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The wait was finally over. After counting down the weeks, Daniel finally held his trainer card in his hands. It was a simple plastic card with his picture and information on it. It reminded Daniel of a driver's license, but less cluttered. There was just one problem.
"Eddie, why is my name "Daniel Kumite?"
The words hung in the air as Eddie sat innocently at his desk.
"Well ye didn't give me a last name"
"That's because I don't have one." At least one that matters. "So why did you put it as Kumite?"
"I was told ye needed one. So I just chose the first one that came to mind. I wasn't going to give ye mine, I already have too many kids."
"So you chose Motobu's last name?"
"Aye."
"Well, whatever. I guess it doesn't matter that much."
"Aye. Now ye don't have to change yer name when ye marry Azalea."
Daniel took a deep breath and sighed. "So it was Motobu's idea. When did he even get to tell you? I never see him leave the house."
Eddie chuckled. "I assure ye, he and I meet regularly for drinks. Ye should hear how highly he thinks of ye. Says the only thing more he could give ye is his granddaughter's hand in marriage."
Daniel shook his head, palm on his forehead. He really didn't understand why Motobu was so fixated on him marrying Azalea. At first, he thought it was a joke, to poke fun at him and how he first met Azalea. But the comments kept piling up. Daniel thought maybe it was just how the elderly generation thought. Maybe to them, it was just natural for two people to get married because one saw the other almost naked. Actually, when he thought of it that way, Daniel could see why someone "old-fashioned" would push for a marriage. He just wasn't convinced that was Motobu's thought process.
"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter that much. Thank you for everything, Eddie."
"Aye, lad. I see great potential in ye. I know ye will go far in the Sinnoh circuit."
The words warmed Daniel as they reached him. He didn't think anyone out there was rooting for him.
"Thanks, but your confidence might be misplaced. I'm a new trainer after all."
Eddie leaned in his chair and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. The simple gesture allowed Daniel to sense Eddie's aura and emotions. The old man was confident as he spoke.
"Lad, In yer eyes I saw the determination of a true man. Ye went through hell, and ye might have been burned, but ye weren't broken. Motobu isn't the best at talking, but I know he likes ye too, even if he doesn't say it much. I've seen many trainers in my time, lad. So If I say ye will go far, I mean it."
Well, that was unexpected. Daniel didn't know what to say. He didn't believe that he was worthy of the praise. He suspected that Eddie told every new trainer he met something like this, but that didn't stop Daniel from feeling the warmth grow within him.
"Um, Thank you."
"Aye. And take this, lad."
Eddie released Daniel's shoulder and pushed a hardcover book across the desk. It was bound with leather in an antiquated way like it was made in the Middle Ages. Its title read "Training and Battling for the Modern Trainer: Second Edition".
"Whoa. How old is this thing?" Daniel said as he opened the book.
"Only about 40 years. It was mine back in my university days. Despite its age, I think ye will find it useful."
"Thank you," Daniel's eyes were plastered to the pages. It was a 600-page textbook about training and battling Pokemon. It included: Battle theory, practice drills, Diet info, healthcare, item usage, and so much more.
"Aye. Now get out there and show them what ye can accomplish."
Half an hour later Daniel was on Fang Beach. It was a wide strip of sand a few miles away from the popular tourist beach. Supposedly it was named after a Gyarados skeleton, which someone found because he stepped on its jaw long ago. Its waters were rough and unfriendly to novice swimmers, so no one was around. But Daniel wasn't here to swim, he was here to train.
The book Eddie had given him recommended training newly acquired Pokemon in an environment free of distractions and getting them used to taking orders.
Daniel released Lazuli and Ronin. Lazuli stretched her neck as if waking up from a nap While Ronin hovered in the air with his typical gaze.
"Alright, you two. It's finally time I trained you properly. So far all we've really been doing is playing games and calling it training. So now let's get started!"
Lazuli cocked her head curiously. Ronin continued hovering.
"First, Lazuli. Don't move until I tell you. Ronin, I want you to fetch this stick."
Ronin rolled his eyes. The book said that fetching a stick on command was a good way to gauge a Pokemon's willingness to follow orders. It would seem that Ronin had a few objections. Daniel threw the stick over Ronin's head. He quickly rose and smacked it out of the air.
"Ok. Now give it back, Ronin." The book emphasized always specifying who is being ordered.
Ronin took the stick in the sand, and tossed it to Daniel along with a face full of sand. Daniel wiped his face and spit out wet grit.
"Ronin, what the hell?"
Ronin simply hovered in place. Daniel could tell that the Hoppip thought little of this exercise. He didn't need aura sense for that.
"Ok, look Ronnin. We're friends, right? I think you're cool, cooler than all the other Hoppip. You're certainly stronger than all the others."
Ronin smirked confidently‒perhaps arrogantly.
"But we're a team now. If you want to be stronger, you need a trainer's help."
That was something the book had explained. Trained Pokemon grew stronger much faster than wild Pokemon just by being near humans. The book was clear in stating that it was the bond between human and Pokemon that allowed Pokemon to rapidly grow and evolve. Pokemon did not evolve in nature nearly as often as they evolved training with humans.
Daniel wasn't sure how scientific the bond between people and Pokemon could be. It reminded him of how Motobu talked about Aura and how it connects all life. Regardless, he was convinced that people could train Pokemon to be stronger and evolve. That's how it worked in the games.
Ronin glanced at Lazuli, who remained obediently in place. He was surprised that she didn't go chasing the stick when it flew past her.
"Let's try it again. Ronin, fetch this," Daniel threw the stick.
This time Ronin caught it in midair and flew it to Daniel. Daniel got the feeling that Ronin wanted to train, not hear him talk. But Daniel would accept the change in attitude.
"Thank you. Your turn, Lazuli."
Daniel threw the stick and Lazuli sprang into the air, intercepting it. She eagerly returned the stick to Daniel's hand.
"Alright. Now let's try out some of your new moves."
According to the Pokemon Center PC, Lazuli knew the moves: Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Wrap, and Twister. The last one surprised Daniel. He didn't know if she had ever used Twister before. Ronin knew: Poison Powder, Absorb, Bullet Seed, and Fairy Wind. Apparently, Pokemon could learn more than four moves in this world. However, most Pokemon focused on mastering four or five moves.
Daniel knew about what kind of battle role Lazuli would play. It turns out that her iridescent scale coloring indicated her ability‒ Multiscale. If unscathed, she took less damage from an attack. Daniel decided to make her the perfect Dragon Dance sweeper. This world used terminology Daniel was familiar with when talking about Pokemon battles. Stall, wall, setup, Pivot, and even specific terms like choice bander and spike setter were all mentioned in the textbook. But for now, Lazuli just had to practice fighting.
Daniel didn't know what to do for Ronin. He would eventually evolve into a Jumpluff, but right now he was one of the weakest Pokmon stat-wise. His offensive capabilities were limited, he would never hit as hard as Lazuli. So Daniel thought about training him to be evasive. He had great air control and dodged attacks by riding the wind those attacks caused. He could poison or leech seed (if he learned it) his opponents then keep his distance and harry them.
Unlike in the games, Pokemon actively dodged and defended in battles. Daniel had seen some TV coverage of battles, and they looked much more dynamic than the games portrayed them. Daniel had also managed to win battles that, based entirely on stats and numbers, he had no right winning. There was more to battling than just type match-ups and stats. Even a little Hoppip could fell giants.
So Daniel set out to make Hoppip a giant slayer. While Lazuli practiced whirling Twisters at the sea, Ronin dodged stones. When Ronin dodged them without effort, he had the Hoppip close his eyes, then Daniel threw the stones from behind. Sure enough, Ronin dodged each stone, floating off the wind of its passing. So Daniel tried something else, something to challenge Ronin's Aerobatics.
Daniel fashioned some hoops made of tall sea grass. It was like making a basket, something Daniel had done on the island. He ended up with three hula-hoop-sized rings of grass. He challenged Ronin to fly through each ring before they hit the ground. Daniel tossed each in succession high into the air. Ronin swiftly threaded the rings, and it was obvious that he thought it was easy. So Daniel tried something else. He threw all three high into the air, trying to make sure they separated before falling back to the ground. Only when they hit the apex of their arcs was Ronin allowed to move.
This was significantly more challenging. Ronin started next to Daniel, at head level. He had mere seconds to weave between the hoops before they hit the ground. He consistently wove through two of the three hoops. He relished this challenge. Gone was the annoyance that he started the day with. It was replaced with a determination to see this challenge overcome.
Lazuli nudged Daniel's leg.
"Oh! Lazuli."
Daniel had forgotten that she was out of her Pokeball. He was surprised that it took this long for her to bother him. She usually wandered off or pestered him to play when she was bored. This discipline was new.
Lazuli met Daniel's eyes and cocked her head.
She's wondering what I'll make for her.
She likely saw the grass hoops and thought they were interesting since Daniel had spent some time weaving them.
"Ok. You can have a turn."
Lazuli beamed. She was absolutely giddy as Daniel collected the hoops once more.
"Ronin, take a break."
Ronin nodded.
Daniel had Lazuli wait beside him. He had seen her glide in the air before. It looked like she was slithering through water, but she always fell to the ground. He suspected that she would learn to levitate as a Dragonair.
"Ok. One at a time. Ready?"
Lazuli nodded.
Daniel tossed one ring into the air.
"Go!"
Lazuli sprang right through the first hoop as Daniel threw a second. She did a loop in the air, forming a perfect circle with her body then missed the second hoop by hitting the rim. Daniel almost forgot to throw the last hoop, stunned by Lazuli's maneuver. She hovered in place ‒with effort‒ by somehow slithering against the wind. Daniel threw the last hoop and she managed to thread it.
"Good job, Lazuli!"
Lazuli raised her head proudly, which sent her falling to the ground. She landed in the soft sand without a thud. Daniel continued the hoop exercise with Lazuli then Ronin. By the end of the day, his arms were exhausted. Maybe he shouldn't have spent his free time doing something so tiring. He had to train with Motobu, and the old man didn't hold anything back anymore.
Daniel returned to the house ‒carrying the hoops‒ looking forward to dinner fixed by Sakura.
The rhythmic sound of fists on wood filled the yard between the house and the dojo. Daniel struck the makiwara, trying to maintain his ignited aura as he did so. He still couldn't keep it ignited for long, but at least he stopped falling to his knees when it went out. He would merely stand there with all his vitality drained. Lazuli playfully chased Ronin in the air. Daniel had never seen her catch the elusive Hoppip, which is probably why Lazuli kept trying.
Motobu was inside the house. He had entered wordlessly after receiving a concerned look from Sakura. Daniel could sense the concern radiating from the house. Something had happened, but no one thought it important to tell Daniel.
If it's a family matter, You have no right to butt in.
He suspected it had something to do with Azalea, their granddaughter. Motobu hadn't yet made amends with her. Every time he called, she was unavailable. Each time he left the phone, Motobu deflated a little. He might put up an aloof front, but he clearly cared about his Granddaughter.
Daniel's aura went out, all the energy in his blood left him like drops of water boiling off a hot skillet. His lungs demanded air as the energy left him. He felt deflated, like his arms were balloons emptied of air, flopping limply off his torso. His legs shook as he tried to stay upright. With effort, he managed to stay standing and breathe normally.
For a time, he concentrated on breathing and spreading his aura. The deflated feeling subsided whenever he did that. It was as if he was sharing the fatigue with the wind and ground. His aura came in contact with the Kumites in the house and Daniel felt emotions that weren't his own. Daniel was overcome with a wave of boiling anger. Anger directed at another and equally at himself. Disappointment joined anger as fear took hold, fear that it was happening.
Daniel retracted his aura and fell on one knee. He wasn't completely recovered from the extinguishing of his aura.
Should I go inside? Motobu didn't seem to notice my aura. I've never seen him so angry.
"That damn, stupid lass!" Daniel heard Motobu's voice from the yard.
"Oi, ye let this happen, Motobu. Ye let our granddaughter go without so much as an apology."
Daniel stiffened. Motobu and Sakura never yelled, and they seemed the type not to yell at each other. Their clashing voices made him want to shrink down and run away. But that didn't feel right. These people had let him into their home, and cooked and shared meals with him. He owed them so much, was it too much to let him mediate?
Daniel made a decision and rose to his feet. He entered the house, making sure to wash his feet beforehand, They hated dirt getting tracked inside. He found Motobu and Sakura at opposite ends of the Kitchen. Motobu wore a snarl on his face as Sakura turned her back to him.
"Lad, go back outside," Motobu said.
"He's a grown man, Motobu. One that actually listens and acts when people are distraught," Said Sakura.
"It isn't right for a pupil to intrude in his master's affairs. Just go back to the yard, lad."
"Ye think ye can bring her back, Motobu?" Sakura scoffed. "even if ye could, are ye just going to leave poor Daniel here to twiddle his thumbs and wait for ye?"
"That's enough, Sakura." Motobu clenched his fists.
Daniel stood in the doorway, seeing the tension in Motobu's posture. He doubted things would get violent, and he doubted further that he could stop Motobu.
"So ye haven't told the lad?" Sakura said.
"He doesn't need to know. So drop this."
"He can help us. And Ye are not leaving this island."
Daniel felt Motobu's ignited aura radiating power. It was burning brighter than Daniel thought possible. Daniel swallowed. Would Motobu turn his hands and strike his own wife? Could Daniel even stop him? Then, the brilliance of Motobu's aura extinguished. The old man fell to the ground, years of Judo training keeping him safe.
"Motobu!" Daniel rushed to his master's side.
"I thought so," Sakura said, moving much slower than Daniel.
Daniel reached Motobu who was struggling to stand. The old man rejected Daniel's help, rising as his aura returned to its normal brilliance.
"So, do ye want to tell him? Now that he has seen it?" Sakura said.
Motobu said nothing, avoiding their gazes.
"Stubborn fool," Sakura sighed. "Daniel, Motobu is not as healthy as he looks."
Motobu remained silent, allowing Sakura to continue.
"He needs to keep his aura ignited just to stand up. Otherwise, he acts his age. Ye know how it feels when ye run out. For him, he has to keep it up all waking hours of the day. But if he lapses for just a moment," Sakura pointed at the old man " He ends up like this."
Motobu radiated shame.
"He wanted to go after her. As if he could in that state. That lass will be out in the wild, and Motobu is in no shape to fend off anything."
"Well why can't he just keep his aura burning when he goes to find Azalea?" said Daniel.
"Ye really didn't tell him anything?" Said Sakura.
"Fine. Lad, I've lived on this island my entire life. I share a connection with it that allows me to use it's aura easily. It will be much harder to burn aura for long in an unfamiliar place," Said Motobu.
"Aye, and he can barely stand up as it is," said Sakura.
"But, I'm the only one who can find her," Motobu said.
"You know where she is?" Said Daniel.
"He doesn't. He just has a way to find her," said Sakura.
"What? She doesn't have a phone, do you even know where she went?"
"She went to Sinnoh. She got a league sponsorship," said Motobu.
"But, Sinnoh is a huge place. She could be anywhere, and how long has she been missing?" Said Daniel.
"She should have been home a week ago," said Sakura.
"I can track her aura. I'm the only one who can," Said Motobu.
"Azalea is an aura user too right? Can't she protect herself? What's so bad about letting her explore the world on her own?" Said Daniel.
Sakura threw up her hands in frustration.
"Fine. I'll tell him," Motobu was completely recovered now. He stood extra straight as if to make up for his momentary weakness.
"Daniel, Lad, our abilities are rare and unique, so they make us a target for... unscrupulous research."
"What?" Said Daniel.
"A few years back, Azalea's parents ran off to learn more about aura. I didn't appreciate them selling our secrets."
"It was a research opportunity, one they told us would only last a few months." Said Sakura.
"Despite my protests, my idiot son took his wife on this trip, leaving Azalea behind. She didn't manifest any abilities at the time," Said Motobu.
Daniel didn't miss that. It seems both of Azalea's parents were aura users.
"That doesn't seem too bad," said Daniel.
"It turned out they signed up with Team Galactic," said Motobu.
Daniel's eyes bulged. Team Galactic? The antagonists for the Sinnoh games?
"The crazy people who wanted to create a new world?" Said Daniel.
"The same. Those fools have been defeated for nearly eight years now, and neither Itosu nor Mitsumi have returned," Motobu stared at the ground. "We have reason to believe that... that they were experimented on."
Damn. Daniel could see why they didn't want Azalea going to Sinnoh of all places.
"Wait, you said Team Galactic was defeated eight years ago. They can't kidnap Azalea because they don't exist anymore!"
Motobu and Sakura shared a look. Then Motobu spoke.
"Her mother, Mitsumi is still alive. I can sense her even now. Something is wrong. She's been trapped for years now. Every time I sense her aura, she radiates pain. I'm convinced that Team Galactic still exists, and they have Azalea's mother trapped somewhere. I don't want the same thing to befall my granddaughter."
Daniel hesitated. "What... What happened to Azalea's dad?"
"We don't know. My connection with Itosu has been severed," said Motobu.
"So he's dead?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not. I had a strong connection to him, and those don't just disappear like it did. Even when someone dies. Team Galactic did something strange."
"Does Azalea know any of this?"
"No," Motobu said plainly.
"You never thought it was a good idea to let her know? So she wouldn't go off getting herself targeted by Team Galactic?"
"Don't take that tone with me, lad."
"Oh don't get yer fundoshi in a twist. Motobu made that mistake and I decided to respect it, against my better judgment," said Sakura.
"I didn't want to tell a little girl that her parents left to join some crazy cult!" Motobu's aura flared with anger.
"And now... now we've lost her," Sakura started tearing up.
"I'm going to fetch her," Motobu said.
"Don't lie to me. Ye won't last a day off this island. Ye can't do it."
Motobu ground his teeth. He knew she was right.
Daniel stood there, watching despair wrap its fingers around the elderly couple. Motobu moved to Sakura and embraced her. She returned the gesture with a limp resignation. Daniel couldn't just continue with his training. Daniel didn't know if Azalea was in any real danger, but her grandparents thought the danger was real. More than that, they thought they would never see her again. Daniel had known these people for a few weeks, but they took a chance on him, so he would take a chance for them.
"How are you going to find Azalea?" Said Daniel.
"What?" Said Motobu.
"How exactly are you going to find Azalea? She doesn't have a phone and I suspect you're going to track her aura. How?"
"Ye lack the connection with her. Ye can't sense her like I can."
"That isn't true," said Sakura. "There's a chance if he's as skilled as ye claim."
Sakura moved to a drawer in the kitchen. She fetched an orange cloth embroidered with black and white flowers and delicate letters spelling "Azalea".
"Motobu was going to use this to sense her more accurately. She wore it all the way until high school. She said she was too old for it."
Daniel took the Hairband. "What's so special about it?"
"She wore it all the time. Even slept with it. Her mother did the letters and I did the flowers. She loved this hairband," said Sakura.
"Even if the lad is skilled, he won't just figure it out. It took me years to get aura tracking working over just the Sevii Islands," said Motobu.
"Doesn't hurt to try," said Daniel.
Motobu crossed his arms as Daniel began to meditate. He felt the orange hairband in his hand, caressing it between his fingers. He tried spreading his aura outwards, focusing it towards the hairband. If he could sense the wind and plants, maybe he could sense the connection of the hairband. That seemed esoteric enough.
"Ye have the right idea lad. Flow yer aura through the item instead," Motobu said, reluctantly.
Daniel tried doing just that. He willed his aura to move from deep within his core to the hand holding the hairband. He tried to pour it into the item, but it spilled out like a toppled pitcher. His aura was going out, but nothing was coming in. With effort, he managed to pull the aura back in as a stream, as opposed to stopping the leak.
Then he felt it. The light of a soul so distant. It appeared like a lone star in the void. Daniel's eyes opened with a start, and he lost the vision. But the feeling of that star lingered, and Daniel intuited the direction. He faced the wall in a seemingly random direction.
"Well I'll be damned," said Motobu." Ye really did it. Why can't ye be this good at igniting yer aura?"
"Then... Did I get it? I tracked her aura?" Daniel said, dumbfounded.
"Aye. And I'm surprised too. But I can't ask this of ye, Daniel. She's my granddaughter. Ye are a stranger to her."
"Sakura has made it clear that you can't leave this island. I'm not sure it would be right for me to drag her back here, but I can at least get her to contact you."
And maybe I can participate in the Sinnoh League while I'm there.
"Motobu, the lad speaks sense. Can't you listen for once?" Said Sakura.
Motobu sighed. "I will think about it."
"No. Make the decision now," Sakura demanded.
Lines of stress etched Motobu's brow as he mulled his options. His eyes, normally bright, were darkened by turmoil. Lips pressed tight, jaw working tensely, he bowed against Sakura's gaze weighing on him. She knew he would put this off, allowing her to send Daniel on his way. If he didn't want to hear about this for weeks, he had to let him go.
"Fine. Go. It's been a trying day and I'm in no mood to keep thinking," Motobu said.
"Thank you, old fool," Sakura kissed him on the cheek.
Motobu blushed and grinned like a schoolboy before quickly moping again.
Daniel did a double-take. Motobu was just played like a fiddle.
I guess that's 50 years of marriage for you.
Sakura helped Daniel gather a pack for the journey. He had only two pairs of clothes (the karate gi he was wearing and the hippari), half a dozen pairs of traditional Seviian underwear, and a pair of rope sandals. Sakura gave him a bag‒more a cylindrical sack with a drawstring‒, three pairs of socks, some pocket change with promises of more, a set of utensils, and a Tupperware filled with leftovers.
The travel sack was only half full as Daniel filled it with the last of his belongings. He would buy some necessities at the grocery store before he left. Although his supplies were meager, they were riches when compared to what he had on the island. He was excited to finally explore the world of Pokemon, even if he would have to scrounge to get by.
Don't forget, you're supposed to get Azalea to return home. Barring that, get her to talk to her grandparents.
Daniel wasn't fully convinced that Azalea was in any danger. But the mentions of her mother being tortured? Daniel couldn't imagine what might have happened to her. The world of Pokemon was supposed to be a setting for a children's game. Sure bad things happened, but everything worked out in the end. He hoped that Motobu was just being paranoid.
Sakura dragged Motobu from wherever he was moping to bid Daniel farewell
"Thank you, Daniel. It means a lot to me that ye would do this for us. Ye will always be welcome here," said Sakura.
"Aye," said Motobu.
"Thanks. I'm sure this will all be resolved soon," Daniel said.
This is the end of Act 1! Thank you so much for joining me on this story! It has been over a year and a half since I started writing this story. It quickly ballooned from what I originally intended. I've learned a lot about how I motivate myself to write and what I like to write. I am truly surprised that I managed to write 70k+ words and that more than 400 people followed my story.
With that said, I do plan on continuing the story. I'm trying to write an entire arc and edit it before I publish it. I had to push out this chapter so that the next arc could begin. I did not plan the first act out nearly as well as I think I could now.
So please look forward to Daniel's and Azalea's upcoming adventures in Sinnoh! What new friends and allies will they meet on their journeys? Will Azalea reconcile with her family before fate catches up with her? Can Daniel find purpose in the new world that's finally open to him? Join me as I explore the Sinnoh region eight years after the fall of Team Galactic!