Queens and Pawns: Iketo
Chapter the First
By Akivara
AN: New trainer, new league, you get my drift. The usual stuff, but with a twist, hopefully.
The following work is fiction. Any resemblance to real events or people, living or dead, is purely coincidental."You're identical triplets. One would think that you could use the bathroom at the same time!" Levana said as she watched Aurelius bang on the bathroom door.
"You try telling Lucius that," Aurelius replied as he pummeled the door with his fist.
"Hold your Ponyta, I'm coming!" The brown-haired young man opened the door and stepped out; his identical brother stepped in.
"Where are Severus and Marcus, anyway?" Levana asked as she headed down the stairs, Lucius following her.
"Marcus is still asleep, the lazy runt, and Severus is cooking breakfast, since he was the first one out of the bathroom." Lucius replied, scurrying in front of Levana to get to the kitchen first.
"Cornelia called this morning," Severus called from in front of the stove when Levana entered the kitchen. "Said she's sorry, but she's too busy with work today to come and see you off on your journey." Levana groaned.
"Half the family's gone today! You'd think their youngest daughter and only sister going off to tame wild beasts would be important enough to come home!" Levana began to count off on her fingers. "Dad had to go into work early, Mom's in Italy with her Latin students, and Cornelia's busy trying to pay for college. That's... three out of nine, alright, so a third." Severus and Lucius shrugged identical shrugs.
"That's the way the cookie crumbles, little sis. Sorry." Severus said, then turned back to the stove. "You hungry? I've got waffles."
"Yum." Levana said in a monotone, seating herself at the large kitchen table, her usually brilliant green eyes dull.
"I smell food!" piped a small voice as Marcus entered the room. His half-closed, sleep-filled gray eyes were just like the triplets, and his hair, so dark brown it looked black, just like Levana's, was sticking up all over the place.
"Couldn't you have combed your hair first?" Levana asked, wrinkling her nose. "Your hair looks like a bush in winter."
"Oh, ha, ha, and ha. And, free with the purchase of three 'ha's, for today only, hardy-har-har." Marcus said dryly, his still child-like voice dripping with sarcasm.
"No, really. No pajamas at my table. Go get dressed, at least." Severus said, opening the refridgerator.
"Blast it! You're so mean!" Marcus pouted, slinking from his chair.
"That's why Mom and Dad named me 'Severus', little bro. I'm so austere and forbidding." Severus said, proudly.
"I thought they named you after the Severi," Levana remarked, walking to the laden platter next to the stove.
"Well, that too."
As Levana reached for the syrup, there was a sudden, gigantic THUD.
"Wyvling! Quit the physical humor!" Levana called, as a Pokemon flew through the open window.
"Wyvling wyv," the Pokemon said apologetically. Wyvling was a Poison/Dragon Pokemon with a lean, deep purple body and legs perfect for both balancing in the air and walking short distances. It thrashed its long, spear-tipped tail and folded its nimble wings that doubled as arms. Wyvling also had a long, swan-like neck, a forked tongue, and a mouth full of silvery-white fangs.
"Hey, Wyvling. Want some food?" Lucius said from his seat next to Levana. Wyvling took the tiny piece of waffle offered, but then settled into Levana's lap.
"You going into work today, Lev?" Severus asked as he slided into a seat opposite his brother; Levana scowled at the nickname.
"As a matter of fact, I am, Sevvie-Wevvie. I'm to help hand out the starters today."
"When do you have to be there?" Severus seemingly ignored the ridiculous nickname tha Levana had supplied him with.
"8:30. The League-Sponsored trainers have to be there by 9:00, but I know they'll be early. I would, if it were me."
"Well, I'll drive you over once we're done here, alright?"
"Okay."
Over the course of breakfast, Aurelius and Marcus joined the group (Marcus still grumpy and sleepy), and Lucius left to attend to other morning duties.
"Done!" Levana announced, gulping down the last of her orange juice.
"Okay, come out to the car when you're ready." Severus said, standing up and leaving. A few moments later, Levana heard the front door slam; Aurelius cast a glance at Wyvling, who still sat in Levana's lap.
"You're lucky you're his favorite, you know," he commented. "Otherwise, you would have had to find another Pokemon for your journey."
"Yeah, I'm lucky for that," Levana said as she stood up. Wyvling fluttered to the floor, his head brushing against her knee. It was this, more than anything, that classified Wyvling as a runt; were he normal-sized, his head would have come up to the middle of her thigh.
"Valete," Levana said, scooping up Wyvling.
"Wyvling, ling," Wyvling chirped in.
"Valete," Aurelius and Marcus waved, and Levana headed outside.
Though the sun had risen hours ago, it was still unusually dark. The previous night had had a thunderstorm, and dark thunderheads still loomed overhead, though the smell of rain and ozone was now gone. Severus was waiting inside a small, old red car, and waved.
"I took the liberty of bringing your backpack out to the car this morning," Severus said once Levana and Wyvling were settled in. "If you couldn't find it, that's why."
"Yeah, I know. I saw you."
"Oh, okay." Severus twiddled the radio dial, and Beethoven accompanied them to the lab.
Setting Town was the smallest of Iketo's eleven League-divided districts, population-wise (Iketo Capital was the one with the smallest land area), and it showed. Setting Town itself was the largest city of the district, and it was like suburbia without the "urbia"; the closest thing Setting Town had to a "downtown" was where most of the large, national or international companies had office buildings (it was also where Mr. Blackwood, Levana's father, worked).
Luckily, the home and workplace of Setting Town's resident League officials, Professors Hickory and Hickory (they were a married couple) was nowhere near the office-park area, and only ten minutes away by car.
"Hey, Sis, Wyv. We're here." Levana was jerked out of her bored contemplation by Severus's voice; she stepped out of the car, accompanied by Wyvling.
"When do you expect to be done? I'll be back here by then."
"9:15. See you then, vale!"
"Valete, you two!" With that, Severus drove away, disturbing a pair of city Wooper who were playing in a puddle; used to automobiles and things of that sort, the Wooper returned to the puddle after he passed.
"Aren't you a little old to be a League-Sponsored trainer?" A blue-haired boy with a black and gold headband called from the covered porch.
"No, I work here," Levana said, with barely a glance at the boy's ridiculous hair color; one saw things like that everywhere these days, she surmised.
"Really?"
"Yep. I'm the junior assistant." Levana dug her lab key out of her pocket, inserting it into the lock of the door. "I basically do stuff like move Pokeballs, sweep the floor, feed the Pokemon, stuff that the Professors and graduate students are too lazy to do. It doesn't pay much, but it's better than bagging groceries."
"Working with Pokemon's got to be cool, though, I bet," the boy said enviously.
"Yeah. Look, anyway, I'll let you in, but don't touch anything that looks important, or expensive, or both, alright? On second thought, don't touch anything at all, unless I tell you to."
"Gotcha," said the boy eagerly; he must have been waiting on the porch for a very long time, Levana surmised. He looked around Levana, spotting Wyvling. "Hey, is that your Wyvling?"
"Yes. Come on in." Levana pushed the door open, placing her key on a hook by the door.
"That's pretty cool.... But it looks really small."
"He was the runt of the clutch."
"Oh. That's too bad." The boy said as Wyvling flapped by, oblivious to their conversation, to sunbathe under a bright lamp halfway down the hall.
"Not really. Sit here, okay?" Levana pointed out a couch for the boy to sit on, in a room that also contained a coffee table and a chest-high pedestal with three grooves in it, not in the mood to indulge his need for small talk any longer.
"Gotcha."
"Professor Hickory? Professor Hickory? You guys here?" Levana called.
"Yes?" a female voice called back. "Oh, Levana!"
"That's me!"
"Hold on, let me finish this and I'll be right with you." Levana patiently waited, and a woman with almost bluish black hair and dull green eyes appeared, her hands full with three minimized Pokeballs.
"Where's the other Professor Hickory?"
"Peter's at the main computer," Professor Hickory replied. "You know how he is about technology. He's running a file scan, to make sure the storm didn't hurt the computer."
"Oh. Well, anyway, one of the trainers is already here."
"Already? It must be Lee, he always an over-achiever – ah, don't tell him I said that."
"Said what?" Levana said innocently. "So anyway, can we go and put the starters in their slots now?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Here, you can even let them out, if you're there to supervise." Professor Hickory handed Levana the three Pokeballs, then turned around. "I've still got to get the Pokedexes."
"Okay," Levana nodded, walking back to the room with the couch and pedestal. This time, there were two people there; apparently, while Levana was gone, a female, pleasantly plump trainer with glasses and intensely curly brown hair had let herself in.
"Hello!" The girl said, standing up at once. "I'm Rebecca Jordan. Are you a League-Sponsored trainer, too?"
"No, no, I'm not. I work here." Levana said, tired of explaining herself. "I should get a nametag that says 'junior assistant' or something."
"Wow, really? You're so lucky! I'd love to have a job like that!"
"The only perk is getting to work around the Pokemon," Levana said boredly. "Anyway, since all the trainers aren't here yet, I'm going to let the Pokemon out. Treat them nice, okay?"
"Alrighty!"
"Gotcha."
"Kooripup, Fisagy, Koubine, go!" Three small Pokemon appeared, blinking as they looked around the room.
Kooripup was a Water-element, whippet-like Pokemon. It was light blue, with a slim body and long legs that ended in webbed paws. A transparent blue fin ran from between its floppy ears to near the end of its long, whip-like tail, and its inquisitive eyes were a rose-like pink.
Fisagy, meanwhile, was like a crimson bunny, and was obviously a Fire-element. It stood on its strong back legs, as its front legs were short, but nimble, and twitched its nose; long whiskers jerked about in front of blue-violet eyes. Fisagy's long ears, which made up a third of its height, were currently down, nearly brushing the small fire that burned on Fisagy's behind, serving for a tail.
The last Pokemon, Koubine, most resembled a bright green, lean hedgehog, and looked like a Grass-element. It had no visible ears, and it had large, round, black eyes. Its legs were short and stubby, and tipped in black claws; there was a single dark green leaf near the tip of Koubine's short, but strong-looking, tail. Finally, a great deal of golden-brown thorns took root on its back, in place of a hedgehog's spines.
"Oh, they're all so cute!" Rebecca squealed, clapping her hands. "Can we pet them?"
"Yeah, go ahead," said Levana. "Just don't be too rough with them. But they were bred to fight, and be companions, not be cute."
"Yeah, I know," said Rebecca as she tickled Koubine's forehead; Kooripup was sniffing her pantleg. "They're still really cute, though."
"They look like they could be strong battlers, though, if they're trained properly." Lee said, crouching to gently stroke Fisagy's head as Kooripup's attention diverted to him.
"Hello? Am I late?" called a male voice as the distant front door opened.
"No, you're right on time," Professor Hickory called back, her arms laden with four silvery-white rectangles that looked like calculators.
"Koji, come on in, where were you?" Lee said as a tall boy his age with longish, almost silvery white-blonde hair entered the room.
"Sorry, my dad's car broke down."
"It's no problem at all. Now, since everyone's here, we can begin. Koji, Lee, Rebecca, you roll these dice. Whoever gets the highest number will pick first."
The three trainers tossed the variously-colored dice onto the table; Lee's came up five, Rebecca's four, and poor Koji's two.
"Alright, it's decided then. Lee, which Pokemon would you like?"
Lee looked over the three Pokemon carefully, then spoke, loudly and clearly. "I'd like Fisagy, please."
Professor Hickory nodded, making a note on a clipboard. Levana shot Fisagy back into her Pokeball, which she then handed to Lee.
"Alright, Rebecca, you next."
"I want Koubine," Rebecca said almost immediately; she must have had her eye on the hedgehog Pokemon from the first.
"And Koji, that leaves you with Kooripup. You don't mind, do you?" Koji shook his head.
"Actually, Kooripup was my first choice."
"Excellent! Everyone's gotten the Pokemon they wanted, then. Now, here are your Pokedexes." Professor Hickory held up her four bits of silvery-white plastic with green letters engraved into them.
"These have your names engraved in them, see? They also have a digital form of your trainer's liscense, and, of course, normal Pokedex functions." Professor Hickory handed out the Pokedexes, Levana sparing a loving glance at hers before pocketing it. If one wasn't League-Sponsored, a Pokedex cost an arm and a leg; Levana had given her sweat, blood, and tears to pay for this Pokedex, and by Mew, she was going to take care of it.
"Professor, what's this?" Koji asked, holding up a slip of paper he had found tucked inside his Pokedex.
"Good question, Koji. It's a coupon to receive six free Pokeballs at the next Pokemart you visit. We don't have enough space in the lab to actually house your Pokeballs here."
"Oh. Cool." Koji muttered, tucking the coupon into his pocket.
"Is that all we need, Professor?" asked Rebecca.
"That's all I can give you, yes. The day's wearing on, you should get started on your trips."
"Yeah. Bye, Professor."
"Bye."
"G'bye." The three filtered out, leaving Levana alone with Professor Hickory.
"Well," said Levana finally, "am I free to go?"
"I'm tempted to say no," the Professor joked. "I've gotten used to having you around." Levana groaned, playing along. "But," she added, "I know how much this means to you. So take care of yourself and your Pokemon. I'll store any Pokemon you don't carry with you."
"Thanks, Professor. C'mon, Wyvling. Vale."
"I'm sure I'll see you again soon enough, but farewell, you two." Levana turned around and headed down the hall, but she did not take her keys from the hook as she usually did. Instead, she simply held the door open for Wyvling, and stepped outside into the meager sunshine.
"Hey, you're late!" Severus called from where he leaned against his car.
"Sorry, I got held up," Levana said, letting Wyvling into the back seat.
"No problemo, I was here late anyway. You get a 'dex?"
"I paid for one, didn't I?" Levana asked indignantly. "See, it's even personalized and everything."
"Awesome. Here we go...."
The ride to Setting Town city limits took ages, it seemed., but to Levana, it was much too short. All too soon, she and Severus were bidding each other farewell, and she had promised to call home the moment she set foot in Ruby City.
Now that she stood here, Wyvling playfully gliding about on a breeze that ruffled her hair about her elbows, her backpack seemed heaver, and the distant trees of Setting-Ruby Forest loomed taller, than she remembered – had the breeze been that cold before? Levana stood still for a moment, listening to the wind whisper in the tall grass and far-off evergreen branches: "Midas has ass's ears! Midas has ass's ears!"
She watched as Lotad gathered near a pond, a few casting nervous glances at the red-and-white Pokeballs hanging from her belt. A scent of rain filled the air, but the path lightened as sunlight burned holes in the clouds.
Without warning, she turned on her heel, facing toward Setting Town. There, houses, trees, and streets wee in orderly rows, and a neighbor's Growlithe was fetching the paper for his family.
'You can still turn back, you know,' a nasty voice hissed in her head. 'Your pride is the only thing stopping you!' Levana paused – was this trip, this journey, this – this odyssey, really, going to be anything like she had imagined it? Probably not. It could be far worse – or far better.
'It's too risky,' the voice hissed again. 'You could get killed, and for what? To tame little beasties? To win a ridiculous competition? Go home, get a safe job.'
"Show me a life without risk and I will show you a life not worth living, you stupid voice," Levana snapped; silence, at least within her own head, answered her.
"Wyv?" Wyvling looked back at her, worried.
"Nothing, Wyvling. Let's go, we've got to cover as much ground as possible before the rain starts."
AN: That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. As you can see, I kind of find it ridiculous that people leave home to train Pokemon, sometimes being away for years, and never have any second thoughts, so I gave Levana some.
If there are any grammar or spelling errors, please tell me in a review or an e-mail. I'm a grammar freak, but I don't have a spellchecker or grammarchecker on my version of Microsoft Word. If you do, I'll edit it out, or at least tell people it's wrong in the AN of the next chapter.
"Vale" is Latin for "goodbye" and the literal meaning is "be strong/well". It's pronounced Wah-lay.
"Valete" is also Latin for "goodbye", and the literal meaning is the same, but it is the plural form. It's pronounced Wah-lay-tay.
Why do the Blackwood children sprinkle Latin in their normal conversation? Easy, their parents are Classic (Greek/Roman) freaks – did you notice a trend in their names? – and they all speak Latin (Latin isn't dead, after all, just sleeping). Salve, salvete ("Hello" and "Hello" plural), vale, and valete are some of the easiest Latin words to remember.
(And no, Lucius and Severus's names have NOTHING to do with Lucius Malfoy or Severus Snape, so don't even ask.)
That's the sort of background information that's not really important, but it explains that some of the weird stuff isn't arbitrary; I didn't put Latin in because it looks cool.
Claimer: I own all my original characters, places, Pokemon, etc. If you didn't see it somewhere else, it's mine. If you want to use it, either ask my permission and give me credit, or just give me credit. If you plan to make money off of it, we'll talk about how big of a cut I get.
Disclaimer: Everything else, however, does not belong to me. It belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak, Kids WB, etc. I'm not making any money off of it and I don't plan to, it's really like free advertisement for you guys, so please don't sue me?
This story was brought to you by reviewers like you. Thank you.