Post by Gifted on Sept 10, 2015 23:20:02 GMT -5
Name: James Walter Lesson
Age: 17
Trainer Class: Capture Specialist Juggler
HP:
¥900
Level 15 base stats:
Strength: 12
Wisdom: 12
Intelligence: 14
Constitution: 12
Dexterity: 18
Charisma: 12
Starter: Pichu
Features:
Hold Your Breath!
I Can Take A Hit
Step Aside - Gained on level 3, uses left 1
Satoshi's Luck
Hey Guys, Watch This!
<Capture Point>
<Curve Ball>
<Informed Tracker>
Remedial First Aid
{Throwing Master} - carries 5 small throwing knives
{Quick Switch}
{Emergency Release}
{No Hands!}
{Fast Draw}
{Bounce Shot}
Dual Wielding
{Bounce Juggle)
Backstory: James grew up in a fairly average home for his time. Him, his parents and four siblings. They didn’t have every newfangled invention that was coming out on the market, but they had a comfortable life. At least until the economy collapsed.
James was twelve when it happened. The family tried to get by by selling any and all superfluous stuff, but as that was what everyone else was doing it wasn’t nearly enough. The house was foreclosed underneath the, and they were forced to move to a tiny, cramped building they shared with three other families. James and his little brother Thomas went to find work to support the family, and for a couple years that was enough. But the job market was so saturated by the time James was fourteen that it was rare both boys could find work, and his family simply couldn’t support them all. His mother and Father told him the news grimly one night, that they could no longer continue living together. James, as the oldest, was a man now. And as a man James had to find his own way. James knew his parents were trying their hardest, and so obediently left home to find his own way to survive. All he had was the clothes on his back and a single pokemon to his name – a little electric rat he’d found in a gutter on the side of the road when he was eight. It hadn’t leveled much, mostly helping him work and scrounge for food instead of battling, but that little pichu was steadfast and loyal to a fault. Together, the two hopped trains from city to city looking for work.
Work was scarce and labour was plentiful, so James never had time to form bonds for long. He didn’t work with anyone long enough, and sometimes they’d stay in the same tent city as someone else for a couple weeks but then they’d move on, or the other person would move on, and he got someone new. Fortunately, James was always very good with people. Though he got into trouble for trying to feed his Pichu when there were so many starving people around sometimes, he was always able to handle I wih grace and got into very few fights. Sometimes, other trainers traveling with their pokemon even backed him up.
“Oi! Leave him alone mister! You dunno what that pichu’s done for him!” A boy who’s name James recalled was Curtis spoke up for him on one such an occasion. He was clutching a rattata in his arms. “My pokemon saved my life. You think I should let ol’ Ratty starve too? Huh? Do ya?”
The man harassing him was shamed into silence and sulked off to let James eat in peace. “Hey, thanks for sticking up for me, kid.” James said to the boy. Curtis couldn’t be more than ten.
“Ain’t a problem, James!” Curtis sat down cheerily next to him. “I get harassed for Ratty too sometimes. What’s your Pichu’s name?”
“Roy.” James answered. “So how’d your Rattata save your life?” He asked conversationally.
“Well, when I first had to go it on my own I’d get by by stealin’ from rich people, see? Fish a couple dollars outta their pocket, an’ after two or three I’d have enough money to eat. Well the last time I did that this old guy in a hat catches me, see? He chased me down an alley with a cane, an’ he was gonna beat me to death over a coupla dollars. But ol’ Ratty here, he comes out of the shadows and he sinks his teeth good and deep into theguys legs. Guys hootin’ and hollerin’ in pain and I’m able to up and escape with Ratty.” Curtis grinned. “I didn’t steal no more after that. Didn’t wanna be less lucky next time.”
“Probably smart.” James nodded with a smile. “Still, not like you need it. You and Ratty seem to be doing just fine.” He ate the little food he had with the boy and then went to bed.
The incident didn’t mean much to him until a couple days later. He was walking back to the tent city he was living in from work, absolutely exhausted, when he passed a group of boys in the street. Their parents must have been wealthy still because these boys were clean and looked like they’d never missed a meal. The fabric they were wearing looked bright and new and freshly washed. Their taunting voices carried over on the wind.
“Come on, you and your pathetic pokeon gonna battle us, or we gonna have to just take him?”
“Probably better he just gives it to us. That rat wouldn’t last one round against my poliwag!”
Rat? James turned around to see what those kids were actually doing. Curtis was in the center of them, slowly trying to back away and keep his distance. He was clutching Ratty tightly as two boys with a poliwag and a pidgey were advancing on Curtis and his Rattata threateningly.
“Water gun, Aqua!”
James hadn’t even really been thinking when he intervened. All that kid had was his Rattata, and these kids were trying to take that away from him? Not to mention, Curtis had helped him out that one time. It was only fair he return the favour.
“Roy, Thunder shock the Poliwag.” Roy, who was just as upset, critically hit the Poliwag, knocking it out in one hit.
“Hey, what the-?!” The boys whipped around angrily. “You’re gonna pay for what you did to my poliwag!”
“You leave this kid alone, he’s done nothing to you.”
“Do you even know who we are?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna kick your butt!” Two more pokemon were sent out. But James got lucky in that fight. Every pokemon was weak to electricity, and he managed to paralyze the strongest pretty quickly so taking them out was quick and easy work even with a fairly under-par pokemon in the battling scene like pichu.
“What??!” The last kid cried as his pokemon fainted. “How dare you?”
“Who do you think you are?” The boys picked up their pokemon and ran away shouting fouly back at him how he hadn’t heard the end of this. Curtis was staring up at him in awe.
“I can’t believe you did that for me! Thank you so much!”
“No problem. We’re even now, eh?”
“No way, we ain’t even, I way owe you for this one! I thought they were gonna steal Ratty!”
“Were they serious about stealing your pokemon?” James asked, a little surprised.
Curtis nodded. “Their dads are all members of the Black Beedrills, stealin’ pokemon is how they get their pokemon.”
“Wait, all of those pokemon were stolen? All of them?” James was horrified. How any people was that who’d had their best friends taken from them? Curtis just nodded. “That’s horrible.”
“You saved Ratty from the gang. Thanks you so much, James. I think I’m gonna get outta this town before they come back for him, though.”
“Alright. You have a safe trip, okay?”
“I will.” Curtis agreed. He ran off after that, and James stood there for a long time before heading back to the tent city he called home. He assumed the kids were just angry and shouting words at him. He didn’t expect to hear about this later.
He was wrong.
It wasn’t even a full day after he’d beaten those children in battle. He was walking to a factory down the road where scores of able-bodied men gathered to be chosen from to work there just for that day and earn just a bit of cash. He was about halfway to this factory when two men in black shirts blocked his path. There was a beedrill outlined on their shirts.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” One shoved him by the shoulder, causing James to stumble back a few steps and his Pichu to have to clutch his shirt to hang on.
“Yeah, you don’t have anywhere to be today.” Another voice from behind him said, and James looked back to find he was surrounded.
“See, we’ve heard you’ve been pickin’ on our little kids.” One of the men in front of him said, and he turned around to face them again. He was never going to get to the factory when it opened at this rate!
“Yeah, and we thought you could pick on someone your own size.”
“Look guys, I don’t want any trouble…” James tried to diffuse the situation
“You hear that? He doesn’t want any trouble.” One of them laughed.
“Tell you what: This guy likes pokemon battles. Tell you what, you battle us and if you win, we’ll let you go with your pokemon. Capiece?”
“Look, I’m really sorry about your sons.” James said, even though he wasn’t. “But I really don’t like pokemon battles and I really have to go…”
“You know, it’s real cute you think we’re given you a choice.” The gang member speaking withdrew his pokeball, the silver metal glinting in the morning sunlight. “But if you don’t send out your pokemon, we’ll just have our attacks target you.”
James forced to stare down four vicious pokemon, reluctantly sent out his pichu to battle.
It was not close. The gangsters pokemon were all twice Roy’s level and two good hits were all it would have taken to faint him. But the gangsters didn’t let him off the hook so easy.
“Alright, it’s backed against the wall. Fury Attack!”
“No!” James dashed forward, but it was too late. Pichu was struck once, twice, three times, and then lay still. “Roy!”
The gangsters laughed as James clutched his pokemon. Roy wasn’t breathing. “Well I think our work here is done.”
“There isn’t much point I stealin’ a dead pokemon, after all.” They all laughed again and walked off together, leaving James on his knees in the street, clutching his best friend.
“No, Roy…” Roy couldn’t be dead! James looked around, desperate. It couldn’t end here, Roy couldn’t die. There had to be some way to save him!
"We can still help him," a girl's voice said, softly. She set down her bag and quickly withdrew a pokeball, releasing a chubby pink thing. "Grace, heal pulse please." Her Pokemon nodded, and sent a wave at the Pichu. Annie bit her lip nervously and checked to see if the Pokemon was breathing. She smiled when the small creature's chest rose.
James had had no idea she was there until she spoke but when he saw her his heart swelled with hope. He watched her move with purpose and in a moment she had his pokemon breathing again. "He's alive." James exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. "He's alive... thank you, thank you so much..."
A small smile came to her lips. "Again please, Grace." The Pokemon obliged. "I saw what happened. You really should stay away from their kind, they're bad news."
He got to his feet, brushed his clothes of and tipped his hat respectfully to the lady. "Thank you for your help ma'am. And thank you for your advice, but I didn't exactly go out looking for them. They came up after me."
"Why?" The girl asked, doing the same. "They weren't out to steal him."
"Um, well truth be told, ma'am, I kind of messed with their kids." He admitted. "I didn't know it was their kids. But I saw a bunch of well-off rich boys picking on a kid staying in the tents where I have... well I stepped in to help the boy. I didn't realise it'd cause nice young folks like you so much trouble."
"That sounds very brave. And it's really no trouble at all... I'm Annie, by the way." She extended a hand, even though handshakes were really more of a man thing.
"Well, thank you miss. Can I call you miss? You look too young to be a ma'am." He smiled. "My name is James." He shook her hand, though rather more gently than he would another man.
Annie didn't seem to mind. "You could call me Annie, but miss is alright," she said, with a small laugh. "It's nice to meet you, James. Grace can't help much more, but I could get you something to help, if you like."
"Thank you miss but that's quite alright. I wouldn't be able to repay you and even oran juice can get quite expensive..."
"That's alright. In times like this, it's important to help where you can. I have a healing Pokemon, juice isn't that important."
"Well, you're very sweet, miss. I wish I had some way to repay you."
"Maybe one day, you will. I like to believe that kindness comes around, mister."
"So would I, miss. But it's seeming increasingly difficult to believe these days. I do hope this doesn't get you into any trouble on my account." James answered.
"I'm sure I'll be alright. Are you going to the factory for work?"
"Well, I was, but at this point I'll be too late to be picked for work." James answered.
Then maybe you could help me out around the house. It'll be a start for me helping you, and I'll make food."
"That sounds great." He smiled brightly. "I'm sure Roy would love to help, too, when he wakes up."
"And I might just be a girl, but I have a sandshrew, so you better not try anything. Not that I think you would, mind. But I don't actually know you."
"I understand. I won't hurt you miss, I promise."
Annie smiled. "I trust you. Come on, it's on the edge of town."
She returned Grace to her pokeball and led him down the street and just out of town to a tiny farm house. Even though it was tiny, though, it was still more than most people had, especially since the place was empty, aside from the two of them.
James couldn't help but be a little awed that she owned the place. But e was too polite to say anything. "Alright miss. Where do I start?"
"Well, I need some of the wood in the back chopped. Enough to fill the bins back there."
"Alright, I will get started then!" He smiled brightly at her and went out to the back to chop wood.
It was an hour before Annie came out to see how he was doing. "I've made some lunch, if you want to come in and eat."
James had gotten done more than one would expect in so short a time frame, but he still had quite a ways to go. "Really? That'd be great." He smiled. He'd never pass up food. "Do you want me to get this done first or should I come in now?"
"Now is fine, while it's still warm. You can finish after," Annie said, smiling.
James smiled even wider. It was rare he got to eat during the day, and it was a free meal he didn't have to stand in line for to boot. He drove the axe into a particularly large piece of wood for somewhere to leave it and then followed the helpful young lady. He quickened his pace so he got to the house first, opening the door for her.
Annie smiled. "Thank you," she said, nodding to him and moving inside. She'd already set the small table for two, and the chicken was sitting on the table along with mashed potatoes and gravy. Her Pokemon sat under the table munching on food of their own. "I figured you've probably had enough stew for a lifetime."
Jame's eyes bulged. How could this girl afford chicken and mashed potatoes? And gravy! The last time he'd had gravy was at least six years ago. It looked mouthwatering. "Wow, I... this is incredible." Why was she giving him this? She could probably feed herself for a week off just that and she was offering im some?
"My parents didn't believe in banks, so we came out better than most. Since we didn't have to sell the land, we have things to sell as well as doing work. Food and such. The kind of things that still sell, because they're needed, even if not for much..."
"I thought most of the farmers went broke even before the rest of us did." James said as he sat down. "Was the weather better here or something?"
"I think we just have more resilient plants. Mostly trees, lots of berry trees at that. Before the crash, it really wasn't the smartest way to make money, but it was one I could handle. We didn't have to do as much hard labor for it. And the trees grow better than some other things."
James nodded. "That makes sense. I'm very grateful for your help." He had to remind himself of his manners as he served himself and started to eat. He hadn't had food this good in years.
Annie nodded. "You seem nice, and I'd like to think if I ever needed it, or my parents did, someone would do the same."
James didn't answer because at that moment they were interrupted by his pokemon hopping up onto the table.
"Pichu pi!"
"Roy!" He laughed and rubbed his pichu's head affectionately. "Feeling better now?"
"Pichu pichu!" The pichu dashed over to his plate nd stole some chicken off of it, sitting right there and eating happily.
"Hey, no stealing!" James said, but he laughed and he didn't seem to mind. Roy was as hungry as he was.
Annie smiled. "I'm glad he's okay. He's very cute."
"Me too." James said with a smile. "I found him a gutter when I was eight. We were still doing okay, so my parents let me keep him. We've been traveling together since I got kicked out a few months ago."
Annie nodded. "You met Grace, this is Leon," she said, pulling her sandshrew into her lap. "Grace we got when we found an egg here, and my parents got me Leon when I decided to stay here, so I would have someone to protect me."
"Shreeeew." Her Pokemon leaned against her, cuddling happily.
"That's probably smart. A nice girl like you in a big place like this sounds dangerous."
Annie nodded. "Sometimes people try something, but I've always been okay."
James and Roy finished their meal and then went back outside to finish cutting wood and do anything else Annie needed finished. Annie had them carry some of the heavy barrels around, and chop down a dead tree, and help her repair a hole in the roof. "Thank you," she said as the day wound down.
"My pleasure! This was the least stressful day of work I've had in awhile!" James said, smiling brightly.
"Well, I'm just glad I don't have to go looking for someone to help out around here for a while. It can get dangerous, unfortunately..." People knew you had money when you started looking for help, and they wanted it, some less honestly than others, but even the ones who wanted too work could get crazy.
"Well, maybe I'll swing by next time I'm in the area and try to help you out. You shouldn't have to deal with that kind of hassle."
Annie smiled. "I'd like that, James."
James smile back. "Thank you for all your help, miss. I'll get out of your hair now, but I appreciate everything you've done."
"It was nice meeting you. You be careful out there."
"I will, thank you." James left.
James went back to the tents, but he was faced with a sensation that was extremely unusual for him: He was so used to the grueling hours of factory work, and being able to eat only enough to keep from starving, that having a modest days work and a completely full stomach had given him far too much energy to collapse and fall asleep like he usually did. Roy seemed to be feeling it, too. “Can’t sleep either, huh?” He said in a low voice to his pokemon.
“Pi pichu pi.” Roy whispered.
James lay there and thought for a moment. “You know, Curtis said that all of those people’s pokemon were stolen.” He looked to his friend. “How many people whose friends were stolen from them do you think that is?”
“Pi pichu…” Roy agreed sadly.
James looked over to his friends face. “Want to do something about it?”
James jumped up and ducked out of the tent, his little buddy following close behind. Roy was hesitant. “Pichu chu pichu!”
James wasn’t one of those people who could instinctively know what their pokemon was saying like it could speak English ((because that’s a feature only some classes can get which is really annoying)) but after Roy had nearly died today it wasn’t hard to guess what he was saying. “I know, you’re not strong enough yet. That’s why we’re going to have to change that first, aren’t we?” He led Roy down to a ducklett pond in the park where they were staying to train. Training was much more dangerous than it would become in later years because pokemon centers were still part of a private corporation – the same corporation that invented and sold TMs – and having ones pokemon healed there cost him quite a bit of money. But by only targeting pokemon weak to electric types, and not being afraid to run from battle when the pokemon got too challenging to fight, James spent the next few hours leveling his pichu. Roy seemed to love the battling. He jumped, dashed and dodged around the wild pokemon, running around in circles and sending off sparks excitedly when he won. James had never seen his pokemon so happy, and would probably have continued battling all night just because Roy was enjoying himself, until about two hours after he’d started when his little friend began to glow with brilliant white light.
“Roy!” James took a few steps towards his friend. But Roy didn’t seem to be in pain. “Are you okay?”
“Pichu! Pichu!” The Pichu jumped up and down excitedly, and then the light got even brighter. The Pichu’s silhouette changed, distorted and got larger, and then the bright light faded. “Pikachu!”
James was elated by the surprise. “You evolved!” He’d thought he’d never get to see Roy evolve! Not the way they were living! Roy ran over and leaped into his arms. He was much heavier than he had been as a Pichu, but James quickly adjusted to the weight, hugging his friend. “Oh, you look great, Roy!”
“Hey! Some of us are trying to sleep you know!” A voice called down to him. He looked up and saw one of the older men staying in the city, a black man named Morris. Normally he was one of the sweetest people there, always helping the new arrivals find their way around the city and solving disputes between the people who lived in the city. But at the moment he looked rather grumpy. He was holding a lantern with half a candle inside and squinting out of his tent.
“Sorry Morris!” James called back and went up the grassy plain towards him.
“James?” Morris asked when James got closer.
“Yeah. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“What in the blazes are you doing blasting all that light at twelve thirty at night?” Morris asked him.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” James explained. He gestured to his Pikachu. “Roy evolved. I didn’t really have any control over the light.”
“Did he now?” Morris looked down and smiled when he saw the little Pikachu standing at James’ side. He rubbed Roy’s head. “Good for you, Roy.”
“Pika!”
James however, noticed something slightly sad about his expression. “Morris, is something the matter?”
“Hm? Oh no, it’s nothing…”
“Are you sure? You look troubled…”
Morris sighed. “James, why don’t you come inside.” He ducked back into his tent. James and Roy hesitantly followed.
Morris’ tent was far more full of stuff than James had expected. Stacks of old discarded newspaper functioned as tables, onto one of which he put down the lantern he was holding. On various others were stacks of old, slightly moldy books, a framed picture or two, and other knickknacks he must have carried here from wherever he used to call home. His bed area had a ripped but comfortable looking quilt and an actual pillow in it, which was far better than James’ thin and raggedy sort-of-blanket and the large clump of grass he pulled up that he was using as a pillow. Morris’ tiny rations of food were in the bottom of a dirty, empty pillowcase Morris was using as a bag. James had exactly the same thing in his own tent. Morris saw him looking around and smiled. “I’ve been here for six years, son, I’ve had time to accumulate a lot of stuff.”
“Six years?” James asked. “That’s longer than it’s been since everyone lost their jobs.”
“I was a Farmer, down near Fuchsia.” Morris answered. “When the weather turned bad for a couple years, I had to sell off my family’s farmhouse and move into the city. My wife and my youngest daughter died there. Disease. Couldn’t afford a doctor. So I took my stuff, hopped of a train and set up here.” He noticed James looking at the photograph he’d brought. “That pictures’ of me and my family.”
James, taking that as permission, picked up the photograph to take a closer look. It depicted Morris, looking like a much younger man in a farmers cap and a jacket that actually fit him, standing aside a curvy, curly-haired and smiling wife and their young daughter, tightly clutching a pokemon to her chest… “What happened to the poliwag?” James asked.
“That little guy… he was a gift for my daughter. She hatched him right out of the egg. She called him Whirly. After she died I traveled with him, because he reminded me of her.” Morris looked at James. “James?”
“Yeah?”
“Curtis told me what you did for him.” He smiled. “That was a really brave thing you did.”
“I don’t know why people keep saying that.” James answered, embarrassed. “It wasn’t like I knew whose kids those were when I tried to help Curtis. They were like ten year olds.”
Morris shook his head. “You stood up for someone you thought needed it against people who had power over them. That’s always brave. I’m sure Curtis really appreciated you standing up for him. However that being said…” James looked at him quizzically. “Curtis also told me what happened to you afterwards because of it.” Morris looked sympathetic. I’m just glad you made it out okay.”
James actually believed him for a minute before he realized. “Hang on Morris, that’s not possible. Curtis left yesterday. There’s no way you or he could know what happened this morning.”
Morris smiled. “You’re a sharp one, as always. But James, I haven’t seen you train that Pichu once since you got here. And now you suddenly see the need to protect yourself. You think I don’t know something’s happened?”
James smiled a little. “Well, that’s not the only reason. I also couldn’t sleep.” He told Morris what had transpired over the course of the day. “So I got energy left over from today and decided I could use it for something productive.” He finished.
Morris laughed. “Sounds like you’re one lucky man, James.” He said merrily. Then he became more somber. “I trust you know, after an attack lie that, it’d be wisest if you left town.”
James sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s just….” He looked down at the photograph again, and then back up to Morris. “Morris? Did they steal your poliwag?”
Morris sighed. “It was a couple of years ago, now.” He admitted. “Guy’s probably long out of the region by now.”
“Yeah…. Probably…” James drifted off. Because he wasn’t so sure. In fact, he was positive he’d actually seen a poliwag with them at some point, a poliwag that Curtis had said was stolen. And James was beginning to formulate a plan.
From that night on, every time he had a spare moment where he wasn’t utterly exhausted, he was training. Every coin he made that wasn’t spent on food went to healing juices and the occasional trip to the pokemon center. He was even more exhausted than he’d been before, but his battle skills were improving. Finally, James and his Pikachu were as ready as they were going to get. "Let's get this done, right Roy? "
"Pika." Roy nodded. The pair had forsaken the possibility of working today, hovering behind a pair of dumpsters in the alley he'd been ambushed in the other day. It took him a lot of patience, sitting still and silent there for hours, but eventually the same four boys came down the alley, laughing about something. James pulled himself out from his hiding place.
"Hey, boys."
Age: 17
Trainer Class: Capture Specialist Juggler
HP:
¥900
Level 15 base stats:
Strength: 12
Wisdom: 12
Intelligence: 14
Constitution: 12
Dexterity: 18
Charisma: 12
Starter: Pichu
Features:
Hold Your Breath!
I Can Take A Hit
Step Aside - Gained on level 3, uses left 1
Satoshi's Luck
Hey Guys, Watch This!
<Capture Point>
<Curve Ball>
<Informed Tracker>
Remedial First Aid
{Throwing Master} - carries 5 small throwing knives
{Quick Switch}
{Emergency Release}
{No Hands!}
{Fast Draw}
{Bounce Shot}
Dual Wielding
{Bounce Juggle)
Backstory: James grew up in a fairly average home for his time. Him, his parents and four siblings. They didn’t have every newfangled invention that was coming out on the market, but they had a comfortable life. At least until the economy collapsed.
James was twelve when it happened. The family tried to get by by selling any and all superfluous stuff, but as that was what everyone else was doing it wasn’t nearly enough. The house was foreclosed underneath the, and they were forced to move to a tiny, cramped building they shared with three other families. James and his little brother Thomas went to find work to support the family, and for a couple years that was enough. But the job market was so saturated by the time James was fourteen that it was rare both boys could find work, and his family simply couldn’t support them all. His mother and Father told him the news grimly one night, that they could no longer continue living together. James, as the oldest, was a man now. And as a man James had to find his own way. James knew his parents were trying their hardest, and so obediently left home to find his own way to survive. All he had was the clothes on his back and a single pokemon to his name – a little electric rat he’d found in a gutter on the side of the road when he was eight. It hadn’t leveled much, mostly helping him work and scrounge for food instead of battling, but that little pichu was steadfast and loyal to a fault. Together, the two hopped trains from city to city looking for work.
Work was scarce and labour was plentiful, so James never had time to form bonds for long. He didn’t work with anyone long enough, and sometimes they’d stay in the same tent city as someone else for a couple weeks but then they’d move on, or the other person would move on, and he got someone new. Fortunately, James was always very good with people. Though he got into trouble for trying to feed his Pichu when there were so many starving people around sometimes, he was always able to handle I wih grace and got into very few fights. Sometimes, other trainers traveling with their pokemon even backed him up.
“Oi! Leave him alone mister! You dunno what that pichu’s done for him!” A boy who’s name James recalled was Curtis spoke up for him on one such an occasion. He was clutching a rattata in his arms. “My pokemon saved my life. You think I should let ol’ Ratty starve too? Huh? Do ya?”
The man harassing him was shamed into silence and sulked off to let James eat in peace. “Hey, thanks for sticking up for me, kid.” James said to the boy. Curtis couldn’t be more than ten.
“Ain’t a problem, James!” Curtis sat down cheerily next to him. “I get harassed for Ratty too sometimes. What’s your Pichu’s name?”
“Roy.” James answered. “So how’d your Rattata save your life?” He asked conversationally.
“Well, when I first had to go it on my own I’d get by by stealin’ from rich people, see? Fish a couple dollars outta their pocket, an’ after two or three I’d have enough money to eat. Well the last time I did that this old guy in a hat catches me, see? He chased me down an alley with a cane, an’ he was gonna beat me to death over a coupla dollars. But ol’ Ratty here, he comes out of the shadows and he sinks his teeth good and deep into theguys legs. Guys hootin’ and hollerin’ in pain and I’m able to up and escape with Ratty.” Curtis grinned. “I didn’t steal no more after that. Didn’t wanna be less lucky next time.”
“Probably smart.” James nodded with a smile. “Still, not like you need it. You and Ratty seem to be doing just fine.” He ate the little food he had with the boy and then went to bed.
The incident didn’t mean much to him until a couple days later. He was walking back to the tent city he was living in from work, absolutely exhausted, when he passed a group of boys in the street. Their parents must have been wealthy still because these boys were clean and looked like they’d never missed a meal. The fabric they were wearing looked bright and new and freshly washed. Their taunting voices carried over on the wind.
“Come on, you and your pathetic pokeon gonna battle us, or we gonna have to just take him?”
“Probably better he just gives it to us. That rat wouldn’t last one round against my poliwag!”
Rat? James turned around to see what those kids were actually doing. Curtis was in the center of them, slowly trying to back away and keep his distance. He was clutching Ratty tightly as two boys with a poliwag and a pidgey were advancing on Curtis and his Rattata threateningly.
“Water gun, Aqua!”
James hadn’t even really been thinking when he intervened. All that kid had was his Rattata, and these kids were trying to take that away from him? Not to mention, Curtis had helped him out that one time. It was only fair he return the favour.
“Roy, Thunder shock the Poliwag.” Roy, who was just as upset, critically hit the Poliwag, knocking it out in one hit.
“Hey, what the-?!” The boys whipped around angrily. “You’re gonna pay for what you did to my poliwag!”
“You leave this kid alone, he’s done nothing to you.”
“Do you even know who we are?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna kick your butt!” Two more pokemon were sent out. But James got lucky in that fight. Every pokemon was weak to electricity, and he managed to paralyze the strongest pretty quickly so taking them out was quick and easy work even with a fairly under-par pokemon in the battling scene like pichu.
“What??!” The last kid cried as his pokemon fainted. “How dare you?”
“Who do you think you are?” The boys picked up their pokemon and ran away shouting fouly back at him how he hadn’t heard the end of this. Curtis was staring up at him in awe.
“I can’t believe you did that for me! Thank you so much!”
“No problem. We’re even now, eh?”
“No way, we ain’t even, I way owe you for this one! I thought they were gonna steal Ratty!”
“Were they serious about stealing your pokemon?” James asked, a little surprised.
Curtis nodded. “Their dads are all members of the Black Beedrills, stealin’ pokemon is how they get their pokemon.”
“Wait, all of those pokemon were stolen? All of them?” James was horrified. How any people was that who’d had their best friends taken from them? Curtis just nodded. “That’s horrible.”
“You saved Ratty from the gang. Thanks you so much, James. I think I’m gonna get outta this town before they come back for him, though.”
“Alright. You have a safe trip, okay?”
“I will.” Curtis agreed. He ran off after that, and James stood there for a long time before heading back to the tent city he called home. He assumed the kids were just angry and shouting words at him. He didn’t expect to hear about this later.
He was wrong.
It wasn’t even a full day after he’d beaten those children in battle. He was walking to a factory down the road where scores of able-bodied men gathered to be chosen from to work there just for that day and earn just a bit of cash. He was about halfway to this factory when two men in black shirts blocked his path. There was a beedrill outlined on their shirts.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” One shoved him by the shoulder, causing James to stumble back a few steps and his Pichu to have to clutch his shirt to hang on.
“Yeah, you don’t have anywhere to be today.” Another voice from behind him said, and James looked back to find he was surrounded.
“See, we’ve heard you’ve been pickin’ on our little kids.” One of the men in front of him said, and he turned around to face them again. He was never going to get to the factory when it opened at this rate!
“Yeah, and we thought you could pick on someone your own size.”
“Look guys, I don’t want any trouble…” James tried to diffuse the situation
“You hear that? He doesn’t want any trouble.” One of them laughed.
“Tell you what: This guy likes pokemon battles. Tell you what, you battle us and if you win, we’ll let you go with your pokemon. Capiece?”
“Look, I’m really sorry about your sons.” James said, even though he wasn’t. “But I really don’t like pokemon battles and I really have to go…”
“You know, it’s real cute you think we’re given you a choice.” The gang member speaking withdrew his pokeball, the silver metal glinting in the morning sunlight. “But if you don’t send out your pokemon, we’ll just have our attacks target you.”
James forced to stare down four vicious pokemon, reluctantly sent out his pichu to battle.
It was not close. The gangsters pokemon were all twice Roy’s level and two good hits were all it would have taken to faint him. But the gangsters didn’t let him off the hook so easy.
“Alright, it’s backed against the wall. Fury Attack!”
“No!” James dashed forward, but it was too late. Pichu was struck once, twice, three times, and then lay still. “Roy!”
The gangsters laughed as James clutched his pokemon. Roy wasn’t breathing. “Well I think our work here is done.”
“There isn’t much point I stealin’ a dead pokemon, after all.” They all laughed again and walked off together, leaving James on his knees in the street, clutching his best friend.
“No, Roy…” Roy couldn’t be dead! James looked around, desperate. It couldn’t end here, Roy couldn’t die. There had to be some way to save him!
"We can still help him," a girl's voice said, softly. She set down her bag and quickly withdrew a pokeball, releasing a chubby pink thing. "Grace, heal pulse please." Her Pokemon nodded, and sent a wave at the Pichu. Annie bit her lip nervously and checked to see if the Pokemon was breathing. She smiled when the small creature's chest rose.
James had had no idea she was there until she spoke but when he saw her his heart swelled with hope. He watched her move with purpose and in a moment she had his pokemon breathing again. "He's alive." James exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. "He's alive... thank you, thank you so much..."
A small smile came to her lips. "Again please, Grace." The Pokemon obliged. "I saw what happened. You really should stay away from their kind, they're bad news."
He got to his feet, brushed his clothes of and tipped his hat respectfully to the lady. "Thank you for your help ma'am. And thank you for your advice, but I didn't exactly go out looking for them. They came up after me."
"Why?" The girl asked, doing the same. "They weren't out to steal him."
"Um, well truth be told, ma'am, I kind of messed with their kids." He admitted. "I didn't know it was their kids. But I saw a bunch of well-off rich boys picking on a kid staying in the tents where I have... well I stepped in to help the boy. I didn't realise it'd cause nice young folks like you so much trouble."
"That sounds very brave. And it's really no trouble at all... I'm Annie, by the way." She extended a hand, even though handshakes were really more of a man thing.
"Well, thank you miss. Can I call you miss? You look too young to be a ma'am." He smiled. "My name is James." He shook her hand, though rather more gently than he would another man.
Annie didn't seem to mind. "You could call me Annie, but miss is alright," she said, with a small laugh. "It's nice to meet you, James. Grace can't help much more, but I could get you something to help, if you like."
"Thank you miss but that's quite alright. I wouldn't be able to repay you and even oran juice can get quite expensive..."
"That's alright. In times like this, it's important to help where you can. I have a healing Pokemon, juice isn't that important."
"Well, you're very sweet, miss. I wish I had some way to repay you."
"Maybe one day, you will. I like to believe that kindness comes around, mister."
"So would I, miss. But it's seeming increasingly difficult to believe these days. I do hope this doesn't get you into any trouble on my account." James answered.
"I'm sure I'll be alright. Are you going to the factory for work?"
"Well, I was, but at this point I'll be too late to be picked for work." James answered.
Then maybe you could help me out around the house. It'll be a start for me helping you, and I'll make food."
"That sounds great." He smiled brightly. "I'm sure Roy would love to help, too, when he wakes up."
"And I might just be a girl, but I have a sandshrew, so you better not try anything. Not that I think you would, mind. But I don't actually know you."
"I understand. I won't hurt you miss, I promise."
Annie smiled. "I trust you. Come on, it's on the edge of town."
She returned Grace to her pokeball and led him down the street and just out of town to a tiny farm house. Even though it was tiny, though, it was still more than most people had, especially since the place was empty, aside from the two of them.
James couldn't help but be a little awed that she owned the place. But e was too polite to say anything. "Alright miss. Where do I start?"
"Well, I need some of the wood in the back chopped. Enough to fill the bins back there."
"Alright, I will get started then!" He smiled brightly at her and went out to the back to chop wood.
It was an hour before Annie came out to see how he was doing. "I've made some lunch, if you want to come in and eat."
James had gotten done more than one would expect in so short a time frame, but he still had quite a ways to go. "Really? That'd be great." He smiled. He'd never pass up food. "Do you want me to get this done first or should I come in now?"
"Now is fine, while it's still warm. You can finish after," Annie said, smiling.
James smiled even wider. It was rare he got to eat during the day, and it was a free meal he didn't have to stand in line for to boot. He drove the axe into a particularly large piece of wood for somewhere to leave it and then followed the helpful young lady. He quickened his pace so he got to the house first, opening the door for her.
Annie smiled. "Thank you," she said, nodding to him and moving inside. She'd already set the small table for two, and the chicken was sitting on the table along with mashed potatoes and gravy. Her Pokemon sat under the table munching on food of their own. "I figured you've probably had enough stew for a lifetime."
Jame's eyes bulged. How could this girl afford chicken and mashed potatoes? And gravy! The last time he'd had gravy was at least six years ago. It looked mouthwatering. "Wow, I... this is incredible." Why was she giving him this? She could probably feed herself for a week off just that and she was offering im some?
"My parents didn't believe in banks, so we came out better than most. Since we didn't have to sell the land, we have things to sell as well as doing work. Food and such. The kind of things that still sell, because they're needed, even if not for much..."
"I thought most of the farmers went broke even before the rest of us did." James said as he sat down. "Was the weather better here or something?"
"I think we just have more resilient plants. Mostly trees, lots of berry trees at that. Before the crash, it really wasn't the smartest way to make money, but it was one I could handle. We didn't have to do as much hard labor for it. And the trees grow better than some other things."
James nodded. "That makes sense. I'm very grateful for your help." He had to remind himself of his manners as he served himself and started to eat. He hadn't had food this good in years.
Annie nodded. "You seem nice, and I'd like to think if I ever needed it, or my parents did, someone would do the same."
James didn't answer because at that moment they were interrupted by his pokemon hopping up onto the table.
"Pichu pi!"
"Roy!" He laughed and rubbed his pichu's head affectionately. "Feeling better now?"
"Pichu pichu!" The pichu dashed over to his plate nd stole some chicken off of it, sitting right there and eating happily.
"Hey, no stealing!" James said, but he laughed and he didn't seem to mind. Roy was as hungry as he was.
Annie smiled. "I'm glad he's okay. He's very cute."
"Me too." James said with a smile. "I found him a gutter when I was eight. We were still doing okay, so my parents let me keep him. We've been traveling together since I got kicked out a few months ago."
Annie nodded. "You met Grace, this is Leon," she said, pulling her sandshrew into her lap. "Grace we got when we found an egg here, and my parents got me Leon when I decided to stay here, so I would have someone to protect me."
"Shreeeew." Her Pokemon leaned against her, cuddling happily.
"That's probably smart. A nice girl like you in a big place like this sounds dangerous."
Annie nodded. "Sometimes people try something, but I've always been okay."
James and Roy finished their meal and then went back outside to finish cutting wood and do anything else Annie needed finished. Annie had them carry some of the heavy barrels around, and chop down a dead tree, and help her repair a hole in the roof. "Thank you," she said as the day wound down.
"My pleasure! This was the least stressful day of work I've had in awhile!" James said, smiling brightly.
"Well, I'm just glad I don't have to go looking for someone to help out around here for a while. It can get dangerous, unfortunately..." People knew you had money when you started looking for help, and they wanted it, some less honestly than others, but even the ones who wanted too work could get crazy.
"Well, maybe I'll swing by next time I'm in the area and try to help you out. You shouldn't have to deal with that kind of hassle."
Annie smiled. "I'd like that, James."
James smile back. "Thank you for all your help, miss. I'll get out of your hair now, but I appreciate everything you've done."
"It was nice meeting you. You be careful out there."
"I will, thank you." James left.
James went back to the tents, but he was faced with a sensation that was extremely unusual for him: He was so used to the grueling hours of factory work, and being able to eat only enough to keep from starving, that having a modest days work and a completely full stomach had given him far too much energy to collapse and fall asleep like he usually did. Roy seemed to be feeling it, too. “Can’t sleep either, huh?” He said in a low voice to his pokemon.
“Pi pichu pi.” Roy whispered.
James lay there and thought for a moment. “You know, Curtis said that all of those people’s pokemon were stolen.” He looked to his friend. “How many people whose friends were stolen from them do you think that is?”
“Pi pichu…” Roy agreed sadly.
James looked over to his friends face. “Want to do something about it?”
James jumped up and ducked out of the tent, his little buddy following close behind. Roy was hesitant. “Pichu chu pichu!”
James wasn’t one of those people who could instinctively know what their pokemon was saying like it could speak English ((because that’s a feature only some classes can get which is really annoying)) but after Roy had nearly died today it wasn’t hard to guess what he was saying. “I know, you’re not strong enough yet. That’s why we’re going to have to change that first, aren’t we?” He led Roy down to a ducklett pond in the park where they were staying to train. Training was much more dangerous than it would become in later years because pokemon centers were still part of a private corporation – the same corporation that invented and sold TMs – and having ones pokemon healed there cost him quite a bit of money. But by only targeting pokemon weak to electric types, and not being afraid to run from battle when the pokemon got too challenging to fight, James spent the next few hours leveling his pichu. Roy seemed to love the battling. He jumped, dashed and dodged around the wild pokemon, running around in circles and sending off sparks excitedly when he won. James had never seen his pokemon so happy, and would probably have continued battling all night just because Roy was enjoying himself, until about two hours after he’d started when his little friend began to glow with brilliant white light.
“Roy!” James took a few steps towards his friend. But Roy didn’t seem to be in pain. “Are you okay?”
“Pichu! Pichu!” The Pichu jumped up and down excitedly, and then the light got even brighter. The Pichu’s silhouette changed, distorted and got larger, and then the bright light faded. “Pikachu!”
James was elated by the surprise. “You evolved!” He’d thought he’d never get to see Roy evolve! Not the way they were living! Roy ran over and leaped into his arms. He was much heavier than he had been as a Pichu, but James quickly adjusted to the weight, hugging his friend. “Oh, you look great, Roy!”
“Hey! Some of us are trying to sleep you know!” A voice called down to him. He looked up and saw one of the older men staying in the city, a black man named Morris. Normally he was one of the sweetest people there, always helping the new arrivals find their way around the city and solving disputes between the people who lived in the city. But at the moment he looked rather grumpy. He was holding a lantern with half a candle inside and squinting out of his tent.
“Sorry Morris!” James called back and went up the grassy plain towards him.
“James?” Morris asked when James got closer.
“Yeah. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“What in the blazes are you doing blasting all that light at twelve thirty at night?” Morris asked him.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” James explained. He gestured to his Pikachu. “Roy evolved. I didn’t really have any control over the light.”
“Did he now?” Morris looked down and smiled when he saw the little Pikachu standing at James’ side. He rubbed Roy’s head. “Good for you, Roy.”
“Pika!”
James however, noticed something slightly sad about his expression. “Morris, is something the matter?”
“Hm? Oh no, it’s nothing…”
“Are you sure? You look troubled…”
Morris sighed. “James, why don’t you come inside.” He ducked back into his tent. James and Roy hesitantly followed.
Morris’ tent was far more full of stuff than James had expected. Stacks of old discarded newspaper functioned as tables, onto one of which he put down the lantern he was holding. On various others were stacks of old, slightly moldy books, a framed picture or two, and other knickknacks he must have carried here from wherever he used to call home. His bed area had a ripped but comfortable looking quilt and an actual pillow in it, which was far better than James’ thin and raggedy sort-of-blanket and the large clump of grass he pulled up that he was using as a pillow. Morris’ tiny rations of food were in the bottom of a dirty, empty pillowcase Morris was using as a bag. James had exactly the same thing in his own tent. Morris saw him looking around and smiled. “I’ve been here for six years, son, I’ve had time to accumulate a lot of stuff.”
“Six years?” James asked. “That’s longer than it’s been since everyone lost their jobs.”
“I was a Farmer, down near Fuchsia.” Morris answered. “When the weather turned bad for a couple years, I had to sell off my family’s farmhouse and move into the city. My wife and my youngest daughter died there. Disease. Couldn’t afford a doctor. So I took my stuff, hopped of a train and set up here.” He noticed James looking at the photograph he’d brought. “That pictures’ of me and my family.”
James, taking that as permission, picked up the photograph to take a closer look. It depicted Morris, looking like a much younger man in a farmers cap and a jacket that actually fit him, standing aside a curvy, curly-haired and smiling wife and their young daughter, tightly clutching a pokemon to her chest… “What happened to the poliwag?” James asked.
“That little guy… he was a gift for my daughter. She hatched him right out of the egg. She called him Whirly. After she died I traveled with him, because he reminded me of her.” Morris looked at James. “James?”
“Yeah?”
“Curtis told me what you did for him.” He smiled. “That was a really brave thing you did.”
“I don’t know why people keep saying that.” James answered, embarrassed. “It wasn’t like I knew whose kids those were when I tried to help Curtis. They were like ten year olds.”
Morris shook his head. “You stood up for someone you thought needed it against people who had power over them. That’s always brave. I’m sure Curtis really appreciated you standing up for him. However that being said…” James looked at him quizzically. “Curtis also told me what happened to you afterwards because of it.” Morris looked sympathetic. I’m just glad you made it out okay.”
James actually believed him for a minute before he realized. “Hang on Morris, that’s not possible. Curtis left yesterday. There’s no way you or he could know what happened this morning.”
Morris smiled. “You’re a sharp one, as always. But James, I haven’t seen you train that Pichu once since you got here. And now you suddenly see the need to protect yourself. You think I don’t know something’s happened?”
James smiled a little. “Well, that’s not the only reason. I also couldn’t sleep.” He told Morris what had transpired over the course of the day. “So I got energy left over from today and decided I could use it for something productive.” He finished.
Morris laughed. “Sounds like you’re one lucky man, James.” He said merrily. Then he became more somber. “I trust you know, after an attack lie that, it’d be wisest if you left town.”
James sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s just….” He looked down at the photograph again, and then back up to Morris. “Morris? Did they steal your poliwag?”
Morris sighed. “It was a couple of years ago, now.” He admitted. “Guy’s probably long out of the region by now.”
“Yeah…. Probably…” James drifted off. Because he wasn’t so sure. In fact, he was positive he’d actually seen a poliwag with them at some point, a poliwag that Curtis had said was stolen. And James was beginning to formulate a plan.
From that night on, every time he had a spare moment where he wasn’t utterly exhausted, he was training. Every coin he made that wasn’t spent on food went to healing juices and the occasional trip to the pokemon center. He was even more exhausted than he’d been before, but his battle skills were improving. Finally, James and his Pikachu were as ready as they were going to get. "Let's get this done, right Roy? "
"Pika." Roy nodded. The pair had forsaken the possibility of working today, hovering behind a pair of dumpsters in the alley he'd been ambushed in the other day. It took him a lot of patience, sitting still and silent there for hours, but eventually the same four boys came down the alley, laughing about something. James pulled himself out from his hiding place.
"Hey, boys."