Title-The fate we choose

Author—Caveat Lector 52

Rating/warnings-Rate T for non-graphic violence and mild language (more warnings may be added as story progresses)

Timeline/spoilers-Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, spoilers for whole game

Disclaimer-I do not own Pokemon or any related properties (do people still do these?). The only thing I own are the OCs.

Character(s)/Pairing(s)-Jordan Blu (OC), Brendan Birch, Professor Birch, Norman Blu, Erin Blu (OC's mother/Norman's wife), Wally, Archie, Lisia, and too many pokemon to list.
Mild Jordan/Lisia

Word count (doesn't include A/Ns)-3032 (3032 total)

Summary-When eleven year old Jordan Blu set out on her Pokemon journey, all she wanted was to make her father proud. To make up not being the boy he's always wanted. But when a simple act of kindness in the Petalburg woods puts her at odds with Team Aqua, she's quickly drawn into a conflict beyond anything she's every imagined. (Based on my Pokemon Alpha Sapphire nuzlocke run.)

Author's note-I'm doing the nuzlocke slightly differently, to fit more with the stories tone. In this universe, KO'd pokemon aren't dead, but too injured to stay on the team. They can be seriously hurt or-rarely-killed on accident, but it's never the end goal of a battle. Of course, not all trainers abide by this rule, but most do. Think of it like competitive sports: injuries are expected, but there are limits.

All other nuzlocke rules apply.

Chapter 1: How it starts

"And here we have constant number three! Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our returning champion, the lovely Jordan Blu!"

The announcer went on, listing all the ribbons she'd won in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and beyond. Her eyes sparkled in the spotlight, full of determination and confidence. She scanned the roaring crowd for the only face that mattered. Beautiful turquoise eyes, that charming smile, cheering her name louder than anyone else-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The dream shattered. Gone was her arena of adoring fans. She wasn't a world renowned coordinator. She didn't have a chest full of ribbons or a closet of elaborate costumes. The owner of those captivating eyes didn't even know she existed.

The alarm was still beeping, telling her to hurry up and get out of bed. "S'up," she slurred, groping for the off button. She could hear the faint sounds of Mom making breakfast downstairs. The rest of the house was quiet.

Norman didn't come home last night.

"Morning, honey! I made your favorite." On the table was a hearty serving of sausage, eggs, and jellied toast. Norman's favorites. Jordan liked oatmeal, sprinkled with cinnamon and a splash of milk. She hated eggs.

"Thanks, Mom," she beamed, tucking in with gusto. The longer Norman stayed away, the more Erin Blu started making all her husband's favorite dishes. Like he would smell it all the way in Petalburg and race home. It never worked in Olivine, why would Littleroot be any different?

"Any plans for the day?"

"Thought I'd explore town a bit."

"Wonderful! Is Brendan showing you around?"

Jordan tried not to grimace. Brendan Birch, her new neighbor. To say their first meeting hadn't gone well would be an understatement. He made such a big deal over her being a girl, acting like she didn't know anything about Pokemon. Her father was a gym leader. She'd grown up helping him train. Sure, she didn't have her own team yet, but that had nothing to do with her being a girl. . .

"No, he's helping his dad today."

"Aw, that's too bad. We should have them over for dinner soon. I'm sure your father and Professor Birch have tons of catching up to do."

Jordan had to shove a fork full of eggs in her mouth to keep from snorting. Norman didn't like wasting time with his own family. What made her think he'd leave his precious gym to have dinner with a man he hadn't seen since college?

"Jordan?" Mom's tone had gone soft and understanding, like it always did when defending her husband. "Your father and I. . .we appreciate you being such a good sport about this. We know the sudden move wasn't easy."

'Maybe if he'd given us a choice,' she groused, but as usual, kept her mouth shut. As usual, Mom smiled, taking her silence as agreement. She started listing all the fun, family things they'd do once Norman got his gym established. Bike rides and picnics, trips to Mauville and the Space Center. What a nice fantasy. Norman never kept promises in Johto, what made Hoenn any different?

"This will be good for us. Good for our family," Mom sounded as if she was trying to convince herself as much as her daughter. "Owning his own gym has always been-"

"Dad's dream," Jordan finished. 'And nothing's more important than that.' She pushed her chair back. "Thanks for breakfast, I'm heading out now."

Littleroot was a nice town. Not a great as Olivine, but pretty in its own right. She spent a pleasant morning strolling around, meeting her neighbors and enjoying the sunshine. She stopped by Professor Birch's lab, but the scientist wasn't there. Out in the field, his assistant said, doing research with his son. Oh, so she hadn't actually lied to Mom. Good to know.

There's only one major entrance/exit point, opening onto Route 101. If you continued north, you'd reach Oldale town in a few hours. West of that was Petalburg City and woods, but that was the extent of Jordan's knowledge. She was about to turn back, maybe head home for lunch, when a small voice drew her attention.

A boy a few years younger than Jordan was teetering by the exit. He'd go forward, then change his mind a rush back. As she got closer Jordan could hear him muttering "Oh, ah, what do I do?"

"Hey!" she called, "Hey, are you okay?"

He looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes. "I-I thought I heard someone calling for help. Over there!" He pointed. "But I'm not supposed to leave town by myself! And if I try to find someone else it might be too late-"

"It's okay," Jordan soothed, "what's your name?"

"R-Roland," he sniffled.

"Alright, Roland. You wait here and I'll check it out." She didn't think it was anything serious, but better safe than sorry. She took off at a brisk jog, sticking to the path until she reached a small but dense clump of trees. She paused, straining her ears, but there wasn't anything-

"Help! Help me!"

"Hold on!" From a light jog to a flat run. Jumping roots and dodging bushes, skidding to a stop at the top of a small ledge. Below, a tall, heavy-set man in a lab coat was running through the tall grass, a wild Pokemon hot on his heels. A Poochyena, she realized. A very angry Poochyena. It growled and snapped at the man, who scampered up the nearest tree.

"Ahhhhh, someone-Oh! You over there! Please, help me out! There's some pokeballs in my baaaaaaaaghh!" The branch he clung to gave an ominous creak. It couldn't hold his weight much longer and the poochyena seemed to know that. It jumped, fangs mere inches from his dangling feet.

Jordan slid down the embankment, leaping the last couple of feet and landing next to the man's satchel. Grabbing what she thought was an empty pokeball, she chucked it at the poochyena. It burst open, and out popped a second Pokemon. He was a small, blue creature with orange cheeks and a tall head crest. A mudkip, she realized. He took one look at he's snarling opponent-and immediately hid behind Jordan's legs. Not that she blamed the little guy. Poochyena may be small, but those teeth were nothing to laugh at.

"Mudkip, use Growl!" Mudkip did not use Growl. Mudkip made a sad, frightened noise and pressed closer, whole body trembling. "Mudkip, please. We've got to do something!" Right on cue, the man lost his grip, putting his toes in easy chomping range.

With obvious reluctance, Mudkip crept out from behind her and Growled. It didn't scare Poochyena off like she'd hoped, but it did draw its attention away from the struggling man. With a much fiercer growl then Mudkip's, it Tackled the smaller pokemon at full force. The water-type was thrown back, Jordan rushing forward to catch him. The impact knocked the wind out of her, but she managed to stay on her feet.

Good thing, too. Poochyena wasn't about to back down. It lunged for them again, red and yellow eyes blazing with rage. The attack was too close, too fast to dodge. The only thing she could do was hold Mudkip close, hoping it'd be enough to shield him, and duck.

Poochyena overshot, grazed Jordan's right shoulder, and landed in the bushes. She clenched her jaw to keep from crying out. 'Not now,' she thought, moving so there was a couple feet of distance between them and the wild pokemon. 'You can be in pain later, but not now!'

Mudkip let out another whine, and she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's okay. It's okay. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. But you've gotta trust me."

Mudkip looked at Poochyena-still trying to free itself from the shrub-then back at her. A long moment passed between them, something Jordan couldn't explain. Whatever it was, Mudkip nodded and let her set him down again.

By then, Poochyena was free and coming at them again. 'You just don't quit, do you?'

"Mudkip!"

'But that's okay.'

"Water Gun, now!"

'Cause I don't either.'

A jet of water shot from Mudkip's mouth, hitting Poochyena and knocking it off balance. Jordan wasn't about to give it time to recover. As Norman liked to say, there's no room for mercy in battle.

"Again, don't let up!" Poochyena yelped, and after a minute of struggle, found its footing and fled. Her first pokemon battle was over and she won.

Shouldn't she be happy?

She realized Mudkip and the man were watching and forced a smile. "You did great," she praised the pokemon. He surprised her by jumping back into her arms, nuzzling her. She held him close, his skin smooth and cool against her cheek. She was glad he wasn't hurt. A sweet pokemon like this shouldn't be forced to fight.

The man had gotten out of the three by then and jogged up to her, grinning. "Whew, you sure saved by hide. Guess that's the risk you take when studying wild pokemon, ha ha."

"Will it be okay? The Poochyena, I mean."

"Oh, sure. The only thing you bruised was its ego," he chuckled, "But what about you? Is your shoulder okay? Here, I've got something in my bag that should help. For Mudkip, too."

"Oh, thank you."

While he patched he introduced himself as Professor Birch.

"I'm Jordan. Jordan Blu."

"Blu? Oh, you're Norman's little girl! I haven't seen you since you were in diapers. You've grown into quite the young lady. I see a lot of your father in how you battle."

That was a good thing, right? Norman was a great battler. Everyone said so. She was proud to follow in his footsteps. Wasn't she?

Roland was right where she'd left him. Much like Mudkip, he hid behind Jordan when she introduced him to the professor. They walked him home, and then Birch insisted she come back to the lab with him. While Mudkip slept in her lap, he putted about the small kitchen, making tea. He was just how Norman described him: friendly and loud. Hard to believe the two of them had once been best friends.

He asked all about her life in Johto, how she was adjusting to Hoenn, what Norman and her mom were up to. He in turn told her about his work and family and some stories from his and Norman's school days. It wasn't long before their talk turned to training and battles.

"I can't believe you don't have your own pokemon yet. You handled yourself like a pro back there. You're your father's kid, that's for sure."

"Thank you, Professor." she sipped her tea and tried to take it as the compliment he meant it to be. She didn't have the heart to tell him that wasn't her first battle. Norman had been putting her through mock-fights since her was four. It was the first time she didn't have him breathing down her neck, though, criticizing her every move. Unfocused, too soft, not strong enough, not training enough, not good enough. Never good enough.

"-take Mudkip!"

"What?" She must've misheard.

"Why not? He's already comfortable you, and trust me, that's a big deal," he smiled at the still snoozing pokemon. "Considered it a thanks for saving me. And don't worry," he added, cutting off her protests, "I've got everything you need to register with the league."

Ten minutes later, he gifted her with a trainer's card and Mudkip's pokeball. She stared at the red-and-white sphere, not knowing how to feel. She liked the idea of having her own pokemon, and Mudkip seemed sweet-too sweet. If-Ha, if. Like you have a choice-she was going to take on the league she needed a strong team. She could train the timidness out of him, but did she want to subject the little guy to that?

"Gonna give him a nickname?" Professor Birch asked.

Jordan thought it over for a moment, then smiled. "Roland."

Professor Birch suggested she head to Route 103, where Brendan was gathering data. "He'll show you what it means to be a training."

All she could do was swallow a sigh and fake a smile. Why did everyone assume she was stupid?

She found Brendan by the route's pound, fiddling with his Pokedex.

"Okay, so you can find this and that one here and. . ." he trailed off, pressing buttons and double checking his findings. Jordan held back. She wasn't looking forward to another conversation with Brendan Birch. There was just something so condescending about him, like it was her fault her wasn't his hoped-for boy.

'Sorry to disappoint you,' she moved into the gray-eyed boy's line of sight. He looked surprised to see her, but quickly broke into a grin.

"Hey, Jordan! Great to see you again. But you shouldn't be out here alone. It's too dangerous without pokemon to protect you."

"Must be why your dad gave me this," she couldn't resist the come back, taking Roland's pokeball from her belt.

Brendan let out a low whistle. "So you finally got your own pokemon? That's pretty cool." His smile turned cocky. "Feel like a battle? I'll show you what being a pokemon trainer is all about!"

'If I hear that one more time. . .' "You're on."

They released their pokemon at the same time, Jordan's Mudkip vs. Brendan's Treecko. Water Gun wouldn't be effective this time, which meant attacking from a distance was out. Roland have her a nervous glance over his shoulder, as if he realized it too. Jordan bit her lip, feeling rather nervous herself. Roland had done all right against the Poochyena, but this was a whole different level. A real battle.

Brendan made the first move. "Treecko, use Pound!"

"Roland, dodge and counter with Tackle!"

They went like that for several rounds, trading blows while their trainers called out instructions. The grass-type was fast, but didn't have much power. Roland took a few hits, but no serious damage. Still, he couldn't hold out forever.

"Roland, over here!"

He broke free from the tussle and returned to her side. Both were panting, sporting small cuts and bruises. Of the two, Treecko looked more weary, but Roland wasn't doing much better. Jordan needed to end this quick, before he fainted.

"Roland," she said, so only he would hear. "When Treecko attacks again, don't dodge. Stay right where you are till I give the signal."

He looked back at her, uncertainty in his eyes. She gave him an encouraging smile, but inside she felt the same way. 'Please let this work.'

If Brendan was feeling the same pressure, he didn't let it show. "You're doing great, Treecko! One more and you've got it!" Emboldened by its trainers praise, it dashed towards Roland. Jordan saw him tense, but he obeyed her orders and stood his group. 'Thank you.'

Her eyes focused on Treecko's every movement. She had to time this right. The closer it was, the harder it'd be to avoid their attack. If she screwed up, they'd loose. But if she got it right-

"Roland, Tackle now!"

He surged forward, hitting his opponent with all his remaining strength. The blow sent Treecko flying. It hit the ground with a solid thump and didn't try to stand again.

Seconds later, Roland collapsed too, but the match was already decided. Guilt and dread curled in Jordan's stomach. She wanted nothing more than to scoop him up and apologize, but that's not how trainers act, in victory or defeat.

Brendan actually had the gall to laugh, even those his Pokemon was in worse shape. "You're not too bad, Jordan!" He called Treecko back to its ball, and Jordan followed suit. She was grateful when he offered to heal Roland, though.

"I think I get why Dad has an eye on you," he went on, "You just got Mudkip and you are already that close. Bet you could befriend any Pokemon you meet, Jordan. Well, I've gathered all the date I need to here. We should head back to my dad's lab."

"Yeah." She let him lead the way back, through Oldale town and down route 101. It wasn't until she noticed how long the shadows were that she realized how late it was getting. And how tired her was. All she wanted to do was go home, get in her pajamas, and curl up in front of the TV. Find a Contest airing and actually enjoy it for once, without any of Norman's snide comments. Maybe she'd even catch one of Lisia's performances. The thought make her stomach jolt in a funny, but not wholly unpleasant way. 'Shouldn't have skipped lunch.' Yeah, that was it. Of course it was.

Back in the lab, Brendan told his father a rather exaggerated version of their battle.

"You beat Brendan on your first try? That's amazing!" he exclaimed, "he's been helping me research for a long time, so he has a pretty long history as a trainer already." He paused and seemed to think something over. "Mm-hmm, I think that settles it!"

She didn't like the sound of that.

He handed her a small red-and-black device, like the one Brendan had been using. The "Pokedex" would make a record of any pokemon she captured and the data sent back to the lab. She spaced out the rest of it (something about Brendan again. . .meeting people and pokemon. . .field work. . .) She was trying to convince herself the feeling pooling in her gut was excitement. Everything in her life had lead up to this moment. The start of her very own pokemon journey.

Time to make Norman proud.

'He didn't even ask,' that treacherous part of her protested. Jordan pushed it down. No one had ever asked if she wanted to be a trainer. Why start now?

Brendan asked if she wanted to leave Littleroot with him in the morning. She didn't have any reason to say no, not with Professor Birch standing right there, grinning at both of them.

'See?' she reminded herself, returning their smiles even though it made her cheeks hurt. 'Even when they ask, I don't really have a choice.'

Confession time: this is the longest chapter I've ever written.

I'm working on ch. 2 right now, and plan to have it up either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thanks for reading,

C_L52