#hc.entry

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

omanyte, diancie, probopass, quagsire, mawile, steelix

POKEDEX ENTRY

“you must have received a lot of love as a child,” it’s something hyunwoo gets told often and if he’s being honest he knows that it’s not possible for him to argue against it. he had an incredibly normal life, the only exception being the bundles of bruises that constantly covered his body. hyunwoo never minded it since the bruises were a sign of his hard work and the love that he received. his parents ran a wild pokemon rescue sanctuary and from a young age hyunwoo was already helping out. it was difficult sometimes since they specialized in rescuing rock and ground types.  

namwon was a smaller town, most people that came by were tourists rather than permanent inhabitants. as much as hyunwoo loved jirisan national park, he would say that he was a bit of a romantic at heart and he couldn’t help but want to brag about the fact that his city was nicknamed “the city of love”. his parents raised him on that motto, love and affection was something that hyunwoo never lacked and in turn that’s how they taught him to treat the pokemon, the nature, and the people around him.

his parents let him join them out on a rescue mission when he was ten. there was a landslide, the ground gave out below him and he found himself thrown into the caves of the mountain, completely lost and trapped. it was the winter and hyunwoo was lucky enough that he was stuck in a cave so it helped to preserve a good enough of warmth. the next day they find hyunwoo with an onix wrapped around his body. the onix becomes attached to the small boy and she became hyunwoo’s first official pokemon though she feels more like a mother than anything. she had become attached to the headstrong boy who stuck to his morals, who would hold a hand out to anyone or anything that needed help, and who had a smile that could melt the coldest heart. his onix loved him and he gave her all of the love back.

slowly along the way he acquired more and more friends. he showed off his pokemon with pride and his classmates and friends were all excited to see what new pokemon hyunwoo would bring to show them. hyunwoo enjoyed the life he was leading and knew that all he wanted was to inherit the sanctuary from his parents.

his parents had other ideas. hyunwoo was young after all, he needed to go out and learn and explore the world. the sanctuary would always be there for him after all, they told him.they sent him off to live with his uncle in busan at the age of eighteen. school wasn’t for hyunwoo, despite how knowledgeable and comfortable he was around different wild pokemon. he was the type that tended to learn through hands-on experience since he never could stand being stuck indoors.

he tried his hand at the league his first year in busan and found that it wasn’t for him. hyunwoo didn’t have the personality for it and so the competition circuit just wasn’t made for him. besides, he couldn’t stand the sight of his babies getting hurt. for a while hyunwoo just helped out with his uncle’s daycare unsure what to do with himself. if he was going to be here he thought he might as well work for it after all. his uncle did it without his permission, one day coming in and announcing that hyunwoo was going to be a ranger and that everything was already done for him to attend ranger school.

POKEDEX ENTRY

Minki’s story from the beginning- was a cliche. Your cut and paste trainer who dreamt of being the champion since they were young. To throw in yet another cliche trope into the mix- she came from the lower income parts of Busanjin. Not to say her parents werent loving- they loved both her and her older Brother with all their heart…but they just- had some bad habits that were hard to break. Habits that revolved around not being able to keep a job, and spending what money they did have on illegal recreational activities. Maybe if they had been home more often- Minki would have been more forgiving. It wouldn’t have mattered how torn apart her parents were…just as long as they were there. But unfortunately, Minki wouldn’t receive that- and spent her life mostly raised by her older Brother. He competed in contests, using the slight fame and money he would receive to put food on the table and clothes on Minkis back. No matter how hard times got- Minki was determined to compete in the league and become champion no matter what.

Her first Pokemon was given to her by her Brother- his Wigglytuff had laid an egg. She had protected the egg with all the care in the world, glowing with happiness whenever she finally met Igglybuff for the very first time. Igglybuff was her world- and soon enough with their growing friendship, Igglybuff become Jigglypuff soon enough. She was young, even in her early teens- she couldn’t pursue her dream of taking on the league just yet. Her Brother made her promise to finish school before she tried anything, to which she reluctantly agreed too. Obtaining her second Pokemon wasn’t as glamorous. During a school trip to the Geumjeong district- it was made very clear to not go into any areas that were inhabited by Pokemon- but did Minki listen? Of course not. Her and a few other classmates jumped at the opportunity to obtain a dragon Pokemon. It was all fun and games being surrounded by baby dragon Pokemon…until the group came face to face with a Hydreigon that didn’t seem to like guests all that much. Yet Minki obtained him, and that’s when her battle career really took off. Sure her Jigglypuff was somewhat strong for its size and age- but her new Hydreigon was an absolute beast. With her learning Hydreigon and building the bond between them, they soon slaughtered trainers with 6 Pokemon on their belt. Battling was still only a hobby while she focused on school..but she knew then that battling was the life for her.

Her third and final Pokemon would ultimately be led to her downfall, a completely pure instance of her stumbling back into the Mountains to hunt down some other strong Pokemon - she found some rough trainers who had found the newly awaken Jirachi. They attacked the small Pokemon- doing everything in their power to force the wishes out of him. Without any hesitation- Minki showed no mercy in having Hydreigon attack the trainers directly. Something against the law- but Minki wasn’t thinking about that. She only thought about saving the poor abused Pokemon. Even if Minki didn’t know much about Pokemon history (she really should have paid more attention in class) she knew that it may not have been the smartest idea to take this Pokemon to the Center, afraid of who might take advantage of the Pokemon once they were out of her hands. She took the injured Jirachi home-nursing them back to health. In the time of this, her and Jirachi bonded deeply. There was so many things she could wish for from Jirachi- so many things she wished she could change…but it didn’t seem right to take the easy way out. Jirachi stood with her, and she happily kept them…not knowing what trouble it would bring to her.

She ended up in a large scandal which ultimately banned her from the league. Minki was with a rougher yet richer  crowd, and her biggest mistake was showing them her little secret- Jirachi for the first time. One of her so called friends entered the league and challenged the elite four- however he completely broke the rules whenever he threw out a Raikou against them. He dragged everyone down with him whenever he was being prosecuted- claiming that he obtained Raikou through a Pokemon smuggling ring, which he pointed the finger to Minki and deflected blame, saying it was all her idea- and it was how she obtained Jirachi in the first place. None of it was true, but with her friend’s family name- and her coming from nothing…it was easy to pin the blame on her, nobody even took her word for it. For a short time she had to fight the law to keep her Pokemon, even while she was being prosecuted with Pokemon abuse. Had it not been for her Brother who spent every last dime they had to afford the best lawyer they could get- she would have lost her Pokemon. Yet despite everything, the crimes she never did still stayed with her. She was banned from the league for apparently being involved with abusing and forcing legendaries to be caught and battled. Before she could even start her dream- it was crushed.

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

abra, scyther, dewgong, snorlax, haunter, jigglypuff, froslass, cubone

POKEDEX ENTRY

pink.

the soft rays of the sun begin to bathe the city in a soft glimmering yellow. it’s early, almost too early and the streets are almost vacant. shop doors remain firmly closed and the residents of the city, for the most part, are tucked away tightly under their covers. the winter wind is brutal, whipping past him and threatening to sink into his bones. he shivers deeply into his heavy coat and watches as his exhales become visible in the early dawn light.

“hurry up, munchkin,” his grandfather’s voice catches his attention and he toddles after him, arms loaded with bags of fresh ingredients. “i’m sleepy,” he whines softly, before breaking off into a wide yawn, eyes still heavy with sleep from the night before. a warm, firm and well worn hand runs through his hair, ruffling the unruly locks. “you can sleep when we get the shop, I promise,” his grandfather smiles widely at him and directs him down the familiar streets.

he walks along quietly, humming under his breath until he sees the bright pastel blue of their family cafe. “we’re here!” he shouts, his voice echoing along, bouncing off the sidewalks and surrounding buildings.

green.

he presses his face against the glass eyes glued to the street in front of him. he takes in the sight of every passing adult, growing anxious by the second. he’s preoccupied and misses the playful pokemon that mirrors his position on the outside of the window. when he turns left to look down the beginning of the street again he catches sight of giant teal eyes staring at him. he can’t help the yell he lets out when he topples out of the cafe chair and lands on the hardwood floor with a loud thump. wincing, he glares at the laughing jigglypuff pointing at him from its perch in the cafe’s garden bed. he sticks his tongue out at the offending pokemon and rubs at his throbbing elbow.

“what are you doing?” turning he lets out another yell, this one filled to the brim with pure joy. he pushes himself off of the floor and wraps his arms around his mother’s waist. “I’ve missed you guys.” his father chuckles and tugs at his ear gently. “we’ve missed you too.” he spends so long clinging to each of them, quiet but so happy that he fails to notice the nicely wrapped box until his father places it in front of him. he sits unmoving, his eyes wide with excitement as they take in the nicely wrapped paper. “it’s almost like you don’t want your present—“ his father’s words are laced with amusement as he teases his son. “no! I definitely want it!” he finally loosens his grip on his mother’s arm and makes quick work of the present, paper and ribbons left in a messy heap without much thought.

his breath catches when he lifts the lid, nestled on a soft cushion lies a pokemon egg. words get lost in his throat as he wraps his small arms around the egg before gently clutching it to his chest.  “min,” his mother starts, her hands running gently over the slope of his shoulder before beginning to gently comb through his hair. “what do you think about coming with daddy and I on our next adventure?” he startles, wonder easily read in every line of his face. “really?” his voice is left soft, and his mother almost misses his words the first time. “yes,” she chuckles a soft smile crosses her face. “we want you to come with us.” he delicately tightens his grip around the egg and grins widely at his mom, highlighting his small pair of bunny teeth before nodding once, twice, a few times energetically. his father laughs and encourages him to drink his small cup of hot chocolate already growing cold while his mother starts to tell him stories of their latest journey.

blue.

the sand sticks to the bottoms of his feet as he makes his away along the blue coastline. the waves rise and tumble down, crashing and rushing up to lick at his ankles. he laughs at the feel of the warm water as it slowly trickles back before repeating the same motions over and over. he glances behind him and smiles at the small squirtle that follows beside him, splashing around in the water. his squirtle dives down only to surface, spraying at him with his water gun softly. “stop it,” he giggles kicking at the water, sending a flurry of sand and water everywhere. the beach behind them is hidden in a small alcove, void of humans save for him and his parents. instead the beach is covered in slowpoke bathing in the sun. he turns and spots his parents in the distance, his mother with her camera in hand while his father hurriedly types away at the small computer perched on his knees. he laughs and wonders what the general public would think of his parents, the famous researchers doctors kang and yoon, looking ridiculous in their beach gear with white sunblock on their faces. his squirtle hits him with another blast from his water gun, and his attention quickly turns away from the scene before him, playful revenge the only thing on his mind.

red.

the energetic child slowly gives way to a shy youth. he speaks softly, only trading half mumbled words when he needs to. he perches on an empty box of supplies, the rich green landscape of ireland spread before him. he watches as his mother inspects a small herd of skiddo munching on small tufts of grass. he runs his hands through the unruly and soft coat of his snoozing growlithe in his lap and tries his best to ignore the soft cooing of the small gathering of neighborhood mothers nearby. he hears them whisper about pinching his cute cheeks and hides his bright red face in growlithe’s fur, luckily his father senses his unease and shoos the small gathering away citing the importance of their work remaining uninterrupted. his father shoots him a heart that makes taemin sigh in annoyance and love.

white.

the storm around him is unforgiving. the wind whistles past, causing the snow to pick up wildly around him. the ice hits his cheeks as he burrows deeper down in his scarf, though it’s already soaked through. exhaustion lines his bones but he pushes him forward, step by step. he grits his teeth and continues to make his way blindly through the storm, the landscape around him nothing but a stark white. the pack on his back is empty save for a canister of nearly empty water and a few protein bars. the pokeballs for his growlithe and wartortle are nestled safely under the fabric of his coat. with each step, he berates himself. he knows he’s old enough to know better. he thought a small walk was the answer to cure the boredom that had built up while his parents were off investigating a rumor of a gathering of abomasnow living on the side of the mountain. there was only so many videogames he could play on his laptop before the cabin had seemed two sizes two small. the weather had been mild and he used the excuse of stretching his legs. the storm had caught him by surprise though, the forecast had never called for it.

and so here he was. he takes another step and feels his knees lock up. with a small yell, he topples over and lands shivering in the snow. with his breathing heavy, his vision waivers in and out, his body shivering violently. he closes his eyes and tries to summon up all of his strength to finally climb to his feet. a rustling surprises him but he doesn’t open his eyes until he feels a wetness that hits his cheek. he opens his eyes and in surprise finds a small white vulpix looming over him, blocking the snow from hitting his face once more. slowly, he raises his hand to gently comb at the almost iridescent white fur coat of the wild pokemon. “hey, there,” he whispers, his voice hoarse and throat stinging just a little bit. the wild vulpix bites at the cuff of his coat, urging him to his feet. once he’s up and stable, it chirps at him, urging him along as it hops over the snow barely leaving footprints in the drifts.

what feels like hours of walking is probably only minutes. and he barely contains himself when their cabin slowly comes into view. the glowing lights glimmering brightly in the growing night. he loses his footing once more but luckily his parents are quick to catch him at the edge of the stairs. his mothers lecture burns his ears and his fathers warm hands promises the safety of home. the small vulpix jumps around energetically, sticking close. they drag him into the house with his new friend quick on their heels.

purple.

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

pichu, phantump, alolan marowak

POKEDEX ENTRY

He was the oldest, the first born male in a home that was constantly filled with happiness and laughter. His parents owned a juice shop in the Buk district, with a wide assortment of berries and plants growing in the back constantly. They were his families livelihood, and as the oldest, he had to take the lead in helping them out with their shop. As a child, he didn’t mind it too much. Dabin enjoyed helping, but as the boy grew a part of him began to want more. A ‘more’ that he could never really understand, until the day he had gotten lost in the outskirts.

By the time he woke up, it was already nightfall. He was merely ten years and had just gotten his first pokemon, Rowlet, but he was nowhere in sight. It was supposed to be an adventure, with him and his friends into the Forest. But the group had stayed out way too late.

When they finally decided to go back home, an eerie growl behind a bush sent them all running. They were kids after all. But instead of following his friends, Dabin ended up running the wrong way. And by the time he figured that out, a mysterious force knocked him unconscious

He remembers feeling cold when he woke up. A slight ache in his leg kept him on the ground for some time. But after a few minutes, he was able to gather enough energy to sit up.

Although the boy was in an unfamiliar setting, and without a pokemon by his side — Dabin wasn’t afraid.The sky was dark and the air was cold, but for some reason he was still okay. This part of the forest was unknown to him but he didn’t feel like he was in any danger. This sensation was all new to him.

But that had all came to an end, when he heard the frantic voices of his parents. His Rowlet was leading them to his position and Dabin could already tell how much trouble he would be in.  

Although his adventures had stopped for some time due to his punishment, his adventurous spirit remained. He promised himself that once he got old enough, he would travel around and meet all sorts of pokemon. Not just grass types.

So in the mean time the boy trained. He had caught two more pokemon when he was sixteen, and when he was eighteen he filled up his entire team slot when entering the league. Although he failed miserably, both times, he took it as a sign to grow stronger.

After completing his studies at BPU at 22, he was finally able to travel. With a little bit of funding from his parents, and free lancing jobs as a tattoo artist, Dabin was finally able to go on the adventure he had always hoped for.

He had traveled all around South Korea, battling all kinds of trainers and seeing all sort of new sights. He had met so many people, and although he caused a bit trouble in a couple cities due to alcohol mostly, he managed to enjoy every second away from Busan.  

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

empoleon, sceptile, blissey, tyranitar, dragonite, kadabra, umbreon, espeon, litten

POKEDEX ENTRY

tw: car accident, death.

april 1999. he stares up at his family’s portrait hung on the wall, a box in his hands as several people move behind him hauling heavier boxes with more objects. the box he holds just contains his growlithe’s necessities, which weren’t much since his bed had already been taken. the young boy can’t help but wonder what would become of his life now as he was forced to live with his aunt and uncle in favor of not living out in the country with his farming grandparents.

he doesn’t want to leave home.

he’s tempted to glue himself to his home so he’ll never have to leave.

why did his parents have to leave him?

it was not their choice, and if they were given one they would still be here, taking care of their little boy. fate was not their friend, however, as they had been caught in a four-car collision that had taken both of their lives. their son, however, was not given the details. he was just told that his parents would be gone for awhile. you’ll know more when you’re older, they tell him, it’s better for you that way.

oh how he wishes he was older now.

he feels something soft beside him as he continues staring at the photo, but he doesn’t need to see to know exactly who it is. the growlithe barks for his attention, but he doesn’t to take his eyes off of the portrait. he’s scared he’ll forget their faces.

“do you think they’ll come back?”

“what are you still doing here?” another voice asks him. it’s his aunt, a trained gym leader in seoul. her eyes travel to the large, painted portrait, a small smile on her face. “you were supposed to be in the car ten minutes ago.”

“i just wanted to say goodbye.”

he doesn’t expect her to laugh, so he can’t help but pout when she does. he watches with curiosity as she reaches for the painting, before taking it off the wall and taking growlithe’s things before giving the painting to him with a smile.

“take them with you.”

may 2003. living in seoul is not too bad. he gets along with his cousins well and his aunt and uncle treat him like one of their own. he is loved and he is cared for, he is mostly smiling whenever he was playing in their home and loves spending time with the family.

today is not one of those days.

his uncle had come home not too long ago, a solemn look of his own as he approached the younger boy. he had led him back to his bedroom and sat him down, the same look he had given dohyun when he had to tell him that his parents were gone. the older man held out two pokéballs, a regular pokéball and an ultra ball.

“they’re all that’s left, they were your parents’ pokémon. please take care of them well.”

two pokémon? everyone knew they had more than two. they they both had five on them at all times. he couldn’t help but give him an incredulous look; his uncle knew he couldn’t ignore it. he told him everything about the crash, how his parents had passed away, how they were buried back in incheon and not seoul.

“your family’s survivors from the crash.”

he didn’t need to hear more.

he was scared to release the pokémon. he was familiar with his parents’ pokémon, but he didn’t know them well. what if they don’t like him? what if they want to leave? do they know what happened? the spheres shone in the sunlight, as if they were new— where had they been all this time?

he presses the buttons on both when he gets to the backyard.

his mother’s chansey.

his father’s aurorus.

they looked so happy to see him.

he couldn’t help but start crying again.

june 2005. “why are you crying?”

“i let him go.”

his aunt gave him a look— she didn’t understand. she only knew when he held out five pokéballs, a sixth pokéball ( the very different ultra ball ) missing from the group. they had travelled up north for a few days as a break from the city life that consumed them so much.

“aurorus is happier now, don’t you think?” he doesn’t answer, and continues crying. “your father would be proud of you.”

that’s when he looks up. tears stain his cheeks and his eyes are red, a frown in the place of a smile that was always so bright. his uncle told her he’d be inconsolable for awhile, but he seemed to be calming down at the thought his parents may just be happy with his decision. dohyun really loved aurorus— he was his father’s partner.

“you will see him again one day, i promise.”

the boy can’t help but think she’s lying— no one comes back for him.

march 2006. he’s been wandering in circles with his piplup for awhile. they were playing hide and seek with his friends and family, and they thought it’d be a good idea to hide deep in the park. what they didn’t account for was that since this was a national park, there’d be no fences or direction signs anywhere unless they were by a path— which they were absolutely not.

he regrets leaving his sick growlithe at home now; piplup is just as scared as he is. it’s getting dark and they’re unsure of what to do. dohyun is pretty certain that someone is following them too, but they disappear out of sight as soon as he turns around.

piplup is tired, and he knows this. they stop by a big tree, and he places the small pokémon in his backpack before he starts climbing the tree. “we’ll rest here for the night until someone finds us.” he pauses, settling the backpack in between his legs once he’s seated. “it’s safer up here than it is down there.”

they fall asleep a couple minutes later, but his rest doesn’t last very long before a high pitched chirping is sounding by his face. except, it’s not a bird, but a small onion-looking pokémon. it looks awfully happy, almost like it’s relieved.

before he could say anything, piplup is out of the bag and chirping louder, almost like he’s yelling. “time to sleep,” and he succumbs to slumber once again.

the next morning he’s awoken by a rock being thrown at his head. his cousins are below him and so is a crying piplup ( he happened to fall out of the tree ). he quickly climbs down himself, hugging his family and thanking them for finding him as he begins to cry.

what he doesn’t realize is that there’s a hitchhiker in his bag, who is sleeping soundly and quietly with no one noticing a thing.

september 2008. turns out the hitchhiker’s name was celebi, and while growlithe was by almost every moment of the day, the small pokémon was doing its best to do the same. the young pokémon remained a secret for awhile, but eventually he grew tired of carrying around celebi in his bag and naturally let it slip.

his family didn’t mind, but they told him to always be careful with it. it’s a mythical pokémon, they told him. looking at celebi now, he regarded it as one of his best friends.

surprisingly, celebi liked training with him and his other pokémon. he had his eyes set on the league since his cousin had finally taken over for his aunt as a gym leader and had been endlessly teasing him— not that he’d like to use celebi in the league at all, but it seemed to like learning about its power as well.

this definitely included unexpected time travelling at the worst times.

dohyun began researching about celebi, and found out there were probably dozens, hundreds of different celebi from different timelines. he managed to befriend one, and had gotten it in a luxury ball gifted to him by his uncle a couple days after celebi was revealed to his family. ( it doesn’t use its pokéball very often unless it’s scared— dohyun doesn’t watch horror movies anymore. )

“try again!” he cheers on both lairon and celebi, who were going at each other for awhile now. even if celebi can’t compete in the league with him, it’ll be with him during the entire journey.

december 2010. his birthday was a month away, but his excitement to compete in the league was out of this world. with the help of his aunt and his “ace trainer” cousins, he’s been working on his goal of challenging the league for months now and feels confident enough in both himself and his pokémon.

he really doesn’t feel nervous at all, trusting his team wholeheartedly. his cousins tell him it’s just wishful thinking, and for awhile he thought he was being too optimistic.

dohyun wanted to be a son, a champion, that his parents would be proud of. his father had dreamt of challenging the league when he was younger, and his mother did actually compete for a couple of years, just collecting all eight badges of each league. they told him stories when he was younger; he remembered them well.

he wants to continue their dreams.

this is no longer his and his pokémon’s challenge, it’s his parents’ too.

( his mother’s chansey, now a blissey, will make her proud for sure. )

july 2011. “congratulations to bae dohyun, south korea’s new national champion!”

it feels surreal. he doesn’t believe it even when he’s crowned the champion after the final pokémon battle. it’s even more unbelievable since he still had two pokémon still capable of battling in their pokéballs. his smile is so wide, happiness overflowing from not only him but his team as well.

is this real life?

he only begins crying out of proudness when he’s by himself, in his new home just a good thirty minutes away from his aunt and uncle. he made it not for himself, but for his parents too. the champion title would not be his had he not been finding the will to continue for them as well.

this was a win for his entire family.

the newfound attention is weird, and it’s something he isn’t very comfortable with in the beginning. he has to keep celebi a secret again ( scared for its safety now that there were more eyes on him ), and he had to watch everything he did. he had been offered different deals that would boost his popularity, which was all so overwhelming in the beginning.

he wasn’t cut out for it, but he’s willing to learn.

this is his new life now.

august 2014. he’s able to defend his title for the next two years, but a team change had to be made last minute due to an unforeseen injury that just couldn’t heal any quicker. it threw his entire team off balance, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have his head held high when someone knew was crowned.

he knew this moment was coming and had feared it for a while, but nearing last battle he felt more content knowing he had tried his best despite the circumstances.

he was still seoul’s elite.

it’s still a big deal, but he’s glad the cameras shift elsewhere. he could finish his last year of university without as many offers as before. he still sees his face on some posters and billboards, but people are less invasive— the public knows him well enough already.

he feels more content, more free even if it’s not by much.

it’s something new he’s excited for.

october 2016. “bae dohyun steps down from elite position ahead of the elite four battle!”

unsurprisingly, the title went to the person who has almost beaten him. it wasn’t his plan to leave the league in the middle of a big tournament, but it was better to do it now than announce his leave later when the league was over.

it wasn’t that he was unhappy; he loved being a public figure young kids could look up to. it was fun doing all these things that would make other people satisfied, but after a couple of years he’s just gotten a little tired. if given the chance, he knows he’d always compete again one day, but even he doesn’t believe it’ll happen. he is satisfied knowing he’s allowed to live freely, doing what he wants when he wants.

he’s always wished he could somehow make himself disappear.

and disappear is just what he did.

currently. he returned to south korea in november, and headed to busan for a new start. he got himself a nice penthouse that overlooked the water, a place where he can relax and do what he likes.

when his aunt asked what exactly he was doing now, they were surprised to find out he’s a pokémon researcher studying pokémon development in the wild ( in the past & present— thanks to celebi ), while also unsurprised that he had also been hired as a model once again, this time in the city of busan. his aunt always tells him that he should come back home and relax, not work for a couple more years.

what good would come out of staying home and doing nothing? would his parentswouldn’t be proud of that?

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

espurr, noibat, pokachu, dedenn, mimikyu, emolga, misdreavus, quilava

POKEDEX ENTRY

i.

David was ten when he started taking interest in coordinating and performing. He was ten when he thought it was actually kinda fun, kind of a way to express his feelings, a way to play around and be a little foolish sometimes. Of course, he was ten when he took a liking to it, but he was five when he started.

His mother, the successful designer and judge for Pokémon Super Contests, had started working actively in L.A when she met the quiet, subservient and loyal love of her life, Joshua Jung, a Korean-American, and had her only son, David. His dad was a fairly simple guy, didn’t argue much, didn’t really feel the need to lead the family in anyway, since his wife already had a taste for doing so.

She was… A little bit… Overwhelming. And by little bit, it means she had a doll for a son, and playing with him was her hobby. Im Saeron was one famous contestant that had so many prizes she stopped keeping count. She judged in South Korean, and then moved to the States when it started getting boring, but once again, she reached the top and was filled with boredom and a lot of spare time. Money was no problem, all her prizes earning her a lot of television sponsors and commercials, her minute being worth a lot. Saeron’s son, David, was made to follow the same path and possibly be even more famous than his mother, and he had no choice but to comply.

ii.

He was a star. At the age of 13, he won his first contest, moves executed to perfection, mastering the cute contest. David was a prodigy, he was known and he was technically perfect, contestant pokémon and his own battle team hand-picked by his mother, all except for one. A stubborn, little baby fennekin that was supposed to be really cute and an important asset - according to Saeron - but she didn’t like to do as told. Dave sometimes pleaded, sighing in frustration, and his mother would scream “It’s clearly no good for this, I’ll take it back to the lab”, but the boy would protest. “Let me try one more. Just once more.”

Truthfully, when there’s no one around, they’d… Play. Princess, the fennekin, wasn’t a bad pokémon at all. It didn’t like being bossed around, but it was funny and playful and comforted David on his worse, cheering him up when nobody else could. His dad had no voice in that family, and sometimes the pokémon was literally his only real friend, since playing with kids (when he had to practice!) was out of the question.

He cried once, stroking the fur of the playful pokémon,  “Why won’t you… Please… I know you dislike that but… She’s gonna take you away, please…” He was too young and too afraid, back then his team was in constant rotation, he had no choice. He had to succeed with Princess. “We can do it… In a fun way, please listen to me…”

She wasn’t a bad pokémon. She didn’t want to leave either. So, once, she listened well. That once, they made the perfect combo. And that was when he was able to feel joy at what he did. At the age of ten, he felt he could really make something out of a difficult situation. That life may not give him the lemons he wanted, but at least he could give his lemonade his own quirky twist.

iii.

He stomped his feet.

“I want to choose.”

She glanced down, not in surprise, but clearly not used to hearing that tone. “… Excuse me?”

“It’s my team.” He repeated, Princess swaying it’s tail, quietly glancing while resting in his arms. She had grown to fathom a fairly appropriated look that resembled royalty, whenever looking at Saeron. His mother wasn’t content, of course, but this time a second person stood up. “Let him.”

Joshua, his laid back dad, seemed to have heard enough, finally. He looked at his wife severely, “I think this should be his choice, since he hadn’t have one up until now.”

She, of course, felt like protesting. Three pair of eyes stared at her, pressing down on her will. She was one for a good fight, but something told her, looking into her son’s eyes, that he was able to move mountains for this one. Something told her that the fire she saw there, for the first time, was something he could turn into passion, and that actually did play well into her own wishes. “… Very well.”

Dave smiled. He won…? He really sincerely honestly did win something, he did… It might have been an empty sense of joy, but he built his own team according to what he knew, and tailored his choices towards first victory. Thirteen, he practiced for three years for that, and after that victory, he did not stop winning.

iv.

Sixteen, the age he finally moved to Korea, and although he spoke Korean to his mother, fitting into the mannerisms after living so long in L.A was sort of difficult. Nonetheless, he had to, since his mother planned for him to Master his two favorite categories and then start his own career in judging.

He didn’t manage to make many friends, being mostly busy with schedules and showing up on tv as “The Contest Fairy”, some most certainly annoying tropes he had to play into, smiling a lot and being cute and dashing, followed by his Princess, now a feisty Braixen who refused to evolve any further from her adorable form.

At that age he also would, sometimes, unwind by performing and he even got a few prizes into that, even though it wasn’t what his mother wanted him to do. It wasn’t what she wanted… But in a different country, there was so much she could control. And, what do you know, David actually liked performing, he enjoyed it a lot. It didn’t cross his mind to stop doing what his mother wanted, as he still depended so much on her, specially emotionally. But… he felt really alive at that time, it was a short time, but it was the best one he had so far.

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

croconaw, quilladin, croagunk, teddiursa, cubchoo poliwrath, goodra, emolga, dedenne

POKEDEX ENTRY

adopted by a middle age man who had no wife but wished for a child of his own to raise, people were skeptical if a single father who ran a dojo would be able to raise a little girl. the man himself was skeptical, if a martial arts teacher and his father, a police chief, would be able to give the little girl the care she needed to grow up well. but the way she smiled and crawled over him and his pokemon with curiosity and glee won his and his father’s heart over and she became apart of their family.

the hwang family dojo, ran by hwang dongho, sought to help trainers and their pokemon form better bonds off and on the battle arena. focusing on bonds between pokemon and trainer, and training pokemon to prepare them for battle based on their natures and ways. at age five, two years after being adopted by dongho, danah was already in the dojo alongside him, with ribbons in her hair and her own martial arts uniform on, performing the stances with her clumsy footing.

at eight, her father and grandfather decided the best course of action would be giving danah her own pokemon, so they gifted her a stufful, a pokemon they joked reminded them a lot of her. small and cute, but powerful. danah and her stufful became thick as thieves and best friends, though it took time. as she progressed into her early teens, her father and grandfather took the time to set her aside and explain things about the choices she would have to face as a woman and as a trainer—about the paths that would come before her and how to handle those decisions.

by the time she was leaving high school, danah had made the decision to challenge the league to become a gym leader for her district. in between school, building her team, and challenging gyms, danah often retreated back to her home in geumjong, finding herself the most at peace when she was able to train with her father and enjoy tea and stories with her grandfather when he wasn’t working.

she had finished earning her third gym badge and was at home when something occurred that would change her career plans.

geumjong had been plagued with rain for weeks, causing some flooding and other minor inconveniences, but it had become so heavy it caused a mudslide on the mountain, heading straight into the outskirts of danah’s town. with all the chaos and her father out of town and her grandfather at the station coordinating rescue efforts for both humans and pokemon, danah didn’t think twice about gathering her team and springing into action.

for three days, right alongside the pokemon rangers, she and her pokemon helped the rescue efforts. when not directly in the field, danah opened up the hwang dojo as a temporary shelter for trainers and their pokemon until more permanent solutions came about. she didn’t think much of her actions at the time, only doing what she knew was necessary and right, just as she had been taught by her father and grandfather.

it was right as she was about to return to school that the lead ranger from the geumjong base paid her family a visit, to thank danah for her help during the mudslide, and though she was training to become a gym leader, that a spot at the geumjong base would always be there if she wanted to become a ranger, since she had shown that she had the knack for it.

in the following months as her winning streaks turned into losing streaks, danah’s mind revisited that encounter, and after a lot of thought, she quit the league and decided to become a pokemon ranger.

since making that decision, the fire she felt during the mudslide has always been with her. from becoming an operator to an area ranger to the lead ranger for geumjong district, danah lived dutifully as a ranger from the moment she was appointed and never looked back.

at twenty six, she was promoted to top ranger by the pokemon ranger organization after helping bust a poaching ring. since becoming the top ranger, she finds her life a lot more busy as she’s always between districts checking on different situations around busan.

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

trubbish

POKEDEX ENTRY

Her heart was always too big, her parents always said. From the moment she could walk and talk, the idea of something being hurt would put the young Liyun in tears. Stepped on bugs, death scenes in the most lighthearted and innocent of movies. Compared to her rich and elite parents, Liyun’s heart bled for those in need, asking her parents about the homeless on the street or those who needed money and food. their cold and selfish nature was a contrast to their daughter’s. Father: a mogul who moved to South Korea for business. Mother: a talented and innovative fashion designer. Neither of which would be caught dead anywhere near the homeless. It wasn’t long until she started to bring sick or hurt pokemon home, begging her parents to keep them, at least until they could go to a pokemon society where they could run around and be free. Many of those she found were abandon by trainers, either the loosing pokemon from an encounter or a former companions being tossed away. Crying, finding books so she could tend to them in secret behind her parents back.

Her activism started young, as well. By secondary school, Liyun found herself disgusted by trainers who used their pokemon as pawns in battle. Cowardly, in her mind, to have a pokemon fight in your place. Years of tending to sick pokemon made disdain unyielding. In front of gyms, trainer schools, the South Korean National League, Liyun didn’t care. She would protest. Liyun took to a blog, documenting all the hardships she faced taking care of neglected and abused pokemon that were abandoned by heartless trainers. She didn’t care that some trainers truly cared about their pokemon or that some pokemon liked to fight. There were selections of people who were not being addressed: those who do not treat their pokemon with respect and force them to fight.

At first, she refused a starter pokemon. A hypocrite she would have been handling a pokemon after fighting against it for so long. A group of kids were being cruel to a trubbish. Throwing food, rocks at him. Calling it ugly and disgusting. Leaving the poor creature with bumps, bruises and a hurt conscious. Liyun did her best to comfort the little pokemon, giving him berries and some needed cart to his minor injuries. The smallest act of kindness was a bond to the trubbish, following close after her once she decided to part ways. No matter how much she explained to the little pokemon that she didn’t think it was right for her to be his ‘trainer’, the trubbish followed her home. Sat outside her house for hours before Liyun eventually caved. Not that her parents enjoyed having a trubbish in the house, and Lyun’s adamant requests that he not be put outside, but they allowed him to stay. Even if they wanted him to leave, he would merely sit outside the house and wait for Liyun to bring him back in. 

The choice of degree was easy for her. Liyun wanted to work with pokemon, study them in their environment. She wanted to work at a reservoir, watching pokemon live happy and fulfilled lives without the need to be hurt by human trainers.

Articles, being impressive, eventually landed her a job as a writer for the PokeLife Foundation. It wasn’t much money, but it does help spread her message.