Resistance: Wally [HQ]

Wally had lived in Petalburg for as long as he can remember, the boy's first memory being a hushed conversation between his parents over their boy's health. Cursed with terrible luck and worse health from the time of his birth, Wally spent the first several years of his life an invalid, stuck in bed when most children were outside playing, socializing, and learning about Pokemon and all the wonders of the world. The boy was born with multiple health problems, and didn't set foot outside for the first few years of his life, being too ill to do so.  He spent his childhood days a shadow, a whisper, ghosting around the house when he was well enough to walk; his early years were spent taking repeated trips to Rustboro Hospital for various problems, repository being one of the worst. From toddlerhood to childhood, his days were filled with hushed conversations held in the hallway as if he were incapable of hearing or understanding the grim diagnoses. "Probably will not live to adulthood" was repeated so often that Wally soon came to accept it as fact, as law; soon enough he did not even fear the prospect, merely understanding and accepting it as something that would likely come to pass. His parents kept no Pokemon, too afraid that their fragile child could be hurt by them, and making friends was impossible when he couldn't even go outside. Television was too painful, too full of real people doing things he could barely dream of doing himself; ignoring the TV his parents had supplied his room with, the child turned to books. It wasn't long before he'd read every book in the house cover to cover, but with no library and no computer, he had no access to more information. By the time he was eleven, he had exhausted all there was to do in his home; there were no more books, his imagination had given out on him. His insistence on learning more about Pokemon and about the ancient stories of the Hoenn people had driven his parents to impatience and testiness, often responding in surprisingly hostile manners to their son's questions. Wally was confused and hurt--he was still sickly, but his condition had been slowly improving over the past couple years. And he could come up with no rationalization as to why they would so vehemently refuse to tell him about the ancient stories; he just wanted some imagination fuel to sustain him. What could they have against that?  What was going on?

Fed up with it all, Wally fell into a sulk. His quiet ghosting around the house took a sharp edge; he squabbled with his parents and often left the house to sit on the roof, stare at the stars, and stew in his frustration. When the anger wore away, he grew depressed, picking at his meals instead of eating them and spending most of the day asleep. Realizing they had reached the point where they did not know how to handle their son, his worried parents contacted his Aunt Wendy and Uncle Mark, with the two happily agreeing to take the boy in. Hoping to hide the truth from the gym leader, as they knew Norman would not appreciate their conduct towards their son, they informed Wally he would be allowed to live with his aunt and uncle for a time, but that he must place the blame exclusively on his asthma requiring a more rural area. Knowing it was bullshit (Verndanturf is closer than Petalburg to the nearest large city, Rustboro, not further away from it) but glad to grab at the chance, Wally accepted. His mother and father realized sending their son off to live elsewhere without a single Pokemon to his name was a terrible idea, especially if the boy was going to be roaming the town and the Routes surrounding it like they expected his uncle would let him do. Wally was also nervous about going to live in a completely different area, expressing his desire for company. So, before leaving, they allowed Wally to speak to Gym Leader Norman, to see if he would aid in the capture of a companion for their son. Norman would have accepted the request had it not been for his son--with Brendan there, why not have him accompany the lad? The two boys may become friends, something Norman was certain would be good for both of them. Brendan was hardly going to argue; he was eager to leave, yes, but he wasn't heartless enough to turn down a small, sickly-looking kid. Thus, Brendan was there for Wally's capture of his very first Pokemon--a Ralts.  Thanking Norman and Brendan profusely for their part in helping him catch his first friend, Wally then departed with his parents for Verndanturf.

He spent some time after arriving acquainting himself with the surrounding area and with his new Pokemon. He named the Ralts Orion, and Orion, though at first disgruntled that he had been captured, was quickly spellbound by something he sensed inside the boy. There seemed to be an endless sense of wonder for this child--everything was amazing and interesting and with no one holding him back, this part of him was returning to life. With Wally already improving, Uncle Mark decided to take the boy on an outing to Mauville, so that Wally could see more of Hoenn along the way and meet new people, see new Pokemon, and hopefully continue his growth. The boy was overjoyed, the trip to Mauville by foot being the best thing he'd experienced in his short life. Orion and Wally grew as a team very quickly, their friendship deepening with each day spent together. By the time they reached Mauville, Wally was convinced he was ready to take on a gym and begged his uncle to allow him to. Pleased by Wally's determination but still worried about pushing the youngster too far, too fast, Mark gently encouraged Wally to wait a while first; it was during this discussion that Brendan once again ran into him.  Hoping to convince his uncle of his strength, Wally proposed a battle and Brendan accepted, promptly handing the other boy a sound defeat. In that moment of watching his Ralts collapse, unable to fight any more, Wally realized he had a choice--he could give up now... or resolve to get stronger.

He'd given up before, and it had been miserable. And now he had a supportive family and his beloved Ralts by his side. The answer to him was obvious; there was no where else to go from here but up even if he had to return to Verndanturf first! He thanked Brendan and expressed his determination, wanting the other boy to understand the impact he'd had on another's life without getting too personal. Failing utterly at conveying this, stuttering over his request to ask Brendan if he could be considered his rival, Wally grew embarrassed and fled, leaving Mark to finish the conversation for Wally by briefly mentioning to Brendan how positive Wally's outlook on life had become and how Brendan had had a hand in that through his encouragement earlier. With the encounter over the two returned home, and several days later, with his aunt and uncle's blessing, Wally set out on his Pokemon journey, with one very important alteration--he promised his aunt and uncle that he would not challenge any gyms for a good long while. Wendy and Mark had hoped the condition would prevent their nephew from biting off more than he could chew.

They forgot that their condition said nothing of how far Wally could travel or how hard he could train--it said only that he couldn't challenge a gym for several months. An angelic smile on his face, Wally agreed to their terms, ready at last to see the world and already planning his escapades.

And so it was that Wally set foot outside for the first time with the intention of not returning for a very long time.  

The boy travelled over much of the landlocked portions of Hoenn; his painful shyness and lack of social skills prevented him from making any human friends, but the Pokemon friends he made were numerous--it wasn't long before he had a full roster of six. Day in and day out, for a year Wally explored the mainland of his beautiful country, trained his Pokemon, and learned many things about himself he had not known before. Orion evolved into a Gardevoir, the rest of his team soon acquiring their final evolutionary forms as well. Sickly and scrawny to any who looked at him, his presence was unintimidating but to any opponent believing they had an easy win, Wally was becoming a force to be reckoned with.  One challenger, defeating Wally without breaking a sweat but impressed by his and his team's spunk, passed onto the boy a few gifts. The raven haired woman handed Wally a strange pendant shaped like a Gardevoir's head with a perfectly round, rainbow colored stone set into it, explaining the mechanics of Mega Evolution as she hung around Orion's neck a necklace embedded with a Gardevoirite. Her own Gardevoir watched from the sidelines with a smile on her face as the boy and his Pokemon tried Mega Evolution out; stunned and amazed by its success, Wally promised to treasure the presents always and thanked her for her kindness. She smiled, encouraging him to further his bond with his Pokemon and wishing aloud he were a Kalos native so that it would be her Pokemon League she would someday be seeing him in. Wally only caught half of her wistful musings and when he turned to question her, she shook her head and claimed it was nothing. Only after an amiable goodbye and departure did Wally realize he had never caught the woman's name.

But her words stuck with him. She had mentioned the Pokemon League, and even if he had not caught the entirety of her musings, those two words continued to probe at his mind.  He looked at his team that night playing around the fire they had built, and began to wonder why he wasn't working towards the Pokemon League. It had been so long... surely by now he should be capable of beating all the gyms? He could not let himself be limited his entire life... it was about time he show everyone what strength he, little Wally, was capable of. At the same time, he could not dismiss their concerns. What to do...?

A lightbulb went off. Oh. He knew exactly what he'd do.

With a spring in his step and a head full of dreams, Wally flew to Ever Grande City, took the rules that one was not supposed to enter Victory Road without all the badges, and snapped it over his knee. Slipping inside the cave system, the boy navigated himself very carefully around the twists, turns, and trainers, hiding from most of them and successfully defeating the ones who came across him. Before too long he found the exit, but instead of passing through to the other side, he sat down in the flower filled cavern and set up camp. He would wait here for Brendan--the boy was so strong there was no way he wouldn't pass through here, and with no other way to contact him, this seemed his best shot to run into him again. Yes, he would wait here for one last battle with his rival, to ensure his resolve was truly strong enough, and then, win or lose, he was going to return to the mainland and begin earning those badges. And then he would march right there here and take on the E4.  He didn't need to win.  Just getting as far as the Elite 4 would show everyone he was so much more than a sickly ghost, doomed to go nowhere or be nothing.

The plan would have worked, at least so far as meeting up with Brendan was concerned... if not for the hell that came next. Three days after setting up camp Wally realized he'd miscalculated their food supply. He had little choice but to return to the Pokecenter to buy food. It didn't bother him; such an errand would take only a few hours at the very most, and anyway there was only one path through the cave to the Elite 4; even if he moved from his camp, he'd still run into Brendan if the younger boy passed through Victory Road.  The trip to the Pokecenter went off without a hitch, as expected, but they were not prepared for what awaited them inside. Employees were frantically boxing up their goods, running to and fro throughout the Center. Confused and a little alarmed, Wally tried to ask someone what was going on, and they pointed to the television inside the Center as an explaination.  It was a broadcast, the news anchor explaining that a strange virus appeared to be going around affecting the Pokemon; any Pokemon who was sickened with it became aggressive, violent. While it had been thought to be a minor problem two days prior, it was now clear this was turning into a worldwide pandemic. People were being told to release their Pokemon, and Wally's hands tightened on Orion's pokeball, palms sweating as he listened to two employees discuss mass euthanization as a possible solution, very glad he had decided to recall his Gardevoir for a rest. Pulling himself from his stunned state, sick fear settling into his stomach, Wally bolted from the Pokecenter.

The broadcast he'd seen at the Pokecenter terrified him. Pokemon losing their minds? The boy had seen firsthand what Pokemon could do when out of control; what mayhem could ensue from a disease that made them aggressive and destructive?  It made him sick to think of, but he'd soon be finding out; returning immediately to Petalburg, Wally's life collapsed around him as he found the bodies of his parents in their living room. Not bothering with a search through the rest of the house, he fled to Verdanturf, where he found his Aunt Wendy and Uncle Mark's scattered remains in the front yard outside their house. There was no sign of his cousin Wanda, nor of her boyfriend.

Everything was a numb blur. Within the course of an afternoon his way of life was gone, his family laying slaughtered in places that should have been safe for them. I should have been there to protect them.

It was Orion's decision to go to Slateport, hoping that such a large city would be able to supply safety or at least a general goal to work towards. Withering beneath the grief and horror his boy was feeling, he nonetheless shouldered through it and coaxed the traumatized child onto his bird, directing the Talonflame to the port city. Arriving at the city, the Gardevoir took Wally by the hand and searched for someplace to go; it took them only five minutes to locate the harbor, and to a gathering of confused and frightened refugees ready to board a ship.  Orion would remain outside his pokeball for the rest of the ordeal; though the Rustboro refugees were lucky in their brief crossing to Kanto, disaster struck upon arrival and many died.  It was thanks to Orion that Wally was not among the dead, the fairy physically carrying his boy through the frightened masses as the gym leaders fought off the undead.  The journey to Indigo Plateau was arduous and long, having to be made by foot through many infested areas. The gym leaders did their best, but they could not save everyone--those who fell behind were often killed, as was those who accidentally strayed in the wrong direction. Orion became accustomed to the habit of drawing Wally into his arms and hiding the boy's face in the crook of his neck; he could not prevent the child from hearing the screams of the dying, but by gods he would do his best to at least ensure the child saw none of it. Even then he was not always successful and there was more than one close call, Wally's precious keystone being cracked and rendered unusable in one of these attacks.

Wally knew how loyal Gardevoir were, how strongly they bonded to their trainer.  Even then he had underestimated Orion's unconditional love; despite the terror and grief of the refugees slowly killing him, abandoning Wally to his fate or fleeing with the boy from the safety of a group never crossed his mind. He would get his boy to safety, or die trying. It was days, but eventually they reached the fortress that would become their new home; Indigo Plateau, which soon became dubbed Headquarters, or HQ.

The next few weeks were only a little less painful than the journey there.  Wally's pain did not let up, and the boy was completely dependant on Orion to ensure he ate, slept, showered, and took care of various other needs. It was like the torrent of grief would never let up, and Orion began to panic. There was only so much he could do--if Wally was incapable of recovering, Orion could not do that for him.  The best he could do was just hope it would pass eventually.  And while it did not entirely pass, a chance meeting would turn their world upside down yet again, as Wally bumped into Gym Leader Wallace on the Gym Leader's visit to the civilian population to ensure everything was going smoothly at this end of HQ.

The two were struck by how alike they looked--their eye color was the same, their face shapes were the same, their skin color matched, and their hair was green, an uncommon color in Hoenn. There were differences--Wallace's hair was of a more vivid hue and closer to a blue-green than Wally's, and Wally's eyes were rounder in shape. But it was still similar enough to catch their attention. Surprised by the boy's resemblance to himself and worried about his haggard appearance, Wallace introduced himself and with some gentle prompting from Orion, Wally did the same. Wallace's intuition that something was amiss was soon discovered to be correct--while Wallace introduced himself by his title, omitting his last name as most gym leaders do, Wally included his, and the two surnames matched. Determined to find out if this strange boy really was related to him somehow, Wallace asked for Wally's current address within HQ and returned to his own to search for answers. Within the next few hours Wallace was at Wally's room, announcing that they were cousins and offering to whisk the boy away to the side of HQ the Leaders and Champions had set up as theirs, in order to look after him. Stunned by the turn of events, unable to refuse such a generous offer, Wally agreed, and soon was set up in a room not far from Wallace's, where the Sootopolian proceeded to become the youth's guardian, essentially becoming Wally's parental figure as well as a brother. Inheriting Wallace meant inheriting his relationships as well, and thus Wally was introduced to everyone Wallace knew, starting with Steven Stone--the Hoenn Champion himself, and Wallace's best friend. From there he met the other Champions, as well as most of the gym leaders. So overwhelmed he was that there was no time to focus on his grief, and by the time there was enough breathing space to do so, there were so many people within close proximity keeping their eye on him that Wally saw little point in giving up now. Apologizing profusely to Orion and the rest of his team, he resolved to use this incredible opportunity to pick up the pieces of his former life and move on with the one fate had thrust into his hands. This resolve would lead him to not only become Steven's friend and pupil, but will (and has, in some cases) also, as time goes on, earn him several other powerful friends and acquaintances across the side of HQ he has now come to call home.

But also many enemies, as well. Besides earning the ire of Gym Leader Clair, Steven and Wallace's problems are ones he considers his own, and they have gotten slowly and steadily worse over time; maybe it's just his own paranoia, but trouble is brewing... he can feel it.

Something is coming... but what?

:cancer: Orion
-his Gardevoir. Orion gets special mention here because Orion does so much for him; besides just influencing him to be even more sympathetic and empathetic over the years, Orion also serves as something of a therapy Pokemon to the boy. There is a reason he is named after a star; Orion is his light when things are darkest. He is Wally's tether to reality, ready to pull him back from the edge whenever stress or depression starts to yank him down too far. The Gardevoir is his guide, his anchor, his adviser, an elder brother figure, and his best friend, all rolled into one. Though not always together--Orion likes to wander HQ sometimes--the fairy is almost always out of his Pokeball, only returning to it when he requires a break from the hustle and bustle of so many other people. The two do not need the universal communicator to understand one another, but Wally wears it anyway, taking great comfort and pleasure in listening to Orion speak and being able to hold a conversation with him.

:cancer: Wallace
-His elder cousin, Wally considers Wallace an older brother. Wallace is responsible for raising Wally for the past four years. The boy absolutely adores his cousin and is starting to integrate "brother" into his vocabulary when speaking of him rather than "cousin."  He tends to call him "Wal," and teases Wallace over his maternal tendencies, though deeply appreciates them all the same and will thank him for it through his actions and occasionally verbally. Wallace's compassion and kindness having saved the boy, Wally strives to be just like his cousin and impart that same kindness to those who need it most.

:cancer: Steven
-His mentor and dear friend; the two take turns teaching one another and nagging each other to take better care of themselves. Steven trusts the boy enough to let himself be a little vulnerable around him at times, and Wally in turn responds with encouragement and an attempt to instil optimism in him. He does his best to keep Steven's spirits up and will try to get him to laugh. He addresses the man very politely, often using "sir," "Mr. Stone," or "Mr. Steven" despite the Champion's insistence that he just use his name. He would, except it still feels disrespectful to do so; he's slowly working on that.

:cancer: Colress
-Colress is definitely Wally's strangest relationship; the only person he met not through his cousin or Steven, Wally came to know Colress through an accidental meeting in the library in what could only be described as sheer luck; having been acting aloud from a comic book at one in the morning with the express purpose of going when no one else would show up, the two began talking when Colress's Beheeyem dragged him to the library for something to read, also under the impression that the place would be empty. Colress caught him acting out loud from a comic book he recognized and loved and quoted the next lines back, and they continued until the book was done; having seen Wally in a position where he could have easily put the boy down and instead going along with it, encouraging it, Colress smashed several of Wally's walls without even knowing it. The two kept meeting at night at the library to discuss nerd literature, slowly growing closer; realizing that the boy did not know the truth about him, Colress admitted his secret to Wally, who was stopped by the Beheeyem when he stormed out so that he could be told the full story, not the version that purposely made Colress look worse than he'd actually been in an effort not to give himself any excuses for his sins. Hearing the full story, Wally returned to Colress and chose to give him a second chance, having seen that the person Colress was now and knowing he was no longer the man from the story. Shortly afterwards there was an incident where Colress contracted a fever from working himself too hard and caring for himself too little, and when urging him to rest, Colress accidentally revealed just how much he loathes himself and how mentally ill he is. Realizing this, Wally has stepped into a caretaker role, ensuring Colress eats and sleeps and enjoys himself by participating in recreational activities like video games and reading, as well as not allowing Colress to get away with talking badly about himself. In some ways he's starting to see Colress as the parental figure that he never had, as Colress in turn has done nothing but encourage his passions and interests instead of trying to dissuade him from them "for his health" or belittling him when his more immature or effeminate side shows.

:cancer: Cynthia
-Wally met her through Steven and Wallace; the boy's love of reading and learning quickly put him on friendly terms with the Champion. Though they are not super close the relationship is definitely more personal than professional, and he holds her in very high regard. It's not uncommon to see them reading in the library together, and he helps her out in the library even when his current duties do not require him to. He addresses her as "Champion Cynthia," "Miss Cynthia," or "ma'am."

:cancer: Clair
-Wally has earned her scorn by speaking out against her several times, and his relationship with Wallace and Steven has only served to deepen their hatred of one another further as she considers him not a threat, but a friend of the people who are threats (and therefore still unacceptable). On top of this, Lance has acknowledged his skill and allowed him to live in the area of HQ where many of the leaders live, something that really got under her skin. And so she treats him badly whenever she feels like doing so, mocking him for the job he holds at HQ as well as his perceived uselessness. Occasionally the abuse gets physical, as she'll slap him whenever he talks back to her.

:cancer: Lance
-Leader of HQ; Wally has come to dislike the man due to his cruel treatment of Steven. Given that Lance has no real reason to speak to him, given Wally's job as a janitor, the boy has not formally met the city's leader. This does not mean he doesn't hear of Lance, however; if there's one thing Wallace loves more than fashion, it's gossip and the ruthless art of shit-talking. As such Wally is aware of (and also less than fond of) the whispers of shady things Lance has been up to, and does not appreciate Lance's insistence that emotional people are weaker.

:cancer: Brendan
-The trainer who originally inspired him to really get out there and do things with his life, despite the protests of his parents. Though he has only had the privilege of running into him twice, Wally continues to be inspired by the younger boy and thinks of him with the kind of quiet awe born of adoration without any actual personal interaction.

-never got to explore the cities on the far side of the map requiring Surf to reach, as those were farthest from home and he felt like it'd be breaking some sort of rule to go to them; he only made an exception when he hatched his plot to see Brendan and went straight to Ever Grande, thus missing out on Pacifidlog, Mossdeep, and Sootopolis
-is very educated now in the legends and old stories of Hoenn, having been taught them by Wallace and Steven
-is a great lover of many genres of music
-is a rather good singer and knows how to dance surprisingly well; not uncommon to catch him singing or dancing while cleaning, which he is significantly embarrassed about
-for some reason a lot of what he sings are love songs
-giant fucking shameless romantic
-spends most of his free time training his Pokemon
-has a large interest in fairy type Pokemon; likes to study them, usually when he should be going to sleep
-Wally dreams of one day becoming the Hoenn Champion should the world ever get its shit back in order
-fears ghost type Pokemon, Shuppet/Banette in particular
-when he remembers to eat he often has no appetite and will just not eat; it drives everyone insane
-as a result he is a little underweight
-many thanks to Silverishness, for the beautiful profile picture, and to everyone who I stole coding from to make this profile look so neat