Author's Note:
This series starts out at the Sevii Islands, a group of seven islands. In case you aren't familiar with the location, it was introduced in the FireRed, LeafGreen games. is a good website to look at the PokeEarth if you really want to imagine the location.
Also, as a word of warning: this story will contain mature content, for 18 year olds and older. It will include violence (not gory or anything too dramatic), sex and homosexual themes.
Introductions seem long, but they are necessary. I hope this one doesn't bother too much
...
Unlike Any Other: Chapter 1 – Humble Beginnings
...
A lone Pokémon Trainer confidently walked on a dirt path under the trees of a thick forest. It was late and darkness was setting in. Despite the time, the trainer proceeded with a small degree of caution. If anything, he acted as if traveling in a forest at late hours was no big deal. A branch suddenly snapped behind him, causing the trainer to turn towards the noise.
"Who's there?" He called. The light rustling of leaves from the wind answered back. The trainer shrugged and turned back to his path.
Suddenly a nearby bush shook violently, followed by a howl. The trainer's confidence faltered and he broke into a run. Sounds of pursuit pounded in the trainer's ear as he ran down the path. More distinctly, he could hear heavy paws, wolfish panting and bloodthirsty snarls accompany the treading of his sneakers.
The trainer's foot suddenly caught a loose root, bringing him down onto the unforgiving forest floor. He yelled out in fear seconds before a pack of Mightyena descended upon him.
The scene switched to a bird's eye view of the same forest, only this time it seemed much more serene and calm than its sinister counterpart shown a few seconds ago. The video continued on a smooth and slow glide across the scenic forestry and mountainside.
"Hello future Pokémon Trainers" A narrator spoke. "Welcome to our third segment of the educational video series 'The Real Pokémon World'. We will do our best to teach you about the dangers you may face and how to keep yourself and your Pokémon safe. In this segment..."
Carlos blinked as Professor Redwood turned the classroom lights on before turning off the TV.
"Well students, since class is almost over, and we've already seen the video, I'll give you these last five minutes to talk with each other. I'll be grading your final exams at my desk if you have any question." He walked to his desk. "Oh, and remember to report to the One Island Pokémon Center at nine a.m. for the second part of your exam tomorrow. Don't be late."
Carlos began putting his school supplies away. Carlos, at seventeen years old, didn't stand out much when in a crowd of others his age. He was above average height and had a slim build. His hair was black, his eyes were brown, and a few girls had called him cute and attractive, although they didn't interest him in the slightest. Carlos leaned the other way anyway.
He picked up his packet labeled 'Final Exam Review Material' and sighed. This was supposed to be the last day of school; no more worrying about assignments and tests after this final class. Although according to Professor Redwood, it wasn't over until after both parts of the final exam were finished.
In hindsight, Carlos could have been spared the frustrations of high school by enrolling to Trainer's school when he was twelve. According to the Pokémon League rules, a person had to be at least thirteen if they wanted to become a trainer, and only then they had to have a special license to legally handle Pokémon. Before then, they had to satisfy the yearlong curriculum of any certified Pokémon Trainer's program to get that license.
Instead, Carlos had continued his regular education. Three Island High School provided an education like any other public high school, but it also worked with the Pokémon Trainer's School to give the training that was necessary and helpful for any aspiring Pokémon trainer. He could take Pokémon classes required for his Trainer license alongside his regular high school classes, so by the time he graduated from high school, he could become trainer licensed.
A Trainer with a high school education. It wasn't uncommon, but it was his parent's idea.
Carlos's parents were the best that any kid could have. It wasn't because they spoiled him, but because they cared deeply about him. Both his mother and father worked hard for them to live comfortably and happily, which wasn't too difficult considering Carlos was an only child.
Carlos lived with his parents on Six Island. His mom worked as a maid and cook at some rich person's mansion at Resort Gorgeous on Five Island. His father worked as a fisherman that mostly travelled around the islands during work. They gave their full support in all of Carlos's endeavors and goals, and only on few occasions did they ever overrule his desires, on grounds that they choose what was best for him.
This was how Carlos ended up in high school. When he was twelve, he asked to be enrolled in Trainer's school. His parents refused. Carlos wasn't as patient then as he was now. He realized that with a high school education, if he ever failed to become a great trainer, it gave him an advantage in getting a good job or continuing on to college. His parents didn't want him to make the same mistake they made when choosing training over education.
Overall though, Carlos's life was a calm and relaxing existence in the Sevii Islands. For one, he loved the sea and could go swimming whenever he wanted. There were also some forests where it was safe enough to camp out and explore with friends and family on dull weekends.
The bell rang and Carlos followed the crowd of students out the door. Professor Redwood nodded at students who were saying good-bye for the day.
"Carlos, do you have a moment?" He asked without looking up when Carlos passed by his desk. A few students grumbled as Carlos pushed out of the swarm.
"Yes Professor?" Carlos asked. Professor Redwood seemed to be finishing grading an exam, although to Carlos it seemed that he was waiting for the last of the students to march out the door. Two seconds later, they were alone.
Professor Redwood set aside the exam in front of him. Carlos observed him nervously. A neat stack of graded exams sat on his left, much larger than the ungraded stack on his right. The Professor said nothing, only bit his lip, a sign Carlos came to know as him contemplating.
"Could you please close the door, Carlos?" The Professor asked. Carlos nodded and went to close it. The way Redwood said his name, along with the fact that they were both alone, caused a few snippets of rumors to surface in his head.
About how the Professor was extremely friendly to students. About how the Professor was single and lived alone on Seven Island. About how a few students had sworn they had seen him stare at student's asses as they walked past in the hallway. About how after a kid entered his classroom during his lunch hour without knocking, students began calling him Professor Hard-wood when he wasn't around.
"Thank you," The Professor said after he heard the door shut. Carlos nodded again, trying his best not to show how nervous he was about the situation.
"What was it that you wanted to talk about Professor Har-Redwood?" Redwood looked up, giving a small smile.
"Please Carlos, call me John." The Professor's smile widened a bit, showing perfectly straight and white teeth.
Carlos briefly took in Redwood: An intelligent, twenty-three year old man who worked as a Pokémon Professor, researcher and high school teacher. Wide shouldered and tall, he had once said he was the quarterback for his high school football team, three years in a row. It didn't seem that he had abandoned any type of workout regimen from then; there were some days when he wore certain shirts that revealed a lot of his large biceps, perfect pectoral curvature and the light outline of washboard abs. The borderline bodybuilder had brown hair, accompanied by a light brown goatee, which fit nicely with his caramel colored skin. In Carlos's opinion, the professor had too many good features. Admitting the man's charm to himself made Carlos blush.
"Okay…John." John nodded and stood up. He walked slowly to the windows, looking outside.
"Carlos, I know I've told you this before, but you are a bright student." John turned around to look at Carlos. Carlos made sure to keep himself showing signs of nervousness. "You have a lot of potential. I graded most of the tests, and so far, you're the only student who didn't miss a single question. Your essay completed the picture perfectly."
"Thank you Professor."
"John"
"Right. John."
"Few students are as good as you are. I know you do well in your other classes too. That's why I feel you are responsible and intelligent enough to handle a…special request."
Carlos gulped. Here it comes: the proposal. Carlos didn't think he would be able to handle it if John got on one knee and asked to marry him.
"A close colleague of mine, Professor Oak, asked me to be on the lookout for potential Pokedex holders. I know you have what it takes to do it right."
"You want to know if I want to travel around with a Pokedex?"
"Yes, what did you think I was going to ask?" John questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, I wasn't sure. But that sounds great! What do I have to do?" Carlos asked, pushing dirty thoughts out of his mind.
"For now, I just needed to know if you were interested in the task. I'll contact Oak later today for more information and I'll tell you everything you need to know before you set your mind to it."
"Alright, thank you John."
"Of course Carlos. Have a good afternoon."
"Same to you."
Carlos left the room and let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Professor Redwood was attractive and all, but Carlos wasn't even sure if the man was into guys, especially younger guys. Rumors were rumors until proven truths. Besides, Carlos was still going to be seventeen for another two months. No use in getting the man arrested if he did roll that way.
There were two options Carlos considered as he made his way out of the school. The first option, he keeps close contact with the Professor via email and the 'just-friends" phone calls until his eighteenth birthday, when he could make advances on the hunk without getting the law involved. Or the second option, Carlos keeps their relationship strictly professional in case this Pokedex quest requires them to keep in touch, and if it doesn't, completely forget about him.
Carlos finally exited the school. He hadn't realized what a beautiful day it was. The sun was out, a slight breeze whipped up every now and then, carrying with it that distinct ocean smell. Carlos walked on a worn path that led down from the hill the school was on. It curved through a small grove of trees on the outskirts of the town that ended at the docks where the boats picked up and dropped off passengers.
Since commuting between islands was so necessary, public transportation was conveniently available for everyone. Anyone could find a boat and hitch a ride to their Sevii Island destination, as long as they had their Rainbow Ticket. Carlos spotted a public transportation boat and made his way towards it.
"Ticket please," A sailor asked as Carlos boarded the boat. He showed his ticket and took a seat near the entrance. The spot would have a great view of the ocean once they took off, but for now, Carlos waited until the scheduled take off time, which would probably be in ten minutes or so. He noticed there were other students from school who were also waiting on the boat, and by the looks on them, they had been waiting a while. He also noticed that one of them was looking at him, and he stood up to approach Carlos.
"Hey Carlos," He greeted. Carlos smiled.
"Hi Isaac, how are you?" Isaac smiled back and took the empty spot next to Carlos. Isaac was Carlos's closest friend. He happened to be a tan, sensitive jock nearly rivaling John Redwood in physique, although he was only a few, noticeable inches taller than Carlos. He had brown-blonde hair and hazel eyes that had hypnotic like qualities when stared into. Or maybe that just happened to Carlos. Isaac groaned and turned to Carlos.
"I'm worn out. My head literally hurts from all those tests I took today. Especially English, and Chemistry, and all the other ones." Isaac stretched back and Carlos glanced briefly at his belly button, now visible that his shirt had been pulled up from the stretch. Isaac noticed his staring, but didn't say anything.
"I didn't think they were so bad," Carlos added a moment later. He looked up, right into Isaac's eyes, and looked away towards the ocean.
"Says Mr. Smarty-pants. I bet you didn't study as hard as I did last night. Eight hours straight." Carlos turned back at him.
"You realize that's called cramming. It usually doesn't do any good to study that way. I only reviewed the hard stuff yesterday, for about an hour." Isaac noticed Carlos's eyes had wandered down to his belly button again, and he stretched even further. Carlos caught an eyeful of the bottom of Isaac's well defined six pack and obliques. Carlos looked away again.
"Well, what do you have planned for the rest of today? Anything fun? Or are you just going to sit at the beach and stare at the ocean all evening?" Isaac smirked and Carlos laughed.
"No, you silly meathead jock, I'm going to review for tomorrow, then stare at the ocean. Did you forget already?"
"Forget about-OH! Right, the Mt. Ember challenge."
The Mt. Ember Challenge: the second part of their exam. If a student wanted to graduate from any school at the Sevii Islands, the final obstacle to overcome was the Mt. Ember Challenge. As island tradition, every new trainer had to undergo this two-day survival test. First, Trainers received their starter Pokémon, then were paired up with someone else and thrown into the wilds of Mt. Ember on One Island, with only a few supplies at hand. To add to the difficulty, each team was given a list of items to go hunt down, and they had to collect all the items before the end of the two days. This was done to test whether the student was ready to go travel the world on their own. From what Carlos had heard before, it wasn't hard for anyone with a brain.
"Yeah, that."
At that moment, the captain gave a sign to the sailor, who untied the boat from the dock. The captain gave a quick announcement about their departure, along with some small safety reminders. Then the ship was off.
Isaac settled back down, much to Carlos's relief. Carlos's eyes and mind tended to wander whenever a good piece of man was around, whether it happens to be teacher or friend. Even more so when skin and muscle was shown.
"Carlos, do you mind if I take my shirt off? I'm starting to get hot in it." Carlos's heart jumped in his chest.
"A little. Can't you wait until you get home?" Isaac laughed a little, reaching back to rub his neck.
"I'll try. Actually Carlos, I have a favor to ask you…" Carlos looked at him curiously.
"That depends what it is." Isaac leaned onto Carlos, wrapping one of his heavy, muscled arms over Carlos's shoulders. Their sides were pressed together, warmth transferring from Isaac to the smaller teen. Carlos suddenly felt tingly. His cheeks reddened a little and butterflies gathered in his stomach.
"You have to say yes. For your one and only best friend Isaac." Carlos nervously licked his lips.
"What do you want?"
"Can we be partners on the Mt. Ember Challenge?" Carlos rolled his eyes. He grabbed Isaac's thick arm and slipped it off him, moving a little away from Isaac in the process.
"I don't know. Are you going to make me do all the work?"
"Maybe..." Carlos crossed his arms and looked away. "I was kidding. I'll help." Carlos continued to look away. "Please, I promise I'll do my part."
Carlos turned back. Looking at Isaac's puppy-eyed expression, he couldn't hold his frown. Carlos broke into a grin.
"Considering I might get a weaker and lazier partner assigned instead, I suppose we can pair up."
"Yes!" Isaac threw his arms up in victory.
"But!" Isaac's smile weakened, his arms lowered slightly.
"But what?"
"You have to study tonight too. Not as much as yesterday though." Isaac's bit his lips.
"I...might need help with that. How about I come over to your house and we study together?
"Yeah." Isaac grinned, satisfied, and pulled out his MP3 player and headphones. Carlos turned his gaze towards the sea. It calmed him down a bit, but he could still feel his heart beating in anticipation for tomorrow and maybe a little for this coming evening.
...
Author's Note:
Constructive comments are welcome, along with anything else that caught your attention for whatever reason. One thing I would like to know, since it's what I get hung up on most when writing the stories. Too much detail? Too little? Not in the right places? Or should I keep going like this?
Thank you for reading!