Beginning A/N: Hey everyone, it's me again! Yeah, I know this is a new story, but I was actually inspired to write this one as I was doing a Pokémon Shield Nuzlocke of my own. So, I decided to give this a shot and see how well it's received. I'll explain very quickly how a typical Nuzlocke works for those of you who don't know or just don't care, but basically in a Nuzlocke you can only catch the first Pokémon you run into per route, if a Pokémon faints it dies and you can't use it anymore, and you have to nickname your Pokémon so you get attached to them. Under these rules, if you're not careful, you can technically lose a Pokemon game. I'll leave the rules of a Nuzlocke, plus the additional rules that I added in my Nuzlocke, at the beginning of every chapter so no one forgets. But now, with that all out of the way, let's join Mirabel on her journey to break the Nuzlocke Curse!
Disclaimer: I don't own Encanto or Pokémon!
Nuzlocke Rules
1.) You can only catch one Pokémon per route.
2.) If a Pokémon faints, it dies and you can't use it anymore.
3.) You have to nickname your Pokémon to get attached to them.
Special Rules
Dupli Clause: If you encounter a Pokémon that you've caught before on a different route, you can either run away and try for a different encounter, or you battle the Pokémon for exp. and try again for a different encounter.
Monotype: You can only catch Pokémon of a certain type. Dual Types are allowed so long as they have your chosen Pokémon type as part of theirs. Example: Catching a Poison/Fighting Type in a Fighting Type Nuzlocke.
Dynamax Dens count as separate encounters.
Catch the same number of Pokémon per route as the number of Gym Badges you have. Example: Before & after obtaining the first badge, you can only catch one Pokémon. After obtaining the second gym badge, you can catch two Pokémon per route/den.
Following A Heroine's Voyage!
In the plane between dimensions, two beings floated in the vast void that made up what was known as the Hall of Origins. The first of the two was a Pokémon that was revered as a deity in the world that the two were currently observing. And the name of this Pokémon was Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon.
Arceus is a white equine Pokémon resembling a qilin or centaur with a gray, vertically striated underside. The striated pattern has similar recurrences on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four-pointed feet are tipped with gold hooves. Its long mane juts away from its head, and its face is gray, with green eyes and red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. Arceus also has a streak of gold coloration on its head, and ears that point upward. Its neck is fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that is colored white like much of the body. Arceus also has a golden cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen. The wheel also has four jewels attached to it. The pattern of striated gray of Arceus's underbelly resumes past Arceus's waist. Its limbs have gray undersides and extrusions at the tops of the legs. Arceus's tail is fairly like its mane in terms of shape and coloration.
The second individual in the Hall of Origins was a man in black and red robes wearing an armor-plated mask with the appearance of a skull over his head and face. Attached to his belt was what appeared to be the middle piece of a metal bo-staff, but it had buttons on either end and appeared to be at least partially hollow.
Currently they were watching over the Galar Region as a young girl who appeared to be of Colombian heritage, had recently moved to the town of Postwick. She had curly chin-length black hair, thick eyebrows, hazel eyes, and visible dark shade freckles on her nose and cheeks. Also, she wears a pair of glasses. The Alpha Pokemon sighed as he foresaw what was about to befall her and the Galar Region as a whole.
"It appears that HE is once again messing with things that should not be tampered with." Arceus said.
"Yes, it would appear so. And if we don't stop him, he'll place the whole of your world under this curse. So long as it remains isolated to a single person being affected, then the rest of the world remains safe from it, but… does it really have to be her? Someone who has gone through so much suffering in her life already?" asked Arceus's masked companion.
Arceus sighed and said, "I'm afraid so. As much as I wish that it didn't have to be Mirabel, old friend, she is the only one who has any chance of breaking his hold on Galar. In spite of the neglect and unintentional abuse that she has suffered at the hands of her family, Mirabel has a pure soul the likes of which I haven't seen in anyone besides my chosen one."
"Well, I suppose you're right about that." the masked man admitted. "Then I suppose we will just have to tell her about this tonight. As well as telling those who will play a major part in her journey."
Arceus nodded as he and his friend went back to watching the Galar Region while waiting for the opportune moment to tell Mirabel about what she would be tasked with accomplishing. They only hoped and prayed that she would be able to handle the situation both physically AND emotionally.
Meanwhile, in a grand stadium that sort of resembled a soccer field, a well-groomed man in a business suit was standing before a crowd with a smile on his face that was warm and full of a feeling of pride for his region and its people.
"Welcome, one and all! My name is Rose, and I am the Chairman of the Galar Region's Pokemon League! Our beloved Galar Region is a wonderful place with thriving nature, beautiful cities, and many Pokemon with which we share our lives!"
Chairman Rose took out a spherical device known as a Pokeball from his pocket as he continued his speech.
"As you know, our region is able to thrive…"
He tossed the ball and released a Pokemon that looked like a baby elephant that was made entirely out of copper. A Pokemon known as Cufant.
"...Thanks to help from these mysterious creatures that we call Pokemon."
Chairman Rose made some animated gestures as some Pidove flew overhead on their way towards the Wild Area where they would search for food.
"Yes, Pokemon are all around us! In the sea, in the sky, and even with us in our towns!" Rose said dramatically. "And those of us who choose to raise and train Pokemon to do battle and compete we call Pokemon Trainers!"
The crowd went wild knowing that this speech had been building up to the reason why everyone was there. And that was to watch a battle between two of the strongest trainers in the Galar Region.
"Now, turn your gaze to the Galar Region's greatest Pokemon Trainer, your undefeated champion…" Rose said, taking a dramatic pause. "It's time for Champion Leon's exhibition match!"
A series of fireworks explosions went off as a man suddenly appeared on the field. He had dark skin, purple eyes and back length purple hair that was a little spiky, and a well-kept beard. He was wearing a sort of Trainer's Uniform along with a baseball cap and a cape that had lots of patches on it. As the man's Pokemon, a Charizard, appeared next to him, he struck a pose that seemed to mimic Charizard and got the crowd really going as several fans mimicked this pose as they cheered on their champion.
That's right, this man is Champion Leon! And standing across from him was his rival; the Dragon type Gym Leader, Raihan, and his Duraludon. The dragon gym leader cracked his neck as he smirked, looking battle hungry like the dragons he trains.
"Exhibition or not, Leon, your pristine record is about to end… when I beat you here today!" exclaimed Raihan.
But Leon wasn't intimidated.
"You know I don't lose battles, Raihan! Charizard! Dynamax!"
Charizard roared as it was enveloped in a red light. The crowd looked on in awe as Charizard grew to the size of a small Kaiju, and its wings turned into pure fire. As the transformation completed itself, Charizard roared into the sky with absolute power!
~Mirabel's POV.~
Hola, everyone. If anyone is reading these journal entries of mine, then let me introduce myself. My name is Mirabel Madrigal, and I am fifteen years old. I moved here to the Galar Region fairly recently, having only lived in this house on my own for about a week, and I really only got settled in just yesterday. Still, life here in the Galar Region is pretty amazing. Can't complain.
…Except that I can't stop myself from feeling guilty about how I ran away from home. It's a long story that will take a lot of time to tell. Time which, knowing my neighbor and good friend, I don't have at the moment. So, I'll tell you later.
"Mirabel! You there, mate?"
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the familiar voice of my friend and neighbor, Hop. He walked in with a big smile on his face and, frankly, looking like he'd just gotten done eating a whole bag of sugar in one sitting. He means well, though, and he's quite knowledgeable about the many species of Pokemon that live here in the Galar Region. He's been a great help teaching me about Pokemon and what it means to be a trainer, and honestly, I'd feel a lot safer around here if I had a Pokemon of my own for protection, but I won't get my hopes up.
"Morning, Hop. You're here early." I said to him.
"Yeah, sorry Mirabel. I was so excited about Lee coming home today that I decided to come over early." Hop replied before noticing the object in my hands. "Hey, is that your flash new phone? It's great that you've got a phone now, Mirabel, but I can see you're watching my brother's match on it. You can't cheer Lee on properly with your hands full, mate! You gotta use his signature Charizard Pose!"
I just rolled my eyes with a smile at that comment, drawing a laugh from my friend who knows that I'm just joking around with him and not being mean. Hop is, of course, talking about his older brother, Leon, who just so happens to be the Undefeated Champion of Galar. But you already knew that. Hop really looks up to Leon and is very close with his brother. Honestly makes me wish that I had such a relationship with my own siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and… well, you get the idea.
"Anyway, I didn't just come here to flap my gums, I wanted you to come over to my place. Lee's coming home today and he always brings home the best presents. When he called my mom, she told me that he was bringing something for the both of us, so you'll want to bring your bag too."
With that, Hop left my house while saying that he would meet me outside. Putting my red colored Rotom Phone away, I stood up and popped my back before walking to my room which, like most everything in this house, was located on the ground floor. I do have a basement, but that's not important. Before leaving to join Hop outside I decided to get changed into my new outfit, which consisted of a gray hoodie with brown triangular buttons over a magenta pink button-up dress, tartan green socks, and brown boots with lighter brown laces. I also chose to wear black modesty shorts and a dark green and white tam o' shanter on top of my head along with my signature glasses. Once I had changed, I strapped on my brown leather bag with golden buckles and left the house to meet up with Hop.
~Third Person POV.~
Mirabel squinted as the sunlight hurt her eyes a little bit for a moment before quickly adjusting, a clear sign that she hadn't been spending enough time outdoors. She took a deep breath of that fresh Galar Region air and smiled as she released a sigh of contentment. It was the little things like these that made her move to the Galar Region worthwhile. She walked down the steps to her house and met up with Hop who laughed a bit at the sight of her bag.
Hop laughed and said, "Have a look at you, Mirabel! That old bag looks like it could pull you over! At least we know that it should hold anything Lee might bring, even if it's as big as a Snorlax!"
Mirabel laughed and said, "You got that right!"
But that's when Hop noticed something. The sound of something hitting wood. Both teens looked to the fence leading to a place known as the Slumbering Weald and saw a Pokemon that looked like a sheep hitting the fence.
"A Wooloo… but what's it doing there?" Hop asked, getting a shrug in response.
The Wooloo just used tackle on the fence again. And then it did so again. And kept doing so with no signs of stopping, much to Hop's ire and concern.
"Hey! You silly Wooloo! I see what you're up to! Don't go using Tackle on the fencing!" scolded Hop. "Now, you listen! No going past that fence! No! Everyone knows there are scary Pokemon living in the Slumbering Weald!"
"Baah?" bleated the Wooloo.
"Now that that's taken care of…" Hop said, giving Mirabel a grin. "How about it, Mirabel? Let's race! Bet I can make it back to my house first, what with you lugging about that big old bag!"
With that, he took off running for home with his own Wooloo in tow. Mirabel just laughed and chased after her friend. What can she say? His positive energy is contagious. A few minutes later, they arrived at Hop's house where his mother was working in the kitchen.
"Mum! Is he here?" Hop asked as he ran in with Mirabel walking behind.
"There you are at last, Hop!" exclaimed his mother before she noticed their guest. "Oh, and you brought along Mirabel. Hello, dear."
"Good to see you again, Ma'am." Mirabel said with a wave.
"Yeah, yeah, but where's Lee? Have you got him crammed in a cupboard?" Hop asked impatiently.
"He's still not here yet! For the hundredth time…" sighed Hop's mother. "Honestly, Hop, you must learn some patience!"
Honestly, she loved her son, she really did, but she just wished that he would learn to be a little more patient rather than acting as though he just drank a whole pot of coffee all at once.
"He's probably only just arrived at the station in Wedgehurst." she said.
"Then that's where I'm going! You know Lee is hopeless with directions." Hop said with a nod. "I'll make sure he doesn't get lost on the way!"
"Oh, will you?" Hop's mom asked with a smile. "Yes, that's probably for the best…"
"Oh, come on! Leon can't be that bad with directions, right?" Mirabel asked.
"No, he is. Mom once sent him to get milk at a convenience store when we were younger. It was right next door to our old house… and it took him three whole hours to find the darn thing because his sense of direction is so bad!" Hop said, crossing his arms and looking dead serious.
"Okay… that does sound pretty severe… but are you sure it's really that bad? What you're describing seems excessive." Mirabel said, not quite believing Hop about Leon's sense of direction.
"Oh, you'll learn…" sighed Hop. "Anyway, why don't you come with me, Mirabel. After all, you still haven't met my big bro, right?"
Mirabel had to admit, that was true. She was really only in the Galar region for a week now, and had spent that whole time just moving her things into her new house and getting settled in. By the time she'd gone to visit Hop at his place, Leon had already left for his exhibition match.
"You can't miss out on your chance to meet the undefeated champion! I'll wait for you on the route!" Hop said as he left the house.
Bidding Hop's mother goodbye, she walked out to the route and met up with Hop who led her to Wedgehurst in order to pick up Leon. By the time they got there, a crowd had formed in front of the station. Walking out of the station was none other than Leon himself and his trusted Charizard. The man smiled at the crowd and struck his signature Charizard Pose as the crowd went wild, cheering on their undefeated champion.
"Hello, hello, Wedgehurst! Your Champion, Leon, is back!" he exclaimed. "I promise I'll keep doing my best to deliver the greatest battles for you all to watch!"
"It's our unbeatable Champion! Leon, you and Charizard are the greatest!" one man cheered.
"Well, thank you for that!" Leon said. "I hope you all carry on with your training and never shy from battle. Then challenge me for the title of Champion!"
"We're on it! We've all been practicing our battle skills just like you've taught us to, Lee!" said a woman.
"But that Charizard of yours is too strong for the likes of us to take on!" another woman added.
Leon just closed his eyes and let off an aura of humility, showing that he wasn't arrogant like some other champions might have been if they were on a winning streak as great as his own.
"Too true that Charizard is blazingly strong." Leon admitted. "But other Pokemon can be strong as well! That's why I want the strongest of challengers to fill the Gym Challenge and come battle me!"
Leon gave the crowd a proud smile as he crossed his arms.
"My wish is for Galar's to work together to become the strongest in all the world!" he declared.
"Lee!"
Leon's eyes widened for a brief moment before he lit up with joy as he recognized who had arrived.
"Hop!"
The crowd parted to let Leon through as he and his Charizard walked towards the two teenagers, and Mirabel was stunned. Leon looked so much more amazing in real life.
"So, my number-one fan in all the world has come out of his way to pick me up!" Leon said to his brother. "Look at you, Hop! I reckon you've grown… exactly an inch and a quarter since the last time I saw you!"
"Bingo! That's the sort of sharp eye that's kept you undefeated, eh, Lee?" Hop replied with a grin.
"And these bright eyes over here…" Leon said as he noticed Mirabel. "I got it! You must be Mirabel, am I right?"
"Yup, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Leon." replied Mirabel.
"The pleasure's all mine. And please, just call me Leon or Lee. I'm not quite old enough to be called 'Mister' just yet." Leon said. "I must say, I've heard loads about you from my little brother, though you two have only known each other for a short time. And yet, you've managed to spark up such a strong friendship! It's amazing!"
He put his hands on his hips, the big ol' grin never leaving his face.
"Anyway, let me properly introduce myself; I'm the Galar region's greatest-ever Pokemon Champion, and a huge Charizard fan, too. People call me the unbeatable Leon!"
"Come on, Lee! And you too, Mirabel! Bet I can beat the both of you back home!" exclaimed Hop.
Leon just sighed as he watched his little brother run off for home.
"That Hop… always wanting to be the best, isn't he?" he asked.
"If you ask me, I think he just had too much coffee to drink." Mirabel said, throwing in her two cents.
Leon just laughed and said, "Yeah, you're probably right. But with a proper rival of his own, I bet he'd push himself to become something truly special…"
Before leaving to go home himself, Leon turned back to the crowd.
"Well, everyone, I bid you farewell for today! But don't you fret…" he said as he struck his Charizard Pose once more. "I'll always be around to make sure everyone in Galar can have a champion time!"
The crowd went wild as Leon ran off after his brother while Mirabel ran alongside Leon's Charizard so she would have some protection from the wild Pokemon that live on Route 1. It only took them about ten minutes to get back to Postwick, and Hop immediately started bugging his brother about what he brought for gifts.
"Come on, Lee! You promised us a present, so out with it!" Hop demanded.
"Hop! Don't be rude! Your brother just got home, let him get settled in!" scolded Mirabel.
Now, it was either out of sheer excitement or just plain obliviousness, but Hop paid no heed to Mirabel's scolding.
"You brought Mirabel and me Pokemon. You did, didn't you? I know you must have!" Hop said impatiently.
But Leon didn't seem to mind. He just smiled and reached into his pocket.
"Right then! The greatest gift from the greatest champion… it's showtime, everyone!" exclaimed Leon as he took out three Pokeballs. "Take a good look, you two!"
He threw the balls out onto the battlefield next to his and Hop's house and out of the balls popped a trio of Pokemon. Each one an adorable Galar region starter Pokemon.
"The Grass type Pokemon… Grookey!"
Grookey is a small, monkey-like Pokémon with a green body, a brown tail, brown, wedge-shaped ears, orange hands and feet, and an orange snout. Each of its hands has five fingers, while each of its feet has three toes. It has two large eyes with black irises and white pupils and sclerae. A lime green mask frames its eyes and, in a small bump above its snout, extends towards its forehead. Grookey has two, leaf-shaped hair tufts that hold a stick on the top of its head.
"The Fire type Pokemon… Scorbunny!"
Scorbunny is a rabbit-like Pokémon that has a predominantly white body with orange and yellow markings on its ears, toes, and neck. The markings on its neck resemble a collar. It has buckteeth, an orange nose and irises, black sclerae, and a yellow band shape across its nose, resembling a bandage. It has long legs with long feet, and similar yellow bands under each paw pad. It also has a small, white, poof-like tail.
"And the Water type Pokemon… Sobble!"
Sobble is a small lizard-like Pokémon. It has light-blue skin with darker teal patches and a lighter blue belly and face. It has similar teal eyes with white pupils and sclerae. Sobble also has a yellow fin on the top of its head bordered in dark blue, as well as a curled blue tail tipped in the same dark blue. Sobble has thin limbs, each of them ending in two curved hands resembling those of a chameleon. It can use these to stick to walls and easily climb them.
Each Pokemon landed on their feet and Hop and Mirabel watched as the trio seemed to do their own thing. Scorbunny ran around in circles as its feet kicked up sparks of fire, Sobble jumped into the pond next to the house and spat out a small blast of water, and Grookey climbed up the big oak tree and sat down on a branch. It removed the stick from the tuft on its head and started beating a Citris Berry like a drum. But that's when things got a little bit out of hand as Sobble accidentally hit Scorbunny with a Water Gun and caused the fire rabbit to freak out and start bouncing all over the place, hitting its head on the branch and knocking the berry into the water which scared Sobble! Sobble scrambled up onto land and started crying, but Grookey and Scorbunny were quick to cheer their little blue friend up.
"Alright! Line up, everyone!" Leon ordered.
The three Pokemon marched forward and lined up side by side, brimming with anticipation.
"Which one will you choose?" Leon asked Hop and Mirabel.
Mirabel was at a loss for words. She was really going to get a Pokemon of her very own? This seemed almost too good to be true!
"You go ahead and choose first, Mirabel. I've already got my Wooloo, so go ahead." Hop said.
Mirabel looked over each Pokemon, knowing that each one was strong in their own way. And they were all so cute to her! But she followed what her heart was telling her and picked up the little Grass type monkey Pokemon.
"Grookey. I choose Grookey!" said Mirabel.
"Key, key, Grookey!" cheered the monkey.
"So, Grookey is your choice? Nice one!" said Hop.
"You know, you can give your Pokemon a nickname if you want to." Leon explained.
"A nickname, huh?" Mirabel asked.
She looked at Grookey as if trying to decide if she wanted to name it or not. She didn't know how or why, but she could somehow just tell that this Grookey was a male of his species. And she already seemed to know what she wanted to name him. She wasn't sure why, though.
"I don't know why, but I think I'll name this little guy Sitx with an 'X'." Mirabel said.
"Grookey, key!" cheered Grookey.
Hop and Leon didn't give Mirabel any flack for her choice of name, especially since she didn't know why she chose that name. They've heard worse names. Like this one guy who had a Grumpig named 'Bacon'. Besides, Grookey seemed to like the name, so who were they to judge?
"Then I'll go with… Sobble! You're mine!" Hop said with a grin. "I'm aiming to be the next champion, so be ready! You and I'll be doing some serious training!"
"Sob, sob!" squeaked Sobble.
Hop's Wooloo bleated as it walked up to get to know its new friend.
"I bet you will be, Hop. That's why I brought along these Pokemon for you and Mirabel. So the two of you can battle and train and grow stronger together… to try to reach me!" Leon said.
Scorbunny looked around for a moment before Leon walked up to him.
"And you'll come with me!" Leon said to Scorbunny. "Charizard will show you the ropes. He's strict, but real strong and real kind, too!"
"Scor! Scor! Scorbun!" exclaimed the little fire rabbit.
"Alright, enough of all this trainer nonsense for one night!" Hop's mother said as she walked up to the group. "Dinner's ready, children. Bring along your Pokemon and let's eat!"
"That's a good call if I've ever heard one! I don't know about you guys, but I'm as hungry as an Ursaring!" exclaimed Mirabel.
And judging from the loud, beastial roar that was heard soon after that, leading Mirabel to go red in the face from embarrassment… her stomach agreed. In spite of her embarrassment, she and everyone else had a good laugh at what had just happened as they went to enjoy a nice barbeque dinner. It would be the first step on Mirabel's journey towards becoming a great trainer, and saving the Galar region from an incredible threat.
***To Be Continued…***
Ending A/N: So, what did you all think of the first chapter? Like I said, this story will follow the events of my own Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke, so there won't be any Ash Ketchum in this story, and there certainly won't be that Gary Stu known as Goh around! Anyway, let me know your thoughts in the reviews. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all in my next update!