Ch. 12 A New Experience

A/N: My human neuropsychology class is kicking my ass. I thought I was here for a social work degree.

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"Ah, damn, that was some good seafood," I said, finishing up the Krabby cakes I ordered. Mitchel practically demanded I let him pay since he had just beaten a few Trainers that paid him more than the average. Learning that the average payment for a battle was 150$ was a surprise given the rather high costs of Trainer-related items. 

"Granted, we also receive a lot of free services if we join the League, even discounts depending on the number of Badges we get," Mitchel explained.

"What do you mean join the League? Nurse Joy said the same thing," I asked.

"Oh, that's just whether you work for the League or not," he answered. "In order to be a Trainer, all you really need is some sort of certification or recommendation, a League Profile, and a Pokémon. To be a League Trainer, you need to submit an application and sign several waivers and forms. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with being a League Trainer, but also lots of benefits."

"Are you a League Trainer?" I asked.

"Yep, I submitted my application when I graduated from Lumiose City's Estival Trainer School," he said. "It's been nice having a monthly paycheck of 6,000$."

My eyes bulged at the number. 6,000$ was a lot of money. If I wasn't getting free service, it would have cost me about 1,100$ for the last eleven days. Which means a normal Trainer would need about 3,000$ for a month-long stay in a Center. Although I doubted most Trainers would be staying at a Center for that long.

"I've got another question. Nurse Joy told me it would cost 15$ for one meal from the canteen, but I was charged 80$ for the first one. Do you know why?"

"That's probably because they charged you the non-Trainer price. Non-Trainers are actually charged a lot more for most things since they're not out protecting the routes and cities," Mitchel explained. I guess I must've had a confused look on my face because he continued his explanation. "There's three types of people, four if you count politicians and business people. League-affiliated Trainers get the best deal on everything. However, they have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to helping during emergencies and keeping things running. 

"Trainers that aren't affiliated with the League aren't forced to help, but they still keep the routes in check by constantly traveling through them and battling the wild Pokémon. They also are the ones most likely to stumble across anything weird or problematic, so they also serve as a warning system of sorts. Normal people, well, I'm sure you can figure out their role. They work, they pay taxes, they need to be protected. Most people don't become Trainers, which is why Trainers are generally treated well. If not for them, most people would die when the local Pokémon are disturbed and try attacking populated areas."

"Okay, that makes sense. If Trainers get discounts and some special treatment, why are the non-League Trainers also paid? Can't they make money doing jobs the same way I've been doing?" I asked.

"Well, the League and civilian governments have found it better to give Trainers a way to pay for resources. It gets expensive to care for these creatures, man," Mitchel said, though his face twisted a bit at the mention of expenses. "Raising Pokémon gets expensive super fast. The average cost for raising a Pokémon at the beginning of your journey is about 2,000$ a month. That's just for one Pokémon, mind you, and quickly goes up as the Pokémon gets stronger. And you still have to make sure you have things like Potions, Pokéballs, and food for yourself. That is where most Trainers spend their money when they first start out."

"Sheesh," I sighed, "you'd think this would be an important topic to make sure all Trainers understand when they start." I looked over at Inkay, who was floating next to me and gnawing on a Clauncher claw. It was actually quite adorable because the claw was nearly the same size as his body.

"Well, it's covered in Trainer School, but not everyone is able to attend one. I'd wager most people don't because of how expensive it can get," Mitchel said.

"I actually have a question about that. Why don't all schools have some sort of Trainer curriculum?" I asked. Mitchel was proving to be a treasure trove of information on the nuances of the world.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I said, thinking of what exactly I wanted to ask. "You said Trainers Schools cover all of this, but most people don't go to one. If that's the case, then most people go to regular schools, right?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't those schools cover the same Trainer lessons?"

"Oh, umm, I don't know. Most people get a regular education and go out into the workforce," Mitchel said, scrunching his eyebrows in thought. "Not many people actually want to become Trainers, so that's most likely why. There aren't all that many Trainers in the world. It just seems like there are a lot of them because they're the focus of our society."

"That's fair," I replied. "Alright, we had some food. Now, let's talk about my options. What's available to me?"

Mitchel scrutinized Inkay for a bit before turning to me. "To be honest, not much."

"Eh?!" I cried out. Inkay must have taken offense to his comment as well, because I could see his beak charging up a Peck. I grabbed him before he could attack, though I had to wrestle him with both arms for a few minutes before he began to calm down. "I don't think he liked that comment."

"Yeah, but it's true," Mitchel shrugged, though I could tell he was still a bit scared. Despite his casual demeanor, his voice was a bit shaky and I could see his arms shake ever so slightly. "Inkay isn't a Fighting-type, nor is he naturally bulky and strong, so physical labor is out. Although, I have no doubts that you could do it."

"That's true," I said, earning a glare from Inkay. "Oh, don't look at me like that. Despite being a Pokémon, I was able to wrestle you in when you wanted to attack him. And I bet I could take you on if I'm careful with your Pecks."

"Yeah, you'd definitely fit in with a construction crew," Mitchel said with a smile.

"Don't let my bulk confuse you, I'm also a smart fucker," I said. "What about Psychic abilities? Inkay's a Psychic-type, so I'm sure he could help with that."

"Not really," he shot down, "Malamar are known for their hypnotic abilities and are generally great for mental trauma treatment, but Inkay don't tend to have great control over hypnosis. I'm sure he could train his Psychic abilities, but it wouldn't be enough to make a career out of it until he evolves."

"Fine, but what can I do? I have a Pokémon, but I don't think that means much right now."

"You're right," he said. "If he isn't growing and getting stronger, you're going to have to rely on yourself and your skills. That's why I wanted to help you train. It would be much easier if we traveled together since we could have our teams spar and use each other to improve."

"Okay, I can't do much with a weak Pokémon," I said, smacking Inkay before he would try anything. "Shut it, we're both weak and it's only a problem if we stay this way. Alright, Mitchel, I admit that you have me there. But I'd rather not go out on an adventure. I'd rather stay in one place while I improve myself and expand my options."

"Yeah, you already mentioned that," he sighed. "Well, it would still be good for you to take training seriously. As you get stronger, people will start seeing you as more reliable. This is especially true if you start getting Badges."

"Okay, getting stronger means more opportunities. Any tips for that?"

"Finally," he smiled. "There's a battlefield near this place. Let's go there."

Mitchel paid the bill while I went to use the restroom, recalling Inkay just before entering. I don't think I'd ever want one of my own Pokémon in there with me. As we walked out, Mitchel released his Pansear and another Pokémon. It was an orange crab-like bug hiding under a rock it materialized with, a Dwebble. Its large pincers snapped towards me, though it had a friendly look on its face.

"I don't think I've introduced my team yet," Mitchel said, picking up the Dwebble with a large smile. "I've already mentioned Pan, my Pansear of a trouble-maker. This is Eber, my Dwebble. He loves clamping onto moving objects and being taken for a ride."

Eber shouted with a smile, obviously agreeing with that statement. Pan jumped onto Mitchel's head and began to pull his ear. Just as he cried out in pain, Eber's claw snapped onto Pan's tail, causing her to fall and dangle down, tears forming because of the pain.

"Come one you two," Mitchel exasperatedly said, "we've got a guest here. This is Marco, the person I said I was going to tutor. Don't make a fool out of yourselves."

"Debble, Dweb!" Eber said, lifting Pan up. "Dweb Dweb Dwebble!"

"Yeah, I know she started it, but let her down. She always stops for a while after to grab his tail," Mitchel told him.

"Dweb," the little creature said with a sigh. He let go of Pan and let hher drop, though Pan was agile enough to correct herself mid-fall and land on her feet. The little bug waved at me with a smile as Pan scuttled over to me and began to study me.

"Well, I think it's only fair if Inkay comes out as well," I said, releasing him from his ball. Inkay materialized with a war cry. Inkay observed the two new Pokémon, though his attention was mostly focused on Pansear. The monkey was currently sitting on my head, having climbed my body to get there. They stared at each other for a few seconds, though I doubted Pansear's stare was as intense as Inkay's.

"Nik!" Inkay screamed and dashed towards Pansear with a Peck already formed. Ah, shit. Pansear jumped up to avoid the hit, though that left me in the way. I slapped Inkay down, causing him to bounce off the sidewalk. We were still on the road and I didn't want anyone getting hit by a stray attack.

"Oi, you little shit," I called out to him. "These are Mitchel's Pokémon, so be nice. If you didn't want her on my head, just tell her to move."

"Inkay!"

"I don't know what you just said, but you damn near hit me in the process of getting your spot back. You could've hit a random person and gotten us in a lot of trouble, so I don't wanna hear it. Cool it, got it?" I chided him, staring him in the eye until he relented. "Now, go ahead and take your spot. It's free now."

"Ik," he said, turning away from me.

"Oh, you little baby. You almost hit me for your spot and now you don't want it? I don't believe you," I said, grabbing him from the air.

"Inkay!" he said, struggling to get out of my grip. I plopped him right on top of my head and let go. Just as I expected, he stayed there despite the grumbling.

"See, right where you belong," I said before turning to Mitchel and his team. "Sorry about that, Inkay can be quite the angsty squid. How far is the field?"

"I wasn't expecting that out of the little guy," Mitchel said with a chuckle. "It's not far, just around the next corner. I want to see what Inkay is capable of now."

Once we got to the field, which was just a basketball court sized patch of dirt, Mitchel walked off to one end. Dwebble shuffled over after Mitchel spoke some words to him. Inkay already knew he was going to battle since he had heard us talking about the rules for the match. We would have a spar until one of us chose to end it. This was going to be my first taste at Pokémon battling, and I hoped I wouldn't disappoint myself or Inkay.

Pansear was going to do a countdown starting from five, which I used to think. Dwebble was a Rock and Bug type, so it probably had at least one move of each. I think it was mostly geared towards defense, so Inkay's damaging moves probably wouldn't do much damage, except for Peck. 

"Pansear! Pan."

Dwebble also probably had something to reduce Inkay's attack or up his defense, so that would make it more difficult.

"Pan, Pan, Pan…"

But Inkay had Hypnosis and Disable, so I'm sure we had something.

"Pansear!"

"Smackdown!" / "Hypnos- fuck!"

Dwebble sent a sizable chunk of rock flying towards Inkay faster than I was able to finish giving my own order. Before Inkay himself could react, he was hit by the Rock-type move and sent flying down.

"Fury Cutter!" Mitchel shouted. Dwebble scuttled over way faster than I had seen him moving earlier and his claws were almost in range. Inkay was barely starting to raise himself up and was definitely not aware that he was going to be attacked again.

"Disable right behind you," I quickly said, hoping it would be enough for Inkay to react. Sadly, he wasn't able to muster the energy quickly enough. Dwebble was upon him, clawing him with his green tinted claws. I called out a Peck, but Inkay wasn't able to focus and quickly gather the energy needed to break himself free. I sighed, calling out to Mitchel to let him know the battle was over. It ended before it started, really. 

Inkay wasn't able to quickly gather energy and use any of his moves while being beat up like that. We weren't ready for the battle to get to the action so quickly. Nor were both of us prepared for Smackdown, which I didn't think would be part of his move pool. All together, we weren't ready for the battle.

And didn't that suck to learn.

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A/N: Wow, losing our first fight. Crazy.