Not like the Others
Introduction
This is a story about Kyce, an aspiring Pokemon trainer who just earned his license. He already have a starter Pokémon ready, through his many years of preperation to become the very best ever. It may sound like the Cliché Pokémon journey, but following this 15 year old kid, and his adventure throughout the Sinnoh Region (at first), with his Pokémon and friends, is filled with Romance, surprise reveals and deep backstory. Most of it will be revealed the further we get into the story. I already have a lot of the story written, and it is pretty long. I will post more of it, little by little. Enjoy.
Chapter 1: My Destiny.
"Meow!"
"I Know it is awesome!"
"Glameow"
"Well I guess you are gonna go back to being just a normal domesticated Pokémon, but I promise to train with you once I come back, in a couple of years"
Yes, I talk to my moms Glameow. Might as well. We have been through, quite a lot together.
I am Kyce by the way. I turn 15 today.
No I am not holding a party. I am however getting my own very first Pokemon. You see, like any other kid I have been going to normal school for most of my life. Unlike most though, I have also been going to Pokéschool every day since I was 10. So I already have a Pokélicense, where most 15-year old's, is only getting started.
Of course any bum out there can just catch a Rattata and get started, but that is not exactly a recipe for success. No, I have done this the right way, so I can be the best trainer ever. And other clichés.
"Meow!"
The Glameow, pestering me as I run around my room getting ready to meet Rowan, has been my training partner for the past year.
You see, for the past year, I have gone out with Glameow every chance I got, to teach it battle moves, and put it up against all the weak wild Pokémon I could find. This was a good way for me to get some experience unbeknownst to my mother who was working two jobs. Never home.
It stopped once I got challenged by some arrogant asshole with a Pikachu. I had never officially battled with Glameow before, so I thought after all our training he would do okay.
I was wrong.
Glameow got electrocuted, so I had to rush him to the PokéCenter. They figured out that I was too young to have a Pokémon, called my mother, and I was in a world of trouble. Glameow have seemed sad ever since.
Not due to the injuries he sustained. Pokemon are designed to take damage and emerge brand new. It only makes them stronger to go through tough times. No. He is sad because Mom banned me and him from going out of the house together and told the whole neighborhood to keep an eye out for us.
It is plain to see that he misses the thrill, but he is just another regular domesticated Pokémon now.
Anyway, here I am, running out the door, waving to the neighbors shouting happy birthday to me.
Twinleaf is a little town, so people pay attention to each other here, and especially keep track of young people with aspirations of being Pokémon Trainers. Which is basically everyone, but only some actually have the balls to pursue it once they turn 15. Most children pussy out and settle on the boring life path once they are that age.
Not me.
I have not worked as Rowans assistant the last 2 years for nothing. I knew that once I turned 15, I had to have a head start in experience and knowledge, or every other trainer would run me over. Of course it has other perks too, such as him putting a starter Pokémon aside for me.
Most Pokemon professors give Pidgeys, Starlys, or even Nidorans if you are lucky, for starters, but those in the know, can choose among the rarer breeds.
This is a result of either good grades, connections or money.
"Kyce, wait!"
Through all my blabbering I have reached my old workplace, the Pokemon Professor Rowans Laboratory, and just got stopped at the front door by my best friend.
"Did you really intend to go in there and receive your starter without me taking a picture?", he says energetically. His blue eyes looking at me with disappointment.
"Yes, because I dreaded that you brought your camera, and wanted to avoid my bed hair being immortalized as the first hairstyle the future best in the world had when he received his starter", I sigh out to my blond friend towering over me, as I crouch down to pet Havoc, who just barked at me seconds earlier.
Yes, my friend has a Growlithe.
You see, Sebastian here, or Sebb as I call him, is two months older than me. We went to Pokéschool together, as he is just as obsessed with being a Pokemon trainer as me. How could we not be, even Pokemon trainers who are nothing but decent, are getting treated as gods and Rockstars.
His start to Pokémon training, is actually quite funny, as he was offered a Caterpie by Professor Rowan, based on his bad grades in Pokéschool. He is not bad at all; he just never had any patience or determination to study. Very unlike me.
Learning by doing is kind of his motto. Luckily for him his mother is a police officer, and a high ranking one at that. So she arranged a Growlithe for him, and dorky as he is, that poor thing is now named "Havoc".
Now, my grades are high, so I could almost choose the one I like. I heard Professor Oak in the Kanto region, just got in a Bulbasaur, that he is waiting to give to some young bloke with the promise and grades to warrant it. I do not have the money to travel that far, and my Starter is already arranged through my work as an assistant, rather than through my grades.
"What are you waiting for, lets go in and get your Pokemon so we can take off. I have waited for 4 months for your child ass to turn 15", Sebb shouts at me, as I rub a happy Havoc behind his ear.
"You have waited 2 months, and patience is good for you. Rowan said that when he handed you a Caterpie", I tease him.
"And now I have a fucking Growlithe, so he and his advice can blow me"
Deciding to get on with the day, rather than having this pointless conversation, I simply walk through the door without acknowledging his exclamations.
"Kyce, finally you are here! This is a great day", Rowan greets me, as I notice my mom standing ready.
Of Course also with a camera. Surprising as she never wanted me to become a trainer. You see my dad was a Pokémon trainer.
He died many years ago. I never talk about it.
"Mom, you came anyway?"
"Sure, I could use a break from work, and seeing as I cant talk you out of it, I might as well document the day I lost my little boy"
"I will come back frequently mom"
"I am sure", she says with heavy sarcasm in her tone.
Rowan notices Sebb walking in all excited followed by Havoc.
"And of course you brought… Him", Rowan deadpans.
"Hi old man", Sebb happily greets a frowning Rowan, almost oblivious of the man's hostility towards him.
Rowan does not like laziness. Not that Sebb is lazy. I mean in many ways he is the exact opposite. Energetic, erratic, wild and reckless, would be more fitting adjectives I suppose. But I see where Rowan comes from. Sebb hates to read or write. Basically anything resembling homework is the last thing on his mind, so I guess in that department he is rather lazy.
Which is why Rowan wanted to teach him a lesson by giving him a Caterpie. Also the reason why the old man looks at Havoc with disgust. From his point of view it is a strong Pokémon with loads of potential, that Sebb did not earn.
"So, lets get the little guy ready for you", Rowan says looking at me, as my mom hugs me, more sad than happy.
Me, I am not even nervous. It feels like it is nothing but the obligatory start to every story, nothing to get excited about.
My whole life has come to this. Everything I have ever done since I was 10 has been to become the best. I realize there are over a million people in this region alone, working towards this goal. Even some who have been working on it for 40 years or so without a single badge. But they are not me.
I am special.
"Dude this is gonna be so awesome. Just traversing the region, beating trainers, catching Pokemon", Sebb yells out, giving Rowan a few more wrinkles on his forehead.
"Earning badges", I finish my friends trail of thought.
"….Well, yes, maybe", he responds nervously.
My mom too shifts her demeanor from being sad to gloom. Yeah, not much of a difference.
"Baby, I know you have been working hard to be ready for this, but remember, your Pokémon haven't, it is still an infant, so don't set your sights too high from the start. And please come back to me before the year is over", my mom tells me, with a worried look in her eye, as even my eager friend looks a bit stunned at my ambitions.
He should not. He knows me.
"I told you mom, I will only come back here once I have at least a couple of badges", I tell her.
"Honey that will take a year at least. Maybe longer. Maybe never. Gym Leaders are no joke"
"I know that", I respond, as she sighs.
"Don't worry Joanna, you will see us again soon", Sebb tells her, obviously trying to calm her down, and shift the focus away from what she perceives to be her child spiraling into madness, just like his father.
Of course I know it will be difficult to get badges, but without goals, you wont get anywhere. If I tell myself I cant come back without them, I have added motivation, and I need everything I can get to have me push on through the monumental trials waiting for me on this journey.
"Here we go!", Rowan interrupts with a Pokéball.
I take it, and relish in the fact that this little guy, is now truly mine. Ever since I laid eyes on him a year ago, scared and broken, I have felt a certain connection to him. I wanted to help him, not because I had to, but I wanted to. A rare feeling for me. Now we are official partners, and I know we will achieve great things together.
"Come on, let him come out", says an excited Rowan.
Truly a rare sight.
Sebb looks as if he wants to tell me not to, but apparently makes a mental note to start our journey together off on a happy and supportive note, by echoing Rowans request.
"Yeah, lets have both our Pokémon out to start with. Sent out a statement that we are coming!".
When I chose this particular Pokemon, as the one I wanted out of the many options in Professor Rowans garden, Sebb did not understand it. But he has now come to realize the special bond the two of us share.
"If I do that, he will refuse to go back in it, until he had some battle action", I reply to Sebb.
"What does it matter, it will be cool to have him walk beside us anyway. And both of us have already packed, so we are ready to go straight away!", he reasons.
I relent and summon my old friend for the first time.
"Ele! Elekid!".
Hardly a surprising sentence for an Elekid.
My Elekid.
He frantically looks around, with that almost permanent mad expression upon his face.
"The time has finally come Elekid. We can now go on adventure together. It is time to achieve our goals", I tell him, which has him stand up straight, and actually sport a smug smile for a change.
He and I have talked about this for a long time, even more so than I have talked about it with Sebb or my mom's Glameow, so I know he is excited.
"I am guessing you cant wait to get on your way, so here is your PokéDexes. And I guess I wont see you two until you both have 8 badges"; Rowan says as he hands us the PokéDexes, and two belts filled with empty PokéBalls.
Sure, the sentence would be a nice sentiment, that showed belief in our ability. Had it not been for the almost mocking laugh at the end of it.
Rowan is a nice guy, but he is a brutal pragmatist, and he sees my aspirations as nothing but a child's foolish dreams. He never said so out loud, though, there is no need to. I know that is what every adult is thinking about my dreams. Even my own mother. Best case result for her, would be if I discovered how foolish my dreams was within a week, when I inevitably get my ass handed to me by some experienced trainer.
Then I would run back to her crying, begging to move in again. No chance. Once I come back here, I will have the money and fame to build a dream house, and a garden of my own, for all my rare Pokémon.
I will spare you the details of the goodbye I share with her. It is basically her crying and begging me not to leave her. A more unselfish person would listen to her. Especially given the hard life she had, but this is my story. I may be a terrible human being for not listening to her, but I am destined for greater things.
I just know it.
"Okay, time to get working Kyce!"
"Damn right Sebb, this is gonna be good"
"You mean epic!", he corrects. way too excited.
We get going into the route, undoubtedly swarming with puny Rattata, Starly, Spearow and Pidgey. Obviously not worthy of our time.
Or so we thought, when my Elekid decides to throw a thunderbolt right into the middle of a swarm of Spearows, making all of them spiral down to the ground. Making me regret I ever taught him that move in Rowans garden.
"Fuck! Elekid, what was that for!", I ask my Pokemon, confused by its aggressive behavior.
"I told you bro, its disturbed and unpredictable. Wrong in the head. You should have picked that Turtwig Rowan offered you a couple months ago, before some other undeserved asshole took it... I would have loved a Turtwig", Sebb echoes the many thoughts in his ADHD mind.
"Shut up, he is just antsy about this whole journey. He will be fine now he got it out of his system", I reply to Sebb, with more hope than conviction in my voice.
"Ele!" is the sound, as Elekid now Brick Breaks Sebb in his leg.
Luckily, he never did learn that move correctly, so Sebb escapes relatively unscathed, even if he does kick up a fuzz, by jumping around on one leg screaming in exaggerated pain.
"Okay Kid, back in the ball", I tell my unruly Pokémon, who takes a step back as I shoot the red light towards him. He resists it and then looks at me as if he were an angsty teenager told to go to his room.
"You will get plenty of opportunities to show your power Kid, come on now, remember what we promised each other", I plead to him, as he relents and lets me summon him back into the Pokéball, while Havoc barks at him.
"Damn, I swear, next time I will set Havoc on that little shit", Sebb exclaims, as his Growlithe barks at Elekids Pokéball, almost to punctuate the statement.
"Stop being a baby, he just wanted to practice Brick Break. He needs to learn it soon, if we are to be competitive", I say, trying to hold back a mock grin.
"Then train it on a fucking rock. Now come on, let us get going, your little accomplice has halted us enough. We got a lot of route to go through until the next small town. Then some forest. Another little bogus town. And finally civilization in Sandgem"
"I know fucker, I was the one who marked out the whole path. You wanted to, in your own words, wing it"
"Then what are you waiting for, we got Pokemon to catch, and noob trainers to school!"
"You do realize we ourselves are as rookie as you possibly get right? We have literally just taken our first steps into route 1"
As I say this, we hear a harrowing screech, that have us looking at each other with worry, and then up at the sky.
"Fearow!", is the follow up words from the sunny blue sky, and we both take a battle stance.
Covering the sun with our hands, we spy the enormous Spearow evolution diving down hard from the sky to avenge Elekids attack on his pre-evolution brethren.
Where the fuck did that thing come from?
Fearow is an exceedingly rare sight in the wild, but also one who have put an end to many new trainers and presents a fair challenge to even the most experienced trainers out there.
This was extremely unlucky.
I take a look at the giant bird Pokemon coming right at us, as I look at a shell shocked Sebb, and we both exclaim;
"Fuck".
Please Review and follow if you like it. Any constructive criticism is welcome as well. This is just me having some fun, and creating my own sort of Pokemon universe, and i would like to know what you think of it so far. Lots more to come.