Story Intro: Hi everyone! This is another attempt at the intro to my first Fanfic: The Making of Masters, detailing the journey of Nicholas Willow as he competes against his brothers, friends, new gym leaders and one very "bad guy" to be a legendary Pokemon Master. Set in the Hoenn Region, expect the unexpected as times have changed, regions are mixing populations of both people and Pokemon and change rarely happens quietly.
Feel free to write a review, any and all advice will be taken on board. As I've said this is my first Fan Fiction, though not my first attempt at it, so I expect there will still be room for further improvement in the work. More to come of course, I expect to upload one chapter a week (I'll aim for Tuesdays at the moment, keeping in mind that I'm in Australia, so this might throw times off for some people).
So, read on, enjoy and let me know what you guys think!
Chapter 1: The Brothers and their Dream
To be the best. You heard it a lot, the best there ever was. To the Willow brothers these were not just sprayed on some tacky Pokemon League commercial. They were going to do it. Even before they had turned ten and been allowed to catch their own Pokemon. They had listened intently in school to anything Pokemon related, absorbed it all like sponges. They had read magazines, tactical guides and even novels about the kinds of adventures people had with their Pokemon.
At the trainer school in Oldale Town they made a show of your first Pokemon. To own a Pokemon was a big deal, the biggest of deals. Many parents who were better off than the Willows could just buy a Pokemon for their child. Not the Willow parents and not just because of the money involved. The first Pokemon was earned, never given. Either way the school was where this show took place. On your tenth birthday if you had not already bought or owned a Pokemon you were permitted to leave the school at lunchtime and go in search of one for the rest of the school day. If you came back successful (which everyone did), then the work that had been missed out on was excused. It was a sweet deal. The other kids put aside schoolyard squabbles and cheered you on and bid you good luck when you left.
It was a tradition that Oldale Town kept up lovingly, to spur on the next generation of trainers, onto bigger and brighter things. With a perfectly accessible Gym just a days hike to the east, the townsfolk believed strongly that their picturesque little haven was ideal for raising young talent. This was not dissimilar to Littleroot Town to the South, which despite its size had raised a few notable Champions in its time.
Of the Willow brothers Sam, the eldest, had been first to have his chance. Top of his class, a real natural. His teacher and classmates all expected big things from him. He did not disappoint. He returned before lunch had even ended, having gone into the woodland that surrounded the town as most trainers did. Walking behind the still growing lad as he reentered the schoolyard was a Kadabra.
His classmates gawked. An evolved Pokemon?! Furthermore, there had been a chance for it to teleport away and avoid capture altogether. When asked how he could've possibly achieved this, he showed off the ball it had been caught in: an Ultra ball! He had saved his pocket money valiantly and purchased a few to sneak in his bag on the big day. That, with a touch of luck had proven enough.
The youngest, Jack Willow, had also managed an infamous, yet unorthodox capture. He had snuck out at night as soon as midnight had signaled the beginning of his tenth birthday. In the dark of the woods he had happened upon a Gastly, a first within the school. The Willow parents were less than pleased at his methods but could not hide their pride at a notable first Pokemon.
Nicholas Willow was different. Jack had not yet caught his Gastly and so the reputation of his family had been built solely on the incredible capture of his older brother. He needed something impressive. Something powerful. Something rare. As it turned out his capture, however ludicrously rare, could not compete with an evolved Pokemon.
His heart hammered in his chest as he wove his way through the trees. He could not contain his swelling excitement, he could only continue putting one foot in front of the other, head darting around for any sign of movement. A Kadabra had been here once and now it walked beside his brother. Perhaps other rare Pokemon now roamed these woods. It was possible. Throughout the years Pokemon migration and an influx of immigrants from other regions had seen the boundaries of Pokemon ecosystems effectively shattered and re shuffled. It had been rough on natural species at first but, over time a new harmony had been found. Now Pokemon whose species originated from any region had all found homes across the other regions. It certainly made a stroll through the woods more interesting, and first encounters all the more diverse.
In all his snappy attention he had forgotten to look at the most important place: where he was walking. A large tree root tripped the trainer and sent him tumbling down a steep drop in the land, heavily coated in dry leaves. He tumbled and rolled a painfully long way until the ground leveled out and he landed, face first into the bracken.
He groaned loudly. In his dazed stupor he had trouble figuring out if there any part of him that didn't feel like hell. He forced his eyes open and his vision came in a watery haze of green and various other colors that stemmed from the diverse, native flowers that Oldale Town was known for. Movement in his field of vision cleared his eyes quickly and he bolted upright. It was a Pokemon. His heart jumped in his chest and felt like it was caught in his throat. A shiny Pokemon, a shiny Ralts. It was small though, with the growing lad's long, gangly build it barely came up past his knees. He thanked Arceus that his sudden movement to stand had not frightened away the little treasure.
A hand moved instinctively into one of his backpack's side pockets and withdrew a Pokeball. 'Hey there, little Ralts,' he said quietly, before lobbing the ball at it. The first capture was always tricky, without another Pokemon to weaken it capture was never guaranteed. However for young Pokemon it was perfectly possible.
The ball shook once, 'Good sign,' he breathed. Another, 'Come on,' he said, speaking up now. But the ball came apart before his eyes and in a flash of light, and a distinctive sparkle, the Ralts was back before him. The Ralts looked confused, as though the concept of what was occurring was foreign to it. That was good, lest the attempted capture scare it away.
Feeling around in his side pockets he ascertained that he had three balls left. Of course, there were more in his bag, but when dealing with wild Pokemon, time and focus were a factor. He didn't want to take his eyes off of it, still in disbelief at what he had found. He threw two more at it, the Ralts seemed more curious than anything else and did not move much. But each time the Ralts reappeared. He would not lose this!
"Think!" he told himself. Surely there was something more to be done. It was native and Nick had read a thing or two about them, they were supposedly attuned to the emotions of people and other Pokemon. Maybe its excitement had reached it, maybe even made it more rowdy and difficult to catch. 'Ok, calm down…' he said softly, taking a few deep breaths. Talking seemed to help his heat rate slow, and seemed to keep the Pokemon's interest. 'Just chill out for a bit…we're just having a bit of fun, right?'
'Ralts,' it answered simply, holding its ground, though whether it agreed with his statement or not he couldn't guess.
He tried his best to think happy thoughts, to think of his joy if he were to capture such a rarity. Thoughts of the good times they would have together from that day forward. Share in their triumphs, catch other Pokemon, make friends and become strong. He smiled at the thoughts and they filled him with a warmth that spread through his chest. Suddenly, the Ralts began moving towards him, its tiny feet barely noticeable beneath the crinkling leaves.
Was this happening? Was it actually responding to his thoughts, his hopes and dreams? He almost shook his head in disbelief. It continued its approach until it actually stood before him. He could've leaned over and patted its head. Kneeling before it, they two assessed each other. The next ball he withdrew he didn't even throw. There was no need. He showed it to the Ralts, and it inspected the device closely.
'Let's try this one more time…' he muttered, before gently poking the Ralts's head with the ball, as with before it seemed to become little more than light, and vanished into the ball. His grin grew wider with each shake of the ball. On that exalted little "click!" that came with a secured capture, he could've jumped for joy, shouted and ran back up the hill. But he only sighed in relief. 'It's done…thanks little buddy.'
He collected his things, along with the three used Pokeballs that still sat nearby and began walking back towards the town. He was overwhelmed with his first encounter. His joy would be short-lived however, his classmates were not as easily impressed. If he thought he would be welcomed back a champion he would be rudely awakened.