(So, my story will be very different than the other Pokémon-stories on this website. The main character in my novel will be a nineteen-year-old boy named Esmond Larkin. Esmond is a gay, normal teenager living in the modern world. After a sling of incidents he's forced to embark on a journey through the Johto region in order to collect eight badges, make it to the Silver Conference and find someone who he has grown to really care about. My characters aren't twelve or thirteen, because I have always felt like it was so unrealistic for kids that age to go traveling the world on their own. Esmond and the people he comes across on his journey are all late teens or adults and thus the footage might be a little bit more shocking. I'm not trying to turn this novel into a story which is only based on sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, because the world of Pokémon is so daring and great to work with; but I won't deny that Esmond isn't a very dull teen and he will definitely be flirting with disaster along the way. English also isn't my first language, so I apologize beforehand for some grammatical errors I will make. Now, let's get started!)

001. A New Beginning

With a splitting headache I open the windows to my shabby yet comfortable room. The room is part of a house I am sharing with different students, although I normally don't see much of them. Either they are out partying all night, or I am. Sometimes I stay the night with another boy, another men who pays for my taxi and offers me a bed that is big enough for two. I have to admit: the only thing negative about this student apartment is the fact that I can't invite other guys over.

As the busy sounds of the city streets underneath my window make their way to my ears, I light a cigarette and put on some music.

''You're my only badge,'' a hushed voice dances through the room, ''You're my only gym-leader.''

I inhale, blow out my smoke and turn the music a little louder. If there is someone else still sleeping, I don't really care if they are woken up. I have lost count on all the occasions where I had been woken up in the morning by people taking showers or one-night-stands ending in arguments.

''… You're my only gym-leader…''

Ah- The Pokémon world. Such a magical, mythical, dangerous yet exciting world… At-least if you believe the news and the battles that are featured on television. Until I was fourteen, I had dreamed about becoming a Pokémon trainer. Every morning I ran outside, looking at Pidgey's flying across the sky; trying to catch a Caterpie and begging my parents to buy me an Aipom for my birthday.

But normal children go to school first. My parents weren't bugging.

''Normal children first learn,'' they told me, ''learn how to take care of your own Pokémon. How to travel alone. First you have to learn about money, about geographics, about speaking different languages, you have to grow up and get a job to earn money.''

Before going on a story just as exciting as I would see on television, first I had to graduate. That's basically what they meant. And that's what I tried to do, at first. I was sixteen, seventeen, and the end of the Pokémon Academy was getting closer. I was the pretty, shy lad in the corner just working on paintings of Pokémon; writing poems about Pokémon or making up stories, instead of really paying attention to what was told during the lessons. I failed. I failed my final tests and as a result there was no way I would receive a Pokémon from the lab in Mahogany Town, where I lived at the time. Around me friends were getting their first Pokémon. At first they would say how they would remain at Mahogany Town, how they would just sometimes go out into the forest to spy for wild Pokémon; how they would make a trip to a city nearby to get a badge but ''Don't worry! I'll be home in the weekends!'' And before I knew it, all my friends were gone.

That's when I decided that this wasn't for me. I left as well, but not with the dream of becoming a Pokémon master still in my head. Instead, I left with nothing but two bags: one bag filled with clothes, and one bag filled with art pieces that I created.

By using the little money I had spared I tried to make my way to Goldenrod City. I had to give one man a hand-job in order for him to take me; and I had to spend three hours in a van with a couple and their seven Mareep, but eventually I made it to Goldenrod City. I made it! See? I was just like my friends- getting out of Mahogany Town; making it on my own… But without a Pokémon.

I applied at The Goldenrod United School of Arts and got accepted. That's when the life of being an artist started. Nights of drinking, smoking, creating art, having sex with men (and a few women at times); doing drugs; going to shabby concerts and spending the days with hangovers, working on my next art-project.

I'm not in the need of a Pokémon anymore. A Pokémon! As if without we as human can't be complete! At the School of Arts not many people have a Pokémon. We have a few Pokémon walking around helping us with stuff, like Smeargle's. But no, I don't have to become a Pokémon trainer anymore. All I need is a hot man to keep me warm at night at times; enough cigarettes and inspiration and good coffee in the morning.

Good coffee in the morning. Not much later I eye the street before I cross it, making my way to Tauros' Coffee, owned by my great friend Willbrand, my favourite place to get coffee and start the morning sketching and writing a little bit.

''Morning Es!'' Willbrand greets me. He's almost thirty; has a beard and a heart of gold. I actually met him a few times out in the city. One time Willbrand was throwing up and I called a cab for him, and a few nights later I got into an argument with a guy who dared to pull out a Pokéball with a Charizard in it to light me on fire. Ofcourse I knew he was bluffing so I told him I wasn't afraid of him, but then he pulled out a knife. Willbrand passed by, pushed the guy over and introduced himself to me. He's one of my few friends her in Goldenrod City. The city is so extremely huge that you can very easily disappear into the crowd.

''Same as always?'' Will asks me, and I nod my head. I search for a place in a corner, and Will sits down in front of me.

''It's actually busier than yesterday,'' I tell him. Will raises an eyebrow. With the two of us, there are only two other people in the store: a woman who's eating a small piece of carrot cake and who's looking to leave, and a middle-aged man in the distance, reading a newspaper.

''You're such a bad liar,'' Will laughs and I can't help but laugh with him. Will has told me a few weeks ago how business is doing bad for Tauros.

''I have to get more customers, or I'm going to close the place,'' he told me. Now every day I try to cherish him up and act as if Tauros is still doing great.

''How are you doing?'' Will asks. I take a sip from my coffee.

''I'm doing great… Went to sleep on my own again… Woke up alone again… It's so refreshing to not spend every night of the week in another bed.''

We laugh a little, but then Will's eyes get serious.

''You do know which day it is today, right?'' He asks me and at first I don't remember, but then I look at the newspaper in front of me. It's The Day.

The Day My Sister Died. I swallow and reach for my cigarettes. Will acts as if he doesn't sees it. The woman with the carrot cake looks in our distance, puts down her money and leaves the store. Three years ago on this day my older sister died. Her name was Carmen. They say she got into a car-accident, but I know better than that. Carmen was an excellent driver. I think she witnessed something and someone hit her on accident. Her car hasn't been found, only her body. Burned, but not entirely.

After Carmen's death, there was no reason for me to keep in touch with home. She was always the binding factor in our family. I simply couldn't take my father's dead eyes, and my mother's constant crying. I hope they're doing great in Mahogany Town.

I get woken up from my daydreams by the middle-aged man who used to sit in the corner.

''I thought smoking in her was forbidden?'' He asks. Will gives me stare, and stumbles: ''Ehm, yes… My friend here… Has a tough day, and-''

''So you can smoke inside?''

''Well, today- Yes.''

''In that case.'' The man reaches inside his pocket and grabs a pack of cigarettes. As he smiles at us, there are small laugh wrinkles in his cheeks and his dark, brown eyes seem happy. I was about to cry, thinking off Carmen, but now I'm only intrigued by the man. He grabs a chair and sits with us.

''My name is Caine. Caine Mortfield.''

''Esmond Larkin,'' I say.

''Willbrand Tauros,'' Will says, ''I own this place.'' But Caine only has eyes for me. He shakes my hand. His hand is strong. We both inhale or blow out smoke and it's quiet for a while.

''This is such a lovely town,'' Caine says.

''You don't live here?'' Willbrand asks.

''Where does someone lives? Wherever someone lays his head to rest at night? Well, in that case… I have lived in Goldenrod City over the years, but never for long. I have lived in many of towns, many of houses. Many of beds.''

He looks at me again during his last line. Without looking at Will I can tell that he's rolling his eyes, but I am intrigued by this man, by his words and by his expensive suit.

''So what brings you here?'' Will tries to get the conversation going.

''Pokémon,'' the man says. ''And Whitney. I have heard great stories about her.'' Actually, she's not that impressive to me. Every day people come over to Goldenrod City to challenge her. Most of the times I can pick the trainers out of the crowd as I make my way from the School of Arts back home: some of them look over-confident, others look extremely insecure. I only saw Whitney once: She was making her way down town; looking worried, with pink hair undone and with allot of groceries under her arm.

''So you're a trainer?'' I ask.

''No. I am interested in trainers. I am interested in providing for those trainers what they need.''

Okay. So he's a sugar daddy. He's probably thinking me or Will (who's not even gay) are willing to give up our body and our self-worth in order to get some poke-dollars or maybe a Pokéball. People use pokéballs as money sometimes. I've experienced it. If I would have said yes to every offer I received, I would have a dozen of Ledyba, Magnemite and Weedle's to feed and take care off.

''Well, we're not trainers,'' I tell Caine, hoping he will back off. He laughs a little and inhales from his cigarette again.

''Who's to say who is and who isn't a trainer? I have seen men and women with lots of trainers who, in my honest opinion, shouldn't be naming themselves a trainer. There's a huge difference between a trainer and someone who owns a couple of Pokémon.''

''Well, we also don't have Pokémon,'' I say. I don't know if I should be irritated or fascinated by Caine. Beforehand, I always felt okay about not having Pokémon, but the few things he's saying are immediately changing my perspective.

''I have to get back to work. See you tomorrow, Ed.'' Will gives a small pat on the back, gives Caine one last look and then heads in the back to make more ice coffees.

Caine wants to know what brought me to Goldenrod City, and in short I tell him about failing the Pokémon School and about wanting to develop my creative side.

''Creativity is all that matters,'' he says. ''Creativity is the source for love, the source for art, the source for accepting the loss of lost ones.''

Carmen. The image of the dead corpse of my sister is still, after those years, a hard pill to swallow. I long for a glass of wine, or something more strong, even though I just woke up.

''I probably should be going to school, I suppose,'' I decide. Although I have one more hour until my first lesson starts, I want to clear my mind a little bit. It's not that Caine is pissing me off, but it's more of the fact that the way that he makes me feel is exhausting me. I don't know what to think at this moment.

''Ah, I understand,'' he says. ''I should probably get back to work as well. Allow me to invite you for tonight.''

''Tonight?''

Caine handles me a card of a restaurant.

''I'm having dinner tonight with some special people,'' he says. ''It would be lovely if you would show up.''

''But-''

''Don't feel forced to come, Edmond. It would be nice to see your face again and I'm not sure when I am leaving Goldenrod.''

I take the card.

''It was nice meeting you,'' he says and stands up. He drops a few bills on the table (allot more than the coffee did cost, I can see) and smiles one last time at me, before he leaves Tauros' and crosses the street.

''What was that all about?'' Will calls me not much later, while I am heading through the park and trying to make my way towards school. I explain that Caine offered me to join him at the restaurant this evening.

''The Emerald Berry?'' I can hear Will screaming through the phone, ''that place is extremely expensive! I knew he was some sort of sugar-daddy!''

''I don't think he is,'' I stutter.

''Yeah, well… Believe all you want. Just do it safe tonight.''

''Comes to mind… When are you going to do it again?'' I can't help but make a smart remark back. ''It didn't work out with that brown-haired girl from last week?''

''… No.''

''Told ya!''

''But she had such beautiful eyes…'' Will says, ''All I did the whole night was looking into those eyes.''

''And I will be doing tonight is eating delicious food from beautiful plates,'' I say.

''Take care,'' Will says and hangs up the phone.

The hours that follow, I spend my time at school getting lectures on the history of art; applying different attacks of Pokémon onto art pieces; the way badges are structured (turns out allot of those who seem ugly at first have a whole image behind them) and I spend some time listening to music and working on another painting.

Whatever I do or whatever lecture I follow, I can't help but think about Caine Mortfield. I am going to The Emerald Berry, that's something I have decided very quickly. Now rests the question what I will wear, how I will act (cold, slutty or somewhere in between) and how I can try to get a job at The Emerald Berry now I'm finally inside, without coming off too needy.

On my way back from school the image of Carmen pops up in my head again, but I don't want to think about her. There's nothing I can do anymore. We let her body be burned by the old Magmar that is used at the crematoria; I wrote dozens of songs about her; I spend hours with my parents and vague friends of Carmen bringing up memories; I tried to get a hold on the police reports on her death without success… There's nothing I can do. And still I sometimes wake up at night with the image of Carmen in my mind. The pictures on which her motionless body is laying down the road. Someone must have hit her! She was just there with her Abra. Although, that's what I suppose. Those two were always together, but after Carmen's death Abra was nowhere to be seen. Another thing that never was resolved.

While thinking about Carmen, her Abra, Caine and how I'm going to pay for a next pack of cigarettes – this one is getting empty faster than I expected – I eventually make it back home, where I decide to go for a black, skinny jeans, black Chelsea Boots and an oversized white blouse. This blouse, which I actually use to paint in – luckily for me I never poured paint over it – is the only thing I expect would look close to decent at The Emerald Berry. A bit of cologne, a glass of cheap red wine to give me some beer muscles, and then I am ready to go.

I feel a little bit uneasy standing in front of The Emerald Berry. Me and Caine didn't talked about a specific time to meet up or anything. I sort of expect him to arrive in a fancy car or something, but when I peak inside after ten minutes I catch a glimpse of him in the distance of the restaurant, and I make the frightening choice to enter the restaurant. Inside there's a butler approaching me.

''Are you in the right place, boy?'' He asks me, and although I am wearing my white blouse and I have tried to fix my hair, I can tell that hé can tell that I don't belong here.

''I have an appointment with Mr. Mortfield,'' I say.

''Right. Follow me, please.''

Without paying me another look he leads me to Caine's table. There's a woman sitting next to him.

''Esmond!'' Caine greets me and stands up. He's just slightly taller than me. We're not a good match, I can see. His black hair is starting to get grey at the edges, while mine is light blonde; my blouse and black jeans are no match for his expensive suit, and he seems to be totally at ease at this place.

He gives me a kiss on my cheek and makes a hand gesture, inviting me to sit down.

''It's so great that you came,'' Esmond says, ''I would like to introduce you to Whitney.''

I take another look at the woman sitting next to him and realize she's our gym leader. Whitney is wearing a white fur coat, with her dark pink hair pushed back. She's wearing allot of make-up and I can see how her eyes used to be young and filled with life. Now she's mid-way her thirties, I guess. It's clear how all the Gym battles have turned her old.

''Pleasure to meet you,'' she says. The butler is back and asks what I want to eat, as I order French fries with baked tomatoes and creamy mushrooms, and a glass of white wine.

''You guys know each-other?'' I ask them.

''We do'' says Whitney. ''Caine used to guide me when I was younger, around my early twenties. I got…''

She hesitates a little and continues: ''I got a little tired from all the battling. It wasn't fun anymore, you know. But he told me that I owned it to all those trainers. Everyone trying to make it to the league…''

I take another look at Caine.

''Whitney is about to retire from being a Gym Leader,'' Caine explains. ''It's such a shame, but sometimes things like these are inevitable. It's not only the Pokémon: trainers get tired as well. I told her to just have one more battle.''

''One more battle and then I'm going back to the farm of my father.'' Whitney seems to be happy about the idea.

''Why did you invite me here?'' I want to know from Caine. Did he invited me to tell me this? Me, without a Pokémon, without something to offer to this table?

''You're a wise boy, Esmond. And you're smart. You're the kind of smart that people become when they have experienced allot. You would make a great trainer.''

''I'm not interested in that part,'' I say, and I actually still mean it. ''I want to live a life based on art and music. I don't waste my time traveling through abandoned forests trying to battle trainers who – with all the respect to you, Whitney – aren't happy themselves, in order to become the greatest leader of all time. I'm not like the rest.''

''And especially that makes you such a great fit.''

My food is brought and I take a few bites.

''Maybe you can create art and music with your battles,'' Caine suggests, but I act as if I haven't heard him, drink my wine and order a new glass.

Caine has obviously gotten my hint, because the rest of the conversation is actually pretty entertaining and light-hearted. We talk about a few of Whitney's battles, about her father who's sick, about my favourite author (turns out Caine once met him in a pub), about Mahogany Town and more. In the end, Whitney stands up.

''I have six trainers awaiting me tomorrow,'' she mumbles. ''I have to catch some sleep. I'll see you later, Esmond.'' I just nod at her and remain with Caine. We talk more, but almost entirely about me. Caine doesn't seems to be much of a talker when it comes down to himself. As he orders a bottle of red wine and I get slightly tipsy, I end up telling about Carmen. How she died and how I still don't think it was an accident. How her Abra just disappeared. How I became a stranger from my own parents. How I spend my first days here just going out and hooking up with whoever could over me a bed to sleep. Caine grabs my hand when I talk about Carmen's dream of becoming a Pokémon master. She was always dreaming about badges and foreign lands.

We drink more wine and Caine doesn't let go of my hand, and after he pays the bill, without asking or feeling uneasy, I follow him to his cab, which takes us to a hotel he's sleeping in. In his room, he asks me to pick a song, and I pick the song ''My Leader''.

''You're my only gym-leader…'' a hushed voice sings, and as Caine dims a few lights, we undress each-other and make out and drink more wine and end up in his bed, where we smoke a cigarette and I eventually fall asleep.

This man… Is the last thought that irks my mind before my eyes close… I want this man to be my only gym-leader.

The next morning I wake up, expecting to see Caine next to me, but he has left the room. It is as if nothing of the night before happened. The ash-trays have been emptied: the empty bottle of wine has disappeared: his clothes are gone and there's not even the smell of his cologne in the room anymore.

I feel the need to cry. For some reason I feel stood up. I could have expected this from this man that I barely knew. Just a forty-year-old rich dude preying on the young and easy. How could I have fallen for his trap? Just wait until Will hears about this, I think, he's going to tell me: ''I told you so!'' Over and over again. I reach for my jeans, for my boots and get up.

Just when I am at the door and want to leave this hotel-room, which all of a sudden seems empty and hollow, my eyes catch what's laying on the table. It's a letter, laying next to a pokéball.

You will create art with your battles,

The note says.

This is a gift to you. You two suit each-other. I will see you at the Silver Conference.

With kind regards,

Caine.

So what is this? A present to me? This dude… He knows how I don't want to be a trainer. He knows how I just want a normal life. A life without the image of Carmen's death irking in the back of my mind; a life without having to spend my days on city-streets and walking through forests and cave trying to catch the Pokémon that scatter this earth… And he gives me a Pokémon. I actually can't believe it. I have a hangover and I feel confused.

Eventually however, I reach for the pokéball and open it, as a red light appears out of the ball and slowly develops into a Pokémon.

While barking quietly, the Houndour that is now standing in my room is licking her fur, looking at me with a facial expression that I can't place.

''So,'' is all I can say, ''welcome to the start of your new chapter.'' She bows her head a little and slowly walks towards as me, as she eventually lays down at my feet.

''I guess we'll be making our way to the Silver Conference, babe.''