New Beginnings – A Pokemon Slice of Life. [OC/Isekai/Move Tutor/Breeder]

“Well, that sounds ominous.” Ethan said as he released Chatot from her pokeball under the warm water. To his surprise and relief, most of the ice which had coated her had faded away. He would have to question if the inside of her pokeball was wet later, and how this even happened in the first place… actually, asking her about thermodynamics probably wouldn’t be wise.

Cynthia leaned against the doorframe as she watched Ethan care for his pokemon. “From what I was told, our world was a series of entertainment to you. One not gruesome, nor filled with obscene or graphic content. This is the real world, Ethan. There are murderers, bullies, thugs, and thieves around.”

Ethan nodded along, unconcerned so far. It’s not like Earth was a place of niceties. This wasn’t anything out of his expectations. “I understand that, but surely this advice goes for everyone? Or, is there a reason you’re warning me specifically?”

“You’re running a business, and I wasn’t lying when I said your fields of berry trees were worth a small fortune. You’re responsible for the pokemon under your care. Whether that be for tutoring or breeding. Any harm that befalls them is your fault. You’ll need to have at least a few pokemon at the fourth badge level, as that is what is considered average for those who battle. Preferably, the stronger the better, but I understand that strength isn’t something you seek.” Cynthia was trying her best to not sound condescending, but he could tell from her tone that she was at least a little-bit disapproving about his lack of enthusiasm for battling.

Ethan actually laughed at the thought of someone coming to make serious trouble at his ranch. While he wasn’t sure about all of the pokemon who traveled to his small safe haven of food, he was positive that he had more than a few helpers who’d duke it out when push came to shove—them being his pokemon or not.

“Well, I think some of the local pokemon would put up a rather good fight against anybody seeking trouble around here. Unlike a proper pokemon battle, I am not afraid to send a swarm of ten, twenty, or more pokemon at the closest threat. If I can’t beat them with strength, I’ll do it with numbers. Speaking of which, did you notice the Oddish?”

Cynthia raised a brow but shook her head. So, he gave her a tip. “Look out my bedroom window.”

As Cynthia wandered over to his window, out of sight, Chatot basked in the warm waters as she shivered.

“Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha….” Her beak clacked rapidly, chilly from the bone-deep cold. Ethan reached over with a slight smile and turned up the heat some more, causing Chatot to chatter in contentment as the hot water ran through her drenched feathers.

From the other room, Ethan could hear Cynthia’s soft remark of, “Oh.”

“I’m surprised most people don’t see them immediately, but I suppose if you don’t know they’re there they’d be pretty stealthy. I’ll be having fifty more of them around here soon enough. Gloom planted some seeds.” Ethan said with a raised voice so that Cynthia could hear him over the running water and Chatot’s clacking beak.

Cynthia returned to the doorway, head turned to the side to gaze out the window. “They’re wild?”

Ethan reached and grabbed Chatot’s wings to spread them open, making sure to get all the tiny ice crystals out of every nook and cranny of her feathery body. “Yup. They’ve been here for almost as long as I have. We’re good friends.”

“Have they ever attacked anyone before?” Cynthia asked, blank faced but inquisitive.

“Not that I’m aware of. They do give a mean stink eye to those who pass by, but that’s about it. Why do you ask?”

“Because Poison Powder and Stun Spore can kill a person. Especially all the way out here with no pokemon center or hospital nearby…” Cynthia flicked her eyes to him, ignoring the window. “Have you ever been attacked by a pokemon, Ethan?”

Since that was one of his greatest fears when he first arrived, he knew the answer without having to think. “No. Never.”

Cynthia gave him an indecipherable look before she reached into her satchel and threw her pokegear back onto her wrist. “Well, that’s good. I’ll contact Looker later to get you set-up with some of the necessities to run this place like a proper business. I’m running late. Train up your pokemon when you have the free time. I’ll be in touch.”

With a wave goodbye, Ethan watched as Cynthia left his room, then heard the front door open and clang shut. She was acting a little weird… but maybe he was the weird one.

“Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha.”

Ethan clapped his hand around Chatot’s beak, causing her to ruffle her feathers in displeasure. “I know you’re not cold anymore. You’re doing that for fun. Tone it down a bit.” Ethan laughed as he let go. Chatot, now free to do what she wanted, gave him a sneaky and mischievous side eye, then jumped out of the shower and sprinted away on her talons while flapping her wings. She was still soaking wet, and her rapid movements sent sprays of water everywhere. He was reeling from the sudden water attack, soaked, as he heard Chatot’s battlecry from the living room.

“♫ Cha-Chatooot-Cha-Chatooot-Cha-Cha-Cha-Chatooot-Cha-Cha-Cha-Chatooooooooot! ♫”

Ethan surged out of the bathroom, ready to tackle her to the ground at the first chance he got. “I thought you were a bird! Not a Growlithe!”

—----------------------------

After Ethan failed to wrangle his bird, as she escaped out the door and soared into the sky, he sat down at his kitchen table and finally made the calls he was meaning to make earlier. He dialed up Hugo, Hitmonlee’s trainer, first.

“Hello?” Hugo’s voice came through the phone, and Ethan put on his best customer service impression. “Hi Hugo, it’s Ethan Reed from… Berry Falls Ranch.” Ethan mentally facepalmed upon the made up name as he continued on. “Your Hitmonlee has finished learning Low Sweep and is ready for you to pick him up at your earliest convenience.”

Ethan heard some shuffling on the other side of the phone, then Hugo’s flabbergasted, excited voice. “Already? Wow! How has he been doing?”

Ethan smiled upon thinking of the hard working martial artist. “Fantastic. Hitmonlee is a very hard worker and was a natural. At this very moment, he is still out there kicking away. He put everything he had into learning Low Sweep for you.”

He heard a scoff. “Yeah right, that fighter did this all for himself!” Hugo laughed. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll come back in a day or two and pick him up. Was there anything else?”

Seeing as Hugo was wanting to end the call, Ethan didn’t feel a need for it to linger. “No, that was it. See you soon.”

Click

Next, was Sneasel’s trainer, Sarah. “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Ethan Reed from Berry Falls Ranch. The tutoring of your Sneasel has finished. He has Sucker Punch like the best of them. You can come and pick him up at your earliest convenience.”

After some more excited back and forth, Ethan ended the call with the promise of Sarah coming for Sneasel in a few days. Now that all his calls had been made, Ethan left his house and wandered back over toward the training field.

All the nearby trainers had recorded his and Cynthia’s match, so it was going to be a mess when he arrived. Questions, no real answers, and having to explain his loss was what he imagined was coming his way. As he walked down the cobblestone path, Ethan sighed and released Pachirisu from his pokeball, dreading the incoming conversation.

Pachirisu appeared a few steps ahead of him, materializing with his arms crossed as he tapped a foot impatiently. With sparking charged cheeks and a glare, Pachirisu grandiosity pointed a finger at Ethan and began his rant as he stood measured steps forward.

“Pachi-pach-pach-PA!” Pachirisu angrily jabbed his finger into Ethan’s shin as he continued. “Pachirisu-pach-pachi!” Then, he jabbed once more, pushing his finger into Ethan’s shin with some actual force. “PACHI!” He turned and strutted away, then plomped down on his butt in the middle of the cobblestone path, sulking.

Ethan accepted the talk down from his pokemon, as he knew Pachirisu wouldn’t be happy with his decision to recall him. He was just… scared of Pachirisu being hurt. “Listen, do you know why I recalled you?”

Pachirisu flicked his tail in dismissal, not turning around to face Ethan. So, he walked around to stand in front of Pachirisu, only for the electric rodent to rotate his body to turn around again. “It hurts me to see you get hurt.”

Pachirisu’s fluffy tail flickered, but that was it. Ethan stood behind his pal and tried to explain himself, both about the present and the future. “I don’t like battling, Pachirisu. I’m not good at it, and if I make the wrong call, you’re the one who’s paying the price.” Ethan walked forward and knelt down right behind his friend. “I know you and Chatot both are interested in battling… and that’s okay. If you want to battle, then I will do what I can to help you… but it’s going to take a while for me to get used to it. There will be mistakes, as I’m not a perfect person, but we can train and maybe battle some of the trainers who stop by the ranch. I just—When you get hurt, I worry that since we’re so far away from a pokemon center that you could… not make it out if things go wrong. We don’t have a way to get you to safety and to get you care should things go bad. If you and Chatot both want to battle, and you’re sure that it’s something you two really want, then I will find a way to make it work. There's lots of pokemon who can heal others, and I will do my best to find one who wants to live with us…”

Pachirisu still didn’t turn around, and Ethan’s voice was beginning to crack from the pent up emotions. “If—If you want to leave me and fi—find someone to go battle with that’s oka—OOF”

“PaAaAaAAaAaAaa!” Pachirisu’s blubbering cry and wet tears soaked Ethan as Pachirisu latched on and rubbed his charged cheeks all across his face. Ethan gave the world the most awkward hug, as he basically tried to hug his own face, as he comforted his electric friend. It was obvious that Pachirisu didn’t want to leave, and he was glad that was the case. “I’m not perfect, but I’ll always try my best for you. I just… need time to learn and adapt.”

After another half a minute of blubbering “Pachi”, Pachirisu calmed down and clambered over to his shoulder, wrapping his tail around Ethan’s neck as he hiccupped. “Do you want to go in your ball? To calm down?”

Pachirisu hesitantly nodded, and Ethan recalled his friend. He stared lovingly at the pokeball before he clipped it onto his belt and wiped his own tears as he continued back down the cobblestone path. He still had work to do, and he was sure more people would be on their way toward his ranch soon enough.

The sound of a berry falling to the ground reminded Ethan of this place's new name—Berry Falls.