Chapter Text
Muffled voices glanced around your ears like a fencing match, the murmurs bouncing around the walls. You opened your heavy eyelids, the world blurring back into view. People were watching a Pokemon tournament on the newly installed Televisions in the Pokemon Centre, which currently you were curled up inside. Some trainers were scattered around near the Cafe, chattering about how your region's champion had successfully taken back her title from a girl called Dawn, who managed to outdo Cynthia in battle last year. Pokemon battles were never really a significant interest to you; most of the time, the strategies and tactics flew by your head. You weren't terrible at battles, but you weren't fantastic either.
Sometimes you compare your current situation to books and games, wondering if you were cursed to be a background character that a protagonist would talk with to get directions for their adventure and never speak to again. All the talks of young children leaving home to be champions made you worry about the future of those kids' lives; it made you wonder if the kids even wanted to be 'champions' or whatever. When your dad forced you out on your journey, he gave you a tiny Snowrunt and told you not to bother going to the Professor to get one of the starter packages for new trainers, as 'all of the good ones were gone'. After you got handed your Pokedex, you felt your way through the different areas in Sinnoh, not really relying on a map. Most of the Pokemon journeying with you become your best friends, the more restless ones, you released back into the wild.
That must have been about ten years since you had just turned twenty last month. Blinking, you glanced up at a passing shadow, your eyes landing on the kindly face of one of the many Nurse Joys. It always made you wonder whether it was just a title they were all given and if the pink hair they insisted on wearing was a part of the nurse uniform.
"Are you thirsty?"
The question she asked took you off guard a little. "Pardon?"
She giggled a little, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I said, are you thirsty? The cafe offers one free drink today to celebrate Cynthia winning back her title."
"Oh," you stammered. "Yeah, sure! I'll take one."
It didn't feel like it had been too long since you last decided to pick your bag up and venture out into the world from the first home you bought, a tiny abode in Hearthome City. The familiar music at the Pokémon Contests still rang in your ears, and the smell of the fresh bakery from the shops still tugged at your chest, the nostalgia causing heartaches. Sadly, since you ran into hard times with money, you no longer had the funds to stay in the city anymore, and your dad was too busy being a gym leader helping you out, not that you blamed him.
Prices are soaring yearly as more tourists are not as interested in the Pokémon Contests and usually opt to see areas in the Galar region. You usually overhear all of the folk in the city talking about how great the architecture is there and how the Pokemon are so different from Sinnoh because of the lower prices, as more and more people have holidays in Galar and Alola.
Most nights you spend in Sinnoh nowadays are usually in the Pokemon Centres, like tonight. Luckily the nurses are always open to helping people landing in hard times and allowing them to sleep in the centres.
You are torn about where to move, but you are never one for overly hot places. Alola is great to visit, all the people there are so friendly, but due to its climate, you couldn't see yourself living there, then there is Kanto, but your ex lived over there, and bumping into them would cause you a lot of nervousness, not to mention the awkward 'how are you these days?' and 'what are you up to now?'. The break-up you both had was somewhat rocky, and it had always been an on-and-off relationship; they wanted one thing, whereas you foresee yourself doing something else.
What that thing is, you still need to really work out.
You sat down at one of the chairs at the cafe, sipping a latte as you gazed out, watching the snowfall from outside the windows. Clearing your throat, you stared at the barista as he tidied up plates behind the counter. "Uh, are those Poké Beans free?"
"Yep! You can get a handful for free daily; help yourself."
You released one of your Pokemon from a Love Ball, the Snowrunt your dad gave you; she was now a Froslass, and her name was Freya, based on foreign mythology you read about in a library, Nordic mythology. Apparently, it was a rare book. Freya carefully took some Poke beans from your hand, gleefully waving her arms after eating them. She crawled onto your lap, sitting down on you, a twinkle in her vibrant icy eyes. It was lucky Froslass is the size of a small child. Once, your Garchomp, Elise, tried to sit on your lap, but she accidentally scraped your skin with her claws.
"Woah! Look at that!" a man next to you screamed, his stubby finger pointing at the TV. "That's the unbeatable champion of Galar, Leon! Isn't he great?"
You turned your head, licking the foam from your lips away. An obnoxious cape advertising company was the first thing you saw, and then the camera panned up to a man a little older than yourself doing some strange pose.
"That's the Charizard pose!" the man next to you shouted to his friends.
You tried to laugh at the absurdity of it; he was handsome, but seeing him do that pose made him look like a cute dork. Yet, he battled really well, you wouldn't think it with how much he was showing off to the crowd, but he had great strategies. The other dude he was fighting was good-looking, too; he seemed to favour dragon types, although he kept taking selfies with the new Rotom phone you heard was all the rage these days.
The guy next to you seemed a little wobbly on his feet as he excused himself to go to the bathroom, his friends merry. It was near the holidays, so you presumed they probably had a bit to drink. As he went by your vision, suddenly a huge bang sounded on the television; the Charizard the champion had was no longer normal sized; it was humongous. In fact, it was so big; it towered over the entire stadium!
The barista laughed a little at your shocked expression. "Is this your first time seeing a Giagantamax?"
"Giagantamax?" you said, the word sounding strained.
"Yeah," the barista replied, smirking. "The Pokemon in Galar use Dynamax and Giagantamax in battles; I think they get the power from Wishing Stars."
"That's pretty cool," you murmured, leaning forward slightly as the two giant Pokemon duked it out.
A week flew by, and so did your impatience; you grew restless as you travelled through the different regions using your Pokemon to guide you. Trains and Aeroplanes were far too expensive for a trip like Sinnoh to Galar; you used your flying type Pokemon on a rotor, stopping off for breaks along the way. You even came across Professor Sycamore, who offered helpful advice about travelling to Galar. You had to use a map for the first time in your life, and you hated it.
After another few days of travelling and many trips to Pokemon centres overnight, you had finally arrived in Galar; you smiled as you patted the Areodactyl you were sitting on; he was larger than most of the others you came across, so it was easier for him to carry you on his back. He chirped happily, turning his oversized snout and sharp teeth toward you. You tickled his light-coloured chin, to which he seemingly purred in response. Moving your hand away from him, much to his disappointment, you scouted out a safe spot to land, but crowds of people were blocking your vision as they cheered for someone you couldn't see. Quaint houses made from insulated bricks and stone were dotted around the town you were flying above. Some of the younger villagers looked up at the Aroedactyl in shock, some in terror. The lack of food and sleep you had today really wasn't doing any favours for your sight and reflexes, so instead of gracefully turning and landing on the cobbled ground. Instead, you fell nearly to your death before someone's Pokemon caught you and placed you on the floor.
Roars and growls echoed around you as a shadowed wing fell over you; your Areodactyl protectively stood over you, his scarred body shielding you from the forming crowd. He opened his mouth, clacking his strong jaws together in a warning. Shakily, you leaned on his side and got to your feet; your vision blurred from lethargy, but an orange glow soon came into focus; a Charizard stood next to your friend, seemingly trying to talk to him and calm him down. Glancing upwards, you could see that your friend was obviously distressed, believing the strangers to be a threat.
"Hey," you said through a gasp of pain as your side ached. "It's alright, Gus. They're not a threat."
Gus nuzzled your injured side, causing you to stumble slightly. He tried licking your hoodie, which made you giggle, but your attention was soon drawn back to the Charizard who saved you from cracking your head like an eggshell. "Hey, uh, thanks for saving me."
Charizard's flames on his tail flared up with pride, and he raised his head, a smile forming on his mouth; then someone familiar stepped in front of him, his spiky hair stood upon his head, and oddly coloured eyes stared at you with concern. "Are you alright, mate?"
"Yeah, I'm good," you lied as you stammered the words. The last person you'd expect to see hanging around one of the smaller villages in Galar was the champion himself, you read up on the tourist leaflets before flying over here, and most of them were large cities and towns. This place only stood out to you because of its homely atmosphere. You had the impression that a champion like Leon would live in Wyndon or something.
Some of the townspeople spoke amongst themselves about Gus, some of the older people looking on in disdain as their grandchildren hid behind them. You supposed due to his large, scarred body, he could look a little frightful, but he wouldn't hurt anyone. The scars on his body weren't his fault; he had a horrible trainer before you had the pleasure of meeting him. You found him in Kanto when you, with your ex-partner, some lowlife, decided it would be fun to whip his Pokemon and throw rocks at them when they misbehaved. Long story short, you wiped the floor with him, not because of a Pokemon battle.
"Is that your Pokemon?" a more miniature lookalike of Leon asked, the same odd-coloured eyes looking at Gus.
"Yes," you replied, smiling, as you petted Gus's snout. "Sorry for crashing the party, I guess."
Leon laughed like you had told a great joke at a comedy club. "Crashing the party is one way of putting it!"
"Uh, sure," you stammered, stepping closer to your Pokemon.
"Luckily, my Charizard broke your fall; you would have smacked your head on the pavement," Leon stated, his laughter subsiding.
The crowd suddenly started whooping; you presumed it was for Leon. "You're a hero, Champion Leon!" one voice calls.
"You're great!" another shouts.
Leon turned to face them for a moment. "Yes, thank you so much for being here today!" He turned back towards you as you mounted Gus again, a slight frown forming on his brow. "Hey, wait up, mate! I didn't mean to frighten you away."
"No, it's fine," you said, forcing a smile. "I think I'll go find somewhere else to stay. I don't think that Gus feels exactly welcome here."
Leon walked casually over to you. "Well, at least take my league card before you leave; if you ever need help finding your way in Galar, I could help you!"
You took the card he offered and flipped it over to look at the picture on the front. It was a picture of him striking the 'Charizard pose', as he called it. He seemed a little full of himself but kind enough. "Uh, thanks."
Leon's small lookalike sighed and stared at him. "Lee, you're terrible with directions. What makes you think you can help them find where they're going in Galar?"
Leon shrugged a broad smile on his face. "It's alright, Hop! Don't worry, little bro, I have found my way around plenty of times."
"Sure," Hop said worriedly.
Gus flapped his large wings, the grass around him being blown from the gust of air he created underneath him. The townsfolk stared at you in awe or fear; you weren't sure which. But one thing you knew you wanted to do was to leave; you hated crowds. Leon smiled and waved at you as if you were close friends with him. You awkwardly waved back, then set off into the sky with Gus guiding you into the clouds.