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    Ill gotten gains: GCEA: Sinnoh League Starter Pokemon Writing Competition

    GCEA: Sinnoh League
    Starter Pokemon Writing Submission


    Ill-gotten gains
    GCEA- A Bond for the Ages
    The ceremony
    ‘Journey’s start day’ was here again. Budding new trainers and their families had arrived at the Pallet town research lab facility.

    The air was buzzing with excitement and a veritable circus of small tents and vendors had been erected on the surrounding fields. ‘Journey’s start’ had grown into quite the jubilant celebration for the whole region.

    Ostensibly the day was about new trainers receiving their first partner Pokémon. The Pokémon that they would travel with to take the journey to defeat the gyms and hopefully challenge the league by the end of the year.

    Everyone was excitedly talking about what Pokémon would be chosen and who might be a contender this year. They laughed and talked and spent their money. Lots of money. Money that would be presented to Professor Oak once the day was over.

    No-one seemed concerned about the money though.

    No-one except Matthias.

    It was the nature of money. Those who had it, never seemed to be concerned about it. They simply spent it and purchased answers to all of life’s problems. Those like Matthias, however, who had never had enough would focus keenly on its presence.

    Matthias watched the money for the rides, for the snacks for the commemorative T-shirts all get funnelled into the central lockbox that would be kept in the lab tonight.

    Matthias knew the lockbox, he had purchased one of the exact same model to practice on, and he knew that he could have it open in under a minute. He knew where it would be stored within the lab, and he had snuck his way into the lab to practice on the doors to the lab until he could open the locks with a single twitch of his lock picks.

    He was ready to start his ‘Choosing day celebration’ once the public celebration was over.

    He settled into watch the crowds, while eating a pie and a soda he had taken while one of the vendors was busy. It was amazing how trusting people were during a celebration.

    Time passed and the traditional flame plume, water spurt and leaf storm indicated the official time of choosing. Everybody made their way to the viewing stands. Matthias followed along and took a seat.

    Professor Oak entered followed by a large Charizard, who was shepherding a trio of rambunctious Charmanders into the choosing arena. A Venusaur entered and opened its flower bulb revealing a pair of bulbasaur, who jumped excitedly to the floor. Finally a Blastoise entered followed by two squirtle, one of the squirtle looked excited, but the other was standing with its arms crossed scowling at the crowd.

    The new trainers came in and started examining the little Pokémon. Bonds were clearly formed as new trainers made friends with the starter Pokémon.

    All except for the Squirtle who was standing aloof by himself by the exit. Clearly wanting no part of this day. Any trainer who came close that squirtle got a scowl. One trainer tried to get a little too close and got dowsed with a water gun attack, much to the crowd’s delight.

    Matthias smiled at that. ‘Good work! Keep your guard up!’ he thought watching the surly little Squirtle.

    Final decisions were made and all of the trainers found a Pokémon. All of the little Pokémon, except for the surly squirtle, had found a trainer.

    A hearty farewell was given to the trainers who set out for their journey. Some left in groups while others wandered off on their own.

    The Lockbox was presented to Professor Oak, who gave a speech about using it for the good of all Pokémon and the celebration and fair slowly subsided as night began to fall.

    Stealth Mission
    The centre was dark now, the last of the crowds had left hours ago. Now was the time.

    Matthias crept through the facility avoiding the areas he had scoped out weeks in advance. He knew where the nocturnal Pokémon were and avoided those places, easily making his way to the side doors of the lab.

    With a flick and a click he picked the locks and was through the door into the lab. All was quiet so he made his way quickly down the corridor to the main research room. This was the most secure room in the laboratory and would therefore logically hold the lockbox.

    The so-called secure room had a series of three locks to secure it, all of which took under a minute for Matthias to pick.
    Matthias entered the room quietly. It was lit only by the moonlight shining through the overhead glass ceiling. He saw that the lockbox had been left on a table in the middle of the room.

    This was almost too easy.

    A slight shift in the air and a barely audible scrape on the ground on the other side of the room alerted Matthias.

    He was not alone in here.

    Converging plans
    Matthias froze looked around the room. He had expected this to be an easy score. He was prepared to cut and run if this went bad, but the amount of money in that lockbox made him pause.

    He noted movement on the other side of the room and watched as a small shape darted furtively towards the table with the lockbox. His eyes adjusted to the light and he saw that the shape was a squirtle.

    What was the squirtle doing in here, and why was it being so secretive.

    The squirtle climbed its way onto the table and stood in front of the lockbox. Then it started trying to open it.

    Was that squirtle trying to steal the money that Matthias had already claimed the right to steal? That would have to be stopped right now!

    “Hey, Squirtle!” Matthias hissed in a whisper. “Get away from that box! It’s mine!”

    The Squirtle gave a jump and then glared towards Matthias’ position. “Squirtle! Squirt… Squirtle!” it whispered forcefully back at Matthias.
    “Well how are you going to open it? Smart guy!” Matthias hissed back.

    The Squirtle’s glare got more intense as Matthias called it ‘Smart guy’.

    “My apologies, Smart girl!” Matthias whispered back.

    The Squirtle gave a satisfied nod and turned back to the box. It lowered it’s head in a move Matthias had seen Pokémon try before. It was going to try to tackle the box.

    “No!” Matthias whispered desperately. “Too noisy. You will alert the Professor! Do you want that?”

    The little Squirtle looked at Matthias and then looked over at something lying on the floor and shook her head.

    Matthias could just make out an open Poke-ball on the ground.

    “So you are looking for a way out of here, are you?” Matthias whispered.

    The Squirtle nodded and pointed at the box. “Squirtle, squirtle, squirt squirt!” it said defiantly.

    Matthias suddenly saw the little Pokémon in a new light. Here was a kindred spirit who wanted to escape the hand fate had dealt it, and was willing to do whatever it took to find a new path.

    “I think I understand you, Squirtle” Matthias whispered. “How about we split the money in there and we both get out of here, before someone finds us?”

    “Squirtle!” said the squirtle with a nod.

    Matthias crept up to the table and pulled out his lock picks. The squirtle looked curiously at the tools in Mathias’ hands.
    “These are lock picks.” Matthias said holding them out for the squirtle to investigate. “You can use them to open lock without needing keys. With these we can open the box, take the money and then escape to wherever you want.”
    “Squirtle! Squirtle!” Said the squirtle with a big smile.

    “You know!” Said a new resonant voice from the doorway. “That is the first time I have seen this Squirtle smile since we began preparations for the choosing!”

    The Professor
    Matthias and the Squirtle jumped and turned to the doorway as the lights in the lab flashed on, filling the room with light. In the doorway was Professor Oak.

    Matthias quickly scanned the room looking for another way out and was impressed when he saw the Squirtle doing the same, showing impressive self-preservation instincts.

    “Matthias Grand, isn’t it?” Professor Oak asked in a voice that strangely welcoming, considering the circumstances. “Mathilda’s boy! I was wondering when I was going to finally meet you.”

    Matthias was speechless and a little frozen in fear. Professor Oak knew him and is Mum? How was that possible?

    “I remember when your Mum was a little younger than you and she started her journey. She was a little mischief-maker and it took a while to find a Pokémon that suited her. In the end she bonded with a Chancey. Does she still work for the Pokémon Centre in Viridian City?”

    Matthias nodded quietly.

    “So it seems that mischief runs in the family. But … look at the time, it’s almost midnight, we need to hurry if you don’t want to wait another year for the next choosing?”

    “What do you mean?” Matthias asked nervously. “Are you going to call the police?”

    Professor Oak laughed. “Well that would usually be appropriate, but over the years I have come to appreciate that sometimes you need to make special arrangements, for special cases. This little Squirtle has been having a hard time. She doesn’t seem to take to authority very well, so she will need a special sort of trainer to take care of her. One who perhaps also has a few… shall we say, ‘Authority issues’!

    “Looking at the clock, I would say you have 3 minutes left in choosing day to make it official. Squirtle seems to have taken a liking to you, so what do you say? Will you take on the challenge of training this Pokémon?”

    Matthias looked down at Squirtle, and the Squirtle looked up and gave a shoulder shrug and a slight nod.

    “Guess that’s a yes from Squirtle. So if I take the Pokémon, we don’t call the Police… yes?” Matthias asked with a hopeful grin.

    Professor Oak laughed. “That’s the deal alright! So are you in?”

    “I’ll take her!” Matthias said. I think we will make a decent team.

    “And you!” Professor Oak continued, looking directly at the Squirtle. “Treat your trainer well and do your best to obey him. OK?”

    Squirtle cried out “Squirtle!” and ran to give Professor Oak a hug.

    “OK you two, do you want a place to stay for the night, or do you want to go and get a start on your journey?” Professor Oak asked as he released Squirtle from the hug.

    “I think we better go now.” Matthias said. “Thanks again for the chance, Professor!”

    Matthias and Squirtle made their way outside and started down the path.

    Once they were out of sight of the Professor, Matthias looked at Squirtle and said, “That was a nice goodbye hug, you gave the professor!”

    Squirtle gave him a pleased look.

    “So what did you get?”

    “Squirtle!” Squirtle said and handed Matthias a brown wallet.

    Matthias opened the wallet to find Professor Oak’s licence and ID, along with a small amount of cash.
    Matthias laughed, “Perfect Instincts, Squirtle. Keep it up.”

    He pocketed the Licence and ID, you never knew when that might come in handy, along with the cash and laughed as they continued down the road.

    The Darkness
    Matthias and Squirtle walked along the road under the moonlight and discussed the future. Well to be fair, Matthias discussed plans he had in place for the next big score, while Squirtle enthusiastically agreed.

    The moonlight suddenly went out and the pair looked up, wondering what had happened. The moon was gone and the stars were fading out as well and within a minute they stood in complete darkness.

    Matthias reached down and found Squirtle and picked the Pokémon up. It was comforting to have something to hold in the face of the overwhelming darkness that followed the disappearance of the light.

    “What is going on?” Matthias asked to no-one in particular.

    “Squirtle! Squirt!” replied Squirtle in a trembling voice.

    After an indeterminate amount of time in the darkness, possibly mere seconds or maybe untold eons, a small speck of light appeared in the distance and started to grow as is rushed towards the new trainer and his Pokémon.

    “Well this can’t be good!” were the last words that were heard before the light engulfed them.
    Last edited by Brettles; 08-31-2018 at 04:09 AM.

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