บท 91: 6-7

To be on the safe side, I didn't leave Murcott Island until the next day.

Instead, I had Winter fly me back to the Pokémon Center, where I then returned him and handed him and Arakh to Nurse Joy for a look over. Even though I'd been living with one of her cousins for months at this point, my Joy barely had any customers, and I wasn't certain on the procedure for recent captures with questionable loyalties.

So, I let her know that Arakh was a newly caught Scyther, a straggler from the swarm that I got the better of. She thanked me profusely for the information, going so far as to inform me of the proper procedure with regards to newly caught Pokémon.

It essentially came down to three factors: the Pokémon itself, the way it was caught, and the level of damage it sustained. Certain Pokémon were more submissive by nature than others, Caterpie and its evolutionary line for example, and if I had caught one of those then Joy would have no problem healing it. But I caught a Scyther, so the other two factors were scrutinized more closely.

In this case, I beat Scyther down effectively and without mercy. This actually helped me out, since the stubborn nature of his species made it necessary that dominance be established before capture. Because I caught him so easily, he would have little to no issues following my commands, which checked off box number two on Nurse Joy's list.

Finally, since he was barely conscious upon capture, she could work in a safer manner without having to sedate him further, neatly checking off the third box.

So, to sum it all up, Joy would heal my Scyther. But, in the event that I caught a Pokémon that was even more aggressive than Arakh was, no Nurse Joy or Pokémon Center would heal it up until I obtained its loyalty.

That, ah… That could be an issue. The future isn't set in stone or anything, but some of my plans involved Pokémon that were way beyond me at the moment. Soon enough I would be able to handle them, but for now…

Well, I had my work cut out for me in training Arakh. One thing at a time.

So, conversation ended, Joy took my Pokémon and I took a room for the rest of the afternoon and night.

I awoke to my alarm once again, 7:00 on the dot. The sun was already overcast Murcott, soon to be full blast. With a billow of my sheets and a flair for the dramatics, I escaped my bunk and made my way to the shower systems. They weren't private by any stretch of the word, cameras littered the corners and the system was comprised of public shower stalls reminiscent of what you'd expect in a high school gymnasium. The Pokéverse was a melting pot of cultures all loosely based with traditions predominantly found in Japan, and it was expected that public bathing be a simple affair. It was jarring, to be certain, but not horrible. Luckily, I was the only one in here; the lackadaisical lifestyle of the Archipelago and its trainers meant that there would be a slow trickle of people in this room for the next few hours.

I dropped my clothes off in the washer-dryer, locked the main doors and turned on the shower.

Ten minutes later, a clean ginger kid walked out of the room in fresh clothes. I shimmied up to the lobby, where a small breakfast platter of berries and granola was available, bottles of water and moo-moo milk cartons to its side.

I grabbed a Sitrus berry and a glass of milk and took a seat, Nurse Joy timing her return from the sickbay perfectly to greet me just a moment later.

"Mr. Snow?" She queried, and I nodded. She smiled at me. "Hello Jon, how was your sleep?"

I had some berry in my mouth, so I washed it down with milk. "It was pretty great Nurse Joy! Thanks for asking." I blinked, belatedly remembering that she had my Pokémon. "Actually, now that you're here – are my Pokémon ready to go? I need to get back to Shamouti, train a bit and see if there's any more work to be done."

Her smile turned slightly strained. "Your Pokémon are just fine, though I overestimated how simple it would be to care for your Scyther. He was a difficult one, threated myself and Chansey a time or two with his scythes. Luckily, your Pidgeot was able to keep him well in hand, so it wasn't anything serious. I would recommend you train his reaction to new people, however."

My ears were probably as red as my hair. Well, that was decidedly embarrassing. The Pokémon of a trainer reflected on the trainer itself, regardless of it being a recent capture or not. Scyther being a pain meant I was a pain, and you never want to be a pain to the saints that are the Joy's.

I apologized profusely, but she just waved me off. Instead she reached around the back of her desk and withdrew a small plate with my Poké Balls.

It was then I came across a conundrum.

I didn't know which one housed what.

One would think this is an obvious problem to sort out, but not me. I hadn't even though of it once. I mean, Winter had been my only Pokémon for the past couple months, and I hadn't caught anything else since yesterday. This was an issue that never even occurred to me. I would normally separate my spare Poké Balls with Winters Poké Ball by putting them on opposite sides of my ball belt: Winter on the left and the spares on the right. It was an easy enough system that removed any confusion I might have held.

Obviously, I'd need to rethink this in the future.

Ah well, no harm done. I just took the balls, signed out of the center – making sure to give it a five-star review – and walked out. I released a Poké Ball and watched as Arakh appeared. Before he could even open his eyes, I returned him and released Winter in his place. I put Winters ball and Arakh on the left of the ball belt, Arakh at the edge and Winters ball by him, and thus the problem was solved.

Climbing on Winters back, we took off for Shamouti.

Six hours later and Shamouti was in sight. The flight between Murcott and Shamouti normally wouldn't take that long, but we decided to take a couple detours by cutting through Gold and Kinnow Islands. Gold Island was a- a weird place, with its peoples dedicated to worshipping Meowth in hopes of getting free money. Kinnow was a more easy-going place, a small town dedicated to entertainment. They tried to get Winter to do a number with their own Pokémon, but I put my foot down on that. No way in hell would I let Winter do that. Plus, knowing him, he'd sooner drop me in the water if I tried.

I did get lunch there though. Tauros steak is pretty good, tender but chewy and surprisingly sweet. So far its been my favorite food. Well worth the ₽10 it cost.

Winter circled above Shamouti, screeching his return, and we landed right in front of the Brinks family home. I returned him then and knocked on the door.

A few moments passed, and just as I was able to knock once more, Melody, Carols younger sister, opened the door. She was, I admitted, a cute girl, or at least would become a looker when she was the appropriate age. Looking to be about a year younger than me, her wild red-brown locks were splayed all about, barely held down by a bandana.

She recognized me though. We'd met once before, or at least briefly saw one another. She was looking through the window when Carol explained what being a courier entailed and knew my job.

So, quiet as a mouse, she opened the door further and let me inside, closing it behind me. With a wave of her hand she shooed me to her grandfather's office, and then disappeared further inside the house.

His office door was open by a crack, so I popped my head inside. "Is now a bad time?"

Tobias had been slowly typing away on his computer, going one finger at a time with his tongue stuck out, when I spoke. He craned his neck over to me, and his serious look melted into joy as he beckoned me inside.

"Ah! Jon, m'boy. You came quicker than I anticipated, I thought you were going to hunt for a new Pokémon or see the Archipelago; we weren't expecting you for another day at least. Come in, come in!"

I took his chair and got comfortable, "I actually did all of those things. I caught a Scyther and was able to check out Kumquat Island, Cleopatra Island, Moro Island, Murcott Island, the Grapefruit Islands, Gold Isle and Kinnow Island."

He blinked, slowly. "Well, that's quite a bit. And congratulations on the Scyther! Are you sure you can handle it, though? I thought they were tricky little blighters to raise."

I shrugged, "I think I'll be fine, and if he's too much for me… I dunno, I'll figure something out. I'm not worried though, if that's what you mean."

"It is indeed what I meant," he smiled. "Now, what news do you have for me?"

So, with that the business began. I broke down the responses I received, as well as the lack of response on Danny's part, which Tobias said was no trouble. Danny had already informed him through email what was going on with his end of things. Danny gave Tobias ₽150 for my service, of which I received ₽120. I understood that Tobias, being my employer, got a cut of my work, and all things considered it was only 20% of my earnings on a single job, it could have been a hell-of a lot worse.

But that didn't mean I didn't like it. Those people that paid me in cash were best, yessir they were.

It was then that we discussed other jobs, as well as financial detailing's that needed to be dealt with. Since I was now earning a decent wage and was a Pokémon owner, I needed to invest in a trainers' license. They not only functioned as identification, they also functioned as a debit cards, letting me save, spend and transfer my money easily and without hassle.

Sadly, I wasn't ten. The rule was that I needed to either be ten years old or sponsored by a regional executive – a professor or a gym leader or a breeder – before I could get an early ID. For now, I would just have to be careful with my money, put it in a safe space and use it sparingly, but soon enough I would need the ID.

The other jobs we discussed were invitations. Now that I'd proven my speed and willingness to deliver, Tobias told me that the big job I needed to do now was go throughout the Archipelago and hand deliver invitations to the festival.

Shamouti was an island of older peoples, and they liked to do things the old-fashioned way. Messaging inquiries online might have been easier, but the human element of delivering letters was unique and special.

The festival was on April 29th, which meant I had just under six weeks to get all of the letters settled. On top of that, more courier services would be required of me; the berries that I delivered to the Joy on Kumquat were apparently serviceable, and Shamouti needed more batches delivered to other Pokémon Centers and distilleries to begin the trading process of this year.

Essentially, I had a pretty heavy schedule lined up. Letters and traveling and training and preparing, there wasn't going to be that much time available.

But I could handle it.

…Probably.

Forty days flew by, much faster than I anticipated.

Originally, I just began with training. I wanted to curb Arakh's attitude as quickly as possible, ensuring that he worked well with others. It took a bit to get him willing to listen to me, requiring Winter to take him down a few pegs in mock battles before he did as I asked, but we got there. He naturally focused on harder hitting meele attacks supplemented by his agility, opposing my desire to have him speedily fly around a battlefield. He needed to realize that staying his distance was a good thing, that getting up and close was fine when he could get away with it, but there were other options.

Basically, I gave him Winters old weights.

Scyther are built for speed, not muscle. The weights weren't necessarily heavy, but they were noticeable, and as time passed, he slowed down more and more, eventually taking a more cautious approach to combat. He hated it quite a bit. Winter and I shared a bonding moment in the form of sadism.

Such was the life.

Curiously, after having a sit down with him, he took to other people without any trouble. I think in Nurse Joy's case, he just didn't know what to expect. But when I introduced him to people on my own, he was fine. He even let Carol command him for a few mock battles!

There were more moves being learned too, I should say. Winter knew Steel Wing, and I wanted Arakh to learn Metal Claw. Since Winter knew how to access the Steel type energy required to use the technique, I had him try to show Arakh the way of things. He was a quick study too, learning the attack over the course of a week to a devastating effect.

With Arakh as a partner, Winter also grew in power. Having a sparring partner made the difference, as we knew from when he was a Pidgeotto. Winter didn't pick up any new moves, but his general strength grew and his battling capabilities refined themselves.

Workwise, we made bank. Being a courier was easy money. Our first trip involved delivering a letter to Valencia, which once delivered involved a return trip that required Winter to carry a pair of supply boxes strapped to the Riders Seat back to Shamouti.

That job took a full day. The boxes were heavy, awkward, and Winter required a few breaks to finish the job, taking a whole day, but it was worth it in the end. I received ₽620 for the trouble, which I later learned wasn't even a full percentage worth of what was delivered.

Then the letter ferrying services took off. Not only did I deliver multiple letters to each and every populated island of the Archipelago, I also had more return and specialty notice jobs. The letters were ₽25 a delivery, and with a range of five to twenty letters per island, my wallet grew exponentially, to a whopping ₽12875. And I was taking my time!

I have more money in my bank now than I've ever had in my savings account on Earth.

I don't know if that can be considered sad or not, but at least I was being productive.

Now, I couldn't save all of that, obviously. I had to pay for food and supplies, including some more Poké Balls. But in these past forty days I only spent ₽280 on those things, leaving me with ₽12595.

But just as all things must come to an end, so too did this have to finish. With the last of the letter's delivery three days prior, the festival was upon us.

It was time.

. . .

Y'know, the movie didn't do the festival justice.

In the Power of One, Ash just waltzed up to Shamouti and, since he was a trainer, they made him the Chosen One for the year. Now, I know that this is a real problem. It's a big event and a lot of the time, people only become Pokémon trainers because they liked Pokémon, not because they wanted attention. Becoming the Chosen One was a very attention heavy task, and since it could only be performed by somebody once in their lifetime, and since advertising wasn't easy, we didn't have that many people join up.

Consequently, that meant that the festival in the movie wasn't shown to its fullest. We saw Ash and Brock and Misty basically rushed through the event, the islanders only real goal being the retrieval of the orbs.

However, I was not some random trainer that Tobias got at the last minute. I was prepared and had been for weeks, studying the lines that were required and even going through a few practice rounds for the real thing.

And now that it was time for the festival to begin, the nerves were hitting me hard. I was sat in front of a makeup chair, Carol and another woman I didn't know painting on my face.

"It's been a while since we got to do this, right?" The woman asked Carol, peppering something on my eyelids.

"Three- no, four years I think." Carol agreed, humming.

I made to talk but choked as a powdery substance got in my mouth.

"Hey!" Carol groaned, wiping at my mouth with a towel. "Don't move Jon, we're almost done. I know, it's weird, but just let us finish our job and then you can go."

Grumbling, I did as was bade. Yeah, I won't lie. When I agreed to be the Chosen One, I was thinking it'd be like what Ash went through. A small feast, a fun ceremony, collecting some artefacts, the works. I hadn't realized there was an entire production involved until a few days ago, and by then I was committed. A little bit of effort never killed a guy, and this was minor.

It was just weird.

"There!" Carol said, dabbing thrice on my forehead. "We're done. Open your eyes and tell me what you think."

Slowly, I peeled my eyelids open, and stared at the mirror.

By Mew. What have they done to me?!

I looked so- so… weird! I mean, I didn't look bad, which was a blessing in it of itself, but jeebs. My eyes were smoky and black, my cheeks covered in white war paint, on my brow sat three dots, in red, blue and yellow, signifying the order of the islands, a green dot situated on the hump of my nose for Shamouti.

"Alright Jon, go grab a mask from the rack next to the door and enjoy the festival. You remember the phrase I say when we start the event, right?"

I cut my eyes to the rack she mentioned, where tribal masks were glaring at us.

"Yeah, I got it." Plus, now I could enjoy what there was to offer.

"Mkay, go ahead," Carol waved me off. "I've got to get ready for my part too."

Without needing to be told twice, I bolted for a mask, the one I picked was made of wood with thick eye sockets and a mane of brown fur, and left the room immediately after. Putting the mask on took a bit of an adjustment, seeing as how it was bigger than my head was, but I made do.

The festival was just as I hoped it would be, however. Colorful and full of people, the streets of Shamouti were packed. Shops of various foods and games were lined on cobblestone pathways, more kids than I'd ever seen in this world running up and down the corners. There was a line of people in a Gyarados costume, dancing up the path to the enthusiastic cheers of the visitors. Even I joined in, because this was just too cool.

I ended up just losing myself in the festival, forgetting how I looked. I played games with some other kids, tried and failed to flirt with some older women, got into an eating contest, the works. I had a blast and was really glad I decided to stick around.

But the main event had to begin, and there was no stopping it.

As I was stuffing my face with a meat bun pastry, a gong sounded. I blanched, looking up. There, at the center of the festival, surrounding the totem-pole dedicated to the Legendary Birds that was landmark, stood an ensemble of peoples, all wearing masks similar to mine.

Queue given, I hastily made my way over, just as I could hear Tobias finishing his speech.

"-or Ice! For Lightning! He has come to save us, the Chosen One!"

His entourage broke into dance, forming a path that I slowly walked through. They were touching me, my arms and legs, my back and chest. It was a strange tradition, where the peoples of Shamouti would try and take in the essence of the Chosen One.

Tobias and I had a stare down, where I then bowed, my hands clasped together at my front. He mimicked the movement, and the group lifted me, turning me so that I was facing the crowd. There was, like, almost a thousand people staring at me.

Kinda intimidating.

Drums began to do their thing, and Carol and her crew came up next. They were dancing to us, all of them, Carol being the youngest though not nearly the most flexible. They were doing things with their bodies that I thought only a few could do.

Genetics man. Gotta love em.

Twirling about, Carol came to me. Sat on the shoulders of a pair of kneeling men, we were eye level to one another. She removed my mask, my face bare to the world, and she took advantage. He hands snaked up my shoulders to my chin, tilting me so that our lips touched. In practice she only allowed kisses to the cheek, and I was expecting such. Clearly that wasn't to be.

Not that I minded, of course. Carol is hot, and I already have a body that can't do a lot of what I'd like it to be able to. Not yet, at least. So, I'll take a kiss and raise her one with it.

I slipped her some tongue.

She shot her head back, eyes wide and cheeks flushed in surprise. I smirked at her, and she narrowed her eyes. They were playfully narrowed though, so I knew I had escaped her wrath.

Carol turned to the crowd, lifted her hands and roared, a sound that was echoed with cheers and wolf whistles.

"Here we have our Chosen One! He came to us a boy, and now he comes before you, a man of Shamouti, a keeper of the balance!" The girls she had come with started a slow, sensuous dance around her, livening her speech up. "He will go to the isles of Fire, Ice and Lightning to retrieve the treasures of the great beasts and return them to our shrine! Upon his return, I, as the Festival Maiden, will play the Beasts Hymn in hopes that the great beasts are quelled for their respective seasons! Fire for Summer, Lightning for Fall, and Ice for Winter!"

She twisted one last time, falling on her knees, arms raised towards me. "Will you, O' Chose One, do this deed for us?"

Slowly, I looked at her, then I turned my head to the crowd. They stared, some with their cameras out, some in awe, some realizing the level of cheesiness that is happening. Regardless, I had to say my line.

I made to stand, the guys I'm standing on adjusting to allow me the movement and extended my arms for the whole world. "It will be done!"

The crowd roared, cheering and clapping and hooting, but I only had the capacity to pay attention to one thing.

My damned voice cracked!

I seriously hate being so young.

The party began anew as Carol breathed deeply and smiled at me, returning her speech to normal. "Sorry about that, but this is my last your as Festival Maiden, so I wanted to go a little over the top."

I snickered. It wasn't a full-blown laugh, but definitely was funny. "Well, as far as first kisses went, I think that's as good way for it to go as any."

She shot me a stink eye. "Glad you approve," she drolled, shaking her head. "What would my boyfriend say if he saw that?"

"Nothing, since he doesn't exist."

Her glare gained some heat. "Ow."

We swapped insults and joked around a little bit longer, before she shooed me to the islands. I shrugged, releasing Winter. He'd already gotten to eat, Arakh as well, and so was not interested in the food available, or at least not enough for him to do anything about it. Rather than risking it, I just mounted him.

"The time has come!" Carol shouted, catching the last of the crowds' attention. "The Chosen One is off, let us send him away with many thanks, for he may not return!"

A lie: big, bold, and brass. If I didn't come back the festival would probably be discontinued. As a just in case, I've got a teleportation beacon at the ready, where a native that owns a Kadabra could reach me. Incidentally, this native was a former Chosen One, having participated in the festival seventeen years prior.

The crowd roared and Winter, knowing his part and enjoying being a showboat, extended his wings and cried out.

A few women came forward, lining up next to Carol, Melody forced to be with them. Carol spoke.

"We maidens of the past," she motioned to the older women, ranging from being blatantly elderly to being only a little older than Carol, "the present," she stood forth," and the future," Melody actually had to be pushed forward, she was not a happy camper, "send you off."

As one, they spoke; mumbled in Melody's case. "Keep the balance, O' Chosen One."

Memo received, I tugged at Winters scalp, and we were off, the roar of the crowd in our wake.

Fire Island was first. Not only was it farther away, but it also was the easiest to navigate.

"Winter," I said. Even though I could barely hear myself, I know he could hear me. "Stay low. We don't know what might come to us, and if Moltres is there I don't feel like provoking it." I mean, even though this was an island made for a movie, and this was another universe, the Birds might not be here. Legendary Pokémon were super rare, and even though I wanted the movies to be real, it's entirely possible for Fire Island to be home to nothing of importance.

We circled the island a few times, noting a dip in the large cliff-face. The dip was home to a small temple, facing Shamouti on the eastern side of the island. A stone monument stood in a lonely vigil, a glass sphere with living fire in its mouth. Winter landed, and I grabbed the item, stuffing it in a thick cloth inside my backpack. As we left the island, I noted a few Pokémon staring at us, the most notable of which being a Ninetails, its head cocked in what appeared to be confusion.

Cute.

Next on the list was Ice Island, its thin mountain intimidating. The trip was simple enough, it only took like a minute to go between the two islands. We circled Ice Island, just as we did Fire Island. There was no shrine to be found.

Confused, we circled the island three more times. We found no shrine. However, on the fourth, Winter screeched and dove, taking us to a small divit in the mountainside, a stairwell of stone lit by white fire torches.

Without being prompted, Winter entered the shrine. He flew low and slow, but still fast enough to give me a heart attack, which ended up not needed to happen. A blur or red waddled in our path, and with a cascade of bodies we fell to the floor, the ice forcing us to slide.

I groaned as I stood, my arm leaking red. Luckily, nothing seemed to be hurt, just a bruise that turned bleeder. Winter was shuffling about as well, and we both turned to the creature that caused us to fall.

A plump looking bird with a red body and a head and chest plumed with white feathers stood before us. Brown eyes surrounded with black markings glared at us, a large tail shaped like a sack twitching irritably.

Holy crap. That's a Delibird.

I've run into plenty of Pokémon during my courier services, a few Flying types as well. Butterfree, Spearow, Fearow, even a Mantine. But none of those Pokémon caught my attention like this Pokémon did. Delibird was a rarity, the only Flying type that was also an Ice type outside of Articuno in the game. In the world, if the games hadn't updated over time.

Yeah, no. This Chosen One bullshit? Nah, doesn't matter. All that matters right now is that I am going to catch this bird.

"Winter, Steel Wing. Twister if you miss."

Needing no further prompting, Winter shot off at the momentarily stunned Pokémon with his wings lit up like polished metal in the sun. Delibird caught wind that it was being attacked, and made to escape, but Winter had momentum and speed besides, catching up without issue and slamming Delibird in the back with Steel Wing. The Ice type went flying into the wall of the tunnel, looking stunned.

Winter was a good boy. He took further advantage of Delibird's being stunned and shot a Twister at it. With a waddled scramble, Delibird dodged, throwing a Present from its tail at Winter, the item exploding, flinging Winter into the other wall. Winter wasn't done, however. He fired another Twister at Delibird, this time reaching its target.

Delibird looked very tired, struggling to move. Winter fired another Twister. There was no more struggle, Delibird was just KO'd.

I took that moment to throw a Poké Ball at its downed form, the sphere shaking violently.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleve-click.

There it was! I caught a Delibird.

Plucking my newfound Pokémon's Poké Ball from the ground and stashing it on my ball belt, I looked to Winter. He was injured, that much was obvious, but outside of that he looked ready to go, adrenaline coursing through him. To be safe, I grabbed a Super Potion and sprayed over where Present hit him. The liquid stung something fierce, but he was healing before my eyes.

I mounted him then, and we returned to the search.

To be on the safe side, we chose to fly more sedately through the tunnels. One could go so far as to say we weren't really even flying, just gliding. We didn't want any more Pokémon to get pissy, especially since Delibird was likely the only one on Ice Island, aside from Articuno of course, that would catch my attention.

The monument was close by. Glowing lightly, the white-blue sphere was on display in the same way as on Fire Island. I grabbed the treasure, stuffing it next to the treasure of fire in my bag, and mounted Winter once more. The ceiling was sealed by a thick layer of ice, so that meant we'd have to return the way we came.

Winter needed to fly around the temple room a bit to gather his bearings, and as he gathered momentum a flash of red from near the ceiling caught my attention.

Peering up, I found myself looking at a pair of rubies muddled by a heavy mist. No, wait – not rubies. They were moving, trailing me.

They were eyes.

As I adjusted my own eyes towards the pair of red eyes staring down at me, Winter began his return to the island proper. I was only just able to catch a glimpse of the outline of the body that those eyes belonged to, and my heart drummed a heavy beat inside my chest. Curled up on a small slab of stone near the top of the temple, the silhouette of Articuno tracked our return.

I didn't get to see Articuno in its full, true glory, but I knew.

It would be mine. My worry from earlier today, the thought that these birds might not even exist, was erased. Eventually, I'd come back. I knew where it roosted, where to find it. I'd challenge Articuno, again and again and again if I had to. I'd be a nuisance, pestering it continuously, never letting up.

But I would have it.

Winter knew what to expect from the tunnel this time around, and there was no fall. We escaped the temple without further preamble, and left Ice Island in short order.

Lightning Island was next, and last. At this point, I was already in a deliriously happy mood. I'd caught a Delibird and witnessed Articuno. Milestones had been achieved today, the minor embarrassment I'd felt from the festival had already washed itself away.

The pedestal holding the treasure was plain to see. Sat in the middle of a stone amphitheater smack dab in the middle of the island, there was no way I would have missed it.

Winter approached, and I reached down. We didn't even land, just swooped down and took the treasure right out of the statues mouth. Winter took a moment to hover in place while I stuffed the treasure next to its fellows. The trio were bright, the energies inside of the spheres seemingly dancing in concert with one another, brightening and quickening now that they were united.

I tugged on Winters scalp and we were off. A low, keening sort of noise echoed from behind us. I craned my neck curiously, trying to understand the raw sound. And promptly, I turned whiter than snow, so scared was I.

A titanic form of black and yellow rose from the tree-lines behind the temple of Lightning Island, great arcs of electricity dancing over its form whilst a spear-like beak spun in bloodlust. Red beady eyes stared me down, and in an instant, a blast of lightning arced towards me.

It was luck that we dodged. My flight or fight instincts kicked in hard and I flinched like a motherfucker, tugging Winters scalp feathers to the side in a flail of motion. He cried out in confusion as he did a barrel-roll, the confusion silencing itself quickly as lightning barely missed him, the boom of thunder echoing seconds later, deafening us.

There was no need to communicate. Winter and I were on the same page, and he kicked it into gear, flying as quick as he could towards the temple of Shamouti.

Zapdos didn't leave the island. Instead, he fired another bolt of lightning from his perch at his temple. The move was so powerful that when we dodged once more, the bolt streaked past Shamouti, meaning that that singular attack traveled well over three miles in the span of a few seconds.

It was awe-inspiring. Or at least, it would be if such a devastating attack wasn't aimed for me.

We'd just arrived at the Shamouti temple. Carol was there, decked out in her festival regalia, her flute at her side, face awash in horrified bewilderment.

Winter did not land gracefully. No, he dropped down right onto the stonework, the Rider's Seat snapping. I fell from his back in a heap, my bloody arm spurting further, and the cramps from my leg returning with a vengeance. Hissing, I righted myself and made to put the treasures where they belonged.

"Jon, JON!" Carol shouted. She was right next to me, attempting to help me up. But she was also trying to stall me, to keep me in place so that I wouldn't aggravate my injury. That couldn't be allowed, not when we were in such a rush. "What is going on?! What was that beam from before?!"

"Zapdos," I said, cutting her off firmly. "Carol, start playing the hymn. The song might calm it down."

"Zap- What are you talking about?! It's a myth! There is no Zapdos here!"

He took that moment to fire another arc of lightning at us. Now that I wasn't running from it, I could see why Carol thought it was a beam. The bolt was massive, wider than Zapdos himself was large, streaking just over the temple into the forest behind, an explosion of heat buffeting us, the trees alight with fire.

"THERE IS NO TIME!" I snapped at her, shaking her. As if what she had just seen didn't shake her further. "Play. The damned. SONG!"

She didn't need to be told further. Shakily, tears falling freely, she brought her flute to her mouth, and started to play the tune. As she did this, I began to place the treasures where they belonged.

The Fire treasure, facing Fire Island.

The Ice treasure, facing Ice Island.

The Lightning treasure, facing Lightnin- HOLY SHIT.

Zapdos wasn't off in its aim this time. A bolt of lightning, as wide as a house, was aimed directly for my person. Would have probably killed me too, were a sphere of green energy not surrounding the temple. Slowking appeared from behind us, his body lit up in that same energy, Protect used well.

"Do not stop," he bade Carol. Carol had paused her playing, the lightning hitting the shield causing her to scream. Hysteria was building in her, I could see, but she continued her song all the same. She could have a panic attack al she wanted after we were all clear.

Water began to sprout from the upper area of the temple, cascading down the steps of the monument, glowing a green not unlike what would be seen on a fresh grass plain. The pillars that surrounded us lit up with the song, echoing Carols tune for the whole of Shamouti, Ice, Fire and Lightning to hear.

On Lightning Isle, the electricity that was prevalent on Zapdos's form dissipated. Though blurry and far away, its body language was apparent. A loud, echoing screech from its distorted voice caught onto the wind, and one last bolt of lightning raced towards us, small and unassuming though it was when compared to what we'd been dealing with before.

There was no warning. Unlike the other attacks where it was obvious, this time it was subtle. One moment was all it took, and the electricity beamed me right in the head, shattering Slowkings protect like Hollywood glass. It was barely the width of a quarter. I fell back in a heap, screaming as my brow sizzled.

Slowking and Winter rushed over to me. Carol would have as well, had Slowking not commanded for her to continue with the song. Slowking Yawned at me, the cloud of yellow vapor encompassing my face. I could feel my eyes grow heavy, even through the pain.

Before I slept though, I came to a realization. My head was burning, pain and delirium hitting me no doubt. But that wasn't all, there was a message in the mix. Zapdos wouldn't have attacked me in such a precise manner for no reason, not when he could throw the lightning from before like it was nothing. There was a reason for that, a reason I could only fathom.

Zapdos didn't just attack me.

He challenged me.

Winter/Pidgeot – Male

Moves: Tackle, Gust, Sand Attack, Agility, Double Team, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Twister, Fly

Ability: Keen Eye

Arakh/Scyther – Male

Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Slash, Pursuit, False Swipe, Fury Cutter, Metal Claw

Ability: Swarm

?/Delibird – Female

Moves: Present, Icy Wing, Peck, Rest, Attract

Ability: ?

Jon Snow – Male

Date: Apr 29

Badges: N/A

Pokémon: Pidgeot, Scyther, Delibird

Currency: ₽12595

Three days later I awakened, my scalp covered in gauze and my mind awhirl. There were news organizations outside of my hospital door, false tans and white teeth and greed in their eyes. They wanted inside my room, and now that I was awake, they wouldn't back down.

Zapdos was a Legendary Pokémon. The classification of Legendary meant that few people ever saw them in their natural environments, and that they were a near extinct, protected group of species'. Their power was comparable, if not greater than, to the teams of the Elite. Everybody wanted to glimpse one at some point in their lifetime, there were no if's and's or but's about it.

So, for there to have been a sighting of one such Pokémon caused a stir in the communities of the world. Carol accidentally let out what had caused the forest fire when she admitted me to the hospital, which brought about a butterfly effect that could only be described as ridiculous. Reporters from all over came to Shamouti, hoping to uncover where Zapdos came from and why it would come to an island on the ass end of nowhere. Their words, not mine. Most of these reporters came from the mainlands of Kanto and Johto, treating this job as a vacation more than a journalistic opportunity. Only a handful were serious about their inquiries, and all inquiries were rebuffed. Trainers too came to Shamouti, some strong while some were beginners, traveling to Lightning Island with little and less luck. Zapdos was nowhere to be found.

Turns out, the existence of the Legendary Birds was known to Shamouti, and was a closely guarded secret. They came to their respective islands during this season, either for nesting purposes or to rest or whatever, we don't know. All we know is that they're here and that we'd be fucked if people tried to mess with them. The Chosen Ones that caught sight of them were sworn to secrecy, and the folk that ran the going-ons of the island had lawsuits at the ready should the news get out. There were only nine islanders that knew the secret prior to this last festival: Tobias, Nurse Joy and seven former Chosen Ones. Now, myself and Carol were added to this little club. Or at least, Carol was added to the list, I'd known since the moment I came here. But nobody else was aware of my knowledge, and it'd stay that way if I had anything to say about it.

Tobias entered the room then, a crescendo of sounds blaring as he opened the door. He closed it right behind him, the sounds muffled, and took a seat at my side, tired and out of it.

"This is a mess," he bluntly stated, hands on his head. "How could this have happened?"

"You didn't warn Carol," I shrugged. It's not like I had any control over what she said.

"Not that," scowled Tobias. "Zapdos has never attacked a Chosen One before. There was an incident with Moltres decades ago, but the Chosen One at the time challenged the bird and that's to be expected. Zapdos though – I've never heard of him having an issue. Did anything happen while you were gathering the treasures?"

I didn't think so. But to be on the safe side I went over the details of my adventure. Every detail that occurred was expounded upon, including the inane sighting of the Ninetails on Fire Island. I spoke of my newly caught Delibird, my using a super potion on Winter, how I saw Articuno's roost, how I left Ice Island and entered Lightning Island, the way I grabbed the treasure-

"That's it!" Tobias jumped, causing me to startle. "That's what caused this whole debacle! Zapdos must have assumed you were a thief. You didn't land, you just took the treasure and left from there."

…Ah. Woops.

He slumped. "There's nothing to be done about it now, however. Zapdos held off on his attack after the culmination of the ceremony. He knew then that you were a Chosen One… All of this nonsense over an honest accident of all things."

"Is there anything that can be done?"

"Not likely," he grumbled. "Unless you have the ability to explain an alternative to Zapdos, then Shamouti is going to have years of foolhardy trainers and researchers trying their hands at the birds."

In the forever words of Charlie Dun, one of the kids I grew up with in the orphanage that had a bad habit of owing too many people favors, I gotchu fam. Come up with a story to get the media off their trails? Hell yeah, that I can do.

"I think I can throw them off of it."

He looked at me, the hint of hope prevalent. "Truly?"

"I just need to know something. You said it was Carol that let it out, right? Not a visitor or an islander, but Carol, right?"

The mayor nodded. "Yes, it was Carol."

I smiled. "That's all I need. Let the media in, I think I've got it."

Warily, Tobis got up from his visitors' chair and unlocked the door. There was a slow trickle of people in suits and dresses and camera operators that turned into a veritable wave of loud.

"Mr. Snow, please tell me about-"

"Chosen One, silly right? Now how about we go over the-"

"Zapdos kid. Zapdos! Tell me true, was it-"

On and on they went. There was no such thing as personal space, stuffing their microphones in my face, cameras recording at the ready. I couldn't really make out what they were asking, they were just talking over one another. All that was consistent was their insistence at knowing about Zapdos.

"Alright, alright!" Tobias said, finally having had enough. He got in front of my hospital cot and growled at the group. "I can't believe I have to play PR for a nine-year-old, but if I have to I will. When I point at you, ask your questions and Jon will answer or he won't, and you'll take what you can get."

There was much grumbling to be said, but the reporters accepted easily enough and calmed down after a few minutes.

"You," Tobias said, pointing at a woman in a teal dress.

"Laura Newli for Cinnabar Island. I'd like to just cut to the chase and ask if there was a Zapdos."

"No," I said, as clearly as I could. "There wasn't."

"But Mr. Snow, we have sources stating-"

"You've asked your question." Tobias interrupted. Laura took her seat with a pout. Tobias then pointed to another reporter, a black skinned man with grey eyes and a shaved head.

"James White, Vermillion City. Mr. Snow, as Laura was about to state, the source that we learned about the Zapdos from clearly stated that there was indeed a Zapdos. The attack that set Shamouti Island aflame was most definitely Electric in its typing, and the amount of it was greater than any common Pokémon could hope to emit. This has to be the work of a Legendary."

"I never said there wasn't a Legendary involved, just that there was no Zapdos."

The reports began to whisper, confusion and excitement and wonder filling the room. From the corner of my eye, I saw Tobias keeping strong, though confused all the same.

"How about this," I started. "I'll just tell you what happened, and you can ask questions after that. Sound good?"

There was a general consensus of agreement, and I pondered how to make up a believable story. The whole point of this was to get people to keep away from the birds, so that Shamouti could keep the tourism levels it held at the moment, and to ensure that I had as little competition as possible when it came to challenging Zapdos.

You think I won't? You think just because it nearly killed me, that I should stay away? Hell naw. If anything, the fact that I'm still alive gives me even more reason to try and capture the bugger. Not just Zapdos, but Moltres and Articuno as well.

Zapdos challenged me. I don't care who are what says otherwise, that's what I got from that encounter and that's what I'm sticking with. I refuse to not meet that challenge, even if I'm not ready yet. I need to create a team of Pokémon capable of meeting him head on, able to meet the others head on as well. My goals from before have been finalized, there is no possible or maybe in my dictionary with regards to the birds. Even if I just captured one of them, which I intend to do, the others would struggle for the territory left behind. The only way to safely capture one was to capture all three of them. They would be mine.

One way, or another.

"I rode on my Pidgeot to Lightning Island after grabbing the treasure on Ice Island. For preface, in case your viewers or you yourselves don't know, I was the face of this year's festival, where I was to gather three treasures from the three islands adjacent to Shamouti. When I arrived on Lightning Island, something smelled weird, like ozone. But this was an island dedicated to Electric types: from the moment I landed I saw a Pikachu, Voltorb and an Elekid, so I wasn't too surprised."

Tobias handed me a bottle of water and I drank greedily.

"But something felt off. On Fire Island, the weirdest thing that happened was a Ninetails looking at me funny. On Ice Island, I was lucky enough to have caught a Delibird, but I saw no other Pokémon. Lightning Island was filled with them though, I couldn't go three feet without running into one. Then I saw why, they were – I don't know. Worshipping, I guess? Whatever the case, the Pokémon they were surrounding wasn't Zapdos, it wasn't a bird. But its bearing, the way it held itself and the way the other Pokémon were looking at it… It had to be a Legendary. I'm sure of it. It stood on four legs, was colored yellow and black, thick fangs stood out on its muzzle and it had eyes like ruby's. It was big too, probably twice as tall as I am and fifteen feet long. Weirdly enough, it had a… a cloud on its back, I think."

"Kevin Marks from PFDV News in Goldenrod City," a short man interrupted, actual drool falling from his mouth. "What you've just described matches the characteristics of Raikou, one of the Legendary Beasts of Johto."

"Who-kou?" I asked, my head cocked to the side. I mean, I knew what Raikou was. But most Legendary Pokémon were only known to the peoples and regions they originated from. "I only know about Zapdos because the birds are part of Shamouti folklore. That's probably the reason people thought Zapdos was the one attacking, now that I think about it. I don't really know much about other legendary's, save for Lugia and Ho-oh, since I like Flying types."

"Jon's intent on becoming a Flying type specialist," Tobias explained to the group. "So far, he's captured three Pokémon, his Pidgeot, a Scyther and the Delibird he just mentioned, all before turning ten. We're quite proud."

"Impressive," a woman sounded, writing something down on a clipboard. She was deeply tanned, red streaks going through black hair. "Natalia Debbins, Saffron City radio. Most impressive… But your Pokémon roster isn't why we are here. What happened to Raikou?"

"It didn't take kindly to my trying to get the treasure," I shrugged. "Every time I tried to approach, it would growl and one of the other Pokémon would block me. They pushed me away from the temple and wouldn't let me through. I had to get on Winter – that's my Pidgeot's nickname, by the way – and swipe the treasure while Raikou was distracted by the Pokémon. It didn't like that and started firing."

I shuddered, taking a sip from the water once more. "It wasn't a joke. If one of those attacks hit me, I'd be dead. Luck is the only reason I'm alive right now. Winter was able to dodge Raikou's attacks long enough for us to land on Shamouti, but that's when the fire happened. That wasn't an attack, not like a Thunderbolt or a Thunder. No, that was Raikou running, it literally ran fast enough and hard enough to become the lightning that started that forest fire. The reason I'm in this hospital cot is because it ran past me and smacked me in the head with its tail after I finished the ceremony. It ran away after that, jumped into a cloud and disappeared just before I was knocked out."

The room was quiet, all that could be heard was the scribbling of pen to paper. Some of the reporters looked to me in sympathy, some in envy. None of them looked to be done with their questions though, and hands were raised, waiting for Tobias to call on them.

But Tobias had my back. He chose that moment to shoo the reporters away, citing how they had gotten the story they asked for and that I needed my rest. Grumbling and disappointment was abound, but Tobias wasn't deterred and even used the button on the wall to call a nurse, who helped usher the news crews out.

Finally, it was just Tobias and I in the room. I fell into my pillow with a huff, Tobias looking happier than I'd seen him in a while.

"While the lie was quite bold, you were able to divert the news from Zapdos, which is all I wanted. Raikou, really now? I hadn't heard of such a Pokémon until today."

"It's rarer than Zapdos," I admitted. "There's been a handful sightings of Zapdos over the past few years, so people think there are at least a few of the species around. Raikou is one of a kind though, so most people genuinely believe it's just a myth. I came across an article about the Legendary Beasts when I was doing my research on the birds, back when Winter was still a Pidgeotto. It was the best alternative I could think of, and since the Beasts are known as being wanderers, by saying that Raikou left people are even less likely to hunt for it on Shamouti. Or, at least, that's my hope."

"That's all we can do, Jon." Tobias patted me on the shoulder, smiling warmly. "Hope. You did good, and the festival, save for that hiccup at the end, went off without a hitch. Thank you for your help, I am in your debt."

He left then, and the nurse that ushered the reporters out came in, a tray of food in his hands.

My stomach chose that moment to growl, and I happily stuffed my face.

I was released the next day, May 3rd. I took that day slowly, going about my routine and readjusting myself accordingly. I was back in my wheelchair, courtesy of my leg being a cramped-up mess, so I needed to be safe about things. The gauze on my scalp was removed, and I was now the proud recipient of a new scar. Sat directly on top of where my other scar was, the one jutting through my eyebrow, I now had a zig-zag pattern added to its length starting from my hairline.

No joke. I've got a Harry Potter-esque lightning bolt scar on my head.

Wingardium Leviosa motherfuckers.

But life had a way of moving itself forward, and just a day later, on Star Wars day to be exact, May the 4th be with you, I was back and at 'em. With movement available and nothing to lose, I returned to training.

Arakh was suitably in awe of the fact that I was injured by Zapdos and was ready to prove himself against my newly caught Delibird. Winter too was ready to put Delibird in its place if needed and had been both humbled by the power that Zapdos dished out and emboldened by the fact that he survived the onslaught. Where before he was a prideful little thing, now he felt he earned the pride he held. It was… weird, to say the least. He still listened to me, actually he listened to me even more now, but there was this chip on his shoulder when it came to dealing with other Pokémon. It was like he thought he was better than them, that they weren't worth his time of day.

Which, to be perfectly fair, wasn't entirely incorrect.

What can I say, he's not the only one that has his pride.

Delibird was a different story all together, however. She was not pleased to have been captured, and during my day of rest, spent researching her species, I came to the tentative conclusion as to why she was so pissed. As stated before, Delibirds were rare. Like, capital R, purple tier gear, rare. And because they were rare, they tended to be very specific in their mating habits.

In this case, Delibird was hunting for a mate. Ice Island apparently met the criteria that the picky species held for meetup spots, and her intention was to find a mate, rut for a few weeks, and then go into hibernation, where once winter was upon us she would awaken and lay an egg, hatch it, and then embrace the power of motherhood. Or at least, that was what I assumed.

Still, I was fair. I interrupted her on Ice Island and now offered her due course. The deal was a completely fair battle, one on one, where I wouldn't command her, and she could pick which Pokémon of mine, either Winter or Arakh, to fight. If she won, I would release her. If she didn't, she could try her hand at the other Pokémon I owned, and if she won, I would release her. If she didn't win that time, well that was it. I was going to be her trainer, and there would be no more complaints.

With the opportunity of freedom in her grasp, she took my deal without further preamble. She chose Arakh, understanding that he had a weakness to Ice types, and knowing that since he was also a Bug type that he had less stamina than Winter. However, she only knew one Ice type attack, Icy Wind, and Arakh was a speedy little blighter that didn't sit still long enough for her to hit him even once. The battle was fairly one sided, with Arakh handily trouncing her with Metal Claw, which I belatedly remembered she was weak to.

After healing Delibird up, she challenged Winter, and was trounced even quicker. The only reason she was able to land a hit on Winter when I first caught her was due to the closed quarters the tunnel we battled inside of. In the open air, however, Winter was king, and he didn't let her forget it. He dodged all her attacks and smacked her down with Twister and Steel Wing, just as he did on Ice Island.

With that, I had earned her loyalty.

…

Nah, I'm kidding. She hated my guts for a solid week and was a stubborn little shit. Every time I tried to get her attention, she would just offer a huff and turn around, content to act like a toddler.

I named her Umber, after Greatjon Umber from A Song of Ice and Fire, because she was so damned stubborn. What was once his trademark was now hers.

It took weeks, involving coaxing, fighting and liberal amount of food, before she finally joined Winter and Arakh in training drills. When she realized how easily they were trouncing her, and then found that I had captured Arakh roughly six weeks before her, she was in wroth. She put so much energy into our exercises, so much of herself, that it was genuinely inspiring. It reminded me of when Winter was still a Pidgeotto, desperately striving for the strength needed for evolution.

I knew then that when things got difficult, Umber would have my back. Sometimes coaxing would be needed, sometimes I would need to beg and plead, but Umber would be a part of the team.

I taught her some new moves as well! She already knew Icy Wind, so I was able to have her concentrate the Ice type energy she already wielded in two different ways. One had her condense the energy, resulting in an Ice Beam. The other had her expand it into the environment, which gave access to Hail. Umber was growing into a very useful Pokémon, especially when I thought about how a lot of the Pokémon I wanted to catch were weak to her abilities.

During this timeframe, work also picked back up. In the aftermath of the festival, my job as a courier took a step back. Not only was I injured, but most of the letters and exports I sent out were unnecessary. The work was heavy purely because I was helping to advertise, but now that the event I was advertising for had ended, there was less and less to do.

But my recently gained celebrity worked in my favor. Professor Pamela Ivy of Valencia Island was quite curious about my encounter with a Legendary and offered payment for a recorded interview that could be sent to her fellow professors. Naturally, when numbers were discussed, I immediately agreed. This was an expensive interview, a flat five grand directly from her League stipend for research. Awkward though the interview was and bullshit though I spoke, the money was real and put me further along with my goals. Over the span of two more months, I earned ₽6,235. Adding the ₽5,000 that Ivy paid me with, plus the money I had earned previously, and I was sitting at a solid ₽23,830. Or at least, I was. Supplies were expensive, and I spent ₽4,110. I wouldn't allow myself to be cheap, not when it came to the supplies that would carry my career forth.

Still, the ₽19,720 I had left was a lot of money for a nine-year-old, hell it was a lot of money for the eighteen-year-old I really was, but it was going to pay for my Journey. The fact that this was going towards my becoming a trainer meant that the islanders on Shamouti were more willing to pay for their odd jobs.

Apparently, people like Ash, who left home at ten, were the minority. Most people saved up for years before going on their Pokémon Journey, and I was an exception to the norm based on my work. It was expected for trainers to basically forage and camp at all times, surviving off the land and the money the League awarded them for winning badges and contest ribbons. The few that could get away with not being hermits tended to have a sponsorship of some format.

Going back to Ash and his crew, since they are the easiest example to understand from, we have Ash. Ash is the son of a single mother, but because he lives in Pallet Town and his best friends with the grandson of Professor Oak, has gained a sponsorship, meaning free money for existing and representing the man in competitions. We have Brock, who not only held Ash's wallet and was a conservative spender, but was also the former Gym Leader of Pewter City, giving him a League stipend that outstripped most single-family incomes. Misty, being the future Gym Leader of Cerulean City, had an even greater stipend than Brock's, in hopes that she would make the best of her time capturing Water types to represent her city as best she could in the future.

In Hoenn, May and Max were the children of a Gym Leader. May had the capacity to be his heir, and Max, since he wasn't of age, was able to claim apprenticeship to either May, Brock or Ash, meaning a double stipend that was equal to, if not greater, than Misty's own money.

Now, I'm not mad. People that are born into good fortune have only their parents to thank. Sure, I could look at it and claim the unfairness of it all, but that's a waste of time all things considered.

But when I discovered this information, I did have an epiphany, and it wasn't one I was happy to have made. The anime, the games, the movies… When you thought about it objectively, they catered to the rich.

Japan! You ruin the dreams of children once again!

If Ash didn't live in Pallet Town, say he himself was from Pewter or Cerulean, then things would have been quite different. He would either have started his Journey years later, or his mother would have worked a non-stop shift in an attempt to support the kid's dream. That thing where Ash could talk to her whenever he entered a Pokémon Center? Yeah, no. She'd be unavailable at almost all times trying to keep the kid afloat.

Once again, I'm not mad. It's a show from crying out loud, a franchise that I enjoy and have every intention of abusing. It's just – jarring, y'know?

Outside of earning money and training my Pokémon, there wasn't much else I did to occupy my time. Occasionally I'd hang out with Carol, since our near-death experience brought about a comradery I hadn't expected.

Oh, and in the process of hanging out with her, she somehow got it into her head that Melody would be the perfect girl for me. So, whenever I came over, either to spend time with Carol or get more work from Tobias, I would be forced to spend time with her. Honestly, I didn't mind. When Melody wasn't being forced to participate in the festival she was a clever girl that had occasional bouts of sarcastic hilarity. However, while I didn't mind her company, I objected strongly to the insinuation that I could date her in any capacity.

Why? It's simple – I died at the age of eighteen. The Law of the Bro Code, section three subsection E, states that the youngest a man can date is half said man's age plus seven years. Now, Melody is eight. I am nine, but to be fair to the world and not feel like a filthy pedo, I put my age down at eighteen in this specific case. Eighteen divided by two is nine, and nine plus seven is sixteen. Sixteen is the youngest I can date, no if's and's or but's about it. And that's only physically, since I was maturing in mind faster than they were growing. If I wanted a serious partner, she'd need to be even older.

This train of thought is kind of depressing, actually.

It was tricky though, because Melody was actually quite responsive to Carol's trickery. She liked that I helped her sister out, that her grandfather liked me, and that I was a Pokémon trainer. I fit her ideal, and so she wanted me.

A strange game of cat and mouse ensued, one that lasted for months. Up until July 30th.

Why that specific day?

Because it was the day I finally left Shamouti and started my Journey.

I was stood at the longest pier of the Shamouti docks, Winter at my side. Nurse Joy was there as well, Chansey as her companion, with Tobias Brinks, Carol, Melody and a slew of other islanders in the background. They were holding signs, offering messages such as "You got this!" "Chose One!" "Jon Snow, Future Champion!" "Come Back Soon And Merry Melody!"

That last sign was made and multiplied by Carol. It earned her a glare from me and an embarrassed screech from Melody.

Tobias stepped forward from the crowd and spoke directly to me. "Jon, it's been over half a year since you washed up on our shores. It feels like it was only yesterday. We were worried at first, but you've shown yourself to be a good lad, somebody we are proud to call a citizen of Shamouti." Cheers and shouts echoed from behind him, wolf whistles and hollers from the crowd. My ears felt like they were on fire.

Joy walked up to me, wrapping me in a hug. Chansey joined in, her nubby arms and thick body awkwardly attempting to squeeze me to death.

"I hope that, when you come back, you make sure to visit." Joy said, tears in her eyes. Chansey echoed her emotion into my shirt, blowing snot in my shoulder. I patted her awkwardly.

"You couldn't keep me away," I said, smiling. And that was a genuine truth. Joy had been my cornerstone, the woman that not only healed me, but fed me, sheltered me and offered me encouragement. If and when she had a kid, I knew she'd make a terrific mother, and while I had outgrown the desire for one over the years, she easily took on the role or being a big sister for me.

Joy let me go, wiping at her eyes with the palm of her hand, and backed away. Carol then came up to me, picked me up and swung me around like a ragdoll. "Oh! I'm gonna miss you, future brother-in-law!"

This damned woman…

She then let me go, grabbed Melody by the collar and flung her at me. We collided and fell down in a heap, me on my back and her on my chest, the position awkward. It looked like she was straddling me. The flare of a camera's flash went off, and I felt the resignation of scrapbook fodder meant to embarrass me made manifest.

It should also be noted that this physicality of these people is confusing as all could be. Most of the time they are bound by the standard strength of humanity, but on occasion they exercise great feats of strength, the type that can't be quantified. Using Carol as an example, she's a woman who might weigh like 120 pounds, probably less. She just chucked her sister, who's around 60 pounds, at me with barely any strain, all for the sake of a joke.

It's – Yeah… Just, I don't even have words.

Melody scrambled away from me with a squeak, her face as red as my hair, and rushed off, through the crowd. She ran and ran, all the way to her house, closing the door in a huff. She made that journey in a span of twenty-or-so seconds, when her house was a five-minute run.

Anime logic.

I stood up and dusted myself off. Winter snickered at my side, so I bopped his chest. That just made him laugh even harder.

Tobias came forwards once again, a tear of mirth in his eye, smiling too brightly for my tastes. Uh-oh, I think he's on board the Melon ship. In his hand was a small box. "As a way to… express, my thanks for the way you handled those reporters," he said, quietly enough that only I could hear him. "And for being such a good sport as our Chosen One. The island came together and each chipped in a little bit to get this for you, the tourists donated some money as well due to the scare you gave them."

He handed out the box, and I took it. Unwrapping the parcel, I sucked in the thanks that was at the tip of my tongue.

A Pokégear.

Pokégear aren't necessarily new, they've been around for decades at this point, but the more advanced versions of them, like the model in my hand right now, are expensive as all can be. Over my conversations with Liza from the Charicific Valley, it was mentioned that I might have the opportunity to rent one. To buy one for a foster would be ridiculous, I doubt she herself had one.

I could buy one right now if I wanted to, but it would be a lower model Pokégear and cost almost all of my savings. This model, one of the newer model gears, was easily thrice that amount.

Dude, you could buy a house with that kind of money. This isn't a joke, this is just ridiculous.

"I- I…. Uhhhhh…-"

I had no words.

I just held the tech to my chest and bowed to the crowd. "Thank you all so much. I promise to use it to the best of my abilities."

Tobias placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke once more, this time loud enough for the whole of the pier to hear. "If you are truly thankful, become great enough for the whole of the world to know Shamouti."

And it made sense what he was asking. When Lance became the Champion of Johto, his ascension was the primary reason Blackthorn City gained a Gym. Before Lance took over, Blackthorn was home to a Dragon preserve, but that was it. When somebody is a trainer with enough leverage, then can get things done, purely through way of their celebrity. In my case, since I wanted to reach the level of the Elites, if I did end up becoming a member of the Elite Four, then Shamouti's tourism would skyrocket year-round.

I nodded to Tobias and when he backed away with nothing more to say, I took that to mean it was time.

I put the Pokégear back in its box and put it inside my latest fashion choice: a fanny pack. It was a strange weight and curious choice, but I needed more carrying capacity. Easy access was important, and no matter what stigma fanny packs might hold in the states, here in the Pokéverse they were just helpful.

Hopping on Winter, I adjusted his Rider's Seat and tugged on his scalp feathers. He screeched one last time, spreading his wings widely, and took off.

We were heading north. The Charicific Valley was located to the north-west, nestled in the mountain range between Violet City and Azalea Town. But I had time. Liza was expecting me, true, but I had between now and the next two days to arrive before she started asking questions.

Which left me time enough to find a new Pokémon.

One that I knew from the anime. One that wouldn't necessarily change anything now, but might cause some ripples down the road.

Not that I cared.

Winter travelled north, but subtly I tugged on his scalp feathers over the course of the flight, turning us north-east.

Three hours later resulted in a grumbling Winter and saddle sores on my part, but we made it to the mainland. We, ah, probably would made it even quicker, but we stopped in Kumquat, where I had a Tauros steak T-bone. This one was more expensive than the last, being ₽20, but it was seasoned differently and had a lot more to offer. It was delicious, and I think I might be a little addicted.

But here we were, on the mainland. The mainland of Kanto that is, in Fuchsia City.

I've wanted to come here for months. It could be said that nothing of note happened in Fuchsia. Aside from Koga being here, there wasn't much to do. And you would be right.

However, it wasn't Fuchsia that held my attention. It was the facility located to the north of its city limits, noted world-wide for its good service and rare opportunities.

The Safari Zone.

Now, legally speaking, I'm not allowed to enter the Safari Zone. Not only am I underage, I don't even have a Trainer's License. Regardless of my owning three Pokémon, they wouldn't let me in.

So, a new question comes up. How do I combat – nay, how do I circumvent such a dilemma?

Quite simple, actually. Just break the law.

So, high in the sky, above the clouds and past the monitoring equipment the rangers on staff had access to, Winter and I entered the facility. This was doubly illegal, not only was I trespassing, but I had my Pokémon on me. The Safari Zone was meant to be a place where Pokémon could basically pick and choose whether or not they wanted to be captured. By bringing my own Pokémon, I don't give them that chance. I add battling to the mix, which is a big no-no to the people that take care the preserve.

However, they forgot to factor in one thing with regards to their equation: the amount I cared. The rules of the Safari Zone could jump off a cliff for all I could care less. If I caught the Pokémon I wanted then I would never return here in any case.

Winter descended from the clouds, landing in the north-east quarter of the area. I opened my Pokégear and turned on the map app, checking out the layout that was available. Located to the west of where I stood, above a relatively high hill, was a small body of water.

Winter gave me a ride to the body of water. It wasn't the one I had an interest in, but to its north, hidden in a small enclave where stone curved over its waters, making it so the map couldn't make out the body on hand, was a lake that was ever-so-much larger than the body of water we'd found moments before. Were it not for Winter, were it not for the fact that I even had a Flying type, I never would have found this enclosure.

We arrived on its bankside. I dug through my pack, the one on my back, not the fanny pack, and withdrew a metal cylinder, half the width of the palm of my hand. Pressing a red button on its side, I watched as the cylinder grew and grew, a thin though sturdy string and bobble popping out from its end.

A Super Rod.

It was honestly pretty amazing, though expensive to boot. When I interviewed with Professor Ivy, I took the time to purchase the item. ₽1,500 well spent. Though Shamouti was only host to Tentacool, Shellder, Seel and a copious amount of Magikarp (the only reason I didn't catch one was because I wasn't ready to handle a Gyarados), through using the Super Rod I was able to reel in a few Tentacruel, one time I even nabbed a Cloyster. They were great experience for my Pokémon.

I pressed the [-] on the Rider's Seat, allowing Winter some more mobility, and released Arakh and Umber. Giving the trio free reign to relax, so long as they stayed in this area, I put some high-quality bait on the Rod and began to fish.

Over an hour and a half. That's how long I'd been at it, and I could only really think about one thing.

It was hot.

This little lake was inside of a divot in a mountain. One would think it'd be cold then, myself among them. But no, instead it acted as if it were a giant oven, all the heat from the sun above and whatever Pokémon called this place home coiled up and made the area sweltering. To preserve my sanity, I stripped progressively over my fishing, until I found myself naked save for my tidy-whitey's. I found little issue with my nudity, my Pokémon didn't care, nobody really knew about this area, and I only knew due to the Safari Zone episode, one of the few banned episodes of the Pokémon animation. So, yeah, no reason not strip at this point.

The banned episodes were, obviously, episodes of the Pokémon anime that were banned in certain countries. I remember once when I was younger, a marathon of the Pokémon anime was being played during a Saturday morning cartoon special, and being the closet addict that I was, I watched the whole six hour event. The exact episode escapes me, but there was a cut between two episodes that made little sense. With the power of the internet on hand, I found out that America had removed the episode that was meant to go between those two shows due to James growing a pair of knockers and flaunting his stuff like he were the Queen B.

So, morbidly curious, I looked up the other banned episodes. Most were banned due to explicit content, Pokémon was a show for children, but Japan had different views on what was and was not acceptable for children to watch when compared to the rest of the world.

The banned episode involving the Safari Zone was banned due to the warden of the Safari Zone, a guy named Baoba if memory serves, threatening Team Rocket with a gun, actually firing the thing at them. Then he pointed the gun at Ash's and, well, it made sense for the episode to be banned.

I did love the warden though. Legit, even though he doesn't exist according to American audiences, he's in my top twenty favorite characters of the Pokémon series.

But enough about that, the Super Rod finally had a bite.

I slowly stood, keeping pressure on the fishing rod and motioned for Umber and Winter to come over. The tugging on the Super Rod became much harder all of a sudden, and Umber gripped my waist to help me pull. Winter hovered next to us, landing at my side so he could use his beak and pull on the string. The string was actually made of thin, though very sturdy, metal fibers, so I had little worry about his breaking my expensive equipment.

In a very anime-esque fashion, we pulled as hard as we could, and an explosion of water signaled the arrival of what I had been waiting for.

A long serpentine body hovered before me, its scales of blue and white. Its tail held two blue spheres at its end, and a third where its jaw met its neck. A pair of thick black eyes, the blackness encompassing the whole of its sclera, glared down at me, its horn, scarred with a cross-form, buzzed with energy.

Dragonair. Bitches.

I only remembered this mofo because of my fascination with the banned episodes, and my love of Flying types. The story of this Dragonair was that the warden of the Safari Zone knew it – her, it was a her – as a Dratini, and the pair struck up a quick friendship.

But that didn't matter right now.

"Umber, Ice Beam!" She chirped, a teal sphere forming from her open mouth. The beam of Ice type energy streaked from her mouth, actually hitting Dragonair on the tail, causing its two spheres to freeze over. I grinned, that'd slow her down a fair bit.

Dragonair shifted her attention from myself to Umber, a slow crane of the neck that promised pain. The sphere under her jaw began to radiate energy, dark blue in color, and clouds began to form and rain fell. Rain Dance, meaning she either didn't know how to battle or intended to power up a Water type move, Hydro Pump most likely.

Well, that wouldn't do.

"Hail." And so, she did. A mist of Ice type energy coalesced from Umbers beak. She spat it out, the mist hovering towards the cloud Dragonair created, darkening it further, turning the rain it had been pouring into a drizzle of frosty chunks. The frost, hard and small and annoying, pelted not only Dragonair, but also myself and Winter and Arakh.

Worth it.

Dragonair looked suitably annoyed, or at least she looked even more annoyed than she did previously, and finally had enough. The sphere under her jaw began to emit light once more, orange and fierce, and a Hyper Beam flared out, cutting through water and stone alike, slamming Umber in the chest. An explosion of energy blared, Umber falling to the wayside, her eyes swirling in unconsciousness.

Hyper Beam. Should'a known. It was an OP move, especially when a Pokémon learned it naturally, and Dragon types were the most OP Pokémon there were, or at least their naturally capabilities lended themselves to such frames of power.

So, naturally, I sent out Winter. I didn't want my shot at Dragonair to go away.

"Twister." Winter complied without needed further commands, he knew how to handle himself in the air. First, his body was coated with a hue of pink, Psychic energy taking the form of Agility. Then he went out, Twister at the ready. The tornado of draconic power embraced Dragonair, who cried out in surprised pain, forcing her to the ground. Her tail being frozen was a real boon, making it so she couldn't dodge properly.

I had a Great Ball in my hand at this point. One of the three Great Balls I'd purchased, costing me a neat ₽750, Great Balls being ₽250 a pop. Worth it though, higher catch percentages than Poké Balls and far cheaper than Ultra Balls.

When Dragonair hit the ground, I threw it. My aim was spot on, an occurrence which has become unusually common since I arrived in this world. I used to be a shit throw, but I suppose the change was due to the power of a cartoon world.

The Great Ball absorbed Dragonair with a flash of red and began to shake.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourtee- MOTHERFUCKINGAHHHHHHHHHHHIWILLGUTYOU!

She broke out with a war cry, uncontrolled rage in her eye, and fired a Thunderbolt from her scarred horn at Winter, who dodged with a barrel roll.

"Winter, keep it up!" I called out. "Keep dodging, then use Twister when you see an opening!"

He did just that, performing Double Team without needing a command. The multiple copies of his form flew about, but Dragonair wasn't to be tricked. She flailed in the air, her body coated in the green draconic energy that Winter himself could summon in the form of Twister, and raced through my Pidgeot's illusions. That must have been Dragon Rush. Deadly.

Dragonair got close, just as Winter charged up another Twister. They met head on, Dragon Rush and Twister. Dragonair was wincing as she got closer, the Dragon type attack Winter was using being super effective, but she held out. Eventually, she reached her target, spearing Winter right in the chest, knocking the wind out of my bird.

Winter began to fall, but Dragonair wasn't done. No attack was used, but she did a flip in the air and slammed her frozen tail on the back on Winters head, knocking him out and breaking the ice at the same time. With her being unfrozen, she began to zip around the sky with twice the speed she'd been showing before, which was just insane. I could barely keep up with her.

Belatedly, I returned Winter and Umber, Arakh coming to my side with a nervous sort of excitement.

"When Dragonair gets in close, go with plan A."

Arakh stared me down, resigned to the command. As well he should be! I gave the order and he listened.

Dragonair was before us now, looming. The sphere beneath her jaw was glowing ominously, the orange energy of her Hyper Beam almost ready to be fired.

It didn't matter, however.

Arakh got in the air, scythes at the ready. Dragonair kept an eye on him, not firing Hyper Beam just yet, though she was clearly able and willing.

Then Arakh fucking winked at Dragonair, a bright pink energy emanating from his eyes. Dragonair looked perplexed for the span of a few seconds, then her the scales on her face began to purple as a blush sprouted.

Yes, I admit, it's cheap as shit. It's mean, it's cruel, and it works.

Plan A was to use Attract.

Umber knew Attract when I captured her. Likely intent to use it on the mate she was hunting for, it instead became a useful tool for training. I was uncertain if Arakh or Winter could learn the move, but I wanted to ensure that they could ignore the unnatural feelings that came over them with its use. Umber was given the command to liberally use Attract on them whenever she wanted during mock battles, and Arakh apparently got hit enough times for him to learn the move himself.

While Dragonair was distracted I took a chance. Grabbing one of my other Great Balls, I threw it at Dragonair, momentarily marveling over the fact that it was another perfect throw. She was absorbed into the spherical machine, this time the device rolled onto the shore of the lake.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Sevente-click.

I, at the pseudo age of nine-years-old, have caught a Pokémon that had the capacity to combat with the Legendary Pokémon I craved to control.

Take that world!

I quickly ran down and grabbed Dragonairs Poké Ball before it sank in the water, placing it on my ball belt, which happened to still be connected to the pants I wasn't wearing. I returned Arakh then, thanking him profusely.

Then, I started to think. Following the naming convention I'd created, which I intended to stick with, my newly captured Dragonair needed a nickname. She was mine and she would become my tank. With Winter as a glass canon, Arakh as my speed demon, Umber as my support and Dragonair as the front runner, I was well on my way towards a balanced team.

But let's see… names, names…

It struck me then. As she was right now, she wouldn't fit my image. But in the future, when she evolved and became a Dragonite under my care, she be perfect. A gold and cream body, a dragon fitting the description of another dragon from the series I claim to be named from.

Viserion.

Winter/Pidgeot – Male

Moves: Tackle, Gust, Sand Attack, Agility, Double Team, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Twister, Fly

Ability: Keen Eye

Arakh/Scyther – Male

Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Slash, Pursuit, False Swipe, Fury Cutter, Metal Claw, Attract

Ability: Swarm

Umber/Delibird – Female

Moves: Present, Icy Wing, Peck, Rest, Attract, Ice Beam, Hail

Ability: Hustle

Viserion/Dragonair – Female

Moves: Rain Dance, Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt, Thunderwave, Flamethrower, Take Down, Hydro Pump, Slam, Dragon Rush, Dragon Rage

Ability: Shed Skin

Jon Snow – Male

Date: Jul 30

Badges: N/A

Pokémon: Pidgeot, Scyther, Delibird, Dragonair

Currency: ₽19700

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