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The first time Hongjoong visited the Sevii islands was when his brother took him after he bought two Tri-Passes. He knew of his younger brother’s love for pirate stories, so he wanted to bring him to Treasure Beach. Bumjoong and Storm, his Kingler, kept watch from the sand while Hongjoong and Captain swam around and searched for treasure.
“Don’t go too far, you two!” Bumjoong called from his seat as the two tried to sneak their way out further.
After sharing a look of defeat, Hongjoong called back. “We won’t!”
Even though they couldn’t go far, and hadn’t found any treasure yet, the two had a blast their first day. On their way back to the Poké Center, where they would be staying until it was time to go home, they noticed another family checking in, with a boy around his age.
“Hey, maybe you’ll have a friend to play with tomorrow.” Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at his brother.
“I have Captain. That guy’s just gonna steal our treasure. We have to get to the beach before him tomorrow.” Bumjoong just laughed, which attracted the family’s attention. The other boy’s face lit up, and he came bounding over to the two of them, much to Hongjoong’s displeasure.
“Are you visiting too? My name’s Seonghwa and this is my favorite place to vacation. I’m from Azalea Town, in Johto. Where are you from?”
“Aish, Seonghwa, give them room to breathe! I’m sorry about him; it’s not very often there are other kids his age here.” The boy’s mother spoke up.
“Ah, no worries! Hongjoong here could use a friend.” Hongjoong turned to glare up at his brother, who easily ignored him. “We’re from Vermilion City. It’s Hongjoong’s first time here. He and his pokémon spent all day looking for treasure at the beach.” Hongjoong seriously wanted to punch his brother right now, but he knew his mother would scold him for it when he got home, so he restrained himself.
“Woah, you brought your pokémon with you? We always have to drop ours off at the daycare before we can come, so Blossom’s never seen this place. What kind of pokémon do you have?” Seonghwa was bouncing on his heels in front of him and though Hongjoong really wasn’t in the mood, he was proud of his pokémon.
“I have a Horsea, his name is Captain. I caught him myself on my birthday.” Hongjoong folded his arms and smiled proudly. He missed the look Bumjoong shared with Seonghwa’s mother.
“Wow, that’s so cool! Blossom just lived in my brother’s garden and I made her Poké ball—oh, she’s an Oddish! I wish she was here to meet you, but maybe I can meet Captain tomorrow? If you aren’t busy doing anything else, that is.” Hongjoong took a moment to think to himself, but he decided the boy was probably too nice to actually steal his treasure.
“Sure. Maybe we can play pirates together.”
“Okay!”~ ~ ~
“So, what happened to not needing a friend?” Bumjoong asked as they settled in for the night.
“Shut up. We still need to get to the beach first.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
That had been the best vacation ever. Even though Hongjoong and his brother were only there for a fraction of the time that Seonghwa and his family were, those had been the most fun-filled days he had ever had on any of the islands. He just wished he could have taken Blossom along; he thinks she would have liked Captain.
Oh well, nothing that could be done about it now. He’d just have to tell her everything tomorrow, when they go to pick her, Harmony, and his father’s Ditto, Teaser, up from daycare. Seonghwa hadn’t gone to drop her off with his dad, since he had gone so early in the morning, so tomorrow would be his first time seeing the daycare. He hoped Blossom wouldn’t be too upset with him for not being there to drop her off…֎֎֎
“An egg?” Seonghwa looked up at his parents curiously, Blossom in his arms to get a better look at the incubator in the elderly man’s hands. His mother seemed flustered, and his father was trying to hide his laughter. When he turned to look at their pokémon, the Togetic and Ditto immediately returned to their balls. Seonghwa blinked, then looked down at Blossom.
“Odd.” Seonghwa nodded in agreement. It was odd. It wasn’t like he didn’t know where eggs came from, but why were they so embarrassed about it? Professor Elm said it was part of the circle of life.
“Ahem, well. I certainly wasn’t expecting this but. Well, Seonghwa, would you like to raise it?” His mother seemed to have finally collected herself and turned to him. He would have answered, but a loud screech caught his attention (and spooked Blossom back into her ball).
“Grampa, does he even know how to raise an egg? Why can’t I keep it?” Behind them was a boy who looked slightly younger than himself, and a Magby crossing its arms by his side.
“Aish, Wooyoung. You can’t keep every egg, you know that. This family wants it for their son, who is very responsible. Please don’t make a big deal out of this.” The boy, Wooyoung, huffed.
“Fine, whatever, Blaze and I are going into the forest for some training.”
“Magby!”
Seonghwa blinked as the two turned and ran off, while the adults spoke behind him.
“I’m sorry about my grandson. His Magby hatched from an egg that was unwanted by its trainer, and now he’s extra protective of all the eggs we get. He’s still learning.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. It's understandable.” His father answered. Seonghwa turned back to them.
“I’d love to raise it, Mom. But is it okay if I go into the forest too? Maybe I can be Wooyoung’s friend, and then he’ll approve.” His mother and the daycare woman smiled softly at him, and his parents gave him the go ahead, as long as he was home before dark. Seonghwa promised he would be, then let Blossom back out and the two headed into the forest to find the fiery boy and ‘mon duo.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Are you sure you have everything?” Yunho’s mom was flitting around him, adjusting his bag and trying to add more to his pockets. The rest of his family just watched on in amusement.
“Yes, Mom, I promise I have everything. But if I don’t go now, I’m gonna have to start by walking in the dark.” Yunho loved her care, but he was itching to go. Beside him, Ace was also growing impatient. He watched as his mother took a deep breath, then accepted her hug.
“You two stay safe, yeah? Look out for each other. And Ace, please don’t fight when Yunho asks you to get in your ball. Some places prefer pokémon to not be roaming around, you know. And Yunho—”
“Don’t put him in his ball unnecessarily, I know. I love you, we’re gonna go now, okay?” She took another breath, then stepped back to wave goodbye with the rest of the family. Yunho waved back, then he and Ace started down Route 114. They were finally going on their pokémon journey, after Professor Birch mailed him a pokédex. Their first stop? Rustboro City!^ ^ ^
Every day, Yunho and Ace were getting stronger. They had had many encounters with wild pokémon already—apparently, the berries his family grew seriously attracted them—and hadn’t had any major injuries yet, though Yunho’s dad had made sure he was stocked up on potions and other medical supplies before they left.
Currently, they were in Meteor Falls, a dark cave. Yunho didn’t want to use his flashlight and disturb the wild pokémon, so he was relying on Ace to guide him, although Ace seemed to be having difficulty as well. After they both tripped on rocks for the third time in five minutes, Yunho decided they should take a break.
Just as he was about to settle against the wall of the cave, however, a sound startled him back into standing. He felt Ace rise next to him, and the two decided to cautiously check the noise out. After only a few minutes, they saw light.
Hurrying towards it, they found an older trainer trying to…corral a Bagon? The girl looked up as they approached, and the Bagon took the chance to headbutt her into the water. Before Yunho could so much as call out, her Marshtomp fished her out and snapped at the Bagon, though the girl swatted at him.
“Uh, is everything okay?” He finally asked, after nobody else moved.
“This one somehow got stuck away from her family. I’m just trying to help her get back, but she’s being a menace.” The girl replied, shaking water from her arms and fixing her hair. Her Marshtomp handed her her bag and beret that had fallen in as well. Yunho looked at the Bagon, then down at Ace, remembering how they met and thinking the situation was eerily similar. Ace looked up at him as if thinking the same thing, before wandering over to the other pokémon.
The Bagon, for her part, allowed Ace to get close. When she looked at the girl and her Marshtomp and saw the incredulous looks on their faces, she sat down next to Ace and rested her head on his hump. Yunho couldn’t help but laugh, though the girl was not amused.
“Whatever. I’m done with this.” She recalled her Marshtomp into his ball and stalked away, muttering to herself. Yunho watched her go, then looked down when he felt a nudge at his knee. The Bagon was standing in front of him as Ace stood beside her.
“Nuuum.” Yunho tilted his head at Numel, trying to understand if he was saying what Yunho thought he was saying. The Bagon leaned against his leg again, staying there this time, as Numel looked intently at his bag.
“Would you…like to join us? Would you like to be my pokémon?” Yunho asked her, getting the hint this time.
“Ba-ag!” She looked up at him and Yunho could see the answer in her eyes. He took out one of his Poké balls and activated it, setting it beside her. She immediately let herself in. Once she was officially caught, Yunho let her out again.
“We gotta think up a name for you. Any ideas?” He asked his two pokémon. He watched at they shared a look, then mimed her pushing Ace into the water.
“Num-mel.” Yunho blinked, then laughed again.
“Are you asking to be called Menace?” At both of their very enthusiastic nods, it was settled. Yunho’s team now consisted of Ace the Numel and Menace the Bagon. He was thrilled.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Navigating Twist Mountain had been difficult, namely because he had to keep Crystal in his ball and avoid all the adults. He was sure that they would know he wasn’t supposed to be there, that he had run away from home, and that they’d deliver him back to his parents.
That was not a risk Yeosang was willing to take.
By some miracle, he had made it through unscathed, and was now facing Route 7, which posed two options for him. He could either wade through the snow that was taller than him but would keep him safe from others’ or he could run across the icy platforms and absolutely draw attention to himself—never mind the possibility of hurting himself should he fall.
Unfortunately, Crystal was not willing to risk Yeosang dying of hypothermia, and hovered behind his trainer as he made his way up onto the platforms, furthering Yeosang’s fear of getting caught. He was not going to enjoy this.***
After falling for the millionth time—even with Crystal’s help—the ‘mon urged Yeosang into the surrounding forest to take a break. Yeosang couldn’t light a fire even if he wanted to, though, so he just waited for the sun to rise. Maybe someone else would pass through and drop a scarf or something that he could use. He wasn’t optimistic, though. The platforms were just too slippery for him to cross.
“Maybe we’ll just walk through the forest. It’ll be inconvenient, but we’ll keep an eye on the route. The snow isn’t piled so high here, thanks to the trees. We’ll manage.” Crystal looked like he wanted to argue, but instead huffed and nudged himself against Yeosang, who pulled out some berries for them to eat. He frowned down at the bag.
“Cryo?”
“We’ll have to go foraging soon. We’re running out of berries.” Yeosang put his head into his gloved hands, feeling a little hopeless. He didn’t regret leaving, but he wished he could’ve had better planning.
The tinkling sound of Crystal turning drew his attention away from his spiral. Behind him stood a Deerling, who tilted its head at the two of them before bounding away. Yeosang would have just brushed it off as the pokémon being curious, but it returned seconds later carrying a branch with quite a few fruits hanging off of it. Feeling hope bloom in his chest, he turned to the Deerling fully.
“Is that for us?” He asked quietly, afraid of scaring it off. The pokémon seemed to hesitate at his voice, but Crystal jingled happily to it, and it came to drop the branch in Yeosang’s lap before curling up next to him as if to sleep. He looked up at Crystal, entranced by the Deerling’s actions, and the two carefully packed the fruits away.
Crystal stood guard over them as Yeosang’s eyelids drooped, eventually nodding off for some rest. Warmth flared in his heart; he wondered if the little Deerling would join them on their journey. He hoped that this was the beginning of a new friendship.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
San’s parents had been surprised when their son came home with a crying pokémon, but accepted it anyway. San had immediately taken “Bug” (why he called it that, they had no idea. It wasn’t even a bug type) to his room, and Haneul explained where Bug had come from. His parents grew wary, but decided to wait it out for a bit.
San was fascinated with the tiny Pumpkaboo and watched his every little reaction closely. It didn’t seem to want to be put down or explore, so San ever-so-carefully constructed a blanket-and-pillow nest on his bed with one arm while holding Bug with the other. He eased the two of them into it and started humming a lullaby, hoping to put Bug at ease. It took some time, but he did eventually drift into sleep.
San had no intention of moving—he feared Bug would wake up and start crying again—so he made sure he was comfy too. Byeol had come in just before Bug drifted off and made herself comfy at the edge of his bed, ready for a nap herself. San didn’t want to sleep (he wasn’t tired in the slightest), so he turned his tv on, with the volume turned way down, and settled in to watch some reruns of The Pokémon Whisperer.¦ ¦ ¦
It soon became very clear that before Bug was abandoned, he was severely abused. The pumpkin pokémon was terrified of loud noises and other pokémon; Byeol and Guleum were patient, though, and worked hard to build Bug’s trust in them. San worked hard too, and didn’t push about officially making Bug his pokémon, even if his parents started to get weird about it. Haneul told him to ignore it for now, since they had all seen how Bug had reacted to seeing a poké ball, but it was getting harder. Byeol and Guleum had to constantly be on guard to distract Bug, what with how often the parents came into a room “nonchalantly” carrying one. After that, it didn’t take long for San to speak to them.
He made another nest on his bed and asked his sister’s pokémon to stay with Bug while they spoke with their parents; the two were fine with this arrangement—delighted, actually, that a conversation was taking place. San gave Bug a kiss on his forehead, then met his human family members in the dining room.
“Why do you keep trying to make Bug freak out? I want to take things slow with him, so he can make progress comfortably.” San got straight to the point, with Haneul nodding beside him. His parents at least looked guilty and ashamed.
“We’re sorry, but we’ve been doing these things because you shouldn’t have to jump through hoops for a pokémon. We’re so happy that you’ve finally shown interest, but this one was hurt in the past. We just don’t want you to get overwhelmed and forget about yourself, Sannie.” His mother explained.
“But it’s not like that at all?” Haneul spoke up, “San’s been taking care of himself and Bug, and he’s doing an amazing job. You weren’t there, that day. San was meant to care for Bug, in whatever capacity they’re comfortable with.”
“Yes, he is doing a good job, but we still think that maybe someone more qualified should take Bug in.” His father responded. San had heard enough, though.
“I won’t abandon him. That’s what I’d be doing if I handed him off to someone else. He needs me and I need him and I won’t abandon him.” San spoke with determination, rising from his seat. He needed his parents to understand that he’d do anything for Bug. “As for whether or not he’s mine, well, I don’t need it to be official. We have a bond, so he is mine and I am his. I won’t betray him or that bond for anything in the world.”
San watched as his parents silently communicated after he spoke. After a few moments, they seemed to come to an agreement.
“Alright, Sannie. We’re sorry we doubted your abilities, and for the extra stress we’ve been causing. We’ll be fully supportive from now on.” His mother smiled gently at him.
“We’re proud of you, son. And you too, Haneul, for sticking by him when we did not.” San and Haneul both beamed at their parents, relieved that the conversation not only went smoothly, but they also earned their parents’ pride.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After Mingi had stayed out suspiciously late on the day his class received their first Pokémon and had come home with one that is only recommended for older trainers who have to go through specific training, Mingi’s mother and brother knew something was up. His brother and his Sandshrew started taking Mingi to school and picking him up, which was fine…for a while. Mingi knew that they were getting suspicious, but his bullies had only ever tormented him in the classroom when no adults were paying attention (which was most of the time, since they never seemed to pay him much attention anyway). But it all came to a head when the two overheard one of the comments. They had been waiting inside that day, on account of the bad weather, and they saw what their younger brother had been hiding from them for who knows how long. It was like slow motion for Mingi, watching as half his family learned of his secret.
“Why don’t you go catch another useless Pokémon!” Archie taunted, while Emma led the rest of their classmates in laughter.
“Yeah,” the girl tacked on, “at least get something you can touch this time. Or do you really want to die?”
Even hearing the d-word (which was heavily frowned upon at school) coming from one of their top student’s mouths didn’t make any of the teachers step in. They all just turned a blind eye, as was the usual. Mingi was used to it, and the comments, and tried to ignore them like always. But knowing his brother was right there and listening broke him.
He never wanted to give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry, but he couldn’t help it. He’d put up with this for years and he hated putting Mercury through it as well.
His brother was with him in an instant, Spike growling at the students to think before doing anything else, and that’s when the teachers stepped in.
“Who are you? Your Pokémon can’t be out of its ball, especially when it’s aggressive!” Mingi’s teacher scolded.
“Clearly you don’t give a damn about aggression.” Mingi had never heard anyone in his family swear before. “I’m taking my brother out of school, not that you’d care anyway. You can explain to your supervisor why you’re suddenly missing a kid.” He turned to Mingi, smiling gently. “C’mon, let’s go home. I’ll teach you whatever you want.”
ᴥ ᴥ ᴥ
Mingi had been expecting a scolding as his brother explained the situation to his mom. He knew this was not something that he should have hidden, but he was scared. Terrified that his family—as much as he loved and trusted them—might somehow agree with everyone else. Maybe it was because the teachers hadn’t cared and had so easily overlooked him, but he didn’t know. All he knew was that his mother had immediately wrapped him in a hug before settling him on the sofa with a warm cup of tea. Mercury was out of his ball, too, and had a pastry in his hands that he ate slowly, clearly feeling just as surprised by everything as his trainer.
Not too long later, when Mingi’s tea and Mercury’s treat were finished, his mom announced that they’d be spending the entirety of tomorrow at the library. Unfortunately, their pokémon would have to stay home, but nobody minded. Mingi knew the library banned Grimers in particular, so the fact that Spike and Rhea would be staying with Mercury warmed his heart. He wasn’t really sure why he was so touched by the kindness of his family, but nobody commented on it.
When the three of them arrived at the library the next day, Mingi made a decision that surprised his family. Instead of heading over to the kids’ section, he went to the medical section and started pulling out very specific books.
“What are you looking for, Squirt?” His brother asked, helping him carry the books to the table their mother was sat at.
“I was thinking about maybe getting a Psyduck one day. I know a lot of people don’t like them because they look derpy, but we learned in class that they actually suffer from constant headaches. I want to help one, and show them that they’re worthy of love too.” Mingi immediately opened one of the books on homemade remedies, thus missing the looks on his family members’ faces.
“That’s very admirable, Mingi. I’m so proud of you.” His mother whispered, discreetly dabbing at her eyes. Mingi didn’t react, but she didn’t expect him to, not with the way he was so focused on his reading. Her older son heard, though, and squeezed her hand gently.
“He’s just like Dad, huh?”
“Just like your father, indeed.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“That was really rude of you, you know?” Wooyoung looked behind him to see the same kid standing behind him with his arms crossed. An Oddish was peeking out from behind him.
“Go away.” He turned back to Blaze and continued to sulk while pulling up the grass by his crossed legs.
“Do you think you’re the only person qualified to raise eggs? I’ve taken care of my brother’s garden and the pokémon that live there for years—Blossom asked me to be her trainer. Does that scream ‘bad guy’ to you?” The kid persisted, coming and sitting beside him, much to Wooyoung’s displeasure. Even worse, he noticed Blaze move over to make room for the Oddish—Blossom, he’s guessing.
“Yeah, well, I’ve been caring for pokémon my whole life. I hatched Blaze from his egg, and he likes me more than your pokémon likes you, right Blaze?” Wooyoung watched as Blaze cocked his head to the side and brought a hand up to his mouth.
“Mag…”
“Fine! Whatever! You can have the egg, I don’t care. Just leave me alone, you’re not my mom!” Wooyoung threw his hands up in frustration at Magby’s hesitance, the boy’s tone, this whole situation! Part of him knew he was being unreasonable, but he just couldn’t stop. Nor could he understand why the boy even followed him in the first place. He snuck a glance at him and blinked at his contemplative look.
“Maybe you could give me some pointers, then. I’m from Azalea town, so it’s not too far of a walk if you wanted to come visit, and you could stay the night if you wanted.” Wooyoung blinked again.
“Why? I’m being such a jerk right now. Why would you want to be around me?” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Blaze carefully petting Blossom’s leaves. He sat up straighter and turned his attention back to the boy.
“Because,” he started, a small smile growing on his face, “I’d like to be your friend. And I get that you had a bad experience with a trainer, so I want you to know what it’s like to have a good experience. Someday, I want to travel the region on my own journey, and I’d like to have a friend join me.”
“You’re weird.” Wooyoung laughed as the boy blinked and confusion showed on his face. “Blaze seems to like Blossom—”
“By-ye!”
“So maybe you’re okay too.” The boy’s smile was back, if not a little confused. As an afterthought, Wooyoung continued. “I’m Wooyoung and this is Blaze, my Magby. Sorry I was a jerk.” Now, the boy’s smile was brighter.
“That’s okay. It’s nice to meet you both. I’m Seonghwa, and this is Blossom. Would you like to come over?” Wooyoung shared a look with Magby, who nodded in excitement.
“Sure!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Instead of heading straight to Vermillion City to earn their third gym badge, Jongho, Copper, and Lancelot all agreed to train up a bit more, and maybe catch another pokémon for their team. As it stands, Copper technically could take on the lieutenant’s pokémon by himself, but Jongho doesn’t want him to have to tank it all for them. Lancelot also has an advantage, but is worried about Surge’s infamous Raichu. They decided that, while another pokémon isn’t necessary, it’s good to have a backup plan…and maybe they want another friend, too. With their plan decided, Jongho bought a flashlight and headed for the Rock Tunnel.† † †
So. Many. Zubats. Jongho thought they were cool at one point, but this cave was full of them, and they were constantly flying at his face. Well. Maybe he should be more careful about where he points his light, but he thought they were blind! They don’t have eyes! He doesn’t understand how they’re reacting to the light, but he’s so tired of it anyway. Sure, Copper and Lancelot have been able to train a lot because of them, but still…
And he still hasn’t caught another pokémon yet. He hasn’t caught a Zubat because he’s afraid of the type weakness against Lt. Surge…and definitely because they haven’t all evaded his throws. Jongho honestly felt like giving up and just heading to Vermillion City—maybe he can catch a pokémon on the way there—but then this little gremlin of a ‘mon came charging for his kneecaps. Jongho sent out Lancelot, and the battle was on.
The wild pokémon was a fierce Machop, and Jongho felt charmed by him almost immediately. He had spunk, charging up on a trainer double his height like that, and Jongho knew he was the perfect fit for their team. Lancelot seemed to agree, and didn’t go all out in his attacks, doing just enough to weaken the Machop so he would, hopefully, be an easy capture.
And he was. When the Machop saw Jongho take out the ball and prepare to throw it, he stood still, as if waiting for it. Jongho was suspicious, wondering if the ‘mon would try to punch it away, but tried anyway.
The ball only shook once before it clicked, and just like that, Jongho had a Machop. As he walked over to the ball, a passing trainer whistled in appreciation.
“I’ve never seen a pokémon do that before, ‘specially not a Machop. Those guys hate being captured, according to what I’ve heard. You got a special one there, kid.” Jongho smiled in their direction before letting the Machop out, Lancelot at his side.
“I gotta name you something. This is Lancelot, by the way. I have Copper too, but he’s resting right now…” The Machop watched as Jongho thought about a name for him.
“Nido?” Jongho looked down at Lancelot, and caught on.
“Hmm, how about Percival? He was—”
“Cho-op!” He was cut off by the Machop vehemently shaking his head, clearly not liking the name.
“Nido-ran?”
“Mach. Machop!”
Jongho watched as the two conversed, confusion etched into his features. Finally, the two turned back to him, with the Machop first nodding and pointing at Jongho, then holding his hands close together, palms facing each other, but not touching. It took an embarrassingly long time for Jongho to figure out what he was being told, but he got it eventually.
“How about Percy?” He asked tentatively, hoping he had interpreted his pokémon correctly, “It’s short for Percival, who was a knight from the same story that Lancelot’s name came from.” At his words, Machop smiled and nodded happily, Lancelot letting out an amused grunt.
“Okay then! Let’s go heal up then continue training!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
For Hongjoong’s twelfth birthday, his dad took him out on a fishing boat, allowing Captain to swim alongside while his Staryu, Neptune, kept an eye out from the deck. They didn’t really have a plan; his father just suggested a trip and Hongjoong agreed. He knew his brother had done the same thing on his twelfth birthday, and it had been that trip that pushed Bumjoong and Storm to challenge the gyms.
Hongjoong was excited for what this trip could mean for him.~ ~ ~
The day had been pretty mundane—nothing really exciting had happened thus far. Hongjoong’s dad had anchored for a bit to allow him and Captain to swim and play for a bit, they had lunch, and now they were heading back home. Despite the fun day, Hongjoong couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He thought something extraordinary was going to happen, but instead, he had a relaxing day. And it was good, don’t get him wrong! He just thought this trip would reveal his future, like it had for Bumjoong. Maybe that had been a stupid idea. Maybe Bumjoong had wanted to challenge the gyms all along, and had only revealed it after returning with their dad.
A lurch jolted Hongjoong out of his thoughts. Before he could ask what caused it, his father spoke up.
“I hear some yelling up ahead. I want to check it out, make sure everything’s okay.” Hongjoong nodded at his father’s serious tone, checking to make sure captain could keep up. It wasn’t long before the source of the yelling came into view, and Hongjoong and his father sucked in twin breaths.
Ahead of them, near a cliff face, four or five small boats of people were yelling at each other and at a pokémon that Hongjoong had never seen before.
“Dad? What’s going on, what are they doing?” His father’s face turned angry as they watched the scene unfold. The people in the boats were launching balls and nets at the pokémon while closing in, trapping it against the cliff. It had nowhere to run.
“That’s a Lapras. They’re not supposed to be this far South. It’s probably scared out of its mind, and those people clearly don’t want to help it.” Hongjoong watched as his father clearly struggled to come up with a solution, looking between him, the shouting people—who had started ramming their boats into each other like schoolchildren fighting over the best cushion for story time—and the terrified Lapras. Something had to be done, and quickly. He wasn’t sure why the Lapras wasn’t attacking, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Hongjoong watched it happen in slow motion. One of the nets tangled around the Lapras’s right fins, and it couldn’t dodge the nets anymore. Its face went from panicked to desperate, then—
“La-PRAS!”
And suddenly, Hongjoong was diving in.
Captain was by his side immediately, and they both raced to help the distraught pokémon. It’s one thing to catch them in the wild; it’s another thing entirely to keep harassing a pokémon who clearly is trying to get away.
Faintly, he could hear yelling all around him, but his focus was on the pokémon just in front of him, even as the boats around him created waves that could pull him under. He stopped some distance away, treading water, and started speaking to the frantic pokémon. At this point, it seemed torn between snapping at anything that came too close and trying (and failing) to get the net untangled. Hongjoong shared a look with Captain, coming to a silent agreement.
Captain swam closer to the Lapras, cautious as ever. The wild pokémon narrowed its eyes at the approaching Horsea, but did not snap. Hongjoong watched as they conversed in the way that pokémon do, the way that seems to cross species but humans can’t seem to quite understand—at least, not as well—and waited until he was given permission to swim closer.
The yelling had faded away and the water had calmed, but he didn’t dare look around. This pokémon was still wild
and that meant that he had to be on his guard, both for his sake and for Captain’s.
Eventually, Captain trilled for him to come closer. The Lapras lowered its head to meet his gaze, and Hongjoong was awestruck.
“I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to help you get untangled. Will you let me and Captain help you?” Hongjoong spoke softly, refusing to even drift close enough to touch the pokémon without its permission. The Lapras blinked at him, then softly butted his head, directing him to the nets. Hongjoong felt his heart race at the action, but pushed down his excitement to get to work.
It was difficult, especially since he was trying hard not to hurt Lapras. And given the fact that he was using his arms and hands to untangle the net, treading water was getting harder and harder. He may be a strong swimmer, but even he has his limits, and he knew he was nearing them. Captain nudged him, worried, but Hongjoong was determined to get the nets off. He only paused when he felt Lapras gently nudge his head again. He turned, slightly out of breath.
“Sorry, these are really stuck on. I—we might have to hurt you a little bit to get them off. I’m sorry.” Lapras blinked at him and Captain trilled, then nudged his side. Hongjoong turned back to his partner, a question on his lips, when Lapras bit the back of his shirt. He froze, unsure of what was happening, as he was lifted out of the water. Instead of being thrown—like he had started to expect—Lapras settled him carefully on its back. Hongjoong blinked, surprised by the gesture; he hadn’t expected such a panicked pokémon to treat him with such gentleness and kindness.
“Thank you.” He murmured. Lapras just looked at him, calm as ever, a ghost of a smile on its face. Then it turned, going back to surveying their surroundings; Hongjoong could feel the protectiveness radiating from it, and felt his heart warm.
It was much easier to get the nets untangled after that. Captain had ended up using Water Beam to cut through the netting material, and Hongjoong gently pulled everything off, gathering it in a ball in front of him so it wouldn’t tangle around another pokémon.
When they were finished, Hongjoong finally took a moment to look around. The other boats were gone, and his father’s boat was anchored where it had been when Hongjoong dove off. It was further than he realized. By his side, Captain trilled, and Lapras started carefully swimming towards the boat. Hongjoong felt another wave of awe for the pokémon.
As Lapras lined itself up with the boat’s edge, Hongjoong felt a wave of sadness knowing he’d have to say goodbye soon. He patted its shell gently to get its attention.
“Thank you for allowing me and Captain to help you, and for helping me. I hope you don’t run into any more trouble finding your way home.” He smiled without teeth—that sets some pokémon off—and started adjusting himself to climb onto the boat.
Lapras, apparently, had other plans; it veered away from the boat and just looked between him and Captain, who seemed to catch on much quicker than Hongjoong himself. Captain trilled happily and swam in circles around the two of them, even jumping from the water occasionally. Hongjoong looked between Captain, Lapras, his father, and Neptune, dumbfounded. On deck, his father laughed.
“I think she wants to stay with you, son. You’re her home now.” Hongjoong blinked at his father’s words, then looked at Lapras.
“Really? You want to stay with me? As my pokémon?” Lapras butted his head gently again, and Hongjoong positively beamed. “I don’t have any Poké balls with me right now, so I can’t officially catch you until we get home. But we can brainstorm a name for you on the way there!” Lapras smiled at that, and just like that, they were heading home. Him on Lapras’s back, Captain at their side, and his father and Neptune leading the way on the boat.~ ~ ~
His father hadn’t shut up about his son’s brave action since that day. It had been a month, and he still told everyone he saw—even if they heard the story already. Gym challengers were coming in talking about it—he avoided them as much as he could, only battling with Captain if they asked. Lt. Surge, the gym leader in their town, even praised his bravery, and told Hongjoong that one day, he knew he’d grow into the kind of trainer that everyone aspired to be. Hongjoong had stuttered out a thanks, then ran to the beach to play with Captain and Aurora to shake off his embarrassment. He wasn’t sure how he felt about his new “fame,” and tried to ignore it as much as possible, choosing to instead spend all his time at the beach—or, as much as his parents would allow.
Hongjoong still doesn’t have a plan for his future, but that’s okay. He likes where he is now, and this is how things will stay until he figures it out. He and his pokémon have all the time in the world, after all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Youngie, slow down! You know I can’t run with the egg!”
“You can, you just won’t! That incubator is made for trainers who run all the time!” Wooyoung looked back and laughed at Seonghwa, who was huffing as he jogged to catch up. Seonghwa had gotten a bike for his birthday, a lovely green one, and he had made the mistake of letting his friend take it for a spin. He knew the younger was a menace; of course he’d speed away from him. And Blaze isn’t here to keep Wooyoung in check…or egg him on. He and Blossom were with Wooyoung’s grandparents, playing with the other daycare pokémon.
The twelve-year-old shook his head as he finally caught up—only because Wooyoung had stopped for a bit. “What am I gonna do with you?” Seonghwa rolled his eyes at Wooyoung’s mischievous grin. “Why do you look like you’re planning something?”
“I just had a great idea, that’s all.” Wooyoung shrugged. “But not right now. What time is it?” Seonghwa looked at him warily before checking his watch.
“It’s one-thirty. Wanna head back to yours for lunch?” Wooyoung nodded and hopped off the bike, walking it down the path to the daycare so Seonghwa could match his pace.֎֎֎
“No.” Seonghwa shook his head vehemently. There was no way he was going through with this.
“C’mon, Hwa, it’ll be fun! And your egg will hatch quicker! You’ve had it for soooooooo long now anyway! Don’t you want to meet your pokémon?” And, darn Wooyoung, he was so convincing. Seonghwa did want to meet the pokémon; he’d had it and the incubator for almost a year at this point. He just didn’t want to break it, or the incubator, or for some other horrible thing to happen. But it had been so long, maybe this won’t hurt…
“…Fine. But only if you’re sure it won’t fall out.” Wooyoung let out a cheer and jumped around, grabbing the large backpack from the grass beside them. He held open the bag as Seonghwa carefully lowered the incubator inside, zipping it up until just the top was visible and locking the zippers in place. Then, Seonghwa carefully pulled the backpack on, and got himself situated on the bike.
“Oh! Hold on a sec!” He watched as Wooyoung raced back inside, only to come back out seconds later with Blossom and Blaze. “Okay, now we’re all here. Now, you’re just gonna ride a little ways up the path, then back here. Each time you come back, I’ll check to see if the egg is ready to hatch!”
Seonghwa let out a little sigh, surprised that he was even doing this, and pushed off.֎֎֎
It wasn’t as reckless as he thought it would be. And it only took three and a half laps for him to hear something that distinctly sounded like an egg cracking…which made him race back to Wooyoung and their pokémon faster than he had been going.
“Woo, I think it’s hatching!” He called out as he braked hard, sending up a cloud of dust. Neither of them minded, though, as they worked the backpack off of Seonghwa and pulled the incubator out.
The egg was shaking.
The two worked together to get the incubator open and set the egg on the grass in front of them, Wooyoung kicking the backpack out of the way. Blossom and Blaze came around the other side, completing the circle, and they all watched in awe as the shell began breaking from the inside. Before long, the pokémon was fully hatched.
“Togepi?” The pokémon was tiny, but Seonghwa loved him. He ran right up to his trainer, stumbling only a little, and raised his arms as if asking to be held. Seonghwa obliged, scooping him up and looking at him with stars in his eyes.
“What are you gonna name him?” Wooyoung whispered, carefully leaning over to tickle the baby pokémon.
“Well, if he was a girl I was thinking about Star, but since he’s a boy…how does Mars sound?” Togepi let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, but he didn’t seem to disagree with his name. “Blossom, come say hi! You too, Blaze!”
Blossom was clearly excited to be a big sister, her leaves trembling with glee. Blaze stuck close to Wooyoung, but looked no less thrilled to meet the newest addition to their little group.
“See, I told you the bike thing was a good idea!” Wooyoung laughed, and Seonghwa rolled his eyes with mock annoyance.
“Yeah, yeah. I guess some of your ideas are actually good.” He laughed. They spent the rest of the day playing with and cooing over Mars, the bike forgotten until it was time for Seonghwa to head home.