Birds whistled in the bright morning across green lawns of small, cramped houses and trees. Cold shrieks rang out.

An Aipom, Jayden, ran back to them as fast as he could. His parents needed his help.


In a dark room with his favorite book in his hands, Jayden woke up from his dream. His small, dusty, dim room contained a single bookshelf and a sleeping Cacturne on a hill of dry hay.

He brought himself up to his legs and turned his attention to the leather bound book he fell asleep with over his face. He got used to waking up with it covering his eyes: a story Legendary knight who balanced the world with its power. He read it every night for the last two weeks. He was on his fifth reading.

Cacturne seemed to stir.

"Hey," Cacturne gurgled, facing up to the roof, "kid. Ugh. What time is it?"

"Early," Aipom Jayden said, "I think something woke me up."

"Well, don't be the thing to wake me up, now," Cacturne said. "If you aren't gonna be quiet, go get some air."

Jayden grabbed his book. He turned to a tattered doorway past a field of broken glass and scattered, open letters. The dishes in the kitchen were piled higher than his head, but he didn't feel like dealing with them yet. He pulled open the door slowly to keep it from creaking and making more complaints.

The brown, green grass was still in the process of reviving itself from Verity's long winter. The whole neighborhood was made of one-story, red brick homes that were made specifically for low income groups. Jayden played the part of the neighborhood's "good kid", enough so that he felt more comfortable here than anywhere else. If he went on a shopping trip at a convenience store right now, he'd probably get a one-hundred percent discount. It's happened before, and the owner didn't even get mad.

Today was a Saturday, so he didn't have school. The odds of the store getting robbed were favorable, but he chose to sit out on a single stone step in front of the door and continue to read as the birds and sun started to wake up.

His friend, Chimchar Matt, swung by a little later, but earlier than usual. Jayden kept his eyes down, scanning the pages while Mayy moseyed on the sidewalk and up the cracked walkway up to his door.

"Hey, Jayden," Matt greeted.

"Yeah, hey," Jayden said, "you ready?"

"Oh yeah, uhm... You know, you never really explained what this training stuff is all about."

"You'll know eventually. Besides, we're getting buffer. You don't even have noodle arms anymore. Isn't that reason enough?"

"Yeah, yeah. True. But I'm just curious. I heard there was..." his voice lowered, "something happening tonight."

"Like what?" Jayden whispered.

"Like a fight over some territory," he whispered back, "for the whole street. I don't know who it is."

"Haven't heard about it."

"Dude, if you want to, you can just sleepover at my place. I mean, please. It'd be cool."

"Just relax," Jayden said. "It's a couple of dweebs throwing rocks. We've got something to focus on."

"The offer's here to stay, dude."

Jayden closed his book and left it behind the front door.


They didn't go far; to a small park surrounded by a black fence on brick walls that they went to for practice. Hills and walkways offset fields of grass. Small yellow daisies dotted the whole park.

Aipom Jayden and Chimchar Matt started with an hour of meditation. They say side by side with their legs crossed, focusing the energy in their bodies before practicing moves.

Dirt trembled under Jayden. Wisps of smoke rose from the edges of his body. He tried to stop rushing memories of fire.

"Chill out," Matt said, "you'll burn yourself. Hey."

Jayden's eyes snapped open. His paws whipped around and patted different spots on his body that heated up from the energy becoming too harsh. He got used to the feeling.

"Yeah," Jayden huffed, "no kidding."

"Sorry. I didn't want you to, you know."

"It's whatever… Let's just get some food and start the real stuff. Yeah?"

"Are you even hungry?"

"Not really. Ate a lot yesterday. Are you?"

"Nope... So we can just keep going?"

"Sure," said Jayden. "Today we're gonna fix that move Thunderpunch on you and be done with it."

"Actually… I could go for some chicken nuggets."

Matt's tone got wimpy again. Jayden huffed and walked a circle in place.

"Man up, already. You only shocked yourself once," Jayden said. "It was just the surprise making it worse than it actually was."

Both of their brown eyes made eye contact with each other. Jayden smirked watching Matt just murmur to himself and take position. He raised his arms up and made a small wall while Matt's fists were separated.

"If you get shocked, just move past it and keep using it," Jayden said, "alright? When the pain gets less and less, you're moving in the right direction. We don't have teachers, so that's how we do it."

"It sucks," he huffed.

"Yeah, so? I'm willing to bet there are tons of strong people who learned this way. And that they started earlier than fourteen, so pick it up."

Matt started to throw jabs with his right arm. Sparks flew off, disappearing before they hit the grass.

For hours, they went back and forth over the same move. Jayden had already mastered it. He used the opportunity to practice the same move and others like Fire Punch. He started to smile when electricity began to stay around Matt's arm. As his eyes faded off into another direction, his alarms went off.

There was a Vileplume that he recognized coming towards them. He'd been policing this park after a string of muggings.

Jayden couldn't interrupt Matt;s focus and keep his voice quiet. Tremors echoed in his brain as Vileplume stalked closer.

"Hey, Matt," Aipom Jayden whispered, "company."

"Wha?" Chimchar Matt asked.

After Matt finished a last stroke, he turned around to Jayden, then saw the Vileplume. The curiosity flashing behind his eyes told him that he didn't recognize who that Vileplume was. Viluplume kept stalking forward until he could get close enough to speak without straining his ragged voice.

"What are you two doing over here?" Vileplume asked.

Before Matt spoke, Jayden flourished his tail and startled him out of it mid-breath.

"We were heading out soon," Jayden explained, "grabbing some lunch."

"Wait," Matt murmured, "we were going to practice more. Right?"

Vileplume walked past them. He bent down to study a brown patch in the grass where Jayden had sat. He stood back up with a tired huff.

"Then make sure you leave," Vileplume said, "I don't want anyone disturbing the residents here."

"Wait, sir," Matt said, "you're a police officer, right?"

Jayden fell silent, letting Matt continue. The tension went to his jaw.

"We think there's going to be trouble tonight," Matt explained, "I heard it at school."

Vileplume traced his hand under his chin. "Well, can't make arrests based on things people hear."

"So you can't do anything until it's too late?"

Aipom felt something in him bend, nearly to its breaking point. His own roars pushed out from inside his chest.

"Sorry," Vileplume shrugged. "The real world never does anything till it's too late."

"Let's go, Matt," Jayden hissed.

Jayden stormed off. Matt followed close behind whileVileplume watched them leave.

Aipom Jayden went back to the brick path and went out of the park to the sidewalk. He stomped away on a path to nowhere. Chimchar Matt jogged up to his side with his stiff arms swinging.

"What's up?" Matt asked, "need to tell someone something?"

"My parents died cause of bullshit like that," Aipom hissed. "I can't deal with this right now."

"I remember you telling me about that… but getting yourself worked up about the past is, uhm, inefficient. Let's do what we can."

"What can we…?"

"We can try talking them out of it, or something," Matt said.

"Go home, Matt. We'll continue tomorrow. Besides, it'll rain later, and you hate it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I got a few snacks at home, so we'll feast tomorrow."

"Well, just take care of yourself."


Jayden went home for the rest of the day and read his favorite book on the front step of his home. Cacturne had gone out, so he could have the home to himself, but he enjoyed the fresh breeze.

The knight was, above all else, strong. That made people listen to its messages. He traveled from village to village, ridding them of different problems in the forms of their greedy and hate filled people. He was very direct. His power went unchallenged. Everyone who fought him was captured or broken and stayed that way for the rest of their lives.

Dusk fell over Aipom Jayden as he continued to read. He ate a few dull apples from inside with his tail. The sky became cloudy, but the sunset peaked through the hordes of gray. He normally wouldn't head inside yet, but the other homes were eerily quiet.

After going inside, he lied on his side on his makeshift bed. His head pounded after having read so much, even though he had already read it before.

Once his headache had settled, he fell into a sleepy daze. A sharp, banging noise in the distance interrupted it.

When Jayden sat up, Cacturne still hadn't come back. With how night fell as it started, he grew suspicious. He got up and walked outside.

Right after opening the door, Jayden could hear a dozen footsteps. Confused where they were coming from, he stalked forward through cool, chilling air and a horde of gnats to the street and looked left and right down the length of it. A mild drizzle had started.

The shadows of two rows of pokemon were marching towards each other on the blacktop street. Jayden's eye scanned their species until he found the Cacturne he was looking for on the right.

Jayden raced along the sidewalk. He slowed to a crawl when he got closer and a better look at their serious faces. Cacturne glanced towards Jayden's footsteps, and his eyes got locked on him.

"Jayden!" Cacturne hissed. "Get out of here! Go home! And take him with you!"

When Cacturne's eyes looked behind Jayden, he spun around. Chimchar Matt stood a short ways behind him on the sidewalk. He looked on, shivering and wide-eyed.

Everyone flinched when screaming broke out of nowhere. Matt drew near and grabbed Jayden's arm as the rows of pokemon charged at each other.

"Jayden!" Matt said. "We have to go! My place!"

Jayden backed away, but didn't take his eyes off of it. As soon as the waves collided, they became a storm of bodies and punches. Every punch he saw land felt like a slap in the face.

In the middle of it all, his crappy adopted father, Cacturne, fought with a Blaziken in a slug fest. Jayden gazed and realized how sloppy all of their attacks were. No proper form, and barely any power behind them.

"Jayden!" Matt yelled. "C'mon! We have to go!"

"I can't watch this crap anymore," Jayden said. "What the hell is wrong with them? Why are they being so dumb?"

Jayden turned back to Matt for an answer. Matt's eyebrows got closer together.

"That's it," Jayden said.

Aipom Jayden pushed himself into a run with his tail. He didn't aim for anyone in particular. He probably couldn't even tell the sides apart anymore with how the fighting turned into a mess. He wound his fist back and took aim at a Sceptile.

The loud impact cut through the chaos. Besides the flying Sceptile and the Blaziken who got hit by his body, everyone frozen and turned their heads.

"Stop embarrassing us!" Jayden screamed.

A few wisps of smoke came off of Jayden's arms. The rain kept the heat in his chest under control for now, but it continued to build.

"Jayden!" Cacturne yelled.

"The cops are making fun of you clowns!" Jayden said. "So's everyone else. Watching you kill each other over this!? Look around!"

Jayden's waved his arms, gesturing to the cracked road with chunks of it lying everywhere. Weeds sprout up tall through every crack in the sidewalk. Walls were coated with green vines and weeds that strangled every house.

"You're all fighting over a pile of shit," Jayden said. "This is a waste of time."

Jayden's eyes locked on a Sceptile. He nodded towards the Cacturne and ran at Jayden.

Light green Leaf Blades came from the sides of his arms. Aipom Jayden stared in disbelief that he'd dare to try it. Once he got over it, he jumped at him using his tail as a spring.

Jayden's fist was in his face before Sceptile's arm even flinched. Jayden grabbed hold of his face and grappled to the ground with his tail, pulling and swing his head down into the street. Chunks of the road flew off past his eyes.

"Don't ever try to raise your arms at me again," Jayden hissed.

"I thought you wanted to leave your son out of it," Blaziken said.

"Jayden," Cacturne called, "what are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" Jayden shot back, lifting himself back up to his feet. "Fighting over a dump like you're all a bunch of rats. My parents are dead because of people like you."

"Your parents are dead because they were acting just like you are now. Go home, Jayden."

"Don't talk down to me. Don't even talk on even footing with me. The next time you talk to me, you're going to show some respect."

Cacturne raised his arms and used Pin Missile. Jayden reacted with Swift, flourishing his tail behind him. The adrenaline accelerated it into a flurry as it shot off yellow stars. Cacturne screamed in his effort to keep up, but the stars overwhelmed his attack and slammed into his body.

The rest of the attack swallowed the rest of the group in a cloud of flying dirt and chunks of the road. Jayden didn't stop.

"Jayden, stop!" Matt screamed.

Jayden stopped whipping his tail and immediately turned around. He rotated his head and cracked his back while the Chimchar Matt stared wide-eyed.

"They don't listen to anything but this," Jayden said. "They're all simple."

"You made your point, man!" Matt screamed. "But please! You could kill somebody! That knight didn't do that, right? Not unless he had to."

Jayden turned around. The pokemon on the ground groaned and writhed. With the fighting over, it felt like there were less of them.

"Let's call for help, okay?" Matt asked.

"Nah," Jayden said, "let them sit with it. They don't like cops anyways. They just got what they wanted."

The steam on Jayden's body finally settled. No one died because he was here to stop it. It felt good.

It felt great. Jayden smirked as more pride settled in.

"Hey Matt," Jayden said, "we stopped them."

"Uhm… yeah. Well, you did…"

"Wanna keep going?"

"Keep going?" Matt asked. "Jayden, you-"

"I stopped people from dying. That knight would have done the same thing, right?"

Matt's eyes moved around as he gazed off into space. Jayden gave him a few seconds.

"Well?" Jayden asked.

"Shouldn't we just become cops or something when we grow up if we want to help people like this? Actually… Didn't you want to be an explorer?"

"Oh, right. Of course… So, Matt… Where are they again?" he asked with his arms stretched out from his sides.

Matt didn't answer. He was good with Jayden's rhetorical questions most of the time.

"C'mon," Jayden said. "I'm going. Don't know where. Up to you if you want to tag along, rich boy."

Jayden walked past him to the sidewalk. He lowered his head and smiled when he heard Matt's footsteps behind him.