Chương 133

Riding Arcanine through Viridian left me feeling just a little off. It had only been a short vacation, but so much had changed. And yet nothing at all. Viridian was exactly how I remember it. I shook off the melancholy, and focused as Arcanine slowed to a light bouncy jog as we turned up a certain driveway. The long trail up to the house and the many many greenhouses connected to it, as always had me smiling as I pulled up and slipped off and then up to the door knocking quickly.

I waited for a few moments and the door opened, but it wasn't a person.

"Ivy. Saur?"

"Hi Ivysaur! Is Ivy home?" I asked, and got a positive response as she turned and called out.

"SAAAAAUR!" Even I flinched a bit at the noise, then laughed as there were a bunch of other Bulbasaur and Ivysaur throughout the house taking up the call.

"I'm coming!" A voice came distantly. Ah, They must have been in the greenhouses, fairly normal for this family. And there came the blue hair of Ivy's mother.

"Oh! Is that Vicky! Look at that tan!"

"Hehe! The beaches were to die for, and the Alolan sun is no joke!"

"No Sunburns I hope?"

"Nope! We all wore lots of sunscreen!" I assured her, and she smiled at me.

"Come in, Ivy is working with her team in the greenhouses, she'd love to see you."

"Thank you!" I returned Arcanine because she was about to start sticking her nose into the many flower planters all over the house, and I'm fairly certain those were Oddish sleeping through winter.

Heading inside, I raced through the familiar house and out the screen doors into the back which was built into a greenhouse, there were actually about a dozen of them, all connected through either underground tunnels, or just pseudo air locks to keep different grass types at different temperatures and comforts through winter. It was a really nice place, and once inside, I was able to shed my jacket and just tie it around my waist.

"Bulb!"

"Hi Bulbasaur!" I greeted one of the family pokemon. I think this was Ivy's Cousins partner, she hadn't done much battling so Bulbasaur was still a little cutie! I stopped to scratch his chin, earning a happy dopey smile from him.

"Is Ivy this way?" I asked, pointing and he nodded, pointing with his Vine whip. I continued on once I got a proper chin scritch in. Heading through a half underground passage with some glass over my head and into another section of the greenhouses I saw her. Ivy was sitting, her team around her and…

"Pffft." I started laughing because she looked a total mess and there was one pokemon responsible.

"Vicky!"

"I see Sewaddle evolved!" I greeted, still laughing, and then my laughter turned into a smile as Phantump floated over little arms open for a hug. I grabbed him as he reached me and spun around a little, earning happy little quiet giggles from the Ghost as I settled him on my hip and reached the final few steps. Ivy was completely covered in leaves, a full on leaf cloak was covering her entire body and Swadloon was sitting on her head equally coated…

"Did he make you a leaf cloak so you could evolve too?" I asked, and she glared at me.

"He's being very obstinate that I need to be covered. And he's even more grumpy now." She replied with a huff as Swadloon glared out from his leaves. His mouth tilted into a little frown. I waved at him, and he looked me over, but other than his eyes narrowing a bit, he just remained sitting on Ivy.

"Ven-Venasaur."

"Hi to you too!" I greeted Ivy's Venusaur with a wave as I took a seat across from her.

"You're tanned."

"Beachs! Lots of beaches! The Sun is crazy in Alola." I told her, and she nodded before looking me over for a moment. No doubt checking all the changes. I was doing the same. More leaves, and they were almost all autumn themed. I smiled, and Ivy's eyes narrowed.

"What are you thinking?'

"That you're very colorful!"

"Ugh." She groaned, her head tilting forward, but Swadloon still stuck to her head. I just giggled.

"He's even worse now that he evolved." She admitted but shook it off.

"Welcome back. Tell me everything!"

"Okay! But first, I have something for you!" I said reaching into my pack and pulling out the little package. Handing it over and grinning as Ivy took it carefully, adjusting Seedot who I saw had been sleeping in her lap. She took it and quickly opened it, and…

"Wait! Vicky!"

"Say hello to Lurantis. Fomantis's evolved form." I told her, and grinned as she stared at the resting Lurantis in the little diorama with big wide eyes, gasping in delight at how lifelike it looked.

"That's what they look like… Are you sure they aren't Bug types?"

"Absolutely. Grass only. They just pretend to be Bug types. Pretty aren't they?"

"Yes!" She gushed, looking at it this way and that, then she looked over.

"FoFo! Come look!" She called and I looked over to see the Fomantis cuddled up and napping, but one of them, the biggest in fact, blinked her eyes and rose up from the ground and waddled over.

"Fo?"

"Look, it's a Lurantis, this is what you'll evolve into." Ivy offered, showing the diorama, and Fomantis leaned in to look at it interested. I watched as Ivy and Fomantis had their cute little bonding moment over how cute a Lurantis was. Then finally Ivy settled in with Fomantis and Seedot in her lap as they started napping and she turned to me with narrowed eyes.

"Okay, so how many new Pokemon did you get?"

"What?"

"Come on Vicky I know you. Did you capture some crazy rare pokemon that no one has ever heard of? Or a dozen of them."

"No!" I said then went silent…

"Did Cabbage count?"

"Ah-hah!"

"Well… I didn't, but Mama did capture a Grass type…" I trailed off and then waited for Ivy to look interested.

"We found out how to evolve an Eevee into a Leafeon. Mama has Leafeon at home."

"What."

"Cabbage is cute, but a lazy leaf. She's cute-""Vicky!" She roared, rising up, adjusting to carry her friends in her lap to not send them flying.

"You! I want to see it right now!" She demanded, and I just laughed, as I reached out and took Seedot, and Fomantis from her, so she could return her team and then she dragged me out yelling at her Mom she was leaving. —-- Ivy Vinewood"I hate you sometimes." Ivy grumbled as she pet the sleepy Leafeon who was totally happy to just lay on her back in the window.

"What did I do?" Vicky asked, trying to pull off an innocent look but Ivy wasn't having it. Vicky might be an idiot, but she always seemed to know what she was doing.

"So I can't get a Leafeon unless I go to Alola?"

"Maybe, we need to see if we can find a Moss Stone here in Kanto, but I honestly don't even have a clue where to start. There haven't been any Leafeon in Kanto ever. So." She shrugged.

"Ugh." Ivy just shook her head looking over the Grass type more carefully.

"What do you feed her?"

"Well… Nothing, technically." Vicky offered, and Ivy shot her the most scathing look she could.

"Hey! Leafeon photosynthize… Photo synthesis-size? What-""Photosynthesize Vicky."

"Right, that. So she doesn't like to eat. Mama said she was going to try some snacks to see if something would interest her."

"Well she needs to eat more." Ivy said firmly, the slight wilt to some of the leaves, and just the way the Grass Types coat looked.

"She's probably hungry."

"Ah yeah, the Alolan Sun is a lot stronger, so… I wonder." Vicky went silent, reaching up and nibbling at her thumb, something she did when she got one of those ideas in her head.

"Do I want to know?"

"Well, Growlithe can learn Sunny Day, I wonder if we can't just set up a rotation for like an hour a day to get Cabbage lots of sunlight." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"That…" Ivy stopped herself from saying it was stupid, because… Ugh!

"It might work." She had to admit. Stupid Vicky. Stupid pack of firetypes! Getting the Grass types at home enough sunlight was such a pain!

"Cool! I'll talk to Mama and Papa about it. But Cabbage is a bit of a lazy lump, so I think she'll be okay for a bit."

"Yeah." Ivy agreed watching the pretty little pokemon continue to snore in the sun, belly up, and a nice little smile on her face. She really was cute. How much was an Eevee again… And a plane ticket? No way she had the money to afford either with her allowance. Maybe if she started battling again? She could probably beat some guys up to try and save up?

"Anyways, so Mama and I found Cabbage, and Meows. Meows is over there." Vicky pointed at a very strange looking Meowth that was… Hiding inside Vicky's conference victory trophy? She looked like she was sitting back in it like it was a bath almost?

"Is she?"

"Oh Meows tried to get Meowths Curtain top fort, but he was not having it. She got her tail beat a bit, and instead chose that spot… Poor Meowth didn't realize that the trophy puts Meows closer to where people walk, so Mama often passes her and gives her pets and stuff." Vicky mentioned pointing towards the old vicious Meowth that Ivy had long ago learned to avoid.

"Huh."

"Yeah, and Papa got Rockru- Crap, Shouldn't have said his name." Vicky managed to get out before barking from the house as a new dog came rushing into the living room nails scraping at the floor as he wildly threw himself at Vicky.

"Ruff ruff ruff!" He barked as he squirmed and wiggled in Vicky's grip as she tried to keep him back.

"Ow, Yes, hello, Ow. I didn't call you, Ow. I don't have Ow ow." Vicky whined a bit as the rock like scruff of the dog Pokemon rubbed against her.

"He's cute, but ow. Rough." She added, Ivy had picked that up. Slowly Vicky managed to get him off and back to running into the house.

"He's got a new dog bed near Arcany's… He tried to sleep in Arcany's bed… Once." Vicky added with a dark tilt.

"What happened?"

"He learned that Arcany outweighs him by like… thirty times, and the big dog sits where he likes."

"Heh." Ivy broke out into chuckles at the image Vicky had conjured.

"Anyways, That's mostly it. There is Ninetales, and the Vulpix-""What!?" Ivy screeched, reaching up and grabbing Vicky around the collar.

"What do you mean Ninetales and Vulpix!"

"Well we found some, and after a series of events."

"Vicky!"

"Well I captured them. I think Ninetales is going to end up with Papa though."

"Vicky! I want to see cute foxes!"

"They're at the reserve, and besides, it's cold."

"It's winter."

"No I mean, they're cold. Ice types. So we made a cold den for them."

"What? Vulpix are Fire types."

"Not Alolan ones. Ice, well, and Ninetales is Ice/Fairy. They're very cold. Beautiful though."

"I hate you." Ivy whispered her friend had found super duper rare pokemon! Again!

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. So Alola was good for you, only one new pokemon?"

"I wasn't really there to capture Pokemon, I was more focused on…" Vicky said, looking at her wrist. Oh yeah, the weird watch thing.

"The watch thing?"

"It's not a watch… It's a Z Ring, and these are Z Crystals." Vicky offered, pulling out one of the little crystals that were embedded into it. Ivy reached out, taking the little crystal, and looking at the symbol inside, and how it shined in the sun.

"Okay what are they?"

"Hmmm. How about I show you?" Vicky offered with a sinister smile, and Ivy knew that look.

"Uh-uh, not interested in whatever crazy idea you have."

"Aww. Okay fine, I won't challenge you to a battle. Come on, I'll show you." She offered rising up and then heading outside, Ivy was not sure she wanted to know whatever crazy thing Vicky was going to do. Following the blonde terror, Ivy watched as Vicky fingered the pokeballs on her waist, before seemingly deciding.

"Okay come on out, Jangmo-o!" Vicky called out, and threw her pokeball. The Dragon type hit the earth and looked around then looked up at Vicky and barked happily at her. Ivy smiled as Vicky leaned down and Vicky rubbed at his head scratching his scales like he was a dog instead of a baby Dragon.

"Hello again Jangmo-o." Ivy greeted, and the little dragon danced over to her and rubbed against her in greeting.

"Hey Jangmo-o. Ivy has never seen a Z move, want to show off a bit?" Vicky asked, with a grin and Jangmo-o stilled before springing up into the air like all four of his legs were little springs and then ran around wiggling and excited.

"A Z move?"

"It's something special from Alola. Okay let's aim for that rock over there okay, we don't want to hit any trees, or Mama will kill us." Vicky explained and Jangmo-o nodded, running forward before skidding to a halt in the grass facing the rock he turned to look back at Vicky, who was changing out the crystal in the Z ring for another.

"Okay buddy! You know what to do! Let's go!" Vicky roared and then… She started doing weird poses.

"Get ready! For the power of a strong bond! For the sign of our friendship! For the true power of a Dragon to be revealed! Now!" Vicky roared as she jerked her arms into a pair of claws almost meeting and then shot them wide… Whoa. Ivy stared as light and… Power flowed, jumping from Vicky into the little dragon, and then it roared. An attack shot out, but not one Ivy had ever seen, power. She could feel it, like standing too close to a fire. She got the same feeling when she was near a Hyperbeam.

That sense in the air of power. And then a Dragon appeared, as it roared and flapped, flying this way and that, and then smashing into the rock. And exploding, Ivy winced back flinching as the explosion erupted washing over them.

"Whew! That takes a lot out of me still!" Vicky called out a moment later, and bent over for a moment catching her breath.

"What… What was that!?"

"Z moves! A connection between pokemon and trainer, a bond that makes a move even stronger!" Vicky explained… Badly.

"Okay great… WHAT IS A Z MOVE!?" Ivy yelled, reaching out to throttle her friend that was always like this!

"Hehehehe!"

"Don't laugh! That was… Massive!"

"Yeah but it can be stronger. Z moves draw their strength from the pokemon, the pokemons move, and the trainer. So if a Pokemon has a more powerful move and uses the Z move through it? I kinda need to see what Draco Meteor and Dragonite can do at some point."

"What… Does that even mean!?" Ivy yelled before reaching up and just running a hand across her face.

"That was incredible. What, how do you get these Z move things?"

"Oh, you have to be an Alolan, their Gym Challenge, is called the Island Challenge, and it's all about growing connected to Alola, and if you do that, you get the Z ring, and the Crystals, from pokemon or the Kahuna, sort of like Badges from a Gym! But uh… Normally only Alolans are allowed."

"But you were."

"I… Had a Z Crystal already. Jangmo-o's Grandpa gave it to me when we were in Kitakami. It's one of the reasons I wanted to vacation there." Staring at her friend for a long while Ivy just threw her hands up in the air.

"I don't know what that means!"

"It means, I'm an Alolan Citizen! The Kahuna's said I can go back whenever I want! Awesome right?"

"That's… Yeah that sounds amazing." Ivy admitted, then just shook her head.

"I'm surprised the Pokemon League even let you take that Z ring thing though. It seems… Powerful and dangerous. What did they say about it?"

"Say about what? It's not like I've told anyone." Vicky said and Ivy stilled and just sighed into the sky. Whatever, this wasn't her problem but Vicky's…

"I want to pet the Leafeon again."

"Okay! Come on let's go play with Cabbage!"

"Good." Ivy decided to ignore anything else weird that might happen today.

"I should tell you about my first island challenge! I had to save a Drampa, which is a Dragon type that was rampaging!"

"What."

"Yeah it was great! It was a good thing they're nice to children cause his attacks were strong!"

"What." —--- Waving goodbye to Ivy, I don't know what her problem was, I turned back inside. I should contact Professor Cerise soon, but… I headed up to my room and flopped. I felt kinda lethargic since I got home. Rolling over I found my TV remote, and turned it on. Kanto news. Just… Home stuff, it felt weird to be home. Since I was just laying around I tapped my pokeballs, and let most of my team out. Blue Heart was still too big for my room, but his pokeball got lots of rubs.

"Bliss?"

"Just some TV. Want to watch it with me?" I asked, and for a second I was afraid Blissey was going to make me get up and run around and exercise, but instead she climbed up onto my bed and we both ended up sitting next to each other watching. Jangmo-o not seeing cartoons headed out of the room, Riolu was already off somewhere with Lucario, Arcanine slumped over on the floor with a big yawn, and Gible waddled out. She was definitely heading for the bathroom. I just sighed. A little exploration was good for her.

Plus I noticed Jangmo-o see her and follow after. Hopefully he'd keep her out of trouble. The TV show was the battle channel so I turned it up.

"The Ace trainers are preparing steadily for the mid-year tournaments, and I've heard nothing but good things from the Gym Leaders about this years crop of new Trainers. We are looking forward to a series of amazing battles this year!"

"Yeah but we haven't heard anything about the Elite Four Challenge yet, which is odd." Wait, were they talking about…

"Ah, the mysterious Conference champion this year. Victoria Ferrous certainly made a name for herself, but it's true we haven't heard anything. I'll be honest, I hope it wasn't just a one and done, I wanted to see how the Elite Four handled a second year trainer already reaching them."

"Well she does have a full year to make her challenges, and a smart trainer doesn't think that the conference is going to be anything like the Elite Four. Any member of our Elite Four could have done a similar clean sweep of the Tournament." Another of the anchors sitting around a table said.

"Sure, but none of them did it at ten. I think that alone speaks to something. Everyone I've spoken to about it, is holding their breath to see what happens."

"I think everyone is interested to see just how far our Conference Winner can go, plus I've heard from an inside source that our very own Champion Lance, has been training more than usual."

"Oooh!"

"Oh come on." Another cut in.

"Lance isn't worried about a ten year old no matter how strong. The man is a monster. I'll give Victoria the credit she is due, but she still has some weak points."

"Well I think if Victoria raised her pokemon to such strength in a year, that she's gonna be ready even for Lance if she trains more. I think Johto should be prepared for a new Champion."

"Oh not this again!" The argument grew a bit heated, but never truly rude as I watched on, feeling…. Weird. I was… They were talking about me on TV. Me.

"My stomach is whirly." I admitted to Blissey and she reached down to pat her own and looked at me. She nodded. Her too huh? We stared at the TV for a while longer before I started to feel a little bad. While I'd done some training in Alola, I hadn't really been preparing to fight Lance… I'lll admit, most of my motivation to beat his face in had faded over the months. Lance was cool. He squished Goomy and everything! But… A lot of people wanted me to battle him.

"Even… Even if we don't win. I still want to battle him, you know?"

"Blissy? Blissey Bliss."

"Yeah… We'll have to start training hard again soon." I said, and Blissey sent me a wide smile. Oh right training maniac. Then I heard some splashing…

"No Gible, not the toilet again!"