Pokémon: Forever Wounded

Prologue- Watch

In the corner of the room, a Galarian boy scribbled in his doctor's handwriting in a notebook.

A boy a year older than him, but two years under him in the academy, looked over his shoulder. White and purple hair, lazy disposition, the heir to one of Unova's most prestigious positions- the Opelucid Gym.  Drayton was a lot physically stronger, but that didn't mean Paul couldn't make his presence known to him. Especially when Drayton was being less than kind to Paul's best friend, Kieran. They were pretty close friends, in fact, Kieran called him his 'step-brother' half the time, a label which made his biological sister, Carmine wag her finger half the time. She was always quick to point out that Paul was simply a close friend of Kieran's, and that 'step-brother' was just a nickname. She took a lot of offence to it for some reason. 

Paul had lived like a brother to Kieran and Carmine, and signed all his documents 'Paul Ganabe,' which initially pissed off Carmine, but later, she just got used to it. Paul had lived in Kitakami for much of his life. Growing up, Paul had lived under the Ganabe household's roof, but was never officially adopted, mostly due to intense resistance on the part of Carmine. Paul had helped out as best he could. Paul understood why Carmine considered him an outsider. He was not precisely what people would call Kitakamian. He was born in Galar, had Italian and Croatian blood, speaking both of the languages, and he had lived in New Zealand and Alola, having some blood links there. Family never showed up, of course. That was probably why Kieran was so insistent saying Paul was "like a stepbrother" to him, to make Paul feel like he did have some family. Paul was uneasy to call Kieran "like a stepbrother" to avoid the wrath of Carmine. But Kieran was like a brother you got to choose, and Paul and Kieran got on well, and seldom fought, even when Kieran had been champion. They weren't brothers by blood, or even official stepbrothers, but their close friendship couldn't be described as anything but brotherly. Paul Josip Ganabe scribbled away, with Drayton Draydensen watching over his shoulder intently.

'20th November 2025, Blueberry Academy. A day before Kiki's 17th birthday.

The Terrarium was known for a lot of things happening there. Some eventful, some less so. It is, on the whole, a safe place, even the most hydrophobic got used to it in a month or two. The glass was reinforced, and the Pokémon lived a good life there in a semi-wild state. It was good for a walk, small enough to navigate, big enough to get lost in. Truly one of the wonders of the Unova region.

What the Terrarium is not known for, was in broad daylight, in the sight of many, an innocent boy getting stabbed half to death, seconds from safety. And yet it happened. I was two feet away from him, and yet I didn't see it coming. Florian sure as hell did, though. And he's got a slash wound and poison burns to prove it. Wounds that I should have.

The masked man emerged out of the crowd lured in by the prospect of a different coloured Pokémon. I can't even remember what species. Holding a knife, going straight for Kieran's neck, Kieran, not seeing the man lunging towards him, moved ever so slightly, and it hit him in the side. Screaming. I turned, frozen, as Kieran fell to the ground, his ruby blood tainted by the steel of the man's knife. He would have killed Kieran had Florian not taken him by surprise, but Kieran got another stab to the shoulder, then a gash across the arm. Florian was a lot weaker, and did pretty well to only get a slash wound across his under arm. I remember Kieran's wound being purple, and then him being taken to the medical wing. Life support. He'll be on life support, and we're not going to be allowed to go anywhere too far from him in case the masked man we captured turns out to have some friends. Drayton and Carmine are getting pretty restless. They want to make the bastard talk. As of now, he's not allowed to leave our sight, either. It's pretty damn awkward having your best friend's- 'Paul felt ambivalent about writing 'stepbrother', but chose against it '-would be killer.'