The Dezen Discovery
By LoneGrowlithe
Chapter one
Blurs passed me by as I ran through the ever busy streets of Kerdan at a blinding pace. Humans, Pokemon, inanimate objects, I really didn't discern what I was passing, sometimes rudely shoving things in my path out of the way. Kerdan was a large city, the centre of it towering above all else with tall skyscrapers, it was mainly a place for those of business class, with law firms, and scientific research facilities located somewhere within the maze of streets that made up the rather enormous city.
Kerdan was also one of the biggest cities in Dezen, located on the lowermost edge of the large, generally mountainous region. Located to the far north of Kanto, the region, commonly frigid and cold all year round, with potentially deadly blizzards in winter, was home to many unique species of Pokemon, and a variety of diverse terrains. It was also where I made my home, with my dangerous and quite chaotic foster family.
Shoving my way between a trainer and his Machoke, I continued running down the busy street, with one of my foster brothers more than likely hot on my heels, judging by the cacophony of yells erupting from behind me as people got rudely shoved about by the burly teen.
Chancing a glance behind me as I wheeled into an empty alleyway, I caught a glance of David; he was an athletic fifteen year old, a year older than myself, with deep auburn hair gracing his head, with short bangs shading his striking green eyes. A look of unnatural concentration etched his features, but was marred by the usual anger he was known for. My earlier assumption was right, for he was indeed right on my heels.
So caught up I was in looking over my shoulder at my follower, I didn't notice until too late the obstacles in my path. A myriad of rubbish bins were stacked about each other, and not noticing them, I ran into them a full speed, sending myself sprawling, with the loud clattering of metal on metal, while a small group of shabby looking Rattata, and a single, rather large, but all the shabbier Raticate went scurrying desperately into their nearby hidey-hole in fright.
David, so close behind me, missed my pitfall, jumping clear over the rubbish bins that were now scattered across the alleyway, and continuing onwards to the end of the alleyway. Once there, he stopped and turned back to me, with a smirk on his face.
"Bad Luck rubbish dump," He laughed at me, before breaking once more into a run and leaving the alleyway, and my sight.
"I'll catch up," I yelled after him, regardless of whether he heard me or not, before I started the task of disentangling myself from the bins, more than a few dented by my fall, and also causing quite the racket as I did so.
Once I was up, I glared at the closest bin, and then dealt it a savage kick, before snatching up my dropped schoolbag and breaking into a run, making right for the way David had left, the Rattata and the Raticate, emerging from their hidey-hole, twittering angrily after me. Bursting out of the alleyway, I knocked more than a few people down, but didn't stop to apologize as I look fervently down both sides of the street, trying to spot my quarry.
I spotted him to my right, far down the street, but slowed by the people and Pokemon thickly packed on the concrete paths. While I had wasted precious time with the bins, the fact that David was slowed down thanks to the crowds eased my panic at falling behind and turning, I chased after him, determined to catch up to him.
Weaving around people, sometimes having to shove my way through them or push the roughly out of the way, I soon caught up to David, but as he was taller than I was, he kept a steady lead, and I could not pass him by, and so we continued as we were for the next couple of minutes. But I had some tricks up my sleeves for just this reason, and as we left the busiest part of the city the crowds began to thin slightly and the buildings became smaller, I beamed with happiness at knowing that one of my tricks was just around the corner.
I began to keep an eye ahead of David, instead of keeping them securely locked on his back as I had been doing for the past few minutes. Sure enough, I spotted exactly what I wanted to see. A long, thick, cream coloured object slung across the pavement, becoming thinner towards the end, with four odd, large green orbs stuck around its girth, just below the tip of the object.
Glancing at David, I sighed in relief as I realized that he had not yet noticed it. Putting on an extra bit of speed, I managed to get alongside him, and he turned to look at me with a scowl planted on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the object getting closer with every step we took, when it was not that far away, I suddenly flashed David a toothy grin, and jumped the object, whereas he tripped over it, landing harshly on the pavement.
I stopped a moment to salute the Breloom standing in the open doorway of a coffee shop, while still with a toothy grin on my face, and he gave me a wave of his clawed hand, indicating me to go on, but he too had a smile upon his face. As I moved on, he ambled back into the shop, his swaying tail knocking David in the legs, causing the irate teen to stumble and fall once more, as I took the turn of events to my advantage, and weaving through the still considerably crowded streets, I continued on.
I ran on, turning into streets, or dashing through alleyways, all the time, buildings got smaller, and the crowed thinned out even more, until I finally entered what could be called the suburban areas of the prospering city. Making sure that there would be nothing in my path as I ran, I chanced a glance behind me, and spotted David, gaining on me with every step he took. Turning forwards once more, my heart beating with panic; I skidded into another street and ran on.
I watched the road ahead of me, and my eyes landed on a red-roofed house, and as I got closer, I was able to discern the boy standing in the front yard, by his side sat a well exercised Vaporeon. Jake, an old friend of mine, with short cropped honey colored hair and the kindest blue eyes you would ever see. He was the owner of the Breloom whom had been in the shop, which was owned in turn by Jakes father.
Jake had left six months earlier on his own journey as a Pokemon trainer and had returned to visit his family, his starter Pokemon had been a cowardly Spinarak obtained from one of the multiple breeding centers in town, given to him on his thirteenth birthday. Since then, he had prospered as a trainer, where many had failed, and although he didn't have many badges, his team was well rounded.
I came ever closer to his house, and when I passed him by, I made some exuberant gestures with my hands and arms, getting my point across to Jake that I was being followed. Jake nodded, and he laid his hand on Vaporeons head. Vaporeon, a bubbly creature, with a dangerous twinkle in her eye, began to laugh maniacally and uncontrollably. I cast the maniac water Pokemon a weird look, and swiftly concluded that it needed psychiatric help as I dashed past and down the street.
Moments later, loud yells erupted from behind me, and unable to resist, I skidded lightly to a stop, and looked behind me. What I saw immediately caused me to burst into a cacophony of laughter. David, soaking wet, had been blasted across the street and into a bush by Vaporeons Water Gun attack. He was shielding his face as best he could, while Vaporeon danced around him, firing Water Gun attacks at him at random intervals. Jake, ever the enthusiast, was cheering Vaporeon on, jumping around happily like a little kid on a sugar high.
I found it difficult to tear my eyes away from the scene, enjoying seeing the rough teen getting his just desserts, and still laughing, I began running again heading for my much closer destination. Soon enough, I was bounding up a familiar small set of stairs and onto the front porch of a very large three storey building, which was home to my foster parents Jacob and Jessica, and my fifteen odd foster siblings, of which David was one.
I knew I was a foster child, something that would have irked a lot of people, but I really didn't mind, Jacob and Jessica were very nice people, and I loved them like a real mother and father, and it was like just having one big happy family. Of course, the problem with a big family was that there was always going to be those who competed against each other, like David and I, and our race to beat the others, and each other, home.
But there had been a reason why David and I had been so eager to beat each other here. Today was the beginning day of a large, worldwide, yearly competition, and every year, around this time, Jacob acquired five of the competition entry forms.
The competition, known worldwide, was held roughly at the same time every year, and every year, thousands of bidding kids from all regions entered. The qualifications were simple, fill in the necessary fields, and then write an essay on the given topic. The prize: The chance to become a fully fledged Pokemon trainer, licensed by the league for free, a prize pack full of all journeying essentials, and a properly trained starting Pokemon.
It was this prize that so many kids yearned to win, and thus thousands entered, yet of all the thousands to enter, only twelve winners were to be chosen. For my family however, Jacob had only a few rules when he had acquired the competition forms, it was a first come, first serve basis. The first five to arrive home from school got the forms, any after that, bad luck. It didn't help that school was on the other side of town, and that another one of Jacobs rules barred all technological transport, we had to get home on our own steam if we wanted our form.
I knew that even if I was home in time, that my chances of winning the actual competition were slim, but it was still worth a try. Jacob and Jessica couldn't afford to buy us all trainer licenses so we could all become trainers, so it fell on the yearly competition to sort that problem out. I flung open the front door to the house, and jumped in, letting the doors own momentum shut it.
I made to dash for the kitchen, the door slamming closed behind me, only to be unceremoniously jerked backwards, as pain erupted through my scalp, and I clamored to the floor, yelping from the sudden pain. Looking at the door from my place on my back I realized what had happened. When the door had slammed closed, it had done so on the end of my trailing braid.
"Owwww," I moaned as I got to my feet, and staggered to the door, wrenching it open and withdrawing my trapped, bright cobalt blue braid, before slamming the door shut angrily and causing the house to shake, grumbling to myself "Stupid damn door."
Rubbing the back of my aching scalp, I stalked into the kitchen, and was met with the amused face of my foster father Jacob. The middle-aged man, whose commonly calm brown eyes twinkled with restrained laughter, he had short black hair, peppered with overwhelming amounts of grey as age crept up on him.
"I see you had another argument with the door," He mentioned as I took as seat at the kitchen table, the smile on his face seemed to grow a little wider.
"Ha, Ha," I laughed sarcastically, before grumbling under my breath, "Stupid door, slamming on my stupid hair."
"Well, hopefully you'll start learning how to open and close doors properly from now on," Jacob pointed out calmly, before his smile broke out into a full grin, "Unlike the last twenty-four times."
"Oh shut-up," I half yelled as Jacob sat down in his own seat at the kitchen table chuckling.
He chuckled even more, and I laid my forehead to rest on the table, covering my head with my arms, all the while groaning about being laughed at, while my scalp throbbed with a dull pain. I didn't look up until I heard a rustle of paper right in front of me. Curiosity getting the better of me, I looked up and noticed that Jacob had slid a piece of paper in front of me.
"You're the first to get home today, and I doubt you'll want to wait," Jacob spoke as I snatched up the paper.
Reading it over, I quickly deduced that it was the competition form, and let my eyes fall to the essay topic, and smiled. It was on Pokemon of the tropics, a subject I had found rather interesting when I had studied it at school. I dropped the form, and dove into my school bag which I had placed on the ground by my feet.
As I rummaged through the grey and blue backpack, I could hear Jacob muttering to himself, pondering on why I was the only one to arrive thus far. I snickered as I remembered my tricks, and remembered the sight of David being blasted by Vaporeons Water Gun.
My snickers must have been to loud however because when I sat up again, triumphantly holding a pen and a rarely used schoolbook that I was going to tear paper out of to write my essay in, Jacob was looking at me sternly.
"Must I assume that you have had something to do with this," He inquired roughly.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," I hummed innocently, trying vainly to look anywhere but at Jacobs face.
"I see," Jacob looked me over carefully; I was still averting my eyes, and had found my pen to be rather interesting, "No one better be hurt mind you."
"Not like I did anything," I lied lightly, knowing that Jacob didn't believe me anyway.
We fell into to silence again; the only sound to be heard was coming from outside as cars passed by, the trills of bird Pokemon as they roosted in trees, and also the light sound of my pen scrawling on competition form as I filled in my details before starting on the essay. But all silence was soon shattered as a loud bang resounded through the house as the front door flew open and slammed into the wall violently, accompanied by breathless yelling.
"AM I LATE! AM I LATE?" a loud voice erupted from the mouth of an eleven year old boy as he came screaming into the kitchen at warp speed, only to trip over a carelessly abandoned pokedoll and come crashing down to earth.
Jacob was immediately on his feet and by the boys side, helping him get to his feet. The boy had a shock of red hair, wild and untamed. He sported a gangly frame, but eyes a lovely teal drew attention to them, full of kindness and friendship.
"Have a nice trip," I commented lightly to him as Jacob pulled him to his feet.
"Shut-up," He grumbled at me before turning to Jacob, "Am I Late?"
"No Michael, in fact, you're right on time," Jacob smiled at him, "You're the second to arrive."
"Really!" Michael looked around the kitchen in excitement.
"You sure are Michael Microphone," I replied in the stead of Jacob using a nickname I had devised a long time ago for the loud spoken boy, "So why not pull up a chair you little runt."
"I'm not a runt," Michael scowled at me as he chose a seat across the table from me, "And I'm not little."
"Doesn't seem that way to me," I teased him.
"Shut-up," Michael barked at me, a look of annoyance on his face.
"No thank you, I don't think I will," I snickered before poking my tongue out at him in response.
"Both of you cut it out," Jacob scolded us sternly and we immediately stopped, myself pulling my tongue back into my mouth with a sheepish grin, while Jacob, satisfied now that we were now behaving ourselves, handed Michael his own competition form before addressing both of us, "Now, Both of you should get writing, because I will be posting these tonight."
"Gotcha," I mock saluted Jacob before picking up the pen I had abandoned on the table and continuing to write my, as of the moment, short essay.
After a few sparse moments, Michael suddenly piped up, and still writing, I listened to what he had to say.
"Uh, Jacob?"
"Yes Michael."
"I can't so the Essay."
"Say what!" I interjected before Jacob could reply, looking at Michael with a state of shock, my own essay all but forgotten, before blurting out rather quickly, "Why not?"
"I don't know much about Pokemon you find in tropical areas, we're not learning that in school until next term," Michael explained to us, his eyes, not so very long ago full of happiness and excitement, were now dulled by sadness, "The only one I know of is Tropius."
I sat and pondered for a bare moment, before I remembered a rather useful textbook I had in my bag and an idea came to plan, I just had to get around another rule of Jacobs, because essentially, we weren't allowed to use outside influences such as books or other people as we wrote our essays.
"I have an idea," I spoke up and then turning to Jacob I laid it out for them, "I have a textbook in my bag which would be pretty good with helping Michael write his essay, if you permit, of course Jacob."
A look of thought crossed Jacobs face as he looked back and forth between me and Michael. Although I kept my eyes mostly trained on Jacob, I could see out of the corner of my eye the hopeful face Michael had set into his features. Finally, Jacob gave in with a defeated sigh.
"Alright, you can lend him your textbook," Jacob smiled at us, "But for this one time only."
"YES!" Michael yelled out triumphantly, jumping up and standing on top of his seat while I fished the textbook from my bag, "Thank you Jacob."
Grinning at Michael's actions as I withdrew a rather thick textbook from my bag and slid it across the table to the exuberant Michael, who in turn snatched it up eagerly with a smile of thanks, before plopping back into his seat, then opening the book up at a random page and beginning to read the information it supplied, every so often casting me grateful smiles as he jotted down notes.
Overjoyed that I had performed a good deed, I returned to writing my own essay with high spirits and a large grin on my face. As time passed, I found myself more immersed into writing my essay, and not even the arrivals of the other occupants of the house could distract me.
But when David arrived home, I couldn't help but look. His arrival was heralded by the loud sound of someone slamming the door open, and then slamming it shut with equal force. A second passed and, accompanied by a loud squelching sound, David looked in the doorway of the kitchen and scowled, as he noticed that there were already five people filling in their hard earned forms, and all looking at him fixatedly.
Soaking wet and grumbling, we all watched as he skulked away and up the nearby stairs, a heartbeat later, there was the loud slamming of another door, and everyone in the kitchen burst out laughing, while Jacob himself looked on disapprovingly.
It was an hour or two later until I finally leaned back in my seat, laying down my pen, and feeling satisfied with my work. I reread it several times before I deemed it to at least have a chance of being noticed by the judging officials, after which, I neatly sealed it into an envelope with the entry form and handed it to Jacob for safekeeping before he mailed it later that night. Then collecting my textbook from Michael, who was putting his finishing touches on the essay and no longer had need of it, I headed upstairs for the room I shared with one of my many sisters.
Once I had opened the door to the domain however, I was to be met with a brightly colored, wooly assailant flying into my face. Tearing the clothing item from my face, I looked into the room to see pandemonium.
"Yeesh Larana! Waging war, are we," I commented to my roommate as I looked into an extremely messy room, holding a rainbow sweater in my hands
Larana, who had been rummaging around under a desk, jumped in surprise, and in doing so, banged her head on the wood above her and emitting a yelp as she so. A fair skinned girl, with sleek black hair reaching just past her shoulder blades, Larana was of athletic build but excelled in school subjects. Nearly fourteen, she was taller than she should be, but it suited her well. Startled Aqua eyes looked at me in surprise, before narrowing in anger.
A mirror found on the inside of a cupboard door, flung wide open gave me a chance to take a glimpse at myself. I was as short as Larana was tall, which wasn't much of a difference, but was still noticeable. My skin, while usually tanned, burned very easy. My hair was composed of two tones, but was originally a complete bright shade of cobalt blue. I constantly dyed the bangs that I left to hang in my face a dark blue, to separate me from all of the other cobalt haired girls in school, as I hated just being one in a crowd. My eyes were a nice violet, contrasting well with my hair.
Shaking myself from looking at my reflection, vaguely noting that I had what looked like a piece of old banana peel tangled in my messy hair, and also wondering why no-one had commented on it so far, I looked back at Larana, who was glaring at me in annoyance while rubbing the top of her head.
"You do know that the death glare doesn't work," I pointed out as I made my way through the mess of the room towards what I believed to be my bed under all the clothes and other bits and pieces that covered it.
"Don't scare me like that," Larana hissed at me through clenched teeth.
"Why not," I faked a pout, "Its fun."
Larana growled at me while I laughed lightly before gesturing around the room, "So. What's with the battle field?"
The room itself looked like a Dragonairs twister attack had ripped through it, stuff was strewn about everywhere. In accompaniment to the clothes strewn all over my bed, they were all over the floor, the chairs, Larana's bed, there was even a few shirts hanging off the cupboard doors. Paper had been flung off of desks and pokedolls made appearances now and then in the strangest of places.
"I've lost my locket in here somewhere, I was looking for it," Larana sheepishly admitted as she looked around at what should have been called a bedroom, "Legends, what a mess."
"Don't look at me, it wasn't my fault," I defended myself, putting my hands up in front of me, as Larana's gaze fell on me semi-accusingly.
"But Jessica might not think so," Larana pointed out an important factor.
"I get your point," I put my finger to my chin thoughtfully as I remembered the rampage Jessica had gone on last time we forgot to clean our room, "Looks like we should get cleaning then."
"I guess so," Larana sighed disdainfully.
Deciding to make a game out of it, I began to act like a soldier, giving mock orders.
"Alright soldier, your mission today is to tackle the left side of these here battlements, while I wage war on the right."
"Yes captain," Larana saluted playfully with laughter in her voice as she moved to clean up.
Looking at my bed, the rainbow sweater still in my hands, I picked up all clothing articles from it before dumping all of them in a pile in the middle of the room, which was surprisingly clean of anything.
"Hey 'Rana," I called out to my sister, "Just put all the clothes in a pile for now, we can sort them out later."
"Will do," Larana muffled voice came from where she was rummaging under her bed, occasionally a random item flying out from underneath.
Snickering silently for a moment or two, I continued to clean my side of the room occasionally picking up an article of clothing and flinging it onto the ever growing pile. Grumbling inwardly, I concluded to myself that the clean up job was going to take a long time to finish, but nevertheless, continued to carry out my most hated chore.
TBC
Okay, being re-written again due to the fact, not only do I have major writers block, but also the make the story fit together better. Please read and review
The new Pokemon mentioned in this chapter are © by me. Do not use them without permission.
Pokemon is © by Nintendo.