LET THE FANFIC BEGIN!
Here it is, fellows, the first chapter of my fanfic, and the chapter where it all begins! This is Between Sun and Moon chapter 1- part 1 of "Let the Fray Begin," in which we are introduced to our main protagonist: Gabriel Connors, a Pokemon Trainer who is out... but not proud of it. Rejected by his family due to his sexuality, his only comfort is in listening to RUSH music. But one day, a mysterious package arrives for him in the mail from the recently-deceased Professor Kukui. In it is his first friend, a TST device, a Pokedex, 10 PokeBalls, and an opportunity to finally prove himself...
Yep, I'm representing the LGBT community here, and minority groups everywhere. Mainly, this part of the chapter will serve to introduce Gabriel, and he won't actually get the package and his first Pokemon until Part 2. As per every chapter, there will be RUSH references, some subtle, some blatant.
With that said, I hope you enjoy! As usual, I do not own Pokemon or any RUSH references in this chapter.
[Opening Theme: RUSH- "Vapor Trail"]
Chapter 1: Let the Fray Begin, Part 1
Listening to the music of the Holy Ones was the only comfort for Gabriel Connors.
He hadn't even heard of the band until a few years ago, when a mysterious portal to a planet called "Earth" suddenly opened thanks to an attempt to visit the Ultra Wormhole gone wrong. Music and movies from that planet entered the Pokemon world, and among them was a band called RUSH. Well, at least the other planet's citizens called it that. The people in the Pokemon world referred to them instead as "The Holy Ones."
Later on, more information about the Holy Ones came out. It turned out that the band originated from a place that looked a lot like Feluv. They called it Canada- which Gabriel found to be a rather boring name compared to Feluv. The band consisted of three men who most Alolans called Tapu Tehoe, Tapu Piti, and Tapu Etoru.
To the people of the other dimension- and to Gabriel- however, they were Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart (although Gabe, as he was called, couldn't pronounce that name anyways).
Once their music got out, everyone thought they would fail in Alola. Their sound was completely different from the music of Alola, so why even bother listening to them? Surprisingly, however, the people of Feluv seemed to love them, and those in Unova considered them some of the best musicians they had ever heard. So Alolans decided to give them a try.
Overnight, they became hits.
More than that, even. The band was so beloved by the people of Alola that they outright refused to call it by its proper name. From now on, they were no longer RUSH- they were the Holy Ones. They were treated like gods, on par with the guardians of Alola. Radios played their songs practically 24/7.
And one day, they played a song called "The Pass."
That was how Gabe Connors was introduced to the Holy Ones. He didn't know where they came from, or who they were, but all he knew when he listened to "The Pass" for the first time was: This band speaks to me.
But more so than that, the song spoke to him. The first time he had heard that song, he had attempted to end his own life. The reason for his suicide attempt?
His parents had disowned him. Not because he was African-American (his mother was white, and his father was African-American), but because he was gay.
He had come out to his parents a few days before being introduced to the Holy Ones, and their reactions had been less than supportive. He had been quite surprised by their reaction: he had thought his parents would have always been supportive. Alas, however, even they had deeply rooted prejudices, and did not want a gay Trainer to be going out on a journey with Pokemon- much less have a gay Trainer in their house.
As the sun rose over Alola on this day, as it did every day, Gabe shook in fear as he awoke from his hard mattress he used for a bed and looked out at the Alolan streets in front of him. Every day, he was reminded as to why he didn't have a home, why he was forced to live out on the streets every day, where wild Pokemon could attack at any minute- and he didn't have a partner of his own. He could still vividly recall, in his mind, the day he had come out to his parents- and the day his life had shattered before his own eyes.
"Mom, Dad, I-" He hesitated. "I have something to tell you. I'm... I'm gay."
He waited anxiously, as his parents took in the news. Seeing their faces, Gabe could tell that they were shocked. His mother stood there, mouth agape, while his father paused for a few seconds, not knowing what to think. Then, all of a sudden, his mother burst into tears- and they clearly were not tears of joy. They were tears of betrayal and sadness. Gabe was now the one to stand in shock, as his blood ran cold. He'd thought that his parents would have been much more supportive of him regarding this news.
"It... it wasn't a choice I made, I swear," he muttered nervously, trying to get his parents to see the truth. "I know you're probably shocked about this, but-"
His father raised his hand to silence him, coming forward to stand in front of his son. For a moment or two, Gabe felt like breathing a sigh of relief- perhaps his father would be more understanding towards his sexuality.
But his hopes were in vain when his own father grabbed him and angrily tackled him to the floor. Startled, Gabe looked up at his father, who was now looming over him angrily. He hadn't expected a reaction this extreme.
"Dad, I-" he began, but his father wouldn't have any of it.
"I never thought I'd see the day," he said angrily. "I never thought I'd see the day when my son would put himself, and the foolish choice he made, over the wishes of the guardians of Alola."
"It wasn't a choice-" Gabe tried to protest.
"You are about to go on your island challenge in a few years, Gabriel," his father snapped, cutting his son off. "The guardians of Alola have expectations, and they do not want someone who is gay to become a Pokemon Trainer!"
"It's who I am!" Gabe pleaded. "You need to understand! It's not a choice-"
"It is a choice, and it is the wrong choice! You cannot be a gay Trainer, Gabriel!"
"Why?!"
"Because being gay... is a sin," his father coldly responded. "Arceus and the Alolan guardians... they do not want a sinner to go out on a Pokemon journey."
Sin.
The word struck Gabe to his core. It was the first time his parents had ever called anything a sin, or said it about him. He felt as though his heart had been shattered to bits. All his trust in his parents... had been betrayed. Tears sprang to his eyes. Why would his parents even think this about him? Sure, they'd followed the words of the Alolan oral traditions passed down through generations- that Arceus made all people, that the Alolan guardians decided who was worthy- and who was not worthy- of going on their island challenge. They had followed them, and yet his parents still had loved Gabe, given him food, clothes, shelter, took care of him when he was sick. He couldn't imagine that his parents would have any prejudices towards gay people.
But no.
He shook his head, and stood up.
"It's not a sin," he said firmly.
"The guardians of Alola say it is, and yet you choose not to listen to them!" his father yelled, his face practically glowing red with rage.
"I didn't choose!" Gabe retorted, now having had enough. "It's in my DNA! I am who I am. Nothing that the guardians say is going to change that!"
"You can forget DNA. The word of Alola is always right. Tapu Koko is very dissapointed in you, Gabriel."
"He shouldn't be!"
"Well, then if you're so concerned with sticking to this choice of yours, then I'd be happy to see you out of my house!"
Gabe gasped, hurt. He looked towards his father, who said nothing, but only pointed out the door.
"D-Dad..." he stammered.
"Go," his father said sternly. "From this moment onward, you are on your own. We will no longer support you. Get out of this household, go find yourself some therapy with the guardians in the Ruins of Life, and fix yourself so that this sin of homosexuality is free from your body. That is the only way the guardians will allow you on your island challenge."
Gabe turned and took one look towards the door, fear rushing through him. He was still young. He had no Pokemon, and couldn't survive in the world where he would surely get attacked. How was he to survive?
"Dad... You can't kick out your own son!" he pleaded.
His father turned away.
"You're no son of mine," he said.
Gabe stood there, mouth agape. At that moment, he knew- his dad was right. He was a sinner. He was ashamed of who he was. No longer was he proud to be gay- now, he hated himself. He wanted to get out of this cruel world. He didn't belong. A gay Trainer didn't belong.
Tears in his eyes, he turned and ran out of the house he had known for so long, locking the door behind him.
That was the last time he ever saw his parents.
Gabe shook as he remembered what had happened next. That day, he had ran far away from his home. He had been so desperate to kill himself that he went to the bridge on Mahalo Trail and had prepared himself to jump off of it.
And then, a nearby car radio had played "The Pass"- with a message Gabe had surmised was clearly meant for him.
Don't kill yourself.
Gabe smiled, remembering the message that had saved his life- and had got him into the band that changed his life. The minute he had heard "The Pass" for the first time, he had stepped back and realized how good it felt to live. The world would be a much worse place without him in it.
Gabe was still thinking about the day his life had been changed forever when at that moment, his EvoPhone- a present he had recieved from his father for his 11th birthday (he was 15 now)- began playing his ringtone.
The 2112 overture.
Groaning, Gabe walked over to his EvoPhone, picked it up, and turned off his ringtone. His father had chosen it for him, as he believed that the 2112 album had been the greatest one the Holy Ones had ever made. Problem was, Gabe couldn't understand why everyone was so fond of the 2112 album. They had called it RUSH's "greatest triumph," but in Gabe's eyes, their greatest triumph had been Presto. It was, after all, his favorite album, with the song that had changed his life. But 2112- he wasn't that big a fan. The protagonist killed himself at the end- and that brought on some horrible memories.
"The meek shall inherit the Earth," he muttered, quoting the only line of the track.
He looked around, hopeless- and homeless.
"Yep," he sighed. "They got it right on the nose."
He turned away. He was alone in the world, with no Pokemon to comfort him in times of need or help him in battle. Gabe wanted to live, but he certainly wasn't proud of himself.
He was meek. And the meek did inherit the Earth.
That is that! Part 1 of "Let the Fray Begin" is complete! What are your thoughts on Gabe as a character? Let me know in the comments! Until next time, I'll see you again with Part 2, in which Gabe gets a mysterious package- and his first Pokemon! Which one will it be? You'll have to wait to find out! As always, bïlokautik!