Chapter 1: Yet another cliché new beginning
Light fluttered in through the slender crack between thick curtains, partially illuminating the cramped spare bedroom within the walls of the house.
Laying upon the bed, in some warped sprawl of blanket and body was the outline of a young boy. The silence was broken suddenly by the shrill screech of the alarm clock chirping beside him causing the boy to start suddenly and smack the top of his head upon a low hanging shelf with a sickening crunch followed by an audible "arrrggghhh."
The pain had not yet ceased as he made his way wearily along the corridor to the bathroom, nor did it help when he hastily shoved a toothbrush into his mouth and began to scrub aggressively. It was only when he spat from his mouth an excess amount of toothpaste and raised a heavy head to level with a small wall mounted mirror, and blinked away any remaining dizziness, pain and tiredness did he finally come to his senses.
The face staring back at him was that of Jacques Robin (a name given to him by his mother and which he utterly detested) or simply Jack for short, a 15 year old full time resident of Lumiose city in the Kalos region currently holidaying in the Kanto regions very own vermillion city. Well that is if you count staying at your aunts house a holiday. Looking deeply at his reflection Jack noted how completely dire he looked this morning: hazel eyes surrounded by dark rings, brown hair that hung in loose and untidy curls over his eyes and a nose that partitioned roughly the symmetry of his face like some protruding wall of flesh.
Deciding he had had enough of gazing into his own eyes he turned and traipsed out of the bathroom in a slow and almost zombie like fashion.
:***:
It was a few hours later Jack descended the stairs of his aunts slender terraced townhouse, now fully dressed in a worn orange hoodie accompanied by simple grey jeans and a black jacket with a modern v shape twist emblazoned on both arms.
"Aunt Jean!" He hollered,
"something's a cooking and it smells good!"
Aunt Jean, a youngish woman with wild red hair and an even more wild and erratic demeanour was Jack's mother's sister. Although you wouldn't think it from seeing the two in the same room, except that is for the striking hazel eyes which Jack himself had inherited as a sort of family heirloom.
As Jack entered the Kitchen, which bore the same rustic and somewhat well lived in feeling of the rest of the house, Aunt Jean looked up hastily from the pan she was aggressively working with a spatula.
"You're up early." she stated with a grin "Not like you at all, what's the hurry Jacky boy?"
Jack hated nicknames.
"Cmon Aunt Jean how many times do i have to tell you just to use my ACTUAL name for for once?"
"Let me think Jacksie, maybe once, no twice and then one after that and that…." she trailed on.
Jack sighed, he loved his Aunt dearly she really did know how to irritate him sometimes, in fact she herself referred to it as her 'special talent'.
"So." she started, placing a plate of sausage and eggs in front of him as she talked "what's the plan for your final day in sunny ol' Kanto kiddo?"
"Well." he replied through a mouthful of egg. "First off i think i'll go visit that cafe place by the sea you're always going on about."
"La Cafe au Bord de La Mer." She confirmed.
"Then maybe I'll go check out that new Pokémon Lab they recently opened, y'know the one that everyone was talking about."
She fixed him with an approving gaze. "Looks like you've got quite the day ahead of you Jacky Boy, I'd join you if i could but of course I've got a report to finish and a ton of Real Housewives of Celadon City to catch up on so sadly i'm gonna have to pass on this one."
"unbelievable." Jack muttered, "it's my last day here with you and you'd much rather sit at home and watch garbage TV."
"Hey kiddo i never said life was fair, now eat your breakfast it's getting cold." she teased back.
Finishing his meal and bidding his aunt a farewell Jack shut the door behind him and stood idly upon the top step facing a bustling road on an equally as busy vermillion morning.
Before even attempting to navigate this concrete maze of seaside streets he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hat gifted to him by his father when he was just a child, a standard black cap with a maroon symbol scored upon the front, courtesy of the Kalos Pokémon league tournament, although he had no idea how his father had come to have it in his possession; wiping the thought from his mind he placed it upon his head and joined the crowd of people and Pokémon making its way down to the seafront.
:***:
The Vermillion market bustled in the weakened morning sun, a sprawling mass of stalls and carts from which merchants all announced 'the best prices in Kanto' on a range of products from pungent smelling carbos mixtures and fiery Tamato berries that hit with a gut punching inferno of flavour to state of the art Pokeballs - ideal for any upcoming trainer setting out on their first, or next adventure.
Amidst the chaos of the early bird crowds there wandered a Pokémon. At first glance it seemed hopelessly lost, apparently separated from its trainer and now trying to meticulously retrace its steps with childlike curiosity easily captured by the calling of a nearby berry vendor selling ripe blue spheres which gave off a relaxing sweet scent, enticing the little blue Pokémon to investigate further.
Weaving between the sea of legs which made up the artificial forest around it, the Pokémon made its way to the front of the stall, raising itself a few inches on the edges of its padded feet to peer over the top of the hard wooden counter.
"Hello there!" the street vendor cried with enthusiasm, "what can i do for you today then my little friend!"
The Pokémon gave no reply.
"You must be hungry." the man continued, the aged skin around his eyes stretching as he forced a smile "tell me where's your trainer at? maybe he can help you get something to eat."
The small Pokémon only turned its head slightly in a confused gesture before reaching eagerly for one of the berries with a greedy look on its face.
"Now then i wont have you stealing!" the man said pushing Pokémon's paw away in sudden realisation, "Pay up or get lost!"
with that the curiousness and playful attitude melted away, the Pokémon raised its paw - now coated in a yellow light and struck the counter with a force so powerful it toppled over onto the unsuspecting vendor, in turn sending a fountain of berries flying into the air before cascading into the awaiting arms of the Pokémon which turned and bolted with its newfound treasure.
"HEY GET BACK HERE THIEF!" the man yelled from behind, reaching into his Pocket and withdrawing a small red and white contraption, a standard Pokeball, and throwing it to the ground in front of him.
A beam of brilliant white light shot from the ball as it opened to reveal a majestic looking creature resemblant of a fierce Leopard with brilliant purple and gold fur and a collected sneer upon its face.
"Liepard." the man commanded, "Fetch me that thief."
:***:
Nimbly evading the barrage of steps from unaware market goers, the thief found its way out of the crowds. Breathing a sigh of relief it checked the haul of berries it had just stolen and let out a jubilant cry at its bountiful plunder.
As it continued at a leisurely stroll, now free of the burden of escape, it felt a sudden cold sensation as if a iced bucket of water had been slowly emptied down its back, heightening its senses and making it aware of the sleek predator tracing its scent - lurking just out of view.
The attack came fast but it was ready.
Ducking out of the way, berries still held closely to its chest the thief took in its surroundings, desperately searching for a means of escape. Clinging precariously to a nearby building, a weathered drainage pipe ran the full height of the rustic seafront apartment and onto the complex of roofs above. Judging this to be the best option the thief bolted, scaling the building with ease before checking over its shoulder and seeing its pursuer struggle up the same pipe in a less than graceful manner.
The chase began.
The thief sprinted the full length of the rooftop before leaping over the partition to the next with blinding speed and accuracy, but Liepard was not far behind. On solid ground the thief knew it would have no chance of escaping, so it instead chose to recklessly leap down toward an open window which was set slightly ajar - open to the alleyway below. It crashed into a modest living room with Liepard following soon after with a cry of pain and frustration, whoever owned the house must've been gone as no alarm was raised as the two Pokémon thundered through various different rooms, swiping and dodging each other in vicious combat.
Eventually the thief understood it would not escape this situation easily or unscathed as it turned and faced its aggressor, dropping its bundle of berries to the floor before taking up a fighting stance.
Both Pokémon charged.
The thief connected first with the same powerful fist of yellow light it had displayed earlier, sending the attacking Liepard crashing into a nearby cabinet and destroying the delicate china contents; however it quickly recovered and struck back harder with a devastating slash of razor sharp claws which caused the thief to howl in pain.
Angered by the attacks they had just endured they yet again charged, colliding with a combined force with sent both flying from the window which they had entered.
The thief shook off its dazedness, struggling to its feet and preparing for a second assault only to be again struck down by another slash that forced it to fly backwards into the unforgiving brick of the alley walls.
Its opponent snarling and readying its claws again.
:***:
Jack looked up from the phone he had been studying intently, from what he could tell the cafe his Aunt had always talked about should be just up the road from him now, yet he couldn't see any sign of the damned place and the ever more impatient growling of his stomach made him wish it would reveal itself soon.
Eventually the sign became visible on the horizon, accompanied by a few Wingull who had nestled themselves contently atop it now eyeing sweet pastries and decadent sandwiches of unsuspecting customers.
Jack made his way to the immaculate front door, savouring the smell of all the finest delicacies the Kanto region had to offer - now only inches from his awaiting taste buds, separated by a thin layer of transparent glass.
Suddenly he froze.
A shrill cry, from what he could only assume was a Pokémon echoed around the surrounding area; Yet peculiarly nobody else seemed to pay it any attention, couples still lightly chatted whilst sharing various baked goods, Pokémon still laughed and played as they ate from small intricately patterned bowls at their trainer's feet.
Jack weighed the situation up in his mind: incredible pastries or Pokémon potentially in need, the decision was tricky indeed.
Eventually making his mind up (his stomach cursing his good nature) he turned on his heel and went to investigate.
Arriving at the mouth of a dark and dingy alley way where he assumed the commotion had originated he saw a small blue Pokémon resemblant somewhat of a small upright dog he recognised as a Riolu from his mothers articles on unique Pokémon evolution. The Riolu lay motionless at the feet of another Pokémon he'd seen before being a more menacing Liepard.
Jack watched as the small dog like Pokémon tried to raise itself but was beaten down by yet another volley of relentless attacks, fighting or so it seemed for every breath.
this continued until Jack could no longer take the sight of this brutality and recklessly threw himself at the Liepard in a feeble act of heroism; Liepard avoided this by lightly jumping away leaving a flustered Jack laying face down in the dirt. Jack got back to his feet cursing at Liepard before again casting himself between the two Pokémon, this time he was caught by a powerful slash attack which tore his clothes and left painful scratches glistening upon his chest.
But much like the small Riolu sheltering behind him he clambered again to his feet with gritty resolve.
The next time Liepard struck Jack was ready, he swept his arm in a wide arc catching the Liepard on the side of its head and causing it to stumble drunkenly backwards.
"Yeah!" Jack challenged "come and try that again why don't you!"
Growling in a low and intimidating manner, the Liepard poised itself to pounce.
Jack turned to shield Riolu in a last ditch effort to save the injured Pokémon.
"Ivysaur use vine whip!"
From behind Jack heard the telltale sounds of a scuffle before Liepard let out another growl before turning and fleeing from the scene.
"Its ok son." a comforting voice reassured him "come with me now we'll get you and that Riolu there fixed up."
Jack turned his head and was met with a face he recognised from the newspaper articles detailing the opening of the new laboratory in Vermillion city. Professor Cerise was a slender bespectacled man in a well worn lab coat with a wizened but kind face which now bore an understanding smile.
Jack did not protest, instead he simply scooped up the unconscious Pokémon at his feet and followed the professor past the small crowd which had now formed at the mouth of the alleyway to his compact and two person car.
:***:
Later Jack found himself within the walls of the Cerise laboratory - an ancient structure resemblant of a small boarding school situated at the very crest of a lone hill overlooking Vermillion harbour - staring at the small aura Pokémon through a glass panel as it lay slumbering in recovery. He started suddenly when a hand reached out and touched his shoulder to reveal Professor Cerise stood with a pot of tea and two ornate China cups and wearing the same tender and fatherly face from earlier that day.
"Tell me" he said as they sat down upon the rows of terminal-esque benches facing the recovery room
"how did you come by that Riolu over there?"
Jack replied recounting the story honestly and detailing that he had encountered only moments before the Professor's arrival after having heard it cry out in pain when everyone else seemed oblivious.
"interesting" the professor remarked
"Tell me Professor, is there something wrong with me? How could i have known that Riolu was in danger?"
The question was met with a brief pause.
"this is in my recollection the first time i have expirienced something like this I'll be honest Jack, although i have read that certain Pokémon like Riolu over there have an affinity for a particular force known as aura, a force which they can manipulate to cause damage and also in some cases forge connections."
"but." he paused again
"That would of course be an impossibility seen as though you have only known Riolu a few short hours."
Jack had no reply he simply sat and watched the sleeping Riolu in deep thought.
"well never mind that for now." Cerise said
"We can worry that later, of course it is highly unlikely that it was anything other than sheer coincidence. But regardless of what transpired between you two, you in my humble opinion showed a great deal of bravery today Jack and therefore on behalf of the team here at the Cerise laboratory i would like to give you a personal tour of the facility as a token of my admiration!"
"Er… ok sure!" Jack said, taken aback by the sudden change of mood.
:***:
It was several hours later when Jack finally escaped the lab, as fascinating as it all was Cerise had explained every aspect of the lab in such detail that it simply frazzled Jack's brain and made him long for a lengthy nap.
Despite this though he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to the Pokémon he has un-heroically rescued that day and the connection that contrary to the Professors beliefs he believed he had forged.
"Oh well" he thought to himself
"don't suppose it matters anyway I'll be off back to home to Lumiose City tomorrow, where my real journey will begin!"
….A determined declaration heard not only by Jack himself but by the small blue aura Pokémon perched upon the porch of the lab behind.
:***:
The clock chimed its telltale tune signalling to Professor Cerise that he should rise from his desk and make his way to the recovery room to observe the health of the Riolu resting within. Although in his mind he was certain he knew what he would find. Low and behold there on the empty bed lay a mess of wires and a heart rate monitor screeching a shrill flatline, any other sane doctor would have at this point panicked at the missing patient but instead a slight smile crept across the professors face as he turned on his heel and walked away.
End of chapter 1
Yo,
this was my first ever shot at something like this so be nice about it if you would. I can't promise a consistent publishing schedule but I'll make sure I try to get out more chapters depending on how much you guys like them as I've got some pretty big plans for this as a series.
So yeah I hope you all liked the first instalment and all that.
Destros
Update: i changed a few aspects of this chapter to fill out the introduction a bit more after some feedback from you guys saying it seemed a little bit rushed, I'll be doing the same for the next few chapters which might delay new releases a little but at the end of the day this was needed and i hope this now feels like a more full and paced first chapter.