Rejuvenation
I don't own Pokemon or Pokemon Rejuvenation. If I did, they would suck. A lot.
…
A loud "Koff" woke me up from my sleep. I lazily opened my eyes, grabbing my cap on top of the bedside table beside the couch…wait was it called a sofaside table now or-
Treecko's cries interrupted my thought process. I raised my head to see the scenehappening before me. Koffing's mouth was firmly latching onto my berry pouch, and Treecko was on the other end, sneering, and trying to pull it away. The two were in a tug-o-war for a few seconds, and I just sat there like this was some sort of sitcom.
…
"Good morning?" I greeted with an eyebrow raised. My two Pokemon turned towards me, their eyes widened. Koffing "subtly" released his bite on the pouch and let Treecko fall onto the rug. The Grass-type scowled at Koffing, his back against the carpet.
"…What were you two doing?" I questioned. The two began to rapidly…"talk" to me, and I'm guessing they were talking trash about the other, or were coming up with excuses, or…some third thing.
"Good morning Aev!" Melia greeted, opening the bathroom door in her usual clothes, brushing her hair in front of the bathroom mirror.
"Morning…Do you know what my Pokemon were doing?"
"Koffing was trying to take berries from your pouch and Treecko tried to stop him or her." Koffing's jaw dropped in response, and Treecko had a smug grin on his face from her reply. I groaned and stared at the Poison-Type, who stayed still in the air. I sighed, and pulled out the Poison-Type's Pokeball.
"Return." Melia giggled lightly at that, and resumed to brush her hair in the bathroom mirror.
…
AevisDon'tYouDareThinkAboutItAevisDon'tYouDareThinkAboutItAevisDon'tYouDareThinkAboutItAevisDon'tYouDareThinkAboutItAevisDon'tYouDareThinkAboutItAevisDon'tYouDareThinkAboutIt-
I slapped myself on my reddened face, somewhat painfully, to…clean the thoughts inside my head…Treecko raised an eyebrow at me for that. Melia eventually walked out of the bathroom, fixing a red bow on her hair, for a bit longer than she should.
"Alright, Aev, you should go take a shower, The Laboratory should be serving breakfast soon, best not be late." She reminded.
"I don't have any other clothes."
"I know. I made dad buy you some while you were still asleep."
…
"What?" I said, dumbfounded at the response. Melia smiled lightly, before pulling out a green and black backpack, with multiple layers of clothing inside, all neatly folded up.
"I've seen your type of clothing around here before, so I asked dad to go and buy you. I didn't really know if you had any preferences, so I just bought clothes that seemed the most identical to what you're wearing right now. Had to guess sizes to, so…sorry if you don't like it…" She drawled out the last part.
…
"This is too much…" I barely whispered out. Melia seemed to beam at that.
"It's alright! Having the Professor as your dad comes with perks, you know! I've got a pretty good allowance every week, and besides, Dad agreed to it too! So wipe that kicked Growlithe look off your face!" She encouraged enthusiastically.
"…You're…amazing…" I thanked, trying to ignore the blood rushing to my cheeks again. Melia giggled.
"You're welcome! You should really go take a shower now though, you're starting to stink." She joked, pinching her nose and walking out of the room.
I sighed to myself, a smile on my face. I glanced at my Starter…who had some sort of weird look on his face, like he knew something I didn't…I decided not to question it and just took a shower.
-LINE-BREAK-
I exited Melia's room, Treecko sat on my shoulder, the Grass-type hugging one knee. I carried both the Backpack and my Messenger bag, moving an item or two for convenience. The clothes weren't exactly the same as my old ones, but it was usually just a zipper or two misplaced, or a color or two a bit brighter or darker than it should have been. I didn't mind much, since it was just clothes.
I entered the lobby, and spotted Melia among the multiple sets of tables and chairs. I went over and sat down on the opposite side of the table, a plate of pancakes on top. On the ground, there were multiple bowls of Pokemon food, four taken by Melia's Pokemon…which were all shiny too…
"…Do you have a Pokemon that's not shiny?" I sweatdropped, glancing at her team.
"No, not really." She replied mareepishly. "You should let your Pokemon eat, all of this is free of charge for trainers." She explained. I nodded, and let Treecko leap to the ground and take one of the bowls. I mentally debated with myself whether or not to let Koffing eat, for "punishment" or something…
I…couldn't really find it in myself to make him skip a meal, and released him onto the floor, eating alongside the others. Treecko notably gave me a deadpanned expression at that…I'm sorry, I'm weak, okay?
"Why do you have all Normal-types?" I questioned.
"Oh. I'm the Normal-Type Gym Leader in Grand Dream City…well, Gym Leader-to-be, anyways."
Oh…Well apparently…I'm friends with a Gym Leader, to be, anyways…Not to sound greedy, but does that come with benefits?...That sounded wrong. I shook off the thought and began to eat my pancakes.
"What do you think of my team?" Melia asked as she sliced through her pancakes. I shrugged.
"Seems like a nice bunch." She shook her head.
"I mean, in terms of battling. Are they properly balanced? I understand that Gym Leaders have to lose, but shouldn't I give my challengers a challenge? Hapi is the only one that resists Fighting-Types, although Stufful's ability counters most Fighting-Type moves already, but then again moves like Aura Sphere and Vacuum Wave still damage it greatly. My team's balanced in terms of speedy and bulky, but I think I need another speed Pokemon, or maybe one with a special ability to counter some of my weaknesses, since they mostly revolve around Physical moves, but there are still things I think I can improve on, especially movesets. I have a decent type coverage, but that's mostly for Monotyped-Pokemon, what do you think?"
…
I blinked. Once. Twice. The explanation was fairly simple to understand for me…I think…actually, no, it wasn't, and coming up with a response wasn't easy either.
"Oh. Right. Sorry, I forgot you only became a trainer yesterday." Melia said in realization, mareepishly scratching her neck, thank Arceus. "Sorry if that sounded complicated. I'm one of the Gym Leaders trainers face early-on, so I want to make a good first impression."
"…How did the others react to your questions?" I asked. She timidly scratched her shoulder.
"Well, I've been thinking about my team as a Gym Leader for a long time, they usually reacted with the typical responses of "Your team's fine, just train them in their respective roles and raise them with care." Among other things. I…admittedly may have thought up my team a bit too much." She admitted, her face a bit red. It made me feel a bit relieved to know someone like Melia still felt nervous about battling.
After several minutes of eating, we returned our Pokemon to our balls. Treecko stayed on my shoulder though, hugging a knee.
"You're done eating?" Melia asked politely. I nod. "I have to talk with my dad for a bit, do you mind waiting here?" She asked. I shook my head. She smiled, and walked back into the back of the Laboratory.
I sat down near the TV as I waited for her return. Nothing really interesting was happening-
"What had caused the S.S. Oceana to not arrive in the docks of Oceana Pier?" I immediately paid attention to the TV after that.
"We're here today, with Elite 8 Member Tesla Von Brandt, who had recently surveyed the seas in search of the lost ship."
Tesla…
SHE'S A MEMBER OF THE ELITE 8?!
…I felt a light tap on my head. I turned to see Treecko with a somewhat worried expression on his face. I'm guessing he noticed my shock from the news. Aevium had 18 gyms, and 8 Elite Members, and I apparently knew one of the most powerful trainers in Aevium at the moment. I returned my attention towards the TV.
"We thank you for coming here today, Tesla." A reporter thanked, sitting across a table from Tesla…I should probably call her Ms. Tesla from now on.
"Thank you for having me." She replied.
"What can you tell the citizens of Gearen, and Aevium as a whole about the sudden disappearance of S.S. Oceana?" The reporter questioned, the camera inching closer to the Elite 8 member.
"…I deeply apologize for being the bearer of bad news…but I…well, first and foremost, I'd like to mention that I found someone from within the seas, or rather, my Talonflame did, who had come from the said ship."
…Crap, she's talking about me.
"Really? And can you tell us who this person is?" I gulped a bit at that. Treecko's feet tapped against my shoulder, and I couldn't really tell if that was consoling or annoying.
"I'd…rather not say for now. He's not the type to speak much, and I don't want to burden him with any attention he wouldn't want." I released a sigh of relief. Thank you, so much, Ms. Tesla.
"I will say this though: S.S. Oceana is likely no more." Ms. Tesla followed up, resulting in light gasps from the others watching the TV in the center.
"When I was there, the seas were empty, save for small floating pieces of debris. I found several bodies of the dead floating around the same spot as the debris, and I believe there's a possible suspect for what happened to the ship: Team Xen." I raised an eyebrow. Team Xen? Who were they? Some sort of terrorist group? The others in the Center didn't have too much of a reaction, though faint gasps could still be heard.
"Team Xen? Haven't they been quiet for some time now?"
"It seems as though they've made their move. Among the flood of debris and dead bodies, one dead body in particular wore a black outfit, a red X etched over their torso. It's possible that they were merely at a wrong place at a wrong time, but that's rather unlikely." She explained, before directly faving the camera.
"I don't know what their intentions are, but I assure you that the League will do our best to make sure Aevium remains a peaceful region." Ms. Tesla assured. The reporter nodded, and turned back to the camera.
"Alright folks, you heard it here. S.S. Oceana attacked by Team Xen. Now, we only have a few more questions…" I tuned out the TV after that, and rested my elbows on my knees. I…wasn't really sure what to make of this.
The ship was no more, most likely sank to the bottom of the ocean, which basically confirmed…the thought that Mom was most likely dead…I…didn't know what to think. I wanted to cry right then and there, but I basically remained frozen in that position for a while, not really thinking. What should I do now? "Take Revenge?" That's unlikely, and I'd probably die in the process…Although the thought of revenge was admittedly-
"You okay?"
"GAH!" I yelped, turning to see the blonde girl beside me, chuckling.
"…Stop doing that." I muttered.
"Sorry. You seemed interested in the program, so I didn't disturb you. How come you were so interested in the ship?" She asked innocently. I gulped. How should I answer? Should I even answer at all? Would it be pitiful to answer?
"…I've met Ms. Tesla recently." I answered vaguely.
"Oh! So you're a fan of her too?" Melia beamed. I slowly shook my head, mareepishly scratching my neck.
"Not exactly…" I mumbled. Melia raised an eyebrow, and I decided to quickly change the topic.
"We should get going, the train station should be up by now." I suggested. She paused for a moment, before shrugging and nodding in agreement.
"Sure! Let's go!" I release a small sigh of relief, again. I glanced at my Starter, who seemed to have the same concerned look on his face. I ignored it, for now.
-LINE-BREAK-
"Apologies, but the train station is still going under some tests to assure safety. It should be available within the next hour. We hope you two understand." The Guard in front of the station explained. Melia drooped a bit at the news, but brushed it off.
"Thank you." She thanked before walking away.
"Well, we have around an hour to kill. Anything you want to do?" Melia asked. I shrugged in response.
"Hang out with Venam and Ren?"
"Ren sent me a text earlier and said he'd be doing something for Professor Jenner, I'll try asking Venam though." Melia replied, pulling out her CyberNav and beginning to text her.
I peered over her shoulder, which might have been a bit…rude, but Melia didn't seem to pay attention to me. She typed in her message…then deleted it, then typed it again…and deleted it…and typed it again…
"Um…Are you okay?" I asked, noting her multiple erasures. She blinked.
"Oh. Just want to make sure that I don't accidentally imply something." She responded, typing again. I noted that she typed with capital letters, and with all the other correct grammar things. I'm guessing she's a bit of a perfectionist? Or was she must a really good typer?
"She's scheduled to be stuck in her gym for the day." Melia sighed, closing her CyberNav...What?
"Venam's a Gym Leader too?" I asked. Melia turned to me, a slightly surprised expression on her face.
"Yeah. She runs the Poison-Type Gym here in East Gearen. I'm surprised you didn't know."
…
Greeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.
Even more of a reason to catch and train more Pokemon…Next you're telling me that Ren's a Gym Leader too. Poison-Types? That does not bode well with me, or my two Pokemon. I glanced at Treecko, who didn't really have any notable reaction, but I felt his tail twitching a bit on my back.
"I'm going to have a bad time in there." I grumbled, getting a light laugh from the girl.
"You'll do fine…Well, once you catch more Pokemon, anyways." She consoled.
"I think we should get you used to East Gearen a bit more, so is there anywhere you haven't visited yet?" She asked politely. I thought for a moment.
"…The Mansion, Library, and the Help Center" She beamed at the last one, for some reason.
"We're heading to the Help Center then!" She grabbed me by the hand and basically started to drag me there. Treecko snickered at me a bit for that.
-LINE-BREAK-
We eventually arrived to the Help Center. Taking in the bluish décor, I walked up towards the Bulletin Board, Melia followed shortly.
"Help Requests usually give out pretty good rewards, even Pokemon!" She explained. "I'd suggest doing it from up-to-down if you really want to try and do as many as you can though." She suggested. I nodded, and turned back towards the board.
The first one was…Missing Mother-
I abruptly took the paper attached to the board, and read it mentally. I shoved it into my pocket and immediately began to walk out.
"Aev? Where are you-"
"Chose a Help Request, let's go." I cut her off, before blinking. "…Sorry if I sounded rude there." I apologized, scratching my arm.
"…It's okay, Aev. What got a rise out of you, though?" Melia asked. I didn't know myself, but something tells me it should be fairly obvious to me.
"Nothing in particular, really."
-LINE-BREAK-
Not a lot really happened when we did the quest. We went to the Florist Shop, which was basically a haircut salon for people and Pokemon. We talked to the daughter, or more accurately, Melia talked to Sasha, whose mother just so happened to be the owner of the establishment. In the end though, we ended up going on a wild Golduck chase.
We ran from one building, to the next, back again, to the next, back again, and again. The three of us eventually ended up in Oceana Pier, where the sky was rainy, again.
"I just did my hair…" Melia drooped, her hair dripping wet from the rain. I chuckled a bit at her saddened expression…that sounded wrong.
"Well, we're here." Sasha stated, the three of us standing in front of a small building.
"Why here?" Melia asked.
"I had a few customers who were fine with an amateur brushing their or their Pokemon's hair. Heard some gossip about a woman hanging out in this building. Didn't really think it could he my mom until now." Sasha explained.
"How do we get in?" Melia asked again.
"Picked up a lockpicking skill or two after Mom kept forgetting where the keys to her own shop was." Sasha explained again, kneeling down and lock picking the door, easily opening it.
"Alright, let's go." The three of us walked in. I wasn't sure what to expect, although my mind somehow painted me the image of a woman tied up to a chair. Instead…we got children sat down on chairs, a woman trimming their hair.
"MOM?!" Sasha screamed, stomping towards the woman.
"Sasha? What are you doing here?"
"What am I, doing here? You've been gone for three days, three days! No note, no damn message either! Why the hell are you here?!" Sasha cut off, resulting in a somewhat regretful look on the mother's face.
"Sasha…As you know we're a branch from Grand Dream City. If the mayor found out that I've been giving out free haircuts…Well, you'll understand when you're older." She answered vaguely, which only seemed to piss her off more, which was fairly understandable.
"When I'm older?! You've been gone for three damn days! You left me alone to take care of the shop! You even your Lily alone in there!" Sasha exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow at that, but realized it was a nickname for the Liligant there.
"Sasha, please. You'll understand some other time. Just know that I've been gone for a good reason."
…
Sasha's head dropped, her purple twin tails falling to the floor.
"So, it's such a good reason that you left your own daughter on her own for three days without even a note?" The mother noticeably flinched at that, but didn't get a chance to reply.
"It's such, a good reason, that it's perfectly fine to make the daughter worry for three days? Wondering whether or not their mom died or got kidnapped? Nearly crying themselves to sleep at night, too?" Sasha said bitterly.
"Sasha…please-"
"A reason SO important, that it involved taking care of children that you don't even know, but don't bother telling your own daughter? Are these children just…more important than me? Do you love them more than me? Do you just think that I'm not worth a two second message? I-I could've helped you, y-you know…" She sobbed, tears beginning to fall onto the ground.
"Sasha, I-" The mother reached out her hand, only to get it slapped.
"No. Shut up. Goodbye." Sasha turned heel and began to walk out.
"Your reward will be in the Help Center. Sorry for wasting your time."
…
"Apologize to her." I blurted out, turning to glare at the mother, as if it was an order. I wasn't fully conscious when I said that, but I certainly don't regret it. I don't care what the reason is, leaving a note takes two minutes, and this…person was gone for three whole days.
"…I…will." The mother barely whispered.
"Ms. Row-sa? Can you bwaid my hwair?" A toddler asked, and I couldn't help but feel hateful towards him at that moment, glaring at him. He was a toddler, yes, but they could understand the situation? Right?
"…Another time, Johnny. I need to…make amends with my daughter." She answered, beginning to walk out, like she honestly should. I grunted, and turned to Melia…who had a somewhat surprised look on her face.
"You…look mad." She noted. I blinked.
"…Guess I am." I replied somewhat bitterly, beginning to walk out myself, hands in my pockets. Treecko's expression remained neutral.
I walked out of the building, Melia following behind me. I released a deep sigh, the rain still pouring down as hard as ever.
"Well…that went…worse than I expected." Melia admitted, head tilting towards the ground.
"Agreed." I sighed. Treecko let out a short cry, that I'm guessing was also agreeing.
"Well, this only means that the next will be better, right?" Melia tried to stay optimistic, beginning to walk towards the gate. I rolled my eyes. I appreciated her attitude, but I highly doubt it-
I hastily jumped back as a burning stream of fire incinerated the concrete floor where I was standing a moment ago.
"What was that?!" I exclaimed, Melia rushing to my side. Treecko cried out loud, pointing its hand towards a trio of Fire-types, one large one and two smaller ones, which I admittedly did not recognize. I pulled out my Pokedex and scanned them.
Pyroar: The Royal Pokemon
The male with the largest mane of fire is the leader of the pride.
Moveset: ?
Ability: ?
Gender: Male
Litleo: The Lion Cub Pokemon
They set off on their own from their pride and live by themselves to become stronger. These hot-blooded Pokémon are quick to fight.
Moveset: ?
Ability: ?
I glanced at my Pokedex, then at the trio.
Pokedex. Trio. Pokedex. Trio. Pokedex. Trio. Pokedex. Trio. Pokedex…Trio…
I slowly turned towards Melia, a look of disbelief on my face.
"...Is that Pyroar a Shiny?" I asked, noting the purple and pink mane alongside the grayish body. Melia blinked.
"…Yes."
…
The conversation didn't go much further than that as the two Litleo's unleashed a duo barrage of Ember onto us, firing a blizzard of pellets. Treecko instinctively leapt from my shoulder and fired a barrage of crescents with Razor Wind, countering the attacks.
"Thanks, Treecko." I thanked, the Grass-type nodding.
"Help would be appreciated." I said, turning towards Melia, who pulled out her Pokeball.
"Buneary!" The purple and white Shiny popped out, arms stretched out.
"I'll deal with a Litleo, and you go deal with the other Litleo. I'll let my Eevee keep the Pyroar busy until we're done with our respective Litleos." Melia assigned, pulling out another Pokeball, sending out said Pokemon. I nodded, thankful that I didn't have to deal with the Pyroar.
"Treecko! Quick Attack!" Treecko zoomed towards a Litleo, who ignited its body in response, charging at the Grass-type.
"Dodge to the side and use Acrobatics!" I ordered, since it worked well enough before. Treecko promptly stopped and slid to the side, his body blazing blue, before shortly getting cut off by a torrent of fire. I quickly turned my head towards the source of the flame, the Pyroar being the clear culprit. Eevee shortly attacked the Fire-type afterwards, only to have little to no effect.
I grunted, and sent out Koffing. "Keep Pyroar busy. Gyro Ball!" I ordered. The Poison-type spun and rocketed for the Fire-type Pokemon. I turned my attention back to my Treecko, and issued the next attack.
"Razor Wind!" Treecko's tail blazed blue and released a flurry of crescent-shaped projectiles. Litleo hoped from space to space, maneuvering around the attacks.
"Quick Attack!" I ordered, the Grass-type bolted for Litleo, colliding and knocking it back a good bit, its feet dragged across the ground. I initially thought of Absorb, but this needed to be quick or Pyroar would interrupt again.
"Keep going! Acrobatics!" Treecko darted for Litleo, its hands and feet flared blue, before unleashing a swift series of kicks and jabs at the Fire-type, finishing it off and blowing it back again. Alright. It looked damaged, so just one more move should finish it off-
My thought process was interrupted when a horribly loud howl roared from the Pyroar, reflexively making me cover up my ears, wincing a bit. Treecko was in a similar situation, although the Litleo seemed unaffected. Its body flared, charging towards Treecko.
"Dodge!" I called out, but was unheard as Treecko stood its ground, his eyes closed and ears covered. Litleo smashed into Treecko, throwing him back towards my feet. The roaring finally stopped, and Treecko started to get back up. I released a sigh of relief. Thank Arceus it was raining.
Litleo's mouth glowed orange, releasing another storm of fiery pellets, which thankfully were weakened thanks to the rain. Treecko easily fled from the pellets, circling around the Fire-type.
"Again! Quick Attack followed by Acrobatics!" I called out. Treecko swiftly dashed towards Litleo again, and the moment he made contact, instantly released a flurry of jabs and kicks once more, blowing him back again. I grinned in victory.
"Finish it with one more Quick Attack!" Treecko grinned a bit, but was suddenly coiled by a blue flame, halting the Grass-type and giving him a red hue. Again, it was the Pyroar, using Will-O-Wisp. I noted that Melia was still dealing with her Litleo, but she was…trying to catch it?
…Well it is a Normal-type, so I guess it makes sense. I turned my attention back to Treecko, who was breathing heavily.
"Razor Wind!" I ordered through gritted teeth. Treecko hesitated, before leaping and firing a barrage of projectiles, noticeably slower. Litleo smirked, and engulfed its body in flames, charging at the Grass-type, easily avoiding the attacks.
"Quick! Absorb!" Treecko sluggishly raised his hands, releasing two red streams that latched onto Litleo, absorbing its energy into Treecko, who looked slightly better, but was still on the verge of fainting. Treecko stopped its attack, and, thank Arceus, the Litleo collapsed onto the ground, fainted.
"Finally…" I mumbled. Treecko breathed in and out, resting a bit. I was surprised on how well he did against a weaker typing, even if it was raining…Wait wasn't there still-
A stream of fire suddenly blasted past me, Koffing being on the receiving end, crashing down onto the concrete floor.
"Huh?" I said in confusion as Koffing slowly hovered back up. I turned my head, and saw the Pyroar…pouncing towards me, its mouth flaming with heat.
Chomp!
…
An excruciating pain suddenly shot up in my shoulder. I felt numb and dazed, still trying to process what was happening. A burning sensation radiated through my left shoulder, following up with the sharp fangs harshly chomping on my skin.
I released an agonizing scream, and reflexively began flailing my arm around like a maniac. Lightning was roaring in through the sky and I could feel the rain became heavier as it crashed down.
Treecko let out some sort of cry, but he was too exhausted from the battle to move. I heard Melia yell something out, but I couldn't make it out over my own screaming.
In a panic I ordered Koffing, "SELF-DESTRUCT! SELF-DESTRUCT!"
That was the last thing I remembered before blacking out.
-LINE-BREAK-
…
I lazily opened my eyes, rubbing them with my right hand. I slowly sat up on…a bed. Where was I?
"Oh, good, you're awake." A voice said beside me, which was Nurse Joy.
"Where…am I?" I asked, observing my surroundings, looking to be an ordinary hospital room.
"Gearen Laboratory. Your friend brought you here and demanded for you to be treated immediately." Nurse Joy answered, before smiling a bit.
"It's good to see you're making friends despite your quiet nature." So this was the same Nurse Joy yesterday? How do those work? How do they even get paid? Why do they all look the same?...I'm going to accept that I'll probably never know the answer to any of those questions.
"What happened?" I inquired, head tilted. I tried to stand up, supporting myself with my left arm, but a sharp pain stabbed my shoulder, tumbling me back.
"Take it easy! It's not easy recovering from a Pyroar's Fire Fang. Especially if you're human! You're lucky that you weren't bit for long, otherwise you could've broken a bone or two, and the rain helped null some of the burn damage." Nurse Joy explained. I slowly glanced towards my shoulder, my jacket's shoulder having a hole torn in it. I could see some white bandages on my arm under my jacket. I slowly positioned my left hand into my jacket's pocket, as if slinging my hand there.
Right, I blacked out…from a Wild Pokemon battle…
…Arceus I'm pathetic. I blacked out from a damn Wild Pokemon…In the city no less…I really need to get better at directions, and training my-
"Where's my Pokemon?" I blurted out.
"Your friend said that your Pokemon were injured, so I decided to heal them up for you. Hope you don't mind." I sighed in relief.
"Thank you…How's my shoulder?" I asked, glancing at said body part.
"Well, other than the burn mark and the bleeding, you should be relatively fine. It's not serious enough to need a cast around your arm if that's what you're asking. I'd suggest not using your left arm for the next day or two though." She advised, smiling. I nodded in thanks, and decided to ask about my Pokemon's condition.
"How's Koffing after his Self-Destruct?" I asked. I know that I made him use it yesterday, but I was worried that it might have had some sort of effect on him. Nurse Joy rose an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? There wasn't anything about his condition showing that he could have used Self-Destruct."
What? So…did Koffing not use Self-Destruct? I was in a panic when I said that, but Koffing should have understood it, right? He was right next…to…me…
…Oh.
"…How's Treecko?" I asked. I could wonder on how Pyroar got off my shoulder if he didn't Self-Destruct later.
"We administered a quick restore on him, to heal him and cure his burnt condition." She answered. I sighed in relief.
"Although," she followed up. "I suggest having a nice talk with him, though." She advised, making me raise an eyebrow.
"Treecko was your starter, correct?" She inquired, to which I nodded, slightly confused. "You'll find out for yourself once you talk time him." I raised an eyebrow. Did Treecko blame me for failing him? I mean, he nearly fainted against a Litleo and I blacked out against a Wild Pokemon. He's probably…I don't know…
"Would you like to see your Pokemon?" She offered. I somewhat reluctantly nodded in response. She walked out of the room, and a moment later, she walked back in with two minimized Pokeballs.
"Here you go!" She said, handing me the Pokeballs. I nodded in thanks, and silently glanced at them.
...
"…Can I talk to them…privately?" I asked timidly. A part of me thought it was…weird to want to talk to me Pokemon alone. Since I'm a trainer though, it's basically part of my duty to do so. She smiled, and walked out of the room.
…
I hesitated for a moment, before sending them both out onto the floor. The two observed their location for a moment, before turning towards me. Koffing seemed…normal, but there was a bit of worry present on his face, and Treecko sneered, and turned away.
"Koffing Koff!" Koffing broke the silence, glancing towards my shoulder, noting the jacket's tear and the bandages under it.
"…It's fine. It'll heal in a day or two." I waved off. Koffing seemed slightly relieved from this.
"You did a good job holding off Pyroar…sorry that I made you fight it without me in the first place though." I apologized, scratching my neck with my right hand. Koffing seemed to be dismissive of it, shaking his head/body.
"…Why didn't you use Self-Destruct?" I asked. He recoiled slightly from the question, but sighed, gesturing towards the bed, and turned upside down, as if playing dead. It took me a few moments to understand what that meant.
"…You thought it would…" I drawled, silently sliding a finger across my throat, to which the Poison-type nodded.
"Koffing Koff!-" He then proceeded to repeat his name a multitude of times, drawling out each time. I tilted my head, and he could tell that I was confused. He sighed. I really wish I could talk Pokemon. He glanced towards the Grass-type in the room. Instead of looking…annoyed, he looked sympathetic…
Koffing let out a minute cry, directed towards me. He gestured towards Treecko, a sympathetic look still on his face.
"...Return for now, thanks Koffing." I smiled, returning the Poison-type. I silently glanced towards my Starter, who had his arms crossed and faced away.
…
"…I'm sorry that I failed you as a trainer." It was the first thing that came to mind. I mean, it's my starter and I made him lose, so-
"Treecko! Treecko! Treecko!" He suddenly blurted out, now facing me with his arms stretched out. I was expecting a look of anger ons his face, but instead there was…regret?
…
"…You're...not mad at me..?" I asked, to which he furiously shook his head. At this point, I was really confused.
"…But, you're mad at someone, right?" I asked again. Treecko hesitated for a moment, before nodding.
"Who?" Treecko spoke his cry several times, which only made me even more confused. He eventually realized that I couldn't understand him, and raised a hand, before pointing it…towards himself.
"…You're mad at yourself..?" I drawled in disbelief, to which he nodded.
"Why?" Treecko looked away for a moment, shame on his face.
"…Do you blame yourself for what happened to me?" I barely whispered. Treecko slowly turned his head towards me, and hesitantly nodded.
...He…blamed himself….Of course. He's my starter…Whatever knocked out that Pyroar, whether it was one of Melia's Pokemon or something else, it wasn't him. He wasn't the one to save me. He felt like he was responsible for saving me, as his Pokemon, and more importantly, as my Starter, and he didn't, he couldn't. He…felt helpless. Useless.
Did Koffing feel in a similar way?
…
"It's…not your fault, Treecko. Not at all." I stated with certainty. "If anything, it's mine. I could've just decided to run away, after all. If I did, I wouldn't have gotten an injured shoulder, and you two wouldn't have gotten hurt." I argued. Treecko sneered a bit at that, but it seemed mostly directed towards himself.
"…Why are you so attached to me? We've only known each other for a day." I questioned, genuinely curious. Treecko sighed, and stayed silent, and I'm guessing it knew that I wouldn't be able to understand anything he would say. Why? Why was he so attached? I really couldn't understand. Was he homeless before he was taken into the lab? Was he like me, in a way?
I sighed, knowing that I'll probably never get an answer…Doesn't mean I'll leave my starter sad like this though.
…
Damn it Aevis think of something to cheer your Starter up.
I slowly stood up, and knelt down to his level, keeping eye contact with him. I gently reached out my right hand and embraced him, which seemed to have caught him off guard.
"…It's not your fault. It's…no one's fault." I said, knowing that blaming myself will only make him blame himself more.
"Both of us are still new to this. I'm a completely new trainer, and you're not used to having a trainer…I think…So, how about we just…learn from the past?" I followed up, trying my best to avoid 'our mistakes' since that would probably imply someone at fault.
Treecko stayed frozen for a moment, before returning the hug with one arm. I sighed in relief, and released the hug, standing up.
"Come on, get on my shoulder…but not the left one." I said. The Grass-type bounced from the ground to the bed, landing on my right shoulder. I lightly patted him on the head, and walked out of the room.
I was fully aware that this didn't make Treecko (or me) feel completely better, but hey, it was a start, right?
-LINE-BREAK-
"Oh! You're done with talking to your Pokemon. How did it go?" Nurse Joy asked, standing behind a counter in the lobby. I glanced at Treecko, who glanced back. We both shrugged…and I slightly winced after that.
"Remember to be careful with your shoulder." She cautioned, to which I nodded.
"…Where's Melia?" I inquired. Nurse Joy frowned a bit at that.
"Well, she dropped you off here, told me about what happened, and left. I'm not sure myself." She shrugged. I sighed. Did she ditch me? I wouldn't be too surprised. I couldn't even take out a little Litleo.
…Although I much as I self-pity myself, Melia's already given me clothes and a place to stay. I doubt she would ditch me for something like that…right? Right?
"Oh! Speaking of Ms. Geller, Professor Jenner requests for you to be in his office." Nurse Joy remembered, to which I raised an eyebrow. Why did he want to see me?...And Melia's last name was Geller?
I nodded, and headed towards the left side. I walked through the gate, and climbed up the escalator, wondering on why he would have called me. I gave a glance towards Treecko, who shrugged. I walked into the Professor's office, the Professor sat down behind his desk.
"Ah, Aevis. Please, come in." He requested, gesturing towards a chair in front of his table. I gulped lightly, and sat down, left hand still inside my pocket. Treecko glanced around the office, and stayed cautious.
"How are you feeling?" He inquired, a friendly tone in his voice.
"…Fine. Not great, but fine." I replied. Jenner nodded.
"How well are you bonding with Treecko?"
"...He's a nice Pokemon. A bit hard on himself, though. Aren't we all though?" I replied, unintentionally saying the last part. Jenner nodded in response, clasping his hands together. A moment of silence filled the room, before the Professor sighed.
"…Let's just get to the point." He sighed. "Was the Pokemon that attacked you…a Shiny?" That seemed like a specific question, but I nodded nonetheless. He sighed again.
"I believe that you're aware of Melia's ability, yes?" He asked again. I nodded hesitantly. Was he talking about her attracting Shinies?
"…Do you blame her for getting attacked?" I raised an eyebrow, and shook my head. What kind of question was that? The Professor sighed again, but he seemed to do so in relief.
"That is good to know. Melia should be in Goldenwood Forest right now. I suggest you go after her. Quickly." Again, I raised an eyebrow, to which he sighed again.
"I know that you might be confused…but this isn't the first time Melia's…blamed herself for such an attack." What?
"You see, Melia's ability may seem amazing…although her ability not only attracts Shinies, but powerful and rare Pokemon in general. What Pokemon bit you, again? A Pyroar, was it not?" I nodded my head again.
"They are not native to this part of the region, especially in Gearen City, and are generally a rare species to encounter. I have no doubt Melia also knows that, she is the daughter of the Pokemon Professor, after all." He explained.
…Oh.
"Is that what you talked about earlier this morning…?" I asked. He nodded.
"She was feeling paranoid. She thought that something terrible would happen. I reassured her that it would be fine, and that everything would go smoothly…" He bit his lip at the last line, as if regretfully.
"After our talk, she had been rather eager to head straight to Goldenwood Forest that she forgot her briefcase…" Professor Jenner said, eyes trailing towards the briefcase beside his desk. I could observe that he was…restraining himself, as if trying to stop himself from rushing, trying to keep himself calm.
"…Why was she calm back in the sewers?" I blurted out, half-conscious when I asked that.
"Hm? You encountered a Shiny in the sewers as well?" Jenner asked, surprised, to which I nodded. "I'm guessing you were able to defeat it, correct?" He asked, to which I nodded.
"She had my briefcase that time, didn't she?" He asked, a…sad smile present on his face. Why was he sad about that?
"…Like I said, this isn't the first time. She's lost friends in the past due to situations like this. And by that, I mean they thought she was…different, not that they were killed." He cleared up quickly.
"I want you to understand that she's always eager to make new friends. Although the moment when they find out about her ability…She's exploited and used to get Shiny Pokemon. If not, they stay, but are skeptical, until at some point, they're attacked by a Pokemon in Melia's presence. They blamed her, and left, even if the Pokemon wasn't a Shiny." He said, gritting his teeth at the last line.
"It's happened to her enough times that some people would even call her a bad omen at times." He followed up, a fist clenched.
"…But perhaps that's why she was so eager to be your friend. When you encountered that Shiny Pokemon in the sewers, you had no visible reaction, did you? Or at the very least, nothing over the top, correct?" I nodded my head. "And you had not even attempted to catch it, correct?" I nodded again.
"As of the moment, Ren and Venam are her only real friends. Venam's a childhood friend and Ren's been here for a little over a year now. I suppose that when she saw you able to take on a Shiny Pokemon that she thought she had attracted, she saw an opportunity for a new friend. She has not had a new one in quite some time, after all."
...
So that's why she trusted me..? Because I didn't freak out over a palette swap?
…That's…honestly sad.
"…I'd like to head to the forest now." I stated, standing up. I slowly began to walk back, until the Professor stopped me, a hand rested on my shoulder.
"Please, bring this to her." Jenner requested, holding up the gray briefcase. I took it, nearly dropping it onto the ground. It was heavier than I thought. I turned back towards him, a sad smile on his face.
"...Why are you trusting me with so much?" I questioned in curiosity. He sighed again.
"…I understand that I'm…somewhat burdening you, given your status as a new trainer…But allow me to spoil a secret I have." He began.
"I know you're a survivor from the S.S. Oceana."
…
"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. How the hell did he figure that out?
"…I do not have many people I can trust for this task…Just know that I chose you for a specific reason."
"What do you mean by that…?" I asked, curious.
"…Let's just say that I didn't expect you to be here…And that gives me a reason to trust you." What? He trusted me because I wasn't supposed to be here? What was I supposed to be? Dead...
…
"…You already knew what happened to ship?" I realized. He hesitantly nodded. "…Why is that a reason for you to trust me…?" I drawled out. He bit his lower lip at that.
"We can talk about this another time. I believe my daughter will be needing her briefcase, after all." Jenner reminded, avoiding the topic. I sighed, and began to walk out. I felt a hand grip onto my shoulder again, making me turn my head to face the Professor.
"…Please...Promise to keep my daughter safe."
"…I promise."
-LINE-BREAK-
I headed for the station, battling a trainer or two along the way. Since I couldn't use my left hand to bring out my Pokeballs, Treecko did most of the battling, given that my right hand was occupied with Melia's briefcase. The thought of going to the Help Center crossed my mind to get the rewards, but I could do that later. Besides, I should have Melia with me. She did do most of the talking after all.
I entered the train station, and found a familiar face standing before me…
"Oh! Hello Aevis!" The Elite 8 Member greeted, a hand on her hip, and a smile on her face.
"Hello, Ms. Tesla." I greeted back. She snickered a bit.
"Ms? Don't say that, it makes me feel old." She jested. I mumbled a soft apology, which I don't think she heard. "Oh! Is that your starter?" She inquired, pointing towards the Pokemon on my shoulder.
"This is Treecko." I introduced, the Grass-type giving a nod.
"Nice to meet you Treecko!" She greeted.
"I…also caught a Koffing." I followed up. I didn't want him to be left out of the conversation.
"Oh! You've already caught a Pokemon in the wild?" She asked, a proud smile on her face, to which I nodded. She gave me a…warm embrace.
"I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed, tightening the hug, which made my shoulder sting a bit...Despite the stinging feeling though...this...felt really motherly. A mother's embrace…After a moment or two, she let go of me. A part of me somewhat wished that she wouldn't let go.
"How are you adjusting to Aevium so far?"
"…Decently well…With all due respect, I'd like to get going to Goldenwood Forest." I requested. I really should get going now. She raised an eyebrow, and her eyes slowly trailed…towards my shoulder.
"Oh my-What happened?!" She questioned, concern in her voice. I gulped a bit.
"…I got bit by a wild Pokemon." I timidly responded. "…Please don't question it for now." I requested. She hesitated for a moment, before sighing and crossing her arms.
"I understand it's only been a day, and that Aevium's more…unique than other regions, but please be more careful." Ms. Tesla advised. I nodded.
"I understand." I replied. She smiled, and her eyes trailed down to the briefcase I was holding.
"What's that?" She inquired, pointing a finger.
"…Melia's briefcase." I responded. She smiled.
"Oh! Making friends already? Good for you! With the Professor's Daughter nonetheless." She beamed, before leaning forward and playfully whispering. "She's rather attractive too, don't you think~?" I blushed heavily.
"M-mom-!"
I quickly slapped my left hand over my mouth, shoulder be damned.
"...Oh" Ms. Tesla drawled, a shocked expression on her face.
…
"Thank you." She responded simply, and I could make out a small tear in her eye…what?
"You're heading to Goldenwood Forest, right?" She asked, pretending as if the situation never happened. I nodded in response. She turned around, and raised a finger towards the guard.
"One ticket to Goldenwood Forest, please!"
…
"What?" I reacted, dumbfounded. She handed over some money to the guardsman and handed me a ticket.
"Here you go!"
…
"…Thank you…so much." I thanked, grasping the ticket in my hand.
"No problem!...And…Aevis." She said, maintaining eye contact.
"Whenever you need to talk to someone, I'm here for you, okay?"
"…Okay…Thank you."
-LINE-BREAK-
…
So…look at that. I managed to extend around ten minutes of gameplay to an entire chapter while adding some character to the characters…
Did I do a good job? Probably not.
This was probably a really risky move for me to do, considering how terrible I am at this sort of thing, but eh. I like this better than obliviously just playing through Mary Sue Melia for the first ten minutes, and expecting to care when she "dies". At least this way we're given a reason on why Melia suddenly trusts us so much, and one for Jenner too, kinda.
Just in case I'm bad at the Jenner part, it's that he's paranoid that anyone he knows could be Team Xen, given on how close they're keeping their tabs on him...I think. I mean, he has, what's basically Madame X's "Ultimate Goal" sitting right in his home, so they should be keeping tabs on him, right? Jan and Amanda are there, but one's constantly filing paperwork and the oher's usually not there at all. Aevis' a survivor from basically a Team Xen attack, so he can be sure that he's not one.
…Are those good reasons? Hell if I know. It just feels so rushed, but I kinda have to make it like that because of Rejuvenation's really fast gameplay. I mean, before you even fight the first gym you have an encounter with the evil team.
...
Yes, I know it's still trash. Me iz dumb.
I added in the Pokemon bit in because they're just as much of characters as the humans are, and this is the world of Pokemon, so might as well try to develop them, right?
Sorry for rambling. A part of me feels like I need to explain and justify things. Sorry.
Question, what are the ages of the characters? Or a general age group, anyways.
Also, should I stick to the whole "Gym Leader" uses 6 Pokemon trope? I would use it later on, although I feel as though the earlier gyms would use a number of Pokemon equal to the number the challenger has instead…To be honest I'm asking this mostly because I suck at writing fight scenes and even more so at trying to keep people entertained in a 1v1, much less a 4-6v6.
Review!
…
WanderingPenguin16: First of all, Thank you for reading this fanfic and continuously reviewing it. I know that it's not exactly the world's greatest fanfic/trash, but thanks.
I'm most likely going to add optimistic scenes if it shows a bit more of a character's relation to another. We only see Melia, Venam, and Ren under one roof ONCE, not counting the tape, so I decided to add a scene to show how much they're actually friends. Expect some more scene involving Ren and Venam btw.
Awvis will gradually open up to people, because that's how people show they're getting more and more comfortable, and all.
Yeah. That's generally my basis for Aevis, but also chalk down "Not the best Battler". I'm trying to make him lose a decent number of fights. Although honestly, it's just paranoia on trying to avoid the Gary Sue-ism.
I actually caught a Koffing and used it up until the Magma Stone arc, where I replaced it with Salazzle. I do not regret using a Weezing. At all. It's amazing. Also, Destiny Bond is going to make some of the "Should be Impossible" fights easier to write…and I actually forgot about that move, so thanks!
I don't think I did it masterfully, considering I'm just a random 14 year old who got bored and decided to do write even though I've never taken a writing class or something. I just kinda…did it. I used some of the "Poke-talk" here because it's somewhat hard to make them in a conversation if what they said is just mentioned instead of…mentioned.
…
And that's it! Only one review! I shouldn't be surprised, but whoever's reading this, thank you! You…around 10 or something people. I know this fanfic is trash, but thanks!
Also! Note: I will only use "canon" Pokemon, meaning whatever Pokemon is in that area and is catchable, or whatever event Pokemon is available is what can be used. If you can't get it at that point of the game, I'm not making up some sort of BS reason to justify why my character has a…Hydreigon or something.
Translation: Aevis is going to have an interesting (But not overpowered, actually probably the opposite) team…
Feel free to leave your criticism, tips, ideas, suggestions, Omake ideas or just thoughts on the story so far in the reviews! How did I do here? Did I do decently enough at giving them character-ness? Or was I a terrible shit-storm?
Thank you for reading, and have a great day.