Chapter Text
Don't you just hate it when you're waiting for something so badly and when you're almost there, the universe decides to say 'go fuck yourself'? Yeah, me too.
'Cause, imagine my surprise and sheer fury when on my 8th birthday, the bloody Pokemon League changed the rules about entering the Gym Challenge. And instead of waiting two more years, I had to wait for TEN MORE.
Fucking great!
But where are my manners? Not that I have much, to begin with, but still...
My name is Xander Devon Smith. I know, not the most original name out there. But, hey! Could be worse!
People always think I'm joking and/or lying when I introduce myself as Smith. Whatever.
I'm eighteen and I'm starting my Gym Challenge in a week.
This shit you're reading is my 'therapy journal'. According to that weirdo, my parents forced me to go to, I have 'attitude problems' or something like that.
Oh, come the fuck on!
Okay, I admit I have a foul and sharp tongue. And I tend to get into heated arguments. But only when someone pisses me off. This, again, happens quite often but that's beside the point.
I ain't take shit from anyone if I think they're annoying.
And who that might be?
Unfair teachers who had their bloody favorites and treated others like dirt (yes, I had teachers like that and yes, I often got in trouble because I couldn't shut my mouth).
People who have power and they are abusing it because they're greedy little bastards.
Idiots, who think they can treat someone like trash, just because the other person is different. I especially hate homophobes. I lost count of how many times I've been called a fag, a fairy, a queer...
Oh, I'm gay. Did I forget to mention it before? I think I did.
Well, here we are. I'm out and proud. Despite all the insults, some people still say I look straight. And that's just a phase.
Sweethearts, the only straight I am, is a straight-up bitch.
My parents and my little sister (Arceus bless their hearts) have been very supportive of me.
The rest of my family (except for my two maternal aunts) cut me off and haven't spoken a word to me since I came out.
Well, fuck them too then.
Where was I...? Ah, yes. The journal.
I have to write in here (and let my anger vent on the paper), or my parents won't let me go on my Pokemon Journey. I could've sneaked out anyway, but my parents are crazy and there's no telling what they could do. So, here we bloody are.
Remember how I mentioned Pokemon League changing the rules on my 8th birthday?
Well, since the whole Team Plasma fiasco (who were defeated by our reigning Champion Rosa White) the Pokemon League decided to not allow teenagers below eighteen years old to enter the Gym Challenge.
Now that I think of it, I wasn't in such a bad situation after all. Imagine how ten-year-olds at that time must've felt. Oh, boy.
To make up for the lost time and prepare future Trainers for their journey, apart from going to school, every child at the age of sixteen has to take an official Pokemon League Test. It has two parts: theoretical (type matchups, damage calculation, evolutions, and such stuff) and practical (basic first-aid, how to set up a camp, some cooking...).
Not to brag, but I nailed both of them.
After the tests' results, future Trainers are allowed to get a Pokedex and their first Pokemon from the Breeding Center. But not just any Center.
The Breeding Centers are divided into five categories - from Diamond to Copper (I know it's weird, but don't look at me. I wasn't the one naming them). In Diamonds, you can pick one of the rarest Pokemon as your starter - like Snivy, Tepig, or Oshawott. In Coppers are the most common ones - like Lillipup or Pidove.
The higher your score, you're (in theory) better prepared to handle a more difficult Pokemon. And the rarer starter you can pick.
To be able to pick from a Diamond, you have to get at least 80% on your test.
As I got 92% (told you I nailed it), I went with my parents to the Breeding Center and got a look at the Pokemon in there.
When we got there, the breeder took me to the area when all available Pokemon were.
There were some Snivys, Oshawotts, and Tepigs, as expected. I even caught a glimpse of Larvesta. I was about to ask if they had any Dark Types available, but I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around and saw... myself! I was so shocked, I didn't know what to say. Then, the woman sighed and caught a fluffy, black tail, sticking out of my clone's butt.
In front of me landed a slate gray Pokemon with red and black accents. Its ears were triangular with dark insides, and it had\d a large tuft of fur tipped with red on top of its head. It had greenish-blue eyes with red eyelids. There were circular, red markings above the eyes that resembled eyebrows. It possessed a ruff of black fur around its neck and four short limbs tipped with red. Its tail was short and bushy.
A fucking Zorua. I couldn't believe my luck.
He (as I later learned) had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and grinned cheekily at me.
I politely (yes, I can be polite when I want to) asked if the Zorua is available as a starter.
The woman sighed and said yes, but informed me that Trainers keep returning the Zorua because they couldn't deal with his attitude.
I grinned. Challenge accepted.
Enter Loki.
As soon as I caught him, I scanned him with my newly obtained Pokedex.
I still have the results somewhere... I just need to find them. Give me a moment.
Well, that took almost an hour to find. Loki kept looking at me with his: 'what the hell are you doing?' look.
Here we go:
Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. A Dark Type. Zorua hides its true form by changing its shape into people and Pokémon and loves to surprise people.
Specimen Data:
Gender: Male
Level: 7
Nature: Naughty (Up Attack, Down Sp. Defense)
Characteristics: Mischievous (Up Sp. Attack)
Ability: Illusion
Moves: Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, Dark Pulse (Egg Move)
(Now almost all of his moves are different).
I named him and took him home.
The next day, I was beginning to see why the breeder said that Trainers couldn't deal with Loki's attitude.
First, to say that he didn't get along with my parents' Pokemon, would be a fucking understatement.
In the amount of an hour, Loki managed to piss off the ever calm Rosita (my dad's Stoutland), scare the living shit out of Ceres (my mum's Reuniclus), steal all of Thor's food (my dad's Zebstrika), and offend Krogan (my mum's Swanna) beyond belief.
Other of my parents' Pokemon were looking with horror at all of this.
The only one who seemed unbothered by Loki's actions was Blaze, my mum's Chandelure. But he always was kind of weird so he doesn't really count.
Oh, boy.
A week later we were making a barbeque to celebrate my dad's birthday. Our neighbors came and the celebration had begun.
Loki decided it's time to impersonate our guests. Luckily he couldn't fully transform so that bloody tail was a straight giveaway. Our neighbors took it with a bit of a laugh, which looking at it now, seemed to be Loki's main goal. Still, I was tired, chasing after him.
At the end of the day, my dear Zorua started munching on our leftover berry tarts. I was a little pissed off because I didn't even get to try them, as I was busy chasing after Loki. So I put some Tamato Berry sauce on them and waited.
Unfortunately, I forgot that since Loki has a Naughty Nature, he's more likely to enjoy spicy food. I gave up and sat on the couch, exhausted.
Loki came up to me and offered me one of the tarts. I took the bite before I remembered about the Tamato Berries. My mouth was ON FIRE!
Loki just grinned and cuddled next to me.
Exactly a month after I got Loki, my parents got fed up with his attitude. They demanded I sent him back, but I refused.
That was one of our biggest arguments. I ended up storming out of the house with Loki at my side. We went to a nearby park.
I think he understood how I felt. Because he didn't cause trouble, didn't use his illusions. He just sat on my lap and nuzzled me gently.
When we got back home it was pretty dark outside. My parents were worried as shit and I expected them to rip me a new one.
Instead, they just hugged me.
That wasn't the end of the problems, not by a long shot. But Loki toned down his pranks.
After a whole year, I decided to celebrate our partnership.
I ended up buying two bandannas. A white plain for me and a black-purplish one with a star pattern for Loki (don't judge me, he was the one choosing).
We've become inseparable.
I took him everywhere I went. In school, he was kind of the only friendly soul I could speak to.
I should also mention how was the school, right?
Well, that's a long story.
I always was a smart kid (a SMART kid; not a humble one).
But I also was a loner.
In younger grades, kids called me a nerd, because of my good grades. And four-eyes because of my glasses (I didn't mention that I wear glasses, did I? Fucking shit, my memory's getting worse).
Then it switched to insulting my sexuality and my love for the Dark Type Pokemon.
And finally, the problem was my sharp tongue, my attitude, and the fact that I got the highest score on my League Test out of my entire class.
I can't wait to get out of that hell and finally start traveling with Loki.
"Xander! Hurry up or you'll be late for your graduation!"
My mum's voice snapped me out of the writing. I looked at my watch.
It was 9:45.
My graduation was at 10. And the road to school took about 20 minutes.
"HOLY SHIT!"
"Language!"
I quickly closed my journal and ran as fast as I could, with Loki on my shoulder.