Tinted With Evil
Chapter 1: Declined
A/N: Hey everyone. I started writing again. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Tint. This is my first attempt at a Pokemon fanfic, but I've been writing here for a long time. As always, I do not own Pokemon or anything else that I make reference to. Legal issues aside, I must warn you that this fic is rated teen, most noticeably for its more mature subject matter, some sexual themes, mild violence and language. Don't say that I didn't warn you.
As for a little preview of this fic: I'm going to try to base this off of the early time period of Pokemon. So that means Red/Blue and the original season of the show. This is a tale that is much darker than most Pokemon fics are. We revolve around the rather shadowy journey of a young man named Tint and his quest to become the best trainer around. Well, enjoy and please give me feedback on what you think of my work.
Thoughts are italicized.
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The annoying ringing of the alarm clock next to his head shook him out of his peaceful slumber. A bare arm quickly reached over to the bedside table, groping about frantically for the still blaring clock. After a good ten seconds or so of searching, the hand finally found its target, shutting off the ear piercing noise. It took the young man another minute or so before he actually sat up, groggily rubbing his eyes.
He halfheartedly pushed himself out of the bed and stumbled across the tiny room towards the door. Judging from his rough, unshaven face, he was in his late teens, probably no younger than eighteen. His medium length auburn hair stood out at unnatural angles caused by having his face impaled into a pillow for the entire night. He stood at a little under six feet tall and had a light build to his body.
Shortly after he left the room, the sound of running water filled the otherwise silent house. The water ran for a short while before shutting off. The young man promptly made his way back into the room, this time slightly more alive in his actions. He made his way over to a tall wooden dresser and began picking articles of clothing out of the drawers. He pulled on a pair of light tan khakis and a black shirt, topping the ensemble off with a dark pair of glasses.
Next, he made his way to the kitchen. After placing a few slices of bread in the toasted, he wandered over to the video phone. "Connect me to Professor Oak." He ordered the operator. His voice was soft, but carried a forceful feeling to it. While he was waiting for the phone to connect, he finished preparing his breakfast.
"Hello?" Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen, his voice sounding way too cheerful, even through the speaker. The young man scowled slightly at the energetic response as he brought his plate over to the terminal. "Ah, Tint! Good to see that you remembered to set your alarm this year."
Tint's scowl grew deeper. "You know I don't like coming to work this early. The sun isn't even up yet."
"Well, it can't be helped. I need you to come in early to help prepare for the new trainers today. This happens only once a year." Oak replied as Tint took a bite out of his toast.
"But, can't you get one of your other assistants to come and help you? I've done this for three years straight now."
This caused a smile to creep across Professor Oak's face, "The reason that I've been choosing you is because you're my best assistant. You've been working for me for six years now and this is my way of rewarding you for your hard work. You easily could have become a trainer when you turned twelve, but instead you chose this path. There are many people out there who consider it a great honor to work under a Pokemon researcher of my caliber."
"I would have become a trainer back then if my parents let me." Tint reminded the professor, who nodded his head in agreement. "But, now that I'm an adult, I can make that decision for myself. So… I was wondering…"
The professor held up his hand to stop Tint before he could go any further. "You know the Pokemon League rules. New trainers between the ages of twelve and sixteen must be approved by a certified member. It's a lot harder for older trainers to start. I'm not saying that you wouldn't make a great trainer…"
"Can't you pull some strings?"
Professor Oak leaned back in his chair as he thought over the suggestion. "I'll look into it. How long until you can get here?"
"About ten minutes." Tint replied as he shoveled the last bite into his mouth.
"I'll have made up my mind by the time you get here. See you soon." Oak replied. Tint nodded curtly to his boss before terminating the conversation. Maybe today will be the day I start my quest to become number one. Like every other kid growing up, he had dreamed of becoming a great Pokemon trainer. Unfortunately for him, his parents refused to let him become a trainer, saying that it was too dangerous for a youngster like himself. So, he went and did the next best thing; become an assistant to the great Pokemon researcher, Professor Oak.
It was nice and peaceful outside in the brightening early morning. Tint trekked along the cobblestone roadway towards Professor Oak's laboratory located up on the hillside. He passed by the fenced in field that served as an open area for the young Pokemon that Professor Oak prepared for the new trainers. Tint had helped the professor raise these young creatures into the energetic beasts that they needed to be.
Tint groaned slightly as he started climbing up the steps to Professor Oak's lab. Five days a week, for six years, he had been climbing these steps. Behind him, the sun was just beginning to rise up, casting a red glow across the town. The door was already open for him when he reached the top, so he stepped inside. "You're late." A voice stated once he entered the reception area. Tint looked over to see the Professor Oak's grandson, Gary. That's right, he's starting today.
"Gary, how many times have I told you to not bother my staff. Tint happens to be here at the exact time that he told me." Professor Oak called out from the next room. "Come in here, I need you to help me with getting ready." Tint chose not to react to the whipping motion that Gary made. I'll get you soon.
Professor Oak was busy tinkering with a pedestal in the center of the cluttered room. Tint sidled up beside the professor, looking over his shoulder to see what he was working on. A panel on the pedestal was laying strewn aside as Oak tampered with the wiring. "Tint, can you go out to the field and bring in the Pokemon on this list? I'd go do it myself but this thing is acting up on me."
Tint quickly scanned over the list: Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and… "You're setting someone up with him?" Tint asked in bewilderment.
"I figured that was going to be your reaction. Trust me on this one. I'm thinking about putting Pikachu with Ash Ketchum."
"Poor kid…" Tint whispered as he collected four Pokeballs from off of a nearby shelf. He was about to leave when he remembered to ask, "About me becoming a trainer…"
"Still thinking about it. It's not something that I can decide to do out of the blue. I want to, but there are rules that I have to follow." Oak explained as he reattached a blue wire to the pedestal.
"I understand." Tint replied as he passed through a door and out into the field. He was by himself now, but he continued to talk, "It has nothing to do with the fact that my father is in jail for Pokemon cruelty. I could go buy a Pokemon for myself if I had money, but I don't. All I have left is my crappy little house that I live in all by myself and my salary here is barely allowing me to afford rent. If only mother didn't die and leave me alone…" Tint let out a sorrowful sigh as he leaned against the fence.
A gentle tug on his pant leg caused him to look down. There was a Sandshrew seated beside him, its beady eyes looking up at him. "I guess you're all alone too," Tint commented. The Sandshrew nodded its head in agreement. "I'm sorry, little guy. You're not on my list, but you can help me find the others." It might have just been Tint, but the Sandshrew acted disappointed for a moment.
Tint located the four Pokemon in question with ease. Three of them entered the Pokeballs without a fuss, but the Pikachu was another story. Even though it was sound asleep, Tint's approaching footsteps alerted in to the coming danger. "Awww great." Tint cursed when he noticed the black tipped ears of the Pikachu twitch. He had problems with this one before.
A quick flick of the wrist sent the Pokeball whirling at the motionless yellow mouse. The Pikachu rolled over, flicking up its tail, deflecting the ball right back towards Tint. Tint threw the Pokeball again, but the Pikachu had darted away before the ball had left his hand. Now, the Pikachu stood underneath of a tree, callously loafing about. Tint swore that it was taunting him with its carefree attitude.
Cautiously, Tint crept forward, the Sandshrew still following step for step at his side. He was standing only a few feet away from the Pikachu, who purposefully had turned his back to Tint. Tint decided to take another shot at the mouse, throwing the Pokeball directly at the Pikachu. Once again, the Pikachu was off, but this time he was running directly towards Tint. "Stupid," Tint smirked as he dove forward, catching the tiny critter in his hands.
"Pika!" A tremendous shock went screaming through Tint's body, forcing him to release his grip on the power source. "Pi!" That one had to be translated as something along the lines of "stupid." Tint managed to lift his aching head up to see the Pikachu peering intently into his eyes. He made another grab for the Pokemon, and once again, the agile mouse jumped away.
This time, he didn't get far. He had jumped directly into the awaiting claws of the Sandshrew. A cry of surprise sounded from the mouse as it stumbled backwards, trying to avoid the attack. Tint saw his chance, rolling the Pokeball forward. The Pikachu, too busy focused on the foe before it, fell right into the trap. The Pokeball was soon shaking back in forth as the entrapped Pikachu desperately tried to force itself out. As if on cue, the Sandshrew stepped forward and held the ball in place, stopping the rolling.
"Thanks. We make a pretty good team, hey?" Tint smiled as he pried himself off the ground. That marked the sixth time that he had been shocked by that Pikachu in the past month. At least it would be gone after the day was over. The Sandshrew calmly nudged the Pokeball towards Tint, who gladly picked up the ball. "Have fun Ash."
By the time that Tint returned from the field with the four Pokeballs, two other soon to be trainers had arrived. The two new arrivals' faces lit up when they saw Tint walk in with the Pokeballs. This was a moment that they were going to remember for the rest of their lives. A part of him felt proud at that fact, knowing that he was making a difference in someone's life.
Professor Oak rushed over to Tint, taking the Pokeballs out of his hands. "Which one's the Pikachu?"
"The one still complaining." Tint noticed that the Sandshrew was still following him.
"Alright, thanks. You can go out front and wait for the fourth person to show up. If any calls come for me, take a message." Professor Oak instructed as he placed the three behaving Pokeballs in their appropriate slots. The ball with the Pikachu inside was carefully placed in the center of the pedestal, which encased itself in a glass shell before lowering the Pokeball to the inside of the machine.
Tint nodded his head in understanding. Professor Oak was about to give his famous "a world of dreams and adventures with Pokemon awaits!" speech. As he made his way through the lab and out into the front reception area he began to wonder if he would be getting that speech today. Just in case… Tint waited for the Sandshrew to follow him into the room before shutting the door behind him.
There was a small crowd gathered at the base of the staircase as had become the ongoing tradition on this day. They would sit down there, waiting for the children to return as teenagers. It was a nice way of the adults to say "good luck" one last time before the journey officially began.
Tint and the Sandshrew sat at the front desk for about half an hour before the doors opened and out burst the children. Gary was walking with a new swagger of confidence, while the other two seemed to be like they had just received a new toy, eagerly wanting to play with it. The trio exited out the front door and received a cheering ovation from the crowd. "I think that Gary will do a good job. Not too sure about the other two." Tint commented as Professor Oak made his way to the front door.
"That's another thing about you. You've got a good eye for future trainers. Any sign of Ash yet?" Professor Oak continued to stare out the front door.
"Nope, nothing. Does that mean that I have to return Pikachu to the field? He won't be very happy with me and Silence if that happens." Tint playfully scratched the Sandshrew under the chin.
Professor Oak sighed heavily. "Tint. I don't know how to tell you this. I looked into acquiring you a license, but I ran across some red tape. Because of your father's… you know… the courts put a restriction on all of his family members from owning Pokemon. It's for the Pokemon's safety."
Tint was about to make a comment when the front doors came flying open. In came a young man, still dressed in his pajamas. Professor Oak quickly escorted the boy into the other room, letting the door swing shut behind them. So, I can never follow my dream, just because of some mistakes my father made?
Tint looked down at the Sandshrew. "Hey, Silence, how about we go on our own journey?" Silence merely nodded his head in agreement. "Thought that would be what you would say." Tint pulled a Pokeball out from his pocket and tossed it in Silence's direction. The Sandshrew was encased in a red glow for a second before vanishing into the Pokeball. He was already walking out the door when Pokeball returned to his hand. Further inside the building came a painful cry as the lights flickered from a power surge.
A/N: Ok, so it isn't even close to as dark as I said it was going to be. Don't worry, if that's what you came for, wait for the next chapter. Tint and Silence are heading down the wrong road, but who's going to try and stop them?