Trichotomy

Prologue​

Fifty years ago, a large meteor struck the earth in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The damage was significant and the mortality for the event reached the hundreds of thousands across the world. After the event, weird unexplained phenomena would happen lightning storms in the middle of a sunny day, earthquakes targeting specific areas, tornados that would form on a cloudless day, spontaneous fires with no source, and flash floods without having had any rain.
The world was in a state of chaos, people claiming that the Apocalypse had come and that it was the end of days. One day, four teenagers in Japan were filming one of these events on their smartphones when they spotted a creature that didn't look like any animal they had ever seen. This creature wasn't visible to them without the camera, and they later figured out that something in the technology of their phones allowed them to view this creature.
These four teenagers decided to travel and try and catch more of these creatures on tape, one taking the lead and the others following. Eventually, the destruction they viewed became too much for them to ignore so that hatched a plan. The leader, Kyo Willow, decided to study engineering and physics to develop a device in which his friends would be able to capture these creatures and send them to him for studying. The device he ended up creating was a spherical object that could fit inside his friends' pockets and expand when in use. These devices would then be thrown at the creature and use a particle laser to entrap the creatures inside. He spent most of his time developing these devices, creating spheres with stronger lasers to entrap stronger creatures, as well as other useful technology to help his friends.
One of Kyo's creations developed from the dust that fell from the sky the day of the meteor crash. Through trial and error, he was able to develop spherical pellets that the creatures would eat like candy. These candies would then seem to give the creatures more energy. He used these candies, as well as some of the original stardust, as a bartering system to encourage his friends to catch more of the creatures. For each creature, they sent to him he would provide them with candies and stardust so that they make in turn help their own creatures to grow.
Over the years, the three friends, with the help of Kyo's devices, were able to capture and study these creatures they deemed pocket monsters, Pokémon for short. Cadela Yuubu discovered that Pokémon could be trained with the help of Kyo's candies and stardust, becoming stronger and more loyal the longer she spent with them. Blanche Shinpi discovered that after her Pokémon would build its strength to a certain point it would undergo an evolution and become a more advanced version of itself. Spark Hon'no discovered that similar Pokémon would mate and lay eggs that wouldn't hatch unless they were walked for a certain amount of time each day, the rocking of the movement seeming to help with the development of the baby Pokémon inside.
With each of their discoveries came a conflict of interest. Cadela and Blanche would get into intense debates about whether it was better to have strong Pokémon or Pokémon that had reached its final evolution. Spark would always try and be the middleman and prevent any bloodshed but soon both girls were using their Pokémon to fight out their frustrations. These battles would always end up with one of the girls storming off. Soon, Spark even got frustrated and involved in these battles, hoping that maybe he could put an end to the feud between the girls. Unfortunately, the fighting only escalated, each of the former friends claiming they would be the master of all Pokémon.
More people began to get involved in the feud, taking sides and forming up alliances with either Cadela, Blanche, or Spark. Those who believed we should enhance Pokémon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength joined forces with Cadela on Team Valor. Those who believed that Pokémon carried an immeasurable amount of wisdom which could be unleashed through their evolution joined Team Mystic lead by Blanche. Those who were generally more peaceful and believed a Pokémon's true strength was their instinct which developed with the Pokémon in the egg joined Spark on Team Instinct.
As the years went on, the fighting between the three groups grew more and more violent until a full on war erupted. Civilians were forced to help develop new and better technology for the war while those old enough and capable enough were drafted into the war, forced to go to a training camp and learn how to catch, evolve, and battle with their Pokémon. Once they passed all five tests to officially become a trainer, they were then allowed to choose which side of the war they wanted to be on.
Fifty years later, the war was stronger than ever with no hope for Pokémon and humans to be able to live and grow in harmony. One day a group of researchers stumbled across a cave with a foreign language and hieroglyphic drawings on its walls which seemed to depict the war going on between the three teams and how one person would rise up and be able to end the war and bring harmony to both Pokémon and humans. My name is Nozomi Willow, granddaughter of Professor Kyo Willow, and this is my story.

 

Chapter One​

My grandfather told me that there was a time where your eighteenth birthday was a time of celebration, where families and friends would get together and throw parties with cake and presents and everyone would be happy. Times have changed since then because only those in favor of the war would be celebrating. For on your eighteenth birthday you found out your fate in regards to the war through a letter brought to your door.
In this letter, there can only be three options. One option is being sent to work on the industrial front, working to create and distribute in mass quantities the devices that the researchers have built. Another option is to become a researcher and create the devices that will aid in battle. The last option is to be drafted into the war, sent to the battle camp where you are trained to be a soldier and once you have successfully passed all their tests you are forced to choose between the three fighting teams.
My family is made up of a long line of researchers, since my grandfather was the very first researcher for the war. My mother and father are part of the researching process to create newer and better poke balls in order to capture more Pokémon. My older brother and sister are both in work producing devices called lures and incense that will attract Pokémon. I have cousins who focus on creating potions that can heal Pokémon or take away any conditions that may ail them.
Needless to say, I should be confident that I will follow in the footsteps of my family before me. Yet, on the morning of my eighteenth birthday, I awoke with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I couldn't explain the feeling, there really wasn't anything I should be nervous about, but still, the feeling persisted until I finally decided it was time to get out of bed and get ready for the day.
Yesterday I would be getting ready to go to school and suffer through all the history lessons on the war or learning exactly how the particle lasers are able to capture the Pokémon into tiny metal spheres. Today, I was excused from classes, like all who turn eighteen, because after I got my assignment I would move directly into the workforce. I should be happy because, while I always excelled in my studies, I never really enjoyed school. I didn't have many friends because being related to one of the main four people responsible for the war would make people nervous around me.
With a heavy sigh, I decided to just put on a pair of jeans and a well-worn t-shirt with my grandfather's research labs logo on it, as well as a snapback with the same logo, and head downstairs for breakfast. When I got to the kitchen I noticed my mother and father talking in hushed whispers at the island.
"Good morning..." I say, my voice displaying my apprehension towards their position. At the sound of my voice, my parents quickly moved away from each other, each trying to display a look of innocence.
"Good morning Nozomi! How does it feel to finally be 18?" My mom said in a chipper voice, pretending like I didn't just catch her and dad whispering conspiratorially.
"The same as yesterday really...except I don't have to listen to Professor Oak drone on and on about Pokémon and forget my name and whether I'm a girl or boy," I say, sitting down on a stool at the island and grabbing an apple out of the basket in front of me.
"Nozzy you know he's just getting up there in age and is very forgetful. He really should retire soon." My dad says, giving me my pet name that I've had since I was a baby. I roll my eyes at my dad's remark before taking a healthy bite out of the apple in my hand.
"So, why are you two still here? Shouldn't you be in the lab?" I say, chunks of apple still in my mouth. My mom gives me a disgusted look and I swallow before giving her an apologetic smile and shrug.
"Well...since it's your big day we figured we would take the day off and spend it with you." My mom said, eyeing my dad in what I assume was supposed to be a stealthy way. I sighed and got up to throw my apple core away, then turned on my heel to face them.
"Alright spill, what's going on?" I say, folding my arms across my chest.
"Well...I know it's not typical for eighteenth birthdays to really celebrate or give gifts but...well we got you something" My mom says nervously as my dad moves to leave the room.
"Oh...well, I mean, thanks?" I say, nervous for whatever gift they were going to bestow on me. My mom moves around the island and comes over to me, enveloping me in a surprising hug.
"My baby is growing up!" My mom suddenly wails, and I start patting her back awkwardly, unsure of how to handle this sudden display of emotion.
"Come on Kashi, let go of the girl you are smothering her." My dad says, finally coming back from wherever he went to get my gift. My mom hesitantly lets go of me, wiping her eyes with a sniffle. I gave my dad a thankful smile before my eyes zeroed in on the small brown parcel he held in his hand. With a returning smile he hands me the package. I hesitate before ripping into the paper with fervor, revealing a small jewelry box. I open the lid to reveal a silver necklace with a small bottle filled with a glimmering pink and white dust.
"Your grandfather gave that to me when I was your age, it is the first sample of stardust he ever found." My dad said, taking the necklace from me and going behind me to put it around my neck. "Just like you, I was nervous to see where I would be put, so your grandfather gave me this necklace and said that it would be a reminder that no matter what happens, there is always something bigger out there."
After he finished hooking the necklace around my neck, my fingers went to the little bottle with the stardust in it. The glass seemed to radiate a warmness that was not unpleasant to the touch.
"Thank you...it's beautiful," I whisper, giving both my mom and dad a grateful smile.
"You're welcome. In fact, your grandfather wanted you to visit today before the mail came. You should go ahead and head over before it gets too late." Dad says, pushing me towards the door.
"Okay okay!" I say, slipping on my shoes quickly before heading outside. It was an unusually warm day for the beginning of spring, flowers just starting to awake from their winter slumber. I took a moment to breathe in the fresh air before I started heading towards the direction of my grandfather's cottage.
Two story cottages similar to my home lined the street, and children too young to be in school played in the yard with big rubber balls that resembled the poke balls used to capture Pokémon. Various adults in brown uniforms headed off to work in the industry while those in white lab coats headed toward the labs on the other side of the town. My grandfather's house resided on the outer rim of the town, far away enough from the hustle and bustle of the inner city but close enough that if the research lab needed him it wouldn't take him too long to get there.
After a nice ten minute walk, I reached the glass dome that kept my grandfather's property separated from the rest of the town. I hit the buzzer on the door facing the walkway and waited to hear the click of the door unlocking. Once the door was unlocked I began to open the door before a voice spoke up from the box.
"Don't forget to put on the glasses Nozomi, the Pokémon don't appreciate being stepped on." The voice of my grandfather said. I rolled my eyes but reached into my pocket to pull out a pair of thick glasses and put them on my head. I pressed a button on the side that made a grid pop up for a split second before my vision cleared. I opened the door and quickly shut it behind me before looking up.
No matter how many times I visited my grandpa, I could never stop the feeling of wonder at seeing all the Pokémon. Small yellow mice-like Pokémon were running around in the fields chasing and giving each other little zaps of electricity when they caught up. A medium sized pink creature similar to a hippopotamus lounged in the shade of a tree where brown bird Pokémon nested. Little brown mole-like Pokémon were playing with a cat Pokémon by popping in and out of the ground in different spots while the cat Pokémon chased it. Hundred and hundreds of Pokémon were just lounging around or playing in this dome my grandfather called his "terrarium of Pokémon wonder."
I shook my head and began my trek to the house in the distance, making sure to avoid the Pokémon that were playing or lounging on the small dirt path that leads to the house. At one point I got a little shock of warning from the small yellow mouse Pokémon for getting too close. I gave the Pokémon a glare while hopping on one foot and nursing my injured ankle.
"Now Mimi you know that the Pikachu like their personal space." the sound of my grandpa's teasing voice made me look up quickly, causing me to become off balanced on my one foot and fall into the grass, nearly crushing a plant Pokémon that gave me a dirty look before moving away.
"Paw why do you always insist on scaring me as a greeting?" I huff, getting up and brushing the dust off of my pants.
"You just make it too easy!" He says, coming over and enveloping me in his strong arms. Even at 70 years old he was in very good shape, my father says it's because he spends his retirement chasing and wrangling all of his Pokémon.
I finally was able to wiggle out of his strong arms before something else wraps itself around my body. I look around and begin to smile at the Pokémon who was hugging me with its vine-like appendages. The Pokémon gave me a greeting in his weird language and nuzzled me with his large green head.
"Hello Venusaur, I missed you too buddy," I say, rubbing the top of his head with my free hand. The Pokémon seemed to purr at my touch, closing his eyes in bliss.
"Venusaur always has had a soft spot for you. Most of the time he's very irritable and won't let anyone touch him." Grandpa says, shaking his head at the unusual show of affection from one of his most troublesome Pokémon.
"It's probably because we both are outcasts with no friends," I say, giving Venusaur one final pet on the head before I follow my grandpa through the door and into his home. Compared to his expansive yard, grandpa's house was quite quaint. After grandma passed away a couple of years ago, grandpa decided to downsize so the Pokémon could have more space to roam outside.
Grandpa lead me through the entranceway and into the living room that only contained a loveseat, coffee table, and a recliner that looked like it had seen better days. I took a seat on the loveseat and grandpa took the recliner, kicking his feet up with a tired sigh.
"So...how are you feeling about today?" grandpa said, never one to beat around the bush. I sighed, closing my eyes as I thought about how I was going to convey to my grandfather my uneasiness towards my impending job assignment.
"I suppose I'm nervous," I say, trying to be as vague as I could "I'm not sure what the letter will say when it comes. I mean...what if I am placed into the battle camps and sent to war?"
"So? What if you are?" grandpa says, raising one of his bushy black eyebrows.
"I don't know anything about battling Pokémon...I don't even know what team I would choose if I even made it through the camp!" I say, my voice raising as my nerves took control.
"Well, as someone who has met all of the team leaders and many of their supporters, you just need to listen to what your heart tells you. When you interact with a Pokémon, how do you feel? Do you see their strength, understand their wisdom, or feel their natural instincts? You don't have to decide now, but just do what YOU think is best and not listen to what anyone else says." grandpa says, giving me a smile of comfort.
"I'm just scared..." I admit quietly, looking down to not have to see my grandfather's reaction. Suddenly I'm enveloped in a hug and comforting hands are rubbing circles on my back.
"It's okay to be scared, just don't let your fear control you and don't let it change you. Use it to better understand who you are as a person. Then one day, you will realize you are no longer afraid, and that is when things will start to change. Okay?" My grandpa says, his voice soothing me. I nod in agreement and I can feel his smile in my shoulder before he let's go of me.
"Well, I hate to rush you along but it's nearly time for the mail to have come so you better be getting home. Call me and let me know where you get assigned okay? Also, give this Pokémon candy to Venusaur for me, he's likely to bite my hand off if I try." Grandpa says jokingly, handing me a small clear bag filled with pink spheres.
"Thanks Paw, I'll be sure to give you a call later," I say, heading towards the door. I turn around and give him my bravest smile before I step out of his house. As expected, Venusaur was waiting patiently at the door for me, like he does every time I visit. I give him a few pets on the head before I feed him the candies and start to head out.
As I head towards the door of the terrarium, I begin to notice the Pokémon more. How all are playing together and not fighting. I wonder why Candela, Blanche, and Spark decided to use them for fighting? They seem pretty happy just being able to live and play. I sigh and leave the terrarium to start my journey back to my house.
It seems to take less time than I would like to get back to my house. I am sweating but I'm not sure if it's from the heat of the day or from my nerves. As I walk up to my front door, I mentally prepare myself for what may lay inside. I take a deep breath, or two, or three before I open the door. Immediately as I open the door, a rush of sound greets me.
"SURPRISE!" I hear from all directions, my eyes blinded by a sudden light. I take a moment to calm my beating heart before I look up and see my living room full of people. My entire family is looking at me with giant smiles on their face and party streamers everywhere. I look around and see my one friend from school sitting awkwardly on the couch. She gives me an encouraging smile before looking down at her shoes.
I flounder for a moment trying to come up with the best response to this surprise party my family has thrown me. On one hand, my nerves are quite out of control and if I were to read my letter I would much rather do it by myself where no one would be able to see my reaction. On the other hand, to see everyone who loves me wanting to support me during this time makes my heart jump in happiness.
"Wow...thank you guys this is great!" I finally say, forcing a giant smile on my face.
"See John? I told you she would like it!" My mom says excitedly before her face takes on a seriousness I haven't seen in a long time. She comes over and gives me a bone crushing hug and I struggle to breathe for a moment before she releases me a shoves a thick tan envelope in my hand. My heart jumps at the realization of what this is as I turn the envelope around and see my full name written in fancy handwriting on the front.
"Well, go ahead! We're all excited to see where you get assigned!" My father says, clearly overly excited to hear the news. I hear one of my cousins do a fake cough while saying 'researcher', and resist the urge to scowl at him.
I take a breath before I slide my finger under the flap and break open the seal. I slowly unfold the paper and let my eyes scan the words printed in neat handwriting. My mind goes blank as I continue to read, my hands gripping the sides of the letter in a ferocious death grip. I feel like hours have gone by, while it's only been a few moments before someone speaks up.
"So? What's your job assignment?" The voice of some unknown relative asks. I look up to see the hopeful eyes of my family and the encouraging smiles on their faces, my hands starting to shake minutely.
"I'm going to war."