DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, or anything related to Pokemon or its affiliates. I have taken some of the elements from the Pokemon Game Series and gave my own spin to it.
Episode I:
Run
A siren blared throughout the dark streets of Rustboro. The teenaged girl jolted from her sleep, her heart thumping rapidly from the rude awakening. She sat frozen under her bedsheets, and after a few seconds, the sound faded into the night. A silent palm on her chest was all it took to calm herself down now that the crisis was averted. She was thankful the police had driven past her home, unlike last time.
Well, this isn't really a home, she thought. Unable to fall back to sleep, she slid out of her covers and flipped on her light switch. The dim ceiling light hummed to life, and her tiny, plain room was made apparent. The wallpaper featuring rows of Wingull and Pelipper had already started peeling away, and the tiled, white floor contained numerous cracks. The girl walked up to her small, red dresser with a mirror and opened the first drawer. She rummaged through her clothing until she finally pulled out a silver necklace hidden near the back. It was a simple, decorated, tiny ball that was attached to a thin, silver chain. She quickly cupped the necklace in her hand and twirled her head towards the worn-out door, making sure it was locked. Finally, she wrapped the silver accessory around her neck before admiring it through the dusty mirror.
The girl's delicate and attractive face smiled back at her with rosy lips. Her bright, jewel green eyes gazed into her reflection, and she ran a hand around her slender neck. The red nightgown she draped complimented her long, scarlet hair, now a tousled mess. Despite being seventeen years old, she was quite short, clocking in at about five feet and three inches.
Suddenly, a door creaked outside her room, and her heart pulsed with every following stomp. She quickly switched the lights off and scurried under her covers, still wearing the necklace that she was now clutching in her hand. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, producing the notion that she was asleep. Light crept into her room, and the silhouette of a heavy-set woman appeared in the doorway. After a few seconds that felt like years, the creaking of her ungreased door began, darkening the room once again.
She waited until the loud footsteps receded before relaxing her stiff form. The cold metal of her necklace began to warm in her palm, and she closed her eyes. Outside her window, ghastly clouds veiled the moon in their haze, and the darkness finally lulled her back into a deep sleep.
A low hum began to emit from the girl's palm, but she was unaware of it in her slumber. Dark purplish energy seemed to wisp around her, and the temperature dropped. The girl shivered, and there was a troubled expression on her dormant face. Soon, the energy dissipated, but not before a disembodied voice whispered, its razor-sharp voice cutting through the air like a blade being dragged over a rock.
Mine…
Just three days, Moxy. In three days, you will be free from this orphanage to do whatever your pretty head pleases, Moxy reassured herself as she stood in front of her mirror. The sunlight shone through her window, but it struggled to keep the room well-lit. The sound of cars made it to Moxy's ears, their continuous honks grating them. She wasn't particularly annoyed by it, but she couldn't handle anything in the morning unless she had two things: One was food, and the other waited outside her room.
She was dressed in a uniform that consisted of a black, high-collared blouse, a navy-blue skirt, and white socks in black slip-ons. Her red hair was well-combed, and two silver earrings dangled from her small ears. The silver necklace she held while she slept now lay on her dresser, and it glimmered from the reflection of the sun's rays.
"No, that was a fresh grab. If someone sees you wearing it, you could get in trouble," Moxy whispered to herself. Her voice was silvery but high-pitched, a trait she liked but also hated about herself. On one hand, it helped her look innocent in the eyes of her superiors. On the other hand, people picked on her for voice, especially the bullies at the Rustboro Training Academy.
Moxy hid the necklace inside her top drawer. After assessing her appearance once more, she grabbed a brown backpack and headed out of her room. The second she opened her door, the cutest purr in the whole world emanated from somewhere down the spiral staircase. The sound of skittering paws against the hard floor drew closer as Moxy made her way down to the large, decorated lobby. At the last step, the form of her best friend came into view around the corner.
"Good morning, Sylveon!" Moxy exclaimed. The four-legged, pink, and white creature leaped into Moxy's arms and began licking her face.
"C'mon stop that, hehe." She laughed in between words, trying to put her hand between her face and Sylveon's relentless licking.
From around the same corner, the headmistress walked out, a frown on her large, mole-ridden face as she watched Moxy play with Sylveon. Once she caught sight of the woman, Moxy put Sylveon down gently and walked towards the headmistress.
"Ms. Pennington," the girl politely addressed the woman. The large woman wore a black dress, and her long, graying hair looked like it could use a good wash. She walked in an unbalanced fashion towards Moxy, every step of her black slippers generating a loud slap against the blue tiles. Ms. Pennington made sure Moxy's backpack was on tightly and brushed off any specks of dust on the girl's blouse with her large, rough hands. The woman's hot breath met Moxy's face, which she had to endure so as to not upset the headmistress.
"Are you ready for school, Moxy?" asked the headmistress as she forced a paper lunch bag into Moxy's arms. Her thick voice carried a hint of authority, and each word out of her plump lips seemed to criticize the redheaded girl. Moxy nodded in response, but Ms. Pennington's wrinkled, hazel eyes squinted at something on the floor. Moxy was puzzled until she realized Ms. Pennington was eyeing the Sylveon, who became pale under the headmistress's terrifying gaze. Moxy was quick to kneel in front of her pokemon.
"Sorry, Sylveon. Going to have to ball you up for now," Moxy whispered. Sylveon purred lightly, stroking one of her feelers along Moxy's red cheek. The girl pulled out a red and white pokeball from her bag and gently tapped its front on Sylveon's forehead. A brilliant, red light surrounded Sylveon before engulfing the pokemon into the pokeball. Moxy put the pokeball inside her backpack, as well as the bag of lunch given to her by Ms. Pennington.
"I heard a noise in your room last night. What were you doing up?" she asked, her hands on her hips.
"I-"
"And don't you lie to me." Ms. Pennington pointed a sickly finger at the girl. "You better not have been trying to sneak out again."
"I wasn't sneaking out, Madame. The police cars woke me in the middle of the night, and I decided to do some last-minute preparations," Moxy explained, pointing to her backpack.
A furious expression formed on the headmistress's wrinkled face, and she quickly grasped the teenager's wrist. Moxy winced in pain as Ms. Pennington started to wring it. "I said not to lie to me, brat."
"I-I'm not, I swear!" Moxy pleaded, wrenching her arm from the headmistress's grip.
After a few seconds of glaring, the headmistress finally gave up and let go of Moxy's wrist. "I want you back here by seven on the dot, young lady. You may think since your birthday is in three days you are exempt from the rules, but I assure you there will be a punishment if you are even a second past seven. SEVEN!"
Moxy coddled her wrist silently as she hurried out of the orphanage. Ms. Pennington screeched out 'seven' once more before slamming the huge wooden door behind her. A couple of bystanders witnessed Moxy's departure, and their hushed tones caused the girl to hide her face in embarrassment.
Once the large, three-story brick orphanage was out of sight, Moxy stomped her foot on the dusty, stone-brick sidewalk. After rummaging through her backpack, she clicked Sylveon's pokeball, priming it and letting the pokemon out.
"I can't wait to get the hell out of that place," she hissed, her eyes burning with hatred.
When Sylveon emerged from the multi-colored light, the pokemon noticed her trainer's angry face. She wrapped one of her ribbon-like feelers around Moxy's hand, and a sense of calmness washed away Moxy's anger and lingering wrist pain. However grateful for the feeling, Moxy was well-aware of its temporary, drug-like effects. Nevertheless, she took in a waft of the crisp, spring air around her, and the two began their stroll down the sidewalk of Rustboro's busy streets.
Rustboro was a fine city dotted with buildings and high-rises. It was the kind of place where someone could start a business since Rustboro was filled with people and opportunities. Most of the buildings were made of sandstone to fit a theme. Those were complexes built for mass housing, to Moxy's knowledge. However, the more interesting buildings were taller, more advanced, and located in the northmost part of the city. Those were the more successful businesses, such as the Devon Corporation, Quartz Mall, and the Rustboro Security Agency. The Rustboro Training Academy, the best school in Hoenn, stood right at the border to the southmost part of the city. This was also the school where Moxy was going.
Suddenly, she was stirred from her thoughts by a robotic, low-pitched voice.
"Violation. Scanning pokemon and trainer ID. Do not flee or resist."
Moxy's soul jumped out of her body for a split second. Sweat formed around her hairline, and her breathing came out in short rasps. They...caught me? But how?
She turned around to see an orange drone with an erratic, blue ectoplasm surrounding it a few meters away from her. The words POLICE were printed across all four of its small helicopter propellers, and two barrelled cannons protruded from its side. This was a Rotom possessing a police drone.
Fortunately, the drone wasn't facing Moxy, rather an unkempt-looking man who must have been walking behind her. And his Grimer.
The Rotom unit hovered around the man while its blue, electronic eyes emitted a cone of blue light that scanned the man's face. The man tried to say something, but he was interrupted when the light hit his eyes. People walking down the sidewalk made wide arcs to avoid the Rotom's business. After a few seconds, the light turned green.
"Facial recognition completed. Citizen 035903376," the Rotom said before repeating its scan on the Grimer. The sludge pokemon tried to escape the light by hiding behind its trainer's leg, but the cone of light flashed green again, indicating its scan was complete.
"Grimer 035903376. Class: C. Identifications are valid. Citizen, are you aware you have violated laws C-1301 and C-1303? Encapsulate your Grimer immediately," ordered the Rotom.
The man's eyes widened. "Violation?! Just for walking with my pokemon?! I walk her here every day! This makes no sense!" he huffed accusingly, putting his arm between the drone and his frightened pokemon.
"Law C-1301 and law C-1303 states any Class C specimen that expels an unnaturally foul odor or tracks a substance must be kept encapsulated within city limits unless otherwise instructed by legal order or with a specific pokemon license in an SPL requested zone." There were pauses between each number and coupled with its monotonous, drawn-out speeches, it seemed to agitate the man further.
"Does citizen 035903376 have legal order or an SPL license?"
"An SP what now?" the man raised his eyebrow.
"Is a repetition required for citizen 0359-"
"No, I don't have one," the man interrupted. The Rotom's eyes switched red in response, and Moxy flinched from the sound of its twin side cannons cocking.
"Therefore by League authority, you are required to encapsulate your Grimer or this unit will be forced to apprehend you."
At this point, any notion of the man's bravado had disappeared as he stared down the barrel of the cannon. "Woah! I'll put her away, just don't hurt me, okay!?"
The Grimer's fear turned to anger, and she raised her arms, ready to strike.
"It's okay, Gry." The man stopped the pokemon from escalating the situation. He pulled out a pokeball and returned the Grimer as quickly as he could. When the red light from the ball faded, the Rotom's eyes returned to their neon blue.
"The League thanks you for complying, citizen. This has been recorded. Another violation of equal proportions will warrant a ticket. Good day." The Rotom hovered away before the man could get any other word in. Moxy's heart rate slowed as the sound of the Rotom's propellers faded in the distance. She put a hand to her chest, thanking Arceus, or whoever was watching over her.
"W-What the hell are you looking at?!" The man yelled, his eyebrows arched as he caught Moxy still ogling at him.
Moxy pulled Sylveon by her feeler and they hurried back on their path, neither of them looking back.
"That was a close one..." she muttered when they were a distance away. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her head. Sylveon's ears raised in response, and she looked at her trainer.
"Uhh... nothing, Sylveon. That's the first time we've seen a Rotom in this part of the city, right?"
Sylveon nodded and one of her ears drooped in confusion.
Must be about what happened last night, Moxy thought. Not wanting to risk a confrontation with another Rotom, Moxy made a sharp turn into an alley between a store and an apartment. Sylveon yelped in surprise at their uncharted deviation.
"It's a shortcut. Don't worry," Moxy confided. Sylveon acknowledged her trainer silently, or so Moxy thought. Moxy saw two Zigzagoons rummaging through a dumpster, and they scurried behind it at the sight of Moxy. As they walked through the alley, her heart rate slowed. No eyes were on her, no one was around to judge. She felt safe.
Soon they entered another sidewalk, this one less crowded than the other. A small fruit stand that was selling a variety of berries in angled baskets could be seen a short way from Moxy's position. Moxy gawked at the plump, scrumptious Oran berries, almost salivating at their sight. The twenty-something-year-old shopkeeper was lazing about in his plastic chair, and he hadn't noticed Moxy yet.
Sylveon noticed her trainer's gaze, and she murmured a protest.
"Stay here, Sylvie," Moxy ordered, already on the move. She scanned her surroundings for any onlookers as she walked up to the stand.
Moxy picked up an Oran berry and held it high up in the air, her lips puckered, and eyes squinted. She inspected the berry for about a minute or so until the shopkeeper finally noticed.
"Uhh, are you going to buy that?" he asked, his baggy, almond-shaped eyes unblinking.
"There is a problem with all your berries. They're horribly bruised. Which farm do you get these from?" she asked, channeling her inner Ms. Pennington to sound as snobbish as possible.
"What are you talking about?" he said, slowly hoisting himself from his chair. The man snatched the berry out of her hand, and Moxy pointed to a couple of spots with one hand. While the shopkeeper closely inspected where she pointed, Moxy cupped two, small berries into her other hand.
The man tossed the berry back in its basket, "There's nothing wrong with them. They are a deep blue in certain spots on purpose."
"Ah, my mistake. Well, it's certainly unappetizing, so I think I'll take my leave," she said, quickly spinning around to face her pokemon. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, his expression sour before he retreated into his chair.
After they were out of the shopkeeper's sight, Moxy opened her hands, revealing the Oran berries. She munched on one while holding the other out to Sylveon, but the pokemon was glaring at the girl in contempt.
"Don't give me that look, Sylvie. I only took the smaller ones, so I thought I was being nice," she explained through a mouthful. Sylveon's eyes narrowed on that last statement, and Moxy sighed.
"So maybe I wasn't so nice. But at least I got us breakfast, and if you're going to be like that, then maybe I'll eat your berry too." Moxy pouted, holding the berry high in the air. The bunny-eared pokemon cried out, pawing at Moxy's skirt with her small front legs. Moxy succumbed to Sylveon's adorable actions and tossed her the Oran berry. The pokemon hopped and caught the berry with her mouth, disregarding anything that had to do with how the berry was obtained.
They continued down the street and turned another corner. Farther down the road, the smaller buildings gave way to towering, glass skyscrapers, which meant this was the border of the two parts of Rustboro: the quiet district where the orphanage was and, in her words, crazy town. The part of the city bustling with crowds, traffic, and police. The Rustboro Training Academy could be seen just on the other side of the street. It was a large, sandstone-brick building built in a Gothic style, with arches, buttresses, and an open courtyard in the middle. It was one of the oldest buildings in Rustboro, and its architectural style compared to the other high-tech buildings in Rustboro proves it nonetheless. Moxy found it interesting rather than obsolete or archaic. Something about uncovering ancient knowledge within its grand walls to reach limitless heights. In all honesty, she was lucky to be going to this school. To be taught by one of the most prestigious trainers in Hoenn.
Children wearing uniforms like Moxy funneled out of large, yellow school buses. Moxy observed some of the younger kids who grouped up in circles, each catching the others up about yesterday's events or whatever it was they talked about as they endured the cold, morning air.
"Okay, Sylveon," Moxy started, kneeling in front of her pokemon. Sylveon bowed her head in discomfort, already knowing what Moxy was going to say. "I'm going to have to keep you in your ball until lunchtime."
A tiny whine escaped the pokemon's lips, and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Moxy.
"Oh, Sylvie. You know they don't allow pokemon inside the school. We'll hang out at lunch, okay?"
"Vee..." Sylveon whined yet again.
"The other kids will get jealous if they see you," she pressed, "and I don't feel like getting picked on today..."
Moxy pulled out Sylveon's ball. Out of all the sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, only those who had passed the Trainers License Exam with a score of seventy or above received a trainer permit to train pokemon. Of course, an adult with a license had to watch over the student's training for safety purposes.
However, a few, talented kids over the age of twelve but under sixteen got a chance to take the PTLE or the Pseudo Trainer's License Exam. Anyone could take the test, but they had to wait until they were twelve to receive the permit if they passed with a ninety or higher. However, there were a lot of restrictions that came with it, so it wasn't all that glamorous. Moxy was one of those few to have passed that exam, but she was different from all the other kids. Even the ones without permits.
She was an orphan. The only orphan in Rustboro City at the moment. Sure, it was a big city, and normally many children were orphaned here. However, those children were in and out before she even had a chance to get to know them. Hell, the last child there left a week ago. Except for her.
However, there was no one to blame but herself. Her record was stained after all. One look at it and potential parents ran. Moxy shook her head, not wanting to revisit that. Ever since that day, her classmates have never thought she deserved her pokemon or a permit.
Those were the kinds of kids that she differed from. They had what she didn't. People who cared about them instead of tossing them aside like trash. People who would help them with homework when the going got rough. People who would make sure their children didn't end up as thieves just to make ends meet. Just thinking about it boiled her mind. Sylveon could feel her dark thoughts, and the pokemon purred in reassurance while tightening the grip around her trainers' hand. Moxy mirrored her kindness with a grateful smile before returning the pokemon to her ball.
Moxy made her way towards the sandstone building, making sure to avoid the bigger groups who were more likely to taunt her as she walked by. She was almost at the archway entrance when two quiet voices reached her ear.
"Look, it's that redhead trainer, remember? The police interrupted a class to take her in," a brown-haired, snobby-looking boy near the entrance whispered a little too loudly. The blonde girl talking with him snickered when she noticed Moxy.
"Don't know why the school bothered to give her a permit. She's a criminal. Any pokemon she trains is a guaranteed failure."
Moxy immediately whirled around, confronting the two gossips with wild eyes.
"You want to say something, say it to my face!" she snapped, venom in her voice. The two students covered their mouths in laughter before walking away from her. Other students nearby were jolted awake from Moxy's sudden burst, and they showed their displeasure with frowns and raised eyebrows.
Moxy clicked her tongue in annoyance. At least I have a permit, losers.
As soon as Moxy entered the front door, she was greeted with an odd sight. Students waited in a line to get through a metal detector. A conveyor belt on the left side brought backpacks through another, smaller metal detector. There was a tan, female officer, and she was instructing the students through.
This is new, Moxy thought before standing in line with the rest of the students. It was more likely the school was taking precautions because of last night. All of this for a stupid necklace? It couldn't be. Something else probably happened that night. Something serious.
"Next," the officer drawled.
Moxy put all her belongings on the conveyor belt and stood in front of the detector, waiting for the officer's order. She didn't know why, but being scanned made her feel uncomfortable. She had done a lot of bad things, but she was always careful. She never went anywhere with stolen goods on her person. However, what feared her was the unknown. If she had made a mistake or overlooked something important, now would be the time she would pay for the consequences. And she couldn't let that happen again.
"Hmph." the officer's eyes drew on Moxy. She assumed she must have recognized her. All the more reason to get through this as fast as possible.
Moxy gulped before stepping through the detector.
Nothing happened.
"Take your stuff and beat it." The police officer motioned her head towards the conveyor belt.
Moxy continued through the school. The interior looked like something out of a medieval movie. The floor was copper marble, and it was so glossy Moxy could easily see her reflection through it. Metal lockers decorated with colorful stickers leaned against the tall, sandstone walls. The hallway was packed with students wearing identical uniforms to Moxy.
Moxy walked up to her locker. She sighed at the red graffiti on her locker. She would clean it, but then it would be the fifteenth time she cleaned it, so attempting it again would be futile.
She tossed her lunch in the locker and headed to her first class, which was an advanced course in Pokemon Training. Upon entering the classroom, her eyes drifted towards the many portraits of common pokemon dotted along its white walls, and a blackboard leaned against the long end of the room. A large, finely crafted, mahogany desk situated itself in front of the blackboard, which overlooked four rows of smaller, wood desks. Teary-eyed students were seated in them, some of them yawning as they rested their heads against their arms. All the students in this class wore two-toned colored sports outfits that were popular among pokemon trainers for their flexibility in battle. However, the outfits were quite expensive, and Moxy couldn't afford one despite being a trainer herself. Asking Ms. Pennington was also out of the question. The students wore belts with a single pokeball clipped to them.
All but six desks were occupied with kids, and Moxy soon found out why.
Moxy raised her eyebrow at the five students lingering around her desk near the right-hand corner of the classroom. She made her way towards the students, all of whom were gawking at the desk with wide, hyena-like smiles on their faces. At Moxy's appearance, the students snickered and ran back to their seats.
She gasped in shock. The word CROOK was smeared across her desk in big, black letters, and the culprits laughed at Moxy's reaction. She tried to wipe the ink off her desk, but no amount of rubbing would remove the permanent marker.
Moxy's fear was realized when a girl with green hair and a red-yellow jacket among the group sneered at her, a black marker twirling around her long fingers. Moxy lowered her head, her eyebrows furrowing unsteadily at the girl.
Janice. A low growl formed deep inside Moxy's throat as she stared into the girl's nasty, gray eyes. Moxy tightened her already balled fist, ready to blow that smug grin right off her thin face.
"Good morning, class!" a cheery voice chimed in from the classroom's door. Moxy retreated into her seat, sending Janice a parting shot before turning to attention.
A short, pretty woman entered the room, and there was a huge smile plastered on her pretty face. Her brown hair was fashioned into two large pigtails that crisscrossed behind her head. The woman wore a black, miniskirt dress, red leggings, and a pair of black slip-ons. A long, red bowtie dangled around the collar of her white, buttoned, and short-sleeved shirt underneath. The lady had a black purse too, which she placed on the mahogany desk before starting class.
"Good morning Ms. Roxanne," the students monotoned in unison.
"You know the drill. Take out your homework," Roxanne addressed, her singsong voice projecting itself across the classroom.
All at once, the students did what they were told and Roxanne took out a red pen from her bag. She made her way down the rows of desks, scrutinizing and jotting a checkmark on each student's work. Moxy grumbled while pulling out a black, spiral notebook from her bag. In the corner of her eye, she glanced at a graceful Janice opening a large, white binder, as if it were some sort of holy constitution. Moxy imagined a scenario where her black notebook spun through the air and decapitated that stick-like neck of hers. Or she could just let Sylveon rip it off.
Unfortunately, all she could do now was hide the heinous word on her desk as Roxanne passed by.
"Can you show me your homework, Moxy?" Roxanne requested. Her voice was strained back as if increasing her volume any further would shatter the girl. Moxy turned to the last page of her book which contained passages on common locations where the pokemon Salamance dwelled.
Roxanne skimmed it over, mumbling the rash handwriting directly off the page. "Commonly found hibernating deep inside caves… they only venture out when hungry… they love to fly since they were unable to do so in a previous evolution, so some will live high in the mountains of their homes… evidence shows that Meteor Falls is a good example of such a place…"
Moxy held her breath as Roxanne read the last bits. The teacher took a moment to think it over before nodding in satisfaction. She gave the essay a big, red checkmark before moving on to the next student. Moxy exhaled, thankful for her basic knowledge on the Bagon line, and glad she didn't get a zero for a rushed assignment.
After Roxanne had checked everyone's assignments, she began to lecture the class on the geography and pokemon habitats of the Kalos region, specifically around Western Kalos where the Reflection Cave resided. Moxy rested her head against her crossed arms on the desk as Roxanne spoke. She had already studied the entirety of the Kalos region, and her eyes began to doze on and off. Soon only the pitch of her teacher's voice reverberated in her mind as she drifted off into a deep slumber.
I post status updates on my profile if you guys are curious about the current state of the fic. And if you have questions or gripes, feel free to PM me.
Cheers!
Special mention to IceCreamAndPizza for beta reading and giving me good advice. Their help was invaluable!