Minnachu
Bug Catcher
- Pronouns
- She/her
Chapter 1: (Viktor): Similarities Attract
Summary:
Palmer acts irrationally during his Oreburgh Gym Challenge and reminds him of a fateful day that leads to his journey.
In a flashback, we witness the day when it began. All the events that lead to the journey.
Unknown Date, 2005, Oreburgh Gym, Oreburgh City, Sinnoh
"Chimchar, use Power-Up Punch!" I commanded.
He roared ferociously, pulling his right fist back. Once it glowed, he charged forward and got close to Cranidos.
Unfortunately, before he could land an attack, the Gym Leader instructed, "Cranidos, use Bulldoze!"
Cranidos stomped its feet and caused a trail that smacked Chimchar and flew him across the room. The attack caused a mini sandstorm as coughing filled the room and forced me to cover my eyes. Once the debris stopped, I saw him lying there with bruises and open wounds all over his body, grunting.
"Ch-Chimchar, buddy?" I stuttered, shaking. "Ar-Are you o-okay? Pl-please, tell me you're alright! Pl-please!"
He remained on the ground, still grunting, but could move a bit — just barely.
"Ch-Chimchar…" I moaned with my head down, shaking more violently. "Re-return!"
He ignored me, attempting to get up from the rocky terrain. Even when I took out his ball, he still refused.
"Pl-please, I don't want to see you hurt!" I begged.
Finally unable to contain myself further, I bawled my eyes out as I ran towards his side.
"Hey, you're not allowed to enter the stage!" The announcer reminded. "Get off now, or else you'll be given a loss!"
Ignoring his warning, I picked Chimchar up and embraced him. He looked at me with one eye open, whimpering.
"Ch-Chimchar," I whispered in a faint voice. "Please return to your ball. We can take this loss. Your health matters more!"
He blinked a few times before jumping out of my arms and limped toward Cranidos.
"N-no Chimchar, stop this now!" I enforced. "Get back into your ball!"
He ignored me, continuing his clearly visible struggle to get to Cranidos.
As I stepped forward and reached out my arms, two guards restrained me from the back, demanding, "Sir, get off the stage NOW!"
"Don't tell me what to do, you bastards!" I insulted, struggling to break free. "My Chimchar's gonna get himself killed if I don't stop this!"
As they pulled me down, I punched one of the guards in the face. Before I could react — their partner tased me from the back. I collapsed on the ground with my mouth wide open and unable to close my eyes.
Before the guards could escort me out, my friend pushed them away and helped me up. She hugged me and comforted me by patting my back. I laid my face on her shoulders and burst into tears.
"It's alright," she said calmly. "Everything will be okay. Please, just relax. I'm here for you."
Her embrace — felt like my mother's. It reminded me of that day, the miracle that gave me the opportunity to come to Sinnoh. I just couldn't let my impulsiveness ruin what I was gifted.
September 15, 2005, Pokémon Academy, Naturacove City, Hjarta
The bell rang, yet I was still far away from my class.
“My Arceus, Mr. Nilsen is going to kill me!” I yelled out loud while sprinting like a maniac.
I could barely examine my surroundings. I saw hordes of people and a few domesticated Pokémon nearby. It was a miracle I didn’t run someone over until… I saw someone else run like a buffoon in my direction. The two of us crashed into each other, and the force of the impact was so strong it caused me to flip into the air. Less than a split second later, I fell hard on the pavement. I think I may have broken my back from that.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” she scolded.
I blinked rapidly and saw this gothic lady staring at me as she ground her teeth. She had short black hair that looked dyed. What stood out the most about her was how well she did her makeup and how much it emphasized her sharp blue eyes and freckles. Her face had the perfect contouring, and her eyeliner was on point.
“Hey, why’d you run into me?” she questioned. “Sheez, you’re so rude and impulsive! HELLO? FOR ARCEUS’ SAKE, I’M TALKING TO YOU!”
I covered my ears and yelped. Pain raced through my head as I jumped up and, by the skin of my teeth, restrained myself from smacking her.
“Quit yelling, you hag!” I enforced while holding my fists near her face. “IT WAS YOU WHO RAN INTO ME! I’m gonna fine you a million Kronas for this!”
Before I could react, a jolt of pain struck my left cheek. While it didn’t sting that much, it made me terrified. How could anyone move their hands that swiftly? That definitely did not look like a slap, yet she pulled that off so efficiently. I ended up wobbling and disorientated. Thankfully, I regained my composure shortly.
As we both stood there trying to contain our hands and feet from jittering, there were a few things I noticed about her that hit me hard. I couldn't help but chuckle at where her tiny thin eyebrows were situated while she gave me a fierce stare with her tongue stuck out.
However, that’s not the part that caught my attention the most. Those punks that I had the misfortune to encounter back in Stoneshield City — she had an almost identical fashion sense. She wore ripped denim shorts, a dark black crop leather jacket, a red T-shirt covered with a pattern of Love and Luxury Balls, and a pair of black laced boots. The only difference was her T-shirt.
I took a few steps back as far away from her as possible, gasped, and finally bolted away at the speed of sound. No matter how excruciating the intrusive thoughts were, I forced myself to block it out.
“No, no, NO!” I screamed from the top of my lungs as I ran my socks off. I was so close to my class until — a sharp, throbbing pain struck my head, and I froze there.
The memories of this one punk paced through my brain. The way his Pawniard attacked me… The worst part was how much he mocked my mother. It was legit the most painful thing ever. My failure to defend her honour haunted me to this day.
“Hello, HELLO?” a strange female voice questioned. “Excuse me, Mister, are you okay?”
“Huh!” I snorted, still in a trance. “Wh-where am I?”
I blinked vigorously and stared at the sunny and clear skies. I had a flashback to that awful day, yet I couldn’t remember why. Well, until that same young lady jumped right in front of me.
“Hey, Mister, for the last time, ARE YOU OKAY?” she interrogated from the top of her lungs. “You were just standing there like a mindless Slowbro. I’m worried about you!”
I still can’t quite describe my emotions. I was both happy and annoyed at the same time.
“Can I ask you something, lady?”
“Uh… Yeah, sure, what is it?”
I leaned on her shoulders, got close to her face, and asked, “How long was I in a daze? Did you stay with me the entire time?”
Before she answered, she gave me a sour look and pushed me aside.
“Hey, ever heard of personal space, you Neanderthal? Also, your breath… Ever heard of brushing your teeth? To answer your question, I think you were in a daze for what five minutes? Maybe a bit longer. I ain’t 100% sure. What happened there? You ran at the speed of light and then stopped like a statue. You stood there frozen with your mouth wide open.”
Before I could reply, I glimpsed her clothing and shuddered. Also, the thought of being more than five minutes late for Mr. Nilsen’s class meant…
“Listen, lady; I must go now! I can’t be late for class.”
“Come on, at least tell me your name and if you’re alright!”
“No, shut up you dumb bimbo! Your kind — nothing good comes from your social group! I never want to see any of you punks, got it?”
I turned away from her and dashed. Despite this, I still heard her stomp her feet and protest.
“Well, geez, leave then, you imbecile! I was just trying to be nice, and you still treated me like dirt. Men like you truly are doofuses! You hear that?”
I toned out the rest of her rambling as I finally reached the entrance to my class. I slammed my body into the door, and once inside, I rushed into my class.
“S-sorry I’m late!” I declared, trying to catch my breath.
“Viktor Palmer-Makar, how dare you show up so late!” Mr. Nilsen scolded. “Do you have any idea of what time it is?”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It’s 8:05, five minutes since the bell rang.
“What excuse do you have to be this late, AGAIN?”
No matter how much I stuttered, no words came out. Instead, laughter exploded among my classmates.
“Say Viktor, since you clearly have no concept of time, I think I should let you teach today’s class. Gotta test your puny little brain.”
I opened my mouth wide and covered it shortly, trying to contain my voice. I also couldn’t think properly, thanks to the gossip. I went to the chalkboard, glared at Mr. Nilsen, and clenched my jaws. It wasn’t even the fact that he embarrassed me that made me so pissed off. No, it was the fact that he talked like a thug . It was absolutely unacceptable for a professional to speak to me like that!
“So, class, today Viktor Palmer-Makar will teach us about the legendary Pokémon responsible for controlling time. Say Viktor, please, tell us its name.”
Standing in front of at least 40 students caused me to shake. Most of them stared directly at me, which felt super intrusive. Worse yet, I didn’t pay a single attention to his classes about this Pokémon. Its name was on the tip of my tongue, yet I couldn’t quite remember.
“Um, g-good morning, class,” I stuttered. “The Pokémon that controls time is called uh, uh… Di? No Pa, Palga! Yes, that’s its name, Palga.”
Silence hit the room for a brief moment. Then a few students tried to contain themselves before laughing out loud. The rest of the room, including Mr. Nilsen, followed.
“Pathetic, Viktor,” he chastised. “All you do is sleep in my class, fail my tests, and never do your homework. I will give you 30 minutes of detention after school. You best show up on time.”
“Huh? 30 minutes? My previous detentions were only 15 minutes. I can’t stay behind for that long!”
“And why’s that, Viktor?”
Before I could say anything, he ordered, “I don’t want to hear an excuse. Go sit down, or else I will extend your detention. NOW!”
As I walked away from him, I gave him the middle finger when he wasn’t looking. I sat down, unable to process what had happened nor forgive him for humiliating me.
In my seat, I could barely keep my eyes open. Mr. Nilsen’s monotone voice and slow-paced talking — bored me to death. Ironic, considering how aggressive he got when I was late.
He taught us more about Dialga, the legendary that controls time. He explained that a Pokémon named Arceus created Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Dialga represents time, Palkia space, and Giratina anti-matter.
I still didn’t understand why all of that was important. It wasn’t like we’d ever meet one of those Pokémon. Going off only five hours of sleep made me dread the worthless lesson even more.
After his class, I sprinted to my teacher, Ms. Lindberg’s class. She taught us about the effects of status conditions. We learned something about burns. With how exhausted I was, it was nearly impossible to pay attention.
The bell rang, and it was finally time for my lunch break. This time I slowly walked outside. Lunchtime was by far the most hectic time of the day here. Hordes of feisty teenagers and young adults zoomed past me.
Even with all the disturbance around me, I could barely keep my eyes open. It felt like I was to collapse any minute and never wake up.
Alas, as soon as the noise died, I managed to stay fully conscious.
Finally, after a few minutes, I left the vicinity of the campus and headed straight into a calm forest. It was just an ordinary forest full of deciduous trees. But it felt like a third home for me. I trekked to where I rested beneath during every lunch, my favourite tree. I even gave it a name, Barry. It’s derived from the language my great-grandfather spoke before relocating to the Tovarich Union, Talagan.
I sat by the tree and closed my eyes with a faint grin. I reminisced about the only time I was able to see my great-grandfather. It was when I was still a wee baby. Too bad he just had to pass away that soon. Although thinking back, it was probably a miracle he didn’t have to witness…
Out of the blue — I heard a scream, followed by, “SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME!” I instantly leaped forward and examined the area. I found out the screaming came from west of here.
I felt a little hot and sweated a fair amount. I paced steadily at first before picking up my speed. My jaw dropped the instant I observed the issue.
Two teenage boys taller than me, each with a rugged build, towered over this one adolescent girl. The two boys had shaved heads and wore leather jackets, jeans, and black boots. The girl had long blonde hair and wore a floral dress. The dress looked very dirty and unkempt. The worst part was she had a bruising right black eye .
While a hint of fear forced me to step back, anger filled the rest of my body. I was bursting with sweat and tears and tilted my head away from the scene. What I witnessed reminded me of how helpless my sister, Halyna, and I were against my father .
I took a few light steps forward, then gradually picked up my speed until I got close and jumped into the air. As soon as I was in the air, I caught the attention of those two skinheads. Finally, I body-slammed one of them. I began to choke him once I was on the ground, faced the girl, and commanded her to run. She sat there with her mouth wide open and brows raised before abiding and running away.
Unfortunately, as soon as she escaped, the skinhead’s partner towered above me and grabbed my hair. I had short but messy blond hair, which made it easy for him to grab. He pulled me off his friend and pinned me on the ground. While I managed to kick him in his stomach, it didn’t matter. The two of them pinned my arms and legs down. They repeatedly took turns rotating between beating me down while the other restricted a part of my body.
Unable to react fast enough or fight back, I spat in their faces. However, that only infuriated them more. Their strikes increased in velocity and fierceness. It got so painful that I coughed up some blood and felt dizzy.
Unable to hold my tears in, I closed my eyes and wept.
Suddenly, while still drenched with tears, I heard someone yell and the sound of tackling. Not only that, but my legs felt free! I opened my eyes and witnessed the lady I argued with earlier today wrestling with one of the skinheads!
“Hey, moron, leave him alone!” she demanded as she managed to get the upper hand on him. “How cowardly must you baldies be, ganging up on a single person? Where’s your damn honour?”
Shocked that she came to my aid, I couldn’t idle. I kicked the person that pinned my arms down in the face and flipped him over. We each took on an individual skinhead.
I raised my fists and stood in a boxing position. My opponent charged into me as I moved to the side and slammed his head with the bottom of my hand. He lunged at me again, and I delivered an uppercut this time.
As he took in multiple deep breaths, barely able to stand up, I hesitated to deal a finishing blow to him. In hindsight, it was a terrible mistake. He ended up throwing a Poké Ball at me. A Scraggy came out of the Poké Ball and nearly kicked me.
I jumped back and witnessed the lady doing a flip as she stood by my side. She managed to dodge an Ember from the other skinhead’s Charcadet.
Then she did something that awed me. She took out a Friend Ball and threw it on the grass. Riolu entered with fierce determination!
“Riolu, use Force Palm on that Scraggy!” she commanded.
As Riolu sprinted toward the Scraggy, the skinheads commanded their respective Pokémon to attack. Scraggy used Low Kick, while Charcadet used Ember. Unfortunately, both attacks landed on Riolu, but it still struck its palm on Scraggy, knocking Scraggy out.
“Riolu, use Force Palm again on Charcadet!” she instructed.
“Charcadet, use Will O’Wisp!” the skinhead demanded.
A bright orange flame hit Riolu and caused it to bark in pain. Its movement lagged compared to before. To make matters worse, it used far less force, as it barely managed to hit Charcadet.
Ms. Lindberg’s lesson just popped into my head! I remembered that she taught us about burns. Not only do burns hurt the Pokemon that got burnt, but they also have their physical strength reduced.
“Hey, miss,” I nudged. “You can’t keep using physical attacks on Charcadet. Your Riolu is suffering from a burn.”
“Well, what else can I do? All Riolu knows are physical attacks!”
My jaw dropped as I stared at the Riolu, unable to strategize.
“Charcadet, use your most powerful move, Night Shade!” The skinhead ordered.
The Charcadet began to glow in a dark, sinister energy. Then it fired a ruinous void directly at Riolu, causing Riolu immense pain.
“Wait, I got it!” she exclaimed. “That’s it, Riolu buddy, hang in there! Use Copycat!”
Riolu began to charge in the same energy as the Charcadet before firing it off faster than we could react. Charcadet dropped to the ground, expressionless.
Riolu jumped into the lady’s arms and hugged her tight. She even swung it around and did a terrible dance with it.
After she finished, she walked to those punks with her Riolu and snarled at them. “Hey, why are you Neanderthals still here? How dare you abuse a woman and fight an innocent person who defended her! Get lost now, or else you’re asking for it!”
Those two finally returned their Pokémon to their respective balls and ran off.
“Hey, are you alright, Mister?” she asked, patting my right shoulder. “What you did there was astonishing brave, thanks. You just saved my friend, Maja. Looks like you’re not so bad after all!”
I mumbled a bit but couldn’t get my words out at first. There was just so much on my mind at that moment.
Immediately, I saw someone in the distance slowly walking towards us. It was none other than Maja. She got close and hugged the other lady. As they exchanged some words, I sat on the ground and sighed. I noticed that Maja was much more cheery, and her entire body looked relaxed.
“Thank you, sir, for helping me!” Maja exclaimed.
“Hey, no problem!” I chuckled. “You should really thank your friend. If she didn’t help me, I’d have been toast.”
“Aha, don’t mention it!” the other lady cheered, squatting and smacking my back. “Oops, I’m so sorry! I do that to my friends all the time. My sincere apologies.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I cackled nervously, holding back tears. “Say, what’s your name?”
“Oh my name is Signe. Signe Andersdatter Løvgren.”
“Wa-wait, L-Løvgren?” I questioned while trying to contain my jittering leg. “An-Anders? Do you happen to be related to the Hjartan Champion, Anders Løvgren?”
“Ahaha, yes I am! In fact, I’m his daughter!”
I gasped as I closed my eyes, lying on the ground. That situation made me feel like the universe was trying to tell me something. Why else would I have met the Champion’s daughter twice in a single day? Likewise, how much of a coincidence was it that I met her damsel-in-distress friend?
“Hey, I’m so sorry for not responding,” I told them as I got up. “It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you. Sorry for that argument earlier today. I was rushing to class and had some bad memories. What I did was stupid and wrong. My teacher Mr. Nilsen gives me so much stress. He’s a loser that puts down his students.”
“Hey, don’t sweat it, Mister, um?” Signe asked.
“Oh, my name is…”
“VIKTOR PALMER-MAKAR!” Mr. Nilsen yelled from behind. “Be careful what you wish for, young man! I’ll give you something to stress out about! You’ll be put down for good if you do that again! The three of you, ONE HOUR DETENTION AFTER CLASS TODAY! No, buts about it!”
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