Pokemon Rusted Shield/Sword

Trauma Chant

The next morning came with back pain for Grant, which he ignored only due to the hunger pains in his stomach as he had not eaten since early yesterday.

"I knew that only one bowl of curry wasn't enough," he muttered to himself, "At least I have some money."

Grant left to find a place to eat, finding his way to the Battle Café where a trainer in a black dress sipped a cup of coffee and ate a cream cheese danish.

"What'll it be kid?" The owner asked.

"What do you have for cheap?" Grant inquired.

"We sell biscuits here for 500 each," the waiter explained, "Bacon or sausage?"

"One of each," Grant ordered handing the man his only money to receive his breakfast. He sat down and began to wolf down his food with a complete lack of any etiquette.

Marnie, the trainer in black, noticed this and recalled a rumor she overheard.

She approached the trainer and asked, "You're Grant... right? The feral drifter?"

"Feral?" Grant asked, "I survive but I'm not some beast."

"Hey that's what they're calling you not me," Marnie replied, "I heard some people talking about a trainer who was endorsed by a gym leader who described him in the endorsement as appearing feral. That's you right?"

Grant nodded, "Yeah. So?'

Marnie asked, "I'm curious, where did you come from."

"I come from nothing," Grant replied, "You?"

"My big bro is a gym leader," Marnie explained, "Dark type."

"Born into wealth and success of course," Grant bitterly sighed.

"Sorry what?" Marnie asked, justly offended by this slight at her skills as a trainer.

Grant finished his meal and explained, "Look unlike the rest of the people who got endorsed I had to work for it. Everyone else is born into wealth or knows someone rather than hard work. It isn't fair that you need to already be relatively wealthy just to get your foot in the door. It's Pokémon, it should be for everyone should it not? So why the endorsements? Rich get richer that's why."

"You implying I didn't work for where I am?" Marnie demanded, angered now, "Ya ain't gonna get away with that."

"I'm not implying it I'm stating it outright," Grant replied, "There are trainers who deserve those endorsements more than you, more than me, more than both of us, but because they don't have the wealth or connections they are left in the dust. It is a horrid system that benefits the rich and never gives the nobodies a chance to rise up through hard work. It's Pokémon. Should it not be for everyone? Nay, it's nothing but nepotism and the rich supporting the rich rather than a chance for anyone to rise to the top as it should be. I'm going to become champion and I'm gonna to change it so that anyone can reach the top, endorsement or not, if they have the skill."

Grant got up, having finished his meal, Marnie glared with death in her eyes, "You're a real prick ain't ya?"

"The system is broken," Grant shrugged, "But I never claimed it was your fault. Take that as you will."

With that Grant left, headed for Turffield to take on Milo and claim his first gym badge, only to be stopped by two trainers in goth clothes. The one on the left, an overweight male, yelled into his horn, "Hey you're that punk who made a slight at Marnie aren't you?"

"I called it as it was," Grant glared, "It's not her fault the system is broken."

"You don't get to talk to her like that!" The other goon, a young women with short hair dyed an almost purple color, but just pink enough not to be purple, "Not when Team Yell is on her side!"