Just A Nobody (Pokemon SI)
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CH3: My Will, My Promise
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-Justin POV-
-Celestic Town-
-April, Year 348 AD-
Man, those "paintings" are huge! I thought as I was coming back from my after school art club activities.
I mean, they really undersold them in the game but they were at least 15 feet tall and at least 7 feet wide.
Needless to say, this meant I had to do some re-evaluations in regards to the size of Pokemon in the games and what they see here in real life.
Another thing to research about in the Library.
'That sunset is beautiful.' I think as I look up at the orange skies. 'Man, I wish I had a camera to capture it.'
Shame, even the basic stuff here was super expensive.
At least the cost of food and living was cheap. So I guess it evened out.
Regardless, it has been a while since I've reincarnated. I was fortunate enough to write down all of my meta-knowledge when I was young… er because there was a real danger of me forgetting everything.
Of course everything I wrote was in my native language of my past life. So it was secure enough for now.
It wasn't like someone was going to go snooping around looking through a diary of an 8 year old kid after all.
I've started to think less and less about my past. Even if I sometimes miss the comforts that my life had provided me.
But, I've come to love this life too much to give it up now.
I should start going back before its dark or Granny would have my hide. I thought and started running towards the orphanage.
…
I made it back just as the orange hue in the sky started to darken.
"I'm back!" I yelled out as the noise of feet shuffling towards me started.
"You were late! The match is almost over now!" Yelled out a little blonde haired boy as he came into view. Charlie was a cute 4 year old kid who's parents had died because of an avalanche last year.
It was tough for him, like every kid here, but we acted like we were family (and in some ways we were) so with time wounds healed.
One thing that almost always helped out was the fascination everyone had with Pokemon Battles.
These small kids spent half their time by the newly-opened Pokemon Center, watching the few trainers that came through the town battle or train in the public battle grounds.
As for what Charlie was alluding to, it required getting much more in depth in the topic of Professional Pokemon Battles.
This world, I've come to realise, works much more closely to how the games worked. As in any trainer, no matter the age, can challenge the Champion as long as they have the 8 badges from the Gym Leaders. (Not like in the anime where you had to go through a tournament for the chance)
But that doesn't mean that they become the Champion just like that. They also need to have the approval of atleast 6 Gym Leaders to become the Champion.
So, if a Champion loses too often they lose the respect and confidence of their public and subsequently the Gym Leaders. So if they lose in the future then it's quite obvious that the Gym Leaders won't side with them.
This system was apparently in place so that no criminal or a person with questionable character becomes the leader of the whole region. (It was already illegal for foreigners to become the Champion).
Similarly, if a Gym Leader gives aways Badges easily and loses too much then the League could replace them too (the matches are recorded and the impressive ones are even broadcasted on the national Pro Pokemon Battling channel). So Gym Battles are even more harder here than either the games or the anime (and they don't hold back at all).
So it is technically as it is in the games but with extra steps.
A Champion was a King. A Symbol of Strength. The Protector of the Innocent. The Strongest.
If he lost a fair official battle. Then how could he protect the people?
That's why every official battle that a Champion is involved in gets international coverage. So not only is your own position is on the line but also your reputation, internationally.
"I'm not that interested in seeing another match against the Champion of Orre Charlie. I'm pretty sure there was one last month." I said in a deadpan.
The only one that was a bigger Pokemon fan than me in the orphanage was Charlie, and it showed as where most of us were satisfied with only watching the significant matches once every blue moon, Charlie wanted to watch all of them.
"And I'm pretty sure his days as Champion are numbered anyways." I waved off and sat down on the couch where Orre's Champion's Flygon was fighting against a female Trainer's Gengar.
Abdul, the Champion of Orre, had gotten into hot-water for his sexist policies this past year (the guy tried to ban female Trainers from joining the local circuit). Thankfully it didn't pass but the damage done was enough for literally even retired female Trainers to come out of their retirement to challenge him.
Yeah, the guy's career was ruined. If not now then pretty soon.
Not like Orre had ever had a stable political situation since their unification.
Their Champions changed like the weather. Every few months.
Ironically, it was also the region where a Champion ruled the longest. Their first Champion, Mohammed and his absolute tyrant of a King-Gene Tyranitar had ruled the region with an iron-fist for 95 years.
95 YEARS!
The guys was 110 years old when he died from old age and he was still undefeated.
The guy was an absolute legend.
That was 50 years ago, and since then Champions have been dime a dozen in Orre.
Anyways, Charlie pouted. "But I wanted to see it anyway!" He then looked away and whispered quietly. "Especially with you."
My eyes softened. "Alright. Alright. I promise next time I'll be here early and even bring some snacks with me."
"Pinky promise?" He brightened up immediately.
My eyes twitched. "Pinky promise." I brought up my pinky and "pinky-shaked".
We then settled in and watched the rest of the disappointing match. Abdul won, but barely. It was 5-6 and his Flygon was barely hanging by the skin of it's teeth. In fact, as soon as the match was announced the Flygon collapsed into unconsciousness.
The female trainer knocked herself out because of the backlash of her whole team fainting and had to be carried out.
It was another thing that was different here as when a trainer's whole team has fainted they faint from the backlash too. But the curious thing was that this only happened when a person was very close with their pokemon. Or else it won't affect them much.
This phenomenon was aptly called the "Pokemon-Human Fainting Backlash". As similarly, a Pokemon also feels some form of backlash when their Trainer faints but it is not enough to faint them. Some say that the backlash is divided among the whole team but there is currently not enough to support that theory.
Of course, I know that this could only be attributed to the existence of Aura. The mystical energy of Pokemon that existed in this world. The hypothetical and literal power of friendship.
It was truly interesting. And it made my inner researcher jump in curiosity.
But I didn't even know where to start looking except "inner peace" and that was freaking Chi! I got that from Kung Fu Panda!
There just wasn't enough material to begin a research.
I came back from my internal monologue when I was tapped on my shoulder from Granny. "-You kids are still watching the match?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"No, it ended a few minutes ago and its post-show now. But it was pretty disappointing to be honest. The Champion of Orre really hasn't had a good showing in these last few matches. You would expect him to stroll through the battles like it was easy." Charlie said. Man, he really stole the words from my mouth didn't he?
I'm so proud.
Granny nodded. "Yeah but Orre hasn't had a truly strong Trainer since a long time."
"What kind of Trainer would you want to be?" Asked Bryan, another kid that hanged out with us.
"I want to be the best Coordinator ever!" Proudly proclaimed a small girl as she held her Clefairy doll. Florence.
"Yuck! I want to be the Champion of Sinnoh!" Said another girl. Taylor.
"No! I'll be the Champion!" Said a boy with glasses. Greg.
"No! I'll be!" Said another boy. Brendan.
"Okay! Okay! Settle down!" Granny calmed them down with one word. "You'll all get your wish. You just have to work hard." All of them nodded.
"I want to be a Pokemon Researcher." Shyly said Charlie.
I smiled at him. "And I'm know you'll become one."
He shyly smiled back up at me.
Charlie was like my little brother from my past life. I just couldn't help but imprint on him like a older brother. He was just so similar yet different.
He was like family. Like Granny.
-No, he was family.
As we were getting up from the couch, Charlie asked me. "What kind of Trainer do you want to be Justin?" And suddenly the room was quiet and every eye was turned onto us, or in this case, me.
I was the oldest child in our group, the leader. The mature one. The reliable guy. So it was natural they would be curious.
I smiled a bright smile at them, confidence brimming in my eyes, in my every move. And as if what I was stating wasn't my goal but a fact already, I replied. "I'm gonna be the Strongest. Like no one ever was."
The room was silent but you see the admiration in all the kid's eyes. Then it was broken by their own proclaimations.
"Then I'll be in your Elite Four!" Greg said with his fist to the skies.
"Me too!" Brendan raised both his arms as if reaching for the sky.
"You can't! I said it first!" Greg retorted with anger.
"There are four members in Elite Four you idiot!" Taylor smirked smugly.
"I-I knew that!" Greg stuttered in embarrassment.
"Besides I'll be the Strongest Elite Four! You guys can have the rest of the positions." Taylor said flicking her hair in confidence.
"Then I'll be the second strongest!" Said Bryan holding his Pikachu doll that had some faint red marks and stitch marks.
""No I'll be!"" Yelled both Greg and Brendan in sync.
"And I'll support you by being the best Coordinator!" Said Florence also doing a cute pose.
Charlie also shyly shuffled and looked up at me. His determination could be seen clearly despite the nervousness radiating off of him.
I smiled brightly at them. My eyes shining. "Thank you, all of you. I'll carry all of your support proudly! I WILL be the Strongest."
I was wrong. All of them were my family. Not of blood but of bonds.
In the background, Granny could be seen looking at us with a smile of happiness.
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1923 Words.