Challenger - Omega Ruby Nuzlocke Novel

Prologue

Chapter I

"I want to become the best Pokemon trainer the world has ever seen!"

As a child, Erik's dream was like any other. He wanted to beat the Elite Four, defeat the current World Champion and become the best Pokemon trainer on the planet.

Growing up in the region of Kanto was tough – travel between towns was dangerous and crime ran rampant. But the main reason was that he rarely got to see his father, a gym leader in the distant land of Hoenn.

His mother tried to persuade him to take a different path, wanting her son to become a doctor or a scientist, anything other than a Pokemon trainer.

"Everyone wants to capture Pokemon and use them as pets or to battle with them Erik. But not very many people get that far before they get their licence taken away." She would frequently say to him.

"But Daddy is one of Hoenn's eight gym leaders, he'll make sure I become the best!" Was always Erik's reply. But as he got older and saw his father less and less, his positive outlook on life and youthful enthusiasm was slowly curbed.

Into his teenage years Erik still studied for his Pokemon licence, which involved series of tests a potential Pokemon trainer must take to prove they are worthy of becoming one.

"As soon as I'm old enough to take the tests I'll pass them, my sixteenth birthday is only a year away now," Erik promised himself.

"Team Rocket have struck again!" blasted the news presenter one chilly Autumn morning, late into Erik's fifteenth year of life.

"This time a group of six Rocket members unleashed their Pokemon, believed to be Zubats, on a shop owner in Saffron city, using the distraction to steal cash and store products. Police are investigating the latest incident in what is an ever growing crime wave."

"Wait, the shop they stole from is "Taylor's Pokemon Accessories", that's a two minute walk from here!" Erik blurted out, shocked that the crime wave was occurring so close to where he and his mother lived. "I'm going to take down Team Rocket and save this city, I'll be a hero!" Erik thought to himself "All I need to do is pass my test and get my licence."

It wasn't just Kanto that was facing problems from the criminal gang, but the neighbouring Johto region too, amongst many others.

"These gangs are everywhere nowadays," His mother would remark each time she saw a news story on the subject, "They use their Pokemon as weapons, and your common man like that poor shop owner cannot stand against them."

Erik had resolved to fix the problem himself.


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It was the day of his sixteenth birthday, and Erik stared at the test centre through his ocean blue eyes. He noticed how plain the building looked, located on the edge of the Viridian city, the test centre was made with plain white stone, and although it was a rather large building, there were few windows. Erik went to run his fingers through his hair until he remembered he was wearing the hat he had gotten today as a present from his mother.

"I'll always wear this hat to remember you when I'm rich and famous" Erik informed her as he left the house that day. He reached into his lime green backpack (another present from his mother for his birthday) to withdraw his provisional licence and strolled up to the front entrance. He pushed his way through the small red door and entered the test centre, whereupon he was immediately greeted by a tall man with short brown hair who looked to be in his early thirties.

"Hello! May I see your provisional licence please?" The man said before grabbing it out of Erik's hand. "Ahh, Erik. Yes I remember, your test is today. I'm Nigel and will be your examiner." Nigel extended his hand which Erik grabbed and shook, his examiner seemed to be so enthusiastic that his burly frame could burst at any second.

"Ahh nice firm handshake" Nigel remarked "Please follow me to the waiting room."

The walk to the waiting room took place without further conversation as Erik's focus remained firmly on the task at hand. Walking at his own pace as he refused to even attempt to match Nigel's large strides, they embarked through a series of small corridors. The whole building having painted white stone walls with chestnut brown wooden doors dotted here and there. Nigel stopped at one such door and opened it, showing Erik into a small room. Again the stone walls were painted clean white, with the only feature of the room being the red cushioned sofas – of which there were two.

"This is the waiting room, the door opposite this room leads to where your test will take place." Nigel informed Erik with his deep, booming voice. "I know you may already know the ins and outs of a Pokemon licence and the test, but let me explain them to you anyway just to make things clear. If you pass today and obtain your licence, you can begin battling and capturing Pokemon. Obviously, nowadays Pokemon battles are a case of last man standing, and if someone loses all their Pokemon in a battle, they lose."

All of this was information Erik already knew, but he continued to listen anyway. "If a trainer loses all of their Pokemon, and they have none remaining in storage – their licence is forfeited. This means that they cannot retake the test for a further year." Nigel took a breath before continuing, he did like to speak quickly. "If a trainer loses a licence three times, or fails the test for a third time, they cannot try and obtain one again as they have proven themselves unfit to handle Pokemon."

Erik took a moment to process the information, all of which he had already read in books but hearing it said aloud was another thing entirely. Nigel gave Erik a few seconds before continuing..

"Finally, you will be given a device to put around your wrist that cannot be taken off. This lets us know if you are breaking any rules regarding Pokemon. The device will vibrate when it detects another trainer's device within a certain distance, and if you wish to challenge that trainer to a battle press the middle button on the device. Obviously they can do the same to you, and if either trainer rejects the battle they will face disciplinary action and be forced to explain why they rejected it. So in short, if you are challenged to a battle you have no choice other than to accept!" Nigel seemed to find that funny, his laughter like an explosion.

"Okay that's all, sorry for going on! I'll just go and prepare your test for you now."

Nigel departed the room giving Erik a lot to think about, he didn't know that he would be forced to battle if another trainer wanted to, what if his Pokemon were injured after a long battle before and someone took advantage of this? He shook his head, "Any doubt in my mind will make me fail this test."

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Before long Nigel returned, "Your tests are ready, there will be three of them." Nigel's deep voice echoed around the room. "The first test will be a Pokemon knowledge test, the second a task to show whether you can care for a Pokemon or not. The third will be a mock battle. Obviously you will have to pass all three of these tests to obtain your licence. Good luck, and follow me."

Erik followed Nigel out the room and back into the corridor. Nigel headed straight to the door opposite, which did indeed lead to the test area. The space in which his exam would take place was infact a giant, poorly lit room. In the centre was a battle stage, although with a hole in the middle of it, with a golden podium on either side, the podium to the right containing three Pokeballs – spherical objects which housed a single Pokemon. The podium to the left containing only two of these balls. Nigel pointed to the podium on the left hand side, requesting Erik to ascend onto it.

"Ready for the first test? It's General knowledge! First question – which of these types are effective to use against a water Pokemon? – Fire, Electric or Rock?"

"This is easy." Erik thought to himself, "Electric." He shouted confidently.

"Second question, which of these Pokemon can fly and is commonly found in caves? Zubat, Caterpie, or Weedle?"

"Zubat." Erik said, a lot calmer this time.

A minute passed and Erik had answered all ten questions thrown his way. "You only needed to get eight out of the ten correct to pass but you managed all ten. Congratulations!" Nigel boomed "Now for round two."

The ground seemed to shake from under him, causing Erik to grab onto the podium. He looked back up to the centre of the room, where the hole that had previously been there had been replaced by a small white round table. An injured bug was was lying there, which Erik identified as a Weedle. The Pokemon was surrounded by three items.

Erik slowly walked up to the injured Pokemon and noticed the three items on the table were in fact a potion, a handful of small red berries in a bowl and a Pokeball.

"This Pokemon is injured, starving and craving to be given a home!" Nigel shouted "Your task is to help him in that order."

"This is horrible" Erik thought to himself. "Did they injure the Weedle themselves just to test a potential trainer?"

He set about his task despite his thoughts. Firstly, he applied the potion to Weedle's wounds which instantly began to heal. After which he began feeding the Pokemon the bowl of small red berries, known as "Oran berries", to quench it's hunger.

Finally, Erik opened up the Pokeball. Usually he would have to throw the Pokeball at the Pokemon, hoping that the creature he was trying to capture would accept it's new home, otherwise it would break free of it's spherical prison. But this Weedle already seemed to accept Erik, so went inside without hesitation.

"He's accepted you, that's a good sign!" Nigel exclaimed overenthusiastically as always, "Well done, task two achieved with perfection. Now for your final test."

Erik was now brimming with confidence. "Battling has always been my biggest strength," he knew, "Time to get myself a Pokemon licence!"

Without being told, Erik walked back up onto the podium and was stunned to see Nigel unmoved from the edge of the arena.

"Aren't you going up there?" Erik inquired.

"No," Nigel responded. "I am not to be your opponent."

Erik heard a door slam from the other side of the room, but it was too dark to see who had come out of it. A figure cloaked in the shadows moved towards the podium in a calm, confident manner. The newcomer stepping up onto the opposite podium. As the figure stepped into the light beaming up from the podium, it revealed a man in his forties with dark, thinning hair and ocean blue eyes that matched Erik's perfectly.

"Hello son"

"Dad?" came Erik's stunned reply. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to test out your abilities for myself, and as a gym leader the test centre allowed me to do so."

Nigel interrupted the conversation "Erik vs Norman, begin!" His voice so deep it even echoed around this much larger room. Without hesitation, Erik's father picked up one of the Pokeballs and threw it into the arena. Out came a small flying Pokemon, known as Spearow. As Erik went to reach for one of his two Pokeballs, Nigel interrupted again "No! Use your Weedle!"

Erik was stunned, flying Pokemon were strong against bug types, leaving his father with a clear advantage and seeing as Spearow was also much faster, could attack before Weedle even had time to think.

"Spearow, peck him!" Came the shout from Norman, his Spearow responding instantly, flying in for the kill.

Erik quickly shook a thousand thoughts out of his head, and forced himself to focus on the battle.

"Quick Weedle, use string shot and slow him down!" But it was too late, Weedle was already laying lifeless on the floor.

Erik couldn't believe they battled to the death in the test centre like they did in the outside world, something strange was going on.

He reached for another Pokeball. Choosing the one to the left, he threw it onto the stage. A Mankey had laid inside, the small furry Pokemon that was quick to anger.

"No.." Erik thought, "Mankey is a fighting type Pokemon, also weak to flying attacks..."

"Spearow, peck him again!" Came the shout from his father.

"Mankey, scratch him!" was Erik's counter

However, the Spearow was too quick again and Mankey was down on the floor. Erik thought he had lost his second Pokemon.

But the Mankey proved him wrong. Enraged, the fighting type leapt to the floor, moving to scratch the bird, hitting his target. Spearow was taken aback, but moved in and pecked again, finishing the weakened Mankey off.

"Final Pokemon now. I can't lose this..." Erik whispered, before picking up the final Pokeball on his podium.

He threw the ball onto the stage, out came another bird pokemon, but with more meat on it than the Spearow. Erik's Pokemon was a Pidgey.

"Flying vs flying, and his Spearow has taken a hit from Mankey already. I can do this!" Erik's thought to himself again, and it proved true. Although the Spearow was faster and managed to peck at Pidgey, a gust of wind summoned from Erik's Pokemon's wings was enough to finish Spearow off.

Norman picked up another one of his Pokeballs and threw it onto the stage, out came a Caterpie.

"Yes!" Erik;s thoughts screamed inside his head. "A bug Pokemon. This time I have the advantage!"

He instructed his Pidgey to send a gust of wind at the small green caterpillar. The attack proving too much for the Caterpie and left his father down to his final Pokemon.

"Very good son. But not good enough I'm afraid." Norman taunted, speaking to his son for the first time since the battle started, before picking up his final ball and throwing it. A Rattata coming out.

"Hmm.." Erik considered. "That small purple rodent is a normal type, which means neither him nor Pidgey have the advantage here."

"Bite him Rattata!"

"Use gust Pidgey!"

Pidgey was faster, striking first. However, the Rattata recovered to sink his teeth into Erik's last hope. The two Pokemon returned to their side of the arena, followed by the two trainers instructing their Pokemon to use the same moves again. Pidgey again hit Rattata which sent the small rodent flying into Norman's podium, the Pokemon slouching against the ground. Erik allowed himself a smile, holding himself back from bursting into a cheer of sheer elation before a movement caught his eye, the Rattata was alive and on his Pidgey, sinking his fangs into the bird, crushing Erik's dreams. He had failed the test.