TEEN: Vice Versa

[PainterFight]

(synopsis coming soon)


[PREFACE]​

Vice Versa is a multi-chaptered Pokemon fanfiction that I've been wanting to write for quite some time. It was concepted back in spring of 2021, alongside other unnamed ideas of Pokemon trainerfics that all tried to rewrite or remix stuff in mainline games and take concepts and headcanons from Pokemon fans that I find interesting. They were mostly left unfinished, but Vice Versa was the one that grew on me.

It has strayed further from the original concept of "cyberpunk-ish rebellion trainerfic set in a world where all the mainline evil teams won and got grouped into one big evil team (that isn't Rainbow Rocket)" to "a trainerfic about morally-grey characters in a region filled with mysteries featuring characters and stuff from the whole franchise that I happen to like" and even if it became into a fic that only caters to me, atleast it's still and always a labor of love.

This is my first time getting around to write a big fanfic series like this, so reviews will be absolutely appreciated!

[CONTENT ADVISORY]​

The following fic ranges from a PG-13/T to an R/M rating depending on the chapters' own content. It mainly has the use of coarse language, some fantasy violence, and some crude humor. It also has themes of trauma, abuse, obsession, and discrimination, to name a few.

[CHAPTER INDEX]
I will be posting chapters whenever I've got them finished.​

Spoiler: Act 1: The Investigation Begins

Act 1
Chapter 1

If you want to start reading, the prologue's just below this post.

​

 

[PainterFight]

PROLOGUE: The Masked Man's Bargain
~​

"Drat! Where did that pesky masked man go!?"

A hooded figure yells in the dead of the night, in the middle of a city, somewhere in an abandoned hallway. He had inspected the brick walls, the wanted posters, even the footprints of stray humanoid Pokemon. And yet he still hadn't found something, or rather, someone he was looking for.

If he can recall it correctly, that 'someone' seemed to be a man in a gray-purple hooded jacket, with one arm sleeve rolled-up to reveal a skeletal-looking artificial arm. His eyes are covered by a metallic silver mask, with carvings of straight lines around the eyeholes seemingly to resemble how someone else who's not great at drawing photorealism (or a toddler) could draw a realistic eye with lashes.

Or that it reminds him of his old friend... but that wasn't important.

Soon enough, he noticed that there was something else in the hallway; a black, dusty briefcase lies in the corner of the hallway, hiding among trash bags and Trubbishes. He reaches his palm into the case, but then...

"Ow! What was that?"
Someone kicked him on the back. Hold on... that's the 'someone' he was looking for! With the silver mask and all!

"Tritone!"
"Oh! Hey there, hooded guy!" The masked man replied. He seems to have the briefcase in his hands.

"Get that briefcase back to me! No one but anyone from Vanitas Incorporated should have touched it!" The hooded figure then lashes out a stick that extends into a staff-like weapon, with a short blade at the tip of it.

Tritone puts his hands up in the air and smirks. "Alright. If you say so," he settled in. "But, here's a catch; You know that this briefcase has three pokemon, right?"

"Yeah? So what are you going to do with it?"

"I'd say bring this briefcase into Hemlock Labs for research. They seem to be related to the Versa Species, they're quite a rarity. Ask Ms. Hemlock if they could find out more about them." Tritone offered.

"Then where did you know that these are Versa Pokemon? How did you...?" The hooded figure doubted. He feels confused. Not only that a suspected fugitive like him knows more about the Versa Species than he does, but if trusting a stranger seems necessary, let alone a "criminal"... he still feels distrust akin to the actions from his past. He keeps lunging his staff into Tritone's neck. slowly, but surely.

"Hush. You'll find out soon enough." Tritone drops the briefcase, then walks away. "I have no plans on messing with you... yet."

"Fate knows that we'll meet. I will now bid you... adieu."

Tritone disappears into clouds of smoke. The briefcase lightly flew into the ground like a falling fruit pushed by a breeze. The hooded figure takes it as the smoke clears.

As he leaves the hallway, his Poryphone rings. The man picks it up.

"Hey, codename Ragdoll here, how is it, Sleet?"

"I got the briefcase. That Tritone fellow said I need to bring it to Hemlock Labs, then hand it to Professor Hemlock. Whatever that means."

"That's because it has those Versa Pokemon, isn't it?"

"Mh-hmh."

"He doesn't want you to report it to Vanitas Incorporated, right?"

"Of course he doesn't. He's rather strange."

"Alright, then! Hemlock Labs is in Meteo Town, right? It only takes a few hours to get there if you go by taxi. Besides, you won't want to work out your sweaty, old legs, aren't you?"

"Argh! M- I mean, Ragdoll!"

---

Author's Note:
For being a tease to my upcoming fanfic series - and the first fanfic ever, It sure is something I'm really proud of. It's probably my best starting point in my fanfic writing journey. I mean, some good character writing, some good mystery and a prologue that leaves the reader wanting for more (without giving away too much) seems like the quintessential standard in writing good fiction, let alone good fanfiction, right? But let's not get carried away with our own dreams and ambitions.

Also, the hooded guy (not-Tritone) isn't the main character. You'll just have to wait and see.

 

[PainterFight]

CHAPTER 1: The Lab Intruder​

Ah, yes, Meteo Town. A quaint place located southwest of Formera, known for its friendly neighborhood and peaceful atmosphere. In fact, this small town happens to be the hometown of two young adult trainers, who were about to start their journey with Pokemon together.

Vince, a young man with golden brown hair with a blue streak, has just turned 17 this morning. In Formera, children can become trainers as soon as they’re 15 years or older. Though Vince may be 2 years older than the preferred age of young trainers, his mother had contacted Hemlock Labs, the town's humble Pokemon research center, to finally get his first Pokemon.

Veryl, a young lady with red hair, dressed in a red dress with a plaid pattern, is accompanying him at starting their Pokemon journey. She’s been a neighbor and a childhood friend to Vince for quite some time.

The two end up arriving in the humble research facility in the form of a modern-looking house with sterile white walls.

“Oooh… so this must be Hemlock Labs!” Veryl exclaimed. “Yeah. I guess this is where we’re about to grab our starter Pokemon today.” Vince replied. He then approaches the white door, trying to open it.

Only problem is… it's locked.

"Wait, I'm pretty sure Professor Hemlock comes here early… the door should've been open! How are we going to enter the laboratory if she's not here?" Veryl panicked.

"Relax, Veryl. I've got this." Vince pulls out a paperclip from his backpack and inserts it into the lock.

After some futile efforts in lockpicking, Vince managed to open the door.

Both Vince and Veryl enter the lab - but they're met with a large room with dim lights, met with the morning rays from the windows. There, boxes of Pokeballs and healing items were left in a corner, research notes were dumped everywhere on the floor, and the bookshelves were dusty. It hasn't been cleaned for months.

Seems like the Professor's been busy lately. She'd better get some rest… Vince thought.

One thing sits on top of the main research table: a black briefcase.

"Huh. That briefcase wasn't here before…" Veryl said. "I'm not sure where Ms. Hemlock got it from. It's best not to open i-"

"Uh… maybe you spoke too soon?" Vince interrupted, with the briefcase open. "The code to unlock this thing is just too easy."

Inside the briefcase are 3 pokeballs. Although, they all may not look like the regular one. The upper lid is colored black, while the below cap is black and white with a checkered pattern.

Aside from the 3 pokeballs is a note, which reads:
"Inside these three pokeballs are three Versa Pokemon; they are different from regular Pokemon - although they may possess similar appearance and features, their typing and behavior are different to its original counterpart. One might say… the opposite.

We at Vanitas Incorporated are trying our best at researching this unique type of Pokemon thoroughly, and are seeking cooperations with other research groups in the Formera region in order to make them aware of this phenomenon, and therefore find further information on these strange creatures."

An attached sketch also shows three Versa Pokemon bearing resemblance to the starter Pokemon from the Galar region, though Vince and Veryl did not examine it as they began opening the pokeballs out of curiosity…

A green blur leaped from the pokeball Veryl was holding, and landed at the table slowly. It was revealed to be a Scorbunny, except… green. It also wears bracelets and belts made out of rope, and has short olive hair with bangs covering its hair and braids.

Another one jumped from the pokeball, this time being Vince's. It resembles a Grookey with light-blue fur.

"Oh, cute!" Veryl exclaimed in glee. She then tries to catch the green Scorbunny, tip-toeing its way out of the table…

…only for it to step on a certain hooded figure's head.

Annoyed, the figure woke up, and immediately caught the Scorbunny by its ears, while wielding a staff-like weapon. Said figure, still with his hood on, stood in front of Veryl and Vince, being one feet taller than them.

"Uh-oh, Veryl, I guess we aren't alone in this lab…" Said Vince in concern.

The hooded intruder hissed. "I knew these Pokemon shouldn't have been in the hands of pesky children!" His staff lashes out a short blade. "Now get that monkey into the ball or else!"

"NEVER! Come on, Grookey, use Scratch!" Vince commanded loudly. The blue Grookey then leaped into the intruder, scratching its face.

While the intruder tries to get rid of it, the green Scorbunny escapes from his grasp. It hopped from his left hand, his shoulders, his head, and then his right hand with the staff he was holding.

The Scorbunny then tinkered with the staff's buttons a bit. As it rapidly pushes the oval-shaped black button, the short blade on its tip glitches like some sort of a malfunctioning hologram, until it begins to flicker and disappear from the tip. It then clicks a different button, to which the staff changes into its portable form and back to its staff-like form, over and over again, pushing it out onto the poor intruder's belly.

Along with this, while the intruder finally gets rid of the Grookey from his face, revealing it a bit, only for his face to get blocked by the shine, and his body eventually gets pushed out of an open window.

The Scorbunny and Grookey then returned from the window, with only a few injuries.

"Well… Vince, I didn't know that a starter Pokemon that's this cute can be quite brutal." Veryl sighed. "Maybe you shouldn't let the Grookey use Scratch in front of someone's face next time?"

"Dunno, Veryl, That guy looked mighty suspicious, so I had to take him down." Vince replied.

Near the entrance, a woman in a lab coat runs into the lab, and entered the room Vince and Veryl are in, only to find her research center to be ruined.

"Hey, you two…" She breathes deeply in exhaustion. "...What… happened?"

"Oh! Greetings, Professor!" Vince greeted the intrepid professor with blonde hair with lavender on the bottom, and tanned skin. "...There's a lot happening before you got in here… I'll tell you the gist of it."

~

"...So, these two Pokemon… They… did WHAT now?"

"Beat a hooded old guy to death." Vince responded, nonchalantly.

Veryl looked at him in concern. Professor Hemlock facepalmed. "I should have taught you guys something about Pokemon battling… you shouldn't have commanded one to use a move in front of someone, especially when on an elder, it'll give them a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Professor. I'll be careful next time." I'm not sure where that hooded intruder came from, though… he still looks threatening to me. Vince thought.

Veryl hands an empty briefcase to the Professor. Vince gave her some empty pokeballs and the note the briefcase came with.

"Anyways, Ms. Hemlock… do you know where this briefcase came from?" Veryl asked.

Hemlock then examines the note.

"Huh… Versa Pokemon? They're unheard of, but I've seen sightings of it. Vince, Veryl, can you bring those two Pokemon here? I'll send them back to their pokeballs."

"Sure!"

After putting the Scorbunny and Grookey in place, Hemlock clicks the button on both pokeballs to send them back.

"There. These Pokemon are now yours, I guess." She then hands the pokeballs to Vince and Veryl.

"Thank you, Professor!" Vince thanked. "Wait… I think we may lose one somewhere…"

~

Out of the bushes and near the open window, a red Sobble with spikes on its tail and frill-like neck awakens from the hooded intruder's body, a little sad with its pokeball destroyed.

But then, it saw a human with short blonde hair and green eyes, looking at the Sobble with anticipation.

"Oh, hey there, little lad! Are you lost?"

---

Author's Note:
Oh man, it sure is great to get back at fic-writing again! When was the prologue released again - wait, 6 months ago!? SIX months before I actually got back into writing this? I feel bad for not updating this since May until now.

Anyways, the first draft for this had half of it deleted, so I have to rework on it. But while I was working on it, I had another idea to write another fanfic series, based on an anime I watched back in 2022 and fell in love with it ever since... not sure how I'll juggle two fic series in one, but I'll try anyways.