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In the depths of Hakutai Forest, a certain Buneary wandered alone.After being thrown out of his warren, there wasn’t much he could do but do so.So the young Buneary searched alone, for the only thing that he knew for sure would quench his thirst.
He had been told stupid Buneary like him were doomed to die. He huffed. He would show them. He would show all of them.
Eventually, he heard a rustling in the grass.
Another Pokémon?
It seemed big!He poked his head out of the grass, and what he saw made excitement shoot through his small body.A human. A trainer. Two, in fact. One an adolescent female with long green hair, the other, and more interesting to him, a young girl, but a child, clutching a Poké Ball as she walked through the grass, her attention on high alert.Traveling trainers.His ticket to adventure.
He rushed towards the girls, jumping out of the grass to get their attention.Sensing the commotion, a Wurmple joined the bunny’s side. He paid it no heed.The younger girl’s eyes sparkled.“Ohmygoodness a Buneary!”Great sign. She was interested!The bunny settled and took on a fighting stance as the trainers summoned their Pokémon, the young one a blue flightless bird Pokémon he had never seen before, the older girl a big pink round one.Just because he wanted to be captured didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have himself a good fight.The bird seemed eager for a fight as well; another great sign. His senses were right, this wasn’t some boring homebody trainer, this was a battler.“Penchan, Peck!”He had been told before he was thrown out that if he wanted to battle so much, he should go find himself a trainer.Well, today was his lucky day.He curled his right ear as the blue one rushed towards him, ready for battle, his heart racing as he faced his soon to be master.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Green and Red were best friends.
Ever since they were babies, they had been so. Him, Red, and Leaf, the inseparable trio. They always stuck together, they always played together. And being the more popular boy, he would always stick up for Red against bullies. Even if others made fun of him for being friends with the local dweeb, he didn’t care; they were best friends, and they were equal.
He was the one who had told Red when they were 6 that losing at video games was no big deal after Red had cried and thrown a tantrum, and while he had had trouble accepting it at first, it seemed that lesson had stuck with him.
Sure, Green loved bragging about his achievements. But he was always proud when Red or Leaf matched them.
But as he grew older, something gnawed at him from the back of his mind.
Why did he always have to be the same as him?
They were the same height, they were born in the same month and so were nearly the same age, they had about the same grades, they could jump the same height, they could swim at the same speed.
He started to grow increasingly frustrated, increasingly uneasy.
And it was around this time he had started feeling… Different about Leaf. When he was 8, he managed to be alone with her without Red and had confessed to her. She wasn’t sure, and had told him she would think about it. He hadn’t gotten an answer since.
The next day, they met and played together like nothing had ever happened.
After all, he had to share her with Red. They were a trio, weren’t they? If they like-liked each other, Red would feel left out, wouldn’t he?
He shared his sister with Red as well; they were fairly close, after all, and she was always happy to humor him.
Increasingly, he was tempted to change it all.
Why did he have to be the same as this dork all the time? The same dork who still played with plushies? He was the professor himself’s grandson, for crying out loud! Basically, he was starting to find this friendship boring.
Who was going to be champion when they reached their end of their journeys anyway? He had never thought of that when he was small. But increasingly, it nagged in his mind.
Who was going to become champion?
It was as he was watching one of his favorite animes that he came across the term “rival”. And it all clicked.
Rivals constantly pushed each other to be better, they competed, they always tried to be the best. That’s what he wanted. That’s what he needed.
He had raced Red to school that day, a sunny morning when he had just turned 9. As expected, he got there first; after all, running fast was the one thing he was always better than Red at. Though Red could run longer than him, and that made them even again. Even if running faster was cooler, in his opinion.
“Haha! I won! I won!”
Red took a deep breath and scratched his head. “Man… You’re always so fast! I can’t keep up!”
Green grinned. “Man you’re slow! That the best you can do? Then again, what did I expect?”
Red blinked.
“What? Green-“
“Whatever, smell ya later! See ya in class!”
“Wait, Green!”
That afternoon, test scores were announced. Green was admiring his when Red and Leaf had come along.
“Hey Green, what did you get? I got a 92-“
“Haha! 92?! I got a 97! Wow, I expected better from you!”
Green grinned when he heard Red’s score, almost shoving his test in Red’s face.
He knew he’d win the morning race; this was all the more sweet.
Red and Leaf looked at him, confused looks on their faces.
“Oh well! Try better next time! Or are you getting stupid, Red?”
Red grinned nervously.
“Uh… Green? What are you saying? You’ve been acting weird today…”
Green snorted.
“Wow, you don’t get it? Red! I want you to be my rival! And rivals don’t settle for blah scores like that!”
Red had looked at him with so much confusion then. But it felt good. He liked this. He could get used to this.
First test scores, then the championship, then Leaf’s heart.
Maybe it would hurt a bit for Red, but Red would surely understand soon.
Their Pokémon journey couldn’t come soon enough.
The next day at gym, Red jumped one layer higher on the vaulting box than Green, and Green was sure to express his distaste after class.
“Green, did you see that?!”
“Augh, I know. I’ll do better next time, I swear!”
“Green, what are you saying…?”
That seemed to hurt Red. He paused. But tough love was what Red needed.
“I meant what I said! Now outta my way!”
He pulled his arms through his shirt and left, leaving Red in the changing room.
The next day when he came into class, Leaf was glaring at him, standing by Red’s side.
Oh, so she was taking his side.
Jealousy swelled in him. She’d surely see who was better!
Soon, he got Daisuke chastising him, then his sister. But what did they know?
Red started helping out at the lab more often instead of hanging out with him around this time. Gramps loved this. They were pretty close already, but he now always looked so happy whenever Red visited or passed by him on the street. Gramps even once said Red was “Like a third grandchild”.
He always had to share with Red, didn’t he?
He continued to challenge Red as time passed. Leaf’s pranks got more extreme, and as he tried to prove how good he was for her she’d just glare at him. But surely, someday she would see he was better for her. And surely, she did actually love him, she just couldn’t admit it!
He counted the days until their journey began.
Yes, it couldn’t begin soon enough.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Rocket Grunt Ichizou shook as he made his way down the hall.
Boss Sakaki had summoned him. Personally. To his office.
He had been nothing but a good, loyal grunt for Team Rocket. He had been rated highly by his superiors, he’d done his job well if he had to say so himself. So it couldn’t be anything bad, right?
But what business could the Boss himself possibly have with him, a mere minion?
His steps echoed down the cold, metallic halls, deafening in the silence, as he continued to walk down them to his uncertain fate.
Finally, he reached his destination. The also metallic door to the Boss’s office loomed in front of him.
He took a deep breath, and knocked.
A pause.
“Come in.”
He gulped and turned the handle, opening the door to the opulent, yet relatively simple office, Team Rocket Boss Sakaki himself sitting patiently at his desk. Apollo stood beside him, his back straight as a board as always; the Boss’s Nidoking, its stare as sharp and frightening as its master’s, flanking the other side.
However, another figure caught his eye; a small child, no older than three, bright crimson hair resembling Athena’s, playing with Apollo’s jacket.
The Boss’s son.
What was he doing here?
“Ah, Ichizou. We have been waiting for you.”
The Boss’ low voice greeted him matter-of-factly.
Ichizou stiffly bowed.
“I-I am sorry to bother you.”
The Boss gestured to the seat in front of his desk.
”Come, sit.”
Ichizou, just as stiffly as he had bowed, made his way to the chair. He must not make a bad impression.
The Boss took a sip from the cup of green tea in front of him, and the grunt, almost not noticing it was there, followed, the drink at least somewhat relieving his parched throat.
Summoning his best formal language - he was never quite good at it - he spoke.
“Thank you for summoning me, Boss. May I ask why you have called me here?”
The Boss, in his composed, imposing way, folded his hands on his desk.
“Ichizou. For years, you have been loyal to this organization. Your performance has been phenomenal, and the Executives speak highly of you, despite your sometimes lacking manners.”
“Is that so? Thank you, Boss.”
Ichizou internally sighed a giant sigh of relief. He hadn’t gotten in trouble. He probably wasn’t going to get his finger cut off or a scar on his face. Good. Keep it calm. Even if the stares on him were making that awfully difficult.
“And I hear you are great with the younger recruits.“
The boy fussed in Apollo’s arms.
“Father, this is boring!”
“Young Master Silver, it will be over soon, be patient.” Apollo said, hushing the boy.
“…Your skills at teaching and training young recruits are phenomenal, and you are very patient with them.”
Ichizou’s soul warmed at the praise he was hearing. From the Boss himself! He blushed, trying not to grin.
“Yes Boss, I suppose I am. It is not that different from caring for my siblings, after all.”
“I have observed your skills and loyalty personally as well. As such, I have a… Unique request for you.”
The Boss faced Apollo, who nodded, bringing the boy closer to Ichizou.
“You do know about my son, Ichizou?”
“Yes, I have seen him once or twice I believe. His name was Silver, yes?”
“Yes! I’m Silver! Da future boss of Team Rocket!”
Silver boasted, puffing his chest out and grinning.
Ichizou had to admit, it was cute.
“It is quite an honor to meet you.”
The kid seemed pleased with that response. Ichizou returned his attention to the Boss.
”…What about him, Boss?”
“As you know, I am often too busy to care for him. As such, I need extra assistance in his care.”
For a few moments, Ichizou sat there.
Silence.
Then, his jaw dropped.
“Are… Are you requesting that I care for your son, Boss?”
“Yes, Ichizou.” He gave his son a pat on the head, to the boy’s pleasure. “I am requesting you be his personal servant. I had realized that a male figure was needed in this boy’s life; of course, we needed someone loyal to this organization, who can be trusted. You, Ichizou, are someone Apollo and I have evaluated to be trustworthy. I will raise your salary appropriately. His maid shall teach you what you need to do.”
The grunt continued to sit there in shock, speechless.
“Do you take this request?”
He stared at Silver, who was now playing with the stationary on his father’s desk, then back to the Boss.
“Me… The honor of raising your heir…”
It was then, the humble grunt felt like the massive weight of the world had suddenly been placed on his shoulders.
Everything appeared to freeze. This was serious. This was really happening. He was, to say the least, overwhelmed right now. But he couldn’t deny a personal request from the Boss himself, could he?
“Yes… Yes, I accept.”
“Good. At the end of the week, be at my residence, 9 AM sharp. Do you understand?”
Ichizou nodded, still half-believing he was dreaming; it felt so unreal. Was this really real?
“Good. You are dismissed.”
“Yes, Boss.”
The now former grunt quickly stood up, bowed, and exited the office, closing the door behind him. There he stood for several long moments, staring into the metallic halls.
What in the world had he just gotten himself into?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lillie couldn’t place since when her mother was like this.
Whenever they did something that even slightly displeased her, she screamed and yelled at them. She called her ugly and all sorts of other names. She argued with Gladion more and more every day.
Gladion always came to Lillie’s defense against their mother; he didn’t have to, he didn’t have to go to bed starving for her sake.
Was this normal? She thought she remembered a time when mom wasn’t like this. Before dad went away. Before she started dressing her in nothing but the same white dresses.
Today was supposed to be her ninth birthday. But because Lillie had displeased her mother by attempting to peek in the “secret” room the other day, she instead was sent to her room without even dinner, much less a celebration, and now she lay, alone, on her bed clutching her Clefairy doll.
“Besides!”
She had said.
“Cake makes you fat and that makes you ugly, dear. I’m doing you a favor!”
She thought she remembered having extravagant birthday parties with the Foundation staff every year, parties with the best gifts money could buy, parties where everyone was smiling and happy.
She sighed. What did she expect? It was her fault for going where she didn’t belong, after all.
But the room was calling to her. She didn’t know what it meant, but every time she passed it, something tugged at her deep in her mind.
What was her mother doing in there, anyway?
It probably wasn’t her business.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Seven year old Silver looked at his father with sparkling eyes.
The grunts stood in front of his father, their backs straight as planks, all of their undivided attention on their boss.
His father had a voice that was not loud; it did not have to be loud. For he did not have to raise his voice to command respect. It was firm, smooth, and strong.
With a look from his powerful eyes and the command of his voice, Team Rocket Boss Sakaki could demand the respect of any.
No matter how many times he saw his father, he never failed to impress Silver and fill him with awe.
And he was to be like that when he grew up.
He stood up straight like his father, widening his shoulders as much as he could.
Someday, that would be him. Powerful and strong. That was after all, what mattered in this world.
…Would it?
In that moment, his father may as well have stood atop Mt. Shirogane, Silver only able to admire him from the foot, basking in his glory. So far away. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t reach him.
No, he would, eventually.
And someday, he would make his father proud.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Finally, the Slacking fell.
Leepus collapsed, and in front of the fallen Slacking, victorious, stood Skipper, who calmly sighed, standing proudly.
Yuuki fell onto his bottom, trying to catch his breath.
His father quietly withdrew Leepus, and the battle was over.
He had won.
He had won!
He cried out in victory. His eyes grew misty. His hands shivered. He couldn’t believe it. This was really happening.
His second try, but he had won!
He had won against his father, Gym Leader Senri, his idol, his hero.
All his life, his father had been the man he had looked up to. A men among men, always standing strong above him. And he had won.
“Yuuki.”
Yuuki looked up to see his father, his hand outstretched, a smile on his face.
He took the hand, bracing himself with his father’s arms.
His father took out a TM and the gym badge, presenting them to him.
“Here, ya earned these.”
Yuuki, with uncharacteristic delicacy, took the TM and badge, turning over and inspecting the latter in his hand. It was a simple, not so ornate thing, fitting for his father.
“With that Badge, the Defense of all your Pokémon will increase. Your Pokémon will also now be allowed to use the HM move Surf. This is my gift to ya. Yuuki, I'm sure ya can use it correctly. …
And that is TM42. TM42 contains Facade. It doubles the power of moves if the Pokémon is poisoned, paralyzed, or burned. It might be able to turn a bad situation into an advantage."
“…Thanks, pa.”
Yuuki put the badge into his case with the others and stored the TM in its proper storage capsule. His father sighed.
“As the Gym Leader, I can't express how upset I am… But as a father, it makes me both happy and a little sad. It's odd…”
Then, his father embraced him.
“But most of all… I’m proud of ya, Yuuki.”
And despite himself, that was when Yuuki started bawling.
He knew boys didn’t cry. He was 11, not 5. But he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t.
“Pa…”
“Ya’ve come so far. There ain’t a son I can be prouder of.”
Skipper, joined him by his side, calm as ever, a small smile on his face.
His father wiped his tears, patting him on the head. Yuuki usually hated it when people treated him like a kid, but feeling that sensation for the first time in a year was nostalgic, even affirming. He welcomed it.
“Now, let’s get out of here. What about we go get some ice cream like the old days?”
“Ice cream?! I’m in!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As soon as the Peon sent out the Makuhita, Wes could sense something fundamentally… Wrong. Something was very wrong.The Pokémon growled and snarled, appearing to be in blind rage, nothing but fear and fury in its barely open eyes.“Wes! It’s that one, that Pokémon!”Rui shouted, pointing at the Makuhita.“Those jerks captured me because I saw that Pokémon.”“What?”He turned to the girl. Her brows wrinkled with and eyes filled worry as she stared at the aggressive creature. “I can see a black aura coming from it. They must have done something to that Pokémon!”Black aura… The Pokémon’s strange behavior…Of course! It had to be from that program he had read about in the files!White hot rage once again consumed Wes, as fresh as when he had first found out about the vile program, his hands shaking as they balled into fists.The Shadow Pokémon program. The very reason why he’d left. How dare they.
How dare they.
But rage immediately transmuted into heavy, crushing guilt as he reminded himself this was how the Pokémon he had snagged had ended up.All the Pokémon he had snagged for Team Snagem, the closest thing he had to family for 6 years, in the past year - at least - all of it to contribute to more suffering for these poor creatures. In fact, he could have sworn he’d snagged a Makuhita in the past few months. Goodness, was this the same Makuhita? If it was, here he was, staring at a monster of his own creation.The pain and rage that this poor Pokémon felt was, in a way, his fault.“WES! WATCH OUT!”Suddenly, the Makuhita lunged towards him, it’s fist making hard contact with his chest.Wes gagged and hacked, stumbling backwards and doubling over as the pain from the punch shot through his guts.Rui screamed. Moonshine looked towards Wes with shock, and Sundance snarled towards the offending Pokémon, the gem in his head glowing with psychic energy.The pain. Oh goodness, the pain; his heart felt like it was going to burst!Sundance and Moonshine protectively rushed to his side. Moonshine whining with worry, Sundance’s eyes filled with spiteful rage at seeing him in agony.“Sundance… It ain’t Makuhita’s fault…”“Wes, be careful! This Pokémon isn’t afraid to attack people!”“Ya… Ya think…?” Wes retorted.It wasn’t uncommon for gangs to sic their Pokémon on others anyway, he also wanted to add. It was just that that usually came after the match.His Snag Machine came into his view as he tried to catch his breath.…Of course!This was going to be the key to him correcting his mistakes. His mistake of unwittingly participating in this little program of theirs, of being nothing but an unwitting pawn for 6 whole years.He picked himself up, holding the Snag Machine with his other arm, his face reflected in its black surface.“I know, Wes! I hate to say this, but there’s no other choice.”Rui, too, had appeared to notice.“Get that Pokémon from the bad guys! Please, you have to! You can… Actually, only you can do it!”He grinned.“Heh. Ya don’t have t’say it.”The Peon’s Duskull fell with a Bite from Moonshine, leaving only the Makuhita standing.“Makuhita! Shadow Rush!”“YIPE!”“Moonshine!”Moonshine let out a painful cry as the opponent attacked with uncharacteristic ferocity lacking in mercy; even in the cruel region of Orre, the Pokémon usually knew to hold back unless their masters ordered them to use lethal force. But this attack was something else.Wes empathetically winced at his companion’s pain. Sundance, meanwhile, looked just about ready to avenge his brother and trainer in the most painful way possible.“Sundance, Reflect! Moonshine, Secret Power!”Sundance, visibly disappointed by not being allowed to attack, cloaked himself and the Umbreon with psychic energy. Moonshine picked himself up and slammed into the Makuhita, surrounding himself with a mysterious power, the opposing Pokémon snarling as it was hit.“Shadow Rush!”The Makuhita, while injured, immediately recovered at surprising speed, and this time the strange attack connected with Sundance, making the Espeon let out a high pitched whine as he flew backwards and slammed into the ground.“Sundance! Hold on!”Fortunately, it appeared Reflect had mitigated the damage at least somewhat, as Sundance was quick to be back on his feet. Good, it bought time.Immediately, with practiced hands, Wes readied a Poké Ball, feeling the familiar buzz of the machine as it charged the ball with energy and broke the anti-theft mechanism.Once again, a wide grin crossed his face. It was time to do what he did best.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Pidgey burst out of the grass, and Hinotaro jumped.“Alright, first battle! Let’s go Hinotaro! …Hinotaro?”Hinotaro was huddled behind his trainer’s leg, squeaking and shaking like a leaf.No. No, he couldn’t do this!The Pidgey stared. It almost seemed to be laughing. Hibiki and Kris also stared.“Wait, seriously Hinotaro? You’re afraid of a Pidgey?”Hinotaro didn’t like the way said Pidgey was glaring at him. It flapped its wings in intimidation, and Hinotaro squeaked again, holding onto Hibiki’s leg tighter.No, nonononono, he was going to skip this battle!“Come on! Don’t be shy! It’s just a Pidgey!”Hibiki bent down and roughly patted his head, smiling. His grin was big and bright, as bright as the sun above. “It’s okay boy, you can do it! I know you can!”The boy pointed to the bird. “It’s nothing to be afraid of! I believe in you, Buddy!”Slowly, the Cyndaquil got out of his hiding place, taking another look at his opponent.He was right. It was just a Pidgey. Just a Pidgey.As flight wasn’t an option, his only option was to fight.And he wanted to fight for this boy.With shivering legs, he faced his opponent, flames simmering on his back.He could do this.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As time went on, Red
started to sort of understand why Green acted the way he did towards him.
At first, he didn’t understand this rivalry thing. It had begun about two years before the start of their adventure; he didn’t understand why Green was being mean to him, why he got so much happiness from getting higher test scores than him, why he rubbed it in his face whenever he ran faster or jumped higher. It was like he was becoming another one of his bullies, and that hurt. That hurt a lot. He had trusted Green, they were best friends as long as he remembered; they and Leaf were supposed to go on their journey together, as a trio, fighting alongside each other, not caring who was to be champion. He had cried to Leaf and his mother, and told Daisuke, even Nanami and later Professor Ookido about it - both of whom and Daisuke had asked Green to knock it off, but he had refused. And that hurt even more. But eventually, Red came to kind of understand; the fact was, competition was fun. Every battle, the rush he felt was out of this world; the bond he felt with his Pokémon, how he felt every blow they gave and took, the thrill and glory of victory, knowing that he and his team had won thanks to all their struggles and efforts, even against trainers much more experienced.
And battling against a worthy opponent that could match his party’s strength? The heartbeat in his ears, the roaring of his blood, his focus closing in, his senses sharpening, all for one goal… It may not have looked that way with how serious he looked during battle, but if there was anything he wanted to live for, it was that. And Green was, admittedly, one such opponent.
Green was a strong trainer, no way around it. He chose well and he surely trained his Pokémon well. By his second battle with him, he came to find their battles almost fun. He even started to kind of look forward to them.
But.
He could understand why he wanted to become his rival. But he still wouldn’t admit he was “right”. Because he wasn’t.He still wouldn’t forgive him for calling him names just like everyone else, for his sudden change, for that initial hurt, for all the tears. It was clear he didn’t respect him or his wishes, seeing himself as the main character of his own shonen manga and him as a mere obstacle. He continued to lord his achievements over him and not give a single word of praise. He still didn’t understand why he was so mean.
He wanted to fully enjoy their battles, but during every single one of them, he would be pulled back to reality as Green’s mocking words reached his ears, once again reminded why he was battling. And his fuel for battle morphed from excitement to rage and spite.
Eventually rage and joy would peak and mix into something he wasn’t able to describe, a focused, sharp, intense feeling that was both good and bad.
But he did know one thing for sure; he wasn’t going to lose to him, not now, and not ever.
He also was very sure that he very much liked the extra layer of vindictive fun that came with crushing Green in battle, for every insult, for every bit of trash-talk and bragging, for every snarky comment, watching his jaw drop in shock as he watched his last Pokémon fall. Though that thrill would soon be shot predictably by Green still not respecting him and running off still bragging he’d be stronger next time, and that frustrated him so much and made him want to scream and grab and shake him. And people called him dense!
He wasn’t becoming champion just to be the strongest, to be the very best at what he loved; he had a mission. A mission to show a certain boy that he was worthy of respect, and hopefully then he would understand.
Hopefully then, he could finally get his friend’s approval.
Maybe it was dumb of him to continue hoping he would realize what he was doing, to want the approval of the same jerk who treated his Pokémon like toys. But he was still his friend. He wanted to believe so.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
N looked on in shock as Duskpaw hopped in front of him.The Purrloin seemed to be eager for… Battle?N stared at the cat as the girl in front of him grinned.“Oh, so it’s gonna be a battle, huh?”The boy by his side who looked much like her shook his head.“Hilda, you battled all the trainers on the route before. I’ll take this one.”“Wha?!”The black haired boy sighed.“Hilda. You had your chances. Let Hilbert have his.”“…Fiiiine…”The girl relented, sulking and putting her Poké Ball back in her bag “Alright. Walter, come out!”The boy - who appeared to be named Hilbert - sent out an Oshawott, the water Pokémon materializing in a flash of light.N continued to stare at Duskpaw.
<Hello. Let’s make this a good battle, alright?>
The Oshawott waved cheerfully.What?
What?
Moments passed. N looked from Duskpaw, then to the other Pokémon, then back to the Purrloin. The boy and Oshawott continued to wait patiently, staring at him and anticipating his move. The breeze blew and rustled the grass and trees, a small crowd beginning to build around the two.
“What are you doing?”
He asked the cat.
<What are you doing is what I’d like to ask. Give me a command.>
“Excuse me?”
He was baffled, absolutely flummoxed. A million questions ran through his mind, but he could only settle on one.
“Why?”
<Because I like you. You’ve earned my respect.>
“But you will come to harm, my friend.”
<So?>
N continued to hesitate.“Oh come on, do something already!” The girl yelled.N didn’t understand. Kit and the others had told him horror stories about battle, how they would be burned, cut, and hit for their trainer’s amusement; he had the scars to show for it. He had cried to him about the nightmares he had of this very thing. And this Purrloin wanted that?
<If you don’t give me a command, I’ll attack him myself.>
As strange as he was, he was to respect the Pokémon’s wishes.“Alright… I shall accept your challenge.”What a strange Pokémon. What a strange set of Pokémon.This was an equation that did not make sense.The Oshawott landed gracefully on his feet.
<You guys are a good challenge!>
N didn’t understand. The two seemed to be… Enjoying this?The two were covered in scratches and bruises, yet they were enjoying this.
<Hey, you can understand us, right?>
The Oshawott - called “Walter” by his trainer - stopped his movements to face N, cheerful as when he had started the battle.
“Yes, I indeed do.”
<Why the hesitation?>
“…Why do you do this, my friend? Does it not hurt? You do not have to follow your trainer’s commands. Do you not want to be free?”
The Oshawott tilted his head.
<Hm, I guess it does hurt! But I chose to follow Hilbert, to fight for him, to dedicate this shell to him.>
Then, he smiled.
<There’s no greater honor than that, I think!>
N’s eyes went wide. The calculations were all wrong. This made no sense. This entire situation made no sense.<You’re weird.> The Purrloin said, looking at him curiously. <Let’s continue this.>The battle raged on until finally, Duskpaw collapsed, down for the count.N approached the fallen Pokémon, gingerly taking him into his arms.“I’m sorry, my friend…”
<You don’t need to be sorry, I’m sure he was honored to fight for you. You’re a very nice person, I can tell.>
The Oshawott assured him, calmly, before Hilbert broke into praise, petting and embracing him; the Pokémon had lost interest in N by then, in joy at his trainer’s approval.“Good job, Walter. Have a good rest.”He disappeared into his Poké Ball, strangely appearing more than willing to do so.N continued to stand still, staring at where the Pokémon once stood.“I never expected to hear Pokémon say such things…”Hilbert blinked.“Uh… Well… Thanks for the battle, Mr. N.”He went up to N, his hand outstretched.N shook his head, stepping away from the boy.“As long as Pokémon are confined in Poké Balls… As long as people use them as tools for battle… Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon, because they’re my friends.”“Change the world? Perfect beings? What-“He turned, not letting the boy finish. Swiftly, not minding Hilbert’s further questioning or the crowd, he headed to the Pokémon Center, cradling the Purrloin in his arms, leaving the girl and two boys standing.This was strange. Strange, indeed.He did not know such strange Pokémon existed. His mind was filled with confusion and puzzlement at what he had just witnessed, a muddled mess of questions without answers.He had to ask Father about this later.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A knock.The Name Rater looked up from the TV. He headed to the door, unlocking it to find a red-haired boy; a thin, lanky boy who must have been about 13 - or was it 14 - his dark clothes and serious, determined expression making him almost intimidating if it were not for his clearly young age.“Oh, hello, hello! What business do you have with me?““You’re the Name Rater?”The boy asked, somewhat curtly.“Yes, that I am! Are you reconsidering your Pokémon’s nickname?”“You could say that.””Well then, come in!”The man let the boy in, beckoning him to take a seat.Taking his shoes off and putting on the guest slippers at the door, the boy took a seat and sighed, his expression still extremely serious. Odd.Not minding, the Name Rater continued with his usual spiel.“Yes, I’m the Name Rater! I rate the names of Pokémon. Would you like me to rate names? Which Pokémon’s name should I rate for you?”The boy put a hand on his belt and took out a Poké Ball. A Feraligatr roared as it appeared in a flash of light, materializing in front of him.“Oh, a Feraligatr I see? What is its name?”“…Feraligatr.”The Name Rater stared. Then, he blinked.“Just Feraligatr?”He raised his eyebrow. The boy winced and sank into his jacket.“…I know.”But the boy seemingly collected himself, and sat up straight, the look of determination now stronger in his eyes.“You can probably see why I want to change it, though. I need to change it.”The Name Rater nodded. “I see! Good choice. Your Pokémon is your partner after all, your one-of-a-kind companion, not just any Pokémon.”The redhead nodded empathetically at the statement.“…Right.”“Ah good then. What should the new nickname be?”The young man looked at his companion, who stared at him back. He closed his eyes in contemplation.Several moments passed until he finally opened them.“I was thinking… Jin. Yeah, Jin.”The man grinned. “Jin! As in ‘compassion’, correct? I see! Yes, I can see great fortune in his and your future with that name! Your bonds shall be everlasting. You have great naming sense, young man.”The boy seemed surprised at the response, his face turning a slight pink. But for the first time in the session, a small smile crossed his face.“Really?”“Yes, my boy! However, if you have any other suggestions, tell me please.”The boy shook his head. “I am sure about this name.””Alright, this Pokémon is now named Jin!”The Feraligatr, or rather, Jin, nuzzled his trainer, the boy petting him in return.“Jin. …Your name is Jin.”“Gwee-agh!”The Feraligatr let out a joyful cry.“Congratulations. He seems to like it!”The boy gave the gator another rough pat, smile widening.“…Yeah, your name is Jin!”The sight made the Name Rater smile; it was always great to see people satisfied with new names, though he swore he’d never seen a trainer as proud and happy before. There must have been some kind of story here. But it wasn’t his place to ask; his job was to rate and change names and submit that information to the League, that was all.“Well then. Do you have any more names you would like me to rate?”The redhead turned his attention away from Jin and faced him again, reaching down to his belt to pick up three more Poké Balls.“Yeah. There’s several more I’d like you to look at.”“Well then, let us begin!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Fic 1
“Oh Rowley! You got dirty!”
Mizuki looked over her Rowlet, who was preening himself trying to get said dirt off.
Well, she had a comb and brush just for this occasion! She dug into her bag and took them out, proudly holding them up in front of her Pokémon.
“Okay Rowley! Hold still!”
…And she promptly dug the comb into Rowley’s feathers.
“Hoo-hoo!”
Rowley suddenly flapped his wings, the normally calm Rowlet seeming to be in distress, flinching away from his trainer’s hand.
“Wha?! Rowley! Rowley! Come back!”
Yoh looked up from making dinner and shook his head.
“Mizuki! You’re being way too rough. That isn’t how you do it.”
She looked sheepishly at her Pokémon and back at him.
“Um… Oops?”
You laughed nervously. Mizuki couldn’t even comb her own hair alone, he wasn’t expecting her to get it right on the first try, but how could someone be so rough?
“Here, I’ll show you.”
“Fiiinnneee…”
Yoh put the food down and took the comb, stepping near the owl Pokémon and crouching down to his size.
“Hey, sorry about what just happened, boy. Mizuki can be rough sometimes.”
The owl eyed him warily. Moments passed.
Finally, the owl faced him.
So Yoh began his work.
“So for feathers, you’re supposed to go in from this angle, see?”
Gently, he lightly combed the feathers, his strokes methodical as he worked. Mizuki watched intently, and Rowley seemed to be in heaven, closing his eyes in contentment.
“See? It isn’t that hard.”
Finally, he finished, twirling the comb in his fingers. Mizuki clapped, her eyes sparkling.
“Wow Yoh-chan! You’re great at this!”
“I mean you kinda learn how to do this when you volunteer at a Pokémon shelter, heh heh. …Now, you try.”
He handed the comb to her, and Rowley shrunk away.
“Rowley! Trust me, I can do this! Please?”
Rowley gave a look at Yoh, then Mizuki, then back to Yoh. Finally, he relented.
Carefully, her hands shaking, she flicked the comb over the bird’s feathers. Remembering Yoh’s instructions, she delicately stroked them, making sure to brush away from the feather stems.
“You’re getting the hang of it!”
“Really?! Woohoo!”
…However, in her joy, she had snagged another feather.
The Rowlet looked at her with a look of what could only be disappointment. She once again looked sheepish as Yoh’s palm met his face.
“…Oops!”
Fic 2
Yoh combed through Litto’s fur, said Litten laying on his back and swaying his tail in contentment as he worked.
Yoh loved grooming Pokémon; it helped focus and calm him. He had always been the one to brush Tama back home, and often helped Mizuki fix her hair. Like cooking and cleaning, it was his element.
The Litten looked so peaceful, almost as if he could fall asleep, purring with each stroke.
Birds sang around them. Mizuki played with Rowley. All was calm.
That was when Litto suddenly opened his eyes…
And singed his finger.
“Ow!”
Yoh pulled his hand back and glared at his Pokémon.
“Litto!”
Said Pokémon seemed to be grinning as he looked at him. This little-
“What’s wrong?”
“He burnt me!”
Mizuki giggled.
“Again?”
Yoh sighed in frustration. That was the second time already. Why did his Litten have to be like this? He puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.
“Jerk.”
The cat merely yawned.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Yellow woke up in his usual spot by Red’s side, snuggled in Red’s old jacket, on Dekapon’s belly, as always.
He stretched and hopped down to go relieve himself in a faraway spot, as always, walking by Tanetane, awake before everyone else as expected, playing with his vines, the two Pokémon exchanging greetings.
Things had settled into a routine here on Mt. Shirogane.
“Pika pi!”
“Bwee-woo! Bwee-woo!”
Yellow briskly hopped onto Red’s stomach, nudging him, Tanetane making laps around him.
Red’s eyes fluttered open. He stared at him for several moments before finally uttering a quiet “…Morning, Yellow”, his smile small and fleeting as he petted his companion.
The response was expected, but still it left such a hole in Yellow’s heart.
It didn’t even make him feel angry anymore.
“Bwee!”
“…Morning, Tanetane.”
His response to his starter was just as quiet. The Venasaur looked just as dejected as Yellow at that fact.
Red laid there for several more moments, before finally slowly, very slowly, dragging himself out of his blanket and setting foot onto the hard, cold ground.
It was the start of yet another day.
Soon, they would be in the caves again, defeating the local wild Pokémon and training for who knows what purpose.
Red barely yelled orders like he used to now, he whistled; it was a unique system he had devised, one he was quite proud of when he had first done so.
But now, it was yet another reminder of how much Red had changed.
How long had they been up here? Red had just turned 12 when he had first made the journey to this place; goodness, had it really just been a little over a year?
Yellow remembered the Red who was passionate, the Red who whooped with joy when he won battles, the Red who wholeheartedly loved adventure. He had been by his side for almost all of it. He had watched him grow, and he had grown alongside him as well. He had seen the passion, drive, and bravery the boy had, matching his own; slowly, he found himself drawn to him, and he grew to respect him, more than he thought he ever would another living being.
It was said that the boy had a heart of flame, despite picking Tanetane as his starter.
So why was Red like this?
Day by day, he spoke less and less. His smiles grew less and less frequent. Leaf was worried. They were all worried.
Impatience with the static scenery turned to rage. Rage that his trainer refused to move, rage at his trainer for being like this, rage at this hopeless world, rage at nothing, rage at himself .
Yellow didn’t understand. Why were they here? Why were they still here? They won the championship together, wasn’t this their happy ending?
Even Ann was getting sad from Red’s state. She and Suzu were slowly getting more and more tired of being up here, but Red insisted that they stay.
Yellow once caught the girls considering leaving with Leaf. Not only were they sick of this damned mountain, but they couldn’t bare to see Red like this. He couldn’t blame them.
If anything, Yellow was an optimist. Yet, even he couldn’t see any end to this. Even his rage was starting to wear thin, giving way to gray nothingness.
It was as if in the cold, bitter winds of Mt. Shirogane, that heart of flame was freezing over.
He was slowly freezing over, and Yellow could do nothing to save him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Looking back, there was plenty Green Ookido had done wrong.He could have maybe not pushed Sepaltra so hard. He could have been a better trainer in general.But most of all, he could have been a better friend.He remembered as if it were yesterday when Red had punched him behind the Pokémon League. He remembered the pain, he remembered the absolute shock, the blank shock, as Red coldly declared they were no longer friends anymore, the words like icicles driven into his heart, the dread like a heavy pit in his guts as Red walked away.That was over a year ago.“Bwerr!”“Okay girl, alright!”Ann, who had been running laps around him for a solid minute now, wagged her tail as Green scratched her behind the ears.Why did the Flareon like him so much? After what he had done to her trainer?
“…I thought you’d respect me again after I became the very best. I was wrong.”
A lump formed in his throat as his former friend’s Pokémon nuzzled against his hand.“…Yeah Annie, who’s a good girl?”Ann appeared to sense Green’s mood and stopped, sitting down and, with a sympathetic look in her eyes, whining and nuzzling against his arm. His hand shook as it sunk into her fur.
“I don’t wanna see you anymore.”
Green knew Red well. He should have known he had taken the rival thing too far. He should have known how it had looked to Red. He should have known how much he was hurting Red. He should have known their friendship was more important than him being better.How had he been so stupid?He had been nothing but just a stupid brat after all, at the end of a day. He had been a stupid brat who had ran from Team Rocket, who had treated his Pokémon like toys, who had chased after a girl who didn’t love him, who didn’t even understand his best friend.Looking back, the signs were there. He just had breezed past them, too caught up in the thrill of competition to notice.“…It’s nothing, girl.”His voice wavered. Ann looked at him with those soulful eyes of hers, still filled with sympathy. It made it all the more painful.He looked up and over at the window to see Separltra staring out it.“You’re worried about him, huh?”The Charizard roared in confirmation.He sighed. He did this every morning lately.“…Come on, we have to get back to work.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eevee 1510 didn’t trust anyone.
He was spiteful and arrogant, and he knew it; growing up in an Eevee Mill, he was too concerned with himself and his brother to care about others.
He grew up protecting his brother, Eevee 6-28, and he was all he cared about outside of himself. He was all that mattered. With him, 1510 kept his pranks friendly and harmless.
6-28 was too sweet for this cruel world; if he were born in the wild, he surely would be unable to even hunt. He had no idea how or why he could always remain so kind and optimistic. If he were not his brother, he possibly would have scoffed at him and dismissed him for the wide-eyed fool he was.
6-28 constantly complained about how mean he was, but he saved his kindness for him and that was all that mattered. He especially did not care for their breeder, and he made sure to spite him whenever he could.
Until one day their breeder had gone too far. He had hurt 6-28, in more ways than a normal battle would, and 1510 had had enough. As soon as he bit their breeder, that spelled the end of them having a roof over their head.
However, it was not long after they had been thrown out huddled in that box that he had spotted them.
“Ya two were thrown out too?”
The boy, only 6 or so, but a child just like them, had asked that after he opened that box.
1510 backed away, but 6-28 was quick to lick his hand, making the child smile.
“Ah’m Wes. Yer lonely too, right?”
He took a small loaf of bread out of his pocket, breaking it into three and giving two parts to the Eevee.
“It’s all Ah have left… But ya can have it.”
As 6-28 followed the boy, 1510 was to as well.
“Ya need names… Okay… What about Sundance n’ Moonshine? Dunno where Ah’ve heard those words before… But they kinda fit, don’t ya think?”
Eventually, there were two living things that mattered in Sundance’s life; Wes and Moonshine, no more, no less.
Wes grew into a jaded, tough boy. By the time Team Snagem had found him as he attempted to pickpocket their boss himself 5 years later, he had grown wise to the ways of the streets and the world.
So Wes served Team Snagem, climbing their ranks and becoming their best snagger at the tender age of 13, serving their crooked goals. Moonshine’s ears drooped every time they wrenched a Pokémon from a hapless trainer’s custody, as he heard the Pokémon call out for their masters, and Wes hesitated at first as well, but Sundance was unmoved, for why was he to care.
By the time Wes had left Team Snagem at 17, he trusted no one. How could he. He had become as cynical as Sundance by then, only reluctantly letting the girl Rui follow him.
“Damn it Sundance, stop!”
But yet, one thing remained the same; the boy’s care for Pokémon.
Wes pulled Sundance away by the scruff of the neck from the Makuhita he had been toying with, glaring at him.
“He’s been through enough. He doesn’t need ya ****in’ with him. We’re helpin’ these Pokémon, got that?”
Sundance and the new girl watched that night as Wes and Moonshine attempted to get close to the Makuhita, almost getting beaten for their efforts. However, Wes did not give up. He continued throughout the night, reaching out just like he had done all those years ago.
This was the boy he had dedicated his life to.
As such, Sundance was to follow his goals as well.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cinnamon merely saw Hikari as a means to an end.
The Buneary loved battle. He would often get scolded by his elders for picking fights with other Pokémon, and after getting thrown out, he searched for a trainer to capture him and take him on an adventure.
The first trainer he found was Hikari. He liked what he saw from Penchan; she was clearly a battler.
But that was her purpose to him; a trainer to send him out into battle and take him on an adventure, no more, no less. He made friends with the others, sure, for he wasn’t exactly a loner, but he didn’t care much for his trainer herself. She was merely some little girl. He was the star of battle, she was just the one giving him permission to do it for once in his life.
He didn’t understand what Penchan meant by her making him stronger; all she did was stand back and order them around, what else possibly did she do? He took what he needed from her, and that was all.
But he found he liked when she praised him after battles. He found he enjoyed her attention. After defeating that grass gym leader, he felt something. Something different.
He found out more about her; how determined she could be, her spirit, how much she wanted him to succeed. She put her heart and soul into him and the rest of her Pokémon, almost as if she were battling alongside them. After every battle, it felt more and more like something they had done together.
With her behind him, every battle became more meaningful - much more so than the spats he got into as a wild Buneary - every battle felt special; and the closer they became, the more he decided to know her and witnessed her trials, the more meaningful and special they became. And the more powerful he felt himself become.
For he was not fighting for only himself anymore; he was fighting for Hikari, his trainer, his best friend.
He now knew what Penchan meant all those months ago.
When he finally reached his full form, he knew he had only her to thank.
He now understood; this was what it truly meant to be a trainer’s Pokémon.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Leaf and Red were best friends.
Alongside Green, they were the inseparable trio of Masara Town. Leaf didn’t know how she and the boys became so close, but they always were as far as she remembered. Ever since they were babies, maybe.
And because other kids liked to pick on Red at school, she had always defended him. She drove them off and pulled nasty pranks on them, and they learned to be scared of her.
Sure, he could be a bit hot-tempered, not get jokes or people’s feelings sometimes, and be a bit weird, but Leaf never minded that.
So when Green became another one of his bullies, she stayed by him. She was the only friend his age he had, after all. She was there as he cried to her; she wasn’t sure how to answer when Green had told her he liked her in a boy-girl way before, but now she knew she didn’t like him in that way, she just
couldn’t
like him in that way.
And from then on, she also had promised herself that she would always be there for Red.
They went on their journey together. They would have gone as a trio, but that had obviously stopped being the case. He picked Bulbasaur, she picked Squirtle because he was the only one left. Not that she minded; Squirtle was cute.
They decided to complete the Pokédex together, as a duo; just like Red couldn’t afford to lose to Green in battle, she couldn’t afford to lose to him in completing the Dex.
Through their journey, they only became closer, in a way they couldn’t back home. They only had each other and their Pokémon, after all. It could be nothing but them for days or even weeks, nothing but them, their Pokémon, and the vast expanse of nature, except maybe the occasional other trainer challenging Red to a battle. By day they would search for Pokémon together. By night they would gaze into the stars, surrounded by their Pokémon, and sleep with their sleeping bags next to each other, sharing their body heat on particularly cold ones.
She watched every gym battle, celebrated every victory, even helped in some of his strategies.
When Red had decided to take on Team Rocket directly, she stayed by him then too, despite his protests otherwise. They battled their way through Team Rocket’s nasty schemes, their backs to each other like in some action movie; taking the vile criminals down was something they did together, she stuck by his side for it all.
They had celebrated when Red became champion; Leaf would forever remember how proud of him she was in that cherished, wonderful moment. She was also there when that Ultra Ball had finally triumphantly clicked with Mewtwo in it.
From the beginning of his journey to the end, through all his highs and lows, she was always there beside Red, just as she had promised herself.
Which was why, now, she wasn’t giving up on him; even as he stopped talking, even as he became a husk of his former self.
Every time she shook him, cried and screamed and tried to talk sense into him and it would be met with nothing but minimal response or worse deafening silence, her heart would feel like it was being constricted and squeezed, the despair making her feel so alone. It was maddening and utterly draining.
But he had taught her to never give up. She was starting to understand what he needed; there was still hope.
Maybe it made her a fool, but she would always be there for Red, no matter what.
So she continued to wait, wait for the person who would be able to set Red’s heart aflame again.