Author's note: *this story was first introduced as 'Expanding One's Pallet' but that sounds uuber dorky, so I changed it to the slightly less dorky 'Eburnean'. this is just a light-hearted and possibly long story, intended to help me develop my writing skills. It's basically a re-account of the Pokemon White & Black plotline, just as a story, so there'll be added stuff to make it more interesting to read (& for me to write). A few notes so people will know what to expect.
1. I will use nicknames for most Pokemon. It kinda makes sense, considering not naming a pokemon is like having a dog and calling it Dog. Cheren & N won't be using nicknames though, they're too cool for that.
2. My nicknames will sorta break the 4th wall; that is, they might reference real world people or video games. Similarly, certain bands will exist in some form in this verse. Say, I may reference Blue Oyster Cult by calling them Blue Cloyster Cult, and so forth. Video games exist in this universe as well, which is why many of the characters' Pokemon will have ridiculous names. Think of the Pokemon universe as a Japan/America super world. Or something.
3. Oh, yeah, I'm naming the female protagonist chick Ivory. So there. & Hilbert will be go by 'Black' in this story.
4. The main character will start out her journey with a Snivy. And a Deino. *le gaspe!* She'll have it when she starts her journey, just because it would make even less sense for her to capture one later on & randomly have it evolve into a Hydreigon. If she has it from the beginning, there's a chance I won't be barraged with THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE when she randomly has a Hydreigon towards the end. I just really like Hydreigon, okay, & my incarnation of Hilda has a Hydreigon because I just really like that pokemon! :D
5. Cheren will have an Oshawott & Bianca a Tepig, breaking the traditional rival system. This is for a number of (feeble) reasons. The first is that this is a fanfic, so I can take liberties. Also, since this a story and not a video game, the whole THIS RIVAL WILL ALWAYS HAVE A TYPE ADVANTAGE point doesn't really matter. So in this case, him wanting the starter has nothing to do with what the protagonist picks AND ACTUALLY STEMS FROM HIS OWN PERSONAL PREFERENCE? The final reason is just that I'm shallow. Samurott is blue, Cheren wears blue. Bianca wears orange, Tepig is orange. Eh.
6. Black is Ivory's cousin. He lives in Accumula Town. In my story, they're related by their respective mothers being sisters. Black & Ivory are just BFFs. Also, Ivory's a huge tomboy. In my personal head-canon, White is a tough chick, wild child, tomboy, etc. Also, you can just assume that Black lives in that house in Accumula town that has the piano playing dude - Ebony & Ivory!
So, here's the story:
Ivory had barely stepped out of Accumala Town's Poke Center when her ears were assaulted by a well-known voice calling her name - well, not so much 'calling' as 'screeching', or maybe even 'yodeling'. 'Calling' would imply that the sound of the voice didn't grate on her ear drums like a jackhammer. Wincing at the boy's vocal chords, Ivory squinted into the afternoon sunlight until the glare was blocked by an all too familiar figure. Before the girl stood her cousin, Black Ebony, grinning his usual cheesy smile at his younger relative.
"Good to see you, Black." Ivory tipped her hat casually.
"Check you out, Ivory! You're all decked out for your big journey. That's so cute," Black teased, giving her a dramatic once-over. Ivory rolled her eyes and lightly swatted at his shoulder. Black had started out his journey almost a year prior to the day, but he had taken it upon himself to escort his cousin-practically-sister around the region, as he'd already beaten the Gym League. Black had reasoned that he needed to train his team for the Elite Four anyways and he was pleased with the idea of seeing Unova 'through new eyes'.
"It's my first day as a trainer and you want to talk about my outfit? Seriously? You're a disgrace to manly men everywhere." Ivory grinned, pulling out her shiny new pokeball. "Don't you want to know all about my starter?"
Brushing off Ivory's characteristic jeering, Black instead chose to focus on the pokeball. "Wicked, I can finally see what the Lab had to offer!" Black hadn't bothered Professor Juniper for a starter, having already received a Panpour from his father. Needing no prompt, Ivory relinquished her hold on the sphere, eager to see the little guy again. A green snake-like creature emerged from the red light, then set its gaze up at Black. The snake looked up at the boy with a subdued sneer, as if he were merely tolerating the kid's presence. Black crouched down to peer at the creature.
"Snooty guy, ain't he? He's the Grass Snake pokemon." Black straightened up from his brief inspection. "No poison type at all?" When Ivory shrugged a negative, Black stated, "Well that's a little lame. What kind of snake doesn't have venom?" This was quickly met with a yelp of pain as the Snivy smacked its tail against the boy's shin. "Alright, alright. What'd you name him, anyways?" He shook his foot a little, as he waited for Ivory's chortles to subside.
"Excalibur," she answered sunnily.
"Oh, like from that one anime?" Black bent down to study the Snivy. "I guess he kinda looks like the dude from that show, but it's a little dumb just as a nickname, isn't it?" This time he managed to dodge the snake's swipe at his leg.
"It's not just his appearance. The little guy's totally eccentric," Ivory smiled. The Snivy seemed to interpret this as a compliment, practically aglow with arrogance. "For one, he has this alternate ability that most of his kind aren't found with. 'Contrary', I think?"
"Makes sense - he seems to take everything the wrong way. Stop that!" Black added as he side-stepped another attack.
"Beside that, Professor Juniper said a bunch of trainers had actually passed up a chance to journey with the fella because they couldn't bond with him at all. Apparently he doesn't get along well with people. Juniper said he might be difficult to handle, but I think he's great! Besides, who would turn down a Pokemon anyways? Especially a snake Pokemon?" Ivory asked with disbelief.
"Yeah, I can't imagine anyone not wanting to travel with him," Black snarked, already maneuvering away from the Snivy's tail.
Ivory rolled her eyes, but was then distracted by a sight behind her cousin. A crowd was gathering, murmuring amongst themselves, but all facing the same direction. What they were all staring at, Ivory couldn't quite see. Curious, Ivory scooped up Excalibur and stepped towards the commotion without a word. ("Oh, no, that's fine. We'll pick this up later. I was going to purchase some supplies anyways," Black grumbled after her.) Threading herself through the crowd, she eventually found a spot from which she could see. In her new location, she saw an assembly of oddly dressed mean and women. The most gaudily dressed of the group cleared his throat authoritatively and spoke to the suddenly quiet and attentive mass of people.
"...My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation."
Liberation? From what? Ivory wondered.
"I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However... Is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans... only assume that this is the truth?"
Ivory scowled, sensing where the speech was heading.
"Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers... They get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work... Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying? Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?"
"Liberation?..." a voice mumbled.
"That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."
Ivory raised her eyebrows as she watched the assembly depart in an ostentatious display of commands and straight lines. 'Departing in an orderly fashion' took on new meaning with these guys.
"Quite a spectacle, wasn't it?" Ivory nearly jumped out of her skin as the voice addressed her. Ivory turned to see Cheren standing calmly beside her, one hand in his pocket, the other adjusting his glasses.
"Er, yeah," she answered awkwardly, trying to hide her surprise at his sudden presence. Cheren had an odd tendency to materialize from thin air; she swore he hadn't been next to her during the speech. "Wonder if any one agrees with them?" Ivory glanced once more at the retreating backs of the organization, before shaking her head in exasperated wonder. Seems like a dumb concept to try selling: Pokemon being oppressed by humans? As if! She affectionately adjusted her hold on Excalibur so that the pokemon was perched on her shoulder. As she handled the Snivy, Ivory couldn't imagine anybody wanting to cause discomfort to such wonderful creatures. The green snake reached for an armful of her admittedly voluminous hair and set out to creating a suitable armchair from the soft strands.
Cheren watched the Snivy dully. "Is that still the only Pokemon you have? Why didn't you catch another one on the route like Bianca and myself?" Bianca had caught a Lilipup, and Cheren himself had managed to land a cat pokemon that he'd claimed was unheard of being found in the Route 1 area.
Ivory shrugged in reply to Cheren's inquiry. Her Snivy was all she needed, all she wanted, so far. She hadn't seen another creature she was interested in yet. Excalibur seemed to agree, as he made a sneering face at the raven-haired teen.
-Fool! My companion requires no other friend!-
A foreign voice interrupted the pair. "Your Pokemon..." Looking over, Ivory spotted another person in their vicinity. It was a green-haired boy facing the two, apparently speaking to Ivory, though his gaze was trained on Excalibur. "Just now, it was saying-"
"Pokemon don't talk. What are you on about?" Cheren clipped in.
"Chill out, Cheren," Ivory murmured, eying the green-haired boy curiously. "What did he say?" she directed the question at the stranger.
The stranger sighed, rather than answering. "So neither of you can hear him. How sad." Cheren and Ivory balked, both startled and a bit offended by his statement. The boy took no notice and instead continued smoothly, "My name is N. You're both trainers, right?"
Cheren nodded, taking the lead. Subtly, he moved in front of Ivory, somewhat blocking the other boy's view of her and Excalibur. "That's correct. We've both been asked to gather information on the region's Pokemon for Professor Juniper's pokedex." Cheren stated it frostily. He was apparently trying to intimidate the other boy with their 'prestige'.
"The pokedex, eh? So, you're going to confine many, many Pokemon inside pokeballs for that, then?" Ivory lowered her gaze. She didn't want to think of their captures that way. The boy - N - shifted his gaze to the sky, bemused. "I'm a trainer too," he admitted, "but I can't help wondering... Are Pokemon really happy that way?"
Cheren began steering Ivory and himself away from the guy. "Well, you make an interesting point, but Ivory and I have to-"
"Ivory is it?" N's eyes slid from the sky to hers in a heartbeat. "That's a pretty name," he stated. It didn't come across as a compliment, rather his genuine opinion. "Well then, Ivory, let me hear your Pokemon's voice again." This said, he conjured up a pokeball and dropped it to the concrete street. A dark alley cat creature appeared from the red light. It stood smug, in the the middle of the streets, eyeing Ivory with a sense of superiority.
"Wow, that looks like a Dark-type," Ivory breathed appreciatively. "I wonder where he found it?"
"Uh, Ivory? Not that it isn't a good Pokemon or anything, but I think he wants to battle you," Cheren pointed out tactfully.
Ivory's forehead scrunched up. "Really? Why doesn't anybody just say that anymore?" Excalibur leapt from her hair down to the street and assumed his fighting stance. The battle began.
"Purrloin, use Growl," N spoke.
"Right! Excalibur, let's start out with Wrap!" Ivory advised, as the Snivy leapt into action. Behind her, she felt Cheren back up to better observe the fight. The kitten-thing let out a squeak, jolting Excalibur's motion at the last second. He still managed to bind the feline in grass ropes in limited time, but Growl had left them looser than he'd intended. Wrap wouldn't last very long.
"That's alright, she was just a bit faster," Ivory placated Excalibur and his wounded pride.
"This Pokemon is a male," N corrected from across the street. "Now, Purrloin, Scratch your way out of that bind!"
"I believe Excalibur used Wrap, not Bind," Ivory muttered to herself.
"Um, Ivory? Not really the time," Cheren voiced behind here, more attentive to the battle.
Ivory spotted the damage Purrloin was wreaking on the green bindings and allowed that Cheren might have a point. "Um, Excalibur, use Tackle while she- er, he's still tied up!" Excalibur obeyed, throwing his tiny body against the cat creature, sending it skidding across the street. The cat-creature managed to roll with the hit, and when it stood up the leafy wrappings broke off. "That's alright! Hit it from long distance with Vine Whip!" Green tentacle-like vines shot from Excalibur's collar, heading rapidly towards N's Pokemon.
"Retaliate with Scratch!" N commanded, eyes hardened with equal parts concern and determination. Following his words, the cat batted at the two menaces. One of Excalibur's vines was snagged by the cat's paw, but the other one followed through, smacking at the feline. Though the cat flinched with every strike, it kept hold on the vine. Excalibur winced, but repeated the tactic, smacking at Purrloin until it would release his other vine. Both re-doubled their efforts, but they only managed to cause each other more pain rather than gain any advantage.
Glancing around in frustration, Ivory's gaze settled on N's face; he was staring at the two creatures engaged in battle, a delicately somber emotion clouding his eyes. Ivory tore her eyes away and re-focused on the battle. Right now she had to look out for her partner. Suddenly she was struck with an idea. "Excalibur! Pull Purrloin in for another Tackle!"
The Snivy's eyes lit up at the order, relieved to be given another option. Quickly, he reigned his vines in, at the same time running at the feline for a second Tackle. Excalibur collided heavily against the cat using the shoulder of his body, and the force sent both critters flying towards N.
N broke out of his reverie, adjusting his position below the cannonball battlers until both landed safely in his arms. Ivory sighed in relief, then rushed forward to retrieve her somewhat battered Snivy. Purrloin was knocked out, luckily. Excalibur had won.
"Nice win, Ivory," Cheren praised behind her.
"Thanks," Ivory replied absently as she inspected Excalibur's injuries. He was in okay shape, actually: a little shaken from that last Tackle, and one of his vines still hung out of his second fold of skin, scratch marks painfully visible in a dull red, but otherwise he seemed fine. "Thank goodness it wasn't worse," Ivory sighed briefly. Then she knuckle-punched the Snivy. "Nice work, Excalibur! Your legendary strength astounds me." Her Snivy smirked at the remark, pleased to have his ego stroked, regardless of Ivory's exaggeration.
"I never expected to hear Pokemon say such things," N murmured to himself. He stared at Ivory. "You battled very well. The Snivy seems to trust you. I didn't expect that of a trainer. But as long as Pokemon are confined in capsules, Pokemon will never become perfect beings." Again, N raised his head, as if speaking to others beyond Ivory and Cheren. "I have to change the world for Pokemon, because they're my friends."
"And what, they aren't ours?" Cheren asked a bit harshly, ruining N's moment.
N blinked, remembering the two again. He inclined his head at Ivory's Snivy. "Be sure to heal that one back to full health."
"Of course. You too..." Ivory returned, but N had already turned on his heel, walking off into the city, the Purrloin cradled in his arms. Cheren and Ivory stared after him.
"A whackjob if I ever saw one," Cheren declared bluntly. Ivory tilted her head, considering the statement.
"He certainly did give off some odd vibes," she allowed. But he seemed deeper than your average weirdo; that moment when we were battling... he looked so sad. And when his Pokemon was finally defeated, he seemed so resigned. Seems like he really hates battling. It made her contemplative, and a tiny bit sad even, what he had seen in that moment of violence. But there was more to battling than simply causing harm to the opponent.
"... Did you hear me Ivory?"
"Sorry, what?"
"Space cadet," Cheren muttered. "I said that I'm going to go on ahead to work on my pokedex. I want to update it with more than just Purrloin, like that guy had."
Ivory blinked. "Purrloin? Is that what it was?"
"He called it that like twelve times."
"I thought it was a nickname!"
Cheren rolled his eyes. "Not everybody insists on making their Pokemon looks like fools. Besides, you should know what a Purrloin is, since that was what I caught on Route 1. They're pretty common around these parts."
Ivory ignored the latter half of his statements. "Nicknames give Pokemon character! And personality, which I notice you seem to be lacking." They both paused their banter to smile at each other. In sync, they each offered the other their hand. "I'll meet up with you later, right hotshot?" Ivory asked, trademark grin in place.
"Count on it," Cheren affirmed. He walked off in the same direction N had taken, waving his hand behind him as he went.
Ivory waved after him, though Cheren's back was to her. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched him go. This was the dreaded part of her journey: growing up, not having her best friends with her every step of the way. Though she did have Excalibur now. And she'd be meeting up with Cheren and Bianca along the way. All the same, it was odd, not being with her childhood friends every second of the day, as they had been growing up.
"Ivory!" she once more heard her cousin call behind her. He approached Ivory and slung an arm around her shoulders before she even had time to turn around. "Was that Cheren I saw?" he asked, squinting up the road. "He isn't still wearing those oober tight pants all the time, trying to impress you, is he?"
Ivory rolled her eyes, brushing the arm off of her. "Somehow, I doubt that's how Cheren would go about impressing girls."
"Man, I miss that kid," Black chuckled. He became alert an instant later. "Oh! Right, I forgot to tell you, I'm the best cousin in the world!"
"Oh, really?" Ivory asked tiredly, already dragging her feet back towards the Poke Center to heal Excalibur.
"I don't know, wouldn't you say giving your cousin a gift for the start of her new journey hypothetically qualifies that someone as a fantastic cousin?" Black shrugged, hands lacing together behind his neck and eyes averted in his best who-me? stance. Ivory gasped, instantly crowding into his personal space.
"Really? What is it?" She asked excitedly. Black chuckled, then handed her a dark green orb. It took her a moment to register that the sphere was a pokeball; it was unlike the others she had seen so far: shades of green swirled together on its surface, red outlines standing out starkly on the indention.
"Oh, right. This is one of those specialized pokeballs, isn't it? Used for catching Pokemon in certain circumstances?"
"You bet. This here is a Dusk Ball. Makes catching creatures in dark caves or at night a hell of a lot easier," Black grinned.
"So, you got me a pokeball. Just one? That's a little impractical, isn't it?" Ivory asked. It was a nice thought and all, but seriously? A single pokeball? With her luck, she'd probably miss and completely waste the ball when she finally did find a wild Pokemon she wanted to use it on.
Black shook his head, smiling. "Hasn't Auntie taught you anything? It's what's on the inside that counts." Black pounded his fist against his heart in emphasis. Ivory's eyebrows furrowed while she contemplated her cousin's sporadic bouts of cheesiness before the concept hit her.
"Oh, so there's a Pokemon in here?"
"You bet," Black nodded, flashing a smile which Ivory returned automatically. "Go on, let him out!" Eagerly, Ivory complied. The Dusk Ball bounced off the concrete with a thunk! before opening to release a red light which quickly took form.
Oh no! Cliffhanger! You don't know what the Pokemon is! Whatever will you do? (read the Author's Note at top where the answer is?)
-So, for those of you who don't get the reference, Excalibur is the groovy aardvark thing from the anime Soul Eater. Youtube him; he's pretty amusing. & Snivy is that guy incarnate, in this story.-
Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Here's some info on the Pokemon that appeared in this chapter:
Level 7 (Male) Purrloin
-Scratch -Growl
Level 11 (Male) Snivy "Excalibur" quirky nature. very finicky.
-Tackle - Leer -Vine Whip -Wrap