Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
This chapter was updated/revised on May 3, 2020.
AN: This is my first Heroine 'cut scene' or scenes, rather, for those of you who were anticipating this. It focuses on one character, though others are mentioned and plays a role in the story. So please enjoy and just so you know I will strongly consider any requests, let me know via reviews.
Not Alone: Part One
When we communicate with our so-called 'battle-cries' or 'chants', it is often assumed by humans that these utterances are nothing more than a combination of simple syllables that have a very generalized message. For example, a Pikachu can only say its name or parts or combinations of that name. It is assumed by many therefore that the Pokémon language itself must be limited. After all the word 'Pikachu' can only be construed in so many different ways. They can agree or disagree, say 'yes' or 'no', and express emotion, but that is about it. The truth is that our language is as diverse as human speech. It is not just the general syllable, a 'Pi' or a 'Ka' or a "Chu", it is how it is said, the tone, the length, and the body language that accompany those exclamations. This is how we, the Pokémon, communicate.
Despite the respect I have for the Pokémon language I decided to let a loved one teach me human speech. Now my thoughts are human thoughts. When I think, my thoughts are rarely in my Meowth language. They are in human. This turned out to be a great decision for me to make because now I have a way to express myself more clearly to humans. Now I understand humans better, and they understand and respect me more.
But my life wasn't always like this. For a long time, it was different.
Kanto, November 2015
"What is that light? Ahh, it burns! How annoying!"
"Look, her eyelids fluttered," a Pansear commented. "Ooh, she looks irritated."
"I was irritated when I first hatched out of my egg. Weren't you?" a female Meowth responded. "Eyes are so sensitive at first."
"I suppose I probably was. I don't remember."
"Meowth have good memories usually. At least in my family."
"Are these my parents?"
"She is looking at us! Look!" the Pansear exclaimed.
"I can see that," my mother responded.
She reached for me. She held me in one arm and rubbed the bottom of my chin with the other. It felt so nice. I shut my eyes and purred.
"She likes that a lot. We should name her. She is special. She should be more than just another 'Meowth'. How about Maria?" my father suggested.
"Maria is my name," my mother pointed out. "But you are right. She is special and needs a special name."
"Mary?"
"No, too average, too…I don't know, not that."
"Marcia?"
"What does that even mean?"
"It just sounds nice."
"I don't like it."
"Maya?"
"Perfect."
"I think it is perfect as well, but why do you like this name more than the others?"
"Maya is a poet's name. My favorite human poet. Maya looks philosophical. I want her to be a poet too."
"Then Maya it is."
"Nyyyyy!" I cried.
"Here, we have food all ready for you," said my father, handing me a red fruit.
"Those are Tamato berries!" my mother gasped. "She can't eat those yet, what are you thinking?!"
My father shrugged. "I loved them when I was little. That I can remember."
I remember reaching for the berries. I was starved and couldn't wait. I can still picture my mother watching in horror as I swallowed the first bite. She had tried to confiscate the spicy berries, but I was too swift. I smiled as the hot fruit slipped over my tongue, down my throat, and into my stomach. Food is a warm feeling.
"Nyyyaa!" I squeaked. "More!"
XO
One day several weeks later my mom and I were out hunting. Fish were my favorite. My parents had already told me about the difference between animals and Pokémon. They taught me that animals were rarer, smaller, and weaker. They couldn't talk. We, the carnivores, ate them. I felt guilty for killing them, but my parents assured me it was natural. As a feline, I needed to eat meat in order to stay healthy. Unlike my father and my vegetarian friends, I couldn't live off plants alone.
Today we were by what had become my favorite stream, catching dragonflies and guppies for an afternoon snack.
"How are you doing over there, Maya?" my mother asked.
"I caught a few," I responded, unsure if I should be proud of my progress.
My mother was a much better hunter than I was. I just wasn't aggressive at all. Killing was hard for me to do. I was a very girly Meowth, and my mother was always urging me to 'toughen up'.
"I don't want you to get too hungry," my mother said as she observed what I had caught: one guppy and two dragonflies. "Have some of mine."
Mom had caught six guppies, ten dragonflies, three spiders, and a water beetle. She handed me almost half of her portion.
"Thank you," I mumbled sadly.
My mother gave me a sympathetic look.
"Don't be sorry," she gently requested. "You are trying, and that is all I need from you. I will be here to help you for as long as you need. You are still very young, take your time."
"Ok", I responded. I gave her a small smile, which she returned.
We finished eating and went to go find my dad. We expected him to be hanging out with his friends. Most of his friends were monkey Pokémon: Mankey, Chimchar, Aipom, and they all like to sit in the trees and eat the fruit in this one spot. We were halfway there when we heard the people and Pokémon talking and fighting. We peeked through some bushes to see what the disturbance was.
"Thunderbolt, Dedenne!" a young voice cried out.
"Deeee naa!" the small orange rat exclaimed as shocked its opponent, a Munchlax.
"Use Earthquake!" a ten-year-old boy with black hair and glasses exclaimed.
The earthquake attack was apparently too intense for the Dedenne to handle. It fainted.
"Oh no!" the girl cried as she scooped up the Pokémon. She returned it to a small yellow satchel. "Don't worry. We will find Clemont and the others and bring you to a Pokémon Center."
"Sorry Bonnie, but you wanted to battle", the boy pointed out. "Now let's go find the others."
The children departed. My mother turned to me.
"That was a Pokémon battle", she explained. "If you ever get captured by a Pokémon trainer, you will most likely be forced to battle."
"Really?" I asked anxiously. "That sounds so scary. I don't want to battle!"
"Many Pokémon spend their entire lives in the wild. Not all Pokémon get captured, but it is important to be careful."
"Okay," I replied.
The idea of possibly battling one day made me sick with anxiety.
XO
Two years later I was fishing with one of my friends, a Meowstic. We were talking about the new moves that we had taught ourselves. Then we heard the noise of someone approaching.
"Smells like a human," Meowstic commented as she sniffed the air. "Definitely."
"We gotta get out of here then! They might try to capture us!" I whispered worriedly.
"I want to be captured."
"Y-you do?" I recall being shocked. "Why?"
"Free food without having to hunt, having access to a Pokémon Center, where you can get free messages and potions that make you feel great, and you have a human who can help you learn new moves."
"The idea of having to battle frightens me."
"Most trainers don't force their Pokémon to battle."
"But I am already over two years old, and I have seen dozens of trainers. They are always battling."
"You shouldn't worry about those things."
I decided to drop the point.
Three weeks later we were out hunting again, this time a male Meowth named Tom joined us. He was a friend of Meowstic and about the same age as me. Unlike me though, he excelled at hunting. Before we got started, I told him how bad I was.
"What makes you bad? Are you clumsy?" he asked.
"Not clumsy. I have good coordination and balance, but I am not aggressive. I don't like to kill. I can only do it when I am really starving, or if I close my eyes," I explained, feeling pathetic.
"So, that must be why you asked me to come along. I can give you girls some pointers."
"I'm a much better hunter than you are," said Meowstic. "Maya isn't bad at hunting because she is a girl. She is bad at hunting because it isn't her thing. Eventually, she will get over it."
Meowstic scratched Tom across his face. He hissed at her, and I couldn't help but giggle. Meowstic was four years older than me. She was a tough battle girl and I admired her. I always wanted to impress her, but she saw me more like a little sister than anything I was hoping for.
Hours passed and I managed to catch a spider, a small mouse, and a hummingbird. Tom had caught two rabbits, a dozen water beetles, five guppies, and a garter snake. Meowstic got one rabbit and three spiders.
"Looks like I won this round!" Tom bragged as we all sat down to eat.
"I only took what I needed," Meowstic retorted. "You should do the same. You can't eat all that, and you don't even have a bag to carry any of it back to your family."
Tom stuck his tongue out at her and began to eat. I ignored them and started to eat my small portion. Naturally, I was the first one done, and still hungry.
"Give Maya some of yours," Meowstic demanded. "You have too much anyway."
"Sure I'll share", said Tom. He handed me the smaller of the two rabbits he caught. "But you owe me."
"No, she doesn't you creep," Meowstic shrieked.
She threw a bone at his head, which he just barely dodged. They kept arguing while I humbly finished my loan.
It wasn't until later that I realized why Meowstic had flipped out on him.
The next day Meowstic and I were resting in the grass together. It was moments like this I loved the most. I had many friends, and I was close to my parents and their friends, but Meowstic was easily my favorite person.
It was a hot day, but we were happy in the shade. I closed my eyes and prepared to doze off.
"Maya! Get up!" Meowstic demanded.
I immediately sprung to my feet. Her voice was urgent and she spoke in a loud whisper.
"What?" I whispered back.
"Listen," she instructed.
I heard humans.
We ran up the nearest tree.
Seconds later, a group of four kids and one young adult entered the clearing. The kids looked to be about ten or eleven years old, and they all had backpacks and Pokedexes. I knew they must be trainers out on a Pokémon journey.
"My Poke-nav says there is a Meowstic around here!" a girl squealed. "They are really rare in Kanto. They aren't from around here at all! I want it!"
"I already have four psychic Pokémon, I don't need another. I want the Pansear. They are also super rare in Kanto, and I need a fire-type," one of her male companions commented.
"Oh no! My dad and my best friend!" I thought. "But what can I do? I'm not aggressive or strong enough to fight them, and these humans won't understand me if I try to speak."
Meowstic sensed my turmoil. She decided to communicate with me telepathically, which is something she had recently taught herself to do.
"It's going to be okay," she said. "Being captured isn't all that bad. We will stay up here. But if they see us and capture us, don't be sad. We will be okay."
I remember wishing I could be as cool as Meowstic. She was a rare Pokémon, and she was at a higher level than me. What if they took her and left me behind? I was just an average Meowth and a rather weak one at that. And then there were my parents. I never got to say goodbye to them. I started to cry aloud.
"I see them!" a boy exclaimed. He pointed to us. The other kids ran to the tree we were sitting in and looked up.
"Oh no! I gave us away by crying!" I lamented.
"It's going to be okay," Meowstic whispered. "They still have to battle us. I am not letting just any trainer take me away".
"I got the Meowstic", a girl with dark black hair told her friends. "Go Gastly!"
The Gastly floated towards us. I jumped out of the tree, but Meowstic stayed and fought the Gastly.
"I got the Meowth!" said one of the boys.
It was a different kid than the one who said he wanted the Pansear. I wondered how many humans were watching us.
He released a Wartortle. I opened my mouth to speak but I was shot with a powerful blast of water. I was thrown against a tree and the wind was knocked out of me.
"That's enough. She looks weak, toss the Pokeball and see if she stays inside," the eldest human advised.
"No!" I cried.
I leaped out of the way just in time to dodge the red and white sphere.
"Try again! I captured the Meowstic!" I heard a girl say.
I barely had time to register what was being said (at this point in my life, I could understand human speech, but it sometimes was harder). The next thing I knew I was surrounded by darkness. I could still hear voices.
"She's in! I got a Meowth!" the boy cheered.
An odd sensation came over me. I felt extremely peaceful. The darkness faded and I could see that I was in a rounded room. It was big enough for me to move around, but still rather small. The ground was soft, like a pillow. And it was cooler and more comfortable than the outdoors on this hot summer day. Then I heard an odd noise and I was released. Meowstic and all the kids were in front of me, but the drama was gone.
"I want to stay with them," Meowstic said firmly.
I was surprised. First of all, I was confused. I figured once captured I didn't have much of a choice. Second, I didn't think she would make a decision that easily. Then I remembered how she told me that she wouldn't mind having a trainer.
"I want to stay too," I decided aloud. "But my parents, I never got to say goodbye. They are going to be worried."
"I wonder what they are saying", the boy who captured me commented. "Are you okay? You seem sad."
"I want you to find the Pansear," I told him in my Meowth language.
"Umm okay," he responded. "You aren't running away. Does that mean you are all good to go?"
I nodded my head. After all, the kid who said they wanted the Pansear was gone. I knew my dad usually liked to nap this time of day too, and he wasn't far from here. He was probably going to be captured too. I reluctantly returned to my Pokéball.
The next time I was released it felt like only a few minutes had passed, but I learned later on it had been days. I was oddly not hungry, despite not having eaten. It must have something to do with the mysterious Pokéball. I decided I like it. I didn't have to hunt anymore.
When I finally was released, Meowstic and a bunch of other Pokémon (including the Wartortle who attacked me) were sitting with the humans and having a picnic.
"Join us, Meowth," the boy who captured me, my trainer, suggested. "We have some Pokéchow for you."
"It's delicious," Meowstic assured me.
I sat beside her. The humans continued their conversation while I started my own.
"I am sorry for attacking you," said Wartortle told me. "It is my responsibility to battle any Pokémon that my master comes across and wants to add to his team. I hope you can forgive me".
"Sure, I forgive you," I responded.
I had no idea where I was or what was happening, and so I knew now was not the time to start holding grudges with my traveling companions.
I steadily started on some food. It wasn't that bad.
"Maya is a very sweet girl," Meowstic told the others. "How are you doing?"
"Have you seen my family? Any of our friends? Were you inside that ball too?" I asked.
"First, we are now part of their team. My trainer's name is Eliza. She is ten years old. Her goal is to do Pokémon Contests. I can explain those later. Second, I saw your parents. I told them you were captured. They were not, but they told me to tell you they love you. They want you to be happy, and to follow your heart. They know you are probably scared, and I told them that I would help you."
"Thank you for that."
"I was glad I got the chance," Meowstic replied. "Your trainer's name is Scott. He's also ten. He plans on competing at the Indigo Plateau this March. You have been in that Pokeball for three days. Scott has been catching many new Pokémon lately. My trainer happens to like to leave her Pokémon out of their balls, which is why I understand what is going on more than you do."
"I can hear when I am inside there, but I lose track of time. I had no idea until days had passed."
"That happens," a Fearrow—one of my new family members—said. "I was Scott's second Pokémon, the first one he ever official captured, as his first one was just given to him. I stay in my ball a lot, but I have come to like it."
"Fearrow is an old guy," said a Metapod. "He is seventy-five. I'm fifteen. How old are you?"
"I don't know for sure, but about three years," I replied. "I don't keep track much."
"You are just a baby. No wonder you are so confused and wondering about your parents," a Nidoking commented. "I haven't seen any of my relatives in over thirty years."
The panic I felt must have shown on my face because everyone reacted.
"Don't worry," said a Magmar. "That is just how the world is. We leave our parents and eventually find new friends. They become like family to us."
"But I don't want another family! I want my old one!" I exclaimed. "No offense."
"None taken. Look, I have laid three eggs. I never saw one of them hatch," said the Magmar.
"And I was with my siblings for five years before we were all separated one day. I wasn't even evolved yet," said the Metapod. "I haven't seen or heard from them since. As far as parents go, I have no idea."
"Maya you were lucky to have known your parents at all. You will grow up and move on," said Nidoking. "It's not a big deal."
"Everything's going to be okay," said Meowstic. "I'm here for now. One day you may come out of your Pokéball and find that I am gone, but we cannot spend all of our time worrying about losing the people we love. We have to focus on the present and what we have now."
"I don't understand. How can you make friends so easily and then just let them go?" I asked tearfully. "And why don't families ever stay together?"
"Don't cry," said a Nidorina. She hugged me gently. "We will be good friends to you for as long as we can."
"And friendship is about the experience, Maya," a Tangela added. "So even if we go away, it doesn't mean we will forget about you. You will always have friends, even if you can't always see them, and if you are kind and genuine, you will always make new ones."
Unfortunately, my experience with this welcoming crowd didn't last long. I spent most of my time in my Pokéball and only came out a few times a week, usually only for an hour or two at a time. I was grateful that my trainer didn't force me to battle, but that turned out to be not such a great thing after all. One day when Scott released me. We were in a busy building. None of our companions were with us.
"So Meowth, you are a cool Pokémon, and it's not that I don't like you, but I really, really, want to go to the Indigo Plateau and win," he sais.
"Okay…" I replied, confused.
"This is a place where people come to trade Pokémon. I found someone really enjoys training Pokémon with no experience and getting them to a higher level. Anyway, he has a very impressive Jigglypuff. He wants to take you and train you so that you can get at a higher level too. We decided to make a trade. You will go with him and the Jigglypuff will come with me."
"Oh no! I want to stay with the others! Don't trade me!"
Scott obviously didn't understand my language. He returned me to my Pokéball. I desperately wished that I knew a way out. Some of the other Pokémon bragged about how they could pop out whenever they wanted, but I still had no idea how to do this. I waited pitifully, dreading the next time I was released.
AN: Please review if you can and thanks for reading:)
