Zam the Hybrid

7. The Bloke

The realisation of truth was the best thing to have ever happened to the newly named Zam. For years he'd been little Sammy. Little Sammy who was loved by his mother, little Sammy who'd been weak and helpless, little Sammy who no longer existed. Now Zam knew who he really was. He was one of a kind, an anomaly of the universe. He was special and he loved being special.

Looking back on it, he was very thankful of Kevin. After all, it was through Kevin's beatings that Sam had sustained brain damage in the first place and it was Kevin who had truly awoken Zam. Kevin had made Zam realise the harshness of the world and the role that Zam could play in it. Zam had escaped nature's cruel plans once before and that made him different to everyone else on the planet. He was a miracle and it was his job to utilise his life to the best of his abilities. There was a lot of justice to be served.

After taking his final A-Level exams much earlier than anyone else his age, the next stop for Zam was university. Whilst he could probably teach himself everything that was on the course, what he really needed was independence. His mother cared for him but his body was eighteen years old and he was done being babysat. It was time to take his life into his own hands.

He wasn't moving too far away. Having grown up in the hustle and bustle of Goldenrod City, Zam really didn't like the prospect of permanently moving away. Goldenrod was the hub of Johto and it was his home. It was his city.

Rather than renting accommodation provided by the University of Goldenrod, Zam had managed to convince his parents to lend him some money so that he could purchase a flat. It had left him almost completely bankrupt but it meant that he wasn't located actually on campus which gave him a lot more freedom as he had a feeling that attending lectures wouldn't be his main priority.

After a rather soppy goodbye from his parents and a short ride on the Goldenrod Underground, Zam had taken his first steps into his new, independent life. He still had to haul his overly large suitcase for a further ten minute walk from the station to the block of flats he'd be living in. He arrived at the tall building slightly out of breath and so he took a moment to slowly inhale the polluted air, relishing every second of it. There was something about this city and all of its flaws that appealed to Zam. The noise of traffic which he'd once hated and the busyness of it all was exactly what Zam wanted. His brain never stopped working and this city never slept.

He entered the building and was met with instant disappointment. The lift was out of order. Now he had to lug his suitcase up three flights of stairs and he was already worn out from the walk here. He wasn't exactly out of shape but he wouldn't describe himself as fit. Perhaps that was something to work on.

"Need an 'and wiv 'at?" Zam's head darted to the direction of the noise. It came from a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, clutching a small card that had just been handed to him by the lady at the front desk. He pocketed the card in his black leather trench coat before striding towards Zam, a grin on his face.

"That'd be really appreciated actually," Zam nodded after eventually working out what the man had meant. Zam inspected his face when he was close enough. The grin he wore showed off a set of yellow stained teeth surrounded by some well kept stubble. He looked young and his face didn't show much in terms of ageing, his short brown hair showed no signs of greying, but his eyes told a different story. The green spheres showed experience and hardship. They didn't twinkle or give any fairytale signs. They gave him a rugged look about him.

"Bleedin' 'eck, dis fing ain't 'arf 'eavy!" he exclaimed as the pair lifted the suitcase and proceeded to make their way up the stairs. His dialect was exceptionally strange. His words were gargled and barely comprehensible. Zam could only take a guess as to what he meant.

"Well, it is all of my belongings," Zam panted. Each step took considerable effort, even with a helper. "It'd be more of a surprise if it was light."