Pokemon North: The Start of a New Journey.
Letter to the reader
Pokemon, a species in need of no introduction. For three short years, I have studied them with every intent to discover their many secrets. However, in spite of my numerous discoveries, I haven't even scratched the surface or even truly began to understand their greatest mysteries. Perhaps it is my youth, even a child prodigy still requires the wisdom granted by a liftetime of experience, or perhaps it is simply our island home of Typhoon. Surrounded by a wall of mist too thick to penetrate, the island is synonymous with the word mysterious...and perhaps even malovelant. For countless generations, explorers of every shape, size, color, and tongue have tried to navigate away from the island in search of riches, fame, and adventure. However, all attempts have ended in either failure, or the dissapearances of good people. The pokemon, I've noted, seem to understand the secret, though they remain mute as to it's meaning. I wonder just what it is that they know that we are incapable of understanding. Is there, indeed, some evil force keeping us in seclusion, or is that the old sailors and other scientists have it right: there is just nothing out there to be found. I fear that I am both too young and too inexperienced to understand. However, I am confident that somewhere, be it on the island or somewhere beyond, there is someone that can interpret the secret, and perhaps make the greatest discovery of all. With a little luck, I will be there on that day, and I will write here in this journal. I need only but wait.
Professor Bud Seed
Age 13
Chapter 1: Meet Nigel
Shiprwreck Cove is perhaps one of the most well known towns in all of the isle of Typhoon. It had attatined its name many years ago after one of the greatest exploration disasters within the island's history: ten ships had set sail in search of new lands, but only three ever returned. Thus a town was constructed as a memorial for those that had been lost. As a historical landmark, the town had gained a bit of a reputation as a tourist trap, and much of the culture from further inland began to make itself present among the people. But perhaps the greatest asset to the town were the ranches. Seeded around the town itself were countless ranches where burden pokemon were raised to work the local farms, to provide transport for travelers and the priveledged, and wool for clothing. It is in one of these particular ranches where our story truly begins…
…
Of all the wool ranches on Typhoon, the Crest Family Ranch was perhaps the most revered. Started from the ground up six generations ago, it had easily become popular among traders and fashion designers for its quality raised Mareep flocks and fair prices. The current family patriarch was a gruff looking man named Easton. A grisled codger of middle age, he stood roughly five foot three with short, dark hair and an equally dark beard and dressed from head to toe in plaid. In whispers, his neighbors would say that his peircing blue eyes could turn even the staunchest of Gyrados back into meek little Magikarp. Easton was a proud man that took his duties over the ranch very seriously, and he had no greater pride than when he heard buyers cheering over his stock. So, there he was standing on a hill overlooking his flock of Mareep and Flaffies. As usual, he was counting heads and making sure all of his flock was present.
"97, 98, 99...Gah!"
He threw his note pad in the dirt with great irritation. That was the third time he had counted his flock, and every time it was the same. One of his sheep was not among the flock, and he had a good idea which one it was.
"Where has that boy run off with it this time?" he growled under his breathe.
Not far from where Easton was, just a ways into the surrounding forest, a smashing sound could be heard as something crashed hard into a tree. The assaulter was a small, quadrupedal creature covered in pink, wooly fur. It had a small blue head with blue and yellow striped cone-shaped ears, blue legs, and a yellow and black tail; it was a shiny mareep. Standing nearby was a young man around the age of fourteen. He was dressed for mild weather with a plain red T-shirt, jeans, a green vest, fingerless black gloves, and a pair of go-goggles hanging around his neck. He had short orange hair that stuck up in the front, deep green eyes, and freckles. This was Nigel Crest, Easton's first born child.
He trotted over to the dazed mareep's side, and he gently rubbed its head.
"That was a good tackle attack, Candy." he said with a broad smile. "Still needs a little force if it's going to inflict any damage, but I think you actually left a dent in the bark this time."
The mareep gave it's head a shake and studied the tree trunk. Indeed, there was the tiniest of marks that could be seen.
"Reep! Mareep!"
The tiny sheep pokemon waggled it's tail with pride, and the orb on the end began to glow. The boy laughed.
"You've come a long way, but there's still work to be done. Now for electric attacks."
The mareep's, Candy's, tail sudden drooped, and it gave the boy a sorrowful look.
"Oh, c'mon, don't be like that. So you couldn't even build up a charge the last couple of times; that just means you're due for a win. C'mon, please?"
Candy gave him a skeptical look, and then it sighed. It figured there was no harm in trying. Nigel smiled, and he patted Candy's head.
"Atta girl. Alright then, let's go over it again. You build up static electricity by shaking your coat all around. So, if you shake yourself enough, you'll be able to build up enough charge to use thundershock. We tried shaking for three minutes, so let's max it out to five. Once you've built up a strong enough charge, just cut loose and we'll see what happens."
Candy rolled her eyes as though already knowing failure, but she never the less began to shake. At first, the only thing that could be heard was the sound shaking wool, but then, slowly, electrical crackles could be heard followed by a few sparks. Sensing a charge within her fur, Candy starting shaking harder and harder as she tried to build it up. Nigel took a couple of steps back, his grin wide as he saw the yellow sparks of a building thundershock.
"That's it, Candy! Just a little longer and then…"
"NIGEL!"
The boy jumped, and Candy suddenly unleashed the built up lightning. The bolt sailed through the air and then crashed into the nearest conducting target: the intruding Easton. The man was dancing arond as the bolt of lightning surged through his body, and when it left him he was black from head to toe. Coughing out a puff of black smoke, he collapsed to the ground.
"Dad!" Nigel called with concern, and he immediately rushed to his father's side. After a quick check, he concluded that Easton hadn't been severely injured, though it seemed that the excess static from thundershock had paralyzed him. Nigel took a deep breathe, let it go, and then looked to Candy.
"I think that's enough training for today. C'mon, let's get him back to the house."
"Reep." Candy baaaed while nodding her head.
The two then proceeded to carry the man out of the woods: Nigel was holding his legs while Candy carried the bulk on her back. About half an hour later, they came upon Nigel's house where his mother, Gwendolyn, was waiting in the garden. She was a skinny woman, though every bit healthy as could be seen by her fair skin. She had long, straight, dark hair that reached just past her shoulders. She wore a simple, lavender colored blouse and blue jean skirt, and she was also outfitted with a wide-brimmed straw hat to ward away the sun. She looked up from watering a leppa berry sapling in the front yard, and she adopted an amused grin when she saw her husband's current state.
"Finally mastering thundershock?" she asked.
Nigel shook his head.
"Not exactly. He's been paralyzed."
His mother nodded.
"Alright then. Take himside, and I'll get to work."
Nigel nodded, and he and Candy made their way into house and into the kitchen. There he was met by his little sister, Wendy. Wendy was, without question, the most adorable thing that had walked upon the face of the earth, and she knew it. Having turned four only a month ago, she stood to about Nigel's kneecaps, and she had inherited her mother's hair, which she wore up in two pigtails. She wore a little blue dress with a picture of a piplup printed on the front, and she had blue eyes. When she spied her older brother, she immediately rushed up to him and hugged his legs. Nigel laughed.
"C'mon, Wen Wen. I need those to walk with."
"I missed you." she chirped, looking up at him with large eyes.
"Missed me? I was only gone for a couple of hours."
"I still missed you."
Nigel chuckled, releasing his father's legs before picking the child up and squeezing her with a hug. When he set her down again, she finally noticed Easton's condition, and she cocked her head curiously.
"What happened to daddy?"
Nigel chuckled nervously, and he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Candy and I were training in the woods. We accidently zapped him with thundershock."
Wendy giggled at that.
"Silly daddy."
"Yes, indeed." Gwendolyn said as she walked in. "Your daddy is very silly. Nigel, get him on the table."
Nigel nodded, and he took Easton by an arm, and he carefully hoisted him off of Candy's back and onto the kitchen table. Gwendolyn then strode over to her husband's side.
"Don't worry, honey. This will make it better in a minute."
Taking this as a cue, Nigel quickly grabbed his little sister and rushed to the other side of the room. He had long since learned not to get in the way of his mother, especially when it came to situations like this. The woman stood stalwart and popped her knuckles, followed by flexing her fingers a few times to test them. When she was satisfied, she threw up her hands, and then she began to repeatedly beat her hands against Easton's back. Nigel closed his eyes and covered Wendy's. Prior to their marriage, Gwendolyn was a master chiropractor, though she was cast aside from her trade due to a habit of being a tad aggressive in her practice. However, regardless of her practice, her results were all the same. Within a series of a few moments, all of the electricity in Easton's body was removed, though he was incredibly sore but limber. He rose slowly from the table, and then he directed his attention to his eldest child. Nigel gulped.
"Slacking off is one thing," the man began evenly. "I was young, and I can understand that work may seem boring, sometimes. But running off with one of my prized mareep has not got it, Nigel Elias Crest."
Nigel frowned.
"Come on, dad. We aren't sheering the flock for another couple of days. Besides, Candy isn't yours. She's mine."
Easton's brows shot up, and he scowled.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't tell me you forgot!" Nigel said, his shoulders sagging. "For my birthday last year, you promised that I could have one of the mareep for my first pokemon. I chose Candy."
"That's right, dear." Gwendolyn said.
"You promised, daddy." Wendy chirped happily.
Easton looked about the circle of faces, and then he too recalled that he had indeed promised. His son had wanted to start a journey at twelve years of age, just like every other child, but, due to an unusually harsh winter and Easton's insistence on keeping the business in the family, he had kept Nigel home. The workload had taken a while to dwindle, and it had stabilized around the time Nigel had turned fourteen. He had made the promise in an attempt to make things square with his son. However…
"Yes, that is what I said. But, come on son. Wouldn't you rather have one of the other mareep? That one's pink wool is in demand."
Nigel shook his head.
"Candy hatched from her egg the same night I turned fourteen, and I was the first one she saw. It was meant to be."
"Reep. Reep." Candy added, waggling her tail.
Easton knew he had lost this conversation, and he sighed. So long as he got his wool, he figured it would be fine. Just then, his wife laid a hand on his shoulder, and she started ushering him out of the kitchen.
"Come now, dear. You should rest after that little romp."
Easton stopped short.
"But, honey, there's too much work to do. I've still gotta take a headcount of all the flock, I need to mend the fence on the east side, and I'll have to…"
His words died in his throat when he got a good look in his wife's eyes. They had taken on a dark sheen, and an aura of menace seemed to surround her body.
"Dear," she said, her sweet tone belying a possible rage. "You are in no condition to be moving about. So let me walk you into the den, sit you down in your chair, and let me take it from there. Ok?"
Her grip on his shoulder tightened, and the man gulped.
"Ok, honey. Whatever you say."
Gwendolyn smiled sweetly.
"Good choice. Oh, Makuhita!"
The sound of heavy footsteps filled the room, and in stepped a large, yellow creature with stubby legs and large hands. It stomped over to Gwendolyn's side, and it waved a small salute.
"Good boy." Gwendolyn cooed, rubbing it's tiny head. "Momma needs you to do a big favor for her, alright. Make sure my husband takes this time to rest and recouperate from his massage. If for any reason he tries to escape, then feel free to use vital throw on him as many times as you want."
"Hita!" Makuhita declared, tossing a dark grin towards Easton.
The man began to sweat profusely, and he walked briskly towards the den and the safety of his favorite chair. Nigel watched him go with a mild look of amusement. His father was a stubborn sort, especially when it came to his ranch, so it was always refreshing to him to see the man knocked down a peg every so often. When he was gone, Gwendolyn stretched, and she turned to her oldest child.
"Well, that's enough excitement for now. Still, to ease his mind, I'll take over his chores for today. While I'm doing that, would you please go to town and fetching me some pecha berries for tonight. I was thinking about doing some baking tonight."
Nigel's went wide with anticipation.
"Sure! C'mon, Candy."
The tiny sheep baaed happily, and the two made their way for the front door and went rushing down the walkway towards Shipwreck Cove's village. As the two made their way across the road, a flock of wingull flew overhead. It was gonna be a good day, today; Nigel just knew it.