[Pokémon] The Unlikely Heroes of Hoenn

Rating: PG13 (or 12 for my fellow Britons)


*** Slateport City Beach 13:17 ***

The luscious sand dunes of the Slateport beach surround the Southern part of the city. The beach has a quaint little cafe at its North and there are sun beds scattered across its entire expanse. One Pokemon trainer (from Slateport City itself) is lying down reading a magazine about Pokemon battles. He's wearing a black 'Arctic Aimpoms' t-shirt and denim shorts with sunglasses covering his green eyes. The trainers name is Cameron, who is of a slim build but quite tall and has thick brown hair. He puts down the magazine and gives a huge yawn before trying to sleep but he's interrupted by a scream,

"Dammit Seel slow down! I'm trying to hang onto you!"

Cameron briefly looks up to see who was shouting but he can only see a Seel in the distance. He mutters something about another lunatic trying to swim before immersing himself in his magazine one more. However it's no long before....

"Please somebody help I'm fu -glllgh (The voice seems to be coming from underwater now before quickly reappearing) -ing drowning here!"

The voice is now considerably louder as the life guard appears to be up at the cafe having his daily mega milky mini mocha! People start screaming about using water Pokemon to help the person. Nobody seems to have any on them however so eventually Cameron puts down his magazine and proclaims rather angrily

"Fine I'll save her then shall I! This return home was meant to be relaxing for god's sake. Anyway go Corphish! Rescue the person drowning if it's not too much trouble."

Corphish nods and springs into action. Swimming through the rough waves he dodges the Tentacools and the rabid Seel that belonged to the drowning trainer which is making a beeline for the shore. Corphish grabs hold of the trainer's hand and using bubble beam bounces itself and the trainer back to the beach as the small crowd that has gathered give off a great cheer as the trainer and Corphish return to safety. The drowning trainer was a girl around the same age as Cameron (16 years old) wearing a plain plue tank top, a pink skirt and currently no shoes. Her long brown hair covers her face as she lies on the beach face down. She slowly gets up as her trainer card falls out of her pocket.



Cameron picks up the card and examines it showing us that her name is Claire as Cameron notes that's she's reasonably attractive. He hands the trainer card to her as she stands up, completely drenched.

"Quite an entrance you made there," Cameron smirked. Claire shoots him an evil glare as Cameron continues, "I've never seen Gym badges like those before so I take it you are not from around here."

Before she can reply the rabid Seel charges at Claire but she returns it at the last second. She then goes to one side with Cameron as the crowd dissipates.

"Yes as you very cleverly guessed the girl from the ocean riding a foreign pokemon is not from around here," almost snarls Claire.

"So your kind of like a mermaid then being from the ocean. Well you've certainly got breath like a feebas." Cameron says with a sly grin on his face. Claire replies,

"I'm not a mermaid for christ's sake. Obviously you couldn't tell from my trainer card that does have my name written in it, I'm Claire from the Kanto region. I was sailing out of Vermillion city to do some serious training on the SeaFoam islands before our ship was hijacked by Team Rocket. I managed to escape on my, ahem, trustworthy Seel and make my way to the nearest beach. Where are we anyway?"

"We are on the beach in Slateport City, Hoenn Region." says Cameron with a hint of concern in his voice. Claire is speechless as Cameron continues, "I've never heard of Team Rocket. There used to be a Team Aqua and Magma in this region but my brother Abraham and his friends defeated them and now that cocky git is entering the Pokemon league. Regardless what's your plan now?" Claire looks around confused before wiping the vulnerability of her face and retorts,

"Wow your brother sounds pretty cool." Cameron grimaces as Claire continues. "Listen I have nowhere else to go so could I stay at your house just for tonight and then I can tell you all you want to know about me!" Claire smiles as Cameron nods and picks up his magazine and returns his Corphish who has been dancing around frantically the whole time. Cameron leads off as these two complete strangers are about to embark on a eventful journey......

*** Slateport City Market 14:26 ***

Cameron and Claire make their way through the hustle and bustle of the market with Cameron being annoyed by the sea of people he has to wade through while Claire still seems astonishes as to what's happened to her. Eventually they reach the exit of the market and recited Claire's story again.

"Okay so your Claire from Viridian City and you were given a Pokemon by Professor Oak and were travelling around the Kanto Region. You'd just beaten Lt Surge of Vermillion City to win your third gym badge when you met up with your parents their. You took a boat traveling to the SeaFoam Islands which was a sightseeing trip but also so you could train on the side. Team Rocket, who were believed to be no more, hijacked the boat, so you escaped on your rabid Seel and the fate of your parents and the other passengers is currently unknown."

Claire nods as the two keep walking down a relatively quiet road for Slateport City. They approach a small two storey house which Cameron enters with Claire following behind. Cameron enters to an empty house as he slumps down on one of the sofas in the lounge Claire then enquiries,

"Where are your parents? Or your brother for that matter."

"They work at the dockyard, my mums and engineer by dad is a sailor. My brother is currently training on the Victory Road for the Hoenn league that starts in a few weeks time. Until tonight we've got the house to ourselves," Cameron yawns incredibly tired on the couch. Claire then notices something on the table and picks it up.....



"Your brother's got a pretty amazing team," Claire observes. The two talked for a while longer in particular about how Cameron doesn't have a starter Pokemon and how he had to steal his brothers Pokeballs in order to catch his first Pokemon a Tailow. They exchange stories of gym battles in particular the unhinged Lt Surge that Claire recently beat. The careless small talk continues until Cameron's mum barged in!

"Who the hell is this!" Cameron's mum screams as her husband slinks in behind her looking jovial as ever.

"Well mum, this is Claire from Kanto who was recently washed up on the shores of Slateport after the boat she was travelling on was hijacked by Team Rocket," Cameron replies nervously.

Eventually Cameron's dad stepped in and gave Claire the use of the shower and bought her a change of clothes. Dad is a mountain of a man while his mum was very small but at the same time very intimidating especially when she screeched so often. Claire is offered Cameron's bed for the night so Cameron is stuck on the sofa. Later that night...

*** Slateport City, Cameron's house 03:02 ***

Thud! Cameron is roused by a loud noise in the adjacent kitchen. He peeks in and sees a figure shrouded in shadows. The figure appears to be stealing various Pokemon related items (potions and such). Cameron bolts up stairs and checks that his mum and dad are still asleep and then checks Claire's room only to discover that she's gone! As realisation slaps Cameron in the face it appears that Claire had just been playing innocent and taking advantage of his reluctant hospitality. He thinks about waking his parents but then realises he brought her into this house so he should kick her out.

Cameron sneaks down stairs as the shadowed figure is still ransacking the kitchen. He calls out his Makuhita and orders him to charge at Claire! She sees it coming however and calls out her Nidorina and the two lock horns. Neither Pokemon can gain the advantage and both trainers return them.

"What the hell do you think your doing!" Violently whispered Cameron, "I got my Pokemon to save you and let you stay over here and you repay me by stealing my stuff!"

Claire steps out of the shadows and Cameron notices a Pokemon beside her. He calls out his Swellow but it's soon paralysed by the Pokemon revealed to be an Ivysaur. Claire grins and says,

"Sorry lover boy but all good things must come to an end!" The Ivysaur then uses sleep powder and sends Cameron into a slumber as Claire escapes out the window.

*** Slateport City, Cameron's house 05:58 ***

Cameron is woken up by his dad who says that he's got the early shift at the docks and wonders why Cameron chose to sleep on the floor and not the sofa bed. Cameron goes to explain but his dad rushes out saying his shift starts in two minutes. Cameron remembers what happened and he goes and gets his Pokemon ready as he's going to find Claire and reclaim the stolen items.

*** Route 110 04:34 ***

Claire is running along the route just to the north of Slateport city as the sun is beginning rise. On her back she has a rucksack containing a large stash of items bound to make a profit at the nearest PokeMart. However Claire is completely lost in this foreign land until she stumbles upon a mysterious house by the sea directly north of Slateport. Here she staggers into the house which has it's door open. The light then switch on automatically and these cause Claire to trip over back out of the door as her bag flies into the distance. She then gets up but before she can retrieve her loot the door slams shut behind her. A soft voice then can be heard all around her saying,

"Well it's unusual to get a trainer at this time of the night and a pretty one at that. My name is well........ That's really not important but I'm known by the name 'The Trickster'. You see many poor travellers have stumbled upon my dwelling and occasionally some even challenge me deliberately. My task I simple. All you have to do is find me! Of course I'm not in the room your in currently but soon the floor will open up and you will find me in a large underground maze. The reward for finding me is your freedom!"

"How can you get away with this," stuttered Claire.

"Well from one criminal to another lets just say nobody has escaped to tell the tale!" The Trickster cackles these words as Claire looks bewildered as to how he knows all these facts. But there's little time to ponder as the floor boards open up and Claire is chucked into the maze!

*** Route 110 06:11 ***

Cameron looks incredibly focused as he searches the route for any sign of Claire. Eventually he spots her bag on the floor outside the house. There isn't any people on the route due to how early it is so Cameron steps into the house with the bag on his back until he peeks around and the door slams shut! A soft whispery voice then echoes all around the room and says

"Welcome child, you have stepped into the house of the Trickster!"

"Yeah well that's grand but have you seen my, ahem, friend anyway. She's a girl average height about my age," replies Cameron very calmly.

"Well as a matter of fact I have seen her. I'll take you tow her right now!" The Trickster laughs. At that very moment the floorboards give way and Cameron is hurled into the underground maze.

*** The Trickster's House 06:18 ***

"Wake up you bast-"

"Shut up! Who the.... Oh hello Claire what a pleasure it is to see you again. Anything else you wanna steal from me. I'm sure my shoes will sell pretty well down the market!" Cameron angrily remarks still bitter from Claire's theft.

"Listen we are stuck here so we're gonna have to work together. Just in case the fall killed the few brain cells you had left we're in the house of the Trickster and the only way we can get out is by finding him," whispers Claire.
Cameron take a look around and sees the maze their in as well as various other trainers wondering around looking for the Trickster.

"I've still got a bone to pick with you but I'll leave that until after we get out of here. Now this Trickster..... How the hell do we find him. We don't even know what he looks like," Cameron says with a hint of fear in his voice.

"I've been here for nearly two hours and haven't found a him so I reckon he's disguised as one of these trainers. We just have to figure out which one....." Claire remarks looking around for the Trickster.

"Very good!" All of a sudden the maze completely transforms and all tee wondering trainers turn to Haunter's! Claire looks around to see that Cameron said those words and that he's The Trickster! The room shrinks greatly as The Trickster stands in the middle with a knocked out Cameron at his feet. "Welcome to my domain Claire. You see this house isn't a puzzle at all! It's a death trap! I built this house simply to lure you and your stupid boy friend in. There's isn't a 'Trickster' this illusion was just created by my Haunters and prize Dusknoir! I'm really a member of Team Rocket and you know why we want you Claire. The same reason we hijacked your little pleasure cruise! Now lets battle!"

The Team Rocket executive cackles as Claire has no choice but to fight!

*** The Trickster's house 06:23 ***



The Trickster and Claire then become embroiled in a heated battle. Claire's rabid Seel knocks out two Haunters but eventually falls to the third Haunter. This Haunter is weakened so is easily dispatched off by Vulpix with an ember attack. Claire switches to Ivysaur who knocks out hype next to Haunters with the greatest of ease. Things quickly go downhill for Claire as Ivysaur and Vulpix are both easily knocked out by the Trickster's incredibly powerful Dusknoir. Nidorina is up last and try as she might there's no getting past the brute strength of the beastly ghost type and Claire has been defeated!

"Alright then child that was quite a fun battle we had there but my Dusknoir was too strong. Now hand it over!" The Trickster yelled. Claire replies with,

"You want the sky orb well too bad! Because I'm going to smash it too pieces."
In one swift movement The Trickster goes to stop Claire from smashing the orb but he's taken out by Cameron's Swellow. Having recovered Cameron sends out Corphish who nails Dusknoir right in the stomach where it's weak spot is. The Trickster then turns out the lights!

"You two amuse me. You may have smashed that sky orb my dear but we have the capacity to make many many more. As for your friend he may have knocked out my Dusknoir but lets see if he can knock out these Banette," Trickster chortled. With the lights down and Cameron and Claire surrounded the future looks pretty bleak until.......

'Stop right there!" A deep voice bellows as Abraham and his two friends Brendan and May appear. The sends out their Sceptile, Swampert and Blaziken and they all mega evolve. The Banettes are taken out in a matter of seconds as the lights come back on with the house looking completely normal.

"Unlike you to get yourself into trouble bro. Your usually to lazy to leave the house," chuckles Abraham.

"I was actually here because she st-," Cameron stops himself as Claire smiles and flutters her eyes at Cameron begging him not to give her up, "Because she still hadn't finished partying and was checking if she was okay but turned out she has been kidnapped by this Trickster bloke from Team Rocket," says Cameron very slowly and after he's finished looking very confused.

Abraham smiles and laughs, "Well that sounds very unlikely considering number one you never go to parties and number two you never talk to girls but whatever. I don't know what Team Rocket want in Hoenn but I'm gonna find out. Let's go team!" Abraham and co dash out as Cameron mutters angrily he turns to Claire,

"Your lucky I saved you there because if I told him you'd stolen from me he would have taken you straight to the police. And what was all that nonsense about sky orbs. And why did you steal from me?" Cameron practically screams incensed as to how little he knows about Claire. Claire looks at him and smiles and goes to whisper something in his ear but instead sprays a potion in his ear. With Cameron's ear searing in pain this gives Claire the opening she needs as she dashes out of the house and picks up her loot along the way. Cameron looks around depressed and heads home.

*** Cameron's house in Slateport City 08:13 ***

"The girl staying with us was kidnapped (with all our items being stolen by the kidnapper) and you got into trouble while rescuing her but Abraham saved her. He also mentioned something about a party but he must have misheard," Cameron smiles as his dad goes over his latest explanation of events, "And on the way home you were bitten on the ear by a Poocheyna which is why your ear is red. Well if your going on your journey tomorrow you need a good days rest," calmly proclaims Cameron's dad. He waves goodbye to both his reserved Dad and furious mother as he has the house to himself. He calls Swellow out of his Pokeball and says,

"Ugh I shouldn't have covered for her. She gets me into all that trouble and sprays me in the ear. I still don't really know who she is, why she had that orb and why Team Rocket are back and are making the orbs. I mean it's just harmless green bowl isn't it. But at least she was....... No that doesn't excuse her blatant stealing. Lets enjoy this rest and head off to Mauville City tomorrow and try and find out about Claire....... If that's even her real name."

*** New Mauville 10:37 ***

Claire having run away from the house of the trickster is now wondering round the depths of New Mauville City. She's looking for more clues as to what Team Rocket want with the Sky Orb and she's seen their personnel in the vicinity. She's heading round a corner but hears voices of Team Rocket so stops and hides. She eavesdrops on their conversation,

"So the boss wants us to make the new Sky Orb right here in Hoenn?' Says the first grunt.

"Yes he does. It makes most sense with the target living in Hoenn as does the boss now. Besides that bloody scientist wouldn't give us the orb anyway and now are hijack resulted in his death we really have no use for that poor pathetic region,' sneered a more intelligent sounding member of the crime syndicate. Claire slumps to the floor and tries to hold back the tears because she knows exactly who that scientist was: her father!

*** Mauville City 10:37 ***

Meanwhile at the exact same time Cameron having trained up his Pokemon somewhat is in Mauville city training with his Makuhita. Mauville city is unsurprisingly a city splattered in Mauve and is also very technologically advanced mainly in part to the prowess of the Gym Leader and master of electric type Pokemon Watson. Cameron approaches the gym knowing what he was facing. An intense three on three battle in which two of his Pokemon are weak too. He relied on Swellow's speed and the fact Makuhita used fighting type moves which would be super effective against Watson's main Pokemon Magneton. Cameron heads up to the receptionist at the gym....

"Hi I'm here to challenge Watson, the gym leader," Cameron says with an air of confidence in his voice.

"I'm sorry he's not available at the minute he's working on the New Mauville project at the minute. He will be available tomorrow however so please do come back then," the receptionist replies politely.

"Tomorrow! You mean I came here all the way from bloody......" Cameron stops himself and smiles sarcastically at the receptionist and heads outside as he sits on a bench and mutters angrily about New Mauville being a waste of time.

*** New Mauville 10:48 ***

Claire is still hiding in the corner of the Rocket Base deep within New Mauville as she feels a figure walking past her. She closes her eyes and hopes for the best but she peeks and sees that it's not Team Rocket but a concerned looking old man. She sees that he's wearing the badge of a gym leader and he puts his fingers on his lips and tells her to stay quiet. He sends out his Magneton to shock Team Rocket but before he can strike he's ambushed by two Team Rocket grunts from behind! Claire jumps out to help him as the two back to back surrounded by four Rocket Grunts. A grunt with a white uniform steps up to them and laughs and Watson boldly states,

"I built this city dammit! So if you fiends wanna take it from me your gonna have to try a lot harder than just sneaking in and expecting to go unnoticed."

"Watson our use of your facility is for harnessing a power so great that it makes your high tech city look like a light bulb. Now Team Rocket plans to take over the entire city and that means starting by getting rid of you and your great granddaughter hear. Gentleman ready the Golbat's!" The Rocket member barks as soon enough Claire and Watson are surrounded by twelve Golbat's.

*** Mauville 10:48 ***

Cameron is still sitting on the bench just watching people go by until he notices a sign for New Mauville in the distance. He grins as he may as well spend the rest of his day seeing what Watson is so busy doing. He heads over to the very edge of town in the East where he sees a very shoddy looking cabin labeled 'New Mauville do not enter - highly dangerous'. Cameron peeks in and sees a long stair well and sees no immediate danger and heads down the stair case. He can hear electricity buzzing around him as there are multiple mauve corridors leading to more mauve corridors. He then hears a huge bang as smoke begins to fill the underground city!