New Beginnings - Chapter 170 (Patreon)

Ethan stared at the Rocket’s cottage and felt his simmering anger from the day's events dissipate completely into incredulousness. Outside their small cobblestone wall that kept their lawn enclosed, several Pokemon Rangers and a Jenny crouched for cover. From the large window at the front of the cottage, Ethan spotted blurs of crimson, blue, and Meowth’s obviously cream colored fur. 

“You’ll never take us alive!” Ethan heard James’ voice shout from within. “We have diplomatic immunity!” 

The Jenny, who didn’t look alarmed even though she was taking cover, released a breath of pent up frustration and balled her fists as she groaned, “As I said before! You are not in trouble! We just need to talk!” 

“That’s bait! Don’t listen to ‘em!” Meowth’s scratchy voice advised. Ethan watched as the patch of blue from within the curtains faded away. 

Jessie’s crimson hair was done up in the T.V shows crescent shape. Recently, she had been tying it back, probably to save on whatever hair product her massive mane required. She peered through the window in full view, suspicion evident on her face. She was dressed in her Team Rocket clothes. “We will send out a messenger! If they do not return, then say your prayers!” 

Jessie turned away, gave a nod in full view of the window, and the door to the cottage opened. The Rangers and Officer peered above the cobblestone wall and watched as a large silhouette exited the home. Besides the Jenny, Ethan spotted a Granbull jumping to get a view. Fully dressed in a large tan trenchcoat hugging his body and matching fedora, Wobbuffet closed the distance with an air of mystery. 

Wobbuffet slid his gaze over the Rangers and stopped on the Jenny, with a sly smile, he tipped his hat. “Woooooooobuffet!” 

“Okay! That’s it!” The Jenny stood, forsaking cover, then roughly tossed open the little wooden gate that led into the lawn. She stomped forward, brushing past Wobbuffet who simply gave a sad little ‘Wob…’ as she passed. She pounded the door, yelling. “Enough of the games! You’re not in trouble!!! Open the damn door!” 

Seeing his opportunity, Ethan also yelled as he closed the distance. “Jessie, James, open the door for the officer. You’re not in trouble.” 

“Oh.” The door opened quickly, nearly causing the Jenny to fall on her ass. Ethan caught her by the arm before she did. Jessie stood, arms crossed in the doorway with an infuriating smirk. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?”

With a regal air that would put Ralts to shame, she flicked her hand out haughtily and pointed at the recovering Jenny with superiority. “Prepare for trouble!” 

“And make it double!” James slid past, moonwalking, showing his side profile from the doorway. 

“♫ To protect the world from devastation! ♫”“♪ To unite all peoples within our nation! ♪” 

The Rocket’s shifted, adopting a brand new pose as a rose came from absolutely bum fuck nowhere and into James’ mouth. 

“♫ To denouce the evils of truth and love! ♫ ”“♪ To extend our reach to the stars above! ♪”

“♫ Jessie! ♫” She flicked her hair back and stared down on all of those watching. “♪ James! ♪” James kept the rose in his mouth as he winked. 

“♫ Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light! ♫” Jessie raised a hand, as if reaching for the stars with her splayed fingers.

“♪ Surrender now, or prepare to fight! ♪” James slid past, rose gone… 

Ethan blinked, finding it now in Jessie’s reaching hand. 

“Me—” Meowth’s voice started, just before the trenchcoat wearing Wobbuffet hip checked the ever lasting shit out of him as he ran for the door. Wobbuffet turned, tossing off his trenchcoat to reveal his true form.

“Wooooooooobuffet!!!”

For a solid five seconds, nobody spoke. Jessie and James’ pose didn’t falter a millimeter as Ethan heard murmuring from the Rangers behind him. “Hey… that was pretty cool. Their cosplay is spot on. Bad taste though.” 

Jessie’s eyebrow twitched and smile turned brittle, meaning that she heard the remark in the everlasting silence.

“Well….” Ethan decided to break the ice. “Ask your questions, Officer.” 

The Jenny sighed, one deep and troubled. She pinched her brow. “I have so many more now…”

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After spending five minutes  hanging around to be sure that Jessie and James were now cooperating with Officer Jenny, Ethan made his way to his own home to physically distance himself from the three teens in the Pokemon Center, lest he do something stupid. For the first time in a week, he was ‘alone’ for a bit as he walked through his ranch. 

While no longer truly angry, he was still immensely disappointed, frustrated, and—well, maybe he was still pretty angry, even after Jessie and James lifted his spirits. As he walked, he couldn’t stop thinking about how those kids thought what they did/were doing was okay. Surely they had classes teaching them about the world outside their city and how to interact with wild pokemon. He knew that they were the outliers, he wasn’t dumb… but if they didn’t go over even the bare necessities in school, then the whole educational system was terrible. 

Not to disparage Racheal and Gideon, who were kids trying to learn and have fun on their once in a lifetime opportunity, but the questions they barraged him with during their short two days walking through Eterna Forest were also things that should have been common sense. At least, to him. 

And if they were common sense to a guy who’d never gone on a journey and grew up without pokemon at all, then they should have been more prepared. How many kids were thrown their household pokemon and told ‘See ya next year! Do your best!’ and kicked out the door? How many beginner trainers got injured, lost, or starved before they learned how to properly travel and prepare? 

He wasn’t even close to being an expert or, if being honest, even a novice when it came to journeys, but surely he had some knowledge to offer? Perhaps he could set-up a little introduction to wild pokemon here at the ranch. That, at the very least, he could have input on. Spend a few days with some beginners on their journey and teach them about how to interact with wild pokemon and how to care for their future partners? It was a thought that settled nicely within himself the more he thought about it. 

The set-up for it and advertising would need a lot of work, but if he could advertise for the ranch, that would also bring attention to his tutoring, breeding, and daycare services as well. Admittedly, he kinda failed in the advertising department already, but if he put some real effort in, then he could definitely make it work. 

Could he get a spot on T.V to talk about his ranch? No, not really. The only reason any T.V station would be interested in him would be because he knows Cynthia and he’s not that kinda friend. He doubted Cynthia would mind using her name for some clout, but that was not something friends did, so that was off the table. 

Posting online, which is what he’d done for his other services, wasn’t working very well. It was one thing to have a website and a link, but if nobody knew to look for your website then the website was a bust. People had to discover that the website existed first, which was the real hurdle. 

Out of everything… his video channel would probably be the best bet. Posting a video with Chatot and Smeargle, showcasing his ranch and pokemon to the potentially hundreds of thousands of people who watched the numerous singing and music videos would be the immediate path. Plus, it was free, and he was poor—It would work out well. 

Maybe showcasing the ranch could be in a music video? He’d always hated when you clicked on a video expecting the normal from a creator and suddenly it was something completely different or when ads interrupted everything. Things in the world of pokemon wouldn’t be that different… and he really didn’t want to be the forerunner of ad breaks in simple videos people make for fun or for information.

The question was, what song should he choose for the video?

As if she could read his thoughts—which now that he thought about it, maybe she could—Meloetta appeared in a shimmer beside him right as he made it to his house. Ethan made for the steps that led to the front door and slowed as loud music came from within. Knowing that Chatot was at the Pokemon Center and Meloetta was beside him… what pokemon was listening to music? Smeargle, perhaps? 

Then, once he recognised the song, he stilled completely and raised an eyebrow. 

“Now that is a song I haven’t listened to in a long long time.” Ethan spoke aloud, earning a head tilt from Meloetta. “Mel?” 

The song in question was on his phone, but to his knowledge he hadn’t played it at all. The lyrics, if you could call them that, were not the focal point. Afterall, dubstep was about the drops and the wobbles. 

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites was a very distinct song. 

The sky was quickly losing light as the sun began to set, so what little lights that were on within his house popped clearly from the window… and they were flickering colors. Without peering in, Ethan assumed it was his laptop’s screen. 

Ethan peeked at Meloetta, who’d floated closer to the door to press her head against it to listen in, then he held a finger up to his lips to be quiet. He received a nod and a smile before he gently opened the door to sneak in and find the culprit. 

And Ethan would have never thought that the culprit would have actually been culprits! Plural! On the kitchen table, where the laptop usually rested, the screen flickered through a rainbow colored screen-savor-esque video that pulsed to the beat. On the table, Ralts was practically a miniature replica of a white girl in the club, hopping up and down with her hands raised high as she danced her heart away. Floating above the laptop, Porygone bobbed up and down as his legs flipped and turned, detached from his body. His head also rotated like a hand of a clock, ticking to the beat. 

Ralts’ body was awash with the colors from the screen as she let loose, completely lost in the music and too distracted to feel his presence. Porygon had noticed him already, as he was facing the door, but he didn’t stop at all. Obviously, he was busy breaking it down, Porygon-style.

The song came to an end, instantly going on to the next, giving Ethan no time to interrupt. Seeing as he was getting a free show, he softly pulled out a chair and took a seat with a smirk plastered on his face. Deciding that now was ample time for blackmail, he whipped out his phone and started recording. 

As Shelter by Porter Robinson came on next, Ralts held her arms out to her side and bobbed left and right as if she was flying. Small Ra’s left her lips as she sang, completely oblivious to the audience. Ethan glanced at Meloetta, who was enthralled by the song—so much so, that she floated down to sit in his lap instead of float. 

Thank god he didn’t have the music video for that song or Meloetta would be balling her eyes out. Ethan knows he did when he first watched it.

Eventually, Ralts decided a spin was on the table for a dance move, swinging her around right in front of the camera. Till the day he dies, he will remember the sight of Ralts’ completely and mortified face.

Because he got it on camera.