This is the journey of a man named Chris, who had dreams shared by many, yet lived experiences known by so few... There are many people in the world of Pokemon, who come in just as many varieties as these strange creatures. And you are about to discover, perhaps, one you may just consider the rarest of all...
Chapter 5 - Dinner For... Dozens?!
As he set off on his new journey, Chris couldn't resist the urge to look back occasionally, with his final glance towards the past happening as he stood atop a high hill, able to see the village far below in the distance behind him. Looking in his rucksack, he took out a pair of binoculars, leaning against a tree as he looked down. All of the villagers had already started going about their usual business, and at his grandfathers cabin, he could see Alakazam sitting on the porch as Lopunny swept and Vespiquen used her Combee to clean the windows. Suddenly he noticed the Alakazam looking right at him, waving his hand in a shooing manner as the binoculars flew out of his hands and were placed back in his rucksack. Chris smirked with a nod, turning away and continuing onward. It was amazing how much Alakazam was like his grandfather... Chris thought as he pressed onward, pushing him to live his life instead of looking back and worrying over them.
Eventually he reached one of the local Pokemarts, stepping inside to take a look. He knew he would need supplies, and as he stepped in to get them, he suddenly realized... He... Was broke...
Smacking himself on the forehead and groaning, he took off his rucksack and rummaged through it, hoping that, maybe, he had a little cash in it, or at least something to eat the villagers may have given him until he found a way to make a little money. But instead of money or food, he suddenly found an old wallet. Tilting his head curiously, Chris looked inside it and found a picture of him as a child with his grandfather, with a piece of paper folded and tucked in one of its pockets. He took it out and opened it up, finding several codes on it along with a small note. It was from his grandfather, addressed to him telling of a bank account his grandfather had set up for him and had slowly built up in funds over the years. He wanted him to have plenty of financial security once he was gone, figuring he would leave on his journey afterwards at last, and felt it was the least he could do for taking care of him and the village.
Curious, Chris took the paper to the ATM tucked in a corner of the store and entered the codes. It took a moment, but suddenly the system managed to bring up the account, and its contents left him in shock. There was plenty of cash in the regular checking portion of the account, as well as a surprising amount stored in savings for emergencies. The account was listed in his grandfathers name but had him put in as a dependent with unlimited access to it as well. Chris rubbed the back of his head, slightly guilt over his grandfather putting all his earnings towards him, but smiled in the end and took out the Pokeball from his rucksack, telling his grandfather thanks as he withdrew just enough for basic emergency and living supplies. He knew some of the towns nearby, and decided to put in an order to have a card prepared for him for the sake of easier access, figuring he could just pick it up from one of the banks nearby.
He left the store and continued on his way, the light from the sun now nearly gone as stars began twinkling above. Looking around, he figured it would be best to set up camp nearby, considering he had no Pokemon to ensure he was able to travel safely in the dark. And with the Pokemart not too far behind him, he would be able to run back if something was to happen. So he ventured off the path for a while until finding a decent clearing in the woods, and set up his first camp as an official Pokemon trainer. Or... Beginner traveler at least... And he laughed nervously with a bit of sweat on his face. Without a single Pokemon, he couldn't really call himself that yet, and now that he thought about it... Most people tend to start off with at least one... Right? Plus... He bought stuff he needed... Yet forgot to get any Pokeballs! Even if he found a Pokemon... How was he supposed to do anything as far as catching it went?
He scratched his head with a groan due to his own incompetence, but decided it was all part of learning the ropes and shook it off, setting up an area for a campfire. Gathering stones to put in a circle, he laid them down and set plenty of wood that had been lying around within it. Taking the stones out of his rucksack, Chris started scraping them together, eventually causing sparks which quickly set the wood on fire. Huh... That was a lot easier compared to how difficult it seems on TV... Then again, who can really trust anything on TV anyways? He stood and put the stones back in his rucksack, taking out his grandfathers Pokeball and setting it on top of a nearby boulder. He leaned against the huge stone and sighed, looking up at the stars. What did his grandfather think? Not bad for a rookie campsite eh? And Chris smirked as he set up his sleeping bad within his tent. It was hard to believe how well the seniors had been able to restore such old belongings... But they did a great job, and the fact he was traveling using the same things his grandfather had during his journey made him feel... Proud.
As the fire simmered down, he started cooking a pot of stew. Since he always cooked for his grandfather and the villagers, this much he knew he could do right, and he smiled as the soup slowly boiled, the smell flowing through the air and past the trees. Naturally it was only a matter of time before surrounding Pokemon caught a whiff of the food and started surrounding the campsite, looking at Chris cautiously from all corners. He quickly noticed them, and cleared his throat as he poured himself a bowl, slowly and calmly starting to eat, hoping not to startle or intimidate any of the Pokemon staying in hiding... But suddenly one of the Pokemon stumbled out of the bushes. It was a young Growlithe, and it froze as it sat up straight, blinking at Chris cautiously. He watched the Pokemon for a moment, then carefully got another bowl, filling it and handing it out towards the Growlithe. Unfortunately, the advance startled him and he spewed out a small flame thrower, leaving Chris covered in ash and smoke. He groaned and blinked with a cough, shaking his head as he set down the bowl and wiped the ash off his face. You're... Welcome... He said as he went back to eating his own serving. The flame thrower wasn't very powerful, so asides very slight burns you could barely feel, he was unharmed. More covered in soot than anything.
The Growlithe eventually went up to the bowl, sniffing at it and, slowly, began to eat as well. Chris looked at it with a smile, making it jolt and growl at him, and he quickly looked away. So... Eye contact... Be careful with it... He thought as mental notes started popping up in his head. After a while, the Growlithe finished the bowl and yawned, looking up at him. After a moment, the Pokemon walked up next to him, and thinking it wanted attention now, Chris reached down, about to pet it when suddenly it lifted its leg and started peeing at his feet, shaking his leg and running back off into the woods with the other Pokemon, leaving Chris with a twitching eye as he grumbled. After some time, several other Pokemon started coming out, likely feeling safer thanks to his normal scent now surrounded by the Growlithe's, and he started sharing the soup with them one by one, and the Pokemon in turn sharing it equally with one another. It wasn't long before he was surrounded by them like it was a dinner party, the Pokemon talking to one another and coming up for more now and then.
The group had many varieties, from Mankey's to Cubone's, an Eevee or two, even an Ursaring that brought along several Teddiursa's! A few Treecko and Lombre's as well, plus a few lazy Slakoths. Pokemon from all known generations had gathered due to the delicious smells, most of them being in their pre to first evolution stages. The area was famous for being a place where Pokemon came to breed, so there was no shortage of young and innocent Pokemon who would gladly follow the smell of a warm, tasty dinner. But this wasn't exactly a good thing either, as this innocence could land them in a heap of trouble if trust was put in the wrong person... So Chris was glad it was him they came to. The food dwindled more and more, and once it was gone, the Pokemon left together, well fed and ready for a good nights sleep. Chris laughed nervously as he looked into his empty pot, having hoped he could use the leftovers for a few days, and sighed as he started cleaning it. It was a weeks worth of stew just about for a single person, snarfed down within one or two hours... The payment of generosity, Chris thought as he laughed.
Still... He was glad his grandfathers money was being put to good use. The old man would have been amazed at all the Pokemon gathered together like that to eat with them. He finished cleaning the pot and bowls and put everything up, going towards his tent and, making sure to pick up his grandfathers Pokeball along the way, went inside and put the ball back inside his rucksack, setting his shoes just outside his tent and laying down, watching the remaining fire as it flickered and swayed in the night air, and slowly, with stomach full and day feeling well spent, dozed off.
