Steel (Poke)Ball Run

Chapter 4 – VS STEPHEN STEEL'S PAST

His darling child bride was not his first love. However, she was much inspiration for his passions in his current life. In his former life, he had a former love. His passions, strangely enough, remain unchanged though their fuel and ignition has.

The story of Stephen Steel, the man whose mind birthed the concept of the Steel Ball Run, is as follows.

Stephen was born in Castelia City, 1840. He was the fourth child out of seven to a migrant Kantonese family. They had changed their family name from "Hagane" upon immigrating. This would be to improve their chances of success in the new world and reduce othering as Kanto was considered to be a hotbed of poverty. Stephen's family, unfortunately, contributed to that stereotype; as sick as it sounds. His father was a poor blacksmith but he loved his family very much. Whilst they were in poverty in terms of wealth, they were rich in bonds and closeness. Nevertheless, Stephen would one day grow estranged from his family.

When Stephen was fifteen, he caught his first Pokemon and the eye of a girl. He and her had met each other when they were chasing the same Pansage through the streets of the southern gate of Castelia City; close to Pinwheel forest. It was a silly way to meet but thanks to that Pansage, which Stephen would successfully catch and he would also fall in love with that rival of a girl he had encountered.

When they had met, she was bashful at first. She said she was glad though, that he had caught the Pansage and not her. She said if she had caught it, it would have been scolded severely and would not like being her partner as a result. She explained that it was a naughty thief who was hindering her family's business as it had realised that there were "free meals" outside of their shop. So, she was gladdened that someone like Stephen had caught it.

The young girl of his sage was the beautiful daughter of a florist. Her name was Hikari and she was also of Kantonese background. What began as friendship soon turned to something else; something romantic. The love was requited and the two began to court each other. They vowed to be together forever.

Hikari had a smile that was as gentle as moonlight. Her eyes twinkled as though they had stars in them; not to mention the inky blue-black they were. She had such gorgeous eyes. They were framed by stunningly long, dark eyelashes and pale skin. She had peachy lips; perfect for kissing, Stephen would know. The hair around her hair, a pale gold, fell in free-spirited cascades. She was a lovely young lady.

But this love was not to be. Hikari's young life was claimed in a carriage accident. In a cruel twist of fate, Hikari's life, the light of Stephen's youth, was extinguished. From this, he would fall into a deep despair. A despair so irreversible, he believed, that he vowed to never fall in love with anyone else for Hikari could only ever be his one, true love.

Thus, he joined the Unovan cavalry. Upon entering the brigade, he was gifted a gorgeous Rapidash with a skittish disposition. By age sixteen, he was already one-hundred-and-ninety centimetres tall and on the back of his mount, he could pass as a commander. Beneath the shadows of his hat, he had that stony look about him; like he could make the hard decisions in life. Whether or not he could never arose as Stephen was never sent to war or posted as an expeditionary member. In fact, for two years, he was only ever sent to Liberty Garden and it was on account of his typhoid fever: the reason he had never been officially posted anywhere.

Liberty Garden had, for the few years, been the playground of an ultra rich family. They had purchased the land in 1812 but were in the middle of arranging its new developments; they had magnificent and expensive ideas about a private lighthouse. For a handsome return, the family had permitted the government use of the land as a hospital; so long as it was protected at all times. These were uncertain times, after all. The fifth Unovan President had only just been elected and there was still much settlement to do. However, the times were not nearly as uncertain as this family feared.

For the duration of Stephen's hospice at Liberty Garden, nothing had happened. For all intents and purposes, Liberty Garden was, essentially, a deserted island. And due to the solidification of Unova as a nation, although tensions between other regions and internal areas was fierce, nothing erupted from it. So, after the two years Stephen spent on Liberty Garden with typhoid fever, he retired from the cavalry.

Between Stephen's pathetic stint as a cavalryman and the commencing of the Steel Ball Run race, there is an interesting gap of thirty-five years. There is, of course, correlation - if you would be so kind as to ponder the timeline.

1858, at age eighteen, Stephen is let out of the hospital in low spirits. His special talent is being able to swallow things and manipulate them so they fallout his nose. Using this talent, Stephen gets work at a circus and by playing up his Kantonese ancestry, he became a hit.

1859, at age nineteen, Stephen has truly become the star of the circus.

1860, at age twenty, Stephen tours across Unova with the circus.

1861, at age twenty-one, Stephen introduces more acts to the circus. He introduces shows as such "Midget Women Wrestling", "The Bug Eyed Man", and "Pignites on a Tightrope". These shows become instant hits for Stephen and their circus.

1862, at age twenty-two, Stephen is fired. His head is swollen and he's become too big for his breaches. Stephen begins to order around the other acts as though headmaster. This arrogance infuriates those around him. He gets into an irreconcilable fight with the management of the circus and is promptly fired despite the money he has brought to the circus.

Skipping ahead three years, Stephen became a heavyweight boxer at age twenty-five during the year 1865 but it's not to the only way he puts the talents he's learned from it do.

1866, at age twenty-six, Stephen accepts a companion position as a debt collector.

1867, at age twenty-seven, Stephen ignores a pre-rigged match he has been set up with as part of his boxing gig. Rather than taking the money and losing, Stephen chooses to beat his opponent senseless. For this impudence, he is punished by the gang which had rigged the match and had employed him as a debt collector. His punishment was a gunshot through his right knee.

1868, age twenty-eight, Stephen disappears. One theory is that he escaped overseas as a sailor to avoid any further hunting from the gang. He isn't seen again, at least as a confirmed sighting, until 1881; at age forty-one.

At this age, Stephen reappeared in Nimbasa City. He reported immediately to the press, to the Nimbasa Items, that he is going to leave on a journey to Alola in search of living fossil Pokemon. The idea, no undoubtedly, sparked by the scientific race across the regions on who could complete the first fossil restoration device. Of course, being the eccentric he was, Stephen was determined to believe somewhere, in some ancient plain of Poni Canyon or den inside of Lush Jungle, fossil Pokemon lived as alive as any other.

Stephen was unsuccessful in this endeavour and has sunk two years of his life and funds into this absurd expedition.

1883, at age forty-three, Stephen dubbed himself as a "promoter". Every story he sensationalised became a hit. Everything from "Searching for a Red Gyarados" to "Capturing an Abomasnow in a Blizzard" to "Looking for a Twenty-Metre Long Empoleon" as well as "The Newlyweds in a Haunted Mansion: a Documentary". All of these news titles and more. Everything Stephen sells, becomes a sensation and an utter hit. He has a natural propensity for it.

1886, at age forty-six, Stephen has made more than enough in his fortune to do what his poor family could only dream of in their sleep: he bought a mansion in Undella Town and hired eight servants to staff it. From thereon, the reality and illusion of wealth inspired Stephen to take up new hobbies. He began collecting art pieces from only the most famous artistic folk. He also applies for a place in Lacunosa Town University but is denied.

But one day, in his name, someone tried to spin a story about sparkling aliens that had crash landed in Unova. In reality, the creature this man tried to fool people with was a shaved and abused Pansage. Though Stephen had no connection to this story, he was labelled a fraud regardless. He was soon treated as a petty scammer because of the scandal.

He had these wonderfully, imaginative ideas about proper stories and fictions but after that false connection between him and the alien scam, no one wanted to listen to him anymore. Slowly, his business went under. He was forced to sell his mansion and sack his servants.

Stephen began to return to the despair that had plagued his youth in the wake of his beloved Hikari's death but he refused to bow to the weight of such depression. He thought about the cavalry and all his journeys: the journeys that had brought him to where he was today; where he had been before the scandal. He thought about his partner Pokemon; getting on in years now, beginning to succumb to their own mortalities.

The image of a Trainer on a mount meant a lot to Stephen. That image of a cavalryman had delivered him from his adolescence to his adulthood. It gave him an idea. A great idea; especially since there were four intense words inked across every newspaper and inside the mouths of every gossiper on the street.

Unova wanted a Champion.

A Trainer to unify a dividing region and a Trainer to embrace the seamless merging of regions abroad.

And so, Stephen Steel came up with a marvellous idea. He should organise an enormous obstacle race. From this race, that Trainer - that Champion - would emerge from the adversity and prove their strength.

But his reliability was at an all time low. He was but a mere, bumbling drunk fool on the streets. He wore shoes wherein his toes hung out over the rubbery grip. He wore holey coats and smashed glasses. He had no respectability whatsoever.

Not having eaten in days with a syrup brown bottle of spilt liquor by his feet, Stephen hung his head. His dreams would just be that: dreams. Beautiful, bizarre, ephemeral dreams that didn't correlate to reality. He sat on a dingy kerb of a city street. He mumbled to himself.

'A dream I have, a dream I have, buggrit… I want a huuuuge race… an, um, uh, obstacle race! Trainers from across the land… no! The world! Make Unova proud… make ya Mamas proud, dammit!'

Next to him, sat a young girl. She had bright, curious eyes. His strange ideas caught her attention. She was soon enamoured by these slurred ideas and words even though they came from an old and drooling drunkard of a man.

'If you're going to plan a race,' she said, a touch uppity as she was ignorant to Stephen's story and most of the workings of the real world, 'it should definitely take place from across Unova. The winnings should be huuuge too. At least 50, 000, 000, 000 PokeYen! Real dreams should be that big!'

Stephen looked up. He faintly saw the girl who had sat next to him. Out of pity? Out of curiosity?

But, in his hazy and liquored up state, he continued to dance with his dreams as encouraged by this lass. If he looked the part of a cliff-side fool, then he would certainly act the part in his blundering stupor. He picked himself off the ground. He reeked. He grabbed onto street lamp and hung off it like in pantomime of a wondrously choreographed stage dancer. But that mimicry of cheer turned to rage before he could even playfully jab at this girl's thoughts on his dreams.

'What idiot would sponsor such a stupid proposal like that? Go away! Leave me alone!' Stephen screamed.

The girl did not so much as blink at Stephen's tantrum.

Stephen wandered off thereafter. He then returned to his favourite bar, drank too much again, and consequently got into a fight. A fight that he lost but at least not to the expense of any injuries. Just his pride. He wound up asleep behind the urinals at the bar.

The next day when he woke up, he was ushered awake by a group of men. They held their hands out to him. Their voices were fuzzy and murky. Their faces confusing in the noon light; dizzying for the terribly hungover Stephen. Though they crowded him with seemingly stern faces, Stephen could sense they meant no harm. Nevertheless, he was prepared to fight them.

'What do ya want, huh? You wanna go?' his words slurred; became empty threats despite his weakly balled fist.

'We want to hear your story… this idea of yours, about a cross-Unovan race as a means of electing a Champion. We want in.' A grin split across the face of the man talking. 'We're with the Nimbasa Items. And we know a sponsor who would be interested in such bloodsport. Hell, we're willing to sponsor such a bloodsport.'

'What?'

Stephen couldn't believe his ears. His eyes widened as he lowered his guard. He was enchanted by the business proposal. And from his old friends at Nimbasa Items no less.

Somehow, literally overnight, Stephen's story became a sensational rumour. Myth and idea became misconstrued fact. The story spread and spread and became all the more misunderstood from its origin as it continued onwards and outwards by word of mouth alone. People truly thought he was going to be putting on a huge race as a method of electing a Champion with a legitimate 50, 000, 000, 000 PokeYen prize at the end of it. And that the race would be put on in two years' time.

Through a miraculous second chance, this dream of Stephen's gained enough momentum to become a reality. It was only two years later though that Stephen remembered. He remembered the little girl who no doubt had been the one to tattle his tales to her friends and had begun the rumour that would become the Steel Ball Race.

He looked to the sky and remembered her wistfully. The girl he had met in the street who had given him the chance to make this all real, he really ought to go and thank her. Or so he thought to himself as her visage seemed to become reminiscent of the clouds. Tumultuous and ever changing. All in all, hard to remember the exact shape and form of.

So, Stephen sought her out. And when he finally found her, she was all grown up; at least compared to her when she was the girl he had met in the street that fateful day. But it was the face and body and hair that she had grown into that had shocked Stephen the most. There was to be no mistaking it. She was the exact image of his late love from when he had been a young man. She looked just like her: his Hikari.

Or at least that's how it seemed to Stephen's old and weary eyes. He truly was a dreamer through and through.

But she wasn't. There was no mistaking it either. This girl was not the one had loved all those years ago. She was different. She had a different nationality – Kalosian – and a different origin to come with it and, most importantly, a different personality and a different name.

Like a rose, a name by any other just as a sweet… Her name was Lucy Pendleton.

Upon meeting this girl a second time, he wept. There was no controlling how he bawled in front of her. He was an utter mess with tears streaming down his cheeks like a pair of rivers from his eyes. Though he wanted them to stop, though he begged them to stop, there was no stopping these tears. Stephen had not cried for thirty-four years and yet, he completely sobbed in front of this girl.

And so, before her and her father, he got down on one knee. He removed his hat and placed it over his heart. And this was how it came to be, his new fantasy.

'This may sound insane,' he lamented with a wobbly voice drenched in sincerity, but I want you to let me marry your daughter. I'm willing to wait. I'm willing to wait my whole life for her. But please, allow me to marry your daughter.'