Saffron I – A Whirlwind of Emotion
Saffron City was one of the largest cities in the known world with only two other cities coming close and both were in foreign Regions. Despite being landlocked, Saffron was known as the City of Crossroads due to the number of routes converging on it. Industry and innovation combined in Saffron City and it was the location of the headquarters of Silph Co. who made much of the gear Slate owned and used.
Slate felt uncomfortable.
Even in Viridian and Cerulean City he had never felt so outnumbered by humans, his own kind. Slate could readily admit he felt more comfortable with Pokémon but as he walked the streets of Saffron, rubbing shoulders and elbows with strangers, he almost felt like his skin was crawling.
After checking into a Pokémon Center he checked the local phone book for Lauren Howard’s name or address. In a cruel twist of fate, Ralts' family lived down the street from Pokémon Center Delta, the closest Pokémon Center to Saffron's northern entrance and the one Slate had checked into.
A short walk later and Slate stood before the address. It was a nice townhouse and Slate could almost imagine growing up in a similar place. But he knew this wasn't where he belonged. His mind and body yearned from the wilderness, the concept of a journey to see new things, gaining experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. Slate knew he did not belong here, not when he had so much he wanted to do. With a sigh, he knocked on the door.
It opened a moment later to reveal an older woman, her hands clutching a tissue. “Is this the Howards’ residence?” Slate asked.
The woman nodded. “Yes, I'm Martha Howards, what is it?” she asked, eyeing Slate's worn travel clothes, her eyes lingering on the obvious burn marks left from Mareep's electric attacks.
Ralts shyly poked her head out from behind Slate’s own, moving to sit on his shoulder. “My name is Slate. I believe this Ralts was your daughter’s Pokémon,” he said. Ralts' hands tightened on his hair and she began to tremble as she felt Martha’s emotions.
Martha Howards stared at Slate in stunned disbelief. To his alarm tears began to fall from her eyes and she began to loudly wail. A few curious pedestrians began to stare, further increasing Slate's anxiety.
Fortunately Martha's cries alerted the other occupants of her home. A large man stepped into view, laying a comforting arm around her and she collapsed into his body, crying harder. He gestured for Slate to come in and slowly Slate did so.
The inside of the apartment was clean, in a lived in sort of way. Pictures of a happy family were on every surface and Slate felt like he experienced a gut punch every time he recognized the oldest child in the frame as Ralts' fallen Trainer.
The man guided Martha to a seat and held out a cup of tea for her. An old Skitty curled up on the woman’s lap and glared haughtily at Slate, as he was the source of its Trainer's discomfort. The man spoke.
“My name is Adam Howards. Why are you here young man?”
Slate nervously swallowed. “I found your daughter off of Route 3. I was the one who signaled the Rangers,” he tried to explain. Martha wailed harder and Adam wrapped an arm around his wife. Slate belatedly realized the younger children in the picture frames were peaking at him from behind a corner, looking at him with wide, sad eyes.
Slate sighed. “I'm sorry for your loss. When I arrived the only Pokémon who was still alive was Lauren's Ralts.” As he gestured to his shoulder Ralts Teleported away from his hand to the coffee table in front of him.
She looked tearfully up at Slate. Stay. Her mental voice was raw with the same emotions that twisted in Slate’s chest.
“I can't stay, this isn't my home. You belong with your family, Ralts,” Slate said. The two children, a boy and a girl, walked into the room when they saw Ralts.
“Ralts!” the boy cried, his two front teeth missing. Ralts turned, spotting him for the first time, and dove into his arms eagerly. The pair shared a tearful hug. “I've missed you, Ralts!”
“I've missed you more!” the girl said as she joined the hug. The two children began to argue.
Just watching the two children interact with Ralts made Slate feel as though he were intruding. He nodded his head to the front door and Adam gave him a sad, watery smile and a nod back. And so, Slate turned his back on Ralts and left the family to their sad reunion.
Slate's tears began to fall as he walked toward the Pokémon Center. Chansey let herself out of her Poké Ball, joining Slate on his walk, offering her quiet companionship. He reached down and patted her head affectionately.
“I know we did the right thing. But I'm going to miss her,” Slate said. Chansey crooned in sad agreement. “Still, this is where she belongs.”
He knew he was trying to convince himself this was the best thing for Ralts but it was futile. Even though she had only traveled with them for such a short period of time, her absence would be keenly felt.
The Pokémon Center doors slid open and the pair stepped in. There was a blessedly short queue for dropping Pokémon off to be healed and Slate handed his Mareep over for a check up. Even with a Chansey, it was better to be safe.
“Be careful of Mareep,” Slate cautioned the attending Nurse Joy. She blinked at him.
“A Mareep you caught on a PokéRanch?” she asked skeptically, reading the information on her terminal. Slate nodded.
“He's a fighter,” he said, as if that explained everything. Nurse Joy raised her eyebrows but said nothing as she handed back his Pokédex. She disappeared and returned a few minutes later, looking quite frazzled.
Slate smiled as she handed him his Poké Ball back. “You didn't believe me about Mareep, did you?”
She frowned but was saved from answering as an alert popped up on her terminal.
“Hold on, an alert just activated for your Trainer ID,” she said, clicking it open. “It says to contact your Sponsor as soon as possible.”
Slate’s eyebrows raised. “Could you print out my Aron and Mareep’s files for me? And where are your private rooms?” he asked as he pocketed Mareep’s Poké Ball.
Nurse Joy consulted his Trainer ID before nodding once more. “Through the door on the right, every door on the right except the first one,” she said, gesturing to the door in question. She handed him the two sheets of paper a moment later.
Slate thanked her before following her instructions, finding himself in a long hallway that he didn’t doubt ran the length of the Pokémon Center. He stepped past the first door, which was shut, as well as the second, which was open to reveal a small but clean living area. He entered the third door, shutting it behind himself and temporarily claiming it for himself.
The Trainer Rooms of a Pokémon Center were only large enough to allow its inhabitants to sleep comfortably before they moved on to the next stage of their Journey. It wasn’t uncommon for them to have more in common with barracks, with long rows of bunk beds and secure lockers for gear, and a communal bathroom to be shared by all. Pokémon Centers weren’t hotels after all, even if some Trainers tried to use them that way.
The Private Rooms of a Pokémon Center varied depending on location and local resources. They all contained a bed large enough for two humans, a small and private bathroom, and a private terminal that could be used for outside calls. In Saffron City, these rooms also had a small sitting area, a minifridge, and a television that hung on the wall between two windows. Slate immediately released his Pokémon.
“Alright everyone, feel free to explore the room but don’t damage anything. Everyone, keep an eye on Mareep and make sure he doesn’t get into anything or zaps any of the electronics. Get my attention immediately if you’re not sure,” Slate told them.
He watched them carefully for a moment to ensure that his instructions were being followed. Satisfied that they were, he took a seat before the terminal and phoned Maggie.
Slate hadn’t been worried on the first or second rings that went unanswered, but the third and fourth did concern him. He tried the line for their Pokémon Center and received an automated message informing him that they were currently dealing with an environmental incident and to stay on the line if they had an emergency. Slate disconnected.
Chansey’s hand found his arm, squeezing him gently. He gave her an affectionate head pat and a small smile. “I’m sure she’s fine. Probably just busy,” he said.
They sat in silence for a moment, even as Slate’s other Pokémon moved around the room. Aron toddled behind Mareep as the latter tried futilely to escape the curious Steel-type. Mareep’s fur sparked in warning but a warning blast of icy air from Vulpix caused it to huff before returning itself to its Poké Ball.
Scyther hissed at Vulpix, fluttering her wings to push the cold air away. Vulpix barked in apology before settling down in the center of the bed, causing Slate to smirk. Even though he had only had her for a little while, Slate was quite familiar with Vulpix’s tendency to steal all of the blankets and pillows at night.
He sighed before turning his eyes back to the terminal, clicking through menus to begin the shutdown process. He barely started when a call came through, with the source being the Mt. Silver Pokémon Center. He quickly hit accept.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
“What happened?” Slate asked as cold dread settled in his belly.
On the screen Nurse Joy Beth appeared. Her hat was missing, her once pristine uniform stained with dirt, blood, and other unidentifiable liquids, and much of her exposed flesh had small cuts and bruises. Her arm was in a sling and a nasty cut could be seen through her torn uniform, that Beth was applying stitches to with one hand. She didn’t take her eyes off her work even as she answered Slate.
“Bastard decided to stop by,” Nurse Joy Beth spat out. Slate’s face twisted in displeasure even as his stomach began to twist in knots.
Bastard, or rather the Tyranitar they had named Bastard, was a wandering menace that occasionally stopped by isolated Pokémon Centers, Ranger Outposts, and settlements on the edge of the wilderness. He had earned his moniker by virtue of being an utterly cruel beast of a Pokémon, laying siege to whatever he felt like, and destroying things until he got bored or was driven off. Despite the best efforts of many, he was old and intelligent enough to survive any ambush that was set up to stop him, allowing him to live virtually unopposed on this side of the Mt. Range.
Slate had been secured in the shelter under the Pokémon Center twice when he was younger due to Bastard’s wanderings. The first had been the worst as the room he had been secured in shook every few moments, rattling the racks of canned food and water. Slate was later told that each shake was a Hyper Beam that Bastard unleashed on the defenders, a testament to Bastard’s personal strength that he was able to unleash so many so quickly. Bastard was proof of how dangerous a Wild Pokémon could be.
“What happened to Maggie?” Slate asked. Fear clenched at his heart with a vice-like grip, squeezing it tight. “Did everyone else get out alright?”
Nurse Joy Beth sighed. “Maggie’s stable and secure. She was partially crushed by a collapsing wall but her Blissey managed to heal the worst of it. But we have twenty more wounded, three human deaths, and four Pokémon deaths. And that’s just our numbers, we’re still piecing together the Ranger’s and their Pokémon.”
Slate winced at Beth’s accurate, if poor word choice. It was, unfortunately, a rather good interaction with the dangerous Pokémon. He let out a heavy sigh.
“Could you give Maggie my best? And everyone else?” Slate asked. Nurse Joy Beth nodded.
“Of course. Hey you wouldn’t happen to have caught another Pokémon had you?” she asked with a gleam in her eye.
Slate’s lips twitched. “What’s in the pool?” he asked.
“We split it up by Type this time. I had Flying-type down, you better tell me I’m a winner,” Beth said with an arrogant drawl.
“I could do that,” Slate said, waiting a moment. Beth’s eyes snapped toward his and Slate continued with a devious grin, “but that would be lying. Better luck next time, Beth!”
She glared at him. “I liked you better when you hid in the kitchen cabinets and stabbed anyone who intruded upon you with a spoon.”
Slate nodded. “Yeah. You guys were pretty quick to hide the knives from me.”
Beth snorted. “Not that it helped my shins. Hey, I have to go. We’re all pulling double duty for the foreseeable future and this is cutting into my nap time.”
“All of the beauty sleep in the world can’t help you,” Slate said with a smirk.
“Why you little-”
Slate cut off the connection before Beth could finish. He was sure to regret that at some point but until that happened he would take solace in his small victory. He turned to face his Pokémon.
“Let’s get some sleep. We’re going to issue our challenge to the Saffron Gym tomorrow.”
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Slate hadn’t expected it to take all day to find the Gym. Saffron was far larger than he realized and it felt as though he had run all over it in search of the Gym. It finally took a helpful old man pointing him in the right direction, from the wrong side of Saffron, to reach it. While he started this search early in the morning, the sun was already setting when he went off in the correct direction.
He was almost there when he saw the lights of the Gym go off. He quickened his pace, breaking out into a run and managed to partially open the door before a Gym Trainer locked it. The Gym Trainer frowned down at Slate's boot which was lodged in the door.
“What do you want?” the Gym Trainer asked.
“I want to face this gym on the Challenger level,” Slate replied. The Gym Trainer sighed.
“How many Fighting-type Pokémon do you have?”
Slate thought about it for a moment. “Uh, none.”
The Gym Trainer gained an ugly look on their face. “No Fighting-type Pokémon, no challenge.”
“That's not fair!” Slate said. The Gym Trainer shrugged, opening the door.
“That's the rule! Now get lost until you have a Fighting-type Pokémon,” the Trainer said, before shoving Slate back. They slammed the door shut a moment later.
Slate grumbled but began to walk. The day had been wasted as far as he was concerned and all he wanted to do was sleep before moving on. He would have to find a Fighting-type somewhere on his Journey and return to Saffron to challenge them properly.
It was when Slate passed a Poké Mart that he remembered his tent was destroyed. He turned back with a sigh and entered, nodding to the clerk behind the counter. Despite the time of night, Poké Marts were open 24/7 as Trainers never knew when they needed supplies.
Quickly finding the camping section, Slate considered his options. While winter wasn't approaching yet it would eventually and he'd need to be prepared. But he also needed to travel light and carrying a portable space heater would be exhausting. Slate was still considering his options when the bell to the door rang and more people walked in.
“Hiya, Dave! You know what time it is,” a man said. Dave, the clerk, winced.
“Hey, Jake. I don't have all the money this month but,” Dave began to say but Jake interrupted him.
“Dave. Davee. I know you're not about to tell me you don't have my money,” Jake said. Slate put aside what he was looking for and edged around the corner of a display case.
There, in front of the register, were three Gym Trainers from Saffron's Gym. They were still in their uniforms and Slate recognized the leader, Jake, as the Gym Trainer that turned him away.
“Jake, please! You know I'm good for it!” Dave began, but Jake cut him off.
“Wrong answer. Take it,” Jake ordered. Both of his companions moved forward, one of them shoving Dave back away from the counter while the other began to rifle through the cash box. When the first began to physically beat Dave, Slate knew it was time to act.
Vulpix appeared in a blast of red light, alerting the three hooligans of someone else in the Poké Mart. They turned just in time to catch Vulpix's Icy Wind in the face.
“Gah!” Jake’s teeth chattered unpleasantly as the chill set in. “You'll regret that! Go Machop! Break its legs!”
Jake sent out a Machop that immediately moved forward. But Slate wasn't going to let his Pokémon take a beating laying down.
“Ice Shard. Then Confuse Ray,” Slate ordered.
A group of Ice Shards flew toward Machop, halting its advance and forcing it to block its face with its arms lest it get badly injured. It was hit a moment later by the Confuse Ray, causing it to open its arms to block an unseen attack from another angle. Another Ice Shard sent it reeling to the floor.
Jake returned it in disgust once it became clear the Machop wasn't able to focus on Vulpix. “Let's get out of here,” he said. The shop emptied quickly after that.
“Why did you do that? It'll just get worse now!” Dave said. Slate placed the thick tarps and ropes he selected on the counter so he could pay.
“If you never stand up it will always get worse. You need to fight back,” Slate said. Dave shook as he pulled himself to his feet.
“Easy for you to say, you're a Trainer! I don't have a Pokémon! They'll come back and it will be twice as bad!” Dave said.
“Then tell the police. They exist for a reason, after all, and if you can't protect yourself, they should protect you.”
“The police won't act against a Gym!”
“Have you even tried?” Slate countered. The Poké Mart fell silent as the two men stared each other down. Dave looked away angrily first.
“Just take it and go,” he grumbled. Slate did so, leaving with Vulpix on his heels.
Outside he was surprised to find the Machop he faced, ice crystals lingering on its arms. It looked up at him, utterly lost. In its hands were two Poké Ball halves, clearly snapped in half.
“Oh,” Slate said, realizing what must have happened. Jake, unimpressed with Machop's performance, must have broken the Poké Ball and abandoned the Pokémon.
Pokémon and human looked at one another and Slate came to a decision. He put the goods he just received aside and knelt next to the Machop.
“He abandoned you, didn't he?” Slate gently asked. Machop looked away. “That wasn't right.”
That got its attention, causing it to turn back to face him. “Every Pokémon has fantastic potential but they need help in bringing that out. They need a Trainer to help them learn and grow. You didn't fail Jake, he failed you, and doubly so when he abandoned you here.”
Vulpix purred next to Slate in agreement and Machop looked at it, searching for an answer only known to it. It seemed to find it, as it looked at the broken halves of its Poké Balls, before casting them to the side. It stood, and Slate stood with it. He held out a Poké Ball.
“Join us. I'll train you. I'll help you learn and grow and we will not cast you away. And one day you and I will return here and challenge that Gym.” Slate's eyes darkened. “And we will beat it.”
And they would. Slate had carried Ralts back to her Trainer's family because it was the right thing to do, abandoning a Pokémon in need was anathema to him. This Machop had been abandoned because its Trainer had failed it. Giovanni's lesson hung heavily in Slate's mind as Machop reached its decision, reaching out and touching the Poké Ball.
A Pokémon was only as great as their Trainer. And Slate would make his Pokémon great.
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Time Tracker:
Days passed in Chapter: 2
Total Days: 71
Trainer Card:
Name: Slate
Occupation: Trainer, Healer, Trainee Joy, Field Healer
Ambitions:
* To find his long lost Starter
* To become a Generalist Master, a Master of all Types
Badges: Boulder(II), Cascade(II)
Trophies: Inter-Regional Rookie Tournament Qualifier (3rd)
Carry Limit: 6/10
Key items: Lucky Pebble, Aron’s Rock
Pokémon: 6
Name: Scyther (F)
Type: Bug/Flying
Potential Moves: Counter, Fury Cutter, Air Slash, Focus Energy, Silver Wind, Agility
Core Moves: Rest, Swift
Name: Alolan Vulpix (F)
Type: Ice
Potential Moves: Moonblast, Ice Shard, Confuse Ray, Draining Kiss, Icy Wind, Mist
Core Moves: Swift, Rest
Name: Aron (M)
Type: Steel/Rock
Potential Moves: Dragon Rush, Iron Defense, Rock Polish, Heavy Slam
Core Moves: Rest, Protect
Name: Chansey (F) (Non-Combatant)
Type: Normal
Potential Moves: Seismic Toss, Life Dew, Drain Punch, Calm Mind, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Soft-Boiled
Core Moves: Rest, Swift
Name: Mareep (M)
Type: Electric
Potential Moves: ?
Core Moves: ?
Name: Machop (?)
Type: Fighting
Potential Moves: ?
Core Moves: ?