Pokémon Teamwork Episode 1: Riku
Summary: Today is Riku's 15th birthday. That means that she's now legible to become a Pokémon Trainer. Alongside her friends Sora and Kai, Riku begins her journey across the Miedaa region, each one for their own goal. Riku's is to become Champion, to spite her mother Daiyamondo, the current Champion, who she feels has neglected her and her father…
Rating: T
It was a clear morning in Jade Town, a rural community in Miedaa. And it was not any other morning, as fifteen years ago on that very day, a Trainer on her way to becoming Champion gave birth to a baby girl-Riku. That Trainer's name is Daiyamondo, who has been Champion of Miedaa for the last eight years straight. Here and now, Riku is slumbering in her bed, after a long night of exercise. Riku has always been athletic, but for the past year, she's been pushing her well-trained body to the limit. That's so she can be in shape to challenge her mother and show to her how she feels about Daiyamondo visiting rarely, and seemingly prioritizing fame and glory over family.
On Riku's bedroom door, her father and Daiyamondo's husband Kokkaku has been patiently knocking. For work, Kokkaku has been running a Pokémon ranch, where people send their Pokémon to be bred, taken care of, and appraised. Since she was little, Riku has been expected to help Kokkaku out with work, at first, some small, easy chores, now they share about half of the work. Not liking the idea of abandoning Pokémon, Kokkaku kept the ones his client(s) didn't like and kept them until someone shows up to take them. Or they die. Depends on what happens earlier. From Kokkaku, Riku sees the value in every individual Pokémon and species and is very talented at caring for them. While Kokkaku is a hard-working man who dislikes laziness, he has a doting streak a mile high. It depends on Riku's mood of the day if Kokkaku cheers her up or annoys her.
"What is it, Dad? I feel like manure.", Riku quietly grumbled. She had burned out and was still feeling the fatigue from hours of nonstop workout. Riku was not allowed to swear, since the fiasco with Polly the Chatot, who came to Jade Town clean-beaked, and went home swearing at every opportunity.
Kokkaku, as per norm, had done all of Riku's chores, let her sleep in, got her new clothes, and baked her a cake. He sung, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Riku, happy birthday to you." Riku still felt as heavy as stone.
Riku groaned, "You may have Vital Spirit, but I have Slow Start." She was right. While Kokkaku is full of energy every morning, you can tell if Riku has been working out a bit too hard when she doesn't have the energy to pull herself out of bed. Kokkaku stopped knocking, and Riku fell back asleep almost instantly, until the knocking returned. Riku asked, "What's your newest scheme to get me back on my sore twin legs?"
Kokkaku told Riku, "I'll let you have a steaming-hot bath, if you eat all of this cake I baked." Kokkaku knew that his daughter liked to bathe in a big, bisected wood barrel, especially after a strenuous workout. And filling her guts with food works as well as soaking her muscles in hot water, at the task of replenishing her energy from lethargic to energetic. Riku cloaked her nude body in a blanket, having refused clothes while sleeping during her training to toughen up. Riku got to the door, unlocked it, opened it, and used the hand that wasn't holding on her blankets to grab the cake, which was on a plate with a fork and a knife. Kokkaku closed the door, telling Riku, "I'll give you your privacy. Sorry if you feel uncomfortable."
Riku brushed it off with, "There's nothing you haven't seen before. Especially 15 years ago today." However, Riku was concerned about guests. Riku asked, "Are we the only two people here?"
Kokkaku replied, "Yes. I'll guard the door." And Kokkaku stood guard over Riku's bedroom door as she sat on her bed and began eating her cake.
Greedily devouring the sweet, Riku thought, There is no cooking like Dad's cooking! Normally, I do not like sweets, as they're not the best thing to put into your body, but anything made by Dad, I can eat! I'm going to eat every last bit of this cake! And Riku kept her promise by licking off the crumbs and icing on the plate, as well as whatever she got on her blankets, bed and body. Only once was there literally nothing left of the cake except for silverware and the plate, did Riku return it to Kokkaku. The energy in the cake went right into Riku, and she went downstairs, and headed out back, to get her bath. Kokkaku got Scorch, the Magmar on the ranch, to heat up the bathwater by igniting the coals beneath it with Ember.
Riku sank into the steaming-hot bath, slowly slipping until she was completely submerged, and remained underwater for several seconds, before bobbing her head out. Kokkaku threw her a bar of soap, and told his Pokémon, "Stay on high alert. We don't want any Pikachus." Coulomb the Pikachu sparked up defensively. Kokkaku replied, "Not like you. The other kind." Coulomb calmed down, and Kokkaku scratched her fuzzy little head. Riku lathered up with soap, and rinsed off by diving again, before relaxing in the water, occasionally splashing and changing position. Seeing his daughter so happy was the single greatest sight in the world for Kokkaku, and he got her a towel, for when she got out. Riku took several more minutes to soak, and then pulled her waterlogged, reddened body from the relaxing drink, before drying off, covering herself with the towel, and heading to her room.
While Riku was bathing, Kokkaku was getting her new ensemble onto her bed. Every year, on Riku's birthday, Kokkaku got the clothes he bought for her onto her bed. Once Riku was in her bedroom, she again locked the door, threw her towel in the laundry hamper, strength restored, and put on the clothes. A base layer of black bikini underwear with white thigh-high stockings, a outside layer of brown leather boots that reached the knees, fingerless gloves of the same material and color as the boots, gray short shorts, and a midriff-baring green T-shirt. The accessories were a black fannypack and a white-and-green visor. Looking in the mirror, there was the same muscular, tanned teen with green eyes and black hair.
Riku didn't care much about appearance, but she is a daddy's girl, no matter how tough she acts or looks. Riku came downstairs to ask Kokkaku, "Want to take a picture of your birthday girl?"
Kokkaku agreed, "Yes." The two shared so few words, but both father and daughter know that they're loved unconditionally, and everything they do is appreciated. Kokkaku took a picture of Riku striking a pose, as he always did on her birthdays, starting with when she was born.
Riku then hugged Kokkaku tightly, and told her father, "Goodbye. I love you. We'll contact each other through our phones." As Kokkaku knew that the day that Riku would traverse Miedaa was inevitable, he got a pair of phones, so the two would never lose touch.
Kokkaku hugged Riku hard, and replied, "Goodbye. I love you too." He then ruffled Riku's raven hair, booped her nose, and tickled her throat. The girl laughed and blushed a bit, before reaching into her father's armpits to tickle them, and he laughed. Riku and Kokkaku loved to tease each other in playful manners. Then, Kokkaku tearfully watched as Riku made her way to Professor Mahogany's lab. Riku was feeling like crying as well, but she knew that she was taking her big steps to independence, which any child should feel proud of. Awaiting Riku just outside the lab was her childhood friends, Sora and Kai, who have been a trio since their diaper days.
Sora was quite thin, had long, curly, red hair, eyes an equal shade of red, and was wearing a pink dress, magenta shoes, a hat with a white ribbon, and white tights underneath her dress. Sora was the kindest, and was interested in becoming a Pokémon Trainer, so that she can make as many friends, human and Pokémon, as she can. Sora always longed for friends, having few since childhood. Sora's skills were fashion, music, art, literature and more, and seeing Riku, who towered over both her and Kai, made her burst out into song. Along with Kai, who has questionable singing skills, "Happy Birthday" was sung to Riku.
Riku answered, "Thanks. This will be the day we've waited for; this will be the day we open up the door."
Sora gave Riku a thumbs-up, "You're looking snazzy for your big day."
Riku countered, "It's our big day, not just mine. It's the day of the three of us."
Kai brought up, "Yes, it is, but it's more about you than it is about us two." Kai was the shortest and smartest of the trio and had recently became Professor Mahogany's assistant. She was chubby, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing black glasses and shoes, a yellow sweater, blue jeans, a white coat and socks. Kai also had a cyan button on her sweater. If you name a Pokémon, Kai will spew trivia about it, and she is driven by the desire to cram as much knowledge into that skull of hers as possible. While lacking Riku's physical capabilities, or Sora's social skills, Kai more than makes up for it by having great intelligence, and hyperthymesia, which means she's unable to forget.
Sora asked, "Are we going to continue arguing about this matter, or what?"
Riku answered, "No. Let's get our Starters!" Then, the three girls entered the lab, to have Professor Mahogany give them their Starter Pokémon.
TO BE CONTINUED…