Flashback: Ellis’ First Journey
“Now Ellis…tell me again what the rules are.”
Ellis was ripened at 10 years old, and ready to go on his very first Pokemon adventure–regardless of whether his mother was ready for her little boy to leave the house or not.
Ellis sighed as his mother, Elynda, adjusted his hood, after which she ironed out the poncho part with her fingertips, pulling off a piece of lint.
Eyes cast downward, Ellis recited what his mother advised. “Always keep my bag organized, keep my wits about me and only trust the openly trustworthy,” Ellis continued, his mother mouthing the rules as her son spoke them aloud, “Remember to set up camp if I can’t make it to a Pokemon Center, and do it in the safest place I can find.”
His 8 year old sister, Anais, was playing with Ellis’ Cottonee, lecturing him in the rules regarding being cute on the road, and other things, in the meantime.
“Good. Now, what do you do when you get outside of Eindoak Town’s sight?”
“Keep walking Westward until I see the construction pillars. Then wait on the side of the road and wait until Umber gets me.”
“That’s right, baby. Okay…” Elynda paused and frowned, “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Mom, come on–please?”
“Alright, alright—You’d better get going, then…” Elynda moved some stray strands of hair from Ellis’ forehead and gave him a kiss on the nose, before she turned around, toward the door. “I put those filled buns in your bag, just in case, okay? They’re all packaged up and ready to eat. Remember to check your map before you head from the town you’re in toward the next so you can understand how long you’ll be walking. You need to eat right at every stop you can, because you’ll never know when you’ll get your next meal. Same with washing your clothes, you need to find yourself a laundromat, change into your spare clothes, then wash the pair you just got done wearing. Next place you can, wash the spares, put them on, then wash your regulars. Understood?”
Ellis continued to nod his head throughout his mother’s lecture and grabbed his bag, which sat slouched against the wall by the door. Slinging it over his shoulders, he shouted, “Fuwa Fuwa! We gotta go,” before he glanced over his shoulder, and the sight he caught made his heart sink. Cottonee stood sorrowfully by a misty-eyed Anais, who stood with her hands balled up, trying not to cry.
Ellis frowned and pivoted his body around, stepping to his younger sister. He ran to her and slung his arms around her body, squeezing her close.
“Anais, I promise to come back home as soon as my journey is over and spend as much time playing with you as I can, okay? We’ll have as many tea parties as we can! And who knows, by then, maybe Cottonee will be a big Whimsicott and you can braid his hair!”
Cottonee gave a nervous laugh, but Anais’ face immediately turned around. She smiled brightly and giggled, nodding, “Ellie you’d better come home real soon, then!!”
Ellis turned around and his mother surprised him by grabbing him into her arms, squeezing him tightly as she knelt down to hold him. Ellis shut his eyes and felt his throat squeeze up, and gave his mom another squeeze.
“I’m gonna miss you, mom. I’m..I’m sorr-”
“No…don’t. Your brother went on his journey too.” Elynda pulled from Ellis and stood up, then placed her hands on his shoulders “I just can’t believe today isyour day, Ellis…But I want you to give it your all, Ellis!”
Ellis blinked back his tears and gave a nod, clenching his bag straps. “If I don’t leave now I won’t want to, any more–but I love you guys, and I promise I’ll make you proud!”
Elynda and Anais watched as Ellis and his Cottonee made his way into the Eindoak Town bustle, looking over his shoulder to wave with a smile. When he turned back around and rounded a corner, the tears began streaming down his face, and Ellis paused his stride. Cottonee, worried, tapped Ellis’ shoulder, and wiped a tear with his right leaf. “Nee?” Ellis shut his eyes and nodded, “I’m okay.” He inhaled and smiled, opening his eyes to look up at Cottonee, “That was the hardest part…but we’ve gotta keep going, or like I said, we won’t want to, any more.” “Nee!” And with that, Ellis continued walking, keeping his eyes up, toward the western horizon.
“Fuwa, look!”
Ellis pulled his hood back from his hair, and pointed, “The construction beams! Let’s go!” “Cottonee!!” Ellis’ boots began quickly pushing the sand behind him as he ran forward, toward the gravel of Route 4. “Umber should be here any minute now–”
“Hey, kid!” A very serious voice called to Ellis. Ellis’ eyes drew toward the voice, and they met another trainer’s.
It was a boy who wore a short sleeved, cobalt shirt to cover his rail-thin shape–and cargo shorts for his legs. His hair was a coal color, and looked dusty from the desert winds. Ellis caught a glimpse of his shoes, they were dirty, but cobalt, as well. He walked toward Ellis with haste, and he still seemed very serious to the point of being perturbed.
“…What are those stupid clothes you’re wearing? Is that a dress?”
Innocently enough, Ellis smiled, chiming back optimistically, “Y’see, I’m from Eindoak Town to the east, and I’m a child of the Vale–”
“Whatever, I don’t care anymore. Is that your only Pokemon?”
Ellis seemed hesitant to answer, but opened his mouth regardless to answer, only to be interrupted with the trainer’s words, again.
“Whatever, you’re pathetic! I doubt you’ll win. Now enough talk–let’s battle.”The trainer pulled his PokeBall from his waist and threw it onto the ground. “Sandile, let’s beat this wimp!” His Sandile appeared on the gravel, crying out it’s name once the PokeBall retreated.
Ellis’ eyes narrowed and Cottonee hovered in front of Ellis quickly, “Nee, nee!”Ellis balled his fists up, and gave Cottonee a nod. “We’ve got this!”
“Sandile, use your Sand Attack!”
“Fuwa, use Growth!” Ellis stood watch as Cottonee began growing itself, it’s Special stat raising.
“Sandile, use your Torment attack!” Ellis watched Cottonee’s back as it hovered there, shaking just a bit. “Fuwa, be careful! Absorb!” Cottonee glow a bright light as it pulled energy from Sandile. The Sandile shut it’s eyes and shook it’s head, glaring at the Cottonee.
The kid chuckled, “This is going to be too easy…Sandile, use your Bite attack! Crunch that weakling between your jaws!”
Ellis watched, feeling helpless as Cottonee was immediately pounced on, one of it’s leaves disappearing in it’s mouth as it’s body was pierced between it’s sharp teeth. “Fuwa!!”
“Keep squeezing it there, make it hurt!”
“Fuwa, use Absorb!”
The kid crossed his arms and scoffed, “How embarrassing! You may as well hand over your cash now, kid! Your Cottonee’s Tormented! It can’t use Absorb again!”
Ellis felt his heart drop. It was as if all of what he learned just disappeared. He watched Cottonee struggle within the grasp of the Sandile, and yet, his brows raised within seconds as he watched his Fuwa Fuwa give a little glow.
Ellis gasp and then immediately shout with haste, “Fuwa Fuwa! Use Leech Seed!”
Suddenly, Sandile’s legs were wrapped in roots from Cottonee’s leaves, and it shouted in pain, releasing Cottonee from it’s jaws.
The kid growled, “Sandile, use Rage!” The Sandile began stomping around, growing angry and a bit red.
Ellis pointed toward Cottonee with gusto, “Fuwa, jump right above it’s body and use Absorb! It can’t easily move it’s head without turning it’s body completely around, and it can’t look up that well!”
Sandile’s eyes widened in surprise, immediately turning around, beginning to spin in a circle as it’s energy was soaked up from the vines attached to it’s short feet, which made it uncomfortable to maneuver around.
“Ugh! Sandile, what gives?! Use Rage again!”
Sandile spun around and lept toward Cottonee, “Fuwa, try to avoid it!”
Sandile made impact this time with Rage, and the Cottonee winced in pain as it slid across the gravel, but immediately awaited Ellis’ next order.
“Fuwa, use Absorb again!”
Cottonee used Absorb, and finally, the Sandile lost it’s wind, stumbling over it’s own vine-wrapped feet before falling to the floor, fainted. Cottonee dropped to the floor instantly, exhausted from it’s battle, shutting it’s eyes in pain.
“Fuwa!” Ellis ran to his Pokemon on the floor, kneeling as he quickly pulled off a strap from his backpack, unzipping it, “Fuwa Fuwa…I’ll take care of you!” He pulled out a spray from his bag, and inspected the label as quick as he could.
The kid growled and scooped up his Sandile quickly, angrily cursing under his breath. “Stupid kid!” He then stood up, “Your stupid stuffed animal barely won! You’re lucky I didn’t crush you!” The kid turned left with his Sandile in arms and began to run. Ellis shouted, “Hey, wait!” He sucked his teeth before shaking his head, “It doesn’t matter! Fuwa Fuwa, just hold still!” Spraying the Potion on Cottonee, he smiled in relief, “That should do it!” He zipped his bag back up, and pulled the strap securely onto his arm, gathering his Pokemon in his arms gently.
“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
Ellis heard his 14–almost 15–year old brother’s voice and immediately stood, cradling Cottonee in his arms. What he saw next made his jaw drop. Umber stood there with the neck of the kid’s shirt in hand, holding him up at least three feet from the ground. “You’d better cough up the cash, you little punk, eh? Fair is fair!” The kid immediately pulled out cash from his pocket and dropped it into Umber’s waiting hand. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Just put me down!” Umber dropped the kid, who ran even faster toward North, with his Sandile still in arms.
Umber stepped to Ellis with a smirk, holding out his cash. “Fair is fair, Ellis!” His smirk transformed into a grin as Ellis drew out his hand, allowing Umber to drop it into his palm. Ellis looked at the money and his eyes widened. “Whoa…”
“That was an awesome battle, Ellie! You totally deserved that cash–you did a really good job!”
Ellis’ voice cracked as he squeezed Cottonee to his chest tightly, “You saw me?”
“Hell yeah! He caught you right before I called you, myself. I just feel sorry for him, after all that smack talk…Anyway,” waving a hand toward himself, Umber pointed with his thumb, just over his shoulder, “Your chariot awaits…?”
Ellis looked over Umber’s shoulder to his brother’s Volcarona, patiently awaiting as it’s wings bat prettily at it’s back.
“Shall we, Ellie?”
Ellis gave a nod, and as his brother walked away, Ellis looked down at Cottonee, exhaling deeply before whispering, “This is gonna be a lot of tough work, Fuwa. But we’re gonna do this.”
Weakly, Cottonee gave a nod and a twitch of it’s leaf, responding quietly, “Nee..”