Scene 1 - Gordon


"間もなくクチバシティに到着します。関東地方のピーチフェリーをご利用いただきありがとうございます。"

"I'm not sure what any of that means, but I'm guessing, land ho!" a large man exclaimed. He had a thick beard that hadn't been trimmed in years. It hung down to his belly, and he kept a hairband in it roughly halfway through. A grey streak made its way down the beard, indicating the man's age.

He stepped off of the ferry and onto Vermillion City's dock, his thick boots clunking loudly. The people of the dock gave him looks, rarely ever seeing a man as large as him on this side of the world. He wore blue jeans held up by a leather belt that looked like it had been worn down from years of use. He had on a maroon t-shirt and over it was a leather biker's vest. He walked with a slight limp and ignored all of the stares that he was receiving.

At his side, no larger than his boot was a Pokémon made of what looked like liquid metal. Its head was a golden hexagonal nut. It made its way across the dock alongside its trainer, making squeaking noises while it tried to keep up.

"Ya gotta move faster than that, Meltan. If you wanna evolve, you gotta put effort into it."

The Pokémon tripped over one of the wooden boards on the dock, its large head clunking hard. It started to flail around wildly. The long trip had agitated it.

The man sighed before leaning over, his knees and back popping. He picked up Meltan and put it on his shoulders.

"Here ya be. Just for now."

Meltan responded with a happy squeak.

The man continued his walk and looked around Vermillion City. He was world-traveled, but it was his first time in Kanto. He pulled a thick map from his back pocket and opened it up. He wasn't used to using electronic maps and preferred to track where he was the old fashioned way. However, his map was in English whereas all of the characters on the signs were in a completely different language.

"We gotta head north," he said. He opted to pull a compass from his vest pocket and point himself in the right direction. "If the legends are true, then we'll find your buddies on Mt. Azure. We've come a long way from Alola, so I hope it's worth it."

"Mel!" the Pokémon squeaked happily.

"You're right," the man responded while rubbing Meltan on the head. "It's not about the destination, but the journey." He then closed his eyes and scrunched his brow. Meltan gave him a concerned look while the man stood frozen for a few seconds.

"Mel-tan?"

"Migraines. Traveling will do that to you," he responded once he collected himself. He continued to walk forward with his limp, heading straight for Mt. Azure. His tiny Pokémon continued to look at him, worried for its trainer. Meltan didn't understand everything that the gentle giant had been through, but he knew that it would have had to be a lot.

Meltan squeaked slightly and struggled as it slowly climbed down his trainer's shoulder. He was small but heavy for his size, and if it meant relieving his trainer from any stress, then Meltan would gladly walk. After all, he was right. Meltan wanted to evolve, and weak Pokémon couldn't do so.

"I'm hungry," the trainer said. "What do you say to a bite to eat? I heard a rumor a while back that the gym leader here is also from Unova. Maybe he knows where to get some good food."

Meltan looked up.

"I haven't been back home for a few years now. I have a hankerin' for something greasy," he said.

The two slowly made their way to the gym. The trainer used his map to help get them there, and although it took them awhile, they arrived before nightfall. The gym was nearing closing time, however, and the trainer walked in only moments before they would lock the doors.

"A challenger?" a loud voice boomed. "At this time of day?"

The trainer stumbled forward with his limp. "I'm not here for a battle, but rather, a conversation."

The source of the loud voice was revealed as Lt. Surge walked from the entrance to the battlefield and into the lobby. The lobby was packed with recruits at his gym who came to train. Some were aspiring trainers while others were simply there to improve on skills they've already acquired. The Indigo Conference was set to be in a few months, and Lt. Surge was the kind of gym leader to help people get into shape.

Lt. Surge was known as a strict and slightly paranoid man. But when he saw the trainer and heard his Unovan accent, he couldn't help but smile. "A conversation, huh? Alright. Who might I be speaking to?"

"My name is Gordon," the trainer said. "This is my buddy, Meltan. I'm from Unova. We're not quite sure where this guy is from though. I'm new to Kanto, and I'm looking for a good meal."

"Gordon?" Lt. Surge wondered. He eyed the man, feeling that he knew him from somewhere, but he wasn't quite sure. He held out his arms. "Well, you've come to the right place. We'll get you a hot meal in no time. You like cheeseburgers?"

Gordon nodded. "If you got bacon too, then I'd appreciate it."

"Of course!" Lt. Surge exclaimed. "And what about your little friend?"

Gordon looked down. "If you have any spare or unwanted metal or iron, it'll take care of it for you."


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Something simple! As usual, my 'movie' story starts with a one/two page opener. As it goes on, they'll get longer. I just wanted to set up Gordon and Meltan and give them an ultimate goal for the end of this story. I recently fell in love with Meltan and Meltmetal, and I really wanted to write a short story involving them. I've also read many theories that (because of Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu), it's possible that Meltan could have originated in the Kanto region. I know it also has it's connection to Alola (because of the anime), but there isn't a definitive home for it (just like other legendary/mythical Pokémon can live in multiple regions).

A QUICK NOTE ON POKéMON CAPITALIZATION

I want to say that I don't want to be a part of the small war that's happening in the community. I've decided to capitalize the way that I want to. I own countless official Pokémon storybooks that I read to kids, and they capitalize Pokémon names and certain establishments, i.e. Pokémon Centers. I don't care if you do or don't. I don't care if it's wrong or right. Don't waste your time reviewing that aspect of my story. However, feel free to review my comma usage, any improper punctuation, and areas that could make do with more description, as I want to become a better writer and am always open to constructive criticism. Debating over something as arbitrary as whether or not to capitalize Jigglypuff isn't gonna do that. Thank you!