Intro
Alright, bear with me here. This is the first fanfiction I've ever attempted to release publicly. I've written fanfictions before, but only as things to pass the time with, and I have a whole folder full of written fanfics that nobody's seen on my computer. Anyway, regardless, I am still relatively new at this, and I hope you'll find my story as fun to read as it was for me to write it.
Be warned, this story is not planned out. I'm just making stuff up as I go along here. I enjoy writing as a hobby, and I will post here regularly or when I feel like it. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but don't be too harsh. I'm writing this for me, not for you. You can read it if you wish. That's not to say I won't put any effort into it, and I'll attempt to make it as enjoyable as possible.
Glitched is rated M, or 15, for violence and coarse language, and some adult themes.
Glitched is the weird, humorous, realistic tale of a young boy of age eighteen, who sets out on a Pokemon journey. But things don't go according to plan, and the boy ends up in more trouble than he bargained for. It's sort of my adaptation of the Pokemon world, and takes place in a different region from all the others called Skaro. (If you're into Sci-Fi and you're British, there's a slim chance you'll have heard that name before. Daleks anyone?)
Alright, here we go.
Prologue
A Pokemon journey. Hmph, what a joke.
I sat on my favorite couch, watching my favorite program, bottle of Sprite in hand, when suddenly my program is interrupted by this weird, stupid advertisement. A couple of kids showed up on the screen. A girl came first. She was dressed in a red shirt, a white skirt, and seemed to have a...fanny pack or something around her waist, and a boy, with a similar red shirt, only with patterns of black across it, and a black pair of sweatpants, stood in front of me on the screen. Unnatural, forced smiles across their faces as they started rambling on about...Pokemon? In their hands, they both held a Pokeball, little spherical objects colored in red and white used to capture the little devils. I scowled at the sight of the two children, who both looked about ten years old, and tried to reach for the remote to change the channel. I realized, to my surprise, that the remote had somehow ended up ten feet away from me. Too lazy to get up and take it, I watched on. The two kids in the commercial talked about how they had taken a Pokemon Journey and wandered the world, seeing amazing sights and making new friends. I almost burst out laughing. In front of me were two inexperienced, ten-year olds who were telling me it was fun to leave your home as a child, and explore a world full of dangerous, wild animals with only an equally wild creature to defend yourself with? And not to mention the countless criminal syndicates who used such creatures for their own evil purposes. Like, two weeks ago, there had been another terrorist attack on Gallifrey City, the capital of our lovely country. Who did these little buggers think they were?
The commercial then faded to black, and just as I thought it was over and done with, I saw the Pokemon Champion on my Television screen. Oh my god! My head was about to come off laughing. The Pokemon Champion, whose name had been forgotten by the public, wore the same forced smile as the two children from earlier. Why was this funny? Because the Pokemon Champion, formerly the most famous man in the country, had been reduced to showing himself in some cheap TV add to get more people to start a journey. This showed how low the reputation of Competitive Pokemon training had sunk over the past few years. Not just here, but all over the world. Not that I cared enough to find out, but I'd recently discovered that the Champion was broke. Why? No more competition. Nobody cared about Pokemon anymore. Nowadays, in this here harsh, industrial world, people either didn't care, saw Pokemon as filthy pests, kept them as pets, or, in the case of the self-righteous people who needed something to complain about, protested against Pokemon cruelty. My mother was such a person. But we'll get to that later. The Champion stood with the same smile plastered on his face, and basically just rambled about the same things that the kids had talked about. "Experience the world and all its wonders with your best friends at your side," he encouraged. "I have my best friend right here," I replied uselessly, and motioned to my bottle of Sprite, which I proceeded to take a sip from. Now, just as I thought he would go on forever, he ended the commercial with a simple statement. "Pokemon are there for you," he said. Oh man, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I thought to myself mockingly. What a cliche!
Just as my favorite program started up again, I heard a loud, shrilling voice. "JAAAAKE!" it screamed. Undoubtedly my mother. She proceeded down the stairs and found me sitting on the couch, not paying her any attention. She then walked to the Television and shut it off. I growled in the recesses of my throat, just quiet enough so that she couldn't hear me. "Jake Wellington, get your lazy butt off that couch. NOW!" she screamed at me. My mom was always the temperamental type, and that's being generous. However, through my eighteen years of existence, I learned to live with it, and obliged. I noticed, as I stood, that she was still holding a sign that said 'Pokemon cruelty must end' or something from her protest. "You were supposed to come to the protest with me this afternoon!" she exclaimed. I dutifully apologized, but she was having none of it. "That's IT! Once a week, just once, I ask you to get off your lazy ass and help me out!" she complained. I knew she cared about the freedom of Pokemon, and I resented it. How could she after what happened to her husband? My father? Anger started to rise up from my gut at the thought, but I forced it back down. "Come on! You're coming with me!" she ordered. She proceeded to drag me by the ear and out of the house. She released me at our front door and told me to get in the car. "Ow!" I said, rubbing my ear with my free hand, while taking a sip out of my Sprite bottle. She repeated the order, and I obliged once again, entering the big Toyota van. My mother sat in the driver's seat. A little electronic voice rose from the radio. "Welcome, Melissa," it said. It would say that even if it was me driving the car. My mom had it installed a few years ago, because she said it made her feel at ease. It was just a recording triggered by a motion sensor inside the driver's seat. My mom reached a shaky hand into her pocket and it emerged with the keys to the car. She started it up, and we began to drive.
Now, I guess you're wondering why I hate Pokemon so much. Of course you're not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. It's because of the incident which...killed my father. When I was a kid, my parents both adored Pokemon, and that was back in the time when the rest of the world did too. About...ten or so years ago. That was before the crime syndicates. But I'm trailing off subject here. My parents raised me and my four other siblings (That's why we have such a big van) to love Pokemon. We grew up with them around us, and had a ton of them as pets. My father and two brothers would always go fishing for Magikarp in Ood Lake, while my sisters and my mom would go shopping with their Kirlia and Lopunny for new clothes. It was a good life back then. But then, when I was about nine years old, tragedy struck. Dad and I were fishing at the lake alone, as my two brothers were caught up in homework. I remember reeling in the fishing rod, and pulling as hard as I could. My dad told me to 'reel it in, then give it some slack, then reel again.' Classic fisher advice. However, I disobeyed, and I was pulled into the water by the massive water Pokemon. My father, in a panic, released his Poliwrath, and they both jumped in after me. Meanwhile, I was being pulled to the bottom of the lake by some strange sea serpent. It was blue and scaly, and its massive face struck fear into my very heart. When I looked back up at the surface desperately for help, I found the large, white, glove-like hand of Poliwrath reach out for me and grab me. I was released from the serpent's grip, and brought back up to the surface.
However, the sea serpent wasn't done yet. It rose to the surface, its scales gleaming in the morning sun, and I now know it to have been a Gyarados. The Gyarados lunged straight for my father, who grabbed me and ducked. His Poliwrath protected us from the attack, and the two Pokemon proceeded to clash violently. However, in the end, Poliwrath was defeated, and the Gyarados was left with us. In a desperate attempt to save me, my dad lunged at the creature, but it shook him off and he plunged into the water. The creature went in after him, and that was the last I ever saw of him. After that horrifying event, I was forced to walk all the way back to the nearest Pokemon Center, and alert the authorities. They found no sign of my dad, but they did find out that the Gyarados had an underwater lair, where it probably took my dad. But the lair was inaccessible.
For years, I had to undergo extensive therapy and treatment. I was scarred for life. When I was fifteen, I was finally able to leave the event behind. Not forget it, simply put it behind me. However, over the years since that incident, my love for those savage Pokemon has turned into hatred. One of my brothers and one of my sisters underwent the same transition, growing to despise the animals. However, my remaining two siblings' love did not die with my dad, and they went on Pokemon journeys at the suggestion of my mom. After Pokemon took her husband, I can't understand how she can still care for the creatures.
End of flashback, thank you very much. After the long, quiet drive out of Thneed Town, my hometown, we made our way to a nearby facility called the Pokemon Daycare. It's called a daycare, but it's more like a breeding center or something. Is that even a thing? Anyway, I knew that my uncle Barney worked in the daycare as a Pokemon breeder, and that he often cared for eggs left by uncaring Pokemon trainers. Why is she taking me here, I thought. I knew that my uncle's daycare was halfway between Thneed Town and Ood City, so maybe she was just taking me to Ood and wanted to stop by and say hi to Barney.
Boy, was I wrong.
As we entered, we were greeted by a little kid with a real smile on his face. Rare to come by these days. I looked and saw that he was holding a Poochyena in his hands, though it looked unusually small. Perhaps it was a newborn? "Hi! Welcome!" the kid cheerfully welcomed us. I recognized him as the Daycare couples' grandson, who had recently been left in the care of his grandparents when his parents split up. Ahead stood my uncle Barney. Like my mom, he had mellow, hazel eyes and long, blond hair. He didn't like to cut it. He was younger than mom by about two years, but he looked ten years older, no doubt because of the lack of sleep he got. Unfortunately for him, he was a victim of Insomnia, and relied on his Butterfree's Sleep Powder attack to get some rest. He was a nice guy, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor bugger sometimes.
Barney smiled at us as we entered. "Hey Melissa, hey Jake, what's up?" he asked casually, motioning for us to come forward. I noticed he was attending to a shelf lined with eggs of all colors. Each egg had a different, unique pattern on it. Mom strutted forward angrily, and I followed her. Barney and I exchanged glances of understanding, because we both knew how she was when she was mad. "Barney," she began angrily, "I want you to give this boy a Pokemon." At the word 'Pokemon' I flinched. "Mom, gimme a break!" I complained lazily. Barney, not wanting to get into any trouble with his older sister, obliged. "Sure thing, sis," he said, and scampered off to another room in the small building. The room was labeled 'Adoption Center.' Mom and I followed, and were met with a whole room full of Pokemon. Some were caged due to the nature of their species, but others let out. It looked like a whole Petting zoo stuffed into a single room. "Go ahead, Jake, pick one," he said. There were all kinds of Pokemon. Some I recognized, some I didn't. I noticed a pair of Magikarp in a large water tank nearby. They were accompanied by a Carvhanna. I knew that wouldn't end well. Irritated, I turned to mom and said "I'm outta here," and strutted off to the car. I was eighteen years old, I didn't need to put up with this crap!
Then, my mom shouted at me to get back here, in a tone both anguished and furious. The little daycare kid, who had been so happy two minutes ago, sat with a Poochyena on his lap and a concerned look on his face as he watched me walk away. Mom followed after me and grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to turn around. She looked me straight in the face. "You want me to be honest with you? Fine. You're nothing. Your brothers and sisters are at least out there doing something with their lives. And you? You just sit around with a damn bottle of Soda watching Doctor Who all day! I've had it with you! You're a lazy bum who won't do anything with your life unless you change! You won't even go to College for god's sake! You're going to amount to NOTHING!" she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. Now that was uncalled for. But it really made me think. She was right. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I wasn't going to amount to anything unless I changed. I attempted to hug her to cheer her up, but she pushed me aside and stomped off to the car. Now I felt really guilty for making her cry, and the horrible fact that she was right about everything floated around in my mind, which had no idea what do with it. My eyes wandered over to the Adoption Center, and Barney, whose smirk kind of pissed me off. As a little brother, I was sure that he still liked to see his big sister suffer sometimes. Don't get me wrong, they cared about each other, but it was sort of an instinct from childhood, I suppose. I should know, I'm the youngest too.
I strode past Barney and straight for the Adoption Center, and looked around at the various animals before me. The Carvhanna, which was now menacing the poor Magikarp, looked pretty badass, and by choosing it, I'd be saving the Magikarp a world of hurt. However, I knew that fish-like Pokemon needed to be in water to battle, so that would be troublesome. I looked around some more, and a Hoppip that was randomly floating from one side of the room to the other caught my attention. The Hoppip looked gentle, and carefree, so I knew it would do about as well in battle as I would in sport. And that's pretty bad. Just then, a loud clang made me jump. I looked in its direction, and saw an angry-looking Pokemon trying to break out of its cage. The thing looked metallic, but also strangely bug-like due to the antennae upon its head. It had six legs -three on either side- and red, glaring eyes. It wasn't tall, but it was still generally bigger than most of the other Pokemon in the room. Its most noticeable feature was the two intimidating pincers that snapped furiously. Barney caught me looking at the Pokemon and said, "That's a Durant. I don't recommend it, man, it's not a nice Pok-" but I cut him off "I want it. It looks cool," I said. For a little minute, I could feel myself getting excited about owning this Durant. It was a passion I hadn't felt in a long time. "Alright, dude. Wait here," Barney said. He came back a moment later. "Here's its Pokeball. You can take it for free, I never liked it anyway. Plus, you're family,"
My mom was in the van, wiping away the tears from her cheek. She glanced at me, but immediately turned her head away with a scowl. "Mom, look," I said, and released the Durant from its Pokeball. Swooeesh the sound went, and the angry ant emerged from its spherical prison. For a minute, it was confused about where it was, but then realized it was outside and began scuttling away. My mom finally turned around to see the ironclad cretin escaping. I held up my Pokeball in its direction, and the red beam shot out at Durant, de-materializing him and putting him back in his place. "See?" I said hopefully. My mom smiled and went to hug me. "I'm proud of you, kid,"
We got in the car and began driving off. The excitement of getting a Pokemon soon wore off, and I was back to my old self. "Listen, Jake, I want you to go on a Pokemon journey, like your siblings," my mom said. I rolled my eyes, this was not the first time she'd suggested this. "Mom, I don't want to. Besides, I can't leave you all on your own," I countered. My mom sighed. "I'm not senile just yet, you know. I'll be fine." I almost chuckled at that. When she wasn't angry, my mom was pretty funny, even in these troubled times. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. If you can beat all of the eight gyms throughout Skaro, I'll leave you alone about the Pokemon journey thing. Deal?" she bargained. Instinctively, I knew this was the most stupid deal I'd ever heard. If I did as she said, then I would have gone on a journey anyway. But then again, with all the recent happenings throughout Skaro, it wouldn't be as hard to do so. I thought it would be easy. I was such an idiot.
"Hmmm, okay then. I'll do it. But not eight gyms. Six," I bargained back. "Seven," my mom countered, and we set about arguing over it the entire way home. Finally, we came back to eight, and I stupidly said yes. Good job, I thought to myself sarcastically. "Alright, it's settled. Tomorrow, you set out on your...quest, I suppose," my mom said, making sure to not use the word 'journey.' Of course, I knew that I had just been tricked into going on a journey anyway, but the odds were in my favor. I'd heard that due to government cutbacks, some gyms in the country were going to be closed, making my 'journey' all the more easy. But I couldn't say no again. It would break mom's heart.
So, that's the story of how I set out on a Pokemon journey under moral obligation.
Alright, bear with me here. This is the first fanfiction I've ever attempted to release publicly. I've written fanfictions before, but only as things to pass the time with, and I have a whole folder full of written fanfics that nobody's seen on my computer. Anyway, regardless, I am still relatively new at this, and I hope you'll find my story as fun to read as it was for me to write it.
Be warned, this story is not planned out. I'm just making stuff up as I go along here. I enjoy writing as a hobby, and I will post here regularly or when I feel like it. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but don't be too harsh. I'm writing this for me, not for you. You can read it if you wish. That's not to say I won't put any effort into it, and I'll attempt to make it as enjoyable as possible.
Glitched is rated M, or 15, for violence and coarse language, and some adult themes.
Glitched is the weird, humorous, realistic tale of a young boy of age eighteen, who sets out on a Pokemon journey. But things don't go according to plan, and the boy ends up in more trouble than he bargained for. It's sort of my adaptation of the Pokemon world, and takes place in a different region from all the others called Skaro. (If you're into Sci-Fi and you're British, there's a slim chance you'll have heard that name before. Daleks anyone?)
Alright, here we go.
Glitched
Prologue
A Pokemon journey. Hmph, what a joke.
I sat on my favorite couch, watching my favorite program, bottle of Sprite in hand, when suddenly my program is interrupted by this weird, stupid advertisement. A couple of kids showed up on the screen. A girl came first. She was dressed in a red shirt, a white skirt, and seemed to have a...fanny pack or something around her waist, and a boy, with a similar red shirt, only with patterns of black across it, and a black pair of sweatpants, stood in front of me on the screen. Unnatural, forced smiles across their faces as they started rambling on about...Pokemon? In their hands, they both held a Pokeball, little spherical objects colored in red and white used to capture the little devils. I scowled at the sight of the two children, who both looked about ten years old, and tried to reach for the remote to change the channel. I realized, to my surprise, that the remote had somehow ended up ten feet away from me. Too lazy to get up and take it, I watched on. The two kids in the commercial talked about how they had taken a Pokemon Journey and wandered the world, seeing amazing sights and making new friends. I almost burst out laughing. In front of me were two inexperienced, ten-year olds who were telling me it was fun to leave your home as a child, and explore a world full of dangerous, wild animals with only an equally wild creature to defend yourself with? And not to mention the countless criminal syndicates who used such creatures for their own evil purposes. Like, two weeks ago, there had been another terrorist attack on Gallifrey City, the capital of our lovely country. Who did these little buggers think they were?
The commercial then faded to black, and just as I thought it was over and done with, I saw the Pokemon Champion on my Television screen. Oh my god! My head was about to come off laughing. The Pokemon Champion, whose name had been forgotten by the public, wore the same forced smile as the two children from earlier. Why was this funny? Because the Pokemon Champion, formerly the most famous man in the country, had been reduced to showing himself in some cheap TV add to get more people to start a journey. This showed how low the reputation of Competitive Pokemon training had sunk over the past few years. Not just here, but all over the world. Not that I cared enough to find out, but I'd recently discovered that the Champion was broke. Why? No more competition. Nobody cared about Pokemon anymore. Nowadays, in this here harsh, industrial world, people either didn't care, saw Pokemon as filthy pests, kept them as pets, or, in the case of the self-righteous people who needed something to complain about, protested against Pokemon cruelty. My mother was such a person. But we'll get to that later. The Champion stood with the same smile plastered on his face, and basically just rambled about the same things that the kids had talked about. "Experience the world and all its wonders with your best friends at your side," he encouraged. "I have my best friend right here," I replied uselessly, and motioned to my bottle of Sprite, which I proceeded to take a sip from. Now, just as I thought he would go on forever, he ended the commercial with a simple statement. "Pokemon are there for you," he said. Oh man, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I thought to myself mockingly. What a cliche!
Just as my favorite program started up again, I heard a loud, shrilling voice. "JAAAAKE!" it screamed. Undoubtedly my mother. She proceeded down the stairs and found me sitting on the couch, not paying her any attention. She then walked to the Television and shut it off. I growled in the recesses of my throat, just quiet enough so that she couldn't hear me. "Jake Wellington, get your lazy butt off that couch. NOW!" she screamed at me. My mom was always the temperamental type, and that's being generous. However, through my eighteen years of existence, I learned to live with it, and obliged. I noticed, as I stood, that she was still holding a sign that said 'Pokemon cruelty must end' or something from her protest. "You were supposed to come to the protest with me this afternoon!" she exclaimed. I dutifully apologized, but she was having none of it. "That's IT! Once a week, just once, I ask you to get off your lazy ass and help me out!" she complained. I knew she cared about the freedom of Pokemon, and I resented it. How could she after what happened to her husband? My father? Anger started to rise up from my gut at the thought, but I forced it back down. "Come on! You're coming with me!" she ordered. She proceeded to drag me by the ear and out of the house. She released me at our front door and told me to get in the car. "Ow!" I said, rubbing my ear with my free hand, while taking a sip out of my Sprite bottle. She repeated the order, and I obliged once again, entering the big Toyota van. My mother sat in the driver's seat. A little electronic voice rose from the radio. "Welcome, Melissa," it said. It would say that even if it was me driving the car. My mom had it installed a few years ago, because she said it made her feel at ease. It was just a recording triggered by a motion sensor inside the driver's seat. My mom reached a shaky hand into her pocket and it emerged with the keys to the car. She started it up, and we began to drive.
Now, I guess you're wondering why I hate Pokemon so much. Of course you're not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. It's because of the incident which...killed my father. When I was a kid, my parents both adored Pokemon, and that was back in the time when the rest of the world did too. About...ten or so years ago. That was before the crime syndicates. But I'm trailing off subject here. My parents raised me and my four other siblings (That's why we have such a big van) to love Pokemon. We grew up with them around us, and had a ton of them as pets. My father and two brothers would always go fishing for Magikarp in Ood Lake, while my sisters and my mom would go shopping with their Kirlia and Lopunny for new clothes. It was a good life back then. But then, when I was about nine years old, tragedy struck. Dad and I were fishing at the lake alone, as my two brothers were caught up in homework. I remember reeling in the fishing rod, and pulling as hard as I could. My dad told me to 'reel it in, then give it some slack, then reel again.' Classic fisher advice. However, I disobeyed, and I was pulled into the water by the massive water Pokemon. My father, in a panic, released his Poliwrath, and they both jumped in after me. Meanwhile, I was being pulled to the bottom of the lake by some strange sea serpent. It was blue and scaly, and its massive face struck fear into my very heart. When I looked back up at the surface desperately for help, I found the large, white, glove-like hand of Poliwrath reach out for me and grab me. I was released from the serpent's grip, and brought back up to the surface.
However, the sea serpent wasn't done yet. It rose to the surface, its scales gleaming in the morning sun, and I now know it to have been a Gyarados. The Gyarados lunged straight for my father, who grabbed me and ducked. His Poliwrath protected us from the attack, and the two Pokemon proceeded to clash violently. However, in the end, Poliwrath was defeated, and the Gyarados was left with us. In a desperate attempt to save me, my dad lunged at the creature, but it shook him off and he plunged into the water. The creature went in after him, and that was the last I ever saw of him. After that horrifying event, I was forced to walk all the way back to the nearest Pokemon Center, and alert the authorities. They found no sign of my dad, but they did find out that the Gyarados had an underwater lair, where it probably took my dad. But the lair was inaccessible.
For years, I had to undergo extensive therapy and treatment. I was scarred for life. When I was fifteen, I was finally able to leave the event behind. Not forget it, simply put it behind me. However, over the years since that incident, my love for those savage Pokemon has turned into hatred. One of my brothers and one of my sisters underwent the same transition, growing to despise the animals. However, my remaining two siblings' love did not die with my dad, and they went on Pokemon journeys at the suggestion of my mom. After Pokemon took her husband, I can't understand how she can still care for the creatures.
End of flashback, thank you very much. After the long, quiet drive out of Thneed Town, my hometown, we made our way to a nearby facility called the Pokemon Daycare. It's called a daycare, but it's more like a breeding center or something. Is that even a thing? Anyway, I knew that my uncle Barney worked in the daycare as a Pokemon breeder, and that he often cared for eggs left by uncaring Pokemon trainers. Why is she taking me here, I thought. I knew that my uncle's daycare was halfway between Thneed Town and Ood City, so maybe she was just taking me to Ood and wanted to stop by and say hi to Barney.
Boy, was I wrong.
As we entered, we were greeted by a little kid with a real smile on his face. Rare to come by these days. I looked and saw that he was holding a Poochyena in his hands, though it looked unusually small. Perhaps it was a newborn? "Hi! Welcome!" the kid cheerfully welcomed us. I recognized him as the Daycare couples' grandson, who had recently been left in the care of his grandparents when his parents split up. Ahead stood my uncle Barney. Like my mom, he had mellow, hazel eyes and long, blond hair. He didn't like to cut it. He was younger than mom by about two years, but he looked ten years older, no doubt because of the lack of sleep he got. Unfortunately for him, he was a victim of Insomnia, and relied on his Butterfree's Sleep Powder attack to get some rest. He was a nice guy, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor bugger sometimes.
Barney smiled at us as we entered. "Hey Melissa, hey Jake, what's up?" he asked casually, motioning for us to come forward. I noticed he was attending to a shelf lined with eggs of all colors. Each egg had a different, unique pattern on it. Mom strutted forward angrily, and I followed her. Barney and I exchanged glances of understanding, because we both knew how she was when she was mad. "Barney," she began angrily, "I want you to give this boy a Pokemon." At the word 'Pokemon' I flinched. "Mom, gimme a break!" I complained lazily. Barney, not wanting to get into any trouble with his older sister, obliged. "Sure thing, sis," he said, and scampered off to another room in the small building. The room was labeled 'Adoption Center.' Mom and I followed, and were met with a whole room full of Pokemon. Some were caged due to the nature of their species, but others let out. It looked like a whole Petting zoo stuffed into a single room. "Go ahead, Jake, pick one," he said. There were all kinds of Pokemon. Some I recognized, some I didn't. I noticed a pair of Magikarp in a large water tank nearby. They were accompanied by a Carvhanna. I knew that wouldn't end well. Irritated, I turned to mom and said "I'm outta here," and strutted off to the car. I was eighteen years old, I didn't need to put up with this crap!
Then, my mom shouted at me to get back here, in a tone both anguished and furious. The little daycare kid, who had been so happy two minutes ago, sat with a Poochyena on his lap and a concerned look on his face as he watched me walk away. Mom followed after me and grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to turn around. She looked me straight in the face. "You want me to be honest with you? Fine. You're nothing. Your brothers and sisters are at least out there doing something with their lives. And you? You just sit around with a damn bottle of Soda watching Doctor Who all day! I've had it with you! You're a lazy bum who won't do anything with your life unless you change! You won't even go to College for god's sake! You're going to amount to NOTHING!" she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. Now that was uncalled for. But it really made me think. She was right. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I wasn't going to amount to anything unless I changed. I attempted to hug her to cheer her up, but she pushed me aside and stomped off to the car. Now I felt really guilty for making her cry, and the horrible fact that she was right about everything floated around in my mind, which had no idea what do with it. My eyes wandered over to the Adoption Center, and Barney, whose smirk kind of pissed me off. As a little brother, I was sure that he still liked to see his big sister suffer sometimes. Don't get me wrong, they cared about each other, but it was sort of an instinct from childhood, I suppose. I should know, I'm the youngest too.
I strode past Barney and straight for the Adoption Center, and looked around at the various animals before me. The Carvhanna, which was now menacing the poor Magikarp, looked pretty badass, and by choosing it, I'd be saving the Magikarp a world of hurt. However, I knew that fish-like Pokemon needed to be in water to battle, so that would be troublesome. I looked around some more, and a Hoppip that was randomly floating from one side of the room to the other caught my attention. The Hoppip looked gentle, and carefree, so I knew it would do about as well in battle as I would in sport. And that's pretty bad. Just then, a loud clang made me jump. I looked in its direction, and saw an angry-looking Pokemon trying to break out of its cage. The thing looked metallic, but also strangely bug-like due to the antennae upon its head. It had six legs -three on either side- and red, glaring eyes. It wasn't tall, but it was still generally bigger than most of the other Pokemon in the room. Its most noticeable feature was the two intimidating pincers that snapped furiously. Barney caught me looking at the Pokemon and said, "That's a Durant. I don't recommend it, man, it's not a nice Pok-" but I cut him off "I want it. It looks cool," I said. For a little minute, I could feel myself getting excited about owning this Durant. It was a passion I hadn't felt in a long time. "Alright, dude. Wait here," Barney said. He came back a moment later. "Here's its Pokeball. You can take it for free, I never liked it anyway. Plus, you're family,"
My mom was in the van, wiping away the tears from her cheek. She glanced at me, but immediately turned her head away with a scowl. "Mom, look," I said, and released the Durant from its Pokeball. Swooeesh the sound went, and the angry ant emerged from its spherical prison. For a minute, it was confused about where it was, but then realized it was outside and began scuttling away. My mom finally turned around to see the ironclad cretin escaping. I held up my Pokeball in its direction, and the red beam shot out at Durant, de-materializing him and putting him back in his place. "See?" I said hopefully. My mom smiled and went to hug me. "I'm proud of you, kid,"
We got in the car and began driving off. The excitement of getting a Pokemon soon wore off, and I was back to my old self. "Listen, Jake, I want you to go on a Pokemon journey, like your siblings," my mom said. I rolled my eyes, this was not the first time she'd suggested this. "Mom, I don't want to. Besides, I can't leave you all on your own," I countered. My mom sighed. "I'm not senile just yet, you know. I'll be fine." I almost chuckled at that. When she wasn't angry, my mom was pretty funny, even in these troubled times. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. If you can beat all of the eight gyms throughout Skaro, I'll leave you alone about the Pokemon journey thing. Deal?" she bargained. Instinctively, I knew this was the most stupid deal I'd ever heard. If I did as she said, then I would have gone on a journey anyway. But then again, with all the recent happenings throughout Skaro, it wouldn't be as hard to do so. I thought it would be easy. I was such an idiot.
"Hmmm, okay then. I'll do it. But not eight gyms. Six," I bargained back. "Seven," my mom countered, and we set about arguing over it the entire way home. Finally, we came back to eight, and I stupidly said yes. Good job, I thought to myself sarcastically. "Alright, it's settled. Tomorrow, you set out on your...quest, I suppose," my mom said, making sure to not use the word 'journey.' Of course, I knew that I had just been tricked into going on a journey anyway, but the odds were in my favor. I'd heard that due to government cutbacks, some gyms in the country were going to be closed, making my 'journey' all the more easy. But I couldn't say no again. It would break mom's heart.
So, that's the story of how I set out on a Pokemon journey under moral obligation.
