Seven years ago
She should have known she wasn't wanted any more. All the anger, disappointment, hate. The emotions were blindingly bright. Yet she was still so loyal. The familiar emotions of her friend were practically screaming: "COMFORT ME!" It seemed to say.
And so she tried. She followed her friend everywhere. But her friend kept running. She didn't know what was happening.
It was not only until she was told exactly that she wasn't wanted, and in another region, that she understood. So she took from her "friend" a few precious things as a "farewell gift". She learned the true power of emotions.
It changed them both forever.
Poke-speak: "word"
Human speech: 'word' (cos humans are loud)
Telepathy: "word"
Sandgem Town. The small town between the land and sea. The best place in East Sinnoh to holiday, with the world famous beach. Tourists throng in its beautiful white sands, splash in the cool waves, admire the perfect seaside scenery… But many come here for a wholly different reason. Many enthusiastic teenagers to be precise.
One building in particular seems always buzzing with activity. Open daily, though not for twenty four hours each, is Professor Rowan's Pokémon lab. In goes smiling youngsters with big hopes and dreams, out comes grinning Pokémon trainers holding a Turtwig, Piplup, or Chimchar. But those weren't the only Pokémon that could be found there, of course.
Like every other place in the mythical Sinnoh region, the town and surrounding routes were teeming with wild Pokémon of all kinds, more commonly Starly and Bidoof. A bit further away from the more traversed routes – where most Pokémon trainers don't bother, or dare, to venture – hid (or rather, lived) a much, much more rare Pokémon, almost impossible to find in Sinnoh.
Me.
A lone Pokémon, rare beyond belief that sightings were dismissed as rumours at first, then gaining a name when too many eyewitnesses swore to seeing this, the Pokémon that was always alone and somehow always watching.
Ah well, I guess it's really my own fault that I don't have many friends around this place. Being an aforementioned rare Pokémon (and I don't mean rare as in abnormally coloured, described by humans using the term "shiny"), there isn't any Pokémon of my kind or from my evolutionary line, other than my family, of course- my mother and my sister.
But you can still be friends with totally different species of Pokémon and stuff, right? Of course, unless you're me, because it just so happens I also have this particularly strange fascination with humans. It would be okay if you were like my sister, who – like most other Pokémon – generally spends her time sparring with each other, training and getting stronger. Not so much if your favourite hobby is stalking humans, which takes another talent in itself not to get captured by those very humans. No surprise that I was an outcast among most of the Pokémon in the area, so I spent most of my time alone.
The delightful, determined emotions of the young humans, they overwhelm me. To be one of them, it is what I really want. To go where I've never gone, meet those I've never met…
But to be in a pokéball… It isn't worth it, right?
Spending so much time watching humans, listening to them, observing their habits and pretty much all the things a typical stalker does, I've learnt their strange words, like 'pokéball' - a strange round object, like a berry, that they use to imprison Pokémon, or 'trainer' – a term they use to describe those that have Pokémon with them. It's so fascinating, the world of humans… that I usually lament my life as a Pokémon. Yes, I know it's weird. Pokémon are superior to humans in the way that we're stronger, have special abilities humans for some reason can't learn, can heal faster than them… But, I just can't be content. What is it that humans have that I yearn for so much?
"Don't waste your time doing all these, brother. It's useless; you're better off training yourself, like me. Then maybe you can evolve finally."
Sister scolded me again this morning. Just like the way she said it the last 1,429 times, for the last 1,429 mornings. What's the point of evolving and becoming stronger anyway? No dangers to battle here, mostly because Mother takes care of everything. Sister does too, sometimes when it's just a small thing like some sharp trash that passing humans leave behind. She can just completely crush it up and thrust it deep into the soil where it can't hurt anyone. Makes me a little envious: doing what I am now, I'd never grow strong enough to do something even as simple as that.
Well, whatever she says doesn't matter. It's soothing, for me, and it's really the only thing I care about much. I watch them, I feel what they feel, and I wish for my dream to come true. It is a futile dream, I would think. So I watch, I feel, I dream. It is all I do now, and maybe do so for the rest of my life.
Just like every other day, Mother told me to pick berries. Berries, berries, berries. Same thing every day. If only I know the secret to transforming them into poffins. Found abandoned on the ground one day, my first poffin melted deliciously in my mouth. A human had been 'cooking' berries to make poffins, and threw out those claimed to be burnt. I've been hunting for them ever since. I would do anything (except become a pet) to know this art of cooking. Apparently throwing berries into a fire doesn't work much (and is a waste of good berries). What exactly do they do to the berries first, before making them into poffins? Maybe I'll never know.
So far, no trainers seem to have passed by, but that isn't unusual. Sometimes it can be weeks before a single human comes along. On other days, a whole group of humans can arrive. Today, the area is quiet as I head through the tall grass to an Oran Berry tree. I prefer Pecha Berries, but I picked that tree bare yesterday.
Suddenly, a wave of uneasiness crashes into me, and soaks into my mind so that it feels as if it's my heart pumping just a little faster, and my hands getting just a little bit clammy. Human emotion: always so intense. Excitement jolts through my nerves, making a smile appear involuntarily. It isn't rare, most humans feel so when getting their first Pokémon. In fact, there's a little pride in it as well. It takes me only a split second to tell what exactly is happening, so I react accordingly – and instinctively.
I move left, and a red-white ball flies by my right. Just in time. Then, I step right, and a similar-looking ball sails past me. Geez, missed again, huh? Too bad for you. Sometimes I admire humans' passion for becoming the strongest, but this human is just stupid. Doesn't he know that I can't be caught? I've dodged pokéballs my whole life. I suppose I ought to be famous by now, being the only of my kind around here. Unlike me, Pokémon try not to be noticed when humans pass by. It's kind of hard not to be noticed when you follow them around, however.
There must be a human trying to catch me… again. He'll get tired of this soon enough, but in any case, I gather up my energy, preparing to teleport.
"WATCH OUT!" A panicked shriek sounds from somewhere behind me, and the next thing I know…
"OOF!" I'm shoved abruptly to the side. Pain stabs at me, but it takes me a moment to realise the feeling is not my own. What just…?
"Wow, so the Ralts of Sandgem really does dodge pokéballs! But whatever… Hit that stronger-looking Kirlia anyway. Just as rare, too."
A human's voice… Male, I think. And as the words he'd yelled out so triumphantly sink into me, I jerk up. "Kirlia"? Sister! She's there – right next to me!
Shoot! What to do now? I realise how bad the situation is: I'm feeling dark energy near me, on my sister – and she looks badly hurt. A dark-type attack? A quick glance around and I see the source - a white-furred Pokémon nearby, radiating dark energy as he glares at us. So, this human wasn't catching his first Pokémon after all?
"Brother, what are you doing? Run! Hide! I'm stronger… I'll fight that... thing! Just go!" I feel her intense worry, pain and determination as she struggles to her feet, urging me to Teleport away while she holds off the new Pokémon.
"Who are you calling a 'THING'? I'm an ABSOL, you fool!"
With a roar, the Absol leaps at her, slashing out with the dark blade on his forehead. Pain washes over me again as she screams, and I fight the urge to cry out and Teleport away instantly. I can't leave her to be attacked!
"I… I told you to leave!" She hisses at me, panting even as she pulls herself to her feet. "And you! I don't care what manner of thing you are, leave us alone!"
The Absol responds with a growl once more and with a loud shout from the human – "Use Quick Attack!" he lunges at my sister at breakneck speed. The Kirlia is fast, leaping out of the way in the nick of time, and another feeling of power fills the air: my sister's psychic attack, glowing an ethereal crimson red as the ball of power hits the Absol.
And immediately dissipates, to the white Pokémon's smug delight. And to my horror, he simply whips around and lauches himself at the stunned Kirlia again, this time barrelling into her – and I join in with her scream of pain. Sister! What are you doing to her, you monster!?
"Hah! However strong that Kirlia is, it can't beat my Absol! Just attack it a few more times, and it won't even have enough strength to dodge my pokéball, let alone break free from it!" The human – apparently not so stupid after all – laughs even as dread fills me. He plans to capture her?! I can't allow it! But, if Sister can't, there's no way I can take down that dark-type!
A strange thought enters my mind: if only I were a human, like him. Surely that Absol wouldn't attack me if I were, and I could protect my sister… Now's not the time! But the thought expands, filling my mind, and I remember my dream… To be with humans… To be like them, even…
There's no other way! I leap in front of my sister, hoping to at least take an attack for her, or even get captured in her place. It's not what I would've wanted, but at least I'll fulfil part of my dream! While my sister, she can't live like that – I'll protect her with all I've got!
In the moments that follow, I wait in despair for a painful dark attack (or any attack really), or a ball hitting me and sucking me inside, trapping me in an unnatural prison forever…
I'm kept in suspense for a long time.
Because… nothing seems to be happening.
Hello, emplatinum here! Welcome to my first attempt at fanfiction (my first but very long attempt). Because of that, I'd like to make a slightly selfish request to anyone who stumbles upon this fic and has bothered to read this chapter to its end. I know that there are many things about my writing that I can still improve lots on, and I really hope to make this story more enjoyable so that more people can, well, enjoy it.
Therefore, if you're reading this, I sincerely hope you can write a review on what you think of this fic so far. If you think this chapter has been terrible and you don't bother to read it anymore, please leave a review or pm and tell me what I can improve. If you continue reading and find any chapter that is excessively boring, feel free to do the same. And if you just don't want to do anything anyway, that's also fine; I know what I'm asking is quite selfish.
In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
This story is co-written with my brother, StealthGaheren, who is also writing a fanfic... or should I say discontinued writing his fanfic about SNAFU? Anyway, he has my thanks. You might see him making an appearance now and then.