Hilda White was no stranger to strange encounters. From a terrorist organization, to legendary pokemon, it was no surprise why an international police force would take interest in her. Nor was it a surprise when she accepted their invitation, even though her childhood friends and mother would say otherwise.
Team Plasma had lost its head, but the body still had life in it. That had been the reason she gave, a plan of swift and decisive action, which seemed to only satisfy Cheren. Bianca and her mother didn't fall for the front she put on, yet they stepped aside as she walked out the door.
Track and arrest the remnants of Team Plasma. Question the Plasma Elders on any plans of retaliation. Find her missing friend.
Her heart was unwavering, until a certain strange encounter.
Her day began like any other, packing up camp from where her and her killer team of pokemon had stayed the night in the woods on Route 12. After the camp supplies were secured, she ordered her pokemon to begin each of their training routines. She divided her attention among the different sparring matches between her pokemon, but the goal being chased after today revolved around Darlene, her Sawsbucks.
The deer-like pokemon were radios for nature, with the seasons acting as channels to tune into. Her's was no exception, with it showing off a white coat mostly made of snow. However, the fact that it was winter made the task she had given Darlene all the more challenging.
But Hilda White didn't train any quitters.
"Double Kick, make some distance." Darlene spun on her two front hooves and struck with her rear ones, pushing off of Gigi and creating space from the Fire/Fighting type. Gigi recovered swiftly and returned the favor with a fireball from her snout. The attack was aimed at the feet of the doe, striking the snow and causing an explosion of steam.
"Here she comes, be a leaf in the wind."
Time spent with her pokemon had seen to her learning all of their little quirks. Despite her fierce power, Darlene saw herself as a gentle creature. When she wasn't training she would tune out the world and become one with nature, phrases like 'be a leaf' greatly appealed to her. Hilda could still recall when she picked up a Kantonian haiku book and began to mindlessly read it out loud, only to look up and find Darlene staring at her awestruck. She'd see if they could order a new one at the next town.
Fists wreathed in flames were deflected, if not outright missing, thanks to the encouragement. After the doe made space with another Double Kick, her coat flashed white. Hilda's eyes lit up "Now, Solar Beam." With a loud cry of her name, Darlene unleashed a cone of light from her horns at Gigi. The flaming swine crossed her arms and bore the full force of the attack. The beam shoved the brawler a good dozen feet, the heat coming off it melting the nearby snow. After the attack cutoff, Gigi fixed a look on Darlene from behind her arms.
"What would you rate that one." She asked her starter. Gigi gazed down at her arms, before throwing two thumbs up in approval. "All right!" Hilda cheered. "You keep your focus and stay passively charging through out our battles, and Team Plasma will never know what hit them."
Hilda walked over to Darlene and started to gently pet her. "Good work girl, all of your training has paid off." She spared one more glance at the preening doe, and began turning her attention to the other pokemon spars in the area they had set up. A pattern was set that continued the rest of the day. Sparring then a nutrition break. Some of her pokemon experienced breakthroughs and victory, others roadblocks and frustration. Each one was worth it. As night began to roll around, Hilda cupped her hands to her mouth to call out to her team.
Gigi grunted, turning her body to the forest behind them. Before Hilda could ask about her starters action, she heard it.
The strange shouts of a child.
"Why did I think it was a good idea to come out here without a pokemon!?"
Her feet were already on the move.
[To Be a Shounen Protagonist]
"Why did I think it was a good idea to come out here without a pokemon!?"
The self-deprecating shout rang out from deep in Route 12 in the Unova region, as a young boy tears through the tall grass and trees. Even with the snow covered branches snagging his silver hair and scratching his dark skin , he doesn't dare to waste time glancing behind him because that second glance was all he had between life and death. His pursuer still hot on his heels even after miles of running.
Pinsir would perform a charge with its horns, piercing the youth through the back and pinning his corpse to a tree.
He leaps to the side, barely avoiding the lethal blow in an athletic feat that should be impossible for a 14 year old boy.
"It worked! But man that was one gruesome future, you're seriously trying to kill me!"
The coleopteran pokemon ripped its horns out of the tree, leaving it completely hollowed out. Its rows of teeth clicking in anger, before resuming chase of its prey.
"You should consider a home construction business for rodents!"
"Pinsir!"
Despite the dire situation, the boy was ecstatic that his power worked. Haki, the ability to enforce your will onto the very fabric of reality if it was strong enough. Coming in the three forms of Observation, Armament, and finally Conquerors.. It had taken a weird form in this world, but there was no doubt it was power he would read about frequently in one of his favorite mangas, and the gift he received upon his reincarnation.
The purpose for being on route 12 was to train this very power. His self given task was to consistently manifest armament haki by 'hardening' his will. During the process of smashing his fist against trees he realized he had gathered an audience of Metapods hanging by string from a tree. His brothers in hardness tried to warn him of the pinser burrowed inches from his punching post, but alas the damage was already done.
"Your learning curve must be a straight line! Even a monkey can see you ain't catchin me!"
With a grin of assured victory, the young boy punctuated this statement by diving into a massive log acting as a slide down hill. His body torpedoed throw several wax-like objects causing him to groan in disgust. He emerged from the other side covered in… honey?
His ears quickly picked up a buzzing sound. He slowly raises his head, finding a swarm of Combees flanking their queen. The honeycomb Pokémon looking at him as if he had just razed their homes to the ground. Considering the mess drenching his sportswear, that was most likely the case.
"Oh no." He whispered. His hands elevated up into a submissive gesture. "I didn't mean to… um, look I was just trying to get away from-"
Crash
The Pinsir landed behind him, feet sinking through the ground and his chances of living. Both insectoid pokemon locked eyes, and when the Vespiquen and Pinsir began arguing a glimmer of hope seemed to be appearing. It was swiftly snuffed out when the queen of the hive fluttered back and the murderous beetle began stalking forward.
The boy was already taking off again. A head start to put some distance-
"Ahh!"
Pain shot through his left shoulder. He fell to his knees and a spare glance confirmed his fears. A purple needle was imbedded into the joint, coating his once black sports jacket in the same color. With energy slowly leaving him, he looked back towards the Vespiquen, and saw a purple liquid coating its mandibles.
"Poison… hah… of course"
Still desperate times, called for desperate measures. The boy reached deep inside the recesses of his Will. To bring it out and have it wash over his enemies, forcing them to submission. The haki started in his stomach, before flowing to his chest. He almost completed the herculean task of bringing it out.
Does it matter though.
With one stray thought the haki burst into nothing, fleeing with his stamina in tow.
"Damn." He swore.
The young boy's mind began wandering elsewhere as the Pinsir repeatedly struck its horns together, the sound eerily similar to a bell tolling. Reflecting he realized, he had been rather aimless this second go around at life. While school was more interesting in this world it didn't hold his attention for very long, after-all his mind was too advanced.
An excuse.
His new parents were loving, but he couldn't hold the same love for them as he did the ones who really raised him.
Another excuse.
He couldn't even summon the delusion necessary for a traditional shounen protagonist goal, which in hindsight is probably why his development of Haki, the one thing he put passion in over the years, was so stunted. There was nothing he truly desired in this new world.
Still, it wasn't a bad life.
He locked eyes with his soon to be killers, and proceeded to do something that made all the Pokémon present reel back in shock.
He smiled.
"Make it quick would ya, I'm sure you've all got places to be."
The Pinsir released a screech and then charged the boy, horns parallel to the forest floor.
The Vespiquen stood by with her subjects, as they watched their justice be objectively served.
The boy never took his eyes away from the pokemon, and the hollow smile never left his face.
Clang
Pinsir was halted completely, Its horns caught it the hooves of a new arrival. A bulky bipedal pokemon, with trunk like arms, and stout legs that were positioned in a front stance. A boar shaped head glared from behind the collar of flames around its neck.
The boys attention was taken from the pokemon when he heard foot steps echoing from the grass behind him. Looking behind himself, he saw a girl walking forward. No, a Pokémon Trainer, with a pokeball firmly grasped in her right hand.
He then noticed her outfit, and his mind and body declared war on each other. His mature mind was mortified she was wearing shorts that barely reached the top of her thighs, exposing more of herself to the winter elements. His adolescent body was happy for the sight of toned athletic legs. She wore a sleeveless white shirt under an equally sleeveless black jacket. Slung over her shoulder was a pink messenger bag to complete the outfit. Her brown hair, tied off in a pony tail, swayed in the night breeze. A youthful heart shaped face completed the package, with blue eyes that almost glowed beneath her pokeball cap.
"Gigi." She spoke, her voice possessing as much heat as her pokemon. "Flamethrower."
"Em-" The hog monster inhaled through its snout. Its collar of flames entering into its nostrils. Then came the exhale. "Boar!" A torrent of flame washed over the Pinsir, its figure completely submerged. The wave of fire continued back to the hive of bee pokemon, who swiftly jumped forward to protect their queen. It wasn't enough. The queen and her subjects soon joined Pinsir in a baptism by fire.
The once quiet night was filled with the sounds of bug pokemon scrambling to put out the fire on their bodies. The Pinsir who started this event lay prone, charred, and unconscious. Seeing her subjects in a similar state, Vespiquen shot off into the night sky. She made it about 20 feet into the air before plummeting, as the pain from the burns caught up to her.
A dismissive snort was released from the boar pokemon, before it turned its strong figure to its trainer. "Nice work." The trainer complimented with a thumbs up, which the fire type return with its hooves. She turned to the boy, concern written across her face and asked "Are you okay?"
She received a dumbfounded look before the boy exploded. "Are you serious!" He jumped to his feet, still holding his wounded shoulder. "In what world does the state I'm in look even a bit ok-" He never saw the embarrassed flush appear on his rescuer's face, as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed into the realm of unconsciousness.
[To Be a Shounen Protagonist]
The boy awoke to a starry night sky, another benefit of this new world, he thought. Decades of light pollution only allowed the brightest of stars to shine their brilliance on his home planet. Groggily he reached a hand up, as if to grasp one those lights, grateful to still be alive.
Still be alive? That was an odd train of thought. Why would he-
"Boar, Boar!"
With far more effort than he was used to, he turned his head to the creature announcing its presence. He recognized it instantly, it's figure posted in his classroom along side its supposed equals. The bearer of fire in the region's starter trio.
"Emboar!" It roared out.
"Oh wow, you're already awake!"
He moved his eyes over again to find a girl in a sporty outfit. His gaze lingered longer on her. Did he know her from somewhere? The attempt to ask was made, but all that came out was a rather pathetic groan.
"Hn!"
A sharp prick came from his left shoulder, with a jerk he turned to see the girl was jabbing a syringe in his arm. When did she get there? "Hold still." She instructed. "We got the needle out of your shoulder, but some poison is still in your system."
That's right. He was hurt wasn't he? Memories of the last few hours flooded his mind. The Haki training. A mad dash through Route 12. Confronting death. Accepting death. All of it ending in a heroic rescue. Rolling his head he turned to face Emboar once more.
"Sorry, I picked Oshawott in all my playthroughs."
"Em?" The pokemon tilted its head in confusion, and turned to its trainer for answers. "He's probably still coming out of it. Just take any nonsense he says at face value, Gigi." She assured her pokemon. She returned her attention to her patient, and a frown found residence on her face.
"You don't have a pokemon." She stated, the accusation weighing heavy in the air. The boy met her gaze equally and replied. "I must have left their poke balls by my bed this morning." She smiled, it didn't looking very kind from his perspective. "Really? Well we can pick them up on our way to the hospital." Now she's just being pushy, it was time to play the gratitude card.
"You've already done so mu- Ow!"
The girl yanked the syringe out of his arm, walking away to begin another task. His eyes were glued on the backside of her shorts, before the rest of the world returned into focus. The fog lingering in his mind losing to a seige of clarity. The frigid night air. The grass rustling against his hand. The popcorn like texture of the log surface against his back. The lack of his jacket.
"What happened to my jacket?" He jolted up, with renewed vigor to search for it. Emboar watched him curiously, before asking in her own way what he was looking for. When he told her what he was searching for, she gave a stern nod and proceeded to march toward the tent a few feet away. Before the boy could wonder how the tent hadn't burst into flames, she reemerged with a torn up sports jacket in hoove.
To his surprise the boar pokemon held it out in a way that made it easy for him to slip into. "I'm gonna go broke with how much debt I'm beginning to owe you. Where do I even begin?" He remarked while dawning the jacket.
"Burnt berry curry would be a nice start." Replied the sporty girl returning to the campsite. She smiled at her pokemon, who was already looking excited at the idea. It seems he needed to look up some curry recipes, but before that he had to get home.
"I'm Hilda" She said interrupting his thoughts. "My partner over there is Gigi. You've been pretty cagey about everything but we'd like to know your name."
There was a reason for that, which they both knew. By social law he wasn't supposed to be here. It was one of the first things taught to kids whether they were in trainer school or not. It is taboo for a human of any age to be on the Routes without a pokemon. This applies to every person regardless of status, not even the champions themselves would flirt with the idea.
Yet, he did. Because the opportunity to improve his powers was too tempting. Due to that temptation he developed a bit of a reputation in his hometown for 'reckless endangerment' of his own being. His parents would chide him for striking steel beams. Mothers hauling their kids away when he asked them to throw objects at him while he wore a blindfold. Taking home the gold for his most insane stunt was challenging an Arcanine to a 'contest of wills'.
This blew all of them out the water.
"Leonardo," He finally answered. "Leonardo Zale."
"And where from?" She pressed on.
"Lacunosa Town, east of here."
Satisfied that he finally answered her, Hilda pulls a pokeball out of her pink hand bag and tosses it in the air. The red and white sphere burst mid flight, revealing a vulture-like pokemon covered in brown feathers. Its head was completely bare and pink, save for a tuff of hair on the back that housed a bone. It made one wonder where pokemon got these bone accessories, considering it also has a bone fashioned skirt shielding its bare legs.
The pokemon's red eyes glared down focusing on Leonardo specifically. He tried to meet the gaze of the avian, but found himself looking away. His will was found wanting. Again.
The Mandibuzz began cackling in victory, causing Leonardo to clench his fist. Before any action could be taken Hilda interjected. "Point made Barbara, now get down here he's a passenger."
"Passenger?" Leonardo questioned.
Barbara answered by swooping down to land in front of them. She was a little under 4ft tall, meaning that she could fit both of them on. It would tight ride though.
"I've never flown on a pokemon." He stated.
"We've never had more than one passenger. It'll be a first for all of us." She did little to reassure him.
So, they mounted Barbara and sat behind her wings. While on the vulture, Hilda pulled out another pokeball and pointed it at Gigi. The click of a button was heard, and a red laser streaked across the air to land on Gigi. The Emboar became a red silhouette for a brief moment, before she was absorbed into the pokeball.
"Okay, we're ready when you are." The avian nodded in acknowledgment to its trainer. However, Leonardo took notice of the glint in her eyes.
"Hey…don't try any-
Swoosh
The mandibuzz launched into the air, cackling the whole ascent. Her trainer blushing and grimacing in equal measure from the tight grip around her torso. The boy they rescued reminding them of his impressive lung capacity.
Through the terrifying flight, Leonardo formed a temporary goal in his mind. Create a convincing cover story for why he was out so late, and avoid social death.
He refocused on the girl he was clinging to, and an idea sprouted.