Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've written a Pokemon Story, so here's something out of the blue. Enjoy!
Quick Summary:
After Misty's death, Ash leaves his daughter Carter to be raised by Misty's sisters in Cerulean. Years ater, Carter sees her father on the news as mysterious uniformed men steal Pikachu. Carter isn't a trainer like her paretns and doesn't even have her first Pokemon yet, but she's willing to risk it all to save Pikachu in the Orre region, one of the most criminal-filed regions of the Pokemon World. Who is Cipher and what are they doing with her father's Pikachu?
A new generation sets out to save the world. World Champion Ash Kethcum's novice daughter Carter, Michael's smart kid son Alex, and a mysteryious orphan raised by Team Snaggem who has inherrited the one of a kind ability to see Shadow Pokemon auras. These 3 unlikely friends join forces to travel all around Orre and purify the region of Cipher's corruption.
A tiny pokeball wiggles on the grass, glowing that infamous pending red. A few feet away, two children stand, awaiting the ending results. Eventually however, the Pokeball stops moving. With that, the final click and ring of the item sounds, and the Pokemon has been officially caught.
The two children stand speechless, unable to believe that they had really caught a Pokemon. "See…?" the girl of the two says first. "I told you it was easy to catch a Pokemon."
The boy regains his posture and marches up to his Pokeball. He picks it up, still speechless."It's… really mine?"
"You caught it, didn't you?" the girl replies, walking up behind him. She smiles at his unsure expression to assure him. "Now you and that Pokemon can be best friends forever!"
"Friends," the boy repeats, unfamiliar with associating the term with Pokemon. He gasps a little bit as the girl places boh her hands on the Pokeball as well, over the boy's own hand even.
"So you don't have to go stealing other people's Pokemon," the female child states. "Catching then on your own and making friends with them is funner, you know?" She giggles a little. "Didn't you and I have fun catching it together?"
The flustered and confused boy turns red in the face, but nonetheless nods in agreement. He smiles. "Yeah."
"So when you leave, promise me we can be friends forever, too?"
He smiles confidently, deciding to go along with her request. "Sure." With their hands over the said Pokeball, they shake their topped hands up and down in a childlike handshake. "Friends."
With that, the boy runs off, leaving the girl in her yellow sundress behind. "Friends…" she says innocently, wondering if she'll ever see her playmate ever again.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
A FEW YEARS LATER…
"Happy birthday, to you~ Happy birthday to you- Happy birthday dear Carter~ Happy birthday to you~!" Clapping and cheering of three fill the small kitchen as I blow out all thirteen candles. It's a quaint little birthday cake and celebration, but it's nice.
"Time to cut the cake, girls!" my Aunt Violet says, picking up the cake in front of me. Daisy and Lily disperse behind my chair to find plates and forks.
"Thanks guys," I smile warmly, turning around in my chair. "You guys didn't have to postpone your show for me, you know."
"Nonsense Carter it's your thirteenth birthday," Violet interjects, finding the cake knife. "Hey, maybe you're thinking of becoming one of the Sensational Sisters, huh? Maybe there's a perfermor's soul in you."
An estranged look overcomes me, and I hold my hand up flat. "I don't think so, Violet." Aunts and a neice don't really ring well as 'Sensation Sisters' to me, either.
Lily begins to giggle from her place near the cabinets. "Oh I can just imagine it, little Carter in Misty's old mermaid costume. It'd be so cute it's just her size!"
"Misty didn't like performing either now that I think about it," Daisy begins to reminisce, as I wait politely in my chair like a nice birthday girl. As they talk about my mom, I can't help but slump my shoulders ever so slightly.
"Ahem," Violet coughs, catching the attention of her two sisters. I glance over and I can notice her sending them a look that says 'shut up'. Personally I don't mind anymore, them talking about her. It's been about five years now...
"Well mother like daughter, I suppose," Lily laughs, nervously. "I still think Carter should at least try it out one day."
"I think I'll pass, Lily," I mention from my seat with the same face. My aunts Lily, Daisy, and Violet tell me stories about my mother Misty all the time and how much I'm like her. But the more they tell me about her, the less I see the similarities, as much as I try. I'm not a water person, and I'm no Pokemon trainer either. Pokemon just, aren't my thing, you know? But sometimes, I wish I could just have the courage to be like this adventurous red-head they tell me so much about. Aside from Pallet Town, I've never left Cerulean City ever in my life. And I'm already thirteen.
"Alright Carter, white cake with custard and strawberry cream - your favorite." Violet sets a plate down in front of me on the table, and I can feel my mouth watering at the sweet dessert.
"Ooh I almost forgot, you got some mail, Carter," Lily chimes in, coming over with a mouth full of cake. She drops a letter beside my plate before running to find her fork again.
Letters. I never get any mail, so I sort of have an idea of what this is. As I rip the side open, Daisy sits beside me with that mother-like smile of hers. "So what is it? Birthday mail?"
"Yeah. Just a card from dad," I show her, pulling out the store-bought card. Opening it there's a couple Pokedollars in the fold and a short hand written message on the right side. Nothing fancy. "He says Happy Birthday."
"That's sweet," Daisy smiles.
"Hmph! If that man has enough energy to buy and send a card I don't see why he can't just come visit," Violet snaps as she continues cutting cake.
"Oh come on now, Violet," Daisy defends from beside me at the table. "You know Ash is busy out there on his travels. At least he says hello, you know?"
"Whatever." My Aunt Violet, I think, has it the worst for my dad. When Misty, my mother, died five years ago, everything changed about my family. I was only eight, and it wasn't long after Dad said he was going on a short trip, to figure things out. He left me with my aunts here in Cerulean City at the Cerulean Gym, where I waited for him to come back. But the short trip turned into a longer one. Now the famous Ask Ketchum has 'unretired' from Pokemon Journeying as is traveling the world as we speak. I see him on posters and on television, but it's been years since I've seen him face to face.
Aunt Violet hasn't taken the gesture lightly that he 'just abandoned me here'. But, it's okay, I say. Dad still keeps in contact every now and then. And he never forgets to send me a birthday card. I keep them all in my room. When I was younger you could say I was a little sad about understanding my father left me, but I've come to accept it, you know? Mom died. We have to move on in our own ways. And, I guess for Dad that meant, traveling and continuing where his older life left off. Dad was always a world champion Pokemon trainer until he married mom and had me. Then he retired from traveling, assumingly forever.
But, I guess Mom's leaving us changed that...
"Um, I'm going to go up to my room okay?" I say, after finishing only one slice.
"Okay, Carter," Daisy smiles sympathetically as I excuse myself from our small family kitchen. I make my way upstairs to my bedroom, which is a small simple room. The door shuts and I turn the TV on for some sound. I can't stand the silence of being able to hear my aunts argue about Ash once more downstairs. I know Violet holds a grudge, but it's okay.
"Alright," I sigh out, sitting down at my computer. With the tv on behind me, I type away to surf the web. Most kids would be out playing with their Pokemon on nice days like this. Another wonderful trait I haven't inherited from my parents - not a Pokemon trainer.
It sounds funny right? The daughter of Ash and Misty Ketchum and not a Pokemon trainer. Kids usually get them and start their journeys at age ten, right? Well like I said, Pokemon don't really rub off on me like they would for most kids. So, I sort of just skipped the whole process and, left the next three years after ten to just normal house sitting and schooling.
"I've got an email," I click. Reading the label of the email, I realize it's Alex. My friend from Orre, another region far away from here in Kanto. He's this brainy little kid who came to Pallet a year or two ago with his dad, to visit Professor Oak for lab business or something. I got to show the kid around Professor Oak's Pokemon ranch, and we keep in touch. He's a sweet kid. He's just turned ten and got his first Pokemon starter over there.
"Mm," I read. The monitor's light reflects in my eyes as I click the play button on the email. It's a video message.
"Hi, Carter!" greets a small brunet boy. "Sorry it's been a while since I've emailed you. My dad and Proffesor Krane have me doing chores all around the lab lately. But I wanted to say Happy Birthday!"
I laugh a little at him. I love this kid like a little brother. He's always so hyped in his video emails.
"Dad's been busy lately with work, too, over here. Says weird stuff's been going on, so I can't go traveling around yet," he pouts, updating me on these past few weeks. "But I got my Starter, though! Here look! Comme Eevee, say hi to my friend!" The camera wiggles a bit as a cute little Pokemon jumps into the boy's arms, saying hello to me. "Look! I have my own Eevee! I have a Pokemon!"
"Way to go, Alex," I smile, feeling pretty happy for him. Even he gets to start his Pokemon Journey before me, even if he can't leave the house just yet. Makes me wonder how bad Orre must be if he isn't allowed to go out on his own.
"I can't wait to start travelling around Orre, though," he says through the video. "There're rumors going around that those old bad guys are around again, so my Dad's looking into it."
"Bad guys," I repeat, laughing a little. In one email before, Alex was just ranting about this old Orre stoy about some evil organization he had to do research on for school and how awesome the story was. He sent me old newspaper articles and pictures and everything.
"Hopefully the next time I email you, it'll be from another town! And I'll get to tell you all about my Pokemon Adventures! Oh, I've gotta go. But have a great birthday, Carter! Say bye-bye, Eevee!"
"Eee!" chirps the little Pokemon as Alex wakes its paw. The video ends, and I sit back. Well, that was nice.
"Breaking story," announces something from the television behind me. "Ash Ketchum once again steps up to adversity here in the Orange Islands!" My chair spins around curiously at the mention of my dad. He's no stranger to the news when he gets caught up in battles. At first I'm expecting some stylized film video from a stadium or something, but instead I see a rough live recording somewhere.
There's smoke around, and the camera man appears to be hiding behind a bush or tree. Dad's there somewhere as the smoke's clearing, battling with his trademark Pikachu.
"Dad?" I say absentmindedly. This isn't normal.
The apparently live footage show the smoke from the previous round clearing, and it reveals Dad and Pikachu surrounded by multiple adversaries, all around in a circle formation, each with a Pokemon. And scary, intimidating Pokemon, at that. Like Houndour and Mightiena, all knarling at the teeth. All of a sudden I'm very nervous. This isn't just a street battle, is it?
"Pikachu thunder!" Ash yells, but all the evasive maneuvers erupt from all around them, and in the midst of the clash, it all clears and ends with the camera zooming in on the scene. My Dad is held from behind by two uniformed men with helmets and scarves. "Pikachu!" he cries out, and the camera searched for the yellow Pokemon. The leader of the identical, uniformed men steps up with this device that cages Pikachu. All of a sudden I realize just how serious this moment is.
"Hurry back to HQ!" yells one of them.
"Dad! Pikachu!" I yell, jumping from my chair to the television. My hands are grasping the sides, and a sense of urgency fills my head. I have to consciously breathe. The men hold Ash down as the rest run off with Pikachu before the others join them, leaving my father on the ground. A Smoke Screen fills the monitor and static shuts the live footage off, returning to the news station.
As the next headlining story comes on, my eyes are still glued close to the monitor. "Did I really just see that...?" I ask myself, feeling my knees shaking on the floor. It feels so surreal, so I replay those last five minutes in my mind.
Those uniformed people.
It's a coincidence. It's all a coincidence. But to assure myself I throw my body back onto my spinning chair and rush to find that email. "Come on come on come on where is it," I mutter, skimming through old email files. "Where's that one Alex sent me with those news articles... Here!" Clicking the email, I scroll down the word of text and skip straight to the pictures Alex sent a long time ago. There are photographs of uniformed men and women, part of that evil organization in Orre that were credited for stealing Pokemon. "Cipher," I read as one of the headlines. More information from each picture. So when I compare these to the news scene I just watched, I conclude they were the same.
"But these articles say Cipher was wiped out years ago..." I contradict. My back leans into the chair as I try to piece it together. They could be back. Alex did just say some weird stuff was happening over in Orre. What the heck these guys were doing in Kanto is beyond me. But they stole my father's Pikachu. And no one knows who they are, except I have a hunch.
I have no way of contacting my father. And besides him, no one knows Pikachu like I do. In a spur of the moment thought, I realize then and there: I'm going to rescue Pikachu.
"..." Wait a sec. "..." All of a sudden I begin laughing to myself. My hand flies up to my forehead. "Did I seriously just think that?" I ask myself. There's no way I can recue Pikachu. Those thieves probably left to go all the way back to Orre. 'Back to HQ!' the tv said. It is in Orre. And that alone is like, miles and miles away from here across the water.
And with my aunt holding me here lock and key, there's no way they'd let me out, much less all the way to another region. Am I seriously thinking all this through? It's like I want to rescue Pikachu... I mean yeah I do; it's just unrealistic. This feels like one of those moments where you see something horrible on the news. You feel horribl, but forget all about it as soon as homework or dinner comes up.
But this. This is my dad. And Pikachu. Can I really shrug this off that easily?
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Happy Birthday, Carter," greets Brock, a friend of my dad's. I've called up Brock to come visit from Pewter City, and he never refuses a call. We're meeting up in the town square here. He hands me a birthday card too, no doubt with some money inside. Do I not look like a present person? "So what's on your mind? It's not like you to call up the meetings. Your aunts aren't with you?"
"No Brock just me," I say with a face. Brock's an old friend of my dad's from the next town over. He's cool and all but, he can have his moments sometimes when it comes to women. Especially my aunts. And he was right. Normally he's the one calling up outings and dragging me out of the house with my aunts' help. "And I need your help with something."
"Is that so."
"I, have a friend in Orre," I make up. "And he really needs my help."
"And?"
"W-Well, I just need a way to persuade my aunts to let me go there."
"You want to go there?" Brock repeats, eyebrows lifting. Somehow I knew he'd be a little disapproving. "Your friend must be desperate if you're willing to go all that way. You sure you want to?"
I nod determined and stone-faced. "I need to do this Brock." Brock stares me down, arms crossed as if thinking up some punishment. I swallow to ease my nerves. "So will you help me?"
"To be honest I still don't think it's a good idea for you to be so far away," Brock states honestly. "But you're old enough now to start traveling on your own, so I can't stop you. Your dad would be happy to hear you want to go out and explore." At the mention of dad I can't help but feel my heart pull for Pikachu. "But first you've got to convince your aunts."
"Yeah I know. What do I do?"
Brock thinks for a moment. It feels a little cool, enlisting in Brock to help think of a cool legit lie. Then again, this is a pretty serious plan of mine. Stupid maybe even. But serious. "Pokemon Contests," Brock thinks up. "Your aunts will never believe you if you say you want to be a Trainer out of the blue."
"So, I lie and say I wanna be a Coordinator?"
"Precisely," Brock smiles. "And if they ask why Orre, tell them that May was invited to be the headliner for the Finals this year."
"No way really?"
"Yeah. She called me up about it and is all excited. You should've heard her." May is an old traveling buddy of Brock's and my dad's back in the day. She's a world famous coordinator. One of the best, according to dad. So It's no surprise when Brock tells me the news. But the best part is that it'll help smooth in the idea of me going all the way to Orre. "So once you get the okay to go there, you go help your friend and come back as soon as possible."
"You'll be the first I call when I get back," I assure, grateful for the help. I'm... seriously doing this.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Pokemon contests?" All three of my aunts are seated in front of me on the couch, with me standing before them.
I can't believe I'm doing this. With a confident and serious nod I repeat myself. "I think I want to compete in Pokemon Contests."
"Um, w-wow, Carter. This is amazing," Lily musters. This whole talk must sound so strange to them. Me and Pokemon. I can see it on their faces, still registering the idea. "You barely wanted to do battles, much less Contests. What's the sudden change of heart?"
I shrug. "I, guess I just feel like trying out new things that's all. You know, with Dad gone and all."
"I just don't get why you want to go all the way to Orre," Violet weighs in. "Why not start here in Kanto?"
"Sis we don't have Pokemon Contests here," Daisy mentions. "Plus the Starters in Orre are Eevee! They're so cute!"
"Yeah Violet! Can't you imagine Carter up there on a stage with that cute little thing?" Lily asks. "Such a different atmosphere from battling all the time with those scruffier Pokemon."
"Plus I have a friend up in Orre already," I add. Technically I do. "So I won't be totally alone. And I even talked to Brock about it. He says that May is headlining the Championships at Orre as a special guest this year."
"Your dad's friend May? From Petalburg?" Daisy asks. I nod, glad they remember the reference.
"I just, feel like it's time to start my own thing now, you know? Thirteen, stuck at home on weekends. Never having walked a straight mile in my life. It could be fun."
Violet looks skeptical still, but I think she cracks. "If this is really what you wanna do then I support you, Carter."
"Really?" I smile.
"Of course. Anything for our niece," she smiles. "We'll miss having a pipsqueak like you around, though."
"But hey at least with you on Contests we can see you on TV!" Lily freaks, getting all excited. At that moment my entire mental structure falls apart. What?
"Oh yeah that's right. They always televise Pokemon Contests," Daisy remembers. "That's even better!" How the hell do I forget that? This whole Pokemon Contest thing was only supposed to be a facade. Now with that excuse, I may really have to go through with this. I don't have time to participate in silly Contests! I can barely figure how I'm going to pull off finding Pikachu. "We can get you a ferry ticket to Orre by the end of the week before the new Contest season starts!"
... Hm? "Oh yeah that'd be great thanks," I reply with enthusiasm, sparkling with anxiousness. To think twenty minutes ago I was just going to waste away my normal birthday in my room studying or something. Spur-of-the-moment plans usually come and go, but not to this extent. Buy some different food? A new stationary set? That's my idea of 'spur of the moment decisions'. Traveling to another region in search of something I don't even know? Big jump is an understatement.
"Being a teenager sucks..." I mutter once my aunts are out of range. But, there's no turning back now. I'm going to find Pikachu. I'm doing this for my dad.
Oookay so, this is juts a new story I came up with. For fun. I saw my little sister playing my old Colloseum and XD games and it made me rememebr how much I loved the story. So I thought I'd try this out for fun.
Tell me what you think so far!
PREVIEW:
"To be honest Professor Krane, I'm kind of nervous," I admit, finding it easy to talk to him. "I've... never really handled Pokemon before."
"Oh-ho believe me, it's a wonderful experience training your first Pokemon. I've seen it in many kids in my time," Krane assures, putting a smile on my face.
x-x-x
"So who was that guy anyway, back on the elevator? The one I bumped into."
They arrested all the Team Sanggem members, but that guy was the only minor around. So instead of throwing him into jail with the rest, the police were forced to bring him here for holding until we can figure out what to do with him."
x-x-x
"A ring." It's a silvery blue ring. "I don't remember them packing this…" Curiosity takes over and I try it on my right hand. It's a loose fit, so I notice immediately when it magically shrinks to fit perfectly around my ring finger, and it doesn't come off.