ONE I was six years old when I first died. Water clogged my lungs, searing as I struggled to drag myself to the surface. Panic flared through my system. Darkness burned the edges of my vision and I was going, going... Gone... But they pulled me out and forced my heart to work again. I woke up screaming as the defibrillator caught onto the metal chain around my neck, scorching my flesh. My parents crowded around me, murmuring words of reassurance as I sobbed into my hands and continued to cough up the thing that had killed me. The entire family lived by the beach in Pastoria City. We had always lived right by the water and there was always somebody either in the waves or strolling on the sand. For generations, we'd lived there. Water was what we all knew best. Our home had a massive tank filled with fish Pokémon that we would capture and breed, any trainers in my family trained only water types and everyone in the family was expected to take up some kind of job related to water. Marine biologist, Gym Leader, life guard... I suppose you could say I was the black mareep of our family. I didn't come into this world loving or hating water; I had simply been wary of it. The same way normal people were wary of strangers or wild Pokémon. Of course, the subject may not always be dangerous, but it never did any damage to keep away from it. "You shouldn't be so scared, Luce." I remember my mother told me one day when I'd opted to build sandcastles rather than paddle in the shallows, "Water can't hurt you if you know what you're doing. It's a beautiful thing." When I didn't say anything, she'd continued, "It's amazing when you dive underneath the surface, it's a whole new world down there. Sometimes, you even forget that you need to breathe because you get lost in all its wonder." The line about forgetting to breathe put me off so much as touching large bodies of water for months. Occasionally, I would dip into the ocean, but never in a place that was too deep for me to stand. And then came that fateful day. I had turned six two months back and was sitting by the foreshore, sketching the tourists playing by on beach and toying with the amulet that hung around my neck. Small and metal, it was made in the shape of a water droplet with a round pearl embedded into its centre. It had been a birthday present, a reminder that I'd 'never be far from home'. One of my cousins had called out to me, eventually managing to coax me into the water. It was icy against my skin and I was tempted to get out almost as soon as I'd stepped in. But I let myself stay, splashing in the cool shallows and watching the others in the deeper part of the sea. Somehow, one of them had managed to convince me to go out a bit further. My heart was fluttering like a caged starly as I treaded water, my feet searching for a place they could rest. I should have turned back then but before I did, I remembered what my mother had said about the beautiful underwater world and I allowed myself a peek. Coral swaying in the current in all the colours of the rainbow, small fish darting in between the rocks, an octillery lazily surveying my cousins and I. It really was a different world; one I had never imagined to see before. I stared at it in wonder before my aching lungs forced me to return to the surface. Perhaps if things had gone differently, I could have become the water type expert that my family had hoped I would have become. I would have returned to the sea every day just so I could witness that hidden land beneath the waves. I might have still partaken my Pokémon journey, a full team of six water Pokémon by my side. Unfortunately, that's not how the story goes. I can't remember how exactly it had happened. Maybe my limbs had grown weary and numb in the cold water and given out. Maybe one of my cousins had pushed me under as a joke, but not realised how long they were holding me under. Maybe an unseen Pokémon dragged me down into the icy depths. All I remember was the fire set in my lungs and the pure, primal panic that had engulfed me. There was nothing they could do about the scar left on me by the defibrillator. Since that day, the shape of my chain and drop-shaped pendant had been permanently branded onto my skin. I hadn't worn the necklace since. Water may have been beauty to those around me. But to me, it was poison. A deadly poison that convinced you it was something else, that it was harmless. To me, that was the worst type of poison of all. I hadn't touched the sea since then. My parents had tried to get me to swim again, but I refused. One time, they even tried to drag me into the water but I fought tooth and nail to escape. There was no way anybody was going to force me into that death trap again. But I couldn't escape it. We lived right by it. At night, the sound of crashing waves filled my darkened room. And worst of all, the water drop-shaped scar on my collarbone was a permanent reminder of what had happened, following me wherever I went. But at least it was harmless. Over the years, the endless echo of waves grew unbearable. I couldn't stand to hear one more second of people laughing as they splashed each other with the ocean's poison. I got out as much as I could, usually retreating as far as I could down route 212 without a Pokémon. Eventually, that got me thinking. I wanted to get away, but it would be years until I was old enough to leave home. The only way I would be allowed to leave home for a long time would be if I was either moving away to stay with another relative or if I was going to leave on my very own Pokémon journey. The thought excited me. I'd wanted to be a trainer for quite a long time. Of course, it had never been my dream; I'd always wanted to become an artist. But I was willing to go traversing around Sinnoh if it meant that I wouldn't have to listen to the grating sound of the sea anymore. There was only one issue: My starter. I knew that my parents would no doubt encourage me to get a water type. No, they'd more or less force me to. The last thing I wanted was to have a starter that I despised. I needed to think this through. They wanted me to have a water starter and no doubt train a team of water types, too. Of course, that was never going to happen. I wasn't going to touch that poison if I could help it... Hang on, poison... Water... I felt a grin crossing my face. I was going to train a monotype team, as my family expected me to. I was going to set out with a water type by my side, as my family expected me to. I was going to train poison, as my family expected me to. --- I had been buzzing with excitement the entire day as I waited for the right time to tell them about my decision. "You're looking excited, Luce." My father laughed as he ruffled my hair. I swatted his hand away and he laughed again, "Is it something you'd like to share with us?" I cast a glance at the living room where I could hear the rest of my family's chorus of voices chatting about current events. I didn't want to have to make this announcement in front of them, now was the best time if any. "Can you get Mum?" I asked him, "There's something I need to talk to you guys about." A frown crossed his features, "Are you okay, Honey?" I nodded, barely able to keep myself standing still, "I'm fine, but this is really important." He didn't protest anymore, but he still didn't appear entirely convinced that everything was alright. He left to get my mother and we seated ourselves at the dining room table. From the look on my mother's face, she also appeared to be convinced that something was terribly wrong. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for their reactions, "I want to become a Pokémon trainer." There was a pause as they processed this information, "Honey, this is a huge decision. Are you sure this is what you want to do?" My father's expression was one of concern, "I mean, it's fine if you never complete the Gym circuit, but failing can be crushing to one's self esteem. I just don't want to see you lose another part of you." I bit back telling him that dying had never made me 'lost a part of myself'. I had never been as obsessed with the inky dark ocean as everybody else in my crazy family had. Having a hand cut off would have been 'losing a part of myself'. Losing my ability to draw would be 'losing a part of myself'. Not wanting to get anywhere near the crushing depths of the sea wasn't. "I'll be fine." I assured him, "This is something I really want to do." My mother nodded her head begrudgingly, "If you say so." She said with a sigh, "I guess we can't stop you from doing what you really want." My heart soared, "Really?" "Really." My father echoed, "We can call Professor Rowan, he'll get you started. He's sure to have plenty of-" he hesitated for a moment, "Well, I know he's got a lot of grass and fire types that you could choose from. I hear chimchars are popular this year." "Acutally," I said carefully, "I want a water-type starter." That definitely took them by surprise. "Oh, that's fantastic!" My mother said eagerly, "We can talk with Rowan and get you a nice piplup! Or if not, I'm sure he's got plenty of other nice water starters. Or-" She glanced at her husband, "We could always catch you one. You're probably bored by the Pokémon in our fishtank, you see them every day. How about a feebas? They might not be much, but wait until they evolve. Or, or a buizel, those are popular! Or-" "Actually," I cut her off before she could list any more, "I was kind of wondering if you'd get me a tentacool." They were dead silent, staring at me as if they were trying to figure out whether or not I was joking. "A... A tentacool?" My father repeated, "Honey, are you sure about that? They're not a very desirable Pokémon." I folded my arms in defence. I wasn't ready to back down just yet, "Why's that?" "Well..." The two of them shared a glance, "They're painfully common; you can find them almost anywhere in the ocean. Wild ones are seen as nuisances and trained ones aren't seen as all too impressive. A trainer with a tentacool can't boast about the rarity of their Pokémon. There are plenty more exotic water types that we can get you. How about a-" "I don't care about it being rare." I told them, "I care about it being a good Pokémon. Plus, if it's common, it means that you don't need to put too much work into finding it for me." They didn't appear to be completely happy with my answer, but they didn't protest any further. That was a good sign. At least, I thought it was. We agreed that I was to set out on my eleventh birthday. I could hardly sleep in the nights leading up to that day. I was going to get my first Pokémon, go on an adventure and leave this place far behind me all in one day! I felt me hand reach up to my neck where the pale shape of a droplet had been seared into my skin. Well, I'd be leaving almost everything behind. Some things, I couldn't help but take with me. The day arrived and I could barely contain my excitement. I hadn't received too many gifts due to the fact that I would be travelling, but for once I couldn't care less about the generic birthday presents my family had gotten me. I thanked them all nonetheless as I unwrapped them, but I was still waiting for my real gifts. With shaky hands, I tore the paper off a rectangular parcel placed into my hands by my mother. A Pokédex. A real Pokédex. I was holding one in my own hands, shiny and brand new. At that point, I was ready to start crying. A sleeping bag, a rucksack filled with healing items, an envelope of money and five Poke Balls followed. My heart felt as if it was going to burst out of my chest; this was really happening. I was going to get my toxic water Pokémon and go on a journey across the region. This could take months, years even. It was just the break I needed from home. Finally, I was handed the Poké Ball that held my starter. My tentacool. I could scarecely breathe as I pressed the button to let it out. There was a flash of white light and a Pokémon emerged from the capsule. Small, blue and... Not a tentacool. "His name is Totodile." My mother informed me as I stared at it blankly, "He's a pure water type and a common starter over in Johto. You'll love his final evolution; it's fantastic. You're going to become fast friends." Not wanting to seem like an ungrateful brat, I forced a smile, "Wow, this... Wasn't what I was expecting." I said, not exactly lying, "Thanks." "Here." My father clipped something around Totodile's neck, "This is a translating device, it lets your Pokémon communicate with you. It's waterproof, don't worry." He held up my new bag, "There are five more in here for the rest of your team when you capture them. We also packed you a couple of Dive Balls in case these Poke Balls aren't enough." I groaned inwardly. In asking for a tentacool, I appeared to have convinced my family that I was suddenly a water type fanatic. But once more, I didn't say anything. I just smiled and thanked them again. It felt like years before the time finally came that I was to set out. I politely turned down any offers to walk me through to the next city before I took of down the beach, leaving my waving family behind. Totodile waddled beside me on his short legs, a giant goofy grin set into his face, "This is finally happening! We're going on an adventure!" He all but sang. It made me feel a little bad about what I was planning on doing. I glanced behind me to make sure that my family was well out of sight before looking down to him, "Hey Totodile?" I said, getting his attention, "I need you to do something for me." "Right! Anything for a trainer!" I nodded out to see, "I need you to swim out there and find a Pokémon called Tentacool. Do you know what one looks like?" "Can do!" He called, ignoring my question entirely and diving into the blue waves. He returned a few minutes later, dragging one by its tentacles, "Got it!" I grinned and tossed a Poké Ball at it. The red and white sphere shook a few times before splitting open. My grin instantly faded. "Totodile, use scratch!" My starter was all too eager to obey, raking his claws down the jellyfish Pokémon's face. I tossed another Poké Ball and snarled in frustration as it too was broken open. "Fine then, take this!" I reached into my bag and grabbed a Dive Ball, striking the tentacool directly in its centre light. The ball shook once, twice, thrice and then was still. "We did it!" Totodile cheered, hopping up and down like a yoyo and flailing his short arms in the air. I crouched down beside him and fidgeted with his translating collar, "What are you doing?" "How do I get this thing off you?" I muttered half to myself. I searched for some kind of latch that I could undo but found nothing. "I don't think you can." Totodile admitted, "I think I heard a little about these things. They bond to a Pokémon once applied so they're difficult to take off. This is so that they can change shape and size when a Pokémon evolves. If you want it removed, you have to see some kind of technician and pay for it done. But why would you want to do that?" "Because," I said, fumbling for his Poké Ball, "I'm going to become the strongest poison-type trainer in the world. And as cute as you are, you're not the kind of poison that I'm looking for." Totodile observed me with large, confused eyes, "But why?" I shrugged as I returned him to his ball, "That's just the way things are."
TWO Totodile was right about the translator being near impossible to remove. I hissed in frustration and sat back in the dirt as I glared at the thing around his neck. I knew that the things cost a fortune to buy, so they most likely cost a fortune to get rid of. It looked like I'd just have to release him with the translator and save up to buy another one so I'd have a full set of six. All the same, releasing a Pokémon with such an expensive piece of equipment attached to it just didn't feel right. I sighed and recalled him to his Poké Ball. Maybe I could 'accidentally' leave him at a Pokémon Centre. But his ball was registered under my name, so I'd no doubt have him returned to me sooner or later. Maybe I could just deposit him into the PC and claim I forgot about him. But that just seemed mean; it sounded nicer to just release him. My newly captured tentacool was watching me silently. Even though I'd attached a translator to one of its tentacles, it had remained silent since I let it out of its ball. I still didn't know whether it was male or female, so I fished my Pokédex out of my bag and pointed it at my Pokémon. Tentacool: Jellyfish Pokémon Level: 13 Gender: Female Nature: Lax It uses its toxic stingers at the tip of its tentacles to stab its prey and fires strange beams from its crystals. As its body is almost entirely composed of water, it dries up when left on land too long. It will be revived once placed back in water, however. I peered closely at her. Come to think of it, she was starting to look a little dry. Maybe that's why she wasn't feeling like talking. That or the fact that I had kind of made Totodile run into her natural habitat and snatch her without giving her the chance to challenge me back. All the same, I had to find a way to stop her from drying up while she was out of her Dive Ball. I checked my watch; we still had half an hour until the bus to Oreburgh City arrived. I had decided that it was infinitely easier to catch public transport than trudge through Route 212's waist-deep mud. Tentacool was already strong enough to take on the level 10 team Roark used for trainers who had no badges yet. Once I got there, I could track down a low-level zubat to add to my team. I had seen several zubats around Pastoria as the day turned to evening, but the Pokédex had given me levels too high for me to dare challenge. I returned Tentacool back into her ball and glanced at my watch once more before scurrying back down to the beach. "You're back early." My father greeted me with an air of confusion, "Is something wrong?" "I'm fine." I said quickly, checking my watch once more. I had plenty of time to get back to the bus stop, but I was jittery nonetheless. If there's something I hated more than water, it was arriving ever so slightly late to something and missing it entirely. "I just need a bucket." We had plenty of buckets lying around our house. I located one within seconds and snatched it up, "I hope you don't mind me taking this; I need it." He looked ever so slightly amused, "You've caught a new water Pokémon?" I nodded, "Yep. I caught my own tentacool." I told him, holding up my unnamed jellyfish Pokémon's ball. His eyes instantly brightened. "Look at you, already building your perfect team!" His face broke into a grin, "You're going to be just like your grandmother. She was the first Champion who had a full team of only water types. This really is going to help you get over that phobia of yours!" I half-heartedly mirrored his smile and said my goodbyes for the second time that day. I then ran down to the water with the bucket swinging from one hand. The sky had darkened long ago and the stars were reflected in the ocean's gentle waves. The moon rippled far out where my eyes caught sight of a wailmer breaking the surface. I could feel the water lapping against my toes, inky black and as cold as a winter's night. I shook my head to clear it and scooped a bucketful of salt water. Placing it in the sand, I reached into my bag to retrieve Tentacool's ball and released her. She landed in the sand and I placed her inside the bucket before taking a step back, feeling disproportionately proud of myself for my ingenious idea. This allowed me to spend quality time with my new partner without her drying up. I doubted anybody else could have thought up a better plan. Unfortunately, my spirits were significantly dampened when I soon found out just how heavy a bucket of water with a Pokémon inside really was. It took forever to get her off the beach and my then, my hands had angry red marks where the handle of the bucket had dug in. Needless to say, my mood had been completely spoiled. I winced and set the bucket down again. At this rate, it would take all night to get back to the bus stop and by then, the bus to Oreburgh would have been long gone. "You really didn't think this through, did you?" I looked down; this had been the first time I'd heard Tentacool's voice. It was smooth and strangely beautiful, not something I expected to come from a relatively ugly blob with poisonous tentacles. "It felt like a good idea at the time." I grumbled, picking the bucket back up and stumbled a few more metres before having to put it down again, water sloshing out with every movement. "Do you really believe that this is necessary?" She questioned in that serene voice of hers, "I believe that it's much more conventional and far less difficult to simply return me to my ball." "I know." I grunted, stumbling a few more steps before placing the bucket down once more, "This is just a temporary solution, I'll work something else later. I just want to talk to you on the bus." I just hoped that tentacruel would be able to live just fine on land; there was no way I was going to drag a supersized bucket around whenever I wanted a word with my team. Tentacool gave a funny laugh that sounded like it should have belonged to a posh noblewoman rather than a jellyfish, "Humans are such strange creatures." She mused, "I will never cease to be amazed by your kind." "Oh really?" The bus stop was in sight now. I looked at my watch and was amazed that we still had ten minutes to spare. Tentacool hummed a yes, "You appear to be an odd one already." She said, drifting back and forth as best she could in what little space she had, "Rather than spend time with your starter, you choose to go through all this trouble so you may speak to a common catch like me." "I wanted you to be my starter." "Oh? I find that rather hard to believe." "No really." We reached the bus stop and I put the bucket down on the bench beside me, rubbing my sore hands together. "I ended up getting a totodile instead. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with him, but I'll work that out later." Tentacool laughed that posh laugh of hers again, "Now is that so? How amusing, a trainer who surrenders a rare Pokémon for a commoner. I could have been the second of many in a grand team of water types." "You're going to be the first of many in a grand team of poison types." I told her. Her red orbs glinted in the light of the streetlamps, "A poison type team, do you say?" Her voice was a purr, "Now tell me: Why does a little girl like you want to dabble with our kind? Most who train poison types are known as criminals or troublemakers. I've never left the ocean and even I know that." I frowned, not liking what she was implying, "I'm not planning on growing into a criminal." I said a little defensively, "It's just, my family is all obsessed with the ocean and water and water types and it's poison..." I trailed off, struggling to find a way to phrase my metaphor as Tentacool snickered beside me. I felt my face burning; this was harder to put into words than I'd initially anticipated. "Both are killers." I said eventually, my voice soft. "Why do people lose themselves over water types? They have a lot more in common with poison than people like to admit." Tentacool paused to contemplate what I had just said. "Intriguing." She said at last. Through the darkness, I could see the headlights of our bus piercing the night as it approached us. As I watched it get closer, I found myself tracing the mark my necklace had left on me. My finger trailed across my collarbone and came to a stop where I knew the teardrop marking lay. My journey was beginning. Tentacool and I; our journey had started. I signalled for the bus to stop and watched its doors swing open. The driver took one look at Tentacool floating in her bucket and shook his head. "You can't take that thing on board." He said, "Put it in its ball like what everyone else is doing." I frowned and looked down at her, "Sorry about this." I apologised, holding up her Dive Ball. "Don't be sorry, darling." Tentacool said simply, "This was going to happen sooner or later." She dissolved into a red light and was sucked back inside the ball. I then shouldered my bag and stepped inside the bus. - - - The drive took the half the night. Every now and again, I'd let Tentacool out for short periods of time and then returning her before she could dry out. Every time I reached for her ball, my hand would brush the Poké Ball Totodile had come in and I was reminded that I still had no idea what I was supposed to do with him. Train him? Release him? The former wasn't an option and I didn't feel good about doing the latter. He clearly wanted a trainer, but I knew that I was never going to be that person. I wasn't about to change my mind on my journey just because my parents had gotten me the wrong starter. Water was a beautiful, yet deadly poison. That was my belief. Like my family, I was going to surround myself with poison, just like they've always wanted. Totodile had been a spanner in my works, but I was going to find a way to get rid of him soon enough. I'd fallen asleep sometime during the long drive, as I was nudged awake by another passenger telling me that we had reached the last stop. I blinked, wiping sleep from my eyes. I had no idea how long I'd been out for, but I didn't feel any less tired than when I last remembered being awake. We had stopped in the middle of the small mining city with the Pokémon Centre only a few blocks away. The nurse on duty greeted me with a smile that I tried my best to return and a worker showed me to a spare room. I could hardly put one foot in front of the other as I dumped my bag on the floor and stumbled into the bathroom to fill the sink with water. "You don't need salt water to live, yeah?" I mumbled, yawning as I spoke. Tentacool sat on the tiles beside me, "No, we're quite adaptable to different environments." She told me. "Great." I picked her up and dropped her into the water, "Goodnight." I didn't bother to wait for a reply as I stepped back into the bedroom and flopped down onto the bed. The sunlight streaming through the window woke me up the next day. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face into my pillow. The room was eerily quiet without the sound of crashing waves that I'd grown up listening to every second of the day. I sat up, yawning as I ran a hand through my hair. I wandered over to the bathroom and shrieked when I caught sight of the tentacool sitting in the sink. "Good morning, dear." She said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "I must say, it's lovely to see you, too." I clutched my heart, taking deep breaths to slow it, "Sorry, I kind of forgot you were there." "Of course, of course." She pulled herself up and out of the water, perching herself on the rim of the basin, "Now, what do you have planned for us today?" I hesitated, unsure. I hadn't exactly 'planned' anything. All I had in mind prior to setting out was 'go around collecting badges and catching poison types'. Thinking back, I was embarrassed at how unprepared I had been. I probably should have worked out some finer details, but there were a few things that I had made note of before leaving. "Have you heard of a Pokémon called budew?" "I can't say I have. Please do enlighten me." "They're a common Pokémon that live just north of Jubilife City." I told her, "They're grass and poison types and would make great backup for this first Gym." Tentacool nodded, "A sound plan, I approve. Another team member would be fantastic; you could finally talk to somebody without having to carry around a bucket of water." I frowned, "We already established that was a bad idea, Nica. You can stop bringing that up." "Nica?" She echoed curiously, "Could it be? Have you finally decided to stop referring to me as 'Tentacool'?" "Yeah." I said. I couldn't help but feel a little proud of the name, "Your full name is Veronica, Nica for short." "Excellent. You were beginning to sound rude just referring to me by the name of my species." I rolled my eyes and went back into the bedroom to get Nica's Dive Ball, "Whatever. Let's go get that budew." - - - Jubilife City wasn't supposed to be a long walk from Oreburgh. What made it take three hours was the constant barrage of other trainers running up to Nica and I, demanding a battle and the constant trips we had to make back to the Pokémon Centre after my potions ran out. Nica was at a higher level than most of our challengers' Pokémon, but the sheer number of opponents we found meant that we still had to go back and forth nonetheless. When we finally reached the vibrant city, I was ready to get down on my knees and kiss the very earth that I stood on. There had been a strict law stating that for the safety of its residents, no Pokémon battles were permitted to occur within the city limits. In all my life, I had never thought a place would ever be so beautiful. Nica was perched on my shoulder. At that moment, I was trying out a replacement for the bucket. I had purchased a squirt bottle during one of our trips back to Oreburgh and sprayed her every now and again or whenever she asked. It wasn't a very sophisticated solution, but it meant that I didn't have to keep her cooped up in her Dive Ball all day. "I do believe this is the place." Nica said and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her red orbs glowing. From what I heard, this either meant aggression or excitement. Judging from the situation we were in, it was most likely the latter. "The budews should be just north of here." I told her, "There's also a cave nearby that should be full of zubats, but they won't be too useful in Roark's Gym." We walked through the city, enjoying the battle-free atmosphere. Most of the trainers in these places were kids or early teenagers like myself due to the fact that the Pokémon around this area were all low-levelled. In places where the Pokémon were stronger, you tended to see less young trainers as the challenges of their journey often grew too great for them to want to continue. The north of Jubilife didn't take long to get to. What was supposed to be a route resembled an immaculately groomed flower garden instead, with rose bushes in full bloom and a sparkling blue pond that was clearly man-made glistening in the sun. I caught sight of a couple of trainers battling on the other end of the route and planned not to get any closer; I'd had enough Pokémon battles for one day. "This should be the place." I said, placing Nica into the pond, "I hear that there are hundreds of budews running around right here." "Darling, I don't see anything." "They're really small." "Well, that does make one wonder whether or not a Poké Ball is really necessary. I hardly doubt something of such size would put up enough of a fight, we could simply store it in that bag of yours." "Very funny, now keep your eyes open." Needless to say, finding a budew was extremely difficult. It wasn't exactly because the Pokémon was rare; it was just so small that I only managed to find one when I almost stepped on him. Something knocked me flat on my back and I felt a wave of dizziness pass over me. From her position by the side of the pond, I could hear Nica speaking. "Would you look at that? Such a beautiful creature if I do say so myself. That must have been an Absorb attack, I've seen it used a few times before. Remarkable." I groaned and forced myself into a sitting position so I could glare at the little demon before me. It was only twenty centimetres tall, but that attack had packed a real punch. Readying myself for battle, I said, "Nica, use-" "Please don't talk at the moment, him and I are speaking." She cut me off, "Ah, I see. Now, that's something that many desire. Of course, I was never too keen on being a trained Pokémon, but as you can tell, life is full of unexpected surprises... Well, of course!" Lightning fast, she whipped out one of her tentacles and flung the little grass Pokémon back at least ten metres. He hit the ground and didn't get up. "Oh dear." "What the heck was that?" I frowned and held my Pokédex up to the fainted budew. Budew: Bud Pokémon Level: 4 Gender: Male Nature: Modest The bud blooms when it's warm, releasing a toxic pollen. It lives alongside clear pools. "No wonder he went down so easily." I sighed, putting my Pokédex back in my bag and taking out a Poké Ball, "You're almost four times as strong as he is!" The ball didn't even shake after he was sucked inside it. I had to admit, I was almost disappointed at how easy the capture had been. The sun was beginning to set as we healed our new addition to the team. I attached a translator to him and stepped out into the street with Nica on my shoulder and him in my hands. "I give you my deepest thanks for taking me to the centre of recovery." He said, bowing as best he could with his stubby little legs, "I would be most honoured to be a part of your team if you would allow me to." I blinked in surprise, "Really?" "That attack was a challenge." Nica told me lazily, "He could have easily moved out of the way but instead chose to stay and fight. He then informed me that he wished to become a trained Pokémon." "The lady is right." The budew confirmed with a nod, "Many of my kind seek trainers to assist them in their growth and development." "Is that the case?" I asked, "Does your kind always speak this fancy, too?" "I suppose so. My evolution line does raise their young to be rather articulate. Why must you ask?" Nica barked a laugh, "She must be wondering because of me." She said, "And I feel the need to inform you: tentacools and tentacruels usually don't speak this way. I do because I believe that it entertaining for both me and those I choose to surround myself with." "I must say, I would have never guessed." Budew said. "Oh, you do flatter me, good sir." The two of them chuckled and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I let my thoughts wander as the two of them spoke and we set off back in the direction of Oreburgh City. Tomorrow, we were going to challenge the Gym. Budew was severely under levelled, so he would be at a clear disadvantage, but Nica was strong enough to wipe the floor with any opponent we faced. "Madam? I don't mean to intrude on your thoughts, but I have a question." I looked down at the budew in my hands, "What is it?" "I was simply wondering what name you have decided to bestow upon me." I hesitated. In truth, I hadn't thought up a single name for any future Pokémon I was going to catch. But both him and Nica were staring at me expectedly so I knew I didn't have much time. What to call him... What to call him... "Sir." I said at last, "How does that sound?" "Is that my new name or are you simply referring to me as a sir?" "It's your nickname." Sir contemplated this and his little face split into a smile, "A wonderful choice, my lady." He said, "I couldn't have thought up anything better. I am flattered to have such a name given to me by my trainer." Nica sounded slightly less impressed, "You only said that because you heard me refer to him as 'good sir', did you not?" I didn't even bother to attempt to conceal my smirk, "Oh, hush now." I said, mimicking her dainty accent. My smirk quickly evaporated when I caught sight of the crying boy sitting on the kerb. I had no idea what impact my following actions were going to have on my future. If I was any smarter, I would have walked right past and pretended to not have seen him at all. Of course, it would have appeared cruel and possibly earned me a good telling-off by my Pokémon, but anything would have been better than the outcomes that came from my hastily thought-out actions. "What's wrong?" He looked up as I approached. He was a few years younger than me with dark hair and eyes. My own eyes trailed over to the backpack that was lying on the ground beside him and I noticed what looked like the corner of a Pokédex sticking out of it. The boy wiped at his eyes, "I'm alright." He mumbled, obviously lying, "I'm just not having a very good day. Yes, I could have seen that clearly. I sat down beside him, placing both Sir and Nica on the ground, "You're obviously not alright." I told him, "If you don't want to talk, that's fine. But if there's-" "It's those Team Galactic thugs!" He blurted out suddenly and I couldn't help but jump a little at the volume of his voice, "They took my Pokémon! All of them! Seedy, Nemo, Baldur..." He trailed off and sniffled. Needless to say, I had next to no idea what he was on about, "Team Galactic?" I echoed, "Don't they make some sort of renewable energy or something? I dunno, I don't listen to the news." "Apparently, they steal Pokémon as well!" The boy all but snarled, folding his arms, "How am I supposed to go home now? What am I supposed to say? Nobody's gonna take me seriously if I tell them some guys working for a prestigious company just took my Pokémon!" Almost involuntarily, my hand drifted to my bag where I was storing Totodile's Poké Ball. I didn't want to release him; I didn't want to pretend to lose him... This was the perfect chance to hand him over to a caring trainer. I didn't think any more than that. I should have. I should have talked to Totodile and asked him what he thought and if he was okay with the decision I was making for him. I could have just said 'tough luck' and gone on my way. There were hundreds of things that I could have done to change the future that was going to occur, but I didn't. "I've got a Pokémon that I... Won't be able to train." I said, holding out Totodile's ball to him, "I was given him as a starter, so he should be well behaved. He's even got a translator that I couldn't get off him." The boy looked slightly sceptical, but took the ball nonetheless, "You're really going to give me a Pokémon for free?" He questioned, "And your starter?" I just shrugged, "I'm training poison types and he doesn't fit the theme." I answered honestly. He grinned a little at my words, "Ouch, that's cold." He teased, "Sounds like you're as toxic as the Pokémon you train." "How polite." I drawled, though I couldn't help but smile back, "I just gave you a rare Pokémon and you insult me. Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners, Mr Whatsyourname?" He rolled his eyes, "My name's Dan." He said and looked down at the Poké Ball in his hands, "But no really, thanks. I mean, he'll never be Seedy or Nemo, but he's something. Maybe when I get him strong enough, I'll be able to get my friends back." That statement made me glow. I'd just helped a defeated trainer start a new team all over again and set him on a quest to find the team he'd lost. With Totodile by his side, he was going to fight these Team Galactic guys until he got back what they'd taken from him. Most of that was true. However, there were a few things that I'd negated to factor in. A few things that were going to come and bite me later. So without a moment of hesitation to reflect on my choice, I said goodbye to Dan and carried on my merry way back to Oreburgh City. One Pokémon gained, one Pokémon lost.
