Author's Notes: This is for Summer Camp 2015, which finally gave me some motivation to actually write Xayj and Magikarp's story. This first chapter is partially set up as to how Xayj ends up in Sootopolis to start with.
"Gwampa! Gwampa! Can Xayj go with you today?"
Gym Leader Wattson could only laugh as he picked up his tiny grandson. This was the boy's fifth time asking if he could go with him to check on the power plant. The retired soldier had to give Xayj this, the boy was insanely persistent. Whenever Xayj was told no though, he didn't cry and throw any tantrums as most children at the age of four were wont to do. Instead, he would smile sadly and say 'okay'. It often worried his son that the boy didn't get upset.
"If your mother says you can come with me, then you can this time." Wattson said, not having the heart to deny the boy a fifth time. After all, how much trouble could such a well-behaved boy get into and it was a good way to spend more time with the boy and maybe even foster a closer relationship with the town he one day hoped would call Xayj its Gym Leader in his stead. Xayj lit up like an excited Charmander's flame before hugging his grandpa tightly.
"Thank you! I'll go ask mama!"
Wattson chuckled as he returned the hug and carefully set the excited boy down. Xayj ran faster than Wattson thought the boy capable of running back to his son's house. Wattson could only hope that Alana would approve letting her son go to the power plant.
"Mama!" Xayj shouted excitedly as he ran into the door, forgetting to open it first. The excited child backed up and opened it before stepping in and closing it.
Alana Wattson laughed melodiously as she picked up her small son, wiping his face with a damp cloth while her Wartortle looked at the boy worriedly. Xayj had a bad habit of not thinking things through thoroughly. Wartortle was convinced that all young humans must be like that until they are older. Perhaps that was why it wasn't until they were ten that they could be a trainer.
"Now, what has you so excited Xayj? Grandpa didn't give you cookies again did he?"
"Nope. Mommy, may I go with Gwampa to the power pwant?" Xayj asked hopefully. Alana wasn't sure if she could say no to the child. The boy didn't usually ask for much aside from hugs and the occasional soda when they went to Slateport's beach. Thankfully, her husband Ray was coming home today and chose that moment to walk in the door.
"Well, if I go with you it should be fine." John Wattson (Lt. retired) said with a twinkle in his eye as he wrapped his arms around his beloved family. John had been overseas in the Kanto region as a military medic, helping with aid after a nasty typhoon struck and nearly decimated Cinnabar Island.
"Papa! PAPA!" Xayj wrapped his tiny arms around his father's neck and for the first time started crying despite his excited laughing. It had been a long year of just video calls, phone calls, and letters by Pidgey.
John laughed as he picked up his son, happy to see the boy after a year apart. The small child hadn’t gotten much taller yet, but he was certain he’d be tall like his mother when he was done growing.
“So, what do you say Alana? If I go too there will be two adults to keep him out of whatever trouble such a well-mannered kid can get into.” John reasoned with his wife, there really couldn’t be much for Xayj to get into right? Father and son gave her possibly the cutest identical looks that crushed any objection she’d have had despite her misgivings.
“Oh, who can refuse when both of you give me that face?” Alana replied with a sigh as she smiled. “Just be careful okay?”
“I promise to be careful Alana.”
“Promises, promises sweetie, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this time.” Alana replied as she kissed her husband chastely. Wartortle bit his bottom lip, almost unwilling to let the humans leave thought unsure why.
“Tortie doesn’t want us to go papa.”
“I’m sure Tortie is just worried since you’re so young and tend to get excited easily.” John replied as he scooped the boy into his arms. “Let’s go meet grandpa.”
“Okay!”
Wattson smiled warmly as he spotted his son’s familiar blond hair that was cropped close to his head as per military rule. Well, he was easy to spot when he had a boy on his shoulders in a scarf that was way too big for him shouting for his grandpa.
“I thought you weren’t due back for another week my boy! Oh, how cares? You’re home now. I take it you’re coming on our little venture to New Mauville?”
“You guessed right pops. As for being home early, I got off the boat and decided to take a flight back when I arrived in Dewford. I was ready to be home and was tired of the ocean to be honest.” John replied as he hugged his father, mindful of the child on his own shoulders.
“Well, we won’t be in the water long enough for you to worry then.” Wattson replied with a laugh as he called out Milotic to pull along a small boat. Milotic was pleased to be in the water and gave a pleased cry when the local population of Tentacool said their hellos before returning to the lower water to avoid the boat.
In less than ten minutes, the three Wattsons were landing at the entrance to the Power Plant and getting off the small boat. John quickly tied off the boat to a tree and turned to acknowledge Milotic.
“Why don’t you swim freely for a bit? We shouldn’t be long.”
Milotic happily dove into the water as a response, splashing the humans. Xayj giggled with a clap. Xayj liked most Pokemon, but the sea serpents were so cool the way they didn’t need limbs to move through water or on land.
“Looks like we may see some Voltorb and Electrode today since the readings are a little higher than usual.” Wattson said, reading the portable energy scanner he’d had commissioned to read the amount of electricity the plant was putting out. Xayj was only half listening to his grandfather when he noticed something different on the ground in the distant room. John set Xayj down so he could look over the readings as well, trusting in his son’s usual disposition to hold over any childish curiosity.
I know I should tell Gwampa and papa but…I wanna know what it is more. Xayj thought to himself as he wandered over to the other room he’s seen the light in. Spotting a shiny ball, he went to examine it closer. The ball almost looked nearly as big as he was but what really caught his attention were the pretty blue lines transferring between itself and the wall beside it. It looked like dancing electricity. The ball looked at him.
Why does a giant pokéball have eyes?
"Gwampa! Gwampa! Can Xayj go with you today?"
Gym Leader Wattson could only laugh as he picked up his tiny grandson. This was the boy's fifth time asking if he could go with him to check on the power plant. The retired soldier had to give Xayj this, the boy was insanely persistent. Whenever Xayj was told no though, he didn't cry and throw any tantrums as most children at the age of four were wont to do. Instead, he would smile sadly and say 'okay'. It often worried his son that the boy didn't get upset.
"If your mother says you can come with me, then you can this time." Wattson said, not having the heart to deny the boy a fifth time. After all, how much trouble could such a well-behaved boy get into and it was a good way to spend more time with the boy and maybe even foster a closer relationship with the town he one day hoped would call Xayj its Gym Leader in his stead. Xayj lit up like an excited Charmander's flame before hugging his grandpa tightly.
"Thank you! I'll go ask mama!"
Wattson chuckled as he returned the hug and carefully set the excited boy down. Xayj ran faster than Wattson thought the boy capable of running back to his son's house. Wattson could only hope that Alana would approve letting her son go to the power plant.
"Mama!" Xayj shouted excitedly as he ran into the door, forgetting to open it first. The excited child backed up and opened it before stepping in and closing it.
Alana Wattson laughed melodiously as she picked up her small son, wiping his face with a damp cloth while her Wartortle looked at the boy worriedly. Xayj had a bad habit of not thinking things through thoroughly. Wartortle was convinced that all young humans must be like that until they are older. Perhaps that was why it wasn't until they were ten that they could be a trainer.
"Now, what has you so excited Xayj? Grandpa didn't give you cookies again did he?"
"Nope. Mommy, may I go with Gwampa to the power pwant?" Xayj asked hopefully. Alana wasn't sure if she could say no to the child. The boy didn't usually ask for much aside from hugs and the occasional soda when they went to Slateport's beach. Thankfully, her husband Ray was coming home today and chose that moment to walk in the door.
"Well, if I go with you it should be fine." John Wattson (Lt. retired) said with a twinkle in his eye as he wrapped his arms around his beloved family. John had been overseas in the Kanto region as a military medic, helping with aid after a nasty typhoon struck and nearly decimated Cinnabar Island.
"Papa! PAPA!" Xayj wrapped his tiny arms around his father's neck and for the first time started crying despite his excited laughing. It had been a long year of just video calls, phone calls, and letters by Pidgey.
John laughed as he picked up his son, happy to see the boy after a year apart. The small child hadn’t gotten much taller yet, but he was certain he’d be tall like his mother when he was done growing.
“So, what do you say Alana? If I go too there will be two adults to keep him out of whatever trouble such a well-mannered kid can get into.” John reasoned with his wife, there really couldn’t be much for Xayj to get into right? Father and son gave her possibly the cutest identical looks that crushed any objection she’d have had despite her misgivings.
“Oh, who can refuse when both of you give me that face?” Alana replied with a sigh as she smiled. “Just be careful okay?”
“I promise to be careful Alana.”
“Promises, promises sweetie, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this time.” Alana replied as she kissed her husband chastely. Wartortle bit his bottom lip, almost unwilling to let the humans leave thought unsure why.
“Tortie doesn’t want us to go papa.”
“I’m sure Tortie is just worried since you’re so young and tend to get excited easily.” John replied as he scooped the boy into his arms. “Let’s go meet grandpa.”
“Okay!”
Wattson smiled warmly as he spotted his son’s familiar blond hair that was cropped close to his head as per military rule. Well, he was easy to spot when he had a boy on his shoulders in a scarf that was way too big for him shouting for his grandpa.
“I thought you weren’t due back for another week my boy! Oh, how cares? You’re home now. I take it you’re coming on our little venture to New Mauville?”
“You guessed right pops. As for being home early, I got off the boat and decided to take a flight back when I arrived in Dewford. I was ready to be home and was tired of the ocean to be honest.” John replied as he hugged his father, mindful of the child on his own shoulders.
“Well, we won’t be in the water long enough for you to worry then.” Wattson replied with a laugh as he called out Milotic to pull along a small boat. Milotic was pleased to be in the water and gave a pleased cry when the local population of Tentacool said their hellos before returning to the lower water to avoid the boat.
In less than ten minutes, the three Wattsons were landing at the entrance to the Power Plant and getting off the small boat. John quickly tied off the boat to a tree and turned to acknowledge Milotic.
“Why don’t you swim freely for a bit? We shouldn’t be long.”
Milotic happily dove into the water as a response, splashing the humans. Xayj giggled with a clap. Xayj liked most Pokemon, but the sea serpents were so cool the way they didn’t need limbs to move through water or on land.
“Looks like we may see some Voltorb and Electrode today since the readings are a little higher than usual.” Wattson said, reading the portable energy scanner he’d had commissioned to read the amount of electricity the plant was putting out. Xayj was only half listening to his grandfather when he noticed something different on the ground in the distant room. John set Xayj down so he could look over the readings as well, trusting in his son’s usual disposition to hold over any childish curiosity.
I know I should tell Gwampa and papa but…I wanna know what it is more. Xayj thought to himself as he wandered over to the other room he’s seen the light in. Spotting a shiny ball, he went to examine it closer. The ball almost looked nearly as big as he was but what really caught his attention were the pretty blue lines transferring between itself and the wall beside it. It looked like dancing electricity. The ball looked at him.
Why does a giant pokéball have eyes?