A New Beginning

[Psycho Monkey]

This is a short 3-part mini-fic I wrote to introduce my new PRP character for Unova. I was originally going to post this when there was a suitable RP to debut him in, but as the PRP board is kinda dead right now that probably isn't going to happen anytime soon ^^; So I'm posting this now just because I can. All three parts are finished so save your comments until I post everything.

A New Beginning

Part 1: The Boy From Castelia City: Shiro Yukimura

This waiting was killing me! It had already been a week since I graduated from North Middle School, but rather than enjoy my summer like the rest of the kids in my class, I was at home waiting for my summer, no, my future to begin.

My parents and I had a deal. If I got straight A’s on my report card for my eighth grade year, they would let me become a Pokémon Trainer. I had lived up to my end of the bargain; I studied hard to get A’s in all my classes. Not only that, but I had also taken Prof. Juniper’s online classes on how to be a Pokémon Trainer. She is the leading authority of Pokémon in the Unova region and won’t give anyone a starter until they prove they won’t be a threat to themselves, other people, or Pokémon. Since I lived in Castelia City, taking actual lecture courses with her was a no-can-do as she lived in Nuvema Town. Besides, online classes were easier for me to fit in my schedule since I could do them at my own pace as long as I submitted my homework and tests on time. Needless to say, this had been a very busy and stressful year for me. It definitely counted as the most difficult of my fourteen years of life.

As soon as I had shown my report card to my parents and gotten the okay from them, I emailed Prof. Juniper to tell her that I was ready to become a trainer. I had passed all my Trainer exams the week before graduation so finishing school was the last task that needed to be cleared. Prof. Juniper had gotten back to me and said she was glad to hear everything had worked out and that she was sending me my first Pokémon and a few tools of the trade that would be helpful to an up-and-coming Trainer. The only thing I could do now was wait, and it was killing me!

“Shiro. Will you take us out for ice cream?” asked my youngest brother Touya. He’s seven and looks a lot like I did at that age only he has our father’s brown eyes while I have Mom’s blue eyes and he has our mother’s light brown hair that he keeps cut short while my hair is a medium shade of brown from mixing my Mom’s and my Dad’s dark brown hair together. I keep my hair at a medium length, long enough to cover my huge ears. I hate how my ears seem to be so ridiculously huge! Also, I can never keep my hair laying straight. No matter how much I comb it, my hair is always ends up a mess.

“You just ate Touya. Besides, none of the ice cream places around here even compare to a Casteliacone and that’s all the way on the other side of town.” chided my other younger brother Masaru. He had just turned eleven and was already turning up the angst with it. He closely resembled our father having short dark brown hair, brown eyes, and thick eyebrows.

“That’s nonsense Masaru. People travel from all over Unova for a Casteliacone. Surely you can walk a few miles.” my Grandpa, Roshi, told him. Grandpa was my father’s father making him a Yukimura like the rest of us. He still had a full head of white hair and had hazel eyes behind his thick glasses. His wrinkled face was the tell-tale sign of someone with years of experience and wisdom. He had come to live with us nine years ago after the death of my Grandma. Grandpa said his old house was just too big for one old man to live in by himself. The five of us lived in a small suburban community in the north of the Third District of Castelia City. We had a decent sized house so we had plenty of room to spare for a sixth person. My mom, Saya, was a prosecution lawyer and my Dad, Kyoshiro, was the CEO of a computer company so my family is pretty well off.

It was because of Grandpa that I even got into to Pokémon in the first place. He was never a trainer, but had been a lifelong fan. When I was a kid we always watched the annual Unova League Tournament and other broadcast tournaments together. I got really excited watching a man named Alder win the tournament and then go on to challenge and beat the Elite Four becoming the first Champion Unova had had in a long time. Unfortunately, I heard one of Alder’s Pokémon had died and that Alder has been missing ever since. I wondered where he was now. I highly doubted he’d ever come to Castelia City though.

Right now I was sitting in the kitchen with my brothers and Grandpa. Grandpa wasn’t much of a cook so while my parents were at work we just had sandwiches for lunch. Apparently that wasn’t enough for Touya who now was ready for dessert. Two ham and cheese sandwiches weren’t exactly filling for me either.

“Shiro, how about I give you and your brothers some money and you guys go out to Casteliacone? If your Pokémon comes while you’re out I’ll grab it for ya and have it here ready and waiting for ya.” proposed Grandpa.

“Now how can I say no to a Casteliacone?” I said with a smile. “Alright boys, let’s go get some ice cream! We better hurry before they sell out!” I said excitedly.

“Yay!” Touya cheered happily.

“Let’s see… the cones are, what, a hundred credits a piece now?” Grandpa mumbled flipping through his wallet. “Well here’s 500. Bring me back the change now.” he said handing me a 500 credit bill.

“Understood!” I affirmed taking the money and stuffing it into the front pocket of my dark blue jeans. In anticipation for my career, I was wearing what would be my Trainer’s clothes: dark blue jeans, sturdy white running shoes, black and white checkered wrist warmers, and a dark purple T-shirt. I also had a forest green windbreaker, but that was only for when it got cold.

Let’sgolet’sgolet’sgo!” screamed Touya in one breath literally jumping out of his chair.

“Chill out kid. Chances are they’ll be sold out by the time we get there anyway. They always seem to be.” Masaru chastised.

“Quit being so negative Boy.” Grandpa scolded. I got up from the table and led my brother’s to the front door.

“Make sure you tell me right away if my Pokémon comes today.” I told Grandpa before leaving. He only laughed and waved us out.

“What? It’s not like Grandpa will keep that a secret from you. Unlike Mom and Dad, he actually approved of you becoming a Trainer.” Masaru pointed out. And he was right.

My parents hated the idea of me becoming some “vagabond slacker” and not living up to my potential. They wanted me to be like them and get some high paying, high profile job. That was why we had the deal about me getting straight A’s all throughout eighth grade in the first place. It was so I could prove to them that I was capable of being a Trainer and maybe one day some kind of business man too. I even used the employees at the Battle Company as an example in my defense. Business people who were also Trainers. When I fulfilled my end of the bargain they reluctantly agreed to allow me to become a Trainer.

“I know Grandpa will lookout for me. I’m just so excited I can’t take it!” I told him.

“You’ll come home sometimes, right Shiro?” Touya asked with a bit of concern.

“Of course I will. I may go far away, all throughout Unova, but I’ll always stop by if I’m close to Castelia.” I told him to make him feel better. To a seven-year-old, the world was a big mysterious place. I know I never had any geography classes in first grade.

“That’s good.” he said sounding relieved that I wouldn’t be gone forever.

“That’s right. Besides, there’s that girl here he likes.” teased Masaru.

“Wh-what girl? I don’t like any particular girl.” I said defensively getting flustered. Ok, so there was a girl that went to North Middle School that I have a crush on, but how does he know about her?

“Oh? What about--”

“Shut up Masaru!” I yelled trying to put my hand over his mouth. He resisted and laughed at how I unwittingly proved his point.

“Yeah! Why would Shiro like girls anyway? They have cooties!” said Touya disgustedly. So naïve. He’ll understand in a few years.

While we walked to Mode Street where Casteliacone was located, we passed by two weirdoes dressed in chainmail and armor. Why were those people dressed like Knight Templar anyway? Was there some kind of a Medieval Convention in town? That was the only explanation I could think of for why people would willing wear that kind of stuff in May. Or at all really.

“Who are those guys?” inquired Touya in wonder.

“A bunch of idiots without fashion sense.” said Masaru condescendingly.

“Careful, they might hear you.” I scolded. “But yeah, I agree that those guys are kinda freaky.” I whispered.

As usual, the line for Casteliacone was insanely long when we got there. Everyone loved the soft texture and fresh vanilla flavor that made Casteliacone the best ice cream in all of Unova. After almost half an hour of waiting it was finally our turn.

“Three Casteliacones.” I ordered at the counter.

“Aren’t you boys lucky. We only have three cones left. That will be 300c.” the girl working the stand informed getting our desserts ready. I got out the 500c Grandpa gave me and traded it to her in exchange for the cones. In the time it took me to give my brothers their ice creams, the girl had my change ready.

“Thanks.” I said taking the money.

“Have a good day you three.” she said flipping the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’. The people behind us were justifiably upset about Casteliacone being sold out. We had to sit on a near by bench to eat our ice cream as Touya was still to young to have figured out eating ice cream and walking at the same time. Considering we were sitting and he was still making a mess I say it was a smart decision.

When we finally got home, I almost fainted from sheer joy. Grandpa was sitting on the sofa near the front door with a big box on his lap and a proud grin on his face. I didn’t need to read the shipping label on the box to know what it was, nor did I need to hear what Grandpa said next.

“The time has come Shiro. This box’ll cost ya 200c.” the old man offered grinning.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Part 2: Path of the Trainer: The Road is Long and Hard

Dear Shiro,
Congratulations on becoming a Pokémon Trainer! ^_^ If you are reading this letter than you have already opened the box and seen what it contains. The full sized Pokéball, the one about baseball sized, is the starter Pokémon you requested, Oshawott! As you already know, Oshawott is a Water-type. The five smaller Pokéballs, the ones shaped like ping-pong balls, are empty and can be used to capture new Pokémon with. You will still need to buy Potions, other healing supplies, and new Pokéballs on your own. I do not plan on holding your hand forever now! ;3 Lastly, the dark aqua blue device with the black screen is your brand new Pokédex! Open it up to record data on any and all Pokémon you come in contact with for more information on them such as Species name, Type, gender, Moves, Abilities, or just random trivia. Try it out on your Oshawott.
The most important thing you will find in the box is paperwork. Lucky for you, the only thing you need to do with it is run it to the local Pokémon Center and they will use it to make you your very own Trainer Card! Trainer Cards certify you as a legal and official Trainer, guarantee your Pokémon free health care at Pokémon Centers, will allow you to purchase items at a Mart, and will allow you to participate in League regulated battles. I could have made the card myself, but I do not have any photos of you or your other personal information that is needed for the card. Well I think that covers everything you need to know. If you have anymore questions, here is my Xtransciever number xxx-xxx-xxxx if you do not already have it. Good luck on your journey! ^_^

Best Wishes,
Prof. Juniper​

As soon as I finished reading the letter, I quickly tossed it aside and pulled out a sphere that was red on top and white on the bottom, the colors of the typical Pokéball. As this one was the largest of the six, it must have been the one that contained Oshawott. When I first started taking Prof. Juniper’s online classes I had looked up the list of Unova Starters. It was actually a pretty tough decision as I liked all three, but out of Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, the otter was the one that won me over. My heart was racing as I clutched the Pokéball tightly in my right hand. Well, might as well meet my first Pokémon.

“Come on out Oshawott!” I called throwing the Pokéball to the floor. The sphere burst open releasing a bright white light that materialized in the form of a small bipedal otter. The Pokémon had a big round white head with small dark blue ears in the shape of triangles and an orange oval shaped nose. Under Oshawott’s currently closed eyes were small black whisker stubs. I guess they haven’t fully grown in yet. The otter’s torso was an aqua blue color with small round tufts of fur near its neck. On its chest was a large pale yellow shell that took up the majority of its torso. Oshawott’s arms were also white and it had small claws on its almost unnoticeable fingers. Its feet and tail were a dark blue color. Oshawott’s tail was mostly flat like a paddle while its feet were like its hand with small claws on the toes.

Oshawott finally opened its large black eyes and let out a big yawn revealing two small fangs in its mouth. It smacked its tongue against its mouth having just woken up from its nap. As soon as the otter was more alert, it began looking around in confusion.

“It’s alright Oshawott. You’re safe. My name is Shiro Yukimura. I’m your new trainer.” I introduced crouching down to the Pokémon’s level. Prof. Juniper had said in her lectures that it was important for a Starter Pokémon to identify its trainer right away and for the trainer to appear unintimidating. First impressions were crucial.

“He’s so cute!” commented Touya standing over my shoulder for a better view. Oshawott turned up to look at my brother then back at me.

“Whatever.” Masaru said dismissively. If he was trying to play cool it wasn’t working. I could tell by the way he was looking our way that he was as interested in Oshawott as the rest of us. After all, this was the first time a Pokémon had ever been in our house.

“Are you sure it’s really a ‘he’ Touya?” Grandpa questioned.

“Good point. Let’s find out.” I said grabbing my new Pokédex. Prof. Juniper did suggest I test it out on Oshawott after all. I opened the device and pointed it at my Pokémon. First, a picture of Oshawott appeared followed by a good bit of information.

‘Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon. The scalchop on its stomach is made from the same element as claws. It detaches the scalchop for use as a blade.’ It read. So that shell on its stomach is called a scalchop and can be used as a weapon. Interesting. What else can it tell me?

‘Ability: Torrent- Powers up Water-type moves in a pinch.
Known moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun
Gender: Female’

“Ah, here we go. You were wrong Touya. My Oshawott is a girl.” I corrected. “But don’t worry, I don’t think you’ll get cooties from a Pokémon.” I teased.

“Why not give her a nickname then? I’ve heard that naming your Pokémon makes your relationship more personal.” suggested Grandpa. A name? I never thought about that before. What would be a good name for her then? While I pondered, Oshawott looked around the room curiously staring at the four of us.

“Well, you’re a Water-type, and Mizu means water, so why don’t I call you Mizuki?” I asked her. The otter stared at me for a little bit blushing slightly. I didn’t even know Pokémon could blush. Before I could open my mouth to suggest other possible names, Oshawott smiled at me showing off her fangs.

“So Mizuki is fine then?” I checked. She nodded in agreement. “Then that’s what I’ll call you from now on, Mizuki.” Mizuki squealed happily obviously very delighted by her new name.

“Alright, now that that’s all settled, time to start my adventure!” I declared jumping to my feet. I held out Mizuki’s Pokéball to call her back.

“Now just hold on a minute Shiro! You should wait for your parents first! I’m sure they would like to meet Mizuki and see you off on your journey. Heck, you haven’t even introduced her to us yet.” Grandpa said rationally.

“Oh right. Sorry about that.” I apologized. I got back down to my Oshawott’s level. “Mizuki, this wise old man here is my Grandpa Roshi. It’s because of him that you and I met because he’s the one who got me into Pokémon. He’s also very nice.”

“Hello there Mizuki. It’s nice to meet you.” Grandpa greeted. The Sea Otter Pokémon smiled at him. I then turned towards my brothers.

“And these two kids over here are my younger brothers Masaru and Touya. Masaru is the taller one and the smaller one is Touya.” I introduced.

“What, don’t we get a better introduction like Grandpa got?” complained Masaru indignantly. Touya on the other hand pushed me aside and practically got right in Mizuki’s face.

“Wow! I’ve never been this close to a Pokémon before!” he said exuberantly. Mizuki looked extremely uncomfortable at first then reflexively reached for her shell.

“Hold on Mizuki! Touya, you might want to step back a little. Remember, the Pokédex said Oshawott will attack with their scalchops if they feel threatened. You may be a runt to us, but you’re still much bigger than she is.” I warned pulling my brother back a bit.

“I know! But I wanted to see her!” he whined.

“You can still see her and not be in her personal space. If you get hurt by my Pokémon, that’s it. Game over for me. Mom and Dad won’t just forbid me from being a Trainer, but they’ll ground me for forever too.” I told him. “You don’t want that to happen do you?”

“No.” Touya said shamefully lowering his head.

“It’s alright. Just let Mizuki get used to us before getting too close to her.” I said to make him feel better.

“Yeah, but with you leaving most likely tomorrow, that doesn’t give us much time.” pointed out Masaru. I shrugged. Then I got an idea and turned to Grandpa.

“I need to turn in this paperwork to be fully certified as a Trainer so why don’t you let me take care of this, and then I’ll stay home for one or two days and let you all get used to Mizuki? While I’m out I’ll show her around the city a bit too.” Grandpa sighed and shook his head. I held my breath waiting for the answer to come out of his mouth.

“Fine. Just be home by supper.” he allowed.

“I’ll be home by 6:30 sharp!” I cheered excitedly. I grabbed the paperwork that I would need to turn in for my Trainer Card at the Pokémon Center. It was 2:24 now giving me effectively four hours. A full tour around Castelia would take much longer than that but getting my Card and taking a trip to Gym Street… I returned Mizuki to her Pokéball and headed out deciding not to waste any time in getting to my destination.
----------

Even though Gym Street was closer to my house than the Pokémon Center, I had to stop their first to get my Trainer Card made up. The small red roofed building was hard to miss against the dozens of tall skyscrapers that lined Ocean Side Boulevard. I had to get my picture taken which I wasn’t exactly thrilled about. My hair was a mess and I was sure one of my ears was noticeable. Luckily the picture turned out better than I thought it did when I officially got my ID half an hour later. I put it in my pocket for safe keeping and went straight to Gym Street.

When I arrived, I stared up at the green roofed building that was home to Castelia’s Gym Leader. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard his name is Burgh or something like that. If I’m going to have to prolong my journey just because my family wants to interact with my Pokémon for a day or two, I’m at least going to get a Gym Badge first. I clutched Mizuki’s Pokéball, ready for my first battle and walked through the sliding glass doors.

The inside of the Gym was not at all what I was expecting. There was only one small room with two spires at the entrance with plaques on them that read Castelia City Pokémon Gym: Leader Burgh. What’s more, the walls were covered with strange paintings and honey. I was a bit concerned as to why there was honey everywhere. The only walls not to have paintings were the one at the entrance and the one directly across from the entrance. The honey also looked thinner, almost transparent even. I saw a guy dressed in a clown suit walking on the other side of the wall. Wait, that wasn’t a wall at all! That was a window! But how do I get into that other room? The clown turned his head taking notice of me, then to my shock walked through the honey to greet me. There was no way I was doing that!

“Welcome! I’m Sideways the Clown! Welcome to Castelia City Gym and Art Gallery!” he greeted in an obviously fake voice. If he thought that was supposed funny, it wasn’t.

“Right, I’m here to challenge the Gym Leader. Is he in?” I questioned. I was really bothered by clowns so I would rather be around this weirdo as little as possible.

“Why yes, Burgh is in right now but I say boy, you can’t battle him right away! You gotta battle me first!” Sideways challenged. Dammit! Oh well. Mizuki should be able to make quick work of this clown. Then I’ll find a way to get to Burgh.

“Alright, let’s go! I choose you! Mizuki!” I called sending out my Pokémon.

“I’ll use Shelmet!” Sideways threw down his own Pokéball releasing a silver knight’s helmet that was curled in the back and had two stubs on the bottom. The helmet opened up revealing a pink ball with a long mouth and puckered lips. Behind each of the Pokémon’s eyes was a green stripe. I pulled out my Pokédex to get more information on this new Pokémon.

‘Shelmet, the Snail Pokémon. When attacked, it defends itself by closing the lid of its shell. It can spit a sticky, poisonous liquid. A Bug-type Pokémon.’

“Bug-type huh? I heard every Gym has a specialty. Is this one Bug-type?” I inquired.

“It sure is! And this is our signature move! Shelmet! Use Struggle Bug!” commanded the clown. The Snail Pokémon vibrated its body and made loud stressed out noises. I held my ears because of how unpleasant the sound was. I noticed Mizuki doing the same only she was screaming from the attack as well. Oshawott probably have more sensitive ears than humans. Luckily, the attack only lasted for a few seconds.

“Alright Mizuki! Hit that bug with Tackle!” I called. The otter ran at her opponent full force, but her attack just seemed to bounce right off leaving Shelmet with barely a scratch.

“Shelmet have really high Defense! There’s no way you’re penetrating it! Hahahoi!” laughed Sideways. Stupid clown!

“We’ll see about that! Use Tail Whip Mizuki!” I commanded. The Oshawott did as told by turning her back to her opponent and wagging her tail at it.

“Oh yeah? Bide your time Shelmet!” called Sideways. His Pokémon just sat there doing nothing. Why wasn’t it attacking? No matter! I’ll take this as an opening!

“Try another Tackle!” I called. Mizuki once again slammed Shelmet, but the Snail Pokémon seemed impervious to damage even with Tail Whip. The clown made no effort to even attempt another attack.

“If that’s how you want to play it, try Water Gun this time Mizuki!” I commanded. The Sea Otter Pokémon opened her mouth spraying a small stream of water at her opponent. Even getting dowsed with water seemed to be ineffective. Shelmet just shook the attack off like it was nothing. What was this thing made of?

“Time’s up!” the clown said in a creepy tone. The Snail Pokémon’s body started glowing red as it charged into Mizuki for a powerful physical blow. My Pokémon cried out as she was flung to my feet unconscious. I was at a complete loss for words. How did this clown beat me so easily?

“What was that attack?” I questioned still in shock.

“That was Bide. A Pokémon stores the energy of attacks thrown at it and repays it back double. And you fell for it! Hahahoi!” he laughed. How insulting to not have just lost, but then to be mocked by this clown! I returned Mizuki to her Pokéball and turned to leave the Gym.

“Please come again! Oh and if you catch a Karrablast or meet a Trainer who has one, I’m willing to trade my Shelmet for one!” Sideways called as I left. I ignored him as I stormed out of the Gym. I can’t believe I lost my first battle. Especially to that clown!

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Part 3: Fated Encounter: Wisdom From an Unlikely Source

After healing Mizuki at the Pokémon Center, I went across and down the street to Sightseeing Pier. There was no way I was going home after a loss like that so I just stared out into the ocean. Why did I have to lose to that damn idiot anyway? I’ve watched Pokémon battling on TV for years and have been studying to be a Trainer for months! Why did none of what I tried work?

I thought about a rumor that a Legendary Fire-type Pokémon called Victini lives at the Liberty Garden not far from the Castelia coast. Victini got its name because it is said that anyone who catches one will be blessed with constant victory. If I caught that Pokémon, not only would I have a type advantage on the Gym because Fire beats Bug, but I’ll be guaranteed to win. Unfortunately, it was just an urban legend.

I actually went on a field trip to Liberty Garden when I was in fourth grade and saw nothing. There were absolutely no Wild Pokémon around, certainly not any Victini. Plus, the tickets at Liberty Pier to get to the Garden were very expensive. I wasn’t wasting that kind of money just to chase after something that may not even exist.

“Ekusukyusu me. You dere. Can you puriis herup us? We a bit rost.” said a voice interrupting my thoughts. I turned around to see a man with spiky black hair and blue eyes decked out in black combat boots, long black pants, black fingerless gloves, and a black trench coat that was open so I could see his black shirt.

Standing next to him was a tall monkey Pokémon with white fur on its torso, face, and lower legs, gold fur everywhere else, long pointed ears, blue toes and fingers, gold bangles on its knees, hands, shoulders, and around its chest, and finally a long flaming mane on its head.

“Could you repeat that please? I couldn’t understand you the first time.” I requested while getting out my Pokédex to identify this creature.

“We aa rooking for da Pokémon Shentaa but dis shity so big we got rost. Can you puriis terr us how to get dere?” he asked again. What was with that strange accent?

“Sure, one moment.” I said pointing my Pokédex at his Pokémon. Instead of information popping up like with Mizuki and Shelmet though, all I got was static. “What the? Stupid Pokédex! Why isn’t it working?” I unintentionally said out loud.

“Is it regionar?” the man asked. “Because we come furom faa away rand carred Shinno, but we rive in Kanto. My name is Buraian an dis is my furendo Akuseru. He’s Infernape.” he explained. Buraian’s Pokémon started giggling for some reason all of a sudden.

“I guess my Pokédex only registers Unova Pokémon then.” I surmised. “But Akuseru is still a Pokémon right? How about I show you where the Pokémon Center is after a battle?” I challenged. I may have lost to that stupid clown, but there’s no way I can lose to a Fire-type with my Water-type.

“Batteru?” he said as if unsure what I just said. This idiot foreigner can barely speak so maybe he doesn’t know what ‘battle’ means in our language. Then to my shock he started laughing maniacally. “I LOVE BATTLES!” he yelled way too enthusiastically. Holly crap he pronounced L’s! Buraian was then smacked upside his head by Akuseru who looked unhappy about something.

“What?” he asked his Pokémon obviously not to thrilled about getting smacked. The Infernape said something to him that sounded to me like monkey chatter, but apparently the Trainer understood because he replied back. “What do you mean I lost my-- Ah crap. I did drop the accent didn’t I? Damn.” he said sounding disappointed.

“You mean you were faking it?” I asked in bewilderment. “And did you just talk to you Pokémon?”

“Yes to both. Since this is my first time in Unova, I wanted to troll a bit and pretend to be an obnoxious foreigner. But apparently ‘battle’ is my trigger word.” he said with a shrug. “Also, Axel and I just have that kind of relationship where we understand each other. He and I are hetero-sexual life partners you know.” The monkey nodded to such an awkward comment as if it was something normal to say. “But enough of that. You challenged me to a battle and I’ve kept you waiting long enough um…” Buraian trailed as if waiting for me to respond.

“Oh right, I’m Shiro.” Then I noticed something. “You said Akuseru first, but changed it to Axel just now. So are you really Buraian?”

“Brian actually. Our names were casualties of amusement I’m afraid.” Brian corrected while Axel nodded. “Anyway, Monkey Face here is the only Pokémon on me at the moment so can we keep this 1-on-1?” he requested.

“That’s fine by me because I also only have one Pokémon too. I chose you! Mizuki!” I called sending her out for battle once more. Brian and Axel’s faces seemed to drop when I sent her out though. They better not be judging her for her size! First Axel said something then Brian responded again.

“Yup, the kid’s a fucking n00b. Only and idiot n00b would call out “I chose you!” at the start of battle.” he mocked.

“Hey so what if I just started today! Incase you didn’t know, Mizuki is an Oshawott which is a Water-type! You’re at a disadvantage!” I yelled back getting flustered. I was not about to be talked down to by this jackass.

“What?” he responded flatly. “I had no idea you were also a newbie! I just thought you were being stupid. This is going to suck.”

“This will suck for you. I have the advantage!” I repeated.

“It isn’t just about type Kid. Experience counts too. Axel could fight without using his arms and you still wouldn’t have an advantage. In fact, let’s do that! Axel, don’t use your arms at all this fight. Also, fight without using any attacks. That should at least even the odds a little bit.” Brian said.

“Are you out of your mind? You’re putting your Pokémon at a complete disadvantage! What kind of Trainer are you?” I yelled. I couldn’t believe this guy.

“Well I am out of my mind. I’m also the kind of Trainer with eight years more experience than you, so the only one at a disadvantage here is you. First move is yours Shiro.” said Brian throwing his hand out to give me the go ahead.

“You’ll be sorry! Blast the Infernape with Water Gun!” I commanded. Mizuki nodded having had enough of their taunting as I did and blasted Axel with a powerful spray of water. Unexpectedly, the monkey got down with his mouth open and started drinking Mizuki’s Water Gun! The Sea Otter Pokémon was so shocked that she stopped the attack!

“Tasty?” inquired Brian looking at his Pokémon who was smacking his lips. Axel made more gibberish monkey sounds. “Axel says Mizuki’s water is very fresh. He suggests you fill bottles with it before going on your journey.” translated Brian with a grin.

“Don’t mock me! Drop Axel’s defense with Tail Whip!” I commanded. Mizuki shook her tail at the Infernape. He and his Trainer just looked at each other in confusion and then both shrugged their shoulders. “Neither one is paying attention! Hit Axel with Tackle!” I followed up. The Infernape wasn’t looking meaning that’s an opening. Even so, without even turning away from Brian, the monkey lifted his foot and blocked Mizuki’s Tackle by putting his foot on her head. The Oshawott stubbornly tried pressing forward but to no avail. Axel once again spoke to his Trainer.

“I guess they thought that was going to work.” Brian responded with a shrug. “But this is getting embarrassing now. Finish Mizuki off.” The Infernape simply pushed his foot forward sending Mizuki flying back to me. She let out a weak yelp as she hit the ground and was fainted.

I felt my knees go weak but I couldn’t allow myself to fall to the ground. I didn’t want to look like I was kneeling to these two. But still, I was 0/2. I’ve had two battles today, two battles since officially becoming a Trainer, and I lost both. How did this happen? I studied so hard! I was beaten so easily by a Fire-type no less when Mizuki’s Water Gun should have crippled the Infernape. Instead he drank it!

“Arrogant. Impulsive. Rash.” Brian said walking around the area of the pier we had used for our battle.

“Is it enough that you beat me, but you have to mock me too?” I demanded with a crack in my voice. Brian stopped walking and just stared at me.

“Always about you. No, Shiro, I was remembering what I was like when I first became a Trainer. The fact that you recognized those traits as your own though just means there’s hope for you yet.” he said with a bit more seriousness to his tone than before. “Come. Walk with me.” he requested throwing his hand out beckoning me to go with him.

“Why should I?” I retorted. The foreigner only smirked at me.

“Because I still don’t know where the Pokémon Center is and it’s irresponsible for a Trainer to wander around with fainted Pokémon. Like it or not, you’re stuck with me until Mizuki is fully healed.” he said continuing to smirk.

“Fine!” I caved reluctantly. “The Pokémon Center is this way.” I told him taking the lead.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to tell you the story of a Trainer I know. Stop me if it sounds familiar.” Brian said as we started walking.

“There once was a boy and his Pokémon. The boy had gotten pretty full of himself at having his first Pokémon and officially being a Trainer. Then one day he met another Trainer so naturally he challenged that Trainer. The boy was sure that his Pokémon was smart enough and strong enough to take on this new and exciting opponent. But the Pokémon wasn’t. In one swift move the boy had lost to a vastly superior opponent.”

“You’re talking about me aren’t you?” I asked defensively. Brian rolled his eyes.

“So self centered. How many times must I tell you it isn’t about you? That Trainer was a man named Raiden Arka and the boy was me making the Pokémon Axel. Raiden told me something that day. I’m going to tell you the same thing because you need to hear it. A Pokémon is only as strong as its Trainer and you are weak.”

“What do you mean weak?” I shouted in frustration. Brian scratched the back of his head as if unsure how to answer.

“Well when Master Raiden first told me that, I thought he meant literal physical strength so I started to train along side my Pokémon. As I grew older and gained more experience, I started to wonder if I was just weak minded and it was my resolve that needed strengthening. In my opinion, both are important. Training with your Pokémon shows them that you’re aren’t just going to be giving them orders and being completely dependant on them. It shows that you are also willing to put your body on the line for them and your goals as well. Mental strength proves that you are competent and won’t throw your Pokémon into unwinnable battles. Inner strength gives you the drive to press on even when things are tough. Pokémon feed on human emotion so even if a human isn’t physically strong enough to fight on, just the drive to keep going will give the Pokémon the strength to fight on and win impossible victories. Hence why if the Trainer is a weak minded fool, the Pokémon can’t reach its full potential. Or something like that. I’m not good at explaining things.”

By the time Brian finished his speech, we had arrived at the Pokémon Center. For the third time today I would be walking in there, and for the second time, it would be to heal my Pokémon. While I was at first annoyed that I’d have to deal with this guy until Mizuki was healed, I was actually becoming curious as to what he had to say. Maybe the best way to learn would be to talk to someone with actually experience as a Trainer.

“Could you tell me more while I wait to get Mizuki healed?” I requested when we were inside. Castelia is a very big city with hundreds of trainers in it daily so the wait for healing was pretty long. In the mean time, Brian grabbed a nearby sofa and propped his legs up on a table in front of it causing his coat tails to hang down. Axel mimicked the pose to almost perfection even having his tail hang limp to mimic Brian’s coat. I sat on the sofa across from them to hear what else the Trainer had to say.

“Ok, but we’re putting philosophy on the back burner for now. One major thing you need to do is never, never ever, never say ‘I chose you!’ again! It is extremely n00bish. People will respect a newbie who has potential and tries. No one likes a n00b no matter how experienced they are.” he said straight forwardly.

“What else can I say then?” I asked.

“I don’t know. ‘Go,’ ‘Come out,’ ‘You’re up,’ anything really.” Brian listed off. “Secondly, Mizuki’s Tail Whip is fail. As soon as she’s revived, I’ll tell both of you how it’s done.”

“What did she do wrong?” I inquired.

“I’ll tell you when she’s healed! Patients young Padawan.” he instructed. What the hell is a Padawan? “Now the second thing you should know is that type is arbitrary. It’s all about experience. You only have a type advantage if your and your opponent’s Pokémon have similar experience. If this was eight years ago, you would have beaten me because both Axel and I were fledglings like you. Even Axel has lost to Pokémon he’s had a type advantage over because they were just that much stronger than him.” he explained.

Axel looked at his Trainer and started yelling at him. “I’m not shaming you in front of new people, I’m stating facts. Besides, that’s all in the past.” Brian responded.

“How do you do that anyway? I mean, talking with your Pokémon like that?” I inquired.

“We just have that kind of relationship. We’re best friends that would do anything for each other.” he responded. The Infernape then said something back to Brian. “What? No! You naughty monkey!” yelled Brian.

“What did he say?” I asked curiously.

“Things that would make Mizuki blush. Don’t worry about it.” he said dismissively.

“Do you think Mizuki and I will ever get in that kind of relationship?” I asked.

“That depends on you and how you interact with her. You can’t force friendship, it has to come naturally.” Brian responded sagely.

“Yukimura, Shiro!” the attending nurse called. I told Brian I would be right back before going to the counter to give them my Oshawott’s Pokéball. Luckily it was a different nurse on duty than before to save me the shame of coming in here twice and getting recognized.

The thing I liked about Pokémon Centers was how fast they healed your Pokémon. They put the Pokéballs in a machine that poured some kind of energy in them and just like that, your Pokémon was fully healed. I’m sure more grievous injuries like broken bones or severe battering and bruising would require more time and more attention, but simply getting knocked out took no more than a minute for her to be fighting fit.

“We hope to see you again!” the nurse said handing back the Pokéball.

“Why? Do you want me to lose gain?” I questioned.

“Oh no, not like that. Coming back just means you and your Pokémon are safe.” she clarified. Ok, that makes sense.

“Hey what kind of Pokémon is that?” I heard another Trainer ask.

“It carred Infernape an can onry be found in Shinno.” Brian responded in his fake and possibly very offensive accent. “Cood you puriis riibu now? My Padawan an I need to tark arone.” he requested. When the other Trainer left looking completely confused, I took my seat across from Brian.

“What’s with you anyway?” I inquired.

“I’ve got the wisdom of an old man, the body of a young adult, and the maturity of a child. It’s just the way I am. I’m crazy and proud of it!” he declared shamelessly. “Now send out Mizuki. She needs to hear the wisdom of this old man too.” he requested. I did as he said. The Sea Otter Pokémon looked really down and depressed at having lost so easily twice in the same day.

“Hey, it’s ok. We just need to get better, that’s all.” I consoled. Mizuki looked at me angrily as if I was the one to blame for her losing. I wasn’t, was I?

“Alright children, listen up. That Tail Whip is of yours is absolutely ineffective. The only way that move will drop defense is if it makes the opponent laugh. Let us show you how it’s done.” offered Brian standing up with Axel.

“Axel. You don’t know Tail Whip do you?” The monkey shook his head no. “But you do have a tail.” To that Axel nodded. “Then hit me with your best shot.” he said crossing his arms in front of his body like he was blocking an attack. The Infernape then smacked Brian’s arms with his tail hard enough to spread them.

“That is what is called breaking defense. After Tail Whip you would follow up with a move like Tackle or Scratch.” As soon as Brian said Scratch, Axel swiped at his own Trainer! Much to my shock, Brian actually caught the Pokémon’s wrist without even looking. “Behave yourself Monkey. We’ll spar later.” said Brian casually as if that attack were nothing. And what did he mean by spar? Was he actually intending to fight his Pokémon?

“What else can you tell me?” I inquired inquisitively.

“Don’t fight losing battles. If you already know you’re going to lose, just quit. Your Pokémon won’t resent you as much for forfeiting an unwinnable battle as they will for sacrificing them for a pointless cause.” Brian responded. “The only time it’s acceptable to fight a battle you can’t win is if you’re fighting to protect something. In that case, it goes back to the whole strength bit I rambled about earlier.”

“So challenging you was a bad idea then.” I acknowledged.

“Pretty much.” He paused for a few seconds before continuing. “Well I think I’m done rambling now. Whether or not you actually take my advice is up to you. The Road of Life isn’t a straight path. There are many trails to chose from, each one leading in a new direction. You have to find out what works best for you and your Pokémon.” explained Brian sagely. “And speaking of what’s best for your Pokémon, Mizuki doesn’t look to happy. You might want to fix that before leaving on your journey or she might just turn on you leaving you helpless.” he warned.

“You wouldn’t do that, would you?” I asked her hoping the answer would be no. The Oshawott stared back at me not giving me a response. “Well I guess I would have it coming. I mean, we did lose twice today.” I said regretfully.

“Two!?” choked Brian in surprise.

“Yeah, I also lost in Castelia Gym to a stupid clown.” I informed shamefully. “Hey I bet you could clean up in there. They specialize in Bug-types and I’m sure with your level of experience and Axel’s type advantage you’d get the Badge in no time.”

“Think I’ll pass. I hate easy battles. I’ll have to come back here when I have more Pokémon to make it a fairer fight.” Brian said boredly. “Maybe I’ll use a Grass-type!” he added sarcastically with a smirk.

“If you have nothing more to say, I think I should go now. I promised I’d be home by 6:30 and it takes me an hour to get home from here.” I said getting up.

“In that case Shiro and Mizuki, I have one more piece of advice. Like everything else I said you can ignore it if you want. Everyone wants to be the very best that there ever was but not everyone can achieve that goal. Instead I suggest you be the very best that you can be, so what if some else is better. Like I said, take it or leave it. As for me and Axel, it’s time for our nap.” At that, Brian shut his eyes and rested his head in his left hand. Axel did the same only with his right hand. Were they serious? These two were probably the strangest person and Pokémon I ever met.

“Come on Mizuki. Let’s go home and meet my Mom and Dad.” I said returning her to her Pokéball. Then I wondered why Brian didn’t put Axel in his Pokéball. Could that be a source of their bond? Maybe I’ll try letting Mizuki out of her ball when I actually leave the city.
---------------

On my way home, I decided that I would actually stay for a week before setting off. That way Mizuki would get used to me and my family, they’d get to know her a bit better, and it would give me time to prepare. Losing twice in the same day really got to me and made me seriously reflect on what it meant to be a Trainer. I was already realizing that it was nothing like the lectures. I wanted to make sure that Mizuki and I were at least comfortable enough with each other before I took that first step from home.

The first and foremost thing I did was online research on the proper care of Oshawott, something I should have done before that package even arrived. I learned that their favorite foods are shellfish and smaller fish and that as a Trainer I should only give these to her occasionally so as not to spoil her. That way, Mizuki’s favorite stuff becomes a treat rather than an expectation.

So she would like me better, I took her to a seafood restaurant that allowed Pokémon for dinner one night so I could treat her. The second thing I did was fill a kiddy pool with water for Mizuki to play in while we were home. Luckily she warmed up to my family pretty quickly because Touya more often than not got in the pool with her.

I also did more research on Infernape since my Pokédex wouldn’t tell me anything about them. The thing that surprised me the most was that Infernape didn’t naturally possess gold fur. They had brown fur instead. Such a revelation at first made me wish I knew where Brian and Axel had gone off to so I could ask them about it, but then I just decided that they were both freaks.

When my last week at home had come to an end, it was already June. The night before my departure I took Mizuki out for a Casteliacone which she absolutely fell in love with. Perhaps that will become a really special treat for her. The next day both my parents were off of work so I was able to say my goodbyes to all five members of my family at once.

“Your father and I still are not too happy about this decision of yours, but we have accepted that is yours to make. Be careful out there.” Mom told me as I was getting ready to leave. She was average height for a woman and had long light brown hair and wore glasses over her blue eyes.

“I will. I love you.” I said giving her a hug.

“I love you too Shiro.” she responded.

“I still feel as if you are wasting your time on this venture, but as long as you still make something out of yourself, I will not argue.” Dad told me holding out his hand. He was an adult version of Masaru with a goatee and mustache.

“Watch me!” I challenged with a smile giving my Dad a handshake.

“Do your best Shiro. I wanna see you become Champion before I die.” said Grandpa half jokingly.

“I’ll try.” I told him with a laugh.

“Be home soon!” Touya requested giving me a big long hug.

“I’ll see if I can. Unova is a big place with a lot of challenges in it.” I told him.

“See ya around Bro.” Masaru said casually. He dropped his ‘cool boy’ attitude long enough to give me a quick bro hug.

“I’ll see you all when I see ya!” I promised gathering up the last of my stuff and walking out the door. At last, my very own Pokémon journey has begun. But as I left home, there was still one thing eating at my mind. Where do I go from here?
*******************

You may comment now my dear viewers

 

[Weeds]

I’m crazy and proud of it!

Brilliant!

Great to see new work from you This was... Well, not spectacular in a sense, seeing as it was an introduction (then again I'm comparing it to Team Neos >>; ) It was really interesting to see your impersonation on some things, such as the Pokédex, the currency, the starter Pokémon system etc. (Also lol at how Juniper uses smileys in her snail mail |D) Also, I love the similarities in the relationship between Shiro and Brian, and the relationship between Brain and Raiden. The only flaw I could find was:

Patients young Padawan.

Brian is a Jedi doctor :3

 

[Carmen Lopez]

Wow, this ended up being extremely solid ^^

I admit that I was a bit worried when I saw all the Japanese names and the fact that the starter was Oshawott, but it came together very well and wasn't overdone in the slightest. As silly as it is, the fact that Oshawott was female made me instantly love it ♥. This really started to hit its stride in the middle of the second chapter. I was definitely sad when it came to an end because you left me wanting more ♥

All and all this was excellent and it was great seeing something else from you in the Gen Fic thread~

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Thanks, I'm glad you guys liked it! ^-^

@Weeds: It's funny that you mention Team Neos because the second reason I waited to post this besides RPs was because I actually felt like it was inferior to its predecessor. |D It took awhile for me to finally decide there was nothing wrong with it and hat it was fine as it was.

@Carmen: The reason I gave Shiro and his family Japanese names was because they live in the region based on America so it was meant to be a reversal of Brian who has an English name and lives in a region based on Japan. That's also why I had Brian speaking Engrish half the time! XD

 

[Aura]

And my favourite duo of idiots is even more strange and crazy from the view of an outsider ^^

Even though this is only three parts long, there was a bit of character developement with Shiro and Mizuki, but mainly Shiro, which is a fact I liked - even more that it was brought about by Brian. It was an interesting and nice introduction of your new Unova character, although I'd also be interested in seeing the kind of mischief Brian and Axel get up to in Unova. The region will never be the same again.

 

[Valin]

I meant to comment on this sooner, but I'd just been at a loss on what to talk about.

First of all, I think this is very entertaining and well-written, and I really liked the details at the beginning, as they gave us a firm grip on Shiro's character, family, life, and circumstances. Brian and Axel were also pretty entertaining, though they seemed a little out-there compared the the context of everything before and after the part where they showed up, but that might have been the point.

There's just a couple things I had trouble wrapping my mind around:

1) While Shiro did give reasons for challenging Castelia Gym as soon as he did, I'm at a loss on how he expected to win with a Pokemon he just received mere hours prior. Sure, it was established that he's a tad arrogant, but isn't it a well-known fact in the Pokemon world that Gym Leaders are skilled trainers, who require practice before challenging?

2) The whole "I choose you" thing. During the battle, when Brian called Shiro a 'n00b' for saying it, I simply took as a moment of breaking the fourth wall, poking fun at the anime, but when it was mentioned again when Brian was lecturing Shiro, that time used in a more serious context, I just didn't understand.
Brian didn't specifically explain why it's such an amateurish thing to say, or if he did, I didn't catch it. As cheesy as "I choose you" may sound, what it implies, to me, is that the trainer thinks the Pokemon s/he's sending out is the right one for the task at hand, and believes in it, which I think is encouraging in that regard, so that part was kind of lost on me...

Overall, though, I though this is a very solid story, so great job! I hope I didn't come off as harsh on my critiques.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

And my favourite duo of idiots is even more strange and crazy from the view of an outsider ^^

Why wouldn't they be? In Rise Brian's lunacy is at least partially justified through his point of view.

@Valin: Brian and Axel being odd and out of nowhere is exactly how they are. The whole "I choose you" bit was just blatant mockery of the Amine in all of the contexts it was used. As for Shiro's challenging of the Gym, he's not just arrogant but impulsive as well. The idea "Hey I have a Pokemon, why don't I challenge the Gym?" literally popped in his head as he was heading off to get his license. His only plan going in was to win.