A/N: Hey all, I just wanted to put in a few rules I will be following for my story.
1. pokemon can learn more than four moves (its fine for the games but doesn't make a whole lot of sense anywhere else honestly in my opinion)
2. I will not be doing trade evolutions. (the pokemon will just level up like normal, if it's a pokemon that needs to trade with an item I'm going to treat the item like an evolution stone.)
3. I will be referring to 95% of the pokemon as "IT" it's just easier to keep track of. only exception is if i run into a situation like using the move attract or if I will throw in a little pokemon romance.
4. I have no plans currently to use Tierno, Trevor, or Shawna. I just haven't found any use for them yet. Maybe in the future but no promises.
5. I will not be using the Squishy plot line from the show. TBH I found it kind of dumb, but i have use for Zygarde.
6. Serena will not be participating in pokemon showcases but instead she will be participating in the battle chateau (sorry but I found them to be just a bit too boring) but fret not she will discover something late in the arc to push her in the direction of pokemon contests(I feel they are much more interesting)
7. This first story will be following the XY series anime so there are plenty of events taken straight from the anime and the games, and I like quite a few of the moments in them the next 2 arcs will be very different however.
8. I have taken inspiration from several sources including FanaticLAGuy06, Heracross0122, Zanolith, and a few others that I couldn't find, combined with events in the anime and throwing in my own characters i feel makes for a great story, so if any of that bugs you, sorry.
9. I am by no means a professional writer, so there's bound to be some grammar and spelling mistakes, throughout the process of writing this story I hope to improve.
10. I have a day job, sometimes i can crank out a couple chapters a week, sometimes it might be 1 a month, please bear with me, life happens.
11. This will not be an ultimate realism take on pokemon, I will try and make each character make rational decisions that make sense to their character and insert some realism overall but it's not going to be a true to life interpretation of Pokemon
12. I may make changes if I feel I need to make them. If I feel something about a character isn't working or I feel the need to add something to their character I will do my best to notify you all of any changes. Usually this will probably little bits of character that I overlooked in the process of writing no massive story changes will be altered like this, just small bits or something I forgot to mention.
With that I hope you enjoy each chapter I upload :)
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON.
Chapter 1: New Beginnings
Just a little bit closer... The young sandy blonde-haired boy thought as he reached out to touch the pokemon.
He loved pokemon, and wanted to play with everyone he came across. While in the park that day, he had found a little Rattata and of course just had to go over and make friends with it.
There was something about this Rattata that seemed to draw the boy to it. The boy didn't really question it though, as he followed it into a small group of trees next to the park.
He had followed it to a large bush and was so close to petting it. Just when he was about to touch it another sound was heard, a rustling in the bush, and a large orange rat like pokemon came barreling out of the bush ready to defend its young from whatever was intruding on its home. It was a Raticate.
The young boy gave a startled Yelp and jumped back. Every pokemon he'd encountered before this one was friendly, but not this one.
He tried to reach out to pet it once again. He just had to show the Pokemon he just wanted to pet it. But the agitated Raticate swiped at the boy scratching him in the arm. The boy wailed in pain as he now looked at the pokemon in fear.
The Raticate began to advance on the boy. But it was suddenly struck by something... Another pokemon. This pokemon's round body had no arms or legs and floated in the air. There was a purple-colored gas that surrounded its body. It had big eyes and visible fangs that seemed to form an eerie grin.
Something about this mysterious pokemon made the boy feel uneasy. His skin crawled and his stomach lurched inside him with dread even though it was taking a defensive position in front of him.
The two pokemon stared at each other. The boy sat back against a tree holding his arm, wondering what he could've done to cause a pokemon to react like this.
The Raticate lunged at the opposing pokemon, its teeth began to glow as it bit down on the pokemon, giving it a cut over its left eye. The gassy pokemon winced in pain but shook off the attack and proceeded to shoot purple waves of energy at the angry Raticate that radiated out if its body. The boy could feel his head start to spin as the effects of the mysterious pokemon's attack began to affect him as well.
Raticate was suffering the same effect but many times stronger. It reeled back in a state of confusion, as it tried to keep itself upright. It managed to recover and slowly got its bearings. It looked at the floating pokemon, then the boy. With a muffled snort, it decided that this boy wasn't worth any more trouble, and scooped up the young Rattata and ran off into the bushes.
The floating pokemon then turned to look at the young boy. The boys eyes widened at the thought of what this pokemon was going to do to him now. He had never seen a pokemon like this and had no idea what he could be in for.
The floating pokemon hovered right in front of him, inches from his face. He was certain at this point he could see through the pokemon like it didn't even belong in this world. As he stared into its cold dead looking eyes the pokemon did something that surprised him. The pokemon suddenly stuck out a large tongue and its eyes seemed to turn upside down and shouted "GHAAAASTLY!" and gave out a big jolly laugh. The boy's expression turned from worry, into a small smile, then burst out laughing too.
But it was cut short by another voice.
"Kenji are you out here?" The boy looked out to see his dad, Norman coming towards him. The boy then looked back to say goodbye to the floating pokemon, but when he turned back, it was gone.
Norman came up to the boy and knelt beside him. "Kenji, what have I told you about running off like that you had me and your mother worried sick," he began, but stopped when he noticed Kenji's scratched arm.
"I can't take my eyes off you for a second can I," he said chuckling a bit. " What happened, did you fall"?
"No," the young boy shook his head, "a pokemon did this," he said in a saddened tone. The boy recounted the events of what had happened to his father who listened closely.
"Why would that Raticate attack me like that?" the boy asked looking up at his dad.
"Well, I'd think it was just defending its kid," Norman said smiling.
"But I wasn't gonna hurt it or nuthin" the young boy said sadly.
"Well she didn't know that, now did she", Norman added. The boy paused to think.
"Not every pokemon out there is going to like you, but if you do your best to help them understand your feelings and show them the proper respect. I think you'll be just fine," Norman said standing up.
"Now, how about we get back to your mother, you don't want her to eat all your birthday cake do you?" Norman said, giving a mischievous grin.
The boy gasped, he had completely forgotten that it was his birthday. The boy stood up and went off with his dad back to the park where his mother was at a picnic table with some presents and a birthday cake with seven candles on it.
After a wonderful off-key round of happy birthday, the boy looked down at his cake which read happy birthday Kenji, it had several pokeballs in frosting all over the top of the cake with seven lit candles.
"Remember to make a wish Kenji" his mother Autumn said.
The young boy paused for a second, giving it some thought. After a moment he took a deep breath and shouting "I WISH TO BE FRIENDS WITH A BUNCH OF POKEMON!!" Norman and Autumn both sweat dropped before giggling at the young energetic boy. And with a mighty blow he blew out his candles.
"You're not supposed to tell us what you wish for," his mother said amused by her sons energetic antics. "Now it might not come true."
"You just watch mom," Kenji said taking the candles out of his cake and licking the frosting off each one. "I'm going to catch the strongest pokemon, travel the world, and become a champion!"
"Well let's start with finishing your cake," she chuckled.
SEVERAL MONTHS LATER...
Lumiose City stretched out before Kenji, a sprawling metropolis of towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, passed by him on the school bus to his first day at his new school. It was a far cry from the tranquil landscapes of the Fonterra Region he had left behind. The move had been both exciting and overwhelming at the same time.
Kenji's dad had gotten a job offer to work in the Kalos Region shortly after his seventh birthday. Kenji's dad would be working with Professor Sycamore, a pokemon professor studying pokemon evolution. Before Kenji knew it, he found himself thrust into a new and unfamiliar region, leaving everything he knew behind.
Kalos was different in every sense. The sights, the sounds, and the people. It was a place of vibrant energy, a stark contrast to the quiet small-town Kenji had grown up in. He had always dreamed of exploring new regions, but never thought it would happen so suddenly.
He didn't have any friends he was leaving behind, but he still felt like he had left something back home. The days of exploring the region's lush forests and serene lakes seemed like distant memories.
His thoughts were cut short by a sharp voice next to him. He looked up to see a boy his age with dark brown hair scowling at him.
"You're in my spot, I always sit in this seat on the bus."
"Do you really have to sit here? There's a seat right over there," Kenji said, pointing across the aisle to the open seat.
"I always sit there," the boy said crossing his arms. "That means I always sit there."
"Hey Ritchie, sit down, I don't want to have to tell you again," the bus driver yelled in annoyance. Grumbling, the boy sat in the empty seat across the aisle from Kenji and glared at him.
Kenji wasn't looking forward to school. Not just that it was a new school. He always had trouble talking to people and making friends. He always felt that he might have been doing something wrong. So he tended to just avoid people all together. The part he was dreading the most was slowly drawing closer. He had seen it a few times at his old school. Whenever there was a new student, the teachers would make the new kid stand up in front of everybody and introduce them. The last thing he wanted was to have all eyes on him like a side show attraction. He saw his classroom and slowly stepped into the room.
The room was a buzzing with conversations among the other kids. He looked over and saw the same kid from the bus. Great someone who already doesn't like me is in my class, he thought as he sat down at his desk hoping to stay invisible.
"Class I want you to give our new student Kenji a warm welcome," the teacher said to the class and motioning Kenji to stand up. He did so hesitantly. "He's just moved here from the Fonterra Region so try and make him feel at home." Kenji gave a sheepish smile as his face turned red and sat down quickly, hoping the worst was over.
It was lunch time and Kenji was needing a break. The bell rang and the other kids all started making their way to the lunchroom. Just before he was heading out, Ritchie had come up to him.
"Hey Kenji, this is for you," he said holding out small bag.
"Oh," said Kenji a bit stunned by his gesture.
"They're local berries that grow here. I figured since you're new here you haven't had them before." Ritchie said, giving Kenji a smile.
"Oh umm thanks, I'll have them with my lunch," Kenji said as he headed outside to eat.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy them," Ritchie said to himself grinning.
Kenji scanned the lunchroom. All the kids seemed to have formed their own groups as the tables quickly began to fill up. Kenji glanced outside and spotted a tree. It didn't bother him to eat alone. He actually preferred it that way.
He sat underneath the tree as he prepared to eat his lunch. His mom always made the best sandwiches. He spread his food out in front of him along with the berries that Ritchie had given him and prepared to dig in. As he ate and watched the other kids play, something didn't feel right. There was a sudden foul odor in the air, a putrid stench that was indescribable.
Kenji covered his nose with his shirt as the smell seemed to get even stronger. He then felt something nudge his arm, and when he looked, he saw a small green pokemon that resembled a trash bag. Oh man, this guy must be the cause of that stink, Kenji thought as he tried not to gag. Then another one appeared, and then another. Soon there were five of the little trash bag pokemon surrounding him.
"Umm... what do you guys want," Kenji muttered through his shirt.
"TRUUUBBISH!" They all shouted at once and made a dash for Kenji.
Before he knew it, he found all the pokemon crawling all over him. He saw the pokemon gobble down what was left of his lunch and run back off into the bushes as quickly as they appeared. Kenji breathed a sigh of relief, but then covered his face back up realizing that the stench was still in the air.
As Kenji walked back into the school once lunch was finished, he noticed that all of the other kids were giving him odd looks. When he sat down at his desk, their looks began to intensify. "What is that awful smell," one kid piped up. "Yeah, it smells horrible," another one said. "Eww, it's coming from Kenji!" All of the kids covered their faces and scooted their chairs away from him. Kenji turned beet red with embarrassment and tried to shrink down and disappear in his chair. "I didn't know the Fonterra Region smelled so terrible," Ritchie shouted. They all erupted with laughter hearing that.
"That's enough kids!" said the teacher walking into the classroom. The horrid stench hit her as well causing her to gasp and she tried her best not to gag. "What is that smell," she finally managed to force out after composing herself. After learning that it was Kenji, she told him to head to the office to see what they could do about it. Kenji got up and trudged his way down the hall getting even more looks from everyone he passed by.
The nurses office was a drab off white color with everything looking spotless. A young pink haired woman was sitting at a desk on the computer when he approached her. He noticed that she looked a little familiar to the nurse he would always see in his hometown. I guess they have Nurse Joys here too. He thought as he stepped into the office.
"Hello," she said with a smile. "I'm Nurse Joy, you must be Kenji. Your teacher said you'd be coming down. She then made a face as the stench that was coming from Kenji hit her.
"Sorry," Kenji said sheepishly. "There were some pokemon that smelled really bad and they got their scent all over me."
"Oh my I see," she said trying her best to ignore the odor. "Are you hurt at all?"
"No I'm okay they didn't hurt me."
"Well that's good. Can you tell me what happened?"
Kenji described what happened to the school's Nurse Joy.
"That sounds like a Trubbish to me," said Nurse Joy in the office. "Did it look like this?" She said showing Kenji an image on the computer.
"Yeah, that's the one," Kenji said.
"Well, I'm surprised," she said thinking out loud. "Usually, they don't come that close to the school. They usually tend to hang out in landfills or garbage dumps, unless they happen upon a food source they love.
"I was just eating my lunch like I normally would," Kenji sighed. "I had my mom's sandwich she made, some chips, my drink, and some berries."
"What kind of berries did you have?"
"I don't know they were pink," Kenji said trying to remember.
"Think you can draw what it looked like?" Nurse Joy said holding up a pencil and a stack of sticky notes. Kenji nodded and drew out on a paper pad what the berries looked like.
"Oh my," exclaimed Nurse Joy. "This looks like a payapa berry to me."
"Oh, I've never heard of that before," Kenji said tilting his head.
"That would explain it," Nurse Joy said letting out a sigh. "Poison types love to eat those types of berries. I'd guess that your berries probably attracted all of those Trubbish right to you."
He didn't do that on purpose did he...? Kenji thought.
"Well, I'd avoid bringing any more of those berries to school," Nurse Joy said, typing some info into her computer. "We'll send you home for today so you can get cleaned up."
"Alright," Kenji sighed. Nurse joy gave him a voucher for the pokemart for some special soap to get rid of the smell.
He spent the rest of the day scrubbing his skin raw trying to get the stench out. His mom and dad tried reassuring him that it was probably just a misunderstanding. Kenji wanted to think so, but something in the back of his mind told him otherwise.
The next morning, he got on the bus and sat in the same seat. He had managed to get rid of the stench, but the damage had already been done and everyone had heard what happened and were still giving him strange looks. After a few stops Ritchie boarded the bus and immediately locked eyes with Kenji.
"That's my seat," Ritchie said, staring at him. Kenji didn't move and stared back at him. "Get out of my seat, I don't want you getting your stench in it," Ritchie said grinning. The other kids around them broke out in laughter. Kenji turned red hearing them and slowly stood up and got out of the seat.
"Hehe, smell ya later loser," Ritchie sneered, taking his seat. Kenji made his way to the back of the bus and sat quietly.
This was just the start of Ritchie's torment with Kenji. There seemed to be no end to Ritchie's creativity. Each month seemed to put Kenji in a new weird situation orchestrated by Ritchie. It didn't last forever though.
Over the next few months, Ritchie had become one of the top students, quickly excelling in school and was put in the advanced classes while Kenji continued to struggle. His days were filled with staring off out the window wondering while his thoughts drowned out the teachers voice. He wanted to go off on his own journey as soon as he could, but his parents insisted that he do more schooling before they would let that happen.
He let out a sigh as he played with his food on his plate one night during dinner.
"What's wrong hun?" Autumn asked.
"Can I please go catch a pokemon, I just want to go on a journey," Kenji sighed.
"Honey, we talked about this, we want you to get some more schooling done before you head off on your own," she replied.
"But I'm almost ten, other kids are getting to go," Kenji said. And besides, Toby went on a journey when he was nine." He often made the comparison between himself and his older cousin. Although he had never met in person or even seen a picture of him. Toby was designated as the "black sheep" of the family, and if he was ever brought up in conversation, the adults would quickly change the subject and not mention it again. Kenji had always wanted to meet him but no one would ever tell him anything about him, so Kenji was reduced to his imagination as to what his cousin was up to.
"Sweetie, we just want you to be a bit more prepared. Just a few more years and then you'll be off on your own adventure. It will be here before you know it," she said trying to reassure her son. "And besides you're not Toby, and if he were my son, I wouldn't have let him go that early either.
Kenji groaned at his moms response. It was how she typically responded whenever the subject came up.
"Tell you what," Autumn said. "How about we clean up dinner really quick and head down to the festival and watch the fireworks. I know you've wanted to see those up close. Dad should be back from work by the time we are ready to go, and we can all watch them together."
"Okay," Kenji said a bit more enthusiastically. Once Norman got home, they headed out to the annual festival. It was a weeklong celebration of spring each year celebrated all around the world. There was a carnival, delicious food vendors, carnival rides, and the celebration concluded with a spectacular fireworks display. He quickly helped clean up and once his dad got home, they set off for the festival.
Kenji quickly walked a few paces ahead of his parents. The air was filled with the wonderful scents of all the different food carts that were dotted along the path. Brilliant lights were strung about and all the sounds delightful screams of excitement from the rides filled the air.
After going on a few rides and indulging in the mouth-watering food his dad always described as disgustingly overpriced. It was soon getting time for the fireworks display and they made their way out to a large open field where you could watch them.
He sat on the cool grass enjoying some popcorn as they waited for the fireworks to start. A few friendly pokemon had made their way out to him, enticed by the sweet scent of his popcorn, and sat around him as hey gently pet and fed them.
"He's getting so restless, it seems like he can't wait to get out into the world," Autumn said, as she watched Kenji play with the pokemon around him.
"Yeah, I can tell," Norman sighed.
"I just want him to be ready, I don't think he realizes how difficult a journey can be," Autumn added.
"I know it can be. But eventually, he is going to be out on his own, making his own mistakes, and hopefully learning from them," said Norman. The firework show began, and the sky was painted with beautiful colors of light as the loud booms echoed throughout the city.
"I just don't want him to see him lose that smile of his," Autumn said as she wrapped an arm around Norman. "I almost lost mine when I went on my journey."
"But we found each other in the end and helped each other get our smiles back didn't we," Norman said giving his wife a warm smile. "I suppose so," Autumn sighed.
"I hope he never loses it," Autumn said, as she watched Kenji and the pokemon he was playing with look up at the sky in awe and wonder.
Someday I'll see the whole world for myself," Kenji thought. "I'm going to make a bunch of friends with a bunch of pokemon and have lots of battles and become the strongest.
Two YEARS LATER...
"Kenji... Kenji!"
"What... huh?" Kenji said, snapping out of a daydream.
"Perhaps you'd like to go down to the office and explain to the principal what's so fascinating outside that it completely distracts you from your schoolwork?" His teacher said crossing her arms.
"Ss sorry ma'am," Kenji gulped. He often got talked to about staring off outside. He didn't mean to, but he just found all the classes incredibly boring. If the school offered a more practical class for learning for going on a journey, he'd jump at the opportunity. He didn't see the reason for learning how different math and geometry equations go into a pokemon dodging an attack with a jump, or the history of pokeballs and how exactly they work. If it wasn't practical real world application information, he didn't pay any mind to it.
Kenji ate his lunch quietly like he always did, under the same tree as always. His peaceful lunch today was interrupted by a familiar voice that made Kenji sick to his stomach.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here," Ritchie said leaning up against the tree.
"What do you want Ritchie," Kenji said rolling his eyes. It wasn't often that Ritchie bothered him anymore since Ritchie got switched to the advanced classes, but Kenji did his best to not let him bother him.
"Jeez man, why you gotta be so rude. I just came by to give you the good news."
"Oh yea? What's that."
"I just thought you outta know that yours truly, is on a fast track to become one of the first students here to get enrolled in the new trainer program when I graduate."
"Really? There's a new trainer program?"
"Yeah, they give you a pokedex and your very own starter pokemon too."
"Woah really?" Kenji said getting a bit excited. "How do you sign up for that?"
"Woah there, hold your Ponyta there short stuff."
"I'm only a couple inches shorter than you," Kenji mumbled under his breath.
"You gotta be in the advanced classes to sign up through the school."
"What seriously?" Kenji said looking down.
"Looks like as always, I'm one step ahead of you," Ritchie said grinning.
"Whatever man," he said rolling his eyes.
"Hey, don't get mad at me that your grades suck. If you'd spend more time studying and less time daydreaming, you might be able to come close to my level.
"I'll become a trainer one day, you'll see," Kenji said, with a bit of frustration in his voice.
"Whatever, with your grades, even if you somehow manage to become a pokemon trainer, I doubt you could even get very far."
"Just because I don't have good grades doesn't mean that I'd be a bad trainer ya know," Kenji said, shooting Ritchie a glare.
"That's good, don't give up hope," Ritchie said sarcastically, as he started to walk away. "Smell ya later Kenji." Kenji groaned and finished his lunch.
Kenji decided to walk home that day. He had had his fill of Ritchie for the day and didn't want to deal with him anymore. He made the long trek home through the city and into the suburbs. After about half an hour or so of walking, he was coming upon the dense forest on the outskirts of the city.
He kicked a few rocks as he walked. "I'll show him, I'll be way stronger than him," he muttered to himself. He noticed something odd as he glanced up in the sky. It suddenly got darker out. It's only 4:30 what's going on? he thought looking around. A mass of storm clouds had suddenly gathered and blocked out the sun. So much for a bright clear day, He shrugged. A sudden flash of lightning and a massive thunderclap filled the dark sky making Kenji's heart nearly jump out of his chest.
Woah, what's with that? he thought, looking up at the sky. The clouds were gathering above the dense forest and seemed to be growing more intense with increased lightning strikes. He then heard a loud roar come from deep inside the forest.
"What the..." Then a massive bolt of lightning struck down in the middle of the forest, followed by a massive thunderclap. "Jeez, what's going on in there? I gotta check this out."
He cautiously made his way into the forest. The distant roars grew louder along with the occasional flash of lightning. Each massive thunderclap startled him as it sent shivers down his spine. As he made his way further into the forest the air began to feel thick and heavy. He looked down and saw that his hair was sticking up on end, like when you rub a balloon against your head. Something is seriously going on, he thought.
As he grew closer to the source of the commotion in the forest, the lightning strikes got even more intense. With each lightning strike and thunderclap, the more he could feel each strike in his chest. He began to see bright flashes of light through the thick brush. He ducked down next to a tree and peeked around to see what was causing the commotion.
"What pokemon is that?" he gasped with wide eyes.
He stared at a yellow and black bird pokemon with sharp looking wings. This seemed to be the pokemon responsible for the lightning strikes. He stared in awe at the power emanating from it as the lightning struck all around it, almost as if all the electricity in the air was drawn to the pokemon. He was surprised to see a man standing behind the pokemon. Is that guy its trainer?" he thought. What sort of trainer has a pokemon that strong?
He then noticed a second pokemon with another trainer. It was an orange dragon looking pokemon with a flame at the tip of its tail and was battling against the electric bird pokemon. The orange lizard shot out a powerful looking stream of fire that singed everything around it. The electric bird effortlessly dodged it and swooped in for its own attack. They two pokemon battled fiercely, but it wasn't long before the orange lizard fell defeated.
The trainer of the electric bird pokemon exchanged words with the other trainer and stood silently as he walked off.
That battle was so cool, Kenji thought as his heart raced.
"I know you're there. You can come out now." The man said looking over in Kenji's direction.
Shoot... busted, Kenji thought as his heart began to race. He stepped out from his hiding spot and headed over to the man. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and had raven-colored hair that fell over his forehead. His outfit was dark and sleek, but his red tie made him seem a bit formal as well. But that was nothing compared to his mysterious aura that surrounded him.
"It's rude to spy on people you know." His tone was calm but also seemed serious.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Kenji stammered. "I just had to see what was causing all the commotion in here."
"Well, I suppose there's no harm in a little curiosity."
"That's a crazy strong pokemon you have there, I've never seen one like it," Kenji said as he made his way towards the large bird and sticking his hand up to pet it.
"Wait don't you'll get..." It was too late. Kenji didn't even have to make contact with it, just being close to the bird sent a small shock out connecting with Kenji that sent him to the ground. "I tried to warn you," The stranger said, letting out a sigh.
"Wow... shocking," Kenji said with a dazed look in his eyes. "Hey how come you don't get zapped," Kenji asked noticing the man standing right next to it.
"I wear special clothing that allows me to be in close proximity to Zapdos."
"Oh, so it's called Zapdos, fitting name I guess," Kenji said chuckling and standing up. "So does that mean people can't touch or pet it?"
"For the most part yes," the man said giving Kenji and inquisitive look.
"That seems a bit sad," Kenji said staring up at Zapdos.
"Here..." The stranger said holding out an item in front of Kenji.
"A glove? What's this for?" Kenji asked taking it from him.
"It's a special type of rubber glove that can allow you to touch it, if you want."
"Wow neat, thanks!" Kenji said putting the glove on. He walked up hesitating a bit as he stared up at the large bird that stood a few feet above him and touched the large electric bird. He then relaxed a bit after he didn't get zapped this time. Even with the glove on, he could feel the gentle vibration of electricity coursing through the glove. Zapdos didn't seem to mind and let the boy pet it without issue.
"You really beat the pants off that other guy," Kenji said. "How'd you get so strong anyway?"
"My strength comes from years of dedication and hard work and the countless hours I've spent with my pokemon training hard."
I can't really get a read on this guy, Kenji thought. But he's SOOO COOOL! "Do you have any other cool pokemon with you?" Kenji asked.
The man held up a pokeball and returned Zapdos. "You're full of questions aren't you. Tell me are you a trainer as well?"
"Well not yet," Kenji sighed. My parents want me to stay in school a bit longer. They don't think I can make it on my own. But I know I'm ready," he said giving the man a determined look.
"That's very wise of them. It's best to gain as much knowledge as you can before stepping out into the world. It can be unforgiving if you go in unprepared."
"Oh come on, not you too," Kenji said rolling his eyes, then making a fist. "I'm ready to take on anyone, I'll bet I can beat you too one day.
The man let out a chuckle. "Is that so..."
"Hey what's so funny," Kenji said eyeing the man. The small chuckle was the only hint of emotion that Kenji had witnessed him reveal.
"Nothing. You just remind me of someone I met before."
"Well, I'm ready for whatever the world can throw at me, BRING IT ON WORLD, DO YOUR WORST!"
The stranger let another facial expression slip, this time a grin. "Really... you think so?"
"Darkrai!"
"Dar who??" Kenji said confused.
He began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt as if all of his senses were screaming at him to run away, but from what. He then noticed that his shadow wasn't acting normal. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about it seemed wrong. It almost looked like his own shadow was... staring at him. The air went ice cold as he remained fixated on his shadow. Suddenly a dark menacing figure slowly rose up out of his shadow and glared at him, with piercing ice-blue eyes.
Kenji's face went pale and lost all feeling in his legs as he fell to the ground. He looked up at the dark figure hovering over him. He began to have vivid memories about past nightmares and bad dreams. He gulped, eyes wide not knowing what would happen next.
"That's enough Darkrai," The man said, chuckling a bit. "Huh?" Kenji thought. The dark figure then sank back into the shadows.
It took a moment, but Kenji soon found his voice. "What the hell was that thing!"
"I thought you were ready for anything." The man said smirking a bit.
"That was a dirty trick you pulled," Kenji said as he felt the color return to his face.
"I didn't do anything. I only proved that you still have a lot to learn before you can even think about taking me on," he said holding out his hand and helping Kenji up.
"Well, even still... I'm still going to beat you one day you know... I'll get so strong that you won't even know what hit you," he said trying to sound confident.
"Tell me, why do you want to become a trainer?"
"Well..." Kenji said, mulling over the question a bit. "Honestly, I just want to make friends with lots of pokemon and get really strong. There's lots of people who think I won't be able to do it just because I'm not good at school. But I'm going to prove them all wrong."
"You are determined, I'll give you that. If you keep working hard and learning from your experiences, then who knows? Perhaps our paths will cross again someday. And if they do, I would be more than happy to battle you. Until then, train diligently, and give it everything you've got," the man said as he started to walk away.
Kenji turned around trying to hide his admiration for the strange man. He's just too cool, I don't even care if he almost made me pee myself, he thought. "Hey, I forgot to mention my name's Kenji what's yours..." he said turning around, and gasped when he saw that the man was gone. He even vanished like a superhero, He thought chuckling to himself. The sky had begun to clear up and rays of sunlight began to penetrate into the forest making the air feel a lot lighter.
"Oh he is definitely going down one day," Kenji said crossing his arms as he made his way out of the forest.
XXX TWO YEARS LATER XXX
It was going to be Kenji's fourteenth birthday tomorrow, and his dad had asked him to come by the lab in the morning. He was racking his brain on what he could possibly want. It's not like he hadn't been to the lab before. Several days out of the week he would help take care of the pokemon after school was out. He even took a particular liking to his dad's Tyranitar, who worked as his dad's lab assistant.
Tyranitar are normally very aggressive and short tempered, but for some reason this one was very tame, patient, and loved people. Kenji pondered over these thoughts late into the night then fell asleep where he dreamed of playing and battling with all kinds of pokemon.
The next morning, Kenji went downstairs to find his mother making breakfast.
"Happy birthday sweetie," Autumn said rushing over to him giving him a tight hug. "Thanks mom," Kenji muffled out while trying to catch his breath. He sat down at the kitchen table and dug into his breakfast.
"So, what are your plans for today hun, you going to do anything special on your big day?" she asked while cleaning up.
"Yeah, dad wants me to come by the lab, so I'll be heading over there in a little bit," Kenji said between mouthfuls.
"Well, I hope you enjoy yourself," Autum said giving her son a smile.
"Hmm, that's odd, I would've thought she'd go on about not spending too much time at the lab again this summer... Oh well," Kenji thought as he cleared his plate.
"I'll probably check out the festival later after I'm done at the lab if that's okay," Kenji said. He never missed a chance to go to the festival, and always looked forward to the fireworks. He never missed it ever since he saw them for the first time. "That's fine hun, have a good time," his mom said waving him off.
School was over for the summer and Kenji was hoping to at least attempt to try and catch his own pokemon. As he rode the bus into the city, it was all he could focus on. Now that he had graduated from pokemon training school, he could finally get his own pokemon. Only problem was, he needed a pokemon to effectively catch a pokemon of his own.
He could chance it and try and catch a pokemon at full health without battling it, but he wasn't going to put too much stock into that. That was one of the first things they taught him in school was to bring down a pokemon's health and then catch it, but how was he supposed to do that without a pokemon in the first place.
His thoughts were cut short upon hearing a familiar voice as he got off the bus.
"Oh, look it's Kenji, gonna go play with your pokemon friends? oh I forgot you don't have any," the kid said also getting off the bus. Kenji turned to see who he really had no desire to see on of all days today...Ritchie.
Ritchie was fourteen now as well and now stood a few inches above Kenji, he had on a red shirt and brown cargo shorts and a black hat turned backwards.
"Lay off Ritchie, I don't have time for your nonsense," Kenji said rolling his eyes. Trying to ignore him he went on foot towards the lab, but Ritchie followed.
"You're on your way to the lab aren't you," he questioned. "So what if I am," Kenji said, shoving his hands in his pockets. It's not like he hated Ritchie. Nowadays he just found him really annoying.
"You spend so much time there, I bet even the pokemon there are getting sick of you," Ritchie snickered. "If you would pay attention in class like I do, you might even get your own pokemon someday. In fact, I'm on my way right now to get my very own pokemon." "Oh really...?" Kenji replied softly. "My grades weren't good enough to get into the new trainer program."
"Yeah, I told you your grades suck man, what gives." Ritchie asked.
"I just... don't like school that much," Kenji said hesitantly, looking down at the sidewalk.
"Yeah, I can tell," Ritchie responded, you just sit there staring off into space most of the day anyway."
Ritchie went on and on about how he's gonna get the best pokemon and he's going to conquer the gyms and then the pokemon league.
Kenji sighed as they got to the lab and walked through the doors where they were greeted by Professor Sycamore's assistant, Sophie. "Hey Kenji, your dads in the back, I'll buzz you in." A buzzer rang, and a door unlocked letting Kenji in.
"What? no fair!" whined Ritchie. "I wanna see what's going on back there!" he pouted as he had to wait in the lobby. Kenji made a face at Ritchie through the window as the door closed. That was something he could do that Ritchie couldn't, so he enjoyed the moment while it lasted.
Professor Sycamore's research lab was the latest in cutting edge technology in Kalos. The Professor focused on pokemon evolution and different pokemon forms. The lab was wall to wall with a different array of lab equipment. All sorts of computer monitors, microscopes, and a large observation area closed off by thick protective glass to provide a safe observation area when working with pokemon. Naturally everything was state of the art. Professor Sycamore's assistants often tried to convince him to cut back on equipment expenses, but the professor would always respond with "evolution will not stop and wait to be discovered." The professor was very lucky he had a few very successful patents that could fund his spending habits.
As Kenji entered the lab he saw a large armored pale green pokemon standing upright that had spikes on its back coming out of the viewing gallery. "Hey Tyranitar!" Kenji greeted as he ran over to the large pokemon. It turned to face Kenji and leaned down and gave out a happy grunt and greeted the boy as he reached up and gave it a scratch on the chin. Another lab assistant was on a computer typing something up and noticed him.
"Oh, hey Kenji your dad is in his office."
"Thanks, Dexio," Kenji smiled, as he headed down a hallway. Kenji knew his way around the lab well enough to where he wouldn't get lost.
He came to a door labeled Professor Norman Donovan R&D. Kenji opened the door to find his dad wearing a lab coat typing away on his computer, under his lab coat he wore light brown pants and a blue button up shirt tucked in. His dad had slightly darker hair than Kenji's but not as messy and wore glasses.
Kenji got his habit of getting easily distracted from his father. There were many times when Norman would forget altogether to eat or drink when he was "in the zone" as he always said. But Norman always managed to keep his work and home life separate, only letting Kenji come to the lab a few months prior after hours of convincing from Kenji before he finally allowed it. But once he allowed it Norman welcomed his son with a warm smile. Usually Kenji spent most of his time with Dexio, a research student and assistant to his father. Kenji's job was to look after the pokemon they would run tests on. Not any illegal experimentation mind you. Dexio and Norman were charged with training the lab pokemon, and when they were close to evolution, they would then observe the process up close and run tests in the observation room.
Over the last few years Professor Sycamore put more and more money into funding the evolution observation lab. Every day he would claim that they were on the verge of a breakthrough.
Kenji didn't understand all the intense science stuff. He was just happy to be around pokemon. It was his job to make sure that the pokemon were in good shape while being trained. He would make sure that they were all fed, and pens were kept clean and in good condition.
"Oh, hey there Kenji, you're just in time," Norman said standing up.
"Yea what did you want to see me for dad?" Kenji asked.
"Well, come follow me," he said leading Kenji out into the hall through a bunch of different doors. He eventually stopped at the final door and turned to Kenji.
"Now Kenji, I know it hasn't been easy for you since we moved here, and since this has been long overdue, I think now is the time and you're ready."
"Ready for what?" Kenji asked with a puzzled look on his face. He had never been to this part of the lab before, so he didn't know what was on the other side.
"Well, through this door, is your birthday present, I hope you like it," his dad said stepping away from the door.
Kenji reached up nervously to the door handle. He wasn't too sure what to expect. His dad wasn't exactly the best gift giver and had a habit of waiting until the last minute to get something. One year he was pacing up and down the aisle of a hardware store, unable to decide what to get him, he panicked and came home with a shovel.
Needless to say his mom took over the gift giving tasks. One year he did manage to get him tickets to see the famous rock artist Roxie from the Unova region. Only problem was that it was obstructed seating with a support column right in front of his seat. He got his money back but felt so bad that he just let Kenji pick something out that year.
The thoughts of what his dad could have possibly gotten him this year clouded his mind, but stopped when he thought he heard a familiar voice from the other side. It sounded like... Ritchie? Now very confused, Kenji opened the door and found Ritchie and another girl next to him.
He had seen her around school but never interacted with her at all. She appeared to be Kenji's age and was wearing blue shorts and a and a green top. Her brown hair was in a ponytail with a few strands of hair that hung in her face.
"What are you doing here?" Ritchie asked in a snotty tone.
"What am I... What are you doing here?" Kenji retorted.
"Well, we are waiting to get our first pokemon, but the last kid is late," said Ritchie in an irritated tone. Kenji looked back at his dad confused. Then another door opened, and Professor Sycamore walked through. He was a tall thin man with black curly hair. He wore black pants with a purple button up shirt tucked in and a white lab coat over top.
"Hello everyone," he said with a big smile. "Oh, good Kenji, you made it, come on over with the others and we can get things moving." Kenji stepped forward slowly and stood next to Ritchie.
"Well, I'm sure you all are all anxious to get started, so let's get right to it," the professor said taking out a red cylindrical container and opening it up. As Kenji peered inside, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. There were 3 shiny red pokeballs sitting neatly inside.
Kenji slowly turned to his dad who was beaming from ear to ear.
"Do you mean... that I..." Kenji finally stammered. "I can start a pokemon journey?" he finally said, struggling to get the words out.
He was snapped back to reality when he got shoved by Ritchie.
"Hey, quit crowding, I wanna see too!" said Ritchie poking his head in, the girl hung back and giggled. "Now kids, don't worry there will be plenty of time to see them, but first, you all have a big decision to make. You three get to pick your very first pokemon partner."
Kenji's heart skipped a beat hearing those words. An odd expression grew over his face, trying to hide how happy he was. Kenji's dad quietly laughed at him.
"Since it's Kenji's birthday today," the professor stated, "my gift to you is you get to pick first."
Kenji could barely hear him over the racing thoughts in his mind.
"First thing before you see them, here is an important tool you'll need on your journey, a Pokedex."
The professor handed each kid a small rectangular red device that had a touch screen.
"The Pokedex is a great tool, just point it at a pokemon, and it will tell you information about it, like what kinds of moves it knows, its abilities, and a bunch of other information as well. You can try it out on your new partners when you meet them. It also functions as a map, phone, and has all the other latest pokegear technology." Kenji looked over his shiny new pokedex examining it from top to bottom.
The professor then released the three pokemon, in a flash of light the three pokemon appeared before them. One was a small blue frog looking pokemon with thick white bubbles around its neck. Kenji pointed his Pokedex at the little frog.
"Froakie, the bubble pokemon. This pokemon secretes flexible frubbles from its chest and back. The frubbles reduce the damage it would have otherwise taken from the attack." The Pokedex chimed in a mechanical sounding voice. Kenji eyed the little frog and it seemed to be doing the same.
"Hmm, a water type might be nice." he said to himself.
The second pokemon was a green colored pokemon that sort of resembled a chipmunk. It stood upright with 3 spines on its head.
"Chespin, the spiny nut pokemon. The quills on its head are usually soft. When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp that they can pierce rocks."
"Hmmm, that one looks pretty strong," Kenji thought looking down at the little Chespin who had a big smile on its face.
The third pokemon was a small yellow fox looking creature with red bits of fur coming out of its perked-up ears.
"Fennekin the fox pokemon. To intimidate its opponents, it puffs out hot air from its ears which can reach up to 400 degrees."
"Oh, wow neat," exclaimed Kenji. The little fox was sitting elegantly looking up at Kenji smiling. Kenji looked at the three of them. He had ruled out Fennekin, it looked to be a little too high maintenance for him. He looked over Chespin and Froakie again.
Froakie seemed to not look interested in him, while Chespin wore a big smile seemingly just waiting for an adventure.
Kenji knelt down in front of Chespin and was about to ask it to join him on his journey, but something stopped him. His hands began to feel tingly, his vision went a little fuzzy and got a little dizzy. He blinked a few times and found that his vision had returned to normal. He then looked and discovered that he had made his way over to the little Froakie.
Kenji leaned down. "Froakie, I choose you, let's go see the world together," Kenji said smiling. The little frog seemed reluctant but then forced a small smile.
Kenji stepped back and Froakie stood next to him. That was a little strange, Kenji thought. Wasn't I about to choose Chespin? He then seemed to forget about the moment and thought nothing more of it. "Ok Liza, how about you next," the Professor said and motioned for the girl to go next. "Hmmm," she said thinking. After a bit she stepped up and knelt down in front of the little fox pokemon.
"How about it Fennekin, do you want to come with me?"
"Fennekin!" The pokemon happily agreed and jumped into her arms and stepped back in line.
"Well, they were obviously saving best for last," touted Ritchie. "Come on Chespin, let's go show the world what we're made of!" Chespin jumped with its paw in the air excitedly and stood in line with Ritchie.
"Wonderful choices everyone," the professor said. "Now that you have chosen your first partner, here is you pokemon trainer starter kit it's full of great items any new trainer will need." The professor pointed to 3 backpacks over on a table.
"Now before you three set out to start your journey, I'd like to say a few words. The professor cleared his throat before speaking.
"Today marks the beginning of an incredible journey for each one of you. These pokemon you have just received are more than just friends. They are the embodiment of courage, loyalty, and adventure. They will be your companions, your confidants, and your partners every step of the way."
"Where do you think he stole this speech from," Norman whispered to Sophie.
"Probably from some cheesy kids show," she snickered.
"But remember, a Pokemon journey is about more than just battles and victories. It's about self-discovery, growth, and the bonds you form along the way. As you travel, you'll encounter challenges that will test your wits, battles that will test your strength, and friendships that will test your heart. You may face moments when the path ahead seems uncertain and daunting. That's when you must dig deep within yourself and remember why you started this journey in the first place."
"And now, as you three step out those doors, remember this: Every adventure begins with the first step. You are no longer just three ordinary kids. Just outside those doors, waiting for you, is something only a few people will ever discover... Your destiny."
"Take your first step, young trainers, and let your journey begin. May your bonds with your Pokemon be unbreakable, your adventures unforgettable, and your legacy legendary. The world is waiting for you to make your mark. Now go, and claim your destiny!"
The three kids...no... The three new trainers looked up at the professor grinning ear to ear, this was going to be the start of their journey.
Kenji still couldn't believe it, he had his very own pokemon. His mind was racing with thoughts of all the battles they'd have and other pokemon they'd meet. His thoughts were interrupted by Ritchie.
"Hey Kenji, let's have a battle. Me and Chespin are ready to show we got what it takes."
Normally Kenji would roll his eyes at Ritchie, but now he had a pokemon, and he'd finally be able to one up him.
"Alright Ritchie, you're on!" Kenji said confidently.
"I think that's a great idea," chimed in professor Sycamore, "it will give you a chance to bond with your pokemon."
"No thanks I'm ok," piped up Liza, "I'm just gonna go home and get ready to leave," she said stepping away. "Thank you for everything professor," she said smiling and waving goodbye.
What's her deal? Kenji thought, but he scrubbed that from his mind he had to focus on his first pokemon battle.
The group headed out to a practice field behind the lab. The two new trainers stood at opposite ends facing each other.
"You ready to lose?" called out Ritchie.
"Not a chance," yelled Kenji.
The professor stood at the sidelines in the middle of the field. "I'll referee this match," he said. "This will be a one-on-one match, the trainer whose pokemon is unable to continue battling will lose." Froakie and Chespin stepped forward in front of their trainers.
"Ready?"
This is it... My first pokemon battle... Kenji thought as his heart began to race.
"Battle..."
I'm really doing this... I'm finally... a pokemon trainer.
"BEGIN!!"
"Alright Froakie let's go! Use quick attack!" shouted Kenji. Froakie took off with such speed it was hard to keep track of at first.
"Quick Chespin dodge it!" yelled Ritchie. Chespin just barely managed to jump out of the way in time. "Now hit em with tackle Chespin!" As soon as Chespin landed it darted forward and hit Froakie hard, knocking it back.
"Alright Froakie, let's use pound!" yelled out Kenji.
Froakie glanced back at his trainer in hesitation, but ran forward and attempted to throw a few punches at his opponent. Chespin was able to dodge them all.
"Great work Chespin, now use vine whip!" Chespin jumped back and long green vines came out of its neck area and began to swat at Froakie.
Oh no Froakie's in trouble, thought Kenji. How can I get him out of this? But before he could come up with an idea, he heard Ritchie shout out his next command.
"Great Chespin, now slam it down!" And with that froakie was thrown down hard hitting the ground and rolling back towards Kenji.
"Oh no Froakie, Get up!" he called out. Froakie managed to get up slowly. "Great Froakie, now let's finish this" Kenji yelled but stopped. Froakie looked back at him and glared at him.
"FRO KI KI FRO!!" shouted Froakie.
Kenji, stunned, didn't really know what to say. Is it mad at me? Before Kenji could say anything back, Froakie took off on its own. It charged forward, grabbing a handful of the frubbles from its chest and threw some around Chespin's feet. Chespin was a little confused and just stood there. Froakie then launched itself into a quick attack.
Hmm, never seen this happen, professor Sycamore thought to himself.
Chespin tried to dodge it but got stuck on one of the piles of the frubbles at its feet. Turns out they are very sticky and held Chespin in place.
"Oh no Chespin!" shouted Ritchie.
Froakie then jumped over Chespin and unleashed a bubble attack at close range leaving a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Chespin was lying on the ground unconscious.
Woah, Froakie, thought Kenji.
"This battle is over, and the winners are Kenji and Froakie!" shouted the professor.
"Awe, no way they cheated, you can't use that sticky stuff!" whined Ritchie. "Actually, he can," said the professor, "it's a part of Froakie's body, therefore it's allowed."
"Oh whatever, we'll just have to get stronger," Ritchie said proudly picking up his Chespin. "We won't lose to you again Kenji, watch yourself. Because you won't get so lucky next time." Ritchie said scowling at him and walked back into the lab.
"Wow Froakie, we did it!" Kenji said running up to the little frog, but Froakie did not return the compliment. It didn't even look at Kenji.
"Hey what's wrong Froakie?" asked Kenji. The little frog gave Kenji a quick glare then turned away from him.
"Hey, I'm just saying you did a good job!" Kenji said a bit irritated, but then relaxed a bit. "Well, I still think you did great in that battle," Kenji said. "Take a good rest." He returned Froakie to his pokeball. A red beam of light shot out and enveloped Froakie in it and he disappeared. Kenji looked down at the ball. Why was Froakie so upset with me, he wondered. We won, what could possibly be wrong?
Kenji strolled back inside the lab mulling over his own thoughts. "I know we won, but why does this still feel like I lost."
"Hey champ, great job!" Cheered Norman giving his son a hug.
"Thanks dad," Kenji said putting on a smile. "How did this even happen," Kenji asked him. "My grades weren't good enough to qualify for the program. How did I even get in?"
"Well, it's a perk of me working here," said his dad proudly. "Since I work here, I was able to get you into the program no problem, and I figured it would be a great birthday surprise. The only downside is that you won't see the fireworks this year since you'll be off on your journey."
"That's okay, this is waaay better," Kenji said sheepishly and giving him a hug. "I'm just surprised you were able to get mom to not say anything. She's terrible at keeping big things like this a secret," he chuckled. "Yeah, that wasn't easy for her. Now, I'm sure you want to get home and pack so you better get going," Norman said handing him his new backpack.
"Right, sure thing," Kenji said eagerly starting to feel a bit better after the battle. He passed through the lab the way he came in from and saw Tyranitar again.
"Hey, I'm officially a trainer!" Kenji shouted up to the towering pokemon who gave another happy grunt. "I even got a Pokedex check this out."
He took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the pokemon. "Tyranitar the armor pokemon, and the final evolution of Larvitar. This pokemon has a heavily armored body that can withstand powerful attacks. It is very territorial and becomes easily aggressive if it feels threatened."
"Wow," Kenji said, "seems like you're pretty strong, but I can't see you hurting anyone," he said rubbing its face gently. The large pokemon seemed to make what could be a purring sound.
"Well, I gotta go pack for my journey," Kenji said excitedly, "I'll see you tomorrow," he said waving goodbye.
That night, Kenji spent his time going through his new trainer kit. It included a tent, some pokeballs, a pokemon med kit as well as one for humans, a basic collapsible stove and pot, and a few pamphlets that had a bunch of info for new trainers.
Kenji had let Froakie out of its pokeball, but it seemed to want to be on its own, still feeling bothered by the battle from earlier. Kenji laid in bed for a while thinking about the journey he was about to have.
"Chespin, want to come on a journey with me?"
"Chespin use vine whip!"
"You can do it Quilladin, I believe in you!"
"Go Chesnaught use hammer arm!"
These memories seemed to flood inside of Kenji's head all at once, but he had no memory of this. It wasn't a dream, he was still awake. They felt like his own memories but not his at the same time.
"Ugh, I must really need some sleep if I'm starting to lose it already," Kenji said, shaking his head and lying back on his bed.
The next morning, Kenji woke up bright and early ready for anything. He got dressed in his traveling attire which included dark blue jeans, a lime green sleeveless jacket with a black shirt under it, and his favorite hat. His dad had given it to him when he was younger. He said it was a limited edition and had to send in a bunch of mail tokens to get it. It was black and blue on the sides with a white front and a green logo on the front representing the pokemon league from the Kanto region.
He had a belt that hung down at his side that could hold his pokeballs and a pair of red and white shoes with a black logo on the side.
Kenji went downstairs to find his parents waiting for him. Not really surprising, they knew how much he wanted this.
"Well, I'm off mom and dad," he said proudly.
"Well son, you know you can stop by anytime and don't forget to call occasionally, your Pokedex can also be used as a phone you know, or just use a video phone at the pokemon centers."
"Yea I know dad," Kenji said rubbing the back of his head. His mom gave him an excruciatingly tight hug. While on the verge of tears she was able to put together a few sentences. "Don't forget to eat healthy, don't talk to any scary people, or scary pokemon, and remember to shower and keep yourself clean."
"Mom, I promise, but I can't do any of that if I can't breathe," Kenji said, as he started to turn a bit pale. "I'm sorry dear, you know I worry." Autum said, holding back her tears and letting him go. Kenji gave one last look and waved goodbye, and he was then off on his own.
Kenji had given a bit of thought to what he wanted to do on his journey, there were plenty of options to choose from. Pokemon doctor, breeder, coordinator, researcher, scientist, there were so many to choose from.
But he quickly settled on taking the pokemon gym trainer challenge then the pokemon league. The goal was to get a total of 8 gym badges, gotten from beating various gyms scattered throughout the region. Then you could take on the pokemon league tournament, where only the best of the best trainers would end up.
Since there was a gym in Lumiose City the choice was simple enough. So, he got on a bus and headed into the city to challenge the gym. When he arrived, there was a small crowd of people at the entrance of the gym.
Kenji got behind the group and tried to get a look but couldn't really tell.
"Hey man, what's going on here?" asked a trainer standing next to him.
"Well, it seems like you need at least 4 badges to challenge the gym leader here."
"What, seriously?" said Kenji shocked. "I thought it didn't matter how many badges you had." "Yeah, that's what I thought too," the other trainer said. "Some gym leader..."
Kenji walked off in a huff and pulled out his Pokedex, looking under the map function to see if there were any gyms close by.
To his surprise there was one just south of him in Santalune city.
"Oh, perfect," Kenji said getting back on another bus that was headed in that direction. And just like that he was off again, nothing was going to stop him.
While on the long bus ride Kenji stared out the window, they passed by rolling fields and a thick forest. They wouldn't arrive in Santalune City until the next morning, so Kenji decided to get some sleep.
He arrived in Santalune city the next day in the late afternoon. The town was paved with cobble streets with fancy houses that seemed to have an artistic flair to their design. There were plenty of gardens filled with colorful flowers that filled the street with a sweet scent in the air. It had its fair share of shops but nothing like the big city. In the middle of the town square stood a large fountain with a pokemon in the center that looked like it had flowers for hands.
He made a dash for the gym. It was a green building with very tall windows almost making it look like a greenhouse.
Kenji walked through the doors and was surprised to find it looked more like an art museum than a pokemon gym. All over the walls hung photographs of different pokemon, but most of them seemed to be bug type pokemon.
He walked to the reception desk and was greeted by a friendly woman. She had a small yellow lizard perched on her shoulder that hopped off and seemed to hide under the desk.
"Excuse me is this the Santalune City Gym?" Questioned Kenji.
"Yes, it is, the girl said looking up from the desk."
"Oh good, sorry I wasn't sure. It looks a lot different than I thought a gym would look like."
"Yeah, the gym leader loves photographing bug type pokemon," She said looking around at all the photos on the wall.
"Oh, I see, Well my name is Kenji Donovan, and I'd like to have a gym battle please."
"Hi Kenji, my name is Alexa," she said smiling.
"Umm, is that pokemon ok?" Kenji asked, noticing the cowering lizard under the desk peeking its head out.
"Sorry, don't mind my Helioptile, its very shy." She said giggling at it.
"Oh, I see Kenji said pointing his pokedex at it.
"Helioptile, the generator pokemon, this pokemon makes their home in deserts. They can generate their energy from basking in the sunlight, so eating food is not a requirement," informed the pokedex.
"How many badges do you have," she asked. "None yet," Kenji stated, "this will be my first one."
"Ok, sounds good, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the gym leader," she said getting up. She was tall, looked to be in her 20s and had short brown hair with a large strand of it hung down in her face.
"So, how strong is this gym leader?" Kenji asked nervously, suddenly feeling the weight of what he was about to do.
"Well, she's definitely no slouch, you're gonna have to give it everything you got." she said, eyeing the young new trainer. "Don't be too nervous though, my sister isn't that bad."
"Wait, your sister is the gym leader?" Kenji questioned.
"Yup," she said smiling as they came to a set of doors. "Now go out there and give it everything you got," she said giving him a confident smile.
"Thanks, I will," Kenji said smiling back. He reached up and opened the doors.
Kenji stepped into a room filled with trees with a battlefield in the middle of the room and a glass ceiling making the room seem almost like it was outside.
A young woman stood on one side of the battlefield. She was a little bit shorter than Alexa and wore a white tank top, green pants, and sported a camera around her neck. She had short blonde hair with two sections parted from the middle hanging out on the sides.
"Well, do we have a new challenger?" she shouted. "I'm Viola, and I'm the Santalune City Gym Leader." Kenji stepped onto the battlefield.
"That's right, my name is Kenji Donovan, and I'm here to earn a bug badge," he exclaimed.
"Alright then Kenji, how many pokemon have you brought with you, and how many badges have you earned so far?"
"Well, this will be my first badge, and I only have one pokemon with me so far," said Kenji.
"You mean you challenged a gym leader with having only one pokemon?" said Viola, a bit stunned. "Not to be mean or anything, but you're either very confident or you're not the brightest new trainer," she said rubbing the back of her head.
"Well, I'll show you that me and my partner can handle anything you throw at us," proclaimed Kenji.
"Well, you certainly are confident," Viola said bringing out a single pokeball from her camera strap. Alexa stepped into the referee spot.
"This is an official gym battle for a bug badge and will be a one-on-one match with no time limit, the battle will be over when a pokemon from either side is unable to battle or either trainer gives up," said Alexa looking over at Kenji. "Challenger are you ready?"
Kenji nodded. Then both trainers bring out your pokemon.
Kenji took a deep breath. This is it... it's finally happening, Kenji thought, as his heart started to beat faster. Kenji looked down at Froakie's pokeball as it gleamed in the light. A grin began to appear on Kenji's face as he took another deep breath in and threw out his pokeball. Viola threw out a pokeball and a little spider-like creature appeared.
It had a small blue colored body, four legs and didn't appear to have a mouth, with a yellow antenna sticking up on top of its head, and a small red marking below each eye.
"What's that pokemon?" Kenji asked himself as he pulled out his pokedex to scan it.
"Surskit the pond skater pokemon. This pokemon can walk on water as if it were skating. It attracts prey with the sweet aroma it produces."
"Let the battle begin!" shouted Alexa.
"Alright Froakie lets do this!" shouted Kenji." Let's start off with a quick attack!" Froakie launched itself at the little skater pokemon.
"Quick Surskit use protect!" shouted Viola.
Surskit conjured up what looked to be a wall of light and Froakie bounced off it doing no damage.
"Get back after it!" shouted Kenji, "use another quick attack!"
Once Froakie landed it launched itself again but at a different angle and attempted to land a hit, but the little Surskit spun right out of the way. It was skating around the arena effortlessly dodging each attack Froakie launched at it.
"Oh, come on are you just going to dodge the whole time?" Kenji said, getting visibly irritated.
"You have to play to your partner's strengths, right? well there's hardly anybody that can catch my Surskit," Viola said confidently.
"Alright Froakie, use your frubbles and cover the field!" That will slow them down Kenji thought.
Froakie jumped up and grabbed as many handfuls of its frubbles as possible and threw them everywhere. The Surskit did stop, only momentarily though.
"Not bad kid, but that won't be enough to stop us," Viola said grinning.
"Use ice beam on the field!" she shouted.
"Ice beam?" Kenji questioned.
The Surskit then jumped up in the air and shot a beam of light at the floor turning the gym floor into a sheet of ice.
"I had no idea you could use an attack like that!" Kenji said stunned.
"Yes, our ice battlefield is picture perfect!" said Viola. "What will you do now Kenji?" said Viola staring at him.
When Froakie landed it multiple times trying to get its footing. Kenji looked on in awe, all the frubbles that Froakie had thrown down were now frozen under the ice, and now to make matters worse, Surskit was on the ice but even faster now. It danced around Froakie essentially taunting it.
A little bit of ice won't stop us, Kenji shouted. "Froakie use quick attack!"
Froakie tried to take off but couldn't get any traction and just slipped on the ice falling over.
"Come on Froakie, get it together," Kenji said gritting his teeth. "We gotta win that badge, that's all that matters!"
Froakie looked back at Kenji and glared at him. "What are you looking at me for, watch your opponent!" Kenji shouted, but Viola had called out her next attack.
"Use signal beam Surskit!" The Surskit jumped up and shot a beam of light that was colored a mix of purples and greens.
"Quick Froakie dodge it!" Kenji yelled out in desperation.
But the little frog couldn't get its footing and was struck by the attack, sending it flying.
"No Froakie...," muttered Kenji, as he watched Froakie land a ways behind him.
"Well Kenji, have you had enough? There's no shame in calling a match, you can come back and have a rematch with me at any time." Viola said as Surskit skated around in quick circles.
"Not a chance, we're just getting started," Kenji said, making a fist. "Froakie, get back out there and show them we won't give up!" "FROAKIEEEEE!!" yelled the little frog pokemon at the top of its lungs with what little strength it had left.
"That's the spirit Froakie!" said Kenji bursting with pride. But his look fell quickly when he saw that Froakie was glaring at him.
"Froakie... what's wrong?" Kenji asked.
"I think this battle is over," Viola said, giving her sister a nod.
"Wait no it's not, we can still win this!" pleaded Kenji. "Come on Froakie get back out there!!
"Fro," Froakie said turning its head.
"Froakie this isn't the time for this, now GET BACK OUT THERE, YOU'RE GONNA COST ME THIS MATCH!!" Kenji yelled.
"ENOUGH!!" shouted viola. Kenji looked in shock over at the gym leader who was now walking over to him.
"Clearly, you have a lot to learn about pokemon," she said in a stern tone.
"But I..." Kenji started.
"Answer me this, how long have you had this Froakie?"
"Froakie is my first pokemon and I got it two days ago," Kenji said slowly not making eye contact.
"You clearly don't know what you are doing."
"But I..." stammered Kenji. "I really wanted to win a gym badge."
"Wanting it isn't enough," said viola giving Kenji a stern look. "Did you seriously think you could waltz on in here and just get a gym badge and not put in any effort? Did you even have a plan coming in here?" she said, crossing her arms. Kenji said nothing and clenched his fists.
"So, you mean to tell me you got your starter pokemon and thought the best thing to do was to attempt a gym battle right away?" Gym leaders are not to be taken lightly and serve as a test for trainers," Viola said starting to get an angrier expression on her face. Kenji kept trying to come up with something for his defense, but nothing came into his mind.
"Gym badges are earned not given, and you clearly did not earn the bug badge today. Go be with your pokemon and learn something from today's defeat." Kenji stared at the ground holding tears back. But before he could say anything, his body, acted on its own out of pure instinct, and ran out of the building.
Alexa walked over to her sister, giving her a look.
"You think I was too hard on him don't you," Viola said letting out a sigh.
"I didn't say anything," Alexa responded standing next to her.
"I hate it when I get first time trainers like this, she said exhaling. "So eager to start their journey without giving anything a second thought." "I'm hoping I'll see him back here soon with a changed outlook on things."
"You think he will?" Alexa added.
"I sure hope so," said Viola walking away.
Kenji didn't know where he was running; he didn't really know why either. He just wanted to get away from the gym. Out of breath, he found a bench a few blocks away, next to a fountain, and slumped down, his head hung in defeat.
"I can't believe I lost," Kenji muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground. "What do I even do?" Suddenly, he felt a nudge against his leg.
"Oh, hey, Froakie," Kenji said softly, looking down at his Pokémon, and then back to the ground again. Froakie nudged him once more. "Not now, Froakie."
Ignoring Kenji's plea, Froakie nudged him again, this time more insistently. Kenji sighed, realizing that his Pokémon had something to say. "Fine, what is it?"
Froakie's response was a powerful jet of water that soaked Kenji. He stared at Froakie in shock as it glared back at him.
"What's your problem?!" Kenji exclaimed, wiping water from his face. "FROAKIE KI!!" Froakie retorted.
"Well, it's your fault we lost," Kenji said, growing more irritated. "If you had just gotten back out there, we would've won!"
Froakie, growing even more heated, shot a bubble attack at Kenji, hitting his belt and knocking its Pokéball off. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Kenji shouted, reaching for the Pokéball, only to be met with another bubble attack from Froakie. "Would you stop that!"
Froakie began to slam its Pokéball against the pavement. Kenji crossed his arms, watching with a mix of annoyance and concern. "You're really going to quit just because we lost? You just need to get stronger, that's all. Next time, we'll wipe the floor with her."
"FROOO KIIIIIIII!!" Froakie shouted, giving one final, determined hit to its pokeball, which shattered against the sidewalk.
Kenji's anger subsided, replaced by a sense of helplessness. "Look at what you did!" he yelled. Froakie remained silent, hopping away. "Froakie, where are you going!" Kenji called after it, his voice growing a bit more desperate. Froakie ignored him, continuing to hop away.
"Froakie, wait!" Kenji pleaded. Froakie turned and launched another bubble attack, striking Kenji square in the chest, knocking him back.
"FRO KI KI FRO!!" Froakie shouted, glaring at Kenji.
"Fine, go then," Kenji said, getting up after being knocked back. He turned his back to Froakie, tears welling up in his eyes. "Who needs a weak little Pokémon anyway? I hate you! I knew I should've picked Chespin!" With a single tear sliding down the little Froakie's face, it hopped off down the road, not looking back.
"Kenji... if you want... dinner is ready," Autumn said softly. With no response, she let out a long sigh. "Well if you get hungry, there will be leftovers in the fridge." Tears rolled down her face as she made her way back downstairs.
Kenji sat alone in his dimly lit room, the curtains drawn tightly shut to block out any trace of sunlight. His once lively Pokémon posters and trophies, which had adorned the walls, now seemed like distant memories of happier times. The room felt suffocating, the air heavy with the weight of his failure. On his bedside table, sat Froakie's shattered Pokéball, a painful reminder of their bitter parting.
The silence broke one night, as Kenji lay in his bed with his thoughts. The distant booms of the fireworks display echoed throughout the city. Kenji got up looking out his window staring at the brightly colored display in the sky, listening to the people cheer happily.
"Stupid fireworks," he muttered, and shut his window.
As Kenji sat in the dim room, lost in his thoughts, the world outside continued to move forward. But for now, he was trapped in his own personal darkness, a prisoner of his own regrets and sorrow.
Professor sycamore stirred his morning coffee gently. "Anything new?" he asked looking up at Norman.
"No... he barely leaves his room, we practically beg him to eat. I've never seen him like this," Norman sighed. "Even Tyranitar knows something is off. It's been two months since it's seen him."
The professor let out a long sigh. "I feel like this is my fault..."
"No, don't blame yourself," interrupted Norman. "Have you... found a trainer for that Froakie yet?"
"Sadly, no," said Professor Sycamore glumly staring into his coffee. "That Froakie seems to reject every trainer we pair it with, after a battle or two it just abandons them. It's almost as if it doesn't feel they are worthy." He looked over and watched Froakie sitting alone in a tree in the outdoor habitat area. "I honestly don't know what to do about it."