Alice Joy let out a scream as a black shape flew by her head, sharp claws missing her head by a hair. The terrifying creature let out a frustrated cry as it whizzed by, the second time it had missed its target. Scrambling on the ground, Alice collected her thoughts as she looked up at her attacker. Why the hell did I think being a trainer would be easy?
"-and Tristan's Garchomp delivers a nasty reply with Dragon Rush! This match is down to the wire folks!"
Alice watched as the trainer match continued to unfold. A small, flat screen tv hung on the wall of her room, the screen lightly illuminating the room. The room itself looked like a tornado had blown through, with books and clothes scattered throughout it. Although she had tried to clean it up in the past, it always quickly returned to its natural state. Alice laid lazily on her bed in the corner of the room, watching the television placed on the opposite wall.
A knot began to form in her stomach as she watched the trainers battle on, determined looks on their faces. Wasn't she pretty much the same age as them, having just turned 16, yet they seemed to be enjoying life much more than she was. One could tell from one look at their faces that they were doing what they loved.
Was being a trainer that much fun? She thought, biting her lip. It had to be more fun than studying to be a Nurse. No need to study for hours on end, or deal with annoying professors and tutors. Just you and your pokemon against the world.
"-seems like Joe's Infernape is on the ropes here! Blaze is now active! Can he turn the tide?"
Alice sighed. Like her mother would ever allow that to happen. The family tradition was the only thing that seemed to matter to the strict woman. Alice could already hear her mother's voice lecturing her for even considering such a career. A trainer? So you want to abandon what our family has been doing for generations? We have a role to play in society. And how do you even plan to make money-.
Alice quickly pushed the irritating thoughts out of her head. Listening to that self centered bitch wouldn't help her find what she wanted to do. With the television fading into background noise, Alice picked up her phone from under a shirt, and dialed a number she could recall from memory. It was someone who would always listen, although possibly not give the best advice. However, this person would say what Alice would want to hear, and that's the only thing she cared for at the moment.
The dial tone went on for a while, and just when Alice was about to hang up in frustration…
*Click* "Hey Al, what's up?" Alice couldn't help the smile that grew on her face when she heard that easygoing, familiar voice.
"Well I'm still in nursing school hell, so I'd say things are down rather than up". Alice put the phone on speaker and rolled around in her bed, messing up her already untidy hair in the process. "I'm pretty sure I've had to finish six exams this month alone. At the very least, I have a month off,". As a Joy, Alice had been forced to start nursing school early, as well as take specialized courses for it. Being forced to take boring lectures meant for adults wasn't the most exciting thing for a teenager.
"So, the usual huh…. Buuuut I think I might have some news that'll cheer you up!" Jack chirped, excitement bubbling in her voice.
"What now?" Alice grumbled back, watching the match still occurring on the T.V. "Please don't tell me you gave some random friend of yours my number again. I hate when you play matchmaker"
"No, not this time. Instead...I might have sent a little something special in the mail for you."
Alice perked up at this. While Jack's taste in people might have been trash (Alice herself included), her taste in souvenirs certainly was not. In fact, one such souvenir was on Alice's person at the moment, a beautiful necklace Jack had apparently gotten from Kalos.
"...What kind of 'something'?" Alice asked, hoping to hide the excitement out of her voice. A little voice in the back of her head wondered how boring her life had gotten if the thought of a little trinket excited her.
"Hehehe… it's a surprise! You'll see when you get it~!"
Alice groaned. Of course, a "surprise". Knowing Jack, it'd probably be something stupid. Surprising, but stupid all the same.
"In anycase, the package should come in about a week, alright? Hang in there, sweetie~"
Alice smiled at her friend's usual upbeat tone. "I'll try…"
"Not 'try', you will! Trust me, things will get better, I swear! Anyway, my phone is dying, we'll talk once I reach the city okay? Bye~"
"Bye Jack…" Alice looked up at the ceiling. Maybe things will get better. Maybe this package could take some stress off of the hell that was Pokemon Nurse Training.
Alice looked at the contents of the package with a blank expression on her face. Over a week had passed since Jack told her about the package she had sent. Alice had speculated about the content constantly in the meantime. What could it be? Knowing Jack, it could be anything. One time she had managed to send literal pancakes in the mail from Alola, Arceus knows how she accomplished that. But in the end, nothing could have prepared Alice as she opened that package.
Inside were several objects. The first thing that caught her eye was the object in the object in the center. In a small box, sitting neatly on white fabric, a single pokeball stared up at her, gleaming in the darkness of her room.
"The hell…" Alice muttered. Of all things, why the hell would Jack send her a pokeball? Was it just an empty souvenir? Or Was it some sort of pet? But Jack had tried to send her a pokemon as a pet before, and Alice had made it clear she didn't have the time or energy to take care of one. Pokemon ideal for pets tended to be high maintenance, not something she had the time for training to be a nurse. In the end she'd have to give it up to Noah, but that would defeat the purpose of a pet, wouldn't it? Glaring at the capture device, Alice sets it aside and looks at the rest of the contents in the box.
The next thing that catches her eye is a black box at the corner of the package. After she carefully lifts its cover, Alice's heart jumps. It's a device that even a three year old could recognize. "A pokedex!?" Alice couldn't help but blurt that statement out as she gawked at the device. By this point she could put two and two together. Looking away from the red device on her bed, Alice clumsy grasped for the phone in her pocket. With trembling fingers, she jabbed at her phone and held it up to ear as the ringtone rang hollowly in her head.
*Click* "Hello~?"
Alice swallowed. She then muttered the next sentence quietly, as if she was afraid of someone overhearing. "Jack, you want me to become a trainer…?"
The voice on the other side of the line was silent for a good while. Then, like water leaking from a broken pipe, she heard a low giggle. As if a dam was breaking, the giggling began to break into laughter.
"Well duh~! Why else would I sent you all that stuff-"
"Don't fuck with me!" Those words blurted out of her mouth before she could stop them. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Alice continued on. "You got me a goddamn pokedex. How much did that cost you?" Pokedex, while recognizable, were also horribly expensive. You had to have a professor's approval in order not to pay the fee, and even then dedicated trainers were known to save up in order to get one. Pokedexs are renowned for being treasure troves of information. From analyzing a pokemon's current moves, to their health, to their eating habits, it was a trainer's wet dream. All of the information in the pokedex was also verified and updated by the world's most renowned pokemon professors, so there was little chance of misinformation unlike the internet. The device is so valuable that it's wielded more as a status symbol nowadays. Alice's stomach began to sink as she imagined how much money her friend would have had to spend to obtain such a device. "Why didn't you just let me pay for it? Or at least let me pay you back!"
" Don't worry about it," Jack said, a tone of indifference in her voice. "I have my ways, and besides, I'm a top trainer ya know? I have my connections"
"Connections?- That's not the point!" Alice exclaimed, "You know I can't become a trainer. My mother-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. The 'Joy Family Tradition', and all that..." Jack suddenly changed tone, her voice suddenly uncharacteristically serious. "But are you ok with that?"
Alice's mind blanked. "Huh?"
"Ever since you've enrolled in that stupid nursing school, you've been complaining to me non-stop. Are you really happy with the way things are right now?"
"I-I…"
"Don't lie and say some stupid shit like you've never considered anything other than becoming a nurse. We both know that's not true" Jack's voice seemed to get harsher the longer she talked, as if she was finally saying what she really thought all this time. "C'mon Al. This is your big chance to experience the world. You're old enough to be considered an adult in Sinnoh, so no one would think twice if you decided to go on a pokemon journey."
"B-but my classes…"
Jack snorted. "Please. With the amount of money your mother has I doubt it was costing her much anyway. Just drop out for a bit, and if it doesn't work out you could go right back. Sure, your mom might get mad, but she's always got a stick up her ass."
Against her friend's words, Alice could only grimace and listen. She couldn't really deny a single word. Thoughts swirled like a stew in her mind.. Would getting out into the world really be that bad? After all, she could quit any time she wanted. The only cost was her mother's anger and disappointment, but in the end, nothing satisfied her.
Slowly she turned to the round object in the box. The pokeball sat on the fabric in the box, looking up at her, almost mocking her indecision.
"I'll do it".
Alice stared at the pokeball that her best friend had given her, her hands shaking from a mixture of fear and excitement. She was in the Joy Family Pokemon Gym #3, mostly used for pokemon recovery and rehabilitation. The strong scent of disinfectant wafted through the air as Alice walked through the gym, stinging her nostrils. Not only were certain areas custom made to resist most Pokemon moves, but it had 2,000 square feet dedicated to exercise. It was normally used for rehab for injured pokemon. However, exercise wasn't the reason she had come here.
Alice wasn't sure what kind of pokemon her best friend had given her. The way Jack had avoided telling Alice any info about the pokemon itself made her nervous, and thus she had come to the gym in case the pokemon was too large for her room, or in case it was the type of pokemon that damaged its surroundings. She didn't want to have to explain any weird burns or stains. But Jack wouldn't give her a pokemon that was too dangerous, right?
Alice stopped at one of the reinforced areas. The white concrete was marked with the scars of injured pokemon of the past enduring through their wounds. Various tools were set up on the walls, lined up waiting for use. An area perfect for letting out an unknown pokemon.
Taking one last look at the ball, Alice took a deep breath, and tossed it to the ground. The device hit the ground with a *click*, and there was a flash of light.
With a blank face, Alice stared at the pokemon in front of her. Was this some kind of mistake? Maybe Jack had sent her the wrong pokemon. She was an accomplished trainer now, with a lot of different pokemon, so maybe it was a simple mix-up. If not, Alice had no idea what was going through her friend's head.
A black and white dog-like creature stared up at her. It had a skull-like protrusion on its forehead, and rib-like protrusions coiled around its back.
It was a Houndour.
Alice cursed under her breath as she refused to break eye contact with the small creature.
Among all pokemon, dark types were infamous for the difficulty it took to train one. They tended to display various troublesome traits, from being simple tricksters to displaying violent behavior.
In other words, one of the worst pokemon to start out with.
Alright, Alice thought, lowering herself to the dog's level. Just because it was a dark type didn't mean it necessarily had those troublesome traits. Maybe this one would be one of the exceptions to the rule.
"H-hey little guy…" Alice whispered, reaching a trembling hand forward. The dark type continued to stare at her with a blank expression until…
Fwoosh! A cloud of smoke was spat toward her from the houndour's mouth. Alice yelped, dropping onto the ground, eyes watering. It felt like there were a thousand angry flies stinging her eyes. Water! Water! Alice scrambled up, trying to find the nearby water fountain to wash her face.
After Alice no longer felt her eyes burning, she turned to confront the perpetrator. The houndour simply sneered under her glare, and simply began licking its fur as if nothing had happened. Anger began to boil in Alice's mind. I guess this one's the troublesome type. Better than violent at least.
Grumbling curses under her breath, she took out the pokeball.. Alice could've sworn she saw the little dog snort at her as she returned it, the red light sucking the pokemon back into its resting place.
Ignore it. It's just trying to rile you up. Alice took a deep breath and took out her phone. After a few moments, she heard a voice she wished she could strangle echo from the line.
"Hey Alice, what's-"
"YOU FUCKING DUMBASS!"
Alice poured all her frustration to her best friend on the other side of the line. After a moment of silence, she took a breath and began to rant.
"A fucking dark type, really? And a fire type to top it off. I know you like to pull your silly pranks but is now really a good time? What if it put me on fire? I don't what you were thinking when you-"
"Alright, alright, hold on. I think there's been a misunderstanding here" Jack said, raising her voice over Alice's avalanche of words.
" By all means, please enlighten me." Alice grumbled.
"First of all, I know I've made some questionable decisions in the past, but do you really think I'd endanger your life in any way?I thought you knew me better, Al. I'd never purposely send you a pokemon that could hurt you in any way. Sure, the houndour may like to tease from time to time, but he'd never do something to hurt you on purpose, I promise. I had him raised specifically so he could be raised as a starter."
As Alice heard her friend's calming words, her anger began to cool into embers.
"It still spat smoke in my face."
"Don't worry! Smokescreen isn't poisonous or anything. You probably just got a bit close to the little guy."
"I-I guess you're right… I'm sorry I snapped at you…" Alice mumbled. "But still, even though it's been raised for it, do you really think I can do this? I mean, it's a dark type for crying out loud."
"I know you can!" Jack chirped excitedly. "You've managed to keep me out of trouble, I'm sure a little puppy will be nothing!"
"I think raising a pokemon is pretty different from preventing you from getting into trouble. And I wasn't even that good at it."
"Just relax~. Besides, I'm going to meet up with you as soon as possible, right? C'mon, please, give him a chance…"
Alice sighed. "I feel I'm going to regret this…"
"Yes! And believe me, I know you won't!" Jack cheered, and hung up.
"At least say goodbye…" Alice grumbled, putting the phone back into her pocket.
Trembling, Alice stared at the door that separated her from her journey. It had been a week since Jack had sent the package. Upon properly inspecting the contents, Alice had realized there had been a list of supplies along with her trainer registration. While the paper was crinkled beyond belief, it was surprisingly thorough, with little notes of advice sprinkled beneath each bullet point. At the end, there was a little note that said 'What? You expect me to get the supplies for you? Get your own, rich girl '.
While getting the supplies wasn't hard on its own (Jack had been surprisingly specific on what to get), it had come with its own problems. Trying to subtly order a bunch of large packages one after another without catching anyone's attention had been difficult. However, no one had questioned her directly, so the preparation portion of her journey had gone well.
Now here she stood, a single doorway separating her from an entirely new experience. Now that it stood before her, a flood of thoughts swirled in her mind. Was she sure she wanted to do this? She had gone along with things until now thanks to Jack's constant encouragement, but did she really want to do this? And why? Because it was cool? To get back at her mother? All reasons that didn't really have much to do with herself.
"Setting out somewhere, Alice?"
Not now. Alice internally groaned, and turned around to face the voice. While the Joy mansion had various servants who took care of the upkeep of the mansion itself, there had been one Alice had been intentionally avoiding. He was an elderly man, with black, wrinkled skin and sparkling, red eyes that seemed to see right through you. It was Noah, the head of the mansion, and Alice's guardian. Noah had been a friend of her mother in the past, and as he had retired from his former job, her mother had offered him a place at her mansion. Despite being retired, Noah was a pretty strict person who couldn't stand being in a dirty environment. While it was never officially stated, he was considered by many to be the head butler of the household, going as far as to watch over Alice while her mother was away.
However, Alice had not informed Noah of her intention to go on a journey yet, and while she had notified the school of her situation, she still had the most difficult obstacle to get through. If Noah didn't buy her proposal, he'd most certainly tell mother, and Alice was convinced that there was no way in hell her mother would allow her to go on such a journey. To be honest, Alice was hoping he wouldn't notice, and that she could've simply left a note explaining where she had gone and not to worry, but in the end that had been too optimistic.
"Well, you know, just a quick trip with some friends," Alice chuckled nervously. "Nothing serious."
"And how long would 'quickly' be?"
"Ah, well, who knows? A week? A month? A day? You know that saying, 'time is relative' or something like that. Hehehe…"
Noah sighed and pinched his nose. "Why, Alice, are you choosing now of all times to start a trainer journey?"
Alice flinched. Looks like plan A, 'bullshit a reason' had failed. Time for plan B.
Explain and plead like a bitch.
Alice told Noah what had transpired over the past week, which in the end, wasn't much. Throughout the entire explanation Noah's expression morphed from curiosity, to disappointment, and finally to exasperation.
" So you had planned to leave without so much as a word? Just a letter telling us not to worry?"
"Well if you say it like that…"
Noah sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead. "Why now? Of all times? I thought you were scared of the idea of going on a journey?"
Alice looked bashfully at the ground, fidgeting. "Well, Jack said she'd be travelling along with me, and she's a pretty experienced trainer now, so I think I'll be safer than if I travel with an experienced trainer."
"And you didn't think to consult me about this?
"I mean, I thought you were done with traveling. That was part of why you're here in the first place, right? It's not that I doubted you or anything, I swear!"
"Relax, I'm not accusing you. I simply want to make sure this decision wasn't made on a whim."
"Wait...does that mean you'll let me go!?"
Noah sighed. "Your mother isn't going to be happy about this…"
Alice scoffed. "Screw her. Besides, I'm past the age where she can legally stop me anyway!"
"I suppose so...if you insist on going, I'm going to have to insist you get a psychic imprint."
Alice's face twisted in disgust "Ugh. Why?"
"It is simply reassurance. If you're ever in trouble, you can simply give me a call and I'll be there almost instantly."
"Why? So mother can track me down whenever she wants?"
"No, it's simply a safety precaution. I'd like to have a way to reach you as soon as possible in the case of an emergency."
Alice bit her lip thoughtfully. "Are there any risks? I'd rather it not be used by some weirdo to stalk me or something"
"There is the risk of it being used by other psychic type pokemon to trace your location. However, they'd have to be aware you have one in the first place. Not many are skilled enough to do that."
Alice frowned thoughtfully. While psychic imprints were generally looked down upon as invasions of privacy, having Noah be able to teleport to her instantly was a reassuring thought…
"Fine, I'll get one…"
Noah smiled. "Wonderful. Let's get it over with so you don't keep Jack waiting."
Taking a pokeball out of his pocket, Noah walked past Alice towards the large front doors of the mansion. With an anxious grip on her backpack, Alice followed her elderly friend outside.
The Joy Garden focused on practicality rather than beauty. Rows upon rows of berry fields lined the front of the mansion. Each field was meticulously organized according to the type of berry, to the point that not a single leaf stuck out where it wasn't supposed to. Alice's mother had hired a variety of professionals to maintain the field, and Alice could still see a few here and there, maintaining the crops with a couple of grass or ground pokemon. From the front doors of the mansion, a spotless stone path cut through the fields, leading to the gate of the estate.
One the were a few paces in front of the house, Noah tossed his pokeball into the air. There was a loud *crack*,a flash of light, and there stood Triumph, Noah's Metagross. Despite the numerous times Alice had seen the steel psychic, seeing its imposing form still unsettled her a bit. Triumph floated above her in the air, its blue body gleaming in the sunlight, casting a giant shadow below. It's gleaming red eyes focused on its trainer, Noah, and the two seemingly stared at each other for a few moments, exchanging words telepathically. The metagross turned slightly, its red eyes focusing on her. Alice unconsciously took a step back, and a small voice echoed in her mind. It almost felt like she was having a thought involuntarily, but she could tell the words weren't coming from her.
"Long time no see, little one." Alice heard Triumph's familiar quiet voice echoed in her head.
"You know," Alice said, looking incredulously at Triumph. "I don't think I'll ever get over that voice of yours."
"It's not a 'voice'. It's simply the easiest way of easing you non-telekenetics into telepathy" Triumph stated dryly. "If I wished, you would not even perceive a voice. You would simply be instantly aware of what I am trying to convey. However, this seems to scare you humans for whatever reason-"
"Triumph," Noah interrupted Triumph's remark. "Focus. Let's get this over with so Alice can get on her way, yeah?"
Alice swore she could hear the metagross huff, but it didn't attempt to converse further. Turning to fully face her, Triumph eyes started glowing even brighter than they usually were, making Alice cover her eyes. She could feel her body tingle a bit, and when she lifted her hands the metagross was already turning away.
"There. It is done."
Alice raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That's it? I thought that would take longer."
"It normally would. I'm simply that skilled. You're welcome." Alice could almost feel the pride pouring off of Triumph's telepathy.
Noah smiled "Good. Now then Alice." The older man turned to her, a stern expression clouding his face. "Becoming a trainer is quite the tedious road. From watching your mother work, as well as from your classes, I'm certain you've seen the various ways of how pokemon can be difficult to handle. Though because of that, I'd say you're a lot more prepared than trainers younger than yourself. However, that's no reason to get cocky. Promise me you'll stay safe."
Alice gave a small smile. "I promise.
