Chapter 2

“Are you sure about this?” Leif asked nervously. “You sure it won’t get us in trouble?”

“What do you care?” Emerald asked. “Pokemon don’t follow human rules.”

“I’m at least aware you humans have some special rules about brutality against your own species,” he answered. “Your kind breaks it often but there’s still a rule regardless.”

“Not in this case there’s not,” his trainer answered.

They stood at the edge of the dirt path of what Emerald called Route 104. It was surrounded by what few trees hadn’t been clear cut and had a fair amount of grass. They had been waiting patiently for a few minutes after walking past what remained of Petalburg Woods. And for one of the first times in his life he felt genuine fear.

Walking through that place with his new trainer was like doing so through a nightmare. The ultimate bad dream that Leif couldn’t seem to wake up from. All the death surrounding him as he left the pile of lumber that used to be his home, the blood and the corpses. While Treecko were known as stoic warriors of nature, fearlessness could only be held when confronted by immediate danger. Once that danger had been fully realized and was committed, there was nothing anyone could do but look upon it in terror.

It made Leif sick to his stomach. He’d faced stronger opponents than himself before without flinching even a little. But now he realized the reason he had originally never been frightened before.

It was because… The Treecko realized. I was more afraid of what would happen if my enemy won than my own life. Us Treecko...we instinctively care more about our woodland homeland than our lives. But now that it’s gone...my confidence is shaken.

He wasn’t just afraid. He didn’t know why he should continue on. What was the point of living if one’s life purpose had been stripped for you. There was no purpose that Leif could have except the one he was born with. The one he failed at.

Why should I serve this human? He thought. His kind took away everything my kind worked for...will I betray myself if I work as Emerald’s underling? But this human...he seems to be different from the others. Most humans would not be kind enough to look upon a dying Pokemon with such pity. He healed me as soon as he saw I was hurt. Of course, Emerald told me that was because he needed his first Pokemon…

Leif looked up at Emerald with a mix of anger and sympathy.

I could kill him right now…He thought. Revenge for what his kind did to me. It’d be easy. I could run away.

Emerald kept turning every which way, looking to find another human.

But he saved me. Leif thought. I’ve never known a human to do that. He’s…kind?

Leif then shook his head.

No. He thought. Humans aren’t kind. They’re awful. They’re invasive. They…They take and destroy what isn't theirs because they’re too weak to survive in the wild. No human is altruistic! He just took me in because he needed a slave to help him survive! Humans by nature are enslavers!

His mind was frozen, unable to continue this line of thinking.

So then why would he choose a dying Pokemon when there were stronger ones to pilfer? Leif thought. I can’t…I can’t hate him because…because I know…he’s different. Something about…about him…he’s kind…but soft. That softness…it would get him killed in the wild.

“Look!” Emerald said.

He pointed forward at a certain human walking there way. The young man with neatly combed blond hair was wearing a very smooth, clean blue suit as opposed to Emerald’s more basic black shorts and shirt. On his blue shirt was embroidered the word “Winston”. Even Leif, who knew comparatively little about human culture, could recognize this male as someone in the upper class of man’s society.

Just as how certain individual Pokemon could be recognized as the elite of their species. Beside him walked a male Zigzagoon that began rearing up upon noticing Emerald and Leif. The Normal-type glared as his trainer smiled confidently.

“Oh, what’s this?” he said. “A highway trainer? Come to rob me?”

The Zigzagoon growled at them.

“You know that it’s the law that trainers outside city limits must accept all challengers that meet them in the eye for money,” Emerald said. “This is no robbery.”

“Why is that?” Leif asked. “I thought humans had rules against violence.”

“It weeds out weaker trainers and brings in money for the economy,” his trainer explained. “Professional trainers usually get their start battling other trainers and uncaught Pokemon in the wild. That’s the rule of the challenge.”

“But what you’re doing can be considered illegal,” he said.

“What?” Emerald balked.

“Yes,” he said. “But you know that trainers are liable to get in trouble with the law if they stay and wait for passersbys with the express purpose to get money from them. If it’s reported that a person is preying upon anyone who comes along to battle, it can be illegal. Then they become a highway trainer, which is criminal. It’s a bit of a grey area in terms of law but still a legitimate felony. Or did you not know that?”

Leif leered at his trainer with an exasperated sigh.

“Um…” Emerald said. “No. I...I didn’t do well in school.”

“I can tell,” he said. “Those who abuse the rule of the challenge, highway trainers, usually are the dirt poor.”

“Well…” Emerald said. “We can still bet money...right? I can tell your rich...how about one hundred dollars?”

Winston laughed.

“Pocket change,” he replied. “Now...let me show you what happened to the last person who tried to lie in wait for me.”

The Zigzagoon ran forward at Leif with a sadistic glee in his face. The Treecko recognized it as the freedom a young Pokemon experiences once it has its first taste of battle. It occurred when the Pokemon believed that taking down its first opponent meant it was strong enough to do the same to others. Leif remembered human’s had a term for something like that called “beginner’s luck”.

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It angered Leif. This human thought he was powerful because he had one his first battle and was now imparting that arrogance to his Pokemon as well. It didn’t take a great amount of insight or intelligence to know that the Zigzagoon’s trainer shared the same feelings. By just the way he carried himself, Leif could perceive the young man’s arrogance.

It made the Treecko believe that this was the kind of world that Maxie and Norman wanted to create. A world of humans who had no idea what real pain, power or sacrifice was because everything was provided for them. Everything would become easy since they stood atop the dead bodies of those that had fallen. This human would never know the sacrifice of those who died for him to wear that smug smile and pronounced swagger. And what, just so prideful upstarts like him could gloat over what they’d never earned?

“Headbutt, Ziggy!” the trainer cried.

Just as the Normal-type neared him, Leif whirled around to slam the full force of his tail into the Pokemon’s face. In that split second upon impact, he could see the Zigzagoon’s gleeful delight in attacking switch to utter horror as he realized his opponent was far stronger than the Normal-type originally made him out to be. The impact of the blow immediately brought blood gushing from the Pokemon’s face and sent him hurtling backwards.

It literally flew through until it smashed into the trunk of a fruit bearing tree, it’s limp body slamming into the wood before skidding down to leave a slather of blood on the bark. Leif then turned his sights on the horrified trainer of the Zigzagoon. The Treecko glared with an intense disdain at the human who cowered at his murderous glare. His eyes were blurred with tears as felt regret at killing the Zigzagoon, not because Leif cared for its wellbeing, but because he wished he could have done that to Maxie and Norman’s Pokemon.

“L-Leif!” Emerald cried. “You’re not supposed to kill Pokemon!”

“As far as I could I put myself through rigorous training in case the humans ever betrayed us,” Leif said. “And...and when they finally did...I failed. And now...I will inflict the same punishment on you that they did on my home!”

The Treecko sped towards the trainer, before jumping into the air to smash his thick tail into his face. While even weak Pokemon could take an intense amount of force with relatively little trouble, humans were as soft as wet bark in comparison. When Leif used Pound on the human his face caved, leaving an imprint of his lobed tail in the remainder of his head that was as clean as a footprint in mud.

The human’s body slammed into the ground with a heavy thud, blood and loosened teeth bursting from the top of his body while Leif gracefully landed on the ground beside. He felt good from the killing, the moment of impact on the human’s skull perfectly cathartic. All the rage and sadness he experienced from his home being destroyed...somehow it was released at that moment and it felt absolutely refreshing. Leif was even a little gleeful after that.

“Leif!” Emerald screamed.

He turned around to see his trainer racing forward and grabbing the body of the boy by the shoulders. The trainer kept shaking the corpse only for more blood to spurt from the mesh of what could be called a head. Emerald then turned to Leif as he only stopped screaming to look upon the Grass-type in horror. The Treecko only gave his trainer an apathetic glance.

“Y-y-you-” he said. “You killed him.”

“Yes,” Leif said. “Pokemon die in the wild all the time. I understand you humans view yourselves special for some reason but-”

“You killed a human!” Emerald siad. “A human! Pokemon dying in trainer battles is not allowed but so long as it’s an accident...it’s not illegal. Humans...we could get in so much trouble-”

“Well we won’t,” Leif said as he looked around. “No one saw...did they?”

“That doesn’t matter!” Emerald said. “Do-do you have no idea how wrong this is?!”

The trainer’s horrified expression was not even something Leif dignified, almost confused at his hysteria. He didn’t understand Emerald’s concerns as there was no one around them to report the boy’s death and yet something still bothered the human. Something about the morality of his actions. Then it clicked.

“I suppose this shows the difference between how you humans live and how Pokemon survive,” Leif explained. “In the wild...there are no such things as rules and laws that dictate who can do what. We merely kill and eat to survive. Death is a daily reality for us. I suppose that is why you humans have to destroy the surrounding environment to create what you call a home. You’re either too weak or too unwilling to do anything that dirties your hands. And so you create a habitat so safe that death is an unwanted rarity.”

“That-” Emerald said. “That-”

“Tell me,” Leif said. “You said we wouldn’t be punished for killing a Pokemon due but would for a human. Why is that?”

“Be-because-” Emerald said. “You’re a Pokemon! Humans...humans are...well...they’re not...as much a thinking be as we are.”

“So what you're saying is,” the Treecko said. “Humans stand above us in every way?”

“Well-” he said. “You...you guys...you don’t feel or think in the same way us humans do. So...I guess not.”

“Then why save me?” Leif asked. “Why go through the trouble of healing me from certain death if I don’t feel things?”

“Well…” Emerald said. “I needed a Pokemon but...but I didn’t want you to die. I couldn’t...I’ve never liked seeing things die.”

“Then you admit on some level,” the Treecko said. “We’re the same. Or...you’re kinder than most humans.”

“Ugh…” Emerald groaned, shaking his head in nervousness before giving him a half-hearted glare. “Well...I don’t know how nice you’ll think I am if I never let you outside your Pokeball again! I have half a mind to do that after-”

“Yes,” Leif said with a bored tone. “And you’ll be forced to go without protection in this world. And since you recognize my strength...I doubt you’ll let a valuable weapon like me go.”

Emerald turned away from his Pokemon before he looked down at the corpse, shaking in fear at the sight. He reached down towards pocket before stopping his arm. Emerald pulled it back in fear, causing Leif confusion before realizing what he was afraid of.

“Take his money,” the Treecko said.

“What?” Emerald asked.

“Take it,” he answered. “Otherwise we’ll have to battle again. And I can tell you’ve grown up soft so you don’t know the realities of violence. Do it and things like this will be less likely to happen.”

“But-” he said. “That-that’s immoral after what we did!”

“When a Pokemon makes a kill in the wild,” Leif said. “It doesn’t let the meat go to waste and devours it. The same when it finds carrion. You must do the same with this kill. Don’t let it go to waste.”

Emerald sighed before reaching into the human’s leftmost pants pocket and brought out a stack of money. His eyes widened at the sight of the thick stack of bills in his hand. He thumbed through it with a slightly audible gasp.

“There must be as much as fourteen hundred dollars here,” the trainer said. “Now...now I feel guilty about my bluff of betting one hundred dollars. I...I didn’t even have any money.”

“So you admit to doing something immoral?” Leif asked. “And yet chastise me for doing the same thing?”

“There’s a difference between needless killing and a white lie to survive,” Emerald snapped.

The Treecko smiled.

“You humans,” he said. “Something I’ll never get about you...you’re feigned morality. Such hypocrites. Pokemon killing humans warrants our annihilation yet-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Emerald said. “This is more than enough to buy a Pokeball. We can make it to Rustboro City before it gets dark and stock up on them. Just...just don’t kill my potential catches.”

Leif leered at his trainer.

“Catching Pokemon?” he asked. “I...I don’t know if I can do that.”

“You were the one who said you had no purpose left and was willing to do whatever I said!” Emerald said. “You complain about humans not keeping their word and now you’re going back on your’s!”

The Treecko lowered his head in a bow of submission, acknowledging that was true. What purpose did he serve other than to be this boy’s loyal Pokemon? Leif failed defending Petalburg Woods, why slap his new purpose in the face when he’d been offered it? He was lucky to be given a new task after his glorious shortcoming and it would be criminal to reject it at face value. He nodded as they headed to Rustboro City.