Chapter Zero: The Story So Far
When Victor first met Leon, the image in his head was of a gallant knight, riding across the land battling dynamaxed Pokemon while singing ballads. Hop may or may not have influenced his perception of the region's champion, just a tad. He thought that expecting a sense of fashion was reasonable, though. Not even a good sense of fashion, just any sense of fashion.
Victor remembered Leon stepping out of Wedgehurst station while basking in the adulation of the crowd, his Charizard posing menacingly behind him. Victor fought not to laugh. Don't ruin this for Hop. Seriously though, a sponsor cape to pair with white and gold leggings. It wasn't just him, right? Right?
That whole day was a whirlwind. From Hop running back and forth fast enough to outpace a Salamance to Leon almost getting lost on a straight road (Charizard literally had to drag him the rest of the way and Victor still has the footage somewhere), Victor could hardly keep track of all of it. That all changed when Leon pulled out those three Pokeballs. Victor swore that the world stopped, as those three Pokemon lined up in front of him and Hop. Victor knew that they were fairly rare, powerful pokemon, especially for starters. He wasn't surprised Leon had done something like this for Hop, because brothers and all, but for him? A kid the champion had never even met? It meant a lot. And when Victor picked up that Scorbunny, and named him Fiver, and couldn't stop smiling all through the night to the point where the barbecue sauce looked like blood on his teeth? Well, he thought that there was nothing Leon could ever do to fall from the pedestal he'd just earned. He'd given Victor his first pokemon, his first starter. His own new little family.
It had been all of one day, and Victor and Fiver were already thick as thieves. The whole fight-an-invincible-ghost-wolf thing could have had something to do with that. Victor was just glad they were ok, and Leon had got to them in time. Fiver, if Victor was understanding him right, wanted a rematch. Victor chucked to himself and ruffled the little lagomorph's ears from where he was purchased on Victor's shoulder. Maybe a couple of evolutions later, bud. He had to admit, he was just as fired up as his fiery starter when it came to the upcoming league, though. Hop might have dragged him into it but, well, Hop had a talent for firing people up.
It was the same natural charisma that Leon had, whenever Hop got really passionate about something Victor found himself wanting to be nowhere else but by his side, charging in with him. Fiver had literal stars in his eyes whenever Hop talked and it was easy to see why. Victor believed Hop could be the champion, no doubt about it. Sure, he'd put up a hell of a fight, he'd even beaten Hop today! Probably just a fluke though, especially since he hadn't caught any new Pokemon on routes one or two. None of them looked like they had the same spark Fiver had, and that's without whatever grudge the small starter had against Rookidee as a whole. Victor had almost wanted to apologize to the avians. He was impressed though, with that kind of spirit, he and Fiver were going to go far.
The Wild Area had been a surprise, but a welcome one. The glowing dens of Dynamax Pokemon were nerve-wracking at first, but Fiver absolutely loved them, and Victor quickly saw why. Those Pokemon had hordes of candy that a quick rotom-search told Victor was just the right blend to help Pokemon get strong fast. It took Victor almost four days to cross the wild area (which was good, because the opening ceremony that Hop kept texting him about was tomorrow), but during that time Victor had learned how to cook, learned how loudly he had to swear to be heard over a thunderstorm, and had absolutely lucked out in the dens, catching a Dreepy, Ralts and finding an egg on the ground. Oh yeah, he could feel it all coming together. Victor hadn't figured out quite how to name a ghost-type yet, so Dreepy was still Dreepy for now, but Anastasia the Ralts was shaping up to be an amazing addition to the team alongside them.
Victor and his team (family, the voice in the back of his head whispered) officially hated official functions of any kind. Don't ask them to go again. Please, don't. Is going through the challenge worth this? Well, at least Victor got #42 for his uniform.
Victor was right. Definitely not worth it. Four months, eight gyms, one extra rival in Marnie and one Bede (who was complex enough to earn his own category, Victor almost wished he was a therapist just to figure out what the everloving fuck was going on in that curly-haired head of his), and he and Hop were finally about to enter the Leage Tournament Proper. His team (family) had grown in size and power, and even though he wasn't looking forward to losing to Hop (he'd gotten two more wins over the course of his journey but he really didn't expect that luck to hold), battling the best of the best would be fun. Fiver, now a Cinderace, was beside him as he inspected the suite that Macro Cosmos had provided them. Anastasia had made a beeline for the kitchen (really, Victor had only set the tent on fire once and now his own Gardevoir won't let him cook anymore) and the calming aroma of peppermint tea was starting to permeate the air. Tiamat The Dastardly Dragapult (trademark pending) was currently flying about the ceiling chasing the will-o-wisps made by Tenko as the Ninetales curled up near the fireplace. Muninn the Corvinight was out cold up on the roof where he was most comfortable, and Llelwyn the Lapras was hogging the tub. No respect for Victor in this house. Ah, well. Least there was a lot of food and hot chocolate in here. It would be a shame, Victor thought, to let Chairman Rose's generosity go to waste. Yes, quite a shame…
Fiver was already running for the sodas. The bastard. Victor had wanted first dibs on the cherry cola.
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck he'd beaten Hop whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhat the everloving fuck. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! Hop was an amazing trainer, an amazing person! Victor… Victor wasn't supposed to win this. Oh, he gave it his all, of course. Hop deserved the best fight he could get.
So what the hell just happened?
Oleana has reaffirmed Victor's hatred of ceremonial and bureaucratic anything. What the shit, lady. Victor and his team wanted food, not to fight league officials across Wyndon. The riot was weird too, although Piers helped get that under control. Victor liked Piers. Found-family candidate?
Chairman Rose. WHAT. THE FUCK. Ah, yes, I shall start the apocalypse for clean energy! What could go wrong?
Ok, so maybe Victor had a little too much fun with turning Rose's team into paste. He'd been mean to Hop. Also, he was blocking the lift up to where Leon was battling… something. Had to be dealt with. Not his fault Fiver and Tenko ate steel-types for breakfast.
Eternatus was the most fucked-up looking dragonish thing Victor had ever seen and that included Dracovish. Leon threw the ball.
One.
Two.
A Charizard was in front of Victor and Hop. Why…?
Kaboom.
Oh, Kings of Galar, please no. Not his family. Please not his family.
One week, two surgeries and three prescriptions later they let Victor see his pokemon, his family again. He walked into the room and burst into tears. Fiver was mostly intact, the only visible marks from the battle being a scar over the nose that honestly didn't detract from his appearance at all, along with some spider-web scars on his lower legs from one of the insane blasts that don'tsayitdon'tthinkitthemonstercan'thurtyouanymore delivered during the battle. Tiamat was whole, but incredibly pale; she'd run the risk of dissipating into spirit energy with how much power she put into her attacks. Anastasia… oh, Kings of Galar. Her dress was torn almost to tatters and a spiderweb of scar tissue crossed where her eyes… were. Slowly, she turned towards him, head angled just to his left. Tenko was covered in plaster, casts adorning her frame as she struggled to rise to greet him. Muninn rose slowly, feather-armor chipped in a way that made the bird look even more intimidating, but he appeared healthy...ish. And…
No.
Please no.
"Where's Llelwyn?"
They buried her next to the river outside of Postwick where Victor and Fiver had first met her. A bit of coral-bone had chipped off her shell and Victor made it into a ring. To remember her by, you see?
Two weeks after The Incident Leon, Hop, Victor, Opal, Sonia and Professor Magnolia assembled to go over transitions of power and… less pleasant matters. The premier ball that Victor had… the premier ball sat on the table, it's coloration screaming danger as loud as if it were a shiny poison-type. It took a while before anyone spoke, but when the conversation started it was clear that it would be… interesting. Opal pointed out that they really did need someone to step into the immense power vacuum that Rose (BASTARD) had left behind. Leon said something or other about a committee and… something about a condiment? Didn't make sense to Victor. Not much did. And then of course the premier ball was brought up. And they wanted Victor to decide? Professor Magnolia stared at him, gently. "You did catch it, Victor. It is your pokemon now, your conquest."
Really, in hindsight Victor could have been perhaps a tiny bit more polite. Oh well.
"No it fucking isn't."
Everyone present looked as if they had been slapped, but Victor pressed on. Was the room supposed to be this red? Weird. "That (monsterhorrorfienddemon) thing isn't one of my pokemon. If you want to study it, fine. Keep it in the damn ball. If not, I'm smashing it with a hammer and saving us all the trouble."
Opal glared at him with all the force of someone very old used to being intimidating to young adults and children. "Young man, when we first met I saw in you great compassion for your pokemon. I advise you to call upon it once more before my mood sours further."
Victor, extremely politely, extended a particular finger in her direction. "S'not one of my pokemon. Reckon I'd know if it was, wouldn't I?"
"You caught it, didn't you?"
"Yes, to stop the fucking apocalypse."
Victor feels bad because Hop is staring at him like he's never even seen him before. Victor imagines that, covered in bandages as he is, it might be harder to recognize him. There's still some burn tissue on his face that has to be covered. At least the doctors said it wouldn't scar.
Leon intercedes before Victor and Opal try to kill each other. "Okay, okay, deep breaths. Let's send the ball to Sonia and Magnolia and just… leave it for now."
Victor scoffs. "Fine by me." He pretends that the look of revulsion and dread on Opal's face doesn't hurt. Then Leon drives the conversation off a cliff.
"So, Vic. Reckon we hold that championship bout soon?"
Something cracks, faintly, in the back of Victor's skull. He's distantly aware of the fact that he hasn't said a word in three minutes. He's trying to figure out how to not scream. Eventually, he forces what he thinks is language out of his mouth in a croak. "You're that scared?"
Leon is obviously confused, so Victor generously decides to elaborate. "Thought I was too much of a challenge, eh? Figured when I was weakest was the best to fight me?" Leon is stammering now but Victor doesn't care. "Don't care too much about my team, do you, Leon old chum. Oh, never mind Ana's blind now. Or that Tiamat can barely keep a solid form. Or that Tenko can hardly move. The doctors say she'll be lucky to ever walk faster than a child, didn't you know?" Leon isn't responding. Why isn't Leon responding? Perhaps Victor needs to clarify further. "Never mind even with all that I'm down one, eh? Never mind that Llelwyn's dead now. Never mind that ONE OF MY FAMILY IS DEAD NOW, EH?"
Distantly, Victor's aware that he's tossed his chair at Leon. Ah, well. He's enough money to buy the whole damn office set at this point. "I am lucky to be alive. You are lucky to be alive. There are a grand total of two pokemon I call my own who can move faster than a crawl. And you want to have a fucking championship bout."
Hop is crying. Why is Hop crying? Hop's team, his family is still whole. Victor had made sure of it, he'd texted Hop as soon as he awoke from surgery so that he could know his friend was okay. Why is Hop crying? Sonia is looking at him in horror and Magnolia looks grey. Leon's cap is pulled over his eyes. Opal looks at him with something approaching understanding. "Child, none of us knew of your team's condition until now. I suppose this explains your loathing of E-"
Victor's neck cracks as he whirls on her. "Do not say its name."
Leon speaks. At last. "Victor… I-I didn't realize your team was-" Here he pauses. "I'm sorry. Asking was crass of me. I just wanted to… I wanted this to be over.
Victor knows that Leon means well. He's too angry to care. "You want this to be over? Fine. The premier ball goes with Sonia and Magnolia. If I never see it again it'll be too soon. I'm taking my team home. Taking my family home. Never been more glad Mom's a pokemon rehabilitation specialist. Tell the League whatever the fuck you want, Leon. I have a family to help transition to life with scars from stopping a demon."
Leon stared as Victor made for the door. "Vic, please. Let us…"
"Hop, I'll text soon. Sonia, Magnolia, keep that damn thing away from me. Leon? Hope you have a real Champion Time." Victor couldn't lie, using Leon's own catchphrase against him felt pretty good. He almost felt happy as he walked out the door.