Chapter 1
The First Chapter set in the Pokemon Universe! I've never written anything Pokemon related, and I've certainly not written any Pokemon battles (which I found harder than expected) so criticism is absolutely welcome.
Any thoughts on the MC is also great. Finding his personality within the world of Pokemon and how it corresponds with my characterization of Bianca & Cheren is a tightrope walk for me. Since it's only the first chapter, expect the characters to change and grow, and expect my characterizations to improve as we go along.
Note that the characters are aged up, with the main trio of the MC, Bianca & Cheren being 18. I've done this as I think, realistically, sending ten to 13-year-olds on journeys into the wilderness with giant Pokemon is wildly unsafe and irresponsible. This also gives them more schooling time and lets them be a bit more mature without it seeming odd.
Hope everyone enjoys!
(See The End For Foot Notes)
Every new beginning always comes from another beginning's end ~ Seneca The Younger
Elise White knew early on that her son was anything but normal. It wasn't immediately apparent per se, but signs soon started to trickle in within a few months after his birth. First it started off small, like holding his feeding bottle way too early as if he had already learnt to do so, or suspiciously already knowing which flavours of baby food he liked before ever even trying any of it. But that was only the beginning.
Robin started talking within 2 years. Not half jumbled phrases, but full sentences, far too advanced for his age, and sometimes with words she never taught him, as if he somehow, somewhere, remembered those them. Not long after, he was reading proficiently as well. The other moms believed Robin to simply be an extremely gifted child, but Elise knew better.
It wasn't that he was good at picking up new things per se, but more so that it almost felt as though he simply had experience with these things already. Cheren would later go on to beat Robin academically in nearly every field, both Pokemon & non-Pokemon-related, proving Elise to be correct. Cheren was the gifted child, whilst Elise swore something strange was going on with Robin.
It sounded ridiculous, but it was hard not to think something was off. Not many children have recurring dreams of people they've never met, calling out for them. Robin would even sometimes call her by a different name altogether, only for a flash of realization to come on his face and say her name correctly afterwards. Careful listening through his bedroom door confirmed that the name he'd call her would be the same name (amongst others) he'd call out for in his dreams.
In time, he'd stopped making mistakes, and the dreams subsided (though they never fully went away), & Elise just learned not to question it. Robin grew up not fully remembering these little details, and Elise had no intention of bringing them up with her now-grown son.
As for his perspective, that is a different story altogether. Robin had grown up with enough innocence to look past these details. After all, didn't everyone often have extreme feelings of deja-vu twice a day in their formative years? Recurring dreams were simply normal to him, and he assumed everyone had them when they were a child, so he never felt odd about it.
It was only once he had gotten past his 10th birthday that things started falling into place. Whilst the dreams became less frequent, his conscious memories during the waking day didn't, and now he was of an age to start questioning things. By his 12th birthday, Robin could remember around roughly half of his past life, give or take. It was blurry, and tidbits of information came and went, slipping through his fingers like the wind, taunting him, but he knew it was real.
The weight of this realisation had hit him hard. The next few years of his life were rough, characterized by a deep existential dread and loneliness he couldn't share with anyone. What were the names of his old friends? What did he like to do in his old life? Are these thoughts even real, or is he just going insane? Who even is his real family anymore?
It was only at 16 years old that his deep sadness began to leave him. The memories started fading as well, and he had time to process as well as make peace with reality. Sure, he may have had a past life, but he had spent 16 years at this point growing up in this world, in the world of Pokemon, and that counted for something. He was as much Elise's son as he was his previous mother's (whose name he had forgotten by this point, something that will forever gnaw at him deep inside).
With what fragments of his old life he could remember, he realized that this world was nearly a 1 to 1 parallel to the video games he played as a child. Actually experiencing it as real…..well, it was a dream come true, even if he hadn't wanted it this way. Yet it was also different for him now, as he had grown up in this world with it being standard, and he isn't who he was in his old life, not really anyways. He's still Elise White's son, Robin White, he can just…..remember who he once was (and not even that well, anyways).
It's not like he needed to remember all about his past life. That desire was strong in his early teen years, but it has begun to die down as of late. Life in Nuvema town was quite good, with its cool breeze coming in from the ocean to the south, and the singing Unovan winds passing through the trees that surrounded the outskirts of town and taking flocks of Pidoves with it.
Children were plentiful as well as domesticated Pokemon, and it was definitely more of a residential, child-rearing town. Robin could never regret his time here, going to school, playing with the other children, and exploring the wilderness (supervised, of course), it all culminated into making Robin who he is.
Cheren & Bianca alone made him glad to say he was born in Nuvema Town. The three of them formed a pair like no other, practically glued to the hip as children, and the trio stuck together all the way through their schooling. The three of them completed each other, and they almost formed a sort of deadlock, with the three of them complimenting each other and clashing equally in different, unique ways.
Cheren was and is the academic of the group. Prim & proper, always a step ahead as well as immensely studious. He has a one-track mind and a bit of an ego, though Robin never held that against him, primarily because Cheren more than justifies it. Stoic yet kind, Cheren is, and always has been, the principle-oriented one of the group. Acing nearly every subject in school, Cheren is who everyone in Nuvema town expects to become the next great Pokemon trainer of the town.
Bianca, by contrast, is sweet & cheerful, though Cheren would say she's equally naive and irresponsible. Bianca is also quite clumsy (Robin remembers how often she'd accidentally knock him & Cheren in her backyard pool on accident) and a tad forgetful, but she's strong-willed and caring beyond belief.
In many ways, Robin is the binding force between the two, a middle ground between Cheren & Bianca. He can be serious when he needs to, but also playful as well. He's a little forgetful like Bianca, but also a little ambitious like Cheren. One thing he absolutely has never been, however, is a morning person, something Cheren is always being reminded of, including right now.
"Come on Robin, really? Today of all days!? You're ridiculous, of all the days to sleep in!"
Robin heard Cheren's muffled voice beyond his door, and yawned before looking over at his Musharna-themed alarm clock. "Just five more minutes…" he responds lazily. He can practically hear Cheren's disappointment through the door.
"Absolutely not, you've had long enough," Cheren responds. Robin stretches across the bed like a purloin before responding. "But it's only 8:30!" He calls out as he begins to wake up (against his will, might he add).
"And I'll remind you that we were supposed to meet up as a trio an hour ago.." Cheren calls back. Robin playfully tsks in response. "Come on, you know I'm not a morning person. Really, you should come to expect this by now. Also, you were the one who wanted to meet at 7:30, we don't even need to meet Professor Juniper until 11:00, remember? Besides, I'd be willing to bet my entire life's savings that Bianca isn't even here, so why do you have to torment me first?"
"Bianca's tardiness aside, you can at least start to do better!" Cheren responds whilst shaking his head. Robin simply sighs in response as he gets out of bed, pulling away from his comfy Pokeball-themed blanket.
"Alright alright, I'll be out of my house in ten minutes, just let me freshen up." Robin concedes. Cheren didn't respond, but Robin could hear his footfalls descend down the stairs, so that seems to have worked well. With great speed, he brushes his teeth, washes his face, gets dressed, and heads downstairs, passing by his family's mirror as he does so.
His wavy, chestnut hair was partially poking out from his Pokemon baseball cap, framing his face nicely. It came down to around the midsections of his face, and he liked how it accentuated his features. Of course, he had on his usual black cargo pants, red sneakers, and blue jacket with a black tote bag slung across his body.
Standing at 178 cm or 5 feet 10 inches (The Kantonians just refuse to get with the program regarding measurements), Robin liked his overall look. His brown eyes and hair paired nicely, and he had a good mix of feminine and masculine features, more of a youthful pretty boy look than a rugged one (although apparently, his Father leaned towards the rugged end of the spectrum according to the pictures he still had of him). His clothes all complimented each other, both colour-wise and style-wise, creating a sleek, travel-ready outfit that clearly took some fashion sense to pull off. Bianca would be proud (1).
He filled his Mom in, who wasn't particularly surprised or fazed by Cheren's entrance into the house, or her son's tendency to sleep in, and she made him promise to head right back home to show her his new Pokemon.
Because that was what today is, isn't it? The day he'd finally get his very first Pokemon. The moment he turned 18 and got his trainer's license, he knew this day was fast approaching. If Robin was being honest, he didn't really know exactly what he wanted to do once getting a Pokemon beyond simply exploring, but that in and of itself sounded sufficient.
Nuvema town had been amazing, but there was just so much out there to explore, so much out there to see. He wanted to experience it all, to push himself and to grow. Above all else, he wanted to end his journey a different person than how he started it, and hopefully alongside a companion of Pokemon too.
Robin left his house and found Cheren in his backyard leaning on the fence. As always, Cheren was dressed in more formal attire, with a white button-up and black dress pants. He had on a light blue jacket over the button-up, and a red tie (it seems they both went for a blue & red contrast, how interesting).
Cheren had his usual sleek red glasses, and his jet-black hair matched his pants. All in all, the outfit really told you all you needed to know about Cheren. Formal, studious, proper, it was all displayed on his clothes.
Letting out a playfully exaggerated (fake) yawn before stretching out to the sky, Robin approached his childhood friend.
"Well it seems I was right about one thing, Bianca isn't here" he said with a coy smirk. Cheren simply rolls his eyes in response. "As if you're any better."
Robin huffs in response. "Now that's just not true!" he said with mock pain. "I may be slow to wake up, but I'm usually not late to the actual events. I did have one of the lower scores for school late arrivals, remember? Bianca gets up earlier than me, but she's the one who actually shows up late."
"Not today she won't, I'm sure of it." Cheren counters. An arched eyebrow from Robin prompted him to explain further. "You know how anxious she can get sometimes. You're excited, I can tell, but you're not anxious. I highly doubt Bianca, the bundle of nerves that she'll inevitably be, will be able to contain herself from bursting out of her house. She'll be on time."
Robin meets Cheren's gaze and gives a challenging look, smiling to himself. The two of them have always had a sort of rivalry going on, and although Cheren usually managed to beat him in traditional subjects, Robin never took his losses to heart like Cheren would, and he usually found other ways to hold a few wins over Cheren's head.
"Care to place a bet on it?" Robin says devilishly. Cheren's eyes narrowed as he responds.
"Go on." He says slowly. Robin's eyes light up faintly. "Now I've got him," he thinks to himself. Cheren just couldn't help himself, no matter what it was, saying no to a challenge from Robin would just eat him up inside.
"I bet you that Bianca will be, as usual, late to our meeting with Professor Juniper, and if I'm right about that, then you have to agree to battle me whenever I ask, with no exceptions unless I grant them."
"And how long does this bet bind me?" Cheren asks slowly. Robin smiles even wider. "Until the day we die of course! Why, are you not as confident in your predictions as I thought?"
Cheren simply audibly sighs in response. "I know you're trying to goad me into this.."
"Aaaand?" Robin prompts further with a knowing look.
"...And it's working," Cheren admits, giving in and letting out the first smile since Robin has seen him today. "But!" Cheren continues, "I'm only agreeing because I know I'll win. Nobody knows Bianca as I do, and I've always been the analytical one of the group. I know she'll come through. Besides, when I win this bet, you'll have to wake up at 7 in the morning every day for the rest of your life."
Robin's smug facade fell right off his face. "What? Not as confident in your predictions as I thought?" Cheren says smugly.
"Not at all," Robin responds as he recovers, inwardly panicking. "But how will you verify that I actually stick to it?"
"I know you will," Cheren responds simply. "You're a lot of things, but you wouldn't break a promise to me. You've never done that, even when we were kids, and I doubt you'll start now."
Robin groans inwardly, because Arceus take him, he's right. If he loses, he knows cheating Cheren out of his victory would make him feel way too guilty. Still, he doesn't think he'll lose, and beating Cheren is just too delicious not to risk it.
"Alright," Robin starts with a smile, "But I hope you're ready to keep up with my battle demands for the rest of your life!"
Robin & Cheren leaned against the outside of Professor Juniper's laboratory, one of the prized buildings of his hometown. Nuvema town was great, but still a tad quaint. Their market and stores were average, and the main attraction was all of the nature surrounding the town. The school he attended (of which there were only 4) was the best one in his town, but taking into account the entire Unova region, it probably would rank about 8th (which was pretty good, now that Robin actually thought about it). Professor Juniper had grown up in Nuvema town, which is why she decided to set up her profession here, despite the potentially more lucrative options.
She often conducted fieldwork for one, which Nuvema town was great for, and her important research into the origins of Pokemon and its involvement in Unovan mythology was world-renowned, which really helped boost the visibility of the town. She's been known to go cave diving regularly, and her archeological work has unearthed some truly fascinating finds, or so Cheren has told him. Robin was more interested in the mythological side of her work, whilst Cheren only ever really cared to look into her more scientific, biology-focused work.
Thanks to her base of operations being within the town, many schoolchildren actually get the chance to talk to her, and she even lectured at Robin's school once. His mom was also a classmate of Professor Juniper back when they were children, so he's been able to speak to her a bit more than average. She actually lent him some mythology books throughout his childhood from her personal collection, which sparked his interest immensely. Robin always had a bit of a fascination with it all, of the legends surrounding Pokemon, their history, and all the stories that have been passed down from ancient times.
The subject of history & mythology was probably the only subject he actually beat Cheren in, besides Drama, his other passion. Speaking of which, perhaps Robin could enter in some contests? Originally, contests were only really a part of Hoenn & Sinnoh culture, but the widespread globalization of the past few decades has made a lot of cross-cultural influences seep in, and contests were definitely one of them (2).
Robin grew up watching contests with Bianca just as much as he'd watch the Pokemon League Tournament with Cheren. He & Bianca would binge-watch Pokemon contests for hours, and when they ran out of recordings from Unova, they'd watch old recordings from Sinnoh & Hoenn dating back to before Unova's first-ever contest. The dazzling coordination of Pokemon & trainer, the dances, the spectacle, the beauty, it was all so captivating. Contests brought out the beautiful artistic side of Pokemon that battles could never recreate.
Robin was reminded of the beauty of Pokemon right then and there when a flock of Pidoves flew up above them, circling around and playing with each other. To actually have a Pokemon companion of his own…it was something he'd been dreaming of for years now. It signified his coming-of-age, and it marked the start of his journey into true adulthood. Childish as it may be, he's grown up waiting to become an accomplished trainer of some sort, yearning to be something more than himself (or maybe, from another perspective, yearning to find who "himself" really is).
Robin had a family Riolu in the past, but it passed on due to old age when he was 11. He used to play with Riolu every day, acting out scenarios with it, playfighting, and even doing schoolwork with him. He even meditated with Riolu when he was younger, though he could never manage to sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time back then. Riolu was the one who taught him foundational concepts in his childhood, such as the importance of sharing, and it was thanks to Riolu that Robin could see the beauty and intelligence behind Pokemon. Riolu's kindness, compassion, wisdom & confidence left a mark on Robin, and he could confidently say that some of his best qualities came from aura Pokemon. Having to have the chance to have that sort of companionship again almost felt nostalgic, in a strange way.
As Robin continued to lose himself in his thoughts, the Pidoves continued to play above him & Cheren, swirling around trees and chirping with delight. The cool Autumn Breeze gently whisked over Robin's face, providing a refreshing feeling of seawater carried over from the southern portion of the town. Leaves rustled in the wind, singing a song of tranquillity that used to lull Robin to sleep when he was younger. Yes, all was truly as it should be here in Nuvema town, nature and man, Pokemon & humans, both in harmony.
All was indeed as it should be, with Nuvema town existing perfectly within the laws of nature. And it is precisely because the laws of nature never falter in Nuvema Town that Bianca is, as in accordance with said laws of nature, late as ever.
It was currently 20 minutes past the 11:00 am mark, and Robin would be more smug about it if he wasn't getting a little worried. Of course, he wouldn't let Cheren see it, because he didn't want to add to his stress, but there were some trace amounts of panic inside him, though he likely wasn't nearly as annoyed as Cheren was.
Robin wanted his Pokemon so he could begin his journey and explore the world, and although he truly loved Bianca very much, she was absolutely holding them behind starting. Besides, he would rather not leave a bad impression on Professor Juniper, who so far holds him in decent regard. Robin never had it in him to get mad at Bianca, but he did wish she'd take a bit more responsibility at times.
Just then, Cheren & Robin spotted a green beret peaking over the hill, and before long they could see Bianca, blonde hair billowing in the wind and bag bouncing as she full-on sprinted towards them, and that too in a skirt. It was almost impressive how fast she could run given her clothing. Cheren was never the athletic one, with Robin usually being the most physically superior out of the trio, but Bianca might actually be faster than him if this sprinting was any indication.
"Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!" Bianca exclaimed profusely as her running came to a halt in front of them, hands on her knees and she panted profusely. Whilst her speed was impressive, her stamina could use some work.
Wearing her signature Green beret, Bianca was dressed in orange leggings, a white skirt, an orange cardigan & yellow shoes. She definitely had the opposite vibe from what Cheren was going for, and her blond hair fluffed out around her face.
Bianca had to have the most amount of volume in hair Robin had ever seen, and considering she kept it shorter than the average girl, it served more to frame her face and shoulders behind her. Actually, considering how much it poofed outwards instead of downwards (which name always thought suited her more than whenever she straightened down as a child), her hair probably didn't appear to be too much longer than his own.
Cheren, predictably, simply sighed in disapproval. "Bianca…I've known for 18 years that you have no sense of time, but seriously, today too? Today's the day we can get a Pokemon from Professor Juniper! Robin & I could have even gotten ours sooner, since we turned 18 before you, but we all agreed to get it as a trio, so the least you could do is show up on time!" Cheren exclaimed exasperatedly.
Bianca, for her part, did look genuinely sorry. "I know I know…I'm sorry Cheren, and you too Robin..."
"Ah, don't worry about it Bianca.." Robin replied with a small sigh & a smile, trying to cheer her up. A sad Bianca was never a good Bianca, and besides, Robin was counting on her being late anyways. "I'm actually glad you showed up late Bianca. Thanks to you, Cheren just lost another bet to me," he said devilishly.
"Of course you'd be more concerned with the bet than leaving a good impression on Professor Juniper, ridiculous," Cheren scoffed, though Robin could tell this cold reaction had nothing to do with Professor Juniper and everything to do with Robin being right.
Robin smirked in response. "Don't be like that Cheren. You know, a Pokemon master is to be gracious in his defeat," Robin replied sagely. "And come on now, you knew I'd win. You've always been the more analytical one when it's come to school or things like that, but when it comes to reading & understanding people? I've always beaten you at that." (3)
Robin smiled like a fat Meowth, but Bianca wore an expression of disbelief. "Wait a second! You mean to tell me you two bet on me showing up late!?" Bianca exclaimed, eyes wide like saucers, almost as if she couldn't believe the audacity of it all. Cheren simply shrugged in response.
"And Robin, you bet on me being late? I know I'm always late, but come on. Have some faith in me..!" Bianca whined, and Robin simply smiled in response. "I did have faith you in Bianca. I had the utmost faith in you showing up late, so much so that I was willing to bet on it, and it worked." Robin teased with a small wink, prompting Bianca to whine even further.
Cheren stared at the two disapprovingly, Bianca for her childish attitude, and Robin for goading her on, but Robin knew better. Nobody else could tell, but Robin had known Cheren since they were infants, and he could see just the faintest smirk playing on Cheren's lips, clearly amused by the display in front of him.
Robin placed a hand on Bianca's shoulder and adopted what he has always referred to as his "Bianca soothing voice". He's known Bianca as long as he's known Cheren, and he was used to dealing with her peculiarities.
In his most soft yet assuring, almost parental Bianca voice, he said "Come on Bianca, we're not mad, and you know how Cheren is, he's prickly even if you do everything right. It's why I stopped trying years ago.."
Cheren merely huffed in response as he looked away. Bianca started giggling a bit as the two of them shared a look at Cheren's expense, and Robin smirked in a joking manner in response. "Now let's not keep Professor Juniper waiting any longer. I don't know about you two, but I'm ready for a Pokemon!" he exclaimed, and his two childhood friends agreed.
Walking through the door, they were greeted by some assistants of the Professor, before being hurried to the upstairs portion of her lab. Upon entering, the three of them were face-to-face with the professor herself.
"Greetings! I've been waiting for you youngsters," Professor Juniper said, and Cheren eyed Bianca at that, whilst the blonde-haired girl simply shrunk into herself a little.
"My name is Professor Juniper, but you three already know that, don't you? I specialize in researching when & how Pokemon came into existence, looking into both the biological aspect of the question, as well as the mythological aspect. Although, I suppose you should all know that as well, if you were paying attention when I lectured your class two years ago that is," Professor Juniper said with a smile.
"Y-you remember that professor?" Bianca asked, and the Professor simply nodded. "Of course! I make it a point to remember all of the children I lectured in Nuvema town. Now, I doubt I need to explain much to you three, considering you already know everything about the Pokedex."
Cheren perked up. "I believe so. The Pokedex is a veritable encyclopedia of information regarding Pokemon, including their habits, types, power, species, evolution, breeding patterns and more, no? It allows trainers to simply scan a Pokemon and have access to information gathered about the Pokemon over years and years of research before and during its invention, and its database is constantly expanding the more it's used."
"That's precisely what it is, Cheren! I should expect nothing less from you. After all, I do get access to everyone's trainer-related grades in school, including the grades of you three. All of you had rather high grades on your finals, come to think of it."
All three of them perked up. Cheren having high grades was common, but Bianca worked really hard for hers on the finals towards the end. She completely neglected math and other non-Pokemon-related subjects, but when it came time for her trainer exams, she approached studying with a level of dedication that surpassed even Cheren's.
Robin took them seriously as well, and though he lagged behind Cheren in grades, his overall average had to be at least in the top 5% of their school. The three of them all shared a look of pride with each other, smirking. Nuvema town's dynamic trio (Bianca came up with the name years ago) all passed with flying colours, and the fact that they did so as a trio made this day far sweeter.
"Considering you three are practically bouncing with excitement," she says whilst looking over at Bianca, "or trying, and failing, to contain it," she looked over at Cheren, who looked away, flustered, "Why don't I just skip the formalities?" She says as she locks eyes with Robin, who matches her eager smile with his own.
Professor Juniper was always someone he could get along with, even if he had only ever met her here and there over the years.
"That would be so great, thank you!" Bianca exclaims, before shutting her mouth & looking towards Cheren to see if she did something wrong. Professor Juniper only chuckled in response, and Robin just smirked to himself.
"Of course! Handing out new Pokemon to trainers has to be one of my favourite things to do as of late! There's only one problem though…" Professor Juniper trailed off, and all three of them looked at her worriedly.
"A problem?" Robin probed, head turning to one side in confusion.
"Yes, well, a bit of a logistics issue I'm afraid. Unfortunately, my assistants miscounted the number of Oshawatt we had in-house for the month. Because of that, I actually just sent out my last Oshawatt to a girl named Hilda from Accumula a few days ago, and only realized the miscount today, meaning we don't have an Oshawatt for you today Robin."
Oh.
"That's….that's alright I suppose," Robin said with a grimace, trying to bite back his disappointment. He did a pretty good job, but he knew Cheren could tell he was faking it. "Do you know when you could get another one?"
Professor Juniper sighed. "I can make the request to have one sent over, but Oshawatt are rather rare, it could take around a week to get it all sorted, which is far longer than I'd like. I'm sorry Robin, but there isn't too much I can do to speed it up.
"If that's the case, then I'd like to wait to receive my Pokemon as well," Cheren said immediately, resolution clear on his face. Bianca followed suit. "I agree! If Robin doesn't get his today, then nobody does."
Robin couldn't believe his ears. He knew the three of them were a trio, but to put off their first day as trainers just for him? He was touched, but he couldn't let them.
"Come on guys, there's no need for that. I can-" Robin started, but Cheren cut him off instantly. "Absolutely not. We said we'd all start on the same day, and that's that. You're not talking us into leaving you behind for our own sake, that's not happening. It's the principle of the matter."
"Exactly! We can't leave you behind Robin!" Bianca exclaimed. "You're too selfless sometimes, you know that! If we wanna stick with you, then that's our choice. Besides, you'd do the same. You have done the same before."
Now he just felt bad. Of all the feelings in the world, feeling like he was holding others back had to be amongst the worse for him. Of course, a part of him wanted them to wait for him, but he never would've expected, much less asked them to.
"If that's everyone's decision, then I can put in the request now and see what I can do about speeding it up," Professor Juniper added apologetically, and when his two friends agreed, the trio sat down whilst Professor Juniper went into a backroom. All three of them sat in silence, processing the disappointment of having their dreams dangled in front of them before being snatched away.
Robin especially was feeling terrible for having Bianca and Cheren wait on his behalf. Of course, it wasn't his fault, but he still felt bad. Before he could go down the guilt avenue any further, however, a Pokemon rushed out up the stairs and came into the room.
"Whoa, what Pokemon is that!?" Bianca asked, fumbling her bag for the Pokedex Professor Juniper handed them before she stepped out to make the request. Cheren was quicker, not even needing his Pokedex.
"It's an Eevee, Bianca. Its genetic makeup is varied and can thus evolve into many different types of Pokemon based on its environment and even its relationship with its trainer. Eevee are said to be the key to understanding the science behind Pokemon evolution, and their adaptability lets them survive in nearly any habitat, allowing them to live in abundance in every region across the world. Bianca, did you forget trainer school already?"
"W-well I haven't ever seen one in person, Cheren! Besides, did you just memorize its Pokedex entry?! Because I have its entry open now, and you basically quoted it nearly word for word! How many entries do you remember on hand like that!?"
Cheren shrugged before pushing up his glasses. "All of the Pokemon native to Unova, and a little under a fourth of the Pokemon native to other regions, why?"
Bianca exclaimed something in surprise, but Robin didn't hear it, because he was busy staring at the Pokemon, who seemed to stare right back at him. Its brown fur was beautifully kept, and its bushy tail and white fluffy fur coating its neckline only enhanced its beauty.
But Robin was drawn to the Pokemon for more than just its aesthetics.
It stared at him, really stared, and looked like it understood him somehow, as if it was truly seeing him for who he really was. He couldn't say why, but there was some real intelligence behind those cute eyes, and he could almost feel a kindred spirit (4).
He could faintly make out Bianca & Cheren bickering, something about Cheren being too stuck up after saying she should've paid more attention in school, but all of that became background noise to him.
He got up and slowly approached the Pokemon, which continued to look at him with curious eyes. He bent down and smiled at it, before offering his hand to its mouth to sniff. "Why hello there…I'm Robin, and you're an Eevee, right? Don't mind my two friends back there, they can be quite a hassle sometimes" He said with a chuckle, and Eevee looked at them his two friends behind him curiously.
"Now that's rich considering you were the hassle I had to wake up early today," Cheren said in response from across the room, eyes rolling with sarcasm.
"See! First, you criticize me, and now you've moved onto Robin too!" Bianca exclaimed.
"But he insulted me first! Wait, he insulted you too!? Why am I-"
Back at it again, Eevee laughed with Robin at the two of them before accepting his gesture and sniffing his hand lovingly. "It's true, I'm not much of a morning person," Robin said with a grin as he started gently petting the Pokemon, which let out a soft squeal of delight.
Robin couldn't resist, and he quickly scooped up the Pokemon and began stroking it gently with one hand whilst using the other to hold it. The two of them shared a moment watching Cheren & Bianca go back & forth.
"Quite a pair they make, don't they? When they get like this, they can bicker like an old couple until one of them, usually Bianca, gives up. Then Bianca just turns sad, Cheren makes it up to her, followed by Cheren getting embarrassed he made it up to her, then she teases him for it, I tease him for it, and all is well."
Eevee laughs even more at that, nestling deeper into Robin's embrace. Professor Juniper steps back inside, causing Bianca & Cheren to immediately stop their bickering. "Well, my calls don't seem to be going through, but I'm sure within the next few moments I'll reach them and- oh my! It seems Eevee's taken a liking to you, Robin!"
"Well don't worry, the feeling is mutual," Robin said with a soft smile as he continued to pet the Pokemon.
"I actually stumbled upon this Eevee a few days ago while on some field research." Professor Juniper explains. "She seemed injured, and when I nursed her back to health, she wouldn't leave my sight or warm up to anyone else. Well, not until today anyways. I'm honestly not quite sure what to do with her."
"Why not raise it and study its genetic makeup? That could yield some answers to the origin of Pokemon, considering Eevee's particularly odd genetic makeup," Cheren asked.
"I actually did consider it, but the research has already been conducted by Professor Oak years ago, I doubt I'd find new results on the matter," Professor Juniper replied with a shrug. Robin simply rolled his eyes.
"Of course, you'd think to study Eevee first, Cheren. Why focus on studying her when you could just get to know her the normal way?" Robin said as he put Eevee on his shoulder, smiling at her.
"Well, if you like Eevee so much, you're more than welcome to take her, if Eevee wants that of course," Professor Juniper replied, smiling at the pair. Robin looked over to Eveen on his shoulder, and could see her nodding profusely whilst making noises of approval.
"I'm not a Pokemon professor, but I think that's a yes Robin!" Bianca exclaimed, practically gushing over the Pokemon "You're so lucky, Eevee really does like you! And she's so cute too. Aww, I wish!"
Cheren simply muttered "interesting" and stared deeply at the pair. Robin picked up Eevee and set it down on the floor.
"Now hold on a second Eevee, you need to know what you're getting yourself into," Robin said, earning a confused but curious expression from the Pokemon, before he knelt down and got eye level with her.
"I'm a new trainer, and not exactly the most experienced one either. I plan to go on a long journey, exploring new sights, meeting new people, maybe even challenge some of the gyms and enter some contests too. I don't think it's going to be easy, but honestly….. the challenge excites me. I want to push myself on this journey, I want to find who I really am when pushed to the test, and then build myself up from there. But most importantly, I'm looking for a partner just like me, someone who wants to go out and explore, someone who wants to go out and truly experience things, the good and the bad. I don't doubt it'll be messy, and I'll need your trust…so I want you to think, really think, do you want to come with me? Do you want to be that partner?"
Eevee seemed to understand the gravity of what he was asking, looking deep into his eyes again. He could see the cogs in her brain turning, contemplating. He may have come off a little strong, but he was sincere. He didn't want Eevee to get into something like this without knowing what it entailed. Eevee would be his first Pokemon, the one he'd rely on above all others. Did Eevee really want that? Was she even ready for something like that?
Robin got his answer after around 15 seconds of thinking, with Eevee staring Robin dead in the eyes and adopting a confident, determined look before nodding in approval. Bianca practically died from the cuteness of the scene, squealing in the background.
"Well, I suppose that settles that!" Professor Juniper said with a smile. "Here, taking this Pokeball to use on her. I never formally caught her, so you can have the honours."
Robin took the Pokeball from the Professor and gently tapped it on Eevee's head. Just like magic, the ball opened up, and Eevee flashed a loving smile before disappearing into a blue light inside the ball. The Pokeball shut and began to wiggle, wiggling once, twice, three times….and then it made a pop sound, indicating that the capture was successful.
"Wow, how amazing!" Bianca said. "I always thought Cheren would be the first one to catch a Pokemon, but I guess technically you are!"
"Does that even count?" Cheren asked with a raised eyebrow. Bianca smiled mischievously at him.
"Of course it does! It just means Robin's beaten you twice in one day!"
Robin stood up and smiled to himself, never taking an eye off of Eevee's Pokeball. "I guess that's that, my first Pokemon. Eevee…"
He rolled the ball around in his hand, and he swore he could almost feel Eevee's presence in it, lying in wait to burst out should he need. What does it truly mean, to be a Pokemon trainer? What does their partnership mean going forward? How will his life, & Eevee's, change now that they've intertwined like this? It was all just so much to think about. To have the company of a Pokemon again, after so long…
"Uhhh, hello, earth to Robin?" Bianca's voice snapped him back to reality. "Professor Juniper just told you you can give Eevee a nickname if you want, were you listening?" Bianca asked sweetly.
"He's always had his head in the clouds," Cheren said with a shrug towards Professor Juniper, who laughed a little (5).
Ignoring that, Robin tore his eyes off the Pokeball. "A nickname, huh? Hmmm, that's going to be tough.."
Cheren & Bianca both gave each other a look before breaking out into smiles. Professor Juniper just made a confused expression.
"By Arceus, not this old issue again," Cheren shook his head with a smirk. "Robin is absolutely terrible with names. Anytime he had to name something, he would stay with Bianca for hours, suggesting barely any names himself yet rejecting the thousands of names she'd rattle off."
"I'm willing to do that again if you'd like!" Bianca exclaimed happily. Must these two embarrass him now of all times, and that too in front of the Professor?
"Excuse me, that is absolutely not true!" Robin responded in an accusatory voice, one hand on his hip whilst the other pointing at Cheren. "I'll have you know I gave Riolu a nickname when I was a child."
"You named it fighter, of all things…." Cheren said, partially deadpanning and partially smirking, if such a thing was even possible. For the first time in a while, Robin actually blushed a little in embarrassment, a rare sight.
"Seems you have a rather sharp memory Cheren. Why don't you tell us about how you used to name your books as a child, hm?" Robin responded back defensively, smiling evilly as he knew he just landed a clean blow. Now it was Cheren's turn to blush in embarrassment.
"I helped him with that too!" Bianca said sagely. Cheren looked mortified. "Bianca! You promised you'd never say anything, especially to Robin!"
"Oh, I did? Whoops?" Bianca said, chuckling nervously as she put a hand behind her head. Professor Juniper burst out laughing from behind them.
"Ahhh the wonder of youth, What I wouldn't give to have these sorts of silly arguments with my childhood friends again. Nevertheless, I have both Snivy for Cheren, and Tepig for Bianca, completing this trio. As for Eevee's name, you have a whole journey ahead of you to think about that one."
After handing over the two Pokeballs, Professor Juniper bid them good day, and they headed outside before releasing all of their Pokemon. Cheren & Bianca became acquainted with Snivy & Tepig respectively, and the Pokemon seemed to suit them well.
Snivy was quite arrogant, but he respected Cheren's intelligence almost instantly. Tepig was the opposite, eager to prove himself yet mostly just a childish bundle of happiness. The three of them decided to meet back at Robin's house almost instantly, and found his Mom to be missing, likely grocery shopping.
Settling on playing with their Pokemon in his backyard, the three of them checked all the information the Pokedex could give them on their Pokemon, including the moves they currently knew. Afterwards, Bianca decided on something around 15 minutes later, and with a certain sparkle in her eyes, she raced for Robin.
"Robin! Now that we're Pokemon trainers, let's battle!" She exclaimed.
"Honestly Bianca, not here.." Cheren started. "There's a patio, tables, chairs, umbrellas….sure our Pokemon are weak, but still, this probably isn't the best place to battle, especially for inexperienced trainers."
"Come on Cheren, don't be such a stickler!" Bianca responded. "Our Pokemon are weak, just like you said, and they need to battle so that they can get stronger! That goes for us too!" Bianca said, tacking on a wise, sagely voice at the end.
Bianca threw Robin her most pleading eyes, and he simply smiled with an eager face in response. Bianca would later say that, at that moment, Robin almost looked like a hungry Pokemon, eager to swoop in.
"It's my house, so I get the final say. And I say…let's battle Bianca!" Robin exclaimed.
"Eevee, it's time to shine!" he said as he threw out Eevee's Pokeball, the battle-ready Eevee bursting out in a shimmer of blue light, eyes mirroring her master's. "Did she know even inside the Pokeball that we were going to battle? How does that even work?" Robin thought to himself.
"Alright Tepig, let's get them!" Bianca cried out, and Tepig appeared out of his ball with a fiery exhale.
The opponents, both trainers & Pokemon, locked eyes in what felt like a deafening calm before a storm. Anticipation welled up inside of Robin, and it was ready to burst. Cheren stepped back and watched intensely, studying both Pokemon.
The tension was thick, and Bianca was the first one to break it, starting their battle off with flames.
"Alright Tepig, use Ember!"
The orange & black piglike Pokemon shot out a small but intense fireball from its snout, the blast soaring towards Eevee with great heat. Robin commanded a dodge, and Eevee did so with a graceful duck to the left, letting the flames hit a large rock before exploding into a small burst of flames & heat.
"Keep up the ember!" Bianca cried out, and her Pokemon obliged, inhaling deeply before sending a barrage of small fireballs at Eveee. "Dodge and look for an opening to use sand attack!" Robin commanded.
Eevee ducked and weaved, dodging three fire blasts as they whizzed by her, charring the surrounding area. Tepig reared for a fourth one, but its timing was off, and Eevee dug her feet into the ground before converting the soil into sand and launching it at Tepig, hitting it right in the eyes, blinding it.
"Tepig, no!" Bianca cried out, but Robin & Eevee only smiled in response, pouncing on the opportunity. "Follow up with tackle and then scratch!"
Eevee cried out a rather cute warcry and launched itself at Tepig, slamming into the blinded Pokemon while it was clawing at its eyes, sending it flying with immense speed. Before it even hit the floor, the nails on Eevee's paws glew white before she began scratching at Tepig as it landed on its back, causing the Pokemon even more pain.
Bianca looked mortified and anxious at her poor Pokemon being harmed, but Robin and Eevee were both in sync & unrelenting. "Spew flames all around you on the ground to ward Eevee off!" Bianca cried desperately, her reaction delayed and only coming after Eevee already got a good three scratches in.
Tepig did as he was told, and Eevee was forced to jump back as Tepig spewed flames in a circle around him, the heat strong enough to cause Robin to throw off his jacket in response. Tepig finally rubbed its eyes enough to see again, and at Bianca's command, he shot out another barrage of ember.
"Keep dodging!" Robin commanded, and Eevee did just that. It seemed Eevee was too nimble to be hit by the fire blasts of Tepig, letting the small Pokemon gracefully avoid any damage at all, though Robin could tell Eevee was sweating from all the close calls.
"Eevee, close in for another scratch!"
"Tepig, respond with smog!" Bianca said with a smile.
Before Eevee could stop her advance, Tepig shot out a thick, black smog that enveloped Eevee, sending the Pokemon into a coughing fit. "Eevee, are you alright?" Robin asked out, worry riddling his voice. His gut sank as he could hear Eevee's pained coughs within the thick, opaque smog.
"Now, ember!" Bianca cried.
Robin could almost feel Eevee's desire to get out of the smog, and he wasn't going to let Tepig get away with this. "Don't let them! Use quick attack before Tepig can release his attack, charge straight ahead!"
With full trust in her trainer, Eevee began to glow a faint white before charging straight ahead, blinded by the smog. Her speed increased dramatically whilst using quick attack, covering a 20-metre distance in such a short time frame that the grass below her began to billow wildly. Kicking up dirt and grass, Eevee slammed into Tepig right as it was charging up another ember, sending the Pokemon barrelling through the fence.
"Tepig!" Bianca cried out.
"Robin! Your fence!" Cheren cried out from behind, but Robin didn't care. The thrill of battle was too great, the feeling of working in sync with Eevee was exhilarating yet calming all at once. He even felt as though he was learning more about Bianca & Tepig as a result as well. Tepig was defiantly and taking every hit out of devotion to his new trainer, and through battling he could feel Tepig's resolve to make his trainer proud.
Yet the resolve of Eevee and Robin would not be beaten. Robin could see Tepig begin to stand, defiance in his eyes as he stumbled to his feet. Eevee took a look back at her trainer, and Robin could see a calm but resolute expression wash over her, almost as if she was saying "It's time to end this,"
Robin nodded at his partner, and gave the final order. "Eevee, finish it with swift!"
"Tepig, dodge it before shooting out more ember mid-air!" Bianca exclaimed with panic.
Eevee opened her mouth & released a flurry of shining energy stars right at Tepig, starlight and a deep blue hue spilled out from her mouth as an array of energy stars poured out rapidly. The speed of the attack was too great, and although Tepig managed to make it back into the backyard and leapt leftwards out of the way of the initial blast, the beam of energy stars course corrected to follow him, exploding him into a brilliant array of shimmering starlight as it hit Tepig, sending him spiralling into a wooden chair, shattering it into thousands of pieces.
Tepig tried its best to get up, but after a few moments of struggle, it collapsed on the floor, tired and clearly defeated. Bianca ran after it, whispering apologies in its ear before returning the Pokemon back into its Pokeball for its well-deserved rest.
"What a show Eevee!" Robin exclaimed happily, and Eevee jumped into his arms gleefully. Robin pet the Pokemon lovingly in response. "I couldn't be prouder of you. You did well."
Bianca turned to Robin, but instead of any sadness, she seemed nothing but elated at her loss. "Wow Robin, you're gonna be a great trainer someday, I can just tell! You & Eevee were totally in sync, Eevee was practically finishing your commands before they left your mouth!"
Robin simply smiled at Eevee & Bianca in response. It was true, in the heat of battle, he & Eevee really began to understand each other. "Thanks Bianca. You & Tepig were pretty good as well, that smog was challenging to deal with."
Cheren coughed obviously behind them, and they both turned to see his somewhat impatient expression. "Bianca, Robin, care to take a look around you two?"
They both did, and….the sight wasn't pretty. There was a broken rock, red from where the ember had it, 2 broken chairs, a medium-sized hole where Eevee used sand attack, and a Tepig-sized hole in the fence.
"Oh…whoops! S-sorry about your backyard, Robin..."
This….wouldn't be too bad, right? Surely his mom wouldn't care too much…..right?
"It's fine…" Robin responded, more to himself than to the others. "Mom has been meaning to get a new fence forever now, so I guess we just helped get her started?"
Cheren rolled his eyes. "Here, let me heal up Eevee and Tepig with these potions I bought earlier."
"Potions? Someone's prepared I see.." Robin responded. Cheren merely shrugged. "Somebody in this group has to."
After healing Tepig & Eevee, Cheren threw the used-up potion in the trash. The moment they did so, Bianca was on him.
"Hey Cheren! It can't get much worse than this anyways, so why don't you battle Robin!?"
"Bianca, seriously!? The backyard could absolutely get worse!" Cheren responded back, but Bianca simply waved him away and blew him a quaint raspberry.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Robin started playfully as he approached Cheren slowly. "Is someone scared of losing to me for the third time today?"
Oh, now that certainly did the trick. Cheren whirled around with a chilling look in his eyes whilst Bianca giggled in the background. "Is that a challenge?" Cheren asked sharply.
"Oh I don't know, maybe more of an observation?" Robin responded with a devilish smirk, feigning innocence yet purposefully failing at it to add more flair to the taunt. He rolled back and forth on his heels expectantly.
"The both of you are absolutely ridiculous," Cheren said with a shake of his head. "But fine. It's not fair that only the two of you get to have fun. Besides, I can probably beat you without messing up this backward any further regardless."
Bianca giggled even harder at that, only at Robin's expense this time. That Cheren, did he always have to be one step ahead? Robin put his hands in his pockets after adjusting his hair a little.
"Now that's the Cheren I've been waiting for," Robin said lowly with a fire in his eyes and an edge to his voice. He could already feel the excitement of battle bubbling up inside him again.
The two of them took their position before Cheren released his Snivy as Eevee leapt out of Robin's hands and assumed a battle-ready stance. Cheren & Robin locked eyes, the two of them ready. The both of them had waited literal years for this moment. This battle would set the tone for their entire rivalry going forward, and Robin was looking forward to finally beating Cheren like he's always intended to.
Bianca put her hand in the air. "Ready…"
Eevee kicked up some sand, and Snivy's eyes thinned.
"Get set….."
Cheren let out a controlled sigh, and Robin bit his lip in anticipation. Then, just like that, Bianca's arm shot down.
"Let the battle begin!"
- His brown eyes and hair paired nicely, and he had a good mix of feminine and masculine features, more of a youthful pretty boy look than a rugged one (although apparently, his Father leaned towards the rugged end of the spectrum according to the pictures he still had of him). His clothes all complimented each other, both colour-wise and style-wise, creating a sleek, travel-ready outfit that clearly took some fashion sense to pull off. Bianca would be proud.
Essentially he just has Hilbert's look in canon, though this is subject to change. The outfit in canon is remarkably stylish if you actually take the time to look at it and consider real-world equivalents, and it is very IC for the MC to put some effort into his appearance.
- Originally, contests were only really a part of Hoenn & Sinnoh culture, but the widespread globalization of the past few decades has made a lot of cross-cultural influences seep in, and contests were definitely one of them.
It's a crime that contests didn't become a series staple past Sinnoh. Both the games & anime were better for it, but especially the anime. So, I am including them here. Contests are relatively new for Unova, but cultural staples of Hoenn & Sinnoh. Perhaps the MC would enjoy focusing on becoming a Pokemon coordinator as well?
- "And come on now, you knew I'd win. You've always been the more analytical one when it's come to school or things like that, but when it comes to reading & understanding people? I've always beaten you at that."
Cheren is the more intellectual one, as well as the more analytical one traditionally. However, book smarts and the sort of analytical skill Cheren has is remarkably distinct from being in tune with reading people. It's a matter of IQ vs EQ. The MC is the one who is more in tune with people and their emotions, whilst Cheren is better suited for analyzing data or strategy.
- It stared at him, really stared, and looked like it understood him somehow, as if it was truly seeing him for who he really was. He couldn't say why, but there was some real intelligence behind those cute eyes, and he could almost feel a kindred spirit.
As is with the MC, it seems Eevee is remarkably perceptive in certain areas. Do with this information as you will, although this will be explored more, and explains the sudden connection between the two. Kindred spirits indeed.
- "He's always had his head in the clouds," Cheren said with a shrug towards Professor Juniper, who laughed a little.
Introspection is often linked with emotional intelligence, so this makes sense. MC might spend a lot of time with his head in the clouds processing everyone, but Bianca can usually bring him back down to solid ground.