Wind rushed past my face, causing loose strands of hair to slap into me and leave a red mark. Roaring filled my ears and I could not help but smile as I recounted my journey on how I became a name in history.
It all started on August 15th, the day before my birthday, and the day of the public funeral of the legendary trainer Red.
xXx
There was not a single dry eye that day. For the first time in history, all people and Pokemon stopped what they were doing and mourned the passing of a legend. Trainer Red, the man who single handedly took down the evil organisation Team Rocket and became the league champion at the young age of ten, had passed away aged 60, finally succumbing to life long injuries. The unbeaten champion for 30 consecutive years was an inspiration to all who strived to call themselves a Pokemon master.
Being the youngest person to ever become a champion and being world renowned for his legendary tier Pokemon, he managed to change many laws regarding safety of trainers and set up what's now known as the International Association of Trainer Safety. Together with his old rival Blue, who took over his grandfathers position as the leading Pokemon professor, they led the only government force made to protect young trainers. Over the past 50 years, the number of trainer deaths have halved due to their work. They changed the international starting age requirement from 10 to 15 years of age and set up 'safe routes' between each city where the chances of encountering wild Pokemon are small. They made sure that it would be impossible for trainers to go broke from battling by making the cost of losing a fraction of the losers money and set up a bank containing a 'battle buffer' to pay your opponent when you have no money. They gave out free Pokedex's to all trainers with an inbuilt Pokegear and GPS tracking along with a new way to judge a Pokemon's strength through a scale of 1-1,000. These innovations save nearly 10,000 young trainers a year and are still considered the largest contributions to the public in the history of civilisation.
Everyone, people and Pokemon alike, mourned the death of Red as his funeral was cast globally. I was 14 at the time, working at my families farm in the scorching heat. We lived in a small town with a population of only around 150, and our only noticeable landmark was a rock mountain that looked as if all of its life had been scorched off its surface. I listened to the entire broadcast on my phone, from the news reporters giving an overview on his life to his close friends and family giving speeches. The funeral started at 6am, continued past lunch, past when I finished my work, and was still going when my mother called for me.
"Honey, can you go up to the mountain and fetch some water from the stream?" she asked, eyes glued to the TV watching the funeral while working.
I groaned, not because it was a long distance (although it was about 10 kilometres), but because of what's rumoured to live in that mountain. It's said that the former Sinnoh champion Cynthia released her monster of a Garchomp in the area when she retired and it made its den in the mountain. But, alas, we needed water for dinner and we wouldn't eat if I didn't get some. So I grumbled, picked up the stack of buckets required for the job and started my trek towards the grey mountain.
xXx
It took 2 hours to reach the base of the mountain and it was there that I froze and noticed the most peculiar thing I had ever seen. There were a large group of Pokemon, all different kinds of species, fish, amphibians, bugs, birds, mammals, all staring in one direction. Towards Saffron. Towards the site of Reds funeral. Predator next to prey, those that live in groups with those that are solitary, all standing together paying their respects. As much as I would have loved to stay and watch, it was getting dark and I needed to get that water soon.
It took me half an hour to find the stream and fill the buckets up. Along the way, I saw many other groups like the one I found at the foot of the mountain, all facing Saffron. By now, the funeral had gotten to the point where they invited the current champion, David Blackthorne, prodigy of the Blackthorne clan, to give his speech. As I stood up after filling the final bucket, I froze for the second time that day. There standing on the edge of the river, no more than 100 metres away, was a Garchomp. It must have been twice the size of an average Garchomp. There was no doubt about it, it was Cynthia's. And no matter how powerful it may have been, no matter how much it ruled everything around it, it too was facing towards Saffron city. And no matter how afraid I may have been, I still did what could have been the dumbest thing possible. I approached it.
At this point the champions speech had already finished and they were releasing the Pokemon which stayed by his side as he died. I was standing next to the Garchomp, who was easily four times my size, and together we watched the sun set over Saffron and payed our respects to a fallen legend.
The final act of the funeral occurred, Reds starter, a Charizard, was released into the air with a roar. Next to me, the Garchomp roared in response. Around me, the mountain roared with it. Inside me, my spirit roared with them.
Of course, I was now in quite the situation. I was placed next to a monster sized Garchomp with no protection. I was placed next to a giant dragon. A giant pissed dragon. I was shaking in my shoes as I remembered my time at trainer school. That's another thing Red did for the world, free trainer school in all towns. Since we were such a small town, our school only could afford, and only needed, two classrooms for a total of 20 children. One of our lessons on public safety addressed what to do in a situation where you are caught against a ridiculously strong Pokemon without help.
"Remember kids, if you are against a dangerous Pokemon and you know you can't escape with your life, do. not. run. You will not live. If anything, you will only piss them off and then it may put innocents at risk. Doubly so for dragon. Triply so for a dragon with an egg. Best thing you can do is sit down, say your final words, and hope for it to be quick."
This was an already pissed Garchomp. There was no point in running. I kneeled down on both knees, closed my eyes, bowed my head and started to say my final words before I noticed something. Inside the dragons den, there was what looked to be an oddly coloured stone. If it was what I thought it was, then my next words will have to be very, very well chosen.
"Oh great and almighty Garchomp, I do not ask for you to spare my life, only that you do not take my trespass over your land out on my fellow people. Please, make my death as quick and as painless as possible."
I kept my eyes closed as the dragon sniffed me. It's breath smelt of rotting meat and smoke. I was shaking in fear. Seconds felt like hours. I lost track of how long I had been there. I heard its feet shuffle multiple times before I felt something cold against my hands. Curiously, I opened my eyes. There, in my hands, was a dark blue and grey egg. I looked up to see that the Garchomp was retreating back to its den. I was in shock. I expected to be dead, but instead I was alive and had an egg.
The importance of this may not be fully understood. Yes, I was given an egg from a Garchomp. That's good enough. Hell, to have even survived an encounter with a Garchomp is good enough. But this is even better. Pokemon League regulations state that trainers starters must be hatched by and imprinted on them. This is to stop so many deaths of trainers by their starters not listening to them. Furthermore, any additional Pokemon that are not bred by the trainer must have been owned for at least three months before they participate in battles. Those who graduate trainer school at 18 receive a random egg from the nearest breeder to serve as their starter. Those who hatch an egg and are above 15 are immediately graduated. Therefore, as my birthday is tomorrow and I have an egg, as soon as it hatches I can go on my journey.
I stood up and bowed to the great dragon that had spared my life, clutching the egg firmly. I started to retreat, overjoyed at what happened when there was a loud bang and my ears popped. I dimly heard the Garchomp roaring before there was a pain in my back and I collapsed. As I fell I spied a man with a rifle in his hands before my head landed on a blunt rock and I blacked out.
xXx
So... New story! I have lost complete interest from my other two stories and I'm hoping to continue this one. This first chapter is much longer than the other stories and was easy to write. Of course, it will be up for adoption if anybody would like to try finishing it.
This story is OC-centric and will only reference a few game characters as minor characters as this is set 50 years after Red/Blue
I hope I can finish this story or at least get in the plot points I've thought of.
Until next time.