Note- This happens in a region of my creation.
----------------------------------------------------
I thought it would be cool to write a story based on
original characters, original places, and events. if you have any
comments, feel free to share them!
Chapter One: Surprise Birthday Present
"The Champion's kid, eh?"
"That's right."
"Quite a name to live up to. Think you can?"
"I know I can..." Dayne muttered. His hand closed around the tiny red and white orb in
his hand, a Pokéball. It expanded in his hand, making it an easier fit in his hand to throw.
"Ha! You hope to vanquish me? Pathetic child, the Cursed One shall rise!"
The mysterious man in front of him then threw the Pokéball he clutched in his hands.
...
Before Dayne could see exactly what the Pokémon was, he found himself being prodded awake.
"Ugh...go away!" Dayne swatted blindly at the hand that was poking him in the side. He also winced at the bright light that was glaring through the window directly on his closed eyes.
"Get up, young man! You're going to be late for school!"
Dayne groaned and sat up groggily. He glanced over at his mother with his amber eyes. She was dressed in a flowing yellow dress and a white apron. She normally had a friendly expression on her face, but she was currently giving him a very stern look.
"I'm up! I'm up!" Grumbling, he crawled out of bed and stretched.
"Good, when you're dressed, your breakfast will be waiting for you in the kitchen." She then marched out of the room.
Dressing in silence, Dayne looked outside at the beautiful sunny morning. Pidgey squawked and trilled in the trees. That's pretty much all Little Ion Town was known for these days. The Pidgey. Oh, and his father was also a bit of a celebrity here. He was the Champion of the Firorre Region, after all.
And that only made Dayne that much more disgruntled.
Why? Everyone expected him to follow in his father's footsteps and be some kind of naturally born master of Pokémon. But he just didn't want to. Sure, he loved Pokémon and all, but he wasn't up for the training of a bunch of creatures.
Boy was today going to be a rude awakening! He just didn't know it yet.
Dayne slung his backpack over one shoulder and busied himself with fixing his messy black hair. Geez, it never wanted to lay flat. No matter what he did to it.
He hurried downstairs into the kitchen where his mother and their family pet, Growlithe, were. Growlithe barked excitedly and rushed over to Dayne, his tail wagging back and forth.
"Heel! Back off Growlithe! I don't have time to play with you right now!"
Impatiently, Dayne sat down at the table and began munching his way through eggs, bacon, toast and juice.
"You really should be nicer to Growlithe, Dayne. He really does like you."
Dayne just mumbled a few non-sensical words through his full mouth, downed the rest of his juice and leapt up to his feet. Just as he reached the door, his mother called him.
"Yes mom?" Geez, she always waited until the last second to tell him something.
"Don't forget about your birthday party. It's going to be held at the park after school."
"I know!" It was the one billionth time she had reminded him.
Dayne rushed out the door, and ran along a soft dirt road toward the small brick school building just up the road. Little Ion Town was a little community where everyone knew each other. It was a nice place to live, but it was the only place he really remembered living. His family had moved from the Hoenn Region to the Firorre Region when he was just five years old.
And then his father had become the Pokémon Champion of the region. Nobody really knew Dayne by his own name. They'd always say, "Hey, there's Dale's kid!" or "There's the Champion's kid!" It always made Dayne mad. It was also part of the reason he had decided not to become a Pokémon Trainer. The other part was, he just wasn't interested.
"Hello there, Dayne."
Dayne jumped and looked over at the petite female walking beside him. She was his best friend at LIA, Little Ion Academy, and she looked really cute. Her hair was a rose pink, and her eyes were a matching color. Her face was also lightly sprinkled with freckles. As usual, her Chatot was perched on her shoulder.
Oddly enough LIA encouraged students to bring Pokémon to school.
"Hello there Mia. How are you?"
"Hello there Mia. How are you?" The Chatot imitated.
Dayne hated that! The Chatot was always mimicking what he said, as if it were mocking him.
Mia smiled pleasantly, "I'm great. The sky is nice today, so vibrant and alive. It makes me wonder what it would be like to be one of those cotton candy clouds...." The rest was drowned out as my mind wondered off. Mia could go on for hours if left uninterrupted. Honestly, she was a little weird.
It didn't take them long to arrive at LIA, and Dayne was greatful for that. He took his usual seat near the window of classroom 12-A. He had a clear look at the bright blue sky up above. Smiling, he glanced down.
And groaned.
A graded test that the teacher had been handing out to each student now rested on his desk in front of him. He had a big fat, red F on his paper. Great. His mother wasn't going to be very happy about that.
Dayne wasn't normally a bad student or anything, his mind just floated off when he sat in the stuffy classroom on sunny days like this. And, as a result, he usually missed out on important lectures because he was so busy off in his own little world.
The day passed by in a bit of a blurr. People called through the halls all day wishing him a happy birthday. All in all, it was pretty uneventful day.
At school, that was.
When it was finally time to leave, he walked outside. Mia awaited him.
"Here." She said, thrusting a package in his hands, as if she needed to do it in a hurry. He only caught a glimpse of her red face before she took off running.
"Uh, he-" But she didn't turn back.
Dayne looked at the package in his hands. It had been decorated in red wrapping paper with dancing Magbys, Elekids, and Cleffas. And pink hearts also floated around on the wrapping paper like it was some sort of Valentine's Day.
"Hey, look, Dayney Wayney got a present from his girlfriend!" Damien and his group of punks all laughed at him.
Face hot, Dayne quickly put the package in his book bag, and hurried down the dirt path toward his house. Why in the world would Mia give him something like that?
Alas, if this were only the biggest oddity of the day...
Dayne arrived at home, and Growlithe came rushing up to him, barking excitedly. He bent down and patted the little fellow on the head.
But something was odd.
Aside from Growlithe's excited barking, the whole house was like a cemetary. Dead silent.
"Mom?"
"We're out back, hun!" He heard her call from the backyard.
Puzzled, Dayne walked through the house and out the backdoor with Growlithe prancing alongside right on his heels.
"SURPRISE!!!" A whole collection of people shouted together, making Dayne jump about a foot in the air.
"Welcome home," said the deep voice of his father at the center of the assorted people. He looked a lot like Dayne: Messy hair, amber eyes. The only difference was he was taller, had a deeper voice, and had a thick beard.
Dayne muttered, "hello father."
Dale walked over and clapped Dayne on the shoulder.
"It's good to see you. I have something for you. Your mother, I, and the rest of the villagers feel it's the right time."
Blinking, Dayne looked around at all the people staring at him and his father. He recognized all of them. After all, he had grown up with all of them. What he hadn't noticed was the way a cloud of excitement seemed to be floating over all of them. Including his mother. Apparently, the birthday party at the park thing had been a setup. And he had fallen for it completely.
"Er, time for what?"
"This." His father pulled out a small red and white Pokéball from his pocket and placed it in Dayne's hand.
Abruptly, the Pokéball opened, and a glowing Pokémon popped out of the ball. When the light faded, Dayne caught sight of what it was.
His father had given him a Torchic for his birthday.
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Thank you for reading.
Chapter 2 should be out in a week, maybe a little less.
Chapter Two: Internal, External Battle!
Dayne stared down at the little Pokémon in utter disbelief. The Torchic looked up at him with a cheerful expression on its face and then abruptly pecked his shin.
"Ow!" Dayne leapt backwards, rubbing the spot the little bird had pecked. "That wasn't very nice!"
When he heard laughter, Dayne remembered that at least twenty people were watching him with interest. His father smiled, eyes twinkling. His mother had tears of joy in her eyes. But not one of them seemed interested in his feelings, and he was going to make sure they knew exactly what they were.
"Dad, I will never be a Pokémon Trainer. I've told you this since I turned eleven." Dayne tried to keep his voice even, but his hands were shaking. He tossed the Pokéball back over to his father. "Why don't you just give up?"
The Torchic's head lowered, as if it were sad, and it hopped over to Dale. His father bent down and stroked it softly on the head. "Son, I'm not forcing you to become a Trainer. This was a gift. A rite of passage. For centuries the fathers of this village have given their sons a Pokémon for their eleventh birthday. And while you may be turning fourteen today, you weren't ready for one then."
His father picked up the Torchic, and gazed at Dayne with steel in his eyes.
"The world we live in now is rapidly training. A majority of professional jobs are becoming Pokémon related." He smiled sadly. "I never asked you to become a Pokémon Trainer, as I did, but I wanted you to understand the joy they bring to our lives each and every day."
Dayne couldn't meet his father's disappointed gaze any longer, and dropped it to his shoes. It was utterly silent now. He was irritated with everyone, knowing they were silently judging him. So what if he didn't want to have the stupid Torchic? What did it matter?
"Dayne, the choice is in your hands now."
Dayne looked up. A breeze ruffled his air. It should have been warm, but it chilled him to the bone. He bit his lip as he gazed into the hopeful eyes of the Torchic. The little Pokémon looked as if it were silently willing him to accept.
"No."
Dayne shook his head and took a few steps away from all of them. Some were shaking their heads in disappointment, others just sighed, and some even glared at him. Didn't they understand this was his decision? And it was a big choice that they were cramming down his throat!
"Well, then, son-"
And this was when Dayne's life would change forever.
The backyard had four short picnic tables with benches seated on either side of each one. Every inch of the available space on the tables were laden with food.
Out of nowhere, a mini cyclone came and tore through the tables, sending food flying in all directions. People screamed and ducked for cover. His father? A pie flew right into his face. Dayne didn't have time to laugh as he was busy dodging a rogue loaf of bread.
The Torchic seemed to think it was fun, because it leapt from his father's arm and began squawking excited.
And then Dayne realized it wasn't because of the party it was squawking, the Torchic had noticed a man standing beneath the shade of a tree with a Tailow circling around his head. He had an arrogant smirk on his face.
"Who are you?" Dayne demanded, getting to his feet. Oddly enough, the Torchic rushed over and stood directly beside him, squawking indignantly at the uninvited man.
"My name is of no importance child."
He wore a mask to cover up his features. He was of medium height, and a little on the chubby side.
"Tailow, swoop down and give that Torchic a nice little peck."
And as ordered, The Tailow swooped down and peck Torchic right on the top of the head. Torchic cried out and backed away as the peck attack continued.
Dayne stood there with his hands trembling.
"Stop! Leave my Torchic alone!"
The man just laughed evilly.
Dale, from somewhere under cover with the rest of the party members, shouted, "you have to battle him, Dayne!"
"Battle?" The very thing he had sworn against! "Why can't you?!"
"I don't have my Pokémon with me! Hurry! Help your Torchic, there isn't time!"
Frustrated, Dayne turned to see that Tailow now had Torchic pinned against a tree, the onslaught still ongoing.
And then something odd happened. All of the frustration seeped away from him, leaving him abnormally calm. Like a coil being unsprung, his mind sharpened and the bad feeling left him. He didn't really understand it, but he knew what he had to do.
"Dodge, Torchic!"
Instantly, as if that jogged the Torchic back to its senses, the tiny fire bird leapt away from the tree and landed a few feet away from Dayne.
"Ha! So you've decided to fight me, boy? Gust attack now, Tailow!"
The Tailow rose up into the air once again, and flapped its wings at a rapid pace, creating a mini cyclone that swallowed up Dayne's Torchic. He heard shouts from the party people, but they didn't make sense to him right now.
"Torchic, I want you to rise through the cyclone and tackle that Tailow!"
Torchic somehow managed to alter its course and leapt out of the cyclone. Instead of simply falling, it dove down straight at the Tailow, their heads bonking together painfully hard. And then both crashed to the ground.
Dayne rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the Torchic. It gazed up at him hopefully, and he smiled. "Good job, buddy." And then the Torchic fainted. He picked it up and looked at the man across from him. His Tailow had fainted as well.
With a "hmph," the masked man called the defeated Tailow back into its Pokéball. "Good job, Dayne. You've passed the test."
Dale smiled and walked over, "yes, he certainly did." His father's tone was painted with pride.
Dayne, confused, looked between the two. "What in the world are you two talking about?"
Laughing, the masked man pulled off his mask.
"It's me, Dayne, Prof. Bluestone. This whole fight was a hoax to get you to battle."
Dayne felt absolutely dazed. And like his Torchic, his eyes closed, and he abruptly passed out.
Dayne awoke, finding himself in a candlelit room. Outside, he could hear a storm brewing. Thunder crackled, and the lightning that flashed cast sinister looking shadows throughout the room. And then he heard a whimper.
He looked over and saw that his Torchic was on a bed beside his own. Torchic was still asleep with an ice pack resting against its head. Dayne felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he relived the battle. He had failed the Torchic terribly by allowing it to get attacked so badly before he even reacted. Sighing, he turned onto his back.
"It wasn't your fault."
Dayne blinked and looked over to see his father, Dale, standing beside the window.
Dale looked over at his father as the storm raged outside.
"I shouldn't have forced you to participate in that battle. I was....hop-"
"You didn't force me to dad." Dayne slowly sat up, and turned so he was facing his Torchic. "...I felt something in that battle I've never experienced before. It was some kind of blood rush. It made my senses seem to....um...."
"Heighten. I know the sensation," Dale said, walking over. He sat down on the edge of Dayne's bed and gave him a smile. "This is what most natural born Trainers experience when they battle."
Dayne glared at his father.
"I should have known it was all a setup."
Torchic whimpered again, and Dayne sobered up.
"But.... I want to take care of Torchic. Even after I allowed it to suffer all those attacks, Torchic still tried to help me."
Dayne nodded with a satisfied expression on his face.
"However, father, I will be battling you tomorrow."
Dale's eyes widened, "I don't think that-"
Dayne shook his head, "I don't care. You will battle me tomorrow, else I will not become a Pokémon Trainer."
His father was silent for a long time, even standing up, beginning to pace back and forth. Finally, he stopped beside the door and looked back at Dayne. "Fine. We will have a one on one battle. I will use my Raichu against your Torchic. Good luck."
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Chapter Three: Defeat
The following morning was dreary and humid. Despite the fact that the sun was buried behind thick formations of stormy gray clouds, and the slight breeze that ruffled his hair, Dayne's forehead was beaded with sweat. His hands shook as if a Pikachu and sent waves of Thunder shooting through his body.
Standing beside the window, Dayne kept his eyes fixed on the Pokéball that contained his Torchic. Today was the day his Torchic and he would be put to the test, for better or worse. These thoughts made an odd crawling sensation in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't nerves. It wasn't fear. No, the emotion that radiated off of Dayne was excitement. He was more than ready to meet his father, Dale, on the battle field. And he had every intention of beating the Champion of the Firorre Region.
A soft knock on his bedroom door startled him.
"C-come in," he stuttered, uncertainty creeping into his voice.
His mother walked into the room and smiled at him.
"Breakfast is ready, hun. And your father wanted me to tell you that he will meet you at Dezon's Gym." Her voice was filled with something Dayne couldn't identify. Fear? Nerves? Concern? Nonetheless, Dayne grabbed Torchic's Pokéball resolutely and went into the kitchen to eat his breakfast.
Later that morning, the clouds had finally spread out to allow the sun to beam down brightly on the country town of Little Ion Town. Almost every house was made of Alkalyne Cinder, which was a lot like red bricks, and most of the houses had thatched rooves. Open door shops were common, featuring everything from herbal medicines to fresh produce to even un-stylish clothes.
Dayne walked past all of these toward a medium sized circular building. That was Dezon's Gym. It had a domed roof that had been painted a bright red color. Dezon swore it was to make it noticeable to people in the sky, but Dayne personally thought it was a complete eye sore.
"Hey Dayne!" An excited voice squealed not too far away from where Dayne was.
Turning, Dayne saw Mia running over to him. She had on a yellow dress with Pichu's dancing all over it. Weird.
"Er, hi Mia. What are you doing here?"
"Shopping! Obviously!" She gestured to her left arm which was loaded with several packed shopping bags. Seriously, she needed a hobby. But she was a little weird. "By the way, did you like my gift I gave you?"
Dayne gulped. With all the events that had transpired recently, he had completely forgotten the present she had given him. It was on the floor somewhere on his already over crowded room. "Um, see, about that...."
She gasped, and gave him her most adorable smile, grasping his hands. "You loved it so much it's making you speechless!? I knew you'd love the Jigglypuff PJ's I bought for you! And your mother swore you would detest them!" Her face was pink from how excited she was.
Truth betold, Dayne hated the color pink. It gave him a fit of the shivers, but he couldn't necessarily tell her that with how happy she looked.
"Er, yeah, I definitely love me some pink Jigglypuff PJ's. As a matter of fact, I love them so much, I'll put them in storage so they'll never have the chance to get ruined. But, Mia, I have to go. My dad is waiting-"
"Sure, sure, see you later!" And then she ran off in the general direction of Mal's Open Air Shop.
The nerves didn't hit Dayne until he walked into the Gym and looked around. Being a local hero and all, his father's win/loss record was posted over the receptionist's desk at the far back of the entrance hall. Even from where he stood, Dayne could make out the record:
59-1
This wasn't exactly the boost of confidence Dayne had hoped for, but he took a breath and then marched over to the desk, still clutching Torchic's Pokéball firmly in his left hand.
"Ma'am, I'm here to have a match with my father. He should have scheduled the match already."
The lady behind the desk looked up at him, clearly trying not to laugh at him.
"You're challenging Dale to a battle? With what Pokémon?"
"Um.... a Torchic."
And like a volcano erupting, her laughter filled the quiet entrance hall. And that made Dayne happy that nobody else was currently in the Gym. Gotta love small towns.
"Okay, proceed through the left door."
Two wooden doors stood on either side of the reception desk. One was labeled 'Free Battles' and the other was labeled 'Official Battles'. And he was going in the latter.
"Er, what exactly does it mean by "Official Battles" anyway?" He looked at her, utterly confused. How could he challenge his father to an official match without a single badge?
"That just means that it will count toward your record. All battles that take place in League sanctioned locations have Official Battles, such as Gyms or League Tournaments. But don't worry, this is your first match, correct?"
Dayne nodded.
"Then it won't affect you too much. Your record usually only decides which tournaments you'll be able to compete in and how you'll be seeded when it comes time for the 75th annual Firorre Grand Festival."
"O-okay."
Dayne walked into the door he was told to go into.
The room he walked into was a large arena. Rows of seats surrounded him. It wasn't that large, but the arena could easily sit five hundred people. At least. They were currently empty except for a single girl. Her hair was snow white, and her eyes were a deep blue.
"Hey, Dayne, you ready?"
Dayne jumped, not having noticed his father standing across from him in the designated Trainer Zone of the battlefield on his side.
"Y-yes, father, I am ready." Steeling himself, he walked over to his own zone and faced his father. He would not be brought down by fear. He remember the first battle he had had with Torchic, the rush, and the feeling that had made him feel almost invincible. "I will not lose."
Dale smiled, "I'm glad you believe in yourself." He raised his arms, and gestured around the stadium. "I always dreamed of battling you in an arena like this. Of course, the arena I most look forward to meeting you in is in Landonburgh City." He lowered his arms and smiled at Dayne, as if this was making all his dreams come true.
"Dad, focus. We're supposed to be battling." Dayne then threw his Pokéball, letting Torchic out. The little chick looked around curiously, and squawked with excitement. "Tor-chic!"
"Very well." Dale withdrew a single Pokéball from his belt and threw it into the arena. The Pokéball landed directly on the center of the Pokéball painted onto the floor, emitting a bright light. "Go, Raichu!"
Dayne noticed the girl sit up straighter, looking at the battle field with an intensity that made Dayne nervous. Turning his attention back on the battlefield, he watched the Raichu prance about, electricity sparking off of it's body dangerously.
"Now, we BEGIN!" His father shouted. "Raichu, THUNDER!"
A bright yellow aura suddenly blazed around the Raichu, and lighting began to build up in the tiny sacs on it's cheeks.
"Dodge!- No!"
The flare of thunder came to fast, giving his Torchic a good jolt. Sent flying back, the Torchic collided with Dayne. He stumbled, but managed to keep on his feet.
"Chic!" The Torchic leapt from his arms, casting the Raichu an angry glare.
` "EMBER!" Dayne shouted.
"Hmph, Agility, Raichu!"
Torchic launched the little balls of fire at Raichu, but just as they were about to hit, the Raichu vanished. Confused, Dayne looked all around the battlefield, utterly confused. And then he saw the Raichu. "Torchic, above!"
"Thunderbolt!"
A large blast erupted from the Raichu and collided with his Torchic before the tiny Pokémon could even react. Smoke billowed into the air, clouding over the arena. Coughing, Dayne covered his mouth and eyes, coughing.
When the smoke cleared, Dayne was stunned. Torchic stood there completely unharmed. And then Dayne realized why. It had used it's clawed foot to deflect the blow.
Dale stood there, his mouth gaped open.
"H-how?!"
"Ha ha! Torchic, peck attack!!"
The Raichu was standing there, looking confused too. Torchic abruptly launched itself at the confused Pokémon and began pecking it ruthlessly. The Raichu stumbled backwards, the blows clearly doing damage.
"Grr, Mega Punch!!"
And that was it. Raichu slammed it's paw right into the breast of the Torchic, and Dayne's Pokémon feinted.
----------------------------------------------------
I thought it would be cool to write a story based on
original characters, original places, and events. if you have any
comments, feel free to share them!
Chapter One: Surprise Birthday Present
"The Champion's kid, eh?"
"That's right."
"Quite a name to live up to. Think you can?"
"I know I can..." Dayne muttered. His hand closed around the tiny red and white orb in
his hand, a Pokéball. It expanded in his hand, making it an easier fit in his hand to throw.
"Ha! You hope to vanquish me? Pathetic child, the Cursed One shall rise!"
The mysterious man in front of him then threw the Pokéball he clutched in his hands.
...
Before Dayne could see exactly what the Pokémon was, he found himself being prodded awake.
"Ugh...go away!" Dayne swatted blindly at the hand that was poking him in the side. He also winced at the bright light that was glaring through the window directly on his closed eyes.
"Get up, young man! You're going to be late for school!"
Dayne groaned and sat up groggily. He glanced over at his mother with his amber eyes. She was dressed in a flowing yellow dress and a white apron. She normally had a friendly expression on her face, but she was currently giving him a very stern look.
"I'm up! I'm up!" Grumbling, he crawled out of bed and stretched.
"Good, when you're dressed, your breakfast will be waiting for you in the kitchen." She then marched out of the room.
Dressing in silence, Dayne looked outside at the beautiful sunny morning. Pidgey squawked and trilled in the trees. That's pretty much all Little Ion Town was known for these days. The Pidgey. Oh, and his father was also a bit of a celebrity here. He was the Champion of the Firorre Region, after all.
And that only made Dayne that much more disgruntled.
Why? Everyone expected him to follow in his father's footsteps and be some kind of naturally born master of Pokémon. But he just didn't want to. Sure, he loved Pokémon and all, but he wasn't up for the training of a bunch of creatures.
Boy was today going to be a rude awakening! He just didn't know it yet.
Dayne slung his backpack over one shoulder and busied himself with fixing his messy black hair. Geez, it never wanted to lay flat. No matter what he did to it.
He hurried downstairs into the kitchen where his mother and their family pet, Growlithe, were. Growlithe barked excitedly and rushed over to Dayne, his tail wagging back and forth.
"Heel! Back off Growlithe! I don't have time to play with you right now!"
Impatiently, Dayne sat down at the table and began munching his way through eggs, bacon, toast and juice.
"You really should be nicer to Growlithe, Dayne. He really does like you."
Dayne just mumbled a few non-sensical words through his full mouth, downed the rest of his juice and leapt up to his feet. Just as he reached the door, his mother called him.
"Yes mom?" Geez, she always waited until the last second to tell him something.
"Don't forget about your birthday party. It's going to be held at the park after school."
"I know!" It was the one billionth time she had reminded him.
Dayne rushed out the door, and ran along a soft dirt road toward the small brick school building just up the road. Little Ion Town was a little community where everyone knew each other. It was a nice place to live, but it was the only place he really remembered living. His family had moved from the Hoenn Region to the Firorre Region when he was just five years old.
And then his father had become the Pokémon Champion of the region. Nobody really knew Dayne by his own name. They'd always say, "Hey, there's Dale's kid!" or "There's the Champion's kid!" It always made Dayne mad. It was also part of the reason he had decided not to become a Pokémon Trainer. The other part was, he just wasn't interested.
"Hello there, Dayne."
Dayne jumped and looked over at the petite female walking beside him. She was his best friend at LIA, Little Ion Academy, and she looked really cute. Her hair was a rose pink, and her eyes were a matching color. Her face was also lightly sprinkled with freckles. As usual, her Chatot was perched on her shoulder.
Oddly enough LIA encouraged students to bring Pokémon to school.
"Hello there Mia. How are you?"
"Hello there Mia. How are you?" The Chatot imitated.
Dayne hated that! The Chatot was always mimicking what he said, as if it were mocking him.
Mia smiled pleasantly, "I'm great. The sky is nice today, so vibrant and alive. It makes me wonder what it would be like to be one of those cotton candy clouds...." The rest was drowned out as my mind wondered off. Mia could go on for hours if left uninterrupted. Honestly, she was a little weird.
It didn't take them long to arrive at LIA, and Dayne was greatful for that. He took his usual seat near the window of classroom 12-A. He had a clear look at the bright blue sky up above. Smiling, he glanced down.
And groaned.
A graded test that the teacher had been handing out to each student now rested on his desk in front of him. He had a big fat, red F on his paper. Great. His mother wasn't going to be very happy about that.
Dayne wasn't normally a bad student or anything, his mind just floated off when he sat in the stuffy classroom on sunny days like this. And, as a result, he usually missed out on important lectures because he was so busy off in his own little world.
The day passed by in a bit of a blurr. People called through the halls all day wishing him a happy birthday. All in all, it was pretty uneventful day.
At school, that was.
When it was finally time to leave, he walked outside. Mia awaited him.
"Here." She said, thrusting a package in his hands, as if she needed to do it in a hurry. He only caught a glimpse of her red face before she took off running.
"Uh, he-" But she didn't turn back.
Dayne looked at the package in his hands. It had been decorated in red wrapping paper with dancing Magbys, Elekids, and Cleffas. And pink hearts also floated around on the wrapping paper like it was some sort of Valentine's Day.
"Hey, look, Dayney Wayney got a present from his girlfriend!" Damien and his group of punks all laughed at him.
Face hot, Dayne quickly put the package in his book bag, and hurried down the dirt path toward his house. Why in the world would Mia give him something like that?
Alas, if this were only the biggest oddity of the day...
Dayne arrived at home, and Growlithe came rushing up to him, barking excitedly. He bent down and patted the little fellow on the head.
But something was odd.
Aside from Growlithe's excited barking, the whole house was like a cemetary. Dead silent.
"Mom?"
"We're out back, hun!" He heard her call from the backyard.
Puzzled, Dayne walked through the house and out the backdoor with Growlithe prancing alongside right on his heels.
"SURPRISE!!!" A whole collection of people shouted together, making Dayne jump about a foot in the air.
"Welcome home," said the deep voice of his father at the center of the assorted people. He looked a lot like Dayne: Messy hair, amber eyes. The only difference was he was taller, had a deeper voice, and had a thick beard.
Dayne muttered, "hello father."
Dale walked over and clapped Dayne on the shoulder.
"It's good to see you. I have something for you. Your mother, I, and the rest of the villagers feel it's the right time."
Blinking, Dayne looked around at all the people staring at him and his father. He recognized all of them. After all, he had grown up with all of them. What he hadn't noticed was the way a cloud of excitement seemed to be floating over all of them. Including his mother. Apparently, the birthday party at the park thing had been a setup. And he had fallen for it completely.
"Er, time for what?"
"This." His father pulled out a small red and white Pokéball from his pocket and placed it in Dayne's hand.
Abruptly, the Pokéball opened, and a glowing Pokémon popped out of the ball. When the light faded, Dayne caught sight of what it was.
His father had given him a Torchic for his birthday.
----------------------
Thank you for reading.
Chapter 2 should be out in a week, maybe a little less.
Chapter Two: Internal, External Battle!
Dayne stared down at the little Pokémon in utter disbelief. The Torchic looked up at him with a cheerful expression on its face and then abruptly pecked his shin.
"Ow!" Dayne leapt backwards, rubbing the spot the little bird had pecked. "That wasn't very nice!"
When he heard laughter, Dayne remembered that at least twenty people were watching him with interest. His father smiled, eyes twinkling. His mother had tears of joy in her eyes. But not one of them seemed interested in his feelings, and he was going to make sure they knew exactly what they were.
"Dad, I will never be a Pokémon Trainer. I've told you this since I turned eleven." Dayne tried to keep his voice even, but his hands were shaking. He tossed the Pokéball back over to his father. "Why don't you just give up?"
The Torchic's head lowered, as if it were sad, and it hopped over to Dale. His father bent down and stroked it softly on the head. "Son, I'm not forcing you to become a Trainer. This was a gift. A rite of passage. For centuries the fathers of this village have given their sons a Pokémon for their eleventh birthday. And while you may be turning fourteen today, you weren't ready for one then."
His father picked up the Torchic, and gazed at Dayne with steel in his eyes.
"The world we live in now is rapidly training. A majority of professional jobs are becoming Pokémon related." He smiled sadly. "I never asked you to become a Pokémon Trainer, as I did, but I wanted you to understand the joy they bring to our lives each and every day."
Dayne couldn't meet his father's disappointed gaze any longer, and dropped it to his shoes. It was utterly silent now. He was irritated with everyone, knowing they were silently judging him. So what if he didn't want to have the stupid Torchic? What did it matter?
"Dayne, the choice is in your hands now."
Dayne looked up. A breeze ruffled his air. It should have been warm, but it chilled him to the bone. He bit his lip as he gazed into the hopeful eyes of the Torchic. The little Pokémon looked as if it were silently willing him to accept.
"No."
Dayne shook his head and took a few steps away from all of them. Some were shaking their heads in disappointment, others just sighed, and some even glared at him. Didn't they understand this was his decision? And it was a big choice that they were cramming down his throat!
"Well, then, son-"
And this was when Dayne's life would change forever.
The backyard had four short picnic tables with benches seated on either side of each one. Every inch of the available space on the tables were laden with food.
Out of nowhere, a mini cyclone came and tore through the tables, sending food flying in all directions. People screamed and ducked for cover. His father? A pie flew right into his face. Dayne didn't have time to laugh as he was busy dodging a rogue loaf of bread.
The Torchic seemed to think it was fun, because it leapt from his father's arm and began squawking excited.
And then Dayne realized it wasn't because of the party it was squawking, the Torchic had noticed a man standing beneath the shade of a tree with a Tailow circling around his head. He had an arrogant smirk on his face.
"Who are you?" Dayne demanded, getting to his feet. Oddly enough, the Torchic rushed over and stood directly beside him, squawking indignantly at the uninvited man.
"My name is of no importance child."
He wore a mask to cover up his features. He was of medium height, and a little on the chubby side.
"Tailow, swoop down and give that Torchic a nice little peck."
And as ordered, The Tailow swooped down and peck Torchic right on the top of the head. Torchic cried out and backed away as the peck attack continued.
Dayne stood there with his hands trembling.
"Stop! Leave my Torchic alone!"
The man just laughed evilly.
Dale, from somewhere under cover with the rest of the party members, shouted, "you have to battle him, Dayne!"
"Battle?" The very thing he had sworn against! "Why can't you?!"
"I don't have my Pokémon with me! Hurry! Help your Torchic, there isn't time!"
Frustrated, Dayne turned to see that Tailow now had Torchic pinned against a tree, the onslaught still ongoing.
And then something odd happened. All of the frustration seeped away from him, leaving him abnormally calm. Like a coil being unsprung, his mind sharpened and the bad feeling left him. He didn't really understand it, but he knew what he had to do.
"Dodge, Torchic!"
Instantly, as if that jogged the Torchic back to its senses, the tiny fire bird leapt away from the tree and landed a few feet away from Dayne.
"Ha! So you've decided to fight me, boy? Gust attack now, Tailow!"
The Tailow rose up into the air once again, and flapped its wings at a rapid pace, creating a mini cyclone that swallowed up Dayne's Torchic. He heard shouts from the party people, but they didn't make sense to him right now.
"Torchic, I want you to rise through the cyclone and tackle that Tailow!"
Torchic somehow managed to alter its course and leapt out of the cyclone. Instead of simply falling, it dove down straight at the Tailow, their heads bonking together painfully hard. And then both crashed to the ground.
Dayne rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the Torchic. It gazed up at him hopefully, and he smiled. "Good job, buddy." And then the Torchic fainted. He picked it up and looked at the man across from him. His Tailow had fainted as well.
With a "hmph," the masked man called the defeated Tailow back into its Pokéball. "Good job, Dayne. You've passed the test."
Dale smiled and walked over, "yes, he certainly did." His father's tone was painted with pride.
Dayne, confused, looked between the two. "What in the world are you two talking about?"
Laughing, the masked man pulled off his mask.
"It's me, Dayne, Prof. Bluestone. This whole fight was a hoax to get you to battle."
Dayne felt absolutely dazed. And like his Torchic, his eyes closed, and he abruptly passed out.
Dayne awoke, finding himself in a candlelit room. Outside, he could hear a storm brewing. Thunder crackled, and the lightning that flashed cast sinister looking shadows throughout the room. And then he heard a whimper.
He looked over and saw that his Torchic was on a bed beside his own. Torchic was still asleep with an ice pack resting against its head. Dayne felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he relived the battle. He had failed the Torchic terribly by allowing it to get attacked so badly before he even reacted. Sighing, he turned onto his back.
"It wasn't your fault."
Dayne blinked and looked over to see his father, Dale, standing beside the window.
Dale looked over at his father as the storm raged outside.
"I shouldn't have forced you to participate in that battle. I was....hop-"
"You didn't force me to dad." Dayne slowly sat up, and turned so he was facing his Torchic. "...I felt something in that battle I've never experienced before. It was some kind of blood rush. It made my senses seem to....um...."
"Heighten. I know the sensation," Dale said, walking over. He sat down on the edge of Dayne's bed and gave him a smile. "This is what most natural born Trainers experience when they battle."
Dayne glared at his father.
"I should have known it was all a setup."
Torchic whimpered again, and Dayne sobered up.
"But.... I want to take care of Torchic. Even after I allowed it to suffer all those attacks, Torchic still tried to help me."
Dayne nodded with a satisfied expression on his face.
"However, father, I will be battling you tomorrow."
Dale's eyes widened, "I don't think that-"
Dayne shook his head, "I don't care. You will battle me tomorrow, else I will not become a Pokémon Trainer."
His father was silent for a long time, even standing up, beginning to pace back and forth. Finally, he stopped beside the door and looked back at Dayne. "Fine. We will have a one on one battle. I will use my Raichu against your Torchic. Good luck."
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Chapter Three: Defeat
The following morning was dreary and humid. Despite the fact that the sun was buried behind thick formations of stormy gray clouds, and the slight breeze that ruffled his hair, Dayne's forehead was beaded with sweat. His hands shook as if a Pikachu and sent waves of Thunder shooting through his body.
Standing beside the window, Dayne kept his eyes fixed on the Pokéball that contained his Torchic. Today was the day his Torchic and he would be put to the test, for better or worse. These thoughts made an odd crawling sensation in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't nerves. It wasn't fear. No, the emotion that radiated off of Dayne was excitement. He was more than ready to meet his father, Dale, on the battle field. And he had every intention of beating the Champion of the Firorre Region.
A soft knock on his bedroom door startled him.
"C-come in," he stuttered, uncertainty creeping into his voice.
His mother walked into the room and smiled at him.
"Breakfast is ready, hun. And your father wanted me to tell you that he will meet you at Dezon's Gym." Her voice was filled with something Dayne couldn't identify. Fear? Nerves? Concern? Nonetheless, Dayne grabbed Torchic's Pokéball resolutely and went into the kitchen to eat his breakfast.
Later that morning, the clouds had finally spread out to allow the sun to beam down brightly on the country town of Little Ion Town. Almost every house was made of Alkalyne Cinder, which was a lot like red bricks, and most of the houses had thatched rooves. Open door shops were common, featuring everything from herbal medicines to fresh produce to even un-stylish clothes.
Dayne walked past all of these toward a medium sized circular building. That was Dezon's Gym. It had a domed roof that had been painted a bright red color. Dezon swore it was to make it noticeable to people in the sky, but Dayne personally thought it was a complete eye sore.
"Hey Dayne!" An excited voice squealed not too far away from where Dayne was.
Turning, Dayne saw Mia running over to him. She had on a yellow dress with Pichu's dancing all over it. Weird.
"Er, hi Mia. What are you doing here?"
"Shopping! Obviously!" She gestured to her left arm which was loaded with several packed shopping bags. Seriously, she needed a hobby. But she was a little weird. "By the way, did you like my gift I gave you?"
Dayne gulped. With all the events that had transpired recently, he had completely forgotten the present she had given him. It was on the floor somewhere on his already over crowded room. "Um, see, about that...."
She gasped, and gave him her most adorable smile, grasping his hands. "You loved it so much it's making you speechless!? I knew you'd love the Jigglypuff PJ's I bought for you! And your mother swore you would detest them!" Her face was pink from how excited she was.
Truth betold, Dayne hated the color pink. It gave him a fit of the shivers, but he couldn't necessarily tell her that with how happy she looked.
"Er, yeah, I definitely love me some pink Jigglypuff PJ's. As a matter of fact, I love them so much, I'll put them in storage so they'll never have the chance to get ruined. But, Mia, I have to go. My dad is waiting-"
"Sure, sure, see you later!" And then she ran off in the general direction of Mal's Open Air Shop.
The nerves didn't hit Dayne until he walked into the Gym and looked around. Being a local hero and all, his father's win/loss record was posted over the receptionist's desk at the far back of the entrance hall. Even from where he stood, Dayne could make out the record:
59-1
This wasn't exactly the boost of confidence Dayne had hoped for, but he took a breath and then marched over to the desk, still clutching Torchic's Pokéball firmly in his left hand.
"Ma'am, I'm here to have a match with my father. He should have scheduled the match already."
The lady behind the desk looked up at him, clearly trying not to laugh at him.
"You're challenging Dale to a battle? With what Pokémon?"
"Um.... a Torchic."
And like a volcano erupting, her laughter filled the quiet entrance hall. And that made Dayne happy that nobody else was currently in the Gym. Gotta love small towns.
"Okay, proceed through the left door."
Two wooden doors stood on either side of the reception desk. One was labeled 'Free Battles' and the other was labeled 'Official Battles'. And he was going in the latter.
"Er, what exactly does it mean by "Official Battles" anyway?" He looked at her, utterly confused. How could he challenge his father to an official match without a single badge?
"That just means that it will count toward your record. All battles that take place in League sanctioned locations have Official Battles, such as Gyms or League Tournaments. But don't worry, this is your first match, correct?"
Dayne nodded.
"Then it won't affect you too much. Your record usually only decides which tournaments you'll be able to compete in and how you'll be seeded when it comes time for the 75th annual Firorre Grand Festival."
"O-okay."
Dayne walked into the door he was told to go into.
The room he walked into was a large arena. Rows of seats surrounded him. It wasn't that large, but the arena could easily sit five hundred people. At least. They were currently empty except for a single girl. Her hair was snow white, and her eyes were a deep blue.
"Hey, Dayne, you ready?"
Dayne jumped, not having noticed his father standing across from him in the designated Trainer Zone of the battlefield on his side.
"Y-yes, father, I am ready." Steeling himself, he walked over to his own zone and faced his father. He would not be brought down by fear. He remember the first battle he had had with Torchic, the rush, and the feeling that had made him feel almost invincible. "I will not lose."
Dale smiled, "I'm glad you believe in yourself." He raised his arms, and gestured around the stadium. "I always dreamed of battling you in an arena like this. Of course, the arena I most look forward to meeting you in is in Landonburgh City." He lowered his arms and smiled at Dayne, as if this was making all his dreams come true.
"Dad, focus. We're supposed to be battling." Dayne then threw his Pokéball, letting Torchic out. The little chick looked around curiously, and squawked with excitement. "Tor-chic!"
"Very well." Dale withdrew a single Pokéball from his belt and threw it into the arena. The Pokéball landed directly on the center of the Pokéball painted onto the floor, emitting a bright light. "Go, Raichu!"
Dayne noticed the girl sit up straighter, looking at the battle field with an intensity that made Dayne nervous. Turning his attention back on the battlefield, he watched the Raichu prance about, electricity sparking off of it's body dangerously.
"Now, we BEGIN!" His father shouted. "Raichu, THUNDER!"
A bright yellow aura suddenly blazed around the Raichu, and lighting began to build up in the tiny sacs on it's cheeks.
"Dodge!- No!"
The flare of thunder came to fast, giving his Torchic a good jolt. Sent flying back, the Torchic collided with Dayne. He stumbled, but managed to keep on his feet.
"Chic!" The Torchic leapt from his arms, casting the Raichu an angry glare.
` "EMBER!" Dayne shouted.
"Hmph, Agility, Raichu!"
Torchic launched the little balls of fire at Raichu, but just as they were about to hit, the Raichu vanished. Confused, Dayne looked all around the battlefield, utterly confused. And then he saw the Raichu. "Torchic, above!"
"Thunderbolt!"
A large blast erupted from the Raichu and collided with his Torchic before the tiny Pokémon could even react. Smoke billowed into the air, clouding over the arena. Coughing, Dayne covered his mouth and eyes, coughing.
When the smoke cleared, Dayne was stunned. Torchic stood there completely unharmed. And then Dayne realized why. It had used it's clawed foot to deflect the blow.
Dale stood there, his mouth gaped open.
"H-how?!"
"Ha ha! Torchic, peck attack!!"
The Raichu was standing there, looking confused too. Torchic abruptly launched itself at the confused Pokémon and began pecking it ruthlessly. The Raichu stumbled backwards, the blows clearly doing damage.
"Grr, Mega Punch!!"
And that was it. Raichu slammed it's paw right into the breast of the Torchic, and Dayne's Pokémon feinted.
