章節 10: A Jubilife Crisis
The group had finally arrived in Jubilife City as planned. Considered the largest and most modern city in all of Sinnoh, it contained various buildings and skyscrapers that towered over its general populous. These buildings included such popular landmarks as the Jubilife TV Station, the Global Trade Station, which could be used to trade Pokémon with regions outside of Sinnoh, the Trainers' School, and, more famously, the Pokétch Company. This company was responsible for manufacturing the titular Pokétch, an electronic device that most, if not all Pokémon Trainers used on their journeys throughout Sinnoh.
Dawn, upon entering Jubilife, was especially excited to get her hands on one. She sighed contentedly with a wide smile on her face.
"Welp, here it is, guys. The City of Joy itself!" She said. "Isn't it amazing?"
Considering how much larger West City was by comparison, Vegeta and Goku didn't look all that impressed. The latter was too focused on his empty stomach to show much of a reaction either.
"Tch. City of Joy? Is that really what they call this place?" Vegeta snorted.
"Well, we all know 'joy' is a foreign concept to you, Veggie, but yes, it is. At least, that's what the sign says." Barry replied. He then pointed toward the city's slogan, much to the Saiyan prince's annoyance.
"I can see that, moron."
"Eh, I think that name will only be accurate if I get some good food in my stomach. I don't think I can hold it in any longer." Goku groaned.
The young Pokémon Coordinator sighed. She wanted to explore more of the city, but thanks to Goku's bottomless stomach, that would have to wait, unfortunately.
"Alright, alright. I get it. I'm hungry too." Dawn muttered. "Does ice cream sound okay?"
Goku, Barry, and even Vegeta lit up at the mention of that frozen dessert. A little drool could be seen coming out of their mouths.
"Hehe. Sure does!"
Dawn giggled. "Let's go find a stand then. It shouldn't be too hard to find, hopefully."
They then entered the city and walked across Jubilife City's streets. It was bustling with all sorts of people and Pokémon that Goku or Vegeta haven't seen yet. There were so many that neither of them could even register each creature into their Pokédex in time.
The Saiyan martial artist watched as a large Tropius flew past them. It looked like a sentient palm tree with leaves for wings.
"Most of these guys look pretty interesting. Don't you agree, Vegeta?"
"Hmph. Not really. None of these things seem strong enough to capture. Unlike you, I don't wish to catch just any Pokémon I encounter in the wild, Kakarot. I only want the best of the best."
Barry raised an eyebrow. "You know, with that attitude, you'll be stuck with Piplup and nothing else. Do you really want that to happen?"
Vegeta defiantly crossed his arms.
"It's better than resorting to some small bird or a giant fish who can't do anything." He grunted. "And don't even get me started on the… ergh… cherries."
"Hey! Don't drag poor little Cherubi into this!" Dawn shouted.
He deadpanned in reply. He still had a hard time believing that a Pokémon like that existed. "Poor little Cherubi is a crime against nature, girl. I don't care about its feelings."
"Her, Vegeta. Her."
As their senseless bickering continued, Goku noticed someone hiding behind a nearby lamppost. He was a middle-aged man with short black hair and a light brown trench coat. He also wore a pair of black shoes.
He quietly snuck up behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Uh… whatcha doing there?"
The man spun around with a look of pure, unadulterated shock on his face. His brown eyes widened to their maximum capacity as he stared at Goku.
"Blast! My cover's been blown!"
To everyone's puzzlement, he leapt away from the lamppost and stood in front of them. He then rubbed his chin, examining Goku's body from head-to-toe.
"How did you do it? How did you unmask me as a member of the Pokémon International Police?!"
Goku titled his head to the side. "Huh? What are you talking about? I was just asking you a question."
"A mere question, you say? Ha! I think not, my spiky-haired friend! I know better than to believe that. No, no, no."
He boldly wagged his finger in front of Goku's face. A few people and their Pokémon gave the Interpol officer a funny look as they passed by.
"I can tell you recognized right away that I was someone extraordinary."
Barry leaned close to Vegeta's ear. "More like absolutely crazy…"
"That is why you spoke to me, is it not? Your power of observation is fearsome! Quite admirable, if I do say so myself!" The man commended.
"I mean, I guess you're not wrong. I can be pretty… erm… observant when I want to be." Goku replied.
"Of course, I'm not wrong! I'm an ace detective! It's my job to be right about these things!" He laughed. "But now that my cover has officially been blown, allow me to introduce myself."
He struck a pose and pulled out a badge from one of his pockets. It held both a photographed ID card and gold medal.
"I am a globetrotting elite officer for the International Police. My name, or should I say, my given codename is Looker! It is what they all call me back at headquarters."
Vegeta audibly snorted at the sound of such a weird name. It didn't match his physical appearance all that well either. The man was anything, but a looker.
"Looker? How ridiculous…"
His fellow Saiyan couldn't help, but slightly nod his head in agreement.
"Okay. Nice to meet you then… I guess. My name's Goku, and these are my friends, Vegeta, Dawn, and Barry. We just became Pokémon Trainers a few hours ago."
Looker examined all of their appearances in minor curiosity. Vegeta's suit, in particular, caught his interest.
"Mmhm. Yes. You do fit the role of a trainer rather nicely. Incidentally, is the saying, "Don't be a thief!", familiar to you?"
"Like taking stuff from others is bad and all that?" Goku asked.
"That is correct, Mr. Goku. Taking what belongs to others is, of course, a serious crime. Unfortunately, there are those who apparently do not heed these words like everyone else does. Sinnoh, in fact, has criminals who are stealing the Pokémon from their poor, unsuspecting owners. Many have come to know them as Team Galactic."
The four looked a little bewildered by this information.
"Team Galactic?"
Dawn crossed her arms and huffed. "Hmph. Sound like a bunch of huge jerks to me."
"Jerk would be a huge understatement, dear girl. Their crimes against people and Pokémon alike have been nothing short of insidious. I have, therefore, been on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion. Thankfully, I haven't been doing it alone…"
Looker then turned around and placed a single hand over the side of his mouth. He appeared to be looking for someone.
"Koya, my boy, you can come out now! There's no use hiding anymore!"
Upon command, a young boy around Dawn and Barry's age appeared. He had short, spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a black and red outfit with white gloves. He was holding a black briefcase in his right hand.
Standing beside him was a Dark-type Pokémon with shaggy white fur and a dark blue face. Along with having large red eyes, the creature also had a blue scythe-like horn attached to the right side of his head. It was highly intimidating, yet somewhat beautiful at the same time.
"I wasn't hiding to begin with…" The boy named Koya sighed. "I told you I was shopping for supplies. We've been running low on them since my last Pokémon battle."
Looker sheepishly scratched the back of his. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot about that."
"Hmph. What's new?"
Goku then pulled out his Pokédex and held it in front of Koya's Pokémon.
"Who could that Pokémon be?"
"Scanning Pokémon 209: Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. It is a Dark-type Pokémon with Pressure and Super Luck as its abilities and Justified as its Hidden Ability. Description: It has the ability to foretell natural disasters. Its lifespan is over a hundred years. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Adamant."
"A hundred years, huh? They must be able to get pretty strong then." He muttered aloud.
"You'd be correct in thinking so. Koya's Absol is a cut above the rest of his species. He'll definitely become very powerful once the Lily of the Valley Conference begins in a few months or so." Looker explained.
The Pokémon in question proceeded to stare at Goku in curiosity.
"Ab… sol…"
Barry, figuring that Koya must have been a fairly strong trainer, decided to take a shot at introducing himself. He confidently walked over to him with a wide smile on his face.
Vegeta could already tell something bad was about to happen. Based on Koya's body language, it was clear as day that he did not like Barry or his personality at all. Absol expressed similar sentiments by instinctively hiding behind his owner's legs.
"Good to see a fellow Pokémon aficionado in the making. Mind if I take a look at your Absol and—"
As soon as Barry attempt to stroke Absol's fur, Koya tightly balled one of his fists and punched him in the face. The blonde-haired boy was sent crashing into the ground in response.
"Barry!" Dawn cried. She and Goku quickly came to their friend's aid while Vegeta didn't bother to move a muscle.
Koya's eyes narrowed into slits. "Keep your filthy hands off my Pokémon."
Barry massaged his aching nose and slowly, but surely stood back up. A little bit of blood was leaking out of his nostrils.
"Hey! What gives?! It was a little rude to push me like that, don'tcha think?"
The young Interpol officer showed absolutely no remorse for what he did. He just looked at Barry with his cold blue eyes.
"In this region, a trainer needs to take special care of their Pokémon before another battle can take place. You're the rude one for stepping out of line and trying to touch another person's Pokémon without permission, fool."
Dawn frowned at this statement.
"Even so, that still doesn't give you the right to be so aggressive. Aren't you supposed to be part of the International Police?"
Koya scoffed and just barely glanced at her general direction.
"That information is frankly none of your business. Looker shouldn't have even mentioned it to begin with."
The aforementioned partner slumped his shoulders. "Yes. I suppose I did blow our cover a little too fast, young Koya. We'll have to be extra discrete next time."
"You should tell yourself that, not me…"
Barry stomped over to Koya and pointed directly at his face. He brought out one of his Poké Balls with the other hand.
"Well then, Mr. Big Shot. If you take such good care of that Absol there, then how about you show it off in a battle with me?"
"Battle you? Please. I have a sixth sense for sniffing out mediocre trainers." Koya snorted. "And I can tell that you are far below average at best."
Vegeta lightly smirked from the sidelines. "Hmph. I'm starting to like this kid's attitude."
Seeing that the boy wasn't exactly making the best first impression, Looker rested a hand on his shoulder and grinned.
"Ah. Don't be so hasty, Koya. Maybe this young man will surprise you and give you the type of challenge you've been searching for."
Koya darted his eyes from Looker to Barry in quick succession. He sincerely doubted that such an occurrence could take place, but then again, humiliating this kid right here and now would lower the chances of them battling each other again.
He then crossed his arms and motioned for Absol to stand in front of him. The Disaster Pokémon did as asked without question.
"Fine. Let's make this quick."
Barry pumped his fist in excitement. "Great! Get ready to wipe that smug look off your face then, Koya! You're about to see what I'm made of."
He then tossed his Poké Ball and sent Starly out to battle. The others, including Looker, all moved closer to the sidewalk, so their battle could officially start.
"He does remember that his only battle was against me, right?" Dawn asked in concern.
"I'm not sure, Dawn. I just hope he's corrected some of his bigger mistakes after losing to you." Goku muttered in reply. Vegeta, on the other hand, said nothing.
"Yeah. I hope so too."
Barry and Koya stood across from each other in silence. The poor little Normal/Flying-type buckled from the intense stare Absol was giving her.
"S-Star…" She gulped.
Barry checked over Starly's list of moves and nodded once he decided which one to use first.
"Alright, Starly. Let's—"
"Sucker Punch."
Before Barry's Pokémon could even try to attack, one Absol's claws glowed a bright purple. He dashed forward and mercilessly socked Starly directly across the cheek.
"Sol!"
"W-What?!"
Starly's body smacked across the pavement and limply fell onto its side. She couldn't endure the pain any longer and instantly fell unconscious.
"S-Star… ly…"
Barry froze in place from utter shock and disbelief. His orange eyes were fully widened to their maximum capacity.
No way. He defeated Starly… with one single move?!
"What kind of move was that?" Goku asked.
"Ah. That would be Sucker Punch, my boy. It allows Absol to accurately read an opponent's attack and strike before they do. I'm afraid that due to Absol's superior speed, that poor Starly didn't even stand a chance." Looker explained with a regretful frown.
"Tch. That idiot's already lost then. There's no use continuing such a one-sided match." Vegeta grunted. Normally, he'd relish in witnessing Barry's failure firsthand, but in this case, it was far too pathetic to get any enjoyment out of.
"Try telling Barry that…" Dawn whispered.
Barry couldn't even move so much as an inch. He looked down at his feet, wondering what he should do next.
"Had enough yet?" Koya asked.
After putting Starly back in her Poké Ball, Barry brought out Turtwig's and tightly squeezed it. This was his last chance to prove Koya wrong.
"No. I'm just getting warmed up! You haven't seen anything yet!" He shouted. "Come on out, Turtwig!"
He tossed the Poké Ball into the air and unleashed his Grass-type starter via a white burst of light. The little turtle glared at Absol without any sort of fear.
"Turtwig!"
Once again, Koya didn't look all that impressed by what he was seeing. He shook his head in disappointment.
"If this is really all you have left to offer, then I seriously pity you. It was an absolute mistake to challenge me at your level."
One of Barry's eyes began to twitch. This kid was starting to irritate him more than Vegeta.
"A mistake?" He whispered. "Ergh! Well, you made a mistake underestimating me, Koya! Use Absorb, Turtwig!"
"Tur!"
Turtwig's body glowed a bright green as he attempted to forcibly drain some of Absol's health. This did not go as planned, unfortunately.
"Dodge it."
Absol leapt to the side and successfully evaded Absorb. He leaned close to the ground and waited for his master's next command.
"Now, finish him off with Quick Attack."
Part of the Dark-type's form glowed a bright white as he dashed from side to side at breakneck speeds and smashed his claws straight into Turtwig's shell. The turtle wasn't fast enough to dodge that move in time.
"Ab… SOL!"
"T-Turtwig!"
Turtwig was smacked into the ground stomach-first. Absol placed a single foot over his shell to make sure the Tiny Leaf Pokémon couldn't get back up. Luckily for him, he had already fainted mere seconds beforehand.
Barry collapsed onto his knees and cradled the lifeless Turtwig in his arms. Absol walked back to his trainer with little care.
"N-No… That's just not possible."
"It is possible with Absol's ability, Super Luck. It raises the critical-hit ratio for all of his moves. As soon as Quick Attack successfully landed a critical-hit, your Turtwig was done for." Koya said while stroking his Pokémon's fur.
He then calmly walked over to where Barry was kneeling and glared down at him.
"In the end, it's just as I suspected. People like you have no right to be Pokémon Trainers." He glowered. "You have no talent and no concept of battle strategy. The way you command your Pokémon will only end up hurting them in the long run. Lacking any critical thinking skills tends to do that."
Barry looked up at Koya in disbelief. It was as if his very spirit was crushed into millions of pieces.
"I suggest you quit and save yourself any further embarrassment. I have nothing else to say to you."
Looker grimaced and held his partner back a little.
"That's enough, Koya. I think he understood your point." He whispered. The detective knelt down and briefly attempted to console Barry's fractured emotional state. "Listen, I know it doesn't excuse the horrible things Koya just said to you – which I wish to apologize for, believe me – but please understand that he is a fairly… complicated young man. He's been in your situation before, so do keep in that in mind if you happen to cross paths with him or, well, us again."
He then rummaged through his coat pocket and handed Barry an item. It was a small blue tablet with a black screen on it.
"Here. I was perceptive enough to record your battle with Koya using this nifty Vs. Recorder. Perhaps you might make use of it for… research purposes."
Barry inspected the Vs. Recorder and scratched the back of his head.
"Uh… Gee. Thanks, I guess."
"You're most welcome. But if you do happen to see us or Koya again, I ask you not talk to us when we're on duty." Looker stressed. "But any other time, you must speak to me, specifically! You must inform me of any encounters you may have with Team Galactic or other bad guys that may be lurking upon Sinnoh's towns and cities!"
"Enough with the speech, Looker. We have work to do."
"Hmph. Need I remind you who the superior officer is, Koya? You youngsters show no respect sometimes, I swear." Looker grumbled under his breath. "Until we meet again, my friends. Be sure to stay out of trouble or the International Police could be after you someday! Haha!"
Just as the two officers were about to leave, Goku decided to say something to help defend Barry's honor.
"Hey, Koya!"
The boy glanced back at him with little interest.
"You shouldn't have said those things about Barry back there. He just became a Pokémon Trainer a few hours ago. Who are you to judge his skills based on one single battle? He obviously hasn't gone through as much training as you have."
"Whatever the case, he's still a loser. It doesn't take a genius to realize how incompetent he is at commanding his Pokémon. A trainer like that will only raise them to become weak and unhappy." He then turned to address him, Vegeta, and Dawn at the same time. "And what makes you any different? Last time I checked, all of you were novices just starting out. You have long way to go before you'll be able to earn anyone's respect, let alone mine."
"Oh, don't worry. I guarantee that we're all chock full of surprises, brat." Vegeta snarled while resting a hand on Barry's shoulder. "Give us a little more time and I'm sure Blondie here will mop the floor with you. I guarantee it."
"Tch. Is that supposed to be a challenge?"
"Depends on if you accept it or not. Me, Vegeta, Barry, and even Dawn have a long journey ahead of us. We're sure to catch up sooner than you think." Goku proclaimed.
Dawn nodded her head in agreement. "You've got that right, Goku. We'll be in the spotlight anytime now!"
Koya pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Alright. If you're so confident, then I'll agree to have a rematch with 'Barry' the next time I see him. I'll agree to take back what I said if he greatly improves from the pitiful display he showed off a few minutes ago. Deal?"
"Deal. Be prepared to eat your words, Koya. That prideful ego of yours won't be intact for long." Vegeta snapped.
"We'll see." The young officer huffed. "Return, Absol."
Upon placing him back into their Poké Ball, Koya caught up with Looker once more and moved onto another part of the city. The spiky-haired kid's words continued to echo within his mind as he walked away.
Why does that boy seem so… oddly intimidating? Should I be more worried about battling him than the blonde one?
He then shook his head and maintained a more neutral expression. This proved difficult once he saw the weirdly sly grin Looker was giving him.
"Glad to see you were able to make some new friends today, Koya."
"Shut up, Looker."
Now that those two were officially gone, the four went back to exploring the rest of Jubilife City as planned.
"Wow, Vegeta. I didn't think you of all people would be calling out someone on their pride." Goku chuckled at the sheer irony of such a situation.
"Think nothing of it. That little snob's attitude was just pissing me off, that's all." The Saiyan Prince scoffed.
Barry still didn't have the strength to get up from the sidewalk. He just looked down at his new Vs. Recorder with a defeated look on his face.
"Are you okay?" Dawn softly asked.
"I… I don't know."
He then picked himself and silently returned Turtwig to his Poké Ball. The boy just couldn't bear to look at the pain in the Tiny Leaf Pokémon's eyes anymore.
"M-Maybe he's right. It's my fault that Starly and Turtwig aren't getting as strong as they should be." He murmured aloud. "I should have been a better Trainer and not rush headlong into a battle I knew I wasn't prepared for."
Dawn shook her head. "You can't be too hard on yourself. All of us are just starting out! We're bound to make mistakes here and there. That's why we learn from them and do better afterwards."
"Easy for you to say. You beat me too, remember?"
This petty remark was the last straw for Vegeta. He rolled his eyes and bore into the boy's very soul.
"Enough with the sob story! You've already got another chance to prove that arrogant brat wrong, so instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, why don't you plan out your next move and start training?"
Goku nodded in agreement.
"You should listen to him, Barry. Training is the key to obtaining far more wins than losses in life. I mean, just look at me and Vegeta, for example. We've lost plenty of fights in the past, but that didn't stop us from trying again and getting stronger."
"A few fights, Kakarot. Not plenty."
"Oh, you know what I meant."
Their comments, as brief as they may have been, helped cheer Barry up a bit. He smiled and started to act like his usual hyperactive self again.
"Guess I'm just gonna have to prove that Koya jerk wrong then, huh? He won't know what him once we cross paths again! I'll have to fine him an extra 1,000,000 dollars for talking smack about me like that." He confidently yelled. "And I'll have to work towards getting my butt kicked far less than ol' Veggie there. Hehe."
Vegeta groaned and placed a hand over his face in disgust.
"Sure. Knock yourself out, Blondie."
"I'm just glad you're back to normal… or whatever is considered normal for you, that is." Dawn quipped. She then squinted her eyes and spotted an ice cream vendor in the distance. "Now, how about we move on from this whole Koya fiasco and get some ice cream? It'll be my and Goku's treat!"
The Saiyan warrior tilted his head to the side in confusion. "How would that work? Don't Barry and Vegeta want some too?"
Dawn placed a hand over her mouth and giggled. It was there that Goku brought the term, airhead, to a whole new level.
"I meant splitting the bill, silly. We'll use the money we got from our Double Battle with Nando." She dug through her bag and took out about 3,000 Poké Dollars. Some of it was given to her by Johanna before leaving Twinleaf Town. "Here we go. Do you mind going over there and getting some cones for us, Goku?"
The martial artist shrugged and retrieved the money from her. "Yeah, no problem. I was going to probably look at all of the flavors, anyway, so this works out."
"Make sure my flavor is chocolate, Kakarot. And don't you dare get it wrong this time!" Vegeta ordered authoritatively.
"Strawberry will be fine with me, Goku. Thanks." Dawn chimed in.
"Add lots and lots of sprinkles to my vanilla ice cream, man! If the guy asks when to stop, just tell him to keep going. Don't take no for an answer." Barry instructed.
The slate-haired girl grimaced. "Is that much sugar really what you need right now?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, it is."
Making sure he memorized all of their orders to a T, Goku repeated them a few times in his head before leaving.
"Sounds good, guys. I'll be right back."
He then ran toward the ice cream vendor, leaving the other three alone to their own devices. They stood there a moment to inspect Goku's departing form.
"Wait a second. Goku didn't say what he was ordering." Barry noted.
"This is Kakarot we're talking about. What do you think he's going to order?"
Dawn tapped her foot for a second to think. She then remembered what Goku said about looking at all the flavors. That was when a sudden, shocking realization came to mind.
"No. He's not seriously going to—"
"Yes. The buffoon is going to order every single flavor they have available." Vegeta affirmed in amusement. "Doubt me all you want, girl, but you'll for yourself soon enough. Kakarot does this all the time."
This caused Dawn to slump her shoulders and immediately regret giving Goku all that money. "We were supposed to buy new clothes with some of that…"
At the same time, Goku made it to the ice cream vendor. He stood in front of a small pink cart filled with eight different flavors ranging from mint, chocolate, and strawberry to a few others.
He would have gone and placed his order right away if not for another customer standing there. They were a beautiful young woman with long, curly platinum blonde hair that extended somewhere below her knees. Black-yellow hairpins were placed on either side of her hair and seemingly kept it in place. Each pin was comprised of two teardrop-shaped decorations.
She wore a long black coat with fur trimming that concealed both her wrists and neck. A silver teardrop-shaped pendant was also placed in between her chest and two buttons. To further match her outfit, the woman additionally wore black high-heel shoes with thin golden stripe imbedded along her soles.
Goku looked upon this person in awe. Something about her seemed different from everyone else in this city, but he couldn't quite understand why.
Even the vendor looked nervous being in her presence, even if he didn't outright show it. He just patiently waited for her to order something, in spite of the fact that over a half-hour had passed.
"Hmmm." She said while holding a hand over her chin.
The vendor then cleared his throat and politely asked, "Have you decided on anything yet, Miss Cynthia?"
Goku froze for a moment to think about this name. He could have sworn Professor Rowan mentioned it at some point.
Cynthia? Why does that sound so familiar?
The woman opened her gray eyes to get a closer look at each flavor. She didn't even notice that Goku was standing right behind her.
"Well, every one of them looks great. I don't even know where to begin, honestly."
"You could always try them all if that's what you'd like." The vendor suggested.
Cynthia pursed her lips. "Sure, but where would I even put them all?"
Goku grimaced. He hadn't even thought of that possibility himself.
After a few more seconds of deciding, Cynthia beamed and raised up one of her fingers.
"I know! I'll take a triple cone with chocolate, mint, strawberry, and cookies & cream!"
"Hehe. I had a feeling you'd order that. I'll have that out in a jiffy." The vendor laughed.
"Thank you!"
He then piled each flavor of ice cream on top each other, stuck them in a waffle cone, and handed it to Cynthia.
"You have a good one. We can't have our Champion battling on an empty stomach."
"Just call me Cynthia, please. I don't want to be the center of attention everywhere I go." She nervously chuckled.
"Understood, Champion Cynthia."
Once this information was revealed, Goku finally figured out this woman's identity. She was Cynthia Carolina, the girl who became Sinnoh's current Champion at the age of twelve. He could no longer contain his excitement and abruptly shouted out what he was thinking.
"YOU'RE… YOU'RE THE CHAMPION?!"
"Gah!"
Cynthia jumped in surprise, causing her triple ice cream cone to be sent flying into the air. It then, much to her chagrin, splattered all over Goku's face and shirt. He licked some of the frosting off his cheek and swallowed it.
"Mm. Tasty."
The blonde woman placed both hands over her mouth and hurriedly bent down to help Goku clean himself up.
"O-Oh no! I'm so sorry, kid. You caught me by surprise there."
Goku brushed off the remaining ice cream and smiled. He wasn't bothered by this situation at all. He was just glad to be meeting such a powerful Pokémon Trainer so early on.
"It's okay. I'm sorry I ruined your ice cream cone." The martial artist from Universe 7 replied. He then looked down at his feet in slight guilt. "And for… well, screaming at you like that. Professor Rowan just told me a lot about cool stuff about you, so I couldn't help myself."
"Professor Rowan?" Cynthia muttered. Her face lit up in fond recollection of the past. "Did he happen to give you a device called a Pokédex by any chance?"
Goku bobbed his head in confirmation and pulled out the Pokédex from his bag.
"Yep, sure did. He gave one to me and my friends a few hours ago."
"Wow, that brings back some memories." She said while inspecting the machine with a wide, curious grin. "I know we haven't had the best introduction so far, but do you mind telling me your name?"
"My name's Son Goku. Nice to meet you."
Cynthia found the name unusual, but also a bit unique and rather memorable. His gravity-defying hairstyle was similar in that regard.
"Goku, hm? I'll be sure to remember that! It's nice to meet you as well." She kindly stated. "So, given your established connection with Professor Rowan, I'm assuming that you and your friends have just started becoming Pokémon Trainers?"
The Saiyan man-turned-child pulled out one of his Poké Balls and showed it to her.
"Mmhm. We're all going on a journey with one another across Sinnoh. Mainly to grow stronger, catch more Pokémon, and find some pretty valuable items that we lost."
Cynthia was curious about the last part of Goku's statement.
"Valuable items? What kind?"
"It's a long story. You're find out about it later, I'm sure."
"Okay…" She replied in slight, momentary confusion. "Well, it's good that you aren't going on this adventure alone, Goku. It can be a dangerous place out there, even with Pokémon in your possession."
She then brushed part of her back and grew more serious in tone.
"I should know. I've been studying Pokémon mythology lately, just out of curiosity. There's mysteries and legends in this world that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of. Don't you find that kind of fascinating?"
Goku thought back to his encounters with Beerus and Whis not too long ago. Before their visit to Earth, he had no idea that powerful beings like Gods of Destruction or Angels existed in his universe. It made his feats of strength look like nothing by comparison, which both fascinated and unnerved him at the same time.
Learning that there was an entire multiverse to explore brought up similar thoughts. He still had a tough time comprehending this world and its population of Pokémon's existence.
"I get what you mean, yeah. Life sure can be a little crazy sometimes. Hehe."
"You don't know the half of it." Cynthia giggled. She then tossed the rest of her ice cream cone in the nearest garbage can.
"Do you mind if I get a replacement for that one, sir?" She asked. "Oh, and put whatever Goku is ordering on my bill as well. I'll take care of it."
The alien manchild was a little taken aback by this offer.
"You sure, Cynthia? I was the one who spooked you in the first place."
"Think nothing of it, Goku. I may be a Champion, but I also know when to take accountability for my own mistakes." She assured him. "Besides, any friend of Professor Rowan is a friend of mine."
"Thanks a lot then!"
"My pleasure."
Goku then proceeded to order chocolate for Vegeta, strawberry for Dawn, and, of course, vanilla with lots of sprinkles for Barry. As instructed, the vendor continued pouring as many sprinkles onto it as humanly possible.
"Should I stop now or—"
"Nope. Keep going."
It would take another few minutes until the vendor finished with Barry's order. It was decked from head to toe with small, multi-colored sprinkles, just as the blonde-haired boy wanted. Barely a trace of vanilla frosting could be seen by the end of it.
Last, but not least, Goku did as Vegeta predicted and ordered every available flavor on the menu. Cynthia tried to advise against such a decision, but the Saiyan martial artist would not take no for an answer.
He ended up with a comically large ice cream cone that towered above his head. Surprisingly, no matter how off-balance it appeared, the cone refused to topple over and splatter its contents against the ground.
"You know, before now, I didn't think such an order was possible." Cynthia mused. "Guess you proved me wrong."
"When you're as hungry as I am, anything's possible."
"I assume you must have been pretty hungry then…"
Just barely managing to carry everyone's ice cream cones, the two walked over to the part of Jubilife City where Vegeta, Dawn, and Barry were standing. The latter had taken some time to heal Turtwig and Starly at a local Pokémon Center.
Now, his orange eyes were practically glued to the Vs. Recorder's digital screen. Dawn tried to get Barry's attention a few times, but he was too focused on studying the play-by-play of his battle against Koya.
"Koya's Absol was just more experienced than your Pokémon. There isn't any other reason why you lost apart from—"
"Shh! Not now, Dawn. I'm trying to see how he landed that dumb Sucker Punch move so fast." Barry hissed.
The girl placed both hands on her hips. "Aw! You can't just shush me like that! Who do you think you are, buster?!"
"Maybe you should get used to it." Vegeta joked. Dawn glared at him and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"No comments from the peanut gallery, your highness."
She then crossed her arms, hoping and praying that Goku would come back soon. She was starting to get a little hungry and anxious herself. It was then that she saw Goku walking closer to them. The Saiyan's face was concealed by a towering pillar of ice cream, but the hair and clothes were unmistakably his.
Dawn sighed in relief. "Goku's back, guys! It looks like he's gotten everything we've ordered and—"
Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates upon seeing who was walking alongside Goku. It was Sinnoh's legendary Champion, Cynthia Carolina, of all people.
Vegeta, however, didn't recognize her for obvious reasons.
"Who's that blonde woman with Kakarot?"
Barry looked up from his Vs. Recorder in sudden curiosity.
"Blonde woman?"
He turned the device off and stood next to Dawn. Upon recognizing her face, Barry shared a sidelong glance with his childhood friend before they both officially went into a state of hysterics and freaked out.
""I-It's Cynthia!""
Their frantic cries caused Goku and the aforementioned Champion to stop in place. Cynthia had a feeling they would react like this, so she tried her best to act cordial around them.
"Hello there. You must be Dawn, Barry, and Vegeta, right?" She politely asked. "It's a pleasure to meet some new Pokémon Trainers. I still remember back when I started my own journey. Those were good times."
She then handed each of them their respective ice cream cones and started licking her own. Goku, on the other hand, had never stopped eating for a second.
Barry and Dawn were all, but completely tongue-tied in Cynthia's presence. They didn't even know what to say to her without sounding either like amateurs or idiots.
"But how… why… what are you even doing here in Jubilife City of all places?!" Dawn choked out.
Barry nodded his head. "Yeah, what she said! Shouldn't you be busy doing… Champion things? And not eating ice cream with someone like Goku?"
Cynthia found their looks of disbelief rather amusing. She addressed their question with a mischievous twinkle in her gray eyes.
"As a matter of fact, I actually am on some business here. I was asked to serve as a judge for the next Pokémon Contest." She explained while continuing to lick from her ice cream. "And getting some of Jubilife's delicious food was an added bonus. They don't call it the City of Joy for nothing."
Dawn clasped her hands together in awestruck amazement.
"Really?! That's amazing! I'm going to be making my contest debut there."
"I see. So, you're training to be a Pokémon Coordinator then?"
"Well, sort of. I want to participate in contests like my mom and the Sinnoh League like my dad." Dawn explained.
"There's nothing wrong with doing both. I've personally never got into the coordinating scene, but Mr. Raoul Contesta of the Pokémon Activities Committee wouldn't take no for an answer." Cynthia sighed in a slightly overdramatic tone. "Though, my Togekiss did always love showing off in the contests I have taken part in."
Barry slyly grinned at the brief mention of her Pokémon.
"Speaking of which, could you show us your Garchomp? Please! She's so dang cool!"
Sinnoh's Champion giggled in response to the boy's childish enthusiasm.
"Maybe some other time, Barry. My Garchomp doesn't usually like to be disturbed outside of battle."
Hearing this remark, Goku finished off the rest of his ice cream. He then looked up at Cynthia and smirked with a competitive fire in his eyes.
"Then how about we have a battle right here and now, Cynthia?"
Everyone in Jubilife City became speechless upon listening in on Goku's sudden challenge. They closed in on the group to both see Cynthia in person and figure out what this goofy kid's intentions were.
"That boy just challenged the Champion! Is that even legal?"
"He must have a lot of balls to make that request."
Cynthia hung her mouth open in surprise. Goku had only two Pokémon on his team, yet he still challenged her to a battle, anyway. She couldn't tell if he was just naïve or too overconfident for his own good.
"Huh. Have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to say that, Goku. It's been a while since I've took a field challenge." She said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Goku clenched his fists together in sheer anticipation.
"I'm more than sure! My Pokémon may not be as strong as yours right now, but I still want to see what a fully trained Pokémon Trainer is capable of. I don't even care if I lose."
Dawn and Barry couldn't believe what they were hearing. Vegeta, in contrast, smiled at his rival's typical boldness and thirst for battle.
"Heh! Go for it, Kakarot! I'd like to see how skilled this so-called Champion is as well." The Saiyan Prince cockily remarked. "It'll set an example for us both to work towards."
Cynthia darted her eyes from Vegeta to Goku. The two of them, despite their young age, had a fighting spirit that almost eclipsed her own. It was hard to believe that they just started out as Pokémon Trainers not too long ago.
Whoever these boys are, they've definitely experienced more than just Pokémon battles in the past…
After taking another moment to think over Goku's proposition, she bent her knees down to Goku's level and smiled.
"Fine then. I accept your challenge, Goku!"
"Great!"
The crowd whispered amongst themselves in utter shock and disbelief. This was the first time Cynthia Carolina had ever battled a novice Pokemon Trainer.
"You serious?! The Champion's actually gonna battle him!"
"Unbelievable!"
Cynthia brought out a single Ultra Ball from her pocket and cordially showed it to Goku.
"Since you don't have that many Pokemon on your team, how does that one-on-one battle sound?"
The spiky-haired martial artist took out Chimchar's Poké Ball from his backpack and gave her a thumbs up.
"Sounds good to me, Cynthia. I'm ready when you are."
They stood on either side of Jubilife City's streets and waited for the battle to commence. Before they could begin, Dawn ran up to him in concern.
"Goku, are you crazy?! Chimchar won't stand a chance out there! You have nothing to gain from this!"
"Listen to her, dude! It's going to end up like my battle with Koya, but over a jillion, maybe even a bajillion times worse! Don't do it!" Barry added.
Goku refused to heed their warnings and kept smiling. He simply looked down at his Poké Ball, squeezing it.
"I know all of that already. I might be at a huge disadvantage, but that's not what matters to me right now."
"It's not?" Dawn asked.
"What matters to me, like Vegeta said earlier, is seeing how strong Cynthia is, so I can train my Pokémon to be as powerful as hers one day. It's how I've always approached my own fights too." Goku explained. He then winked at her. "So there's no need to worry, Dawn. I know what I'm doing."
The young girl didn't expect her own catchphrase to be used against her. She shyly looked away and nodded in understanding.
"Just be careful, okay?"
"I will."
Once Vegeta, Barry, and Dawn joined the rest of the crowd, Goku sent out his Pokémon right away. The Poké Ball popped open to unveil the small Fire-type monkey, Chimchar.
"Chim! Chimchar!"
He looked back at Goku, seemingly being in-sync with his owner's current thought process. They both smiled at each other and waited for Cynthia to start the battle.
Some of Jubilife City's denizens burst out laughing at the unevolved, low-level Pokémon. This made Chimchar feel a tad bit self-conscious, but Goku didn't let their rude comments bother him.
"He sent out a Chimchar! A friggin' tiny Chimchar!"
"This dude is going to get absolutely schooled! It'll honestly be hard to watch when it happens!"
Cynthia shook her head in disapproval of their behavior. It reminded her of how certain people treated Garchomp back when she was just a Gible.
She took a deep breath and tossed an Ultra Ball into the air. Upon opening, a large, intimidating shark-like creature came out. It had blue skin with a red chestplate that extended along its chin and sharp teeth. The Dragon/Ground-type Pokémon's arms were thin and had two, triangular fins in place of hands. White spikes were placed atop these fins, as well as along his forearms and thighs. They also had a long tail that could be mistaken for a shark's lower body and a sharp dorsal fin that presided in the center of their back.
Garchomp powerfully dug their claws into the pavement, creating a massive crater once they fell down from the air. She narrowed her golden eyes and glared down at the small Chimchar with little regard.
"Gar!"
Her eyes brightly glowed within their black sclera, which terrified poor Chimchar beyond belief. He couldn't even find the strength to move at all.
"C-Chim."
Goku looked intrigued by Garchomp's strange, imposing appearance. He quickly brought out his Pokédex and scanned her.
"Scanning Pokémon 111: Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon. It is a Dragon/Ground-type Pokémon with Sand Veil as its ability, and Rough Skin as its Hidden Ability. Description: It is said that when one runs at high speed, its wings create blades of wind that can fell nearby trees. . Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Adamant."
"Dragon/Ground-type? That's not a good matchup for Chimchar at all…" He whispered. "I might have to transfer some of my ki over to him like last time."
Cynthia crossed her arms, wondering how her new opponent would go about countering Chimchar's major weaknesses.
"Goku, you may have the first attack."
"Alright."
He raised one of his hands and gave the Fire-type starter some ki. Vegeta gritted his teeth in recognition of this gesture.
Hmph. He's giving the monkey energy already. Let's see how that'll affect its chances of beating that Garchomp thing.
Feeling the energy coursing through his body, Chimchar stood up straight and narrowed their eyes with newfound confidence.
"Let's do this, Chimchar! Use Ember!"
The Chimp Pokémon somersaulted into the air and shot multiple pellets of fire at Garchomp's body. Ember, now laced with small ki spheres, managed to just barely do some damage to the Dragon/Ground-type.
"Gar… chomp!" She growled.
"What? A Fire-type move managed to hurt her?! That's not possible." Cynthia cried.
Garchomp was just as blown away. They jumped back to inspect the burn marks on her chest and fins.
"Nice one, Chimchar."
"Chim!"
The Champion of Sinnoh narrowed her eyes in puzzlement. It appeared that this battle wouldn't be as one-sided as she initially assumed.
"Don't get too comfortable, Goku. It's Garchomp's turn to attack now." She reminded him. "Use Earthquake!"
"Earth what?"
Garchomp slammed her foot into the ground, causing all of Jubilife City to rapidly shake from side to side. A wave of elevated earth was quickly approaching Chimchar, but Goku noticed it early enough to counterattack.
"Jump back into the air, buddy!" He ordered.
"Chim! Chim… char!"
Right before Earthquake could make contact with the monkey's body, he backflipped into the air and used Goku's ki to phase out of view. He seemingly floated there for a moment, keeping his body away from Garchomp's more heavy-hitting attacks.
Cynthia had never seen anything like it before. It almost made her feel exhilarated in a weird way.
"I wonder what Goku's planning to do next…" She muttered under breath. She looked towards his place on the street and noticed how oddly focused his expression was. It was a far cry from the goofy, carefree smile he displayed earlier.
"Now with all of the energy you have left, use Scratch on top of Garchomp's head!"
As instructed, Chimchar pulled back his arm and placed all of the energy he received from Goku into their fingertips. A fiery orange aura surrounded the monkey's body as he took deep, shallow breaths.
"Chim… char… Chim…"
The crowd, however, couldn't see any of this. They just couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that Goku would use a weak Normal-type move for his next attack. Vegeta knew better, though.
"I told him this was a bad idea. It's not going to be pretty once Chimchar lands." Dawn lamented in concern.
"You should watch more closely. Kakarot knows exactly what he's doing." Vegeta advised. "Remember my battle with him in Sandgem Town?"
Barry snapped his fingers. "Oh! You're talking about that giant crater Piplup and Chimchar made, right?"
"Right. That explosion was a result of our ki being transferred to the big-headed bird and fire monkey, respectively. We may have resorted to using Scratch and Pound, but their low power was increased exponentially through this method." The alien prince described in greater detail. "Kakarot, at the moment, is drawing all of Chimchar's energy into this next attack in order to deal the most damage to Garchomp. This will leave Chimchar completely exhausted, of course, but it will work as a last resort, regardless."
Dawn squinted her eyes to look up at Chimchar's position in the air. He was, in fact, placing everything into his right hand.
"I see…"
Meanwhile, Garchomp tilted her head to the side in annoyance. She decided to use her fins to glide into the air and take Chimchar back down to the surface by force.
"Gar! Garchomp!"
With the Mach Pokémon picking up more and more speed, Goku unleashed his own invisible aura and synchronized his suppressed power with Chimchar's.
"Now, Chimchar! Scratch!"
"Chim… CHAAAAAAR!"
He unwound his arm and swatted his claws straight across Garchomp's head. Not expecting so much strength to come from such a small Pokémon, the mighty Dragon/Ground-type was sent crashing into the ground. Her body smacked against the pavement, creating a towering implosion of gravel and dust that almost knocked everyone, including Cynthia, off their feet.
Once the dust cleared, Garchomp's body remained limp and motionless from slight pain. Cynthia stood there with widened eyes, struggling to comprehend what just happened.
"N-No way. A mere Chimchar did… all of this?!" She whispered. Her lips twitched into that of an elated smile until Garchomp slowly picked herself off the ground and brushed some stray dirt off her fins.
"You doing okay, Garchomp?"
The Dragon/Ground-type turned her head and nodded. "Gar."
Shortly after, Chimchar floated back down to the surface. He was on the brink of collapse and looked as though they could barely breathe. All of Goku's energy was indeed used up with that last Scratch attack. That appeared to include most of Chimchar's HP as well, unfortunately.
Goku grinned at his starter Pokémon in gratitude. "You did awesome out there, Chimchar. I'm proud of you."
The Chimp Pokémon warmly smiled back and gave him an appreciative thumbs up.
"Char…"
Chimchar's eyes then rolled into the back of his head, and he passed out instantly. As Goku anticipated, there was a limit to how much ki certain Pokémon could maintain. It made him wonder what would happen if he turned Super Saiyan during one of these battles.
That was something he'd need to experiment with later, however. For now, he needed to end this battle and make sure Chimchar got some rest.
"Return." He pointed a Poké Ball at the Fire-type and sent him back into it. "Sorry I had to put you through that much strain, Chimchar. We'll have to work on that soon."
He then placed the Poké Ball back into his bag and casually crossed both arms behind his head.
"Looks like you win, Cynthia. That Garchomp of yours sure is tough! Haha!"
Cynthia didn't know what to say. She inspected Garchomp's injuries, inferring that they must have lost half of their health to Chimchar's Scratch technique. This would be absolutely impossible for any other Pokémon at that level, yet somehow, Goku managed to pull it off.
Truth to be told, it gave Goku quite a good first impression. She actually found a Pokémon Trainer whose progress she was excited and more than willing to follow.
The whole situation made her suddenly laugh out loud and smile much wider than she has in a long time. Garchomp found it a little disturbing, but she didn't say anything out of respect and love for her trainer.
"Hehe! You're not so bad yourself, Goku. I'm very impressed." She happily proclaimed. "I can tell you've got a knack for battle strategy and planning out attacks in advance. I haven't heard about such skill since Red Ketchum from the Kanto Region and well, me, I suppose!"
Goku sheepishly brushed off her compliments and beamed.
"Gee, thanks! I still gotta a whole lot left to learn, obviously, but I'm glad I got a chance to battle you and see what I can work on going forward."
Cynthia nodded. "Likewise! I wouldn't mind battling you again sometime once you have more Pokemon and Gym Badges under your belt."
"That'd be awesome! Though, you should consider challenging my friend, Vegeta. He's just as good as I am." Goku suggested while jerking a thumb at the flame-haired grouch in question. This gave him, Dawn, and Barry the signal to join their conversation.
"More like better, Kakarot. I wouldn't have let my Piplup pass out like that. You were far too careless there."
Goku playfully bopped himself on the head. "Yeah. Guess I can't argue with you about that."
"Eh, who cares?! You brought down Garchomp's HP down to half! CYNTHIA'S Garchomp, as a matter of fact! That's absolute insanity on the highest level!" Barry yelped in a craze, hyperactive manner.
"I actually thought you had a chance at winning, Goku. You should be happy that Chimchar even got that far at such a low level." Dawn commended him with a warm smile.
"Yep. I am, Dawn! He deserves some relaxation after everything he's been through."
Cynthia took a moment to appreciative this group's unusual dynamic. They had strikingly different personalities, yet all of them seemed to get along just fine. It made her happy that a potentially powerful Pokémon Trainer like Goku had some good friends to rely on.
His friendship with Vegeta, however, appeared to be the strongest by far. They may have act like rivals, but sometimes, rivalries could end up forming the deepest of bonds. She had a similar dynamic with Kalos's Champion, Diantha, as far back as a decade, in fact.
Makes me wonder if all of them are looking for those 'valuable items' Goku mentioned while getting ice cream. I'm curious to find out more about that.
She then placed Garchomp back into her Ultra Ball and took a moment to stretch her body. Some boys in the crowd began to drool at such a sight, but they stopped once she was done.
The Champion clapped her hands together and smiled at all four Pokémon Trainers.
"As thanks for giving me such an enjoyable battle, how about I treat you all to some lunch at a local diner? I'm interested to learn more about your plans for the future."
Goku licked his lips in hunger. "You had me at lunch, Cynthia. Hehe."
"Wonderful! I'll show you all the way there."
"But don't you have to get ready for the Pokémon Contest soon?" Dawn wondered.
"That won't start for another few days. I have some more time to explore the city until then."
"Oh. Good to know."
Dawn felt somewhat relieved by such information. It gave her more time to catch some Pokémon and prepare for her debut as a Coordinator. Having lunch and some conversations with her idol didn't hurt either.
As they parted, everyone in Jubilife City began to spread rumors about a boy named Goku who almost defeated Cynthia's Garchomp with a Chimchar. These rumors, although mostly overblown and exaggerated, would spread throughout Sinnoh and its other major cities.
This, unfortunately, would even include Team Galactic's headquarters on Mount Coronet and the elite officers working inside it.
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