“IT IS TIME FOR THE ASCENSION! WE LABOUR IN THE SHADOWS OF FALSE KINGS NO MORE!! TODAY, WE RI - ,” click. The abrupt declaration cut off as quickly as it began when Bo flicked the end call option before staring at the caller ID. A few more seconds went by before he was forced to sigh to himself.
‘Yeah that was definitely Gramps.’ Almost as if in response to his thoughts, Bo’s Rotom phone lit up once more and displayed a familiar face still more covered by hair than wrinkles. With another sigh, Bo denied the call before returning to getting lost in the view before him. A twinge of guilt stung at him, but he knew the old man well enough after being raised by him nearly his whole life. If the geezer still had the pipes to shout like that, he clearly wasn’t in any danger. Anything else could wait a few minutes for him to calm down. At least that’s what he hoped as he signaled Rotobi to deny the incoming call again. Right now he was taking deep breathes and centering himself.
Sitting atop a natural cleft, looking out over the sprawling fields and glittering ocean, Bo probably wasn’t the oddest sight people had seen. Many people had taken advantage of the view over the years, regardless of the season. Even in the dead of winter, Paldea maintained pockets of warm climates year round. The only thing that might have been out of place was his personal appearance, so different from most found within the region.
Thin limbs that stayed a pale white no matter how much time he spent in the sun spilled out of a burnt orange haori and baggy hemp pants. A worn, drawstring bag hung from his shoulders. Sandal clad feet lay splayed out against the grass. A bead necklace, interspersed with several pokeballs of various colors, looped loosely around his neck. Hair spilled sloppily from his head after not being cut for several months. Several streaks of color intermixed amongst pale hair, as though he’d been splattered with paints and didn’t wash them out properly. The image was completed with dull, deeply set, amber eyes, simultaneously seeming both manic and tired whenever someone saw them.
All in all, his appearance stuck out amongst the locals, but he liked to think it wasn’t too bad. Over the years, Bo had heard a variety of comments on his appearance, ranging from like an otherworldly prince to like a starved artist who’d holed up in a room with psychedelic berries for a week. The comparison his girlfriend at the time gave was probably a little biased though. The drunk barfly’s prince descriptor was definitely much more objective.
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Right then though, it didn’t matter what he looked like to other people. He was alone with his thoughts and he was right where he wanted to be. Cradling the crystal orb held loosely in his hand, he marveled once again at the vivid sensation felt through the prosthetic before clearing his mind of distraction. Rousing his spirit and focusing it inwards, he reflected on his life as he’d practiced. Riiing, riiing, click. It had been over fifteen years since he started his journey with his first partner. At the start, they’d experienced wonders like he’d never dreamed of before. They’d witnessed awe-inspiring sights, reveled without restraint amongst friends, and felt their hearts pound in unison – riiing, rii-click – felt their hearts pound in unison during tough battles. They’d also endured the tougher times. Bo hadn’t always handled those as well and nearly gave up more than once, but – riiing-click – but he had made it through. He was in a beautiful new region with his past far behind. Casting his spirit further, he touched upon the six auras resting amongst the magnetic beads around his neck and tightly intertwined with himself. Feeling their own calm, contented spir – rii-click! – ok, so maybe not so content at the moment. Calm with a side of annoyance or judgement might be more accurate but they had been perfectly content three minutes ago. ‘Fuck, what was I supposed to be doing? Guru Capiche mentioned that if I lost focus I should either keep breathing or stop breathing, right? Wait, now that I think about it that advice sounds’ – RIIING!, answer the phone, RIIING!
“OK! Thank you Rotobi, I’ll get it,” Bo spared a second to glare at the smug seeming device. He often wondered whether he should have just stuck with his old Xtransceiver but the hands free model had been really useful for a while there. With a last sigh, he answered the call. “Yo.”
“THE HELL’S THE MATTER WITH YOU BOY, ONLY USEFUL THING ABOUT THIS NEW FANGLED GENERATION IS YOU NEVER DON’T HAVE YOUR PHONES. NEVERMIND, SHUT’UP. NEWS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO WASTE TIME LIKE FISHWIVES. IT IS TIME FOR THE ASCENSION! WE LABOUR IN –”
“Gramps! While arcane forces beyond mortal comprehension were almost certainly responsible for ending your last call, I think they’re gone now. Could you take a sec and tell me what in Arceus’ name is going on? Preferably slowly and a little quieter than the last rave I went to.”
“Well for starters, I should have clearly whooped your sarcastic ass more as a brat.” Bo withheld a snort at that. Despite the interruption to his day, it was good to hear the old man’s grumbly timbre calling him an ass. Felt just a little like home. “I’m calling because it’s time for our family’s dream to come true. It is time for the Moon clan to take its rightful place within Kanto. It is time for you, my boy, to ascend as the Indigo League’s newest Gym Leader!”