Pokemon Always
by the Pokemon Poet
Pilot Episode: A Wayward Trainer
The sun glimpsed through the clouds as a small boy made his way beyond the fences of Lerett Town where the grass grew thicker. At six years old, Hunter had an already beaking nose and eyes the color of a Dragonair. He walked his way along the dirt road, the sounds of Miltank mooing from back the way he'd come. He spotted a tree to climb in the distance and made his way toward the forest line.
As he approached, the tree grew larger in size as multiple Caterpie crawled along the sprawling branches. A few Pidgey were perched, having already enjoyed their meal for the day. Hunter noticed that one of them had a missing patch of feathers on its left breast. He smiled a little sadly and reached to stroke its feathers, though the Pidgey were too far above. The Pokemon were enjoying the day as much as Hunter, and in just as much harmony with each other as he was with them.
Hunter climbed up higher to where the Pidgey were, and watched as they flew off at his approach, wishing to be one with them. He sat up there until sunset, occasionally picking an apple from a close branch. They weren't quite ripe yet, but they tasted good anyway. As the sky grew pink with the approaching dusk, Hunter began to make his way down. His family would be worried, and dinner would be ready by now.
As he descended, the crackle of the branches grew more ominous. Gligar and Golbat began to appear, and Hunter hurried as he climbed down to the bottom. Two branches from safety on the ground, a buzzing coursed through the air. Hunter looked around. Nothing. But the buzzing grew louder.
He dropped from the high branch straight to the ground, twisting his ankle inward as a sprain. He let out a cry. The buzzing grew louder and a yellow blur flashed in the silhouette made from the golden sunset. Beedrill.
Hunter pushed off the ground, wincing with the pain from his ankle and backing away from the tree. The lone Beedrill drifted down from the second branch to hover five feet from him. It turned its head, eyes glinting auburn in the dusk. Hunter continued backing away. The Beedrill buzzed louder and flapped its wings rapidly. It began to attack.
First a Twin Needle that landed on the ground just in front of Hunter. Then, an overshot poison sting. Hunter tripped on an exposed tree root and fell on his back, unable to scream. The Beedrill began another poison sting.
The tall grass rustled and a Pidgey flew from the dust to Tackle the Beedrill. Hunter noticed the missing feathers on its left breast. The Beedrill was knocked off course, but only became more infuriated, focusing on the Pidgey.
The Pidgey used a Sand-Attack and Gust, but missed the Beedrill's wings. The Beedrill Tackled Pidgey and knocked it to the ground beside Hunter. The boy held the Pidgey in its arms, shuddering as the Beedrill prepared another Twin Needle. The Pidgey burst out of Hunter's arms and Pecked the Beedrill's right stinger, breaking it a fraction. The left caught Pidgey in its side.
The Beedrill buzzed away into the forest and the Pidgey let a loud "POOOOOOOOOL!" Hunter stood, wincing again, clutching the Pidgey to his chest. He hobbled as fast as he could back to Lerett Town, where his mother and father were shouting for him about dinner.
The boys stood around Hunter after their Pokemon lecture, waiting for him to make his move.
"See boys," a plump kid said, "I told you he doesn't have the instincts to be a Trainer. His stance is all wrong and he doesn't have the nerve." The boy took a step forward. "That's why I'm gonna be the best."
"Not a chance, Fern." Sweat was starting to break on Hunter's forhead, running down to his eyes. His shifted his feet backward, hands tensed at his sides.
"Is that sweat or are you crying, Bird Boy? I'd be nervous, too, in a battle with me. I don't need Pokemon to prove I'm stronger.
Fern threw a punch that Hunter ducked under, but the follow-up caught Hunter in the gut and he gasped. He fell to the ground with the weight of Fern on top of him, pressing his face and his arms into the rocks and dirt.
The wind picked up and a loud "Prooooo!" rang through the sky. Fern look up.
The Pidgey crashed into Ferns stomach, beak and wings beating down the attack. Hunter wiped his face and looked on his hand to see blood. Fern was shrieking in fear, scratches running down his arms as he held them up to fend off his attacker.
"Enough, Wayward. Leave him be." Hunter stood, holding his ribs slightly.
The Pidgey looked at Hunter, a twinkle in his eye. Hunter shook his head. "No, that's enough." Wayward flew onto the ground beside Hunter, staring across at the boys behind Fern.
"Some Trainer, Bird Boy. Can't even control a dumb Pidgey. There's no way you're making the League. Not a chance." He began to walk away, the other boys glaring at Hunter and Wayward before turning to follow Fern off.
"Thanks for that." Hunter stroked Waywards cheek feathers as the Pokemon crooned. The wings glistened in the sunlight, and began to turn white slowly, growing brighter. "WHAT?!" Hunter looked puzzled.
The light dissipated and a larger bird with red hair feathers flapped and cawed in front of Hunter. "Oh, wow! Evolution!" Wayward had become a Pidgeotto before his very eyes.
Behind the Lab where the lecture had been taught, a blue-haired man with spectacles smiled to himself. "This kid will be one of the Greats."
