Pursuing Cynthia

Chapter 2: Oreburgh, Obstacles, and Overconfidence

When we last left off, I had been utterly humiliated in my first Pokémon battle, pelted with a tomato during a street performance, and gifted my very first Poké Ball by none other than Professor Rowan himself. Armed with a renewed sense of determination, I was ready to tackle the next challenge: actually catching a new Pokémon.

Unfortunately, my definition of "ready" was questionable at best.

The route outside Oreburgh City was teeming with potential recruits: Zubat fluttering through the caves, Geodude chilling in the rocks, and even a few Psyduck waddling around like they owned the place.

I scanned the area, Poké Ball clutched tightly in my hand.

"This is it," I said, trying to sound confident. "This is where I build my team!"

"Correction," Chatot interjected. "This is where you *attempt* to build your team."

"Semantics," I muttered. "Now, who should we go after first?"

Bidoof, ever the helpful companion, let out a happy grunt and pointed its nose toward a nearby Machop.

"Nope," I said immediately, memories of my last battle flashing through my mind. "Not falling for that again. We're looking for something… gentler."

Chatot snorted. "Good luck finding 'gentle' in the wild."

After some scouting, I spotted my prey: a lone Psyduck staring blankly at a puddle.

"Perfect," I whispered. "It's distracted. Easy pickings."

Chatot gave me a look. "Do you even know if Psyduck wants to battle?"

"Doesn't matter," I said, brandishing my Poké Ball. "This is survival of the fittest, and I'm feeling pretty fit today!"

Bidoof waddled up beside me, ready to take orders, and I couldn't help but smile. Maybe this time things would actually go my way.

"Alright, Bidoof," I said, pointing dramatically. "Use Tackle!"

Bidoof charged forward with all the enthusiasm of a toddler running after candy. Psyduck blinked, tilted its head, and stepped to the side at the last second, sending Bidoof skidding into the puddle.

"Okay," I muttered, "minor setback. Let's try again!"

The next five minutes were a masterclass in failure.

Bidoof missed every single Tackle. Psyduck, apparently deciding it was done with this nonsense, retaliated with a Water Gun that sent Bidoof rolling back to my feet.

"Okay," I said, clutching my Poké Ball tightly. "Plan B: I'll just throw this and hope for the best."

"You realize that's not a strategy, right?" Chatot asked.

Ignoring the snark, I hurled the Poké Ball with everything I had. It sailed through the air, hit Psyduck square on the head, and…

*Ding!*

The ball shook once, twice, and then clicked shut.

"I did it!" I shouted, scooping up the Poké Ball. "I caught a Psyduck!"

Bidoof burped in approval, and even Chatot seemed mildly impressed.

"Congratulations," it said. "You've officially doubled the size of your team. Too bad you can't double your intelligence."

With my new Psyduck in tow, I finally made it to Oreburgh City. The place was bustling with activity—Trainers hurrying to the Pokémon Center, miners heading toward the coal mines, and kids practicing their battles near the Gym.

"This is it," I said, taking a deep breath. "The next step on my journey!"

"And what exactly is your plan here?" Chatot asked.

"Simple," I said, puffing up my chest. "I'll challenge the Gym Leader, win my first badge, and prove I'm not a complete failure."

Chatot snickered. "Emphasis on *complete.*"

Inside the Gym, I was greeted by a tall, red-haired man wearing a hard hat. He had a confident smile and the kind of aura that said, *I will destroy you, but politely.*

"Welcome to the Oreburgh Gym," he said. "I'm Roark, the Leader here. Are you ready for a battle?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, trying not to show how much my knees were shaking.

He led me to the battlefield, a rocky arena that looked like it was designed specifically to make Bidoof's life miserable.

"Three Pokémon each," Roark said, tossing out his first Poké Ball. "Good luck!"

His Geodude materialized in a flash of light, flexing its rocky arms like it was showing off for a bodybuilding competition.

I swallowed hard.

"Alright, Bidoof," I said, sending out my loyal (if slightly clueless) companion. "You've got this!"

Bidoof waddled onto the field, looking significantly less intimidating than Geodude.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" Roark commanded.

Geodude hurled a chunk of rock straight at Bidoof, who dodged it by sheer accident while trying to nibble on the battlefield.

"Bidoof, Tackle!"

Bidoof charged forward, managing to hit Geodude square in the chest. Unfortunately, the attack didn't seem to do much besides annoy it.

"This is going great," Chatot muttered from the sidelines.

After Bidoof inevitably fainted (to no one's surprise), I sent out Psyduck.

"Alright, buddy," I said, trying to sound confident. "Use Water Gun!"

To my astonishment, Psyduck actually obeyed, blasting Geodude with a stream of water that knocked it out instantly.

"Yes!" I shouted, pumping my fist. "I'm a genius!"

Roark smirked and sent out his next Pokémon: Onix.

My confidence wavered again.

The battle that followed was a complete mess. Psyduck managed to take down Onix with another Water Gun, but not before getting hit with a Rock Tomb that left it barely standing.

That's when Roark sent out his final Pokémon: Cranidos.

"Cranidos, use Headbutt!"

The dinosaur-like Pokémon charged forward, slamming into Psyduck and sending it flying.

"Psyduck is unable to battle," the referee announced.

Which left me with one option.

Chatot.

"Alright, Chatot," I said, sending out my last Pokémon. "This is it. Time to prove your worth!"

Chatot gave me a withering look. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," I said. "Just… use something!"

Reluctantly, Chatot flew into the air and started chirping obnoxiously. Cranidos paused, seemingly annoyed by the noise.

"Hey," Chatot called, flapping its wings. "What's the matter, tough guy? Can't handle a little trash talk?"

To my amazement, it worked. Cranidos charged blindly, missing every attack as Chatot dodged and taunted it from above.

"Now's your chance!" I shouted. "Peck!"

With one final dive, Chatot landed a critical hit, knocking Cranidos out cold.

"I… I won?" I said, staring in disbelief as the referee declared me the winner.

Roark walked over, smiling as he handed me the Coal Badge. "Congratulations. That was… unconventional, but effective."

Chatot landed on my shoulder, looking smug. "Told you I was useful."

As I left the Gym, my confidence was sky-high. Sure, my victory was mostly luck and Psyduck's obedience, but a win was a win.

"One down," I said, holding up the badge. "And seven more to go!"

"Let's just hope the next Gym Leader doesn't have a brain," Chatot muttered.

As I strutted out of the Oreburgh Gym with my newly won Coal Badge, I couldn't help but feel like a legend in the making. Sure, the battle was a borderline circus act, but the point was that I had won. Nobody could take that away from me—not even Chatot, who was muttering something about "statistical improbabilities" under its breath.

"See that?" I said, holding the badge up to the sky. "This is just the beginning. Soon, the entire Sinnoh region will know my name!"

"And cringe at the sound of it," Chatot quipped.

Ignoring the peanut gallery, I turned my attention to Bidoof and Psyduck, who were still recovering from the chaos of the battle. Psyduck looked vaguely annoyed—though, to be fair, that seemed to be its default expression—while Bidoof was busy trying to eat a pebble.

"Alright, team," I said, "we've got momentum now. The next stop is—"

"You might want to heal your Pokémon first," Chatot interrupted.

"Oh, right."

The local Pokémon Center was bustling with Trainers, most of whom looked far more competent than me. Some were trading Pokémon, others were chatting about strategies, and one guy in the corner was passionately arguing that Bidoof was secretly a Legendary Pokémon in disguise.

As Nurse Joy took my Pokémon for healing, I sat down to plan my next move.

"So," Chatot said, perched on the back of the chair, "what's the game plan?"

"Simple," I said, leaning back confidently. "We head to the next Gym, catch some new Pokémon along the way, and keep this winning streak going."

"Winning streak?" Chatot squawked. "You've won one battle. Barely."

"Details," I said, waving it off.

Just then, a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, you're the guy who just beat Roark, right?"

I looked up to see a young woman with a wide grin and a Poké Ball in hand. She looked like the kind of person who ran marathons for fun, which immediately made me nervous.

"Uh, yeah," I said cautiously.

"Awesome! I'm Mira," she said, sitting down across from me. "I saw your battle. Pretty unconventional, but it worked!"

"Thanks," I said, unsure if that was a compliment or an insult.

"So, you up for a battle?" she asked, her grin widening. "I could use some practice before heading to the next Gym."

My brain screamed no, but my mouth said, "Sure, why not?"

The battle took place just outside the Pokémon Center, drawing a small crowd of onlookers. Mira sent out her first Pokémon: a Kadabra.

"Oh no," Chatot muttered from my shoulder. "We're doomed."

"Relax," I said, sending out Psyduck. "We've got this."

"Kadabra, use Confusion!"

Before Psyduck could even react, it was hit with a psychic blast that sent it spinning in circles. It wobbled for a moment, then flopped over like a fainted Magikarp.

"Psyduck is unable to battle!"

"Well, that's not great," I muttered, recalling Psyduck. "Alright, Bidoof, you're up!"

Bidoof trotted onto the field, looking as determined as ever.

"Kadabra, use Psybeam!"

Kadabra fired another psychic attack, but this time, Bidoof managed to dodge—mostly because it tripped over its own feet.

"Bidoof, Tackle!"

Bidoof launched itself forward, slamming into Kadabra with surprising force. Mira looked genuinely surprised as Kadabra stumbled back.

"Nice hit!" she said. "But let's see how you handle this. Kadabra, use Recover!"

I groaned as Kadabra healed itself back to full health.

The battle dragged on, with Bidoof somehow dodging most of Kadabra's attacks through a combination of clumsiness and sheer luck. After what felt like an eternity, Bidoof managed to land a critical hit, knocking Kadabra out cold.

"Unbelievable," Chatot muttered. "You're the luckiest Trainer alive."

Mira smiled as she recalled Kadabra. "Not bad! But let's see how you handle this."

She sent out her next Pokémon: a Gyarados.

I stared at the giant sea serpent in disbelief. "That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair," Chatot said. "Welcome to reality."

Bidoof didn't stand a chance. One Waterfall from Gyarados, and it was lights out. That left me with one option.

"Alright, Chatot," I said, sending it out. "Time to shine!"

Chatot gave me a deadpan look. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Just… do something annoying!" I pleaded.

With an exasperated sigh, Chatot began flapping around Gyarados's head, squawking insults and dodging its attacks. The crowd laughed as Gyarados grew increasingly frustrated, thrashing wildly in an attempt to hit the pesky bird.

"Now's your chance!" I shouted. "Peck!"

Chatot dove in, landing a surprisingly effective hit on Gyarados's snout. It wasn't enough to take it down, but it definitely got the crowd cheering.

Unfortunately, Gyarados retaliated with a Dragon Rage that sent Chatot crashing to the ground.

"Chatot is unable to battle! Mira wins!"

"Good battle!" Mira said, shaking my hand. "You've got potential, but you might want to work on your strategies a bit."

"Thanks," I muttered, trying to hide my embarrassment.

As the crowd dispersed, I sat down on a nearby bench, feeling deflated.

"Well," Chatot said, perched next to me. "That went about as well as expected."

"At least we put up a fight," I said weakly.

Chatot rolled its eyes. "Sure, if you call flailing around like a Magikarp a fight."

After licking my wounds (figuratively, of course), I made a vow: I'd train harder, catch stronger Pokémon, and prove to everyone—especially Cynthia—that I wasn't a total loser.

"Alright, team," I said, standing up. "This isn't over. We're going to bounce back stronger than ever!"

Chatot sighed. "You said that last time."

"And this time, I mean it!"

With renewed determination, I set off toward Route 207, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.