Username: Shruikan
Character Name: Neith Nimr
Story Title: Heroic Condition. (AKA this story sucks but at least it has a title)
Word Count: 2057
Rating/Content Warnings: Uhh, G again I think?
Story (In spoilers)
Spoiler:
“Give it up Flamemonger! You’re plan’s failed and you’re cornered.”
“Hah, that’s what you useless heroes think! You may have saved the president, but I’ve lead you right into my trap!”
The villain pressed a concealed button on the wall, and two panel on slid up on either side of the heroes, revealing flamethrowers mounted into the hidden alcoves.
Tiger Lily looked around in a panic, before hitting the ground. “Duck!”

The Team fell to the ground, all except Last Bastion, who instead threw up his arms, as a wall of energy surrounded his team, almost as though a pokemon had used protect. Firemonger’s flames bounced harmlessly around them. “Now!” Contact shouted. Seeing an opening, he flung his hands forward with a blast of telekinetic force, sending the villain flying into a wall.
Tiger Lily closed her eyes, and a Purrloin ran over to the villain and deftly tied him up with uncat-like dexterity, before prowling back over to the team. “Good job Sage,” Lily said as she petted her companion.

“You think you’ve won, but the Devil’s Basement will find you, and then you will rue they day you even heard the name Wilhelm Svenson!”

“Wait, is that really Flamemongers real name?” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s the first time he’s mentioned it.”

Police sirens wait nearby. “Well, that’s our cue to leave.” Contact pushed checked once more that the villain had no further tricks up his sleeve and was immobile, before dashing off into the back alleys, to await evil’s next move.

Neith had read this issue seven times already, but this time was different. The creator of the comics was going on tour, and one of the stops was Lumios city!
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. She was set to begin her journey with the other new trainers only two weeks later so the arrival in Lumios was right at the last minute. Not only would she be getting her own pokemon and going on a journey, but she would get to meet the creator of the best TV show and comic series ever; the G-Force!

As she returned her comic to it’s shelf, Neith felt a strange twinge in her leg. Must have twisted it at a strange angle or something. Nothing to worry about. She whipped out her laptop and logged into the online classroom.

Neith barely listened through her lessons, mind wandering back to the signing, leading to much chastisement from her teachers. Once the last of the classes was over, she hopped onto her usual MMO.

Where she proceeded to excitedly gush about the upcoming signing in the public chat.
A blue-skinned elf wearing a suit of gold armour three sizes too large gleefully shouting about superheroes in the village square.

“I’ve never heard of that? Is it like a show about cars or something?”

“You’ve never heard of them? But the G-Force are the best! They’re a team of superheroes, but none of them know each others identity, and they’re on the run from the law cause they’re not supposed to use their powers, but they do it anyway because they are the only ones who can stop the Devils Basement, a group of bad guys who-”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Sounds like you’re a big fan. Hope everything goes well.

“Me too. And a few weeks later, I’ll finally get my own pokemon!!!”

There was a pause before the reply.
“Wait, you haven’t started your journey yet? Have you been delayed or something?”

Neith had to stop and think for a moment. Law stated that she shouldn’t be able to sign up here until she was 13, which would be several months from now. “Yeah, I got held back because they ran out of starter pokemon.” Doh, that was the worst excuse ever! Luckily No-one questioned it, and the discussion quickly returned to the normal talk of daily quests and grinding.


Only a few more days to go! Neith pulled one of the comics off her bookcase. Can’t be too careful, she needed to know every detail in case it’s brought up at the signing. As she picked out the first issue, the room started to blur. Huh, that was strange. Her legs felt weak. She just needed to lie down a moment. Then a searing pain burned in her stomach. Neith only managed a few steps towards her bed before crumpled onto the carpet, lying in a fetal position as she blacked out.

She remembered being wheeled through a hallway, her mother standing over her, saying words soundlessly. Then it faded away again.

She vaguely remembered having various scans and test run, but everything was like a dream, half-remembered and out of focus.

When she came to, she was lying in a hospital bed, with an IV drip attached to one arm.

“Wha-?” Neith blurrily looked around. Her parents were sitting next to her bed, looking worried, but quickly trying to hide it with forced smiles as soon as the saw she was awake.

“You collapsed in your room. The doctors say that you have a very rare disease.” Liam said, soothingly.

“Am I going to be okay?” Neith’s eternally cheery disposition had fallen away, and she was barely holding back the waver in her voice.
Sara leaned over and hugged her daughter tightly. “Yes, you’re going to be fine, as long as you stay in bed. But you wont be able to go on a journey this year, not until you’re better.”

After a while, once it had all sunk in, Neith wore an expression of gloom. Her legs would be useless for the foreseeable future, her dreams of getting a pokemon dashed, and there was no way she’d make it to Chris Tui’s signing. Everything she’d been looking forward to had been ripped from her at the last moment…

Sara had left her side for the first time since Neith had arrived, as her work had lost it’s patience and demanded her back, as Neith was no longer in critical condition, there was little Sara could do; she needed that job. So now Neith was alone. Well, apart from the other children in the ward. But the children’s ward ranged from 6 to 12 year olds, Neith was barely young enough that she was stuck there, with her only company being a bunch of kids she’d never met with wide age gaps.

One more day at the hospital, then she could go home. She kept telling herself that, as she hugged her Scolipede plush close; the only part of home she had with her right now. Not that much would change, but it would be nice being back in her familiar room instead of this sterile kids ward; After a few days the brightly coloured mural of Shugs Scorbunny and Ricky Rattata started to gnaw into your soul. She couldn’t even play Warlocks of Alterbridge here, since she wasn’t technically supposed to have an account yet. She’d fall way behind now.

“Yes, this way sir. She’s in here.”

A man in a grey spandex-like suit, mask covering his upper face, and the telltale lightning bolt G in his shirt. It was the Last Bastion! Neith was old enough by then to know that these characters weren’t real, and this was just a performer, but his costume had such attention to detail! It was just like the one in the TV show.

It was when he got closer, that it hit her. It was him. Joseph Gleen, the actor for Bastion in the live action G-Force show. Not just some stunt actor hired for parties, but the actual real guy from the show. Neith’s frown evaporated. Her #1 favourite character’s actor had come here!

“Greetings, you are Neith, correct?”
Neith just nodded, too stunned to speak.
Good. I heard that you missed the signing because you were here, and I thought a fan this big shouldn’t miss out just because they’re in the hospital. Now, I can’t stay for long, the government mustn’t know I’m here after all,” He said with a wink. “But I have some gifts for you.”
‘Bastion’ handed over a shrinkwrapped comic. Neith took it. It was a copy of the next issue of G-Force, the one that was only on sale at the signing. And it had the signatures too. But not just by Chris, there were the signatures of the entire cast of the show too! “This is…” Neith began.
“No need for thank miss. It’s all in a days work, and I could hardly say no to such a big fan of ours. Now, I heard that you also won’t be able to get a real pokemon just yet, so I brought you this guy to keep you company while you wait.” He handed over a plush Lairon; the signature pokemon and trusty partner of the Last Bastion
“Th-thank you so much”
“No, thank you, for being such a big fan of ours. There’s one more thing. Once you get home, send a message to this address, and Chris will set up a chat with you, to make up for not being able to come in person.”
Neith’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. “You mean, I get to talk with Chris as well? This is the best!”

***

A week later, Neith had settled back into her life. All her worries had evaporated, and Neith was feeling her old self again. She was bound to her bed, but otherwise, not much had changed. She was still able to use her PC, thanks to it being a laptop, it was able to rest it on her lap.

Today was the day. Neith ledged her laptop on her covers and logged into the video call.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mr Tui? I just have to say, I’m one of your biggest fans!”
Chris chuckled. “I can see that. You appear to have one of my posters taking up most of your wall.”
Oh, yeah it’s been there so long I kinda forgot.
“I want to be just like you when I grow up! And write comics and inspire people!”
“Oh, a fledgling writer?”
“Yes, I just wanted to say, your characters are awesome! It’s like they’re really alive. Not like most superheroes, who are just emo dark gloomy people who punch stuff.”
“Hah, I’m sure a few of my characters are like that.”
“But not the G-Force! Or at least, not the iconic ones. How did you come up with them?”
Chris stroked his stubble for a moment. “I don’t tell many people this, but the G-Force were based off real people I met on my journey.”
Neith’s eyes nearly pooped out of her head. “Wait, you mean they were real superheroes?!”
Chris laughed. “No, no, not the superhero part. But my traveling companions each had personality traits that I used to make the original team. One of the group was always being the mediator, and another had many pokemon that were big and strong, and always put herself in harms way to protect others. I took both of those people and made Bastion. And for Contact’s backstory was based off the leader of our group, while his personality was more from another who frequently argued with him.”
“Wow, so these characters feel so real because in a way they actually are.”
“Yes, that’s right. If you want to write well, I’d suggest meeting as many different people as you can, and finding out about their lives.”
“Oh, but I can’t go on a journey now. The pokemon are being given out tomorrow, and I’m stuck in bed…”
“Never let that stop you. Just because you can’t do something now, never stop dreaming of it. It took me years to get the G-Force published, but just like Contact, I never gave up. And you shouldn’t either. Just tell yourself, I’m going to get better and go on a journey. Make it you goal, and keep striving towards it.”

Neith and Chris talked for almost an hour, before work pulled him away. When the video call ended, Neith thought on his words with renewed determination. She would get better, and go on a journey. And nothing would stop here, even if it took a hundred years.