A young Volt lay in his bed in Hammerlocke palace, the room filled with red velvet and blue burning candles. Small pokédolls lay on the floor, all dragon type, all but the small one in his arm which was a Wooloo. His bed was much to large for the right year old, being a king sized bed, the duvet the colour of blood. Amber eyes focused on the small black Wooloo plush in his arms, the authentic wool soft and cuddly in his arms. His blonde hair was kept short, but he had a bad case of bed head.
The sound of the door opening caused him to freeze, his body paralyzed, his eyes tightly closed, hoping it would stop what he knew was about to happen. He felt a body sit down on the bed beside him and a clawed hand ran through his hair.
"Time to get up baby boy," his uncles voice cooed right by his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. The mans hand slowly moved down his back to rest just over his butt, "you know it'll be easier if you get up now, Volt." Those words made the boy flinch and drop his Wooloo. The small boy slowly sat up, tilting his head to the left to show his neck and kept his eyes downcast. "Good boy," the man said as he leaned down and sank his teeth into the boys neck, right over the pulse point.
The words made his heart flutter but the sharp familiar pain in his neck caused him to wince, tears forming in his eyes. As expected the mans hand reached under him to cup his butt and lift him into his lap where the man was already excited. It was going to be a long night, and he just wanted to hug his Wooloo and disappear.
It took two hours for his uncle to be satisfied, leaving him blody and bruised in his bed. Volt tried to move but his body was numb, his eyes glazed over as he held his Wooloo plush tightly, trying to ignore the wetness all over his body from different bodily fluids. He cuddled the Wooloo and soft sobs left his damaged throat, the large handprint and bite mark like a choker on his tan skin.
The door opened again and he whimpered. He heard a womans gasp, and recognized the sound of his mother's voice. He slowly turned to face her, showing her the damage, his night clothes torn and bloodied, matted with sweat. Her face turned thunderous and Volt flinched. She softened and slowly approached him, she sat beside him and waited, and he finally fell into her balling his little heart out.
The woman was furious, she looked down at her child and let out a breath. He was her only child, having miscarried before him, yet she wasn't able to protect him. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't fight her brother, he would have her killed. Volt couldn't stay here, she was going to save him, she had to save him. She looked at the boys desk and grabbed the parchment and quill, quickly writing out a letter. She pulled out a small satchel that was in Volt's room and placed the letter and a pokéball inside. She picked up Volt and put the satchel over his shoulder, she grabbed her own pokéball and opened it, her Dragapult appearing in blaze of white.
She put the boy on the dragons back, making sure he was secure. Volt clung to her hand and whimpered. She gave him a sad smile and kissed his forehead, gently prying herself from his grip painfully.
"You'll be safe my little lightning dragon, you're going somewhere safe now," she told him. The little boy looked at her with tired amber eyes.
"Can't you come mummy?" He asked hoarsely. She felt tears run down her face and shook her head
"Take him to the Master," she told her pokémon, opening the large window, trying send the boy away before she cracked and kept him here. Dragapult gave her a look before the pokémon took off. She watched as they vanished into the night and let the sobs wrack her body as she watched her only baby leave. She would miss her son, but at least he would be safe from this hellhole.
Volt held on tight to the stealth pokémon, its speed incredible. The little boy looked down at the Galar region as it flew by, his eyes widening and his smile growing slowly. He held tight to the pokémon and rubbed his cheek against the scales, giggling as he enjoyed the cool breeze that blew over his skin. He didn't know how long he was on the pokémon, but one of the little Dreepy's came out and flew beside him cuddling up to him and his Wooloo.
Volt raised his head to admire the stars, trying to spot constellations he had been taught about. The little Dreepy flew around him and he giggled at it, reaching out to pet it, careful not to fall off. Dragapult glaned back at its precious cargo and made a happy purring noice. The dragon sped up and Volt squealed in delight as they shot up over a cliff.
Volt gasped as a beautiful island came into a view, he was able to see two towers, one red the other blue, a tree in the center of a farther out island, and a large dojo. The Dreepy hot under his chin and cuddled into him, licking his neck wound, which made Volt flinch and his smile drop slightly. Dragapult let out a roar and Volt gasped and held tight as they descended.
An older man exited the dojo and looked up at the pokémon as it approached, immediately knowing whose pokémon it was, the purple collar a dead give away. The man walked over to the Dragapult and noticed the small child on the back of the dragon, clearly hurt and avoiding looking at him. The Dreepy went into the boys satchel and pulled out a letter and gave it to the man. He opened it slowly and read over it.
Master Mustard,
I know it has been years since we have talked, but I am in dire need of your help. My son Volt has been extremely mistreated and i have been powerless to stop it. The final straw was tonight and I knew he would not survive in the palace. Inside the satchel is a pokéball holding a Mareep, it is Volt's now. Please keep him safe and show him how to be a normal boy.
Lily.
The man let out a sad sigh as he finished the letter, looking at the little boy who looked so much like his mother. He looked closer and noticed the boy had passed out. He frowned and moved closer, the Dreepy getting in his way, slightly glaring at him.
The man raised his hands to ease the pokémon, "I promise I only want to help." The Dreepy contemplated before letting the man pass. Mustard gently took the boy off the dragon and realised how light he was. He was disgusted by the blood and grime on the boy. The Dragapult and Dreepy started to talk, the elder pokémon looking upset before seemingly resigning. The mighty pokemon shot off into the sky, leaving the Dreepy behind. "You wish to stay with young Volt?" he asked the pokémon, it nodded and followed the man into the dojo.
The dojo master brought the boy to an empty room and started to clean him in the bath, his scowl getting deeper when he realized the extent of the boys injuries. His Rotom flew out of his pocket at his request and went to get a Blissey. He gently sponged the boy while the Dreepy floated around it's new friend, whimpering slightly. He heard the Blissey walk in and it immediately started to use heal pulse on the boy. While it wouldn't fully heal the boy it definitely made him better than he was.
He gently ran the towel over Volt's skin, mindful of the injuries. He emptied the tub and carried the boy into the small room, putting him in comfy pjs and placed him in the bed. He pulled out the pokéball and opened it, the electric sheep pokémon appearing in a flash of white. The blue faced sheep bleating softly and moving over to cuddle tovits trainer, worry on its face. Dreepy joined it and the duo cuddled the boy, who buried himself deeper into them.
Mustard decided to take his leave, putting a fresh pair of dojo uniforms for the boy when he woke. He silently left the room, Blissey coming with him, its face downcast. The man had a scowl on his face, he had always been on an off and on relationships with the royals, even when he was champion. This made him loose all respect for the Saturas family, one of the many families that made up the noble houses.
He made his way to the training room of the dojo, needing to vent out his anger. He called out one of his trusty Urushifu, and gave it a command to attack the training dummies. It struck with one hit and destroyed the dummy, sensing its masters anger. Mustard glared at the dojo floor and thought about the boy who rested above him, he would give the boy a life and protection. He pulled out a pokéball and looked down at it in thought.
Volt's eyes slowly opened as the light from outside hit his eyes. Amber eyes squinted and he hissed, burying himself further in the soft wool he was resting on. He paused and looked up seeing a blue face looking back at him, he yelped and jumped back in shock, falling off the bed. As he lay there a Dreepy flew down to hover in front of his face, and he recognized it as the one his mithers Dragapult cared for. He looked at the Mareep on the bed and realised it was also one of his mother's pokémon.
"What are you two doing here?" He asked softly. His eyes drifted around the room and frowned, "where am I?" Mareep bleated softly and pushed a pokéball toward him. He looked at it and a small smile came onto his face, "are you mine?" The sheep nodded in agreement and Volt grabbed the pokéball, returning the sheep.
Volt looked over at the Dreepy who had a pokéball in its little hands. The dragon dropped the ball and flipped to be hit by it, being sucked in and caught instantly. Volt smiled softly and reached over and grabbed the ball and kissed both of them. He stood up and saw that clothing had been put out for him, he looked at it and decided to put it on. The yellow clothing was a bit tricky at first to put on, but he managed well enough.
He looked in the full length mirror across from his bed, admiring the look. The yellow of the uniform was vibrant against his tan skins and gave him a sense of joy he couldn't explain. His hair matched the uniform and was messy from his sleep, and he ran his fingers through it trying to fix it. He ran his hand down his neck and it stopped when he touched the bite mark there. His eyes became blank and memories flashed through his mind, red liquid pouring down his body like a river, clawed hands digging into his flesh and tearing him apart.
He was jolted out of it by the violent shaking of the pokéballs he had dropped to the ground. He shakily picked then up and put the two balls on his belt, keeping them safe. His head spun around as a Blissey entered the room, its smile gentle. It slowly walked over to him and used heal pulse to heal him a bit further. The boy purred and closed his eyes, content in the warmth the move caused on his skin, and the soothing sensation in his mind, the memories receding.
"Thank you, Blissey," he said to it gently after it was done. It chirped in gratitude and pulled him along, toward the exit of the room, and into the hall. Volt started to get nervous, he had heard about this place from his mother, her training here was his favourite bedtime story, but he still had no idea why he was here.
They walked into the main Dojo and a man stood in the center, a blue jacket covering the yellow uniform he wore, and a blue and black hat covered his head. The man turned to him and smiled.
"Ah Volt, you're awake, I am Mustard," he said softly, trying not to frighten Volt.
Amber eyes took in the mans appearance, while he was old, Volt could see the power that coursed through the mans body. He bowed his head slightly and didn't meet the mans eyes.
"It's good to meet you sir," he whispered, his voice traveling in the quiet of the dojo. Mustard frowned but quickly got rid of it.
"Do you know why you're here?" He asked, unsure of the boys response.
Volt thought for a moment before speaking, "my mother sent me away to make me stronger so I don't embarrass the family." Such a sincere answer, one that held no care for himself, and made Mustard sad.
"To be stronger yes, but for yourself," he told the boy with dark eyes filled with understanding. Volt didn't look up, but he did shift slightly. "I have a gift for you before we begin," Mustard said, tossing a pokéball at him.
Volt looked up as the ball opened and a pokémon he hadn't seen before appeared. The small brown furred pokémon opened black eyes to look at the trainer in front of it, and crossed its arms, sizing him up.
"What's his name?" Volt asked after a moment.
"This is Kubfu, they use to be quite frequent around Galar, and I'm giving this one to you," Mustard said, walking over and offering the pokéball. Volt slowly took the pokéball and put it on his belt, kneeling to get closet to Kubfu.
"Hi Kubfu, I'm Volt, your new friend," he said to the small pokémon. It titled its head and stepped forward, pressing a paw against the boys cheek. Volt didn't move as the pokémon looked in his eyes, searching. Volt couldn't keep the eye contact and looked down at the ground. Kubfu moved closer and hugged the boy softly. Tears welled in the boys eyes and he hugged the pokémon tight.
Mustard turned away from the scene giving them space, but he could feel the bond forming between the two. Something about Volt shone brightly, making pokémon and seemingly people love him. Mustard wondered if that was a good thing, but decided to put it aside. He turned back to the duo to see Kubfu staring at him with a determined look in its eye, and Volt standing up, his posture that of a royal, even if his eyes were downcast.
"So you're ready to learn," Mustard said with a grin, pulling out a pokéball, "let's see what you both have." That started Volt's first day on the Isle of Armor and in Mustard's dojo, and things would keep rolling from there.