Wes sighed as he and his Eevee walked tiredly across the fine white sand. "From desert, to forest, to more arid land. It never seems to end!"
His Eevee yawned tiredly as he walked beside him. Wes picked up his pokémon and held him close.
"I got you, buddy. Take a breather."
"Eevee Vee," he replied cheerily.
A Phanpy ran up excitedly to Wes.
"Phanpy Phan Phan!" it cried as it wagged its tiny tail.
Wes smiled softly. "Hello there, little one. Need somethin'?"
The Phanpy flailed its little trunk and circled around Wes.
"Phanpy Phan!"
"I'm sorry, little one. I'm mighty tired right now. It's been days since we had any food or water. Lemme catch myself a moment. Then I'll see what I can do."
The Phanpy looked quizzically at Wes for a moment. Then, realizing what it was he needed, it held the bottom of Wes' pants with his trunk and started tugging on him.
"Huh? What? What's the matter?"
"Phanpy. Phanpy Phanpy."
"Oh, alright. I'll follow ya. Though, I'm likely to drop from exhaustion."
Wes followed the Phanpy for several miles. He gasped as he seemed to stumble upon a small fertile green area in the desert. It was a small peninsula with rich flora and a date palm grove. It was almost entirely surrounded by water. Bordering the edge was a circle of grass dotted with several rocks and five palm trees. Inside the circle of grass were smaller concentric circles of sand and grass in a pattern similar to a pokéball with a stone platform at the center.
"An oasis!" Wes exclaimed as ran over to it. He rested his Eevee down and knelt beside the water, aggressively washing his face. His Eevee walked beside him and started to drink the water.
The Phanpy cried happily as it made its nest. It dug a vertical pit near the edge of the water. It displayed its ownership of this area by marking it with its trunk. It then started to use its trunk to shower in the river. Afterwards, it began drying its body near the edge of the river.
Wes wiped his face with his arm and took the Pokémon Egg from his back and rested it in front of himself, wiping it gently and washing it in the spring. The Pokémon Egg then started to glow a brilliant white.
"What's going on?!" Wes panicked, "What's happening?"
"Eevee! Eevee Eve!" his Eevee cried excitedly.
The Egg continued to glow brightly as it slowly started to change shape, taking on the form of a mammalian creature. As the light died down, its features started to become clearer. It had a bushy tail with a cream-colored tip and a large furry cream collar. It had short, slender legs with three small toes and pink paw paws on each foot. Long pointed ears that flopped downwards and a little black nose.
When the light finally faded, Wes could see that the pokémon looked nearly exactly the same as his Eevee, just being slightly smaller in size.
The newly hatched pokémon twitched her little nose and groggily opened her big brown eyes.
"Eevee?" she uttered quietly.
"Eevee! Vee Eevee Eve!" his other Eevee cried as it walked closer and sniffed the baby pokémon.
Wes' mouth was slightly agape.
"Amazing," he whispered. "So that's how pokémon eggs hatch?"
The younger Eevee blinked a few times, her ears perking up slightly as she took in her surroundings. She sniffed the other Eevee slightly before focusing her attention on the larger being in front of her.
"Eevee?"
"Hello there," Wes greeted. "Welcome to the world little one. So, you're an Eevee too?"
The smaller Eevee cocked her head slightly to the side, twitched her nose once more and tried to stand to her feet. Wes' other Eevee stood beside her as he tried to help her keep her balance. She wobblily walked closer to Wes and fell in his lap.
"Careful, dere. Don't wanna hurt yourself," he started as he wrapped his arms gently around her.
She smiled lovingly. "Eevee Vee."
A parade of Donphan and Phanpy appeared near the clearing and called out to the one that was sunbathing near the edge of the water. Hearing its family's cry, the young Phanpy stood to its feet and waved to Wes with its trunk before running off rejoining its group.
Wes waved back. "Bye, friend! Good luck! Thank you so much for your help findin' dis place."
The Phanpy cried out one last time before leaving with its parade to return home.
The baby Eevee nestled herself into Wes' lap and his other Eevee snuggled up close. Wes petted them both lightly on the head ash they started to doze off.
"That's it then. I guess we're a family."
Several months later
"Finally!" Wes exclaimed as he ran up to a lonely gasoline stand and diner in the southeastern part of the desert. "We made it! The Outskirt Stand."
The stand itself was made from a broken-down locomotive engine. The machinery of the stand still appeared to work, with the steam engine providing electricity to the appliances inside.
"Come on!" Wes cried as he ran inside the diner, his faithful Eevee following behind him.
Wes looked around the interior of the small restaurant. It was a casual enough atmosphere with a combination of booths served by waitstaff and a long sit-down counter with direct service. The smell of roasted coffee and gasoline filled his nostrils. It was much smaller than Wes expected but regardless of how it looked, he was happy to finally be there. Inside the engine was a small bar that doubled as a convenience store. Weary travelers rested in booths and sipped cool beverages while listening to the radio or jukebox. There was also a television showing the news.
Scanning the room, Wes found the video phone mounted on the wall in the very rear of the diner and he quickly ran over to it. The phone appeared very worn but still useable. Reaching into his pocket, Wes put in four quarters and began to dial his home number. It rang several times before the voicemail cut in to leave a message.
Wes' heart sank a little. He waited for the beep before he spoke. "Hi Mama. It's me. I know it's been quite some time. I got pretty lost out here and it took me a long while before I finally found da place. But I made it to the Outskirt Stand, like you asked. Oh, and guess what? I actually got me some pokémon! Two Eevee. They're really swell, Mama. I know you'd love to meet them. Say 'hi' guys."
"Eevee!"
"Vee Eevee!"
"They've been traveling wit me for a long while, Mama. I really learned a lot about caring for pokémon during my time out here. They are magnificent creatures and I couldn't've asked for better partners and companions. Well, I 'spose you're busy right now so I won't keep you. Call me back soon, Mama, I'll be here waitin' for ya. Take care."
Wes hung the phone back on the hook. He looked dejectedly at the phone for a while before finally turning away. Maybe Dr. Goodman was tending to his mother, or maybe she was out at the market? There were a couple reasons she wouldn't be available to talk at that moment. Wes just reasoned he'd have to stay put and give her time to call him back so she would know he was safe.
He walked over to the counter and sat down. The cook approached the counter. He was a brawny man with long, fiery red hair pulled back by his bandana and a green apron tied around his waist.
"Well hello there, small fry. What can I do you for? You a bit young to be traveling out here by your lonesome. This diner is usually a resting place for trainers."
"Oh, don't mind me, Sir. I'm just waitin' for a call from my Mama."
"You come from far off?"
"Yessum."
The cook nodded. "Hm. Are you looking to buy something? You lookin' pretty malnourished, son. Scrawnier than a starved Kabutops."
Wes paused. He was hungry. It had been days since he and his Eevee last ate. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the four small pearls the boy from before had left behind several months earlier. He wasn't comfortable using stolen items for his own benefit…But he had to feed his pokémon.
Wes held out his hand. "How much can dis afford?"
The cook took the pearls from Wes. "Pearls are worth about 700 Pokédollars each. So altogether that'd be about $2800."
"Can it get my pokémon some food?"
The cook put the pretty pearls in his pocket. "Tell you what kid. How about I just give you the cash and fix you and your pokémon somethin'? On the house."
Wes shook his head. "Oh no, Sir. I couldn't ask you to do such a thing. You don't have to go through all that trouble for me."
The older man shook his head. "No trouble at all, youngin'. Let me go get yah'll some food."
The cook stepped away for several minutes, returning about ten minutes later with a plate of eggs and sausages for Wes, and two small bowls of Pokéfood.
Wes' Eevee jumped on the counter and eagerly started eating.
The cook opened out the cash register and took out $2800 for Wes.
"Here you go, youngin'."
Again Wes shook his head.
"No, Sir. I couldn't."
"You most certainly can. Go on, take it."
Wes frowned slightly. He wasn't actually trying to profit off of those stolen pearls. He just desperately wanted to give his pokémon something to fill their bellies for a while. It didn't seem right taking money from stolen goods.
Timidly, Wes reached out and took the cash. "Thank you kindly, Sir. Much obliged I am."
"No worries at all."
"Is it okay if I take dis food to go? And some Pokémon food as well?"
"Why, of course you can."
As Wes' Eevee finished eating their food, the cook put Wes' food away in a takeout container and bag as well as two boxes of dry Pokémon food. When his pokémon were finished eating, Wes thanked the cook once more before hopping off of the diner chair and walking out of the locomotive with his pokémon.
Just as he was walking outside, a man brushed past him, speeding away.
"Hey!" one of the waitresses cried as she ran out as well. "Come back! Somebody stop that man!'
Wes turned back to look ahead of him and saw a skinny man running away with goods in is hands. His eyes hardening, Wes chased after him with his Pokémon.
"Go Eevee! Quick Attack!"
Both Pokémon sped ahead at increasing speeds, a brilliant white light streaking behind them. They both ran ahead of the man and stopped in front of him.
Scowling, the older man took out two Pokéballs and tossed them in the air. A Poochyena and Dustox materialized out of the balls.
"Take Down and Psybeam!" he ordered.
The Poochyena started charging forward while the Dustox released a multicolored beam from its eyes.
Wes came to a screeching halt as he stopped running, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Dodge them! Strike the Poochyena with Double Kick and ride dat Psybeam before going into Swift!"
Both Eevee cried out as they obeyed their trainer and dodged the two attacks in their own way. The male Eevee charged at the Poochyena with his Quick Attack before he reared up on his hind legs and turned around so his tail and backside was facing his opponent, then his back paws glowed white as he struck the Poochyena with one foot before kicking it with the other. The female Eevee jumped in the air and rode the psychic attack with her Quick Attack and as she neared the Dustox, her tail glowed brilliant white and she swished her tail, releasing several glowing yellows stars with a purple outline and golden sparkles. The attack hit the Dustox hard in its face and it ceased its attack.
"Follow with Bite and Tackle!" Wes ordered.
The older Eevee grabbed the Poochyena by its tail and bit down hard, flinging it in the air moments later. The younger Eevee charged at the falling Dustox and struck it in its center. Both injured Pokémon cried out as they were sent crashing into each other and fell to the ground. The spirals in their eyes indicated a clear knockout.
"What?!" the tall skinny man cried.
"Great job you two!" Wes complimented as he ran up to the man, "I believe you have some things that do not belong to you, mister."
Again, the older man scowled. "How dare you! You little runt!"
He tried to charge at Wes but his Eevee took a defensive stance in front him, both growling threateningly.
The older man flinched, stared hard at Wes, and threw the bag of Pokéballs, potions, and healing items at the boy. Wes caught it with both hands.
"One day, you're gonna get what's coming to you, boy," he sneered as he returned his Pokémon to his pokéballs and ran off.
Unbeknownst to Wes, a pair of eyes were watching him from afar. The wilder smiled menacing as he observed the battle.
Wes and his Eevee walked back to the Outskirt Stand where the waitress was waiting. He held out the bag to her.
"Here you go," he said as he handed her the bag.
The waitress swooned. "Oh, thank you, you sweet little boy. That man is a menace, always getting his pokémon to take from us when we're busy and pickpocketing when he can. You are quite the capable trainer to take him down. Here, take these for your trouble," she said as she passed Wes a few potions and biscuits.
Wes smiled back, "Thank you kindly, Ma'am. I really don't need these though."
"Oh, please take them. It's the least I could do to say thank you."
Wes nodded graciously and put the items away. He waved to the waitress as he and his Eevee started walking away again.
After walking a few miles away, he heard someone call out to him and he turned around to see another man following him. He was a large muscular man with large prominent muscles. had a bald head and a grotesquely and distinctively long, twisted, brown mustache and eyebrows. There were a number of scars visible on his neck and chest, which Wes could clearly see through the part of his black leather jacket. He wore purple working gloves and black leather pants as well. A large metal Tarous buckle was on his belt as well as six pokéballs.
"Well, well. You are quite the gifted trainer, boy. Taking on a fully-grown man and defeating him in the blink of an eye. What's your name?"
"Wes." He answered as he looked up at the towering man before him. Both Eevee perched themselves on his shoulders.
The brawny man scratched his chin. "Wes. Unique name. My name is Gonzap. I'm very impressed in how quickly and efficiently you were able to take down that thief."
"It was no problem at all, mistah. I was just doing what was right."
"Yes, but your battling skills are exceptional for someone so young and owning such small Pokémon."
The older Eevee narrowed his eyes slightly. Wes petted them both on the head.
"No, Sir. My Pokémon deserve the credit for dere hard work."
Gonzap folded his arms. "A Pokémon is only as good as its trainer. It is your responsibility to give them orders that will ensure your success in a battle and cause them the least amount of harm. Tell me, how many battles have you had with your pokémon?"
Wes scratched the side of his head. "I dunno. Quite a lot. We've run into a lot of folks and pokémon in our travels."
"And how many of those battles would you say you've won?"
"Can't remember a time that we've necessarily lost. But I wasn't necessarily trying to win either."
'I see," Gonzap unfolded his arms, "You seem to have an extraordinary talent and connection with your Pokémon. What if I told you I can help your foster that connection even more?"
"I'm not sure I understand."
"I run a Pokémon organization in Eclo Canyon, northeast of the region. My team and I specialize in bringing out the full potential of Pokémon. You are clearly an exceptional Pokémon Trainer. I think we could both be of use to one another."
Wes looked between his two Eevee before looking back at the older man.
"I'm sorry, mister Gonzap, sir. I'm waitin' on a call from my mama."
"We have plenty of phones at our base. You can most certainly call her from there. I can help you to bring out the best in your pokémon and ensure that your Eevee reach their maximum potential."
Again, Wes looked between his partner pokémon. "What do you think guys?"
The female Eevee looked confusingly at Wes, while the male growled at the man in front of him.
Gonzap laughed boisterously. "Quite the personality on this one, eh?"
Wes again petted him on the head. "My Eevee has trust issues with other humans. I'm the only one they trust and believe in."
"So I was right that you have a certain talent with Pokémon."
Wes bowed his head slightly. "So…If I come along, you'll show me how to bring out the best in my pokémon? How to be a better Trainer and caregiver?"
"Son, I will teach you how to maximize your pokémon's potential and show you how to bring out the very best in one another. It's what my organization specializes in."
"And the pokémon you train…are they happier?"
"I assure you, they are their strongest selves."
"But are they happier?"
Gonzap smiled. "They don't know any negative emotions."
Wes pondered for a while before reaching a decision. "Okay, sir. I suppose dere's no harm in looking and seeing how I can better take care of my Eevee."
"Ee Vee Ee!" the male Eevee exclaimed to his owner.
Gonzap's smile widened.
"Excellent."
Wes was astonished as he and Gonzap arrived at Team Snagem's base. It was a very large and mechanical looking building. Everything looked completely industrialized.
"Dis isn't exactly what I was expecting," Wes said as he and his Eevee stepped out of Gonzap's black Jaguar.
Gonzap closed his driver's side door and locked his car, "Believe me, it looks much better inside."
As they entered the base, a man who was also bald and wore blue shades was sitting behind the reception's desk. He wore a red sleeveless jacket and a white vest with black leather pants.
"Welcome back, Boss," he greeted as his superior neared. He frowned slightly at the sight of the little boy with two Eevee beside him. "Who's the runt?"
"Wes. He's gonna be joining us here and helping us out quite a bit."
"This pipsqueak? Boss are you for real?"
"Yes. Wakin, go get Biden and Agrev. I want to test something."
"Sure," he said. He exited the room and went down one of the many corridors.
"Come with me, Wes," Gonzap said as he led the youth upstairs to his office. After several minutes, Wakin returned with two other members of Team Snagem, similarly dressed.
"Bring out your Pokémon," Gonzap ordered.
"Boss?" Agrev wondered.
"Just do as I say."
"Yes, Boss," they all answered in unison. Each member released two pokémon from their pokéballs. Wakin a Corphish and Koffing, Agrev a Nuzleaf and Machop, and Biden two Smeargle.
"Now battle," he commanded.
"All of us? At the same time?"
"Biden, hush your mouth and just do as I say."
Wes looked to Gonzap. "You want me to battle all three of them at once?"
"Yes. Prove to me you are just as skilled as I think you are. Battle these six pokémon and let me see what you are capable of."
"I literally just asked the same thing," Biden grumbled quietly to himself.
Nodding, Wes and his pokémon took a battle-ready stance. Wakin was the first to order his Pokémon.
"Go! Use Bubblebeam and Sludge!"
Wes' Eevee effectively dodged the attacks with their Quick Attacks.
"Faint Attack, Nuzleaf! Machop use Karate Chop!" ordered Agrev.
"Smeargle, Petal Dance and Focus Punch!" Biden followed.
Wes didn't flinch as he prepared his pokémon's orders. They effortlessly dodged the attacks and countered with their own. His male Eevee fought back with brawn and defense as he charged the Corphish, Nuzleaf, and Smeargle separately, holding his own ground before flinging each in the air into one another and tackling them. His female Eevee gracefully used her speed to her advantage and as she nimbly dodged the attacks, sent long range ones of her own at the Koffing, Machop, and Smeargle. The battle lasted about ten minutes, with each of the Snagem grunts' pokémon fainting at the end.
"What?!" exclaimed Agrev.
"Impossible!" uttered Wakin.
Wes' Eevee landed back beside him and Wes quickly petted and praised his pokémon.
"Phenomenal work, guys! You both were amazing!"
"Eevee Eevee!"
"Vee Eevee!"
Gonzap smiled widely. "Wonderful job, Wes. I expected nothing less." He stood up as the other three members recalled their pokémon in their pokéballs. "This is what I wanted you all to see. This young man and his Pokémon have massive potential and can contribute greatly to our cause. He possesses a skill I've not ever seen before. To command his Eevee the way he has, with such grace and authority, never batting at eye, and at such a young age. It seems to me we have a child prodigy on our hands."
Gonzap sat back down and pulled out a multi-paged contract out of his desk drawer. He underlined and circled a few passages and marked a large 'X' on the bottom of the last page.
"This is Team Snagem's contract. The most important parts I have underscored. Basically, you will work for me here at Team Snagem. You will abandon any life you had beforehand. I am your boss. I am your father. You will obey me at all times without exception. This contract is binding and once you sign, there's no turning back. This is a grown man's business. As such, you will be treated just like all the adult grunts here. No exemptions. This is a lifelong commitment."
Wes looked uneasily at Gonzap. He suddenly appeared even more intimidating with his hardened features. The younger Eevee backed away timidly between Wes' legs, while the older one growled at Gonzap.
Wes shook his head slowly. "I'm…I don't think I want to do this, Gonzap, sir. I-I gotta call my mama. She's a-waitin' for me."
He tried to turn around but Agrev, Wakin, and Biden blocked his path downstairs.
Gonzap lowered the contract and rested it on the table. "Really…I did say you could call her, didn't I? Very well. I will remain true to my word. You can call her. But you can't tell her anything about where you are or how you got here."
"Why not?"
"Are you questioning me? This is my business, boy! You will not disrespect me!"
Wes backed away. "I'm sorry. I don't want any trouble. I just want to go home and call my mama."
Gonzap tapped his fingers together. "No trouble you say? You seem to be causing a bit of a stir here. You see, Wes, you're in my domain now. I won't tolerate you disrespecting me. And after I made you such a lucrative offer."
Again, Agrev, Wakin, and Biden surrounded him.
"Eevee Vee!" his Eevee hissed.
"It would be a shame for someone so young to go to jail."
"J-Jail?" Wes cried.
"Oh yes. After I call the police to let them know you were trespassing on my property, I'm sure you'll be spending your formative years behind bars. Is that what you want?"
Wes shook his head resolutely. "I wasn't trespassing! You drove me here!"
"Are you sure?" Gonzap asked incredulously. "Are you sure you didn't stumble upon my base, gazing at my admins from afar? Are you sure Wakin didn't spot you and tried to apprehend you, trying to catch the intruder? Because that's what I'm inclined to tell the police."
"B-But that's not true!"
"Isn't it though? I didn't force you to come here. You came on your own volition. So, do you want to walk away from here in handcuffs, or do you want the opportunity of a lifetime to bring out everything you possibly can in your Pokémon?"
Wes was quiet. He picked up both of his Eevee and held them close to his face, burying his head in their soft, fluffy fur. Then he put them up on his shoulders as he approached Gonzap.
Gonzap slid the contract over to Wes and he reluctantly signed, Wesel Legend.
"Excellent." Gonzap uttered as he put the multipage document back in his desk drawer. "Agrev, Biden. Show Wes around the facility. Get him used to his surroundings and show him to his bunker. You can call your mother afterwards but remember what I said. Or there will be consequences. You'll start fresh and early tomorrow, Wes. Be up by 6:00. Welcome aboard. Glad to have you with us."
Wes glanced back at Gonzap as Agrev and Biden led him downstairs.
Wakin approached his superior. "Nice ruse about the Five-O, Boss. I nearly believed it myself. But why are you allowing this kid to stay here? Are you sure this is wise?"
"He can be a major asset to our team, Wakin. Assist in our cause. He is an exceptional battler. Has never lost a battle. He has this unique connection with his pokémon. Something that allows him to overcome the most strenuous of circumstances. We can use that. Cipher is almost done with the development of the prototype Snag Machine. Once it is completed, we can capture Pokémon and send them to the lab for adulteration. This kid is going to ensure our success in total planetary domination as the leading criminal syndicate."
"The boy is skilled. I'll give you that. But he has a mother. Sooner or later, he will be discovered."
"His mother is dead," Gonzap said definitively, "I had Agrev investigate when I was on my way here. She's had tuberculosis for months. Her home doctor confirmed she's been long gone."
"So he has no one who will worry for him?"
"Not a soul. A child cannot be missed if he has no one. He belongs to me now."
A/N: Yes, I did make Wes' second Eevee who would eventually evolve into Espeon a female. It provides a better distinction and it is intended that Wes' Umbreon and Espeon become a mated pair by the end of the fic, with their offspring becoming Michael's Eevee in a future story. I know Espeon is male in the game, but for the purposes of this story and its series, Espeon will be female. Also, Wes' team in this story will reflect the team I used in my playthrough of the game. I won't say who they are as you will discover in the coming chapters, but I did want to make sure I mentioned it.
Also, I am aware that it has been 10 years since I updated my other Colosseum-based story, A Hero's Job is Never Done. Aside from my depression and anxiety, I've had terrible luck with my previous laptops crashing and burning with my files and I have just been hoping that I can somehow retrieve them. I do plan on returning to it eventually whether I can retrieve my files or not, but for right now I'm going to focus on this fic.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Please don't forget to review!
Always Do Everything with Love,
XyKPfan
