[ Disclaimer: Story may contain content some people find offensive. This includes but is not limited to: lgbt spectrum characters, humanxpokemon lemons, pokemonxpokemon lemons, alcoholism, classism, etc. These things may or may not be present in this chapter. ]
"I'll be home later," I called out. There was a lazy grunt in response, followed by the familiar snoring that usually followed. I grabbed the empty beer bottles that lay around the living room and threw them into a garbage bag as I walked towards the front door. The midday fresh air was very pleasant in contrast to the strong smell of alcohol and smoke that penetrated the walls of my house. Taking in a deep breath, I tossed the garbage into the trash bin outside and headed on my way, clutching the straps of my backpack tightly.
As I passed groups of people on the street, I kept my head down. My short brown hair was cut in a way that allowed my bangs to help hide my face. It felt like everyone was looking at me, even though I know they weren't. It was as though they could smell the poverty and alcohol on me, and that they could see her face reflected in my own.
The world I lived in was a hostile place where humans and pokemon couldn't live in peace. In a post-war era, humans were both scared and angry at the other creatures that inhabited their planet. Nearly a century ago, pokemon had begun to turn against their human trainers. Pokemon battles felt like abuse to them, and they didn't want to be used for sport anymore. Some had formed bonds with their trainers and didn't want to leave their side. However, most of those pokemon died during the war that followed. Pokemon outnumbered humans 3 to 1, and there was no way humans could stand up to their power. Eventually they dwindled our numbers to barely 20% of what our population had been.
They stopped attacking around that time, for reasons that no one is 100% sure of, and retreated into the deepest areas of nature. Experts and scientists theorize that this likely stemmed from an unbalance that would be created if humans ceased to exist. Since that time, human population has grown at a snail's pace, but has remained contained in large cities across the globe. This had led to dense overpopulation in small areas, while the rest of the planet is controlled by wild pokemon. Most people are too scared to venture out any further, for fear of attack.
Around 20 years ago, however, small groups of people started trying to expand territory and reconnect with nature and pokemon. These events were called the Excursions. Nearly half of them didn't survive, but the other half claimed to have found success. They said that they found peaceful pokemon and that some of them even made friends. This information was widely rejected; however, and most of these people ended up leaving the cities without a trace or secluding themselves in the cities under aliases for fear of being chastised. People who were found to be pokemon sympathizers were often beaten, raped, or killed by people who disapproved.
My mother was one of these people. She loved pokemon, and people hated her for it. She had found a best friend and lover during one of the Excursions. She'd tried to bring her back to introduce to the people of our city, Hearthome. Despite her best efforts, people lashed out and it led to the death of her Zoruark partner. Now she spends most of the time at home, her only company being bottles of lite beer.
The current state of the cities isn't acceptable...we're running out of resources and before we know it, people are going to start becoming ill and dropping dead. With that thought, I adjusted the medical mask that covered my nose and mouth, as well as pushed back my glasses.
"Ey, Zak! I gots a new shipment in from NeoLumiose. You int'rested?"
I looked up from my thoughts to see one of the neighborhood shopkeepers sweeping the street in front of his storefront. Little clouds of dust wafted into the air and I shielded my eyes by holding my forearm in front of them protectively. "Tony, d'ya mind not sweeping dirt into my eyes?"
"Hey, hey, that's whatcha got them glasses and mask for, right?" He asked, wrapping his arm around me and leading me into the shop. His large hulking figure loomed over me as I checked his goods. He'd gotten in an assortment of sweets from the city of lights. Everyone wanted to live there. They had strict regulations in NeoLumiose, but it allowed the people that were lucky enough to be there to live well.
When I stopped by, I usually only got a small snack, but I considered getting a present for my mom this time around. Maybe it would brighten her day. "What're these? They're colorful."
"Well, those there are macarons. They're just fancy cookies, basically. 10 bits for a dozen."
"10 bits? You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not payin' that much for some cookies."
He sighed and scratched his head, rustling up his curly blonde hair. "Okay, okay, 'cause I like you, I'll sell 'em to ya for 7 bits."
"Deal."
Later in the evening, when the sun was just starting to set, I'd finally finished my errands for the day. My backpack was stuffed with groceries for the week thanks to the work the a store clerk let me do in exchange for food. Money was hard to come by, but I was lucky to be on good terms with a lot of the older locals. I think they took pity on me because of who my mom is.
I was about 2 years old when my mother joined the Excursions. She had been quite a leader in the city. She was the mistress of NeoHearthome Mayor Derrik, my father, and was also the prime time newscaster that kept everyone up to date on what was happening around the globe. However, she'd had a hidden side that no one knew about except for her. She sympathized with pokemon, and held a curiosity for the friendships they used to share with humans. She collected books and artwork on pokemon, especially those from the past. This was considered taboo, so most of them had been lost or burned; but, she had resources and influence.
The first Excursion came out of NeoCeladon City, far away from here. When word of it reached my mother, many others had already started to progress. She decided to lead the first NeoHearthome Excursion. She abused her power as a newscaster and announced it during one of her broadcasts. This caused an uproar throughout the city, and my mother was regarded as a heretic. Despite this, many people still joined her when she left. Historical records that we went over in during my time in school estimated that around 300 people went on the NeoHearthome Excursion. At the time, the city's population was peaking at about 5,000 adults.
Many families were split up during this time: children separated from parents, couples separated from each other. It created a lot of turmoil within the city. The reputations of those who left were ruined, and they were forever labeled as pokemon sympathizers. The people who desired to venture out and reconnect with the other creatures that inhabit the planet were considered a threat to the safety and balance that the cities had structured over the years following the war.
The NeoHearthome Excursion lasted only 3 years. Along with my mom, a lot of the others that returned tried to bring pokemon back with them, in attempt to show their ability to connect with humans. The citizens of NeoHearthome rejected this though, with the mayor at the head of the pack. He would not allow any of the evil creatures into the city, and threatened to kill any pokemon that entered...and any human that attempted to smuggle one in.
In the months that followed, Mayor Derrik put forth efforts to keep any pokemon and humans that had left the cities from getting back in. Walls were constructed around the city with designated openings for importing and exporting goods. At these locations the city kept guards posted 24/7. The remaining people from the Excursion fought back and tried to change the mayor's mind, but to no avail. Many of them ended up exiled or killed. My mother tried to sway him, but he had hardened his heart to her the day she left. The only reason he let her continue to remain in the city is because he knew his illegitimate son was still out there and that I needed a mother. My grandmother was my guardian when my mother initially left. She was very elderly but lived in the better area of town, so I was well taken care of. She detested my mother after that for leaving me, but also for siding with the enemy. It wasn't until I was 9 that she passed away and I was reunited with my mom.
The city is too crowded for them to worry about the well-being of children, as long as they had living parents. My father already had a wife and another family, and he certainly wasn't interested in taking me in, the child of his heretic ex-mistress. Because of that, I ended up being in the care of a depressed, alcoholic mother. This left me angry for a long time, but she tried her best. She loved me, but I really played the parent role in our relationship. Even then, I had to acquire any food and drink we ate. She only left the house to supply her vices. People gave her dirty looks whenever she went out, and I knew it must've hit her really hard. Honestly, I sometimes think she only sticks around because she has me to take care of. Now that I'm older, her condition has only gotten worse and I'm not sure where it's heading.
Sigh. I looked at the pretty box of cookies in my hands. She'd had a rough night before, but I hoped this small treat would lift her spirits. Maybe I could invite her to watch TV with me, like we used to. That'd be nice...
As I turned into my neighborhood and started heading home, I heard some banging noises in the nearby dump site, along with some unusual noises that sounded distressed. What's that? Not many other people were around at this hour, most were probably eating dinner. The few that were didn't seem to notice or care about the troubled sounds. I sat my things down in a dark corner where they weren't likely to be seen and tied my jacket around my waist. The fence around the dump site was about twice as tall as me. I figured I could jump it, though. I grasped the chain-links tightly and the rough metal dug into my skin. I considered that this might be too much for me, but I couldn't abandon whoever was suffering. I lunged myself upwards, grasping the top of the fence, and finally pulled myself up and over to the other side. When I dropped down one of my legs buckled, and I fell into the dirt.
Ughhh… I pushed myself up into a sitting position. My knees and palms were cut up a little bit, but nothing I wouldn't survive. A spinning sensation overwhelmed me as I regained my balance, leaving in a daze for a few seconds before the noises regained my attention. I jumped to my feet, stumbling ever so slightly on the way up.
"Hello?" I called out.
"Help me! Please!" The voice sounded terrified. They were small, maybe female. I quickly followed the sound around a corner. There were piles of junk and waste all over, and the sun was barely showing over the horizon. I still couldn't see where it was coming from. "Please, I'm over here!"
I turned to my left and saw a small body, on all fours, struggling to get free of a thin rope that was caught around its neck. It was covered in a shiny black substance. Oil probably. It flailed wildly, throwing droplets of the oil in every direction; however, it remained covered in the resilient, toxic substance. Suddenly smoke started to trail out of its mouth. It was then that it finally dawned on me what this creature was that I hadn't noticed in my initial shock: a pokemon, inside of the city.