Well, I have actually taken on those long continuing journey stories. Yes, yes I know, it is out of my regular writing style but I am giving it a chance. This is going to be a good one. And yes I will be continuing Pokemon Spotlight, it's just that these sort of jobs are hard with a broken wrist and no internet connection. Well anyway, on with the story!
In a galaxy far, far away,… Hitler was just about to beat Mario in Beatles Rockband during the Moustache Olympics… Oh, wait wrong story…. Anyway here is the real one. Enjoy!
I never truly knew what it meant to want but not have. Let me refrain that, need but not have. Because we all want something and have all not been able to have it, like me before just now, but not being able to have something you need, like truly require are two different ball games, each with whole different kinds of players. But that might be going too far. Let us go to where this all started, and how it happened, then we can pick up from here and then move on. Shall we?
It was a cool, dark night in the summer. The sun had gone down about an hour ago and it was already dark out and cooler than usual. Not to mention the off shore breeze made the fast, silent winds make you even colder when you are wearing your short sleeved work uniform you wear in the back of some hot, stinky seafood restaurant you call your workplace and others call the kitchen. Anyway, I had just got done my shift at probably the worst seafood restaurant on this small couple miles long tourist trap some call an island. I was walking home on my usual path, the sands on the beach, right next to the ocean where the view of the moon was beautiful. The sea breeze was chilling the whole of my tired, weary body. Further down the beach I saw the shadow of a man, larger than me and sitting on the sand about 5 ft. from the furthest waves when they come inward. He was staring at the moon and writing in some sort of journal. I walked up to him and stood with him as we stared at the beauty of the dark night sky, and the full, bone white moon.
"Beautiful isn't it?" I asked, I was talking to a complete stranger but it didn't matter, the gorgeous sight just made it feel right.
"I can't believe I lived all these years up until now not being able to see this." the man replied not taking his eyes off the moon. The man had neat dark hair and sort of on the tall side. A small head, wearing glasses, was just like his other small ears, hands, and feet, making only his size make him seem strange.
"I know what you mean. You just need to see this once and it makes you lust for more." I said surprised at how smart I just sounded.
"That won't be a problem now because I will be able to see this every night until I die now." he said glancing at me.
"I don't think I know you, everyone sort of knows everyone else who lives on this island year round." I said.
"No, I just moved in today and I am here to stay… What's your name?" the man asked me getting up off the ground.
"Michael" I said sort of shivering, goose bumps covering my arms and legs. Working all day until now had completely fatigued me of my energy.
"And how old are you Michael?" the man said observing me.
"14 years old." I said.
"And how many do you have on this island, Michael?" the man said in a peculiar way almost as if he knew the answer.
"How many what, sir?" I asked confused.
"I want you to have a present." the man said.
"That won't be necessary, sir. Unless it is something that can keep me warm the next two miles until I get home, then don't bother, I'll be fine." I said kindly, actually really interested what this stranger could possibly have or want to give to another stranger like me.
"I insist you have it. You take this and tomorrow stop by 302 Sunset drive, ok." The man said putting my hands in his and handing off some sort of sphere to me.
"Ok." I said unconvinced.
"What is this anyway?" I asked.
The man took it back and threw it on the ground about five feet away from us on my side. Before I could ask what he was doing a bright light shone from the ball and blinded me. I heard a whooshing noise from behind me but paid no attention at all. How could I when a small, foot tall yellow and black creature stood right in front of me. I turned around to the man and saw he was gone. Vanished out of thin air not even leaving a footprint or sign of his existence. I turned back at the creature which was pacing back and forth in the sand. I took a step forward and it stooped. It sat there staring at me, waiting for me to make the next move. I took another step forward, making the distance between us so much less. As soon as I put my foot down, flames of the brightest orange and yellow erupted from its back.
"Qqquuuiiiiiiiilll!!!" It squealed as the flames grew in size on its back. Totally blown away by this, I stumbled backwards. " What is this thing?" I wondered in awe. The heat coming from the flames was warming up my whole body, making me feel alarmed but secure. This tiny fire creature was obviously quite scared of me, due to the expression on its face, and the way it squealed. It was probably more afraid of me then I was of it. I ran over to it and put my hands on it, my chest away from the largest flames. My action surprised the creature to the extent of it ceasing its inferno. I brought the creature up to my chest and hugged it, for no reason at all why I was hugging this unknown thing. It remained in my arms pressed up against my chest not even moving or struggling to break free or setting me on fire.
"Cyndaquil!" it said still motionless. I held it in my arms and stretched my arms out away from me. "Your called Cyndaquil now, are you?" I asked it not expecting a reply. I picked up the red and white ball on the ground that it emerged from and put it in my pocket. I again held this creature in my hands against my chest and began to walk, a new warmth to satisfy me until I arrived home.
When I got home I tucked the creature into my shirt to hide it. I opened up the doors and walked in. I saw my dad and my mom eating their dinner we usually have when they wait for me.
"Where have you been?" my dad asked.
"Long story." I said headed for the stairs to my room.
"Don't you want dinner?" my mom asked stopping me.
"Yea!" I said rushing up the stairs with the lump in my shirt.
I ran through my door and locked it shut. I sat the little creature on the pillow on my bed and looked at it. It sat there watching me and then started to walk about my bed. "Now what am I supposed to do with you?" I asked taking the red and white ball out of my pocket.
"Cynda." It said almost as if it were trying to answer me. I held out the ball the man through and that this little guy came from and tried to pry it open.
"How did this little guy fit in here?" I thought to myself.
"MICHAEL!!! DINNER!!!" my mother shouted.
I jumped out of surprised and made my finger accidentally slip onto the circle in the middle of the ball, which opened and shot out a red light at the thing on my bed and made it vanish into the same light and return into the ball.
"So, that's what this is for!" I said surprised looking at the ball.
I put the ball in my pocket and joined my parents for dinner. After dinner was over I ran back to my room and closed the door. I threw the ball onto the bed. It opened and that same animal came out.
"Cynadquil!" it said.
"Welcome back!" I said with a grin.
I threw it a piece of the meat we were having for dinner, and it happily scarped it down while I got dressed for bed. I looked at it, all curled up on my bed and for the first time saw how cute it was. I wrapped a blanket around it and crawled into bed. "Things are going to be different around here." I thought to myself as I turned out the lights. "Very different."
I woke up to the sound of my alarm and the sight of the little creature crawling over to me when it knew I was awake.
"How sweet?" I thought as I grabbed it and brought it close to me.
It licked my face and nuzzled in my arms. I heard my mother's footsteps pounding up the staircase. "Here comes mom…" I thought, "HERE COMES MOM! OH NO!" I thought again as I scrambled for the ball. I pressed the button on the ball and returned the thing before my mom barged in.
"Get up! Your late for school!" she yelled.
"WHAT?!?" I asked trying to sound like I just woke up.
"Just kidding! It's the summer remember." she said. I hate it when she "jokes" with me. "No, but seriously, get up." she said as she walked out. I got dressed in regular clothes, and while my mom was in the bathroom I snuck out the door. I grabbed my bike and started pedaling towards Sunset drive.
The end of Sunset drive ended with a cliff and a large building built on top. In front of the building there were about six people, four in their 60's or older, and all carrying signs and protesting outside the gate that led to the building. I walked my bike up to the front of the small protest and pressed the intercom button on the gate.
"Sir, it's me, Michael, from last night." I said not trying to attract any attention from the protesters.
"Ah, Michael come in!" the man's voice said on the intercom.
The gate opened up and I ran inside before the gate closed again, like it did on the protesters. I walked up to the door and knocked on it. The man from last night opened up the door dressed in a white Lab coat.
"Hello, Michael! Come in!" the man said as I followed him inside.
" Do you have your Cyndaquil?" the man asked.
"So, that's what this is."
I said throwing the ball on the ground and the Cyndaquil emerged.
"Let me introduce myself." the man said, "My name is Professor Fir. I am a researcher for the Yakuza corporation, or the creators of that Cyndaquil." the Professor said.
The man exclaimed how a company called the Yakuza Corporation had created these things called Pokemon and what they were about. He explained in depth about the way Pokemon work, the different types, evolution, capturing Pokemon, Pokemon becoming lifelong partners, fighting with Pokemon, the Pokemon League, evil organizations who use Pokemon, everything, until I was in the know about Pokemon especially my Cyndaquil.
"So, the reason why I set up my research lab here on this island is because this island is one of the few places that never had Pokemon." the professor said.
The old mayor of my town five years ago said he would have nothing to do with Pokemon because he was one of the few who thought them no good. He and the town council arranged to ban Pokemon from the town. So no one knew about them except the adults who would have no part of them. Once the old mayor lost to the new mayor of town, he lifted the ban on Pokemon and allowed them on the island. Mind you, no one still was going to have Pokemon and no Pokemon were introduced or live near the island, so that was why the professor came, to get this island in with everywhere else that had Pokemon.
"I have big plans for this island once we get my plan into motion for turning it into a paradise for people and Pokemon." the professor said.
"I think I get everything now." I said, "And I want to travel with Pokemon, catch Pokemon, battle with Pokemon. I want to do it all!" I said.
"Now that's what I wanted to hear!" the professor said reaching into his pocket, "I have another gift for you!" he said pulling out some sort of red machine. "This is a Pokédex." he said, "When you meet new Pokemon you can scan them and this Pokédex tells you about the Pokemon and adds its data to its archives. I want you to get the data for every Pokemon you meet, for your and my own benefit."
"Ok!" I agreed.
"One more thing I want to do." Professor Fir said leading me to the outback of his lab.
There was a court of some kind out there made of dirt and had painted lines around it to represent a battle court of some kind divided in the middle by a line and a Pokéball. The court was surrounded by grass around it, trees at the far ends of the back of the property and the view of the ocean from the cliff, and a man made staircase made from the cliff leading down to the beach from the lab.
"I want to teach you how to battle." Professor Fir said to me. I agreed and we stood at opposite ends of the court. "First throw out your Pokeball on your side of the court." he said throwing out his. Both of our Pokemon emerged from the balls. On his side there was a purple rat. I brought out my Pokédex and scanned it.
"Rattata." it said, "the mouse type Pokemon. Don't let its size fool you, Rattata is actually a true survivor, able to survive any environment or extreme." "Making it a perfect test subject." the professor said. "The way a battle works is we have both our Pokemon fight each other until someone gives up or is knocked out."
"Ok." I replied.
"Your Cyndaquil should know Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, and Ember by now." the professor said. "You shout commands for you Pokemon to do in this battle."
"Cinder, use Smokescreen!" I shouted. Cyndaquil started to emit large amounts of smoke from its mouth.
"Cinder?" Fir said.
"I wanted to name it!" I replied.
"Rattata use Focus Energy!" the professor shouted, not being able to see like his Rattata in the thick smoke.
"Cinder, use Tackle!" I said before I heard a loud thump noise come from the smoke. "Keep on doing it Cinder!" I shouted.
"Rattata use Quick Attack!" Professor Fir said as I heard loud movements come from the smoke and see Cinder fly and land on the ground in front of me.
"Cinder, you ok?" I asked.
"Quil!" it said sounding angry.
"Rattata use Quick Attack/ Cinder use Ember!" the Professor and I shouted. We heard loud movements and heard Cinder squeal as a faint light was seen in the smoke and the Rattata running out of it with its tail on fire.
"Rattata return!" The Professor shouted as he returned his Rattata, "Congratulations, Michael! You won your first Pokemon battle!"
"Way to go Cinder!" I said as it leaped into my arms, and nuzzled up against my chest.
"Well, you should be good to go now. Keep in touch with me, and try to visit, ok?" Professor Fir said.
"I will, Professor." I said as I walked with him to the front of the lab. The protesters were gone, for now, and I was able to leave with ease.
"Goodbye, Michael!" the Professor shouted, his Rattata by his side. I hopped on my bike and pedaled for my house.
I unlocked the door to my house, Cinder on my shoulder, and noticed no one inside. It was going to be hard but I was going to have to leave my home, my job, my town, and my parents behind. I wrote them a note explaining everything, about me and Cinder, and Professor Fir, and about my future. I told them I'd stay in touch and I would come home to visit, a lot changed then from when I left. Once I was done writing the letter, I grabbed by bookbag and filled it with clean clothes, water bottles, food, money, sunglasses, a sleeping bag, First Aid, and a map. I was going all out, because I didn't have that much money. I locked the door behind me, put the basket that fit on my bike on and put Cinder inside, and pedaled off, towards our new adventure. We were ready to blaze the trails we made along the way.
So, that was the first chapter of The Scorched Years, and I hoped you liked it. It will be getting so much better and addicting by the third or fourth chapter so stick with me until then. Expect to see the next chapter soon. So long!
-Dalek_Who