Chapter Text
"Again!" called out Brendol Hux from his platform for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Brendol looked down from the platform, down to his son. Who was currently training with his Houndour. Well, it wasn't really his but his fathers but for now his father let him train that little pup to become a mighty beast.
Unfortunately that wasn't going well. Armitage and Houndour have been practicing the same regime for several months now, not much progress. Armitage's father wanted Houndour to evolve as quickly as possible but that hasn't happened for what seems like a couple of years. Houndour has grown strong, very strong, stronger then any other Houndour in the academy. But because he wasn't evolving, Armitage's father considered it a waste of a Pokemon.
He wanted to train that Houndour to become a Houndoom and then manage to mega evolve. However, deep down Armitage knew that he won't be able to carry out his father's wish. From travelers who have visited his father's academy, he has heard stories of mega evolution and how it requires the Pokemon to be very strongly connected to its trainer. Armitage knew he couldn't provide Houndour with that. Armitage's bond with Houndour wasn't as strong as the one with a certain other Pokemon.
Armitage and Houndour ran through the obstacle course again, they new the course inside and out. Houndour remained by Armitage's side the whole time, deflecting the upcoming hits, like his father wanted but it clearly wasn't enough.
"Enough!" he heard his father yell from the platform. "You have disappointed me today. Take that disgrace ,lock him away and get out of my sight!" his father was furious but Armitage didn't know why.
"Yes sir." Armitage inclined his head and spoke in a passive tone. He could never raise his voice above a whisper infront of his father, only if he demanded it. Meanwhile, Houndour kept his head low, not looking at Brendol, showing his discipline.
"Dismissed!" his father yelled at him once again but at least now they were free to go. The two practically vanished in an instant out of his father's sigh. But even from so far he could hear his father yell, "Next!" to the next unfortunate trainer.
"I am sorry Houndour." he said in the same quite voice. Houndour only acknowledge what he said but didn't make any noise in return. Even the Pokemon seemed like it wanted Armitage to get out. "Return Houndour." he held the ultra ball in his hand carefully as Houndour returned to his poke ball. Armitage looked down at the poke ball with sorrow in his eyes.
As Armitage approached the exit he saw the guard he constantly saw there at evening shift. The guard held out his hand, waiting for the poke ball. Armitage was reluctant to give it but he knew it would be for the best.
"Take care of him." Hux said shyly to the guard."
"Yeah yeah, whatever kid. Get out." said the guard and shoved Armitage out by the shoulder. Armitage felt so useless, so weak. With those emotions in the forefront he headed home.
It was very dark outside and the Hoothoot's outiside were scaring the life out of him. Sinnoh at night, wasn't the greatest place.
"I am home." Armitage called out as he opened the door. It was quite dark inside and dead silent. He sighed sadly, that meant his mother was still at work. Armitage switched on the lights and shut the door, sometimes he was scared to be alone like this. Perhaps that is why he hasn't left to go on a journey or maybe he is too afraid what his father will do if he left. That thought scared him to death and he decided not to dwell on it.
Armitage quickly ran up the stairs to his room, shutting the door behind him. He wanted to be alone for a while but as the silence and loneliness overtook him, he began to break down. Curling up on his bed, under the covers, Armitage began to cry. He knew if his father was home he would scold him for crying and probably do something horrible but luckily he didn't come home often.
It felt like forever since Armitage started crying, and still was. His eyes were now puffy and red, with tear tracks down his cheeks. He felt like such a mess. "Get yourself together Armitage Hux!"it wasn't working, he only felt more useless.
After his small release of anger, he stayed deadly still. Only a quite sound of paws woke him up from his trance and he turned his head to the side to look where the sound came from. As soon as he turned his head to the right he came face to face with an Eevee, it startled him at first a little. He has forgotten about her in his moment of sorrow.
"Ee-vee?" the small Eevee gently nudged his face with her paw.
"Sorry for waking you up Millie." he said with a weak smile. The Eevee took the small smile for more than it is worth and made a happy noise with a smile of her own.
Armitage let go of the pillow, he was gripping too tightly and brought his hand to Eevee's small face. "Thanks Millie. For bringing me back to reality." he ruffled her fur and she made a satisfied noise. Millie always brought a smile to Armitage's face even on days such as this one. "What would I do without you." he curled his arm around Eevee and pulled her closer to him. In return she curled up against him, snuggling close to him. Armitage's eyes began to close slowly.
Eevee was awoken by the front door opening, her ears shot up and she listened around. Luckily the small Pokémon recognised the footsteps of Armitage’s mother as she entered the house down stairs. Millicent knew that if she heard any steps besides Armitage’s mother she must go and hide. Eevee didn’t really like that option because if something happened she wouldn’t be able to protect Armitage from harm that came too often for her liking but if she was discovered there would be a way worse consequence. Luckily today was not the day that those unfortunate consequences and events will arrive.
The small Pokémon slowly lifted its upper body from the bed, she was curled up very nicely next to Armitage but she knew right now it was best to wake him up and force him to go eat dinner otherwise he wouldn’t be as focused the next day for the training, with the Houndour.
Millicent scrunched up her features slightly and her big ears fell slightly back, a light wave of anger washed over her at the thought of Houndour. Eevee has seen the Pokémon from a distance and she didn’t like him.
Millicent shook her head, practically shaking that thought out of her head. Her attention returned to the sleeping Armitage. As she sat up more promptly on the bed her tail brushed against Armitage’s wrist which subconsciously made him curl up into a ball.
“Ee-“Millicent huffed a little as she was now tightly in his grip, struggling to get out. She considered on using Shadow ball but refrained from doing that, knowing what it might cause so she resorted to gently nudge Armitage under the chin until he would either wake up or move enough so she could get out and properly shake him awake.
Mid-way through Millicent’s fourth nudge, Armitage finally stirred and she lifted her head happily, waging her tail in the small amount of space she had.
“Eevee!” she exclaimed as he awoken. He let go of the Pokémon he was practically crushing and stretched on the bed, Millicent followed suit as she extended her paws in front of her and raised her back legs to stretch them.
“What is it Millie?” he asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes to full awakens. Millicent took that as a cue to jump of the bed and pace near the door happily. Armitage looked at her for a while before realizing what she was implying. That made him get up.
“Why don’t you go greet mum. I will make myself slightly more presentable in the meantime.” He said, while sitting up on the bed, the tear tracks still present on his cheeks. He noticed Millicent staring at him so he quickly tried to get rid of them and present Eevee with another smile. Which brought a smile to Eevee and she disappeared through the door. Snaking her way out of the room just like a Snivy would.
Armitage walked down stairs, he could hear his mother talking to Eevee and her own Pokémon which was Lurantis. Lurantis has always captures Armitage’s interest because it is a Pokémon he has never heard of that lived in Sinnoh. Even in his studies about other regions he never came across this particular Pokémon. But he knows he shouldn’t ask questions about it because his father does not know about Lurantis, he believes his mother doesn’t have any Pokémon and Armitage’s mother wants to keep it that way.
The only times he recalls seeing Lurantis out of its poke-ball is on days like this: when his father isn’t home or his mother goes shopping. Sometimes she goes shopping for longer than usual so she could go train Lurantis in the Pokémon centre.
Armitage walks into the kitchen. He is greeted with Lurantis guiding him to his chair, his mother finishing cooking something and Millicent sitting happily on the floor eating its meal.
“Mum’s cooking is the best right?” he asks Millicent who bobs her head in response and continues eating happily and Lurantis returns to her own plate. Several moments later Armitage’s mother places a plate of food in front of him and one opposite her, taking a seat.
They eat in silence for several minutes.
“Armitage.” She says in a tone that usually indicates worry or concern. He hates that tone, he hears it too much.
“Yes mother?” says Armitage politely, as he was trained to do. After a beat his mother adds.
“You should leave.” That stuns Armitage into silence, so does it stun Millicent as she raises her small head up to look up at Armitage eating behind the table.
“What are you talking about mother? Are you kicking me out?”
“No! Of course not! I…I… just don’t think what is happening to you right now is…” she couldn’t really finish her thought, not knowing how to phrase it.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Armitage had a messed up day already and now this? His heart and mind couldn’t possibly take anymore turmoil. Millicent sensed the drastic change and jumped onto his lap to comfort him. As she gazed up at him, her eyes were full of worry for the one who she knew for almost her whole life.
Armitage looked down at her, finding some form of comfort in her worries yet his mind was still racing for what is happening. But his mind practically came to a halt as Millicent placed her head on his chest with her paws and he wrapped his arms around her gently.
“Armitage listen to me.” His mother tried again to explain herself. “All I am suggesting is that your future doesn’t lie here with your father. Brendol is not a good man, he just wants to train you and Houndour to be indestructible machines for his own use. As a mother, I only want the best for you. And what I think is best for you right now is to leave Sinnoh and explore another region. Get away from your father, catch new Pokémon, train them and prove to your father that what he is doing is wrong. You are the only one that can do this.” His mother’s words were very sincere yet he was lost at the thought of leaving but the longer he thought about it the more it appealed to him.
“Even if I leave? Where would I go? What will happen to Houndour?” Despite the fact that Armitage and Houndour weren’t exactly close, he still cared about the Pokémon deeply. There was something inside him that made him care about the Pokémon unconditionally. Just like he cared about his Eevee.
“For a start I recommend going Sandgem Town and staying in a Pokémon Centre there for a while. Professor Rowan’s lab is located there. He will help you, I know he will. He should provide you with poke balls, a pokedex and send you off to another region as for Houndour. I will make sure he is safe.” Stated his mother with certainty.
That brought some relief to Armitage yet he was still scared of so many things in the world. Unlike other kids when they were ten, Armitage didn’t get a starter and go on a journey. He was force from a young age to train and learn, then when he was ten he got to train with Houndour. Now five years later, his mother was persuading him to go on journey. The idea appealed to him lot, but he could stop worrying as to what will happen to his mother when he left. As if hearing his thought track his mother spoke once again.
“Don’t worry. I will make it out of here. Just don’t try to contact me. I will contact you through Professor Rowen.” Armitage was speechless so he just nodded in response.
“Now go back your stuff, and I will pack some necessary equipment you will need.” His mother said as she began to clean the plates and Armitage nodded once again silently in reply.
Still holding Eevee he got up and carried her upstairs.
Armitage had a backpack on his bed, he began to pack a few clothes and one important possession that he held dear. A photograph.
As Armitage packed, Millicent helped him a little by bringing things closer to him and not letting them fall of the bed.
“Thanks Millie.” He said as she caught the photo that was on the verge of flying off, he packed it into his backpack. After he was done, he turned to his night stand, opening it and looking down.
Millicent tried to look around him to see what he was looking at but he was blocking her view.
“E-“Millicent cut herself off as Armitage turned around with her poke-ball on his hand. She looked up from her pokeball at him then back down at the pokeball.
“Millicent, will you join me?” he asked, with a genuine smile this time. There was a beat of silence and the Millicent jumped into his arms happily accepting his offer.
This is going to be a beautiful journey.