Hey, this is my first fanfiction, and pretty much the first thing I've written! Feedback is needed :) More chapters will arrive eventually
"Surrender your Charizard or your daughter will perish"
A Tangrowth has me wrapped in its many vines as the intruder threatens my mother. I struggle fiercely, kicking and flailing my arms, to no avail. The Tangrowth tightens its grip and I find it even harder to breath. My mother looks desperately at me and then at her lifelong partner, Charizard. Charizard tenses as he watches me struggle and walks towards the clan member, surrendering. My mother holds out her arm to stop him. Fear grips me as I realise my mother is going to let the Tangrowth crush me.
The tall man notices the hesitation and despite his hardened heart, is surprised.
"Tangrowth...finish her." He yells, eyeing my mother's reaction.
Tangrowth's grip tightens and a strangled cry escapes my mouth as the pressure forces the air out of my lungs. Charizard roars in fury.
"NO!" my mother yells, tears streaming down her face. She turns to Charizard and with a tortured look, hesitantly orders him to go with the Malum clan grunt.
"I'm glad you've seen sense, Tangrowth... release the girl..."
The Tangrowth reluctantly un-tangles its vines from around my body and I greedily suck in mouthfuls of air. The Tangrowth pushes me towards my mother and I fall to the floor, my mother glances at me with a look of betrayal, I realise then and there that she won't recover from the choice she was forced to make. Tangrowth's vines wrap eagerly around Charizard as he roars in anguish, tears run down his cheeks. Charizard catches my eye and I reach towards him desperately.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Charizard" My mother repeats over and over in between sobs.
The man smiles at his victory and leaves our house without another word. I watch as my mother crumbles to the floor, regret clearly written across her face.
I jerk upright, my heart pounding and tears streaming down my face, darkness surrounds me and I know it was only a dream. A dream of a memory I remind myself with a shudder.
It has been five years since the Malum Clan took my mother's Charizard and finally it was my chance to rescue him. The world is a harsher place than it once was, pokemon are no longer given to ten year olds. Today I am of age, fifteen. I think back to the stories my mother told me of when she was young. She received a charmander and they travelled the world together, learning and evolving as one. Unfortunately all rare and decent pokemon are no longer available so first time trainers are sent off with a pokeball and a pat on the back but not much else. Each young trainer's goal? Catch a partner and fight desperately to save lost friends and family. With each new trainer, dying hope is re-ignited. People think that maybe this time, their pokemon will be saved and with that they can win back the world.
I try and calm myself by sitting on my window sill but all I see is the faint glow of morning, dread creeps through me as I realise that in a few hours I'll be sent off, one of our town's last hopes. The weight of the world on my shoulders. My small town called Obduro was one of the last to be taken by the Malum Clan, oddly enough Obduro means last in latin. I pondered the strange coincidence when I heard a creak out in the hall. I froze. Mother wouldn't be awake, she hardly ever left her room these days and wouldn't bother checking on me. I crept towards my door, cursing as I knocked into my desk, sending objects clattering to the ground. I could hear the footsteps coming closer and I searched for anything to arm myself with. My hands skimmed over useless objects in the darkness, finally I chose a pair of scissors from my pencil case. I waited in anticipation, sweat beading on my forehead. My door handle turned. I held my breath.
"Spero...Honey... Are you awake in there?" My mother whispered as she opened the door.
I sighed with relief and put down the scissors, surprised by my mother's presence.
"Yeah... I'm awake..." I replied, quite curious as to why she was as well.
"Today is the day" My mother hesitated at the door as she switched on the lights.
I sat down on my bed and squinted as my eyes adjusted. I looked at my mother, her familiar face was cautious, as if I was a stranger she felt obliged to speak with. She had aged in the last five years, faint worry lines were visible around her eyes and mouth. Her dark brown hair was long and wavy usually tied up during the few hours she was awake each day, but tonight she let it sit on her shoulders. Her deep, green eyes never regained their spark, once never missing but now never present.
"Yeah sure is. Were you nervous on your first day?"
"Oh yes of course, but unlike you we had our Pokemon given to us. I can't imagine venturing into Claudo Forest without a Pokemon for protection."
I sighed.
"Oh but... don't worry, you'll be absolutely fine..." She added hastily.
I looked up at her, obviously my face clearly displayed my fear as she sighed and sat down next to me.
"Spero... do you know what your name means? It means hope. Just remember that, your going to restore the world to what it once was, everyone has faith in you" She smiled and patted my leg in encouragement.
I turned my bright sapphire coloured gaze towards her again and I saw nothing but encouragement and hope, a nice change from the blankness usually present. For a moment it felt like my mother was back to her old, determined self, wanting to preserve this I had to assure her.
"Mum, I'm going to bring back Charizard for you... I'll bring everyone's Pokemon home. I won't stop until I do ok?" I assured her.
Her eyes widened a little in surprise at my usually hidden goal and a flash of regret crossed her face before she smiled.
"Thank you Spero..." She got up. "Come with me, I have something for you."
I hastily followed her as she didn't stop to wait for me. I was surprised once again, she hadn't been this actively involved with anything for a while. I followed her down the dark hallway and out the back door into our yard. It was plain and small, neither of us spent time here anymore so the grass was overgrown and the small garden untidy. She crossed the yard towards the old cubby house where Charizard and I used to play. A flood of memories caught me by surprise but didn't seem to faze my mother. She opened the door and ducked to go inside. I waited noticing the cold, wet grass on my bare feet, the night breeze made me shiver. My mother emerged wearing an awkward smile and holding a small box.
"Mum?" I questioned.
"Here... Open it." She quickly handed me the small, wooden box.
I noticed it was engraved with pictures of strange Pokemon I didn't recognise, I looked up at my mum, and her eyes displayed her anticipation. I opened the box and carefully lifted the necklace from the red velvet. A black stone locket hung from the silver chain. It opened easily and inside is a picture of my mother and her Charmander lay inside, young and happy.
"That was our first day together, just remember we're both watching over you, even if we aren't near you." She smiled but her eyes clouded over at the memories the picture brought back.
"Thanks Mum... " I mumbled giving her an awkward hug.
" I'm exhausted... Wake me before you leave tomorrow. Be brave Spero" She said and walked back inside, the usual blank look returning to her face. A rush of emotions hit me as I watched her leave; I looked back at her young smiling face and closed the locket. I would bring happiness to her life again.
I walked back to my room and sat on my window sill, the necklace in hand. I watched as the night faded and my first day as a trainer began.