Trigger Warning: There's a bit that discusses some touchy subjects, such as the loss of a child, depression, & divorce. There's also a character that has an accident that puts her into a wheelchair in case that might trigger something too; the accident itself is never specified, but better safe than sorry. There's also yelling at Pokemon in this and insulting them. Mild language is a thing too. I'm really just throwing out possible things that could be triggers, so if none of these are actually triggers, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to cover my ***.
"What do you want for your birthday?"
The young boy gazed up at his father with wide blue eyes. A pointy blue hat was perched on top of his brown hair, and a blue pom-pom was at the very tip of the hat. In bold yellow letters on the hat were the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
"Well?"
The boy frowned as he thought about what he'd want for his birthday. He knew why his father was asking. The boy could remember his older sister bragging about the Weedle she got for her fifth birthday. It had since evolved into a Beedrill now, and she'd gone off on an adventure of her own. The memory of his sister bragging about that Weedle was just forever engraved into the young boy's mind.
One day, he hoped to have a Pokemon just like hers.
Okay, well, not exactly like hers. The boy wasn't very fond of Weedle. It was a weird Pokemon, and its final form was kind of scary, at least to a five year old.
"An Abra," the young boy finally said. "I want Abra."
The boy's father frowned now. "That's not possible."
"But I want Abra," the boy whined. "You asked me what I wanted, and I want Abra!"
"Abra is a very strong Psychic type Pokemon. They form powerful bonds with their trainers, bonds too strong for a young child like you," the father replied, his voice trailing off. His eyes moved from the five year old to the two potted plants behind him. They had taken on a blue aura all of a sudden, and they were hovering a few inches off of the floor.
"I want Abra!" the child screamed, tears streaming from his stormy gray eyes. "I want Abra! I don't want a stupid Weedle like Cordelia got! Weedle is stupid!"
More objects around the room started to hover, taking on the same blue aura that the potted plants had. The father showed no signs of caring about the hovering objects, he just glanced around the room and noted that they were indeed hovering.
"Give me an Abra!" the child shrieked.
The father sighed, but his eyes widened as one of the potted plants shattered at his feet. Some of the clay shards scattered around the room, but most of them stayed near the pile of dirt that rested at the father's feet. The plant looked like it remained mostly unharmed by the crash; it was a little rustled up, but no serious damage had been done.
"Okay, Hugh," the father said. "If you calm down, I'll make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?" Hugh asked.
"If you can channel your psychic powers properly, learn to control them, I'll let you have an Abra," the father replied. "Can you do that?"
Hugh frowned a bit at his father's deal. He'd stopped crying now, but he made no effort to wipe the tears from his face. It wasn't until he noticed the broken pot at his father's feet that he showed any sort of concern. "Did... did I do that?"
"What?" his father asked. He glanced down at his feet, remembering that there was a broken pot there that would need to be cleaned up and the plant repotted. The father made a mental note to have one of the servants come in and take care of that later. "Oh, this? You did, yes, but I'm not hurt. I'm fine."
"Oh..." Hugh murmured quietly, ducking his head so that his long brown hair covered his eyes. He needed to get it cut, but his mother hadn't gotten around to it yet. "I'll practice then and learn. I don't want to hurt anyone with my powers."
The father stepped around the broken pot, careful to not step on any of the broken shards, and ruffled his son's hair. "You'll learn in time, don't worry. You'll get your Abra."
Hugh's face lit up at his father's words. He would train. He would learn how to control his psychic powers. He would get the Abra he dreamed of having.
*****
It was a long, grueling fourteen years. Each and every day, except for his birthday and holidays, Hugh would train. At first, it was just for about half an hour. Over time, he'd push that to an hour, two hours, sometimes even making it an all day thing, or at least until he passed out in the yard from exhaustion.
The day before his birthday each year, his maternal grandmother would give him a test. It was a fairly simple test, just one to see how his training was coming along. Hugh failed every time. She was hard on him. He even wanted to give up after his test on the day before his twelfth birthday. Not getting the Abra the following day didn't help matters either.
But he didn't.
No matter how much he had wanted to give up, no matter how hard it got, Hugh never gave up.
He wanted that Abra, and when you genuinely want something, you fight for it. No matter how hard it gets, no matter how much you want to give up, you keep fighting for it.
It was the day before his nineteenth birthday when he met with his grandmother again. Though she was confined to a wheelchair now because of an accident that happened a couple years ago that she was lucky to even survive, the older woman still had a smile on her face that could light up even the darkest of rooms. Even after the accident, she still agreed to help Hugh with his training if he wanted. After she recovered from her injuries from the accident, of course, but the sentiment was much appreciated nevertheless.
"How are you today?" she asked as she wheeled herself down the slope that led her into the room. After the accident, much of the house had to be remodeled so that she could get in and out of rooms easily since some of them had a bit of a step. Her upper body had become more buff over the past two years from all of the wheeling around she had to do now. Hugh's grandmother was an active woman, and the only things the accident had taken away from her was her job (because it was hard to be a waitress when you couldn't walk and pushing a wheelchair around tables with a plate full of food was a lot harder than it sounded) and her ability to walk.
"Hopeful," Hugh replied with a shrug. He stood up from the Indian style position he'd been sitting in on the floor. Some meditation before his test had helped him out a lot over the years, he'd noticed. His grandmother had told him that she'd noticed a difference between the third and fourth times he'd taken the test because of the meditation. "Would be nice to finally get my Abra tomorrow from dad so that I can travel the world like Delia and see that fourteen years of hard work has finally paid off."
His grandmother nodded. "Understandable. You've worked so hard towards this goal."
"Could we start now?" Hugh asked.
"If you're ready."
"I am."
The grandmother nodded again as she pulled a gold necklace out of the pocket of her jacket. She handed it to Hugh, who carefully took it as if it were a fragile piece of glass that could break if he dropped it at all. "You know what to do," she told her grandson. "Tell me what you feel from the necklace, who it belongs to, how they're feeling, if they have kids, and what they do with their life."
Hugh nodded as he closed his eyes. He held the necklace in his hands, focusing solely on the object in his hands. There was a bit of a smile on his face at first, but that smile faded away as he got more out of the necklace. Tears stung at his closed eyes. How could happiness fade away so quickly into such sadness?
"What do you feel?" the grandmother asked after some time had passed.
Hugh opened his eyes at this, and the stormy grey eyes he'd inherited from his mother were full of tears threatening to spill out onto his face. "There was happiness," he said. There was no emotion in his voice when he spoke, just words. His grandmother raised an eyebrow at this; she'd never seen this side of her grandson before, he'd never reacted this way before to an object she'd given him. Hugh continued on. "There was happiness, and then it went away so quickly. The owner was a woman, a beautiful, brunette woman with beautiful, long, wavy brown hair. It was a gift from her husband for their anniversary. They'd gotten married on the fourteenth of February. They were happy and all was well, she'd wear the necklace every day, only taking it off to shower or before bed. Then something happened." And as he spoke those last four words, his voice broke. His grandmother moved forward a bit, taking her grandson's hands in her own. He took a deep breath and continued on. "She got pregnant, with his child of course, and the pregnancy went smoothly. They were excited, as they should've been given how happy they were. Then the child was born and it wasn't breathing. The doctors tried everything, but the child was stillborn. Something that was supposed to be so happy turned out to be so heartbreaking. They were discharged from the hospital after a few days, and they supported each other for the first few months afterwards. Then it all took a turn for the worst once the woman started showing signs of depression. They started fighting and the happiness went away and... and they divorced, they left each other, and she was left alone in the world, a broken woman who couldn't even give birth to a living child."
The grandmother nodded as Hugh took his glasses off so that he could wipe away the tears that had formed in his eyes, some of which even spilled over onto his face. His farsightedness had developed a few months after he turned ten, or rather that was when he and his parents had actually started noticing it. His grandmother spoke as he put his glasses back on. "That's what I got from it too. Good job."
One step of the test done, four to go.
She wheeled off for a moment, and when she returned, there was a silver tray on her lap. On the tray were five objects: a camera, a screw, a wallet, a shoelace, and a hair tie. Hugh studied the objects on the tray that rested on his grandmother's lap, specifically their positions and what they looked like. The elderly woman handed her grandson a notepad and a pen that were on her lap as well, and after he took them from her, she wheeled out of the room.
"Call me back when you're done, I'll be out in the hallway," she said as she left the room. When she was gone, Hugh began scribbling down everything he'd noticed about the objects.
The camera was beat up, as if it had been used a lot, and the lens looked like there was a little hairline crack in it too, right in the middle of the lens itself. The screw was old and a little rusted. It was still a little silver, but the rust on it took away that fresh new look from it, not that it would look very new anyways. The silver that was still on it didn't have that new, polished look to it. The wallet was made of leather. It didn't look that old; it actually looked relatively new still. Not brand new, but there was still that newness to it. There was a crease in the middle from where it had been opened and closed, but other than that, there was nothing special about it. The shoelace would have been white, but age and a lack of being cleaned made it look a light brown instead. The ends were frayed as well. Finally, there was the pink hair tie. It had definitely seen better days, and if it saw much more use, it would probably snap.
Hugh looked over his notes for a moment. "Okay, grandma! I'm done!" he called out. She wheeled back into the room, the tray no longer on her lap. He handed her the notepad and pen, and she studied it for a moment.
"Very good," she said.
Two down, three to go.
"Time to listen to your surroundings, then," she said. "I'll tap you when the five minutes has passed."
Hugh nodded before he closed his eyes. The room was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Not that either of them would drop a pin though. He needed to concentrate. If a pin dropped, that'd break his concentration if he wasn't careful. There was the ticking of a clock that the grandmother's green eyes were fixated on, but that wouldn't distract Hugh. He was too used to it. She tapped him when five minutes had passed by, and he opened his eyes.
"What did you hear?" she asked.
"I could hear the animals outside, birds and squirrels. Mom and dad are working on lunch. Grandpa's outside with Cordelia, watching her show off her new Pokemon and contest ribbons. She's also showing him some of her contest techniques too," Hugh said. This was always a part he'd struggled with. It was pretty much the main reason why he'd failed the test, to be honest. Clairaudience was such a difficult technique to learn, let alone master. It was something Hugh spent the most time practicing on. "It's windy outside today. I could hear that and the flapping of the tablecloth in the wind. Mom probably has stuff on it already to keep it from blowing away. I can only hear the edges of it that aren't really held down flapping. That's all."
Hugh frowned when he said he was done. That was about as much as he'd always said the other fourteen times he'd taken the test. Maybe it was easier to do when there were more sounds, more things to talk about. If he ever went to the big city, he'd have to try it out.
If he ever went to the big city. Hah. He'd have to get his Abra and leave home first.
"Okay," the grandmother said. Okay. That was the same word he'd always heard after this part. Hugh's spirits dropped. He'd failed again. He just knew he'd failed. This was the same part he'd struggled with, the same part he always would struggle with.
Hugh was starting to wonder if he should just come to terms with the fact that he'd never get an Abra from his father, that he'd never pass his grandmother's test. Maybe he should just start thinking about other Pokemon to receive from his father, ones that wouldn't require such a strong mental link.
"Before we head out for lunch, give me your journal," she said. Hugh nodded and walked over to the brown bag he'd brought with him into the room. He pulled out a black journal from the inside of it and handed it to his grandmother, who placed it on her lap. "Okay, let's go."
Lunch was always held outside on test days for Hugh. Acting as the division between the first half and the second half of his test, they always had lunch outside so that his grandmother could prepare for the second half of the test. She was a fast eater, so she'd always finish eating before Hugh, who was usually one of the last ones to finish eating. Lunch the day before his birthday, or anyone's birthday in his family, was usually a pretty simple affair, and the same applied to dinner as well. It wasn't overly exciting, and they didn't usually eat much.
Still, they were forced to eat outside once Hugh started his tests the day before his birthday so that their grandmother could prepare for the second task inside. A younger Hugh would've been more excited for this. The nice summer weather let him run around outside and play with his sister while she was still around. Once she left on her journey to become a master coordinator, Hugh would spend time with his grandfather outside.
Lunch today was two roast beef and cheddar sandwiches for each person. There was a glass pitcher of lemonade in the center of the table, though there were six glasses for each individual person by their plates that were filled with lemonade already. The grandmother was the first to finish her lunch, and as soon as she did, she was wheeling herself back inside.
"Hey, bro, what's wrong?" Cordelia asked. Her brunette hair was in pig tails today, and her green eyes sparkled with the happiness she always had about her.
"Nothing," Hugh replied. He was barely touching his food, and his voice sounded so hollow. He was never getting this Abra. No matter how hard he tried, he'd never get it. He could train for fourteen more years and still be nowhere near close to getting that Abra.
Cordelia dropped the subject. She knew better than to press her brother's buttons, especially in a mood like this. He left the table after that, moving to sit under a tree to meditate some more before the second half of his test. He had to clear his mind of these thoughts of failure, even if it was inevitable. Food could wait until dinner, even though it wouldn't be much of a dinner. He'd eaten half a sandwich. That was good enough for now.
"Hugh! It's time to start the second half!" his grandmother called. He wasn't sure how much time had passed exactly since he started meditating, but enough time had passed for the rest of his family to clear off the table and bring everything inside. There was a distant rumbling and dark clouds in the sky that made Hugh waste no time in getting up and heading back inside. Now was not the time to be meditating under a tree, that was for sure.
"Your journal's come along nicely over the past year. You're remembering your dreams more clearly, and your thoughts and emotions are creating patterns. There's a recurring theme around you getting your Abra, which is understandable since you do want one so badly. If you decide to keep up with this journal after you get your Abra, it'd be interesting to see what kind of patterns you'll make with your dreams, thoughts, and emotions," she said as they made their way back into the room they were in earlier. "But for now, you have to finish your final part of the test. I've hidden an object somewhere in the house, and it's up to you to find it. You have an hour to find it, starting now."
And with that said, Hugh stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. An hour to find an object. He closed his eyes and focused on the energy in the inside of the house. No hints would be given, of course, he had to use his powers to find this object, whatever it was. He could feel energy from animate objects, his family, and the inanimate objects, everything else in the house. It would be an inanimate, non-living object though. It had to be something Hugh could pick up and bring back to his grandmother.
He sighed when he realized there was nothing connecting with him and decided to just walk down the halls of his home. It was a large house, so the object could've been anywhere. His psychic powers would help him find it when he connected with its energy.
If he connected with its energy.
There was no guarantee he would. Sometimes he would, sometimes he wouldn't. This was always a finicky part of the test for him. It wouldn't always fail him, but it was sometimes a defining factor in him not passing. Between this and clairaudience, this was a bit of a difficult skill to master as well.
Hugh paused for a moment to try and search for the object again. An idea came to his mind as he did this for a second time. He needed something that his grandmother had recently touched. It was possible her energy would still be connected to it, and then he could connect to it that way.
He felt a tugging to his left. Keeping his eyes closed, he followed the tugs. Had he actually connected with something? There was a faint green energy in the distance, and with each step, the brunette felt himself getting closer and closer to it. With each step he took, the energy got stronger and stronger. It wasn't until he walked face first into a door because his eyes were closed that he realized he made it to his destination. The energy was at its strongest here.
He opened the door and stepped into the room. This was the guest room, he noted. There was a neatly made bed, a night stand with a lamp and an alarm clock, and a television, but that was about it. The room itself was pretty empty otherwise. His father wanted to add more to it, but there hadn't been a strong need for it yet. Hugh's attention was meant for the box though, the only out of place thing in this room. That was where the energy was coming from. It wasn't too heavy of a box, he noted as he picked it up. There was something inside, but whatever it was wasn't that heavy. The red numbers on the clock showed that it was a little more than half past the hour.
Hugh retraced his steps back to the room, and when he returned, his grandmother greeted him with a smile. "You found it," she said, taking the box from her grandson.
"What's inside?" he asked.
"You'll find out later," she replied with a bit of a grin. "It's a surprise."
Hugh nodded, resisting the urge to frown or sigh. He'd been hoping that she'd just tell him that there was a Poke Ball in the box with an Abra inside. But no, she'd just said it was a surprise and nothing more.
"You have some time before dinner. I'll see you later, Hugh," she said before wheeling out of the room with the box on her lap. With her finally out of the room, he was able to let out the sigh he'd been holding in.
Thunder rumbled outside, and he could hear the rain pounding on the roof of the house. Even nature understood how sad he felt. Hugh sighed again and grabbed his bag before leaving the room to head to his own. He could hide there and wallow in his sorrows until dinner.
*****
The actual day of his birthday had finally arrived, and Hugh didn't feel nearly as excited as he had in past years. The rain wasn't really much of a deterrant, but it didn't really give him a reason to even try to brighten his spirits.
Why should he though? The one thing he'd worked so hard for over the past fourteen years wasn't going to be his today. At this rate, it'd probably never be his. There was no reason for Hugh to be happy today.
At least the thunder had passed.
He had to make an appearance though, so after a quick shower, he threw on a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. When he arrived in the dining room, there was a box in the place where his plate should've been. There was a bit of a frown on Hugh's face as he sat down at the table.
"It's from your father," his mother said as she brought in a plate of fluffy buttermilk pancakes and a small tray with butter on it. "He wants you to wait until after breakfast to open it though. I'll bring your plate."
Hugh nodded and picked the box up off the table to place it on his lap. Whatever was in the box wasn't very heavy. His mother placed a plate in front of him as his father, grandfather, and grandmother came into the room. Cordelia came in not too long after, her Beedrill buzzing along behind her.
Breakfast this morning consisted of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with butter and syrup, sausage and bacon, and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. With everyone at the table, all of the food there, and the glasses filled to the brim with orange juice, they began eating.
"Hugh, open your present!" Cordelia said, nudging her brother as their mother took the dirty, syrup covered plates from in front of everyone. He shrugged a bit and placed the box that had been wrapped with a shiny, metallic blue wrapping paper in front of him on the table. A silky purple bow had been wrapped around it as well.
Hugh pulled at one of the ends of the bow and watched as it fell off of the box to land on either side of it. With the bow gone, he tore off the wrapping paper and tossed it to the floor. Beneath it all was the same cardboard box he'd found yesterday. He could tell because he felt the same energy coming from it that he'd felt yesterday. All eyes were on him as he opened the box. Inside was a single red and white capsule.
His eyes widened.
It couldn't be.
No, no way. He'd failed that test yesterday, he was sure of it.
He reached into the box and picked up the Poke Ball inside. Holding the capsule out, he watched as a floating Pokemon materialized in the air. The Pokemon inside was mustard yellow with a brown chest and shoulders and a single brown ring on its tail. It sat as it hovered in the air, eyes closed as if it were sleeping.
"Abra," Hugh breathed, his grey eyes fixated on the hovering Pokemon before him.
This had to be a dream. This was just some sick joke his mind was playing on him. There was no way he'd gotten an Abra.
"He's yours," his father said. Hugh's attention snapped straight to his father, and he pinched himself and winced when he did. "Your grandmother and I felt as if you'd been working hard over the past fourteen years for this Abra. You've earned him."
The smile on Hugh's face was huge. Everything he'd worked so hard for over the past fourteen years was right in front of him. Abra was his.
"Thank you."
*****
Hugh wasted no time in gathering his things for the journey he'd always dreamed of going on. He waited until the day after his birthday, of course. That was how it had always been planned. He'd leave the day after his birthday for Anistar City in Kalos. The trip itself would take a few days, but that was fine with Hugh. He'd be able to fit some training with his Abra in too, so the longer trip worked out beautifully. Once he got to Anistar City, he'd train with his Abra near the sundial that was there. He'd heard all about Alakazam's Mega Evolution and the stories of the sundial and how it could help find Mega Stones. There was the need for a Mega Ring, but Hugh could worry about that later.
His heart was set on getting to Anistar City.
So with his bag packed with supplies and his Abra's Poke Ball secured on a necklace that he'd wear around his neck forever, he met up with his father to start the trip to Slateport City. They would drive through Fortree City, which was the closest place to where they lived, and then they'd cross the small bit of water that divided Route 118 in half on his father's Lapras. From there, Hugh was on his own. He had his bicycle packed in his bag as well, a present for his sixteenth birthday from his grandparents, and he could take the cycling route that ran parallel to Route 110 straight down to Slateport City. After that, he'd board a ship to Castelia City in Unova, and then he'd travel to Mistralton City and board a plane to Lumiose City in Kalos. Arriving in Kalos, he'd head straight to Anistar City.
That would be where his journey really began.
Once Abra evolved into Kadabra, they'd challenge gyms. It would be perfect. His name would be known all around the world. Hugh, the Pokemon Champion. It had a wonderful ring to it.
The drive to the water that divided Route 118 took about an hour at most. Leaving in the late morning cut the travel time down significantly. If they'd left earlier in the morning, they'd have been caught in the morning rush hour traffic that happened on either side of Fortree City. By the time they crossed the small stretch of water to Mauville City, it was lunch time. They stopped at the Mauville Food Court to have lunch, with Hugh ordering the Mauville Ramen Bowl and his father ordering the Village Sub Combo.
It was after lunch that Hugh and his father went their separate ways.
"Good luck, son," he said, handing his son a second, smaller box. Hugh took it from him with a raised eyebrow. "It's a PokeNav Plus, the latest edition. Think of it as a parting gift from the family. You'll be able to keep in contact with everyone too if you want."
Hugh nodded, taking the box and putting it in his bag after taking out his bicycle. He was beginning to think that maybe a bigger bag was a bit of a necessity. Oh well, this one would suffice for the time being. It was likely that more space would be available once he actually started using some of the supplies in it. He could keep the PokeNav in his pocket after he unwrapped it on the ship.
"I'll see you later, dad," Hugh said as he mounted his bicycle. He waved as he rode off, until they could no longer see each other because Hugh had to turn his bicycle to go around a corner.
His journey was finally underway.
He arrived in Slateport within the hour, and he was on the boat within the next. This would be one of the longer parts of the trip, but Hugh was grateful for it. He'd be able to relax, open the present his father had given him, and train with his Abra.
A few losses later, Hugh was quickly realizing just how difficult it was to train his Abra. It only knew Teleport, so it kept dodging moves no matter what Hugh commanded it to do, verbally or telepathically. There were others on the boat that would try and help him, but Hugh refused the help. Abra was his to train, and he wanted no help in the matter.
"When we get to Castelia, I'm buying you some moves, Aries," Hugh said to the floating Pokemon when they'd retired to their room for the evening.
"Abra," the Pokemon replied.
Hugh was true to his word when they arrived in Castelia. It was early in the evening when their ship arrived in town, so he got a hotel room in the city for the night. He could leave in the morning, and that actually worked out well since he wanted to get moves for his Abra anyways. After checking in at the hotel and dropping his things off there, he headed straight for the Poke Mart to purchase Technical Machines for his Pokemon. He'd done his research on the boat, and specially oriented moves were the way to go in this case.
"Could I have one each of Psyshock, Shadow Ball, and Energy Ball, please?" Hugh asked the clerk. The clerk nodded before stepping away to grab three small boxes. When he returned, he placed the three boxes on the counter. On one of the sides were labels that had "TM 03 - Psyshock," "TM 30 - Shadow Ball," and "TM 53 - Energy Ball" typed on them.
"That'll be 4,500 PokeDollars," the clerk replied. Hugh took out the required money and handed it over to the clerk. New moves acquired, he returned to his hotel room and released his Abra from his Poke Ball.
"Okay, Aries. It's time for you to learn some new moves," Hugh said, opening the box with the Psyshock TM in it and handing it to his Pokemon. He peered into the box after his Pokemon took the pink CD. "I think this is how it's done anyways." He shrugged. They'd figure it out.
That turned out to be the right way to teach a Pokemon a move, however, as the CD glowed in Abra's hands for a moment before shattering. He repeated the process with the Shadow Ball and Energy Ball TMs, CDs that took on a purple and green color respectively. Hugh dusted the shattered pieces of CD into one of the boxes as best as he could before throwing them all away. It was a little silly that they gave him boxes for CDs, but there was nothing he could really do about that now.
The following morning, right after he and Aries the Abra had breakfast, they set off for Mistralton City. They stopped in Nimbasa City for lunch, and then they ventured off for Driftveil afterwards. Hugh and his Abra would stay the night there in the Pokemon Center, and in the morning, they would set off for Mistralton.
While in Driftveil, Hugh decided to try his Abra's new moves out. Better here than elsewhere, given that Driftveil was home to a Ground type gym. That was where Hugh traveled to, and he started up a challenge with one of the gym trainers.
"Go, Aries!" Hugh called out, tossing his Abra's Poke Ball into the air. "Use Energy Ball!"
"Excadrill, come on out!" the trainer called, throwing his own Poke Ball up into the air. The Pokemon that materialized was a dark grey Pokemon with silver, drill like hands that shined in the light of the gym. There were three large slash marks on his body with smaller red dots on his legs and arms. "Use Metal Claw to knock him to the ground, then follow up with an Earthquake!"
Abra brought his hands together to charge up the green ball of energy he would ultimately launch at the Excadrill as he charged towards him. When the ball of energy connected with its target, it did nothing to deter the Excadrill. It was more like being tickled. Now that they were closer together, the Abra, who had an air of confidence around him before, was visibly nervous as he trembled in the air, unsure of what to do. He held his mustard yellow arms up in an attempt to block the Excadrill's attack. Being that close to a Pokemon that was intimidating, especially one as large as Excadrill.
No sooner had Excadrill's metallic drill hand slammed into Abra and knocked him to the ground, the Ground type began stomping his feet on the ground to create tremors. The gym trainer stood his ground, but the tremors even made Hugh stumble a bit until he was able to gather his footing. Abra got the worst of it though, and the little mustard yellow Psychic type ended up fainting from the Earthquake.
"Abra is unable to battle!" the referee called out as Hugh returned his Pokemon and rushed out of the gym. The gym trainer had a smirk on his face even as the referee continued to speak. "Clerk Morris wins!"
Back at the Pokemon Center, Hugh handed over his Abra's Poke Ball to the Nurse Joy behind the counter before plopping down on one of the plush red couches inside. He couldn't believe this! Even after spending 4,500 PokeDollars on three new moves for his Abra, the stupid thing still couldn't win a battle! Aries even had a type advantage with the move he used! He should've won!
But no, that Excadrill crushed him and Aries like they were Karrablast.
It was so unfair! How was Hugh supposed to become a Pokemon Champion in all of the regions if his stupid Abra couldn't even make a dent in an Excadrill's health? He groaned. He should've demanded a better Pokemon when he was five. Something that didn't take fourteen years to get his hands on. Something that was easier to train. Something that could've started him on this journey when he was ten instead of nineteen. He could've become the champion of at least three regions by now if he'd started at ten instead of nineteen!
He sighed. Too late to do anything about it now. At this point, he'd have to release the Abra, and then he'd be without a Pokemon at all. He was stuck with his stupid Abra until he caught another Pokemon.
There was hope though.
Maybe the sundial in Anistar City would help his Abra out. Maybe there they would unlock Abra's true potential. Maybe once Abra evolved into Kadabra, it would suck less.
Hugh yawned. He'd have to find out once he arrived at Anistar in the next couple of days. He'd arrive in Mistralton tomorrow afternoon, and he'd hopefully be in Kalos by the evening. Lumiose City would be his home for that night, and he'd set off for Anistar after breakfast the following morning.
Two more days to wait and see if his Abra was as awful as it seemed wasn't too bad. He just hoped that Abra wouldn't continue to be as awful as it was now.
The following morning, Hugh had a quick breakfast before picking up his healed and rested up Abra from the Nurse Joy. He wasted no time in rushing out of the Pokemon Center after securing his Abra's Poke Ball on his necklace and mounting his bicycle to ride off into the night. Hugh arrived in Mistralton in the afternoon and checked in at the airport as soon as he arrived. There was still time before his flight took off, even after he sent his bags off to be stored with the rest of the luggage, so he picked up a quick lunch and another lost battle with Aries by his side.
The plane ride was smooth sailing. The person he'd battled before boarding the plane tried to give Hugh some advice, but the nineteen year old blew him off. He didn't want help. He knew what Abra's problem was. He needed to go to the sundial and unlock Abra's true power. Abra needed to evolve, and he certainly wasn't doing that in Unova.
They'd arrived in Lumiose City in late evening as Hugh had predicted, and when he was able to finally leave the airport with his backpack, he headed straight for Hotel Richissime. It was a pricey hotel, as the name implied, but Hugh was able to get one of the cheaper rooms for a decent price by opting out of some of the perks they offered such as the complimentary breakfast and the room service. He was only staying for a night, he didn't need all of these fancy perks.
The following morning, he set off for Dendemille Town. He had lunch there when he arrived, and as soon as he finished and paid for his light lunch, he was off to Anistar City. He had to rent a Mamoswine in order to cross the snow covered Route 17, but it was worth it to get to his destination. The mammoth's thick brown fur was enough to keep him a little warm in the frigid temperatures, and wild Pokemon seemed to be intimidated by the mammoth.
Not to mention the few Sneasel that even tried to battle Hugh were out of luck. The first one Hugh tried to battle knocked out his Abra in one hit. He had to shoo the rest away, and thankfully the Mamoswine was intimidating enough to make them flee after some time.
He parted ways with the Mamoswine at the opposite end of Route 17 and jogged the rest of the way to Anistar City. Stepping into the city as the sun set, it was beautiful. Just beautiful. The way the sun set beyond the horizon, the way things just seemed liked they sparkled... it was perfect. It was just like all the pictures Hugh had seen over the years, just like the pictures he'd pinned to a corkboard in his room back home near Fortree City in Hoenn.
Now his journey could finally begin for real. The traveling was over, and the real training could begin. Hugh would become the Pokemon Champion in Kalos, in Unova, in Sinnoh, in Johto, in Kanto, and most importantly in his home region of Hoenn. There was no stopping him now, and once Aries got the proper training he needed near the sundial in Anistar City, no one would be able to defeat Hugh and Aries, or any other Pokemon he decided to catch along the way.
*****
First thing in the morning after a quick cereal breakfast, Hugh was out at the sundial. It was just as beautiful in the morning as it was when the sun set. The rising sun shone on the large pink crystal and made it sparkle.
"Okay, Aries!" Hugh said as he tossed the red and white capsule into the air. "Let's get some training in!"
"Go Castform!" the trainer called, releasing a grey Pokemon out to battle. No sooner than it was released from battle, the Pokemon glowed and changed shape from its normal, cloudy grey circular shaped body into an orange sun made out of circles floating on a cloud. "Start this off with a Weather Ball!"
"Um..." Hugh frowned a bit. Castform was a finicky Pokemon that changed its form based on the weather at hand. Hugh had seen some once when he went to the Weather Institute in Hoenn on a school field trip, and he'd always found them odd. "Use Shadow Ball to counteract the Weather Ball, and then follow up with a Psyshock!"
Aries brought his hands together and charged the purple ball of energy in his hands as the Castform created a ball of fire. The balls were released at the same time, but when Aries released his, there was a crackling purple energy that enveloped his hands as well. There was an explosion when the balls collided, and that was when the Abra held his hands out, and the purple energy shot forward.
"Castforrrrrrrrrrrrrrm!" the sun-like Pokemon cried out. The purple energy crackled around Castform's body for a moment, but then it faded away. Psyshock wasn't a move that could induce paralysis. Castform blinked a few times and shook her body, but she wasn't too bothered by the explosion and the Psyshock that followed it.
"Fire Blast and Flamethrower! You know the combo, Castform!" the trainer called out, rubbing his eyes. They were a bit watery now from the smoke.
"Use another Shadow Ball to divert it and follow up with Psyshock!" Hugh shouted.
Aries charged up another ball of purple energy, but Castform didn't waste any time in breathing out a burst of flames that ultimately took the shape of a Japanese character. No sooner had that burst of flames taken form, Castform breathed out a steady stream of flames that quickly caught up to the Fire Blast and pushed it along.
There was a second explosion as the Fire Blast came into contact with Shadow Ball. This explosion was enough to send Aries flying into the metal bars that kept people from just walking into the water that bordered the city. Aries groaned before closing his black eyes.
"That's not fair!" Hugh screamed, stomping his feet on the ground. "It's not fair! You cheated!"
His opponent raised a thin eyebrow as he returned his Castform to her Poke Ball. "What are you talking about, kid?" he asked as Hugh returned Aries to his Poke Ball.
"**** off," Hugh replied, stomping off.
He'd lost. Again. This was getting tedious.
He lost literally every battle he'd ever taken part in. He spent 4,500 Poke Dollars on TMs for his Abra to make him better after realizing he only knew Teleport. Shadow Ball, Psyshock, and Energy Ball should've been more than enough for Abra. He'd get more moves after he evolved into a Kadabra, but how was that possible if he'd never win a battle?
"Here," he said, forcing the Poke Ball into Nurse Joy's hands. "I want him back tonight. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Okay," Nurse Joy replied. It was a bit of a hesitant okay, but she'd have his Pokemon ready in a few hours. This rude trainer had just unnerved her, that was all.
Hugh did return in a few hours for his Abra, and Nurse Joy returned the red and white capsule to its proper owner. "Thank you for using the Anistar City Pokemon Center," she said as Hugh left.
He went straight back to the sundial. The rings of the sundial were spinning now, and it still had that sparkle to it, now from the moonlight rather than the sunlight. Abra was released in a burst of white energy, though he didn't look too happy to be released again. Aries hovered in the air as usual, but his head was bowed and his gaze focused on the ground.
"Why can't you win me any battles?" Hugh asked. "Why? Why do you lose every battle you're in?" Aries gave him no sign of a response, so Hugh raised his voice. "Can't you do anything right, you stupid Pokemon? You're so useless! I spent money on you!" He huffed. Maybe they needed a plan of action. "We'll take a break from battling for a few days. Train in the wild, formulate a plan. We'll come back here in a few days and battle another trainer. Hopefully this will all work out. If it doesn't, then... well, we'll talk about that later."
The next day, they started their training in the wild. They continued here for a few days, battling the wild Sandslash, Gurdurr, Heatmor, and Durant that appeared. It all started off with some pummelings that tried Hugh's patience. He kept at it though. Aries would get stronger. Aries would evolve into a Kadabra. He would become the Pokemon Champion.
They returned to the sundial after a week. There had been some matches Hugh and Aries nearly won, but their losing streak had yet to be broken. Today would be the day it broke though. No one could beat this ultimate strategy he'd come up with and that Aries had practiced repeatedly over the past week.
"Okay, Aries! Let's break this losing streak!" Hugh shouted. He tossed the ball into the air. Though there was an air of confidence around Hugh, Aries didn't look to thrilled when he appeared from within the Poke Ball. The Psychic type could only hope that he won this battle today and broke the losing streak he and his master had. He didn't want his master to yell at him again.
"Queenie, let's show 'em what we've got!" the male trainer called. A pale blue Pokemon with pointed ears and spikes on her body appeared. This was the female Nidoran; her male counterpart was more spiky and purple. "Let's start off with Toxic, and then we'll use Crunch!"
"Use Psyshock, Aries!" Hugh commanded. Nidoran coughed a bit, releasing purple bubbles from her mouth before spitting up a ball of toxic poison that hit Aries and broke his concentration from his attack.
"Abra," the Psychic type whined, wincing in pain from the way the toxic poison hurt him.
"Shake it off, Aries! Psyshock!" Hugh commanded again. Nidoran was already on the offensive though, and Aries was slow to react from the poison that hindered him. This was a condition he wasn't really used to; no other Pokemon had poisoned him before. Aries only knew what being knocked unconscious was like.
"Abra!" Aries cried out once Nidoran leaped up and bit the floating Pokemon's leg. Aries flailed in the air, sending sparks of psychic energy flying. Hugh and his opponent had to sidestep in order to avoid the energy, and bystanders fled; this battle wasn't worth them getting hurt.
"Nido!" the little Poison type cried as she fell to the ground. One of the sparks of energy finally struck her and made her lose her grip. She was able to bounce back onto her feet without much hesitation; she'd just been caught off guard, that was all. Aries, on the other hand, sat on the ground, whining as the poison weakened him more and more with each passing second.
"Do it again, Aries, but this time actually hit him!" Hugh screamed.
"Can't you tell your Pokemon's too weak to battle?" his opponent asked. "Queenie's weaked him. Your Abra isn't even floating anymore."
"Bulldoze."
Out of the blue, a rugged rock came and threw his body into the little Nidoran. It was enough force to send her into the pedestal that the sundial sat on, and it was even enough force to weaken her to the point of not battling. Nidoran's owner returned his Pokemon.
"You're not supposed to interfere with battles you're not a part of," the trainer snapped to a man in a red suit. The man blew the trainer off though; his eyes were fixated on Hugh. The brunette was hovering over his weakened Abra, who was slowly slipping into unconsciousness.
"You useless Pokemon," Hugh snarled. Aries was laying on the ground now, his breathing steady but ragged. "I can't believe you. Getting hit by that Toxic, barely hitting the stupid Nidoran with a Psyshock, nearly ****ing hitting me with a Psyshock. Can't you do anything right?"
"Bra," the Pokemon weakly replied.
"Useless!" Hugh roared. He stood up and went to walk off; the man in the red suit was standing behind him. "What do you want?"
"You want your Abra to get stronger, don't you?" he asked. "I've been watching you since you arrived here. You want your Abra to be strong."
"Yeah, well, Abra's a useless Pokemon anyways. You can have him if you want, I don't care," Hugh replied, stepping around the man.
"What if I told you that you and Abra could get stronger together?" the man asked. Hugh froze. "What if I told you that I knew how you and your Abra could get stronger together, and it was a method guaranteed to work?"
A method that was guaranteed to make Abra stronger. A method that was guaranteed to make him stronger. He could stop losing battles. He could become the champion like he'd always dreamed of being.
"I would do anything," Hugh replied, turning to face the man. "Anything."
"Then I invite you to join Team Flare," the man replied with a smile. "You and your Abra. We're based in Geosenge Town to the west of here. I hope to see you there. I promise your Abra will be stronger if you join us."
*****
Geosenge Town was an old town with ancient rock structures. It was a small town, not very populated, but there was the essential Pokemon Center. It wasn't much to Hugh's liking, he was used to the city life having grown up near Fortree, but it was tolerable. It was worth it if it meant Abra would grow stronger.
Hugh's destination, however, was to the northwest of the town, hidden among the trees.
"Welcome to Team Flare, grunt," a bald man in a white suit said. He handed Hugh a red suit, and the young trainer took it. "Go change into that. It's your uniform."
Hugh nodded and stepped into the bathroom that was connected to his small room. His jeans and blue t-shirt were replaced with the standard issue red suit, a white button up shirt and black tie, and black shoes. The belt he had to wear had a buckle with a red F on it.
"Release your Pokemon. We're going to meet your partners," the man said. Hugh took the red and white capsule off of his necklace, the only thing he retained from his old outfit, and released his Abra. The Pokemon had recovered from his battle with the Nidoran, and he'd gotten a few more battles in on the way to Geosenge, all of which were losses. The man led Hugh out of his quarters and into a meeting room.
"Nice to see you here, Jacob," a woman in a white blazer and matching white skirt said. Next to her was a female in the same suit Hugh wore, and by her side was grey and blue Pokemon with large claws.
"Yes, nice to see you too, Hayley," Jacob replied dryly. "This is Hugh and his Abra."
"And this is Macie and her Drilbur," Hayley added. "The two of you will be working together. Your first mission is tomorrow, so you have today to get to know each other well."
The two in the white suits left the room after that, leaving Hugh and Macie in the room by themselves with their Pokemon. This at least gave Hugh a chance to get a good look at his partner. The only things worth noting about her were her sparkling blue eyes and long strawberry blonde hair; she and Hugh wore the same red suit, so there was nothing really worth noting there.
There was a sudden flash of light in the room though that took everyone's attention. Aries was glowing white now. Hugh's eyes widened. The grunt who had recruited him was right. Joining Team Flare would make his Abra stronger. As the little mustard yellow Psychic type changed form, a smile grew on Hugh's face.
Gone was the weak little Abra that hovered in the air and failed miserably at attacking. Now Hugh had a mustard yellow Pokemon that stood on his own two feet. A pink star was on his forehead, and matching pink squiggles were on the lower half of his body. In his right hand was a single spoon.
'Master Hugh, I don't think this is a good idea,' the newly evolved Aries said to his master. The Drilbur had approached the Kadabra just before he'd evolved, and the little Ground type was trembling a bit. 'I've heard about Team Flare, and they don't have good intentions... I don't feel comfortable doing this.'
"Whoa, that's cool!" Macie exclaimed. "I've had my Simon for a while now, I wish he'd evolve into an Excadrill already. I dunno why he's so nervous. He never used to be like this until after I decided to join Team Flare."
"I've been dying for Aries to evolve into a Kadabra myself," Hugh replied. "I'm glad he finally did. Maybe we can finally break this losing streak! Aries is nervous too. He doesn't think this is a good idea, but I dunno why. This is just going to make us stronger. It already is since Aries evolved!"
"Maybe they're just nervous because it's a new environment? Guess we'll find out tomorrow when we get our mission," Macie replied with a shrug as they left the meeting room. "I'll see you in the morning?"
"Yep, see you in the morning."
*****
"You'll be headed to the Poke Ball Factory in Laverre City," a man in a suit said. This wasn't the same man Hugh had met yesterday, but he wore the same clothes as him. "It's been rumored that some meddling kids could break in and kick us out of the facility, so the extra help would be appreciated."
Hugh and Macie nodded. Aries was out of his Poke Ball as well, though he stood near the door that led into the room. Simon was with him, and the little Ground type was trembling a bit. Hugh and Macie approached their Pokemon, though Simon the Drilbur hid behind the larger Aries the Kadabra, clinging to the Psychic type's leg. Hugh wrapped an arm around one of Aries', and Macie took the other.
"Teleport," Hugh commanded after the man left the room on a teleporter in the back corner of the room. Aries shook his head.
'No,' Aries told Hugh telepathically. 'I don't trust them. I don't want to do their dirty work, and neither does Simon.'
"Teleport us to the Poke Ball Factory in Laverre City," Hugh repeated. Aries shook his head again. "Do it, Aries!"
The Psychic type groaned. He didn't want to do this. There was no choice in the matter though. No matter how defiant Aries was, Hugh would keep asking, and testing his patience wouldn't help matters. In a flash of white light, the quartet disappeared.
They reappeared in front of a brick and stone building. Glass made up the entryway, and a cobblestone path led up to that. On both sides of the path were statues of the red and white capsules that were made in this building. There were two Team Flare grunts stationed outside of the glass doors that Hugh and Macie approached, their Pokemon trailing behind.
"We're here to help out with security," Macie told one of the grunts outside.
"So we've been told," the grunt replied. "Go ahead in and find Lizzy. She'll tell you where to go."
And so they entered the factory. It was pretty quiet, as they could hear their footsteps as they walked through the building. None of the machines were running at the moment. There were other Team Flare grunts stationed around the building, but none of them were the one they were looking for.
"Hey!" a female called out to the quartet. "Why aren't you at your positions?"
Hugh and Macie turned around to see a woman in a white blazer and matching skirt. Aries and Drilbur made no motion of showing their faces to this woman, so their trainers had to move to stand next to their Pokemon in order to see the woman. Hugh was the one that ultimately spoke up though. "We're looking for someone named Lizzy so we can find out where to go. We just got here."
"Oh, you're the new grunts they sent over," the woman replied. "I'm Lizzy. You two go stand outside the president's office. Keep walking the way you were walking, go right when the path splits, and it'll be the first door on the left."
They went their separate ways and arrived at their destination in a matter of minutes. Hugh and Macie stood against the wall opposite the door while their Pokemon stood near the door. At this point, it was a waiting game. They stood in silence for some time until a young man in a white t-shirt, blue jacket, and jeans approached with a girl in a black tank top and a red skirt alongside him.
"Okay, you Team Flare scum, outta the way!" the girl shouted. Hugh and Macie wasted no time in protecting the door, but their Pokemon weren't interested in the newcomers.
"No way," Macie replied. "If you want us out of the way, you're gonna have to fight us!"
"Fine, guess we will," the boy replied, brushing his jet black hair out of his face. "Go Absol!"
"Meowstic, come on out!" the girl shouted.
Two Pokemon materialized. The first was a four legged Pokemon with white fur and striking red eyes. There was a black, blade-like protrusion from the Pokemon's head as well. The second Pokemon was a bipedal cat, mainly with white fur, but there were tufts of a purple fur on top of her head, and purple fur made a scarf around her neck.
"Aries, let's get a head start on them and use Shadow Ball on the cat!" Hugh commanded.
"Yeah! Simon, use Metal Claw!" Macie commanded.
"Absol, Night Slash on the Kadabra!" the boy said.
"Start off with a Fake Out on the Drilbur, and then join Calem's Absol in attacking the Kadabra with Shadow Ball!" the girl commanded.
While the opposing Pokemon wasted no time in preparing their attacks, Aries and Simon only stepped out into the battlefield. Neither of them made any motions in preparing the moves they'd been commanded to do. Drilbur made a bit of a sound that got a nod out of Aries.
'We're not battling,' Aries told Hugh and Macie. 'These people are good. We're not battling them.'
"What?" Macie asked, her gaze focused on the Kadabra.
"Do as you're told, Aries!" Hugh shouted, pointing at the Absol and Meowstic. "Use Shadow Ball!"
'No.'
"Simon, Metal Claw!" Macie commanded, this time more forcefully than the first.
But the Pokemon had no chance to retaliate, or even consider it. Simon shook his head, but Meowstic duped him and caught him off guard before he was even really done. Aries got hit with the Night Slash and the Shadow Ball at the same time, and the strength of both moves knocked him to his knews.
"Aries, get up and fight!" Hugh screamed.
"You too, Simon!" Macie shouted.
'We're not helping you support Team Flare. They're evil,' Aries replied. He was weak now, but the mental connection he held with Hugh and Macie was still strong.
"Drilbur!" Simon chimed in, turning to face his trainer and crossing his arms. "Drilbur bur!"
'Simon doesn't want to fight either. Let them through,' Aries said.
"I'm so happy you've gotten stronger, Aries. We're going to take the title of Champion for ourselves!"
Useless. Stupid. Worthless. The words echoed in Aries' mind.
Hugh was right. He was stupid and worthless. He'd never be the powerful Pokemon that his master wanted him to be. Hugh wasn't happy that he'd gotten stronger. They wouldn't take the Champion title for themselves. Aries was too stupid and worthless for all of that.
The words Hugh told him that night after he'd evolved were lies. Everything was a lie.
"Drilbur!" Simon cried. Aries cried out in pain too. In their distraction of defying their trainer's commands, the Pokemon went down for the count. Aries was already down, but another move from Absol was enough to make him too weak to retaliate. Absol and Meowstic teamed up to knock Simon down too, and that gave the young boy and girl and opportunity to burst into the president's office.
Macie groaned, throwing her body against the wall and sliding down into a seated position. "I can't believe this! We lost! Thanks for screwing this up for us, Simon! Now we'll never get strong! Now you'll never be an Excadrill!"
Simon shook his head.
'Simon will evolve. He believes he will once you believe in him,' Aries told Macie.
"I don't believe you, you stupid Kadabra!" she shouted. "You made us lose too!" She stood up and pointed to Hugh. "And it's your fault! You couldn't control your Kadabra! Your Kadabra tainted my Simon!"
'I helped Simon. Simon is trying to keep you from making a mistake,' Aries said.
"My fault? It's not my fault your Drilbur wouldn't listen to you!" Hugh retorted.
"Yes, it is!"
"It's not!"
"It is!"
"Not!"
"Is!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
'Silence! Listen!' Aries shouted.
"You meddling kids are stopping us from creating a more beautiful world!" a woman shouted.
"If you join us, you can be a part of that beautiful world!" another woman shouted.
"No way!" the young girl replied.
"Yeah, I'm not interested in helping thugs like you guys!" the young boy replied.
"In that case, you'll die with everyone else that's gotten in our way!" the first woman replied.
"Die?" Hugh asked, his attention suddenly snapping to Aries and Simon.
"Did you two know about this?" Macie asked, her blue eyes focused on Simon.
"Drilbur, Drilbur!" Simon replied. "Drilbur, dril, bur bur!"
'He says he did, yes. He also says he's been trying to warn you for a while now, but you never listened to him,' Aries said. 'Do you believe what we've been trying to tell you now?'
"We've been decieved," Macie breathed. "They told us we'd get stronger if we joined up with them, and they lied."
"Drilbur bur," Simon replied, putting his clawed hands on his hips. He'd recovered enough to be able to stand up, albeit against a wall.
The two women that had been shouting in the room rushed out. "Move out, Flare grunts! We're done here!"
*****
Now that they knew Team Flare's true intentions, Hugh and Macie disbanded from the evil organization. The boy and the girl they'd met in the base had defeated Team Flare at the Poke Ball Factory, and then they were on their way.
"Guess I'm going to go off to Sinnoh," Hugh said with a shrug. "Somewhere where my name isn't plastered all over the news channels and in the newspapers, y'know?"
They were seated outside of a cafe in Cyllage City. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather for sitting outside at the navy blue tables in front of the cafe. Their Pokemon were out as well, though they were seated in the grass nearby. Though their names were plastered in the newspapers, it was okay for them to be out and about; their names had been cleared from the crimes that happened at the Poke Ball Factory. The police knew their story, and the boy and girl that they'd encountered had apparently backed their stories.
"I'll probably head to Hoenn. I wouldn't mind giving contests a shot," Macie said after sipping on her cappuchino.
"If you're doing contests and you meet a girl named Cordelia, that's my sister," Hugh said. "She has a Beedrill, and she'll probably be willing to help you out."
"Good to know, I'll look for her," she replied with a smile.
"Drilbur dril!" Simon said, rushing over to his trainer with Aries close behind.
"Oh," Macie said, picking up Simon and placing him on her lap.
'Are you sure you want to do this, Simon?' Aries asked. The trainers raised an eyebrow.
"Drilbur!"
'Okay,' Aries replied. 'Simon wants to join Hugh and I.'
"Ah," Macie said. "The two of you have become close through all of this, haven't you?" Drilbur nodded. "Well... I guess a full restart wouldn't be bad going to into Hoenn and contests. Are you sure about this, Drilbur?"
"Drilbur!"
"Well... I guess it would be bad of me to separate the two of you when you've gotten so close," Macie said. "If it's okay with Hugh."
"Oh," Hugh said. "I dunno... I can't even win battles with Aries. I dunno if I'll be able to make Drilbur happy when I'm an awful trainer as it is."
"Drilbur, bur!"
'He says he'd be happy no matter what as long as we were together,' Aries said.
"Oh," Hugh repeated. "I don't see why not then." Simon grinned and jumped off of Macie's lap to climb onto Hugh's. Aries helped the little Drilbur out, happy to finally have a Pokemon friend to have fun with. Macie placed the red and white capsule that Simon lived in on Hugh's side of the table, next to a plate with crumbs on it.
"Lemme see your PokeNav," Macie said, holding her hand out. Hugh took the blue device out of the pocket of his jeans and handed it to her. There was some beeping as she pushed buttons on the device, but after a moment, she handed it back to him. "I put my number in there, and I sent myself a message so I'd have yours. We can keep in contact this way, no matter where we are. I wouldn't mind seeing pictures of Simon every once in a while, and who knows, maybe we could meet up again some time in the future."
"Sounds like a plan!" Hugh replied. The Pokemon cheered as well as Macie stood up.
"Well, I should get going. Maybe I can get a flight to Sinnoh today," Macie said, placing some Poke Dollars under the cup that once held her cappuchino. "Until next time, Hugh."
"Until next time."
Pokemon: Abra {Hard, 20-30k}, Drilbur {Complex, 30-40k} Character Count: 62139 Author's Note: I'm not sure what's worse, the story or the title. Or maybe they're both just awful, ugh. Anyways, this is my WWC, so hopefully it's decentish. Um, yeah. I totally did not just binge write a good 75% or more on this story in the final week of WWC. Nope, not at all, I have no idea what you're talking about. Also, PXR looked like they needed more story love, so I posted there. :0
Trigger Warning: There's a bit that discusses some touchy subjects, such as the loss of a child, depression, & divorce. There's also a character that has an accident that puts her into a wheelchair in case that might trigger something too; the accident itself is never specified, but better safe than sorry. There's also yelling at Pokemon in this and insulting them. Mild language is a thing too. I'm really just throwing out possible things that could be triggers, so if none of these are actually triggers, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to cover my ***.
"What do you want for your birthday?"
The young boy gazed up at his father with wide blue eyes. A pointy blue hat was perched on top of his brown hair, and a blue pom-pom was at the very tip of the hat. In bold yellow letters on the hat were the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
"Well?"
The boy frowned as he thought about what he'd want for his birthday. He knew why his father was asking. The boy could remember his older sister bragging about the Weedle she got for her fifth birthday. It had since evolved into a Beedrill now, and she'd gone off on an adventure of her own. The memory of his sister bragging about that Weedle was just forever engraved into the young boy's mind.
One day, he hoped to have a Pokemon just like hers.
Okay, well, not exactly like hers. The boy wasn't very fond of Weedle. It was a weird Pokemon, and its final form was kind of scary, at least to a five year old.
There was a rumble of thunder outside. Summers around Fortree City in Hoenn were warm, but they were rainy too. It always rained near Fortree, of course, but there was the occasional thunderstorm during the summer.
"An Abra," the young boy finally said. "I want Abra."
The boy's father frowned now. "That's not possible."
"But I want Abra," the boy whined. "You asked me what I wanted, and I want Abra!"
"Abra is a very strong Psychic type Pokemon. They form powerful bonds with their trainers, bonds too strong for a young child like you," the father replied, his voice trailing off. His eyes moved from the five year old to the two potted plants behind him. They had taken on a blue aura all of a sudden, and they were hovering a few inches off of the floor.
"I want Abra!" the child screamed, tears streaming from his stormy gray eyes. "I want Abra! I don't want a stupid Weedle like Cordelia got! Weedle is stupid!"
More objects around the room started to hover, taking on the same blue aura that the potted plants had. The father showed no signs of caring about the hovering objects, he just glanced around the room and noted that they were indeed hovering.
"Give me an Abra!" the child shrieked.
The father sighed, but his eyes widened as one of the potted plants shattered at his feet. Some of the clay shards scattered around the room, but most of them stayed near the pile of dirt that rested at the father's feet. The plant looked like it remained mostly unharmed by the crash; it was a little rustled up, but no serious damage had been done.
"Okay, Hugh," the father said. "If you calm down, I'll make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?" Hugh asked.
"If you can channel your psychic powers properly, learn to control them, I'll let you have an Abra," the father replied. "Can you do that?"
Hugh frowned a bit at his father's deal. He'd stopped crying now, but he made no effort to wipe the tears from his face. It wasn't until he noticed the broken pot at his father's feet that he showed any sort of concern. "Did... did I do that?"
"What?" his father asked. He glanced down at his feet, remembering that there was a broken pot there that would need to be cleaned up and the plant repotted. The father made a mental note to have one of the servants come in and take care of that later. "Oh, this? You did, yes, but I'm not hurt. I'm fine."
"Oh..." Hugh murmured quietly, ducking his head so that his long brown hair covered his eyes. He needed to get it cut, but his mother hadn't gotten around to it yet. "I'll practice then and learn. I don't want to hurt anyone with my powers."
The father stepped around the broken pot, careful to not step on any of the broken shards, and ruffled his son's hair. "You'll learn in time, don't worry. You'll get your Abra."
Hugh's face lit up at his father's words. He would train. He would learn how to control his psychic powers. He would get the Abra he dreamed of having.
*****
It was a long, grueling fourteen years. Each and every day, except for his birthday and holidays, Hugh would train. At first, it was just for about half an hour. Over time, he'd push that to an hour, two hours, sometimes even making it an all day thing, or at least until he passed out in the yard from exhaustion.
The day before his birthday each year, his maternal grandmother would give him a test. It was a fairly simple test, just one to see how his training was coming along. Hugh failed every time. She was hard on him. He even wanted to give up after his test on the day before his twelfth birthday. Not getting the Abra the following day didn't help matters either.
But he didn't.
No matter how much he had wanted to give up, no matter how hard it got, Hugh never gave up.
He wanted that Abra, and when you genuinely want something, you fight for it. No matter how hard it gets, no matter how much you want to give up, you keep fighting for it.
Hugh had been born with this psychic ability. It had been passed down to him from his mother's side of the family, a well known group of psychics in the Hoenn region. Though his mother hadn't inherited the powers, he had. If fighting for this Abra meant mastering these powers he'd been born with, then so be it.
It was the day before his nineteenth birthday when he met with his grandmother again. Though she was confined to a wheelchair now because of an accident that happened a couple years ago that she was lucky to even survive, the older woman still had a smile on her face that could light up even the darkest of rooms. Even after the accident, she still agreed to help Hugh with his training if he wanted. After she recovered from her injuries from the accident, of course, but the sentiment was much appreciated nevertheless.
"How are you today?" she asked as she wheeled herself down the slope that led her into the room. After the accident, much of the house had to be remodeled so that she could get in and out of rooms easily since some of them had a bit of a step. Her upper body had become more buff over the past two years from all of the wheeling around she had to do now. Hugh's grandmother was an active woman, and the only things the accident had taken away from her was her job (because it was hard to be a waitress when you couldn't walk and pushing a wheelchair around tables with a plate full of food was a lot harder than it sounded) and her ability to walk.
"Hopeful," Hugh replied with a shrug. He stood up from the Indian style position he'd been sitting in on the floor. Some meditation before his test had helped him out a lot over the years, he'd noticed. His grandmother had told him that she'd noticed a difference between the third and fourth times he'd taken the test because of the meditation. "Would be nice to finally get my Abra tomorrow from dad so that I can travel the world like Delia and see that fourteen years of hard work has finally paid off."
His grandmother nodded. "Understandable. You've worked so hard towards this goal."
"Could we start now?" Hugh asked.
"If you're ready."
"I am."
The grandmother nodded again as she pulled a gold necklace out of the pocket of her jacket. She handed it to Hugh, who carefully took it as if it were a fragile piece of glass that could break if he dropped it at all. "You know what to do," she told her grandson. "Tell me what you feel from the necklace, who it belongs to, how they're feeling, if they have kids, and what they do with their life."
Hugh nodded as he closed his eyes. He held the necklace in his hands, focusing solely on the object in his hands. There was a bit of a smile on his face at first, but that smile faded away as he got more out of the necklace. Tears stung at his closed eyes. How could happiness fade away so quickly into such sadness?
"What do you feel?" the grandmother asked after some time had passed.
Hugh opened his eyes at this, and the stormy grey eyes he'd inherited from his mother were full of tears threatening to spill out onto his face. "There was happiness," he said. There was no emotion in his voice when he spoke, just words. His grandmother raised an eyebrow at this; she'd never seen this side of her grandson before, he'd never reacted this way before to an object she'd given him. Hugh continued on. "There was happiness, and then it went away so quickly. The owner was a woman, a beautiful, brunette woman with beautiful, long, wavy brown hair. It was a gift from her husband for their anniversary. They'd gotten married on the fourteenth of February. They were happy and all was well, she'd wear the necklace every day, only taking it off to shower or before bed. Then something happened." And as he spoke those last four words, his voice broke. His grandmother moved forward a bit, taking her grandson's hands in her own. He took a deep breath and continued on. "She got pregnant, with his child of course, and the pregnancy went smoothly. They were excited, as they should've been given how happy they were. Then the child was born and it wasn't breathing. The doctors tried everything, but the child was stillborn. Something that was supposed to be so happy turned out to be so heartbreaking. They were discharged from the hospital after a few days, and they supported each other for the first few months afterwards. Then it all took a turn for the worst once the woman started showing signs of depression. They started fighting and the happiness went away and... and they divorced, they left each other, and she was left alone in the world, a broken woman who couldn't even give birth to a living child."
The grandmother nodded as Hugh took his glasses off so that he could wipe away the tears that had formed in his eyes, some of which even spilled over onto his face. His farsightedness had developed a few months after he turned ten, or rather that was when he and his parents had actually started noticing it. His grandmother spoke as he put his glasses back on. "That's what I got from it too. Good job."
One step of the test done, four to go.
She wheeled off for a moment, and when she returned, there was a silver tray on her lap. On the tray were five objects: a camera, a screw, a wallet, a shoelace, and a hair tie. Hugh studied the objects on the tray that rested on his grandmother's lap, specifically their positions and what they looked like. The elderly woman handed her grandson a notepad and a pen that were on her lap as well, and after he took them from her, she wheeled out of the room.
"Call me back when you're done, I'll be out in the hallway," she said as she left the room. When she was gone, Hugh began scribbling down everything he'd noticed about the objects.
The camera was beat up, as if it had been used a lot, and the lens looked like there was a little hairline crack in it too, right in the middle of the lens itself. The screw was old and a little rusted. It was still a little silver, but the rust on it took away that fresh new look from it, not that it would look very new anyways. The silver that was still on it didn't have that new, polished look to it. The wallet was made of leather. It didn't look that old; it actually looked relatively new still. Not brand new, but there was still that newness to it. There was a crease in the middle from where it had been opened and closed, but other than that, there was nothing special about it. The shoelace would have been white, but age and a lack of being cleaned made it look a light brown instead. The ends were frayed as well. Finally, there was the pink hair tie. It had definitely seen better days, and if it saw much more use, it would probably snap.
Hugh looked over his notes for a moment. "Okay, grandma! I'm done!" he called out. She wheeled back into the room, the tray no longer on her lap. He handed her the notepad and pen, and she studied it for a moment.
"Very good," she said.
Two down, three to go.
"Time to listen to your surroundings, then," she said. "I'll tap you when the five minutes has passed."
Hugh nodded before he closed his eyes. The room was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Not that either of them would drop a pin though. He needed to concentrate. If a pin dropped, that'd break his concentration if he wasn't careful. There was the ticking of a clock that the grandmother's green eyes were fixated on, but that wouldn't distract Hugh. He was too used to it. She tapped him when five minutes had passed by, and he opened his eyes.
"What did you hear?" she asked.
"I could hear the animals outside, birds and squirrels. Mom and dad are working on lunch. Grandpa's outside with Cordelia, watching her show off her new Pokemon and contest ribbons. She's also showing him some of her contest techniques too," Hugh said. This was always a part he'd struggled with. It was pretty much the main reason why he'd failed the test, to be honest. Clairaudience was such a difficult technique to learn, let alone master. It was something Hugh spent the most time practicing on. "It's windy outside today. I could hear that and the flapping of the tablecloth in the wind. Mom probably has stuff on it already to keep it from blowing away. I can only hear the edges of it that aren't really held down flapping. That's all."
Hugh frowned when he said he was done. That was about as much as he'd always said the other fourteen times he'd taken the test. Maybe it was easier to do when there were more sounds, more things to talk about. If he ever went to the big city, he'd have to try it out.
If he ever went to the big city. Hah. He'd have to get his Abra and leave home first.
"Okay," the grandmother said. Okay. That was the same word he'd always heard after this part. Hugh's spirits dropped. He'd failed again. He just knew he'd failed. This was the same part he'd struggled with, the same part he always would struggle with.
Hugh was starting to wonder if he should just come to terms with the fact that he'd never get an Abra from his father, that he'd never pass his grandmother's test. Maybe he should just start thinking about other Pokemon to receive from his father, ones that wouldn't require such a strong mental link.
"Before we head out for lunch, give me your journal," she said. Hugh nodded and walked over to the brown bag he'd brought with him into the room. He pulled out a black journal from the inside of it and handed it to his grandmother, who placed it on her lap. "Okay, let's go."
Lunch was always held outside on test days for Hugh. Acting as the division between the first half and the second half of his test, they always had lunch outside so that his grandmother could prepare for the second half of the test. She was a fast eater, so she'd always finish eating before Hugh, who was usually one of the last ones to finish eating. Lunch the day before his birthday, or anyone's birthday in his family, was usually a pretty simple affair, and the same applied to dinner as well. It wasn't overly exciting, and they didn't usually eat much.
Still, they were forced to eat outside once Hugh started his tests the day before his birthday so that their grandmother could prepare for the second task inside. A younger Hugh would've been more excited for this. The nice summer weather let him run around outside and play with his sister while she was still around. Once she left on her journey to become a master coordinator, Hugh would spend time with his grandfather outside.
Lunch today was two roast beef and cheddar sandwiches for each person. There was a glass pitcher of lemonade in the center of the table, though there were six glasses for each individual person by their plates that were filled with lemonade already. The grandmother was the first to finish her lunch, and as soon as she did, she was wheeling herself back inside.
"Hey, bro, what's wrong?" Cordelia asked. Her brunette hair was in pig tails today, and her green eyes sparkled with the happiness she always had about her.
"Nothing," Hugh replied. He was barely touching his food, and his voice sounded so hollow. He was never getting this Abra. No matter how hard he tried, he'd never get it. He could train for fourteen more years and still be nowhere near close to getting that Abra.
Cordelia dropped the subject. She knew better than to press her brother's buttons, especially in a mood like this. He left the table after that, moving to sit under a tree to meditate some more before the second half of his test. He had to clear his mind of these thoughts of failure, even if it was inevitable. Food could wait until dinner, even though it wouldn't be much of a dinner. He'd eaten half a sandwich. That was good enough for now.
"Hugh! It's time to start the second half!" his grandmother called. He wasn't sure how much time had passed exactly since he started meditating, but enough time had passed for the rest of his family to clear off the table and bring everything inside. There was a distant rumbling and dark clouds in the sky that made Hugh waste no time in getting up and heading back inside. Now was not the time to be meditating under a tree, that was for sure.
"Your journal's come along nicely over the past year. You're remembering your dreams more clearly, and your thoughts and emotions are creating patterns. There's a recurring theme around you getting your Abra, which is understandable since you do want one so badly. If you decide to keep up with this journal after you get your Abra, it'd be interesting to see what kind of patterns you'll make with your dreams, thoughts, and emotions," she said as they made their way back into the room they were in earlier. "But for now, you have to finish your final part of the test. I've hidden an object somewhere in the house, and it's up to you to find it. You have an hour to find it, starting now."
And with that said, Hugh stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. An hour to find an object. He closed his eyes and focused on the energy in the inside of the house. No hints would be given, of course, he had to use his powers to find this object, whatever it was. He could feel energy from animate objects, his family, and the inanimate objects, everything else in the house. It would be an inanimate, non-living object though. It had to be something Hugh could pick up and bring back to his grandmother.
He sighed when he realized there was nothing connecting with him and decided to just walk down the halls of his home. It was a large house, so the object could've been anywhere. His psychic powers would help him find it when he connected with its energy.
If he connected with its energy.
There was no guarantee he would. Sometimes he would, sometimes he wouldn't. This was always a finicky part of the test for him. It wouldn't always fail him, but it was sometimes a defining factor in him not passing. Between this and clairaudience, this was a bit of a difficult skill to master as well.
Hugh paused for a moment to try and search for the object again. An idea came to his mind as he did this for a second time. He needed something that his grandmother had recently touched. It was possible her energy would still be connected to it, and then he could connect to it that way.
He felt a tugging to his left. Keeping his eyes closed, he followed the tugs. Had he actually connected with something? There was a faint green energy in the distance, and with each step, the brunette felt himself getting closer and closer to it. With each step he took, the energy got stronger and stronger. It wasn't until he walked face first into a door because his eyes were closed that he realized he made it to his destination. The energy was at its strongest here.
He opened the door and stepped into the room. This was the guest room, he noted. There was a neatly made bed, a night stand with a lamp and an alarm clock, and a television, but that was about it. The room itself was pretty empty otherwise. His father wanted to add more to it, but there hadn't been a strong need for it yet. Hugh's attention was meant for the box though, the only out of place thing in this room. That was where the energy was coming from. It wasn't too heavy of a box, he noted as he picked it up. There was something inside, but whatever it was wasn't that heavy. The red numbers on the clock showed that it was a little more than half past the hour.
Hugh retraced his steps back to the room, and when he returned, his grandmother greeted him with a smile. "You found it," she said, taking the box from her grandson.
"What's inside?" he asked.
"You'll find out later," she replied with a bit of a grin. "It's a surprise."
Hugh nodded, resisting the urge to frown or sigh. He'd been hoping that she'd just tell him that there was a Poke Ball in the box with an Abra inside. But no, she'd just said it was a surprise and nothing more.
"You have some time before dinner. I'll see you later, Hugh," she said before wheeling out of the room with the box on her lap. With her finally out of the room, he was able to let out the sigh he'd been holding in.
Thunder rumbled outside, and he could hear the rain pounding on the roof of the house. Even nature understood how sad he felt. Hugh sighed again and grabbed his bag before leaving the room to head to his own. He could hide there and wallow in his sorrows until dinner.
*****
The actual day of his birthday had finally arrived, and Hugh didn't feel nearly as excited as he had in past years. The rain wasn't really much of a deterrant, but it didn't really give him a reason to even try to brighten his spirits.
Why should he though? The one thing he'd worked so hard for over the past fourteen years wasn't going to be his today. At this rate, it'd probably never be his. There was no reason for Hugh to be happy today.
At least the thunder had passed.
He had to make an appearance though, so after a quick shower, he threw on a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. When he arrived in the dining room, there was a box in the place where his plate should've been. There was a bit of a frown on Hugh's face as he sat down at the table.
"It's from your father," his mother said as she brought in a plate of fluffy buttermilk pancakes and a small tray with butter on it. "He wants you to wait until after breakfast to open it though. I'll bring your plate."
Hugh nodded and picked the box up off the table to place it on his lap. Whatever was in the box wasn't very heavy. His mother placed a plate in front of him as his father, grandfather, and grandmother came into the room. Cordelia came in not too long after, her Beedrill buzzing along behind her.
Breakfast this morning consisted of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with butter and syrup, sausage and bacon, and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. With everyone at the table, all of the food there, and the glasses filled to the brim with orange juice, they began eating.
"Hugh, open your present!" Cordelia said, nudging her brother as their mother took the dirty, syrup covered plates from in front of everyone. He shrugged a bit and placed the box that had been wrapped with a shiny, metallic blue wrapping paper in front of him on the table. A silky purple bow had been wrapped around it as well.
Hugh pulled at one of the ends of the bow and watched as it fell off of the box to land on either side of it. With the bow gone, he tore off the wrapping paper and tossed it to the floor. Beneath it all was the same cardboard box he'd found yesterday. He could tell because he felt the same energy coming from it that he'd felt yesterday. All eyes were on him as he opened the box. Inside was a single red and white capsule.
His eyes widened.
It couldn't be.
No, no way. He'd failed that test yesterday, he was sure of it.
He reached into the box and picked up the Poke Ball inside. Holding the capsule out, he watched as a floating Pokemon materialized in the air. The Pokemon inside was mustard yellow with a brown chest and shoulders and a single brown ring on its tail. It sat as it hovered in the air, eyes closed as if it were sleeping.
"Abra," Hugh breathed, his grey eyes fixated on the hovering Pokemon before him.
This had to be a dream. This was just some sick joke his mind was playing on him. There was no way he'd gotten an Abra.
"He's yours," his father said. Hugh's attention snapped straight to his father, and he pinched himself and winced when he did. "Your grandmother and I felt as if you'd been working hard over the past fourteen years for this Abra. You've earned him."
The smile on Hugh's face was huge. Everything he'd worked so hard for over the past fourteen years was right in front of him. Abra was his.
"Thank you."
*****
Hugh wasted no time in gathering his things for the journey he'd always dreamed of going on. He waited until the day after his birthday, of course. That was how it had always been planned. He'd leave the day after his birthday for Anistar City in Kalos. The trip itself would take a few days, but that was fine with Hugh. He'd be able to fit some training with his Abra in too, so the longer trip worked out beautifully. Once he got to Anistar City, he'd train with his Abra near the sundial that was there. He'd heard all about Alakazam's Mega Evolution and the stories of the sundial and how it could help find Mega Stones. There was the need for a Mega Ring, but Hugh could worry about that later.
His heart was set on getting to Anistar City.
So with his bag packed with supplies and his Abra's Poke Ball secured on a necklace that he'd wear around his neck forever, he met up with his father to start the trip to Slateport City. They would drive through Fortree City, which was the closest place to where they lived, and then they'd cross the small bit of water that divided Route 118 in half on his father's Lapras. From there, Hugh was on his own. He had his bicycle packed in his bag as well, a present for his sixteenth birthday from his grandparents, and he could take the cycling route that ran parallel to Route 110 straight down to Slateport City. After that, he'd board a ship to Castelia City in Unova, and then he'd travel to Mistralton City and board a plane to Lumiose City in Kalos. Arriving in Kalos, he'd head straight to Anistar City.
That would be where his journey really began.
Once Abra evolved into Kadabra, they'd challenge gyms. It would be perfect. His name would be known all around the world. Hugh, the Pokemon Champion. It had a wonderful ring to it.
The drive to the water that divided Route 118 took about an hour at most. Leaving in the late morning cut the travel time down significantly. If they'd left earlier in the morning, they'd have been caught in the morning rush hour traffic that happened on either side of Fortree City. By the time they crossed the small stretch of water to Mauville City, it was lunch time. They stopped at the Mauville Food Court to have lunch, with Hugh ordering the Mauville Ramen Bowl and his father ordering the Village Sub Combo.
It was after lunch that Hugh and his father went their separate ways.
"Good luck, son," he said, handing his son a second, smaller box. Hugh took it from him with a raised eyebrow. "It's a PokeNav Plus, the latest edition. Think of it as a parting gift from the family. You'll be able to keep in contact with everyone too if you want."
Hugh nodded, taking the box and putting it in his bag after taking out his bicycle. He was beginning to think that maybe a bigger bag was a bit of a necessity. Oh well, this one would suffice for the time being. It was likely that more space would be available once he actually started using some of the supplies in it. He could keep the PokeNav in his pocket after he unwrapped it on the ship.
"I'll see you later, dad," Hugh said as he mounted his bicycle. He waved as he rode off, until they could no longer see each other because Hugh had to turn his bicycle to go around a corner.
His journey was finally underway.
He arrived in Slateport within the hour, and he was on the boat within the next. This would be one of the longer parts of the trip, but Hugh was grateful for it. He'd be able to relax, open the present his father had given him, and train with his Abra.
A few losses later, Hugh was quickly realizing just how difficult it was to train his Abra. It only knew Teleport, so it kept dodging moves no matter what Hugh commanded it to do, verbally or telepathically. There were others on the boat that would try and help him, but Hugh refused the help. Abra was his to train, and he wanted no help in the matter.
"When we get to Castelia, I'm buying you some moves, Aries," Hugh said to the floating Pokemon when they'd retired to their room for the evening.
"Okay," Abra replied. Through their battles, they'd created a telepathic bond that allowed them to speak to each other without having to use their voices. Hugh typically preferred to use his voice, and Aries liked speaking telepathically.
Hugh was true to his word when they arrived in Castelia. It was early in the evening when their ship arrived in town, so he got a hotel room in the city for the night. He could leave in the morning, and that actually worked out well since he wanted to get moves for his Abra anyways. After checking in at the hotel and dropping his things off there, he headed straight for the Poke Mart to purchase Technical Machines for his Pokemon. He'd done his research on the boat, and specially oriented moves were the way to go in this case.
"Could I have one each of Psyshock, Shadow Ball, and Energy Ball, please?" Hugh asked the clerk. The clerk nodded before stepping away to grab three small boxes. When he returned, he placed the three boxes on the counter. On one of the sides were labels that had "TM 03 - Psyshock," "TM 30 - Shadow Ball," and "TM 53 - Energy Ball" typed on them.
"That'll be 4,500 PokeDollars," the clerk replied. Hugh took out the required money and handed it over to the clerk. New moves acquired, he returned to his hotel room and released his Abra from his Poke Ball.
"Okay, Aries. It's time for you to learn some new moves," Hugh said, opening the box with the Psyshock TM in it and handing it to his Pokemon. He peered into the box after his Pokemon took the pink CD. "I think this is how it's done anyways." He shrugged. They'd figure it out.
That turned out to be the right way to teach a Pokemon a move, however, as the CD glowed in Abra's hands for a moment before shattering. He repeated the process with the Shadow Ball and Energy Ball TMs, CDs that took on a purple and green color respectively. Hugh dusted the shattered pieces of CD into one of the boxes as best as he could before throwing them all away. It was a little silly that they gave him boxes for CDs, but there was nothing he could really do about that now.
"I feel stronger now. I hope we can win some battles together, Master Hugh."
The following morning, right after he and Aries the Abra had breakfast, they set off for Mistralton City. They stopped in Nimbasa City for lunch, and then they ventured off for Driftveil afterwards. Hugh and his Abra would stay the night there in the Pokemon Center, and in the morning, they would set off for Mistralton.
While in Driftveil, Hugh decided to try his Abra's new moves out. Better here than elsewhere, given that Driftveil was home to a Ground type gym. That was where Hugh traveled to, and he started up a challenge with one of the gym trainers.
"Go, Aries!" Hugh called out, tossing his Abra's Poke Ball into the air. "Use Energy Ball!"
"Excadrill, come on out!" the trainer called, throwing his own Poke Ball up into the air. The Pokemon that materialized was a dark grey Pokemon with silver, drill like hands that shined in the light of the gym. There were three large slash marks on his body with smaller red dots on his legs and arms. "Use Metal Claw to knock him to the ground, then follow up with an Earthquake!"
Abra brought his hands together to charge up the green ball of energy he would ultimately launch at the Excadrill as he charged towards him. When the ball of energy connected with its target, it did nothing to deter the Excadrill. It was more like being tickled. Now that they were closer together, the Abra, who had an air of confidence around him before, was visibly nervous as he trembled in the air, unsure of what to do. He held his mustard yellow arms up in an attempt to block the Excadrill's attack. Being that close to a Pokemon that was intimidating, especially one as large as Excadrill.
No sooner had Excadrill's metallic drill hand slammed into Abra and knocked him to the ground, the Ground type began stomping his feet on the ground to create tremors. The gym trainer stood his ground, but the tremors even made Hugh stumble a bit until he was able to gather his footing. Abra got the worst of it though, and the little mustard yellow Psychic type ended up fainting from the Earthquake.
"Abra is unable to battle!" the referee called out as Hugh returned his Pokemon and rushed out of the gym. The gym trainer had a smirk on his face even as the referee continued to speak. "Clerk Morris wins!"
Back at the Pokemon Center, Hugh handed over his Abra's Poke Ball to the Nurse Joy behind the counter before plopping down on one of the plush red couches inside. He couldn't believe this! Even after spending 4,500 PokeDollars on three new moves for his Abra, the stupid thing still couldn't win a battle! Aries even had a type advantage with the move he used! He should've won!
But no, that Excadrill crushed him and Aries like they were Karrablast.
It was so unfair! How was Hugh supposed to become a Pokemon Champion in all of the regions if his stupid Abra couldn't even make a dent in an Excadrill's health? He groaned. He should've demanded a better Pokemon when he was five. Something that didn't take fourteen years to get his hands on. Something that was easier to train. Something that could've started him on this journey when he was ten instead of nineteen. He could've become the champion of at least three regions by now if he'd started at ten instead of nineteen!
He sighed. Too late to do anything about it now. At this point, he'd have to release the Abra, and then he'd be without a Pokemon at all. He was stuck with his stupid Abra until he caught another Pokemon.
There was hope though.
Maybe the sundial in Anistar City would help his Abra out. Maybe there they would unlock Abra's true potential. Maybe once Abra evolved into Kadabra, it would suck less.
Hugh yawned. He'd have to find out once he arrived at Anistar in the next couple of days. He'd arrive in Mistralton tomorrow afternoon, and he'd hopefully be in Kalos by the evening. Lumiose City would be his home for that night, and he'd set off for Anistar after breakfast the following morning.
Two more days to wait and see if his Abra was as awful as it seemed wasn't too bad. He just hoped that Abra wouldn't continue to be as awful as it was now.
The following morning, Hugh had a quick breakfast before picking up his healed and rested up Abra from the Nurse Joy. He wasted no time in rushing out of the Pokemon Center after securing his Abra's Poke Ball on his necklace and mounting his bicycle to ride off into the night. Hugh arrived in Mistralton in the afternoon and checked in at the airport as soon as he arrived. There was still time before his flight took off, even after he sent his bags off to be stored with the rest of the luggage, so he picked up a quick lunch and another lost battle with Aries by his side.
The plane ride was smooth sailing. The person he'd battled before boarding the plane tried to give Hugh some advice, but the nineteen year old blew him off. He didn't want help. He knew what Abra's problem was. He needed to go to the sundial and unlock Abra's true power. Abra needed to evolve, and he certainly wasn't doing that in Unova.
They'd arrived in Lumiose City in late evening as Hugh had predicted, and when he was able to finally leave the airport with his backpack, he headed straight for Hotel Richissime with a girl he'd met on the plane ride to Kalos. Her name was Macie, and she was the owner of a Drilbur that she was having trouble training too; she'd won some battles, so she was in a bit of a better position than he was. The hotel was a pricey one, as the name implied, but Hugh was able to get one of the cheaper rooms for a decent price by opting out of some of the perks they offered such as the complimentary breakfast and the room service. He was only staying for a night, he didn't need all of these fancy perks.
The following morning, he set off for Dendemille Town. He had lunch there when he arrived, and as soon as he finished and paid for his light lunch, he was off to Anistar City. He had to rent a Mamoswine in order to cross the snow covered Route 17, but it was worth it to get to his destination. The mammoth's thick brown fur was enough to keep him a little warm in the frigid temperatures, and wild Pokemon seemed to be intimidated by the mammoth.
Not to mention the few Sneasel that even tried to battle Hugh were out of luck. The first one Hugh tried to battle knocked out his Abra in one hit. He had to shoo the rest away, and thankfully the Mamoswine was intimidating enough to make them flee after some time.
He parted ways with the Mamoswine at the opposite end of Route 17 and jogged the rest of the way to Anistar City. Stepping into the city as the sun set, it was beautiful. Just beautiful. The way the sun set beyond the horizon, the way things just seemed liked they sparkled... it was perfect. It was just like all the pictures Hugh had seen over the years, just like the pictures he'd pinned to a corkboard in his room back home near Fortree City in Hoenn.
Now his journey could finally begin for real. The traveling was over, and the real training could begin. Hugh would become the Pokemon Champion in Kalos, in Unova, in Sinnoh, in Johto, in Kanto, and most importantly in his home region of Hoenn. There was no stopping him now, and once Aries got the proper training he needed near the sundial in Anistar City, no one would be able to defeat Hugh and Aries, or any other Pokemon he decided to catch along the way.
*****
First thing in the morning after a quick cereal breakfast, Hugh was out at the sundial. It was just as beautiful in the morning as it was when the sun set. The rising sun shone on the large pink crystal and made it sparkle.
"Okay, Aries!" Hugh said as he tossed the red and white capsule into the air. "Let's get some training in!"
"Go Castform!" the trainer called, releasing a grey Pokemon out to battle. No sooner than it was released from battle, the Pokemon glowed and changed shape from its normal, cloudy grey circular shaped body into an orange sun made out of circles floating on a cloud. "Start this off with a Weather Ball!"
"Um..." Hugh frowned a bit. Castform was a finicky Pokemon that changed its form based on the weather at hand. Hugh had seen some once when he went to the Weather Institute in Hoenn on a school field trip, and he'd always found them odd. "Use Shadow Ball to counteract the Weather Ball, and then follow up with a Psyshock!"
Aries brought his hands together and charged the purple ball of energy in his hands as the Castform created a ball of fire. The balls were released at the same time, but when Aries released his, there was a crackling purple energy that enveloped his hands as well. There was an explosion when the balls collided, and that was when the Abra held his hands out, and the purple energy shot forward.
"Castfoooooooooooooooooorm!" the sun-like Pokemon cried out. The purple energy crackled around Castform's body for a moment, but then it faded away. Psyshock wasn't a move that could induce paralysis. Castform blinked a few times and shook her body, but she wasn't too bothered by the explosion and the Psyshock that followed it.
"Fire Blast and Flamethrower! You know the combo, Castform!" the trainer called out, rubbing his eyes. They were a bit watery now from the smoke.
"Use another Shadow Ball to divert it and follow up with Psyshock!" Hugh shouted.
Aries charged up another ball of purple energy, but Castform didn't waste any time in breathing out a burst of flames that ultimately took the shape of a Japanese character. No sooner had that burst of flames taken form, Castform breathed out a steady stream of flames that quickly caught up to the Fire Blast and pushed it along.
There was a second explosion as the Fire Blast came into contact with Shadow Ball. This explosion was enough to send Aries flying into the metal bars that kept people from just walking into the water that bordered the city. Aries groaned before closing his black eyes.
"That's not fair!" Hugh screamed, stomping his feet on the ground. "It's not fair! You cheated!"
His opponent raised a thin eyebrow as he returned his Castform to her Poke Ball. "What are you talking about, kid?" he asked as Hugh returned Aries to his Poke Ball.
"**** off," Hugh replied, stomping off.
He'd lost. Again. This was getting tedious.
He lost literally every battle he'd ever taken part in. He spent 4,500 Poke Dollars on TMs for his Abra to make him better after realizing he only knew Teleport. Shadow Ball, Psyshock, and Energy Ball should've been more than enough for Abra. He'd get more moves after he evolved into a Kadabra, but how was that possible if he'd never win a battle?
"Here," he said, forcing the Poke Ball into Nurse Joy's hands. "I want him back tonight. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Okay," Nurse Joy replied. It was a bit of a hesitant okay, but she'd have his Pokemon ready in a few hours. This rude trainer had just unnerved her, that was all.
Hugh did return in a few hours for his Abra, and Nurse Joy returned the red and white capsule to its proper owner. "Thank you for using the Anistar City Pokemon Center," she said as Hugh left.
He went straight back to the sundial. The rings of the sundial were spinning now, and it still had that sparkle to it, now from the moonlight rather than the sunlight. Abra was released in a burst of white energy, though he didn't look too happy to be released again. Aries hovered in the air as usual, but his head was bowed and his gaze focused on the ground.
"Why can't you win me any battles?" Hugh asked. "Why? Why do you lose every battle you're in?" Aries gave him no sign of a response, so Hugh raised his voice. "Can't you do anything right, you stupid Pokemon? You're so useless! I spent money on you!" He huffed. Maybe they needed a plan of action. "We'll take a break from battling for a few days. Train in the wild, formulate a plan. We'll come back here in a few days and battle another trainer. Hopefully this will all work out. If it doesn't, then... well, we'll talk about that later."
"I'm sorry, Master Hugh... I'm trying, I really am."
The next day, they started their training in the wild. They continued here for a few days, battling the wild Sandslash, Gurdurr, Heatmor, and Durant that appeared. It all started off with some pummelings that tried Hugh's patience. He kept at it though. Aries would get stronger. Aries would evolve into a Kadabra. He would become the Pokemon Champion.
They returned to the sundial after a week. There had been some matches Hugh and Aries nearly won, but their losing streak had yet to be broken. Today would be the day it broke though. No one could beat this ultimate strategy he'd come up with and that Aries had practiced repeatedly over the past week.
"Okay, Aries! Let's break this losing streak!" Hugh shouted. He tossed the ball into the air. Though there was an air of confidence around Hugh, Aries didn't look to thrilled when he appeared from within the Poke Ball. The Psychic type could only hope that he won this battle today and broke the losing streak he and his master had. He didn't want his master to yell at him again.
"Queenie, let's show 'em what we've got!" the male trainer called. A pale blue Pokemon with pointed ears and spikes on her body appeared. This was the female Nidoran; her male counterpart was more spiky and purple. "Let's start off with Toxic, and then we'll use Crunch!"
"Use Psyshock, Aries!" Hugh commanded. Nidoran coughed a bit, releasing purple bubbles from her mouth before spitting up a ball of toxic poison that hit Aries and broke his concentration from his attack.
"Abra," the Psychic type whined, wincing in pain from the way the toxic poison hurt him.
"Shake it off, Aries! Psyshock!" Hugh commanded again. Nidoran was already on the offensive though, and Aries was slow to react from the poison that hindered him. This was a condition he wasn't really used to; no other Pokemon had poisoned him before. Aries only knew what being knocked unconscious was like.
"Abra!" Aries cried out once Nidoran leaped up and bit the floating Pokemon's leg. Aries flailed in the air, sending sparks of psychic energy flying. Hugh and his opponent had to sidestep in order to avoid the energy, and bystanders fled; this battle wasn't worth them getting hurt.
"Nido!" the little Poison type cried as she fell to the ground. One of the sparks of energy finally struck her and made her lose her grip. She was able to bounce back onto her feet without much hesitation; she'd just been caught off guard, that was all. Aries, on the other hand, sat on the ground, whining as the poison weakened him more and more with each passing second.
"Master Hugh, I'm tired. I don't think I can fight anymore."
"Do it again, Aries, but this time actually hit him!" Hugh screamed.
"Can't you tell your Pokemon's too weak to battle?" his opponent asked. "Queenie's weaked him. Your Abra isn't even floating anymore."
"Bulldoze."
Out of the blue, a rugged rock came and threw his body into the little Nidoran. It was enough force to send her into the pedestal that the sundial sat on, and it was even enough force to weaken her to the point of not battling. Nidoran's owner returned his Pokemon.
"You're not supposed to interfere with battles you're not a part of," the trainer snapped to a man in a red suit. The man blew the trainer off though; his eyes were fixated on Hugh. The brunette was hovering over his weakened Abra, who was slowly slipping into unconsciousness.
"You useless Pokemon," Hugh snarled. Aries was laying on the ground now, his breathing steady but ragged. "I can't believe you. Getting hit by that Toxic, barely hitting the stupid Nidoran with a Psyshock, nearly ****ing hitting me with a Psyshock. Can't you do anything right?"
"Bra," the Pokemon weakly replied.
"Useless!" Hugh roared. He stood up and went to walk off; the man in the red suit was standing behind him. "What do you want?"
"You want your Abra to get stronger, don't you?" he asked. "I've been watching you since you arrived here. You want your Abra to be strong."
"Yeah, well, Abra's a useless Pokemon anyways. You can have him if you want, I don't care," Hugh replied, stepping around the man.
"What if I told you that you and Abra could get stronger together?" the man asked. Hugh froze. "What if I told you that I knew how you and your Abra could get stronger together, and it was a method guaranteed to work?"
A method that was guaranteed to make Abra stronger. A method that was guaranteed to make him stronger. He could stop losing battles. He could become the champion like he'd always dreamed of being.
"I would do anything," Hugh replied, turning to face the man. "Anything."
"Then I invite you to join Team Flare," the man replied with a smile. "You and your Abra. We're based in Geosenge Town to the west of here. I hope to see you there. I promise your Abra will be stronger if you join us."
*****
Geosenge Town was an old town with ancient rock structures. It was a small town, not very populated, but there was the essential Pokemon Center. It wasn't much to Hugh's liking, he was used to the city life having grown up near Fortree, but it was tolerable. It was worth it if it meant Abra would grow stronger.
Hugh's destination, however, was to the northwest of the town, hidden among the trees.
"Welcome to Team Flare, grunt," a bald man in a white suit said. He handed Hugh a red suit, and the young trainer took it. "Go change into that. It's your uniform."
Hugh nodded and stepped into the bathroom that was connected to his small room. His jeans and blue t-shirt were replaced with the standard issue red suit, a white button up shirt and black tie, and black shoes. The belt he had to wear had a buckle with a red F on it.
"Release your Pokemon. We're going to meet your partners," the man said. Hugh took the red and white capsule off of his necklace, the only thing he retained from his old outfit, and released his Abra. The Pokemon had recovered from his battle with the Nidoran, and he'd gotten a few more battles in on the way to Geosenge, all of which were losses. The man led Hugh out of his quarters and into a meeting room.
"Nice to see you here, Jacob," a woman in a white blazer and matching white skirt said. Next to her was a female in the same suit Hugh wore, and by her side was grey and blue Pokemon with large claws.
"Yes, nice to see you too, Hayley," Jacob replied dryly. "This is Hugh and his Abra."
"And this is Macie and her Drilbur," Hayley added. Hugh nodded, recognizing the strawberry blonde haired girl from their initial meeting en route to Kalos. "The two of you will be working together. Your first mission is tomorrow, so you have today to get to know each other well."
*****
"Drilbur dril!" the little Drilbur exclaimed as he rushed forward and pounced in the seat Aries the Abra was in. The mustard yellow Pokemon yelped when he was attacked, but he teleported to Hugh's lap once he gathered his bearings.
"Simon, stop that!" a girl shouted, her strawberry blonde hair tied up into a braided bun. "You can't just pounce onto other Pokemon, that's rude!" With a grunt, she picked up the grey and blue Pokemon and placed him on her lap once she sat down. "I'm sorry. Simon tends to do that a lot. I hope your Abra is okay."
"Are you okay, Aries?" Hugh asked the Psychic type through their telepathic connection.
"Yes, I'm fine, Master Hugh. The Drilbur has already apologized to me telepathically," Aries replied.
"Yeah, he's fine. He's had worse beatings than that," Hugh replied. "I'm Hugh, by the way. This is Aries."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Macie," she replied. "Drilbur's nickname is Simon."
There was silence as the plane took off towards Lumiose City. They were above the clouds now, in the blue skies that would turn into darkness illuminated by stars in a matter of hours.
"Why did you decide to go to Lumiose?" Macie asked, breaking the silence after their dinner of turkey sandwiches with thousand island dressing.
"I'm actually going to Anistar City," Hugh replied. "I want to train Aries near the sundial there."
"Ah," she replied. "Sounds fun. Simon and I haven't been doing too well in Unova. We've won battles, but it hasn't been too good. I figure Kalos would be a good place for us to start."
"Drilbur," the Ground type said sadly.
"But it's okay!" Macie added with an excitement in her voice that rivaled Simon's sadness. "We're going to keep trying! We'll get better soon!"
*****
They were in Santalune City, just outisde of the gym in the northern part of the city. Macie and Drilbur didn't have an advantage over the Bug type gym leader, Viola, but they put up a good fight against her and her Pokemon.
"Drilbur!" the grey and blue Pokemon yelped as he ran into a man in an orange suit. His orange hair was slicked back, though there was a bit of a curl at the front.
"Simon! Be careful!" Macie exclaimed as her Pokemon got back up. Her attention turned back to the man. "I'm so sorry. Simon's a little scatterbrained sometimes. We just finished battling in the gym, so he's a little disoriented I think, but he insists he's fine."
"Drilbur bur!" Simon stubbornly replied, stamping a foot on the ground. A little bit of dust was kicked up.
"Did you win?" the man asked.
"No, we lost, but Simon put up a good fight," Macie replied, patting Simon's head. The Drilbur smiled at the praise his trainer gave him. It was much appreciated and very encouraging. "Were you looking to challenge?"
"Did you want to get stronger?" the man asked.
"I'm sorry?" Macie replied.
"Drilbur..." the Pokemon murmured, shuffling closer to his trainer.
"Did you want to get stronger?" he repeated.
"I wouldn't mind, no," she replied.
"How would you like to join Team Flare then?" the man asked. At this point, Simon had started to tug on the leg of Macie's dark wash jeans. He was trembling a little, and he would occasionally whimper.
"I don't know," Macie replied hesitantly. She looked down at Simon. "What's wrong, Simon?"
"Drilbur drilbur bur bur," the Pokemon replied, pointing a drill-like hand at the man in the orange suit. "Drilbur." Simon shook his head.
"You're ridiculous, Simon," Macie replied, shaking her head. She brought her attention back to the man. "Sure, we'll join."
"Good. Meet us in Geosenge Town. You'll be filled in and initiated there," the man said.
"Okay, sounds like a plan," she said. That said, the man walked off, and Macie picked up Simon with a grunt. "Hear that, Simon? We're going to get stronger."
"Drilbuuuur," Simon whined. "Driiiiiiiiilbur."
"Yes, Simon, we're going. We'll get stronger."
*****
The two in the white suits left the room after that, leaving Hugh and Macie in the room by themselves with their Pokemon. This at least gave Hugh a chance to get a good look at his partner. The only things worth noting about her were her sparkling blue eyes and long strawberry blonde hair; she and Hugh wore the same red suit, so there was nothing really worth noting there.
There was a sudden flash of light in the room though that took everyone's attention. Aries was glowing white now. Hugh's eyes widened. The grunt who had recruited him was right. Joining Team Flare would make his Abra stronger. As the little mustard yellow Psychic type changed form, a smile grew on Hugh's face.
Gone was the weak little Abra that hovered in the air and failed miserably at attacking. Now Hugh had a mustard yellow Pokemon that stood on his own two feet. A pink star was on his forehead, and matching pink squiggles were on the lower half of his body. In his right hand was a single spoon.
'Master Hugh, I don't think this is a good idea,' the newly evolved Aries said to his master. The Drilbur had approached the Kadabra just before he'd evolved, and the little Ground type was trembling a bit. 'I've heard about Team Flare, and they don't have good intentions... I don't feel comfortable doing this.'
"Whoa, that's cool!" Macie exclaimed. "I wish Simon would evolve into an Excadrill already. I dunno why he's so nervous. He never used to be like this until after I decided to join Team Flare."
"I've been dying for Aries to evolve into a Kadabra myself," Hugh replied. "I'm glad he finally did. Maybe we can finally break this losing streak! Aries is nervous too. He doesn't think this is a good idea, but I dunno why. This is just going to make us stronger. It already is since Aries evolved!"
"Maybe they're just nervous because it's a new environment? Guess we'll find out tomorrow when we get our mission," Macie replied with a shrug as they left the meeting room. "I'll see you in the morning?"
"Yep, see you in the morning."
*****
"You'll be headed to the Poke Ball Factory in Laverre City," a man in a suit said. This wasn't the same man Hugh had met yesterday, but he wore the same clothes as him. "It's been rumored that some meddling kids could break in and kick us out of the facility, so the extra help would be appreciated."
Hugh and Macie nodded. Aries was out of his Poke Ball as well, though he stood near the door that led into the room. Simon was with him, and the little Ground type was trembling a bit. Hugh and Macie approached their Pokemon, though Simon the Drilbur hid behind the larger Aries the Kadabra, clinging to the Psychic type's leg. Hugh wrapped an arm around one of Aries', and Macie took the other.
"Teleport," Hugh commanded after the man left the room on a teleporter in the back corner of the room. Aries shook his head.
'No,' Aries told Hugh telepathically. 'I don't trust them. I don't want to do their dirty work, and neither does Simon.'
"Teleport us to the Poke Ball Factory in Laverre City," Hugh repeated. Aries shook his head again. "Do it, Aries!"
The Psychic type groaned. He didn't want to do this. There was no choice in the matter though. No matter how defiant Aries was, Hugh would keep asking, and testing his patience wouldn't help matters. In a flash of white light, the quartet disappeared.
They reappeared in front of a brick and stone building. Glass made up the entryway, and a cobblestone path led up to that. On both sides of the path were statues of the red and white capsules that were made in this building. There were two Team Flare grunts stationed outside of the glass doors that Hugh and Macie approached, their Pokemon trailing behind.
"We're here to help out with security," Macie told one of the grunts outside.
"So we've been told," the grunt replied. "Go ahead in and find Lizzy. She'll tell you where to go."
And so they entered the factory. It was pretty quiet, as they could hear their footsteps as they walked through the building. None of the machines were running at the moment. There were other Team Flare grunts stationed around the building, but none of them were the one they were looking for.
"Hey!" a female called out to the quartet. "Why aren't you at your positions?"
Hugh and Macie turned around to see a woman in a white blazer and matching skirt. Aries and Drilbur made no motion of showing their faces to this woman, so their trainers had to move to stand next to their Pokemon in order to see the woman. Hugh was the one that ultimately spoke up though. "We're looking for someone named Lizzy so we can find out where to go. We just got here."
"Oh, you're the new grunts they sent over," the woman replied. "I'm Lizzy. You two go stand outside the president's office. Keep walking the way you were walking, go right when the path splits, and it'll be the first door on the left."
They went their separate ways and arrived at their destination in a matter of minutes. Hugh and Macie stood against the wall opposite the door while their Pokemon stood near the door. At this point, it was a waiting game. They stood in silence for some time until a young man in a white t-shirt, blue jacket, and jeans approached with a girl in a black tank top and a red skirt alongside him.
"Okay, you Team Flare scum, outta the way!" the girl shouted. Hugh and Macie wasted no time in protecting the door, but their Pokemon weren't interested in the newcomers.
"No way," Macie replied. "If you want us out of the way, you're gonna have to fight us!"
"Fine, guess we will," the boy replied, brushing his jet black hair out of his face. "Go Absol!"
"Meowstic, come on out!" the girl shouted.
Two Pokemon materialized. The first was a four legged Pokemon with white fur and striking red eyes. There was a black, blade-like protrusion from the Pokemon's head as well. The second Pokemon was a bipedal cat, mainly with white fur, but there were tufts of a purple fur on top of her head, and purple fur made a scarf around her neck.
"Aries, let's get a head start on them and use Shadow Ball on the cat!" Hugh commanded.
"Yeah! Simon, use Metal Claw!" Macie commanded.
"Absol, Night Slash on the Kadabra!" the boy said.
"Start off with a Fake Out on the Drilbur, and then join Calem's Absol in attacking the Kadabra with Shadow Ball!" the girl commanded.
While the opposing Pokemon wasted no time in preparing their attacks, Aries and Simon only stepped out into the battlefield. Neither of them made any motions in preparing the moves they'd been commanded to do. Drilbur made a bit of a sound that got a nod out of Aries.
'We're not battling,' Aries told Hugh and Macie. 'These people are good. We're not battling them.'
"What?" Macie asked, her gaze focused on the Kadabra.
"Do as you're told, Aries!" Hugh shouted, pointing at the Absol and Meowstic. "Use Shadow Ball!"
'No.'
"Simon, Metal Claw!" Macie commanded, this time more forcefully than the first.
But the Pokemon had no chance to retaliate, or even consider it. Simon shook his head, but Meowstic duped him and caught him off guard before he was even really done. Aries got hit with the Night Slash and the Shadow Ball at the same time, and the strength of both moves knocked him to his knews.
"Aries, get up and fight!" Hugh screamed.
"You too, Simon!" Macie shouted.
'We're not helping you support Team Flare. They're evil,' Aries replied. He was weak now, but the mental connection he held with Hugh and Macie was still strong.
"Drilbur!" Simon chimed in, turning to face his trainer and crossing his arms. "Drilbur bur!"
'Simon doesn't want to fight either. Let them through,' Aries said.
"I'm so happy you've gotten stronger, Aries. We're going to take the title of Champion for ourselves!"
Useless. Stupid. Worthless. The words echoed in Aries' mind.
Hugh was right. He was stupid and worthless. He'd never be the powerful Pokemon that his master wanted him to be. Hugh wasn't happy that he'd gotten stronger. They wouldn't take the Champion title for themselves. Aries was too stupid and worthless for all of that.
The words Hugh told him that night after he'd evolved were lies. Everything was a lie.
"Drilbur!" Simon cried. Aries cried out in pain too. In their distraction of defying their trainer's commands, the Pokemon went down for the count. Aries was already down, but another move from Absol was enough to make him too weak to retaliate. Absol and Meowstic teamed up to knock Simon down too, and that gave the young boy and girl and opportunity to burst into the president's office.
Macie groaned, throwing her body against the wall and sliding down into a seated position. "I can't believe this! We lost! Thanks for screwing this up for us, Simon! Now we'll never get strong! Now you'll never be an Excadrill!"
Simon shook his head.
'Simon will evolve. He believes he will once you believe in him,' Aries told Macie.
"I don't believe you, you stupid Kadabra!" she shouted. "You made us lose too!" She stood up and pointed to Hugh. "And it's your fault! You couldn't control your Kadabra! Your Kadabra tainted my Simon!"
'I helped Simon. Simon is trying to keep you from making a mistake,' Aries said.
"My fault? It's not my fault your Drilbur wouldn't listen to you!" Hugh retorted.
"Yes, it is!"
"It's not!"
"It is!"
"Not!"
"Is!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
'Silence! Listen!' Aries shouted.
"You meddling kids are stopping us from creating a more beautiful world!" a woman shouted.
"If you join us, you can be a part of that beautiful world!" another woman shouted.
"No way!" the young girl replied.
"Yeah, I'm not interested in helping thugs like you guys!" the young boy replied.
"In that case, you'll die with everyone else that's gotten in our way!" the first woman replied.
"Die?" Hugh asked, his attention suddenly snapping to Aries and Simon.
"Did you two know about this?" Macie asked, her blue eyes focused on Simon.
"Drilbur, Drilbur!" Simon replied. "Drilbur, dril, bur bur!"
'He says he did, yes. He also says he's been trying to warn you for a while now, but you never listened to him,' Aries said. 'Do you believe what we've been trying to tell you now?'
"We've been decieved," Macie breathed. "They told us we'd get stronger if we joined up with them, and they lied."
"Drilbur bur," Simon replied, putting his clawed hands on his hips. He'd recovered enough to be able to stand up, albeit against a wall.
The two women that had been shouting in the room rushed out. "Move out, Flare grunts! We're done here!"
*****
Now that they knew Team Flare's true intentions, Hugh and Macie disbanded from the evil organization. The boy and the girl they'd met in the base had defeated Team Flare at the Poke Ball Factory, and then they were on their way.
"Guess I'm going to go off to Sinnoh," Hugh said with a shrug. "Somewhere where my name isn't plastered all over the news channels and in the newspapers, y'know?"
They were seated outside of a cafe in Cyllage City. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather for sitting outside at the navy blue tables in front of the cafe. Their Pokemon were out as well, though they were seated in the grass nearby. Though their names were plastered in the newspapers, it was okay for them to be out and about; their names had been cleared from the crimes that happened at the Poke Ball Factory. The police knew their story, and the boy and girl that they'd encountered had apparently backed their stories.
"I'll probably head to Hoenn. I wouldn't mind giving contests a shot," Macie said after sipping on her cappuchino.
"If you're doing contests and you meet a girl named Cordelia, that's my sister," Hugh said. "She has a Beedrill, and she'll probably be willing to help you out."
"Good to know, I'll look for her," she replied with a smile.
"Drilbur dril!" Simon said, rushing over to his trainer with Aries close behind.
"Oh," Macie said, picking up Simon and placing him on her lap.
'Are you sure you want to do this, Simon?' Aries asked. The trainers raised an eyebrow.
"Drilbur!"
'Okay,' Aries replied. 'Simon wants to join Hugh and I.'
"Ah," Macie said. "The two of you have become close through all of this, haven't you?" Drilbur nodded. "Well... I guess a full restart wouldn't be bad going to into Hoenn and contests. Are you sure about this, Drilbur?"
"Drilbur!"
"Well... I guess it would be bad of me to separate the two of you when you've gotten so close," Macie said. "If it's okay with Hugh."
"Oh," Hugh said. "I dunno... I can't even win battles with Aries. I dunno if I'll be able to make Drilbur happy when I'm an awful trainer as it is."
"Drilbur, bur!"
'He says he'd be happy no matter what as long as we were together,' Aries said.
"Oh," Hugh repeated. "I don't see why not then." Simon grinned and jumped off of Macie's lap to climb onto Hugh's. Aries helped the little Drilbur out, happy to finally have a Pokemon friend to have fun with. Macie placed the red and white capsule that Simon lived in on Hugh's side of the table, next to a plate with crumbs on it.
"Lemme see your PokeNav," Macie said, holding her hand out. Hugh took the blue device out of the pocket of his jeans and handed it to her. There was some beeping as she pushed buttons on the device, but after a moment, she handed it back to him. "I put my number in there, and I sent myself a message so I'd have yours. We can keep in contact this way, no matter where we are. I wouldn't mind seeing pictures of Simon every once in a while, and who knows, maybe we could meet up again some time in the future."
"Sounds like a plan!" Hugh replied. The Pokemon cheered as well as Macie stood up.
"Well, I should get going. Maybe I can get a flight to Sinnoh today," Macie said, placing some Poke Dollars under the cup that once held her cappuchino. "Until next time, Hugh."
"Until next time."
Pokemon: Abra {Hard, 20-30k}, Drilbur {Complex, 30-40k} Character Count: 67282 Author's Note: Changes bolded, just going for the Drilbur at this point; hopefully it's good enough now, or at least better. @VoltChen Magneton;, can you regrade this, please?
@Felly; Here it is! Do I have to delete this, since WWC is done already? /lazy
Anyways, I'll just be tackling on the main issues, mainly:
Drilbur's Inclusion:
So, we do get a nifty backstory on the Drilbur. That's nice, considering the previous edition of the story. Now, it had more appearances and from a cameo, it turned to a side character for the main characters.
Although, I feel that the insertion of the backstory is unfitting. Mostly because an Abra, a Hard-ranked Pokemon, had way way more limelight than a Drilbur, a Complex-ranked Pokemon. Although, it's understood regarding the story's plot, please don't forget to consider the rankings of the mons. The best that one can do here is giving the Drilbur the equal amount and quality of backstory.
Anyways, it has improved!
Psychic Powers:
It was good that in a single paragraph, you can explain where the psychic powers came from. It could have been fleshed out more in your own fashion, but that's your own style.
Although, I was quite looking for the ways on how the psychic powers can help Hugh himself in his adventures. For example, Hugh, as a Team Flare grunt, could kick out intruders with his psychic powers. That's your own style, though.
Conclusion:
Your story has definitely improved! There are more places in there for improvement, you can always follow your grader's suggestions and even go out of the box for improvement. And for mercy and compassion...
You probably don't have to delete it since WWC is also over & also when I asked for the regrade, I was already knocked out of WWC, so I don't think it would've mattered, haha. Thank you for grading though!!!!
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