Chapter 1 – The Lamest Hero in the World
It's another terribly chilly summer day in Snowpoint, not unlike every other day in this wretched city. Charlie had still not gotten used to it, even after these past couple of years. The fields were not completely covered in sheets of snow anymore, yet somehow, despite it being the summer season, piles of snow were still gathered all over town from the occasional nights where it still fell. Plus, the cruel breeze howling outside was a great motivator to not leave the house, not that he often left anyway.
Though he had to admit there was a sort of mystical aspect to the city's cold that had a certain allure, especially for a seeker of knowledge like him. How come a region can be this cold where it snows all year long? And Sinnoh's myths and legends were much more interesting than his native Kalos', or so had he been told. Unfortunately, it was hard to argue that all of that made up for the living conditions he currently found himself in.
Ah yes, life in Kalos had been so much warmer, both literally and figuratively. Well, at least before they lost everything and ended up out on the streets, struggling to survive.
It seemed like an eternity ago, but he could never forget that cozy laboratory in Geosenge. The fantastic library that featured a plethora of books in which he had buried himself over the years, the warm fireplace in Molly's office that always kept him warm during the winter, spending entire nights cozying up next to her whilst researching Pokémon mythology. Life was pure bliss… He really did miss her. Unfortunately, good things tended to end sooner rather than later, and good people tended to die quicker, at least from his experience.
Molly Delvaux was an absolutely brilliant Pokémon researcher, a great friend and an even greater mother. Perhaps even a mother to him, though he never got to openly call her that. He always felt that by acknowledging that kind of relationship, he'd be sacrificing the opportunity of being her equal when it came to discussing his theories.
Despite that, she was definitely a mother figure to him, after all, she was the one who had raised him. He didn't remember much about that fateful evening, but Molly had told him of how in that special day, when she was coming back from a meeting at her company's headquarters, she had come across a crate with cute little newborn Charlie sleeping inside, abandoned in an alleyway with no family members in sight. Molly had tried her best to notify the community about finding him, either hoping to find some old family members or a potential family to adopt him, but seeing as no one had stepped forward, she decided to take it upon herself to raise him.
In their first years together, he recalled fondly how she taught him to read and write, and how captivated he had become by her vast collection of books and her fascinating research. She would frequently tell him of the great Kalosian legends and how much they could still learn from the ancient civilizations. However, in hindsight, Charlie now realized that he had been much too young to understand most of the concepts she attempted to explain to him. Unfortunately, as far as he knew, she never had the opportunity to finish her research, having been caught in an accident whilst exploring some newly-found ruins.
After Molly passed, all her research and most of her belongings that were in the laboratory were ruthlessly seized by the private company she worked for. Charlie meant most, because well, for some reason they didn't seize him for all the knowledge he had. And so, all that was left behind were her other two adopted daughters, Olivia and Paige, and him. Three little kitties, now kicked out onto the streets, because Molly, brilliant as she was, had been blinded by her research and allowed herself to trust the promise that they would be taken care of by said company, would she die. She had, of course, been lied to.
And so, the three little kitties were left out to dry. Thankfully Paige, the older of the two daughters, was useful for at least something and, in the first months, earned some quick money by doing whatever jobs she was allowed to at the age of 13. And that was enough to keep them alive, though she did not want to share with Charlie, the witch. Granted, they hadn't really talked much before Molly passed, so he supposed she simply saw him as a stray, another mouth to feed. He was really lucky to have Olivia.
Olivia Delvaux is a beautiful human being. Flawed, yet beautiful. Molly had taken her in after she had been involved in a terrible accident, the details of which were mostly not shared with Charlie. All he picked up on is that, for whatever reason, it had made her lose the ability to see colour, instead the world looked completely monochrome to her, like it was buried in permanent shadows. Despite this, to him her eyes looked perfectly normal, a cute soft brown.
Back then, in their homeless times, when Olivia was still simply a kid, there was already this sadness permeating from her. An aura one could imagine exuding from someone who could not catch a break, which coming from a 10-year-old was absolutely heart breaking. But she was still an angel to Charlie, and, despite her sister's complaints, she had always kept him safe, fed and warm.
During those times, they grew very close, bonding over their shared love of books and Charlie was glad to have someone to help him learn more, even it was usually learning about fictional universes and the like, Olivia's preferred literary themes. In all honesty, the hole Molly left in his heart could never be filled, but that kid was the closest he could've ever hoped for and, both for her mother and for her, he promised himself he'd never let anything bad happen to the girl ever again.
The group, calling it a family felt a bit forced to Charlie, eventually ended up in Sinnoh a couple years back. From what he understood, Paige had found love in a Sinnohan hockey player who promised he would take them in, but after they got on a sketchy boat and sailed all the way to Snowpoint, following 16-year-old Paige's blind love, the relationship quickly fizzled out and yet again they were left out on the streets. But this time, they were Sinnohan freezing streets, which they had no way to escape from.
Paige, credit to her, swallowed her pride and owned up to her mistake, eventually. After a lot of begging around, she found a decently stable job, working for the city in some snow shovelling workforce. Probably the most job security that one can find in Snowpoint.
Thankfully, her efforts also got the city to provide them with some accommodation, more than Kalos had ever given them. The very rundown apartment, where they were initially placed, was owned by a retired council member who had come to into financial troubles recently, which translated to incredibly cheap rent that Paige could cover with the salary from her full-time job.
The apartment itself was simple one bedroom with a single bathroom, which sadly had a grand total of zero bookshelves and no fireplace. So, basically hell.
And thus, 2 years later, he was still freezing in this Arceus forsaken region, reminiscing about warmer days.
School, which Olivia had attended these last couple of years, courtesy of the city, was now out for the summer and, from what I understand, she had graduated. Therefore, I will have the pleasure of hanging out with Olivia the entire day and for the foreseeable future, which for today means long sessions of cozying up in a blanket and reading fantasy books, though I would prefer learning actual history.
"However! The great young researcher refused to back down and, staring down the wicked Zapdos, together with her trusty Espurr-"
The little fur ball snuggled on my lap, interrupted my reading with a frustrated sigh, tapping my hand, and pointed at the picture portraying what was obviously a princess riding a dragon. Clearly, my not-so-subtle attempt at inserting us in the story hadn't gone down well with the overly serious cat.
"I realize that Kathryn is a princess and that her Pokémon is a Charizard, Charlie. I just thought it'd be cooler if I was the hero, and you were my partner! Plus, we've read this story a million times, I thought a twist could spice it up…"
His look of disappointment was enough to get me to back down immediately. He never really viewed himself as a fighter at all, Charlie was a scholar at heart. Ever since we met, he was always buried in mom's research, and I thought it was actually really cute how he had claimed the bookshelves as his sleeping area. He was like a little book guardian.
"Fine, fine, I'll stick to the original, sheesh."
Before I had time to return to our book however, I was once again interrupted, but this time by the opening of our apartment door, which clearly displeased Charlie. I guess he'd been looking forward to spending time together now that school was done for the year which, speaking of, I can proudly say I graduated from with slightly above average grades! Which was not bad, considering I had missed about 3 years of school since mom's accident.
Not only that, but being a 15-year-old graduate meant I could finally apply for a trainer's license, and I could go on a journey and battle gym leaders and maybe even become the Champion of the whole region!
Not that I was actually planning on doing any of that. I should, no, I absolutely need to start looking for a job myself. I can't be relying on Paige and government handouts forever, and that girl hasn't given herself a break in 2 years. She definitely needs help; beyond the housework I already do.
Having already thrown off her dirty clothes all over the entrance to our apartment, Paige walked into the main room wearing nothing but her usual sporty t-shirt and some very old shorts, what she would call her relaxing outfit. Though with how cold it was, I couldn't help but want to cover her up with a blanket and offer her some incredibly tasteless tea, one of the house's famed hot beverages.
"Yo, Vivi. You and the flea bag have fun today?" She happily chirped, really emphasizing the playful nicknames. I guess she's in a good mood.
Charlie, immediately climbed my messy brown hair, scratching my neck all over in the process, and stared daggers at Paige, muttering several curses at her, almost as if she were the wicked Zapdos of Princess Kathryn's story. These two get along great, though! I think the Espurr was honestly more annoyed at having his immersion ruined, once by me, now by Paige, than he was upset at my sister's presence and her teasing insults.
"Of course, though I just got home from the ceremony not too long ago, so Charlie and I didn't get to spend too much time together alone, I think that's why he's pissed." I giggled a bit when the Espurr stomped on my head gently, telling me to shut up.
Paige threw herself, next to me, on our small couch, the smell of cigarettes permeating through the air in a manner I had grown so accustomed too, it almost made me feel comfortable. I noticed that, for once, she hadn't grabbed a beer when she got home, which put me slightly on edge. This probably means we're going to have a serious talk.
"True, true, you did mention you still had some graduation stuff." She paused for a second, with a sad look in her eyes. I could tell she wanted to have been there for me, but I know how busy she is with work, every single minute of the day. Catching my gaze, she continued, not wanting to worry me.
"But anyway, I gotcha a super late birthday present. Well, kind of, but not really. Look." She said, throwing me a crumpled-up news article, which I somehow managed to not catch in the air and had to shamefully pick up from the floor.
"Nice catch, dork." She laughed, holding her head on one hand. "Basically, Gym Leader Candice is going to choose some promising trainers to join her Gym Trainer Program thingy. It's kind of like investing in Snowpoint's talent or something, or at least that's what I picked up on when some guys down at the station were talking. If I understood correctly, she chooses the best trainers and sponsors their League Circuit in order for them to get stronger and then eventually gets them to come work at her gym, that sort of deal. It's usually only for people who attend her private trainer school but, apparently, this year she is opening it to all Snowpoint residents. You know what this means?"
I waited for her to continue, but she sat up and looked at me, in an incredibly serious manner, which made me gulp. "It means, you can get a sponsorship for the League Circuit, it means you can get a beginner-friendly Pokémon, one that is actually useful, might I add-" She winked at Charlie who, surprisingly ignored her taunt, probably nervous about where she was going with this.
"It means… your ticket outta' here Olivia." She paused, with a look that seemed to plead me to take this chance. "You have to go."
The world seemed to pause for a moment, whilst I tried to digest what she had just said. But really, what did she just say? She must be completely out of her mind. Of course I can't go. Absolutely not. I can't leave her here by herself. Arceus knows that Paige worries too much about my future, but she needs me as much as I need her. I have to squash this fantasy of hers right now. This is where I belong, with her and Charlie, there is nothing out there for me.
"There is no way I'd pass the test, she wouldn't pick me." I deadpanned. Harsh, but probably true as I wasn't anywhere close to the smartest kid in my year in school. Not only that, but having missed out on so many years of studying and socializing with other kids that were my age, had made me realize how much I was lacking in the social skills department.
"What do you mean? You're smart as shit!"
She would say that, but I know how far behind I am. I'm completely ignorant of the entire world out there. All I know is to read books, I lack a lot of real palpable knowledge, but most of all I lack experience. Apart from school, I've mostly kept to myself these past years, burying myself in fantasy stories together with Charlie. So, I doubt I would be capable of surviving out in the wild, especially amidst not only wild Pokémon but also amidst other trainers, whose intentions could be not so good. Additionally, the test was divided in two parts, and whilst I could maybe scrape by the theoretical component…
"There is also a practical component, and you know I've never fought in a battle before, I know nothing about this."
"You've been reading about battling ever since you were able to read Vivi. And trust me, if I know anything, is that there isn't a single person stronger than you out there."
Oh, shut up. I've mostly read about fictional battles, not even real ones. And whilst some concepts might be applicable… I could never do it. After all, I'm a weak coward and, it's not like I have anyone to practice with...
"…I don't even have a Pokémon. Charlie wouldn't want to come."
"Fuck no. You're taking flea bag."
No, I could never force him to do something like that! I'll be all alone, just like before mom took me in. Just like how it was in those orphanages, where the only people who showed interest in me, simply wanted to research me and my sudden inability to see colour. Back then, I thought mom would be the same. I remember how her fluttering lab coat had immediately made me flinch as soon as I saw her, but she was so much warmer than all those other scientists. She viewed me as a girl, not as a research specimen, but also not as a victim. She brought a sense of normalcy to my life I had never felt.
So why does Paige want to take that away from me? To force me to be alone and abnormal, like I was before I met her and Charlie, before I met mom. Why does she keep pushing me back into the shadows when I've tried so hard to crawl out of them. Why won't she listen to me?! She knows better than anyone that…
"…Charlie can't fight! And neither can I. What are we supposed to do? Just show up and magically be better than hundreds of other kids? Life is not a fairy tale Paige. You think this is so easy-"
Why does she think this is so easy? Does she not see how much I need her? Does she not see how much she needs me? I do so much for you Paige and now you're trying to kick me out onto the streets again, why?
"Why? You literally have no friends and zero life skills. Who is going to cook for you? How do you plan on living if I do leave, hm? You're useless without me-"
I catch myself. I just said all of that out loud.
What is wrong with me? Why was I even thinking that about one of the most precious people in my life?
I-I'm still a monster, just like back then.
I slowly tear my eyes off the ground and glance towards my sister. She looks destroyed. Fuck, I'm so sorry Paige, I didn't mean to, I really, really didn't.
Rivers of tears start flowing down my face and my rant turns into ugly crying just like that. I feel Paige's hand touch my cheek for a second, brushing away my tears, before she pulls me into a deep heartfelt hug, calming me down as if it was magic.
"Sorry, kid. I know I'm useless sometimes. I'm sorry I put so much fucking pressure on you, that you feel like you need to take care of me. I promise I'll take good care of myself, and the house too." I can tell she is also crying by the sniffles in between words. But she continued.
"And I'm really sorry that I haven't been around enough to help you when you were down, or to celebrate your accomplishments with you. You just graduated today… I'm glad you have Charlie to be a good brother to you."
"You're not useless…I'm sorry" I manage to get out. "I just really need you and, I thought you didn't need me anymore, so I got mad and scared and said some very mean things. I'm sorry…"
"Of course I need you sis, all my life we've had each other's back. But you've always followed my stupid decisions and lived with the consequences of my actions. You never got to live your own life Vivi, and I want you to follow your dreams for once."
Dreams? What even is my dream?
"Being the hero of your own story, dingus. That's what you told me when we first met, remember? I made fun of you for always talking about how much you loved the heroes in your books and stuff. And you told me to shut up and that one day-"
"I would be the very best hero, and I would make you and mom look up to me." A hero, huh? Cute. I smirked to myself. For the first time in a long time, I felt a fire lit inside me, and it made me want to scream. Arceus, what had I been doing until now? This isn't what mom wanted for either of us, she wanted us to be the best, to live our lives out to the best of our abilities and to never give up on our dreams.
I turned to Paige. "I'm sure you also realize this also means it's about time you stop overworking yourself, trying to feed a family of three and follow your goals, right? I know you were worried about me, but you literally haven't given yourself any time for hobbies, meeting people, following your own dream. Didn't you want to be a singer?"
"Ah, the classic snow shoveling pop star wouldn't that be a hit-"
"I'm serious."
"I'm not cut out for that kinda thing, I-" She looked up and, after a second she smiled. Mom used to love hearing her sing. "I'll give it a go, but it's probably not going to work out. I'm a nicotine addicted woman who only knows how to work physically demanding jobs. Not very inspirational."
"You're my inspiration. A girl who was forced to grow up faster than normal, pressured by the need to take care of her family and a girl who overcame so much adversity and yet always puts others first. I really love you Paige, you're the best sister in the world."
"Awwwwww I love you, baby sister" She playfully threw her arms around me. "And I love you too flea bag."
Right, Charlie. He would join me, right? He hates fighting, though. Arceus, we've always been together, the thought of having to leave without him was terrifying, but even if he does reject coming along, I would go regardless. I'm way too deep to back down now, this is for my dream and for mom. I must put myself first this time, selfish as it is, I'm sure Charlie would understand.
I picked up the Espurr off my head and looked directly into his eyes, though he immediately turned away to hide that he had also been crying, the emotional little guy that he is.
"Guess I'm going on a little adventure" I try to say it confidently, smothering the thought that he might completely reject the idea. "Want to join the lamest hero in the world as she tries to be the best version of herself?"
The cat looked me in the eyes for the longest time, as if he was searching for something, either within me or within himself. Then, he glanced towards the book we had been reading, his gaze lingering on Kathryn atop her Charizard. He wrestled himself out of my hands, choosing to stand on my lap. Then, in an elegant movement, he raised his arm, and the book started floating ever so gently. The room's lights went out as if all the air had been sucked out at once. Paige and I looked at each other for a second, baffled. We had never seen Charlie use his Psychic powers before, we didn't even know he was able to. And perhaps the Espurr wasn't sure if he could do it either, but in that moment, he took the first step and tried to write a new chapter for himself.
The moment seemed to last an eternity, where nothing else mattered except us three and our fate lied on that book. However, the Espurr ended it as elegantly as he had started it, willing the book into the trash can in the corner of the room, causing Paige, who had been holding her breath, to dramatically gasp.
Then he threw me a pencil and smiled, with a shrug. It was time to write Our Story.