Chapter One: Prodigal Son
In the South Pacific, far west of North America and far east of Asia exists a series of island regions like none other on the planet. For generations, Man had traveled to these islands for different reasons, but came to stay for the exact same one. First came the sea nomads, people who traveled from island to island, living off the bounties of the water and the fruits and plants of the islands. Then came the Japanese, great warriors in naval flotillas exploring to see how far they could conquer in their Emperor's name, and monks in tiny rafts braving the dangers of the ocean in search of knowledge and enlightenment. Next came the Europeans during the Age of Exploration, merchants looking for new fare that could be sold and shortcuts to India and the Far East. Later when the world seemed constantly at war, the great army and navy of the United States used these lands as a tactical base. Generation after generation, culture after culture came to these seemingly innocuous lands to all discover the same thing, that they were filled with amazing creatures of unmatched variety, bravery, loyalty and ability. Creatures that came to be known as Pokemon.
As more and more people settled into these lands bringing with them the ways and histories of their original homelands, they soon found their technology, economy and very way of life shaped by these amazing creatures, as Pokemon became friends and partners with humanity. Humans who captured and trained Pokemon were called Trainers, and it was a rite of passage for children as young as ten years old to go off on their own and test their strengths and wills. Unthinkable anywhere else on earth, parents knew that with a loyal Pokemon by their child's side, no harm would come to their offspring. Trainers who challenged the various Gyms across these regions could collect badges and have the right to face the toughest Trainers in their respective lands, the Elite Four, and perhaps even become the Champion. High ranking Trainers were among the most respected and powerful members of society and rules of fair play were established by the Pokemon League, the closest thing these regions had to a centralized government. In their world where issues could be settled in the ring of combat, and anyone could fight back against bigotry and tyranny with the strength of a loyal team, the typical bureaucracy of armed services, a centralized government leader and a strict unification of law were unnecessary. Though made up of largely autonomous regions influenced by their original cultures, called by names like Unova, Kalos and Sinnoh, these lands in the South Pacific became known to the rest of Earth simply as The Pokemon World.
The largest, and one of the most important of these lands, known as the Sister Regions were Johto in the west, and Kanto in the east. The most heavily influenced by their largely Japanese population, Kanto and Johto were connected by a small chain of mountains. Unlike the other regions in the Pokemon World, Kanto and Johto shared a single Pokemon League known collectively as the Indigo League, in honor of the flower named cities that lied in the west, and the color based cities in the east. Eight badges from either regions' Gyms qualified a Trainer to face the Elite Four, and only facing each region's unique Champion required that region's specific Gym Badges. Kanto was more like modern Japan, full of skyscrapers with scurrying salarymen, karaoke bars, the latest technology and most modern of conveniences. Johto was more Old World, in between sushi bars and Idols remained tea houses and geishas. Entire cities were still filled with the wooden buildings designed by their ancestors and children minded their elders and treated the various shrines tucked along the roads with the same reverences their grandparents and great-grandparents did.
Those who came in on any of the dozens of ferries to the coastal town of Olivine City got their first taste of how Johto defiantly embraced tradition when seeing the Old Lighthouse, still lit with the power of an electric type Pokemon. For most newcomers, this sight filled them with a sense of awe and wonder, but for one passenger on the latest ferry pulling into the city's port, the feeling was more bittersweet. Almost a year and a half ago it was the last thing he saw from the Region he once called home. Those who witnessed the event would have seen a frustrated man and woman drag their teenage son to one of the boats. The boy was not very tall but had the hardened muscle tone of a fighter with a wide nose, stubborn jaw and olive skin that evoked his mixed heritage of Japanese, Caucasian and Polynesian that was commonplace in the Pokemon World. He looked and acted every bit the punk he was with black, steel-toed boots, pocketed vest, sleeveless shirt, heavily tattooed arms, pierced face and fire engine red Mohawk contrasting with his closely-shaven, dyed-black scalp, and cursed, threatened and begged his parents not to have to go. His screams were ignored as his mother and father shoved the army green duffel bag with all his worldly possessions into his arms and sent him off to the far-off Region of Sinnoh to live with the boy's older brother.
Now he had returned.
Though the boy who stepped off the boat bore the same tattoos, Mohawk and piercings he had before, they would see that he was no longer the thug that pleaded with his family not to be sent away. Cockiness and defiance were replaced with dignity and genuine pride as he stood tall and scanned the pier. His skin had darkened into a deep tan from weeks of traveling on foot on the road and his steel-toed boots were starting to grow worn. Though his face was clouded with melancholy, the harsh, rage-filled brown eyes that challenged anyone around him had softened and most obvious of all was the tiny Eevee that sat comfortably on the boy's shoulder.
"Oh my god, I think that's Lucas! The new Hoenn League Champion!" a man in his mid twenties cried out to his younger companion, a girl in her late teens.
"Oh wow, I think you're right. He must have come to Johto to challenge the Indigo League. I hope I can get his autograph, he is an incredibly Trainer!" the girl replied as the two approached the seventeen year old boy.
"I'm almost tempted to challenge him to a battle, but he's way out of my league. Did you see the way he beat the Sinnoh Champion? I've probably watched that video online fifteen times!" as the older man came up to the Trainer, more and more of a crowd had gathered. People of all ages asked Lucas questions, for autographs and to pet the fluffy Pokemon on his shoulder that become as famous as he had. In spite of his intimidating looks Lucas responded graciously to everyone who approached him, and when the crowd dispersed, thrilled with meeting the celebrity Trainer, he shook his head and marveled at what had just happened.
"The difference a year and a half makes, Gizmo," Lucas said to his Pokemon as much to himself. When his parents had dragged him to the Olivine City pier for the ferry to Sinnoh, he had just been expelled from his high school, was looking at a third stint in juvenile detention and was a member of a gang that terrorized his hometown of Cherrygrove City. They had hoped sending him to live with his older brother John, himself an accomplished Pokemon Trainer and former three League Champion, would finally straighten out their younger son. For Lucas this was the worst fate he could think of. In addition to being conceded, bullying and self absorbed, the teen's older brother also had the distinction of being good at almost anything he touched. Well liked in his community, good at school and a beloved athlete, John overshadowed Lucas in almost every way. The boy had tolerated this in most aspects, until at seven years old John had taken away the one interest and dream Lucas thought was his alone: Pokemon. At ten, John had surprised his family by becoming a Trainer and traveled through the Indigo and Sinnoh Leagues, becoming even more accomplished and beloved. Deciding since John was going to be good at everything, Lucas thought the place out of his brother's shadow was to be as bad as possible. He joined a gang and spent his life terrorizing random citizens, vandalizing buildings and getting into near constant streets brawls.
A chance encounter with a sick Eevee and the renowned Pokemon Professor Oak changed all that. Lucas was given a second chance to live his dream and become a Pokemon Trainer. He issued a challenge to his older brother and promised to become an even more accomplished Trainer than John was, gain four Championships to John's three and would return to face his older brother in a Pokemon battle to prove once and for all he was not his brother's inferior.
Lucas had left an infamous troublemaker and returned to Johto a two League Champion, and half-way to his goal. He had faced countless challenges in his Journey: relearning the skills and techniques needed to be a Trainer, battling new rivals and those with evil intentions, and dealing with the transformation from inexperienced underdog to the strange pressure of celebrity as a Champion. The one thing he didn't expect to deal with was the surge of conflicting emotions upon returning home. Part of him wanted to run home to his parents immediately and see the growth their youngest son had experienced. Another was terror about facing the consequences of what the actions from his old life would bear. These thoughts had troubled him the entire boat ride back, but now actually setting foot in Olivine City, he was almost paralyzed with indecision.
From one of the many pockets on his vest, Lucas pulled out a small red and white touch screen electronic called a Pokevice. Serving as a tablet, phone and Trainer Guide, the Trainer flipped through his contacts to see who he would inform first. Among his contacts were his parents, brother, Professor Oak, a fellow Cherrygrove Trainer named Morgan and Skyler, the love of Lucas' life. A Trainer from Blackthorn City and member of the Dragon Tamer clan, Skyler had been Lucas' traveling partner in Hoenn, sharing the road and its difficulties as the teen fought for the Hoenn League badges. Lucas had fallen in love with the older boy, and towards the end, the two realized how much they meant to each other. But after Lucas' Championship, Skyler was forced to return to his home and his clan. A knot squeezed in Lucas' chest upon reading his boyfriend's name. He would not be able to see him again until his Blackthorn City badge, which he could not receive until he registered with the Indigo League.
With that Lucas finally came to a decision. Cherrygrove City would not be his first stop. Instead, he would go to New Bark Town to visit Professor Elm and get registered. It would give him a chance to relay information to the professor from his old teacher Professor Oak, and gave him more time to build up the courage to face his parents. Of all the challenges he had faced, it still seemed his own past was still Lucas' largest obstacle.