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Coming of Age (PG-12)

RyuAmph

New Member
The sun’s first rays poked through the green, leafy trees, waking the stirring creatures that slept within the trunks. A pair of squat, brown birds hopped out of one of the larger oaks and scurried along a branch to greet the new day, chirping noises issuing from their tiny beaks. Beneath the canopy lay a small, two story house, its red paint scarred from the hail it had endured in the early days of that spring. The calls reached down to the open window of the house.

On the second floor, a boy rolled over in his bed, his messy brown hair even more unkempt by the combined assault of his pillow, the mattress of the futon on which he slept and the blue blanket with tiny yellow and black ball shapes embroidered on it Across his room, a knock came at the door.

“Jon boy! Are you up in there?”

Jon groaned as he leaned up and rubbed his eyes, tiny flecks falling from them. “Yeah mom, I’m up,” he mumbled, still too groggy to manage anything more. He reached over to the wooden stand, upon which lay his phone. He grabbed the small black box and flipped it open, checking the time.

8:56 A.M.

“Damn!”

_

“Now Jon, you know that I had told you a tho-” Jon tuned his mom out, continuing to crunch down on the crispy strip of meat before him. He had manage to slap on a pair of jeans, a dark grey tee shirt with the words “Talca Gym” printed across the chest and his green laced tennis shoes. Inside a green gym bag, there was a blue and white ball that was bisected in the horizontal center with an opening and a button for opening. It was customary for every young, aspiring trainer in Alumacia Town to create their own capsule for their very first Pokemon. In this manner, he had etched “4/18 + 8” into the blue hemisphere. The day he would become a trainer.

He checked his phone again. 9:37. It was time to go; now or never. One unlucky boy, Erak, arrived so late last year that only two were left, a small, pink, round creature named Jigglypuff, brought all the way from the mountains of Kanto, and another similar creature, a fairy like imp named Smoochum. Neither of the two young Pokemon took an interest in him and so he was left forsaken. A failure to bond with a Pokemon at the coming of age, at sixteen, was considered to be a truly shameful event in Alumacia and as such, he left for the glittering seas in the south. Jon had a feeling that, due to the fact only four of his peers were also of age, he would be safe. But one could never be too careful.

“Bye, mom!” Jon shouted, about to step out the door when she ran into the room.

“Good luck sweetie!” she smiled and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him until he coughed.

“Don’t worry, mom. It’s not like I’m going to be gone long,” he said, grinning. He was too excited for anything else than joy to be coursing through his veins. He broke off the hug and turned through the entrance, gently closing the door behind him.

He looked out to the road ahead, smooth pavement leading to the largest building in town, the Trainer Registry, where Professor Kaede waited to show the five new trainers how to meet their very first Pokemon. Making sure his bag was strapped up so the capsule he had prepared would be safe, he rushed down the road, quickly covering the distance. His house was on an isolated pathway, where no other roads led to and he would hopefully only be returning down one more time.

He kneeled over for just a moment as he slowed down. The brick facade of the building stood before him, but he knew that the true destination was beyond: The Field of Awakening. There he would meet the partner that would be with him for his entire life: his very first Pokemon. And, he mused to himself, perhaps my other partner. He walked up to the double glass downs and swiped his T-card on the card reader. A green tint filled the glass and the two doors slid open, allowing Jon to walk forward towards the most important day of his young life.
 

RyuAmph

New Member
Chapter 1-1

Chapter One: The Field of Awakening-Part 1



Jon could smell the crisp scent of lemons wafting through the entry room. The Registry was always smelling of cleaning fluid, for Professor Kaede thought it gave the building a sense of hominess and comfort.

It reeks of a hospital, he thought to himself. Too clean, too alien. Sterile.

He walked up to a circular desk in the center of the room, behind which sat a woman with the brightest pink hair he had ever seen.

“Morning Terry,” he said, leaning over with his forearms on the counter.

“Hell-O! Are you here to see Professor Kaede?!” she spoke as though he voice was going through an intercom, loud and shrill. Jon nodded. “Your T-card, please?” she inquired. Jon flipped his wrist and handed her the small plastic strip.

“Thank you! Lets see here.....born March 22nd....Alumacia Town....no restrictions! You’re all set!” She handed the card back to him and pointed behind her.

“There’s the door to the field! Good luck and be sure to get a cute one!” She gave him a wink and a smile. Jon gave a slight nod and briskly walked to the hallway.

He loved coming to the Registry. During his younger days, he would come with his parents to visit the library and browse endlessly on books teaching him how to raise and care for his very own Pokemon. In a lot of ways, he was like Professor Kaede, always scurrying around grabbing this or that to research. It had earned him the nickname “Professor Junior”.

The hallway to the field was a smooth, metallic affair with three small bulbs bathing the length of it in a pale, sickly light. With each step, Jon could hear his shoes echoed across the hallway until another step drown out the previous one.

“Jon”​

His mind was suddenly troubled, as though a great stress had gripped him...


“Jon”​

He had reached for the door, his fingers touching the smooth steel bar that would release the lock...

“Jon”​

He turned around, his heart racing now. His eyes viewed only the length of the hallway, but his heart felt as though a dagger was sticking out of it.

“Dad?”
It was only a whisper.

No, he thought, thats impossible. Because his dad had been....gone. Gone for a long time to a place Jon didn’t want to follow him.



_

Dr. Wilson Kaede was obviously not from Alumacia Town. Or the country of Aurora for that matter. His long black mane that crept to his shoulders and obscured his eyes were his most prominent feature. Throw in his stout frame and pale eyes that, against all reason, seemed to shimmer when he spoke gave it away clearly that he was a native of Kanto.

Born and raised in Pewter City, graduate of Celadon University by age nineteen, he was considered something of a prodigy. His rise in the field of human/Pokemon relations was unprecedented, with his research being limited only by his resources. When the legendary Professor Oak of Pallet Town had announced he was backing Kaedes’ research, his progress accelerated rapidly.

His dissertation was still fresh when Samuel Oak passed away. Many assumed he would be the natural replacement, given his studies. So it came as a shock, then, when Kaede announced he would be moving to Aurora, a country where raising Pokemon alongside humans was quite uncommon. With his departure, the Pokemon Trainer system in Kanto had no backup plan and, without a leader to oversee distribution or education, Kanto had lost many of its Trainers and the Indigo Plateau was forced to close, only remaining open for challengers from Jhoto.

Kaede had made the decision when he had arrived to create a highly regulated system for Pokemon distribution. To this end, he created the Registries all throughout Aurora, from the dazzling Relic City on the eastern sea coast to shining Borealis in the northern woodlands. And little Alumacia Town, one of the only to have a long tradition of giving a child a Pokemon at their age of maturation, received a special Registry, so as not to clash with their traditions.



_

Jon walked out to a blue tent that had been set up where several chairs sat. Two others were already there. He grinned and called out.

“Ryu! What’s up?!”

A boy with shaggy black hair that hung around his eyes turned around. He left the girl he was talking to and ran over to Jon.

“Heeeey! Took you long enough to get here, bum!” Ryu said with a grin as he met up with Jon.

“Yeah, well, sleep is almost as important as meeting my partner.”

“You say that, but I’d rather have a Pokemon any day of the week. But thats fine Erak.”

Jon’s eyebrows lowered. “That’s not fuinny, man. I don’t want to leave town because I couldn’t make a friend.” Ryu gave him a little poke and laughed. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you came in the afternoon.” “Yeah, you’re probably ri-” “Hey, Jon!”

He groaned and glanced to the side of Ryu. A girl with dark auburn hair and pale skin rushed toward him, her arms stretched wide. He braced as she embraced him in a grip not unlike his mothers.

“Hi Amanda,” he groaned as he tried to catch his breath. Few things were as uncomfortable as hugging a crush that would never think of him as anything more than a friend.

She let go of him and took a step back,, her hands on her hips, “So, sleepyhead, when did you decided you wanted your own Pokemon?” she said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

He sighed. “Oh, just this morning. It was a riveting process, deciding on such a thing, let me tell ya.” She giggled and playfully pushed him.”Of course you did, silly!” she squeaked with a grin, “but just to let you know, I’ll have the cutest, cuddliest one around!” Ryu chuckled and said, “Yeah and we’ll have the ones who can win battles.”

“What is THAT supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing,” Ryu said, walking towards the tent, “Lets go, guys, Kaede’ll be here soon.” Amanda nodded and looked at John, “Well, c’mon, lets go!” She grabbed his rough hand with her smooth, petite ones and practically dragged him to a seat. She sat between him and Ryu.

So much for no awkward tension, he thought. For a moment, he wanted to reach down and slide his fingers between hers and touch shoulders with her. But he knew that would never happen. They had been best friends since she had moved there with her family when she was twelve and that was all there was to it. Ryu had a better term for it.

He had been friend-zoned.

_

It was exactly 10:00 A.M. when Professor Kaede walked into the tent, his long black hair flowing behind him as though he hid a tiny fan in the back of his shirt for that exact purpose. He checked his watch with a flourish, straightened his jacket and proclaimed in his trademark deep voice.

“I am Professor Wilson Kaede, retired but still very much the leading expert in separating Siamese Pokemon...scratch that, wrong lecture folks,” he said with a chuckle.

Jon sighed. He wouldn’t have believed the man to be capable of such a light-hearted remark.

“I am,as you know, Professor Kaede! And today is a very special day in all of your lives as you meet the partner that will be with you until death: your first Pokemon!”

Jon edged inwards, excited.

“All of you, please take out the capture capsule device you are required to bring.”

Jon grabbed his special blue capsule out of his bag, holding it in one hand at his side.



“Good! Now then, if the young ladies will please come first, we will begin the process of meeting your partner!”


Jon got in line behind Ryu. He could see that Amanda was first, followed by Daisy, a girl he didn’t really know, and Rodger, another one of Ryus friends. They all walked through the exit of the tent and towards the field.




“Wow”

It was all he could say when he walked out and saw the field. Short green grass cover the entirety of the field, which seemed to stretch forever. Spread throughout were rocky outcroppings, tall tree with branches as thick as I-beams and large ponds of glimmering water.

Jons’ eye were more focused on a group of furry creatures scurrying towards the five young people. Yellow, orange, brown, blue, so many colors, he thought.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Kaede declared with a grin, “Here are the Pokemon who have waited so long to meet you!”
 

Darkened_Kingdra

Whatcha want?
Wowzas. I love this fic. There is so much good to it that i can't see anything wrong. I mainly like your description. The characters are very personalized: I already see Jon as a manga Gold-style kid. Don't have anything else to say, man. Keep on writing!
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(Wow. I haven't done a proper signoff for a while! Feels gooood.
 

RyuAmph

New Member
Chapter One: The Field of Awakening-Part 2



“This is amazing!”​

Jon was sitting on a soft patch of grass holding a little light orange creature with a black back that had small red markings on it and a long, smooth snout. The creature kept burrowing into the space between his arms and his body and would jump back up onto his shoulders. The little animal was warm to the touch and whenever it jumped up onto him, the red marking would glow with a radiant light.

“I see you’re making quite the friend,” a voice said from behind him. Jon looked up and saw Professor Kaede grinning at him.

“I love him!” What is his name?” Jon asked, smiling.

“He is a Cyndaquil.” Kaede replied, circling Jon slowly, stroking his chin with curiousity, “A native to the Jhoto region, to be sure. Obviously has the traits of a fire genus Pokemon. Very quick to learn. Friendly as well, “Kaede commented, glancing at the ball of fur and warmth.

“He really is friendly. He hasn’t stopped playing since I first sat with him,” Jon said, rubbing the creatures long muzzle. Cyndaquil cooed with delight and curled into a ball on Jons lap, closing his little eyes and dozing off.


“It’s almost time, Jon. We should move back to the tent entrance,” Kaede said, glancing at the sky. The sun was beginning to descend into the high foothills of the Borealis mountains, long shadows being cast on the woodlands that stretched beyond the horizon.

Jon set the creature down atop a smooth rock and walked back to the tent, where the four others had already gathered. Ryu glanced over from his conversation with Rodger and regarded Jon with mock solemness, “So, has your partner for life connected with your heart yet?” He let out a forced laugh. Jon wasn’t in the mood for joke now. He was ready to meet his partner.

“Ahem!” Kaede cleared his throat sharply, gaining the attention of the five young trainers. They all stood in a single line, looking out to Kaede, who was standing in front of them.

“Ladies and gentlemen. You have all spent several hours connecting with these creatures, the Pokemon that have come to meet you. Have you had sufficient time to make a connection with any of them yet?”

The five of them murmerred quietly at first, then began nodding their heads in agreement.

“As I thought,” Kaede spoke out, his voice growing more distinct against the humming now issuing from the surrounding trees, “you have had enough time to make a bond with several of these creatures. For some of them, it has been many years, making the journey to meet young trainers such as yourselves, to have the chance to find their partner.”

Jon shivered uncomfortably, looking at the mass of small, fluffy creatures massing at the foot of the hill they stood upon. How many of these wonderous Pokemon would wait a lifetime and never know the joy of living with a human being?

“For a lucky five however,”Kaede thundered, his voice now at its’ peak, “they will meet the human they have waited for...TODAY!”

With that, he turned to the creatures that had been creeping closer to him. “COME!” he boomed, “Waste no more time! Your partner is waiting for you!”

All at once, the different Pokemon began rushing towards the five aspiring trainers. A panic may have overtaken lesser children, but these were children of Alumacia, whose very adulthood would be sealed by the retrieval of their first Pokemon!

No less than three different Pokemon thrust themselves at each of the trainers, who moved outward from the line in order to see who was truly interested in them. Jon moved eastward down the hill. He glanced back at Ryu, who was still standing in the same place, his special grey and gold capsule in hand. A short, round creature with black marking all over its thin arms and legs and ears that, curiously, resembled a pair of outlet tongs was the most eager, nearly climbing Ryu.

Jon averted his gaze and saw two tiny creatures at his feet. The first was the small fire Pokemon he had sat with for so long, Cyndaquil. It poked the long snout into his leg and hopped up and down, its squinty eyes looking expectantly at him. The other was of a manner he had never seen before.

The Pokemon was a green creature, its body long and curved. The tail that jutted out behind it had a three leaf pattern that waved constantly, while its other end was a long, upturned nose. The mouth underneath was a small smirk, giving it the appearance of a person who was very smug.

Cyndaquil, you were just too friendly, Jon thought, reaching into his pocket. He drew out his hand and twisted the capsule in his hand, the blue orb growing to full size. As he raising his arm to throw the ball, he glanced over at the field.

In the near center of the field sat a Pokemon that he thought no one had looked at or played with yet. It was a small, four legged creature, its fluffy brown fur nearly perfectly smooth from constant self-grooming. And yet one only had to look at it to see that it did not know the love of a child, and most like never would.

The light brown tail did not wag with happiness. The ears hung limp around the creatures’ mane, which, while shining, did not seem as magnifcent as it should appear. But the worst were its eyes.

The lids hung heavy around the deep, dark brown. Those eyes were so different from the ones that sparkled on the Pokemon that had met the other young trainers. They were dull, unfocused and unobservant of the world around it.

They looked dead.​

Jon did not know why. Why should I be interested in a creature that I did not play with or meet, he wondered. The words of Kaede echoed in his head.

“...waited years to meet their partner...”

He slowly stood up from his crouch and began to walk towards the small, limp animal. His steps became faster and lighter as he paced himself from the two others who had been the favorites. His choice was clear now as he dashed past Amanda, who doubled taked as he nearly stepped on a small, round pink creature she was holding.

The brown Pokemons eyes suddenly focused on Jon as he neared. Why was this child coming to me?

“I chose you!”

Jon hurled the blue capsule towards it. The smooth metal brushed the ears of the creature and as soon as it touched, a pale light bathed the Pokemon and absorbed it into the insides of the capsule. The white button at the center pulsed.

One.

Twice.

Three times!​

Jon knelt down beside the ball and picked it up, holding it in front of his face.

He had his first Pokemon!

He strode back up the hill, several disappointed creatures trudging past him to the field beyond. As he approached the tent, Kaedes hand suddenly landed on Jons’ shoulder.

“You truly are worthy of becoming a trainer.”

He looked deep into Jons eyes, his dark ones meeting the pale green of the young mans. He could see it in Jon, the spirit of adventure and kindness. The spirit of a trainer. He knew Jon had it.

He lifted his hand off of Jons’ shoulder. Now glancing out to the fading sun, he said to him,”Well, I’m sure the others will want to know what your partner is like. Go show them!”

Jon nodded and breathed excitedly, “Thank you, sir!” He rushed through the entrance of the tent and vanished.

Kaede looked up at the sky and grinned. It never ceases to amaze me, he mused silently, how miracles happen in the most unexpected places. He breathed a sigh of contentment and turned to Registry to begin preparing for the final phase of the trainers initiation...


-------​

A big thanks to everyone who has enjoyed and read the story so far! My apologies on the rather inconsistent times of the release for new material.
 

Darkened_Kingdra

Whatcha want?
Hey, writers have real life stuff to do. No prob for da wait.
I really like these chapters. The brown poké (probably eevee) was described excellently. I still don't see any errors. Keep it up!
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