Some may cheer (YAY!), some may boo and hiss (GERROFF THIS BOARD!), but I have written a short collection of chapters featuring Chris after the Indigo Road. This continues from the Indigo Road, which continued from From Rookie To Champion, so I strongly suggest reading those to properly understand/like the content of this topic.

So far I have begun writing Ch3, so don't expect frequent updates.





so, welcome to.....PONTARICO! Our adventure begins...










Chapter One
Farewell to the painter (among other things)
By Brit Chris



"Next we add a pinch of salt..." The cook said. "Stir that round in the pan and make sure to whisk thoroughly; the actings all in the wrists, as if you were abusing a child"

Wobbuffet happily cried his name as he hectically spun the whisk round, sending splatters of pancake batter across the kitchen. There was a window-like opening where my friendly, patient Pokemon could peer through, over my head on the leather couch and eisily see the lady on TV giving the next step. Outside, in the reserve, all my Pokemon played around. Pidgeot swooped towards the large Oak Tree in the reserve and clasped his talons around a thick branch my Noctowl was already sleeping on.

"Geot!" Cried the majestic bird, prodding Noctowl with his wing. Noctowl almost pissed himself as he bolted upright in shock.

"VROO! VROO VROO!" Came its shrill voice. He glanced to his left and saw Pidgeot happily giving the 'wing's up". Angered, Noctowl flew off. Noctowl was steadily becoming more and more nocturnal, which was I never took him to Kanto with me two years ago. When I was there, I'd captured a Pidgey (which I nearly KILLED after using an uuber-Smeargle to battle it), and he'd evolved into this healthy alternative to my moochy owl.

I got up, sighing and filling my lungs with air again. While I was at home, Mum had gone shopping with Grandma, who lived with us now after Grandfather Norman passed away, Dad was currently in Celadon; he was on business with a research team. Tim and Suzie were in town, and Brett, my eldest brother (21 years of age) was working as the Gym Leader in Olivine. He said he was coming to stay soon, but, being a member of our family, was VERY sketchy with the details.

Yesterday, I got a letter from 'Adrian Helmsworth', the son of the Professor Helmsworth who lived on the Island. The Professor, after watching an episode of 'Heartbeat', the local sloppy, badly filmed drama about a police force in Wilkshire, had a heart attack and hadn't quite pulled through. Adrian was in charge of the funeral, and had added onto the list the 20 trainers who had started their journies in 2001. Apparently, 2001 was the last year he sent trainers off, so we were, in a sense, his 'last bunch'. Sighing, I remembered my Magby Egg that got stolen by an agent called Jet. I also remember it evolving, as well as working against me so many times. But I had been given Kecleon from another Professor. Thank god we have two Professor's for every trainer nowadays...

This meant I'd get to meet Krystal again, who was training on a secluded Island far away. The last time I was with her was shortly before she left, when I told her about my secret crush on her. However, she shot me down in flames and simply went off with Lance, the promotional figure for Dragon Pokemon. I hadn't made contact with her since, seeing as I never got her number through the year or so we spent together.

Then there was Tony. I knew him well at first, but grew apart from him ever so slightly. He went to work as an Apprentice at Cerulean Gym, and since then, when me and Krystal went to Kanto, we only saw him for a short time. He had caught a Mudkip for his little sister. Awww, bless...

Ok, so after that trip down memory lane I decided to get ready for the reunion of all the Pontarico Trainers. I met most of them whilst competing in the Miami League; there was Jane, a goth girl whose savage Crobat sent my Electabuzz to intensive care, there was Whitney, a tropically-dressed girl with a Starmie. I whupped her in the qualifying round! Erm...Lewis, this chubby, gullable kid who totally fancied Ash Ketchum, there was Dennis, this loser who sorta fancied Krystal. Oh! Erm...what was his name...ROY! He had a Treecko who beat Kecleon up once, but he told me once Treecko evolved into Grovyle, he started becoming more disobedient and ended up losing Roy's match. Roy also had this fat Cacnea...and I'm sure I heard off Suzie he was now training a grass-type team up. Heh, Pidgeot could completely overpower that guy...

Pokeball Belts now held 8 Pokemon, and I could choose out of my many Pokemon; Kecleon, Noctowl, Electabuzz, Umbreon, Dustox, Ivysaur, Wobbuffet, Pidgeot, Seviper, Smeargle, Weezing and Scyther. Ok, so that meant 4 were left out - I could live with that. I took Kecleon, Electabuzz, Seviper, Pidgeot, Umbreon, Dustox, Scyther and Wobbuffet. I registered Wobbuffet in a Pokeball about 2 months back, since he was never actually mine to begin with, but either way, he put his pancake batter in the fridge as I recalled him into his Pokeball.

Before I left, however, I went out into the reserve. I found Smeargle sitting in a deckchair, chatting to Suzie's Sunflora and Wigglytuff. Smeargle once belonged to the Professor Helmsworth's Grandson, Johnathon, but he had gone to University, so I looked after him for Johnathon. Now, Johnathon had returned to Pontarico, and was eager to see his best friend again. He was picking him up later today, when somebody was actually home.

"So...I guess this is it" I said, a tear in my eye. I really would miss his hatred for my Wobbuffet.

"Smear" He grumbled, swatting me away with his paw. He then began talking rather quickly to Sunflora. The flirting wench.

"I'll probably NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN" I boomed.

"Gle"

The beagle sure was cocky.

"Forget it" I grumbled, getting up from my kneeling on one Knee. I walked through the house, locking the doors and whatnot, we didn't want any burglars stealing our Pokemon! I took a spare door key from the hook in the lounge and wandered out the door.


*


The walk took about 20minutes; I was GOING to ride my ultimately cool Scooter there, but that broke about a month ago. Electabuzz learned Dynamicpunch, and kinda smashed it. Darn. If I still had it, I woulda named this fic "Electric Scooter to Victory!" Although I'm sure I'd have an angry australian after me if I did!

As I neared the magnificent laboratory, I saw a large blob charge at me. I was confused. I was then bumped into by a fat kid, with large blotchy patches of sweat underneath his flabby armpits. He had wavy blonde hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Chris!" He cried. "I remember you! Chris! Chris!"

"Yea, I see you Lewis" I grunted. He looked 13...maybe 14. I was 15 at the moment. It was SUCH a cool age, although the damned cinema ALWAYS asked for my date of birth! I LOOK 15, DAMNIT!

"How have you been?" He inquired, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

"Why don't we just -

I was going to say 'talk later' but Lewis misinterpreted my words.

"Battle? GREAT IDEA!"

He ran a few feet back, drawing a Pokeball from his belt.

"I choose you, Slaking!"

From the ball emerged a 6-foot tall ape-like creature. It had plump, round, chubby fingers and toes and a large gut. Yuck. I had never seen this Pokemon in real life; they thrived in a place called Hoenn. A league had opeend up there about three years ago, and apparently it was SO tacky and full of tourists.

"You been to Hoenn?" I asked casually.

"Yea! I went there, and then I got lost in this forest for three weeks! and I had to eat leaves and Wurmple poop, and then I met this guy who said he was a professor. He had a van full of cages and nets, and he also had a rifle! He told me all the best trainers go to Hoenn and leave all their other Pokemon behind, so I gave him ALL my old Pokemon except Snorlax! And he said he'd call me when they're ready to be picked up, but he didn't give me a telephone number! Isn't that weird, Chris?"

God, this guy couldn't half talk. He sounded as if he'd been mugged by a poacher...I decided my own Pidgeot would probably be pretty good against Slaking. I grabbed the ball, maximised it and prepared to throw it forward.

"Pidgeot!" I cried. From my ball, the massive bird emerged, flapping into the air and facing Slaking. This match LOOKED juicy!

"Pidgeot, go for a quick attack!" I ordered. "Then follow up with fury attack"

Pidgeot shot through the air, a silvery streak shooting behind him. He smashed into Slaking, who scratched his arse lazily. Pidgeot then tore forward and began jousting at the filthy ape with his beak numerous times. Slaking, however, drove his fist forward and smashed it into Pidgeot's face. Pidgeot squaked and swooped up into the sky, looking rather displeased.

"Ok, Slaking! That's a good job!" Lewis cried, trying to recall the Pokemon. However, Slaking turned and roared very loudly. I could even see Lewis slowly get driven backwards by the force of Slaking's voice. "Try a mega punch!"

Roaring, Slaking held his massive paw back as it began to glow. He then thrust it forward at Pidgeot, who swooped back with his powerful wings. Slaking then pushed off from the ground and smashed Pidgeot in the skull with his attack. Pidgeot dropped down, but picked back up and soared into the sky.

"Steel wing!" I cried. Wings glowing, Pidgeot tore through the sky and collided with Slaking. Slaking roared as he fell down, like King Kong when he was killed. There was a large cloud of dust that rose from the tremour Slsking created. He slowly began to rise and roared out loud. Pidgeot surveyed the scene from the sky.

"Slaking! Flamethrower!" Lewis shouted. He was sweating uncontrollably, and his face was now a blotchy red, making him look like a tomato in a wig. Slaking blasted a firey jet of blazing streaks through the air, but Pidgeot eisily evaded them. However, while Slaking blasted these, it made it difficult for us to attack.

"Pidgeot...we can't get past the flames, so use a whirlwind" I said responsibly. Aha! suck on that, Lewis! Pidgeot flapped a collossal blast of wind, which, as Slaking blasted a flamethrower, was sent back by the wind and torched Slaking's arse. He hobbled around, roaring and groaning. It was a damned funny sight! While he was weak, we cut in with the last attack:

"Skull bash!"

Pidgeot tore down and smashed into Slaking, before pulling back up and darting over to me. Slaking simply collapsed from the attack, leaving Lewis to shoot the Pokeball beam at him and return him.

"Good job" He replied quickly. "Fancy another round? Ok? Good! GO POOCHYENA!"

His next ball released a cute little wolf pup. I'd seen these before; a guy in Viridian Forest called...erm...Mack, yea, he had one. It was pretty easy; I knocked its tooth out. Anyway, I recalled Pidgeot and wondered what I could send out. Maybe test out Scyther? Yea...

"Go Scyther!" I cried.

Scyther emerged, slashing the air and spinning round. What a show-off!

"Poochyena, go for a quick attack!" Lewis ordered.

"Grrr....arf! arf!" Cried the Pokemon, darting forward at Scyther. Scyther held a blade up and sliced it down like an axe at an execution. Poochyena leapt back in retalliation as the blade drove into the ground. Scyther yanked it out and began attacking again, this time by flapping its wings and carrying itself forward.

"SCY!" Came the mantis' roar. Truth be told, this guy was kinda scary and I hadn't trained him as much as everybody else. I knew he had slash, swords dance, skull bash...I'd have to get him checked out sometime. Oh! FURY CUTTER!

"Go! Fury Cutter, Scyther!" I cried in sucession. Scythes glowing a leafy green, Scyther swept forward and delivered a series of ninja-style slashes. Poochyena, however, saw this as a kind of game, leaping and snapping his jaws angrily, while wearing a weak smile on his face. However, Scyther flapped back and kicked the puppy down, before slashing it again with its scythe.

"Poochy!" Lewis cried. "Return"

He shot the ball and took the Pokemon back. I stood with Scyther by my side. Pride wasn't the word.

"Great job..." He said. "I guess I have a lot to learn..."

"Yea, well it does sound as if you gave your Pokemon to a poacher" I sighed, rolling my eyes. Lewis didn't hear me.

"I came outside to wait for Krystal" Lewis said, blushing. "I was thinking now is the time to...you know...pop the question..."

"Ask her out?" I blurted. "WHAT? Lewis, I asked her out and she turned ME down!"

"Well, I can see why she turned you down" Lewis said, eyeballing me. The nerve! THE LITTLE S.O.B! I'll butcher him good.... "But I think me and her just...click, you know? Maybe you're too SPOTTY for a girlfriend..."

"Hey!" I cried, feeling my forehead for that large spot I saw this morning. The damned thing wouldn't pop, so I tried using Suzie's concealer to hide it. I guess it hadn't worked...

"...But I myself think I'm ready for a WOMAN" Lewis remarked, with a perverted blaze in his pupils. I stepped back.

"That's great" I muttered. "I'm going to the laboratory"

I left that stupid creep alone, wandering to the lab to meet some old friends. I would have gladly waited for Krystal, but I want to look casual and laid-back, even though I'm SO nervous!

*

Ok, so I wandered to the laboratory, with a big banner saying "WEELCUM (awful spelling...I hear Adrain is dyslexic... TRAINES OV 2001". I went inside, and saw loads of people, if I was right, about 17, drinking champagne (WTF?) and chatting to each other. I remember Whitney; she was wearing a nice hawaiian skirt, a straw hat and pretty straw-ish sandals. She had a white t-shirt on with 'Whatever' in black, bold text.

"Hey Whitney" I said happily.

"AAAIIIIIII!" She screamed. "HE HAS A SCYTHER! AAAIIIIIII!"

So I quickly recalled Scyther and tried smiling through my embaressment.

"Nice lip ring, though" She added, gracing it with her finger.

"Thanks" I replied back. "So how are the Pokemon?"

"Ok thanks" She said back. "I got this AMAZING Pokemon! By the way, I just train Water AND Grass types, so its like a Bi-type team! Anyway, this Pokemon's a Ludicolo, it's just KOOL!"

She pulled out a ball. It was a turqoiuse colour. She arched her arm, brought it swinging forward and threw the ball up into the air. It burst open by the hinge, revealling what was simply a Pineapple in a sombrero.

"Ludo! Lu-lu-lu!" It cried, in a tootling voice. It started hopping from one leg to the other frantically, clapping 'happy birthday to you' and murmuring its name. However, as it turned, it saw a buffet table laden with plates and food.

"No, Ludicolo!" Whitney began. Turning to me, she said, "He's been watching Jackasss and think's it's GREAT, but he causes SO much trouble! LUDICOLO NO!!!"

Whitney made a dive for the Pokemon, but it raced at the table and surfed down a metal tray past the food, knocking it and smashing plates, scattering food and sending Pokemon scampering to the scene to try and get a meal. Ludicolo then smashed into a wall at the end of the table and collapsed.

"LUDICOLO!" Came the roar of Whitney, as she stomped over there. "RETURN!"

Everybody was chatting about what happened, including Roy. He was the guy with Treecko; he had brown spiked hair and a cap without a...cap part, it was more of a cap bill that clipped around the back of his head. Today he was wearing cream cargo trousers, chunky shoes and a blue tye-dye t-shirt. He had a Cacnea by his side, which was guzzling down on a jacket potato.

"Chris, is that you?" Roy asked, squinting at me (although he was, now and then, stuffing his face with cocktail sossages).

"Yea, nice to meet you" I said happily. "Still got Cacnea? It's been about three years"

"NEA!" The Pokemon yelped, leaping at me. It clamped around my arm and injected its needles in, giving me a numbing, aching sting. It leapt off and investigated a pile of cheese and pineapple chunks on sticks, guzzling and spitting the cocktail sticks out.

"I don't think he wants to evolve..." Roy told me dully. "But I participated in the Indigo League about four months ago"

"How did that go?" I asked.

"Well I came in the top 8..." He said shamefully. "Thing is, they've never even SEEN Cacnea before, or Grovyle, not in Kanto. Grovyle was in my last match, and FAKED fainting so I lost. I was against a friggin' Poliwhirl"

"Shame" I murmured. "Well I was in Kanto about 2 years ago, I got a few badges and trained a bit...I didn't feel like anything big or important. Since then I've just been at the Battle Park, training and stuff. Although last year we went to Barcelona, my Mum caught a Sharpedo on the beach..."

"Can you use it?" Roy asked keenly.

"If I want...but it's kinda vicious" I replied back. That actually did give me the incentive to try battling with it...when I returned home, I'd let Wobbuffet cook again, he wanted to make some pancakes anyway, so I could take Sharpedo and wipe the floor...hehe...mwa-ha-ha-haHA!

"What was that for?" Roy questioned.

"What?"

"That evil, demonic laugh" Roy replied.

Crap. I didn't THINK laughing, I did an evil laugh. God help me. Then, I had a wicked idea. I grabbed a great ball from my belt and opened it. The light hit the ground and formed into my faithful, social Seviper.

"Tell anyone, and taste poison" I purred. "I have a social life, damnit!"

"We don't take threats too well" Roy growled. "CACNEA! Pin missile!"

Leaping into the air, and spikes brimming white, Cacnea blasted a series of explosive pins at Seviper. Seviper lunged out the way as the buffet table blew up. People screamed and ran towards the corner of the room as Cacnea charged at Seviper. Seviper then spat an acid forward, which unfortunately dissolved what looked like a reception desk. Seviper then swung a poison tail down at Cacnea, who leapt to avoid it.

"STOP!" A voice boomed. A shrivelled man emerged from the back room. He had broken glasses, ruffled, messy, greasy brown hair and a mole on his gaping forehead. "I'm Adrian Helmsworth...come to order! AHEM!"

He had a very trampled voice.

"Ahem, excuse me? PEOPLE! PEOPLE! SETTLE DOWN!"

"We have" Kate pointed out, in her camoflague attire. She was going for the siberian look, with whites, fawns and light colours. A Nuzleaf was at her side. "It's those two, they're both at each other's throats"

"I choose you Hypno!" Adrian called. A muscly Hypno emerged, holding its pendulum and staring at us both down its long, pointed nose. However, as Cacnea released a shriek, Hypno cowered behind Adrian, scared witless.

"SEVIPER! Flamethrower!" I shouted.

"Cacnea, go for a Solarbeam!" Roy commanded.

"STOP!" A voice boomed, as the double doors burst open. There was a figure in the doorway, her two bunches of hair fluttering either side of her face. She wore a billowing cape, and had SOMETHING by her side, it was a round thing with legs. I could just see her shadow.

"Shellgon, go! Endure" Came the sweet voice, with so much determination in it. The white, encased creature bound forward through the crowd, who watched in fascination. Shellgon ran inbetwen Seviper and Cacnea, and, glowing white, absorbed the Solarbeam and the Flamethrower in its hard shell. As I turned, I saw the figure walk into the room. As I did, I saw a trembling Lewis behind her, and Kimi wandering in, too.

"Chris..." Krystal said, shaking her head. She had a hand on her hip. "You always were too rash"








In Ch2...

-A BIG battle,
-Small Pokemon
-A laugh? I doubt it
-Calvin



Thanks, y'all