Chains Of Fate -- A Platinum Storylocke Chapter 5

Sean walked out of the gate onto Route 203. The air seemed fresher to Sean, although it might have been his relief at getting away from the crowds of the city. Inhaling deeply, he released Regole from his Pokéball. Regole appeared in the flash of white light, and stretched.

“Finally! Do you know how cramped it gets in there? Gah!” Regole complained, stretching his fins behind his head. Sean smiled at his irate companion.

“Just help me find Diamond, Regole.” He said, beginning to look down the route. Regole dived into the bushes, searching off the route, farther into the bushes and grass. It wasn’t long before they found Diamond.

“Diamond!” Sean called, waving his right arm. Diamond smiled, and rushed over.

“Sean! Good to see you! Sorry I took off. I was kinda impatient to see what type of Pokémon lived here.” Sean grinned at his friend.

“No worries. I just wanted to give you this.” Sean lifted one of the bags off his back, and gave it to Diamond. His eyes widened. “I figured you forgot to bring some supplies. Inside that backpack, there’s a water bottle that purifies the water put into it; there’s also a sleeping bag, Repel for your campsite, and a pack of matches. You’ll have to forage for food and berries yourself though.” Diamond gingerly held the bag, before shouldering it.

“Thanks Sean, just thanks. I wouldn’t have made it two days without this stuff.” Sean blushed at the thanks.

“Oh you would have made it. You probably would have picked up a sleeping bag and the other stuff at the next town.” Diamond shook his head.

“I don’t think that far ahead. I don’t know if you noticed, but I kinda rush into things.” Sean raised an eyebrow.

“You? Really? Never would’ve guessed.” Diamond and Sean grinned together. Diamond pulled a Pokéball of his waist, and threw it onto the ground. It flashed, and a white and grey bird with an orange beak appeared. A Starly. Diamond cackled.

“Alright Sean, I challenge you again!” Sean stomped his foot, pretending to be outraged.

“Hey, no fair, I haven’t caught a second Pokémon yet!” He sighed dramatically and then turned to Regole. “Can you take two down?” Regole didn’t give an answer, and just leaped into the air and blasted a barrage of bubbles at the bird Pokémon. It tried to fly away from the bubbles, but it wasn’t fast enough, and it fainted in the middle of the bubbles. Diamond grinned at Regole’s attack.

“Hey, you’ve gotten much better! BUT SO HAVE WE!” Diamond returned the Starly, and released his Turtwig from his Pokéball. “Ready, Turtwig?!” The turtwig shouted back.

“I’m always ready to take on this overconfident penguin!” Regole smiled.

“Hello, Lloyd. Have you gotten stronger? I certainly have!”

Regole blasted another barrage of bubbles straight at Lloyd the Turtwig. Lloyd dodged the bubbles, and tackled Regole. The Penguin Pokémon flew back and cracked against a tree. “Regole!” Sean called, but Regole stood back up.

“Hey, you learned to attack! Good for you! But it’s still not enough!” Sean pulled out his Pokédex, and shouted to Regole.

“Peck!” Regole climbed the tree, and used one of the branches as a springboard. He flew into the air, then flew down like a missile. Lloyd tried to dodge, but Regole matched him move for move. Regole struck Lloyd on the back, and flipped him into the air. Regole scrambled to stand, and unleashed a torrent of bubbles onto the hapless turtle. When Lloyd hit the ground, he was unconscious.

Diamond recalled Lloyd. “Wow, Sean, you and your Piplup have grown so much... It’s amazing. You utterly crushed us.” Sean blushed.

“It was nothing. If Regole hadn’t of learned Peck, that match probably would’ve gone to you and Lloyd.” Diamond looked at him blankly.

“Who?”

“Oh right! You can’t understand Pokémon! Anyway, that’s your Pokémon’s name. Lloyd.” Diamond lightly touched his Pokéballs.

“Alright. Anyway, I’ve got to get to the Pokémon Center. You should catch some other Pokémon!” Sean smiled.

“Alright Diamond, I’ll see you later!” Sean watched as his friend vanished into the route gate. Sean looked at Regole. “Do you need to go to the Center?” Regole shook his head.

“After an attack from the turtle? Nah, it won’t even bruise.” Sean smiled. “alright, let’s catch some teammates.”
---
Later that night, at the Pokémon Center...
Sean and Regole sat on the bed in their rented room. It was nice, as rented rooms went. There was a bed for Sean, with a desk and a bathroom. Sean had also set up three beds for the Pokémon he had caught today. “Let’s see who we caught, shall we?” Regole nodded. Sean held up a Pokéball. “The first Pokémon I ever caught, on Route 203... Jimmy the Kricketot.” Sean released Jimmy from his Pokéball, and Jimmy looked around. The Kricketot was small, with an exoskeleton that somewhat resembled a hoodie. He had two antennae that rose and curled, which always swiveled to sense anything they could. He always was humming a melody, this time it sounded like an old tune he just couldn’t remember the title of.

“Where am I?” He said curiously, but not fearfully as Sean expected.

“Just one sec.” Sean held up the next Pokéball. “From the Ravaged Path... Magneto the Psyduck.” He moved to release the Psyduck, but his hand caught before he released it. He gave Regole a weak smile. “I already have an awesome water type... I’ll keep him in the PC.” Regole looked strangely at Sean, he seemed a little... frightened. Regole shrugged it off. It was Sean’s issue, not his. Sean then held up the last of the three Pokéballs. “And the last Pokémon, from Route 204... Rapta the Starly.” Sean opened the Pokéball, and a Starly appeared beside Jimmy. This one was different, as she one had many scars on her body, her wings... The largest of the scars was on her back, in a jagged line, where no feathers grew.

Sean took a deep breath. “Rapta and Jimmy. I’m Sean, as I told you when I caught you. This is Regole, my starter. We are traveling Sinnoh. I was wondering if you would like to come with us. We would be training, so you’d get stronger, but it also would be tough. I understand if--” He was cut off when Rapta spoke in a gravelly voice, not like any he had heard from a Starly.

“I’m coming. I’d like to be stronger.” Sean blinked, nonplussed at the willingness to come. Jimmy also spoke.

“Yes, I’d most certainly love to come as well. Traveling Sinnoh would help inspire me to create much more beautiful music!” Sean opened and closed his mouth before smiling widely.

“Well! I expected a few more questions, but I’m glad you two are coming with us. I’d love a bug type and a flying type on the team!” Regole smiled inwardly at Sean’s discomfort.

“Anyway, we should probably get to sleep. I’m really tired, so I’ll see everyone in the morning.” Sean yawned, and lay down on the bed. He was sound asleep not two minutes afterwards. Jimmy leaped onto the desk, and sang a soft lullaby to himself, before also falling asleep. However, Rapta and Regole sat down in adjacent beds, neither one falling asleep. They stayed like that for an hour, before Regole brook the silence quietly.

“So where’d the scars come from?” He asked. Rapta puffed up, her feathers sticking out in anger.

“It’s my business, not yours. If I wanted to talk about it, I would have.” Regole smiled slightly.

“Touchy, aren’t we? Did another Pokémon do that?” Regole waited for the answer, but got none. Rapta was either sleeping, or pretending to. Regole sighed. “Good night new teammates, welcome to the team, oh no, we’re so glad you’re here.”