The third team member has already been decided via a Discord poll and You-Know-What! You can either wait for the surprise or head over to Discord to see the results for yourself :).
***
I woke up feeling like absolute hell; I was completely drenched in sweat. Fortunately, we had already set up camp on Route 2, just past the borders of Viridian Forest, so I could afford to stay in my sleeping bag a little longer. It gave me time to think about yesterday—and about the death of that Rocket.
It was a necessity.
He had seen me, and his Mightyena would have tracked us down sooner or later. There simply wasn't another way. What percentage of trainers die every year just because of them? Logically, I knew his elimination was unavoidable, but internally, something in me recoiled. My brain kept offering alternative scenarios that just weren't realistic in the moment.
I felt a surge of nausea again as the image of his head, severed from his body by his own Meowth, flashed before my eyes. But I knew that lying here and wallowing in self-torture wouldn't change a thing.
Eventually, I stumbled out of the tent. Haunter was already waiting for me, wearing his signature wide grin.
"Haunter!"
"Good morning, Haunter," I replied wearily.
The thought of breakfast made my stomach turn, but I had to force myself. Over a small, smoldering fire, I began preparing the food I had scavenged from the Rocket's backpack. I tossed a pre-prepared steak and some potatoes onto the pan and tried to plan out the day. I definitely wasn't in the mood to enter Pewter City today. Facing crowds of people after what I did yesterday probably wouldn't be ideal.
I decided to spend the day here. I hadn't stopped until late last night, so I still hadn't treated the rescued Houndour. I needed to clean him up, feed him properly, and try to bond with him. Memories from the other world gave me a natural affinity for dogs, and I hoped he would choose to stay with me. After all, where else would he go? His original pack likely didn't exist anymore.
The aroma of the steak began to fill the clearing. I blew on it slowly, forcing down every bite and chasing it with heavy gulps of water. Haunter watched me intently. Finally, I managed to finish it.
"Haunter, we're staying camped here today," I began to explain. "You can continue training Acid Spray; we need to improve it."
He nodded determinedly. "Haunter!"
"I'll do some physical training and tend to Houndour. I think I can handle him alone; he's in no condition to hurt me."
He immediately interrupted with a disapproving, "Haunter!"
"Fine, fine, with you then," I conceded. Then, Scyther crossed my mind. "Do you think Scyther would be interested in joining us? He's a powerful Pokémon."
"Haunter! Haunt!" He shook his head in disagreement.
"You think it would be a waste of time?"
"Haunter!" he agreed.
"Hm, you're probably right. You're powerful, Haunter, and if everything goes as planned, Houndour will be a great addition to the team. We could definitely use a Water-type, too."
"Haunter?" he asked inquisitively.
"Well, you might not drink, but I do... it would make traveling significantly easier. A Blastoise is a real badass, too—those cannons on its back pack some serious power." I paused for a moment. "We'll need a Water Pokémon when we cross the sea. I can't imagine anything worse than being on a ship without your own backup in the water."
I shivered at the thought of a Gyarados attack. If the bodyguards on the ship failed, the vessel would sink and the people would end up as fish food. Attacks by wild Water Pokémon on ships were common; usually, the protector-trainers fended them off, but occasionally they failed. Then the news was full of it.
Haunter listened in silence. I decided it was the ideal time for Houndour, while he wasn't yet exhausted from training. I pulled out his Poké Ball, and Haunter understood immediately.
I pressed the button, and Houndour appeared before me. He stood on guard, but his ears were tucked back fearfully. He was still dirty, battered, and malnourished. He didn't look good at all, but at least he wasn't whimpering in pain anymore.
After a moment, he caught a scent. As soon as he smelled the steak I had just finished, his stomach growled loudly. He watched me warily, though; he was still just a small pup, and I felt a pang of pity for him.
I turned back to the fire and pulled two steaks from my bag, tossing them onto the unwashed pan just to warm them up. Houndour still hadn't moved. He watched the situation with tense caution; he was clearly afraid of Haunter, but he waited bravely. After two minutes, the meat was just right, so I transferred it to a bowl and added some universal kibble I'd bought back in Pallet Town. I walked over slowly and placed the bowl about a meter in front of him.
"You can eat, buddy," I said, stepping back.
He kept scanning his surroundings, but his empty stomach was screaming louder. He could smell the steak, and saliva was dripping from his maw. After a moment, hunger won over fear, and he lunged at the food. It didn't take five minutes before the bowl was completely empty. I had no idea when he last drank, so I decided to pour him some water as well.
I approached with slow steps. As soon as he noticed me, he took a step back, but he wasn't aggressive and didn't try to run. With a calm motion, I filled his bowl. I barely had time to move back before he was at it; he drank so eagerly that he splashed me. When the water was gone, I refilled it. This time he drank half and looked at me gratefully.
I reached out my hand as if to scratch him, but I let him come to me. I gave him the choice to lean in or back away, while Haunter watched his every move. He slowly sniffed my hand and apparently liked what he smelled, because he leaned against it. I began to scratch him gently, and he immediately started wagging his tail.
It wasn't long before he let out a tired yawn with his eyes closed. But he was still filthy and bruised.
"Houndour, I need to heal you and wash you up a bit," I started in a calm voice so as not to startle him. "I'll treat you so nothing hurts, and then you can sleep peacefully by the fire, okay?"
He slowly opened one eye and growled in agreement. "Houndour!"
He closed it again immediately. I took it as a 'yes' and quickly pulled a Potion and a washcloth from my backpack. With slow movements, I ran my hand over his firm, muscular, albeit malnourished body. I checked his muscles and bones, and wherever he hissed in pain, I immediately sprayed the wound with the Potion. The liquid absorbed into his skin instantly.
„I'll have Nurse Joy check him over in Pewter City just to be safe," I thought as I finished the treatment.
I had used an entire Potion on him, but I didn't regret it. It looked like I had gained a great partner for the future. He understood commands and human speech, and after what he'd suffered with the Rocket, he seemed immensely grateful. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, it looked like a promising relationship; after all, Houndour and its evolutions are pack creatures, much like Mightyena. All that was left was to wash him.
I poured water onto the cloth and began to wipe away the blood and dirt with slow strokes. At first, he gave a low growl—he clearly didn't like the water—but eventually, I managed to get him clean.
"All done, Houndour. You can lie down by the fire," I told him with a smile.
He gave my hand a grateful lick and immediately moved to the fire pit, where he flopped down contentedly on the blanket I had been sitting on earlier. Now was the time for training, while Houndour enjoyed some rare peace on a full stomach.
"Haunter, let's get back to it. You, Acid Spray. I'm going to do some physical work," I commanded.
"Haunter!"
He obeyed instantly and floated a short distance away. He began to puff himself up, and after a moment, a purple liquid sprayed from his mouth. The poison sizzled on the grass immediately, but the volume was still too low. He needed to increase the output.
Meanwhile, I began my warm-up. I rolled my neck, shoulders, tendons, elbows, and wrists. Once my torso and thighs were warmed up, I started shadowboxing. As soon as I felt my muscles were ready, I drew my sword and went through my practiced strikes and blocks. After an hour, my cardio was still holding up, so I moved on to push-ups, squats, and crunches. I did them extremely slowly to make sure every muscle felt the burn.
After two hours, I'd had enough training. It was time for lunch, so, dripping with sweat, I started preparing the meal. While Houndour slept sprawled out, I thought about our supplies. I still had two full portions of steak plus two half-portions of potatoes and vegetables—the ones I'd taken the meat from for the dog. That left me with lunch and dinner. I'd have to hunt something tomorrow. Fortunately, Houndour still had plenty of kibble from Pallet Town.
"Haunter, break time!" I called out to him just as I started eating.
"Haunter!" he growled defiantly and stubbornly continued his training.
"Haunter, break!" I repeated firmly. I didn't need him overtraining right at the start of the journey. Fortunately, he listened and headed toward the fire, though he looked quite grumpy.
"You can't train non-stop, Haunter. Try to think about why it's not working the way it should," I said in a soothing voice. "Sometimes less is more. Your technique is there, but I can see you're low on poison. Why? Are you putting in too little energy? Holding it in your mouth for too short a time? Or is there another reason?"
Haunter's angry expression vanished, replaced by a thoughtful look.
"Rest is important for progress. You never know what might attack us," I concluded. Haunter nodded in agreement, and I finally dug into my portion.
After eating, we went back to the grind. I only did some light cardio and stretching to stay limber and stave off boredom. Houndour wasn't an official member of the team yet, though based on his behavior, it looked promising. I knew he was a Dark and Fire-type, but I didn't want to test his abilities just yet—he needed to recover.
It wasn't until evening that I noticed him watching us with interest. He observed my movements and Haunter's attempts. It was high time to end today's session. I was exhausted and sweaty, and Haunter, though he looked like he had energy to spare, needed a break too.
After a quick dinner, I recalled Houndour into his Poké Ball. He looked promising, but after the first day, I definitely didn't want to leave him loose in the camp. As soon as I crawled into my sleeping bag after an incredibly physically demanding day, I fell fast asleep.
***
I woke up to a cold morning, at dawn as always. Physically, I felt like a Snorlax had sat on me—everything ached. Mentally, however, I was excellently rested; no nightmares like yesterday. I slowly and contentedly stumbled out of the tent.
"Haunter!" my faithful companion greeted me immediately.
"Morning, Haunter," I replied. I immediately started drinking heavily to stay hydrated and fill my stomach. "Haunter, could you find and bring a Caterpie from the area? Or maybe a Pidgey?"
"Haunter!" he nodded determinedly and headed straight into the forest toward the sounds that never ceased.
Meanwhile, I let Houndour out of his Poké Ball. He greeted me instantly with a wagging tail. "Houndour!"
"Hey. Breakfast?" I asked, already pouring kibble into his bowl. He dug in with gusto while I started stretching my stiff body. The muscle soreness brought that strange, pleasant kind of pain.
It wasn't long before Haunter appeared with a levitating Caterpie, which he gently placed before me under the influence of Hypnosis. Before I could even say thanks, he vanished back into the woods. Houndour, meanwhile, was happily focused on his bowl.
I drew my sword and, with a sharp diagonal swing, severed the Caterpie's head—that was where all its poison accumulated. The body merely shuddered as green blood began to leak from the cut. All that was left was to skin it from its tough casing and chop up the insect meat. It was nutrient-dense, though it didn't taste as good as Tauros or Miltank.
In school, they taught us how to prepare Caterpie, Magikarp, and Pidgey. We were told to avoid Weedle due to the risk of a Beedrill attack. Preparation didn't take long, and soon I was frying the Caterpie meat in the pan. Meanwhile, a satisfied Houndour moved over to me.
"Could you bury the Caterpie remains a bit further away from us?" I asked him. He obeyed instantly with a happy bark and got to work. A moment later, he was lying by me on the blanket again, huddling close to feel my warmth. I was likely replacing his pack.
The Caterpie wasn't done yet when Haunter reappeared with a Pidgey in his arms. Again, he placed it before me under Hypnosis and wanted to continue, but I quickly stopped him.
"That's enough, Haunter, thanks!"
"Haunter?" he asked doubtfully.
"Seriously. Caterpie for breakfast, I'll prep the Pidgey for the road, and we'll have dinner in Pewter City," I explained. "If you want, you can keep training. Once I've eaten, we'll pack up camp and head out in an hour."
Houndour eyed Haunter warily but didn't move an inch from my side. His presence was pleasant, so I scratched him while I waited for the Caterpie meat to soften. Haunter nodded and flew off a bit to train. After a bit of frying, I tested the meat with a fork; it looked fine, so I quickly moved it to a plate.
While it cooled down enough, I quickly dispatched the Pidgey, stripped it of feathers and skin, and tossed it onto the pan. The Pidgey had enough meat for the journey, and I wanted to set off as soon as possible. While I focused on the preparation, Houndour was secretly reaching for the Caterpie meat. He thought I wouldn't notice, but when a source of heat suddenly disappears from your side, you notice instantly.
"Houndour, don't!" I commanded sternly.
He let out a sad whimper, gave me puppy eyes, and immediately returned to my side, where he lay like a pile of misery. I began to eat slowly, ignoring Houndour's sorrowful gaze. I deliberately dragged out every bite, making it clear how much I was enjoying it, so he would understand who was boss.
Truth was, I planned to leave him a piece—those puppy eyes of his just worked on me. Finally, with a satisfied sigh, I tore off the last piece of Caterpie and handed it to him. He demolished it instantly as if he hadn't eaten in a year.
He barked happily—"Houndour!"—and flopped back onto the blanket.
I rested for a moment longer, then moved the Pidgey from the pan to a plate to cool, and began packing up the camp. It didn't take long. I sliced the meat and tossed it into a bowl so I could munch on it during the trip, even when cold. The camp was packed and our timing was great; it was still morning with the whole day ahead of us. Today, I finally wanted to enter Pewter City.
"Haunter, Houndour, let's go," I ordered, and flanked by my Pokémon, I set off toward the city.
***
Author's note:
Unfortunately, even when you know there was realistically no other option... your brain still decides to haunt you anyway. In times like that, you have to stay busy just to keep the thoughts at bay.
So, the grind continues. We've patched up Houndour, eaten a Caterpie, prepped a Pidgey, and made a big decision: it's time to sell Scyther.
What's your guess? How much do you think a Scyther goes for on the market?
***
Step into the Restricted Section
The shadows are shifting, and the story goes much deeper... If you can't wait for the next update, Advanced Chapters are already waiting for you.
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written:
13. Nature's Cruel Mercy
14. I'm Rich, Baby!
15. Shelled Defiance
16. The Boulder Badge
17. The Price of Experience
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