don't you?

    The woman in yellow offers me a clipboard and I scan down the list. 'Already over seventy people signed up huh? Well, nothing ventured…' I scribble my signature and hand over the 1,500.

    I'm already looking forward to it.

    Breeding Reserve, just outside Mahogany

    "Bubbles, you big bastard!" I launch myself at the Mamoswine to start giving him scritches under his massive chin, something he croons into with a big eye-smile. "How you been doing big guy?"

    I look around his icy throne at all the Piloswine lounging about a few feet lower than him. All female I notice. "Aww you big lug, as though I need to ask!" I move the scratches over to his ears, hidden underneath his fur. "You went and got yourself a harem while I've been away! You horny devil you!"

    "Mamo!" he agrees, bumping his forehead against me happily. "Mamo!"

    The old man clears his throat behind me, interrupting my very heartfelt reunion. "If you're just about finished..."

    Gym Leader Pryce is a rather surly old man. A 'curmudgeon' to put a fancier word on it. He's been doing the job twice as long as I've been alive and he's just about as set in his ways as any geriatric senior citizen can get.

    He is cold. Bad-tempered. Curt. And the living embodiment of the phrase 'these youngsters need to get off my lawn.'

    I liked him immediately.

    It's a shame there were years and years of him not liking Bradley in the way preventing us from getting along. 'I swear, you break the heart of one teenage granddaughter and all of a sudden you're persona non grata for the next decade. Technically it wasn't even me that did it! Actually… since we're on the subject, I wonder if that's the reason he kept Brad employed at the Gym so long? Someone he didn't like that he could give all the worst jobs to. Seems like the right amount of petty for him.'

    "Alright, alright." I hop down from the ledge and dust my hands off of all the snow. "A deal's a deal. Show me what you got and the secret's yours. You'll have your own Mamoswines before the first winter storm hits."

    "Hmph." The man grunts, turning away and walking towards the reserve's main compound, his walking stick clanking with each hard thump against the ice. "Not going to galavant off to cavort among foreigners again for a few months?"

    I smile. He's trying to needle me. Get me to defend my actions. Plus there's that 'oh he's from a different generation' brand of old timer racism right there at the end too. Bonus points.

    "Nope." I respond simply, keeping my grin nice and wide.

    The seventy-four year old glances back at me, expecting more of a response than that, but then shakes his head and moves on with an irritated huff.

    The nursery is a stark contrast from the frigid reserve outside, in the sense that the nursery is rather not stark at all. It's a warm colorful room filled with pinks and yellows, photos hang on the wall, and little squealing piglets squirm around as a staff member bottle feeds them. There's a mama Piloswine in the corner but it's clear that she's using this as a moment to rest. You might too given the chance if you were in her situation.

    I give a good looksie over the eight or nine Swinub in the room. All Lv. 1 and freshly hatched. No, wait, one precocious little guy at Lv. 2. Good for him. There's not any real stinkers in this group potential-wise, but not really any winners either. The highest is a C+. And while that would end up somewhere in 'B' after two evolutions and make a better Mamoswine than Bubbles at his peak, we are trying to aim for a bit better.

    "What else you got?"

    Pryce subtly frowns. "Is there something wrong? These are all perfectly healthy."

    I nod in agreement. "I know. I just want to see what else you got. Review my options."

    "You said you wanted to start fresh," Pryce's eyes tighten. "These are as fresh as it gets. Barely a few days old."

    "And I might come back to one of these." I reassure. "What do you have in the next group up? One's that don't need bottle feeding anymore."

    With another of his signature 'old man grunts' the Gym Leader led me to an enclosure that connected to the outside via a little doggy door. A half and half type of shelter that let young Swinub experience the cold of outside and still be able to run back in to the safety of the 'den'.

    And wouldn't you know it? They were all worse. D's and E's the lot of 'em! That's not only bad, it's statistically impressive! The data points I've gathered from wild Pokémon say there should've been at least one that was better.

    "Mmm," My hand rubs at my chin as I make a look of thinking it over. "What else you got?"

    "What else you got?"

    "What else you got?"

    "What else you got?"

    "That's enough!" Pryce snaps after the fifth rejection. "Carolyn," he angrily turns to an aide. "Bring in Delilah! I'm too old to play games like this!"

    The staff member goes wide eyed, clearly wanting to object, but seeing the unhappy glare of her boss she chooses to meekly bow her head instead.

    'Delilah?' "You holdin' out on me old man?"

    The Gym Leader turns to me, a sharp reprimand on his tongue, when his eyes zero in at my waist. The particular pose I'm in letting him see my roster of Pokéballs for the first time.

    "Bradley," his voice turns hard. Colder than the harshest winter storm. "What is that thing still doing on your belt?"

    My fingers brush over Quagsire's Net Ball, a habit I've picked up over the months to ensure...to ensure I haven't accidentally lost it. "Did you think I would just give it up?" I ask quietly. "That I would trust anyone else to carry it? Besides, the ball's in stasis mode. Medical suspended animation, just like a 'mon that's grievously injured and awaiting surgery. Until I unlock it, he'll never come out." 'Hold down, double-tap, hold down. Don't ever forget. Hold down, double-tap, hold down."

    The Gym Leader scoffs derisively. "You should turn it over to the League immediately. Let them euthanize that poor creature."

    "I feel like that would be a waste." I defend, zipping my jacket up to hide the ball's view. "Sometimes… you need an ace in the hole."

    The wood of Pryce's cane creaks as his fingers squeeze down impossibly tight. "An ace against who exactly? You can't battle with it! Need I remind you Bradley, that it killed two people! Including its Trainer!"

    My back freezes up as my expression darkens considerably. "I'm aware, Pryce." I lean in as I say his name. "And I'll remind you that if Vlad hadn't been there, I'd have been buried right there alongside them."

    The Gym Leader starts to growl. "Fine! On your head be-"

    "Here she is!" The aide bursts back into the room, a little piglet squirming in her grip, its tiny feet wiggling to get free. "Bradley, this is Delilah!" she speaks with pride, holding her arms out and offering to let me see her. "Delilah, say hello!"

    "Nu…nu…" the baby 'mon squeaks softly.

    I have seen three shinies total since my dimensional displacement sixteen months ago. Metapod, Remoraid, and Pidove. I know. A real stellar lineup if there's ever been one. The burnt orange Bug belonged to a young boy in Violet City. The purple Remoraid was in a public aquarium I visited in Goldenrod the day before I flew out of Johto and the slightly blue Pidove was part of a flock that flew overhead during my second month in Unova. 'Though I'm not actually 100% certain on the last one. It might've just been my mind playing tricks on me.'

    So that makes this little lady here No. 4.

    There's just one problem though…

    Swinub: Lv. 5
    Nature: Bashful
    Potential: D-

    I internally sigh, even if I do do my best to appear outwardly impressed. 'That's the same rating that Bubbles' had as a Swinub. She'd most likely hit the same wall he did. Like father, like daughter I guess.'

    And, wait, sorry did I say only one issue? Apologies, I meant two. Though I'll openly admit the second reason is hella vain. It's not based on math or levels or my little cheat power. It's that..well..when you get right down to it…shiny Mamoswine is pretty ugly.

    Shiny Swinub is a cute little melon bun. This little lady certainly is. She's an after dinner ice mint. I could tickle her tummy all day. And shiny Piloswine is positively gorgeous. A golden coat that glistens beautifully on a snowy day. I love it, even if some of the fanbase refers to it as 'Pilostraw' saying it's akin to a big bale of hay. Shiny Mamoswine though looks kind of like…like he needs to go to the vet. Book him for surgery now Doctor. We think his liver might be failing because that color is not good.

    Of course, Pryce and Carolyn here have absolutely no way of knowing that. 'And if I refuse this one then Pryce might just straight up have an aneurysm.'

    I hand the fidgeting Pokémon back to Carolyn and put on my best face of being conflicted. That I'm really really thinking about it. "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be back in five."

    Pryce raises an eyebrow, still silently scowling from our talk, and Carolyn just seems relieved. Confused for sure, but relieved. As though she literally can't believe that I'm not jumping at this offer and is thanking the stars for it. Shiny Pokémon can go for hundreds of thousands at the right auction. Assuming you've got something more useful to sell than a Rattata.

    'Which I suppose is a route we could take… but it would feel kind of shitty. Do I just tell Pryce that I'll come look again later? That doesn't seem smart. If I want a viable Pokémon for battle by the time the Conference rolls around in the spring, then I've got to get started now. Plus, every week more we delay is a risk Pryce figures out the secret of Ancient Power on his own. Then we don't get squat.' I wander outside to the feeding troughs, where the older juveniles are lined up and slopping up lunch, these ones having moved on to solid food vice mother's milk.

    'Should I just go with that first C+ I saw? It's not the worst. Alternatively, I could just head Northeast to the Ice Path. Maybe look for a wild one that meets my requirements? Been a while since I've done that… Wait, fuuuuck! That wouldn't work. We need it to have the Egg Move. We got lucky that Bubbles' just happened to know it. Finding an 'A' or 'B' rank in the wild that also has the right parentage? I'd have better luck hunting for a second shiny.'

    "Um, Mr. Bradley." Carolyn's voice appears behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.

    'She's still holding Delilah.' "Yes, what is it?"

    The aide seems nervous. "Your agreement with Leader Pryce is that you could take any Swinub right? So...it's true that you could pick Delilah here? And you'd be able to just take her? Just like that?"

    My head tilts at her cagey tone. "I could, yes. Why?"

    She casts a furtive glance around, seeing if any other reserve staff might be in earshot. "Follow me please." She fumbles with a ring full of keys as she power walks through the halls of the facility. "Delilah here was rejected by her mother due to her coloring. We had to separate her and bottle feed every meal, rather than just using formula to supplement."

    The little piglet fidgets in her grip again. "I would be just heartbroken to see her go." The aide says almost tearfully. "It's been me and her, three times a day for weeks now." We reach a door to one of the rooms back closer to the nursery and she slides the key in.

    Inside..there's a piglet who's got the worst case of the zoomies I think I've ever seen. Just hearing the door unlock has sent him into a happiness overdrive. "Swinub! Swinub! Swinub! Swi!" he presses up against a little barricade, wiggling his nose at the people who've hopefully come to play.

    He is also huge.

    It's not monstrously large. He's not an Alpha like Grundy. But let it be said that this is a big fuckin' pig.

    "This is the Swinub Pryce is planning to train once you tell him the secret." Carolyn confesses guiltily. "I'm sure he'll be furious I showed you this…but if your agreement with him really is any Swinub…" she trails off, pulling the green pig in her arms a little closer to her.

    I reach down into the child-proof cage and let the animal start sniffing and smelling all over my hand excitedly.

    Swinub: Lv. 8
    Nature: Jolly
    Potential: A-

    "Oh ho. I think I'm gonna call you… Junior."
     
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    • So what do you think will piss Pryce off more? The MC "breaking in" and finding Junior, or finding out that all of the Swinub's can evolve, no extra steps needed?

    Great chapter, thanks for sharing!
     
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