CelticMagician
Phantom of Time
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2011
- Location
- Canada
Author's Notes:
Started this up on DA a while back and thought it may be worth while to share it here as well.
This story is mostly just for fun, really. I'm not looking for any hefty constructive crits or anything for this. Basically this story revolves around the members of my main Pokemon team (lovingly referred to as my "ubers" since they were the first to be raised to lv. 100) and their given trainer, Tatsuko. Just a typical Pokemon journey fic which is OC heavy with perhaps a few canon appearances from the games. I promise you, however, that there are no Canon X OC pairings involved.
Been kind of wanting to write this sort of thing for a while, but wasn't sure which team/trainer combination to start out with until now. Tatsuko also needs a lot more character development than my other Pokemon OC's so I'm also hoping this fic will help me pound her into shape.
Note: I'll be posting the first two chapters one after the other since I have them done already. Chapter 3 and onward will be uploaded as frequently as they also will be on DA.
Rated PG - PG 13 For mild language, blood and violence. This fiction probably won't go too overboard with the previously stated content, but it is important to state that it is in there nonetheless.
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Chapter 1
First Encounter
“Damn,”
Tatsuko sighed as she glared at the broken pencil in her hand before shoving the other into her bad to grab the sharpener. She was almost done the sketch of the Nidorino sleeping in front of her and wasn't about to let the mistake of applying too much pressure to the sketch pad get in her way.
As a twenty one year-old freelance Pokémon illustrator, Tatsuko has made her living drawing these creatures for magazines and storybooks. She prides herself in capturing the likeness of the Pokémon right down to the last detail. Perhaps that's why this job was so important to her, illustrating Pokémon for the latest encyclopedia of known species in each region, depicting unique markings and blemish's unlike the the typical clean-cut cookie cutter images of the past.
Placing the newly sharpened pencil in her mouth as she adjusted back into a comfortable sitting position again, Tatsuko took another look at her current subject. This Nidorino told quite the story. It's body was bulk, and muscular, with a large spotting pattern that ran down its backside. It was battered and scarred, possibly by many rounds of intense battle but seemingly well-taken care of by its trainer considering the sheen of its sleek fur. Its trademark horn however, appeared to have been broken recently, and was currently in the slow progress of growing back. Perhaps that's why the trainer had transferred the creature back to Oak's lab, so that it could heal properly.
Tatsuko hesitated a moment. Yes, that's right, she was doing this for Professor Oak. The idea was so surreal to her that she kept forgetting who had contracted her for the task in the first place. Being a native of the Kanto region, she had heard many stories of the famed researcher and held the man in high regard. She had read all his books and often found his studies helped her better understand Pokémon and improve her work. When word got out that Oak was looking for artists for his latest project, she jumped at the chance. She still couldn't get over how lucky she was to be among the few chosen for the job, considering the amount of competition that surrounded it.
And now she was here, in the backyard of the Professor's lab, sketching Pokemon for the man who had inspired her work for many years. It was like a dream come true.
Finishing up the last few pencil strokes of the Nidorino drawing, Tatsuko couldn't hep but lean over and place a hand to her abdomen as her belly seemed to lurch forward in a loud rumble. She grinned sheepishly to herself. She had been so focused on finishing the drawing that she had ignored the fact that she was getting hungrier for the past several hours. At least this time she remembered to bring a lunch with her.
Placing down her sketchbook, she turned for her bag but stopped when she noticed that something small and orange had knocked it over and was rummaging inside it. The Charmander pulled its head out of the bag with half a sandwich in its mouth and looked at Tatsuko for a brief moment before darting off, dragging the bag along with it.
“Hey, HEY!” Tatsuko hurriedly raised herself to her feet and took chase. Her supplies and entire livelihood were still in that bag. “Get back here!”
The zippy Pokémon may have very well outrun-her if it weren't for the bag compromising its speed, but the stubborn little Charmander didn't appear about ready to give it up. It had found something it liked in her bag and intended to keep it. Tatsuko managed to keep pace with the Pokémon, following it until it finally hit the border of the property.
Good, Tatsuko thought. It has nowhere else to run. She cornered the now baffled Charmander and made sure it knew that it wasn't going to get by her so easily. As the Pokémon backed up against the fence defensively, Tatsuko was finally able to get a better look at the creature. It was the average size and shape for a Charmander with a typical bold stripe pattern running down its back and tail, being a slightly darker shade than the rest of its body. Unlike what most pictures of the Char family would have you believe, finding a solid-coloured Pokémon of this species was exceedingly rare. The most defining characteristic of this Charmander's pattern, however, were the three distinct stripes on its face: one running down along its forehead and two above its eyes. Tatsuko gave it a stern look.
“Give it,” she said, gesturing an open hand toward the bag. The Charmander growled, pulling the bag closer to him and burrowing his fierce blue eyes into her own, boldly issuing a challenge.
Tatsuko sighed, now placing one hand on her him and one behind her head, rubbing her hat up and down her scalp as she tried to figure out another way to convince the Pokémon to give her bag back to her.
“Is it the food you're after?” She said, “'Cause you can keep that. I just want the bag and the rest of the stuff that's in it.”
The Charmander gave her a suspicious look.
“I'm serious,” she stated, frowning at the expression, “Look, how about a trade? You get the food, I get everything else. That alright by you?”
The Charmander still seemed hesitant, its flame-tipped tail abruptly swaying back and forth indicating that it still didn't trust the human that it was confronting. Nonetheless, it slowly relinquished possession of the bag and pushed it toward Tatsuko.
Tatsuko thanked the Pokémon, albeit, still miffed that the fact that she had to chase it down in the first place. But as she promised, she reached into her bag (which was a mess with crumbs thanks to the Charmander sneaking in there earlier) and tossed whatever remnants of food she could find to the creature. The Charmander gladly snagged the food, and after it had gathered up all it could it scuttled off, stopping momentarily to stare at Tatsuko all the while.
Tatsuko raised an eyebrow. Whoever that Charmander's trainer was, they were certainly dealing with a handful of a Pokémon. At least the incident was over.
But the numbing pain of hunger was still in her gut. She grimaced a little once she noticed it again.
“Well, I could always head into town to buy something to eat,” she figured, poking around for her wallet now to see if she had enough money. Crap. Not even enough to get herself a simple sandwich from the Pallet Town department store. Tatsuko placed her thumb and index finger on the bridge between her eyes and massaged the area a little. What's done is done. She was just going to have to push through the hunger for now. She then turned her attention to the other Pokémon in the yard, trying to pinpoint a subject she would draw next.
Tatsuko finally settled on an Oddish with a small extra leaf growth at the back of its head. It was currently playing with an oddly-coloured Shuckle. She couldn't help but smile as she settled in at a relatively good distance from them so as to not disturb them at play. They looked so happy playing together and wondered if perhaps they shared the same trainer.
After about fifteen minutes of drawing, Tatsuko had finally forgotten how hungry she was and was more focus on implementing Oddish's joy into the piece. She became so enthralled in her work that she barely noticed anything around her at that point, including the soft tugging on her clothing as a small body clambered up onto her shoulder.
“Char...” The voice was so soft and loud in her ear that Tatsuko nearly jumped out of her skin before she realized what it was. She then paused. It couldn't be. Sure enough, as she turned her head she saw the Charmander with the three distinct head stripes leaning off her left shoulder, it's gaze fixated on the drawing. Tatsuko blinked, a little baffled at the Pokémon's presence. While it wouldn't be the first time she had a curious onlooker watching her work, she was under the impression that the Charmander wanted nothing to do with her earlier, based on the way it was acting. Why the change of heart?
The Charmander then shifted it's weight a little, turning a rather perplexed look at the girl and tilting it's head.
“Char?”
Tatsuko stared at it. Was it trying to ask her what she was doing?
“Uh....” Tatsuko started, turning her attention to the drawing then back to the Charmander, “I'm drawing some of the Pokémon around here. In this case I'm drawing that Oddish over there, see?” She pointed to the Pokémon in question, who was now bouncing happily on the Shuckle's back.
The Charmander seemed amazed by what it had just been told and darted it's gaze back and forth between the Oddish and the drawing. After a few minutes of this, it turned its attention back to Tatsuko.
“Char!” It said, now bouncing up and down on her shoulder excitedly, “Char, char char!”
Tatsuko was dumbfounded as she then watch the Charmander bound down, bouncing off her sketchbook and landing right in front of her, waving its arms frantically and repeating its name as though it was trying to get her attention. Then, the Charmander did something exceptionally strange. It raised itself high on its toes as it extended its arms in the air and bent them slightly. It then put on a fierce-looking face as it opened its mouth and growled.
Tatsuko just sat there, looking at the Pokémon at a loss.
“Mander?” it resumed a normal stance, tilting its head at her when it noticed her expression. It then looked down a moment before seemingly getting another idea. This time it jumped down to all fours, presenting a profile view to Tatsuko. It opened its mouth to emit a roar, but as it did, a tiny burst of flame quickly popped out. It closed its mouth quickly and looked down as though embarrassed.
Tatsuko had to stifle the laugh that had just erupted from her mouth. Though she didn't quite understand what the Charmander was doing, she did have to admit to herself that it was kind of cute. Then, a thought dawned on her.
“Are you asking me to draw you?”
The Charmander leaped up happily, wagging its tail as it let out a cry of approval.
Tatsuko crossed her arms and gave it a half-smile.
“I dunno...first you steal my food and now you're asking me a favour. That doesn't seem like a fair trade.”
The Charmander lowered its tail and gave her a guilty look. Tatsuko laughed.
“Well, lucky for you I haven't drawn a Charmander yet,” she said, turning to a fresh page, “So I guess I have no choice but to draw you.”
The Pokémon's expression seemed to light up as she said this, and the Charmander resumed with his attempts at posing. Tatsuko shook her head.
“No need to pose, hun. Just be yourself. You'll tire yourself out otherwise.”
The Charmander seemed a little confused by this, but obediently relaxed itself. It then sat there with its tail loosely clutched in its claws as it looked around, a little unsure what to do with itself.
Tatsuko giggled as she began the rough sketch of the Pokémon. She figured it would do what came naturally ind due time. No more than a few minutes later, Tatsuko's theory payed off as a passing Wurmple caught the attention of the fiery salamander, who took curious chase after it, its body splayed and low to the ground as it held its tail high in the air. Tatsuko smiled and shook her head. She had never seen a Pokémon do that before. This Charmander certainly was a character.
A couple of hours passed and Tatsuko finally finished the drawing. Somewhere along the way, the Charmander had grown sleepy and had decided to take a nap under a nearby tree. Tatsuko called to it to tell it that the picture was done and the creature seemed to perk up instantly, trotting on over to the girl to see.
As it climbed up onto her shoulders once more, Tatsuko then steadily raised her body, allowing her legs to have a good stretch. The Charmander's eyes grew wide as it gazed upon its image. Tatsuko had placed it into a running position on the page, its eyes lit up with wonder with an extremely happy expression on its face. The fiery salamander then slowly leaned forward and placed its front paws gently on the paper. Tatsuko smiled.
“Glad you like it.”
Then, the sound of the front door opening sounded as a man with greying hair and a white lab coat emerged.
“Charmander!” Oak called out, scratching the back of his head, “Now where could that Pokémon have run off to now?” He turned, noticing Tatsuko standing in the yard with the Pokémon seated on her shoulder. “Ah, Tatsuko,” he approached them, “It seems you found my missing Pokémon, thank you!”
The Charmander let out a grumbled cry and slowly lowered itself behind Tatsuko, glaring inches over her shoulder at the Professor.
“Um, you're welcome?” Tatsuko said, a little confused by the Charmander's reaction.
“Now, Charmander don't be that way,”Oak stated as he slowed his pace to a stop in front of them. He rummaged into one of his pockets and pulled out a Pokéball. “Today's the day you meet your new partner, my friend, I need you in the lab with the other two.”
The Charmander snorted and dropped down from Tatsuko, lumbering into the space between her and the Professor. He gave Oak a very displeased look as a red beam shot at it from the Pokéball and drew it in.
“I am so sorry,” Tatsuko said, finally getting over the shock of what had just happened, “I thought it was another trainer's Pokémon, I didn't realize it was one of the lab starters.”
Oak shook his head.
“Not to worry, Ms. Tatsuko,” he assured, “This Charmander has been a bit of a handful since he first arrived. He's a rash little fellow and highly curious, so he's always breaking out of his Pokéball to go exploring.” He sighed, “I only hope that one of the boys today chooses this Charmander today. It would definitely be better for him to go explore the world than to be cooped up here.”
Oak then turned his attention to Tatsuko with a smile.
“But I must say, he certainly took a liking to you. What were you doing that caught his attention?”
“Uh...” Tatsuko said, rubbing her arm nervously. She's always disliked explaining her actions to people, “Actually, he became interested in my drawings, so I ended up drawing a picture of him...after I gave him my food of course.” She laughed sheepishly after the last statement.
“Oh! Then may I?” Oak asked, motioning to her sketchbook. Tatsuko nodded and passed him the drawing. “Remarkable! Precisely the reason I hired you in the first place Ms. Tatsuko. You capture the likeness and feeling of Pokémon exquisitely. I'm certain Charmander was very impressed as well.” He handed the book back to her, “I best be off to the lab now, the new trainers will be here any minute.”
As he turned to leave, Tatsuko spoke up.
“Uh, um...sir?” She said, feeling rather stupid for what she was about to ask, “Mind if I come along? I never went on a Pokémon journey of my own and have always been curious about the starter-choosing process.”
She bit her lip, awaiting his response. Tatsuko's parents were heavy advocates against Pokémon training, feeling it was cruel to imprison the creatures inside of tiny, electronic balls. As a result, she was forbidden from journeying with Pokémon, let alone, owning one, so sketching them was the closest thing she could ever have to true interactions with Pokémon. To this day, she wondered what it would have been like to see the world twenty years ago.
“Why certainly, dear,” came the man's kind response, “Who am I to turn away someone who is genuinely interested in Pokémon? Right this way.”
Following Oak into the lab, Tatsuko was met by an array of whirring machines and linking lights. She looked around as she ventured further, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar smells and sounds. The room looked like something out of a Sci-Fi film. Approaching the back of the room, Tatsuko noticed a table with two Pokéballs where Professor Oak proceeded to place the ball containing Charmander in the presently empty space.
“This is where it all begins,” Oak stated as he turned away from the table and toward Tatsuko, “Within these three Pokéballs is a potential Pokémon starting partner. You have already met Charmander, the fire-type, but there is also the options of the grass and water-types, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. You'll be seeing them when the new adventurers arrive.”
Tatsuko nodded, her sketchbook clutched against her chest as she hung on Oak's every word.
“From there, the new trainers make their choices of which Pokémon they want to keep,” Oak continued, “They are then given a set of five Pokéballs and a Pokédex – an electronic encyclopedia which registers every Pokémon that is encountered on the journey. Only one trainer was ever able to complete the Pokédex in its entirety....” He trailed off with these last set of words, his expression becoming grave as he lost himself in thought for the moment. Oak shook his head.
“But that was a long time ago. We now need to focus on the trainers of today.”
As if on cue, the sound of the lab door opening could be heard.
“Hey Professor Oak~! Were' here to pick up our Pokémon!”
Two boys entered the fray, the one to the right seemed like a happy child with bowl-cut blonde hair and green eyes. The other, wearing a baseball cap to its side, appeared to be less impressed with arms boldly folded over his chest. He had brown hair, eyes and a distinct freckling pattern across his cheeks.
“Ah, Toya, Kumo. You two are early,” Oak addressed, nodding to the two newcomers as they neared.
“We couldn't wait,” The blonde boy laughed, rubbing a hand behind his head before nudging his friend, “Isn't that right, Kumo?”
“Whatever...” Kumo replied, turning away. “Who's this?” He nodded his head toward Tatsuko.
“This is Tatsuko, a Pokémon illustrator I hired to help me with a special project.” Oak explained.
“Nice to meet you two,” Tatsuko said, bowing slightly to be polite, “You must be very excited.”
“You bet we are!” Toya said, making fists with his hands and drawing them to his body, “This is the most essential day for a future Pokémon Master and Kumo and I are gonna give it all we got!”
“Heh...a Pokémon illustrator, huh?” Kumo stated, disregarding Toya. He gave Tatsuko a smirk, “Sounds pretty lame. What, did you fail so badly at being a trainer that you had to turn to drawing them instead?”
Tatsuko frowned but didn't respond. As much as it hurt, she was certain that the boy was merely trying to get a rise out of her and she refused to give him that satisfaction. Though, comparing the two drastic personality of the boys, she was having a hard time understanding the relationship they had with each other.
“Now Kumo,” Oak said sternly, “You know nothing of Ms. Tatsuko and her struggles. It's best that you keep comments like that to yourself, else suffer the consequences later.”
Kumo shrugged, clearly amused with himself. Toya then clung to him, shaking his friend and shouting about how much he was in agreement with the Professor. It wasn't too long before Kumo's smug expression turned into one of annoyance.
“Let's get started then, shall we?” Oak finally chimed in, sounding slightly exasperated with the boys' behaviour. He turned to the three Pokéballs behind him and one by one released the Pokémon that were contained inside.
The Bulbasaur was as cute as can be. Its scattered spots were somewhat triangular in shape and it greeted the two trainers with a dopey smile. The Squirtle, looking very determined was quick to show off its bold, rounded markings running along its arms to the base of its scalp. Its shell was a remarkable sight to behold as its dark rings made for a decorative display. And of course, there was the Charmander that Tatsuko had met prior. Its eyes were lit up as he looked up at the trainers with the utmost pride. Each were happy, healthy and eager to be chosen.
Almost instantly, Toya slapped both hands to the side of his face and squealed. He quickly scuttled over to the Bulbasaur and picked it up.
“You....are the single most adorable thing I have EVER seen!” He gave it a big hug, “I'm gonna call you, Leafy!”
“Really, Toya?” Kumo muttered, clearly not looking impressed with the other boy as he placed a hand to his forehead.
“You're just jealous because I picked the best Pokémon of the bunch before you could,” Toya retorted, playfully sticking out his tongue as he held out the happy-looking Bulbasaur for his friend to see.
“Bulbasaur was your top pick, you dork,” Kumo stated. He turned to the remaining Pokémon, placing a thoughtful hand to his chin, “Now, what to choose...”
Tatsuko looked at the Charmander, who was now leaning forward in anticipation. Though part of her hoped that Kumo would pick the fiery salamander so he could finally have a trainer it could travel with, another part of her was pained to see him go. Perhaps it was the short time she spent with the Pokémon, but she couldn't help but feel there was something special about this Charmander. She then hoped, if Kumo did choose him, that he would treat him kindly.
After some time, Kumo made his decision.
“You,” he said pointing at the Squirtle.
The Charmander's jaw slacked as his forelimbs flopped down to its sides, defeated. The Squirtle gave a quick laugh as it puffed out its chest and placed its paws on its hips. It then began to shuffle over to its new trainer, but not before turning back to the salamander and stuck its tongue out at him, pulling down one of its eyelids as it did to add insult to injury.
Charmander's expression then changed from one of shock, to rage. He bared his teeth and growled at the turtle Pokémon, dropping down to all fours to charge at it. The Squirtle noticed his advances and lowered its head as the Charmander approached, meeting the fiery salamander head-on with a tackle attack that sent him flying backward. Charmander shook himself as soon as it was done skidding across the floor and attempted to charge at the Squirtle once more.
“Woah, woah, hey!” Tatsuko called as she quickly grabbed him, noticing the Squirtle lowing its head again, “Take it easy there...”
The Charmander struggled in her grip as she picked him up, clawing the air furiously toward the turtle. Tatsuko was surprised by the tension and strength she could feel in his body. He was definitely looking for a fight.
“Yeah, take it easy there,” Kumo echoed, mocking Tatsuko's words. He then grew serious again. “It's nothing personal, it's just that Squirtle was the better choice. The first Gym features rock-type Pokémon, it would have been pointless to choose a fire-type as a starter.”
With that, both Kumo and Toya recieved their Pokédex and Pokéballs, thanked Professor Oak and took their leave with brand-new partners at their side. Shortly after they left, Tatsuko began to notice that the Charmander in her hands was shaking. It took her moments later to realize that it was starting to cry.
“No, no,no,” She said gently, turning the Pokémon toward her, “Charmander? Charmander. Look at me.”
The salamander sniffled and turned a tearful pair of eyes up at her.
“You are a good Pokémon,” Tatsuko continued, giving it a gentle shake to make her point, “If that boy can't see it, then he doesn't deserve to be your trainer.” She smiled, “You just wait, another pesron is going to walk through that door and happily take you on your journey. Just...please don't cry, okay?”
Her words seemed to have cheered the Charmander up a little. He gave a small cry as he opened his mouth in a slight a smile.
“There won't be another trainer today.”
“What?”
“Toya and Kumo were the only two youngsters starting out on their journey today,” Oak explained, “Over the years, the number of beginning trainers have been dwindling. Things aren't what they used to be.”
“Char...” The Pokémon flopped sadly in Tatsuko's grip.
“So, that's why I want to ask you to take Charmander instead.”
“Huh!?” Tatsuko and Charmander gaped at the Professor in unison.
Oak smiled.
“Why not? Like I've said before, Charmander needs to see the world in order to satisfy his curious nature. He would be stuck here in my lab otherwise.”
“But, but,” Tatsuko started, looking between Oak and the Pokémon and feeling a lump form in her throat, “But Professor, with all do respect, I've never raised a Pokémon before...not even as a pet! Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean...what if I mess up?”
“Nonsense!” Oak said with glee as he rummaged through one of the desk drawers behind him, “I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, you're doing fine with Charmander already... Afterall, you do need a Pokémon to protect you if you are going to travel through the tall grass.” He presented a baffled-looking Tatsuko with a Pokédex and five Pokéballs.
“I have a special errand I want you to run,” Oak continued, the shine of a clever man glinting in his eye, “While it's true that you can make many illustrations for my Encyclopedia in my back yard, I don't feel it's enough. What I would like you to do, Ms. Tatsuko, is to journey through Kanto and draw the Pokémon you encounter in the wild and send what you can to me by the deadline. These items will help you to achieve this goal.”
“Um...thanks?” Tatsuko said, taking the items from Professor Oak as the Charmander moved to sit on her shoulders. She wasn't quite sure what to make of all of this.
“Would you like to give him a nickname?”
“Hm?”
“Your Charmander,” Oak smiled, “Every trainer is given the option to nickname their Pokémon and now that you are one, so do you.”
Tatsuko thought about it a moment. The idea of nicknaming her very first Pokémon did sound very tempting. She turned to her Charmander.
“What do you say, Charmander? Do you want a nickname?”
The Charmander let out a happy cry.
“Alright then! Let's see....” She placed a finger to her lips a moment. Then, a name came to mind. “How about Leonidus? It seems to suit you. Strong and brave at the same time.”
The Charmander seemed pleased. Tatsuko laughed.
“I guess I should give you the rest of the day off to prepare then,” Oak said happily, cupping his hands behind his back, “You have a long journey ahead of you.”
Tatsuko nodded, then headed for the door with her Pokémon in tow, feeling as though she was in a dream.
“Oh, Tatsuko!” Oak called out, “One more thing before you leave...”
A kind smile crossed his face.
“Always remember....That you are never too old to start your Pokémon adventure.”
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Chapter 2
An Adventure About to Unfold
Trainer Name: Tatsuko
Age: 21
Height: 5 ft 4”
Weight: 130 Lbs.
Hair Colour: Dirty Brown
Eye Colour: Blue
Rank: Novice Trainer
“There,” Tatsuko said as she finished inputting the last of her information in her Pokédex while slurping down another mouthful of noodles. She then suffled over to her bedside and placed the hand-held electronic encyclopedia down next to her grey duffel hat, tote bag and other assortment of supplies that she would be needing for her journey.
Leonidus briefly looked up at her in a moment's interest, the Charmander temporarily adverting his attention from testing out the fluffiness of Tatsuko's pillow.
It was roughly mid-afternoon by the time Tatsuko made it to her home along Route 3. The hunger pains she had been fighting off had re-emerged so she prioritized a quick and easy meal for herself as she got her things packed. She planned on heading off before it became too dark to travel.
Tatsuko absentmindedly grabbed the hairband which sat on her bedside table. She tied her wavy hair back into a loose ponytail, allowing her bangs to fall forward before scuttling over to her desk drawer and pulling out an old, dusty town map. Tatsuko has never travelled beyond Viridian City before, so she was going to need it.
She blew on it, coughing a little and waving her hand as the dust puffed up in her face. She then opened the map and turned toward the bed, laying it as flat as she could so Leonidus could see.
“We're going to be heading here first,” She said, pointing to Viridian Forest as the Charmander peered at the map in wonder, “It's not too far and we're sure to run into a good amount of wild Pokémon. Whatd'ya think?”
“Char char!” Leonidus chimed with glee, wagging his tail. Excitement was evident in his eyes as he seemed to smile at his new trainer.
Tatsuko smiled back at her Pokémon. She had travelled to Viridian Forest before to do some sketch work, but wasn't able to veer off the path to find more Pokémon in the past. Tall grass has always been a major hazard to non-trainers. Individuals careless enough to venture in the tall grass alone and without a Pokémon tend to upset its wild inhabitants, often leading to injury and in some cases, death.
“Well,” Tatsuko said, folding the map back up before grabbing her hat and placing it on her head, “I guess we better get going!”
Leonidus cried, happily jumping up and down on the bed. Tatsuko giggled and pulled out Leonidus' Pokéball which she had promptly stashed in her belt pouch after receiving it from Professor Oak. She pressed the centre button to enlarge it and held it out in front of her to recall the expectant-looking Charmander. She hesitated however, a puzzled frown crossing her face. Leo was her first Pokémon, and though it was customary for trainers to carry the creatures in Pokéballs, it just didn't feel right to her to do so at this moment. She wanted to get to know her fiery salamander a little better and felt that confining him would hinder the development of their relationship. Not to mention, Leonidus had a reported history of being temperamental with Pokéballs, so perhaps it would be for the better. It only seemed fair.
She sighed and let her arm fall to her side before smiling at him.
“Say, Leo, would you rather just walk alongside me instead?”
The Charmander beamed. Tatsuko got her answer.
The afternoon remained warm as they made the quick venture into Viridian Forest. Tatsuko was a little anxious at first when she noticed that Leonidus had the tendency to go exploring every new thing he would see. She didn't want the Charmander straying too far just in case he got into trouble. But despite Leo's wanderings, he stayed within proximity of his trainer's sight and she eventually relaxed a little on the matter, occasionally calling out to the Pokémon if she felt he was getting ahead of himself.
Upon entering the brush, however, Leonidus' curious nature ended up becoming more beneficial. His constant nosing around gradually brought the forest Pokémon out into the open which gave Tatsuko a decent advantage for sketch work. Through praise, Leo caught onto this kind of action as a good thing and started to become more bold with his scare tactics. Things were working in his favour until he was hit with a flurry of string-shots after scaring a pod of Caterpie who wouldn't back down. After Tatsuko untangled him from the mess, he reverted back to his slightly more discreet methods.
At one point they stumbled upon a pair of Pikachu playing in a small clearing. Leonidus contently seated himself so close to Tatsuko that he was practically on her lap, just so that he could watch her draw. However, about half-way into the drawing, Leo adverted his attention elsewhere, intently staring into the dark of the forest.
Tatsuko stopped, noting the Charmander's movement and body posture. He had become rigid and focused; something she hadn't felt from him before during this short time.
“What is it?” Tatsuko was concerned. This wasn't a typical display of curiosity from Leonidus. He must have heard or sensed something that she couldn't.
Leonidus didn't acknowledge her. He continued to stare, fixated on whatever it was in front of him. Finally, he emitted a sound that Tatsuko could only compare to a snort, and he crawled over top of her and onto the other side, his lips curled back in a low snarl.
Tatsuko slowly lowered her sketchbook and rose to her feet, now turning her own attention to where Leo's own was. She reached into her back pocket and drew out her Pokédex. She knew that the device had a feature which allowed you to view your Pokémon's attacks, and based on how Leonidus was acting, she gathered a battle might be imminent. She pressed on the button to bring her to her Charmander's summary page. Scratch and Growl were the only attacks he knew at the moment. Those should be simple enough to remember.
A short time passed and there was still no activity. For a moment, Tatsuko considered that perhaps Leonidus had overreacted to the noise of a snapping twig or something, until she heard it.
The sound was low at first, barely audible, but it grew louder and louder as though something was rapidly approaching them. Buzzing. Tatsuko could feel her face grow pale with fear. She recognized that noise and what Pokémon it belonged to.
The Beedril burst out of the foliage like something out of a horror film. Its speckled eyes seemed to be glaring at Tatsuko and Leonidus. It's rapid motions as it hovered and swerved about indicated that the Pokémon was angry. Tatsuko wondered if they were too close to a nearby nest, figuring that was the most likely thing that could have provoked it to attack.
By this point, Leonidus let out a furious cry as the flame on his tail flared up brighter than usual. Tatsuko took in a deep breath and braced herself. This was going to be her first battle and she needed to be on her toes as best she can for the both of them.
The Beedrill locked its attention of Leonidus and advanced.
“Quick, Leonidus, use scratch!” The command felt forced out to her. She hoped she was doing this right.
Leonidus nodded and dashed for the oncoming Beedrill before jumping up and giving it a good swipe across the face with his claws. The Beedrill recoiled slightly, the fresh gash in its cheek bleeding a little, but overall, Leo's attack seemed to have done very little to damage it. If anything, the bee-like Pokémon was now more agitated.
Beedril then swooped in on the Charmander, its needle-like forelimbs punching back and forth toward him at a rapid pace. Tatsuko guessed that it was Beedrill's Fury Attack, the motion seemed to match the descriptions she had read growing up.
“Leo, dodge it as best you can!”
The little Charmander put his speed to the test. He successfully managed to avoid the first two strikes, but was pommelled horribly by the final three of Beedrill's attack. With Leoniudus now in pain and on the ground, the bee Pokémon now took one of its forelimbs and swiftly smacked the Charmander, sending him careening back toward Tatsuko.
“Are you alright?” She called as she ran toward her fallen partner.
Leonidus staggered to get back on his feet, but once there, he nodded with a defiant “Char!”
“Alright then,” Tatsuko breathed, “Let's go get it with another scratch attack!”
Leonidus did so, but this time when he leaped to attack, he overshot the Beedrill and missed it entirely. As Leonudus crashed down on the ground behind it, the bee-like Pokémon instantly rounded on the Charmander and dived, both its points extended out in front.
“Leo, watch out!”
But there was no time for the Charmander to evade the oncoming attack. So, as a last resort, Leo plunged his body onto the ground and braced himself for impact. There was little else he could do.
However, the attack never came. Instead, the Beedrill seemed to back off a little, making odd sounds. When Leo looked back, he noticed that the bee-like Pokémon seemed to be hovering toward him and backing away quickly as though some invisible force was preventing it from getting close.
Tatsuko noticed the change too and after a couple of moments, pieced together the reason why.
“Leo, your tail! It doesn't like the flame on your tail!”
Leonidus had positioned himself in such a way on the ground that he was presenting his tail toward the Beedrill. The fiery tip was just enough to ward off the bug-type momentarily. The hesitation the Beedrill was displaying must have been a natural instinct to keep from being burned.
Leo flicked his tail toward the Beedrill and sure enough, the Pokémon backed away further again, letting out sharp buzzing noises in fear. The Charmander cried out in triumph and lifted himself to his feet, keeping his back toward the Beedrill and swishing his tail to keep it at bay.
“Awesome job,” Tatsuko cried out, pumping a fist into the air. She couldn't believe how exhilarating this was, “Keep that up until you can get in close enough to hit it with Scratch again!”
Leonidus did so. He managed to keep the Beedrill away from him long enough that he was able to quickly get underneath the bug and give it a hearty swipe in its abdomen. The Beedrill convulsed this time. Clearly Leonidus did a fair amount of damage more than with his previous hit. The bug Pokémon then took the bottom half of its body and jabbed its stinger toward him, which, Leonidus promptly veered away from and tumbled to the ground.
The Beedrill rounded on him once more, the spell of caution broken since now it was viewing Leonidus from the front as the Charmander shook its head while standing up to face his foe again. Beedrill once again placed its twin needle arms out in front oand charged at Leonidus with terrifying speed.
The next few moments seemed to play out in painful slow motion for Tatsuko as fear for her Charmander's safety gripped her. She cried out to him, racing toward him as fast as her legs could carry her. She felt heavier than normal. The Beedrill was just moving too fast for her. She wasn't going to get to Leo in time. All she could do now was just watch as her terrified-looking Charmander stood there, just moments away from what could very well be the final move to end the entire battle. Then, in that moment when everything seemed to be for the worst, Leonidus shut his eyes tight and dove out of Beedrill's path, the bug Pokémon crashing into the tree behind him.
The next thing Tatsuko knew, Leonidus had bounded over to her and curled up into the safety of her arms as the heavy thud of the now collapsed Beedrill hit the forest floor. The two stood there a moment, watching as the fallen Beedrill twitched and buzzed unpleasantly on the ground a while before finally lifting itself in the air again and flying away.
There was a pause as the forest seemed to fill itself with familliar sounds again.
“We did it...” Tatsuko stated blankly after what seemed like ages, “We did it. Leo, we did it!”
She laughed in excitement, spinning the Charmander around with her before pulling him into a hug.
“I am so proud of you!” She said, “Our first battle and we won! Granted, that last stunt you pulled there was very brash, but...”
She trailed off, smiling at him while happy tears filled her eyes.
“You are so amazing. I am honoured to have started my first journey with you.”
The slightly stunned expression on Leonidus's face after sensing so many conflicted emotions from his trainer turned into one of joyful pride. His mouth opened in a wide smile as he called out to her happily. He admired the praise.
But their celebration would be short-lived. Not too long after, the two of them could hear buzzing again...and this time, it sounded like more than just one. Tatsuko's grip tightened slightly on her Charmander and she opened her mouth to tell him that they should probably leave now, but before she could do anything, a driving force caught her by the collar of her shirt and ripped her from the earth where she was standing. The motion also made her drop Leonidus involuntarily.
The droning sound of buzzing filled her ears as her body smacked repeatedly against teh ground below her. The flashes of yellow and black she would temporarily see above her confirmed her worst fear. More Beedrill had come.
She strained to see where her Charmander was to make sure he was okay, but it was useless. She could barely hear his cries for her above the noise let alone see him. The next thing Tatsuko knew, she was thrown through the air, her limbs waving helplessly before she smacked against a tree squarely on her back. Much to her surprise, however, the tree gave way underneath her, and she fell into the rotted, hollowed inside of the trunk, landing on something jagged and hard. Another sound filled the void around her.
“Kakusssssssshhhhhhhhhnaaaaa...”
The hissing made her shudder as she glanced around her, horrified, noting the displeased Kakuna beneath her. She struggled to get off of them as quickly as possible, but seemed unable too. If it wasn't for her bare arms, she may not have noticed the sticky substance that the Kakuna had shot at her in defense. She tore at the thread from the string shot to try and free herself, but the more she remove, the more the Kakuna shot at her again to prevent her from moving.
It was in this moment that Tatsuko clearly heard Leonidus call out.
“Chaaaaarrrrrmanderrr!”
She instantly looked in the direction of his voice. It was a terrible sight. The Charmander had finally spotted his master struggling against the Kakuna in the hollowed tree and was desperately trying to make it to her aid as a swarm of Beedrill circled around him, slamming into him and attacking him all the while. Tatsuko had noticed that Leonidus had taken a hefty amount of damage. He was scuffed up and bleeding badly despite his brave facade as he growled and clawed at his attackers.
Tatsuko once again felt the urge to dive in and remove her Charmander from harm's way. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Not at all. She called back to her Pokémon, telling him that she was coming to save him, but the more she struggled against the Kakuna and their onslaught of string-shots, the more it tightened around her and pulled her back. At one point, she pressed all her weight forward to try and pull free of the cocoons' grasp only to have them wrap her upper torso with their sticky string and pull her with so much force that she slammed into them again.
“I'm coming Leo,” she called out, tears streaming down her face as her Charmander's cries became more and more muffled by the buzzing of Beedrill, hoping he would hear, “I'm going to get us out of here somehow, I promise you!”
But as her movements continued to become more limited, the thread which binded her started to creep its way up her neck and then around her mouth and nose. While still reaching out toward freedom with what little she had of her free arms left, Tatsuko's vision started to blur.
No, she though, No, I have to fight against it. I am not going to abandon Leonidus. I can't...
Thoughts began to swirl. Nothing seemed clear any more as her lungs continued to be robbed of oxygen. As the constricting substance managed its way over the rest of her face, Tatsuko slowly slipped away into unconsciousness.
Started this up on DA a while back and thought it may be worth while to share it here as well.
This story is mostly just for fun, really. I'm not looking for any hefty constructive crits or anything for this. Basically this story revolves around the members of my main Pokemon team (lovingly referred to as my "ubers" since they were the first to be raised to lv. 100) and their given trainer, Tatsuko. Just a typical Pokemon journey fic which is OC heavy with perhaps a few canon appearances from the games. I promise you, however, that there are no Canon X OC pairings involved.
Been kind of wanting to write this sort of thing for a while, but wasn't sure which team/trainer combination to start out with until now. Tatsuko also needs a lot more character development than my other Pokemon OC's so I'm also hoping this fic will help me pound her into shape.
Note: I'll be posting the first two chapters one after the other since I have them done already. Chapter 3 and onward will be uploaded as frequently as they also will be on DA.
Rated PG - PG 13 For mild language, blood and violence. This fiction probably won't go too overboard with the previously stated content, but it is important to state that it is in there nonetheless.
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Chapter 1
First Encounter
“Damn,”
Tatsuko sighed as she glared at the broken pencil in her hand before shoving the other into her bad to grab the sharpener. She was almost done the sketch of the Nidorino sleeping in front of her and wasn't about to let the mistake of applying too much pressure to the sketch pad get in her way.
As a twenty one year-old freelance Pokémon illustrator, Tatsuko has made her living drawing these creatures for magazines and storybooks. She prides herself in capturing the likeness of the Pokémon right down to the last detail. Perhaps that's why this job was so important to her, illustrating Pokémon for the latest encyclopedia of known species in each region, depicting unique markings and blemish's unlike the the typical clean-cut cookie cutter images of the past.
Placing the newly sharpened pencil in her mouth as she adjusted back into a comfortable sitting position again, Tatsuko took another look at her current subject. This Nidorino told quite the story. It's body was bulk, and muscular, with a large spotting pattern that ran down its backside. It was battered and scarred, possibly by many rounds of intense battle but seemingly well-taken care of by its trainer considering the sheen of its sleek fur. Its trademark horn however, appeared to have been broken recently, and was currently in the slow progress of growing back. Perhaps that's why the trainer had transferred the creature back to Oak's lab, so that it could heal properly.
Tatsuko hesitated a moment. Yes, that's right, she was doing this for Professor Oak. The idea was so surreal to her that she kept forgetting who had contracted her for the task in the first place. Being a native of the Kanto region, she had heard many stories of the famed researcher and held the man in high regard. She had read all his books and often found his studies helped her better understand Pokémon and improve her work. When word got out that Oak was looking for artists for his latest project, she jumped at the chance. She still couldn't get over how lucky she was to be among the few chosen for the job, considering the amount of competition that surrounded it.
And now she was here, in the backyard of the Professor's lab, sketching Pokemon for the man who had inspired her work for many years. It was like a dream come true.
Finishing up the last few pencil strokes of the Nidorino drawing, Tatsuko couldn't hep but lean over and place a hand to her abdomen as her belly seemed to lurch forward in a loud rumble. She grinned sheepishly to herself. She had been so focused on finishing the drawing that she had ignored the fact that she was getting hungrier for the past several hours. At least this time she remembered to bring a lunch with her.
Placing down her sketchbook, she turned for her bag but stopped when she noticed that something small and orange had knocked it over and was rummaging inside it. The Charmander pulled its head out of the bag with half a sandwich in its mouth and looked at Tatsuko for a brief moment before darting off, dragging the bag along with it.
“Hey, HEY!” Tatsuko hurriedly raised herself to her feet and took chase. Her supplies and entire livelihood were still in that bag. “Get back here!”
The zippy Pokémon may have very well outrun-her if it weren't for the bag compromising its speed, but the stubborn little Charmander didn't appear about ready to give it up. It had found something it liked in her bag and intended to keep it. Tatsuko managed to keep pace with the Pokémon, following it until it finally hit the border of the property.
Good, Tatsuko thought. It has nowhere else to run. She cornered the now baffled Charmander and made sure it knew that it wasn't going to get by her so easily. As the Pokémon backed up against the fence defensively, Tatsuko was finally able to get a better look at the creature. It was the average size and shape for a Charmander with a typical bold stripe pattern running down its back and tail, being a slightly darker shade than the rest of its body. Unlike what most pictures of the Char family would have you believe, finding a solid-coloured Pokémon of this species was exceedingly rare. The most defining characteristic of this Charmander's pattern, however, were the three distinct stripes on its face: one running down along its forehead and two above its eyes. Tatsuko gave it a stern look.
“Give it,” she said, gesturing an open hand toward the bag. The Charmander growled, pulling the bag closer to him and burrowing his fierce blue eyes into her own, boldly issuing a challenge.
Tatsuko sighed, now placing one hand on her him and one behind her head, rubbing her hat up and down her scalp as she tried to figure out another way to convince the Pokémon to give her bag back to her.
“Is it the food you're after?” She said, “'Cause you can keep that. I just want the bag and the rest of the stuff that's in it.”
The Charmander gave her a suspicious look.
“I'm serious,” she stated, frowning at the expression, “Look, how about a trade? You get the food, I get everything else. That alright by you?”
The Charmander still seemed hesitant, its flame-tipped tail abruptly swaying back and forth indicating that it still didn't trust the human that it was confronting. Nonetheless, it slowly relinquished possession of the bag and pushed it toward Tatsuko.
Tatsuko thanked the Pokémon, albeit, still miffed that the fact that she had to chase it down in the first place. But as she promised, she reached into her bag (which was a mess with crumbs thanks to the Charmander sneaking in there earlier) and tossed whatever remnants of food she could find to the creature. The Charmander gladly snagged the food, and after it had gathered up all it could it scuttled off, stopping momentarily to stare at Tatsuko all the while.
Tatsuko raised an eyebrow. Whoever that Charmander's trainer was, they were certainly dealing with a handful of a Pokémon. At least the incident was over.
But the numbing pain of hunger was still in her gut. She grimaced a little once she noticed it again.
“Well, I could always head into town to buy something to eat,” she figured, poking around for her wallet now to see if she had enough money. Crap. Not even enough to get herself a simple sandwich from the Pallet Town department store. Tatsuko placed her thumb and index finger on the bridge between her eyes and massaged the area a little. What's done is done. She was just going to have to push through the hunger for now. She then turned her attention to the other Pokémon in the yard, trying to pinpoint a subject she would draw next.
Tatsuko finally settled on an Oddish with a small extra leaf growth at the back of its head. It was currently playing with an oddly-coloured Shuckle. She couldn't help but smile as she settled in at a relatively good distance from them so as to not disturb them at play. They looked so happy playing together and wondered if perhaps they shared the same trainer.
After about fifteen minutes of drawing, Tatsuko had finally forgotten how hungry she was and was more focus on implementing Oddish's joy into the piece. She became so enthralled in her work that she barely noticed anything around her at that point, including the soft tugging on her clothing as a small body clambered up onto her shoulder.
“Char...” The voice was so soft and loud in her ear that Tatsuko nearly jumped out of her skin before she realized what it was. She then paused. It couldn't be. Sure enough, as she turned her head she saw the Charmander with the three distinct head stripes leaning off her left shoulder, it's gaze fixated on the drawing. Tatsuko blinked, a little baffled at the Pokémon's presence. While it wouldn't be the first time she had a curious onlooker watching her work, she was under the impression that the Charmander wanted nothing to do with her earlier, based on the way it was acting. Why the change of heart?
The Charmander then shifted it's weight a little, turning a rather perplexed look at the girl and tilting it's head.
“Char?”
Tatsuko stared at it. Was it trying to ask her what she was doing?
“Uh....” Tatsuko started, turning her attention to the drawing then back to the Charmander, “I'm drawing some of the Pokémon around here. In this case I'm drawing that Oddish over there, see?” She pointed to the Pokémon in question, who was now bouncing happily on the Shuckle's back.
The Charmander seemed amazed by what it had just been told and darted it's gaze back and forth between the Oddish and the drawing. After a few minutes of this, it turned its attention back to Tatsuko.
“Char!” It said, now bouncing up and down on her shoulder excitedly, “Char, char char!”
Tatsuko was dumbfounded as she then watch the Charmander bound down, bouncing off her sketchbook and landing right in front of her, waving its arms frantically and repeating its name as though it was trying to get her attention. Then, the Charmander did something exceptionally strange. It raised itself high on its toes as it extended its arms in the air and bent them slightly. It then put on a fierce-looking face as it opened its mouth and growled.
Tatsuko just sat there, looking at the Pokémon at a loss.
“Mander?” it resumed a normal stance, tilting its head at her when it noticed her expression. It then looked down a moment before seemingly getting another idea. This time it jumped down to all fours, presenting a profile view to Tatsuko. It opened its mouth to emit a roar, but as it did, a tiny burst of flame quickly popped out. It closed its mouth quickly and looked down as though embarrassed.
Tatsuko had to stifle the laugh that had just erupted from her mouth. Though she didn't quite understand what the Charmander was doing, she did have to admit to herself that it was kind of cute. Then, a thought dawned on her.
“Are you asking me to draw you?”
The Charmander leaped up happily, wagging its tail as it let out a cry of approval.
Tatsuko crossed her arms and gave it a half-smile.
“I dunno...first you steal my food and now you're asking me a favour. That doesn't seem like a fair trade.”
The Charmander lowered its tail and gave her a guilty look. Tatsuko laughed.
“Well, lucky for you I haven't drawn a Charmander yet,” she said, turning to a fresh page, “So I guess I have no choice but to draw you.”
The Pokémon's expression seemed to light up as she said this, and the Charmander resumed with his attempts at posing. Tatsuko shook her head.
“No need to pose, hun. Just be yourself. You'll tire yourself out otherwise.”
The Charmander seemed a little confused by this, but obediently relaxed itself. It then sat there with its tail loosely clutched in its claws as it looked around, a little unsure what to do with itself.
Tatsuko giggled as she began the rough sketch of the Pokémon. She figured it would do what came naturally ind due time. No more than a few minutes later, Tatsuko's theory payed off as a passing Wurmple caught the attention of the fiery salamander, who took curious chase after it, its body splayed and low to the ground as it held its tail high in the air. Tatsuko smiled and shook her head. She had never seen a Pokémon do that before. This Charmander certainly was a character.
A couple of hours passed and Tatsuko finally finished the drawing. Somewhere along the way, the Charmander had grown sleepy and had decided to take a nap under a nearby tree. Tatsuko called to it to tell it that the picture was done and the creature seemed to perk up instantly, trotting on over to the girl to see.
As it climbed up onto her shoulders once more, Tatsuko then steadily raised her body, allowing her legs to have a good stretch. The Charmander's eyes grew wide as it gazed upon its image. Tatsuko had placed it into a running position on the page, its eyes lit up with wonder with an extremely happy expression on its face. The fiery salamander then slowly leaned forward and placed its front paws gently on the paper. Tatsuko smiled.
“Glad you like it.”
Then, the sound of the front door opening sounded as a man with greying hair and a white lab coat emerged.
“Charmander!” Oak called out, scratching the back of his head, “Now where could that Pokémon have run off to now?” He turned, noticing Tatsuko standing in the yard with the Pokémon seated on her shoulder. “Ah, Tatsuko,” he approached them, “It seems you found my missing Pokémon, thank you!”
The Charmander let out a grumbled cry and slowly lowered itself behind Tatsuko, glaring inches over her shoulder at the Professor.
“Um, you're welcome?” Tatsuko said, a little confused by the Charmander's reaction.
“Now, Charmander don't be that way,”Oak stated as he slowed his pace to a stop in front of them. He rummaged into one of his pockets and pulled out a Pokéball. “Today's the day you meet your new partner, my friend, I need you in the lab with the other two.”
The Charmander snorted and dropped down from Tatsuko, lumbering into the space between her and the Professor. He gave Oak a very displeased look as a red beam shot at it from the Pokéball and drew it in.
“I am so sorry,” Tatsuko said, finally getting over the shock of what had just happened, “I thought it was another trainer's Pokémon, I didn't realize it was one of the lab starters.”
Oak shook his head.
“Not to worry, Ms. Tatsuko,” he assured, “This Charmander has been a bit of a handful since he first arrived. He's a rash little fellow and highly curious, so he's always breaking out of his Pokéball to go exploring.” He sighed, “I only hope that one of the boys today chooses this Charmander today. It would definitely be better for him to go explore the world than to be cooped up here.”
Oak then turned his attention to Tatsuko with a smile.
“But I must say, he certainly took a liking to you. What were you doing that caught his attention?”
“Uh...” Tatsuko said, rubbing her arm nervously. She's always disliked explaining her actions to people, “Actually, he became interested in my drawings, so I ended up drawing a picture of him...after I gave him my food of course.” She laughed sheepishly after the last statement.
“Oh! Then may I?” Oak asked, motioning to her sketchbook. Tatsuko nodded and passed him the drawing. “Remarkable! Precisely the reason I hired you in the first place Ms. Tatsuko. You capture the likeness and feeling of Pokémon exquisitely. I'm certain Charmander was very impressed as well.” He handed the book back to her, “I best be off to the lab now, the new trainers will be here any minute.”
As he turned to leave, Tatsuko spoke up.
“Uh, um...sir?” She said, feeling rather stupid for what she was about to ask, “Mind if I come along? I never went on a Pokémon journey of my own and have always been curious about the starter-choosing process.”
She bit her lip, awaiting his response. Tatsuko's parents were heavy advocates against Pokémon training, feeling it was cruel to imprison the creatures inside of tiny, electronic balls. As a result, she was forbidden from journeying with Pokémon, let alone, owning one, so sketching them was the closest thing she could ever have to true interactions with Pokémon. To this day, she wondered what it would have been like to see the world twenty years ago.
“Why certainly, dear,” came the man's kind response, “Who am I to turn away someone who is genuinely interested in Pokémon? Right this way.”
Following Oak into the lab, Tatsuko was met by an array of whirring machines and linking lights. She looked around as she ventured further, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar smells and sounds. The room looked like something out of a Sci-Fi film. Approaching the back of the room, Tatsuko noticed a table with two Pokéballs where Professor Oak proceeded to place the ball containing Charmander in the presently empty space.
“This is where it all begins,” Oak stated as he turned away from the table and toward Tatsuko, “Within these three Pokéballs is a potential Pokémon starting partner. You have already met Charmander, the fire-type, but there is also the options of the grass and water-types, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. You'll be seeing them when the new adventurers arrive.”
Tatsuko nodded, her sketchbook clutched against her chest as she hung on Oak's every word.
“From there, the new trainers make their choices of which Pokémon they want to keep,” Oak continued, “They are then given a set of five Pokéballs and a Pokédex – an electronic encyclopedia which registers every Pokémon that is encountered on the journey. Only one trainer was ever able to complete the Pokédex in its entirety....” He trailed off with these last set of words, his expression becoming grave as he lost himself in thought for the moment. Oak shook his head.
“But that was a long time ago. We now need to focus on the trainers of today.”
As if on cue, the sound of the lab door opening could be heard.
“Hey Professor Oak~! Were' here to pick up our Pokémon!”
Two boys entered the fray, the one to the right seemed like a happy child with bowl-cut blonde hair and green eyes. The other, wearing a baseball cap to its side, appeared to be less impressed with arms boldly folded over his chest. He had brown hair, eyes and a distinct freckling pattern across his cheeks.
“Ah, Toya, Kumo. You two are early,” Oak addressed, nodding to the two newcomers as they neared.
“We couldn't wait,” The blonde boy laughed, rubbing a hand behind his head before nudging his friend, “Isn't that right, Kumo?”
“Whatever...” Kumo replied, turning away. “Who's this?” He nodded his head toward Tatsuko.
“This is Tatsuko, a Pokémon illustrator I hired to help me with a special project.” Oak explained.
“Nice to meet you two,” Tatsuko said, bowing slightly to be polite, “You must be very excited.”
“You bet we are!” Toya said, making fists with his hands and drawing them to his body, “This is the most essential day for a future Pokémon Master and Kumo and I are gonna give it all we got!”
“Heh...a Pokémon illustrator, huh?” Kumo stated, disregarding Toya. He gave Tatsuko a smirk, “Sounds pretty lame. What, did you fail so badly at being a trainer that you had to turn to drawing them instead?”
Tatsuko frowned but didn't respond. As much as it hurt, she was certain that the boy was merely trying to get a rise out of her and she refused to give him that satisfaction. Though, comparing the two drastic personality of the boys, she was having a hard time understanding the relationship they had with each other.
“Now Kumo,” Oak said sternly, “You know nothing of Ms. Tatsuko and her struggles. It's best that you keep comments like that to yourself, else suffer the consequences later.”
Kumo shrugged, clearly amused with himself. Toya then clung to him, shaking his friend and shouting about how much he was in agreement with the Professor. It wasn't too long before Kumo's smug expression turned into one of annoyance.
“Let's get started then, shall we?” Oak finally chimed in, sounding slightly exasperated with the boys' behaviour. He turned to the three Pokéballs behind him and one by one released the Pokémon that were contained inside.
The Bulbasaur was as cute as can be. Its scattered spots were somewhat triangular in shape and it greeted the two trainers with a dopey smile. The Squirtle, looking very determined was quick to show off its bold, rounded markings running along its arms to the base of its scalp. Its shell was a remarkable sight to behold as its dark rings made for a decorative display. And of course, there was the Charmander that Tatsuko had met prior. Its eyes were lit up as he looked up at the trainers with the utmost pride. Each were happy, healthy and eager to be chosen.
Almost instantly, Toya slapped both hands to the side of his face and squealed. He quickly scuttled over to the Bulbasaur and picked it up.
“You....are the single most adorable thing I have EVER seen!” He gave it a big hug, “I'm gonna call you, Leafy!”
“Really, Toya?” Kumo muttered, clearly not looking impressed with the other boy as he placed a hand to his forehead.
“You're just jealous because I picked the best Pokémon of the bunch before you could,” Toya retorted, playfully sticking out his tongue as he held out the happy-looking Bulbasaur for his friend to see.
“Bulbasaur was your top pick, you dork,” Kumo stated. He turned to the remaining Pokémon, placing a thoughtful hand to his chin, “Now, what to choose...”
Tatsuko looked at the Charmander, who was now leaning forward in anticipation. Though part of her hoped that Kumo would pick the fiery salamander so he could finally have a trainer it could travel with, another part of her was pained to see him go. Perhaps it was the short time she spent with the Pokémon, but she couldn't help but feel there was something special about this Charmander. She then hoped, if Kumo did choose him, that he would treat him kindly.
After some time, Kumo made his decision.
“You,” he said pointing at the Squirtle.
The Charmander's jaw slacked as his forelimbs flopped down to its sides, defeated. The Squirtle gave a quick laugh as it puffed out its chest and placed its paws on its hips. It then began to shuffle over to its new trainer, but not before turning back to the salamander and stuck its tongue out at him, pulling down one of its eyelids as it did to add insult to injury.
Charmander's expression then changed from one of shock, to rage. He bared his teeth and growled at the turtle Pokémon, dropping down to all fours to charge at it. The Squirtle noticed his advances and lowered its head as the Charmander approached, meeting the fiery salamander head-on with a tackle attack that sent him flying backward. Charmander shook himself as soon as it was done skidding across the floor and attempted to charge at the Squirtle once more.
“Woah, woah, hey!” Tatsuko called as she quickly grabbed him, noticing the Squirtle lowing its head again, “Take it easy there...”
The Charmander struggled in her grip as she picked him up, clawing the air furiously toward the turtle. Tatsuko was surprised by the tension and strength she could feel in his body. He was definitely looking for a fight.
“Yeah, take it easy there,” Kumo echoed, mocking Tatsuko's words. He then grew serious again. “It's nothing personal, it's just that Squirtle was the better choice. The first Gym features rock-type Pokémon, it would have been pointless to choose a fire-type as a starter.”
With that, both Kumo and Toya recieved their Pokédex and Pokéballs, thanked Professor Oak and took their leave with brand-new partners at their side. Shortly after they left, Tatsuko began to notice that the Charmander in her hands was shaking. It took her moments later to realize that it was starting to cry.
“No, no,no,” She said gently, turning the Pokémon toward her, “Charmander? Charmander. Look at me.”
The salamander sniffled and turned a tearful pair of eyes up at her.
“You are a good Pokémon,” Tatsuko continued, giving it a gentle shake to make her point, “If that boy can't see it, then he doesn't deserve to be your trainer.” She smiled, “You just wait, another pesron is going to walk through that door and happily take you on your journey. Just...please don't cry, okay?”
Her words seemed to have cheered the Charmander up a little. He gave a small cry as he opened his mouth in a slight a smile.
“There won't be another trainer today.”
“What?”
“Toya and Kumo were the only two youngsters starting out on their journey today,” Oak explained, “Over the years, the number of beginning trainers have been dwindling. Things aren't what they used to be.”
“Char...” The Pokémon flopped sadly in Tatsuko's grip.
“So, that's why I want to ask you to take Charmander instead.”
“Huh!?” Tatsuko and Charmander gaped at the Professor in unison.
Oak smiled.
“Why not? Like I've said before, Charmander needs to see the world in order to satisfy his curious nature. He would be stuck here in my lab otherwise.”
“But, but,” Tatsuko started, looking between Oak and the Pokémon and feeling a lump form in her throat, “But Professor, with all do respect, I've never raised a Pokémon before...not even as a pet! Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean...what if I mess up?”
“Nonsense!” Oak said with glee as he rummaged through one of the desk drawers behind him, “I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, you're doing fine with Charmander already... Afterall, you do need a Pokémon to protect you if you are going to travel through the tall grass.” He presented a baffled-looking Tatsuko with a Pokédex and five Pokéballs.
“I have a special errand I want you to run,” Oak continued, the shine of a clever man glinting in his eye, “While it's true that you can make many illustrations for my Encyclopedia in my back yard, I don't feel it's enough. What I would like you to do, Ms. Tatsuko, is to journey through Kanto and draw the Pokémon you encounter in the wild and send what you can to me by the deadline. These items will help you to achieve this goal.”
“Um...thanks?” Tatsuko said, taking the items from Professor Oak as the Charmander moved to sit on her shoulders. She wasn't quite sure what to make of all of this.
“Would you like to give him a nickname?”
“Hm?”
“Your Charmander,” Oak smiled, “Every trainer is given the option to nickname their Pokémon and now that you are one, so do you.”
Tatsuko thought about it a moment. The idea of nicknaming her very first Pokémon did sound very tempting. She turned to her Charmander.
“What do you say, Charmander? Do you want a nickname?”
The Charmander let out a happy cry.
“Alright then! Let's see....” She placed a finger to her lips a moment. Then, a name came to mind. “How about Leonidus? It seems to suit you. Strong and brave at the same time.”
The Charmander seemed pleased. Tatsuko laughed.
“I guess I should give you the rest of the day off to prepare then,” Oak said happily, cupping his hands behind his back, “You have a long journey ahead of you.”
Tatsuko nodded, then headed for the door with her Pokémon in tow, feeling as though she was in a dream.
“Oh, Tatsuko!” Oak called out, “One more thing before you leave...”
A kind smile crossed his face.
“Always remember....That you are never too old to start your Pokémon adventure.”
----
Chapter 2
An Adventure About to Unfold
Trainer Name: Tatsuko
Age: 21
Height: 5 ft 4”
Weight: 130 Lbs.
Hair Colour: Dirty Brown
Eye Colour: Blue
Rank: Novice Trainer
“There,” Tatsuko said as she finished inputting the last of her information in her Pokédex while slurping down another mouthful of noodles. She then suffled over to her bedside and placed the hand-held electronic encyclopedia down next to her grey duffel hat, tote bag and other assortment of supplies that she would be needing for her journey.
Leonidus briefly looked up at her in a moment's interest, the Charmander temporarily adverting his attention from testing out the fluffiness of Tatsuko's pillow.
It was roughly mid-afternoon by the time Tatsuko made it to her home along Route 3. The hunger pains she had been fighting off had re-emerged so she prioritized a quick and easy meal for herself as she got her things packed. She planned on heading off before it became too dark to travel.
Tatsuko absentmindedly grabbed the hairband which sat on her bedside table. She tied her wavy hair back into a loose ponytail, allowing her bangs to fall forward before scuttling over to her desk drawer and pulling out an old, dusty town map. Tatsuko has never travelled beyond Viridian City before, so she was going to need it.
She blew on it, coughing a little and waving her hand as the dust puffed up in her face. She then opened the map and turned toward the bed, laying it as flat as she could so Leonidus could see.
“We're going to be heading here first,” She said, pointing to Viridian Forest as the Charmander peered at the map in wonder, “It's not too far and we're sure to run into a good amount of wild Pokémon. Whatd'ya think?”
“Char char!” Leonidus chimed with glee, wagging his tail. Excitement was evident in his eyes as he seemed to smile at his new trainer.
Tatsuko smiled back at her Pokémon. She had travelled to Viridian Forest before to do some sketch work, but wasn't able to veer off the path to find more Pokémon in the past. Tall grass has always been a major hazard to non-trainers. Individuals careless enough to venture in the tall grass alone and without a Pokémon tend to upset its wild inhabitants, often leading to injury and in some cases, death.
“Well,” Tatsuko said, folding the map back up before grabbing her hat and placing it on her head, “I guess we better get going!”
Leonidus cried, happily jumping up and down on the bed. Tatsuko giggled and pulled out Leonidus' Pokéball which she had promptly stashed in her belt pouch after receiving it from Professor Oak. She pressed the centre button to enlarge it and held it out in front of her to recall the expectant-looking Charmander. She hesitated however, a puzzled frown crossing her face. Leo was her first Pokémon, and though it was customary for trainers to carry the creatures in Pokéballs, it just didn't feel right to her to do so at this moment. She wanted to get to know her fiery salamander a little better and felt that confining him would hinder the development of their relationship. Not to mention, Leonidus had a reported history of being temperamental with Pokéballs, so perhaps it would be for the better. It only seemed fair.
She sighed and let her arm fall to her side before smiling at him.
“Say, Leo, would you rather just walk alongside me instead?”
The Charmander beamed. Tatsuko got her answer.
The afternoon remained warm as they made the quick venture into Viridian Forest. Tatsuko was a little anxious at first when she noticed that Leonidus had the tendency to go exploring every new thing he would see. She didn't want the Charmander straying too far just in case he got into trouble. But despite Leo's wanderings, he stayed within proximity of his trainer's sight and she eventually relaxed a little on the matter, occasionally calling out to the Pokémon if she felt he was getting ahead of himself.
Upon entering the brush, however, Leonidus' curious nature ended up becoming more beneficial. His constant nosing around gradually brought the forest Pokémon out into the open which gave Tatsuko a decent advantage for sketch work. Through praise, Leo caught onto this kind of action as a good thing and started to become more bold with his scare tactics. Things were working in his favour until he was hit with a flurry of string-shots after scaring a pod of Caterpie who wouldn't back down. After Tatsuko untangled him from the mess, he reverted back to his slightly more discreet methods.
At one point they stumbled upon a pair of Pikachu playing in a small clearing. Leonidus contently seated himself so close to Tatsuko that he was practically on her lap, just so that he could watch her draw. However, about half-way into the drawing, Leo adverted his attention elsewhere, intently staring into the dark of the forest.
Tatsuko stopped, noting the Charmander's movement and body posture. He had become rigid and focused; something she hadn't felt from him before during this short time.
“What is it?” Tatsuko was concerned. This wasn't a typical display of curiosity from Leonidus. He must have heard or sensed something that she couldn't.
Leonidus didn't acknowledge her. He continued to stare, fixated on whatever it was in front of him. Finally, he emitted a sound that Tatsuko could only compare to a snort, and he crawled over top of her and onto the other side, his lips curled back in a low snarl.
Tatsuko slowly lowered her sketchbook and rose to her feet, now turning her own attention to where Leo's own was. She reached into her back pocket and drew out her Pokédex. She knew that the device had a feature which allowed you to view your Pokémon's attacks, and based on how Leonidus was acting, she gathered a battle might be imminent. She pressed on the button to bring her to her Charmander's summary page. Scratch and Growl were the only attacks he knew at the moment. Those should be simple enough to remember.
A short time passed and there was still no activity. For a moment, Tatsuko considered that perhaps Leonidus had overreacted to the noise of a snapping twig or something, until she heard it.
The sound was low at first, barely audible, but it grew louder and louder as though something was rapidly approaching them. Buzzing. Tatsuko could feel her face grow pale with fear. She recognized that noise and what Pokémon it belonged to.
The Beedril burst out of the foliage like something out of a horror film. Its speckled eyes seemed to be glaring at Tatsuko and Leonidus. It's rapid motions as it hovered and swerved about indicated that the Pokémon was angry. Tatsuko wondered if they were too close to a nearby nest, figuring that was the most likely thing that could have provoked it to attack.
By this point, Leonidus let out a furious cry as the flame on his tail flared up brighter than usual. Tatsuko took in a deep breath and braced herself. This was going to be her first battle and she needed to be on her toes as best she can for the both of them.
The Beedrill locked its attention of Leonidus and advanced.
“Quick, Leonidus, use scratch!” The command felt forced out to her. She hoped she was doing this right.
Leonidus nodded and dashed for the oncoming Beedrill before jumping up and giving it a good swipe across the face with his claws. The Beedrill recoiled slightly, the fresh gash in its cheek bleeding a little, but overall, Leo's attack seemed to have done very little to damage it. If anything, the bee-like Pokémon was now more agitated.
Beedril then swooped in on the Charmander, its needle-like forelimbs punching back and forth toward him at a rapid pace. Tatsuko guessed that it was Beedrill's Fury Attack, the motion seemed to match the descriptions she had read growing up.
“Leo, dodge it as best you can!”
The little Charmander put his speed to the test. He successfully managed to avoid the first two strikes, but was pommelled horribly by the final three of Beedrill's attack. With Leoniudus now in pain and on the ground, the bee Pokémon now took one of its forelimbs and swiftly smacked the Charmander, sending him careening back toward Tatsuko.
“Are you alright?” She called as she ran toward her fallen partner.
Leonidus staggered to get back on his feet, but once there, he nodded with a defiant “Char!”
“Alright then,” Tatsuko breathed, “Let's go get it with another scratch attack!”
Leonidus did so, but this time when he leaped to attack, he overshot the Beedrill and missed it entirely. As Leonudus crashed down on the ground behind it, the bee-like Pokémon instantly rounded on the Charmander and dived, both its points extended out in front.
“Leo, watch out!”
But there was no time for the Charmander to evade the oncoming attack. So, as a last resort, Leo plunged his body onto the ground and braced himself for impact. There was little else he could do.
However, the attack never came. Instead, the Beedrill seemed to back off a little, making odd sounds. When Leo looked back, he noticed that the bee-like Pokémon seemed to be hovering toward him and backing away quickly as though some invisible force was preventing it from getting close.
Tatsuko noticed the change too and after a couple of moments, pieced together the reason why.
“Leo, your tail! It doesn't like the flame on your tail!”
Leonidus had positioned himself in such a way on the ground that he was presenting his tail toward the Beedrill. The fiery tip was just enough to ward off the bug-type momentarily. The hesitation the Beedrill was displaying must have been a natural instinct to keep from being burned.
Leo flicked his tail toward the Beedrill and sure enough, the Pokémon backed away further again, letting out sharp buzzing noises in fear. The Charmander cried out in triumph and lifted himself to his feet, keeping his back toward the Beedrill and swishing his tail to keep it at bay.
“Awesome job,” Tatsuko cried out, pumping a fist into the air. She couldn't believe how exhilarating this was, “Keep that up until you can get in close enough to hit it with Scratch again!”
Leonidus did so. He managed to keep the Beedrill away from him long enough that he was able to quickly get underneath the bug and give it a hearty swipe in its abdomen. The Beedrill convulsed this time. Clearly Leonidus did a fair amount of damage more than with his previous hit. The bug Pokémon then took the bottom half of its body and jabbed its stinger toward him, which, Leonidus promptly veered away from and tumbled to the ground.
The Beedrill rounded on him once more, the spell of caution broken since now it was viewing Leonidus from the front as the Charmander shook its head while standing up to face his foe again. Beedrill once again placed its twin needle arms out in front oand charged at Leonidus with terrifying speed.
The next few moments seemed to play out in painful slow motion for Tatsuko as fear for her Charmander's safety gripped her. She cried out to him, racing toward him as fast as her legs could carry her. She felt heavier than normal. The Beedrill was just moving too fast for her. She wasn't going to get to Leo in time. All she could do now was just watch as her terrified-looking Charmander stood there, just moments away from what could very well be the final move to end the entire battle. Then, in that moment when everything seemed to be for the worst, Leonidus shut his eyes tight and dove out of Beedrill's path, the bug Pokémon crashing into the tree behind him.
The next thing Tatsuko knew, Leonidus had bounded over to her and curled up into the safety of her arms as the heavy thud of the now collapsed Beedrill hit the forest floor. The two stood there a moment, watching as the fallen Beedrill twitched and buzzed unpleasantly on the ground a while before finally lifting itself in the air again and flying away.
There was a pause as the forest seemed to fill itself with familliar sounds again.
“We did it...” Tatsuko stated blankly after what seemed like ages, “We did it. Leo, we did it!”
She laughed in excitement, spinning the Charmander around with her before pulling him into a hug.
“I am so proud of you!” She said, “Our first battle and we won! Granted, that last stunt you pulled there was very brash, but...”
She trailed off, smiling at him while happy tears filled her eyes.
“You are so amazing. I am honoured to have started my first journey with you.”
The slightly stunned expression on Leonidus's face after sensing so many conflicted emotions from his trainer turned into one of joyful pride. His mouth opened in a wide smile as he called out to her happily. He admired the praise.
But their celebration would be short-lived. Not too long after, the two of them could hear buzzing again...and this time, it sounded like more than just one. Tatsuko's grip tightened slightly on her Charmander and she opened her mouth to tell him that they should probably leave now, but before she could do anything, a driving force caught her by the collar of her shirt and ripped her from the earth where she was standing. The motion also made her drop Leonidus involuntarily.
The droning sound of buzzing filled her ears as her body smacked repeatedly against teh ground below her. The flashes of yellow and black she would temporarily see above her confirmed her worst fear. More Beedrill had come.
She strained to see where her Charmander was to make sure he was okay, but it was useless. She could barely hear his cries for her above the noise let alone see him. The next thing Tatsuko knew, she was thrown through the air, her limbs waving helplessly before she smacked against a tree squarely on her back. Much to her surprise, however, the tree gave way underneath her, and she fell into the rotted, hollowed inside of the trunk, landing on something jagged and hard. Another sound filled the void around her.
“Kakusssssssshhhhhhhhhnaaaaa...”
The hissing made her shudder as she glanced around her, horrified, noting the displeased Kakuna beneath her. She struggled to get off of them as quickly as possible, but seemed unable too. If it wasn't for her bare arms, she may not have noticed the sticky substance that the Kakuna had shot at her in defense. She tore at the thread from the string shot to try and free herself, but the more she remove, the more the Kakuna shot at her again to prevent her from moving.
It was in this moment that Tatsuko clearly heard Leonidus call out.
“Chaaaaarrrrrmanderrr!”
She instantly looked in the direction of his voice. It was a terrible sight. The Charmander had finally spotted his master struggling against the Kakuna in the hollowed tree and was desperately trying to make it to her aid as a swarm of Beedrill circled around him, slamming into him and attacking him all the while. Tatsuko had noticed that Leonidus had taken a hefty amount of damage. He was scuffed up and bleeding badly despite his brave facade as he growled and clawed at his attackers.
Tatsuko once again felt the urge to dive in and remove her Charmander from harm's way. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Not at all. She called back to her Pokémon, telling him that she was coming to save him, but the more she struggled against the Kakuna and their onslaught of string-shots, the more it tightened around her and pulled her back. At one point, she pressed all her weight forward to try and pull free of the cocoons' grasp only to have them wrap her upper torso with their sticky string and pull her with so much force that she slammed into them again.
“I'm coming Leo,” she called out, tears streaming down her face as her Charmander's cries became more and more muffled by the buzzing of Beedrill, hoping he would hear, “I'm going to get us out of here somehow, I promise you!”
But as her movements continued to become more limited, the thread which binded her started to creep its way up her neck and then around her mouth and nose. While still reaching out toward freedom with what little she had of her free arms left, Tatsuko's vision started to blur.
No, she though, No, I have to fight against it. I am not going to abandon Leonidus. I can't...
Thoughts began to swirl. Nothing seemed clear any more as her lungs continued to be robbed of oxygen. As the constricting substance managed its way over the rest of her face, Tatsuko slowly slipped away into unconsciousness.