Snowy_One Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) Foreword The concept of a story set in the world of Pokemon has always been one that fascinated me. The anime, the manga, and the rest have always been entertaining, but I've always wanted to dip my own toe into the water. Yet I didn't know what to do or how to do it. Did I write my own story and stay true to the core of the series? Did I plunge into my own personal story and hope it wasn't too grim? Did I do a LP? I didn't know. I still don't know. But after reading some very good comics and stories involving Nuzlocke runs (Myths of Unova being the stand-out one in my eyes), I decided to give it a shot. I won't profess to be some amazing writer, remember the story beforehand, or anything of the sort, but I am going to try. With luck you will see 1-2 chapters a week with, maybe, some filler at worst. The Rules 1) If a Pokemon is KO'ed, that Pokemon cannot be used in battle anymore. Ever. 1a) As this is a story, if the pokemon is dead or merely too badly wounded to continue fighting will depend on the situation. It seems unlikely that a gym leader would be able to keep his gym if he went out and intentionally started killing the mons of new trainers, especially when you fight your parent, and the mons should be trained enough to not accidentally splat foes, so something like that would merely result in the mon being too badly wounded to fight. This will not change the gameplay, just the narrative. 2) A player may only capture the first mon found on a route or area. 2a) Legendary mons can be caught but cannot be used in battle. 2b) A shiny mon can be caught but not used in battle unless it's the first mon in the area, obviously. 2c) Trading is considered illegal and not to be done. Same applies for the Pokebank. 3) Only items found in the field can be used. 3a) Revives cannot be used. 3b) Pokeballs can be bought, of course. 4) The player CANNOT swap out a mon from the party for one in the PC until an empty slot forms via KO. 4a) If the player needs a mon for a certain TM/HM (EX: not having a mon that can use surf), the swap can occur but the mon cannot take part in battle unless the main battlers are KO'ed first. Lastly, though this isn't a 'rule' so much as a 'notion', since this is a story and not a LP, please understand that there will be narrative liberties taken. Most likely this will just be in the form of dialogue and conversations, but battles won't be a blow-by-blow description either. Please post any comments in the feedback section. Prologue The schoolbell rang clearly throughout the schoolyard in Olivine city signaling the afternoon break. A course of desks being shoved aside, chatter of students eagerly awaiting lunch and hoping they got to the cafe in time for the Miltank milk, and the last-minute cries of teachers trying to remind the students of upcoming homework filled the air as the classrooms entered and the cafeteria opened. As the bustle of students filtered into the lunch room, each taking their own seat, one of the students moved over to the seat nearest to the window. He was a young boy with a bright red and black shirt, brown hair, and a white bandana on his head named Charles. This is his story. Charles sat at the table, a sandwich in one hand being idly eaten as he looked out through the window. Beyond the glass he could see the wide open ocean before the great city. As long as he could remember he had enjoyed going down to the beach-front and playing in the sand, jumping onto sailing ships to head out to sea, and even trying to get rides from pokemon trainers on their pokemon across the sea. But right now that wasn't where his focus was. Instead it was upon the lighthouse standing up on the shoreline. The lighthouse was far away, but Charles could see it clearly enough to know what was going on. Up on the top he could see two figures and, though they were too far away for him to tell the details of, he knew who they were full-well. The first was the gym leader Jasmine, a skilled trainer of steel pokemon whom was responsible for keeping the light lit, and the second was Charles's father. He didn't need to know what was going on either as he knew full-well. Giving an idle shake he turned his head back to his meal. --- As school let out for the day Charles gathered his stuff and started to head home. Walking down the hallway and out into the streets beyond felt like a burden being lifted. He raised his hands high up into the air giving a mighty stretch as he took in the fresh air. "Hey, Charles!" called out a voice as another of the students, a boy close to his age with dark hair and glasses, ran up. "Hey Brendon. Did you pass the test today?" replied Charles in kind, cracking a smile at his friend. "Yes. But Lisa still beat me and got a perfect 100. It's so frustrating that she keeps on beating me!" "So?" asked Brendon, a bit confused. "Why does it matter? You get a bunch of 90's and the like and one student being better than you isn't that big a deal. Heck, you're better than me and you don't see me complaining.""Yes. But she's a... you know... girl..."Charles gave a small laugh. "And? You sound surprised. You've known her since we were kids and she's always been the ace to your king." "Yea. But... You don't get it, do you?" Charles gave a small laugh. "No. I don't get why it's such a big deal that Lisa beat you. She's a smart one and beats everyone in grades. Puts in a lot of work at home into her studies as well. I keep telling you that you should help her one day, but you always seem to waffle on it. I don't know why you don't just ask her." said Charles as he got his bike off the bike rack and got ready to leave. "Right. So, did your dad get his license yet?" "I don't know. Don't really care either." said Charles as he started to move to an open spot. "If he gets his license to become a gym leader he'll probably just go to some other town. Not like I'll see him any less." he said before kicking off and riding home. --- As soon as Charles arrived home he knew something was up. His house was a small one, only a few rooms and barely large enough for the family as it was. In fact it could even be said that it was too small for three people, so why on earth were there multiple cars and bikes out in front? Charles didn't give it much though as he rode up and brought his bike up, securing it to the fence, and went inside. "Charles!" cried out a voice as his mother almost charged the door, sweeping him off his feet with a surprised look. "Your home! Did you hear the news?" "Gah! Mom! Put me down!" cried out Charles as he quickly tried to squirm out of her grasp, adjusting his bandana as he looked around the house. Tight, cramped, and full of people... People... Sitting everywhere... On the chairs, on the sofa... On.. the... sofa... "Ah! Mom! What did you do? Where is my homework! I have several pieces due tomorrow and I left them on my bed so I could remember! And why are all these people here?" "Well, dear, as you know your father has been working very hard to become a gym master." started his mother. "And today, Jasmine came forwards and, well..." A young woman, dressed in a simple blue and white dress, with blond-ishbrown hair and a gentle demeanor came forwards. "J-Jasmine?" he said, looking at the woman full-on. Instantly he could feel his back go rigid and his spine shiver as she drew closer to him. His eyes locked firmly with hers as he felt his hair stand on end. "D-did you, did my dad, I saw you two at the lighthouse earlier and.." A calm and gentle smile came forwards from the gym leader. Few who saw her would think she was a gym-leader at first, much less the leader of a gym known for tenacity and might, but Charles had seen her in action before and knew she wasn't a weakling. But he had never seen her as anything more than a kindly face and... and... "Yes. He was over there. I gave him his official approval letter! Congratulations Charles! You're now the son of a gym master!" she said as she gave him a small, happy, hug. Charles didn't return the favor as his body felt a bit too terrified to move as the news rattled around in his mind. His father was a gym leader now? Really? "Yes! He got a gym out in Petalburg in the Hoenn! We're going to move with him!" And instantly a dark, deep, pit grew in Charles stomach. He didn't hear the rest of the party, taste the cake, or anything else for the rest of the night. All he could do is sit on the sofa, gripping the pillow and cushion in his hand, as Jasmine and her words filled his head. Chapter 1: A New Root The bumping of the inside of the truck was not the most pleasant feeling one could have as Brendon shuffled about in the back. Less than a week had gone by, only three days in fact, yet his whole life had been turned upside down. Before the party had even finished his mother had started gathering together her things and, when Norman had finally come home to spend time with his mom, all Charles could do is huddle up on the sofa. The following day he didn't have to go to school, but he did have to get his things ready. Cleaning up his bedding so the Machoke could pack the sofa inside, putting away his Wii U and what few games he had for pick-up, and the rest. It was his last day here, and all he could do was go out to his friends with the surprise and hope they wouldn't be mad. They weren't, for the most part, but they were stunned horribly. "What, really? You're moving?" "You're dad's a gym leader? That's awesome man! You'll have fun in your new home!" "R-really? We'll miss you." Part of them wished that they had been mad. Then, at least, he could have said how unhappy he was about the move. The only two stand-outs were Brendon and Jasmine. Brendon, being himself, had listened in shock for the first few moments before, timidly offering him his little pokenav. It wasn't anything spectacular, but Charles knew full-well what it meant to Brendon. Similar to Charles's bike it was the closest thing he had to a valued possession. Jasmine, on the other hand, had little to say. He wasn't surprised. The girl wasn't exactly the talkative type, but when Charles had gone to her in the lighthouse, he hadn't expected much. She had been looking out over the ocean, meekly, as Charles had approached and sat down beside her. For a moment neither had said anything until she told him that she knew this would be hard for him. Something like this wasn't to be taken lightly and she knew Norman had done this against Charles's wishes, but that was life. Not everything would be perfect or work out well, but it was important to keep going. Then, as Charles got up to leave, she wished him well. As he sat in the truck, an Azurill doll from his mother rubbing up against his cheek, a Mew doll looking down from a box in the truck, and the nav in-hand, all he could do was think back on her words... And the dawning realization that he had left his bike chained up to the fence back at home. Great. This was just great. Then the truck stopped and Charles stumbled out of the truck and into the new world. --- "I see you finally got out of the truck!" the cheery voice of his mother came as his feet touched the ground and Charles saw his new house for the first time. He almost stumbled backwards into the truck from whence he had stumbled. Compared to their old place this new house was HUGE! Two stories, several different rooms visible from the outside, and that wasn't to mention the surrounding woods which, when compared to the city houses and roads, seemed HUGE! He felt as if he could get lost in side without much of a problem and, as he stumbled inside, the words of his mother going through his head, he saw a wide open house, a staircase upstairs, and at the insistence of his mother, a whole room now to himself. No more sleeping on the sofa, no more huddling away when guests came over, he now had a room, and his Wii U was already hooked up. For a moment he just wanted to sit down and play, taking in the new world around him, and that he did. For an hour, then two, he played and enjoyed such a simple pleasure as having a chair to sit in all to himself. Beanbag too! "Charles!" called his mother from downstairs. "You need to go and meet professor Birch. He's the one who helped your dad pick out this place." The words almost shot through Charles's ears without regard as he happily rubbed his feet against the hardwood floors. Maybe this would be alright... "Also, he's a pokemon professor and he may need your help. You know how Oak needed the help of that kid from Pallet, and Elm used that other kid to study breeding? Birch studies habitats and it would be a good way to repay him." she said before coming over and placing her hands on his shoulder. She looked him firmly in the eye, then game him a hug. "And I know how you feel about this place, about your father, and everything. He has some pokemon that he might be willing to give you. Just... promise me you'll be safe." she said before giving him another hug. Charles wasn't sure what to think as he left the home. This was such a huge shock to him. Gone were the familiar streets, replaced with open forests. Gone was the cramped home where he slept on the sofa, replaced with his own room. Gone was... was so much, replaced with so much. "But I need to keep going." he thought to himself as he slowly moved towards the only house that clearly had some research equipment dangling outside in the back yard. --- As he knocked on the door a woman came to answer. She seemed strange, different, than normal. Was it just the shock of this new home?"H-hello? Are you Ms. Birch?" he asked, trying to sound less confused and shocked. "Ah! You must be Norman's son, Charles!" she said, a huge smile on her face. "Come in! Come in! My husband is out late tonight, studying some of the local fauna, but he should be home soon. So nice to meet you. Your father talked so much about you!"Charles quickly shook his head. "I'm surprised he did instead of talking about his new job. Still, very nice to meet you Ms. Birch.""Yes. Yes. I know. You want to find him or go back home and settle in. But before you go, I have a daughter the same age as you. I suggest you go up and meet her. She's been lonely here and having a friend for her would be great! She's right upstairs." And so Charles took his first, fateful, steps upstairs. The door was open. Whomever was inside was clearly not concerned with privacy, and as Charles stepped inside he saw why. A young girl sat at her desk, pencil in hand, writing something down. She was young, clearly in her early to mid teens, with a happy smile on her face. Long hair of light-brown/blondish color flowed down her cheeks, tied into twin... somethings, at the side and were held in place by a red bandanna tied in a bow, similar to his own in some ways. She wore red and black and, as she noticed him and stood up, Charles did not know what to say. "Oh! Hello!" she said, smiling as she got up. "You must be Charles! My dad told me about you, said you were moving in next door. Nice to meet you! I'm May." she said as she closed in, a smile on her face. Charles did not know what to say. He could feel his back going rigid, his hair standing on end, and his eyes locked on her. "He said you were a nice guy. I hope we can become friends with each other... You alright?" she asked as she quickly brought her arm up to his forehead, pressing it against him to see if he had a fever or something. "yes" he said, barely able to squeak out the words. Was she scary? How? She was just a girl? Why was she making him scared? How? Was she mad? Would she get mad if he said the wrong thing? "Ah. Well, nice to meet you." she said, pulling her arm away, smiling again. "My dad needs my help researching. You're welcome to come along. If you do, I'll be waiting downstairs. Don't take too long!" she said as she stepped past him. As he heard her feet going down the stairs it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. May's room was... pretty. So very pretty. Clean, tight, yet not embellished overly. In fact, it looked an aweful lot like his own room, but he had just moved here and she had lived here for a while. Quietly he moved over to her desk, seeing what she had written. It was a test-sheet, covered in nice, clean, script with a few curls, and notes to the side. A few papers lay beside the test showing she had done her research. Taking a step back he looked around her room again only to spot, nestled next to a TV, a Wii U as well. Several titles lay beside, stacked in a neat pile. He could easily see the labels on them and he was shocked as a sizable chunk were the same as the ones he owned. Who was this girl? Some alternate life of himself? --- As he walked down again, May was waiting. Once again Charles could feel the weight upon his chest growing, his hair standing on-end in confusion, but, as she took off... leading the way to the forest, part of him wondered if she would be alright and, maybe, really his first friend in this new land. 'Yip yip yip!' "HELP!" It only took a second for the sound to reach his ear and snap him back to the real world as May, shocked, had taken a step back and was looking on at a sad scene. A small Poochyena, only about half a meter tall, was chasing around a very big, heavy-set, man with a bag. 'Yip yip yip!' "Ah! He's going to eat me!' he cried out again as he ran around in another circle. "May! Help! Grab one of my pokeballs!" he said, pointing to a small bag with three pokeballs laying on the ground beside him. Though the call had been for May, Charles knew exactly what to do. He had seen it done many times before, on TV, with Jasmine, with Norman, even his own mother. He hurried forwards and grabbed one of the balls, quickly touching the spot to make it grow in size, before tossing it out beforehand. And before him came a small bird. It was somewhat smaller than the Poocheyna, covered in orange and yellow feathers, but Charles knew all too well what was really going on. This was a Torchic. Not exactly the most fierce of pokemon by a long-shot, and only a relative baby to boot, but it was clear it was a fire-type mon, capable of fighting, and "Torchic?" chirped the small bird, watching as, before it, a small mon chased around an adult human. It was clear it was utterly baffled by the situation, unsure of what was even going on, but Charles knew exactly what to do. "Torchic, use ember!" called out Charles, and the battle was joined. Small flames shot out of the Torchic's mouth, filling the air before it with cinders and smoke as the Poocheyna took notice and stopped chasing Birch, giving a small growl at the Torchic before leaping forwards. It darted through the grass, its short, sharp, fangs bared for the small mon as it lunched forwards, trying to nip at its neck, only to catch nothing but grass as the bird sprang backwards, dodging the blow, leaving nothing but a frustrated snarl from the mon. "Again!" And as the Torchic shot backwards, its feet still having yet to touch the ground, a second spurt of flame came forwards,, charring the ground right before the smaller mon and causing it to step backwards from the heat and cinders. It then turned tail and ran, clearly not willing to brave the flames for the cause of biting Birch's buttocks. "Oh! Whew! I thought I was a goner there!" said Birch as he came to a stop, panting heavily as he caught his breath. It was only now that Charles noticed that, not only May, but the torchic itself, was LAUGHING at Birch. The tone was light-hearted, but they clearly saw how absurd the situation was. May came forwards to pat her dad on the back. "Oh, daddy. *giggle* if Charles hadn't shown up right then you might have been nipped to death!" "Aye, May, that little bugger was so tenacious!" said Birch in response, only to watch as the torchic ran over to Charles, rubbing its beak alongside his leg. Charles looked up at Birch, rubbing the back of his head in surprise. "Ummm... Don't worry Professor? I'm sorry for using your pokemon. I just had to do something about it and acted on instinct.""That you did. And you did a mighty fine job of it too! Tell you what? You handled that Torchic well out there. Why don't you keep it for yourself then? It seems to like you well enough anyways and I was just going to bring all three of those mons back for you and May to pick from anyways!" Charles looked down at the small bird, rubbing its beak against his leg. "Really? Should I?" he asked Birch again before looking down at the mon. "So then, little guy, you want to come with me then?" "Torchic!" called out the small bird before jumping up onto his shoulder and chirping again. "Haha! He likes you already." said Birch with a smile. "So what are you going to call him? Your first pokemon?" Charles took the small pokemon in his arms, holding it out before him. He could see it well, his first mon. What to name it?"Brendon. His name is now Brendon." he said with a smile as he put it down beside him. "Come along Brendon. We have a new life to start." Chapter 2: Girls and Mudkips Charles smiled as he put his new mon on the ground, watching as Brendon gave another small chirp before running up to rub its cheek against both May and Birch. Despite having a beak Brendon could almost swear that he saw the mon... smiling. It was certainly happy to be surrounded by the group of new friends. "Okay, Brendon, that's enough." said Charles as he picked up the young pokemon and placed him inside his pokeball. "So what of the other two? May gets one as well?" he asked, curious as to the professors plan. Obviously there were three pokemon and, unless Birch was lacking in more than just bravery, only two of them."One goes to May. As for the last, I will keep it for myself.""What? Why dad?" asked May, clearly shocked at the news. "You know I'm experienced and can handle two mons!""I know that May." said Birch, coming close and placing his hand on his daughters shoulder. "I trust that you are. But listen. I want you to grow up strong, to be your own person. While I could give Charles or you both pokemon doing that removes the whole point of having a pokemon. These beings are not just gifts. They're friends and companions. People who see them only as tools or beasts do horrible things to them. You can't rely on me or on handouts for life. I want to see you succeed on your own merit, not be caught in my shadow." he said, tearing up a bit.Then, he lunged forwards and caught her up in a big hug. Brendon watched the two embrace and, squirming around in Charles's grasp, tried to wrap his tiny wings around Charles's body."Besides, considering what just happened, I think I need a mon for my own protection.""Heh. Like you'll remember instead of running scared." said May with a laugh."Now, for the both of you, I have a small task. It's pretty straight-forwards. I want to chart the habitat in Route 103. It's not a huge thing and there are plenty of maps, but it's a good task for the both of you to cut your teeth on." he said with a smile as he turned to leave."Daddy! My pokemon!""Oh! Right! May, I still have a Treecko and a Mudkip for you to pick from." he said as he raised the two balls up into the air. May didn't hesitate for a second as her hand shot out to grab Mudkip's Pokeball. "Not even a question to me. Mudkip is a cool pokemon. Besides, Charles, if we fight each other at some point I want to have an edge!"Charles gave a sudden gulp. It didn't take a genius to know that Brendon would be hobbled horribly in such a fight as Torchic's flame was weak against both ground and water. May was not a dunce. Still, with a smile on her face, she quickly rubbed her hand across her bow before placing it firmly on Charles's shoulder.Instantly Charles went rigid as Brendon dropped down from his hands, his hair standing on end at the touch."Come on Charles. Race you there. If you lose you have to battle me!" she said before giving a wink and rushing off. Charles didn't know what to say. He could barely move. He could... He could do nothing but watch her leave and wait for the chill to fade. "Charles, something wrong?""What? No!" he said after a moment as he shook his head clear of the thoughts and pulled Brendon back into his ball. He had to hurry! A fight against a mudkip was very bad!Why does she scare me so much? No one has ever scared me before, yet May... There isn't anything to be scared of. So why does she freak me out? Several hours later the only thing that could be heard on route 103 was the heavy panting as Charles, winded, clambered up the route only to see that May had arrived long before him. How on earth was that girl so FAST?! Was she part Dodrio?"May... May... How on...""Hm?" she asked, looking over her shoulder to see him. "Oh! Charles! You're here at last! I was just finishing up! You lost, so it's time for a battle!" she exclaimed, sounding almost happy... only to watch as Charles fell over backwards, whiting out as another wave of shock swept through his body in addition to the weariness. A short-while later, after Charles had gotten his breath back, things could finally begin proper. Charles looked on, keeping his eye on May's ball. He knew full-well what mon she'd toss out, but he could feel the tension rising. This would be his first battle as a trainer! His first battle!May simply smiled as she gave a wink and ran her finger across her bandana again as she tossed out her pokeball, summoning Mudkip. Charles own ball dropped from his hand onto the ground and Brendon popped out, and Charles didn't even notice what was happening.Brendon did. Instantly, as he faced down his blue and orange foe, he could feel the tension rising. Fire was useless in this fight, robbing him of his embers, and there was no denial of Mudkip's superiority, but he was not about to be deterred! Instantly his feathers puffed up as he took as threatening a posture as possible, growling as loudly as he could as he stared down the Mudkip. Mudkip was not deterred in the slightest, but as it made its first lunge, aiming to tackle Brendon to the ground, Brendon's tension came into play as he sprung backwards. Not enough to dodge the blow entirely, but enough to lessen its impact. Quickly, the birds talons came up as it jumped into the air, scratching down across Mudkip's cheeks, causing it to stumble backwards. The mudkip turned back, annoyed, as water started to well up inside its cheeks."Kayle, that's enough." said May, putting her hand down on the mon as she looked at Brendon, petting it on the head. "You're a tough little guy you know. I don't want you or Kayle to get hurt though. I meant it as a joke anyways. Just a few nudges then it would be over. You win. But don't worry! Next time I'll come back stronger! Maybe then I'll have some torchic scratch to fight you with!" she said with a smile. Torchic looked at her oddly before, suddenly, getting the joke. A flurry of giggles and chips came forwards as the group headed back to town, Charles following behind. Silently he was ashamed. He hadn't done anything, not even give an order, why did May terrify him so much? Chapter 3: Laughing Friends. As Charles returned to Littleroot, following May's footsteps back to return the data, his mind drifted back to what had just happened. His first battle, distraught as it was, he had won without even commanding Charles. He had seen battles before, many times in fact, but never paid them much mind. His father rarely battled around him, none of his friends had a pokemon that fought, and Jasmine... Jasmine was abnormal. A gym leader fights on an entirely different level than the casual trainer just looking for some fun or to stave off a wild pokemon. He had seen the trainers before, filtering in through the town, heading to her gym. They were a varied lot. Some were gruff, harsh, trainers with mons that were terrified. Some were trainers simply focused on a goal and treated their mons like tools, well kept and maintained tools, but not beings regardless. Some trainers entered in crying, setting the body of a beloved mon out to sea to rest forever and their pokemon at their side, comforting them. He had never, truly, bothered to get to know them better though. Yet here he was. He was out in the wilds, away from home, stumbling down a well-maintained, yet still undeniably wild, route with a pokemon in-tow having just beaten another trainer in battle. "Am I... Am I a trainer now?" --- After the data had been returned Charles returned to the route heading out of town. He knew full-well what lay beyond. A wild land where cities were connected by pathways where the wild mons roamed. Yet this was something important for him. This was his new beginning, his chance to prove to himself that he was not only better than his father but to find his own place in the world. With a single step, passing from town to field, he took his first, true, steps to becoming a pokemon master! The first steps of a rather long journey. He hadn't noticed before, but without the eager pace to catch up to May, the route was LONG! There was so much more too it than before! Flying pokemon flittered in trees as the faint rustles in the grass signified the flight of pokemon not exactly eager to fight for a meal and, at his side, Brendon plodded along. One pokemon, however, did not flee fast enough. It was a wurmple. A small, caterpie-like, pokemon, and not even one of any real note. The Wurmple had built for itself a small nest, trampling down the grass of the field, spraying some webbing around, and storing in various bits of food. Did it matter though? For Charles this was a big moment. He wasn't going to let this pass him by as this would be his first pokemon that he caught on his own! "Wurmple?" His first pokemon! "Wurmple?""Tor-Torchic."His first... What? Charles looked own in confusion as Brendon approached the Wurmple, its head turned to one side, clearly not intending to fight the bug pokemon. What was going on?--- "Hey there!" called out Brendon as he approached the Wurmple's nest. He could tell quite a few things about it just from a glance around. The Wurmple was clearly a bit young as few experienced in the world would try to build a place for themselves so... exposed. "Oh! Hey there Mr. Birdy!" chirped the wurple, a grin on her face as she quickly walked up, smiling. "Do you like it? It took me a while, but I finally got the grass to bend down without breaking it. Cierra is my name!""Aye, Cierra. It's a wonderful place, but you know it's a bit... exposed. A Pidgey could just sweep right by and gobble you up little wrumple, and that's not to mention the other things that would want to eat you for a snack."The Wurmple gave a small giggle. "Yup. I know.""Then why aren't you scared? Of them? Of me? You know I'm a Torchic." "Of course I know, silly! I can also see the dumbfounded man behind you. You're not here to kill and eat me.""Still, it's very stupid of you to do something like this." said Brendon with a sigh. "Oh, come ON now! You just met me less than a minute ago and you're calling me stupid?" exclaimed Cierra as her mouth seemingly dropped open, for a pokemon at least, as she gave a somewhat exasperated sigh.Brendon gave a small chirp of a laugh at the display. "Sorry. Sorry. You're right! Haha! You might want to keep that temper a bit more in check though, but, tell ya what. You come along with Charles and me and I promise we won't eat ya. We'll keep a child like you safe and help you out.""I'm not a kid! You're only slightly older than me!" she said with a small 'hurmph' back. "And you didn't like my home.""We'll get you a new home. Some place where you can have plenty of food and not have to worry about birds that come by..." he took a small step forwards. "hungry birds..." he approached Cierra some more. "Just looking for... A bite of baby wurmple!" he gave a small squawk as he lunged forwards, his beak prodding the young girl, not harmfully, but enough to cause a tickle to run through her body, causing her to curl up and string to spray forth all over Charles's face. "Okay! Okay! I'll come! Just... Just stop tickling!""Then welcome to the team Cierra! Right now it's just Charles and me, and now you!" he said as the pair turned around to approach Charles. A confused look was on his face as he pulled more of the Wurmple string away. With his beak Brendon pecked at the Pokeball, hoping Charles would understand."Can I spray him one more time before I join?""Aye, Cierra, you can."And as Charles readied the pokeball, a second spray of string, a cry of disgust, a dropped pokeball, and then... there were three. A little pixie of a Wurmple, a happy Torchic, and a trainer gagging and hoping the Wurmple string didn't get into his mouth. Chapter 4: The Growing Family I remember my family. I was born from an egg, one of many, hidden away within the bushes in the grass. My mother had done the best she could to care for me, hidden me and my brothers and sisters away, kept us as safe from the birds and beasts that would have loved to make a snack of a small Wurmple, and tried her very best to do so. Many of my brothers and sisters were scared, afraid of the outside world, and so was I. We all knew what was to come though. Mother had her own life to live. She had to eat, sleep, and move on. She did her best to prepare us for the world outside, taught us to use our poisons and strings, what to eat and what not to eat, but then she was gone. We each split into our own separate groups. I was one of a small group of five, my brothers and sisters, that headed down south, towards the human villages. We knew there was a risk of the humans capturing us or killing us, but there was also the chance that they would spare us, protect us, and we were willing to take it. Even so it was not an easy life. Many days we would hide away, cuddling together in a tight little ball. I did my best to encourage them, telling them that, each day, we would survive and grow. When the moon rose I joked about how we would, one day, fly under it, safe from the beings on the ground. I played with them, encouraged them, and we started to form a life together. We were few, but we worked together. Our nest grew and grew in size as we grew. We started to approach adult-hood, started to gear up, but then our five became four. We did not know what to do, four young Wurmple, terrified now of the Zigzagoon that lurked in the grass, reminded of the danger they posed. We mourned our lost brother, then I suggested something crazy. I told my brother and sisters that, even though he had left us, it was best to remember him as he would have been, not what had happened. Slowly we worked together, building a cocoon for him, before we split it open before the sun, a Beautifly taking flight. Once again the smiles came back to our faces as we grew confident once again, held together by smiles and memories. My eldest sister, at last, formed her own cocoon. We protected her, watched over her, until she took flight as well. We knew she could not stay and told her to seek out a new life. Our four became three. Then the three became two as the Taillow spotted us and my brother fell, but we were not helpless. Though he was gone so was his killer, slain by the poison our mother had taught us to use. My sister and I built a new cocoon for him and, as the morning sun rose, a new Beautifly took flight with the dew, his cocoon joining the rest. My sister and I were alone. She was terrified, scared of the world now that her brothers had died and her sister had left. I told her to take heart, than everything would be okay, and everything was. When a trainer came along at last, instead of terror and hiding, I pushed her forwards, gave her a new chance at life, a chance she had. I built the fourth cocoon by myself. As I looked over my work, four cocoons laid out where I home had once been, I smiled. I was no longer afraid. Not of the birds, not of the beasts, not of anything. I had survived with a smile on my face, an encouraging smile, and hope. When my time came I embraced it fully. Mother, if you could see me now. Now I have taken flight with them, not as a ghost, but as a Beautifly. I am my own being now, and I no longer fear that which once threatened to destroy me. My family that had once dwindled has, once again, grown. I shall do what I have always done, cheer them on with a smile and encouragement. - Cierra Chapter 5: Kibbles and Bites! Food! Food is such a wondrous thing! Out here in the wilds it was a luxury, having to sniff out the scraps hidden away in burrows, hoping that the Diglett didn't steal it away, sniffing out the odd bit behind a stump. Hard to come by, until I figured it all out! Humans! Humans have lots of food! And they throw away so much too! Should be easy pickings! So I snuck closer and closer to their homes, keeping my voice down, keeping myself subdued, hiding away... when the humans found me I gave a small whine while shrinking away, like a cute little puppy, before returning to sniff out their garbage. Mom always said I had a gift. I think she meant the ice-cold bite I could bestow when I nipped at her, but I think it was my ability to sniff out the faint scents hidden away behind lids and inside bags. It was great! Until I sniffed something from an old, fat, man. Was it peanut butter? A bit of sauce? I don't remember, but I chased him. I chased him for what felt like an hour, running in circles, nipping at him to get the food, until some hotwings ruined it for me. So I slunk back, kept a low profile, nibbled on some snack-food dust, then I wanted to go for the real food again. And then I saw it! Hotwings again! And now I'm trapped. Eh. It happens. The hotwings had a wurmple, good eating, at his side. She tied me up in string and he scratched me until the human hit me with a ball. Meanie. When dinner came tonight I tried to nip at hotwings again, but the human quickly made it clear he was the alpha. Okay. I kept quiet, came up beside him, and rested my head on his lap as I watched the wurmple and hotwings play. They look delicious and, while the dry food is kind of bad, it's far better than scavanging. I think I'll like it here. - Calvin Chapter 6: Lonely Lotad Ya know what? Thish world, she bith... she bit... she does something mean to me ever day. Ya don't wake up in a nice, pristine puddle every night, do ya? Do ya? Bah. Why do you care? All you care about is what you can take from my puddle, right? Go away. You're giving me a headache. Wait, why are you still here? Bah. Never... never mind. Ya know what happens when tthis world bits you? You washkesh uppity thingy one morning in a pond you thought no one would dare touch, but its not your pond anymore. Why is it not my pond? I can shee the same water... It's the same water... right? Except everything is gone. My friendsh, that cute little wingull who fliesh by every day, that... that darling Ziggashoon... They're all gone. Every last one of them! Even my lovely little rock pool is gone! Go away I don't want to talk about it! But since you asked, yea. They're all gone. Went to bed one night when shom shoomans were making out... making alout? of noish outside my pond and someone threw... something... I don't know. SOmething Lharge and round at my pound. Made me feel all funnyish and happy and the like, but when I woke up, it was gone! Someone stole my pond! How can the humans do that? Steal and entire POND! So I went out and went looking. The humans must have been tried to shake the earth as well though since it kept shaking about me. Then I felt... I felt this weirld coldness and this white, sticky, stuff covering mah body and... And where did all these mons come from? There are three of them now. Wait? is it four or three if I'm here? Do I count myself? Some dumb torchic, a cute little Silcoon, and a little puppy that's the hottest little... wait... is that Poochyena a guy? Eh. What doesh it matter? Course it does! I don't make eggs with other guys! Or do I? Anyways... Now there are a bunch of other dudes, including one human dude, and he looks UUUUGLY! How can the humans do this sort of thing to the world? How can they keep it shaking so much? Bah! Why do I care? Jushty leave me alone. - Robert Chapter 7: Gentle Hand There is always hope in this world, for a better tomorrow, for a better future, for all of us. My name is Celene and I have found a calling. The Torchic, Brendon, is happy to see me every time I come out of my ball and his little companion, a Beautifly named Cierra, is right by his side. They seem like such a nice pair of friends and, every time I greet them, I cannot help but smile. They live in peace, despite that Brendon should be eating Cierra, they do not see each other that way. They are happy. The little Poocheyna, Calvin, he's always hungry, but when I see him resting on my new friends lap, it's clear he's happy as well. That weird one, Robert, he's always off on his own and, every time I try to get close to him, he just mumbles something before stumbling off. I feel sorry for him as he looks so distraught. He needs some care. But my biggest new friend is the human named Charles. A few nights ago I saw him protecting another young human as well as looking at a female human awkwardly. He doesn't realize it, but he really likes her a lot, but that scares him. So I try my best to help him. Standing by Calvin, getting Brendon and Cierra to join in a hug, watching them play peacefully, trying to get Robert to join in, it is such a nice, peaceful, hopeful, calling to see this group grow closer together. What can I say? Maybe I'm a romantic who believes that this world can be a better place, or maybe I'm stupid, I don't care. What matters is that I have a place now, helping these people along with a peaceful tone. Maybe, just maybe, if I try hard enough, we can work through this without any problems at all. Whenever I settle down besides Charles or the mons they seem, mostly, happy, so this is my place. I will protect them as best I can. When I become a Gardevior I will protect them no matter what. -Celene Chapter 8. Wally When Charles arrived in Petalburg city a feeling of elation came over him. Things had been going very well for him and now, beside him, he had his own team of pokemon starting to grow together. Brendon, Cierra, and Celene were tumbling along behind him, playful chirps and sounds coming from them as Cierra tackled Celene to the ground causing the Ralts to growl in response, Calvin walking loyally by his side, wagging his tiny tail, and Robert resting in his arms, giving small, unsteady, shifts. Things were looking good. He had let all his mons out of their balls to walk with him so that they could all get some fresh air and get used to being around each other so that, in the future, they could work together as a team with ease. Already they were starting to become... decent... together, though that was more of how well Brendon got along with the girls than anything else. Calvin had tried to help out, but it seems that, every time he tried, the mons he was helping the girls to fight ended up pummeling him hard. Regardless, things were going well, but this town was not some idle stop-over to heal, rest-up, and head for the first gym. This was the town where his dad was leader. Celene seemed to sense that something was up as she stopped playing with Cierra and came over, placing her hand on Charles's leg, trying to reassure him. "Yea. I know. I'm going to have to confront him eventually." he said in response before giving her a tussle on the head. Now was the time. Now, as a trainer, he could finally stand up to the main whom had valued his career so much that he left his wife and son in a small apartment. Recalling his mons to their balls he started to head for the one place he knew his father would be for certain. The Gym. And he was not disappointed. As Charles arrived Norman was on one knee, looking at eye-level at a boy slightly younger than Charles, one who didn't seem to be in the best of health. Charles walked up to him, not hiding in the slightest, standing behind the kid for a short bit. It wasn't exactly hard to hear what the two were saying, considering he was right behind the kid."Now, Wally, I know you've had it rough and will be moving soon." started Norman giving the boy a reassuring pat. "But you're mom and dad wanted me to give you a special gift." "Oh! Hello." said the boy as he noticed Charles's arrival, turning around to greet Charles. He didn't look like the most amazing kid in any regards and, in fact, looked pretty... bad. He looked weak and a bit sickly, as if he had been repressed indoors out of fear and never been given a chance in the outside world, as well as lacking in confidence. "Hi Charles. Now, Wally, as I was saying, your parents wanted me to give you a gift before you left, so I'm going to do just that. Here is one of my Pokemon." he said, turning Wally back around and giving him a pokeball. "Wow? Really? You're giving me one of yours?""No. I'm giving you the chance to catch one of your own.""Dad." "Back home someone taught me that, in order to be a good trainer, it's important to form a bond with your pokemon. A personal bond of trust. I could give you this pokemon, but he would remain with you because he trusted me that you would be a good trainer.""Dad. Hi. I'm a trainer now.""So-" Norman shot a harsh look at Charles as he spoke. "So, I'm giving you this pokemon to-" "I also met a girl whom I've become friends with." "I'M GIVING YOU THIS POKEMON TO allow you to catch your own, that you can raise." Wally looked down at the pokeball, a bit confused, but there was no doubt as to the smile on his face. Charles had to admit for himself that this was, easily, the better choice. Just being handed a pokemon, while very important for helping newer trainers, was a bad way to form a team. Seemed like Jasmine had taught his father well in that regard. "And Charles here will be more than glad to escort and protect you as well!" "What? Dad!" shouted back Charles. "I get here and the first thing you do is punish me for trying to say 'hi'?" Almost immediately Charles regretted those words. He barely knew Wally at all, yet had just called helping him start his own journey a 'punishment'. Quickly he took a step backwards and looked to Wally apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that." "It's alright. The boys in school say similar things all the time.""I am not punishing you, Charles. I'm giving you a responsibility. You say you are a trainer and have even started to form friendships? Wally needs a friend and a trainer to protect him in this matter. I have a gym to attend to and I cannot leave that responsibility behind.""What about mom and me? You haven't talked to us at all since we arrived!""Then, when you get home, tell your mother I love her." he said with a harsh stare as he turned around and went inside the gym, shutting down all conversation immediately, leaving just Charles and Wally standing beside each other. "I... I'm sorry." said Wally, clutching the pokeball hard. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I just..."Charles gave a sigh as he grabbed Wally by the arm. "No. You didn't cause any trouble at all. Dad has always been like this. He loves mom, but focuses entirely on his career over us. Come on, my problems shouldn't stop you from getting a new friend." he said as he lead him off into the forest outside of the town. What would a good mon be? A Zigzagoon? They were hardly little beings, but a bit apt to rummage through trash and steal things. A Poochyena? That might be a good choice. Then he remembered just what Celene had done as they entered in. Of the possible mons, a pokemon that could sense Wally's emotions, support him, be there for him. There was no doubt in Charles's mind. A ralts was the perfect choice for Wally. --- As the pair made their way through the bushes in search for the pokemon things were, thankfully, peaceful. What few mons were around were content to merely pass them by or hide in bushes meaning that Wally would not be attacked. However, Ralts were rare pokemon. Even Charles had lucked out with Celene. So how was Wally going to catch one?"Charles... About your dad." started Wally. "Look, don't worry about it. I can stand up to, and deal with, him." said Charles, dismissively, as he kept his eyes open. "I saw how... negligent he can be. I'm sorry that I ended up putting you into this position so..." he started as Charles looked around some more. "So I want you to be safe when you beat him. He needs to be reminded of his family. My family is all I have and to seem him act like that, he needs a reminder of what is important." A soft rustle came from the bushes. Charles was about to dismiss it as another Wurmple before hearing a small cry. "There. I think that might be a good-""No, Charles, I'm going to do this on my own. Just... keep me safe. Now, come on over here little buddy." he started and, slowly, from the bushes came a Ralts. It looked up at Wally, nervous at first, but seemed to pick up some friendliness and happiness from him. With one step, two steps, then three it started to walk up to him as Wally, gently, picked it up. Charles was surprised. Wally hadn't needed any help at all, yet everyone seemed to treat him as weak. He had more potential than he probably thought he did. "Hey there, little one, I know a place where you'll be happy. Why don't you come home with me? We will be happy together." he said with a smile as he stood up, Ralts in arm, before the pair headed back. "Tell your new friend that it's great to know someone like you." he said as he reached the edge of the town and headed back. Chapter 9: Roxanne The road to Rustboro had been a largely uneventful one for Charles. With his team up and running few could challenge them. He had taken some time in his battles to ensure each of his new pokemon had been trained decently, working his best to ensure that everything would go well, but he knew he had to make his move soon. Sitting down beside Brendon he stroked the little torchic's feathers, giving him a small pat on the head. "Well, boy, tomorrow it's gonna happen. We're gonna have our first battle together. You guys are getting strong, but I'm noticing some flaws and problems already. Robert can't keep his balance to save his life, Cierra keeps fluttering around above it all, and Calvin can't stop yipping at you. We need to start pushing ourselves a bit." he looked down at Brendon. "So tomorrow we're going to challenge the gym!" Brendon suddenly looked up, seemingly shocked at the idea, trembling slightly. Challenging a gym was no small feat to accomplish, but was their menagerie truly READY for such a thing? Brendon gave a small quiver as it nuzzled up to Charles, seemingly begging him not to try such a thing. "Don't worry boy. I've got a plan. The gym leader here is Roxanne, and she is a stone user, so we should be all set. Robert can use both grass and water, Celene can bypass their defenses, and Calvin has that icy cold bite. We should be okay, right?" he asked only to watch Brendon shake his head in dismay. --- The hallway to the Rustboro gym creaked open as Charles entered within, but what he saw was a surprise to him. The gyms he had known were full of trainers seeking to practice under their master, filled with the element and power of their chosen type, all to test the trainers to the best of their ability. Not... Not full of children! Roxanne sat among a group of kids, a geodude in her hands, holding it tightly as she let the young kids touch it all over and get used to the feel of a pokemon. "Now kids, it's important to remember that Geodude, as a rock type, has a very sturdy and tough body and not all pokemon are like that at all. Can one of you think of a pokemon that doesn't feel at all like a Geodude?" she asked, a smile on her face. "A skitty!" piped up one of the kids, raising his hand high into the air after he had called out the name. "A skitty doesn't feel at all like a gerodude!" "That's right!" said Roxanne as she gave the geodude a small rub. "Skitty are very soft to touch and are commonly kept as pets, and there are many different other kids. Some feel slimy, some are hot, some are cold, some are cute.""And some are dumb! Geodumb!" piped up one of the kids, giggling in the back of the group, suddenly joined by a few of the others. "Geodude!" "While it is true that some pokemon are lacking in brains, it isn't fair to call a pokemon dumb and is quite mean." said Roxanne with a firm tone of voice. "Pokemon can understand people and have plenty of feelings and emotions as well. Just because they can only say their names most of the time does not mean they are, somehow, insensitive.""But it's a geodude." replied the kid. "They've got rocks for brains." "It doesn't matter." said Charles, taking a step forwards. "A pokemon is only as smart and capable as its master and, if a geodude has rocks for brains, than so does it's trainer." "Hello." said Roxanne, looking up as she quickly tossed one of her brown pigtails aside and behind her. "That isn't true at all though. A brilliant pokemon may be horrible at battling and be more used to cooking, or managing a power plant, or carrying people through heavy snow. Just because a pokemon is poor at battling does not make it stupid.""You are Roxanne, right?" asked Charles. "Leader of the Rustboro gym?""I am. I am also in the middle of a class. If you don't mind can you have your challenge wait until after?" Charles gave a small sigh as he took a seat off to the side as the hours seemed to tick by. One, two, three... How long did a class take to finish? As he waited though he looked over to Roxanne. She was so... different... from the other gym leaders he knew. His father had always been a harsh, distant, man and Jasmine had always been timid and more concerned with keeping the lighthouse lit and the pokemon healthy, but Roxanne was actively teaching others to care for them and educating kids. Why couldn't more gym leaders be more like that? So many seemed to obsess over pokemon training or be self-centered. In Kanto alone two gym leaders had outright vacated their posts, Brock and the leader of Vermillion City, and a third was lucky to have additional leaders to fill in. Others had held similar problems with leaders leaving their posts after a time or forgetting their duties and others seemed to never leave their gyms at all or bother with the outside world. Yet here was Roxanne... teaching kids... Helping others. He could only think about how odd it was to see such a thing as he felt certain his father had done what he had done simply to spite him. Then, as the lesson wrapped up, Roxanne finally let the kids go and addressed Charles. "Alright. Now that I'm done, may I please have your name?" "Charles." he said, replying simply, only to watch as Roxanne's eyes went wide with shock. "Wait, you're Norman's boy? He called up a short while ago to let me know you were coming. He...""Let me guess. He wanted you to tell me to go home and possibly be ready to treat some badly wounded pokemon?""Yes. I take it you and your father do not get along well?" "No. Not at all. I want to prove him wrong, which is why I am here. I want to challenge you for a badge!" Roxanne gave a small sigh as she headed up to her place, plucking six pokeballs from her desk. "How many badges do you own?""None as of now." he said, somewhat embarrassed, only to watch as she placed back four of the balls leaving her with two. "Very well, a first time battle. Are you ready?" she asked as she readied her first pokeball. Charles gave a small nod as he got out his first pokeball. Then the battle began! Quickly Roxanne tossed out her first pokeball letting loose the Geodude she had used before in the lesson. "Geodude! Come on out! Be ready for a first-time trainer!" she said as Charles tossed out his first pokemon, letting Robert out. The battle was ready. The Geodude didn't hesitate for a second as it suddenly lurched forwards and traveled at high speeds as it started to roll forwards. Robert looked forwards at the pokemon hurtling towards it, it's eyes seemingly glazed over in uncertainty right before the Geodude slammed hard into it! Robery cried out in pain as the weight of the rock mon pressed hard into it, but it wasn't about to give up! Quickly squirming out from under the weight of the mon Robert started to focus its energy before a red beam of light shot out from its eyes, striking the geodude full-on as it started to siphon off its energy. Robert could feel the surge flowing through him as the Geodude seemed to stumble, but as the move finished it was clear that the geodude was FAR from finished! Quickly curling up into a ball again the geodude barreled towards Robert once more. Once again Robert seemed to stare blankly at the oncoming, hurtling, stone body blankly, as if unclear as to what was even happening, before it wobbled slightly and collapsed to the side as the Geodude rushed past, leaving a furrow in the floor where it had just missed Robert. It quickly turned around and tried to hit Robert again only for the drunken swagger to, once more, cause him to miss! This time, however, the Geodude was not all-right as it shot forwards and slammed into the wall, causing it to roll backwards, clearly stunned and hurt. "Geodude! Enough!" called out Roxanne as she recalled her first pokemon. "Any more and you could get seriously hurt. Well done Charles. You have beaten one of my two pokemon. But now class is in session!" she said as she enlarged her second ball. Then unholy terror appeared upon the field as, before Charles, a pokemon made of stone that resembled a giant head on legs and arms, appeared before him. It looked like some strange statue gone wrong, causing him to stop in a moment of shock. He knew OF Nosepas, but actually seeing one... Then the terror rushed forwards at lightning speed. Even Geodude in its roll-out had not been as fast and potent as the Nosepass as it shot forwards, slamming into Robert so hard as to send the pokemon flying back past Charles and landing hard against the wall behind him. But it was not about to relent. The Nosepass rushed forwards almost barreling right through Charles as it sought to slam, once again, into Robert. It was only by the briefest of margins that Robert managed to stumble out of the way as the Nosepass smashed into the wall. Quickly the red light of absorb came out only to be seemingly outright shrugged off by Nosepass. "Nosepas! Beginner trainer! BEGINNER TRAINER!" called out Roxanne, trying to regain control of the mon, but it was of little use. Nosepass shot forwards again, missing Robert by an even smaller margin, before the lotad tried to absorb again, only to be utterly shrugged off. Then the Nosepass outright RIPPED a hunk of earth up from the ground and hurtled it at Robert! Charles hand shot up as the red light shot out from his pokeball, rushing forwards to recall him in a race against time that it won by only the smallest of margins! "Cierra! Go!" called out Charles as he called forth Cierra, hoping that the beautifly's flight and agility could help her dodge the brute's strikes. The Nosepass did not waste a second as it ripped up a second hunk of earth and launched it at Cierra, whom quickly darted around the stone before she too sought to absorb the health of the Nosepas, only for the exact same result to happen as the brute shrugged off the strike without a second thought. Quickly it ripped up a third hunk of earth and tossed it at Cierra and, this time, Cierra was not fast enough to dodge. As she fell to the ground, badly wounded, Charles recalled her before sending out Calvin. "She's going to be okay. Her wounds are bad, but not grave. She'll be flattened and out of it for a bit, but she'll make it." he quickly thought to himself, reassuring him that Cierra would be fine. Calvin growled at the Nosepas, his fangs beared and ready to fight. The icy gleam could be seen lining his teeth. For a moment Nosepass seemed to do nothing as it huddled down. Then Calvin charged! "Yiptyipyipyip!" His frozen teeth bit into the beast, finally piercing through it's hide and seeming to cause some damage... only for the Nosepass to reveal that this had been exactly what it had been waiting for as it suddenly pitched forwards, slamming Calvin hard into the ground and eliciting a hurt whine from the little dog as it tried, weakly, to squirm away. Recalling it before more harm could be done Charles tossed out Celene. As the ralts took the field Charles knew that the battle was over. He had already gotten two pokemon too badly wounded to risk fighting, a third narrowly avoiding death, and Brendon would be in a BAD place against this, so it was up to Celene. And Celene did not disappoint. Almost instantly the Nosebas hurtling forwards only to suddenly veer off-path as a dark aura surrounded Celene and she pitched the beast hard to the side. Stumbling about, confused as to what had just happened, the Nosepass took a moment to steady itself, but Celene was NOT going to wait! Once again the aura surrounded her as she tried to lift the brute up with her mind, getting it to rise off the ground by a small bit, before slamming it down... only for the Nosepass to rise up seemingly unharmed, if a bit off-balance. It hurtled forwards again, this time slightly off-center, only BARELY missing Celene as it smashed, once again, into the walls. "Roxanne is going to have a heavy repair bill after all this is done. We've made some progress though. That Nosepass is missing strikes and seems to be slowing down just a bit." Once again the beast shook off stone and wall debris from its body as it targeted Celene again. Celene glared down the beast, her teeth gritted in defiance as she gave a small growl, the aura surrounding her again. Then the Nosepass charged, the psychic aura of Celene's attack surrounding it to toss it off-balance, only for it to somehow manage to plough right THROUGH the aura and slam hard in Celene! Charles did not need a prompt to recall her as the Nosepass wheeled about, ready to launch a second strike, only to find not a Ralts, but a Torchic on the field. Sweat dripped down Charles's face. He was down to two pokemon now and there seemed to be almost nothing stopping that brute! All the special attacks, absorbs, and the like... and the Nosepass had only seemed to speed UP! How on earth was he going to beat that thing? Embers shot forth from Brendon as he tried to keep himself away from the Nosepas, avoiding his strike as the Nosepass seemed to start to glow red from the heat, only for it to, once again, outright rip up a piece of the floor and smash it HARD against Brendon, causing the torchic to cry out in pain! Charles recalled Brendon as a second rock smashed into the ground where the torchic had been only a few seconds before. "Only one pokemon left. Oh dear Arceus! Am I going to lose my very first gym battle?" Once again Robert took the field. The only pokemon that Charles had left that could still fight. This was very, very, bad. Worse as Charles looked down to see the lotad teetering about, still unsteady and seemingly lost, up against a red-hot, seemingly furious, Nosepass that had shrugged off everything. A final boulder came and Charles started to close his eyes in regret, raising his pokeball to call back Robert before he could get hurt. Finally, all the toll and work started to pay off though as the boulder went wide, smashing hard into Charles and knocking him out... What Charles did not see was that, as soon as the rock throw had hit, Robert had launched one more absorb at the beast, catching it full-on and, between the heat, confusion, and exertion, caused the Nosepass to finally stop and topple over on its side, drained of energy. Before it could hit the ground, though, Roxanne had recalled it and was on the line to the hospital. Though he had been bashed out, Charles had won his first gym battle. Chapter 10: The Morning After. "Chan. Chan. Chan." A warm, calm, gentle cocoon of happiness seemed to envelop Charles as he lay down, resting in peace. He couldn't remember why he was here, but he didn't care, he was happy. All wrapped up nice and tight in a blanket, a happy little nest of warmth and joy! "Chan. Chan. Chan." He could feel a slight chill outside, but it was outside, kept away from his little hideout of happiness by what felt like a small star of warmth floating over his tummy. He cracked an eye open just a bit, not really to look out, but just out of an idled sense of curiosity. "Chan. Chan. Chan. Pass! PASS! NOSEPASS!" The world outside of the little protective cocoon that had kept him safe suddenly ripped asunder as crimson red spike tore through it like a monster! Charles screamed as his foot came up to kick back at the beast only for it to bounce off steel-hard flesh without effort. The cry game again as a deep blue arm followed by a horrifying face tore the blanket asunder and the stone-sloped head of the monster loomed overhead like a mountain! "NOSEPASS!" Charles screamed in fear as he thrashed about, trying to get his legs under him to run away as he flailed about helplessly as the giant beast loomed overhead before charging forwards, each step seeming to rip the ground apart under him! "NOSEPASS!""AHHHHHH!!""Chan. Chan. CHANCEY! Chancey! CeyChancey!" "GYAAAA!" Charles rocked upright, as glaring white light flooded his vision and multiple pairs of soft arms gripped his own. The Nosepass, it was gone, but Charles could still feel its weight looming, it's breath upon his back! Quickly he glanced around. Surrounding him were several figures, most of the nurses, and a few Chansey. Charles took a deep breath as he tried to gather himself. "A dream. Just a dream." He said, giving a heavy sigh as he tried to put together what had happened. He was in a hospital now, the Chancey working to try and relax him as one of the nurses called for a doctor, a safe place. The last thing he could recall was the NOSEPASS! NOSEPASS! NOSEPASS! "Gah!" he cried out, raising his arms defensively before reminding himself that he was safe. Right. Safe. He had been in his gym battle and things had not gone as well as he had expected. From an easy victory to defeat, all because of one mon. The last thing he could recall was the pokemon hurtling towards him and slamming into his body... and now he was here... Calmly he started to look around. The room looked like any other in a decent hospital. He was on a bed, covered in a small medical gown, as his clothes lay piled up on the chair having been folded neatly. Several small shelves with various bits of medical equipment, two Chancey's taking care of him, and on the nightstand beside him was a small box. Curious as to what was inside he opened it. "Congratulations on your victory Charles. That's right, you won! Even if you were knocked out in a battle your pokemon managed to pull through for you. I am sorry about how I lost control of my Nosepass. He is normally less aggressive, but things have become strange of late. A tunnel underground has had a large amount of subterranean pokemon suddenly act strange and there are more reports coming in about similar circumstances. I have contacted Birch and I will be working with him and several other gymleaders to find out if there is a connection. I am sorry I couldn't give this badge to you in person but you have earned it!" Next to the letter was a small badge of two off-centered triangles. The Stone badge. Picking it up Charles clenched it tightly, holding it close to his chest. It had almost cost him his life, but he had won! "See that dad? I'm getting one step closer to surpassing you." "Hey! Charles!" a bright and cheery voice suddenly filled the air. Almost instantly Charles shot upright, almost springing out of the bed, as May's voice filled the room and the smile of the young girl brightened up the day just a bit. Quickly he tried to pull the blankets up and over his head, trying to hide from May."May! W-w-why are you here?" he stammered out. He wished he could just pass right down through the blankets and NOSEPASS! "GAH!" he cried out again, falling back out of the bed. May looked at him in utter confusion as Charles tried to pedal away from her at top speed."Charles... Is something wrong?" "No! No! Just sheer terrors of a giant face dragging me down into the abyss! Nothing is wrong!" May gave a small giggle, passing off the remark as a joke. Did she not KNOW?! Did she not understand the terror? "Here. Let... Let me help you up." she said, offering him a hand. Charles could feel the hair on his head standing upright as she offered him her hand and he looked at it in terror for a moment before, at last, he took it and let himself get pulled upright. Once on the bed, though, May looked at him dead in the eyes."Now, Charles. I need to talk to you. Recently there has been a lot of trouble going on around in the regions. You haven't noticed because you are new here, but things have been getting weird and out environments have become disturbed of late. Already the oceans have become more troubled and volcanic activity has increased by a noticeable amount. I need your help in this. Roxanne and several others have already been dispatched, but we need more help and your father-""Let me guess." he stated, cutting her off. "He volunteered me to help you out?""No." said May, her tone unusually cold. "Your father isn't used to the new area and is still getting his gym running. We can't let work get out until we're sure or else we'll start a panic, but we need more data. My dad suggested that we go investigate the area around Dewford town. It isn't that dangerous and he doesn't want us to get hurt, but we can still collect some valuable information by investigating the caves there. Do you understand?" He gave a small nod, wondering just what had happened. May then gave a sigh as if she had been letting go of a breath she had been holding in unknowingly. "Good. By the way I saw your battle. Not in person, of course, but Roxanne recorded it to show to her class. You handled yourself quite well actually and I am impressed. Even when it isn't being so aggressive Roxanne's Nosepass can stop quite a few pokemon with ease." she gave him a pat on the back causing Charles to tense up. "Just remember, if anything goes wrong, you have friends whom will keep you safe or, in this case, win the battle for you. Now, hurry up and get well! I can't have my rival and assistant bedbound after all!""Wait, rival AND assistant? When did I ever become either of those things?!""Mmm... Assistant when my dad said so and rival when I decided it would be great to be a bit more than just a field researcher." she said with a laugh. "Now, hurry up and get well! I have some work to do!" And with that she was gone and Charles was free to relax beforNOSEPASS! "AHHH!" Well, maybe not always relax! Chapter 11: Tidal throws Charles could feel the water lurching about, swaying from side to side, churning down beneath his head as he looked down below him, only to see the ocean waters below. Things had NOT gone well! Following his bought with Roxanne, May and him had set out to do more environmental studies. May had managed to persuade some old man to let them use his boat, but as they set out upon the seas something had become clear to Charles almost right away. He had grown up on the ocean-side and, for his entire life, had never once felt sea-sick. He had been on plenty of boats and, though for never more than a day, felt quite alright. However now... now... Charles looked down at his side. Brendon, unsurprisingly, looked nervous and somewhat scared of the ocean, but so was Robert who was looking more unsteady than normal, Calvin who was curled up in a tiny ball to avoid the ocean-spray, and Celene who was slumped against the cabin of the ship. Even Cierra who was floating above the deck seemed to wobble in her flight unevenly. On the opposite side of the ship Charles could hear May. She didn't seem to be having any problems in the slightest and neither did their captain, though Charles suspected that he might have some other problems. "Oi me Peeko!" he said in a sing-song voice to the small Wingull sitting on his shoulder. "These ocean waters are fine sailing today! Not a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining bright above! Those bad men **** **** *** *****."Charles lurched forwards as his fingers shot to his ears. They had just met the man down at the dock to the boat. Not before. He was just an old man with a cherished pet that NO ONE would fall in love with and try to romance. Certainly not some weird pirate wanna-be. Just an ordinary old man."Are we almost there?" whined Charles as he considered recalling his mons to their balls. He knew the answer already though. There was no land in sight and the trip would take a lot longer to say the least."No. We won't be there for a while now. But don't worry. We're making good time! Look, the skies are clear, the ocean is fine, and nothing is going wrong!"Charles shook his head in annoyance. That was the exact sort of thing someone would say before some huge disaster happened! What next? Was a giant Tentacruel going to burst forwards from the ocean to drag the ship down? "Beautiflllllyyyyy..." At last Cierra's own wobble seemed to take hold of her and she floated downwards towards the ground, landing with her wings splayed wide open. As quickly as he could Charles rushed to her side with May following just behind. "Don't worry." said Charles as he quickly placed his arm against her head, checking for a fever. He didn't need one though as he had seen this before. Sea-sickness."Charles." chimed in May as she sat down beside Cierra, recognizing the symptoms as well. "You need to put her back in her ball. Same with everyone else." Charles nodded in agreement and soon it was just the four of them on the deck. "May." started Charles as he looked down at the ocean below. "Does something feel a bit off to you?""No. What do you mean? Nothing's felt off ever since yesterday when I pulled this favor and we got on the boat with no problems. Why do you ask? I don't recall any problems. Do you?" "No. No. I mean... do you feel a bit uneven? Like something is wrong with the ocean?" May quickly shook her head. "No. This time of year, though it's a bit cloudy, there are plenty of sunny days and the ocean looks just fine to me. Air's a bit saltier than normal but that's nothing unusual.""How can you tell that?" asked Charles with a bit of surprise on his face."I like sea-salt." He quickly shook his head, surprised at the simplicity of the answer. "So, nothing feels wrong to you?""Not at all. I mean, everything is perfectly normal on this boat. It's not like pirates are going to attack us, right? Right?" "Right." he said. Then May's hand came down on his back and he almost jolted upright in response."Charles. I just wanted to thank you.""Thank me? For what? We've been on this boat for several hours and nothing has happened. Plus, I'm your rival! So why would you thank me?"A giggle came from May in response as she swung her legs over the side of the boat, letting her feet swing over the deck. "I know. But still, helping my dad, and by extension me, is... it's something really nice and useful. It's great having a third researcher to help my dad out and you really need to be thanked for that.""May.""Hey. It's fine. You don't have to accept it. I just want you to know how thankful I am.""May.""Huh? Is something wrong?""May. You... You're going pale." replied Charles as he pointed at her. Indeed, the moment she had swung her feet over the edge her body had slowly started to fade in color as it turned from a healthy pink to a pale white. A face soon accompanied by a startled glance, a greenish hue... then the fish in the sea suddenly being graced with the remains of two riceballs and noodle soup as May stumbled backwards onto the deck, trying to wipe her mouth clean."You. Did. Not. See. That." she said as she gave it another pat, followed by a third. "And Charles. Something is definitely wrong with the sea." Edited December 29, 2014 by Snowy_One Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Chapter 1 is up! It always struck me as odd that, regardless of when the player met their rival, they would always reach Birch first. What happened and where did they go? Why didn't they just meet up with their dad and save him themselves? Not to mention that the idea of a full-grown, and seemingly large, man being chased around by a small dog that could probably be punted away (apologies to animal lovers everywhere) is both funny and odd. Why didn't Birch just grab one of the balls himself? Ah well. Next chapter we can finally put the peddle to the metal and get going! I still haven't decided if Charles should be able to understand the mons or not. It's not too late to do something about it and have him find a way, but I don't want it to be a sudden change from nowhere. Either needs to be there from the start or excluded all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 New chapter up! I hope I'm not overdoing it with Charles's infatuation with May. I want them to end up a couple, but I don't want it to be 'they fell in love at first sight and were kissing in private right from the get-go'. Also, I did NOT white-out or anything of the sort. It was just narrative. A Zigzagoon managed to tackle me once, but otherwise Brendon escaped untouched and destroyed May's Mudkip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Chapter 2 is up and, honestly, this one was a ***** to write. This isn't my best work by far and it was very hard. I don't want to make Charles 'force' mons onto his team, but just having a pokemon pop out of the grass seems a bit to... convenient... if that makes any sense. Plus, I had to figure out just WHY he'd leave home before just giving up and wanting to get on with it. Hopefully, from here-on-out, things will be smooth sailing though! Also, with Thanksgiving coming up, don't be surprised if there are no new chapters till Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted November 29, 2014 Author Share Posted November 29, 2014 (edited) Chapter 3 is up! Cierra evolved into a Beautifly~ I wasn't sure how to tackle the pokemon and their interactions with each other. After all, we're not dealing with everyday life here and having to write a new chapter every time a mon evolved simply because it evolved, possibly without any real narrative reason, would be a pain. So I hope I chose the right way to tackle this. Edited November 29, 2014 by Snowy_One Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 Several new chapters up, dealing with each of the current party mons and giving a bit of info on them! Hope it all works out well! Should be back to 'normal' sometime soon. Also, I shelved the shiny Beldum as I kinda felt that that was cheating, even if it wasn't technically a 'trade'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 New chapter. Still not my 'best', but I'm really starting to think I need to reconsider how this is going to be written. Going into immense detail for simple things like gym badges shouldn't be so... uggg... I get the feeling this is better for a visual medium where things can be presented in smaller bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Took a while to get this up. Roxanne's Nosepass is, by far and away in my mind, worse than Whitney's Miltank. Before you ask, no, she did not KO any of my mons... BUT SHE CAME REALLY ****ING CLOSE! Seriously! Cierra survived with 1 HP and, Robert aside, all my pokemon were in the red. The only reason Robert even managed that come-from-behind victory was because Brendon managed to burn him then, combined with the teeter dance, that Nosepass missed twice and, combined with the absorbs and burn damage, FINALLY went down! Even in a non-Nuzlocke that battle was just too close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted December 21, 2014 Author Share Posted December 21, 2014 New chapter up! First one from when I decided to deviate heavily from the main story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy_One Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 New chapter! I didn't really know what I wanted to do here and didn't want to jump right into a major plot-dump or another battle right away, so yea. I never liked Peeko. Nothing personal against the bird or Mr. Briney. Heck, I don't even really 'hate' them as characters so much as I really hate how the teams, for some reason wanted to kidnap a Wingull to force an old man into sailing for them. And it's not even an important thing, just, like, one guy. Even THAT isn't that important as there are better ways to travel about, ESPECIALLY FOR TEAM AQUA! They have water pokemon! Why can't they just surf on the water? It's just a plot migraine and one I decided might be fun to poke at just a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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