A/n: First Pokémon story!
Chapter 1-Salt Checks
Pepper Checks turned 20 last month, and just managed to get two criminal organizations to pledge their alliances with her 'pirate' crew. The pirate is quoted because it hardly qualifies as a pirate crew anymore, she might as well call it the damn Navy considering how many ships, grunts and commanders she has.
Salt Checks, Pepper's younger brother by three years. That's how everyone knew him these days. When he was 12 he was able to defeat 3 out of 4 of the elite four. At 14 he defeated the champion, but despite that, he was judged for being known as Pepper's damn brother. Not for defeating the fucking Champion while in the middle of puberty.
He's not sure how to feel about the comparison, considering he used to be close to his sister until he started hearing about the things she did. He was used to the 'Oh! I see the family resemblance!' when people saw them together, both of them having thick dark hair, slightly round faces, and the obvious gender differences.
When they were younger they could tell people they were twins and no one would question it. Now, the differences were too obvious to even bother. Not that either of them had any reason to, but it just wasn't like it used to be.
Salt and Pepper (yes, their parents thought it was hilarious) got along fine, and he even hoped to seeing her again when he started his journey. But, of course, she had to fuck things up by getting onto the nationwide criminally wanted list.
This incident started snowballing soon after Sal had finally defeated the champion after many many tries, and of course, after the celebration parade. He and his team of pokémon had a one night complimentary stay at a luxury hotel, and of course he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. He was just falling asleep with the TV on when he heard something that caught his attention-.
"-Checks, I repeat, please contact this number if anyone can offer information about Pepper Checks. This 17 year old girl is a Class 5 trainer, her only reported pokémon being a fire type. She has been seen hijacking small ships and associating with criminal groups such as Team Rocket-"
Sal jumped from his relaxed position, his lanky body now sitting wide eyed and alert to the screen. What was his sister thinking?! The only thing Sal could think of was that the only explanation for this was that someone was impersonating her or she was under mind control.
"She was last seen in leaving with the 'Salvation' ship at route 19, and we suspect she may be planning on attacking passing ships. We urgently advise any and all ships that plan on headed south have at least a Class 4+ trainer on board."
The dark haired boy refused to believe what he was seeing.
His luxray looked at him quizzically, clearly sensing some distress coming from his trainer. He leaped onto the bed next to the boy and nudged his head.
"I've told you about my sister before," he scratched Luxray's ear awkwardly, "I guess this is a crummy first impression, huh?"
Luxray nodded, leaning into the hand. He heard Sal talking proudly about his sister and their memories together many times during their journey. After searching for her in every town they passed through, never getting a straight answer, this was a surprise 'Here I am!' from the girl.
"This is probably why we couldn't find her." He patted his head, "But we have more time now that we aren't training to defeat the champion anymore. We are the champions!" he shouted enthusiastically. "At the very least, we can find the real Pep and help clear her name, right?" Luxray and his other pokémon roared with enthusiasm, "All for family…"
And here he was three years later, two epic battles with his sister, and one much betrayed feeling brother. Both battles with Pep had been broadcasted live, but there were some who believed that it was a staged battle so Sal could pull sucker punch on his home, Kanto. "Bullshit!" he used to shout, along with some other profanities, when it was suggested to him, but it was usually a useless endeavour.
Idiots never believed the truth.
He managed though. Every Nurse Joy welcomed him into their center, all the Officer Jenny's gave him a quick salute when they made eye contact, and his pokémon were always on his side, along with his mentor.
"And we are now broadcasting Team Galactic's leader Mars response to Peppers national offer for any and all organizations to join her."
The screen switched to a pre-recorded tape of the red headed girl, facing directly into the camera.
"Yes, we have decided not to join ourselves with the wretched Pepper, because it's stupid. Pepper Checks is the stupidest bitch I've ever heard of and Team Galactic will not be joining with them anytime soon, "Mars' voice progressively got higher and higher. This is probably what they meant when they said Team Galactic wasn't the same threatening group once Cyrus ditched them, "We're doing just fine on our own, even without our dear leader Cyru- uh… GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE!" Mars pushed the cameraman over, the screen falling to the ground. The shot cut back to the news reporters.
Sal scoffed, 'seems like that's one more organization denying Pep,' he tugged at his white unbuttoned shirt that was over an orange tee shirt, and continued on his way to meet his mentor. Pokémon centers always had the news channel on, and he couldn't help but watch whenever something that involved Pepper was on.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw something waiting for him outside.
"No…"
The man jumped at the familiar voice. Shit, they made eye contact.
"Salt Checks!" shouted a man with a microphone, "May I ask you a few questions?!" and he turned towards the 17 year old.
"NOOOOO!" he cried, turning face and booking it down another street.
Just his luck paparazzi were swarming today, "Oh! Salt Checks! Would you mind-"
"NO!" he shouted desperately, running around the news reporter and her camera man.
He ran fast down the streets, turning left and right while still trying to make it to his destination, but it seems someone tipped them off, they were flashing cameras and reporters around every corner.
"Damn it, Ryan…" he cursed under his breath when he was finally surrounded. His mentor was always pulling something like this to make a quick buck.
"Sal! Have you thought over that offer Pepper gave you during your last battle?"
"Salt Checks! Did you ever think your sister could do something like that?"
"Were you planning on joining her at any point?"
"Do you know what Pepper is planning?"
"What would your parents say if they saw her now?"
"Do you ever think positions could ever be reversed?"
Pepper Pepper Pepper! It made him sick how the media tried to get information about her through him. Maybe if someone asked him about his own journey, how he was one of the highest classes in Kanto he wouldn't mind. But noooo~
"Luxray! Thunder Wave!" he called to his best and only real trusted friend.
Luxray beamed out of his pokéball with a defensive stance, a growl forming on his jaws before he beckoned the wave of electricity, paralyzing the surrounding crowd.
"Let's go!" he maneuvered his way around to freedom, then alas! He gained it. He checked around him, making sure there was no one in the desolated alleyway. When he made sure there was no one, he angrily whipped out his pokégear, speed dialing Ryan.
"Ey-o! Hey there, Sally!" the hippie welcomed with a soft enthusiastic voice.
"What the hell, man?" he snapped, "We were supposed to meet up."
"And we will, we will." Sal could almost see him waving his hands in peace, "I'm behind the pokémart now, come by and we'll talk."
He clenched his jaw, annoyance seeping through his voice "I have better things to do-"
"I know where it is." Ryan's voice suddenly when dead serious. "I finally found where her main operation is on land. We can go in there with your buddies, sabotage it from inside-"
Hearing this old tale once more, Sal sighed in defeat and pushed his hair back with his free hand, "Not interested," he stopped caring since his last battle with her, "Go to the police with this information."
"You know it's your destiny, Sal." Ryan continued, his obsession with fate making itself known for the thousandth time. "You're strong, she's strong. You're brother and sis-"
"That's the only reason, isn't it?" Sal laughed harshly, "It's 'destiny' because we're siblings? That right?" he sneered the word.
"Well, yeah. Also because you're the cha-"
Sal snapped his phone in half, discarding the remains to the ground and stomping down to the busier streets of Saffron City.
"I'm really tired of her." He vented to Luxray with apathy, "No matter what I do with my life, it's gonna revolve around her in the eyes of others." He flicked his fingers, a habit he did when he was nervous.
Luxray followed him, wondering the matters of the situation. He didn't like Sal's sister, not many people did, but she was Sal's sister. He could join her and not many people would be surprised. If Sal went against Pep though, he's the brother who fought his sister. But if Sal were to beat Pepper… he would be famous for his own actions.
"I don't want to gain fame through her…" Sal clarified, knowing almost exactly what Luxray was thinking.
The electric type thought again. There is a reason Pep needs to be defeated, and so far the only one to come close was Sal. The fact that he was her brother was only that dramatic spin the media overused, grating it on Sal's nerve more.
"Though she does need to be stopped…" he thought, slowing down his steps. Luxray almost walked pass him, "Last I remember, she was class 7… if we can get to class 10, it's a guaranteed win!" he turned excitedly to Luxray, "Right?"
Luxray pounced happily, encouraging his trainer's idea. He knew Sal would choose him to hit the Level 100 mark, and he was ecstatic at the thought of being stronger than any other pokémon.
End: Chapter 1
A/n: Ok so we got a feel of Sal, and some hinted peeks at Pep. The story will alternate between the two, though the main will be Sal. Ch.2 will be Pep's pov, then Ch.3 the plot will start rolling. Ch.4 is when the oc's will start being introduced.
Level class trainer is what it means. Sal is currently class 6, meaning his highest level Pokémon is level 60-69. Pep's class is 7, which means one of her pokémon are 70-79. If a trainer has a level 50 pokémon and the rest of their pokémon were level 30, they'd still count as Class 5. Class is registered into each pokédex, which canonly counts as an ID.
The average trainer is a Class 3-5. Officers usually have Class 5. Champions usually get to Class 7. Class 10 is very rare, almost legendary. Trainers who would be Class 10 are Cynthia and Red, for example. I guess every protagonist in each game could count as Class 10 at some point, but we're not touching that subject.
Pokémon are tougher to train in this story, so imagine gaining 3 levels in one year of 'around the house' training, younger and bug leveling up quicker than the average pokémon of course.
Please leave a review before you go! Criticism is always appreciated, or even telling me which parts were good or bad!