[PKMN FULL] Pokémon United [M][OOC]

Hearthome City; respected across the globe and birthplace of some of Sinnoh's greatest artists and thinkers. The Garland lineage was one of artistry and creativity. Amanda and Raymond were esteemed Coordinators with gratifying wealth and even more talent. Unova-born, their Musical-inspired routines blew the masses away. With their newly-discovered foreign Pokemon, they seemed capable of everything, but Mesprit-be-damned if they could raise a child.

Houstin Garland was born some time during the winter. Perhaps during vacation, on the outskirts of Hearthome? He's unsure. The first few years of his life were and still are dead to him. His parents entertained him for a year or so, gave him a cute pet name ("Hou") and taught him some fundamentals. But then, they just go... bored. The responsibility of caring for a little boy was heavy. Houstin weighed them down like shackles, locking them in their prim little apartment instead of working and caring for the prized Pokemon. They lost a contest because of him, not having enough time to train. Amanda couldn't even go, she had to feed and wash and bathe him! It was excruciating. When he was three, they paid for a constant nanny and they themselves left for hours at a time. It was only them and the Contest Hall then, the perfect match. And the more they left without seemingly much issue, the more convinced they were this lifestyle would be best. The nanny raised their child while they did what they loved.

Unbeknownst to them, the nanny was not hired to be a parent substitute. She was a soft-spoken type who did the necessities before residing to and by herself on the couch. That meant Houstin was alone without parents, just a nearly silent caretaker, for seven to eight hours a day. This continued for precisely seven years. Houstin had to find ways of entertainment while the Garlands worked and trained and the best anti-mundane solution was watching television. The colors were so bright and flashy, the shows all so different from one another. There was some Watchy Watchog, a program dedicated to Training, some soap opera with big words he didn't understand... But then Houstin found Channel 39. The cartoon channel. He was hooked. The other goofy, Rattata-and-Purugly programs were entertaining enough but what Houstin really enjoyed were the superhero shows. From the Elite Assemble television adaptation to the dark heroics of Crobatman, Houstin was hooked. Throughout his early childhood, he watched avidly, begging for comic books and all superhero merchandise which his parents, when they did return, happily obliged to buy. Anything to keep his entertained and out of their hair, anyway.

Houstin was certainly entertained for a long while. However, we was still neglected under the not-so-watchful eye of a lackluster guardian. Time and time again, his parents would return to broken objects and a trashed apartment at one point which Houstin denied being involved in. They fired the nanny once, hiring another who was more or less the same. Thus, conditions hardly changed. Each time, Houstin was punished with yet more isolation, this time in his room. The Garlands' attentiveness over their child was reduced to nothing. They had become to used to practically ignoring him, they commonly forgot they had a child at all. Sometimes they skipped work at the Contest Hall, choosing to see a live concert or eat a restaurant instead, leaving Houstin at home with his superhero shows and comic books. With no parent figures to idolize or look up to, only fictional characters to admire, to learn from, to be inspired by. And angrier he grew at his genetic guardians who never came home to him, that always seem to ignore him, a blemish on their way of life that they waited patiently to fade away. And thus, he decided to run away.

Night had fallen over Hearthome with only the occasional streetlamp to brighten the way. Eight o' clock, autumn. Houstin snuck out of his apartment while his parents collapsed in their bedroom, not even bothering to tuck him in or say goodnight. He'd emptied the entire fridge basically into a book bag, that and his expansive comic book collection. He'd read all of them, even the graphic ones with blood in them, but it wouldn't feel the same without his idols alongside him. With all of that and a few dollars stolen from his mother's purse, he slipped off into the night, flashlight in hand and freedom on his mind. Houstin managed to reach the edge of town, creeping down the bridges of the western route and lying about his age, saying he was twelve instead of the actual age (nine) to get past the hikers there. Mt. Coronet proved a challenge as Pokemon crept in every corner. It was terrifying in there, dark and damp with the occasional sound of a stray Zubat or Meditite lurking about in the blackness. Yet, Houstin pressed on despite his fear, to escape his neglectful parents... though inwardly, he wished they'd search for him once they realized he was away.

By daybreak, Houstin had reached the entrance to Cycling Road. He'd thrown off a swarm of Zubats with some of the food he carried and narrowly avoided a Ranger, sent to search for him by some tattling mountain men. But, finally, he was alone underneath the slick, man-made biking paths. The mountain road underneath was very scenic, better than anything Houstin had seen up in his apartment room. Despite the treacherousness of it all, running away had been enjoyable with great payoff. One day, he wished to wander the world like this with little worry. But perhaps he needed a Pokemon first... Just as the thought surfaced, he came eye-to-eye with an aggressive little devil. A Gligar emerged from the grass, refusing to move from its perch and glaring up at the young boy. Houstin was unsure on what to do. His education on Pokemon was minimal. Should he let the creature scent him? Offer him a peace offering? It seemed tough, hard pink exoskeleton dented with battle scars and, unknown to poor Houstin, very territorial. He made the wrong decision, reaching out his hand to get the Gligar "scent" and gain some trust The Gligar was not willing to trust, not at all. It leapt at Houstin, jaws extended, and fastened its sharp teeth into his head. While Houstin screamed in agony, its stinger lashed out, pierced his shirt and attempted to inject venom. Fortunately, it didn't get that far, as the Ranger heard the screams and was able to knock the Gligar into unconsciousness with his Floatzel. With help from the hikers, Houstin was rushed to the Hearthome emergency room where he was checked for any severe injuries. Other than a deep cut underneath his ear where the Gligar's canine tore a hole in his skin, he was fine and everyone could rest relieved. Even the Garlands who did realize their son had disappeared and crouched by his hospital bed. It was an awkward reunion with their son they hardly interacted with, but it was reunion all the same. Houstin considered the adventure a success... though the puncture wound would definitely scarred.

At ten years old, a few months after the escapade, Houstin was of legal age to attend Trainer's School. Most children in Sinnoh went to public school until aged sixteen to learn the necessaries. Trainer's School was parallel to private school, in that it was expensive, required uniforms and taught more than just English, Math, etc. After graduating, children were guaranteed a Trainer's License. Obviously, Houstin was shipped off immediately. It at least gave him things to do while the parents enjoyed themselves, and people to interact with. Houstin was at first avoided for his clingy, invading personality but, one faithful day, he did something that earned respect. Attention too. He stood up for a transfer student which earned him gratitude and, eventually, a reputation. Houstin was a "defender" of sorts. He taught the younger students the basics of Pokemon Training and helped everyone, from the smallest notion to the biggest task. His prestige swelled all throughout his schooling. He was respected for his generosity and even for his lineage, though Houstin rarely interacted with his parents as time went on. Eventually, he graduated and was even awarded with a Pokemon egg from a peer to start him off. But, now that Houstin was free to live as he wanted, he decided he wanted a... different starter.

Technically, Maribelle was his very first Pokemon, but Houstin believes Razor is, as he's the most significant to him. Once a licensed Trainer, Houstin returned to the road underneath Cycling Road once more. His motivation was unreasonable to most. Why return to the place where he was ambushed as a kid? Specifically, for the same species of Pokemon that originally bit him? Well, the superhero-loving Houstin was convinced that incident was a "sign" of sorts. He was "destined", in a way, to capture a Gligar, and that was what he did. Razor became Houstin's main batter, evolving immediately during one of his nightly travels. Their lifestyle was set: during the day, Houstin was establish a temporary staying place, at a person's home or a hotel. At night, they'd travel in typical hero garb, perform deeds (Rangers were hired for) to help the people. It's an interesting and inconsistent form of living, but it works for Houstin, a literal hero, but perhaps not an inward one.