Pokémon
Jade Chronicles
Chapter One
Sleeping peacefully in his bed was a young boy named Adam. Still recovering from his birthday the day before, Adam dreamt of the day he was about to awaken in. The day that he would become what he had always wanted to be. A Pokémon trainer.
Pokémon are creatures that inhibit the world in which Adam lives. They are marvelous creatures of which exist hundreds of species all throughout the many regions. Big and small, these creatures are as diverse as there are people, not one is the same when it comes to personality.
Whilst each region is known for having a few hundred unique species to it, the Shinta region where Adam lives has but few. Ridiculed for this in the past, people have become to see this as a strength. For Shinta has becomes a region that is filled to the brim with all sorts of species from all over the world. Many call it their home and the people of Shinta have gladly welcomed them all.
In every region there is a tradition that many kids look forward to, Adam included. The day after their tenth birthday, the new teenagers are given an opportunity of a lifetime, as they are then given their first Pokémon partner. With their new partner by their side, these kids are then lovingly pushed in to the world where they experience adventures beyond belief.
Slowly the tunes coming from the radio picked up in sound, preparing for the final wake-up volume that should get even the deepest of sleepers up. The music playing was that of an orchestra of Pokémon, remixed in to a song of the Techno genre. As it started to tone down because the song was ending, the alarm radio upped the sound a lot, so that the next sound would come through loud and clear.
‘Good morning Shinta Region! This is DJ Mike coming to you live from Riverwood City for the Pokémon Music station.’ Adam practically jumped out of bed as DJ Mike made his appearance on the air. His heart was racing a million beats per hour as he was trying his best to separate what remained of his dream from reality. Quickly the morning haze started to pass and he could hear DJ Mike announce the next song in his usual, hyperactive fashion. ’With a beautiful morning like this, I think we should listen to some beautiful songs. Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy.’ And with that said, DJ Mike faded in to the background as a slow, heart pulling song started playing.
Needing some adrenalin in the morning, Adam swiftly turned off his radio and let out a big yawn as he stretched to get what remains of his sleep out of his system.
Opening his eyes after that good yawn, Adam could see that it was indeed a beautiful morning. Right next to his bed was a wall to wall window, which’s curtains were opened so that Adam could get used to sleeping without them. Not that he was willing to go as far as sleeping without the comfort of his bed, but it was a nice first step to say the least.
Outside he could see a flock of all sorts of bird Pokémon fly off towards the horizon, accompanied by a gentle breeze and a cloudless sky. Below this scenery was Cruise Town, a relatively large town at the south borders of the Shinta region. Originally, the town had a different name. However, after the retirement of the S.S. Anne’s predecessor, the town renamed itself to Cruise Town in remembrance of the ship that brought the first townspeople to the Shinta region.
Cruise Town as well seemed to be slowly starting to wake. Its people were starting their usual morning routine with a smile attached to their first. In front of the many houses were people doing the lawn, picking up papers or waving to those sporty few that go on their morning run. Amongst them were the people heading for work by bike, on foot or a select few by car.
Seeing this made Adam realized that this might very well be the last time in a very long time he would be seeing that view. And he found it to be saddening. Still, the trade-off would be well worth it.
Lying on the chair next to his bed was a new set of clothes that his mother had bought for him for this day. He could see why she had insisted on buying these clothes, as they seemed to be made out of sturdy material. Adam went over the fabric with his hand before heading off towards the shower.
He took a bit longer this time, knowing perfectly well that showers are going to be a rarity whilst out in the field. It didn’t take him very long though to feel completely refreshed and go on with the day. Yet, he kept enjoying it for as long as he could. And when he was done, he got dressed in his new set of clothes. These existed out of a pair of white sneakers with green shoelaces, a pair of medium-dark blue jeans, a green T-shirt, a dark green hoodie with zipper and a dark blue baseball cap that has the logo on it of the Pokémon Rangers.
Once he was ready to leave his room, Adam took one last look around. Almost every night of his life had been spent inside that room. It aged alongside him, it got hurt with him and it began to show the signs of aging. There was a bump in the wall over his bed where he had smashed a toy Pokéball against it because he was angry with his mom. On the floor were a few floorboards that had been replaced due to damage taken during a fight between him and his brother. Posters were showing the usual wear and tear of being moved around or an accidental scratch.
Adam sighed and put on his baseball cap, first brushing his dark brown hair with his hand. It was going to be a long day if he kept stalling like this. With that in mind, he quickly made his way downstairs. He could hear the usual buzz of the downstairs floor from the moment he opened his bedroom door. Coming downstairs, he could see his brother sitting at the kitchen island, with a bowl of cereal in front of him. He was watching the TV whilst he was eating his breakfast. Adam took a quick glance at the TV and saw that his brother was watching the news.
‘… have reported that Team Museum has struck again in Riverwood City as they tried to take hold of the media center there. Oddly enough they were stopped in their tracks by their rival gang, Team Rocket, who did not wish to see Museum’s plans go to fruition…’ The reporter was once again discussing the seemingly everlasting war between Rocket and Museum. This war between these two gangs was the reason why his father was out at the Pokémon Ranger Training Center to teach young trainers to protect the Pokémon.
‘Mom, Adam’s up.’ His brother Michael yelled when he noticed his little brother had come downstairs. Michael was an older version of Adam, with a few more hints of their father here and there, making him look just different enough.
Adam looked for his mother and saw her on the videophone, talking to someone he couldn’t quite make out on the screen.
‘I’ll have him around in a minute, Professor.’ She said, after which the man on the other end disconnected. Lily DeWinter came from the phone and brushed a lock of long, blue hair behind her ear. She truly was a remarkable sight; even Adam had to admit that. Though he saw her in a very different light and would have found her beautiful even if she wasn’t at all. Because he could see her as she truly was, a kind and gentle, yet strict mother.
‘Who was that?’ Adam asked her.
‘You’ll meet him soon enough, honey. Ready to get going?’ She was acting as if she wanted him out of the house as fast as possible.
‘Don’t be in such a rush, mom. At least let me have some breakfast.’ Lily smiled and Adam could practically hear her think: “Oh, Adam”.
‘Sorry, kiddo. This is the last of the cereals.’ Michael said as he held up the bowl.
‘I’ll make you a sandwich for on the road.’ Lily said as she went in to the kitchen.
‘She really wants me out.’ Adam sat down in the couch, soon joined by his brother who came to sit next to him.
‘No worries. She was like that with me too. I totally felt unappreciated.’ They both shared a laugh.
‘I just wish I could see you off, man.’ Adam said with a slight gloom on his face. Michael got a look on his face that expressed he understood what Adam was feeling.
‘I’m not leaving forever, Adam. You’ll get to wave me off another day.’
‘Yeah, but who knows. Maybe you’ll find a home there in Viridian City.’ Suddenly Michael’s face turned dark, as if that was worst thing that could possibly happen.
‘Doubtful.’ He just said. ’Anyway, you know which starter you’re gonna pick?’ Adam could only sit there with his mouth open, not knowing how to respond. It was a question he had asked himself many times over before, and each time he had come up with a different answer. First of what he did was try to look inside to see which type would suit him best. Fire, Water or Grass … it was a difficult choice to make. Then he decided to just look at the individual Pokémon and their aspects.
First, you had Calito, the cat Pokémon. It was a small orange cat with blue dots all over its body. A small but reliable Pokémon with a very cat like personality. However, as it evolves, it changes for the better, most professors say. With it being the fire-type Pokémon of the bunch, it could also have an explosive kick to its personality.
Then there was Shimbala. It was a small, blue dog with a fin for a tail. It was a water-type Pokémon and was very reliable from the day it hatched.
Lastly, you had Falcang, the grass Pokémon. Well, it was half grass and half bird Pokémon as it had a set of wings and a bird’s head, though a humanoid body. Falcang’s body was small in this evolutionary form and very cute. Its color and that of it its evolutions was a simple, yet effective brown with green details. The green started to become more apparent the higher you go on the evolutionary ladder. Whilst Calito was … well, a cat and Shimbala was reliable, Falcang was playful.
‘Not really.’ Adam admitted, which caused Michael to burst out in a fit of laughter.
‘Deja-vu. I remember getting that question from pops as mom was making sandwiches for me. And I froze too.’
‘Maybe I’ll end up picking up the same Pokémon as you.’
‘I wanna bet you’re as nervous as I was.’
‘Not really.’ Adam said, realizing it was only half a lie. ‘I’m having butterflies, yeah, but I’m feeling pretty good about this.’ Michael closed his eyes and tapped Adam on the forehead with the second knuckles of his index and middle finger.
‘You’ll be alright.’ Adam really didn’t want to bring it up again, but as he was avoiding it now, Michael had been avoiding it ever since he had brought it up.
‘So, Mike, what are you going to do in Viridian?’
‘You could say I’m going to apply for a job. Though it’s not a real job, really.’ Michael said it so fast that Adam was wondering if he was lying. He knew his brother well enough to know that this might be just the case. ‘At any rate, time I get going.’ Now it was quite obvious that something was off.
‘If you say so.’
‘Yeah, I say so.’ Michael once again tapped his brother on the forehead and then stood up. ‘Mom, I gotta go.’ He said loudly.
‘Okay, honey. You take care now.’ Lily yelled back from the kitchen. Adam had seen it before. The last time that Michael went away, she had stayed in the laundry room for so long that he left without saying goodbye personally. It must really kill her to see her children go out in to the world like that.
‘Besides.’ Michael said, leaning in close to Adam. ‘If I don’t go now, I don’t think you’ll reach the professor in time.’ The two of them shared another laugh, followed by Michael giving Adam a wink of his eye. ‘See ya later, kiddo.’ Michael grabbed his bag that stood next to the door before he left without looking back once. Adam could have sworn to have seen a tear roll down his cheek when he had turned around to walk away, but that could have been the light or something.
‘Here you go, Adam.’ Hearing the voice of his mother right behind, Adam turned around to see her reaching out a brand new, green, single strap backpack.
‘Thanks, mom. I knew I could count on you.’ Adam said which caused Lily to smile.
‘Yeah, I noticed that you were going to let me do the heavy lifting when you didn’t do anything yourself.’
‘Subtle hint from my end.’ Adam replied as he strapped on the backpack.
‘The sandwich is in there already.’
‘Figured as much, thanks.’ Adam could see that Lily was starting to tear up. It was really pulling her strings, seeing both her boys leave the home. Not to mention that her youngest son was leaving home for the first time to traverse the world to battle other people by using all-powerful Pokémon. Adam knew that she missed his father’s shoulders to lean on in times like these.
Lily couldn’t control herself anymore and walked up to her son, giving him the biggest hug he had ever received. He cherished every second of it, knowing the closest he’ll get for a long time would be a LCD screen of the phone he would be using to ring her.
‘Take care.’ Lily said before she quickly turned around, heading straight for the kitchen where she would probably perform a mundane task to keep her mind off of what happened.
Taking one last look around the room, Adam breathed in and out in a steady pace and gathered to courage to leave his home. Before he realized it, he was resting his hand on the copper doorknob. It felt surprisingly cold to his touch, whilst the warmth emanating from his home felt welcoming. Sucking it up, he turned the knob and opened the door, ready to boldly go where many before him had gone before.
Cruise Town had fully awakened by the time Adam had arrived at the end of the road leading up to his house. After taking one quick look back to his home, Adam waved farewell and set off towards the lab of one Professor Hunt.
The roads were now practically clear of all cars, as their owners had left for work. Only at a few homes does a car still remain and those didn’t seem likely to be used. Adam didn’t know why, but when he looked at all those homes, he noticed how beautiful everything was. From the flowerbeds in front of them to the architecture of each centimeter of these houses.
‘Mime!’ Adam heard the voice of a familiar Pokémon call out from a nearby home. Once he arrived at the gate, he peeked around the large, wooden fence and saw a Mr. Mime sweeping the bricked road leading up to the house.
‘Hey, Mr. Mime!’ Adam said, waving at his old friend. He and Mr. Mime had been friends for as long as Adam could remember, always going over to him to play with him.
‘Mi-mi mi-mi-mime!’ Mr. Mime yelled, waving back with his broom in hand. Clumsy as he was, he accidentally let go of the broom that flew straight across the yard, stick end first in to a hole in the fence. Slightly panicking Mr. Mime ran over to the broom and tried to pull it out. ’Mime!’ He sounded quite irritated.
‘You’ll get it out, Mr. Mime. No worries.’ Reminiscing over the many clumsy feats that Mr. Mime had managed to pull off in his days, Adam continued down the road towards the main road. Right as he passed the fence to Mr. Mime’s house, he heard something. Looking over, he saw that Mr. Mime had jumped the fence. ’Oh-oh.’ Adam said, knowing perfectly well that this couldn’t be good.
‘Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!’ Mr. Mime was charging for an attack. His hand started to glow in a bright light. Then he released all that energy in to one swift punch, knocking the broom out of the hole. Only to create another hole in its place.
‘Mr. Mime!’ Adam heard the voice of Mr. Mime’s owner and cringed. That old coot never liked Adam and he always scolded him for the things Mr. Mime did wrong. Not wanting to have a repeat of last time’s scolding, Adam quickly took off running, waving goodbye to Mr. Mime, as he looked back worried.
‘Hey, Adam!’ It was Ellenore, one of his friends who wasn’t quite eligible yet to become a trainer. Adam stopped in his tracks, took a few deep breaths and then waved at her. ‘Good luck on your adventure!’ She yelled, running back to her home with the mail in hand.
The closer he came to the town center, the more people started to wish him good luck. Like the kind, young man that he is, Adam replied to every one of them with a thanks and a polite wave. However, by the time he passed the large grocery store, his patience was starting to run thin. All of these people were starting to slow him down and he really wanted to get to Professor Hunt’s lab. Every one of his thoughts were starting to become of his new partner. He couldn’t wait to finally meet him.
Walking passed a flower shop, the final shop of the town center, Adam took a peek inside and stopped for a moment when he saw the TV was on and it was showing a news report. He couldn’t hear a single thing but he could clearly see the headline at the bottom of the screen. It said that Team Rocket had been spotted near Starcraft City. Considering the news lady was standing in front of a sign saying that Cruise Town was that way, Adam could only presume they were worried about Professor Hunt’s lab. Speaking of which. Adam thought when he realized he was just wasting time. Who cared about Team Rocket anyway. Chances are he’ll never even meet those clowns.
‘Time to get a Pokémon!’ He yelled from the top of his lungs, immediately running off towards Hunt’s lab as fast as his legs would take him.
The flower lady inside the shop was looking at the front window, clutching her chest with her hand. She had been spooked by the sudden yell just outside her window. When she saw young Adam standing there, she laughed. The kid will never change.
Professor Hunt’s Pokémon Laboratory was located on the outskirts of town. A necessity because of the huge amounts of land required to house the Pokémon that trainers send back there. Not to mention the giant building needed to house all of his equipment, libraries and storage areas.
Adam had visited the laboratory before with his father, who had gone to visit Hunt on an urgent matter. Whilst they were talking, Adam had gotten the big tour of the place by professor Hunt’s Pokémon, an Eevee. It had been an amazing tour that taught Adam a big deal about what it’s like being a Pokémon Professor. And not to mention the responsibilities that came with it. Of course, Adam was just six years old back then, too young to fully understand everything. And Eevee couldn’t speak at all. But, four years is a long time and he came to understood things much better.
Standing outside of the lab, Adam noticed that everything looked a lot more clinical than it looked back in the day. Not having been there for a few years, he was more surprised than he should have been. Seeing as the urgent matter his father had gone to Hunt about was about the contractor that had put up the building in the first place. Still, seeing it changed like that was quite a surprise. Thinking about it, Adam had to admit that this new style fit the professor perfectly.
Instead of thinking about it too much, Adam decided to just walk in there and get it over with. He opened up the left one of the double doors and walked inside, in to a pretty relaxing area obviously meant as a lobby. There were sofas on the side with paintings above them on the wall. On the other end of the lobby was a desk, which was unoccupied at the moment.
But that wasn’t what caught Adam’s attention. Looking closer at the paintings revealed that they weren’t painting at all. They were all hand drawn pictures of various Pokémon. Some were posing whilst others were doing something that really lend itself to a picture. In the bottom right of each picture was an autograph, presumably by the same man that drew these things. “Sketchit” was the name and all of the autographs looked exactly the same. One of the pictures was that of a pink Rhyhorn. It was certainly an interesting picture as Adam had no idea if it was legit.
‘Like what you see?’
‘Gah!’ Adam yelled out, being spooked by the sudden voice that came from next to him. He looked to see who it was and saw it was a face he hadn’t seen before. ‘Wh … who are you?’ Adam said quite impolitely. Luckily the man realized he had spooked Adam so he didn’t make a big deal out of it.
‘Tracey Sketchit.’ The man said. Tracey was a young man who seemed to be around twenty years old. He was wearing a pair of loose, brown shorts, a green T-shirt and purple shoes. Not quite a winning combination in colors but it did the job.
‘Sorry.’ Adam said whilst rubbing the back of his head, realizing he had been acting kind of strange. ‘I’m Adam DeWinter.’ Adam turned his head towards the pictures. ‘And yeah, I really like what I see.’
‘Thank you.’ Tracey replied. ‘It’s always nice to hear that your work is appreciated.’
‘Who couldn’t appreciate this?’ Tracey suddenly jumped back and turned around, slightly embarrassed by the praise.
‘Oh, I mean, people could. It’s some of my early work. I mean …’ It was more mumbling than anything else and Adam barely understood it. Then Tracey came back to stand next to Adam. ‘You must be here for your first Pokémon.’
‘Indeed I am. Yes, indeedy.’ The mere thought of holding a Pokéball in his hand soon was almost overwhelming him. ‘So, let’s do this!’ Adam raised his voice once again, although now right next to Tracey’s ear who quickly covered it. ‘Sorry.’ Adam said when he realized what he had done.
‘You want me to make a sketch of you with your Pokémon?’ Tracey then said as a way of saying he wasn’t angry.
‘I’d like that a lot!’ Once again, as if he couldn’t help himself, Adam yelled. Only this time, Tracey was prepared and had already backed away.
‘The professor is ready to see you, so let’s get going.’ Tracey then said. Adam nodded and followed Tracey as he walked towards another double door. This time the doors slid open automatically as they approached them, letting out a gust of fresh air.
Walking through these double doors revealed a marvelous room filled with scientific material and books, which were in cases that went from the roof to the floor. Alongside the walls were countless of computers as well that all seemed to have their purpose. Some were giant machines with a keyboard integrated in them. Others seemed to have a small chamber within them in which items could be placed, or even Pokémon if they were the right size. Then in the center of the room there were many tables, on which lied many papers, folders, microscopes and other such things. This was definitely not the same lab that he had visited all those years ago.
‘Thank you, Tracey.’ Adam heard an unfamiliar voice call out from the back of the room. Looking around, it was clear that he was the only other person in the room, so then he had to be the professor that Tracey was talking about. But then where was Professor Hunt? As if he had read Adam’s mind, the new professor turned around and continued to talk. ‘You must be wondering where professor Hunt is.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Adam took a closer look at the guy. He was still a young man, maybe a bit younger than Tracey. His hair was of medium length, brown and quite spiky, bordering on just plain messy. Then Adam noticed that he had green eyes, which he had never seen before in real life. Underneath his long, white lab coat, the person was wearing a simple T-shirt and a pair of ratty, old jeans.
‘Never call me “sir” again. That’s my gramps. Call me Gary, alright.’ Then it dawned on Adam who he was. A few weeks ago, he had read about the grandson of the legendary Professor Oak of Pallet Town. This grandson had taken up the mantle of his grandfather, becoming one of the youngest Pokémon Professors in the history of the world.
‘Gary … as in Gary Oak?’ Gary nodded, feeling a bit proud that he was recognized already.
‘Normally he just gets scolded for pretending to be a professor.’ Tracey then said, not realizing he was giving out more information than Gary wanted. Something that became quite clear when Gary turned beet red.
‘Yeah, well, people aren’t used to a professor that isn’t almost a dinosaur.’ Gary said in his defense. ‘I’ll never understand why gramps sent you over to help.’ He continued. Tracey just started to laugh quietly and made his exit in a hurry.
‘So, what about professor Hunt?’ Adam asked, wanting to divert the subject. His eyes had caught three Pokéballs though that were sitting in ball cases on a nearby table.
‘I think it was Ranger DeWinter that asked him to go over to the Ranger HQ. They urgently needed him for something top secret. Very hush hush stuff. And that’s where I come in. Seeing as I’m a professor in training, sort to speak, they asked me to look after the lab until Hunt came back.’ Then Gary started to stand in a rather cocky fashion, making a motion with his hand as if he was brushing something off. ’Of course I agreed to come help out this little region. It’s the least I could do to help.’
‘Little region?’ Presuming he was thinking it, Adam found himself slapping his own forehead when hearing the words out loud. ’Sorry, it slipped.’
‘No, no. It’s quite alright.’ Gary looked like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. ’Am I getting soft or something?’ He mumbled, just loud enough for Adam to understand.
‘The Pokémon!’ Tracey yelled from another room.
‘Right.’ Gary raised his finger in the air as he walked on over to a computer against the wall. ’I have a favor to ask you, Adam.’ He said. Adam saw that the computer was one that handled Pokéball transportation. And indeed, a few seconds later, the computer jumped to life. Electric currents started to emerge from the computer that soon came down on the platform. A single Pokéball started to materialize. After a small flash, it was there. Gary then took the Pokéball and held it out to Adam. ‘I know that new trainers usually get to pick from the three starter Pokémon, but this Pokémon is in need of a trainer as well.’ Adam reached out and took the Pokéball from Gary. Observing it closely, he wondered what kind of Pokémon could be in there. And what had happened to it.
‘What’s wrong with it?’ Adam asked. Gary had been taking a while to continue to his story, maybe to see if Adam would notice it on his own. Hearing what he wanted to hear, Gary continued the story.
‘I caught it on my way over here. A few days after I stepped ashore, I noticed some heavy breathing coming from a bush just off the road. Upon closer inspection, I saw the little fellow lying there, all beat up. I caught it in a ball and quickly rushed over to the nearest Pokémon center. Thing is, now the Pokémon is technically mine. But I can’t give it the attention it deserves.’
‘That’s why you’re asking me to raise it.’
‘Exactly.’
‘You know, Gary. I was actually still not sure which Pokémon I’d choose to be on my side. But now that I heard this, how can I refuse.’ Adam raised the ball and tossed it in to the air. ‘Pokémon, I choose you!’ The ball opened up and a red wave of energy emerged from within, spiraling down to the ground where it materialized in to a small, adorable, little Pichu.
‘This is Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon.’ Gary started to explain as the Pichu confusedly looked around the room. ‘It’s the first form of its evolutions, Pikachu and Raichu.’ Adam sat down next to the Pichu and opened up the palms of his hands. Eager to learn more about this new person, the Pichu started to sniff them.
‘Pi.’ It said softly.
‘Since it’s still a baby, a Pichu isn’t quite in full control of storing electricity so it can discharge small amounts at times.’ Gary seemed to done talking so Adam decided it was time for a formal introduction.
‘Hi there, Pichu. My name is Adam.’ Pichu looked up with wide, open eyes. Though still a bit shy, it remained right where it stood.
‘Pi-pi-pi.’ As was usual with Pichu, it had short, pale yellow fur with black ear tips and black markings on its neck and slightly bolt shaped tail.
‘You want to be my Pokémon partner?’ Adam then asked. Pichu’s eyes widened even further, seeing what exactly was going on.
Gary was observing this scene from a few steps away. He had crossed his arms and was leaning against a computer with his shoulder. Inside of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was his destiny to be paired with people like Adam. First, he was rivals with Ash Ketchum, then friends. And now he was the professor to another one just like him. The kid even had a Pichu. No doubt, it would evolve in to a Pikachu and then the picture would be complete. Karma sure was something.
Pichu seemed to be thinking things over, nitpicking every aspect of what the consequences would be. It was either that, Adam assumed, or he was just messing with him. The sound of Gary having a good laugh reached Adam’s ears and then it dawned on him that maybe Pichu was pulling his strings. Pichu saw the face that Adam was pulling and smiled from ear to ear as it placed its paw on his hand. Being his usual self, Adam picked up Pichu and held it up in the air quite enthusiastically.
‘I have a Pichu!’
‘Adam, no!’ Gary shouted, but a bit too late. The Pichu got spooked and sent a mild, but still hurtful shockwave through Adam’s body. ‘As I said.’ Gary continued, seeing a slightly crispy Adam in front of him. ‘Pichu isn’t quite in full control of storing electricity yet.’
‘I got that.’ Adam said, with a small puff of smoke coming from his ears.
‘Pi.’ Pichu broke free from Adam’s hands and went on his left shoulder. ‘Pichu.’ He brushed up against Adam’s cheek, followed by Adam kindly tapping his forehead.
‘I’ve got his stuff right here, Gary.’ Looking around, Adam saw Tracey standing in the doorway with a tray in his hands.
‘Everything on that tray are necessities to a trainer, Adam.’ Gary said, walking up to Tracey with Adam in his wake.
Coming up to the tray, Adam could see various items lying on it. Items that his brother has as well, save for one device.
‘These are five more Pokéballs; we’re giving them to you free of charge.’ Gary said, pointing to five Pokéballs in their miniaturized mode. ‘And that is your Pokémon Trainer Card.’ Now he was pointing to a small, thick, plastic card that had Adam’s picture on it and a few pieces of data. There was Adam’s birthday, his first Pokémon and a series of numbers. ‘Those numbers are your I.D. numbers. It’s for the computer. Following is your very own Pokédex.’ Adam had recognized it right away. It was a rectangular device that could fit in his hands. The color scheme was red with black details. Divided in to two sections, the bottom part was the smallest. On it were several buttons including a D-Pad and two round buttons. The top half was the largest and took up most of the space. Adam picked it up and pressed the big red button between the D-pad and the two buttons. The upper half of the Pokédex slid open and revealed a rather large screen.
‘Welcome to the Shinta Region Pokédex System. Please insert a Pokémon Trainer Card.’ The voice of the Pokédex was that of a woman, though heavily digitalized.
‘Here, let me show you how.’ Gary said, taking the Pokédex. Both Adam as Pichu looked closely as Gary worked his magic. As he did, Adam noticed a small camera in the back of the half that was slid up. That was probably the scanner. ‘As you may know, the Pokédex is a massive encyclopedia of all Pokémon in the world. Updates are made regularly and they can be patched in from any computer.’ Gary said as he was looking at the device closely. Being new to the region probably meant rediscovering a few things. ’Though these newer models have many other features. Like scan-mode. It can scan any Pokémon you own, as long as it is inside a Pokéball. From there it can tell which attacks it knows, in which condition it is in and more. Plus, these new models also act as a journal, where you can record behavior and the like that you noticed, expanding the database even further… Ah, there we go.’ Gary opened up a small slot on the top of the device and then inserted Adam’s Card in to it.
‘Greetings, Adam DeWinter from Cruise City. I am Dex 145 slash 554 dash 12. All operations are functional.’
‘Piiii.’ Pichu seemed to be particularly interested in the device. Adam took it and stuck in his back pocket.
‘Thanks, Gary.’
‘No problem.’ Was Gary’s reply, taking the last device from the tray. ‘And this.’ He said, waving it around. ‘This is another favor I need to ask of you.’
‘Anything for you, Gary.’
‘I need you to deliver this to the Nurse Jenny of a nearby Pokémon Center.’ The device was in fact nothing more than a large screen. Probably touchscreen, by the look of it.
From the back of the room came the sound of a device that was calling for attention. By the sound of the ring alone, Adam understood it was a phone call that needed to be answered as quickly as possible.
‘Thanks again, Gary. And I’ll deliver it for ya.’ He quickly said, letting Gary know it was okay to go pick it up.
‘Cool, I’ll see you later then.’
‘See ya.’ Adam said a bit louder, as Gary had already sped off towards the phone. ‘And what about that sketch?’ He then asked Tracey, who rubbed the back of his head like Adam had done earlier.
‘I’ll get to work on it later, I promise.’
‘But I want to see it now!’ Adam said, a bit louder than needed.
‘Later, I swear!’ Adam started jumping around Tracey, sometimes kneeling and sometimes groveling. He really wanted to see that sketch of him and Pichu. All Tracey could do was stand there, because he had just filled up his last sketchbook earlier that day.
And so our young hero’s journey began. With a short-term goal already established, Adam heads off towards the horizon, where he will undoubtedly stumble on to many adventures.
Pokémon are creatures that inhibit the world in which Adam lives. They are marvelous creatures of which exist hundreds of species all throughout the many regions. Big and small, these creatures are as diverse as there are people, not one is the same when it comes to personality.
Whilst each region is known for having a few hundred unique species to it, the Shinta region where Adam lives has but few. Ridiculed for this in the past, people have become to see this as a strength. For Shinta has becomes a region that is filled to the brim with all sorts of species from all over the world. Many call it their home and the people of Shinta have gladly welcomed them all.
In every region there is a tradition that many kids look forward to, Adam included. The day after their tenth birthday, the new teenagers are given an opportunity of a lifetime, as they are then given their first Pokémon partner. With their new partner by their side, these kids are then lovingly pushed in to the world where they experience adventures beyond belief.
Slowly the tunes coming from the radio picked up in sound, preparing for the final wake-up volume that should get even the deepest of sleepers up. The music playing was that of an orchestra of Pokémon, remixed in to a song of the Techno genre. As it started to tone down because the song was ending, the alarm radio upped the sound a lot, so that the next sound would come through loud and clear.
‘Good morning Shinta Region! This is DJ Mike coming to you live from Riverwood City for the Pokémon Music station.’ Adam practically jumped out of bed as DJ Mike made his appearance on the air. His heart was racing a million beats per hour as he was trying his best to separate what remained of his dream from reality. Quickly the morning haze started to pass and he could hear DJ Mike announce the next song in his usual, hyperactive fashion. ’With a beautiful morning like this, I think we should listen to some beautiful songs. Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy.’ And with that said, DJ Mike faded in to the background as a slow, heart pulling song started playing.
Needing some adrenalin in the morning, Adam swiftly turned off his radio and let out a big yawn as he stretched to get what remains of his sleep out of his system.
Opening his eyes after that good yawn, Adam could see that it was indeed a beautiful morning. Right next to his bed was a wall to wall window, which’s curtains were opened so that Adam could get used to sleeping without them. Not that he was willing to go as far as sleeping without the comfort of his bed, but it was a nice first step to say the least.
Outside he could see a flock of all sorts of bird Pokémon fly off towards the horizon, accompanied by a gentle breeze and a cloudless sky. Below this scenery was Cruise Town, a relatively large town at the south borders of the Shinta region. Originally, the town had a different name. However, after the retirement of the S.S. Anne’s predecessor, the town renamed itself to Cruise Town in remembrance of the ship that brought the first townspeople to the Shinta region.
Cruise Town as well seemed to be slowly starting to wake. Its people were starting their usual morning routine with a smile attached to their first. In front of the many houses were people doing the lawn, picking up papers or waving to those sporty few that go on their morning run. Amongst them were the people heading for work by bike, on foot or a select few by car.
Seeing this made Adam realized that this might very well be the last time in a very long time he would be seeing that view. And he found it to be saddening. Still, the trade-off would be well worth it.
Lying on the chair next to his bed was a new set of clothes that his mother had bought for him for this day. He could see why she had insisted on buying these clothes, as they seemed to be made out of sturdy material. Adam went over the fabric with his hand before heading off towards the shower.
He took a bit longer this time, knowing perfectly well that showers are going to be a rarity whilst out in the field. It didn’t take him very long though to feel completely refreshed and go on with the day. Yet, he kept enjoying it for as long as he could. And when he was done, he got dressed in his new set of clothes. These existed out of a pair of white sneakers with green shoelaces, a pair of medium-dark blue jeans, a green T-shirt, a dark green hoodie with zipper and a dark blue baseball cap that has the logo on it of the Pokémon Rangers.
Once he was ready to leave his room, Adam took one last look around. Almost every night of his life had been spent inside that room. It aged alongside him, it got hurt with him and it began to show the signs of aging. There was a bump in the wall over his bed where he had smashed a toy Pokéball against it because he was angry with his mom. On the floor were a few floorboards that had been replaced due to damage taken during a fight between him and his brother. Posters were showing the usual wear and tear of being moved around or an accidental scratch.
Adam sighed and put on his baseball cap, first brushing his dark brown hair with his hand. It was going to be a long day if he kept stalling like this. With that in mind, he quickly made his way downstairs. He could hear the usual buzz of the downstairs floor from the moment he opened his bedroom door. Coming downstairs, he could see his brother sitting at the kitchen island, with a bowl of cereal in front of him. He was watching the TV whilst he was eating his breakfast. Adam took a quick glance at the TV and saw that his brother was watching the news.
‘… have reported that Team Museum has struck again in Riverwood City as they tried to take hold of the media center there. Oddly enough they were stopped in their tracks by their rival gang, Team Rocket, who did not wish to see Museum’s plans go to fruition…’ The reporter was once again discussing the seemingly everlasting war between Rocket and Museum. This war between these two gangs was the reason why his father was out at the Pokémon Ranger Training Center to teach young trainers to protect the Pokémon.
‘Mom, Adam’s up.’ His brother Michael yelled when he noticed his little brother had come downstairs. Michael was an older version of Adam, with a few more hints of their father here and there, making him look just different enough.
Adam looked for his mother and saw her on the videophone, talking to someone he couldn’t quite make out on the screen.
‘I’ll have him around in a minute, Professor.’ She said, after which the man on the other end disconnected. Lily DeWinter came from the phone and brushed a lock of long, blue hair behind her ear. She truly was a remarkable sight; even Adam had to admit that. Though he saw her in a very different light and would have found her beautiful even if she wasn’t at all. Because he could see her as she truly was, a kind and gentle, yet strict mother.
‘Who was that?’ Adam asked her.
‘You’ll meet him soon enough, honey. Ready to get going?’ She was acting as if she wanted him out of the house as fast as possible.
‘Don’t be in such a rush, mom. At least let me have some breakfast.’ Lily smiled and Adam could practically hear her think: “Oh, Adam”.
‘Sorry, kiddo. This is the last of the cereals.’ Michael said as he held up the bowl.
‘I’ll make you a sandwich for on the road.’ Lily said as she went in to the kitchen.
‘She really wants me out.’ Adam sat down in the couch, soon joined by his brother who came to sit next to him.
‘No worries. She was like that with me too. I totally felt unappreciated.’ They both shared a laugh.
‘I just wish I could see you off, man.’ Adam said with a slight gloom on his face. Michael got a look on his face that expressed he understood what Adam was feeling.
‘I’m not leaving forever, Adam. You’ll get to wave me off another day.’
‘Yeah, but who knows. Maybe you’ll find a home there in Viridian City.’ Suddenly Michael’s face turned dark, as if that was worst thing that could possibly happen.
‘Doubtful.’ He just said. ’Anyway, you know which starter you’re gonna pick?’ Adam could only sit there with his mouth open, not knowing how to respond. It was a question he had asked himself many times over before, and each time he had come up with a different answer. First of what he did was try to look inside to see which type would suit him best. Fire, Water or Grass … it was a difficult choice to make. Then he decided to just look at the individual Pokémon and their aspects.
First, you had Calito, the cat Pokémon. It was a small orange cat with blue dots all over its body. A small but reliable Pokémon with a very cat like personality. However, as it evolves, it changes for the better, most professors say. With it being the fire-type Pokémon of the bunch, it could also have an explosive kick to its personality.
Then there was Shimbala. It was a small, blue dog with a fin for a tail. It was a water-type Pokémon and was very reliable from the day it hatched.
Lastly, you had Falcang, the grass Pokémon. Well, it was half grass and half bird Pokémon as it had a set of wings and a bird’s head, though a humanoid body. Falcang’s body was small in this evolutionary form and very cute. Its color and that of it its evolutions was a simple, yet effective brown with green details. The green started to become more apparent the higher you go on the evolutionary ladder. Whilst Calito was … well, a cat and Shimbala was reliable, Falcang was playful.
‘Not really.’ Adam admitted, which caused Michael to burst out in a fit of laughter.
‘Deja-vu. I remember getting that question from pops as mom was making sandwiches for me. And I froze too.’
‘Maybe I’ll end up picking up the same Pokémon as you.’
‘I wanna bet you’re as nervous as I was.’
‘Not really.’ Adam said, realizing it was only half a lie. ‘I’m having butterflies, yeah, but I’m feeling pretty good about this.’ Michael closed his eyes and tapped Adam on the forehead with the second knuckles of his index and middle finger.
‘You’ll be alright.’ Adam really didn’t want to bring it up again, but as he was avoiding it now, Michael had been avoiding it ever since he had brought it up.
‘So, Mike, what are you going to do in Viridian?’
‘You could say I’m going to apply for a job. Though it’s not a real job, really.’ Michael said it so fast that Adam was wondering if he was lying. He knew his brother well enough to know that this might be just the case. ‘At any rate, time I get going.’ Now it was quite obvious that something was off.
‘If you say so.’
‘Yeah, I say so.’ Michael once again tapped his brother on the forehead and then stood up. ‘Mom, I gotta go.’ He said loudly.
‘Okay, honey. You take care now.’ Lily yelled back from the kitchen. Adam had seen it before. The last time that Michael went away, she had stayed in the laundry room for so long that he left without saying goodbye personally. It must really kill her to see her children go out in to the world like that.
‘Besides.’ Michael said, leaning in close to Adam. ‘If I don’t go now, I don’t think you’ll reach the professor in time.’ The two of them shared another laugh, followed by Michael giving Adam a wink of his eye. ‘See ya later, kiddo.’ Michael grabbed his bag that stood next to the door before he left without looking back once. Adam could have sworn to have seen a tear roll down his cheek when he had turned around to walk away, but that could have been the light or something.
‘Here you go, Adam.’ Hearing the voice of his mother right behind, Adam turned around to see her reaching out a brand new, green, single strap backpack.
‘Thanks, mom. I knew I could count on you.’ Adam said which caused Lily to smile.
‘Yeah, I noticed that you were going to let me do the heavy lifting when you didn’t do anything yourself.’
‘Subtle hint from my end.’ Adam replied as he strapped on the backpack.
‘The sandwich is in there already.’
‘Figured as much, thanks.’ Adam could see that Lily was starting to tear up. It was really pulling her strings, seeing both her boys leave the home. Not to mention that her youngest son was leaving home for the first time to traverse the world to battle other people by using all-powerful Pokémon. Adam knew that she missed his father’s shoulders to lean on in times like these.
Lily couldn’t control herself anymore and walked up to her son, giving him the biggest hug he had ever received. He cherished every second of it, knowing the closest he’ll get for a long time would be a LCD screen of the phone he would be using to ring her.
‘Take care.’ Lily said before she quickly turned around, heading straight for the kitchen where she would probably perform a mundane task to keep her mind off of what happened.
Taking one last look around the room, Adam breathed in and out in a steady pace and gathered to courage to leave his home. Before he realized it, he was resting his hand on the copper doorknob. It felt surprisingly cold to his touch, whilst the warmth emanating from his home felt welcoming. Sucking it up, he turned the knob and opened the door, ready to boldly go where many before him had gone before.
Cruise Town had fully awakened by the time Adam had arrived at the end of the road leading up to his house. After taking one quick look back to his home, Adam waved farewell and set off towards the lab of one Professor Hunt.
The roads were now practically clear of all cars, as their owners had left for work. Only at a few homes does a car still remain and those didn’t seem likely to be used. Adam didn’t know why, but when he looked at all those homes, he noticed how beautiful everything was. From the flowerbeds in front of them to the architecture of each centimeter of these houses.
‘Mime!’ Adam heard the voice of a familiar Pokémon call out from a nearby home. Once he arrived at the gate, he peeked around the large, wooden fence and saw a Mr. Mime sweeping the bricked road leading up to the house.
‘Hey, Mr. Mime!’ Adam said, waving at his old friend. He and Mr. Mime had been friends for as long as Adam could remember, always going over to him to play with him.
‘Mi-mi mi-mi-mime!’ Mr. Mime yelled, waving back with his broom in hand. Clumsy as he was, he accidentally let go of the broom that flew straight across the yard, stick end first in to a hole in the fence. Slightly panicking Mr. Mime ran over to the broom and tried to pull it out. ’Mime!’ He sounded quite irritated.
‘You’ll get it out, Mr. Mime. No worries.’ Reminiscing over the many clumsy feats that Mr. Mime had managed to pull off in his days, Adam continued down the road towards the main road. Right as he passed the fence to Mr. Mime’s house, he heard something. Looking over, he saw that Mr. Mime had jumped the fence. ’Oh-oh.’ Adam said, knowing perfectly well that this couldn’t be good.
‘Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!’ Mr. Mime was charging for an attack. His hand started to glow in a bright light. Then he released all that energy in to one swift punch, knocking the broom out of the hole. Only to create another hole in its place.
‘Mr. Mime!’ Adam heard the voice of Mr. Mime’s owner and cringed. That old coot never liked Adam and he always scolded him for the things Mr. Mime did wrong. Not wanting to have a repeat of last time’s scolding, Adam quickly took off running, waving goodbye to Mr. Mime, as he looked back worried.
‘Hey, Adam!’ It was Ellenore, one of his friends who wasn’t quite eligible yet to become a trainer. Adam stopped in his tracks, took a few deep breaths and then waved at her. ‘Good luck on your adventure!’ She yelled, running back to her home with the mail in hand.
The closer he came to the town center, the more people started to wish him good luck. Like the kind, young man that he is, Adam replied to every one of them with a thanks and a polite wave. However, by the time he passed the large grocery store, his patience was starting to run thin. All of these people were starting to slow him down and he really wanted to get to Professor Hunt’s lab. Every one of his thoughts were starting to become of his new partner. He couldn’t wait to finally meet him.
Walking passed a flower shop, the final shop of the town center, Adam took a peek inside and stopped for a moment when he saw the TV was on and it was showing a news report. He couldn’t hear a single thing but he could clearly see the headline at the bottom of the screen. It said that Team Rocket had been spotted near Starcraft City. Considering the news lady was standing in front of a sign saying that Cruise Town was that way, Adam could only presume they were worried about Professor Hunt’s lab. Speaking of which. Adam thought when he realized he was just wasting time. Who cared about Team Rocket anyway. Chances are he’ll never even meet those clowns.
‘Time to get a Pokémon!’ He yelled from the top of his lungs, immediately running off towards Hunt’s lab as fast as his legs would take him.
The flower lady inside the shop was looking at the front window, clutching her chest with her hand. She had been spooked by the sudden yell just outside her window. When she saw young Adam standing there, she laughed. The kid will never change.
Professor Hunt’s Pokémon Laboratory was located on the outskirts of town. A necessity because of the huge amounts of land required to house the Pokémon that trainers send back there. Not to mention the giant building needed to house all of his equipment, libraries and storage areas.
Adam had visited the laboratory before with his father, who had gone to visit Hunt on an urgent matter. Whilst they were talking, Adam had gotten the big tour of the place by professor Hunt’s Pokémon, an Eevee. It had been an amazing tour that taught Adam a big deal about what it’s like being a Pokémon Professor. And not to mention the responsibilities that came with it. Of course, Adam was just six years old back then, too young to fully understand everything. And Eevee couldn’t speak at all. But, four years is a long time and he came to understood things much better.
Standing outside of the lab, Adam noticed that everything looked a lot more clinical than it looked back in the day. Not having been there for a few years, he was more surprised than he should have been. Seeing as the urgent matter his father had gone to Hunt about was about the contractor that had put up the building in the first place. Still, seeing it changed like that was quite a surprise. Thinking about it, Adam had to admit that this new style fit the professor perfectly.
Instead of thinking about it too much, Adam decided to just walk in there and get it over with. He opened up the left one of the double doors and walked inside, in to a pretty relaxing area obviously meant as a lobby. There were sofas on the side with paintings above them on the wall. On the other end of the lobby was a desk, which was unoccupied at the moment.
But that wasn’t what caught Adam’s attention. Looking closer at the paintings revealed that they weren’t painting at all. They were all hand drawn pictures of various Pokémon. Some were posing whilst others were doing something that really lend itself to a picture. In the bottom right of each picture was an autograph, presumably by the same man that drew these things. “Sketchit” was the name and all of the autographs looked exactly the same. One of the pictures was that of a pink Rhyhorn. It was certainly an interesting picture as Adam had no idea if it was legit.
‘Like what you see?’
‘Gah!’ Adam yelled out, being spooked by the sudden voice that came from next to him. He looked to see who it was and saw it was a face he hadn’t seen before. ‘Wh … who are you?’ Adam said quite impolitely. Luckily the man realized he had spooked Adam so he didn’t make a big deal out of it.
‘Tracey Sketchit.’ The man said. Tracey was a young man who seemed to be around twenty years old. He was wearing a pair of loose, brown shorts, a green T-shirt and purple shoes. Not quite a winning combination in colors but it did the job.
‘Sorry.’ Adam said whilst rubbing the back of his head, realizing he had been acting kind of strange. ‘I’m Adam DeWinter.’ Adam turned his head towards the pictures. ‘And yeah, I really like what I see.’
‘Thank you.’ Tracey replied. ‘It’s always nice to hear that your work is appreciated.’
‘Who couldn’t appreciate this?’ Tracey suddenly jumped back and turned around, slightly embarrassed by the praise.
‘Oh, I mean, people could. It’s some of my early work. I mean …’ It was more mumbling than anything else and Adam barely understood it. Then Tracey came back to stand next to Adam. ‘You must be here for your first Pokémon.’
‘Indeed I am. Yes, indeedy.’ The mere thought of holding a Pokéball in his hand soon was almost overwhelming him. ‘So, let’s do this!’ Adam raised his voice once again, although now right next to Tracey’s ear who quickly covered it. ‘Sorry.’ Adam said when he realized what he had done.
‘You want me to make a sketch of you with your Pokémon?’ Tracey then said as a way of saying he wasn’t angry.
‘I’d like that a lot!’ Once again, as if he couldn’t help himself, Adam yelled. Only this time, Tracey was prepared and had already backed away.
‘The professor is ready to see you, so let’s get going.’ Tracey then said. Adam nodded and followed Tracey as he walked towards another double door. This time the doors slid open automatically as they approached them, letting out a gust of fresh air.
Walking through these double doors revealed a marvelous room filled with scientific material and books, which were in cases that went from the roof to the floor. Alongside the walls were countless of computers as well that all seemed to have their purpose. Some were giant machines with a keyboard integrated in them. Others seemed to have a small chamber within them in which items could be placed, or even Pokémon if they were the right size. Then in the center of the room there were many tables, on which lied many papers, folders, microscopes and other such things. This was definitely not the same lab that he had visited all those years ago.
‘Thank you, Tracey.’ Adam heard an unfamiliar voice call out from the back of the room. Looking around, it was clear that he was the only other person in the room, so then he had to be the professor that Tracey was talking about. But then where was Professor Hunt? As if he had read Adam’s mind, the new professor turned around and continued to talk. ‘You must be wondering where professor Hunt is.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Adam took a closer look at the guy. He was still a young man, maybe a bit younger than Tracey. His hair was of medium length, brown and quite spiky, bordering on just plain messy. Then Adam noticed that he had green eyes, which he had never seen before in real life. Underneath his long, white lab coat, the person was wearing a simple T-shirt and a pair of ratty, old jeans.
‘Never call me “sir” again. That’s my gramps. Call me Gary, alright.’ Then it dawned on Adam who he was. A few weeks ago, he had read about the grandson of the legendary Professor Oak of Pallet Town. This grandson had taken up the mantle of his grandfather, becoming one of the youngest Pokémon Professors in the history of the world.
‘Gary … as in Gary Oak?’ Gary nodded, feeling a bit proud that he was recognized already.
‘Normally he just gets scolded for pretending to be a professor.’ Tracey then said, not realizing he was giving out more information than Gary wanted. Something that became quite clear when Gary turned beet red.
‘Yeah, well, people aren’t used to a professor that isn’t almost a dinosaur.’ Gary said in his defense. ‘I’ll never understand why gramps sent you over to help.’ He continued. Tracey just started to laugh quietly and made his exit in a hurry.
‘So, what about professor Hunt?’ Adam asked, wanting to divert the subject. His eyes had caught three Pokéballs though that were sitting in ball cases on a nearby table.
‘I think it was Ranger DeWinter that asked him to go over to the Ranger HQ. They urgently needed him for something top secret. Very hush hush stuff. And that’s where I come in. Seeing as I’m a professor in training, sort to speak, they asked me to look after the lab until Hunt came back.’ Then Gary started to stand in a rather cocky fashion, making a motion with his hand as if he was brushing something off. ’Of course I agreed to come help out this little region. It’s the least I could do to help.’
‘Little region?’ Presuming he was thinking it, Adam found himself slapping his own forehead when hearing the words out loud. ’Sorry, it slipped.’
‘No, no. It’s quite alright.’ Gary looked like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. ’Am I getting soft or something?’ He mumbled, just loud enough for Adam to understand.
‘The Pokémon!’ Tracey yelled from another room.
‘Right.’ Gary raised his finger in the air as he walked on over to a computer against the wall. ’I have a favor to ask you, Adam.’ He said. Adam saw that the computer was one that handled Pokéball transportation. And indeed, a few seconds later, the computer jumped to life. Electric currents started to emerge from the computer that soon came down on the platform. A single Pokéball started to materialize. After a small flash, it was there. Gary then took the Pokéball and held it out to Adam. ‘I know that new trainers usually get to pick from the three starter Pokémon, but this Pokémon is in need of a trainer as well.’ Adam reached out and took the Pokéball from Gary. Observing it closely, he wondered what kind of Pokémon could be in there. And what had happened to it.
‘What’s wrong with it?’ Adam asked. Gary had been taking a while to continue to his story, maybe to see if Adam would notice it on his own. Hearing what he wanted to hear, Gary continued the story.
‘I caught it on my way over here. A few days after I stepped ashore, I noticed some heavy breathing coming from a bush just off the road. Upon closer inspection, I saw the little fellow lying there, all beat up. I caught it in a ball and quickly rushed over to the nearest Pokémon center. Thing is, now the Pokémon is technically mine. But I can’t give it the attention it deserves.’
‘That’s why you’re asking me to raise it.’
‘Exactly.’
‘You know, Gary. I was actually still not sure which Pokémon I’d choose to be on my side. But now that I heard this, how can I refuse.’ Adam raised the ball and tossed it in to the air. ‘Pokémon, I choose you!’ The ball opened up and a red wave of energy emerged from within, spiraling down to the ground where it materialized in to a small, adorable, little Pichu.
‘This is Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon.’ Gary started to explain as the Pichu confusedly looked around the room. ‘It’s the first form of its evolutions, Pikachu and Raichu.’ Adam sat down next to the Pichu and opened up the palms of his hands. Eager to learn more about this new person, the Pichu started to sniff them.
‘Pi.’ It said softly.
‘Since it’s still a baby, a Pichu isn’t quite in full control of storing electricity so it can discharge small amounts at times.’ Gary seemed to done talking so Adam decided it was time for a formal introduction.
‘Hi there, Pichu. My name is Adam.’ Pichu looked up with wide, open eyes. Though still a bit shy, it remained right where it stood.
‘Pi-pi-pi.’ As was usual with Pichu, it had short, pale yellow fur with black ear tips and black markings on its neck and slightly bolt shaped tail.
‘You want to be my Pokémon partner?’ Adam then asked. Pichu’s eyes widened even further, seeing what exactly was going on.
Gary was observing this scene from a few steps away. He had crossed his arms and was leaning against a computer with his shoulder. Inside of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was his destiny to be paired with people like Adam. First, he was rivals with Ash Ketchum, then friends. And now he was the professor to another one just like him. The kid even had a Pichu. No doubt, it would evolve in to a Pikachu and then the picture would be complete. Karma sure was something.
Pichu seemed to be thinking things over, nitpicking every aspect of what the consequences would be. It was either that, Adam assumed, or he was just messing with him. The sound of Gary having a good laugh reached Adam’s ears and then it dawned on him that maybe Pichu was pulling his strings. Pichu saw the face that Adam was pulling and smiled from ear to ear as it placed its paw on his hand. Being his usual self, Adam picked up Pichu and held it up in the air quite enthusiastically.
‘I have a Pichu!’
‘Adam, no!’ Gary shouted, but a bit too late. The Pichu got spooked and sent a mild, but still hurtful shockwave through Adam’s body. ‘As I said.’ Gary continued, seeing a slightly crispy Adam in front of him. ‘Pichu isn’t quite in full control of storing electricity yet.’
‘I got that.’ Adam said, with a small puff of smoke coming from his ears.
‘Pi.’ Pichu broke free from Adam’s hands and went on his left shoulder. ‘Pichu.’ He brushed up against Adam’s cheek, followed by Adam kindly tapping his forehead.
‘I’ve got his stuff right here, Gary.’ Looking around, Adam saw Tracey standing in the doorway with a tray in his hands.
‘Everything on that tray are necessities to a trainer, Adam.’ Gary said, walking up to Tracey with Adam in his wake.
Coming up to the tray, Adam could see various items lying on it. Items that his brother has as well, save for one device.
‘These are five more Pokéballs; we’re giving them to you free of charge.’ Gary said, pointing to five Pokéballs in their miniaturized mode. ‘And that is your Pokémon Trainer Card.’ Now he was pointing to a small, thick, plastic card that had Adam’s picture on it and a few pieces of data. There was Adam’s birthday, his first Pokémon and a series of numbers. ‘Those numbers are your I.D. numbers. It’s for the computer. Following is your very own Pokédex.’ Adam had recognized it right away. It was a rectangular device that could fit in his hands. The color scheme was red with black details. Divided in to two sections, the bottom part was the smallest. On it were several buttons including a D-Pad and two round buttons. The top half was the largest and took up most of the space. Adam picked it up and pressed the big red button between the D-pad and the two buttons. The upper half of the Pokédex slid open and revealed a rather large screen.
‘Welcome to the Shinta Region Pokédex System. Please insert a Pokémon Trainer Card.’ The voice of the Pokédex was that of a woman, though heavily digitalized.
‘Here, let me show you how.’ Gary said, taking the Pokédex. Both Adam as Pichu looked closely as Gary worked his magic. As he did, Adam noticed a small camera in the back of the half that was slid up. That was probably the scanner. ‘As you may know, the Pokédex is a massive encyclopedia of all Pokémon in the world. Updates are made regularly and they can be patched in from any computer.’ Gary said as he was looking at the device closely. Being new to the region probably meant rediscovering a few things. ’Though these newer models have many other features. Like scan-mode. It can scan any Pokémon you own, as long as it is inside a Pokéball. From there it can tell which attacks it knows, in which condition it is in and more. Plus, these new models also act as a journal, where you can record behavior and the like that you noticed, expanding the database even further… Ah, there we go.’ Gary opened up a small slot on the top of the device and then inserted Adam’s Card in to it.
‘Greetings, Adam DeWinter from Cruise City. I am Dex 145 slash 554 dash 12. All operations are functional.’
‘Piiii.’ Pichu seemed to be particularly interested in the device. Adam took it and stuck in his back pocket.
‘Thanks, Gary.’
‘No problem.’ Was Gary’s reply, taking the last device from the tray. ‘And this.’ He said, waving it around. ‘This is another favor I need to ask of you.’
‘Anything for you, Gary.’
‘I need you to deliver this to the Nurse Jenny of a nearby Pokémon Center.’ The device was in fact nothing more than a large screen. Probably touchscreen, by the look of it.
From the back of the room came the sound of a device that was calling for attention. By the sound of the ring alone, Adam understood it was a phone call that needed to be answered as quickly as possible.
‘Thanks again, Gary. And I’ll deliver it for ya.’ He quickly said, letting Gary know it was okay to go pick it up.
‘Cool, I’ll see you later then.’
‘See ya.’ Adam said a bit louder, as Gary had already sped off towards the phone. ‘And what about that sketch?’ He then asked Tracey, who rubbed the back of his head like Adam had done earlier.
‘I’ll get to work on it later, I promise.’
‘But I want to see it now!’ Adam said, a bit louder than needed.
‘Later, I swear!’ Adam started jumping around Tracey, sometimes kneeling and sometimes groveling. He really wanted to see that sketch of him and Pichu. All Tracey could do was stand there, because he had just filled up his last sketchbook earlier that day.
And so our young hero’s journey began. With a short-term goal already established, Adam heads off towards the horizon, where he will undoubtedly stumble on to many adventures.
No comments:
Post a Comment