Disclaimer: I'd like to make it clear that Pokemon, and everything related to it is not my own property. Instead that priviledge, to the best of my knowledge, belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Satoshi Tajiri. This is their world and I just play in it.
Author's Note: This is the first chapter of my first story. It is set in America, New York City, to be exact. It won't be great, but like wine I get better with time. Feel free to leave a review.
-/
Thunder rolled as the skies opened up and a downpour descended on unsuspecting beach goers. A panic descended as a red alert went out, notifying them to the unfolding crises.
"Please be advised, Threat Level 3 imminent threat; Code Primal Plue I repeat, Code Primal Blue. Beware flash floods and hurricane speed winds. Kyogre has been spotted. All civilians must immediately evacuate to the nearest PokeShelter."
The announcement ran on a constant loop as sirens fired up around the small beach-side town. Hysteria gripped the masses as they scrambled to reach safety.
In the madness and chaos, a small boy's grip on his mother's hand was lost as the crowd ripped them apart. He was carried away by the mob, like a current in the ocean, and before he knew it he was spit out on the other side. He lay, his clothes torn, a shoe missing, crumpled and defeated.
The rain fell heavier if possible, and the boy tried to gather himself but the sirens and the chaos of the people running to safety scared him. He tried to get up and was knocked over by an errant purse. As he picked himself up for a second time he looked up, and brown eyes met blue through the mob of legs.
A pikachu. Equally lost and discarded by humanity's own self-preserving instincts hissed and growled as it tried to make it through. It too had lost its small family.
Suddenly all was quiet. As suddenly as the deafening silence had began, it was ripped asunder by a hyper beam. Several buildings were destroyed, including the Pokeshelter.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Deep blue eyes snapped open again against a frame of dark curls and russet skin. He shook his head, and got up from his resting place stretching his arms and legs.
Standing, he cracked his neck and back, before tousling his dreadlocks. At nineteen years of age, Callum was vastly different from the three year old who lost his family in a Pokemon attack. He had grown in to a lanky young adult. His dreadlocked hair hung down the sides of his face, before he tied it back.
Over the years he had developed an athletic build, wiry and thin, yet very powerful. Hundreds of street fights over time and running from danger had left him ready for anything.
Cal made his way to the other side of the fire escape he had slept on.
As he passed, he put his hand on Pikachu's head along the little tuft of fur that almost looked like its own hairstyle. Pikachu shivered with delight before waking and purring like a cat.
Twice as large as the common Pikachu, he also had twice power and twice the temper.
After more than 10 years together, he and Pikachu had been through a lot, to the point that they were almost brothers.
Silently Callum and Pikachu climbed down from the fire escape they had slept on.
Ever since the Kyogre attack Callum had been part of the large homeless population in New York. Many were, and the group home he had stayed at had a lot of orphans as well. It would've been a lot harder if he hadn't had Pikachu.
As soon as he turned thirteen though, he left, taking only the clothing he was wearing and Pikachu's pokeball.
Callum crept out of the alleyway, nearly making it in to the light of the rising sun, when a large hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Gotcha, little dove." Chills shook his thin frame as he recognized the voice. It was Rondo, resident hoodlum. He had been after Callum for months now, for some perceived slight neither of them could remember.
Without a word directed towards him, Pikachu leapt off Callum's shoulder and shocked the Spearow flying overhead. He landed behind Rondo who turned to look, giving Callum the distraction he needed. He grabbed Rondo's hand and twisted it behind his back as he turned, nearly snapping it out of the socket. With that he gave him a kick in the back towards Pikachu who used his head as a springboard as he fell, to hop over the fence that Callum had already leapt over. They took off running without a second glance back.
A few blocks later, Callum slowed to a walk and rested his hands on his head to allow his breath to reach his lungs more quickly. He walked silently, Pikachu riding on his shoulder. They nodded to the regulars of the boardwalk on Rockaway Beach.
"Hey kid, when are you gonna invest in a shirt!"
Callum's favourite fisher, John, shielded his eyes as his Swellow swooped down next to John on the fence he leaned on. Callum traced its chest feathers just the way it liked it, as he shook his head absently. John never asked much, he never really spoke much, which was fine by Callum. This was one reason they got along well.
"If you get that Pikachu of yours to shock me a nice big Magikarp or Remoraid I'll pay you."
And this was the other reason. John was always good for breakfast money.
Callum looked over at Pikachu and nodded, flashing him two fingers. Pikachu waded in to the water on its hind legs and waited. Suddenly there were two distinct flashes and two large Remoraid floated to the surface of the water, dead. Pikachu flipped them in to the cooler John held open with its tail and John surreptitiously handed Callum a small roll of bills.
"Thanks buddy," John said quietly, as Callum slipped the money in to his pocket before watching as Pikachu waded back before cooly taking his place by Callum. They sat quietly, Swellow watching as still as a statue and John sitting quietly, every once in a while casting his line.
Callum and Pikachu sat in their endless silence, watching stoically as the sun marked its ascent on the blue waters with its pink rays.
"You know kid, you're pretty different from most young people I come across. You're quiet. I suppose it's not by choice, but beyond that, you know how to listen. You watch. You learn. That's pretty special, kid. Never change."
They made eye contact for a second, before Callum nodded once, and gave John a pilot's salute as he stood.
"Good talk" John said as he stared back out over the water, and Callum made his way further down the boardwalk.
-/
Callum walked out of the PokeMart with exactly one pokeball, and a well-fed Pikachu. As they walked he made quick work of a granola bar. They walked side by side, silent as ever. Slowly the signs of suburbia and coastal living began to disappear, as they reached the end of the boardwalk. After about two hours of walking, the sun shone high and bright, and the sandy beaches made way to thick brush. The sounds of pokemon chittering and scurrying grew louder the deeper they traveled. After some time, they slowed their pace as the clearing they were searching for came in to view.
Slowly blue eyes happened upon the green carapace of a Scyther. Pikachu crept ever closer as Callum watched. Suddenly the small clearing was lit up with the light of Pikachu's thunderbolt. The Scyther was slammed in to a tree and sat, stunned, as yellow sparks crackled over its cracked green armor. Callum wasted no time in throwing his pokeball at the stunned Scyther, and watched as it was sucked in by the vivid red light. One, twice, three times it rocked before a soft ding reached his ears. Scooping up the Pokeball, Callum gave Pikachu a soft scratch behind the ears and nodded his approval, before steadily making his way out of the brush from where he came.
By the time Callum had arrived back at the Pokemon Center, the sun was past its highest point and the afternoon hues had set in wonderfully, lighting up the world in soft yellows and light orange. He checked his Pokemon in with a forged Trainer ID, as it would be very difficult to acquire a real one considering he had no official address. Not that he wanted, or needed one.
A half hour later he collected his Pokeball, and made his way out. This was one of his favorite times of day, when the sun wasn't high enough to burn, and yet everything was perfectly illuminated as dark had not yet come. Of course, night was what he was waiting for.
After retrieving his pokemon, Callum made his way to a deserted spot of beach. He knew that training a wild Pokemon without a Pokedex would be difficult but it had to be done if he wanted to accomplish his goal come nightfall.
Standing back, with Pikachu at his shoulder, he threw the Scyther's ball under-handed, so it released the bug pokemon 15 feet from him. Just enough distance for Pikachu to react in case things went south.
In a flash of red it materialized on the sandy shores, launching the ball back in to his hand. The green pokemon looked around before seemingly spotting Callum.
"Scyther!" It screeched, but luckily Callum had already protected his ears with strips of fabric before releasing the pokemon. Pikachu leapt between them and started chattering, trying to explain the situation. The Scyther only glared for a moment before lunging forward.
Unluckily for it, Pikachu was faster.
Callum watched as Pikachu slammed in to the approaching Scyther, sending it tumbling head over heel in the sand. It was unhurt, but if anything more angry that the small yellow rodent had overpowered it so easily.
Pikachu began speaking reason to it once again, more slowly now, and more threateningly. It seemed the Scyther was starting to understand he was no longer a free agent, but that may not be such a bad thing.
Callum knew it was his time, he stepped forward to the Scyther, who rose faster than the eye could see with the help of its wings before slowly setting down, and kneeling in front of him.
Callum placed his hand on its cool green head, and it looked up at him as its blue eyes flashed purple once.
It rose, and Callum could feel its confusion, almost as much as he could feel its loneliness. Pikachu joined them, and it knew it would never be alone again.
In that moment, Scyther would kill for Callum, which is exactly what he needed it to do.
-/
He sat silently, on the roof opposite his mark. For once he wore a shirt, actually a form fitting sweatshirt with a hooded baclava to cover his face. He wore his hair twisted and tied back, and tapered black sweats. His shoes were black and thin, with a split toe for balance.
As silently as possible Callum leapt from the rooftop he stood on, to the adjacent one. It was a nice neighborhood, and all the lights of the homes on this street were dark. He climbed down quietly, and found the alarm box along the side of the home. Placing his hand along the box, Callum watched as dark purple sparks crackled.
The box glowed a light blue and Callum knew phase one of his plan was done. He found a window along the back porch and slid it open smoothly, as he climbed in unhindered by the alarms.
In a silent flash Scyther appeared silently beside him. They made their way through the home that Callum had meticulously memorized. They skipped the floorboard that squeaked, and successfully avoided stumbling on the pile of laundry in the hall.
He led Scyther to the end of the hall and pointed at the door. Scyther nodded, focused, and stepped in to the room. It silently raises its arm above the sleeping figure in the bed, and in a flash brought it down.
Callum stood in the doorway and watched his Scyther complete the mission, and was just about to recall him and leave the scene of the crime when a voice behind him spoke quietly.
"Don't move."
Callum froze, ice in his veins.
He raised his arms up, and watched as Scyther remained frozen as well. A sharp cold hit him and he realized Scyther was literally frozen.
"Return your Scyther now, before I seriously hurt it."
He maintained one arm up, and slowly moved the other arm to the black Pokeball at his waist, which he enlarged before returning the Scyther. He minimized it again and clipped the ball to his waist.
"Good. You've made this very easy for yourself. Now tell me, what could you possibly gain from the assassination of one Professor Oak?
-/ Edited December 27, 20117