Chapter 3: Chapter no.3
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"Pokemon are both our source of sustenance and our attire; in addition, they are both our friends and our foes. Some of them are feeble and fragile, and only a select few have the ability to immediately and dramatically alter the world around them. They are just as important to keeping the world going as we are.
They are regarded as being beneath humans, despite the fact that they have the potential to wipe out our species and everything we have ever made. It is thanks to people like me, you, and Red that humans and Pokemon are able to coexist peacefully."
- Steven Steele, who won the 46th Hoenn League Championship and came in second place at the Sinnoh League Championship.
I introduce myself as Edward Willow. I have prevailed as the Johto Pokemon League Champion for the 56th time.
When I was thirteen and a half years old, I started working as a personal trainer. I spent my childhood in New Bark Town, which is the most eastern town in Johto and is located directly on Route 1/29. It's a peaceful area that's mostly made up of suburbs. It is well known that New Bark has a school system that is significantly better than average. The amount of money generated in New Bark was so significant that it warranted the establishment of its very own Pokémon Laboratory. Families relocate there in order to forestall the possibility of their offspring taking up the hobby of Pokemon training. The way that I just phrased that is likely to have offended some of you who are reading this, and I know that it has taken a few of you by surprise. Your history classes (or the ones you're skipping right now) would have taught you that there wasn't really any choice for some kids back then, but you're not getting those classes right now, are you? You should look into the information, but I'll just tell you that the government wanted two things: more controlled pokemon, and fewer disadvantaged and/or ignorant children participating in the system.
I was an obnoxious brat who grew up in the middle class in the suburbs. After receiving a failing grade in mathematics in the sixth grade, I had to repeat the course and received another failing grade. That was the final insult that I could take. My mother and father were upset and angry at each other at the same time. The anger that I experienced was understandable to me at the time because I was a slacker and a fool for not wanting to work. The strangeness of the sadness was what cut the deepest. It was hilarious that this wasn't an act of pity. Instead, I was introduced to the first of many condescending speeches I would hear in the following moments. This so-called speech was actually written down in my journal. I am able to make out the tear smears on the paper even now. This was given to me by my father. We had just finished eating and were now seated at the table in the dining room. He was in the seat that faced me. On that particular day, that table seemed to go on forever.
"I relocated the family here fifteen years ago in order to forestall the possibility of your brother becoming a Pokemon Trainer. Goldenrod is teeming with mindless children and animal owners who waste their lives by doing nothing productive with their animals. At one point, Gavin had the ambition to be just like them, but in contrast to you, he was actually successful in his academic pursuits. I uprooted the family in order to force him to abandon those ridiculous notions once and for all. Give me an update on Gavin's life."
I shared with him the information that Gavin works as a Pokemon Researcher.
"You got that right. That doesn't bother me at all. After turning 18, he received the highest grades in all of New Bark High School, was given a scholarship to Cinnabar University, and began working as a Pokemon Researcher for the lab located up the hill. He longed to be in an environment with Pokemon."
There was a pause that seemed to last forever. You are familiar with the topic I'm discussing. I swear my dad didn't blink. I was aware of the repercussions. I had started crying before I realised it. However, I don't believe I displayed any sign of weakness.
"Do you like Pokemon?"
I replied with a firm "no" and violently shook my head. He stood up, walked over to me, and grabbed my collar before yanking me out of the chair.
"The question now is why the hell did you turn out to be such a failure? Why are you such a moron? When you were younger, you had a higher intelligence than Gavin did at the same age when you were both younger. What came to pass?"
I told him that I couldn't care less about Trainers and that I had no interest in becoming one. I also told him that I didn't want to become one.
"But despite everything, you're going to turn out to be one, and there's nothing your mother, me, Gavin, or you can do to stop it."
I had heard tales of parents attempting to conceal their children in order to protect them from being coerced into serving as Trainers. I had anticipated the same result. I had no idea what was going on, nor was I ever going to.
I don't remember the rest of what was said, but I do remember that he threw me back into my room, where I started writing down my thoughts. I don't have the rest of the conversation with him. It was he who provided me with the journal in the first place.
My mother is a perfect example of how the proverb "actions speak louder than words" should be put into practise. As soon as the school brought up the possibility of evicting me, she started treating me less like her son and more like a tenant that she didn't like. At dinner, she served me the smallest possible portion, and she eliminated breakfast entirely. Additionally, she hung up family pictures that included only me, my parents, and our dog in the frames, and she put them away in the attic. She would become even more depressed than she already was due to the news whenever Gavin was in the house. However, she maintained a steady supply of food for him.
My mother entered my room one day during the week that I was supposed to leave while I was still in the process of packing. She informed me that Gavin was going to give me my very first Pokemon, and that she was in the process of preparing lunches for me to bring to school. I was thrown out once more. I believe she had second thoughts about holding me at first, as if she was unsure whether or not I deserved it. Because I wasn't looking up at her at the time, you are free to accuse me of being judgmental; however, I was coming to despise both her and her father.
Her embrace had no effect on me in any way. I still have no idea if it was because of something I did or didn't do that I wasn't able to.
Before she left the room, she handed me a cash gift of four hundred dollars and I forgot how long she had held me for.
After a few days had passed, Gavin took me by hand and led me to the Pokemon Laboratory. During this time, he stayed in the house that belonged to my family. Rent free I believe. We had a good rapport between each other. He used to assist me with my homework whenever I possessed it and made the conscious decision to complete it. We looked somewhat alike. When we were both younger, we had the same fiery red curls in our hair, and he was noticeably shorter than I was. I always pictured myself growing up to resemble him, with the exception that I wouldn't need glasses because my vision was perfect. As I got older, I noticed that he went from wearing straightforward clothing items like graphic T-shirts and jeans to more sophisticated garments like slacks, sweaters, and polos as his style evolved. Simply because he was a kind and trustworthy friend, I found myself looking up to him on occasion.
He never once tried to pull me into his Pokemon world, and he never once brought any of his work into the house with him. Because of that, during the time that I spent away from home, I gained a deeper respect for him.
The Pokemon Lab exuded an air of erudition throughout its entirety. As I entered, I noticed that everyone was dressed in the conventional manner of a laboratory by wearing white lab coats and glasses covered with goggles. Everything that I could see in front of me was contained within a single enormous room. It was a spotless space that contained a number of gurneys, sliding tables, desks, and other pieces of diverse laboratory equipment. I was accustomed to seeing Chansey and Blissey in medical facilities; however, I noticed that they were present here as well, dressed in white caps and pushing carts that appeared to contain chemicals and files.
I followed Gavin through the rows of desks and clusters of people until we arrived at his location, which was towards the room's rear. There was just one red and white Pokeball of the standard variety on it; it was about the size of a table tennis ball.
It was revealed to me by Gavin that the pokemon in the pokeball that was sitting on the desk belonged to me. He explained that at the time, the laboratory was experiencing a deficiency in infant Pokemon due to the parent Pokemon not wanting to breed, which meant that I wouldn't have any choice in which Pokemon I wanted to take home with me.
This caused me to mentally laugh out loud, which in turn made the pit of my stomach churn with repulsion.
Gavin expressed his regret that he did not have the typical Johto Starters, but I didn't give a hoot about it at all. He then went on to discuss how Feraligators, Meganiums, and Typholsions were keeping their distance from one another, as well as the fact that some Combusken from Hoenn had produced an egg. He was well aware that I had no idea what the hell he was talking about, so he gradually became more vague as he spoke. I was already annoyed with myself because I had misplaced the ball.
Without consulting my journal, I can still recall this information in full detail.
After picking up the ball, I pushed the grey button on the controller. The size of the ball became comparable to that of a softball after it was inflated. I used my off hand to softly toss it down on the ground. It opened up with a soft exploding sound and a bright white light, both of which I would eventually become accustomed to hearing and seeing. The white light erupted from the ball as if it were its own mass, bouncing around in all directions until it was finally completely dispersed on the ground. The light took the shape of an orange bird, then vanished, leaving behind only the trace of the bird as it hopped around on its two feet. The ball rolled away after jumping back to my hand and hitting my knuckle, which caused it to do so.
After stumbling back to Gavin and my Pokemon, I reached down and grabbed the Pokeball that the Torchic had just emerged from. He delivered a speech to me about how I should take care of it and how it will take care of me if I do. His words went in one ear and came out the other. I couldn't hear them. Even though I had no objections to the Torchic, I still didn't want it. Not in the circumstances that I was in, at any rate. It seemed as though everyone had given up on me, so I was being coerced into taking it as the only way to salvage my life and make something of myself.
I believe Gavin had some kind of premonition of this because he reached over and put the Torchic in my arms. It was like reaching out and touching a warm summer day. Its feathers were warm to the touch even at the slightest amount; in fact, they were so warm that I considered using it as a pillow. I regarded it with indifference and, I suppose, sadness as I looked down at it. It appeared to be looking up at me as if it thought it could rely on what I had to say. As soon as I saw it, I couldn't help but feel sorry for it, but at the same time, I couldn't help but get angry at it for placing such a large amount of responsibility and trust in me. I was a child when it was an infant, and it was a baby.
I was instructed to give it a name by Gavin. I decided to call this month June because the weather reminded me of the heat of summer.
He led us to a stairwell that was built into a wall. We descended one floor and entered a cramped room that was dominated entirely by a computer that filled every available space.
"This is where you will register your information."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone