Pokemon League Monologue
The Pokemon League.
With millions of people gathered, trainers and normals alike, I watched as the new champion was crowned.
“Congratulations, Gray. You have defeated all of us, the Elite Four, and... in such overwhelming fashion, too! With respect to your prodigious skill, I will now confer upon you the title of 「League Champion」!”
“Heh, it wasn’t much. You hardly put a fight, old man.”
“Haha. That’s just proof of how strong you are. So work hard from now on, alright? Become the greatest trainer that Saeria, no, the entire world has ever seen…!”
“Huh? Who cares about that? Hurry up and give me the 「Prize Money」, dammit.”
“Ah, yes. Here you go, 11420 Pokédollars… wait, huh? Gray, wh, where are you going?! You still have to give your speech!”
“Sorry, old man. I have a date with Jenny at 2 o’clock. I can’t afford to be late anymore… so with that, cya.” …show more content…
“...... T-The Champion of the Saeria Region, Gray Albrecht! Ev, everyone please make sure to give him your best regards from now on!”
But there was no applause. Of the 5 or so million spectators present, there was not a single person who clapped. They could not accept it… that they had waited 40 years for this? Gray Albrecht, so that they could have this hooligan be their Champion? No, it cannot be.
He was supposed to be the chosen one. The second coming of 「Red」. The savior who would restore the Saeria Region to its rightful place. A strong and honorable trainer, one who would fight on behalf of his Pokemon… not some punk, like this.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I-I held on for 40 years, only to hand over the throne to him? I couldn’t even force Gray to use his 6th Pokemon. How sad. I really have grown weak, haven’t I?”
Yes, I have.
Perhaps, it was about time anyway. Out of the 8 Regional Champions, I was undoubtedly the weakest one. For a long time now, I had lost my place amongst the rest… so I was not a true Champion, after all.
That might be so. I may be nothing more than ordinary trainer now. Hardly different than Youngster Joey… ah, wait, it’s Collector Joey now. Huh, to think that he’s still searching for that perfect Ratata at his age... well, that makes two of us.
58 years old. I might be old, but that doesn’t mean shit. When that b*stard is still out there, doing what he loves most… then what reason do I have? Why can’t I do it too? Why can’t I become Champion, again?
Isn’t that right, buddy? Swampert (!Best Starter), if only you were still with me…
—Would you like to see him?
…… Yes, yes I would. I’d do anything to see him again.
—Even if it meant giving up everything? Your dream of becoming the very best (like no one ever was)?
Who? Wh, who the hell are you?
I paused. For awhile, I had been walking aimlessly throughout town… but, this. How did I end up here, of all places?
The Avest
Forest.
A vast woodland area located in West Saeria, directly north of my home, Siri Town. Otherwise known as the ‘Eternal Night Forest’ due to how closely-knit the trees are, blocking out all light from above. As such… If you wish to travel safely through the forest, it is recommended that you bring a Fire Pokemon by your side. Not only to illuminate the path but also to defeat the countless Bug Pokemon along the way.
And so, how am I here? Avest Forest… that’s in the West. And the League, if I’m not mistaken, is located in Eternum City. All the way up in the North, atop Mount Sanarail.
What the hell is going on? I may not be completely sober at the moment, but there’s no way I should be here. And the voices, who is it? Who are you… to whisper such blasphemy from inside my own head?
—I am nothing. But who are you? A champion, is it? Are you a man, great or small?
I continued walking down the dark, beaten trail. ‘Who am I,’ it asks. I mean, how should I know?, I’m already having a midlife identity crisis of my own, as it happens…
—Search and you will find. The End is only the Beginning.
‘The End is only the Beginning.’ Yes, that is true. When I became Champion, I did not realize, at least not back then… that I was only standing at the starting line. And I still am, 40 years later, having yet to take a single step forward—
“Is that… a Shrine? But I never heard that there was a Shrine here, this deep into the forest?”
As I slowly stepped forward, I observed the Shrine; the small, wooden structure erected before me. It had a very simple, ordinary design, and was covered in moss. But, there was one thing that stood out to me. A strange, hand-cut symbol of a fairy, perhaps a Pokemon, but one I had never seen before.
I reached out with one hand, barely out-of-reach, only one or two inches away from touching the Shrine… but then I retracted.
Curiosity was not a good thing. Although I once thought otherwise, I now know better than to act solely on impulse. Think, then act. Especially in a bizarre situation like this.
But, wait. This is a Shrine, right? Hmm, well, I’m not religious… and I don’t attend Church (of Arceus) anymore… but I do know this. That there’s only one thing to do at a Shrine, which is—
—Give and Receive. Your wish will be granted.
What I want, huh? As I kneeled down, closed my eyes, and clasped my hands together, but there wasn’t anything that particularly came to mind. But I offered up a prayer anyway, since it was the proper thing to do. A pointless gesture, but who knows… perhaps Arceus might take pity on me after all?
Boom.
‘C..el..i’ It was the last thought I had before my consciousness faded away, and turned everything into 「White」. It happened in the blink of an eye, too quick for me to perceive… much less understand. But, this bizarre state of limbo I find myself in… don’t tell me it’s death? No no no, that's impossibl—
And then, I awakened.
With millions of people gathered, trainers and normals alike, I watched as the new champion was crowned.
“Congratulations, Gray. You have defeated all of us, the Elite Four, and... in such overwhelming fashion, too! With respect to your prodigious skill, I will now confer upon you the title of 「League Champion」!”
“Heh, it wasn’t much. You hardly put a fight, old man.”
“Haha. That’s just proof of how strong you are. So work hard from now on, alright? Become the greatest trainer that Saeria, no, the entire world has ever seen…!”
“Huh? Who cares about that? Hurry up and give me the 「Prize Money」, dammit.”
“Ah, yes. Here you go, 11420 Pokédollars… wait, huh? Gray, wh, where are you going?! You still have to give your speech!”
“Sorry, old man. I have a date with Jenny at 2 o’clock. I can’t afford to be late anymore… so with that, cya.” …show more content…
“...... T-The Champion of the Saeria Region, Gray Albrecht! Ev, everyone please make sure to give him your best regards from now on!”
But there was no applause. Of the 5 or so million spectators present, there was not a single person who clapped. They could not accept it… that they had waited 40 years for this? Gray Albrecht, so that they could have this hooligan be their Champion? No, it cannot be.
He was supposed to be the chosen one. The second coming of 「Red」. The savior who would restore the Saeria Region to its rightful place. A strong and honorable trainer, one who would fight on behalf of his Pokemon… not some punk, like this.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I-I held on for 40 years, only to hand over the throne to him? I couldn’t even force Gray to use his 6th Pokemon. How sad. I really have grown weak, haven’t I?”
Yes, I have.
Perhaps, it was about time anyway. Out of the 8 Regional Champions, I was undoubtedly the weakest one. For a long time now, I had lost my place amongst the rest… so I was not a true Champion, after all.
That might be so. I may be nothing more than ordinary trainer now. Hardly different than Youngster Joey… ah, wait, it’s Collector Joey now. Huh, to think that he’s still searching for that perfect Ratata at his age... well, that makes two of us.
58 years old. I might be old, but that doesn’t mean shit. When that b*stard is still out there, doing what he loves most… then what reason do I have? Why can’t I do it too? Why can’t I become Champion, again?
Isn’t that right, buddy? Swampert (!Best Starter), if only you were still with me…
—Would you like to see him?
…… Yes, yes I would. I’d do anything to see him again.
—Even if it meant giving up everything? Your dream of becoming the very best (like no one ever was)?
Who? Wh, who the hell are you?
I paused. For awhile, I had been walking aimlessly throughout town… but, this. How did I end up here, of all places?
The Avest
Forest.
A vast woodland area located in West Saeria, directly north of my home, Siri Town. Otherwise known as the ‘Eternal Night Forest’ due to how closely-knit the trees are, blocking out all light from above. As such… If you wish to travel safely through the forest, it is recommended that you bring a Fire Pokemon by your side. Not only to illuminate the path but also to defeat the countless Bug Pokemon along the way.
And so, how am I here? Avest Forest… that’s in the West. And the League, if I’m not mistaken, is located in Eternum City. All the way up in the North, atop Mount Sanarail.
What the hell is going on? I may not be completely sober at the moment, but there’s no way I should be here. And the voices, who is it? Who are you… to whisper such blasphemy from inside my own head?
—I am nothing. But who are you? A champion, is it? Are you a man, great or small?
I continued walking down the dark, beaten trail. ‘Who am I,’ it asks. I mean, how should I know?, I’m already having a midlife identity crisis of my own, as it happens…
—Search and you will find. The End is only the Beginning.
‘The End is only the Beginning.’ Yes, that is true. When I became Champion, I did not realize, at least not back then… that I was only standing at the starting line. And I still am, 40 years later, having yet to take a single step forward—
“Is that… a Shrine? But I never heard that there was a Shrine here, this deep into the forest?”
As I slowly stepped forward, I observed the Shrine; the small, wooden structure erected before me. It had a very simple, ordinary design, and was covered in moss. But, there was one thing that stood out to me. A strange, hand-cut symbol of a fairy, perhaps a Pokemon, but one I had never seen before.
I reached out with one hand, barely out-of-reach, only one or two inches away from touching the Shrine… but then I retracted.
Curiosity was not a good thing. Although I once thought otherwise, I now know better than to act solely on impulse. Think, then act. Especially in a bizarre situation like this.
But, wait. This is a Shrine, right? Hmm, well, I’m not religious… and I don’t attend Church (of Arceus) anymore… but I do know this. That there’s only one thing to do at a Shrine, which is—
—Give and Receive. Your wish will be granted.
What I want, huh? As I kneeled down, closed my eyes, and clasped my hands together, but there wasn’t anything that particularly came to mind. But I offered up a prayer anyway, since it was the proper thing to do. A pointless gesture, but who knows… perhaps Arceus might take pity on me after all?
Boom.
‘C..el..i’ It was the last thought I had before my consciousness faded away, and turned everything into 「White」. It happened in the blink of an eye, too quick for me to perceive… much less understand. But, this bizarre state of limbo I find myself in… don’t tell me it’s death? No no no, that's impossibl—
And then, I awakened.