South residential district, Viridian City
3rd Person POV
Marrie walked through the narrow street, ignoring the pricking pain in her left leg. She adjusted her torn bag on her back, keeping her head down as she made her way quickly toward the orphanage. The buildings here were different from those in the affluent part of the city. These were more run-down, the paint stripped in parts by the elements. The people were dressed more shabbily, scurrying about. The place was a breeding ground for the local criminal elements.
She had left the Pokémon Center half an hour earlier after being discharged. She was thankful and surprised that they hadn't charged her an arm and a leg. Apparently, Arata's status as a JN Ranger allowed her some leeway, as he had admitted her.
'I'm pathetic, trusting a man I just met even if he saved me,' she thought, ashamed and desperate at the same time to use his pity to her advantage. But she didn't have any other choice. She was running out of time and options to safely leave the city with Maggie.
Marrie shifted her eyes, avoiding eye contact, keeping her hand loosely around her Poké Ball, Princess and Viney, ready to release them when needed. It was not ideal, as the advanced Poké Ball models had features that could be used to allow your Pokémon to release themselves, but she didn't have the funds to afford them, and having Pokémon out walking beside you here would bring her unwanted attention. She walked past some teens with swarmy looks wearing gang tags stitched crudely onto their sleeves. She walked into a small street, which led her into the complex, and turned into a narrower alley that twisted into a maze of low-rise buildings. The orphanage sat at the end of the third turn, hidden behind a rusted iron gate. The sign above read,
Haven's Reach Children's Home.
The front yard, if you could even call it that, was filled with more weeds than grass or flowers. A cracked concrete path led to the front steps of the old building. She climbed the steps quietly, slipped inside, and eased the door shut.
She could hear the muffled chatter of the younger kids from down the corridor as she climbed up the staircase to the rooms. Marrie kept moving up to the second floor. She and Maggie had shared the smallest room at the end of the hall for the last two years. It was a simple room with a single window, two small beds, and a cupboard.
After their parents had died, they were immediately entered into the system. The matrons had tried to fill the gaping wound that had been left after their parents' passing. 'Maggie had been so little then...' she thought in quiet sadness.
She'd been good then, allowing Matron Gladis the time to recover, but when men came looking for "debts" her father had allegedly incurred, there was nothing she could do. They came every few weeks, the same two men with their intimidating Pokémon, breaking things and threatening her and the other children. Matron Gladis had initially tried to protect them, but, wising up, she quietly helped Marrie apply for a trainer license so they could eventually leave. She remembered their visit last month: the tall one with the slicked-back hair and gold chain, and his shorter, fatter companion, had cornered her and the matron in her office, their voices low and oily, asking after "the girls' well-being." The tall one's pot belly seemed to grow as his gaze lingered, his beady eyes sliding over Marrie's bust in a way that made her skin crawl. Last visit, he'd leaned close enough for her to smell the cheap cologne and smoke on his breath.
"You're coming of age soon, sweetheart," he'd said, his voice thick with mock sweetness. "Boss'll want to discuss payment plans. In person."
She'd stared at the floor, silent. They'd left laughing, and she knew then she had to leave. Leaving Maggie, however, was not an option; Marrie would neverabandon the last of her family. Marrie pushed open the door to their room. It was exactly as they had left it.She moved quickly to the large camouflaged duffel bag, already half-packed from last week's preparations, and added the last of their clothes, the spare shoes, the little tin of first-aid supplies.
Then, the important things: the envelope of documents her father had hidden under the loose floorboard—birth certificates, his old trainer license, a memoir she still couldn't bring herself to read—and the framed photo on the nightstand: the four of them, Mom, Dad, her, and Maggie, smiling on a picnic blanket back when everything was right in the world.
She lifted it carefully, her thumb brushing their faces. Tears pricked her eyes. She blinked them back, wiped her face with her sleeve, and set the photo gently into the bag between layers of clothes so it wouldn't break.
'We will be fine... Mom... Dad,' she thought.
She zipped the duffel closed, slung it over her good shoulder, and took one last look around the tiny room. Then she slipped out. Just as Marrie reached the main entrance, an older woman wearing a worn dress with an apron approached.
(A small conversation ensued while Matron Gladis gave her some money that Marrie accepted with some reluctance. She hugged her and left.)
Keeping to the shadows, she retraced her steps. Glancing at her watch, she realized she was late for their agreed-upon meeting time at the Pokémon Center. She picked up the pace, passing some Rattata near dumpsters. She froze, her pulse quickening as unwelcome memories resurfaced. Taking a deep breath, she grit her teeth and continued through a narrow alley, a shortcut that would take another twenty minutes before she reached the main road where she could catch a bus. Then she heard her worst nightmare.
"Ah, Marrie... just the girl I was looking for."
The pot-bellied thug's voice echoed from behind her. She froze, awkwardly turning to face the man, her hand instinctively resting on her Pokéball. Even if she fought here, no one would help her, and Princess and Vinny were no match for the man's Mightyena. She gulped, searching for an escape, but she was boxed in; the other man was cornering her toward the smaller alleyway. Her legs trembled, knowing what would happen if they caught her. Feeling the wall against her back, she called out,
"What do you want?" hating the tremor in her voice.
The pot-bellied thug sauntered closer as she stumbled back. Her back hit the wall behind her. He reached out, slowly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered, tracing the line of her cheek. Bile rose in her throat as she swallowed, trying to conceal her fear.
"Time's up, sweetheart," he murmured in front of her face. "Boss wants his payment. We can take you, or you can come willingly to the old pawn shop on 17th."
He leaned in, and fear spiked through her. She had wanted to avoid this, knowing what would happen: at best, she'd be forced to work at their bar, and at worst... she didn't want to think about it. And Maggie... she couldn't allow that. A slow anger began to build.
She snarled before she could stop herself, "I won't come quietly. I'll fight. You'll never kidnap me."
They both laughed uproariously, as if she'd told the world's funniest joke.
"No one kidnaps these days, Marrie," the shorter one explained dismissively. "Too messy. We're just here to convince you... to come willingly."
"No way in hell," Marrie started to say, but she was cut off when the taller man, glancing at his watch, told her in an oily voice
"Our associates would have picked up your sister by now, and if you don't believe us, that's fine. Once you can't find your sister anywhere, you can come to the pawn shop."
They turned and walked away casually, knowing they had already won.
Marrie stared after them, horror replacing her anger, rooting her feet to the pavement as the implication set in.
No. No no no no
She bolted towards the Pokémon Center in a desperate bid to find her sister.
Arata's POV
I had immediately left the Ranger HQ after filing the report, dragging Maggie with me despite her complaints about wanting to explore the rangers' workplace. Any other time, I would have indulged the little girl's request and shown her around; I had the clearance to do so. But something about that man rubbed me the wrong way. His smile never reached his eyes, and the worst part was that a lot of rangers there seemed to respect him.
Shaking my head, I looked at my nav. We'd come out the south exit into a quiet, wooded clearing still technically inside city limits. The clearing was surrounded by dense trees, overgrown trails, a small grassy patch—perfect.
I had initially wanted to get a proper training session in with my team, but looking at the time, we probably wouldn't have enough.
Maybe when we meet up with Marrie, and then figure out my next steps, I could dedicate a day to just training... well, since we can't get a proper training session in, let's just meditate. It will also let Titania get more used to it, I thought.
"So... so... what are we going to train, Arata?" Maggie asked me excitedly, plopping down cross-legged on the grass, eyes bright with excitement. I smiled at the girl's enthusiasm and
said, "We're going to meditate."
"Huh? Are they not going to fight?" she asked me.
"Training Pokémon involves more than just fighting." I pulled all four Poké Balls from my belt and released them. "They need to learn to regulate their type energy as well."
That's the best answer I could give her without giving away my powers.
"Is it the weird thing that's all around them and inside?" she asked me, tilting her head.
Interesting...
"Yes... Why don't you draw Caesar here, huh?" I asked, nodding to the large dragon-type next to me, who swerved his massive head, then snorted and settled into a crouch next to me.
"Ok ~~"
My Pokémon had already settled around me, knowing what we were about to do. I sank cross-legged into the center, closed my eyes, and reached out with my powers to my team. The connection bloomed instantly, and I could feel them all. I started the flow slowly at first. General enhancement today: muscle density, stamina reserves. I had decided not to do anything fancy until Titania was more used to it.
Time loosened as seconds blurred into minutes, the sun shifting overhead.
Then...
I felt a sharp ripple through the bond from Caesar.
Caesar's head snapped up first, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Livia's wings flared half-open. Orin snarled, and Titania's spines rose like hackles.
I opened my eyes.
Three men stepped out of the treeline wearing rough clothes, their smirks failing to conceal the caution in their eyes. Behind them was a small army of Pokémon: two Beedrill hovering above the group, a pair of Poochyena slinking low beside their legs, a Sandshrew, a Raticate, and a Metapod clinging to one thug's shoulders.
Who are these clowns?I thought with a frown.
Maggie squeaked and scrambled over to me, pressing against my side. I stood slowly, putting myself between her and them.
"What do you want?" I called out loudly, feeling my Pokémon focus on the group.
The leader spread his hands as if he were being reasonable. "Easy, kid. We're just here to take the little girl to her sister. Marie sent us, said they were going to leave soon and you were taking too long."
Bullshit.
"I don't believe you," I said flatly.
The men exchanged glances. They were wary, their eyes flicking to Caesar's massive form and my other Pokémon. Even with the large number of Pokémon with them, I was quite confident of our chances if it came down to a fight.
My team had already fanned out in defensive positions. Livia climbed higher, her wings beating and filling the clearing with a low buzz. Caesar thudded forward a couple of steps, easily reaching halfway towards the thugs, who took a couple of heavy steps back, putting distance between himself and us. Titania and Orin stayed glued to my leg, growling lowly.
I smirked, seeing their hesitation.
The leader opened his mouth to say something else.
Behind us...
A flash of purple scales. An Arbok erupted from the underbrush, jaws wide and fangs dripping venom.
Time slowed.
I froze. I fucked up. Underestimated them.
Caesar roared, seeing the Pokémon, and tried to reach me, but he was too far away.
The cobra lunged straight for Maggie.
She screamed.
Orin moved faster than I thought possible, barreling forward and shoving her aside with his entire body. The Arbok's fangs, each as thick as my forearm, slammed home. Poisoned teeth punched clean through his torso, and Orin screamed, a raw sound that rippled through our bond. The serpentine Pokémon coiled and dragged him backward, away from us.
I fumbled for Orin's Poké Ball, ready to recall him, but through the bond, I felt his pain turn intofury.
Orin shone as light poured out of him. His small frame stretched, bulking up, his fur thickening. Limbs lengthened, claws sharpened, shoulders broadened until he towered nearly eight feet tall.
Ursaring
With a bellow that shook leaves from the trees, Orin, now Ursaring, sank both massive paws into the Arbok's mouth. His muscles bunched as he ripped outward, tearing the snake's jaws free in a spray of venom and blood. Orin didn't stop. He slammed the cobra's head into the ground once, twice, then twisted with brutal, final force. We heard the sharp crack of bone, and the Arbok went limp.