Having just left the PokeMart with an excessive amount of Pokeballs and potions, Harold couldn’t help but comment.

  “I thought you didn’t intend on catching that many Pokemon?”, he asked after his son went in and swiped an astounding 40 individual Pokeballs with his own money which had been easily built up through savings and a few odd jobs.

  “Better to have more at hand than none at all”, Harrison stated as if it was common sense. It was always a good idea to have around 30-50 Ultra Balls on hand for Legendaries and then reload the save if the Legendary was particularly awful like Moltres and Deoxys. However, Harrison had never encountered a Rare Pokemon in reality.

  He considered many things once he was authorized to purchase and utilize Pokeballs without another Official Trainer supervising. Other than how Pokeballs themselves worked because attempting to fully grasp how those capsules and even his backpack could defy space was on the same level of understanding how computers worked without a background and experience in creating semiconductors or something even more complicated.

  Did the willingness of the Pokemon determine the actual catch rate?

  What about for Beldum which had an extraordinarily low catch rate similar to those of Legendaries? Would the catch rate override the willingness of the Pokemon to join the team?

  If the will of the Pokemon defined the catch rate then did Ultra Balls actually have a better catch rate than a Pokeball in reality? Was it just for aesthetics? A marketing ploy?

  “Still, 40 is a lot. Most Trainers have around 3 on hand although some do buy up to 10 just to get that Premier Ball”, Harold stated.

  A kid around the same age, wearing an iconic red beret then waved to the two of them. Rushing through a decently distanced sprint made him slightly winded but he caught his breath.

  “You two must be the Professor’s guests”, he said, briefly staring at all the Pokeballs in shock.

  “Yep. Does he still need something?”, Harold asked the kid.

  “No. The Professor wanted to inform you that all the arrangements have been made. The Trainer application has been completed and the Trevenant population has been sent to Eterna”

  “Who else but Grass specialists can take care of a tree. And you are?”

  “I’m Lucas. I run errands for the Professor”, the kid stated with a grin.

  “Another Trainer Rowan recommended then. You two should get to know each other since you’re part of the same program”, Harold gestured to Harrison who was still organizing his backpack. He was aware of the protagonist but he made sure to not indicate that he was surprised or that he knew him.

  “I’ll be dealing with a bit of stuff in Sandgem then. Call me if you need anything”, Harold stated intending on heading out.

  “Ah, before you leave. Lend me Lapland. I’m going to the ocean to see if I can get a new Pokemon”, Harrison requested.

  Harold considered the request briefly and then handed him the Pokeball. It would be better for his Lapras to be there as it is strong enough to handle a bunch of wild Gyarados.

  The two young trainers then headed towards the beach while the Ace Trainer went back to town.

  “The Professor also gave you a Pokedex? That’s impressive. He usually only gives them out when everybody starts their journey. I only got one because I’m his assistant”, Lucas stated as the two walked.

  “I haven’t started yet but he was interested in my Abra and wanted me to record some data”

  “Is Abra your Starter?”, Lucas asked.

  “Yup, it’s back in Jubilife right now. Not that it would matter. Abras are lazy and sleep too much for training”, Harrison stated.

  “It also takes a bit to motivate Trent. Trent’s my Turtwig”, Lucas pointed towards his only Pokeball.

  The two then arrived at the beach and felt the chilly sea breeze. White sandy plains met the clear blue ocean. Above the waves, Wingull soared through the air while Finneon and Magikarp jumped above the waves. He could even see a Feebas far in the distance. Not a single Gyarados in sight. If there was, there would not have been any people lazing around in the white sand and splashing in the water.

  Although most of the residents of Sandgem were on the older side as it was for those that wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of Jubilife, the beach in Sandgem was a great attraction and was different to the sands of Jubilife near Canalave. The beach here was more peaceful and being unrelated to the Gym Circuit helped.

  The two approached the waves and looked around. There were plenty of people enjoying the beach and the attire of the two young trainers couldn’t be more different. They were wearing regular clothes and appeared ready for a journey. Meanwhile everybody else was frolicking around in swimwear. The beach wasn’t crowded but there were at least a hundred people and a bunch of families here.

  Lucas, still a young boy, couldn’t help stare at a few of the women splashing in the waves. Their revealing bikinis did not leave much to the imagination and he struggled to take his eyes off their figures. One of the ladies even waved back at Lucas who blushed deeply.

  Harrison noticed and laughed internally. The kid was probably cooped up in the lab most of the time as he should be used to this when living near the beach.

  It wasn’t that Harrison was unaffected but he had a goal in mind. He then took off his shirt and shoved it into the endless backpack.

  Turning towards Lucas, he then asked, “I’m heading into the ocean to catch some Pokemon. Are you sure you want to follow along?”

  Upon hearing Harrison, Lucas stopped being distracted and smacked his face.

  “Oh-uh-yeah. I want to go. I’ve never been in the ocean with just a Pokemon and this will be a good learning experience. It will probably be a while before I can get my own Pokemon that can Surf”, Lucas stated with determination beginning to melt all the other emotions clouding his mind.

  Harrison nodded in response. He then turned and looked around. The beach had people in all directions and there wasn’t a gap wide enough for Lapras to fit without waves being splashed at people. He then gestured for Lucas to follow and then the two began to tread waters. Weaving through a bunch of people proved difficult for the two who had minimal experience with swimming. Meanwhile many on the beach seemed to be swimmers and were splashing around with their Pokemon.

  A lady then swam in front of the two with her Goldeen in tow.

  “Looking for a battle?”, she asked.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Maybe next time. I’m going to catch some Pokemon in the ocean”, Harrison answered with both arms forming an X.

  “You two certainly don’t seem prepared for the ocean”, she said as she observed the two of them and noticed the lack of diving gear along with the visibly poor swimming skills as the two stood in the water instead of remaining afloat.

  “We’re going to try out Surf not Dive”, Lucas stated. He then noticed the Goldeen and thought it seemed stronger than what was normally expected of a Goldeen.

  She then smirked.

  “You two seem a bit young to be challenging the ocean. Prove to me that you’re worthy!”, she roared as she charged through the water. Her Goldeen then surfaced in front of her. The commotion gathered many eyes as Pokemon battles tended to in this world.

  Harrison glanced at Lucas who shook his head.

  “Her Goldeen seems strong and Trent doesn’t do well in water… even if it’s a Grass Type”, Lucas stated as his Pokemon was still inexperienced and had very few battles under its belt.

  “Very well then”, Harrison stated.

  “Be careful though. Her Goldeen seems close to evolving”, Lucas added as he noticed its size, larger horn, and greater number of orange fish scales.

  He skipped over Nova as he was unsure if bringing an Electric Type into open waters was a good idea with this many people around. If it had been an arena, he would have considered it.

  “To the air, Stratus!!”, Harrison shouted as Staravia was summoned.

  “Star!”, the bird exclaimed.

  The bird then soared in circles above its trainer as it awaited the next command.

  The audience in the water alongside them then began to move to make space for the Pokemon to fight. Some closer than others as it was difficult to judge how much space they should give while still being able to see the battle.

  Lucas blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected someone that hadn’t started their journey yet to already have an evolved Pokemon. Much less one that wasn’t even their Starter Pokemon.

  It could have been a Pokemon that he grew up with rather than trained but somehow that seemed unlikely to Lucas. The vast majority of people in this world grew up with Pokemon, sometimes the partner of their parents, one that lived alongside them, or even just a wild Pokemon they played with. Even with the years of connection however, not every Pokemon that people grew up with would want to be their Starter or even join them on their journey.

  Occasionally, some Trainers would attempt to hide their Starter in an attempt to get one of the famous Trio but the League always cracked down on such attempts because it was such a glaring and obvious loophole. If there was one thing Lucas knew for sure, it was that Professor Rowan would not have taken notice of someone without any notable qualities.

  “Go, Goldeen”, the swimmer stated.

  The bird then began hovering in place and stared with great intensity at the fish. The fish then slightly cowered and submerged slightly into the water. Intimidate.

  “Let’s put down a wager”, she declared.

  A voice in the distance then could be heard saying, “Jessica, don’t bully the kids too much”

  Some members of the audience chuckled in response.

  She ignored what was said but still blushed in a bit of embarrassment. It would be better to make sure they were prepared than have a bunch of arrogant kids eaten by a Gyarados, Jessica thought.

  “If I win, you two will stay here for some much needed swimming lessons”, she said noting their obvious inexperience in the water. Lucas even shivered as if unused to the relatively warm temperature. Meanwhile Harrison could swim. He was just rarely around water and hated pools so any aptitude he had for swimming was minimal and could be clearly seen by someone with experience like Jessica.

  “And if I win…. Do you swim here often?”, Harrison asked, trying to decide.

  To the side, Lucas swam away to act as referee for the match.

  Jessica nodded.

  Harrison then pointed to the ocean and asked, “To the ocean or just the beach?”

  “To the ocean a few times. That’s where I caught my Finneon before it evolved”, Jessica clarified.

  “Then if I win, you’ll serve as our ocean guide”

  The swimmer just nodded.

  From the side, Lucas then initiated the battle, “Then let the battle begin”

  “Double Team”, Harrison ordered.

  Stratus moved rapidly and illusory copies of the bird could be seen in its haste.

  “Interrupt it, Water Pulse”

  Jessica’s Goldeen then shot a pulsing blast of water directly at the bird which it evasively dodged. The mass of water then fell back into the ocean after missing its mark.

  “Agility”, Jessica ordered once she saw that the bird wasn’t going any closer to the water.

  “Dive down”, Harrison ordered and Stratus dove swiftly towards the water.

  Right before the bird landed the blow, the Goldeen vanished with its path swiftly disappearing once it got deeper into the water. Stratus then warily hovered right above the water. As it prepared to fly to a higher elevation, a Water Pulse nearly clipped its wings. Having barely evaded in time, Stratus became more cautious.

  “Star!”, the bird exclaimed and spread its wings.

  A skirmish then began as the Goldeen blasted Water Pulse from deep within the water and Stratus would evade defensively in return. Upon multiple attempts where both sides failed to damage each other, Harrison then noticed.

  The Water Pulse had always been aimed relatively high and the water would occasionally drip down and would get on the wings.

  Her speed is being affected without being impacted by a move, Harrison realized.

  Another Water Pulse then blasted at the right angle to make Stratus lower her elevation. He then immediately took notice of a shadow in the water speeding towards the Staravia.

  “Horn Attack!”, Jessica yelled, taking advantage of Swift Swim as although there was no rain, the ocean still provided a significant speed increase.

  Before Staravia could evade, the Goldeen jabbed the bird with its sharply pointed horn. Luckily, Stratus still had great evasiveness and the blow had been mitigated as it only grazed the bird on its belly.

  “Wing Attack! And keep it in the air”, Harrison said with a smirk.

  Jessica and the Goldeen were both caught off guard as Stratus knocked the fish in the air and continually juggled it higher and higher with successive Wing Attacks.

  “Water Pulse!”, Jessica ordered but the blast of water was weaker compared to when it was in the water and easy to evade.

  With each wing attack, a wound had been left on the fish’s scales and it began to gain significant damage.

  The Goldeen just went higher and higher as Water Pulse missed and it even used Peck after Horn Attack to no avail as Stratus effortlessly evaded the physical attacks of a flopping fish. It then stopped all attempts to retaliate.

  Stratus then went for one more Wing Attack but Jessica ordered at the top of her lungs due to both Pokemon’s elevation, “SKULL BASH!”

  With the power of gravity and with full force, Goldeen then bashed its skull and horn onto Stratus with resounding force. The bird then ceased its flight as both Pokemon plummeted back towards the ocean.

  “Finish it with Horn Attack!”

  Goldeen then prepared its horn and moved in for the final blow.

  “Endeavor”, Harrison stated slightly amused.

  Stratus then quit playing dead and flew again albeit slower and with a bit of difficulty.

  “G-goldeen-Godeen”, the fish squirmed as it panicked. Its vitality being sapped and both healths equalized. The move Harrison analyzed had only been possible because the two Pokemon were of similar strength and would be worthless if its opponent was either vastly superior or inferior to Stratus. In reality, a Rattata could not beat a Legendary with it unless blessed by Arceus directly.

  From above, Stratus charged Winged Blade and struck Goldeen into the water. Both Pokemon crashed into the ocean with a huge splash which drenched and splashed everyone in the audience. Jessica even caught some seawater as her mouth had been open in shock.

  The fish then floated upwards while Staravia stood on top of it.

  Silence then reigned for a while as everybody processed the situation.

  “G-Goldeen is unable to battle. Staravia wins”, Lucas announced.

  The crowd then exploded in applause.