Pokemon: A legacy of defiance
"Who are you to change this world silly boy no one needs to hear your words let it go." Starset's song Carnivore which I have no rights to but love and feel fits this story.
Snow had fallen in the dark hours of the night covering the normally quiet hamlet in a dazzling white blanket. Unfortunately for the young man currently trying to unload boxes from a moving truck it didn't make things any easier. Grunting while lifting a box which admittedly was heavier than he'd expected the young man stumbled backwards expecting to hit snow. When the sharp pain of hitting the ground with a heavy box never arrived he looked down to see a large four armed Pokemon holding the box in one hand and the young man in two others.
"Nice catch there Machamp sorry about the late arrival my secretary had you arriving at three." A strong and burly looking man with a long white beard explained as the Pokemon sat their new arrival down slowly. Glancing over at the nearby clock it read two forty five and mad the young man blush at his embarrassing but understandable mistake. During his childhood the young man always preferred being several minutes early opposed to being even a second late. Much as he'd tried breaking said habit it always ended in failure and sometimes like his current predicament it bit him sharply in the behind.
"Despite the snow I got here early and figured why not go ahead and do some unpacking myself." the young man explained his cheeks still flush with embarrassment. Chuckling at the new arrival's enthusiasm the older man had two extra Machamp start unloading the remaining boxes. Knowing the Pokemon were no doubt very skilled at their job he decided to have a quick breather after his near fall and scare. Watching as they unloaded boxes quickly but safely the young man couldn't help feeling more than a little envious of their strength.
"Secretary's also my wife and she tells me you're moving here from Seradin City, didn't care much for the bright lights and noisy traffic?" the moving guy questioned as the young man simply nodded in reply. Actually there were a lot of things he didn't like about living in the big city and none of them were anything he was going to miss. Reaching into his dark brown leather jacket and pullet out a small letter he began reading it. No matter how many times he looked it over he still couldn't get used to the words on it and how they'd led him to such a remote village.
"Sorry all the excitement and I've forgotten all sense of manners the name's Jason Starleon." Jason explained nearly cringing as the last name passed through his lips. During his life in the big city he'd passed it off as a stage name but things were different out here. Without a need to impress everyone he could be himself only problem was the young man didn't exactly know who that person was anymore. Sure there were people who claimed life in the big city didn't really change a person but those people had clearly never lived in the city.
"Says here your last name is Williamson but if that's a typo we can fix it." the moving guy replied as the younger man sighed in frustration at his own mistake. After several minutes he grabbed a pen and wrote down that it was in fact Williamson then handing it back to the man in charge. Bracing himself for a million different questions he was surprised when the older man simply pocketed the writing device grinning. While the younger man couldn't be certain the look in his eyes seemed to be saying it's okay buddy we've all got our secrets.
"Nice village are there any special rules I should know about before settling in?" Jason questioned as the older man nodded before giving him an extensive paper list. Most of it was pretty standard stuff like not burning trash, when said trash was collected every weekend, and even some articles on shoveling the driveway of his new house. At first that last one didn't really sink in because he'd only ever lived in apartments until now but eventually the change in scenery dawned on him. While living in a small town like this would be a nice change of pace nobody could deny it would take some getting used to before he was comfortable in this new way of life.
"Biggest thing is don't leave Pokemon unattended but according to my notes you don't have any is that right?" the moving guy questioned as Jason nodded in reply. Strangely enough that admission had gotten more of a response than keep his past a secret and getting his names mixed up. Glancing around the small village he could see a good number of villagers both young and old walking or playing with their Pokemon and it made him a little sad. Despite having always been interested in getting his own Pokemon life events seemed to always interfere.
"Ya know it's never too late our resident Pokemon expert could help you get one." A new voice this one feminine explained as a young woman with long dark brown hair and matching eyes walked up to him grinning. Walking behind the young woman a Pichu with a ribbon on its tail looked happy to just be around their young trainer and enjoying its walk. Suddenly it dawned on him that despite seeing a lot of Pokemon he'd yet to see anyone using or even holding a Pokeball which made the young man smile. Back in the city people barely let their Pokemon out long enough to get a name out before making it return into their Pokeball.
"Allow me to introduce my daughter Sarah and her Pichu which she's named Lil Light." the moving guy explained as the dark haired woman actually curtsied before him. Chuckling as the woman's Pichu tried copying her only to fall into the snow he was a little envious of their relationship. Most of the people he knew with Pokemon for companions said it made their lives feel more complete and the young man could definitely see why. Despite being a responsibility they were also companions that if necessary fought off loneliness and feelings of isolation.
"I've always dreamed of having a Pokemon companion so if your daughter or someone from the village would show me the way I'd love to meet your resident Pokemon expert." Jason explained making the young woman clap both hands together smiling. Glancing over at her father the older man nodded it was alright making the young woman reach out and grab his arm. Surprisingly the woman's grip was a good deal stronger than he would've expected which allowed the young woman to pull him forwards. After passing several houses which reminded him of the one he'd be staying in they finally reached a somewhat larger building that seemed out of place for their small village.
"Good afternoon Professor Maxwell I've brought you a very special guest today." Sarah called out making the young man blush at her calling the young man a special guest. Reality was he didn't think of himself as important and didn't want anyone else treating him differently. While part of him knew it was because the young man was a new arrival it didn't make him feel any less embarrassed at the young woman's announcement. Gazing at the many books scattered around the house a few of them were actually familiar while others seemed a bit unusual.
"Retired professor dear you keep forgetting that but it's alright so let's take a look at what you've brought me." A warm older voice explained as the silver haired woman called out from a nearby balcony. Glancing upwards he could see the house was actually quite large and filled with countless books each of them some kind of rare first edition. Making her way over to a staircase the retired professor began descending them when suddenly her foot missed a step causing her to stumble. Before anyone could react the young man had rushed forward and grabbed the railing using it to pull himself over the staircase in order to grab the woman before she got injured.
"Dude sweet moves where did you learn to move like that?" Sarah questioned as young man helped the retired professor back to her feet. After making sure the older woman hadn't injured anything he helped the woman over to a nearby desk. When they finally reached the chair she nearly collapsed into it as the young man finally saw the knee brace on her left knee. Glancing back at the young woman it became clear she expected answers but he wasn't ready to give any just yet.
"Sarah dear he's clearly got secrets that bother him so for now let's just focus on the reason you're here." Professor Maxwell explained as the young man nodded in reply. Despite knowing he'd made the right decision in leaving the city he wasn't ready to discuss his motivation for doing so just yet. Much as he wished that part of his life would stay buried forever he knew it would come out eventually and if that happened it would change everything. Until then he was going to live in their peaceful village and do his very best to seem like a normal young man who'd decided city life was just too much for him.
"Jason here is looking for his very first Pokemon companion and we thought maybe you could help." Sarah explained as the young man nodded his eyes still hiding things but grateful she'd let it go for now. Despite his reservations part of the young man actually wanted to reveal his past but right now it was all still too fresh and painful. Most people assumed his reason for leaving was related to heartbreak and it was a better fiction that his real motivations were at least in his own mind. According to his counselor it was going to be some time before the young man was up for talking about his past but eventually he'd let it be known to someone he trusted.
"What kind of Pokemon are you looking for deary." Maxwell questioned as the young man contemplated his answer. Despite having always wanted a Pokemon companion his past kept the young man from looking into one. Glancing at the pictures on her desk the young man couldn't help smiling at the picture of what he assumed was the professor's grandchild playing with a Oshwatt. Before long his eyes settled on a picture of the same girl much older now playing with a Pikachu laughing with a huge smile on her face.
"I'm not really sure." Jason explained shrugging in utter confusion. Knowing there were all different kinds of Pokemon he couldn't even begin to guess what kind of partner was best for someone like him. Unfortunately the young man couldn't just explain he didn't know what king of Pokemon he wanted as it would make him seem ignorant. Before long the old woman smiled clasping his shoulder making it clear his inability to choose a partner wasn't anything to be embarrassed over.
"Since you're not really sure how about my granddaughter shows you around the village if something catches your attention let us know and she'll catch it for you?" Maxwell questioned as the young man nodded that it was a great idea. Reaching into her desk the older woman pulled out several round orbs that even non-trainers like himself would recognize. Giving them over to his female companion the younger woman smiled before hugging the older woman making him feel a bit jealous. Despite having always wanted a better relationship with his own family it had caused more than a little bit of resentment that he'd never really accepted their ideals.
"Dad says you're the new owner of Sherwin Cottage are you planning on settling down here?" Sarah questioned as they stepped outside where the young man could see groups of children playing and laughing with their companions. Villages like theirs were a beautiful and rare sight which made it even more special knowing that he'd be accepted into their community. Much as he wanted to believe his secret past would remained hidden the young man knew it was just a matter of time before someone found out. When that happened it could mean he'd be leaving their village but until it actually happened doubting the villagers was just borrowing trouble.
"I'd like to but it's not easy giving up your old life." Jason replied knowing that his words must sound fake even to her. Strangers or not people could usually tell when a person lied and in his case it wasn't even a well said lie. Despite the young woman's eyes being filled with curiosity she decided it was better if they focused on catching him a partner. Making their way past several quaint little buildings she waved at nearly everyone making it clear she enjoyed their village and its people.
"Well if you're really considering putting down roots here it might help if we could trust each other." Sarah replied as the young man flinched at her biting comment. Realizing both of them had stepped outside village limits it was obvious she'd been waiting until then before ambushing him. Giving her a sigh the young man was just about to give her a little something about his past when a strange creature walked by. Both cute and fierce looking it reminded him of a small dinosaur and was by far the coolest looking Pokemon he'd seen outside the big city.
"Do you think capturing something like it would be possible or should we keep looking?" Jason questioned as the young woman looked at the creature surprised it was out here. Pokemon like it didn't usually like cold weather but every now and then you'd get stragglers from the nearby mountains. Grabbing the round orbs in her pocket she was just about to fling one before the young man suddenly rushed forward keeping her from doing so. Watching as he caught the little guy in his arms she could make out countless scars on it which didn't resemble any kind of Pokemon battle.
"Anyone who could injure this little guy deserves a serious beat down." Sarah growled as the young man simply comforted the Larivitar in his arms. Gazing down at the small creature he was fairly positive it was going to be okay but it was the markings on his body which made the young man's blood run cold. Motioning for his female companion to make sure it would be okay she pulled out a small pouch of medicine before tossing it onto the Pokemon. Watching as the creature slowly began regaining their strength her new village's new arrival was standing out in the field his eyes focused on the nearby cave's exit.
"Whatever happens promise me you'll get back home with the little guy and keep him safe." Jason exclaimed his voice sounding almost like a growl. She'd known the young man was hiding something but whatever he'd seen in those markings and cuts it was bringing out a completely different side of him. While she didn't exactly understand what he meant by those words she nodded in agreement that protecting it was a high priority. Gazing into the young man's eyes when he looked at the creature she could make out the rage in his eyes and it was enough to make her feel a bit worried about him.