"Aye there, bro," a harsh voice called to me. "We're here. Sinnoh. Weird port town. Magic crystal. Get up!"
The man finally dropped his silly pirate accent, shoving me off of the bed I was so comfortably lying upon. I slowly raised myself from the ground, my side aching from the impact on the rough wood of the ship. Before me stood a blond-haired pirate, Matt, glaring at me in a detesting manner.
"Just, umm, get off the ship before the captain yells at me," he muttered, his eyes unfriendly and shifty.
"S-Sure." I climbed to the deck of the ship. We were docked next to a peaceful port town dressed in the beautiful whites and blues that fit on the eyes when next to the ocean. The huge, foreboding pirate ship greatly stood out
A few stomps warned me of the approach of the ship's captain. He extended a black-gloved hand with an expectant look. I reached in my pocket and handed him everything I had: thirty-five Rupees. For a moment, he examined the little gems curiously, before growling.
"How much is this supposed to be? In Gold?"
"I'm not sure... maybe sixty?"
He gave a gruff chuckle. "Why should I believe that?"
"Becaaause..." I stalled, trying to figure a way to get out of this mess. "I..." I swiftly dashed for the boarding deck, which I found was still being lowered, and the crew member doing so didn't look pleasant. I veered right, looking for some other means to escape. Glancing over the ship's edge, I saw we were close enough I could jump from the ship and, though from a ten foot height, land in the thin woods surrounding the town. It was that or face the burly man now charging towards me.
Taking a deep breath and a step back, I made a clean leap over the guard rail, free-falling for only a miniscule moment, my body clenching, before a barrage of leaves slapped against me. I soon landed on the earth, rolling off my momentum smoothly before sitting, dazed. I looked over myself: while the trees broke my fall to an extent, they left me with a number of scratches, and I certainly wasn't unbruised from the landing. But I was alive.
"Hey, Matt, he landed over there!" I heard someone cry.
I quickly regained my composure, racing into the town and down the bright streets. They weren't particularly crowded at this early hour, but I had a lot of people to dodge. The landing had bruised a muscle that was making it very difficult to walk, but I shook off the pain. From only a short distance behind, I heard the piercing sound of a gun. The people around me lost it at the sound, running in a wild panic. Clearly this town was normally very peaceful.
With my pace, I quickly navigated my way out of the chaotic streets and onto a nearly empty path called Route 218. The area was very serene, the sound of water lapping against the rocky edge of the land creating a very soothing rhythm. I crossed over a bridge where a few fisherman stared hopefully at the waters. The walk to the next town was only thirty minutes or so, but the distance was gruesome on my bruised muscle.
Eventually the scenic setting evolved into a greyscale "Jubilife City". The world turned from a beautiful mixture of the greens of plants and the deep blues of the ocean to monotone greyish blue and plain grey. I wasn't really a fan of cities.
Where am I supposed to go to get to this Hearthome City? I continued walking aimlessly until I came upon a "Pokemart" which looked like a place where they might sell maps or at least have one for view. I walked up to the place, where the door slid open for me, causing me to jump. As I walked in, I looked around for anyone who might've seen me coming in and opened it for me. Inside, the place was eerily lit with artificial light, making everything shiny and painfully bright.
"Hello!" a man behind the counter called in greeting, in Japanese. "What would you like today, sir?
I floundered for a moment, translating his odd dialect, then working out a reasonable response. "Do you have a map, please?"
Immediately, the two men gave me a strange look. I was really hoping it was just my accent. The one who'd greeted me recovered and answered, "Sorry, sir, we don't. There is one in the Pokemon Center, however."
Pokemon. It was surprising I'd only just come upon the word; I'd been expecting to hear it much sooner. Even more strange was the fact that I hadn't encountered any Pokemon, but I assume that would change as soon as I entered this Center of Pokemon.
"Thank you. And... good night," I bid the two, uncertain of my words, but their smiles reassured me.
The street lights were on once I left. They bathed the town in a soft blue light that truly felt city-like. The first things I saw when I exited was a distinguished orange building that begged for attention. Walking to the front of it, I was pleasantly surprised to find it labeled "Pokemon Center". The doors were shaped the same as the ones I'd previously encountered, so this time I was prepared when they slid open for me.
While this Pokemon Center was also overly bright and cheery from the light, the atmosphere was very calming. Just something about the place felt homey. As I was taking a deep breath, the mood was broken when I saw at my feet... a thing. A living thing, brown and quadrupedal, with huge buck teeth and glittery black eyes staring straight into me. I threw myself against the wall, groping my sword sheath.
"Are you okay?" a woman asked me, but her tone was very aloof and tense, as though she were trying to pick a fight. As soon as she spoke, the thing ran over to her side before turning back to stare at me.
Oh. This was a Pokemon. My behavior was undoubtedly foolish-looking things. Quickly recovering myself, I bowed a bit to the lady, apologizing. "It just surprised me..." I added quickly.
The woman responded by blabbering much faster than I could comprehend. I caught something about weapons and "stupid foreigners." Once she stopped, she was glaring at my sheath. I could at least partially assume what she said, so I tried my best to respond by lifting my hands up passively and saying, "I'm very sorry. It surprised me..." I struggled to think of a way to describe it as an impulse that I reached for my weapon, but nothing came to mind.
"Foreigners," she muttered, and gave me a passive-aggressive bid good night.
Unable to further defend myself, I simply advanced, and quickly spotted a map. I bee-lined over and stared at the simple lines and boxes that defined where I was. Following the paths, I'd have to pass through a city called Oreburgh, but other than that, it would be no more than a day. Satisfied, I decided my last stop was to retire for the night.
I left quickly, passing awkwardly by the lady again. By asking a few helpful people on the streets, I was able to find my way to the inn and check in before it got too late. On my way, I passed by more Pokemon, all walking aside their owners. They were so varied... one was human-like and lanky, another resembled a dog, and I ran into one that looked just like the lady's. As I sprawled onto my bed, all this new information swirled in my head and barricaded me from sleep. However, I eventually dozed off, and how late I stayed awake, I do not know.
The first chapter of the story won't be released until November 1st. I wanted to go ahead and post the prologue because I'm impatient. Plus, it will help motivate me to know that there might be someone waiting on the next chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated!