Pokemon 2024

Chapter 8

Origins

Sort of going to digress away from the main storyline for this chapter. Next chapter I'll return to the whole Ash and the Golden Loop plot line. This one, however, will focus on the antagonist I introduced a few chapters ago. Enjoy.

23 years ago…

"Come on Mankey!"

"Mankey!"

"We're going to be late to the Proff's!"

A young sandy haired boy ran along the streets of Pallet Town with his pet Mankey running along beside him. The date was March 1st, 1989…the first day of Spring…the day boy had signed up to begin his journey on. Today nothing could stop him. He had run two miles from his house without stopping once. As he continued running, another kid came into view, a girl his age.

"Hey Aurea!"

The girl turned and meekly waved. The boy sensed something was wrong.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing…"

"C'mon! You can tell me anything."

"It was that guy Cam again, wasn't it? Why do you even listen to him?"

"His dad works for Professor Oak. He has to know something about what he's talking about."

"That guy's a dick. He just wants to make you feel bad." He put a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Trust me. You know everything about Pokemon. You'll make a fantastic Professor. Just like your dad."

Aurea smiled. "You think so?"

"I know it!"

Aurea paused and looked up at the sky. "I miss Unova Ewan. It's an amazing place. Mountains and lakes and skies filled with Pokemon you've never seen before!"

"It's the same sky. No matter where you go, you'll always have the sky. And somewhere under this sky…Unova's waiting to have a very important person back in her home. But you're here for a reason. Pallet School will give you the perfect foundation for the future you deserve."

"Your future too Ewan. Our future."

The boy looked into her eyes as she spoke.

"We'll be together. Forever. Promise?"

The sandy haired boy smiled and turned to his Mankey, which had hopped onto his shoulder. It winked at him and the boy laughed. He turned to the girl and grinned. "Yeah. I do."

…One year later…

"Wow! That was super cool! A first year trainer making it to the quarter finals of the Pokemon League…WOW!"

The sandy haired boy grinned. "Yeah! I was nervous at first but all I had to do was put my trust in my Pokemon and now look where I am! It doesn't even matter that I lost!"huge

"And it was so close too!"

"Yeah, I could've won if I timed that Solar Beam attack a bit better! But now I'm starving, let's get something to eat!"

"How about that place?"

They turned to look at a huge festive-looking tent with music resounding from inside.

The girl smiled. "Shall we?"

"Please!"

They walked inside and were greeted by the sight of an Alakazam standing in front of four Bellossum on a stage. The Alakazam was psychically playing many instruments while the Bellossum danced behind it. The whole tent was dancing and laughing.

"Let's dance Ewan!"

The boy's stomach rumbled. "Can't we eat first?"

"Ewan!"

"Okay Aurea, just for you!"

She clasped his hand and began to guide him in dancing since she was the only one of the two that could actually dance. But neither of them cared about the quality of their movements or how they looked to the crowd around them. At their feet, Mankey danced a frantic jig.

"This is much better than sitting around moping with Gregory, isn't it?"

"You bet!"

Aurea looked up at him. "If only we could dance forever."

…7 years later…

"Mankey! Are you okay?"

Ewan ran to his fallen and beaten Pokemon which was crumpled on the ground in pain and quickly sent it back to its pokeball.

"Get some rest."

"When are you going to learn?"

Ewan looked up at the guy walking towards him.

The guy laughed. "Your Pokemon are too weak. You have a long way to go before you should challenge me again."

"Leave them alone Clark! They got me into the semi-finals at the League last year. How 'bout yours?"

Clark smirked and glanced at the Tyranitar walking beside him. "Oh, they're fine. Trust me. They do a lot better than Pokemon that got into the semi-finals that's for sure."

Ewan glared at him in rage.

"Anyway. Where are those two kids you usually hang with?"

"Aurea's talking with that gym leader Whitney about Normal types. I haven't seen Greg in a while now."

"It's about time you were on your own. Maybe you can learn training isn't one big damn vacation."

"What?"

"There's a reason your Pokemon suck compared to mine. It's you."

"Me?"

"Because of that girl you travel with, you're always looking for the next party. But training isn't a party. If you want to be the best. You have to beat the rest. That requires training. Being a trainer takes commitment. You have to think about the next step every single second. Or you'll lose every battle. And that would make you…a failure."

Ewan looked down at his shoes as he thought over his words.

Clark brushed a hand through his hair and his expression softened.

"Look. Don't get me wrong. You got potential. But now…all you're doing is throwing it all away. Friends hold you back. You can't think about them. Only training. That's the key. Just remember that…and maybe you'll defeat me…one day."

Ewan frowned at him as he spoke. "You're wrong! A journey isn't just about winning. It's about new friendships, and bonding with your Pokemon."

Clark sighed and held up a pokeball. "You're hopeless. Tyranitar…return." A red light sucked Tyranitar back into the pokeball. "I'm gone."

Clark turned and walked the other way as Ewan glared at him. Clark chuckled to himself as he walked. "Such a waste…"

…Two months later…

"Oh thank G-d! I finally found you!"

Ewan turned to see Aurea frantically running toward him.

"Ewan! Where have you been?"

He couldn't reply.

When she finally got to him she threw herself onto him in a hug so tight it knocked the wind out of him. She pulled away and looked into his eyes before leaning forward and kissing him for the first time in two months.

Ewan smiled. "I missed you too".

"Don't scare me like that again, got it?!"

"Got it".

"What were you thinking".

"Honestly…I don't…know".

"Is anything wrong?"

He shrugged. "No. I don't think so".

…Three years later…

"It's okay Ewan."

"Since when is failure okay?"

"You made it the semi-finals of the Pokemon League! Since when is that a failure."

"If you don'tmake it to the top, you don't win. That means I lost. Losing is failure in my book. I a failure."

"You're being too hard on yourself!"

"I'm really not."

His Mankey patted his shoulder as the Pokemon hung from his arm.

"Don't patronize me!" He swung his arm and Mankey was flung off. It hit the ground hard.

Aurea stared at him in shock. "Ewan…"

He kneeled down to pick Mankey up. "I'm…I'm sorry".

Aurea looked away from him. "Maybe you should take some time to calm down".

"I'm fine". He reached out a hand to grab her arm, which she abruptly yanked away.

"Don't touch me!"

"But…you're my girlfriend".

"I don't know about that anymore."

"You don't mean that!"

"I wish that was true…" She began to hastily walk away.

"I'm sorry!"

Aurea turned and studied him.

"What happened Ewan?"

…Six years later…

He sat alone in a Pokemon Center somewhere in Dewford town in Hoenn.

"Gregory?"

A man in a trench coat was leaning against the counter in disgust until he saw him.

"Ewan?"

He ran over to him with his hand out and eagerly shook hands with him.

"It's been a while Gregory".

"Uh…yeah".

"Where have you been. You sort of ditched my ass when we were kids man".

"I've been opening my eyes buddy. Opening my eyes to all this damn bullshit".

"What?"

Gregory narrowed his eyes and frowned. "This is some dangerous shit we've been dealing with…and it has to stop. I know that now. I've seen you on TV. What are you, some kind of fucking slave driver? Some dumbass? News flash fucker. These monsters aint meant to be controlled."

Ewan grimaced and flipped him off. "Hey fuck you, you damn putz".

"Fuck this. I knew you wouldn't understand. Where's your Mankey anyway? It's always out of its pokeball if I remember".

Ewan froze.

"Aren't you going to speak asshole?"

There was something different about his old friend but Ewan couldn't place what it was.

"Speak putz!"

Gregory pushed him backward and he crashed into the chairs behind him, still unable to react.

"Hey!"

A bulky security guard ran forward and grabbed Gregory. "That's enough".

Gregory whirled around and clocked the guard in the jaw, flooring him. The guard winced in pain before taking out a pokeball and releasing a Machoke.

"Cuff 'em Machoke!"

"Choke!"

Gregory grinned sadistically. "Oh yes, let's use the fucking beasts to oppress humanity. Fuck you cop!"

The guard got up and began to help Machoke drag him away.

"That's fine buddy! Go ahead and bully me, just remember that you won't have your weapon by your side for long. What shall you do when you're all by yourself?"

"Move!" The guard yanked him back and clasped a hand over his mouth.

Gregory bit his hand and he brought it back in recoil. Gregory used the split second before the guard knocked him out to shout one more thing.

"Where's your fucking Mankey now Ewan? Where's it now?"

Ewan lay there. He had no reply.

NOW

He sat in the driver's seat in a black van, driving the biggest danger to the boss' operation to headquarters for a punishment he knew would be worse than death. He sat there deep in thought before reaching into his coat and pulling out a photograph. From the first day. It was him. And…his friends? He didn't know anymore. The picture didn't cause the same emotions it used to. There was one feeling though…regret. The photo did look different now though. Now it was just a photo of him…a lost Pokemon…and…a girl…just a girl.