In the previous chapter of Pokemon Seekers, Ken brought up some terrible memories that made Azure question his past, life, future, and dreams of being a Pokemon master. The scene shifts to Route 210, where thick fog blankets the area as usual.
Deep within this misty landscape is a cave, and inside, several wild Pokémon accompany Azure.
A group of Psyducks surrounded Azure. The reason for their gathering was the huge loaf of bread he was holding in his hands. He took the bread from the orphanage because it was about to go bad, and he gave it to the Psyducks.
The wild psychic-type Pokémon began to scratch and bite each other, trying to push their way to the food. Scolding them, Azure said, "Enough! There's plenty for everyone to share. You're all family, so you shouldn't treat each other this way, especially over food." Azure had a serious expression as he spoke.
The Psyducks stopped fighting and sat quietly, apologizing to each other. Azure smiled as she distributed their share of food, sitting on a rock after finishing passing the bread. The campfire began to die down, so Azure threw so more sticks and twigs to keep the flame burning.
Closing his eyes, Azure took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of nature along with the scent of burning wood. "This is what I dream of—the life I seek: to be in the wild, traveling to different regions and meeting new friends," he said, looking at the three Psyducks who were eagerly scarfing down the bread. When the Psyducks noticed Azure staring at them with a smile, it made them somewhat uneasy. As he approached them, they panicked and began to sweat nervously.
"So, Psyduck, which one of you lucky Water-types will be my Pokémon?!" said Azure, a wide grin on his face as he rubbed his hands together. The three Psyducks exchanged worried glances before bolting out of the cave, leaving Azure all alone.
"Hey, get back here, you damn freeloaders! I gave you bread, and this is how you repay me?" exclaimed Azure, who also ran out of the cave, chasing the Psyduck. The bushes began to rattle before a black shadow dashed out with extreme speed, leaping over Azure. He fell onto his butt in fear as he watched a strange Pokemon dart into another bush.
Quickly leaping to his feet, he exclaimed, "What was that Pokémon?" He whispered to himself as he dusted himself off, trying to recall if he had ever seen that Pokémon in the encyclopedia. Just as he decided to leave, he halted when he stepped on something. Lifting his foot, he discovered a golden jewel shaped like a marble, with red, silver, and black swirls inside it.
"What is this?" Azure said, picking up the strange jewel. As he examined it, memories of his mother began to flood back, causing him to clench his head in discomfort. He remembered her with a peculiar Pokémon. The creature had no limbs except for its arms and floated in the air like a jet. Its long neck was cream-colored, while the rest of its body was red. A blue triangle adorned the center of its chest, but what stood out the most were its golden eyes.
He can only see his mother smile and nothing more. "What was that memory..." Azure said before returning to the orphanage. He was getting late, and he didn't want the caretaker to scold him.
Next Morning
The sun's rays streamed through the window of the boys' room, casting a warm light on Azure's face. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes, revealing his striking blue eyes, just like his name. Suddenly realizing what day it was, he bolted upright, quickly dressed, and made an effort to be quiet so as not to disturb the other boy still sleeping. After getting dressed, he quietly exited the room.
As he made his way downstairs quietly, he froze when he heard his caretaker's voice. "Are you leaving somewhere, Azure?" she asked. She was sitting on the sofa, her favorite soap opera on, a hot cup of tea in her hands. And she had a stoic look, already knowing what Azure was up to.
Azure shot a defiant glare and said, "You can't stop me or force me to stay at this orphanage. I will become a Pokémon Champion, traveling the world and battling strong trainers—that is my dream. None of you—Ken, Loraine, or anyone else—will stand in my way."
"Oh?! What if you fail? What if you never become a Pokémon master or champion? What if you uncover the truth about your parents and the harsh reality of our world, Azure? You know, I had dreams too. I dreamed of being a Pokémon coordinator.
I traveled all around the world with my Misdreavus, winning every contest and festival. We promised to be together forever and made many friends along the way...But one day, misdreavus was brutally beaten in a battle. And eventually died," dropped the caretaker.
Azure fell silent, unsure of what to say. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't know. Can I ask what happened to Misdreavus?" Azure inquired. The caretaker closed her eyes, horrified as she recalled the event. "No; that's all I have to say. Do what you want, Azure, but just don't say that no one warned you," the caretaker replied.
The fiery spirit that once filled Azure was gone, replaced by a sense of gloom. As he stood at the door, he took one last look around the house he had known for most of his life. There was no turning back, no more running away. He knew he had to take a step—a leap of faith. If he wanted to become a trainer, he had to take risks; that was simply part of being a Pokemon trainer.
Pokemon Center in Celestic Town
Every young teen in Celestic Town was lined up to apply for financial aid; some of the wealthy children even tried to apply for it, what a bunch of pigs. Taking from those in need who truly require aid to achieve their dreams of becoming a Pokémon trainer.
At the very back of the line stood Azure. It had been two hours, and he was getting hungry; his legs ached. You would have thought it would have been a bigger building for this event.
Minutes passed, then hours. Each time he saw an inspiring trainer leave the center, they wore expressions of anger and frustration; some even burst into tears.
It seemed the international leagues were really cracking down on the phrase "On the poor." Eventually, it was Azure's turn. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the Pokémon Center. He could see many people sitting on the table feeling out the forms.
Azure snapped back to attention when he heard Nurse Joy's voice. "Hello! Are you trying to fill out the trainer's needs pack?" she said with a smile. Nodding in agreement, I replied, "Do you mean the financial aid for trainers?" She nodded and then pointed to an empty table with a form on it.
"Please have a seat and fill out the form. Once you're finished, take a ticket, and someone will assist you," said Nurse Joy. Nodding in acknowledgment, he sat down at a vacant table. He looked at the paper and pen beside him and started filling out the basic information, such as his name, age, and other personal details, before addressing the important question. After completing the form, he glanced around the room at the trainers who were waiting patiently to be called. He turned his form into Nurse Joy, grabbed ticket number seven, and returned to his seat.
After waiting for a while, his turn was finally called. "Number seven, please come to section A for your test," announced the intercom. 'Test; section A? I didn't think I needed to take a test, he thought. Making his way to section A, he could see more people taking a small test at separate tables.
As the overviewer observed the crowd, he noticed Azure. "Ticket?" he asked, extending his hand. After handing over the ticket, Azure was instructed to follow him. Upon arriving in section A, Azure took a seat next to a young man who appeared to be around his age. The young man had blond hair that reached his neck, skin as white as snow, and eyes as green as emeralds. Azure couldn't shake the feeling that he looked familiar.
The young man glared at Azure and said, "Do you mind?" He asked with annoyance. Rubbing the back of his head, Azure grinned sheepishly before apologizing. "Sorry, dude; I didn't mean to stare, but you do look familiar," Azure said. Even more annoyed, the young man grabbed his test paper and replied,
"Forget it, weirdo. I'm done with my test anyway," huffed the boy before leaving the testing area. Azure rubbed the back of his head and repeated the words that had just escaped his mouth. "Weirdo?"
Without worrying too much, he decided to focus on his test. He answered questions that every trainer should know, such as Pokémon types, their habitats, the regions they come from, and how to handle them. It took him ten minutes to complete the test, causing some of the people around him to laugh because they thought he had failed. However, a few were shocked and still believed he would pass.
As he reviewed the paper, the man raised an eyebrow and glanced at the documents. "Look at some of these challenging questions," he remarked. "Can you tell me about the hardest question you know regarding Pokémon? Today, I've seen many people struggle with this question, and you are the second trainer to figure it out," said the man, placing the azure papers on the right side of the table, next to another test paper.
Azure closed his eyes and smiled. "I would say the hardest question is: what are the bonds between Pokémon and trainer?" he replied.
"The bond between a trainer and their Pokemon... Huh? Well, I guess that is a hard question said, "The man again gestured for Azure to follow him; doing so answer quickly followed behind the man.
The Pokemon Center is an unknown area.
It was a giant Pokémon battling arena, located beneath the Pokémon Center. Azure gazed in awe at the massive space before him. The overviewer halted and said, "Please take this Poké Ball and go to the other side of the arena."
Azure was taken aback; he realized he was about to engage in a battle, much like a Pokémon battle. "W-What? I didn't know we were battling," he stammered, feeling nervous and excited simultaneously. The overviewer scoffed and replied, "We, the International League, can't just pick random people off the street just because they can't afford to be trainers. No, we are looking for trainers with potential and a desire to be the very best—those who have the skills to be trainers. So let's begin." As the overviewer spoke, he walked to the opposite side of Azure.
Azure followed the tester's instructions and moved to the opposite side of the arena. Once there, he waited for the overviewer. A Rotom tablet began to hover into the room and would serve as the referee for the battle.
The Overviewer glanced at the slightly nervous Azure and asked, "Are you ready, Mr. Qutoa?" He tossed the Pokeball in his hand. Azure clenched his fist, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Yeah, I'm ready." He replaced his nervous expression with a look of confidence.
Seeing Azure's smirk ignited a fire in the Overviewer's spirits, reminding him of his very first Pokémon battle and sparking a wave of nostalgia. "Okay then, let's begin!" shouted the Overviewer as he threw out his Poké Ball. Azure did the same, and both Poké Balls collided, releasing red and blue light that revealed their Pokémon.
Azure summoned an Aipom, while the Overviewer called forth a Scyther.
"Aipom? I wonder what move it has, he thought before pulling out his phone and searching for the information.
{Aipom: The Long tail Pokemon. Its tail moves with greater dexterity than its hands. Making deft use of this tail, Aipom lives high among the treetops}
Azure scrolled down to see the moves that the Pokémon knew. After finding four moves, Azure smirked and put away his phone. When the overview saw Azure's confident smile, he replied. "I take it that your smirk means you're ready to battle!? Okay then; Scyther, use Double Hit!"
"Aipom use Fake out; quickly, commanded Azure. Nodding his head, Aipom suddenly dashed in front of Scyther. It clapped its two small hands and its large tail at once, generating a kinetic force that pushed Scyther back and caused it to flinch. Dazed by the impact; scyther was too stunned to move.
Capitalizing on Scyther's immobility, Azure quickly commanded Aipom to execute another move. "Aipom, use Agility, then follow it up with Double Team," Azure instructed. Aipom generated seven shadow clones of itself and began zig-zagging across the arena, significantly boosting their speed.
Scyther shook its head and snarled, glaring at the monkey Pokémon for its cheap shot. The overseer smiled, thinking, "What a clever move! Aipom capitalized on the fake-out effect, boosted its speed with Agility, and then increased its evasion using Double Team. This kid isn't bad, not at all, thought the overviewer before looking at the scyther.
Scyther grinned as he prepared for battle. "Alright then! Scyther, use Vacuum Wave!" said the tester. Following the command, Scyther surrounded himself with a swirling vortex of light before concentrating the energy on his blades. He then launched a supersonic slash in the direction of Aipom.
"A-Aipom, dodge it!" stuttered Azure, but it was too late. With a powerful force, Aipom was sent flying before slamming into the wall, causing small cracks to form. Picking itself up and not giving up yet, the baby monkey Pokémon began to breathe heavily due to the severe damage from that vacuum wave. It wasn't just super strong; it was also super effective.
Azure began to sweat as he looked at Aipom. "One more hit and it's completely over for me. The best strategy is to finish off Scyther with a super-effective move. I could use the move Acrocbatatics, but that wouldn't be wise since Scyther most likely knows the move quick attack and is significantly stronger than Aipom. That vacuum was too strong; Scyther's hidden ability must be Technician,' through Azure.
Observing Aipom's condition, Azure realized that continuing the battle was a mistake; Aipom was not fit to compete. The best course of action was to forfeit. Taking a deep breath, Azure made the decision. "I forfeit!" exclaimed Azure.
The overviewer returned Scyther to its Pokéball and thanked it for its hard work. Looking at Azure, the overviewer asked, "Why did you forfeit the match? Aipom seems like it could keep going."
Azure gave the tester/reviewer a thoughtful smile before saying, "Yes, it's true that Aipom could keep going, but sometimes a trainer has to make tough decisions and know when it's time to quit. Aipom wouldn't survive the next move due to Scyther's strength and speed. While Aipom does outspeed Scyther because of Agility, another Quick Attack would have defeated us. Not to mention, your Scyther has a rare ability called Technician, which boosts the power of weaker moves, explained Azure.
The Overviewer stared at Azure for a moment before saying, "Would you like to hear your results?" The Overviewer asked nonchalantly. Azure shook his head, he knew that he hadn't passed the test. "No that's ok..." Said Azure who began to head out of the arena.
"Oh, I just thought you wanted to know that you passed, Mr. Quota," exclaimed the overviewer. Pausing, her heart began to race as Azure turned around and pointed at himself.
"I passed!? But I lost the battle-"
"I never said you had to win the battle to succeed. Being a Pokémon trainer is not just about winning; it also requires the ability to make rational and sound decisions. You recognized that Aipom couldn't win, so you chose to forfeit the match to prevent it from taking unnecessary damage. Today, you demonstrated that you have the talent to be a trainer.
Congratulations, Azure, on passing! You are now qualified to participate in the trainers' program. In two days, you will receive a ticket to take a boat to Sandgem Town, where you will get your first Pokémon from Professor Rowan. He will endorse you, allowing you to join Canalave Academy," explained the Overviewer.
Azure was at a loss for words. "I did it... I did it," thought Azure, celebrating in his mind. A smile spread across his face. The overviewer gave Azure a warm smile before showing the exit.
Three days later, I was on a boat headed to Sandgem Town to get my first Pokémon. I could hardly believe it; I never expected everything to turn out so well. I even began to doubt myself because of what others said—that I wouldn't be able to become a Pokémon Master; my dreams and life goals.
I was wearing some new clothes that I was able to buy through the trainers' needs program. I had on a black leather jacket over a black hoodie, and underneath that, I wore a black long-sleeve thermal shirt. A red scarf swayed gently around my neck. My hair was slightly short, just reaching my face. On my head, I wore a black beanie with a Pokéball stitched onto it. To complete my look, I had on black pants and black boots.
Winter had come early this year, and Sandgem Town was no different. The trip to Sandgem took a day, but I was finally here. Getting off the boat, I begin took in the surroundings. Just like Celestial town, Sandgem was very small. Talking to some of the locals they pointed me in the direction of Professor Rowan's lab.
A few minutes later, I finally arrived at Professor Rowan's Pokémon Lab, which was secured by a large steel gate. In the backyard, I could see several wild Pokémon, including Ponyta, Gyarados, Milotic, Weavile, and other species native to the Sinnoh region. Just as I was about to press the button to speak into the intercom system, someone pushed the gate open with incredible force, and it hit me square in the face.
I fell on my behind and groaned as I rubbed my aching face. "Maybe next time you shouldn't stand too close to the gate," said a familiar voice. Lifting my head, I saw the blonde guy from three days ago, but this time he was accompanied by a Riolu, which must be his starter Pokémon.
I was obviously upset, but I decided to calm down and not let this accident and the person's rudeness ruin my day. "Actually, I was standing by the intercom. When you pushed the gate hard, it swung open and hit my face," I explained, maintaining a stoic expression. I was trying my best not to scowl at the jerk.
With an uninterested expression, and clearly not caring about what I had to say, he responded, "Oh, that wasn't me; it was my Riolu. I just wanted to see how powerful his Force Palm was. Now that I know he can do that, I'm quite satisfied. Come on, Riolu, we don't have time to waste on losers. We have things to do." The blond turned away, and Riolu giggled at my red, stinging face before quickly following his trainer.
I groan in agony and frustration. After thinking positive thoughts, I pick myself up and wipe my bloody nose. It may not be broken or bleeding heavily, but it still hurts. Heading inside the giant gate, I made my way into the research versatility.
Before he went inside he noticed something in the sky. In the atmosphere, it was a silver-like Pokemon soaring in the sky. It left a silver after-image of itself. Silver dust began to fall from the sky before a single silver feather fell on the ground beside my feet. Picking it up, I could only stare at it with Ah.
I lifted my head to the sky, but the Pokémon was gone. Nevertheless, the atmosphere still radiated a silver-like glow. It was beautiful. "What was that Pokémon?" I asked, my voice filled with curiosity. Still dazed, I didn't notice the girl beside me, who was staring at me intently. When I turned to look, I saw a girl my age blocking the door to the professor's office.
"You must be one of the people who isn't supposed to receive their starter Pokémon," said the young lady. She was dressed in purple and black, with black lipstick on her lips. Her black hair, adorned with purple highlights, was styled in a bun, and her beautiful ruby eyes sparkled as she spoke.
I felt a slight blush rise to my cheeks; this girl was truly beautiful. Trying not to stare for too long, I nodded my head and asked, "Yes, I am. Is Professor Rowan here?" She nodded in response and gestured for me to follow her. As I walked behind her, I felt curious and wanted to know her name. "What's your name?" I asked.
My name is Veronica, and I am one of Professor Rowan's youngest aides. I have been an aide to Professor Rowan for a year now.
Well Nice to meet you, Veronica. My name is Azure, and I'm from Celestial Town, I said with a smile on my face.
Nodding her head, Veronica said, "Likewise." Looking around the large lab, I could see the many aides performing their tasks for Professor Rowan.
Upon arriving at the location of the starter Pokémon, I was met with a man who had a stern expression. Deciding to introduce myself, I smiled and opened my mouth to speak. "My name is Azure-"
"I know you very well, Mr. Qutoa. And I have no attention to give you a Pokemon. The son of that woman will only bring chaos and ruin. AND I won't let that happen; Good day to you!" Said Professor Rowan who just turned his back on Azure.
End of POV
Completely stunned, Azure just stood there stunned. Veronica just looked at me before calling out the Professor Rowan. "Professor Rowan! You can't be serious, right? I don't know what Azure's mother did, but you surely can punish him for her-"
"Mrs. Veronica I'm doing it for the entire region, the world, and especially for young Azure himself..." Said Professor Rowan who whispered the last.
"But why sir!?" Exclamied Veronica. She felt bad for Azure and was frustrated with the professors.
"Not looking back," Professor Rowan said. "It's best that some things stay a secret. Sometimes the truth hurts... it changes us and makes us make rash decisions," spoke Professor Rowan.
"Mom, look at this! Your father was like that. The funny thing is, I don't know anything about my parents. I haven't seen my dad since I was three, and I don't even know what my mom looks like. But because of a mistake she made, I'm the one who gets punished for it!" Azure growled," feeling exhausted by it all.
"Azure W-Wait-"
"No Mrs. Veronica, this old fart has no attention getting me a Pokemon, let alone endorsement to a Pokemon academy; go off yourself professor, said Azure with venom in his voice. And storming out the building. Veronica had a worried look on her face, and Professor Rowan said nothing and continued back to his work.
End of Chapter