Author's Note: First off, I want to give a huge, massive apology to all my readers who are still waiting on updates on my other stories. They are still being worked on, never fear! However, they are going to be on hold temporarily while I work out and cut off a few personal feelings associated with them, as there were a few things going on in my life when I began writing them that I want to move past. There will be a story or two that I will be writing in the meantime, this one included, and these will be updated relatively regularly. I will try to aim for once a week, but if I have a chapter completed sooner than that, I will have it updated when I am satisfied with it!
Sora: So hopefully she'll be working on Ouran again soon!
Sousuke: Or she'll forget about us for a while like a parent when they have their second child!
…Ouran Underground is one of my more weather-beaten stories, and thus will be more likely to get an update sooner than the others, excluding the new one(s).
On another note: I will be trying my hardest to make a Pokémon Journey as realistic as possible, and the characters as real as possible. They will all have very human problems, and there will also be Pokémon deaths in this story. I love Pokémon more than anything, but I find it hard to believe that a Pokémon, especially a small one, can battle over and over and not have any kind of lasting effect or injury, even with healing.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, with the exception of the storyline and concepts, as well as the characters! However, I do own Y, all the DS Pokémon games, Yellow, and several Pokémon plushes. (For anyone that wants to add my 3DS code, Friend Safari included, my code is 2449-5207-6116! PM me if you would like to add me with your own code, I am open for any trades and battles!)
Sousuke: Way to self-promo boss.
Shut up.
Chapter 1: Through the Gateway
'I am never taking a road trip with this boy again,' was the common thought of the occupants of a silver van as it sped along the highway.
"This boy" was a light brown-skinned and black-haired teenager who was currently sitting in the passenger seat singing along to the radio, loudly and very off-key.
"I am going to strangle you!" a girl in the back seat snapped. She had long black hair pulled into a dark red cloth-wrapped bun with bangs dangling around her face down to her shoulders, and hazel eyes—which were currently twitching in irritation. The dark brown-haired boy sitting next to her closed his equally brown eyes, sighing and leaning his seat back.
"How are you gonna do that when you're so small?" the teenager said mockingly. The boy sitting next to her opened one eye to watch her reaction.
The effect was immediate: the girl seemed to puff out in anger, like an infuriated cat.
"I am 20 years old, which is four years older than you, in case you've forgotten!"she shrieked, smacking the back of his headrest.
The teenager laughed and turned up the radio, no longer singing.
They were driving to a nearby strip-mall for clothes and shoes, as it was nearing the end of July, and the beginning of a new school year for a certain teenager.
"Remember guys: shoes, and then clothes, and then we can shop for any odds and ends," the driver, a pale-skinned woman with glasses and super-short brown, blonde, and dark red hair said. She seemed to be glaring pointedly at the teenager sitting next to her as she said this.
"Yes, mom, I know," he groaned, though the ravenette and the woman both knew he had the tendency to snatch things off of shelves on a whim without worrying about whether he actually needed it, or if he would even use it, no matter how many times he was reprimanded, which seemed to be endlessly.
"Yeah, I'm sure," his mom sighed, shaking her head.
"Just another road trip!" a boy, who seemed to be nearly a carbon copy of the girl, which deep black hair falling to his shoulders, hazel eyes, and identical face, cried the row of seats behind his twin.
The brown haired boy next to her chuckled quietly and closed his eyes again.
The rest of the relatively quick ride was quiet, with everyone either listening to the radio or spacing out of one of the windows (except for the woman, who was, quite obviously, driving). It was only about 20 minutes before they arrived at the cluster of outlet stores.
They had all just gotten out of the van when an odd store caught the twins' attention; it seemed like it didn't belong there, and almost appeared to be flickering.
"Guys, let's check that place out before we go get shoes," the boy twin said, pointing at the strange place; it also seemed to lack any sort of name.
The woman looked confused momentarily, although she followed the four of them in anyways. The building was cool inside compared to the late summer heat outside, as well as oddly empty, even of shelves and items, with the exception of a small table situated in the center of the room.
"Is that a Poké Ball?" the same twin asked in wonder, holding up the small red white sphere. He grinned broadly and giggled. "It feels sort of warm, almost as if it's... alive."
"Look at the top!" his twin cried. Everyone crowded around, looking silently at the miniature figure of a small, light brown vulpine creature. "That's an Eevee, isn't it?"
As if sensing they were talking about it, the Eevee stood up and looked around at them all, focusing especially on the twins. Suddenly, the ball burst open with a flash of white light, and the Eevee appeared at their feet. It scampered quickly into a dark hallway they hadn't noticed before.
"What just happened?" the teenager asked. No one said anything.
"Eevee tells me I finally have visitors," an aged masculine voice said from the hallway, startling everyone. The Eevee came running back into the room and hopped up onto the table with a cheerful cry. "I was wondering when someone's heart would be open enough to see me, and believe in what I represent."
"Who are you?" the woman asked apprehensively, stepping in front of the other four as if to guard them.
"I'm getting to that," the gray-haired man said with a peaceful smile. "To have four of you at once is such a blessing; this generation seems to have closed off their hearts. They are afraid to dream, to imagine. This age's technology has bound them as it has freed them. They are obsessed with information, and terrified of the unknown.
"My name is Professor Samuel Oak. I study Pokémon, or, more specifically, how they live and interact in the wild and in domestication. I can see from your expressions that you do not believe me; that is fine, for now. However, the proof is right in front of you, and I know for a couple of you, that is more than enough. Isn't that right Eevee?" the man finished. The Eevee bounced up and down on the table excitedly, squeaking its name. The man frowned in concern as he stared at the group. "I honestly hadn't counted on there being more than three of you, however."
"How did you know we were coming at all?" the older brunette asked suspiciously, moving around the twin girl and pushing her behind him. Both twins gave him an annoyed glance.
"We have a special machine that finds hearts that resonate with ours, potential Trainers," the man explained patiently. He gave the twins a searching look, and asked, "Are you two identical twins, then?"
"Yes," the boy said, watching the Eevee with wide-eyed curiosity.
"That explains it then, though it also adds to our research," Professor Oak said to himself. "According to the machine's readings, I brought only enough Pokémon for three beginning Trainers, though I always carry extra Pokédexes. I had information on an older male, a teenage boy, and a girl between both their ages."
The male twin's face fell.
"What is this machine exactly? How does it work?" the teenager asked irritably, giving the twin a sympathetic look.
"One of the professors wears a special harness and helmet that analyzes brain waves and certain properties of the heart. The machine searches the whole world trying to find those receptive enough to believe, those that fit within those wave levels and properties," Oak explained.
"So it's kind of like Professor Xavier's machine to find other mutants then?" the girl asked. This seemed to satisfy her twin and the brunette. The teenager, however, was still giving the professor a decidedly upset look.
"I don't care how many people it finds, I'm not going anywhere unless we all can go, and that includes both of my cousins," he said fiercely.
'Absolute loyalty,' the professor thought admirably.
"I would expect nothing different. From any of you," Oak said, giving them each a brief stare, as if inspecting them. The boy twin and brunette both narrowed their eyes at him.
"I can take Eevee," the twin spoke up suddenly. The Pokémon mewled cheerfully and rubbed its head against his arm.
Professor Oak watched them and nodded.
"That does seem like quite a fine idea," he said. "Why don't the five of you come to the back, and we can discuss things further?"
They all looked to the woman. She nodded her head after a moment.
"You don't seem too suspicious. But know that if something happens, you will regret it," she growled, and started walking towards the dark hallway.
"I don't disbelieve you," Oak said cheerfully, and led them all through the short hall and straight back into what appeared to be a small library, with large bookshelves lining the walls, and a long table in the center. There was a lit fireplace in the back of the room, giving it a cozy appearance, although it seemed out of place in the building. On the table sat three Poké Balls. Professor Oak strode behind the table, and gestured grandly to the three Balls. "These here are you potential partners, should you choose to accept them, and what comes with them."
"What comes with them?" the girl asked nervously.
"With these Pokémon comes a journey, into the world of Pokémon," the professor said with a wistful look. "It is a world not too different than this one, although it also has its differences, Pokémon notwithstanding."
"Where is it?" the teenager asked, his brow furrowed.
"That is difficult to explain. It lies on a different plane of existence than your own," the professor said.
"How the hell do we get there?" the brunette asked, finally getting as excited as the other three.
"I carry with me a special gateway, made with the powers of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina," Oak said. "It opens for 15, and only 15, minutes, once every year."
"So this is our only chance to go then?" the girl asked, even more nervous.
"I'm afraid so. The gateway will activate itself at 7 PM tomorrow evening, if I haven't already activated it myself before then." Oak took a small silver cube out of his white lab coat pocket and held it up to show them.
"What happens if they say no?" the woman asked. The teenager gave his mom a betrayed and hurt expression.
Professor Oak sighed gravely and dropped the gateway cube back into his pocket, and said, "Then their knowledge of this meeting will be erased. As far as they would remember and care, nothing out of the ordinary would have happened today."
"And if we say yes?" the teenager asked angrily, glaring at his mom stubbornly. She closed her eyes and frowned, knowing he would never change his mind once he'd made it up.
"Then you will leave here with your Pokémon and Pokédexes, after filling out all the paperwork for your Trainer IDs. Tomorrow, I will arrive at the designated gateway location, which is typically one of the Trainers' houses, with your IDs, badge cases, and ribbon cases. We will then enter the gateway, and you will begin your journeys. Which path you choose to follow, however, is entirely up to you," Oak explained, giving them each a proud look.
"What about food? Money? Shelter?" the teenager's mom and twins' aunt asked in a rush of anxious fury. "What if something happens?"
"All excellent questions. Each Trainer is given a set amount of Pokédollars each week to pay for food, and, occasionally, shelter. Winning battles and contests earns them extra money, sometimes from the Pokémon League Federation in the case of battles, or from the Contest Hall they won at in the case of contests. Pokémon Centers have free rooms for all Trainers, and most Trainers choose to camp in tents and sleeping bags between each Center. In larger cities, there are also hotels. And, for Trainers that choose to begin a life in our world, there are many homes, condos, and ranches available throughout the region. Money can also be made through a wide variety of jobs, including breeding and training others' Pokémon, though that is a path not many choose to take, the one of the Pokémon Breeder."
"And if they run out of money and food before the week is up?" she demanded.
"Our world is filled with berry plants, all fruiting with large, nonpoisonous berries. There are also soup kitchens dotting the region for this very region. This is also the region that Trainers are paid weekly rather than monthly, or even every two weeks; they are commonly young people, and more likely to spend the money all in one go, and so this teaches them to be conservative. They also have accounts reserved for them, and they are given cards to access their money. If they have extra money at the end of a week, they are allowed to keep it and save up for things. Pokémon Centers have free meals for Trainers that stay there as well," Professor Oak explained happily, not missing a beat.
The woman calmed down, seeming satisfied.
"What if we wanna visit though?" the girl asked softly. Her aunt gave her a one armed hug from the side.
"Another excellent question! Your Pokédexes function as a single-person gateway, though it will only transport you back and forth twice a month each," Oak said kindly. "The money from our world translates roughly to 75% of your world's currency, though only after a Trainer has earned at least four Badges, or has received three Super-rank ribbons, or five Normal-rank ribbons, all in different classes, if a Trainer chooses to participate in contests rather than Gym battles."
"So our journeys won't mean nothing in this world when, or if, we decide to eventually come back if we have money accrued?" her twin asked, his eyes glittering.
"Exactly," Professor Oak grinned, "Now note that in the case that you do accept my offer, we do not use the real names of anyone that changes worlds. You will each have an identity that is all your own while you are in the Pokémon world, names of your choosing. It can be anything, appropriate of course."
The girl smirked, looked at her twin sheepishly, and said, "My name is Blue, and I accept."
Her twin immediately stepped up to her side and chuckled, "Then that makes me Red, I guess. I also accept."
The brunette gave Red an irritated look that went unnoticed, and said, "I'm Sora. I accept."
Finally, ignoring the look his mom shot him, the teenager stepped forward and said firmly, "I am Brendan, and I accept."
The Eevee shot forward from behind them and perched itself on Red's shoulder with a joyful cry.
Professor Oak laughed, and said, "It seems that Eevee is happy with his new Trainer."
"Well, that's great," Red giggled as Eevee's ears tickled his cheek. "Do you like the name Sasuke?"
"Oh no," Blue facepalmed. At a questioning glance from both Brendan's mom and Professor Oak, she said, "He has the tendency to name things after his favorite anime characters."
"So do you!" Brendan cried with an amused expression.
"Yeah, well...," Blue trailed off, rolling her eyes.
Sasuke, meanwhile, seemed to love his new name. Professor Oak handed Red his Pokédex, and told him, "Once you have registered Eevee in your Pokédex, there is nothing else preventing yours from getting mixed up with everyone else's, as you have not yet received your Trainer IDs. I extend the same warning to the rest of you."
Blue, Brendan, and Sora all nodded.
"Doesn't it seem a little unfair that we're going into the Pokémon world with an advantage over the Trainers that are born there? I mean, Pokémon is extremely widely known here, and nearly everything is known about them, down to the smallest detail, by nearly everyone that plays...," Blue said with a concerned frown.
"The gateway takes away all knowledge of our world but the very basics; it essentially puts you at the level of what a Trainer of your age and caliber would know once you are there, the same as every other Trainer there," Professor explained. The others looked faintly disturbed, but nodded anyways. "You will lose no other knowledge, not to worry. Now come, and choose your Pokémon!"
All three of the Poké Balls burst open and once, an each revealed a different Pokémon. Each one seemed just as pleased to see the new Trainers, however.
"Since you all, for now, have knowledge of these three, as you pointed out, Blue, I'll just introduce them as Treecko, Mudkip, and Torchic—the starters typically given away by Professor Birch of Hoenn!" Professor Oak said.
"Blue was the first to accept, so she should be the first to pick," Brendan said, even though it meant he would be the last to choose his partner.
"How noble," Professor Oak noted. "A wise idea, however. Blue, go ahead."
"Treecko," Blue said without hesitation. The green and red bipedal lizard strode up to her, smirking. It crossed its arms over its red chest and pounded the floor lightly with its thick, dark green tail. Professor Oak handed her its Poké Ball and a Pokédex, which she used to scan the Treecko.
"Number 252: Treecko, the wood gecko Pokémon. The soles of its feet are covered by countless tiny spikes, which enable it to walk on walls and on ceilings. Type: grass. Level: five. This particular specimen is male, with a hasty nature," the Pokédex said in its robotic voice.
"At level five, he should only know pound and leer," Blue said absently. Treecko stared at her, his big yellow reptilian eyes expectant. "Is the name Dredd okay with you?"
"Treecko" Dredd nodded. They watched as Sora stepped up to choose next.
"Torchic?" he said hesitantly. The small red-orange chick stepped up over to him, seemed just as uncertain as is new Trainer, and appraised him suspiciously. Professor Oak wordlessly handed him a Pokédex and Torchic's Poké Ball. Sora mimicked Blue and scanned Torchic.
"Number 255: Torchic, the chick Pokémon. A fire burns inside, so it feels very warm to hug. It launches fireballs of 1,800 F. Type: fire. Level: five. This particular specimen is male, with a lonely nature," his Pokédex droned.
"I'm not good with names," Sora grumbled.
"How about Terra?" Blue suggested. Torchic gazed at her, and then Sora.
"What do you think?" Sora asked the orange feathered Pokémon. Torchic nodded his head, and tapped the center button on his Poké Ball with head beak, disappearing into it with a red beam of light.
"Guess Terra really does have a lonely nature," Blue said, and got a dry look from Sora. "Guess that leaves you and Mudkip, Brendan."
"Yeah," Brendan said absentmindedly, watching the light blue mud fish, who seemed to revel in the attention, waving the large fins on its head and tail back and forth.
"Are you gonna stare at it all day or take your Pokédex from Professor Oak?" Red said impatiently. Brendan jumped, and seemed almost surprised at the Professor standing next to him, holding out the handheld red machine and Mudkip's Poké Ball.
"Thanks," he said sheepishly as he took them and scanned Mudkip.
"Number 258: Mudkip, the mud fish Pokémon. To alert it, the fin on its head senses the flow of water. It has the strength to heft boulders. Type: water. Level: five. This particular specimen is male, with a brave nature," the voice buzzed. The water Pokémon seemed to have gained confidence hearing the Pokédex, and began dancing around Brendan's feet, swatting at his ankles with his tail fin playfully.
"Is it all right if I call you Crash, boy?" Brendan asked tentatively. Mudkip's excitement grew even further, and Blue thought fleetingly that the mud fish would probably keep dancing in anticipation and happiness even if Brendan called it ugly, not that he ever would. With a short amused sigh, he returned Crash. Blue did the same to Dredd, and the three of them looked to Red expectantly. He quickly held up his own Pokédex and scanned Sasuke.
"Number 133: Eevee, the evolution Pokémon. Because its genetic makeup is irregular, it quickly changes its form due to a variety of causes. Type: normal. Level: five. This particular specimen is male, with a lonely nature," the voice droned again. Everyone looked at the small red machine in shock.
"That bundle of hyperactive overexcited fur has a lonely nature?" Brendan asked in disbelief.
"Some Pokémon probably tend to hide their natures early on. Just like people react to some of their own situations very differently. Kind of like how Red and I each handled our depression very differently. He fought it, and immediately went to other people, and I hid it so no one knew it, until Red ratted me out," Blue said wisely. "They can hide it until it becomes too much, too. Hopefully Sasuke doesn't do that."
"I hope so too," Red said with a concerned look, and recalled the chipper Eevee, who didn't seem aware that he was being talked about.
"Exactly, Blue; some Pokémon act the way that they think will best attract a mate or Trainer. Some fully embrace their nature," Professor Oak said. "Of course, some Pokémon don't care what anyone thinks about them or their behavior."
"How do their natures affect stat growth exactly?" Blue asked. Brendan seemed just as interested, while Red and Sora gave her blank looks. "I can understand some of them, like how my hasty Treecko will be faster than usual, and how a serious Pokémon will train itself totally and diligently, and how a brave Pokémon would focus on attacking and less on other stats, but many don't make much sense."
"That's a question many breeders strive to answer. In this world, a phony chart was grafted for natures and how they affect stat growth. Some are correct, like the you just mentioned. However, some are indeed inaccurate. For example, Pokémon with a lonely nature are assumed to have a lesser defense. However, it is actually their special defense that is lacking, due to what can best be described as a lowered immunity to certain attacks, as lonely Pokémon tend to avoid interaction with other Pokémon," Professor Oak said.
"Really...," Blue murmured.
"And that, my friends, was the moment Blue decided she was going to be a Pokémon Breeder," Red said dramatically.
"Shut up Red," Blue snapped, but smiled anyways.
"Then I wish you luck, Blue," Oak smiled as well. "A mistake most breeders make is not having any sort of background or history that doesn't involve breeding, they earn no respect from other Trainers that would be potential customers. I recommend that you collect badges and challenge many Trainers before you begin; people will recognize that you have battle knowledge and have competent training abilities, as well as experience. They will also acknowledge that any Pokémon you breed will be worth their time to train."
Blue's face was mysterious for a moment, and Sora gave her a dark look that she didn't see.
"That's what I'll do then! I'll battle my way up as high as I can go before I start a ranch," Blue decided. Sora's dark look deepened before it disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"We're all starting from scratch when we get there too," he said with a faint smile.
"Exactly," Blue agreed with a knowing look. "Professor, will we all know that the knowledge was taken?"
"Yes," Professor Oak affirmed distractedly, watching Sora worriedly. "It's a sort of amnesia; you will be aware that something is missing from your mind, but it will be missing, inaccessible."
"Some people eventually recover from amnesia though," Sora said questioningly, a strange edge to his voice.
"That's because amnesia is typically caused by a wound in the brain, damaged brain cells," Professor Oak said. "This gateway sends impulses to the brain that influence-"
"-the center of the brain that controls memory to discard them and label them as unnecessary," Blue cut in with a gleam in her eyes. Everyone looked at her oddly, and she blushed. "I look up random things on the internet; you all know this. I just happened to be looking up hypnotism, and ways of handling or helping severe trauma victims."
"What a dork," Sora said monotonously, as if he were torn between two tones. Blue frowned at him, almost feeling hurt.
"She's like the mage of the group!" Red said cheerfully.
"That almost sounds like a drug," Sora said blankly, "Or a spice."
"That's sage," Brendan said, rolling his eyes. Sora glared at him, crossed his arms, and huffed angrily.
"A mage is a magic user," Red told Sora. "Weak defensively, and not very good at physically attacking, but amazing at magic. Sometimes fast, and typically are pretty small or frail-looking."
Blue glared at him about the analysis, and Sora snorted.
"Brendan and I are knights or soldiers, Blue is a sage, and Sora is closest to a berzerker, though right now he'd be a pretty good bard."
"I don't know what that means, but I'm pretty sure I was just insulted," Sora said in confusion as Blue laughed quietly. "And I know that sage is a spice. Knights are obvious."
"Berzerkers are really strong but have no control, bards are virtually useless unless you want to turn someone into a frog," Blue said, "And sages are powerful mages that can use black, white, and summoning magic."
Sora looked at her blankly.
"Final Fantasy," she said simply, and he sad, "oh."
"We should buy stuff for traveling instead of back to school stuff mom," Brendan said impatiently, bored with the conversation.
"Probably," his mom said lowly, "What time will they leave tomorrow?"
"Well they've already accepted and the gateway activates itself at seven tomorrow night," Professor Oak explained. "They can leave anytime they want between now and then, once their Trainer IDs have been created."
"We have shopping to do then. Come on, guys," she told them. "And keep your Pokémon put away! Thank you Professor Oak."
With that, she hurried to the front of the building and out of the door.
"She's just upset that we're leaving, and going so far away," Blue told Oak.
"Oh," he responded uncertainly, and handed her a slip of paper, "Well give her this then; it's my contact information, should she need to speak with me before tomorrow. You four will also be receiving items then, such as a PokéGear and special bags that hold an endless amount of items, TM case, berry bags, and things of that nature."
"How do the bags hold so much?" Blue asked.
"Powers from Palkia," the professor said. "He only visits once every year, and space cotton grows only where a time storm occurs around where he stays for exactly 24 hours, and it must be harvested in that time window before they wilt and become powerless. Anything made with that special cotton has neverending depths, and can hold an endless amount of things, such as the bags our crafters make."
"Can we choose colors?" Blue asked curiously.
"Of course! You should do so before you leave now, that way our crafters will have them ready tomorrow. We always have a stock of time cotton waiting to be dyed and woven," Professor Oak said, and took out order forms and a pen.
"I want a single-strap backpack in cerulean," Blue said.
"Just a normal backpack in dark red," Red shrugged, "We have to carry these things far and a lot."
"Same thing as Blue, but in green," Brendan said.
"Same here but purple," Sora echoed. Brendan choked back a laugh.
"Well this should make our crafters happy," Professor Oak said, writing everything down. "They've grown rather tired of messenger and drawstring bags lately, so I daresay they will take extra care in making your bags."
"Isn't that kind of unprofessional?" Brendan asked.
"Many people would say so, however, when people have pride in their work and what they produce, they would much rather be more professional with other professionals." At Brendan's blank look, he continued, "They prefer to cater to serious Trainers rather than kids that simply want to have an endless bag to cart around their entire house so they never have to worry about working or enduring hardship as they travel, as these are also usually the same ones that end up quitting after a few badges."
"That makes sense," Brendan admitted.
They all jumped when his mom yelled from the front, "Come on guys!"
"We'll see you tomorrow, Professor Oak!" Blue said as they left, the other three calling out various 'goodbyes'. They followed the woman outside. "Calm down Aunt Marie. Here's Oak's contact information. He said you could call him or whatever between now and tomorrow if you needed to."
"I wish you guys weren't leaving," she replied tearfully, her voice thick.
"I'm going ahead, I'll meet you guys in rue21," Brendan snapped, and stomped ahead.
"We can call all the time Aunt Marie. And we can visit twice a month," Blue said anxiously; this was relatively normal for her. "Think of it as us going away for college, only you'll see us more than if we did that even."
"I guess," her aunt sighed. "You guys better actually call and visit. Call me every day. I don't want to lie in bed wondering if you got eaten by a monster Pokémon or something."
"We will, Aunt Marie, don't worry," Red said, mentally sighing in relief.
'It was probably the college remark that got to her,' he thought. 'And this really could lead to a good career, after all...'
"So what would you want to do in that world, Red?" Blue asked, giving her twin a curious look, as if reading his mind.
"I'm thinking about just challenging the Gyms for now," he shrugged. "I've never really thought about it for obvious reasons, but I don't think I want to do something that centers around battles so much, and not the Pokémon themselves and how they perform. A battle is always about who can knock the other out."
"Well what about contests?" Blue pointed out. "They focus on all sorts of things, depending on what contest you enter and how you raise and pamper a Pokémon."
"Maybe," Red murmured, lost in thought.
"What about you Sora?" Blue asked the brunette, who was trailing behind them, staring at the pavement.
"I want to be the Champion," he answered right away, not looking up. Blue nodded and kept walking up to the store.
Red gave his twin a nervous look. It seemed everyone knew she was better than Sora but herself. Red gulped and scratched at his right wrist habitually; he wondered if Blue would step aside for Sora during the Pokémon League challenge, if it came to that? Everyone also knew about Sora's inferiority complex, and cruel way of finding things to say to Blue that convinced her to throw even a simple link battle over their game systems. Would Blue hold back her entire life, everything that she was, just so Sora could succeed at something? Red had to admit that Sora was actually pretty good; he had nearly always beaten him and Brendan. But none of them had ever legally beaten Blue, not even her own boyfriend. Red silently hoped that hopefully at least he would be able to break his girlfriend's habit of shielding her best friend from reality.
Red sighed; he was beginning to get a rather ominous feeling.
He thought about what Professor Oak had said about the gateway sealing off their knowledge; would they really all be on equal ground? He grew even more uneasy as they walked, and looked at Blue, who Sora had caught up to and was now walking with.
Then he walked right into a small electric carousel; he hadn't even been paying attention to where he was walking. He groaned quietly and massaged his knees where he had hit the metal.
"Uh, Red?" Blue called behind him; they'd entered the store right next to him. "The store's right here brother."
Red blinked; Blue calling him "brother" meant they were going to have a long talk later. He pinched the bridge of his nose and followed his twin back into the store.
"Why the douche store?" Red sighed.
"Explains why you shop here, ass," Red glowered at Sora as he stepped back over to them. Blue gave Sora the same look, and Red fought the urge to laugh; they were twins, after all. Sora gave her a confused look, and Red rolled his eyes. "Anyways, Brendan thinks for our outfits we should have four or five copies of the same outfit, so we aren't wearing the same clothes for days on end, or even weeks. What do you think?"
Blue appeared to think for a brief moment.
"I think it's a good idea," she said. "Trainers usually get known for what they're seen in most often, and recognized for their outfits. We should prepare for all kinds of weather though. Get a hoodie or two-"
"-or five," Red joked, and Blue glared at him. "Sorry"
"As I was saying. A hoodie or two, four or five copies of an outfit for each season, a heavier coat for the snow, plus a hat and gloves, plus boots. Tennis shoes and sandals if you think you'll wear them in the changing seasons. We'll be doing a lot of walking, obviously. Maybe a few pairs of slippers-"
"Why slippers?" Red cut in again.
"I will kill you Red," Blue said easily and continued. "Do you want to walk around a campground in the middle of nowhere, potentially in the woods with twigs and sticks, at night? Without having to keep taking your shoes off and putting them back on, or would you rather just do it barefoot?"
"Oh," Red said meekly. "Never mind, I'll be quiet now."
"Thank you," Blue chuckled, "We should also get electric lanterns and flashlights, the ones that you can shake to recharge the batteries—yes they do work, Red, so hush!-sunglasses, hats for when it's sunny or drizzly, toiletries, since we'll pretty much always have access to some kind of water, we can get collapsible bikes when we get there, one big multi-room tent, coolers or cooler bags, portable heaters, sleeping bags and air mattresses, and an air pump, and we can probably have a water Pokémon fill them up too."
Blue stopped with a thoughtful expression.
"Maybe bathing suits too; I can imagine we will be in the water at some point," she added. "We can get sun block there, most likely."
She paused again.
"I think that should be fine for now," she told them, quickly typing the list into her phone and sliding it closed. "We can get nearly everything here in the outlets, and there's a sporting goods store nearby, plus a Kmart nearby for anything else we can't find. We should also get pajamas, cause I for one know I don't want to walk in on either Brendan or Sora naked or shirtless or the other way around."
Sora gave her a strange look.
"What about Red?" he asked her, suddenly irritated.
"What about him?" Blue gave him a blank look.
"You're not worried about seeing him naked or shirtless?" Sora asked.
Blue and Red looked at each other, and back at Sora.
"I don't exactly go out of my way to see him naked, and I don't change in front of him or anything, but if I need help when I'm sick or hurt then he's one of the only two I'm going to trust. I've been around him since the day we were born, and we have never not shared a room," Blue said, not understanding the problem.
"If we can't trust each other, identical twins, essentially the same person, then who can we trust?" Red added, not understanding either. "Besides, I am, as you are completely aware, entirely not about the cervix. I like penis. Not yours though, sorry."
Blue gave her twin an amused look.
"You've been listening to Blood on the Dance Floor again, haven't you?" she asked him, shaking her head.
"Only a few songs," Red said defensively. "Besides, just look at Jayy Von, he's just so..."
He shivered and "unf'ed", earning a strange look from everyone but Blue, who was used to her twin's antics.
"That was the gayest thing I've ever seen you do Red, and I live with you," Brendan laughed as he walked by. They all pointedly ignored the pair of teenage boys that were talking in hushed tones behind a clothes rack nearby and occasionally sneering in Red's direction. Brendan gave them a dark look, and Blue sneaked off. He looked around, not seeing her anywhere in the store. "Where did Blue go?"
Red hushed him and motioned with his eyes towards the teenagers. Brendan followed his gaze and watched as she seemingly materialized behind the boys, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. He gulped; Blue could be downright terrifying when she wanted to be, and always managed to personally threaten or insult someone, even if she'd never seen them before in her life. Brendan could only describe her as she described herself: the perfect image of a Slytherin.
They all watched as she leaned forward slightly and said something quietly to the two, and they snickered and replied. It was clearly not what she wanted to hear, as she uncrossed her arms and put her hands in her pockets, and a smirk slowly spread across her face. They gulped as they watched, and slowly moved out of the path of the door; it was only a matter of seconds before the boys ran for their lives. Red watched with morbid satisfaction as the color drained from the boys' faces and they made in insane dash for the door, one of them calling over their shoulder, "Fuck you, and your faggot-ass brother too, skank!" as he ran.
Blue immediately looked over at Red, whose face had crumpled; he could feel the corners of his mouth twitching and his throat became sore as he fought off the urge to cry. That's how it had always had been; Blue, who trusted no one and said almost nothing unless provoked, but also grew stronger under pressure and was seemingly unaffected by insults and what she called "petty words", and Red, who was always open and friendly, had no enemies, but shattered on negative criticism and bullying, even the smallest insult. They'd earned a plethora of nicknames from people they knew, and somehow, even people they didn't. Names likes SasukeandNaruto (always in the same breath, since they were, almost literally, always together), AllenandKanda (though it was becoming Moyashi and Bakanda for some reason), and once, they'd even gotten called Tate and Liza, though no one could ever come to the agreement on which twin was who.
Their childhoods were different, their personalities where the exact opposite of how they turned out.
Despite how prone they could have been to relentless bullying in their area, being that they were small (even now they were barely five feet tall) and generally fragile in appearance, docile in some behaviors, they received a general level of respect and warmth from their community; some were merely of afraid of Red and his unusual connections back then, but most had grown up with the twins, and had a level of protectiveness and fondness over the two, although it was mostly Blue they protected while they were growing up. Once they got to high school and moved with their mother, they had experiences with both sides of society that scarred them; Blue became colder, lost her childish softness and fears, became more distant, and shattered more severely, and Red... he communicated with no one but his twin.
Blue moved over to her brother and flicked him in the forehead, earning strange looks from Sora and Brendan. Red looked up at her with a teary smile, grabbed her hand, and followed her to the nearest display rack of shirts.
"I don't understand what just happened," Sora said dumbly.
Brendan gave him a dry look.
"You don't understand a lot of things," he said, and joined his two cousins.
"Fuck you Brendan," Sora said simply, and followed him.
2 hours later
By the time they had finished shopping, it was starting to get chilly out. Blue had taken a look outside and decided that they had gotten more than enough for the journey... for now at least.
"You can tell autumn is coming," she said to Red, who was standing next to her, looking through the window as well, a matching thoughtful expression on his face.
"One of the best seasons, too," Red said with a ghost of a smile.
Blue smiled back and led him to the van, where Sora and Brendan were waiting for the twins' aunt.
"She's not with you guys?" Brendan groaned. They'd been at the sporting goods store for about an hour, and to be honest none of them were entirely sure what Brendan's mother could have been buying for herself there.
"She was paying for something, so we walked out," Red told him.
"What could she possibly be buying?" Brendan wondered with a sigh.
"We didn't even look," Blue shrugged. "We just saw her talking to a guy at the register.
Brendan sighed again and looked towards the store, where his mom was exiting with two large bags.
"What the hell?" Blue said, looking at her aunt with a shocked expression.
Marie went to the very back of the van and deposited the bags, not saying a word to any of them. She then got into the driver's seat and sat quietly, staring out through the windshield and not doing anything else. Brendan gave her a concerned look, and no one said anything.
After about a minute of silence, Brendan said, "What was that, mom?"
His mom gave him a surprised look, as if she had forgotten he was there.
"Never you mind yet," she said roughly, and started the van. It wasn't until a half hour later that anyone realized that she said 'yet'.
[break]
Blue sat staring at the piles of clothes and supplies in front of her. She'd arranged and rearranged everything three times already, and was resisting the impulse to do it again. Red walking in, winced, and sat next to her.
"Grandma and grandpa aren't that upset," he told her. "Paul said he has something stuff for us, but since he wouldn't be able to make it over by the time we left, he'd leave it with grandpa to give us when we visit, but only for you, Brendan, and me."
"Not Sora?" Blue asked. Sora had been on the phone with his mom for nearly an hour since they got back, explaining where he was going; she was taking it rather hard.
Red nodded.
"He was specific and adamant on that; us three, and us three only," he said, and looked up at Brendan, who had just walked in, his eyes red-rimmed; no matter how happy he was about the journey, he was still going to miss their family, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud to everyone else.
"Grandpa needs to talk to Red and me," he told them. Red looked surprised; the last time their grandfather had sat them down, it was to tell them their grandmother's cancer had returned and that their Aunt Marie's twin was going back to California. But he had included Blue with that...
"Okay," Red said uncertainly, casting a confused look Blue's way and following Brendan into the main living in the front of the house, where their grandfather was waiting on the couch with a small box sitting next to him.
"You two, come sit down for a minute," he motioned to the large loveseat across the room, and ran a hand through his thinning gray and white hair.
"What did we do?" Red asked dumbly, and their grandpa laughed; he and Blue had always said this when they were summoned by one of their family members.
Grandpa became serious again, and sighed.
"I need to talk to you two about something," he said. "I'm sure you already noticed that Blue wasn't included in this. There is a reason."
"Is there something wrong?" Brendan asked.
"Well... not wrong," the old man heaved a sigh again. "Just... you two, you need to protect her. Blue may be tough with words, and more than articulate enough to talk her way out of most arguments, but she's still just as fragile, just a physically capable in a fight as any other girl, any other small, short girl. I'm not trying to be sexist or discriminating, but there are something things that a man should never let a woman suffer, and life-or-death fights are one of them."
"Okay," Red nodded to the cardboard box, "What's up with the box then?"
Their grandfather smiled wistfully at the box and moved it to his lap.
"My grandfather passed this on to my brother and I when we took our younger sister out on a journey, not unlike your own, and much in the same way that I am now passing it onto you," he explained.
"You've been into that world?" Red gasped. Their grandpa watched them curiously and carefully.
"A very long time ago. My brother, sister, and I all chose the same path you are all taking now," he told them. "We didn't make it very far, of course; in those days, only the truly serious and fanatic made it in that world, and most usually lost interest after being away from home for too long. It seems these days most of the new Trainers just bring home with them, however. They don't know how to rough it, and chances are they won't have to."
"Why didn't you every say anything?" Brendan asked, his eyes on the box.
"I didn't need to; I fueled your guys' interest in these creatures all your lives. You grandma too; that's where I met her the first time," grandpa admitted. "Of course, I never imagined I'd grow up, join the Air Force, and run into her again in this world. We couldn't explain to anyone how we'd met once before already, so no one knew that we knew each other before that day."
"Wait, why couldn't you tell anyone that you met in the Pokémon world, grandpa?" Red asked, tilting his head.
"That's the rule of both worlds; you don't speak of that world to anyone that doesn't know of it already. There's a special symbol those people use in our world, and you'll learn it when you cross over tomorrow," their elder explained with a grim face. "If people here learned found out this world existed, everyone would be searching for the hidden labs. The Pokémon world isn't meant for just anybody. It needs the pure-hearted people that are willing to see what isn't always there, because these Trainers are leaders, born to take this path. And so it must be kept secret."
"What about our Pokémon if we visited here though?" Brendan asked, looking at the minimized Poké Ball in his hand. In it, Crash was curled up and sleeping soundly. "We can't just keep them locked up the entire time, especially when they have to eat or play."
"They can only come out of their Poké Balls in the safety of our homes, you may carry the Poké Balls as openly or discreetly as you likely, since only other people with the symbol can see them in this world," grandpa said. He dug around the box momentarily, and pulled out two small, round stones, one black and one white. They looked oddly familiar...
"Reshiram and Zekrom?" Red cried out, suddenly terrified.
Their grandfather nodded sagely, handling the stones like glass eggs.
"They chose our ancestors in Romania long ago to protect them in their slumber; they do not waken unless someone is in desperate need of them, however, it must be an act of protection for someone else. That is why our family has been chosen subsequently through the generations for this journey," he told them, suddenly seeming much older as he handed the black stone to Brendan, and the white to Red, who regarded it apprehensively.
"I'm not sure I trust the idea of having a massive, white, furry, fire-breathing dragon so close at hand, fire-breathing or otherwise," he said, giving the warm white stone a worried look. "But, I can be brave as long as I can finally protect Blue myself for a change; she's helped me for so long, and I haven't been able to do anything for her. Now it's my turn."
"You embrace the truth with your heart, and accept it with your being," a deep voice echoed through the room approvingly; Red and Brendan looked alarmed, while their grandfather merely smiled.
Brendan shook his head and pocketed the dark stone right away, if only to stop the tingling in his hands.
"Me too, Red. And I think protecting Blue is worth any risk, no matter how much of one these stones present, and regardless of the costs," he said gruffly, looking at his cousin. "I don't need to know anything about them, or what will happen if we need them. All I need to know is that she will be safe, and they'll protect her when we need them too. …Especially since she never tells me anything herself anyways. She won't have to."
"You know your situation and find your ideals within them regardless," a booming, raspy voice echoed in the same tone as the other voice. Again, Red and Brendan shared a nervous look, and their grandfather nodded.
"You two need to be very careful," he warned them. "If the two dragons are speaking to you two already, then there must be some sort of threat coming your way in the future."
"You say that with such a straight face, grandpa," Red deadpanned.
"When you've seen the things I have, you grow a sort of tolerance for shock," he said cryptically. "Remind me to tell you the story of my own journey when you're all here again."
It was silent for a moment until Brendan's mom walked in.
"You two get Blue and come here," she said, and walked out again without even a glance in her father's direction.
Red hastily put the white stone in his pocket as they walked back into Red and Blue's shared room, where Blue was lying with Dredd on her stomach. The wood gecko looked up as they came in and glared.
"Treecko...," the Pokémon grumbled and returned to his Poké Ball.
Red looked behind him and noticed Sora stepping up to the doorway as well. He frowned; was it them or Sora that the Treecko was glaring at? He shook his head and looked back up at Blue, who was looking at her Poké Ball in confusion.
"Blue," he called. "Aunt Marie wants us. Just you, Brendan, and me."
He added the last part only for Sora to hear; he was suddenly extremely distrustful of the brunette, and didn't want him near his twin. Blue, on the other hand, didn't seem to have noticed her Pokémon's odd behavior. She followed them into their aunt's bedroom, where she was waiting near her bed with the large bags from earlier.
"Is this where you tell us what the hell you bought?" Brendan said brusquely, earning a dry look from his mother.
"Keep going like that, and I'm going to tell Oak to limit your funds to necessities only," Marie said, and Brendan fell silent.
She nodded and dug through the first bag, and pulled out a long, sheathed hunting knife. Brendan jumped back and gave her a disturbed glance.
"What the fuck, mom?" he asked hysterically, giving the knife a dark look.
"Watch your fucking language!" she hissed at him, holding the knife out.
"No, mom, we are a bit beyond that now, you just gave me a knife that could kill a fucking horse," Brendan said through his teeth.
Marie gave him a searching look and pursed her lips.
"I called Professor Oak with that number you gave me from him and asked what real survival gear I should be getting, that would be acceptable and appropriate for their world," she said. "He said that not many Trainers take that into consideration, that you will have to hunt for food when you aren't near a town or city, that once you have all this knowledge taken from you, you'll see few Pokémon as the residents there do, as we see some ordinary animals as here."
Red and Brendan were quiet, and Blue turned a faint shade of green.
"I think I'm going back to being a vegetarian," she said quietly.
"Tomorrow night you won't know any better," Brendan growled, took the knife, and stormed out of the room and down the hallway; they heard his bedroom door slam a few seconds later.
"Blue," Marie said softly. "The said they saw some sort of emblem when we walked in, and handed me this. They said, 'one of them will have trouble adjusting; someone always does'."
She handed Blue a large silver blender-like machine, with an odd tray attached to the bottom.
"What is it?" Blue asked blankly.
"You add berries to the blender, and it purees them and makes them into a berry version of mashed bananas; the tray has a pouch with a straw in it that the blender fills. You have to rinse it out every time you use it. You can take off the tray and put it into a bowl or cup, too," she explained, pointing out all the buttons. "Red, try to remember some of the buttons. You know she'll forget by later"
Blue wasn't offended by this comment; it was true, and nearly everyone that knew her knew that her short-term memory wasn't the greatest. Blue gingerly took the machine and stalked back to their room; now only Red was left. Marie pulled a dull black bow out of the second bag.
"I know that you used to be very interested in archery, and a prize-winning archer at that. This doesn't have to be for hunting only, even hunting at all. Professor Oak said that the arrows have to be bought in their world, however. Something about foreign materials poisoning the Pokémon," Marie explained, handing it to him.
Red took the bow nervously, and was surprised that he liked the weight. Usually it was difficult to find bows for him because he was smaller, and he couldn't stably hold a regulation weight bow. Many exception were made for him to compete, though, as the officials so eloquently put it, he was the "size and weight of a young girl". He always tried not to act too offended since he was, after all, being exempted from a rule.
"You and Brendan keep her safe," she said fiercely. "I'm not too worried about Brendan, he's tough. But Blue..."
She shook her head, not willing to say any more.
"Thank you," Red murmured, and went back to his twin, whose gaze became more interested at the sight of the bow.
"Same reason as Brendan," he told her before she could ask.
Nothing else really eventful happened that night; Sora was sullen and moody, Red was quiet and interacted only with Blue, who was even more quiet, and Brendan never came back out of his room. Even dinner was quiet, since everyone was too focused on the next day. Aunt Marie kept dropping things, grandpa didn't say anything or look at anyone, and their grandmother hadn't even wanted to get out of bed, though that could have partially been from her illness as well as their leaving the next day.
After dinner, Marie had quickly done the dishes and hurried off to bed without so much as a 'goodnight'. Brendan was long since passed out, Sora was asleep in Red's bed, and Red had invaded his twin's bed. Blue look up at him with bleary eyes when he crawled under the blanket, shaking.
"I thought you wanted to be out in the living room?" she asked him, her voice still thick with sleep; they hadn't shared a bed since they were 16 and Red refused to go in his room after a break-in that resulted in the slashing of his bed and loss of his computer. That was also the only time they had ever tried sleeping in separate rooms, and he took it as a bad omen.
"I'm scared," Red said softly, and Blue could tell that he had been crying. "I can't be alone."
Blue gave him a concerned look, her hazel eyes black in the darkness.
"Is it the nightmares again?" she asked, and felt his hair brush her cheek as he nodded.
"I know you've been having them again too, Blue," he stated.
Blue closed her eyes; the had had the same series of nightmares their entire lives, and nothing ever made them stop or go away until they relayed whatever message they were bringing. They never understood what they were saying though, and they'd puzzled even the clairvoyants living in town. It had gotten to a point where they weren't allowed near any psychic-inhabited buildings because the nightmares brought problems of their own. Blue shivered, pulling out of the memories.
"What do you think they want this time?" Red asked, half asleep.
"I don't know, go to sleep," Blue said, turning her back to him and hold onto a stuffed red fox.
"WE OVERSLEPT!" Brendan thundered as he ran into the room, waking them all up and sending Red into hysterical sobs. Blue glared at him, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Oops?"
"You're an ass, Brendan," Sora said irritably, his brown hair sticking up in every direction.
"At least I'm not a dick with a small one," Brendan snapped without looking at him; Sora stayed silent. "Guys, it's nearly 5:30."
No one moved.
"In the afternoon!" Brendan cried, and suddenly everyone was moving like they were on fire.
"How did we oversleep by that much!" Red gasped, breathless when they finally finished dressing and ran out into the living room, where Professor Oak was talking to their grandparents and Marie. He looked up as they ran in and smiled warmly.
"Looks as though a Musharna has been to visit you all," he greeted them cheerfully. "Someone must have been having bad dreams last night."
Blue and Red both looked down guiltily.
"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Oak chided them. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although, that it was a Musharna rather than a Hypno or even a Gengar is pretty unusual."
It was quiet as he thought for a few more seconds, then he jumped up and handed them each a small bundle. Inside each one was their freshly printed ID card, a badge box, a ribbon case, their bags, and Poke Gears that matched the colors of their bags. Blue immediately swiped her Trainer card through her Pokédex, which buzzed and cried "Welcome!" in a cheery robotic voice. Red looked over curiously and mimicked his twin; his Pokédex had a more masculine voice, as did Sora's and Brendan's.
"Good!" Professor Oak remarked. "Now, hurry and pack; we haven't got very much longer!"
Blue quickly handed each of them their respective piles; no one had had the heart to stop her fit of OCD the night before, and they knew organization would also be helpful. She then went off into own world of organization with her own pile, and then put her Trainer card into her badge box, which she stuck into the pocket of her white hoodie. Red had ironically, or purposely, chosen a black hoodie. Sora had chosen blue, and Brendan green. Once they had everything packed into their physic-defying bags and were ready to go, Professor Oak led them to the front door; they could see an odd, giant, metal circular gateway in the front yard.
"You three had better be careful," Red, Blue, and Brendan's grandma told them, ignoring Sora completely, her German accent heavier than usual. Their grandfather laid a hand on her shoulder and nodded at them. Brendan's mom had said her goodbyes earlier, telling them that she didn't want to be in the room when they left, and to call her the first chance they got. Blue and Red both hugged their grandparents tight, with Brendan saying goodbye anxiously and Sora hanging back awkwardly, shooting dark looks in the twins' direction occasionally. Professor Oak was watching him, a dark and concerned look of his own on his face, unnoticed by Sora or anyone else. The twins' grandfather, on the other hand, was glaring slightly at Sora.
"We'll let you know when we've settled for the night," Blue told them, and joined Professor Oak and Sora at the front door.
Red and Brendan exchanged a look with their grandfather before joining the rest of the small group at the door.
"Everyone ready?" Professor Oak asked. Red and Blue nodded, shifting their comfortably on their backs. Sora sighed impatiently, and Brendan just smiled.
The professor gave the elderly couple a respectful and happy nod, and led them outside to the gate, which was making a quiet whirring noise and giving off a faint blue glow. It made a piercing beeping noise, making them all jump except for Professor Oak. He motioned towards the glowing arch with one hand.
"You can go ahead and go through now, it's finished opening. It'll take you straight to my lab, where one of my aids will be waiting to give you your bank box information and your bank cards," he said, ushering them forward.
Sora was the first to go; he didn't even hesitate to step through the glowing barrier, and with a brief flash, he was gone. Brendan went next, pausing long enough to give the house a mixed look of regret, longing, and joy, and then stepping through as well. Red gave Blue a nervous look and held out his hand. Blue chuckled and took it.
"We came into this world together, I guess it'd make sense to leave that way as well," Blue murmured to him, and together, they walked into the light.
Wow, I just realized how much the end sounds like the twins are dying. Oops!
Ah well.
\All reviews are appreciated, as well as all readers, even if you don't review!