Disclaimer: This is a translations of a WIP of a Spanish Fanfic, so there might be some grammatical errors, suggetions and advice from anybody will be appreaciated.

Tess' Challenge

Chapter 1: The awakening.

First hours in the morning in Oldale. The few people in this town greeted each other as usual after they started to do their daily chores, but this day is different, today many children are going to get their first Pokémon. Many of them are with their parents asking them if they can be the next Pokémon Champion.

"The sky's the limit son," said the father to his son. "Only You can break those limits" added the parent after patting him in his back. The family continued their way to the bus station. In a distance, a teenager was watching them with a smile in his face.

"That's bullshit," grinned the teenager as he took one cigarette and put it in his mouth. "Whoever said that is an asshole, why lie to your kids?" the young one started to laugh to himself as he searched for his lighter in his pocket, but he couldn't find it.

"Here," said a man who was near him as he passed his lighter. The teenager takes it and thanks him.

"You want one?" the young one gave his packet of cigarettes to the man, but he rejects it.

"I'm going to Littleroot in a few minutes, so I don't want the smell of tobacco in my clothes," responded the man as he took seat alongside the boy. "When's the next bus to Littleroot?"

"Now"

The young one pointed to the bus station and both of them saw how the transportation was leaving, the man sighed and leaned back in the seat, he took his cellphone and checked the hour and some other applications, but he was interrupted by the teenager who was giving him one of his cigarettes.

"After this, yeah give me one… What's your name?"

"Tess," responded the boy after expelling the smoke in his mouth. "My mother wanted a girl"

The man didn't respond to that, he laughed a little as he lit his cigarette, with caution, the man take a look at the teenager, he has a light brown skin thanks to how the Sun is stronger in this region, his brown messy hair says he doesn't like to brush it, but he uses a visor to try to hide it, his opaque orange jacket covers his white shirt that has a very famous logo in the Hoenn region, his washed out jeans gave a sign that those are old as his age.

"You're going to spend the day here?" asked the man as he exhales the smoke.

"Yes…"

"School or work?"

"It's summer man and I don't want to get a job," Tess answered with an apathetic voice.

"I see…" The man throws his cigarette and step on it to turn it off. Then asked a new one from Tess, "I didn't introduce myself, my name is Joseph," the man doesn't receive an answer. "So… what's your goal in life?"

"To leave this goddamn place," responded the young one as he throws his cigarette. "Everything I do here is worthless," Tess took his pack of cigarettes and searched for one and put it in his mouth.

"I can help you with that," the man smiled to Tess, but he started to laugh.

"I am a good for nothing, I don't have skills to survive in the outside world, I'm… worthless," he exhaled the smoke out of his mouth, then he leaned back in the seat.

"The sky is the limit and you are the only one to break it," words that made Tess laugh. "Do you know who I am?"

"You already say it man… You're…"

Tess stopped for a second and7 observed the man who was talking, he wears a gray cross suit buttoned all the way up, his grays pants are a match with the suit and his shiny shoes are a sign that he preoccupies his personal attire, but the thing that make Tess to recognize this man is the black Homburg who rest in the legs of Joseph, he takes it and put him in his head to highlight his pale skin.

"You're Joseph, right? The first champion of the Association of the Pokémon League? The Rejected Champ?" questioned the young one to the man.

"Years can pass but that nickname will pursue me to my very end," sighed Joseph as he leans back in his seat with a smile and took a shot of his cigarette.

"Why the Champion of the APL is going to Littleroot? There's nothing interesting to you in that place."

"Professor Birch knew that I was here in Hoenn, so he asked me to come here and say a few words to the kids that are going to get their first Pokémon," Joseph explained as he exhales the smoke in his mouth. "The usual you know…"

Tess started to feel comfortable with this man by how this famous person share some similarities with him, so he started to initiate a simple talk, mainly to pass the time for the two of them. They talked about life experiences, good and bad ones, about movies and the careers of the actors in those films. Joseph was impressed by how this boy know a lot of those subjects despite being young, the people who usually talks to are only about Pokémon or battling, having this type of talk was a good change for once.

"There is," said Tess as he points a bus. The young one got up and took his backpack. "Well, it was nice to meet you," Tess extends his hand to the Champion.

"Why are you not coming with me?" offered the man as he takes his things. "Or You have something better to do?"

The young one smiled at the offering, Joseph was right, he has nothing better to do, and travel with a person as big as him is nothing you can experience every day, maybe he can't learn all his knowledge but just for the sake of being with someone famous is enough to convince him.

After two hours of traveling, the pair came to Littleroot. Many years have passed when Tess came to this place, he was surprised of how everything was almost the same, it's was like time never moved in this place, it's the same calm and quite town. The joyous people are greeting each other, almost like in his hometown, but with more peace thanks to the nature that surrounds this town. The noise of bug and flying type Pokémon is more prominent in this place, which is relaxing for the young one.

"Isn't this place… to good?" said Joseph as he takes a deep breath and stretched his arms.

"You said it…" responded Tess to himself doing the same.

"The professor's is that way, follow me."

The champion walked down the main street of the town, the teenager only followed him without saying anything. When they arrive, the pair see a crowd of people who can easily see they are pissed, Joseph walked towards the people and asked one of the parents the reason why. He was told that Professor Birch isn't in his laboratory and they're waiting for way to long. After hearing that, Joseph took his cellphone and called Birch to know where he is.

After some rings, the call was dismissed. The champion wasn't happy for that, so he started to think what he can do. The Champion asked to everyone to give him space so he can talk to everybody, when they agreed, Joseph opens his suit to take one of his Pokéball, Tess clearly see how the artifact is gray with the logo of the APL in top of that, he didn't knew there can be customized Pokéballs, he assumed only people with high rank can have something like that.

Joseph threw his Pokéball and materialize his partner, the young one knew a few of the team of Joseph, he was hoping to see his Typhlosion or his Staraptor, but a humanoid creature stands out between the crowd and Joseph.

The kids started to shout the name of this Pokémon as Tess tried to remember what kind of pocket creature is. Almost to the same height as the teenager, a white dress stands out with a red horn in its chest, the green hair of the creatures covers a portion of his face, but what surprised the most was its red bright eyes; however, Tess also saw a metallic necklace, which inside have a bright and colorful gem.

"Hello kids, nice to meet you," said the Pokémon with a feminine voice as she does an elegant bow. People were skeptical to see a creature to talk like a human, nonetheless fascinating to everyone in this place. The cheers for her makes her to feel superior and started to laugh, but she stopped when she perceived the menacing but calm eyes of her trainer.

"Can you let me finish this?" said Joseph reluctantly. The Pokémon steps back to get alongside her trainer, "Saga… Giving you this was my worst decision to this day," added Joseph with a low tone.

"Geez… go ahead and do your boring things," responded Saga with telepathy as she rolled her eyes. The champion walked to the center of the crowd just to have the attention of everyone.

"Kids, the world is surrounded by these creatures called Pokémon, many of us use them as a company, as a partner of life and to get our daily lives so much easier, but some people like me and my friend Tess," Joseph steps aside to make room for the young one who was shocked to hear that. "My friend wants to become the very next champion of the APL this year in Hoenn, that's why he is here, to break his limits, to surpass the sky and start to write his own legend in this world," added the Champion with joy.

The way how Joseph was talking resonates in the mind of Tess and thought in some regards are true. A few hours ago, he was mocking the parents who gave fake hopes to their kids, but he rethought again and clearly, he was wrong. The kids and people need sometimes the fake hope to make it a reality that dream, however, that doesn't make it fake, it's the push to get your dreams a reality.

The young one thought the reason why Joseph invited him here was to understand this subject. Then he asked himself if Joseph hear him insulting the people cheering for their child before their meeting, he started to feel ashamed a little bit.

"Kids, having a Pokémon is a good life experience, treat them like they're part of your family, is that clear children?"

The young audience shout Yes at the same time, the champion thanked everyone. After the speech, many parents got closer to Joseph to ask him how to take care of their Pokémon. Meanwhile, Tess was only there just to hear what the champion responded to the parents, but a little girl came close to the young one, he got on his knees to be at the same height as the child.

"Excuse me sir," said the little girl but that word hurt Tess in more than one way. "Are you going to be the next champion?"

Tess was skeptical to that question, he doesn't know anything about Pokémon, he barely knows the basic, how he will be the next champion of the APL if he didn't have his first Pokémon. But that girl who just meet, with an innocent look and smile, has more faith in him more than other people in his hometown. The young one smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"You gotta believe," Tess winked at the girl with confidence as he raised his little finger to do a pinky promise.

Joseph was watching how the girl accepted the pinky promise, he smiled how this boy was having a change in his life for once, the champion thought that he only needs another push to get that little promise become a reality.

After some time, Professor Birch came to his laboratory saying sorry to everyone, then he proceeds to thank Joseph and Tess to control the mass in his absence. Without losing more time, the Professor asked the children to get in line in the order he was dictating. He approached the champion and the young one to give them a list with the name of the kids.

Both of Joseph and Tess were surprised how the kids get their first Pokémon nowadays, they remembered that you just get the age and come to the Professor laboratory and that was it, now you must register to some organization of the region who sends the information to the APL, with that information they send back the Trainer ID for the kids, all of this just to have regulation of every trainer in the region.

The job started with calm, but as the time passed the children got frustrated because how much they are waiting. The three man are doing their best to calm the children and the parents, a job they succeeded to do. Many hours passed and the last parents thanked the hardworking men for doing their job. Tess, heavily exhausted, took a seat and leaned back to take a deep breath.

"What kind of food these parents give to their children?" said the young one who was catching his breath.

"Well, we're not done yet," added Joseph and proceeded to ask permission to the Professor to use his PC. He inserted his Trainer ID and wait for the machine to boot up, "You help us out in a big way, just for the sake of thanking you, take this"

The champion waited for the PC to materialize a Pokéball, the young one got up and walked to be closer to Joseph and to see more clearly what his present will be. He saw the Pokéball and he didn't know this type of catching device, the half top was black with some red stripe in the middle just covering the black space, the bottom half was white and have some red stripe in the sides.

"Here, all yours," said Joseph giving the Pokéball to the boy.

Tess thanked the gesture and took the pocket device, with the pressure of his elders, he opened the catching device to release the creature inside. A small orange creature was laying in the floor, Tess figure out that this Pokémon have similar traits to an ant, with a big head and a zigzagging mouth which looks fearsome to many people.

"You are…" Tess got on his knees to be at the same height of his first Pokémon "A Trapinch right?"

"Good eye!" exclaimed the Professor. "I'm surprised that you know him," The Professor approached Tess and gave him a pat in his back. "Well, I can't leave this little guy without a partner, so wait for moment."

Birch entered in the back room of his laboratory leaving the pair in the main hall. After some minute and hearing some noises of boxes falling apart, the Professor came back with three regular Pokéball, the young one gets up and get closer to the table to see what's going on.

"Well Tess… These Pokémon weren't picked because the kid didn't show up or the Association send me one by error, son I'm taking this chance to give these Pokémon a fair chance… Tess, you're going to pick a starter in the old way," explained the professor as he open the three devices.

The first one to appear is a green lizard with a red belly and a darker green tail, he was standing there prideful, everything he did was to impress everybody in the place.

The second Pokémon was a darker orange pig Pokémon with black below his waist and in his front was the same, which can be confused with a mask thanks to the yellow spot between his eyes, he was sleeping ignoring the noise that the lizard Pokémon was doing to get the attention he wants.

Finally, the third Pokémon is a sky-blue penguin with dark blue in the head, with some white spots in his chest, he was looking all over the place, he looked like he was wondering why he is here.

"I have some questions professor." Said Joseph as he crossed his arms

"Do I need to repeat myself?" responded the Professor. When he was about to ask what Pokémon Tess will chose, he was already holding the penguin and looking it minutely.

Joseph observed the moment, he was interested how quickly the boy chose his new partner, but he was more interested by the fact how both are looking at each other, like they were meant to be partners. The champion kept looking at the young one, he noticed that the eyes of Tess have some sparks of joy, so he knew that the boy would be a good candidate to have this Pokémon.

"You and I we're asking the same question… Why the fuck we are here…" whispered the young one. When he was been observed by his elders, he proceeded to claim this Pokémon as his second partner.

Tess looked at the pocket creatures for a while with a comfort smile, he decided to return them to their respective device, he thanked both for this gift and he said that he never expected to be treated like that, the champion laughed a little and gave a few pats behind the young one.

"You're like a little kid, you know?" added Joseph while laughing. "A Piplup and a Trapinch, what an odd pair, but that's the catch right here, to see what you can do at the championship."

"Wait, are you serious?!" exclaimed Tess in shock. "No! I'm not taking the challenge! I don't know how to battle and…"

"If you played Pokémon Stadium then you're ready to go," interrupted Joseph with a mocking smile. "Besides, what prevent you to do it?"

"Because I have no experience outside?" responded Tess as he took the seat. "This is beyond my limits"

"Limits are meant to be broken," said the Professor as he approached to the young one. "Having a Pokémon is a life changer, not everyone started with the knowledge of battling, everyone started from the very bottom."

"But… how I'm going to pay my expenses? How I know if I'm taking the right route to the next city?" questioned the young one with a little fear.

"That's part of the adventure!" added Joseph with joy. "Look Tess, I know it's hard, but this will change your life, this is what you need"

"I didn't ask for a change in my life, I'm fine we're I am…" said Tess with calm, then he sighed, "Thanks again for this… but…"

"I want to get out of this goddamn place," paraphrased the champion. "This is your chance boy…"

Tess was looking at the ceiling of the laboratory, again, Joseph was right, he desires to leave Oldale, but he didn't know the troubles to do it, he barely know the outside world and the former champion wants him to compete, it's a tough choice for the boy.

He got up of his seat and leaved the Professor's place without saying anything, Joseph didn't do anything to stop him, he knew what the young one wants, so in the meantime, the champion offered a drink to Birch to pass the time and wait for the boy.

Tess laid his back near the front door of the laboratory, he closed his eyes and started to think what he wants, he started to take deep breaths and started to meditate. The only noise on this place were the flapping of the flying type Pokémon that passes near the Professor's and the wind that collided with the trees making the leaves drop down. Everything was calm for Tess, the peace he needed to think.

After some time, the young one entered the laboratory once again without making noise, he saw the champion and the Professor were talking and showing various documents to each other, he didn't want to interfere, so he took the seat and wait for his elders to finish their talk.

"So, your research on the Seventh Sense, makes a simple Pidove to make his blind owner to see?" asked the Professor with skepticism. "How? Pidoves usually forget everything in the next day."

"It's a mix between reinforcement and the Seventh Sense, you see, the latter is the connection between Trainer and Pokémon, they become one for some time, both can feel what the other feel," explained the champion as he puts down his drink. "With the person I studied, he was able to see what the Pidove see thanks to that bond they created, and doing the same thing over and over makes the Pokémon to know what to do every day"

Tess was intrigued by the discussion, especially with the Seventh Sense, he didn't hear anything about it before, so hearing something that not so many people knew was exciting.

"There you are," said Joseph as he approached the young one. "How was the meditation?"

"I think I need more time…" responded Tess trying to not look at the champion.

"That's Ok, I think we need to go now, the bus can take up two hours and I don't want to get there very late"

Joseph took his belongings and thanked the Professor Birch for the invitation and the talk, Tess did the same and both went to the bus station waiting for their next ride. Joseph glanced the boy and he was clearly worried, he never thought beyond leaving his hometown. The champion pat him in the back to comfort the teenager.

"Look, if you don't want to go, that's ok, but hear me out," said Joseph without looking at Tess. "Think about the future, some three or four years, when you have a staple job or… something…" The champion looked at the boy with a smile. "And when you start to blame everything, remember that you rejected your once in a life time chance to start a new life, a new you"

Tess was somewhat angry because, once again, the champion was right.

"You know… before meeting you… I was doing the same thing over and over again, that became my daily routine, and having now a sudden change was… shocking, I didn't expect this if I'm honest with you…"

"When you no expect anything, the best things can happen…" The champion started to laugh. "And you can't be disappointed"

The bus came to the station and the pair gets up and took their seats. Tess was looking at the mirror thinking again what he wants, meanwhile, Joseph glanced again to the boy and sighed, he thought that the boy, whatever he chooses, will be the best choice.

After almost two hours of traveling, the pair gets to Oldale, both keep walking to get to the hostel of the town without talking to each other.

"Well, I'm going to stay for the night here, I don't like to travel at night," said Joseph. "Boy…" the champion land his hand on his shoulder. "If you really want to leave here… I'll be waiting for you in the Pokémon Center at ten o'clock."

Tess once again was put in doubt, everything was in a silver plate, he asked to himself why he can be doubtful about this choice. Many people will say yes immediately, and some other people are him, who doubts about himself, who doesn't believe that he can survive in the outside, who doesn't want to change.

After coming home, the teenager leaved his belongings near the front door, he leaved his keys in a bowl of the dining table. Before entering his room, he looked his mother sleeping in the couch, he sighed and searched for a blanket to cover her, with that, another reason for not leaving, his mother, a woman who works early and late almost every day, he was there for take care of her.

"God damn it," sighed Tess with a somewhat angry tone.

He took a seat in the dining room and started to think out loud, saying the pros and cons about taking this challenge, a journey that will make his life feel new. Without noticing he fell sleep on the dining table. He gets up and noticed that the sunrise was there. He remembered that needs to do the breakfast as he usually does almost every day, he approached the refrigerator and was surprised by a note hanging out.

"This is my mom's writing," said Tess looking at the note.

'Dear Tess:

I heard you taking to yourself last night, I know I'm important to you, but that doesn't make that you need to live your life to serve me, YOU need to get to see the outside world, to see what I couldn't see and live. Its time for YOU to change, this is a once in a life time chance, don't throw it away like that, please… don't follow my steps, YOU need to be better than me, it's the best gift a son can give to their parents, so Tess...

Go and be the new yourself, I'll be waiting and rooting for you

Love:

Mom

xoxo

PS: Don't worry about me, I can handle myself like it was in the 80's. Also, there's some spare money to alleviate your expenses on your journey.'

Tess sighed and started to laugh to avoid crying.

"God damn it mom…" said Tess to himself in a low tone.

He never felt like this in his young life, but the decision was made. He searched for a big backpack and a new pair of sneakers, he took his jacket and with some quick adjustments, he made this cloth to have space for his new and future partners. He took his house keys and before opening the front door, he glanced one last time at his home.

"This is the awakening that I need it," said the young one as he leaves the house and close it without making noise.

The teenager started walking towards the Pokémon Center and wait for the best.