"What's that?" May asked, squinting at the odd Pokémon standing in front of her.
"It's a Zigzagoon—whoa! That's huge!" Max exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I didn't think wild Zigzagoon could grow that big!"
"What do you mean?" May tilted her head, completely lost. (๑•̌.•̑๑)?
"C'mon, sis, at least try to learn a bit about Pokémon," Max sighed, pushing his glasses up. "The average Zigzagoon is only 40 centimeters tall and weighs about 17.5 kilograms."
Bonk!
"Ah! Ow!" Max clutched his head after May smacked him.
"You don't need to explain that much!" she snapped. "This Zigzagoon is practically human-sized! Doesn't that mean it's, like, ultra-evolved or something?!"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "There's no such thing as a person-sized Zigzagoon… unless it's a regional variant or—" He was cut off.
"Look over there!" May pointed. "There's a whole group of Zigzagoon, and they're all tiny!"
As if on cue, the massive "Zigzagoon" in front of them stood upright—and peeled off its furry disguise.
Beneath it was… a boy wearing shorts, now standing beside a real Zigzagoon.
"Perfect timing! I'm gonna catch you! Go, Mudkip!" the boy shouted.
"AHHH!" Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ May shrieked. "It evolved into a human?!"
(ꐦ°д°)
Ash and Max facepalmed in unison.
"Please, sis, that's just a guy in a Zigzagoon costume. It didn't evolve into a human." Max groaned.
May, meanwhile, had already wandered over, poking at the costume in fascination.
"Amazing! It even feels like real fur!"
"Ah! My Zigzagoon!" The wild Pokémon, startled by all the chaos, bolted into the underbrush.
"You—you scared it off!" the boy in shorts yelled. "I've been trying to catch one for days! You owe me a Zigzagoon!"
Then he looked at May and Max more closely and grinned. "Hey… those shorts and bare knees—nice! You're part of the club!"
"…Huh?" May blinked, completely thrown off.
"You should apologize first," Ash said, stepping in. "Interrupting someone mid-capture is kinda rude."
"Ah—sorry! We didn't mean to…" May and Max bowed their heads.
"It's fine," the boy said, waving it off. "Since you're also Short-Pants Kids™, I'll let it slide!"
"What do you mean, 'short-pants kids'?! These are capris!" May snapped. "Who are you, anyway?"
"If you must know…" The boy put his hands on his hips dramatically. "Sometimes, I am a Zigzagoon prowling the forest… other times, a Tentacool drifting on the waves… and occasionally, a Bellossom performing a beautiful dance! But my true identity… the world knows me as—Nicholai the Knickerbocker!"
"…Knickerbocker?" "Nicholai?" "Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head.
"Knees exposed to nature, bare and bold—I am one with the wilderness!" Nicholai declared with passion. "Now, my fellow short-pants trainers, if you don't mind, what are your names?"
"Uh… I'm May." "I'm Max."
"I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu." "Pika~!"
"I'm Brock. Nice to meet you." Brock gave a polite nod.
After introductions were made, Nicholai revealed that he was trying to catch a Zigzagoon so he could challenge the Orange Gym. Upon hearing that May and Max were Norman's kids, he got way too excited.
"Ohhh, so you're the Gym Leader's children?! You must've been trained hard from a young age! C'mon, battle me—I want to see how strong you are!"
"Uh… About that…" May hesitated.
"She accepts!" Max declared, shoving May forward.
"WHAT?!"
"Perfect!" Nicholai beamed. "There's a clearing up ahead—perfect for a battle!"
Nicholai marched ahead, and the group followed.
"Go, Mudkip!" Nicholai sent out his starter and donned a goofy Mudkip costume for good measure.
Pokédex Entry
Mudkip
Strength: Peak Normal Tier
Ash narrowed his eyes. All flair, no substance. May's Torchic just barely hit Mid-Normal Tier after a few days of training. She's got no edge here—not in type or experience. (￢_￢)
"Alright, Torchic—let's do this!" May stepped forward and took a deep breath. My first real battle… I'll remember this forever.
"You're using a Fire-type against a Water-type?" Nicholai said, stunned.
"Uh… She only has one Pokémon," Max said with an awkward smile.
"Fine then—Mudkip, use Water Gun!"
"Torchic, use Ember!"
A few weak sparks flew into the air… and were instantly washed out by the Water Gun.
"Darn it! Torchic, use Peck!"
"No, May, don't—!" Max tried to stop her.
But Torchic ran forward and was immediately blasted back by another Water Gun.
"Torchic is unable to battle. Mudkip wins!" Brock announced, stepping in as the referee.
"Torchic!" May ran over and picked it up, holding it close. "I'm so sorry… it's all my fault."
"It's okay," Brock said gently, checking Torchic. "It'll be fine after some rest."
"Hah! That was easier than I thought!" Nicholai cheered. "Maybe Petalburg Gym isn't so tough after all. Catching a Zigzagoon is more important anyway. See you later, short-pants squad!"
"Hey! Don't talk about my dad's Gym like that!" Max snapped.
May hung her head. "My first battle ended in a total loss… and to him of all people."
Ash stepped forward. "Hold on. May's a rookie—she's just getting started. She doesn't represent the strength of the Petalburg Gym. I've battled her dad before and lost. So if you want to test your strength, fight me instead."
"Ash…" May and Max both looked at him, touched by his support.
"Oh? You've faced Norman before?" Nicholai grinned. "Alright! I accept. Mudkip, it's your turn again!"
"Then go, Phanpy!"
Nicholai blinked. "Wait, isn't that a Ground-type?!"
"Mudkip, Water Gun!"
"Phanpy, Dig—dodge it and follow up with Iron Head!"
"Where'd it go?!" Nicholai looked around in panic.
Boom! Phanpy burst out from underground, slamming into Mudkip and sending it flying. Mudkip staggered but remained standing.
"Let's finish it—Stomp!"
"Buuuubblle…" Mudkip groaned before collapsing.
"Nice work, Mudkip. Return!" Nicholai said as he recalled it. He walked up to Ash, shaking his head. "So even you lost to Norman, huh… Guess the Gym really is strong."
"Of course!" Max puffed out his chest. "My dad's the best!"
Nicholai scratched his head. "Yeah, I was way off earlier. Sorry, May. Sorry, Max. I'll keep training here in Petalburg Woods—and next time, I'll challenge the Gym properly!"
But before anyone could respond—
FWIP!A mechanical arm shot out of the bushes and grabbed Pikachu!
"PIKA!!"
To be continued…