Alrighty everybody.
Welcome to my Amethyst *crosses fingers* Series! =D
Just thought I'd give you a quick overview of my plans and goals for this story!
First of all I want to mention that this has been an on-and-off project for quite awhile… It's been many moons, in fact, since I first started scribbling down ideas and junk. I'm much more committed to it now, though, so hopefully we can expect updates every week! (month is more accurate right now... times are tough, the market on digital ink is virtually dead, and some other pun-laden excuse that can be inserted here) **totally going to use the whole "I started writing this years ago" thing as an excuse for my novice-level writing** ;P
I originally thought that I could wrap a bunch of my plot ideas up in one nice story, but as things have progressed, I have come to a different decision. I'm going to continue on. And on. And on. And on with this story, which is focused on our beloved Roddy. (Does he know that he put this in the introduction? How can anybody judge whether or not Roddy is actually "beloved" yet? I mean, let the readers decide for themselves, you know? Sheesh, stop pressuring them already.)
Anyway, this story will basically never end. I may slice it up into super huge chunks eventually, but then we will still just have a never-ending heap of awkwardly large slices. What I'm trying to say is that Roddy's adventure will last a very long time and this story will be very broad, in a sense. That is why I am hoping to also (eventually) write a selection of much narrower character shorts. These will be jam-packed with a lot more action condensed into much shorter stories. They will focus on different characters and hopefully unravel some key mysteries in the world of Amethyst.
Also, just so you're aware, I've combined aspects of both the pokemon games and the anime series into my story. All of this overshadowed by my own original twists, of course! :) So in case something seems a little familiar, a bit off, or glaringly different, just know that it was carefully planned out and orchestrated for your very own entertainment! ^.^
That being said, I encourage you all to grab a beanbag, cuddle up, and share a fizzy glass of sparkling blueberry grape juice with me. I hope you enjoy the story of Amethyst! And please, if you're willing, leave me reviews, follow, or even favorite if you really enjoy the story! Any feedback, good or bad, would be super appreciated! :D
~Shadow
Thwomp. Thwomp. Thwomp.
The waves lapped steadily against the metal hull of the ship, the S.S. Bermuda. The sun bore down intensely, but it felt pleasantly refreshing paired with the cool ocean spray that continually misted over the deck of the ship. Roddy leaned back and stretched, letting out a contented sigh.
"Man… this ain't so bad, huh, Slick?"
Last year, a devastating drought had suddenly whipped up without warning, ravaging the entire eastern half of the Johto region. Roddy's family had been thriving berry farmers outside of Cherrygrove City for generations, but this drought was unlike anything they had ever experienced. The entire berry crop for the year was wiped out. Not even the hardy ganlon berries were able to survive the scorching conditions. Roddy's parents, who were highly regarded across the entire Johto region, were invited to stay in Cianwood City while the drought rendered their farmland inarable. Their extensive knowledge of the unique properties of all types of berries landed them temporary jobs at the Cianwood City Pharmacy. With half of the Johto region incapacitated, the local pharmacy was bustling with business, preparing all sorts of medicinal products to be transported across the region.
Roddy didn't mind helping out his parents with their new operations. He did enjoy berry farming, and the new location was an interesting change of pace for him. As the months carried on, Roddy gradually became more comfortable with the new routines. However, as he became more accustomed to the daily tasks, he also began to feel the dull drag of the days seemingly repeating themselves. Itching for a shift in the daily pattern, Roddy began exploring the small island with his dad's Furret, Slick. Together Roddy and Slick scoured the island, meeting all sorts of different pokemon as they ventured around. Soon Roddy found that there was one thing he enjoyed even more than life on the berry farm, and he decided that he wanted to become a pokemon trainer.
That was how Roddy found himself aboard the S.S. Bermuda, along with Slick, crossing the sea from his homeland of Johto to the luxurious Hoenn region.
"Furr!" Slick agreed, scrambling up Roddy's legs and torso to perch on his shoulder.
When Roddy first told his parents that he wanted to go on his own pokemon journey, they were somewhat surprised. They knew that Roddy enjoyed working the berry farm with Furret, but they thought this was because he really enjoyed farming. However, they soon realized that the special bond between Roddy and Furret was not just a shared respect for each other's work; it was a mutual spirit for adventure.
Roddy's parents agreed to let him go on a pokemon journey when the winter season settled in. The intense drought pretty much negated any chances of snowstorms this year, and usually the Johto region didn't see much snow anyway, save for the mountainous areas. It did get quite a bit colder in the winter season, though, and less varieties of berries were able to grow. Since there wouldn't be as much work to do, Roddy's parents planned to send him back to Cherrygrove City to check up on the family farm property, and from there he could visit Professor Hawthorne to learn the basics of raising pokemon. However, when they contacted the professor, she dolefully informed them that because of the drought, she didn't have any starter pokemon for new trainers. She also apprised them that it would be near impossible to journey throughout the Johto region until the drought subsided. Sympathizing with Roddy's obvious disappointment, Professor Hawthorne suggested that his parents let him travel to a different region to begin his journey.
Roddy's parents were skeptical about the idea at first. Roddy however, eager to convince them to let him begin his adventure, quickly brought up the fact that they had family in the Hoenn region, and urged his parents to allow him to stay with them. His parents finally agreed that he could visit his cousins and start his pokemon journey in Hoenn.
"Ya know, I was just about ready to give up on seafaring, but this is amazing!" Roddy exclaimed, peering over the ship's metal railing and staring into the sapphire-blue water below.
"Furret furr!"
The ship had left port from Cianwood City almost two full days ago, and Roddy anticipated that they must be nearing Slateport City. From there Roddy would be transferred to a smaller passenger ferry which would take him to Petalburg City, where he would be greeted by his twin cousins, Jackson and April.
Roddy knew that Jackson and April lived in a quaint little house on the outskirts of Petalburg City, near Petalburg Woods. But other than that, he wasn't totally sure what to expect from his cousins. The last time he had seen them was five years ago, when he was eleven and they were both eight years old. The twins occasionally sent letters to Roddy via Wingull Express Mail but, other than that, they hadn't been able to keep in close touch.
"Believe it or not," a voice sounded from behind Roddy, "sea voyages can actually be quite enjoyable, when the weather holds clear."
Roddy turned to see the captain of the ship make his way across the deck and lean against the railing beside him. When the ship first departed from Cianwood City, the sky was perfectly-almost unnaturally-clear. The captain had warned the free-spirited passengers that crystal-clear skies could drastically turn into raging storms in the blink of an eye, especially out at sea. Roddy wondered if the captain hadn't jinxed the fate of the cruise; just hours after the ship pulled out of the harbor, rain came pouring down on the lugubrious passengers. It wasn't a vicious storm by any means, but it did rain steadily for more than a day, casting a gloomy mood over the disappointed travelers. The sky had finally cleared up today, now that they were almost at their destination. Roddy had decided to get the most out of the voyage by spending the final hours on the ship looking out across the expansive blue sea.
Thwomp. Thwomp.
"Days like this really make up for all the rotten ones. In fact, it was on a fine sailing day like today that I first decided I wanted to captain my very own vessel..." the captain recalled wistfully.
Roddy turned his gaze away from the entrancing blue water and gave the reminiscent captain a rueful smile. As he glanced over the deck of the ship beyond the captain, he noticed a group of oddly outfitted men huddled in a corner of the stern. They were wearing black slacks and bomber jackets, each one emblazoned with a dark violet "C" on the right breast pocket and a larger, scintillating one on the back of the jacket. To top off the peculiar uniforms, each man wore either a dark violet bandana or a backwards violet ball cap with a pair of unexplainable dark goggles above the forehead. One of the men also had a black cape adorned with glinting silver stars that made the whole cape shimmer as it waved through the breeze, almost giving the illusion that the man was just a splay of light on the shining metal deck of the ship.
As Roddy examined the curious lot of men, one of the taller ones with a bandana wrapped around a spiky bed of jet-black hair noticed him watching and narrowed his eyes. Then he whispered something to the caped man, who glanced over at Roddy, grimaced, and began to usher the group down into the lower cabins of the ship.
Roddy turned his attention back to the captain and asked, "Do you know who those uniformed guys over there are?" He pointed to the odd band of men.
The captain, brought back out of his reverie, squinted as he looked over to where the last few men of the group were disappearing to the subdeck.
"You know, those costumes do look familiar… Hmmm…" the captain ruminated. Roddy chuckled to himself at the captain's jaunty description of the tough-looking crew.
"I know," the captain perked up. "I remember seeing them on my ship a different time, nearly thirty years ago I'd bet. But I never did get around to asking who they were."
"Oh," Roddy maundered, his curiosity unsatiated.
"Quite an interesting lot, I'd say, assuming it's okay to judge this book by its cover," the captain quipped. "Well anyway, I'd better get back to tending the ship. We should be arriving at Slateport City within the hour."
As the captain turned away from the railing, Roddy went back to peering out across the ocean, trying to catch the first glimpse of land in the Hoenn region.
Thwomp. Thwomp. Thwomp.
The ship continued to surge through the gentle waves in steady succession.
"Wow, I still can't believe we're going to a whole new region," Roddy finally spoke to Slick. "I wonder if it'll be anything like Johto?"
"Fuurrret," Slick trilled, flicking his tail. He seemed just as eager to see the new land as Roddy was.
Our real adventure is about to begin, Roddy thought to himself. I can hardly wait!