Location: A Military Warehouse just south of Haven City. 9 Years ago.
Ronald Goodman patrolled the warehouse floor, flanked by two of his oldest friends. "We get off shift early today boys." He announced. Almost instantly scolding images and words began to appear in the Soldier's head; even after traveling with them for over a decade Ronald still made the mistake of using specific terms to address his 'Neuter' Pokemon.
"Arceus, sorry gu- I mean- ummm- my deepest apologies." He stammered as he rounded the corner and began to walk down another seemingly endless row of supplies. Suddenly the words "YOU ARE NERVOUS TODAY!" appeared in the trainers head, spelled out in bright red letters.
"Not so much nervous old chum as exited. Toby is graduating Artificer school today, and then receiving his promotion to Captain in the same ceremony."
Ronald picked up the pace a bit as he waited for a response from the Pokemon. Neither Solrock nor Lunatone were know for being particularly telepathic, but Tobias had spent years teaching the pair of them to communicate by projecting spelled-out words into their heads. The system worked, but could be slow if the Psychic types wanted to send more than a few words at a time.
"WHY AT THE SAME CEREMONY? ISN'T TOBY NEAR THE BOTTOM OF HIS CLASS?" Blue words this time. From his starter Pokemon, Lunar.
"The good news buddy is that General Gullian likes Toby, and has some sway on the board of the academy. Grade-wise, yes he is near the bottom, but he will be graduating first."
Several moments passed in mental silence, before a response occurred.
"HEHEHEHE! TOBY'S CLASSMATES MUST BE STEEEEAAAAMED!" Red words, from the often insufferable Solar, one of many Pokemon on load to him from his brother Tobias.
"Perhaps a bit. It's just a trade school though. It's not like the grades mean squat. You know better than anybody that Toby is the best damn artificer in the region!" Ronald let out a soft chuckle.
"SOLDIERS WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN CAN ENDOW THEMSELVES WITH POKEMON POSSESSION PRIVILEGES. CORRECT?" The Solrock inquired of it's current trainer.
"Yup. His first act as captain will be to do just that. Declaring himself worthy and skipping the damn Pokemon Trainer Certification process will be his first act as captain. Tonight Solar my boy, you will be with Toby again. Deluge and the others as well!"
The Solrock, gleeful enough to let the gender specific term fly, began to flood Ronald's head with happy joyous images.
"TOBY IS A LUCKY FUCKER RON. THE OFFICERS LIKE HIM, HE GETS PROMOTIONS, HE NOW GETS WHAT YOU HAD TO SPEND TWO YEARS OF DEDICATED TRAINING TO EARN!"
Coming to a short stop, the Trainer Cringed. "Where did that come from Lunar? Any jab at Toby is a jab at me. For shame."
Ronald continued his patrol, Lunar either silenced by it's trainer or attempting to compose one hell of a response, remained quiet. Suddenly the soldier gasped upon turning the corner. Three people in Red Cloaks stood in the hall, helping themselves to the contents of a shelf.
They turned to face him, eyes wide like a deerling caught in the headlights. "Ronald? Ronald is it? I was just in your email this morning. I thought you were excused from your shift!" one said with a shaky voice.
"My... my superiors changed their mind. They ain't that nice. And neither am I!" the guard roared, delivering detailed orders to his Pokemon with nothing more than a thought and a few quick finger points.
Solar and Lunar sprang into action. Combining their Flamethrower and Ice Beam attacks into one powerful typeless move the pair of rock types knocked one of the three would be robbers out cold right off the bat.
The third robber, who was still standing, and had yet to speak, reached into his pocket and produced a playing card. With a slight chuckle he gestured at Ron. Suddenly and out of nowhere the soldier was struck by a wave of static electricity, locking up his joints!
The other one who was still standing, reached down and plucked from her belt a Pokeball. With a quick throw a purple and obviously female humanoid appeared at her side. A Jynx. "Show that Lunatone a real fucking Ice Beam!" she called to her beast.
Ronald was only capable of standing, throat and body seized by Paralysis. But the trainer still held a degree of confidence, his Pokemon were smart and well trained enough to put up a decent fight without commands.
The Jynx moved with speed and grace, opening it's mouth and firing a frosty beam directly at the Lunatone. The attack was a direct hit, nearly but not quite freezing the crescent shaped Pokemon solid.
Ignoring it's attacker Lunar instead turned it's focus to the shelves, where it had spotted a small ell-like electrical Pokemon hiding. With a quick pulse of telekinetic energy the thunder wave user was forced from it's perch into the open, where Solar promptly pummeled it with a nasty Rock Slide.
"Look at you Ronald. Clinging to your pathetic and corrupt military! You are powerless to stop Team Ember! Powerless here, Powerless wherever you fight us!" The Jynx's trainer called out in a taunting tone. "Drop a shelf on him with with TK!"
Now panicking Ronald reached for his shotgun, but as he drew, his hand's seized up in paralysis, causing the weapon to drop to the ground.
Then the Jynx then closed it's eyes in focus, and one of the heavy metal shelves fell upon Ronald. Bones broke and all went black.
Ron missed Toby's ceromany that night. All that was found at the scene of the battle were the charred corpses of a Jynx, a Charizard, a Beedrill, a Marshstomp, and a young Team Ember member. Although Ron was safely plucked out from under the shelf his two best friends were not so lucky. Security footage showed Solar and Lunar fighting bravely to their very limit, before exploding and taking several Pokemon (as well as the Team Ember member unlucky enough to be unconscious nearby) with them.
Ronald could never bring himself to watch the footage of the incident, and although his physical wounds were healed, the scars to his mind and soul took much longer to cope with. Three months later he requested and received a discharge on mental health grounds and spent the next two years in and out of various institutions, only really shaping up after finding Arceus as a born again.
The soldier within Ron knew that all allied parties involved in the battle did everything the could under the circumstances: Soldiers often and willingly give their lives to defend their homes, their neighbors, and of course their trainers. What got to the young man however was that he would never know why Lunar was so pissed at Tobias. Perhaps Tobias said something to it, perhaps it understood that Tobias getting trainer privileges meant that it would see less of Solar, or perhaps it was just in a rancid mood.
Because he could never know why, all Ronald could do was obey the implied last ever request of his first ever Pokemon and refuse to return to Tobias the Pokemon his brother caught and raised...
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Topic: Pokemon Tabletop Adventures: Azure Travels (Read 25178 times)