The Pokémon au no one asked for:
- Everyone probably uses Apricorn balls, because this is probably still a more medieval setting, but if you wanna say “screw it, regular balls are a thing” that’s fine too.
- Alfyn can treat both people and Pokémon.
He has a Delibird to start, and they are not a native species to Clearbrook/the Riverlands. Possibly given to him by Graham before he left (maybe even as an egg), but I’m not 100% on that. Maybe it was a fluke and one just wandered too far from home.
Alfyn WILL, at some point, attract a Shaymin with all the gratitude people feel toward him.
Those aren’t the only Pokémon he’s going to get. He might get healing staples like Audino, Chansey, or Comfey. Maybe a Tauros or a Sawsbuck. Not sure.
- Therion starts out without any Pokémon at all. Pokémon were a luxury to kids like him before Darius’ betrayal, and afterward he closed his heart to everybody, even Pokémon.
Naturally, this changes after Therion teams up with Alfyn. Alfyn finds a Salandit hiding under a rock and guarded as fuck. It’s hissin’ mad and all beaten up, so Alfyn, in true Alfyn fashion, just has to treat the poor thing. Therion only takes an interest because it’s shiny, and despite not being the kind of thief to steal Pokémon, knows it’d fetch a pretty penny. This being a wild one means it’s free real estate.
Therion tells Alfyn, because he’s a country boy who knows nothing of shinies or selling pokemon, that only females of the species evolve/their rarity and it’d fetch them a small fortune if they were. Alfyn just scratches the newly tamed Salandit under the chin and goes something like, “so you’re a real special little lady, huh?” and Therion nearly chokes because he was so sure it was just a male like 90% of all other fucking Salandits (Alfyn knew because that’s literally part of his job).
Therion ends up bonding with her and the plans to sell her eventually are abandoned. (Ironically, she may never evolve, because Salazzle doesn’t have the bandit aesthetic)
If Therion gets anything else (he may not), there is a Nicket in his future.
- H’aanit has Linde as her companion. Linde, however, was hard to convert. I’ve gone rouge and decided “She’s a regional variant of Liepard”. An ice type Liepard, H’aanit and her people don’t generally catch Pokémon, but they can talk to them so H’aanit can convince wild Pokémon in the area to come to her aid.
H’aanit never catches anything else besides Linde (maybe after realizing Linde having a ball will help keep her from being Poke-napped. She gets Linde’s consent for this)
- Ophilia is a tricky one. She may have a Litwick/Lampent, or maybe she has a healer pokemon. Pokémon don’t really come in “holy/light” flavors, so I can’t really go off that to get something that fits. An Espeon or Sylveon wouldn’t be a bad idea.
- Cyrus probably has something like a Gardevoir or Alakazam. Or, option B) He has a starter trio. Since Cyrus is a 30-year-old man, they may even be fully evolved from the start. (The older the traveler is, the more likely their Pokémon are to be fully evolved)
- Tressa has a Skwovet/Greedunt at home. She mentions having a pet squirrel in tavern banter who helps pick out the freshest nuts and berries, and Swovet/Greedunt fits the bill.
Her actual first Pokémon is something she gets from Leon. Probably a flying type of some sort, but Dratini would be cute because:
Leon probably has a Dragonair. Blue serpent spear, blue serpent like Pokémon. Easy.
Naturally, Tressa would get ahold of a Meowth as well. Or she starts with Meowth and Leon gifts her a Dratini later. (Their entire friendship is just really nice and it makes me happy)
- Olberic: Easy as pie, Aegislash. Possibly an Escavalier in his future.
He gives Philip an egg his Aegislash found (actually made) before he leaves on his journey, and when he returns home, he finds that the egg has hatched into a honedge. Olberic is just so proud of his son, okay?
- Primrose has a Furfrou from her rich girl days. It was possibly her father’s pokemon first.
The kind of pokemon she’d add to her team later are the pretty ones. Things like Lopunny, Gardevior, and Hatterene. Possibly a Salazzle that is now in rivals with Therion’s Salandit. Not a big rivalry, because Primrose’s Salazzle is an adult pokemon while Therion’s Salandit is actually a baby. A Zorua/Zoroark wouldn’t be a bad idea.
- Yusufa eventually gets a Popplio, because she lives and is traveling with everyone else because it sucks that she died in the first place so that isn’t happening in this au.