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Episode 8 - The end of the prologue
🕑 Added 2023-09-11 08:06:53 +0000 UTCAccidental Death of a Pokemon during a Battle
Article 14
- In the event that a Pokémon dies, whether by accident or on purpose, during a battle, the battle will be immediately stopped and declared a draw.
- The trainers of the affected Pokémon will be required to report the incident to the Pokémon League and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the accident.
- The Pokémon League will conduct an investigation to determine whether the death was the result of an accident or a violation of the rules governing Pokémon battles.
- If it is determined by the CAI that the death was the result of a violation of the rules, the trainer responsible may be subject to penalties, fines, or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offense.
- The Pokémon League may establish additional regulations or guidelines for dealing with accidental deaths of Pokémon during battles.
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I’ve Been Around
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Episode nine – The end of the prologue
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The Sudowoodo sprung with joy. His eyes sparkled with stars brighter than in any night sky. In a quick motion, the Sudowoodo tried to jump into the unprepared hands of his soon-to-be owner.
“Alright, Alright!” Callahan chuckled while struggling to handle the Pokémon. In a fluid motion, he tucked a Pokéball from his belt and tapped it against the Pokémon’s body. In a flash of color, its body became a fluid-like energy before quickly being sucked into the Pokéball. After the button emitted a single flash of red, the Pokéball made a resounding click.
Callahan juggled the ball in the palm of his hand for a second or two, before pocketing it in his vest. “Now that’s over, I’m ready to get a bite down my hatch. I think it’ll take us about two hours to reach the port,” he said while holding his chin. He resumed walking again. “Scratch that, make that three hours. We’ll need a break along the way; don’t want you collapsing on me. After all, we have been walking since sunrise. Don’t want to push our bodies past our limits before the real journey has even begun.”
“I’m fine sir,” Risa said while eying the bulge in Callahan’s vest. “More importantly, aren’t you gonna let your new friend out again? I mean, you just met, and he must be thrilled to finally see you now you’re his real master.”
“Nah, I’m good,” Callahan said while scratching his behind, evidently trying to park the conversation with that statement.
Risa raised her brow. “I thought you would've been a bit more excited about having finally caught your very first Pokémon. He’s the first party member that’ll help you win the big league after all.”
“Yeah, yeah, I think it will do fine at that. But the match isn’t until over several weeks, and there doesn’t seem to be a trainer or any danger around. So, it can wait until it has to come out again.”
“Sirrr…”
Callahan took a few steps back as he shrunk under her glare. “S-sure, we will uh… let him stretch his legs later, alright? I just have to gather my thoughts for a moment.”
Risa seemed content with that answer and moved beside Callahan.
The dirt path stretched ahead, its surface cracked and weathered. Callahan sauntered along, his nonchalant demeanor undeterred by the swirling dust that clung to his windproof pants.
The route made its way through small patches of fields along its path. They took a quick break at one of the sparse benches, during which Callahan took out his Pokéball and summoned Sudowoodo with a soft click. The Pokémon immediately sprang towards its owner. Callahan relentlessly tried to push it away, to no avail, which brought a soft smile to Risa's face. After pouring some water for the Pokémon in a cup, they resumed their journey.
The Pokémon effortlessly wove its way through the waist-high foliage while Callahan and Risa had to choose their path more carefully. Callahan flattened the foliage so Risa could follow behind him.
After a while, Callahan seemed to have found a way to approach the Pokémon. “So, Sudowoodo must be terribly excited to learn more about its master, isn’t that right?”
“Sudowoodo!”
“Yeah, I’ll have you know, I’m the definition of an all-rounder. If you search for the definition in an encyclopedia, you’ll see an illustration of me!” Callahan explained in grand fashion.
“Here we go again,” Risa puffed.
“You see, I’ve been a lot of things: a businessman, powerlifter, powerdropper, and much more! A hero of the people, if you will. I’ll tell you about the time I saved fifteen kittens out of a burning building, while beating a rabid Charizard in a riddle contest. And let me tell you those riddles were hard. It happened long ago…” he trailed off.
Risa found, at this point, the sound of the chirping birds around her more interesting. She spared the Sudowoodo, who had now taken her place beside her companion, a glance. His eyes were as large as dinner plates, and shining with anticipation and awe.
She sighed and rubbed her face. “Just a few more minutes until I can rest my bones… and ears while we’re at it,” she mumbled, eying to her side just in time to see Callahan flex his muscles before making a small jump into a safety roll.
The trio made their way towards the foot of a grassy hill, changing the dirt for a gray gravel road.
While Callahan was still lollygagging, Risa spotted a rather large figure appear above the rise, casting a shadow on the trio. It was only at the sudden lack of sunlight that Callahan averted his gaze upwards, and what he saw made his mouth comically slacken.
Upon the hill stood a broad woman, completely dressed in a shirt and skirt made of autumn leaves. She was barefoot, with her long black hair pooling up all around her feet. Her face was large, and as she scratched beneath her chin, it seemed like a sea of fat started to swirl around like waves. She had an Ambipom on her shoulder.
Risa already gave Callahan a look. “Behave yourself...”
“Incoming traffic,” Callahan said. When he took in her full appearance, he corrected his statement, “a truck.”
“Sir…” whispered Risa from the corner of her mouth while her cheeks flushed.
“Hope she doesn't trip." Sweat started pouring down his face as he stared up the steep hill. “Damn, she'll roll us over. It'll be like bowling.”
Having grown as red as a beetle, Risa shoved an elbow into his side in order to hush him up.
One minute later, their paths crossed.
"Good morning," greeted Risa politely.
The woman curled her fat purple lips into a sweet smile while she closed her eyes and cocked her head. That was until her eyes opened again and fell onto the four Pokéballs attached to Callahan's utility belt, and her entire face turned sour. “Oh, so you are trainers?”
“Yup,” Callahan said proudly as he took off his beret and bowed. “The future Champion of the Champion’s League, in fact.”
The woman faced the Ambipom on her shoulder, who crossed both its arms and tails in dismay. "So Saori was right. The rest of the world are nothing but barbaric brutes." The Ambipom nodded and rudely faced the sky.
A vein throbbed on Callahan’s head. “I-I beg your pardon,” he chuckled through a forced smile, “is there a problem?”
“Is there a problem? There are a lot of problems!” The woman placed her hands on her hips. “Just the fact alone that you keep Pokémon locked up in those hellish containers is enough of an insult to life itself! All of the trainers that I have met all say that they are the best friends of all Pokémon, and yet they never realize their hypocrisy.” The woman lifted her nose to the sky. “Disgusting.”
Risa cocked a brow, probably thinking it was better for her to interfere than to let Callahan do the speaking. “I’m sorry, but what do you mean by ‘locking them’ into tiny containers? Because if you are familiar with Pokémon, then you’d know that it’s perfectly possible for them to escape out of a Pokéball if they don’t want to be in one. The only times when they can’t is if they are extremely worn out or asleep. How can you call that cruel? After all, people already used to capture and tame Pokémon before the balls were even invented.”
The woman rolled her eyes and smacked her lips. “They all bring up the same arguments, and they never understand the obvious…”
By now, Callahan had had it. “I don’t think anyone would like to be lectured by someone who doesn’t even know what normal clothes are,” he mumbled, speaking loud enough to earn a glare from the woman.
The woman's brow twitched, her gaze lingering on Callahan's face for a moment before her head turned red. "You think it's easy being in my shoes, huh?! Dealing with judgment and ridicule wherever I go? I’ll have you know, I’m much stronger than you could even possibly fathom!"
Callahan shook his head, a mix of guilt and empathy washing over him. "No, I don't. I genuinely don’t! I think it would be quite difficult being in your shoes. I mean, losing the ability to move like any normal being must be terrible!"
Risa’s jaw dropped, yanking her head to face her companion, unable to process how one could escalate a situation in such a way. Sodowoodo just nodded happily, oblivious to the brewing conflict.
The woman cocked a brow and slapped her lips amused. "You truly haven't got a clue who you got in front of you."
"Well, I wouldn't say that. You're hard to miss."
"Sir!" whispered Risa.
"I could say the same about your nose. At least your daughter seems to take after her mother."
"I think we would be able to spot your daughter from a mile away!" laughed Callahan.
"Sir, that's enou-ough," Risa hummed nervously, 'nodding' her eyes constantly at the Ambipom.
Showing off its teeth, the Ambipom on her shoulder started to growl, and for a moment Risa slipped into her combat stance, thinking a battle was about to unfold. Sweat slowly started to form on her forehead. Then, the lady fetched a berry from her front pocket, which the Ambipom took with its two hand-like tails before swinging into the nearest tree. “Violence isn’t the way.”
Callahan crossed his hands and angled away. “Perhaps if you wouldn’t start fights, it never would come to that,” he mumbled.
“Our tribe never starts fights, although if you start one with nature we might be forced to finish them.” The woman sunk her fat fingers theatrically into her chest. “I am Petunia Yamada from Greenhaven. I have come here to investigate this strange abnormality that you commoners refer to as ‘wifi’.”
“…God, it’s one of those people…”
The woman merely rolled her eyes at that. “Transporting Pokémon through radiation, have you ever wondered how such a thing is possible?”
Now Risa thought back on it, she had thought it to be strange. Back when people were setting up the Wind Festival three days ago, she remembered running past a few Diglett who were busy creating a new line of cables and wondering the same thing. “Now you mention it, it is a little strange,” Risa admitted, putting her hand to her chin. “They’re basically transferring living creatures into nothing but a few digits…”
“Digits? No. It's not that they are turned into code.”
“What then?” asked Callahan.
Petunia remained silent, face scrunched as she pondered whether to delve further into this. Apparently, she didn’t trust them enough to reveal such important information. Instead, she changed the topic as she shifted all her weight onto her right leg.
“Let me give you two a word of advice. We may be against Pokéballs, but it isn’t the capturing that bothers us the most. Both taking away their freedom and forcing them to fight against each other is atrocious, but it isn’t the most inhumane thing about those objects.” The woman said the words as if they tasted vile. “It is staring you right in the face, and you are too oblivious to realize it.”
The woman stole a final glance at the Pokéballs dangling from Callahan’s belt. Her eyes narrowed. “If you possess any love for Pokémon and your Sudowoodo, then you will stop using them.” With that, the woman stormed off, pushing Callahan out of the way in the process, her heavy footsteps slightly shaking the ground. Callahan watched her retreating figure with an air of confusion.
“What’s wrong with her?” asked Callahan.
Sudowoodo shrugged. Risa merely followed the woman with her eyes.
“Well,” Callahan said as he shrugged and resumed walking, “at the very least I remained polite throughout the conversation.”
A reply immediately formed on the tip of Risa’s tongue, but before Risa could react, he shifted his attention to Sudowoodo.
“I did, right?”
The Sudowoodo nodded his head heavily.
Callahan released a sigh of relief. “Well, if that’s the case; poor woman could just be having a bad day.” He shrugged. "Let's move, Risa. There’s a ship waiting for us at the port!"
Risa's eyes flashed wide as her traveling companion untroubled walked by. Sputters formed out of her mouth as she eyed back behind her, before swallowing her objections, shifting her backpack on her shoulders, and following Callahan and his Pokémon.
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The wind whipped through the cliffs, its harsh gusts tousling Callahan's and Risa's hair as soon as they made their way out of the forest. Sudowoodo had nestled himself back into his Pokéball, seemingly wanting to rest.
"Whoa, this wind is intense," Callahan exclaimed, trying to keep his balance against the strong currents, “The wind in Fula City holds some power, but it can’t rival this! Look!” he said as he pointed to the distance. “There’s Oceanview City. We’ve made it!”
As they rounded a corner, a sprawling city came into view upon one of the cliffs that jutted far out into the sea. The path they followed led towards it with a large bow in the road, giving them a good look at the colossal drop. Waves splashed roughly against the rugged rocks, and a bit above them Callahan thought he could see some windows nestled into them. The most jaw-dropping thing, however, was a large elevator-like contraption that seemed to move up and down the cliffside, where a market seemed to be set up near the sea level, bustling with tiny speckles.
Callahan had to angle his face if not to have the wind blast into his mouth. Enthusiasm filled his words as he began to increase his pace. “Let’s go!”
Callahan hurried towards the city, his excitement getting the better of him. Risa remained still, her eyes transfixed by the mesmerizing view of the ocean. The setting sun casted glistering sparkles on the ocean, the light tainting the ocean a slight orange. The sky held a soft purplish-blue color.
The sound of waves crashing against the cliffs below, and the screeching of Wingull filled her ears. The distant horizon seemed to stretch endlessly, beckoning her towards the unknown. Like a sucker punch, a feeling of weight heavily settled in her chest.
"I've never been this far away from home," Risa whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. "It’s… really happening, isn't it? Although everything that happened, I'm setting out on an adventure, of all things..." She chuckled emptily, before her face slowly scrunched up in guilt.
The weight of the moment settled on her shoulders, heavier than her backpack. Memories of her parents surfaced, flooding her mind with a mix of guilt and sorrow. She looked out at the vast expanse before her.
You would have loved this, mom, dad…Rick... I know you would.
A bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of her lips as memories and stories they used to share flooded her mind, stopping her mid-thought, as she saw them being depicted in the ocean waves, like a movie on the silver screen. She imagined them still being around her at this very moment, standing around her with warm expressions, eying her affectionately, ready to embark with her.
Everything would’ve been alright, if it had been that way.
Her smile filled with guilt and longing while tears forced their way onto her eyelids, before she sharply turned her head away from the scene with sorrow.
"I’m sorry. So sorry.… I should have said something then… I-it’s my fault, and despite that… I’ll be the one to go. I…" her voice cracked. “I can’t keep sitting here,” Risa whispered, her words being carried away from her lips by the ocean wind. “I don’t know what’s the right thing to do. Maybe I am running away, but I…”
Her fingers found their way to the locket on her necklace, which held the pictures from her family. Her fingers closed the object, before the broken spring automatically opened it again.
As she stood there, Callahan's voice suddenly rang out happily from the distance, "Risa! Come on, we have to check out the city!"
Her heart jolted back to reality, and she hurriedly wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. She took one last look at the ocean, before rushing towards Callahan.
"Coming!" she called out as she moved from her spot, moving forward to join her companion.
The steps towards the city felt somehow heavier than earlier.
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Callahan focused on the surrounding buildings, trying not to make it obvious that he was watching his companion closely.
I don’t know if I should say something, he thought to himself.
Callahan had to tune down his excitement a bit when the girl had closed the distance between them. Her red and puffy eyes were a dead giveaway to the girl's earlier inner struggles.
Well, the silence ain’t comforting for both of us. I won’t pry. Let's settle on taking her mind away from things, he decided.
“So this is Oceanview City, huh? Quite a bit different from our hometown, ain’t it?” he said, trying to spark a conversation.
Risa's voice was a bit tense as she answered, "Yeah… We've arrived, finally."
At least she’s talking, Callahan thought with some relief.
“Right?” he continued. “We’re at the homestretch. But hey, the buildings here are quite unique if you give them a good look.” Sure enough, Risa stopped eying the ground, her gaze rose to meet Callahan’s.
Got her attention. Let’s keep her thoughts occupied~, he noted to himself.
Callahan cleared his throat and began to pinpoint unique details of the city. He talked about the buildings, how they seemed to meld seamlessly with the natural contours of the cliffs, as if they had grown organically from the very rock itself. All roofs were connected by wide stone gutters, allowing water to flow loudly from house to house.
He pointed to one gutter that stretched above their heads. He began to tell a tale, his theatrics kicked in. A small crowd of tourists were attracted to his antics, and slowly moved around him to hear his tale.
“See, legend has it that a tribe, long ago, walked for weeks through the forest, unable to find any water. They dug as deep as they could, but not a drop of water could be found. Finally, they saw the ocean, but they couldn’t reach it! They despaired, and one after the other fainted. Until one little girl prayed for someone to help. A water Pokémon heard her cry for help and rushed upwards with a giant water beam.” Callahan recreated the sound of a blast of water as he jumped as high as he could and landed with a grand hand motion, before he continued.
“The Pokémon provided the water which it held in its belly, tending to the humans. The humans gained drinking water, and that day they made a deal with the Pokémon. They would provide food, and the Pokémon in the sea would provide water,” he said with a conviction as if he had witnessed it himself.
“Since then, a group of Pokémon make their way to the highest point of the city every day and unload gallons of water in a large basin. The water flows gradually down into the gutters, which lead to the taps into people's homes. That way, everyone has water! Truly fascinating,” he concluded.
Risa was soon lost in his tale, and just as he finished, she noticed the crowd that had surrounded them.
Loud applause followed.
“Thank you, thank you!” he boasted, waving and bowing to the crowd before nodding for Risa to follow him as he paved a way through the crowd.
“Was any of that real?” she asked.
“Nope, not a thing.”
The girl slowly had to smile weakly.
They continued through the city's streets, noticing the luminous stones in the streets that glowed softly in the settling darkness, creating a magical atmosphere when night descended. These glowing pathways were placed to guide visitors and inhabitants alike through the city's labyrinthine streets, leading them towards the grand harbor. They heard some locals talk about how these stones were mined in the opposite Region, in a city called ‘Underhaven’, although they couldn’t catch much of the story because of all the busyness.
They were closing in on the city boundaries, nearing a grand plaza with a majestic fountain. A large statue of a little girl sitting on a Magikarp stood in the middle. The girl was dressed in a bathing suit, with the mouth of the Pokémon acting as the water outlet. The fountain's water cascaded like a waterfall, and its shimmering spray reflected the city's dazzling lights.
A content sigh escaped Callahan as he noticed that Risa had relaxed a bit. His stomach rumbled.
Callahan’s eyes wandered down to his watch, “No time for a quick bite, shamefully,” he stated while eying longing to a 5-star fish restaurant with blinking lightbulbs in the form of a Tentacool. “Our ship will leave in one hour. Checking in, finding our room, no. It’s better if we grab something out of the vending machine on the ship, that way we’ll make sure we’re on time.”
Risa pondered his statement before giving an acknowledging nod. “Right. It’s really almost time to leave this region behind, isn’t it?”
"Sure is. The way down to the docks is by elevator. I think it's, uhmm… That way!" Callahan jolted, pointing to his right.
The duo made their way forward, and after a short walk, they neared a line of people waiting in front of a rather large glass building. The doors were currently closed as two employees stood in front of them, one holding a clock that was counting down. Through the glass, they could see large cogs turning and engines running at full power, pulling the elevator back up from the harbor below.
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As Callahan and Risa waited in line, the anticipation of the upcoming journey filled the air. The ticking of the clock somehow managed to be audible above the chatter of the people. Callahan's excitement grew by the second. Each tick of the clock seemingly made his grin grow wider and his eyes turn more eager.
On the other hand, Risa felt a subtle pressure building up inside her, with each tick of the clock seemingly amplifying the feeling. As the line inched forward, her thoughts raced.
The duo stayed silent as each was caught up in their own moment.
As the clock's countdown reached its final moments, the doors of the glass building slid open, and the elevator was ready for boarding. Excited chatter surfaced from everyone around them. Callahan and Risa stepped inside. The transparent walls of the elevator provided a breathtaking view as it slowly descended, revealing the grandeur of the cliffs, the sparkling ocean, and Oceanview City from a new perspective.
The elevator hummed softly, and a sense of wonder enveloped them both, pulling them out of their thoughts as they traveled down towards the bustling harbor. The further they descended, the more the salty sea breeze found its way in between the doors. The feeling of adventure took over their senses. Risa searched through Callahan’s eyes until he stared back at her. For a second, they just stared at each other, before nodding.
With a loud ding the elevator reached its destination, and the doors opened with a soft whoosh. The sea air assaulted them. The harsh wind almost blew Callahan’s hat off hadn’t he held it in place. They stepped out into the vibrant harbor, which had a very lively atmosphere. Ships of all sizes were docked, adorned with colorful sails, and sailors bustled about, preparing for their next voyage. Machamps and Iron Hands carried boxes of various sizes around the docks. Fishermen were desperately swatting Pelippers and Wingulls away from their fresh batches of fish stored in the barrels beside them, all while they were casted in the light of the setting sun.
"Sure is lively around here!" Callahan exclaimed, his eyes practically dancing with excitement as he let them explore his surroundings.
Risa nodded in agreement. "Yeah. So, uh… What’s the name of our ship again?” she asked somewhat unsure.
“The Connecter,” Callahan said as he fished a folded brochure out one of his pockets. “Named after the fact that it’s the only ship that is allowed to connect the two regions. Kinda cheesy if you ask me. Let’s walk to the docks. We’ll surely find it soon enough. It’s got to be one of the larger ships.” He eyed his watch again. “Thirty minutes left, more than enough time. Let’s enjoy this!” he said as he flashed a wide smile, which Risa only could return with some effort.
They wandered through the harbor. They passed local vendors who displayed an array of unique souvenirs and crafts within their portable shops. They had to be portable, Callahan explained as the area experienced enormous differences in ebb and flow. He elaborated that, if that hadn’t been the case, they would have built the city on these sandy beaches. Then again, if they had done that, the buildings would be submerged for a significant part of the day. That’s why the port was only available in the evening, when the moon was almost rising.
His explanation was interrupted by sea shanties sung by sailors, their songs echoing in the air as they were being repeated by groups of Chatots, who sat on the roofs of the nearby shops. Chefs were chopping up Magikarps inside their food tents, preparing dishes for the customers who waited on wooden stools in front of the shop. The smoke steaming from their pans swirled through the streets, carrying with it the salivating scent of cooked meat.
Risa noticed the puddles all around them. Everything shimmered, so this story, at least from everything he’d told so far, seemed to be true.
As they explored, they noticed a gathering of people near a majestic ship that stood apart from the rest. The ship's gleaming white hull was adorned with large intricate carvings of two distinct signatures– the names too messy to make anything out of them. When they inspected the other side, the name of the ship could be read.
"Guess we found it. This is it," Risa said, her voice holding a sense of finality.
Callahan laughed and shrugged off his backpack, rummaging through his belongings to retrieve two bright blue passenger tickets. With a swift motion, he handed one to Risa, who accepted it with a slight bow.
With tickets in hand, they made their way toward the gleaming gangway, where a line had formed. At the forefront stood a woman in uniform with green hair, ready to address the eager passengers. Her face appeared weathered yet friendly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed travelers, welcome aboard The Connecter! Today, we set sail towards the Lumina Region," the woman announced, her voice carrying a sense of excitement and wonder before becoming stern. "As we leave these shores, we will be in the Lumina Region's territory. Keep in mind that their laws will apply from that moment onwards. By boarding, you acknowledge this truth, accepting full accountability if these laws are broken."
The air grew tense for a moment, until the woman's smile returned as she cheered, "Having said that: are we ready?!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as she exclaimed a final, “let’s go!” and allowed people to proceed onto the gangway, where two other employees stood, checking the passengers' tickets.
Gradually, the duo moved closer until both their feet simultaneously moved atop of the gangway. Time seemed to slow down. The pale light from within the ship shone onto them, making their shadows stretch behind them. Callahan's eyes met Risa's, and they exchanged a knowing look.
“No turning back now,” Risa stated.
Callahan's excitement rivaled that of a child's, his smile nearly splitting his face in half. “That’s the spirit! Our grand adventure– here we come!” he sang, showing his ticket to the employee, who struggled to hold back her laughter. Callahan waited until Risa's ticket was approved as well before marching aboard the ship.
They followed a steel stairway upwards until they arrived in a hallway. The signs displaying the locations of the rooms pointed them the way. “Okay, let’s see our room number. We’ve got a room for two… hmm, weird. No normal numbers. Pretentious shi—” he quickly corrected himself as he examined the tickets closely, "No normal numbers. A double room means... two signs?... You have to combine them to get the correct room... Did they really have to make it this complicated?" Callahan groaned.
Risa inspected her ticket. "I've got room: Six of Swords," she read aloud, pointing to the symbol on the right side of her ticket before glancing at Callahan. "You, sir?"
"I've got the... Seven of Swords," he replied while massaging his temples. "Couldn't they just have said Room 6-7, in the Swords section or something? Or just made the room numbers go up to a hundred? So needlessly complex.”
The woman with green hair from earlier appeared behind Callahan, startling him so much he leapt a bit in the air as she spoke, “It’s a tradition in the Lumina Region,” she laughed. “All public rooms, no matter the location, have these kinds of indicators. You’ll be seeing them a lot in hotels and such,” she said as she patted Callahan roughly on the back. “You’ll get used to it!”
Callahan simply rubbed his back before turning to Risa. “Time to see our room, I guess.”
“Wait—” Risa spoke suddenly. Callahan looked at her expectantly. Risa nervously rubbed her arms together as she eyed the ground. “Is it alright if we watch the ship move from the docks? I… want to see the land disappear…”
Callahan raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Sure, it's more adventurous, anyway. If you find a good viewing spot, I'll go grab us a bite to eat in the meantime. I'm starving!" he said cheerfully, winking at Risa. "But don't wander too far," he added quickly before turning around and starting to make his way into the ship.
“I’m not a kid, sir,” Risa corrected casually.
Callahan glanced back at her, inspecting her from over his shoulder, contemplating if he should react, before simply turning away, and walking into the deeper part of the ship.
A soft, one-sided smile made its way onto her lips as she watched the man disappear from sight. He’s a strange one, yet he has his own caring ways, she mused before making her way to the upper part of the deck. The elevated deck provided a great view of the harbor. With the sun nearly fully set, the water below seemed to darken. Leaning against the railing, she rested one cheek on the cold steel, her gaze tracing the coastline, seeing it vertical.
Two sandwiches suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Chicken or egg?”
She contemplated before pointing towards the latter. Firm hands deftly handed it over, before Callahan’s figure leaned next to her, his side resting against the same railing. He tore open the plastic wrapper and took a large bite out of his chicken sandwich. “Mmm… I was hoping you'd pick that one,” he said with his mouth full.
“Kinda figured,” she chuckled softly while her face vibrated as the hum of the ship’s engines resonated through the railing.
The ship began to depart. A cold breeze rustled their hair, carrying the salty scent of the sea onto their lips. The view was breathtaking, although it was becoming harder to see in the darkening twilight.
"It's a strange feeling, you know," Risa began softly. "Leaving behind the familiar… Heading into the unknown." Her words trailed off, unsure herself where she was going with this.
Callahan shifted his weight against the railing as his eyes fixed on the horizon. "You're right," he agreed, his tone thoughtful. "But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? Leaving behind our problems, my old job, the same old slog. Trading it all for the uncertainty, the possibilities, the chance to create a story that's entirely our own. A truthful tale."
Risa nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I suppose you're right. It's just...." she was silent for a moment before speaking again, her gaze fully capturing Callahan’s. “Thank you, sir… for taking me with you. It means a lot.”
Callahan grinned, “No problem, Risa. Glad to have you aboard. Besides, you went on your own accord, didn’t you?”
Risa remained silent at that, before a small, thoughtful smile worked its way onto her lips.
Like that, they turned their gaze back to the island, standing side by side, eying the land that gradually grew smaller in the distance. They shifted their eyes around towards the sunset when the last view of land had totally faded away.
The sun disappeared fully into the horizon, casting its final warm golden hue across the dark surface of the water.
The ship's engines rumbled softly.
Under the fading sunlight, they stood together as the ship sailed towards the horizon, oblivious to the fact that the next day, one of them would be near death.
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A/N: Good evening, everyone!
We've arrived at the end of the prologue! The characters–and their current problems and desires–are introduced. The slice of life part is officially over. The real story is about to unfold, as they enter the dangerous Lumina Region, where real danger is always close by– where life is earned and NOT guaranteed– a harsh fact that Callahan and Risa are soon to find out.
Tension will rise, emotions will run high, and the story is about to shift into the next gear! The upcoming chapters will push our characters beyond their limits in ways they never expected when they embarked on their journey. I can't wait to see your reactions as the plot unfolds; I’ve been planning it all out for a year now!
I really hope you've been enjoying the story of 'I’ve Been Around' up until now. I’d like to give a big shoutout (and heartfelt thank you) to all you patrons. Without you I would not be able to make this story possible. Thank you.
Having said that!
Warm wishes,
Sidiko
Comments
This was so cool! It really felt like they are going on a grand adventure. Favourite chapter so far! I am taking it slow and only reading one chapter a day and trying not to rush through it all otherwise i'm all caught up. Can't wait to see the new region and pokemon!
