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The store, a quaint, dimly lit sanctuary packed with racks of VHS tapes, welcomed Delia like an old friend. As she stepped through the door, a familiar tinkling bell sounded her arrival. She was immediately greeted by the store owner, Roger.
"Oh, it's you."
"Not stoked to see me?" Delia asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"I'd be stoked for a paying customer," Roger shot back, his eyes not leaving the magazine he was thumbing through.
"Well, I'll cough up the dough once the holidays roll around."
Roger rolled his eyes, but a smirk crept onto his face.
"So, what, now that the kid is off adventuring, you can finally morph back into a premium nerd?"
Delia feigned shock, dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "Me? A nerd?" she exclaimed, before breaking into a warm, genuine smile. "Guilty as charged. I binged like five flicks last night."
"Oh, the great movie goblin returns..." Roger teased. "By the way, we just got a fresh batch of flicks straight from the states."
"Pokestar Studios?"
"Of course," Roger confirmed with a nod, his hands deftly arranging a stack of tapes for her perusal.
Delia's eyes quickly scanned the titles, her attention caught by the one on top. "Men In Black by Hilda White," she read aloud, her fingers gently tracing the bold letters on the cover.
"Oh, this seems interesting."
She picked up a few more tapes.
"Diving deep tonight, huh?" Roger commented, a playful smirk on his face as he scribbled down Delia's rentals in his well-worn ledger.
"So, how's Ash doing?"
"Good, he's made it to Pewter City and should have won his first gym badge by now," Delia replied, her voice filled with a mix of pride and concern.
"Well, how about getting him a prize?"
"What do you suggest?"
"Mario Kart."
"The game where a man jumps on Squirtles?"
"Yep, that's the one," Roger chuckled.
"I'll take two."
"These are for kids, you know."
"Hey, being an adult doesn't mean I can't have fun."
"Try not to get too obsessed with this one."
"That was an accident," Delia responded quickly, her cheeks coloring slightly at the memory.
"Keep telling yourself that, nerd."
Delia hurried back to her quiet restaurant, noticing the answering machine's blinking light—a sure sign someone had called. She had set up the restaurant phone to connect to her home phone, allowing her to pick up any calls even when away from home. She pressed the playback button and was immediately greeted by her son's voice.
"Mom, I-I ... can you call me back, I want to talk to an adult. Hmm, okay, how do I turn this off?"
Delia noted that the call had been made just five minutes earlier. Hopeful that Ash might still be nearby a phone, she quickly dialed the Pokémon Center number.
"That was quick."
"Well, audio is easier. If you want a video call, that'll take a few more minutes," Delia responded.
"Nah, audio's fine."
"Oh, are you alright, sweetie? Is something wrong? Did you keep your underwear clean?"
"Yes, everything is alright, I just wanted to talk about a situation with an adult."
"Don't worry, I am an adult."
She heard her son let out a heavy sigh.
"I'm calling Oak."
"You used to laugh at mama's jokes," Delia said, feigning a sniffle.
" ...Do you want me to laugh at the joke?"
Delia paused, a distant look perhaps crossing her face.
'My baby boy is changing,' Delia recalled Oak's words, a smile warming her face at the thought.
"No, so what happened? Did you lose the gym battle? Did your underwear catch on fire?"
"No, I won but..." Austin's voice faded into a troubled tone, and over the next few minutes, he unraveled the complicated story of Flint and his family's struggles.
Delia exhaled deeply, her heart heavy with empathy.
"Sweetie, what do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know what I should do next."
"Baby, what can you do in this situation?" Delia prodded gently.
"I don't know, I could probably ignore it and leave or stay and try to do something... Anything."
"So you're unsure what to do next, and you wanted an adult to help guide you," Delia summarized gently. "Well, the only thing I can say is don't try to put yourself in a situation that you can't handle."
Austin sighed. Flint's family drama was indeed complicated, and even his wish to get Brock as a companion felt daunting.
"Sweetie, I know you're a kind boy."
Austin shook his head slightly. I'm more selfish than anything.
"But everyone has their own path... Like streams, sometimes some streams connect, sometimes they don't as we move forward through life. You are young, and you're kind, but you don't need to put yourself in other people's streams," Delia advised wisely.
"But I won't stop you if you want to connect your stream to this Brock's," she added, leaving the decision to him.
"This has... given me a lot to think about," Austin responded after a pause, his voice reflecting the weight of her words.
"Now, tell me, how did the Gym battle go?" Delia asked.
"Well, first I faced off against this..."
A few minutes after the call ended, Austin leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression settling over his features. Talking to Delia had provided some much-needed perspective, helping him to clarify his thoughts about his next steps.
Brock had played a significant role in Ash's adventures through Kanto in the anime, serving primarily as a mentor and a plot device to guide the inexperienced Ash.
But here, in this very real world, Brock was not just a character in a story; he was a person with his own set of responsibilities, history, and personal struggles. The realization dawned on Austin that he couldn't, and shouldn't, try to force Brock to reconcile with Flint.
Austin sighed deeply, looking down at his hands clenched in his lap. "This is my journey, right? I can learn all of Brock's skills on my own, no big deal," he muttered to himself, trying to muster confidence in his decision.
He slowly took off his hat.
Even though it was a tough choice, he knew that stepping back was probably the best thing for both Brock and himself.
The boy was beginning to understand that his actions had real consequences in the lives of others, and he couldn't simply act as he might in a game or a story. His journey was his own, and it was up to him to navigate it in a way that respected the autonomy and challenges of those around him.
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Inside the rented room, Pikachu and the others were enjoying their meal after Nurse Joy had treated them. Spearow, with a cast wrapped around his wings, voiced his discomfort gruffly.
"I hate this."
"You were the stubborn one who wanted to continue the fight," Pikachu retorted, sprinkling some ketchup onto his food.
"Only cowards back up from a fight," Spearow shot back.
Pikachu merely rolled his eyes in response.
"At least we fought," Rattata chimed in, her voice laced with annoyance as she shot a glare at Vee.
Vee, feeling the weight of the stare, frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
"Does the freak not understand?" Rattata replied sharply, causing Pikachu to sigh inwardly. The girl really needs a filter.
"Understand what?" Vee asked, his ears spiking up, not appreciating Rattata's tone or the label.
"Look, all of us here train and fight for our human," Rattata said, turning to face the other two Pokémon.
"You don't, or haven't. Why is that?"
"I don't know because the human hasn't called me out," Vee countered.
"That's because our human knows that you need time to grow because of the pain of your ability," Rattata pressed on, strutting closer to the Eevee.
"And what's wrong with that?" Vee challenged.
"You don't need that ability to be strong. You can be strong even as an Eevee, yet you don't bother to do that. Why?" Rattata's words cut deep, leaving Vee without a response.
Pikachu was about to intervene, but Spearow beat him to it. "Bird brain, move."
"No, let the lady express her pride."
"Pride in what?"
"Pride in fighting for that human. That freak hasn't done anything to repay the human but only put him in danger," Spearow added harshly.
Vee recoiled, his heart racing as he realized the truth in their words. A wave of panic washed over him, his breathing quickened. He was paralyzed with the fear as the idea maybe he wasn't safe in his new home cemented in his mind.
"Shut up!" Pikachu finally intervened, jumping in front of Vee to shield him from the barrage of accusations.
Just then, the door slowly opened, and Austin paused on the threshold, taking in the scene.
"What's going on?"
"Pika Pi."
"Row!"
"Tatata!"
"E-V-Vee!" Vee managed, his voice small and shaken.
"Let's calm down," Austin said, raising his hands in a calming gesture that slowly quieted everyone. He looked at Pikachu, "Pikachu, tell me what's going on."
A few minutes later, Austin exhaled a deep sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly as he muttered to himself, "I need to teach you all about charades."
Despite the communication barrier, the young trainer had managed to piece together the gist of the conflict among his Pokémon.
"Okay, line up."
"Now then, Rattata, apologize to Vee."
The little Pokémon looked up at Austin, her eyes wide with shock.
"Don't give me that look; you were in the wrong. I know no one likes being in the wrong, but your actions were a little too much."
Rattata squeaked softly, her gaze shifting between the food on the floor and her Pokéball, a silent question in her eyes.
"Are you saying that you think since Vee eats my hard-earned food that he should fight?"
Rattata nodded once, firmly.
"Well, firstly, I enjoy making food for all of you, and that includes you, Spearow," Austin said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood slightly. Spearow, however, only responded with a sharp glare.
"And second," Austin continued, his tone becoming serious again, "I decide the fights, and I have been intentionally keeping Vee out of them."
The declaration took everyone by surprise, and Vee looked up with a bewildered expression. Austin's next words hung heavily in the air. "The thing is, Vee, to help you in your quest, I need to make you evolve."
Vee shifted uneasily, his paws fidgeting and his ears flicking back and forth, betraying his anxiety.
"Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Glaceon, and Leafeon—those are the evolutions an Eevee is capable of," Austin continued, stretching his hand towards Vee. "Due to the experiments, you are only able to evolve and devolve into three which are unstable. Your problem is solved when you evolve into a stable evolution like Espeon or Umbreon. I didn't include you in battles or the harsh training because I wanted you to feel safe. I wanted you to know that I am not going to exploit you. When I risked my life in the Viridian Forest, it wasn't because of greed; it was because I wanted to help. Do you trust me?"
Vee placed his paw on Austin's hand, his eyes meeting the boy's with a newfound understanding. Austin smiled gently.
"Good, because we are going to start training from tomorrow onwards. Get ready."
Vee nodded, his stance firmer as the boy turned to Rattata, his expression serious. "Little lady, I expect better from you next time."
Rattata looked down, her ears drooping slightly in shame.
"Now, you know what to do."
Rattata let out a series of apologetic squeaks to Vee as Austin glanced at Pikachu, who gave an approving nod.
"Good, apology done. If there is ever a problem, we'll talk, okay?"
The Pokémon nodded in agreement.
"We are a team."
The Pokémon looked at each other, slightly unsure of what their trainer expected next. "We are a team!" Austin repeated, this time louder.
Still a bit confused, the Pokémon hesitated until Austin yelled again, "We are a team!" This time, everyone shouted out their calls in unison.
"Shut up!" came a shout from the other side of the door, causing Austin to burst into laughter, with the rest of the team quickly joining in the mirth.
Austin decided to wait until everyone was fully recovered before moving on to Mount Moon, but what awaited on that mountain was going to change him—for better or for worse, only time would tell.
But one thing was for certain: blood would be spilled.
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[Author Note]
I know many of you wanted Brock to be Austin's companion, as it happened in the original anime and the original fanfic. However, I decided against this because I prefer to write a more loner-type main character—just him and his Pokémon against the world. I hope you all appreciate this direction and respect my wishes as the writer.
Will this be the last time we see Brock? Certainly not. Brock will still play a part in the story, particularly in Plot B, where he and his father will have moments of gradual reconciliation before he pursues his dreams. Austin and Brock will maintain a friendly acquaintance, with many encounters throughout the story.
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You may have missed some of the references in the chapter, so here are a few of them:
Pokestar Studios: This is actually part of the Generation V games. Pokéstar Studios allows the player to take part in making films involving Pokémon. The films feature a scenario chosen by the player and a number of Pokémon battles. Pop Roxie, Brycen, and Sabrina have co-starred in films produced at the studio.
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The Creator of 'Men in Black' is Hilda White: This line explains it all, but for those who didn't catch it, Hilda White combines the name of Generation V's game protagonist, Hilda, with 'White'—a reference to Pokémon: Black and White.
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Nintendo exists in the Pokémon world but replaces the Goombas with Squirtles and King Bowser with a Blastoise.
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The People of Kanto, mostly from the northern side like Pallet Town, Viridian City, and Pewter, worship Mew as a god because of WWII. Mew is said to have practically saved Kanto because it was disturbed in its sleep. You'll find similar deification of other legendary Pokémon, with some being a lot more serious and some being more chill.
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What level of violence should I go for in Mount Moon? Obviously, there will be Team Rocket vs. Austin, and since there are no rules, Austin will fight dirty. What level of violence should be logical in your opinion?Knock outMaimSeriously HospitalizedCrippledStraight up Murder (Okay, this might be a little too much for now)
What do you think about all of this, especially Austin and Delia's dialogue and the tension within the team?
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with my work. Have a blessed day, and I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments!