Pokémon Y Nuzlocke Challenge: Chapter 1
By Neal Chandran
Pokemon Y Image - Shauna

In classic Pokémon fashion, Yondu is the new kid in Vaniville Town (if you can call three houses in the middle of nowhere a town). Yondu's mom, Grace, was a famed Rhyhorn racer (which is apparently a thing in the Kalos region). She probably moved out to the sticks to be away from the public eye and give Yondu a semblance of a normal life, where status doesn't net you special privileges and everyone takes out the garbage. That suits Yondu just fine, since he's the type of guy who wants to make his way in the world on his own merits and not live in someone else's shadow.

At mom's insistence, Yondu sets out to meet the neighbor kids. But as soon as he opens the door, he is eagerly greeted by two girls around his age waiting to pick him up and take him to see Professor Sycamore. Man, these small-town girls don't mess around. How the hell did they already know about Yondu, and how long have they been standing at his door? That's some creepy stalker behavior right there. After sizing them up, Yondu's initial impression of tall, blonde Serena is that she's the more modest and style-conscious of the two. On the other hand, tiny, brunette Shauna, with her barely-there shorts and careless attitude... well, let's just say that Yondu holds little respect for her, and the vile epithets he wishes to hurl at her cannot be echoed in polite company. Still, with nothing better to do, Yondu shrugs and goes along with Serena and Shauna to their hangout in Aquacorde Town.

Pokemon Y Image - Serena

In Aquacorde Town, Serena introduces Yondu to the remainder of her crew: a husky kid named Tierno and a wisp of a kid named Trevor. Tierno is a cut-rate male version of Tracy Turnblad, from the musical Hairspray, and Trevor is an archetypical shy, book-smart nerd (albeit without the Coke bottle glasses). Being something of a miscreant himself, Yondu is fine rolling with a bunch of ragtag misfits, and these kids seem nice enough.

Unfortunately, Yondu's opinion of them immediately sours the moment they try to give him a lame nickname like Y-Meister, Lil Y, or Big Y. "Are you chumps serious right now?" asks Yondu with disbelief and a raised eyebrow. "I don't need no stinkin' nickname!"

Yondu is not a follower and rejects the notion of a nickname, because his given name is already cool. Sadly, the powers that be (meaning: the game's programming) insist that Yondu give himself a nickname, so he simply enters Yondu.

To this, Shauna responds, "You want us to call you Yondu?"

"Of course call me Yondu! That's my damn name, isn't it?" exclaims Yondu in consternation.

Pokemon Y Image - Starters

Hoping to ease the tension, that dancing fool Tierno produces a magic box from which Yondu, Shauna, and Serena can select their starter pokémon. Yondu is given first choice and, since his Trainer ID is 48125, he adopts a jolly female Fennekin with the Blaze ability. Yondu's frown immediately turns upside down as he holds up his incredibly rare female Fennekin and proclaims, "Meet Mary Poppins, y'all!" Shauna opts for the Chespin and Serena takes Froakie. (Author's note: When I played Y before, Cresta's starter was a bashful male Froakie, so it should be fun to see how a jolly Fennekin plays.)

Yondu slowly heads out of Aquacorde Town to go home and introduce Mary Poppins to his mom. But before he can leave, Shauna wants to have her first battle. Two Embers and a Tail Whip make short work of her Chespin. Back at home, Yondu's mom seems more interested in this letter she got from Professor Sycamore than Yondu's first pokémon. She wonders if it's a love letter and marvels at the professor's lovely handwriting. "What the..." wonders Yondu, "Is my mom having an affair with this elusive Professor Sycamore!? I ain't even met this bozo, and he's already being a homewrecker! Not cool, Mom. Not cool at all." Regardless, the letter is more of a permission slip to let Yondu explore the Kalos region as a trainer, which Mom is all too eager to sign. This is fine by Yondu, since he's a free spirit with insatiable wanderlust.

Pokemon Y Image - New Friends

Before Yondu's journey truly begins, he decides to say goodbye to his neighbors, including Serena's mom. Apparently, Serena's mom is insistent on playing matchmaker between the two. "Slow down there, lady! We're just kids," thinks Yondu. "Plus, you don't even know me. I may be pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one."

Perhaps the claustrophobia of living out in the sticks has given everyone cabin fever, so Yondu is more than happy to hightail it out of Vaniville Town, leave its creepiness behind, and hopefully get some answers about this Professor Sycamore.

Pokémon Yondu has:
Mary Poppins (Fennekin)

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