บท 33: Flash
Suddenly after Slowpoke stiffened up he started glowing, it was so bright and so intense but I knew I had to watch it no matter how much it hurt to stare directly at it….
I watched for about 30 second in literal blinding agony before realising nothing was happening and started to worry….what is happening!?…
-Becky POV-
Stepping out of the "shower", which is basically a concrete room with exposed copper Pipes with holes in them that spray hot water when you turn the taps at the entrance to the room….
I make my way toward the "living room" which again was just an unfinished concrete room with some exposed wiring and pipes that Gideon has converted into something liveable with an assortment of scavenged furniture and Timbers that has really turn this place into a home…
I get dressed near the heater that we have had running most of the time lately as Gideon was sick of everything smelling like smoke so he ended up buying a largish heater unit for the area…
Although winter has passed it's still pretty chilly before the warmer seasons so the heater has been getting quiet a workout.
I get dressed and make my way over and give my metapod a few pats while he lounged around next to meowths bed/lounge on a large folded blanket…..meowth doesn't take to kindly to anyone but Gideon and occasionally Slowpoke being on his bed, you only need to look at the scratch shaped scars across my metapods carapace to know that.
And isn't that just crazy….my metapod….it's always been a dream of mine to be a trainer ever since I could remember.
And I knew it was always a pipe dream, but it was nice to have a dream no matter how impossible it seemed. The amount of money a trainer license costs is more than a slum kid could ever hope to afford without being sponsored as some sort of genius… which I am not…life was rough to say the least
some of the older kids who were "adopted" once they got old enough helped me to learn to read and write, I heard that it was important when you were a trainer so I'm thankful I actually listened.
I spent as long as I could remember in the now ruined orphanage and seen a lot of nasty things there…I survived…not a lot of others did….and I did some things I'm not proud of…but I survived…..
When the fire burned through our home that night I didn't know if I was sad the only home I remember burning away or relief something might actually change for the better with the dilapidated building where I had so many bad memories was finally gone.
But when the first people showed up not even an hour later with the only "caretaker" left alive hysterically making excuses to them about how it wasn't her fault, you could hear the fear in her voice.
The men were wearing black jumpsuit looking clothes on it's a big red R on the chest, with grey long boots and gloves that came up to the elbow with matching belts with a few pokeballs clipped on…
I knew the moment I saw them they were bad news and knew I had to get out of there or my life was only going to get worse…so I watched and waited for my chance to make a get away in the darkness of the night but an unexpected opportunity presented itself when one of the men to arrive went to the bathroom and unclipped his belt outside…
Seeing it for the chance it was I quickly and sneakily grabbed an empty pokeball off the belt and made my escape out of the damaged chain link fence around the side of the damaged building…the building was pretty close and was still hot but it was my best chance to escape…and thankfully it worked..
But the life I had to live afterwards made me a little less thankful… homeless people were a mixed bag. Some nice, some not so nice but all of them would never let someone live in their "spot"…
The nice ones offered advice on how to survive on the streets alone, one even offered me a blanket…not much of a blanket mind you but I doubt I would have survived with out it.
The not so nice ones looked at me with hungry eyes…like a piece of meat, a few even tried to drag me into their "homes" to most likely do unpleasant things…thankfully I managed to get away every time before I managed to learn the nice ones from the not so nice ones…
But the nights were long and freezing, I couldn't help but think how bad the timing was with the fire being just before winter….but I eventually sort of adapted, finding a nice corner in a deserted ally that was…not warm, but less cold than elsewhere. I managed to grab a few old cardboard boxes and make myself a little fort that kept the winds off me during those especially cold nights… life was pretty bleak
Until one day I was searching around a dumpster behind a bakery for some food and I heard "Becky?" That caused me to startle and almost drop my bounty.
I turn around and see a kid a few years younger than me in some decent clothes who looked vaguely familiar….until it hit me…the kid I saved after Ms B told me to throw his damaged and dying body into a ditch out the back and bury him….I didn't want to go through that again so I patched with up as best as I knew how and hoped for the best and luckily he pulled through.
"….Gideon?…."
He looked so different…..decent clothes for one, but also the fact he wasn't all skin and bones anymore…
I asked him a few questions and he eventually and very reluctantly offered me to come stay with him to which I responded with an instant yes….
I was still on guard even after knowing Gideon and having a history of saving him….if I learned one thing out here it was to always watch your back…
I watched him carefully, making small talk for awhile why trying to make myself as small and unnoticeable as possible when facing the glares of the more well off people walking the streets…
Eventually we came to the border of the old abandoned industrial area that was mostly destroyed after a rampaging gyarados made its way through…this place was a designated "wild zone" and no one would be crazy enough to live out here unless you were a trainer….and even then that would be a bad idea….
But suddenly Gideon took out two pokeballs and released actual Pokémon….real Pokémon… I may have raised my voice a little when I asked him about them unintentionally…
But even if he had Pokémon it was still a bad idea to live in a wild zone…but I was desperate so even with as much fear as I was feeling I still followed him into the wild..
And my fear was well placed as we were attacked a few times on the way back to Gideons but his Pokémon seemed very strong and took care of the wild Pokémon attacking us pretty easily…
I was surprised when he showed me an unfinished office building he was staying at. But I was living in a box so who was I to complain? It turned out rather cosy inside and even had an honest to arceus shower, which I was promptly thrown into given how bad I would have smelled….I just sat under the warm water for I don't now how long before towelling off before I realised how cold I was before sprinting back into the main room where the fire was and warming up.
Fresh and new looking clothes and a hot meal awaited me….it was almost like a dream… he explained a few rules and how I couldn't leave here for almost a year but I was fine with that, this place was nicer than anything I'd ever stayed at…all I had to do was cook, clean and help out with some other stuff from time to time and Gideon would get me some clothes and feed me, a good deal in my eyes…
And the months faded into each other as I spent my days in bliss with a full stomach and warm clothes, Gideon would go out and train and even eventually came back with new Pokémon…some good catches too he was so lucky
I asked where he was getting money to keep us all fed but he told me not to worry and how he had it sorted…I wasn't stupid…I knew he was probably doing something illegal but I was more than fine with it…life can be cruel and sometimes you had to makes choices to survive…
And eventually Gideon took me for a walk up a little north to explore a little and I managed to catch my first Pokémon! A caterpie who was now my metapod…. And the pipe dream was not longer just a pipe dream…I could be a trainer!
*HMMMM THWIP!*
The sound of slowpokes teleport hums through the room and I turn around after being knocked out of my trip down memory lane to see Slowpoke floating next to Gideon who's rubbing his eyes, which were all blood shot and a little watery…
"Are you ok Gideon? What happened to your eyes?"
Gideon looks down in a glare at the dopey Slowpoke like a mortal enemy
"This prick happened to my eyes that's what….it's been two hours and I'm still seeing stars…"
"What do you mean what did Slowpoke do? I'm sure it was an accident whatever it was"
It was known Slowpoke was the exception to all psychic Pokémon to be rather brilliant and from what I've seen of Gideons his is no different….well besides being a bit bigger than your average Slowpoke, he was just a big dope and pretty much the only Pokémon I was aloud to pat… meowth, machop and Ferroseed weren't fans of anyone but Gideon touching them.
But I slept in the same sleeping bag as Slowpoke for awhile and besides being a little gassy he was very dull mentally so when keeps blaming Slowpoke for things that happen to him I can't help but be a little doubtful.
"What did he do?"
"….he pretended to evolve to make me stare into the new move the picked up somehow, he seemed to have taught himself flash"
"…he…..pretended to…..evolve?"
"Don't say it like that….like I'm an idiot, I know what I saw…he's been an ass all week….ever since I accidentally tripped and broke his new berry bowl…he's been sulking ever since"
I look at Slowpoke who's just floating there with the same goofy look on his face and even a little drool leaking now….sulking? Is he sure?
"Are you sure? He looks perfectly normal to me?"
"You think I just randomly kicked my little toe twice on the coffee table this week? Or tripped on nothing a bunch of times? No…it was Slowpoke being petty"
He turned back to Slowpoke
"Stop with this petty revenge bullshit, I'm sorry I broke your bowl ok…I'll get you a new bowl when we head back into town, but seeing as town is basically a war zone now I think it's best to let it cool down before we head back in….we got supplies to last us awhile so it's gonna be a bit…"
Slowpoke slowly looks up at Gideon and stares at him with his usual look for a good minute before he holds his adorable front foot out to Gideon… and Gideon just shakes it…
Afterward Gideon pulls out his pokeballs and let's everyone out, it's kind of cramped in here with all of them out but miltank and skiddo move toward the roof to soak up some more of the fading sunlight.
Machop walks over to the kitchenette and looks to be starting to get dinner ready, Ferroseed starts hopping over toward the television and meowth lazily saunters over toward his launch.
Gideon puts away the balls in his jacket before sitting down himself next to meowth, spreading his arms and legs out, his neck tilted backwards looking at the roof as an explosive sigh speaks for his day…
I didn't want to bother him but I had a few things on my mind I wanted to talk to him about…
"Gideon….I was wondering if you would let me join you to make some money once you're strong enough to protect yourself and I can go back to town….N-NOT THAT I WANT TO LEAVE OR ANYTHING…but I wanted to start trying to make some money to save for my trainers license and help out with food for me and metapod…"
Gideon didn't bother looking at me, just sat there for another minute with his eyes closed and facing the ceiling….
"...no…..I don't really want any help...but don't worry about the money for the license, I'll cover it…..but…..maybe I could get your help with a few things when my Pokémon evolve….maybe…..but you would need at least another Pokémon to be half useful…"
I was a but disappointed he didn't want my help but I half expected it. Gideon was pretty paranoid…he's not the type to trust easy…but my heart jumped into my throat when Gideon said he would cover my license…I almost jumped at him but I knew that would probably annoy him so I kept my hands to myself
But another Pokémon? I already have metapod and Gideon is the one paying for his upkeep, would he really help me raise another? I know he has a few unused pokeballs so maybe?
"Another Pokémon? Would I be able to use one of your spare pokeballs now you have a full team?"
He finally opened his eyes and looked at me funny…
"Full team? What are you talking about?"
"You already have 6 Pokémon?"
"So? There's only a limit of 6v6 official battles and it's "recommended" to have no more than 6 because it's hard looking after so many, especially on the road and it's enforced a maximum of 6 carry limit for sponsored trainers because neglecting Pokémon is bad for business image wise…but it's legal to carry as many as you want if you are a trainer and can support them…."
Wow I didn't know that….I always thought it was only legal to carry 6…
"Really?"
"Yep, confirmed from a few drunk and salty trainers… I don't plan on having an horde of Pokémon I can't afford to feed…but 10-12 I was thinking….definitely need a flyer or two and another teleporter for sure, a couple front line and back line as well….this world is a dangerous and crazy place, gotta be ready…"
"Sounds like your starting your own little army"
"I kinda am really….but that's the world we live in"
Gideon takes off to have a shower while dinner is still being prepared by machop who keeps shooing me out of the "kitchen" when I try to help ever since I ruined his lasagna…
So unsponsored trainers have their own advantages I guess? Not much of advantage with the money to back it up but still…
I walk out to the side of the building next to the shower room and watch as the sun was setting over the river and can't help but be excited for the times to come….I'm going to be a Pokémon trainer!!
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