Disclaimer- I do not own Pokémon. My name isn't Gamefreak, Nintendo, or anything of the likes. This story merely takes place in the giant sandbox they created, known as the world of Pokémon. All credit goes to Gamefreak, Nintendo, and whoever else owns Pokémon.
A fresh sea breeze greeted Nathan as soon as he stepped out of his cabin. A gust of wind ruffled through his short brown hair, unintentionally screwing up his hairdo. Nathan didn't let it bother him. He was glad enough to finally be able to take a few steps outside.
It had been about three hours since he had gotten on the ship to Ho-Oh High. Originally his excitement for the boat trip was off the charts- until he was told his roommate was a severe sufferer of seasickness. The supervisors had urged him to not leave his ill roommate. But just now, two members of the medical staff had come to put the sick boy in a new room, which meant that freedom was finally his.
A squawk sounded somewhere over Nathan's head. He walked to the ship's railing. A small flock of Wingull was flying by. Nathan feared for the weather, following the Astran belief that wherever Wingull go, rainstorms follow. But his worries proved to be unnecessary. The sun was still shining brightly, with no clouds in sight.
He sighed contently, leaning against the railing. Looking at the flock somehow lifted his spirits, almost hypnotically. Maybe it was their freedom Nathan desired. Maybe the perfect harmony in which they flew together. Or maybe it was the fact that in a year time, he'd be able to pick up his own Poké Balls and attempt to capture one of the little critters.
A big grin spread across Nathan's face. One year! Compared to the amount of time he'd been waiting to get accepted into Ho-Oh High, it was nothing, and yet. The school had a very good reputation, and for good reason too. Nearly every year, at the regional championships, it was a graduate of Ho-Oh High that came out on top, in both the Rookie and Senior Divisions. Not only that, but Ho-Oh High didn't only offer courses to future battling champions- they also raised students to become top coordinators and breeders.
"Follow the Wingull east, before long the clouds shall feast." Nathan was shook out of his thoughts by these words. A boy with a slightly darker skin color and short black hair stood next him. "Mind if I join you?"
Nathan quickly shook off the surprise. "Nah." His new conversation partner turned his attention back to the skies, so Nathan did so as well.
"Beautiful Pokémon, those Wingull," the boy mused, "When I become a trainer, I'm definitely gonna catch one of those." He turned towards Nathan. "You?"
Nathan pondered over the question. "Maybe," he shrugged, "I don't have anything against Wingull or something, but they're not a priority for me."
The boy laughed. It was a hearty, loud laugh. Obviously he laughed a lot. "No, dude! I meant, is there any Pokémon you'd like to catch when you become a trainer?"
"Oh!" Nathan rubbed his forehead. Was there actually a species that he really wanted to catch one day? "Ursaring, I'd say," he replied after giving it some thought, "A fierce, powerful, but highly loyal Pokémon if trained well."
Nathan's conversation partner grinned. "Ursaring, eh? Interesting choice! But fit for a champion-in-training." The boy extended his hand. "Jamal Randall."
It took Nathan several seconds to realize that the boy was introducing himself. Jamal seemed to be a very straightforward person, if nothing else. "Nathan Grant," he finally said, shaking the boy's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Nathan!" Jamal grinned, "I'm assuming you're also here to become a Pokémon trainer, right?"
Nathan nodded. "It's been my dream for years to take part in the championships." He thought back to the first-ever time he had watched a real Pokémon battle on tv. He was only six then, but the battle left an incredible impression on him. An impression that never disappeared after, really.
Jamal threw his arms behind his back. "That much was obvious!" he laughed, "I'm pretty sure most of us want that, eh? Though it ain't easy, that's for sure." His expression had turned somewhat more serious at the last sentence, but his bright smile quickly returned. "Hear me rambling, right?"
Jamal's happy demeanor worked contagiously. Nathan quickly found himself smiling at his newfound…friend? Acquaintance? He wasn't sure yet, but he'd be sure to find out soon enough.
"Say..." Jamal looked around suspiciously. "Is it just me, or is the deck way more deserted than it was just now?"
Nathan turned around, only to notice Jamal was right. Nearly everyone, students and instructors alike, either were rushing towards or crowded on the bow of the ship. They seemed to be pointing and waving at something in an excited fashion. Nathan and Jamal exchanged glances. "Wanna go check it out?" Nathan asked.
Jamal mastered the biggest grin he had put up so far. Nathan knew for sure that he had met a cool guy now. "You bet!" Jamal blasted off. Nathan actually had difficulty keeping track of the boy, and Jamal not slowing down didn't help either. "'Scuse me!" Jamal squirmed his way through the crowds, making sure to keep room for Nathan as well, "Student coming through!" When the two finally reached a spot where they were able to see what was happening, even Jamal fell silent.
In the waters in front of them, several blue, sphere-like Pokémon known as Wailmer were swimming in circles. However, the water in between them sometimes rippled. A huge shadow, at least as big as the cruise ship they were on, could be seen.
Nathan blinked a few times. There couldn't possibly be anything as big as that…right? "What even is that?" he muttered.
"Wailmer and its evolved form Wailord." The instructor that answered his question seemed to be as much in awe as Nathan was. "Though I've never actually seen one in real life. Wailord is a really rare Pokémon, and on top of that the biggest Pokémon in existence."
It was as if those words were the sign Wailord had been waiting for. An humongous column of water shot up in the air, earning gasps from all the spectators. The shadow seemed to sink deeper into the ocean, slowly drifting away from the ship. Although the Wailmer were still visible, most were disappointed about not having been able to catch a glimpse of the elusive Wailord, as could be heard from the excited whisperings that livened up again.
"Dude." Jamal kept staring at the ripples the Wailord had left behind in the water. "That was straight-up awesome!"
Nathan nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I've never even seen anything nearly as big as that Pokémon before!" Nathan thought back to the previous times he'd seen big Pokémon. His family didn't possess any, but enough strong trainers lived in his town. Still, nothing he had seen before could compare to the sheer size of this Wailord.
"Me neither!" Jamal cried, "I mean, I've seen some big Pokémon in my life, but that?" His thinking face reappeared. "I wonder how many kinds of new Pokémon we'll meet when we set out as trainers. Will we see more Pokémon like that? Will we meet this Wailord again?" His eyes were sparkling in excitement.
Before Nathan could answer, the speakers on the ship turned on with a beeping sound. "We will be docking at Ho-Oh High's in twenty minutes. All passengers are asked to return to their cabins for the remainder of the trip."
Jamal let out a sigh. "Well, that's that then." He pointed at Nathan in a friendly finger gun gesture. "See you at Ho-Oh High, right?"
Nathan grinned. "Right!" With that, Jamal rushed off back to his cabin. Nathan laughed, noticing his new friend constantly bump into other people on his way back. Jamal seemed to not pay much attention to others while walking, if at all.
Nathan looked one last time at the sea. The ripples had nearly completely faded, and the Wailmer were gone. It was as if the Wailord hadn't existed at all. If Nathan hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he probably wouldn't have believed it either.
Even after getting back to his cabin, Nathan couldn't get the sight of the gargantuan Pokémon out of his head. Or the words of Jamal, for that matter.
"I wonder how many kinds of new Pokémon we'll meet when we set out as trainers. Will we see more Pokémon like that? Will we meet this Wailord again?"
Nathan's heart nearly burst with excitement. His first steps towards fulfilling his life-long dream! His thoughts trailed off to the school he would be attending. What would Ho-Oh High be like, he wondered? Would there be more people like Jamal? Nathan smiled at the thought. He didn't expect to find a friend that quickly already. But Jamal was so genuine and kind that it was hard not to like him from the start.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the speakers boomed, "We have docked at Ho-Oh High. Please gather your personal belongings, and meet the instructors at the port side of the ship."
Nathan smiled. He didn't know exactly which side that was, but he'd just have to follow the crowd, so it would be too much of a problem. Carrying his suitcase outside, he shut his cabin's door. A bunch of kids around his age were already rushing towards the left side of the ship. So that's where he would have to go. Nathan put on the biggest smile he could muster.
Finally there.
And finally here, too! This is the first chapter of a rather large writing project (for my standards) that I have planned. This ten-chaptered story will serve as the prequel to the actual fanfic, eventually. This short story will likely feel less like a Pokémon journey-themed fic, and more like a school story- which it was totally intended to be. Don't worry if you're not into that, this only applies to the prequel.
This first chapter is rather short, at least compared to the others that are coming soon. It's mostly just an introduction to our new world. Yup, this fanfic does not take place in Hoenn, Alola or even good ol' Kanto- we are staying in a new region named Astra. More details of the story and the general worldbuilding will either be explained during the story or posted on my profile page, so stay tuned if you're interested!
Thank you for reading through all of this! Bobs, signing out!