Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.The plot and idea for this story were presented to me by a friend some time ago. I didn't pay it much attention, but, since that friend's Birthay's coming up, I thought I might take on that request.This story has no sex on it.It does, however, contain romance and some naughty moments later on.
Arrival
The moon shone above the dark, cold sea as the carrier approached the shore of an island, a snowy and very cold-looking island. And once again inside his studio, Lucian was waiting for the ship to drop anchor at the island's shore.
Lucian was looking out the window with the light reflecting in his bright green eyes, with a still panting Miles and a grievingly serious Beatrix sitting to his left and right, respectively.
"Almost there now," Lucian said, "Then we can get on with the real show." He then turned to his left to look at Miles, who was idly staring at the moon above. "I might have to put you in your ball for a while like Marine and Noir, unless you're up to facing the cold this time?"
"I'll take all the cold in the world to be with my Trixie," The Delcatty answered, looking at the Glaceon who didn't even seem to notice him.
"Claire..." She muttered, "If Caps hadn't been there, I would have had to hurt her... What will she do when she's away and there are no others to save her...?"
"That's years away from happening," Lucian answered, "I'm quite sure she will be very strong by then... Like her mother." He added in hopes of lifting her mood, but his attempts were as vain as the Delcatty's.
At that moment there was a slight rumble, and immediately the voice sounded in a small, single earpiece headset Lucian was wearing on his right ear.
"Sir, we have arrived at Icicle Island."
"Very well," Lucian answered, pressing a small button on the headset so his voice could he heard, "I'll go ahead to base and report back. Wait for my signal before bringing the captives in."
"Yes, sir. Be careful, though; there's one violent blizzard blowing. You might want to bring something besides the trench coat."
"I don't even need the coat," Lucian replied, "But thank you either way." He opened the door and walked out, holding it open so Beatrix and Miles could step through. Once they were in the deck of the ship, they were able to notice that the soldier who talked to them wasn't lying: The Blizzard that was blowing was, indeed, a violent one. Slowly, all three walked their way off the ship, but the moment his paws touched the snowy ground, Miles let out a sneeze and stopped, practically frozen.
"Are you sure you don't prefer the ball, Miles?" Lucian asked half-amused, half-worried, looking at his Delcatty.
"N-Not at all!" Miles chuckled, slowly stepping forward with his body shivering. "I-I c-can mo-move p-p-p...perfectly... Ah..." He couldn't finish his words as he collapsed on the snow.
"Ugh, you are gutless," Beatrix growled, looking at him and emphasizing the last word.
"All he wants is to cheer you up," Lucian told the Glaceon, pulling a Pokéball from his coat and letting the red stream of light envelop the Delcatty, who disappeared in a matter of seconds after that. "You should be more considerate with him."
"Agreeing with you two about the fact that giving both my daughters up to this whole HOPE program was not a wrong thing to do is considerate enough from me," She sneered, "Now, let's move on, okay?"
"Sometimes you can be so cruel..."
The human and Glaceon stepped forward and a group of men dressed in a uniform that resembled Lucian's coat (though they were covered by several layers of more coats and clothing because of the cold) immediately saluted both, all of them surprised that Lucian was daring the freezing storm with nothing but a very light-looking trench coat.
"Carry on," Lucian told them as he passed them by with a calm expression, giving the blizzard the same importance he would have given the sun on a summer day, which is to say, none.
"Amazing," One of the soldiers commented, "How can he even move through the freezing cold like that? I'm wearing eight coats under this one and I'm still chilled to the bone!"
"I've heard he grew used to the cold because he wandered the island since he was a kid!" Another one answered.
"I've heard he doesn't mind the cold because he spent two years trapped in an icy cavern with his Glaceon, surviving with nothing but chunks of ice!"
"I've heard he himself is a Glaceon!" A third one answered, but was immediately mocked by the other two.
"Yeah, right!"
"He makes a really convincing human, having no fur or tail and walking on both legs!"
"Ah, you kids and your crazy ideas..." A much older-looking man in a red vest told them. He really didn't seem to mind the cold either. His hair and eyes were both a very clear shade of blue. Once ha said this, he took off after Lucian, catching up to him some time later. "Hey, Lucian!"
"What is it?" Lucian answered in a relaxed tone, not turning around to look at the man and just keeping on his way.
"Snow patrol's been getting out of line again. Could I borrow Beatrix for a day or two so she can fix the problem?"
"Beatrix?" Lucian asked, and the Glaceon next to him immediately shook her head. Even though he did not look at her, he knew what her answer was. "She is not interested at the moment."
"Still upset about Claire and Kate, eh?"
"Still upset," Lucian replied and both he and Beatrix kept on their way, leaving the man there.
Both walked around the blizzard on the snowy waste for about half an hour, neither one talking to the other. This was a silence that, though neither of them would admit, was very painful for both. In the twenty-three years they had spent together they had only had a situation like this one three times:
When he got her as a partner
When she asked him who he liked best: She or Miles, and he answered 'both of you'
And now this one, when she had her offspring taken from her
It's painful to fight with a lifelong best friend and companion, but it simply happens sometimes. Finally, Beatrix broke the silence.
"Your hair," She told him. "You're exposing yourself too much to this blizzard." Once she said this, she immediately turned away, pretending not to care.
"Hmm?" Lucian looked at a long strand of his own hair from the corner of his eye and noticed the tip was starting to change color from the blondish yellow to a light blue. "Thanks for letting me know." A few steps later, he stopped and took a deep breath, "Ah, nice weather we're having, isn't it?"
Beatrix laughed softly, but immediately went back to being upset with him.
"Now, Beatrix. Don't be so harsh on us! Miles and I love you more than anyone else! Why would you still be so mad at us?"
"Have a son," She answered, "Then have him taken from you, confused and wondering what he did wrong. Then you'll know."
"I see..."
"She was crying, Lucian. She had no idea why she was suddenly being taken from me and her father was just letting it happen. If I hadn't explained, she would still be anguished and sad, wondering why mom, dad and Uncle Lucian abandoned her and her sister there."
"I suppose it was a very inconsiderate thing from me, offering them to the program..."
"Inconsiderate? It was cruel."
"And I suppose it was cruel, too..."
"And it hurts me even more because you were feeling the same I was and you did nothing to avoid it either. In fact, you even helped take them both away!"
"I'm sorry, Beatrix... I promise the first thing we'll do once they are given to their partners is go see them. Yes?"
"I suppose that's a start..."
***
Hours later, Vincent woke up, still dazed and sleepy from the Spore used on him earlier. He felt strange, seeing himself locked in a cell... Why was he there...? Right! He had been taken away by some strange man, and he tried to escape... And boy, what a try it was! He beat two of the man's four Pokémon with just a Luxray! But then that cheater went and put him to sleep... He looked down to notice his clothes had been replaced by a strange, mustard-colored suit of some kind. Not that he even worried about it, however. In fact, it made him look so much cooler! Or at least he thought so.
That wasn't important right now, though. What mattered was finding Joe and Celeste (that mute kid Sal too, if he had the chance to) and getting out of there! He had to think of how to do it... Getting out wasn't so hard from what he had seen in movies, so he got on with what he considered a typical plan. He looked out his cell to notice a single, sleeping guard with a Houndoom lying next to him, fully awake with a key hanging from a collar. That's where the plan began...
"Psst!" He called the Houndoom, "Hey, doggie! Come here!"
With a distrustful look the Houndoom got up and crept towards the cell to see what it was the prisoner wanted.
"You know... You're pretty ugly! I bet no one even likes you!"
The Houndoom snarled, "What did you say, runt?!"
"Whoa!" Vincent jumped back, surprised that he just understood what the Pokémon told him. How was that possible? That's when he felt something on his right ear. He took it off and realized it was a single earpiece headset. Very small, but, as he noticed, he stopped understanding the canine's grunts the moment he took it off. He was intrigued by the idea, however, so he put it back on.
"I said you're ugly and no one likes you!" He continued, staying as close to the bars as he could and hoping that his plan would work.
"I'm about to make you a new navel, kid!" The Houndoom barked, yet his trainer did not wake up. Enraged, the dark-type dashed at the cell to tackle Vincent, and... Yes! The boy's plan succeeded! The moment he hit the bars, his head made it through but his body got stuck, and when he tried to pull away, the Houndoom realized his horns prevented him from doing much, as they hooked on the bars.
"Thanks!" Vincent mockingly saluted as he took the key from the Houndoom's collar and used it to open his cell, then crept out quietly as not to wake the guard up. Normally, the Hounddom would have barked, but this time he was too busy trying to break loose.
The boy walked through the hallways of this new place. It was large! And it was very, very cold, too! There were so many doors and places that looked so interesting... No time for that, however. He had friends to find. He heard steps nearby and immediately hid around a corner hoping not to be seen. And that's when he saw him: The man from earlier, walking down the hall with a just as blonde woman dressed in a labcoat.
"Thank you for the medicine. I was losing form again." Lucian was telling her. "And for Caps. His Spore was most useful on today's mission."
"My pleasure," The woman nodded.
Once they vanished around the opposite corner, Vincent peeked out to make sure they were gone, then stepped out, determined to find his friends and his way out. He kept walking down the dim hallway, with it's creamy walls having a strangely energizing effect on him. He wanted to run! That would make him easy to notice, though. But as an 8 year-old, the impulse was a rather hard one to resist. He managed to keep control, however, and kept moving on. He finally reached the end of the hallway at a large pair of double doors. He slightly opened one and peeked inside to see if there was anyone... He was in luck: No one in sight.
Slowly, he opened one of the doors and walked inside, stepping as softly as he could... But the moment he entered, his plan to go by unnoticed went straight down.
"YOU!" He heard the angry bark, and before he could even react, he was tackled to the floor by a Glaceon. "You're the one that almost made me hurt my daughter!" Beatrix growled in an angry and menacing way, dark blue eyes ignited in rage.
"Boy, are you in trouble," The Delcatty added, stepping out from behind Beatrix and looking at the boy on the floor. "She can be quite dangerous when she's upset."
"I-I-" Vincent didn't know what to tell her, and, judging from how angry Beatrix was, he didn't think it would have made a difference.
"Let's see how-"
"-Beatrix, leave him alone." The command came, and the Glaceon immediately got off the child and stepped back, sitting to look at Lucian, who just looked at Vincent on the ground and slowly shook his head. "Tch, tch... Beatrix, I told you not to go after him when he escaped."
"You're the guy!" Vincent sprang to his feet and tried to punch Lucian, who simply stopped the boy's hand. Vincent immediately skipped back, clenching his hand as he felt an unbearable cold envelop it. "Ow!" he clenched his wrist, huffing at it to see if he managed to warm up.
"I suggest you refrain from doing that in the future," Lucian told him. "The results, as you have experienced just now, can be bad."
"Well..." Vincent was going to try and hit him again when he was interrupted by the man.
"Escaping is useless," Lucian said, "As far as your family knows, you died last night in an accident after you sneaked out of your home."
Vincent gasped when he heard this. Dead? Did that mean he couldn't just go back to his home? No... If he came back now his parents would be mad and probably ground him for that 'mean prank' of his. In a way, it was, indeed, like a movie. The problem was it was all happening to him.
"We need you, boy," Lucian continues, holding out a blue-gloved hand for the boy to take. "These are tough times and we need capable ones like you to assist us. I think you have proven you are not average child. You didn't sit down and cry when you saw you were somewhere else; you managed to avoid the Spores enough to fight me... And you even escaped your cell. Come with me and you can become a real hero like the ones in those movies you like so much."
Vincent stared at the man, then at his hand, then at the man again. A real hero like the ones in the movies? It sounded tempting. And, unlike the previous times, Lucian even seemed to irradiate calm. In fact Vincent was feeling he could trust him and that he had seen him somewhere before their encounter in the alley... But where? He had to choose, though, and so he did. He took the man's cold hand, and they walked away together.
A little later they arrived at a very large and well-lit hall. Six more children were gathered there, and that's where Vincent saw them: Joe and Celeste! Great. He let go of Lucian and ran to his friends, delighted to see them again.
"Hey!" He greeted as he walked towards them with a broad smile. "It's great to see you!"
"Hey, Vin," Joe greeted calmly, but still noticeably upset. He probably got the same news Vincent got a few minutes ago and was dressed in the same suit. "So, did you hear?"
"Yeah..."
"I don't know what'll happen to us now..." Celeste said, weeping. She was wearing a dull magenta version of the same outfit.
"Don't worry," Sal spoke, much to Vincent's surprise, as he didn't even notice him there. His voice was a very low and raspy one, he also had the mustard uniform. "Lucian is a friend. I know."
"And here we have the seven," Lucian told Beatrix as the two and Miles watched the scene. "Interesting ones, eh?"
"Yes..." Beatrix answered sharply, looking at Sal. "That child... His smell... He is just like you."
"He is very different," Lucian whispered. "I'll explain later... Well... The time is now!" He clapped his hands together and all seven immediately calmed down and looked at him. "Make a line, children!" He told them, and all seven reluctantly formed in a very badly-made line. "I suppose I should explain," He began talking out loud so everyone could hear. "I represent an organization named HOPE. Today you were taken from your homes for a simple reason: We need you to as strange as it might sound, save the world! You have, in one way or another, proven yourselves capable of feats that suggest you will make excellent trainers! And, as such, we will train you, and you will assist us in dealing with all those demented teams out there! In brief, you will be given a Pokéball. In it is your partner! The only one you will always be able to trust! They were chosen in accordance to your personalities, so you should get along quite well! Now!" He gestured towards a man standing by the hall's door holding a case to approach.
Lucian took the case, opened it, and took seven Pokéballs out. He went from end to end of the line, handing each kid one.
"Now open the ball and meet your partner!"
Celeste opened hers first and was quite happy to see Kate come out. She immediately got to hugging and petting her, which the Skitty took quite nicely. "You're so cute!"
A red-haired girl opened hers and was positively surprised to see a Riolu come out. Immediately both started running around, chasing each other.
Another girl, though this one was very pale and frail-looking, got a Natu, oddly matching to her. They both just stood there, looking at each other.
A very burly boy opened his to find himself face to face with a Slowpoke. It took a while for both of them to react with a rather idle "Hello!"
Sal got a Shinx, who immediately jumped at him, purring in affection. Without saying a word, he took the cub in his arms and began stroking the back of his ear.
Joe launched his Pokéball and saw the young, canine shape of a Growlithe appear in front of him. He bent forward to per him, but the puppy seemed quite afraid of him. "Hey, what's the matter?" Joe held his hand out for a while before the Growlithe finally allowed him to pet him.
"And that leaves..." Beatrix commented before huffing in surprise and looking at Lucian. "You didn't!"
"I did," Lucian nodded. "I think they're perfect for each other."
Vincent threw his ball and reacted happily when he noticed the Eevee shaking herself awake in front of him. He reached out to her, smiling. "Hey, I'm Vincent!"
The Eevee just looked at him and sighed in both fear and disappointment. She was promised a trainer like Lucian, and this certainly wasn't it.
Lucian was looking out the window with the light reflecting in his bright green eyes, with a still panting Miles and a grievingly serious Beatrix sitting to his left and right, respectively.
"Almost there now," Lucian said, "Then we can get on with the real show." He then turned to his left to look at Miles, who was idly staring at the moon above. "I might have to put you in your ball for a while like Marine and Noir, unless you're up to facing the cold this time?"
"I'll take all the cold in the world to be with my Trixie," The Delcatty answered, looking at the Glaceon who didn't even seem to notice him.
"Claire..." She muttered, "If Caps hadn't been there, I would have had to hurt her... What will she do when she's away and there are no others to save her...?"
"That's years away from happening," Lucian answered, "I'm quite sure she will be very strong by then... Like her mother." He added in hopes of lifting her mood, but his attempts were as vain as the Delcatty's.
At that moment there was a slight rumble, and immediately the voice sounded in a small, single earpiece headset Lucian was wearing on his right ear.
"Sir, we have arrived at Icicle Island."
"Very well," Lucian answered, pressing a small button on the headset so his voice could he heard, "I'll go ahead to base and report back. Wait for my signal before bringing the captives in."
"Yes, sir. Be careful, though; there's one violent blizzard blowing. You might want to bring something besides the trench coat."
"I don't even need the coat," Lucian replied, "But thank you either way." He opened the door and walked out, holding it open so Beatrix and Miles could step through. Once they were in the deck of the ship, they were able to notice that the soldier who talked to them wasn't lying: The Blizzard that was blowing was, indeed, a violent one. Slowly, all three walked their way off the ship, but the moment his paws touched the snowy ground, Miles let out a sneeze and stopped, practically frozen.
"Are you sure you don't prefer the ball, Miles?" Lucian asked half-amused, half-worried, looking at his Delcatty.
"N-Not at all!" Miles chuckled, slowly stepping forward with his body shivering. "I-I c-can mo-move p-p-p...perfectly... Ah..." He couldn't finish his words as he collapsed on the snow.
"Ugh, you are gutless," Beatrix growled, looking at him and emphasizing the last word.
"All he wants is to cheer you up," Lucian told the Glaceon, pulling a Pokéball from his coat and letting the red stream of light envelop the Delcatty, who disappeared in a matter of seconds after that. "You should be more considerate with him."
"Agreeing with you two about the fact that giving both my daughters up to this whole HOPE program was not a wrong thing to do is considerate enough from me," She sneered, "Now, let's move on, okay?"
"Sometimes you can be so cruel..."
The human and Glaceon stepped forward and a group of men dressed in a uniform that resembled Lucian's coat (though they were covered by several layers of more coats and clothing because of the cold) immediately saluted both, all of them surprised that Lucian was daring the freezing storm with nothing but a very light-looking trench coat.
"Carry on," Lucian told them as he passed them by with a calm expression, giving the blizzard the same importance he would have given the sun on a summer day, which is to say, none.
"Amazing," One of the soldiers commented, "How can he even move through the freezing cold like that? I'm wearing eight coats under this one and I'm still chilled to the bone!"
"I've heard he grew used to the cold because he wandered the island since he was a kid!" Another one answered.
"I've heard he doesn't mind the cold because he spent two years trapped in an icy cavern with his Glaceon, surviving with nothing but chunks of ice!"
"I've heard he himself is a Glaceon!" A third one answered, but was immediately mocked by the other two.
"Yeah, right!"
"He makes a really convincing human, having no fur or tail and walking on both legs!"
"Ah, you kids and your crazy ideas..." A much older-looking man in a red vest told them. He really didn't seem to mind the cold either. His hair and eyes were both a very clear shade of blue. Once ha said this, he took off after Lucian, catching up to him some time later. "Hey, Lucian!"
"What is it?" Lucian answered in a relaxed tone, not turning around to look at the man and just keeping on his way.
"Snow patrol's been getting out of line again. Could I borrow Beatrix for a day or two so she can fix the problem?"
"Beatrix?" Lucian asked, and the Glaceon next to him immediately shook her head. Even though he did not look at her, he knew what her answer was. "She is not interested at the moment."
"Still upset about Claire and Kate, eh?"
"Still upset," Lucian replied and both he and Beatrix kept on their way, leaving the man there.
Both walked around the blizzard on the snowy waste for about half an hour, neither one talking to the other. This was a silence that, though neither of them would admit, was very painful for both. In the twenty-three years they had spent together they had only had a situation like this one three times:
When he got her as a partner
When she asked him who he liked best: She or Miles, and he answered 'both of you'
And now this one, when she had her offspring taken from her
It's painful to fight with a lifelong best friend and companion, but it simply happens sometimes. Finally, Beatrix broke the silence.
"Your hair," She told him. "You're exposing yourself too much to this blizzard." Once she said this, she immediately turned away, pretending not to care.
"Hmm?" Lucian looked at a long strand of his own hair from the corner of his eye and noticed the tip was starting to change color from the blondish yellow to a light blue. "Thanks for letting me know." A few steps later, he stopped and took a deep breath, "Ah, nice weather we're having, isn't it?"
Beatrix laughed softly, but immediately went back to being upset with him.
"Now, Beatrix. Don't be so harsh on us! Miles and I love you more than anyone else! Why would you still be so mad at us?"
"Have a son," She answered, "Then have him taken from you, confused and wondering what he did wrong. Then you'll know."
"I see..."
"She was crying, Lucian. She had no idea why she was suddenly being taken from me and her father was just letting it happen. If I hadn't explained, she would still be anguished and sad, wondering why mom, dad and Uncle Lucian abandoned her and her sister there."
"I suppose it was a very inconsiderate thing from me, offering them to the program..."
"Inconsiderate? It was cruel."
"And I suppose it was cruel, too..."
"And it hurts me even more because you were feeling the same I was and you did nothing to avoid it either. In fact, you even helped take them both away!"
"I'm sorry, Beatrix... I promise the first thing we'll do once they are given to their partners is go see them. Yes?"
"I suppose that's a start..."
***
Hours later, Vincent woke up, still dazed and sleepy from the Spore used on him earlier. He felt strange, seeing himself locked in a cell... Why was he there...? Right! He had been taken away by some strange man, and he tried to escape... And boy, what a try it was! He beat two of the man's four Pokémon with just a Luxray! But then that cheater went and put him to sleep... He looked down to notice his clothes had been replaced by a strange, mustard-colored suit of some kind. Not that he even worried about it, however. In fact, it made him look so much cooler! Or at least he thought so.
That wasn't important right now, though. What mattered was finding Joe and Celeste (that mute kid Sal too, if he had the chance to) and getting out of there! He had to think of how to do it... Getting out wasn't so hard from what he had seen in movies, so he got on with what he considered a typical plan. He looked out his cell to notice a single, sleeping guard with a Houndoom lying next to him, fully awake with a key hanging from a collar. That's where the plan began...
"Psst!" He called the Houndoom, "Hey, doggie! Come here!"
With a distrustful look the Houndoom got up and crept towards the cell to see what it was the prisoner wanted.
"You know... You're pretty ugly! I bet no one even likes you!"
The Houndoom snarled, "What did you say, runt?!"
"Whoa!" Vincent jumped back, surprised that he just understood what the Pokémon told him. How was that possible? That's when he felt something on his right ear. He took it off and realized it was a single earpiece headset. Very small, but, as he noticed, he stopped understanding the canine's grunts the moment he took it off. He was intrigued by the idea, however, so he put it back on.
"I said you're ugly and no one likes you!" He continued, staying as close to the bars as he could and hoping that his plan would work.
"I'm about to make you a new navel, kid!" The Houndoom barked, yet his trainer did not wake up. Enraged, the dark-type dashed at the cell to tackle Vincent, and... Yes! The boy's plan succeeded! The moment he hit the bars, his head made it through but his body got stuck, and when he tried to pull away, the Houndoom realized his horns prevented him from doing much, as they hooked on the bars.
"Thanks!" Vincent mockingly saluted as he took the key from the Houndoom's collar and used it to open his cell, then crept out quietly as not to wake the guard up. Normally, the Hounddom would have barked, but this time he was too busy trying to break loose.
The boy walked through the hallways of this new place. It was large! And it was very, very cold, too! There were so many doors and places that looked so interesting... No time for that, however. He had friends to find. He heard steps nearby and immediately hid around a corner hoping not to be seen. And that's when he saw him: The man from earlier, walking down the hall with a just as blonde woman dressed in a labcoat.
"Thank you for the medicine. I was losing form again." Lucian was telling her. "And for Caps. His Spore was most useful on today's mission."
"My pleasure," The woman nodded.
Once they vanished around the opposite corner, Vincent peeked out to make sure they were gone, then stepped out, determined to find his friends and his way out. He kept walking down the dim hallway, with it's creamy walls having a strangely energizing effect on him. He wanted to run! That would make him easy to notice, though. But as an 8 year-old, the impulse was a rather hard one to resist. He managed to keep control, however, and kept moving on. He finally reached the end of the hallway at a large pair of double doors. He slightly opened one and peeked inside to see if there was anyone... He was in luck: No one in sight.
Slowly, he opened one of the doors and walked inside, stepping as softly as he could... But the moment he entered, his plan to go by unnoticed went straight down.
"YOU!" He heard the angry bark, and before he could even react, he was tackled to the floor by a Glaceon. "You're the one that almost made me hurt my daughter!" Beatrix growled in an angry and menacing way, dark blue eyes ignited in rage.
"Boy, are you in trouble," The Delcatty added, stepping out from behind Beatrix and looking at the boy on the floor. "She can be quite dangerous when she's upset."
"I-I-" Vincent didn't know what to tell her, and, judging from how angry Beatrix was, he didn't think it would have made a difference.
"Let's see how-"
"-Beatrix, leave him alone." The command came, and the Glaceon immediately got off the child and stepped back, sitting to look at Lucian, who just looked at Vincent on the ground and slowly shook his head. "Tch, tch... Beatrix, I told you not to go after him when he escaped."
"You're the guy!" Vincent sprang to his feet and tried to punch Lucian, who simply stopped the boy's hand. Vincent immediately skipped back, clenching his hand as he felt an unbearable cold envelop it. "Ow!" he clenched his wrist, huffing at it to see if he managed to warm up.
"I suggest you refrain from doing that in the future," Lucian told him. "The results, as you have experienced just now, can be bad."
"Well..." Vincent was going to try and hit him again when he was interrupted by the man.
"Escaping is useless," Lucian said, "As far as your family knows, you died last night in an accident after you sneaked out of your home."
Vincent gasped when he heard this. Dead? Did that mean he couldn't just go back to his home? No... If he came back now his parents would be mad and probably ground him for that 'mean prank' of his. In a way, it was, indeed, like a movie. The problem was it was all happening to him.
"We need you, boy," Lucian continues, holding out a blue-gloved hand for the boy to take. "These are tough times and we need capable ones like you to assist us. I think you have proven you are not average child. You didn't sit down and cry when you saw you were somewhere else; you managed to avoid the Spores enough to fight me... And you even escaped your cell. Come with me and you can become a real hero like the ones in those movies you like so much."
Vincent stared at the man, then at his hand, then at the man again. A real hero like the ones in the movies? It sounded tempting. And, unlike the previous times, Lucian even seemed to irradiate calm. In fact Vincent was feeling he could trust him and that he had seen him somewhere before their encounter in the alley... But where? He had to choose, though, and so he did. He took the man's cold hand, and they walked away together.
A little later they arrived at a very large and well-lit hall. Six more children were gathered there, and that's where Vincent saw them: Joe and Celeste! Great. He let go of Lucian and ran to his friends, delighted to see them again.
"Hey!" He greeted as he walked towards them with a broad smile. "It's great to see you!"
"Hey, Vin," Joe greeted calmly, but still noticeably upset. He probably got the same news Vincent got a few minutes ago and was dressed in the same suit. "So, did you hear?"
"Yeah..."
"I don't know what'll happen to us now..." Celeste said, weeping. She was wearing a dull magenta version of the same outfit.
"Don't worry," Sal spoke, much to Vincent's surprise, as he didn't even notice him there. His voice was a very low and raspy one, he also had the mustard uniform. "Lucian is a friend. I know."
"And here we have the seven," Lucian told Beatrix as the two and Miles watched the scene. "Interesting ones, eh?"
"Yes..." Beatrix answered sharply, looking at Sal. "That child... His smell... He is just like you."
"He is very different," Lucian whispered. "I'll explain later... Well... The time is now!" He clapped his hands together and all seven immediately calmed down and looked at him. "Make a line, children!" He told them, and all seven reluctantly formed in a very badly-made line. "I suppose I should explain," He began talking out loud so everyone could hear. "I represent an organization named HOPE. Today you were taken from your homes for a simple reason: We need you to as strange as it might sound, save the world! You have, in one way or another, proven yourselves capable of feats that suggest you will make excellent trainers! And, as such, we will train you, and you will assist us in dealing with all those demented teams out there! In brief, you will be given a Pokéball. In it is your partner! The only one you will always be able to trust! They were chosen in accordance to your personalities, so you should get along quite well! Now!" He gestured towards a man standing by the hall's door holding a case to approach.
Lucian took the case, opened it, and took seven Pokéballs out. He went from end to end of the line, handing each kid one.
"Now open the ball and meet your partner!"
Celeste opened hers first and was quite happy to see Kate come out. She immediately got to hugging and petting her, which the Skitty took quite nicely. "You're so cute!"
A red-haired girl opened hers and was positively surprised to see a Riolu come out. Immediately both started running around, chasing each other.
Another girl, though this one was very pale and frail-looking, got a Natu, oddly matching to her. They both just stood there, looking at each other.
A very burly boy opened his to find himself face to face with a Slowpoke. It took a while for both of them to react with a rather idle "Hello!"
Sal got a Shinx, who immediately jumped at him, purring in affection. Without saying a word, he took the cub in his arms and began stroking the back of his ear.
Joe launched his Pokéball and saw the young, canine shape of a Growlithe appear in front of him. He bent forward to per him, but the puppy seemed quite afraid of him. "Hey, what's the matter?" Joe held his hand out for a while before the Growlithe finally allowed him to pet him.
"And that leaves..." Beatrix commented before huffing in surprise and looking at Lucian. "You didn't!"
"I did," Lucian nodded. "I think they're perfect for each other."
Vincent threw his ball and reacted happily when he noticed the Eevee shaking herself awake in front of him. He reached out to her, smiling. "Hey, I'm Vincent!"
The Eevee just looked at him and sighed in both fear and disappointment. She was promised a trainer like Lucian, and this certainly wasn't it.