I wish that all my life I'd be without a care and flying free
Adrian's story is not a pleasant one. He was born in Ecruteak City in Johto, though his family moved to Hoenn when he was still young. His parents were berry farmers. His father was a gruff, bearded man, strong from years of farm work. His mother was quiet and orderly, always precise, and keeping a close eye on their finances. His grandmother was a great storyteller, always with a new tale to spin. And his little sister clung to him always, certain her older brother was a hero, so strong he didn't need anyone's help when the other kids bullied him.. They grew up in Littleroot Town, and Adrian was a favorite target of bullies. Being a little more dense than average and being very close to his family, he was always getting beaten up.
Still, they were happy. The economy's troubles hit them hard, but things were good. Until Adrian was nine, things were good. Things took a drastic turn for the worse when his father had a bad accident with one of the farm machines, crippling him so badly he was confined to a wheelchair. Business became worse and worse. Adrian's mother smiled less and less often. They became destitute, though they were still a happy family. Until Adrian's mother found a way to help them financially, that is.
A man from the Unova region came to her, telling her of the Surrogate project. He was after her son, for whom the time to start a Pokemon journey was drawing near. In exchange for a great sum of money and guaranteed financial support, Adrian was sold to the Surrogate Project. His mother, thinking she'd done a great thing for the other members of the family, hurried home with the "good news". Her mother sighed, it was just like her daughter to sell her own son for money. Adrian's sister clung to him, not understanding any more than he did. But his father was outraged. He yelled, and got out of his wheelchair, physically attacking the man who had come to take Adrian away. Adrian and his sister huddled in a corner, confused. Everything could have ended well, they thought. But Adrian's father threatened to tell everyone what was going on and reveal the entire Project. The man from Unova knew that could not be permitted, and so he silenced his attacker. Adrian's mother flew into a fury at her husband's murder. Neither she nor her mother agreed with the Project any more, not after seeing the measures they took to keep it secret. They tried to protect Adrian, but they too were silenced.
He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to go. His sister needed him, and these people had just killed his parents and grandmother right in front of him. He tried to stay there, terrified, traumatized. So the man from Unova cut down Adrian's little sister, too, to cut his only tie to the place. That was the last straw. Adrian broke, collapsing. He woke up a week later, in the house of Professor Birch. He remembered nothing of what had happened. As a defense mechanism, his mind shut out the memories of his family's slaughter. He still remembered his family, and that he had joined some sort of "surry project" to help his family financially.
He chose his starter, a Treecko, and went through his journey, fully believing that he was doing it for money, which was being sent to his family. He knew the name of his "boss" was Geechisu, although they never met. He was confused, though... He and his friend Carys continually found themselves waking up in hospitals, with scars, and stitches. Adrian, having rather terrible luck, always blamed it on his constant traveling accidents. He always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, from a massive rockslide in Rustboro Tunnel to generally tripping over his own feet.
He went on, fighting Team Aqua and Team Magma, and taking down gym leaders. He wasn't particularly talented as a trainer, but continued on, always being very fussy about money. He was, after all, only doing it for the money. He made his way up to the Pokemon League, but lost to Steven. He left Ever Grande to train his team a bit more. He was surfing back to Sootopolis on his Azumarill when he was caught in a storm. They were thrown off course by the swift-moving wind and water, and sent spinning out of control. Adrian tried desperately to help his poor Pokemon get to some land so it could rest, but they were caught in the currents between Sootopolis and Slateport. Despite their best attempts to stick together, the two were wrenched away from eachother. With no land in sight and his only Water-type missing, Adrian had no chance in that storm. His last thoughts as his vision went dark and the water poured into his lungs were that he had failed his family. He drowned.
He woke up, back in Littleroot, just as he had woken up after his family's murder. He remembered nothing of what had happened. In truth, his body had washed up in Pacifidlog the day after the storm. The Surrogate Project came to claim him and begin his next life. This would happen many more times. Eighteen more, to be exact. During his twenty lives, he was likely told about the Surrogate Project several times. However, his mind, in order to preserve his sanity, would shut out the trauma. He would forget. When it broke because of the Surrogate Project when he was sold off, it came to associate the Project with the trauma of watching his family be killed right in front of him. Thus, it shuts out any information about the project, keeping him oblivious.
He still believes he's helping his family. He's still entirely oblivious. And he's still very much in the Project's grip.
Still, they were happy. The economy's troubles hit them hard, but things were good. Until Adrian was nine, things were good. Things took a drastic turn for the worse when his father had a bad accident with one of the farm machines, crippling him so badly he was confined to a wheelchair. Business became worse and worse. Adrian's mother smiled less and less often. They became destitute, though they were still a happy family. Until Adrian's mother found a way to help them financially, that is.
A man from the Unova region came to her, telling her of the Surrogate project. He was after her son, for whom the time to start a Pokemon journey was drawing near. In exchange for a great sum of money and guaranteed financial support, Adrian was sold to the Surrogate Project. His mother, thinking she'd done a great thing for the other members of the family, hurried home with the "good news". Her mother sighed, it was just like her daughter to sell her own son for money. Adrian's sister clung to him, not understanding any more than he did. But his father was outraged. He yelled, and got out of his wheelchair, physically attacking the man who had come to take Adrian away. Adrian and his sister huddled in a corner, confused. Everything could have ended well, they thought. But Adrian's father threatened to tell everyone what was going on and reveal the entire Project. The man from Unova knew that could not be permitted, and so he silenced his attacker. Adrian's mother flew into a fury at her husband's murder. Neither she nor her mother agreed with the Project any more, not after seeing the measures they took to keep it secret. They tried to protect Adrian, but they too were silenced.
He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to go. His sister needed him, and these people had just killed his parents and grandmother right in front of him. He tried to stay there, terrified, traumatized. So the man from Unova cut down Adrian's little sister, too, to cut his only tie to the place. That was the last straw. Adrian broke, collapsing. He woke up a week later, in the house of Professor Birch. He remembered nothing of what had happened. As a defense mechanism, his mind shut out the memories of his family's slaughter. He still remembered his family, and that he had joined some sort of "surry project" to help his family financially.
He chose his starter, a Treecko, and went through his journey, fully believing that he was doing it for money, which was being sent to his family. He knew the name of his "boss" was Geechisu, although they never met. He was confused, though... He and his friend Carys continually found themselves waking up in hospitals, with scars, and stitches. Adrian, having rather terrible luck, always blamed it on his constant traveling accidents. He always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, from a massive rockslide in Rustboro Tunnel to generally tripping over his own feet.
He went on, fighting Team Aqua and Team Magma, and taking down gym leaders. He wasn't particularly talented as a trainer, but continued on, always being very fussy about money. He was, after all, only doing it for the money. He made his way up to the Pokemon League, but lost to Steven. He left Ever Grande to train his team a bit more. He was surfing back to Sootopolis on his Azumarill when he was caught in a storm. They were thrown off course by the swift-moving wind and water, and sent spinning out of control. Adrian tried desperately to help his poor Pokemon get to some land so it could rest, but they were caught in the currents between Sootopolis and Slateport. Despite their best attempts to stick together, the two were wrenched away from eachother. With no land in sight and his only Water-type missing, Adrian had no chance in that storm. His last thoughts as his vision went dark and the water poured into his lungs were that he had failed his family. He drowned.
He woke up, back in Littleroot, just as he had woken up after his family's murder. He remembered nothing of what had happened. In truth, his body had washed up in Pacifidlog the day after the storm. The Surrogate Project came to claim him and begin his next life. This would happen many more times. Eighteen more, to be exact. During his twenty lives, he was likely told about the Surrogate Project several times. However, his mind, in order to preserve his sanity, would shut out the trauma. He would forget. When it broke because of the Surrogate Project when he was sold off, it came to associate the Project with the trauma of watching his family be killed right in front of him. Thus, it shuts out any information about the project, keeping him oblivious.
He still believes he's helping his family. He's still entirely oblivious. And he's still very much in the Project's grip.