Paper Hearts


Prologue:

"Thank you! Have a good night!" A male voice called out, finally shutting the glass door of the warm café as the last customer walked out.

The person let out a tired sigh, leaning against the warm glass, black bangs sweeping over their blue eyes.

"Hey, Normy," A woman, about the age of twenty-four leaned over the wooden counter of the café, an envelope in hand. Her light brown, almost orange hair sweeping over the counter as well as she smiled cheekily.

Normandy Renton raised his head, blinking. "Um, yeah, Frankie?"

She waved the envelope limply in her hand, waiting for Normandy to walk over and take the letter before she began speaking again. "Your check for the week – you've been doing good. Mom's getting prouder and prouder," Frankie sat on the counter, legs crossed as her smile grew almost Cheshire like. "Ah, but dad tipped me off.. you have to go to that show next week. Apparently Calypso's your partner."

The seventeen-year-old shivered inwardly, taking a seat in front of the counter. He let out a groan, his forehead landing on the hard counter. Normandy ran a tired hand through his shaggy, ear-length black hair before raising his head a few inches off the counter. "Not another fashion show.. she's giving me that dress to wear, isn't she?" He paused, attempting to remember something before his face twisted to an emotion of bitterness. "And I have to be in a show with that evil Delcatty? Double crap."
Frankie stifled a giggle, getting off the counter to start wiping it. "You make it sound like a death sentence. Calypso's not that bad. He just shows he loves you by biting and nibbling on your leg, silly."

Normandy shook his head, twitching. Sometimes he wondered how he was related to such an air head of a sister – but, hey, he loved her either way.

His blue eyes twitched at her own blue ones. The teenager scoffed. "Yeah? Well you're not the one having to deal with a blood thirsty feline!" Okay, he may have exaggerated that, but who could blame the boy? He grew up with Calypso as a young boy when Calypso as a Skitty and they didn't exactly get along too well. Alas, Calypso's also his first Pokemon.

Frankie shook her head, untying her usual waitress apron and draping it over the counter. "Alright, I'll leave you to whine and sulk. I'll be in the back if you need me. Go take a walk or something," After glancing at her brother for another handful of seconds, the twenty-four-year-old began walking to the back room of the café, only turning around once to add something to her statement before. "oh, and remember to be back home before dinner. Be careful too. Hearthome's streets aren't all that safe at night," She winked at Normandy before finally disappearing.

He shook his head, getting up from his seat at the counter and ran another hand through his shaggy hair. "Maybe a walk wouldn't hurt,.." Normandy untied his own apron, hanging it on a rack at the far right of the café, next to the entrance – that was where everyone else placed their aprons at the end of the night, anyways.

Normandy grabbed his black fedora off of the rack, under his labeled name and placed it on top of his head. After stuffing a hand in his pocket, he pushed open the handle of the shop door and walked out into the night air.


He usually didn't mind the humid night air. For a fact, Normandy preferred warmer weather over the cold winters of Hearthome City, which was located in the Sinnoh Region.

It piqued the Renton boy's interest to see so many people out at night – it was barely 8 o'clock, so he guessed it wasn't that much of a surprise. During this time of the month, many people were outdoors to enjoy nightly performances out on the streets. Hearthome was recognized for it's contest hall, of course.

Normandy walked past a group of preteens, only to slow down on his walk. Gossiping whispers were passed onto one another as the blue eyed teenager passed by. Looks of disgust were passed his way.

"Ew, look Margret, it's that cross dresser.." A short, obviously not natural orange hair colored preteen sneered, wrinkling her nose in distate.

Margret, mentioned before, also wrinkled her nose, hands on her hips. "Pft! He thinks he's all that just because he assumes he can dress better than most girls .. he's probably into men for all we know,"

The orange haired friend of hers giggled – almost too loudly.

Of course, Normandy didn't let it get to him. He just continued walking on, head held high. It wasn't like he minded cross dressing. Not at all, since it was for his mother. Normandy even chuckled to himself before stopping and turning around, to call out to the pair of girls and their other glaring friends. "Sweeties, I'm not into men. I'm perfectly straight. And, for a fact," He let his eyes focus on Margret's painfully bright red shoes – they hurt to look at. "I'd look better in those shoes than you would – oh! And lay off of the push up bras, no? Ciao!" Turning around on his heel, Normandy held a smirk on his face as he left the obnoxious preteens gaping – actually, Margret was crying.. too loudly.

After leaving the scene that was too loud for his tastes, he checked his watch. "Eight-thirty, huh? No big deal." Normandy kept on walking, stopping every now and then to linger at small street performances such as card tricks or singing.

It was only a matter of minutes before his eyes stopped to stare at a flyer taped onto a light pole.

'Ready to start a Pokémon journey? Come visit Professor Rowan's lab today! You may never know – you could even be the next Sinnoh Region Champion!'

He blinked for a few consecutive seconds. Normandy cocked his head to the side, taking in the simple words of the flyer. Passer by's sent him odd looks, but kept walking nonetheless.

"Huh.. a journey, huh?" He placed his index finger to his chin, raising his right eyebrow before grabbing the flyer. "I'm sure mother would understand..," Normandy smiled triumphantly to himself before whistling on his walk home.

It didn't take him long to reach his destination – the Renton's large house at the end of the road, near the contest hall.


Oh, my gosh. What have I started now?

Apparently, my plot bunnies have been telling me to start a Pokémon story with my adorable little oc Normandy here~ /shot/

Yep. Typical 'Start a journey!' Pokémon story. 'Cept I'm going to try not making it so mediocre. :3 Opinons, guys and gals?

Eventually, once I actually get this story up and running, I'll be accepting ocs as Normandy's rivals/travelling partners/love interests/stalkers/etc.

Ciao~