Summary
Carlin was always unremarkable at first glance, with his black hair and dull brown eyes, his lack of respect for authority and cynicism…but he is far more than just a run-of-the-mill, regular boy. He is one of the world's first few monster trainers; his combat ingenuity, enhanced by years of long training and fighting experience with such creatures and humans alike, have made him a brilliant tracker and a merciless hunter. Yet he is not a mindless murderer: his targets are the vile beasts and fiends that ravage the land. But first appearances are often deceptive. Not everything with sharp claws and teeth is evil, and not everything beautiful and fair is good. People will come to know these creatures in the far future as Pokemon.
As a guardian of the helpless, Carlin, the trainer from Cherrygrove City, meets corrupt leaders of huge organisations, undead children, vengeful spirits, shrieking pidgeots, lovelorn banettes and despondent soldiers: many are malicious, some are wicked, and none are quite as they appear…
Chapter 1 – The End of an Era
Miss Lime of Cherrygrove City Orphanage was the bleak, brick building's only caretaker, and she could not have been more than twenty-three or twenty-four. She had a pleasant white oval face with blue eyes and her hair was dark brown. Her body was so slender and delicate one got the feeling that if she fell over she would smash into a thousand pieces, like porcelain china.
Miss Joanne Lime was an unassuming and quiet person who hardly raised her voice and was seldom seen to smile, but there is no doubt she possessed that rare talent for being adored by every small child under her care. She seemed to completely understand the confusion, fear and distress that always overwhelm young children who have lost their parents and for the first time in their lives, are herded together into an unfamiliar place and told to obey orders. Some curious warmth that was almost tangible always shone out of Miss Lime's face whenever she spoke to a distraught and wailing new-comer to the premises.
When Miss Lime woke up on a dull, grey Sunday our story begins. There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that grand and revolutionary things would soon be happening in the usually boring city. Miss Lime hummed as she put on her work blouse and started sweeping the floors before going to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the orphans.
She didn't notice a small brown owl with large orange eyes flutter past the window.
At half past eight, Miss Lime called the children down for breakfast, kissed every one of them good morning on the forehead as they dawdled past her into the dining hall, and she went out to tend to the garden.
She was in the corner where the smell of small flowers was the strongest that she noticed something peculiar – a large orange draconic creature with a brown leather bag slinging to its side was hovering silently above the front gates of the orphanage, its eyes fixed unblinkingly at Miss Lime. She didn't appear frightened to see it, rather, she was mildly surprised that it appeared so suddenly and quietly you'd have thought it just popped out of the sky. The dragon's tail twitched and it landed beside Miss Lime on its two hind legs with a soft 'thud'.
There was only one reason this monster would visit Miss Lime and she knew it wasn't for something trivial. For this monster was under the care of someone she held in very high regards who does not send it out for message delivery unless it was of upmost importance: Professor Samuel Oak. Now, Miss Lime may be good with children, but she was terrible with interacting with beasts like this one, especially when it is more than twice her size. With one hand outstretched expectantly and the other pinching her nose, she spoke to it with her breath held: "What have you got for me this time? And why are you smelling so strongly of Rawst Berries?"
The dragon gave her a mildly annoyed look, as if it understood her, licked its berry-stained claws clean and reached into its leather bag to pull out a rather huge envelope. The large creature then promptly thrust the now slightly crumpled enveloped into Miss Lime's hand before taking off in a single leap and flap of its wings.
Miss Lime immediately began opening the envelope, and out fell two things: one was The Kanto Bulletin, a regional newspaper that she almost never reads as she was too poor to afford such things. The second was a letter, sealed with the logo of Celadon University. Curious, she turned over the newspaper first to reveal its headlines: War is over! Foe Signs Truce; Fighting Ceases on Johto Front.
She stopped breathing for a moment, staring at the words in disbelief. Does this mean no more children's parents will be killed? Was this the urgent news that Professor Oak wanted to tell her? She felt so elated that she a rare smile escaped her lips as she sat on the grass, reading, and re-reading the headlines to make sure it wasn't just a dream. When she was satisfied that it wasn't, she turned to the letter and hurriedly open it, expecting to hear more good news from the Professor.
"Dear Miss Lime," the letter began, "I'm sure you would have read today's headlines first, since The Kanto Bulletin is a pleasant but rare sight for an intellectual individual such as yourself. Messenger Hoothoots are working overtime all over the region delivering the good news to everyone. However, that is not why I sent my Dragonite to tell you. This war has cost this region many lives, and I am grateful for your selfless contribution to the orphanage where others have shunned the responsibility, but there is one last favour I must ask of you.
While on my journeys across the world to study these animals with unique abilities that some people have taken to call it "Magical Creatures", I came across an orphaned baby in critical condition in a destroyed and abandoned village near the Hoenn region a month ago, your guess is as good as mine as to how the village was destroyed. As far as we know, the war did not affect this region. Nevertheless, I took the baby with me and cut short my journey across the world. I tried to stop by to tell you about the matter on the night I found him, but alas, it was the same night that you just took in another orphan and was busy consoling her, so I decided not to. I've been informed by Cherrygrove City Hospital that the child's condition is stable now.
You can already guess what I am about to ask of you. Please take care of this orphan as you have already done with so many others. I know this is a very unusual way of accepting an orphan under your care, but please understand that I'm not ready to be a father let alone a mentor to anyone yet. I know he will be safe with you. I have already arranged with the hospital for you to take him home so please do so as soon as possible. I'll keep in touch soon. With regards, Samuel.
P.S The child's name is Carlin. It was sewed onto the blankets wrapped around him in the village ruins. Also, please try talking to my Dragonite politely next time. These creatures have feelings too, you know? He's getting more unwilling to deliver my messages to you."
"Miss Lime? Is everything okay?" a small voice from behind Miss Lime asked. She turned around to face one of her beloved orphans. He was very small but had white hair which was very odd for a child. He was still wearing his pyjamas, hugging a small hand-made doll that Miss Lime made for him. His piercing yellow eyes glazed over as he rubbed the sleep out of them. This boy's name was Drayden. "We saw Professor Oak's big dragon from the window. What happened?" he continued.
"Let's talk inside, Drayden." Miss Lime solemnly said, "I have something I wish to tell everyone." She stood up and dusted her lap and with one hand around the child's shoulder, she led him back into the dreary old orphanage.
A cool sea breeze ruffled the leaves in the trees outside Cherrygrove City Hospital, which stood sturdy and tall under the morning sky, the very last place you would expect the arguably world's first monster trainer for hire to spend his first few weeks of his life. Carlin rolled over in his makeshift cot, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Miss Lime's cooing as she brought him out of the hospital, nor that he would spend the next few years learning about the wicked ways of the world with "Magical Creatures". He couldn't know that at this very moment, the country was celebrating the joy of the century, giving each other hugs and kisses and pats on their back shouting: "The war is finally over! It's the end of an era!"