Ask to Join Welcome to the World of Pokémon!: Kanto

[Wapiti]

@JustJumper; @Red Gallade; @BartenderReaper; @The Kitsune; @Keybored

Welcome to the World of Pokémon!

The Pokémon World is full of mystery. Its promise of adventure sets fire to the hearts of young and old alike, hoping to unearth the secrets contained behind its closed doors.

Creatures called Pokémon share this world with humans. They live and work together as companions and often as partners in battle. The coexistence between humans and Pokémon is truly special, as the two very different races share an understanding that surpasses biological and communication boundaries. The relationship is nothing short of spectacular, and new discoveries are made about its proportion each day. There is no doubt that Pokémon have an unparalleled ability to relate to human emotions on an astoundingly deep level.

Some people choose to use Pokémon for selfish reasons, abusing their power for crime and war. This mistreatment and torment can cause Pokémon to close their hearts to humans. They behave aggressively and use their abilities unrestrainedly. However, wherever there is darkness, light will always appear to counteract it.

Lives in the Pokémon World are bound by their urge to heed certain callings. While for some it may be to simply become a Pokémon Master, for others it may be to understand the secrets hidden within relations with Pokémon. These callings link individuals to the world around them.

- - -
​

The world was painted in pastels of orange and blue as the morning sun just began to emerge over the peaks of the mountains, looming like sleeping giants, far off to the west of Pallet Town. The buildings of the small town were silhouetted against the brightening sky and the landscape was ignited in a bright, springtime green as sunlight washed over it in a radiant wave. The surrounding forests came to life with the stirring of wild Pokémon as they awoke and began to hunt for their morning meals.

Professor Samuel Oak stood in the open doorway of his research lab and gently stirred stirred his coffee. He inhaled deeply; the air was still relatively chilly at this time of year, but felt crisp and invigorating as it filled his lungs. The night before had been entirely restless, as the lab staff had been busy with preparations for the multitude of new Trainers who would be arriving to begin their journeys.

The lab's hilltop location afforded Oak a spectacular view of the shingled red roofs of the houses and shops and lightly plowed fields, which were used communally by residents for growing berries, of his hometown. He watched as multiple large ocean liners drifted lazily into the Pallet Town harbor, the sun glinting off of their white shells. The center of town was garishly decorated with colorful garland and banners intended to welcome the arriving tourists. Shopkeepers and artisans set up small carts and tents along the dirt roads to sell their wares to passerby. Nearly every citizen in Pallet rushed about, doing their part to help organize the day's festival celebrating the departure of the beginning Trainers. An eager smile spread across Oak's face as he elected to return to his work, shutting the door behind him.

- - -
​

Crowds filed down the ramp from the boat and onto the old wooden pier that appeared as if it might crumble at any minute under the weight of the exiting passengers. Alex May stretched as his feet finally hit dry land again, a little weary from lack of sleep due to the anxiety of starting his journey. His Piplup, Tux, waddled up next to him, showing significantly more energy than the young man. Since the boat was only making its voyage from Johto, a rather short distance, there weren't as many amenities as there were as some of the other ships. Although they were provided a small room, the duo had chosen to spend much of their time on the upper deck, as Tux felt at home at sea and Alex enjoyed the fresh air.

Alex looked towards the small village ahead of him. Pallet Town certainly had a lot of energy, contrary to what he believed the town would be like, though it was certainly less bustling than Olivine. In the distance, he spotted a two-story yellow brick building sitting upon a hill, which he quickly identified in the brochure he had been given when they docked as the Oak Pokémon Research Lab. A huge wind turbine shot out from beneath the cover of trees.

"I guess that's where we should be heading," he said to Tux, pointing towards the building. The two began to walk down the pier.

 

[Red Gallade]

As the boat ground to a halt and the sound of many departing passengers broke the sweet sound of the ocean waves. Brian got up from the bed in his room and grabbed his white fedora. Before he left his room, he held a Poke ball in one hand and a photograph in the other. "Alright, time to face my destiny." Brian said to himself with a smile as he put both items in his pockets, got out of is room and joined the many, many people who got off the boat and took their first step on the brand new land.

Brian got out his phone and checked the map which had been updated with the map of Kanto. "Hmm, I hear many people say that 'Pallet Town' is a good place to start whilst in Kanto, so maybe that's where my journey should start. It'd be nice to see Kanto's Professor as well." Brian said to himself as he began to make his way to Pallet Town, the walk there was long, but it didn't bother Brian; he wanted to enjoy the Kanto air for a bit anyway.

As he walked, he felt his Poke ball twitch in his pocket, he got it out only for the Poke ball to open and reveal a Ralts who looked up at Brian with a smile. "Hey there Ralts, you enjoy your nap?" He asked, the Ralts responded with a nod and held his arms up to Brian as if he wanted to be held up. Brian smiled and picked up the Ralts. "Off to Kanto with us, lil' guy." Brian said as he walked once more with Ralts in his arms who let out a small cheer in excitement.

 

[JustJumper]

The ship Brandon was on finally hit the dock and passengers flooded out to the harbor. Brandon hopped off the ship and went towards pallet town, "One step towards adventure!" Brandon said to himself as he started to walk down the street. The walk was pretty boring and he tried to find any shortcuts to get there quicker but there were none so he sucked it up and kept walking. He checked his map to see if he was even going the right way but that just made him more unsure of where he was going. But eventually, he made it to pallet town, with a sigh of relief he started to walk into the town. To his surprise, it was pretty small with only about five small houses.

The only real "cool" thing there was a tiny lake, after looking around he decided to go to the lab and get a Pokedex, the lab was bigger than the other houses, he started to get anxious as he walked inside. When he got inside the lab there were a couple other trainers looking around and getting their own Pokedex. There was a pretty long line to get to Professor Oak and some other guy he didn't know. He sighed and waited. "This is going to be a long day." He muttered.

 

[Wapiti]

Professor Oak was visibly overwhelmed by the long line of Trainer at the door of his lab, which now stretched down the front stairs and along the dirt path outside. He continued to hastily plug each Pokédex into his computer via a small wire, downloading the proper programs necessary for data collection, then disconnect it and hand it to the impatient newbie who was next on line. Lab assistants rushed around, their shoes squeaking against the marble floors as they carried boxes of Poké Balls, Potions, and other beginner supplies, as these were in high demand. Wiping sweat from his forehead, Oak called, "Who's next?" Brandon was the next Trainer in line.

Alex strode down the pier, taking in the sights and sounds of Kanto. Despite living so close, he had never visited, though his father had told him stories about some of the larger port cities. His wonderment was interrupted by a growling from his stomach, to which he smiled, embarrassed.

"Why don't we get some food before we head to the lab?" he said.

"Pip!" Tux chirped in agreement.

He began to scan the brochure for any information on Pallet Town eateries.

 

[JustJumper]

Brandon walked up to Professor Oak, Professor Oak hands him the Pokedex while he stares at it in awe. "Thank you, Professor Oak," Brandon said while walking away. He left the lab to see the nice grass and warm sunlight, He was stuck on what to next, he could go to route on or stick around for the festival he heard about, he decided to just stick around for the festival but now he needed something to do or he would die of boredom. He decided to open the only Pokeball and his only pokemon came out, it was a Bulbasaur, they played with each other for a while until they both got bored. "I guess we could find and battle some pokemon in route one I guess." He said to himself he returned his Bulbasaur to his Pokeball an started to walk to route 1 to find pokemon.

After a short walk, they got to route 1 and Brandon open the pokemon he was holding to let his Bulbasaur out to look for wild pokemon battles. After battling two weak Pidgey's they got bored and left quickly and headed back to Pallet Town.

 

[Wapiti]

Oak nodded in response to Brandon's thanks. "Good luck out there. And don't forget to stick around for the festival tonight!"

Alex approached a Kalos-style café, which he was surprised would exist in Kanto, especially in such a small town. He had never before eaten Kalosian cuisine, but he was intrigued to try it. He took a seat at an outdoor table, wanting to enjoy the nice weather, and Tux clumsily climbed onto the chair across from him. The café was run-down, but it definitely had a quaint charm to it.

"What would you like today, monsieur?" said a tall, slim waiter, taking a pen out from behind his ear to scribble Alex's order on his small notepad.

Deciding that he was not particularly hungry for an entire meal, Alex ordered a Lumiose galette to snack on with a latte on the side. He figured that it might help boost his energy, despite his lack of sleep the previous night. For Tux, he ordered a poffin, which, when it arrived, he saw was garnished with a small leaf. Alex ripped off bits of the sweet crust and happily ate alongside his Piplup.

 

[Blunt Imp]

Meanwhile, there was one passenger left on the boat, a young woman wearing a knee-length white skirt and a light blue ruffled blouse was too busy staring dreamily at the waves below on the opposite end of where she should be on the boat. At her feet was a green and blue Shellos, who was looking around anxiously while oozing green slime and was pretty certain that his trainer should be doing something right now. He was fretting over whether to let his trainer know or not. Thankfully the matter was taken out of its tiny fins by a confused looking sailor approaching the girl instead. “Um, miss? The departure window is about to close if this is your stop, so you best get off soon.” He suggests judging she was a new trainer by her appearance and small Pokemon.


The girl turned her head and blinked sleepily at the sailor as if she just remembered she existed in this world. “Oh.” Was all Nagisa said as she swiftly picked up her bag and her Shellos Hama, and after bowing to the bemused man in thanks seemingly glided off the boat, the plank drawing away from it soon after. Looking at the bustling Pallet town the aspiring Coordinator felt leap of excitement in her stomach at the start of her journey and slowly made her way to the lab on the hill. By the time Nagi got there the line was very long, but she didn’t mind. Worship had taught her patience. Hama, on the other hand, looked aghast and quickly retreated in his trainer's bag to sleep the wait out.

 

[The Kitsune]

Just above the rural trails and quaint country homes of Pallet, a striking pair of crimson wings rushed from cloud to cloud, seeming to revel in the colorful morning light. His movements seemed frivolous, playful even, but Dancer's keen eyes were hard at work. Discerning house from shop, bank from market, the little Oricorio scoured the provincial town from on high, searching. At last, seated high on the rise at the edge of town, the steeple of a slowly churning caught his beady eye. With a quiver of his white plume and a fan of his tail feathers, he turned on the wind and dived.

Darting down amongst the garlands and gables, Dancer swooped as nimbly through the crowd as he had the clouds, like water through a whisk. Past posturing merchants and squabbling kids, he came to an abrupt stop, touching down on the shoulders of a young woman whose side-swept hair provided a perfect and familiar roost. Though he had been expected, Clever flinched as her pokemon's pink toes gripped her skin, turning her head sharply to take him in. "Well? Did you find it?" He words were soft, barely more than a whisper, but as the little bird was mere inches away, it was all that was needed. With a confident flare of his wing, Dancer gestured down the packed little market square toward the distant hill. Without another word, Clever followed.

Her movements were far less eloquent than her pokemon's, and the swell of people in the small town didn't help. There seemed to be far more people out and about than the town's designer had accounted for, not to mention the added bulk of carts and decor. But with a good amount of patience and a few pointed looks, she reached the end of the street and looked up at the curved stairs of "Professor Oak's Laboratory." Or at least that's what the sign on his entry gate read. She was raking her eyes over the finer details of the plaque when a pair of jubilant young trainers descended the hill, each with a pokeball clutched in their hand. The gate was already open wide, presumably for all the new trainers eager to start their journey, not for the somber business she would bring. But nevertheless, Clever mounted the steps with a resigned determination.

 

[Red Gallade]

Once Brian made it to Pallet town, he was surprised to see how big the line was to Oak's lab. "Huh, seems like a lot of others had the same plan, I'm not spending my afternoon waiting in there." Brain said as Ralts nodded in agreement. "What say we go get something to eat? We didn't have much on the cruise here." Brian added whilst Ralts lightly cheered which made his trainer lightly chuckle. Brian walked through the busy town and was surprised at ow many people there were, either Pallet town was always this populated or there was something special going on, eventually Brian found a cafe that appeared to be a bit run down but served Kalos like stuff, so Brian decided this place was as good as any given how hungry he and his partner were.

Once inside, Brian made his way to a table and set Ralts down next to him who quickly passed him a menu. "Thanks Ralts." Brian said with a smile as he and Ralts both looked at what there was. As they did, a waiter approached them. "How can I help you today, sir?" The waiter asked. "Hmm, I'll take two Shalour sables and an espresso if you don't mind." Brian said as Ralts nodded in agreement. The waiter nodded and went to prepare their orders while Brian looked around to see what other people and Pokemon resided at the cafe. After a few minutes, the waiter returned with Brian's orders. "Ah, thank you." Brian said as he took out a small amount of cash and handed it to the waiter as they set his food down on the table. Brian and Ralts both helped themselves to one of the Shalour Sables, Ralts was clearly exhilarated by the flavor wile Brian couldn't help but lightly chuckle once more before he took a sip of his espresso. "Much better..." He said as he sighed in slight relief.

 

[NDB]

Having just gotten off the boat, Chloe wandered around Pallet Town, looking at her PokeGear's map application. On the boat trip over, she had downloaded the Kanto Region and familiarized herself with the general layout of the region. For now, she needed to get more familiar with Pallet Town, the place where the majority of new Kantonian Pokemon Trainers begin their journey. Chloe continued to look at her PokeGear as she walked through Pallet Town. She was looking for Professor Oak’s lab. Apparently he was the one to see before embarking through the Kanto Region. The PokeGear beeped as she neared her destination and she looked up. Not to far ahead of her was the professor’s lab and it signature windmill. There was a small line in front at the entrance and she waited patiently for her turn.

 

[Blunt Imp]

Nagisa blinked sleepily and looked around. The line had not moved, so she couldn't have drifted off too long, and she probably shouldn't do it again, lest she makes the people behind her mad for going moving forward. Speaking of people behind her... there was a person behind her. A girl around her age with blue hair and blue eyes. Nagisa's eyes widened a bit at the sight, then she quickly turned her head away. This was it! Her first chance at making a new friend! One that she may even journey with! Nagisa was so nervous she was almost shaking. Taking a moment to gather her courage then whirled around, unknowingly slapping the girl with her braid. "Hello. My name is Nagisa Shimizu. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She says cooly to her fellow newbie trainer, face like a stone from nerves. She almost bows to the other, then aborts it halfway, remembering it was actually more common to offer one's hand to shake. So Nagisa thrust out her hand, which was covered in Shellos stress slime since she had been petting Hama.

 

[Vaporeonn]

A fresh breeze blew Winnie's hair out of her face. Her red sweater contrasted the freshly cut, light green grass that lined the path of Route 1. Her walk was leisure, with a certain spring to her step; the kind of joy and enthusiasm noticeable in everything she did. The girl had been strolling from Viridian through Route 1 for quite some time, kicking the occasional pebble that stood in her way. Her head was held high, and a small smile on her lips showed content.

Behind Winnie, a dark blue Pokemon ran behind her, seemingly to catch up after staying behind for a moment too long - it was Beetle, her Heracross. He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. Instead, Beetle was focused on eating the honey that was smothered across his right arm. Moments before, the Heracross had strayed away from his trainer, noticing a Combee hive on a lonely tree near the path. Of course, having a sweet-tooth, Beetle couldn't resist and had to try their honey himself. To his luck, there wasn't a Combee in sight - must have been a busy morning. A chance showed itself, and the Heracross took it. He may have, accidentally, taken a bit too much, but he left plenty of honey behind. The Combee shouldn't mind.

"You little rascal." Winnie abruptly stopped walking and turned to her Pokemon. Beetle stopped licking his arm, having been caught red (honey) handed. "It isn't yours to take," she scolded, shaking her head. What kind of trouble would he get them in now, she thought, adjusting her glasses. Winnie continued to walk, deciding that what had been done was done, and that there was no time to dwell on the subject now; But she hoped Beetle would know not to steal from hardworking Pokemon in the future. "Pallet is just up ahead!" Winnie exclaimed, and quickened her pace.

The reason for venturing to Pallet was simple - she needed to restock on Net Balls. And Pallet had a Pokeball store with great selection, or so she had heard. Since Winnie wasn't in Johto anymore, Kurt wasn't able to send her any of his custom Pokeballs. But, store bought would work just as well, she thought.

Pallet was a busy town, way busier than Winnie had imagined. But, there was no time to dilly-dally; Not even if the huge line in front of the region's Professor's Lab was oh-so tempting. Later, she told herself, staying patient. The girl wandered around town looking for the shop and- what luck! She found it on the third turn. But, while she was walking towards it, a captivating scent caught her attention. The shop was right next to a café, which Winnie assumed was inspired by the ones in Kalos. Ah, Kalos... The girl had always wanted to visit the faraway region, the main reason being the Scatterbug family - they were all so adorable! Especially Vivillon, and the seemingly infinite amount of patterns it came in... Winnie had once decided to collect all of them. She hesitantly looked at Beetle, then back at the café.

"Wellll..." she lingered on the handle of the shop, second guessing herself. "I guess I should eat something before continuing," Winnie said, putting a hand over her stomach. It grumbled quietly. And she knew that she had no impulse control and would spend all of her money on the Net Balls - there was never too many! So, as to evenly spend her money, she visited the Kalosian café.

 

[Wapiti]

Alex gently sipped the last bit of his latte, leaving just the light brown stains on the inside of the small glass coffee cup.

"Excuse me," he said to the waiter as he collected the used silverware from table. "That, over there, is the lab, right?" He pointed out the window towards the building on the hilltop.

"Oui, monsieur," the water replied with a nod, attending to a brown-haired young woman with glasses who had just entered the café.

Alex's attention fell upon the Heracross that accompanied her. The Bug type was a common sight in the forests around Olivine, usually found feeding on the sweet sap that oozed from the center of the trees.

"Hey," he said to the girl, rising from his seat to leave. "You wouldn't happen to be from Johto?"

Tux seemed to have become interested in a Ralts, having never seen such a Pokémon before, that was enjoying a meal with its Trainer. He began to poke at it with his flipper.

- - -

Oak, visibly exhausted, continued to hand out Pokédexes. A boy with spiky orange-brown hair strode confidently up to the professor's counter. He wore a black leather flight jacket and camel-colored cargo pants.

"Hey there, gramps," he greeted, flashing a cocky grin. "What's with the crowd?"

"Blue!" Oak said, noticeably surprised at his grandson's presence, especially this early in the morning. "Give me a hand here. I have to hand out all of these Pokédexes." He motioned to the stack of yet-to-be-activated devices behind him.

"Come on, gramps, aren't you happy to see me?" Blue replied jokingly, frowning at the prospect of being recruited to help with his grandfather's work.

A police officer, followed by a Growlithe who appeared to be engrossed with the dozens of Pokémon that were in attendance with their Trainers, entered through the door of the lab and approached the duo.

"Professor Oak," the slightly overweight uniformed man said with a smile. "A word, please?"

A look of confusion spread across Oak's face and he scratched at the back of his head, embarrassed that he couldn't remember just what he had done to warrant a visit from the local police.

"W-why yes, of course," he replied. "Blue, please hand out those remaining Pokédexes."

The professor followed the officer to somewhere in the back of the lab. Blue sighed and swung his legs over the counter, assuming his position of assistant. He began to plug each Pokédex into the computer and proceeded place it on the counter in front of him, clearly indifferent as to who took it. Many of the Trainers in line started to rush forward, eager to leave and be off on their journeys.

 

[Red Gallade]

Ralts curiously turned his head over to the Piplup and smiled at him with a nod, by the way Ralts was speaking, it seemed he introduced himself and Brian to the little blue penguin Pokemon, although he didn't feel like sharing what was left of his Shalour Sable, not because he was selfish, but because he needed food after such a long cruise from Unova just as Brian did. Speaking of Brian, he smiled at the Piplup and went to lightly stoke his head. "Hey there lil' guy, what brings you out here, do you happen to have a trainer as well?" Brian asked half rhetorically as he turned his head to see who came in with the Piplup and if they were worried about him.

Afterward, Brian and Ralts at the last of their food and Brian drank the last of his drink, he got up and decided to leave a little tip on the table before he picked up Ralts and looked around once more, rather than leave the cafe straight away and get the Pokedex he strongly desired, he instead decided to patiently wait for the Piplup's owner to show up so the Piplup wouldn't seem too lonely even if it was likely for a few minutes.

 

[JustJumper]

Brandon was visibly bored, just staring at the clouds but in the corner of his eye, he saw a medium-sized restaurant since he had nothing better to do and he was hungry he decided to get something to eat. Before going in he let his Bulbasaur out of his Pokeball and let him walk beside him. When they got inside they saw the menu and in an attempt to stay frugal because he needed money for Pokeballs he ordered the cheapest soup for himself and some Oran berries for his Bulbasaur. Brandon quickly ate his soup while his Bulbasaur took his time. After they finished their meals Brandon left a small tip then let his Bulbasaur ride in his backpack while they left the restaurant.

Brandon checked his phone to see the time, It was about 2:30 in the afternoon, Brandon groaned heavily, with now the only thing he could do before the festival is battle some wild Pidgeys or just play app games on his phone. He decided to play geometry dash until it was time for the festival.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Winnie had just finished ordering a chocolate-filled croissant for herself, and two Frosted Puffs for Beetle, when a boy around her age approached her. "You wouldn't happen to be from Johto?" Winnie's face lit up at the mention of her home region. "Born and raised!" she proudly answered, her posture straightening.

"Mademoiselle," the waiter came back, placing Winnie's order on the table. The golden pastry gave off a delicious scent, filling Winnie with joy with each breath. Beetle didn't waste any time, and grabbed both Frosted Puffs immediately. "Merci," Winnie tried putting her little knowledge of the Kalosian language to use. She had started practicing it in case the road ever led her to Kalos, but only learned the basics before putting it down. She excused herself with, 'A language is best learned when surrounded by it', and decided to wait until she visited Kalos to continue.

Oh! The boy. Winnie extended her arm towards him - after all, he could be her first acquaintance in Pallet (not Kanto - she had already acquainted herself with an elderly couple in the motel she stayed at in Viridian, and a boy who worked in the city's PokeMart), and didn't want to waste rhe opportunity by being rude. "I'm Winnie, by the way!"

 

[Wapiti]

"Nice to meet you! I'm Alex," the boy replied, shaking her hand with a warm smile. "My parents own the Olivine Café. I saw your Heracross and thought you might be from Johto too. I'm here with my Piplup, Tux..." His voice trailed off as he looked frantically about the café for his Pokémon who had run off.

"Gah! I'm so sorry!" Alex said, reddening in the face out of embarrassment. He stumbled over and pulled Tux away from the Ralts, preventing him from harassing it and its Trainer any further.

 

[Red Gallade]

Brian stood up just in time to see Piplup's owner arrive and take back the little blue penguin. "It's fine, I must say your little friend there is an adorable one at that." Brian said with a light smile as he picked up Ralts and let the latter rest on his shoulder. "Are you by any chance going to get your Pokedex as well? I assume that because of how many people are getting their's, I only came here so I had something to eat... and do while I wait for the line to get shorter." Brian added as he put one hand in his pocket.

 

[The Kitsune]

Clever resented having to linger among the novice trainers. Spurning their curious questions and introductions with pointed looks, she was able to earn herself a peace and quiet as the line of waiting trainers dwindled. Finally, the morning wearing on and her patience wearing thin, Clever stepped over the threshold and into the brightly lit lab. Though a handful of trainers still remained ahead of her, she could just make out her quarry over the heads of the youths...and it wasn't one she'd been expecting. A young man, not much older than herself, sat perched atop the counter and it was from his hands that the Pokedex were being distributed, albeit with a certain detached listlessness. Barely sparring a glance for each, the approaching rookies received more attention from the pokeball-catering lab assistants than from him. This couldn't possibly be the attentive and ambitious Prof. Oak that she had corresponded with...could it? From his refined penscript, she had assumed he would be... well, much older than this.

Stepping forward for her turn at the counter, Clever cast a dismissive eye over the pokedex he slid her way. Stepping aside to allow the eager trainer behind her to claim it instead, she put herself directly in front of the orange-haired man. His brown eyes swiveled toward her curiously as she cleared her throat. "Ahem...Are you Prof. Oak?" Her voice, though soft, held evident skepticism.

"Hm? Ah, Nah, I'm Blue." The young man said the name as if it was supposed to mean something to her, complete with a self-assured smirk. "Gramps is busy in the back." With a jerk of his head, he motioned toward the back of the lab, presumably to where the Professor had gone. Clever naturally took a step in that direction and was stopped in her tracks as Blue forced something into her hand. "Hey, I got'cha. Here."

Clever looked down to find yet another pokedex had been forced upon her, which she immediately held right back out to him. "That's not what I'm here for," she said firmly, her irritation starting to show. Eager to end this pointless interaction quickly, she decided to bend the truth just a bit and see what that would get her. "I'm Dr. Clover. I'm here to speak with Professor Oak."

Clever had never technically earned the title 'Doctor', having never bothered with the formal schooling necessary for it. But among the locals of Akala Isle, her remedies were well-known, and effective, enough to have earned her the unofficial equivalent. It was amazing home much more accommodating the scientific community was to Dr. Clover verses the title-less Clever. This wouldn't be the first time she'd had to exaggerated her qualifications to get the information she needed. Besides this 'Blue' guy wouldn't know one way or the other anyway, as long as it got her to the professor.

 

[Wapiti]

"I am! I was actually about to head their right now," Alex explained, motioning towards the door. "When you're done eating, we should meet up there."

He turned to continue his conversation with Winnie, who he felt he had rudely and abruptly disregarded, but spun back on his heels. "By the way, I don't think I ever caught your name," he said to the boy with the Ralts.

- - -

"He'll be back in a little bit," Blue replied, eyeing Clover up and down skeptically, clearly annoyed that she so urgently insisted on seeing the professor. "In the meantime, how about a battle? One Pokémon each. If you win, I'll go get Gramps." He flashed a arrogant grin.

 

[Red Gallade]

Brian smiled at Alex. "Call me Brian." He said as he tipped his white fedora to Alex before he began to walk outside of the cafe with Ralts on his shoulder. Rather than leave straight away, he decided to wait for the others from outside the cafe as well as for the line to shorten as he could still see a crowd's worth outside the lab, this made Brian let out a slightly annoyed sigh as he put his hands in his pockets.

 

[The Kitsune]

Fully expecting Blue's wandering eye to be accompanied by a sexual comment, the abrupt battle invitation caught Clever off guard, and she merely blinked in response. The word battle had an immediate effect on her shoulder-perched pokemon however. The little Oricorio, who had been nestled against her shoulder length hair in apparent slumber, now looked sharply up at the offending comment. With a ruffle of his wings that send a few flecks of fiery down into the air, he chirped his own acceptance of the challenge. Clever was less sure. Dancer was a fair combatant, and certainly an eager one, but his role in battle had always been to support Thistle, not as a standalone. And she hardly wanted to present Thistle to the professor post-battle. Buying herself time to consider her options, Clever glanced toward the considerable line of trainers still waiting and said,

"Aren't you a little too busy to have a pokemon battle...?"

 

[Blunt Imp]

Blinking up from her introduction, hand still slimy, Nagisa noticed that she was next in line to get a Pokedex. And also finally noticed that instead of the famous Professor Oak manning the desk a young man was instead. Had she seen him somewhere...? On one of her sibling's favorite shows perhaps...? Or was it her father's favorite news channel...? Oh well.

It was then she noticed that he was having an argument of sorts with a girl around her age with short messy brown hair and an odd looking bird Pokemon. "Are they going to have a pokemon battle...?" Nagisa asks Hama nonchalantly, not really caring either way. She could wait a while longer. Hama, on the other hand, had finished his nap and was sick of waiting. Glaring at the one holding them up, Hama drew a large breath, then released a Mud-slap straight at the back of the girls head. "Oh dear..." Was all Nagisa could say as she watched the mud fly away.

 

[Wapiti]

"Psh," Blue scoffed, rolling his eyes. He pushed a stack of Pokédexes nonchalantly forward on the desk for the new Trainers to take at their will.

A look of surprise spread across his face as the Mud-Slap was fired at Clever. "It seems like she wants to battle you instead," he said, smirking and pointing at Nagisa.

 

[The Kitsune]

With her back turned to the waiting line, Clever had no hope of seeing the unprovoked attack before it hit. But it wasn't for mere whimsy that Dancer preferred to perch on his trainer's shoulder. His intuition was as keen as his eyesight, and whether by the weight of the Shellos's glare or it's sharp intake of breath, the Oricorio turned just in time. With a crisp CHEEP and a flash of the wing, he launched himself from Clever's shoulder and cast a quick Air Cutter. But it was a late counter nonetheless, and though the razor slice of air cut through the clob of offending mud, the severed remnants rained over the hem of Clever's pants.

"...." Having turned when Dancer took flight, Clever looked stonely between the flecks of mud on her leg and the Shellos. Dancer seemed to take her silence as consent to wage battle and, hovering between his trainer and Hama, he beat another powerful Air Cutter attack toward the glarring little Shellos.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Hm? Was Alex going to the Professor's Lab? Winnie was pleased to hear so, as she was curious about the line forming in from of it, and wished to meet one of the leading Pokemon Researchers, as she was an aspiring one herself. She let her new friend finish up his little chat with another boy (possibly another friend, she thought), then stood up to approach Alex. Of course, her croissant had been eaten, and money for the Café's services had been left on the table, under the small plate. Beetle had finished his meal seconds after getting his hands on it.

"Well, Alex!" Winnie was as cheerful as ever. "I heard you were going to visit Professor Oak- oh, sorry about eavesdropping," she quickly apologised, realising that it might not have been nice. "But while we're on subject - could I join you and your friend?" Winnie disliked doing things alone, which was why she kept all of her Pokemon outside of their Pokeballs. Having human friends to keep her company alongside them was even better. She felt best in a big group, different human interactions sparking up her energy and keeping her awake. She hoped Alex would accept her request, even though they had just met.

 

[Wapiti]

"Yeah, of course," Alex said with a smile. He tried to remain cool, being that they had just met, and not allow his enthusiasm to show through, but it his excitement at the request was blatantly obvious on his face. He had secretly hoped he would meet other Trainers to travel with, as the idea of journeying alone didn't exactly entice him.

"I suppose we should get going so we could beat the crowd," he added, pulling his backpack over his shoulder. He was unaware that there was already a line at the lab door.

- - -

Blue was clearly excited by the scene unfolding in front of him.

"Well, if you two want to battle, I'd be happy to judge," he said, closing his eyes self-assertively, as though to pretend he secretly hoped the two Trainers wouldn't have it out. "I am a Gym Leader, after all."

 

[Red Gallade]

Brian smiled and politely tipped his hat to the woman who approached him and Alex, heard that she too was going to get a Pokedex from Professor Oak's lab which made him smile even more. "Always good to meet another friendly individual, my name's Brian." Brian said to Winnie before he followed Alex over to the lab with his Ralts in his arms only to frown in annoyance that there was still a crowd outside. "Something tells me the crowd already beat us..." Brian said in slight sarcasm.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Winnie was visibly happy that she had company, a cheery smile gracing her lips. "Oh, I'm sure we won't be waiting too long," she said, turning to Brian. "I'm Winnie, by the way, and this is Beetle." She pointed to the Heracross that walked behind her. "No matter how much he begs, don't give him any food," she warned. "He alteady eats too much."

The line in front of the lab wasn't short, but, unless there were any delays or distractions, Winnie estimated that it wouldn't be too long of a wait. Her excitement had her skipping on her toes. Possibly meeting a famous and acknowledged Pokemon expert? She was barely holding it in. Although, a few minutes passed, and the line didn't move at all. Winnie knew she wasn't the most patient person around, but that was just absurd! She tried to peek behind the line, but it wasn't working out. "You guys have any idea what's going on?" she asked, even though she was aware the boys knew as much as her.

 

[Wapiti]

"Not a clue," Alex replied, though his eyes stayed fixed in front of him as he strained his neck to see over the heads of the Trainers in line in front of him.

"We should go up ahead just to see what the hold up is," he suggested. Alex began to make his way towards the front of the line, apologizing to each person he passed to make it clear that he was not intending to cut them and take their spot.

 

[ThanosCar_The_Inevitable]

Walt read over his assignment over and over again with a mixture of fear and disgust. “Out of all places...why does it have to be here?”. He was going back to the place where his parents had been killed: Oak Laboratory

Walt saw the huge line of eager trainers waiting to receive a Pokémon and was instantly reminded of his own youth and how he wanted nothing but a Pokémon from the esteemed Professor Oak. “To think I was once one of them... Funny how things turn out.” He pushed aside his memories, and quietly slipped past the crowd in a sleek white lab coat, pretending to be a researcher, and carefully made his way into the side entrance of the laboratory.

Once Walt was in the lab, he looked around, feeling an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. He peered around until he saw it...Professor Oak’s Dragonite sorting out its trainer’s papers. The majestic yellow dragon was so immersed in its work, that it didn’t notice when Walt and his Deino, Drac, crept up behind it. Walt whispered to his trusty Deino: “Drac, go up to that Dragonite and give it your best bite attack!” Drac looked at the towering beast nervously, and without warning, Drac sunk his razor-sharp teeth into its tail.

Dragonite yelped with pain and unleashed a mighty thunder punch, trying to get back at its attacker. As the dragon was wildly swinging about and causing a huge ruckus, Walt and Drac had stealthily escaped.

Walt’s eyes brightened as he spotted a large, high-tech machine. He ran over and pushed a circular button labeled: “Open”. The machine beeped: “Password Required”. Walt cursed under his breath “I don’t have time for this....Drac, use dragon rage!” Drac opened his small mouth and shot out a blue ball of flame. The machine sparked and hissed, and finally creaked open, revealing a set of Pokéballs. Walt stood proudly with a smug look on his face.

“I win.”

 

[Wapiti]

The attention in the room quickly turned to the Dragonite that was thrashing wildly about, knocking over tables of laboratory equipment, much of which looked rather expensive to replace. Lab assistants rushed to the Pokémon's aid, successfully attempting to calm it. Blue, now seemingly uninterested in the Trainers who were about to engage in battle, left his spot at the counter and approached the Dragonite, rubbing its back softly. He may have been crass when interacting with other humans, but the young man definitely had a knack for connecting with Pokémon.

"You alright, buddy?" he inquired gently. "Has something got you spooked?"

- - -

A door flew open behind Walt and a redheaded female lab assistant entered. She gasped at the sight of the man, evidently caught off guard, as she hadn't expected to find anyone in the back of the laboratory where many Trainer supplies were stored.

"Excuse me," she said in a sweet voice, believing that Walt may just be a lost new Trainer. "You can't be back here."

- - -

Alex stepped through the front door of the lab just as a Shellos fired a Mud-Slap at a girl and her Oricorio retaliated with an Air Cutter. A look of bewilderment spread across his face.

"What is going on here?" he said aloud to no one in particular.

 

[ThanosCar_The_Inevitable]

Hearing the assistant’s friendly voice, Walt jumped, not expecting to be found so soon. He turned around to face the lady, and she gave a sharp little scream upon seeing the blood red Team Rocket R on his shirt. The assistant asked in a shaky voice: “What are you doing with those Pokémon?” Walt smirked: “Stealing them, of course. All in the name of Team Rocket!”

The young assistant’s fear quickly turned into anger, for Professor Oak had assigned her to provide care for the starter Pokémon. She pulled out a Pokéball from her pocket and threw it up in the air. Out came a gorgeous Ribombee, shimmering and fluttering. “I’m afraid I cannot let you lay a finger on those Pokémon. Ribombee, prepare for battle!”

Walt remembered learning about Pokémon typings at the Team Rocket Training Center, and Ribombee’s Fairy and Bug typings meant trouble for a Dark and Dragon type like Drac. He quickly scanned the room for something to help escape. Repel....Potion...Choice Band....Smoke Ball!

Walt grabbed the cloudy ball and threw it hard on the ground and motioned to Drac to run. The ball exploded into a purple cloud of smoke, covering the entire lab. The lab assistant was not willing to give up though, she shouted to Ribombee: “Fire a barrage of your strongest Moonblast attacks!” Ribombee held out its short little hands and fired a stream of energy blasts in the direction which Walt had headed. Just as Walt was climbing out the window, he was hit with several powerful blasts, making him drop all the stolen Pokéballs. All except one.

Walt crawled out the lab in agony and propped himself against a tree. “Why...is that insect.....so....strong?” Not expecting an answer, he was extremely startled when he heard a small voice reply “Squirtle!!”

Walt just stood there dazed and slowly smiled to himself: “Well, it seems as if I haven’t completely butchered this mission”

 

[Wapiti]

Bits of purple smoke began to drift into the main entranceway from one of the back storage rooms of the lab, immediately capturing the awareness of Blue who was still trying to calm the angered Dragonite.

"What's going on now?" he muttered. "And where the hell is Gramps at?" He made his way towards the smoke, though his previously confident stride was now replaced by a cautious approach.

Professor Oak finally returned with the police officer from behind the mountains of research machinery. He had an urgent gait as he walked towards the commotion.

"Blue, for Pete's sake, I can't even leave you alone for five minutes," he scolded as he rushed towards the commotion, his thick brows anxiously furrowed. "What's happening?"

The redheaded lab assistant stumbled into the main room, sputtering and clutching her chest from inhaling extensive amounts of the purple smoke. She collapsed onto her knees, but waved the men away as they attempted to assist her, signaling that she was alright and just needed some fresh air.

"There was a thief," she said, getting to her feet and vehemently clearing her throat to rid her lungs of the last bit of smoke. "I think he may have gotten away with one of the starter Pokémon. I'm so sorry."

"A Pokémon thief?" The police officer's eyes widened like a dog being presented with a steak. "Professor, this could be the doings of the group I was just telling you about," he said in a low voice, not intending for the beginning Trainers in the room to hear him. "The perp must still be nearby!" He pulled up his belt over his round abdomen and ran towards the exit of the lab, his overweight physique making his movement appear like more of an awkward skip. His Growlithe followed him out.

Alex's eyes widened. He understood that it was important to be careful with Pokémon thieves always about, but as far as he had heard almost all organized crime in Kanto had been completely wiped out a few years prior. He wouldn't admit it, but he was intrigued. He intended to talk to the lab assistant later that day, after the crowds at the lab had somewhat dispersed.

Professor Oak smoothed his lab coat, the normally affable man appearing flustered and uneasy. "Blue, if you wouldn't mind... Could you look into this robbery for me? I need to finish handing out these Pokédexes before the festival tonight." Shaking his head in disbelief at the situation, he took his place behind the counter with the devices once again.

 

[Pokemon Fanfiction Novels]

https://pokecharms.com/threads/welcome-to-the-world-of-pokemon-kanto-sign-up-discussion.20271/page-2

In a grove of trees just east of the Oak Laboratory, a young man camouflaged in leaf coverage lowered his binoculars, face taut with annoyance.

"Goddammit," he muttered, watching as Walt's panicked chest rose and fell. "Rocket HQ needs to get its message straight. Are we going for subtlety, or prime-time on the nightly news for the next two weeks? He's lucky nobody's following him yet."

He shook his head, and snapped his fingers. "Haunter!"

For a moment, there was no change around him. Then, the temperature seemed to plunge by ten degrees, and a disembodied tongue appeared out of nowhere, with three pokeballs sitting on top.

"Never waste a good crisis," came an echoing voice from over the young man's head. "We should be thankful for the bit of distraction. Shall I alert that grunt, and let him know Agent Tracer is here?"

"Not necessary," the man- Tracer- replied, lifting the three pokeballs from Haunter's tongue and shoving them into his belt pouch. "That's Agent Ruscit. HQ mentioned that he'd be here in the briefing, but we had our own missions to focus on. No need to complicate things with a co-op." He flicked bits of residual drool off his fingers, giving the floating tongue a disgusted look. "Y'know, you do have hands. The next time you steal while people are busy, try using those."

Haunter cackled.

"Inadvisable," came the voice again, and for a brief moment, the hovering orb of a Gastly wavered into visible view. "There's a full-blown Dragonite inside that building, ready to annihilate the next sucker who even smells like a thief. Furthermore, after this little incident, they'll doubtlessly quadruple security."

Tracer blew out of his cheeks with frustration, then nodded resignedly. "Looks like tonight's festival raid is a bust. Alright, change of plans." He glanced down at the masses of trainers still lined up at Oak's lab, even out the doors. "With all those candidates, there's bound to be a few ambitious folk eager to start their journey now, rather than wait in lines like this at every pokecenter and gym on the Kanto trail. You're up, Gastly. Go down there and start encouraging people to get a head start. Let's see who we can get away from all these witnesses."

Gastly nodded, and faded from view.


*Objective updated. Steer new trainers towards Viridian City.*

 

[Wapiti]

Alex breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the line was once again moving, especially after the uproar caused my the thief, as he expected that this would put a halt in his morning plans. He returned to his place in line next to Brian and Winnie.

"If you'd believe it, the lab actually was robbed," he explained. "Apparently they stole one of the starter Pokémon."

Before long, it was his turn to receive his beginning Trainer supplies. Walking towards the counter, Alex thought he should greet the professor, perhaps with a "I'm a big fan of your work," but he decided that might be tacky. He wanted to portray how grateful he was to be given this opportunity, but, at the same time, didn't want to seem over-eager.

"Hello," Alex said simply, a friendly smile spreading across his face. It was all he could think to say in the moment.

Professor Oak gave an attempt to return a smile, but his face continued to be ridden with an obvious worry. The old man slid a Pokédex and five Poké Balls across the counter.

"Here you are," he said. "Please be careful out there."

Alex grabbed the supplies with an impatient enthusiasm. "Thank you very much," he said, turning to leave the lab. "Goodbye, uh, sir," he called over his shoulder, but then cringed at his own awkward idiocy. He hoped he hadn't embarrassed himself too much as he passed the faces of the Trainers still waiting in line.

Alex stepped out of the doorway once again into the springtime sunshine. Tux, who had been resting on his shoulder throughout the entire ordeal, looked just as excited to finally be starting his journey. He took the brochure he was given on the boat that had helped him find the lab out of his pocket.

"Where to, buddy?" Alex asked the Piplup.

 

[ThanosCar_The_Inevitable]

Walt sat down on a rock, still aching with pain from the attacks. He reached at his belt and pulled out a strange cube shaped device. Suddenly, a hologram projected from the machine and a man’s face appeared. The man, upon seeing Walt, put a cross look on his face and pushed back his brilliant blue hair. “Rocket HQ. This better be good, Ruscit....”
Walt replied: “Commander Archer, I have managed to acquire one of the starter Pokémon from the old professor’s lab.”
Archer stared back with a bored look on his face: “Well done, I suppose, but next time you really should work on subtlety. That stupid little stunt you pulled in the lab is everywhere on the news. One more thing.....Team Rocket is expecting more than just one rare Pokémon. I hope to hear of another success next time we talk, not your usual report of failure.”

Walt put back the machine and took off his Team Rocket uniform, revealing a Miami Heatrans T-shirt (Walt and a big basketball fan) and a pair of blue jeans. Walt reached inside a pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses. He then put the uniform back in his bag, for he knew that the only way of heading back to town undetected was to look casual. He walked and walked and walked, for what seemed like ages, when he finally heard the familiar commotion of the festival. He spotted a trainer, Alex, walking along cheerfully with his Piplup, clutching one of those fancy new Pokédexes in one hand and a travel brochure in the other. Walt whispered to Drac, “Our first target”’Drac nodded knowingly and the two approached the young trainer. “Hello there! I’m....er Wa....Wa...Warren. Yes! My name is Warren and this is Drac. Nice to meet you!”

 

[Wapiti]

Alex walked down the steps that lead to the laboratory's front door. He decided he would explore what Pallet Town had to offer a little more, being that he had already eaten and planned to stick around for the festival later that night. He also still intended to talk to that lab assistant about what had happened, though he wasn't sure exactly how to do so without being too intrusive.

He reached the dirt path at the bottom of the steps, his nose still buried in his brochure.

“Hello there! I’m....er Wa....Wa...Warren. Yes! My name is Warren and this is Drac. Nice to meet you!”

Alex's head shot up with surprise at the sudden introduction. "Oh! Uh, hi... I'm Alex! This is Tux. Uh, nice to meet you!" The young man in front of him had appeared unexpectedly and Alex found his enthusiasm in his greeting a bit off-putting. He clumsily crumbled the brochure in one hand as he reached the other out to shake.

 

[Red Gallade]

Brian raised an eyebrow but soon widened his eyes in surprise knowing there had been a recent theft at the Pokemon lab along with someone harming a majestic Dragonite, he wanted to help, but there were too many people in the way so he couldn't get there in time... all he did was hope everything turned out okay, and they did--aside from a few stolen Pokemon that is. He heard that Team Rocket were an organisation dedicated to using Pokemon as tools for business and would go so far as to steal them, this made Brian loathe Team Rocket.

Despite how kind and friendly he is, he wouldn't hesitate to show his bad side to a Team Rocket member, he turned to see Alex return to him and Winnie which gave him some comfort to know he was okay. "Anything bad happen in there?" He asked before Alex was encountered by yet another person who introduced himself as 'Warren.' Brian raised an eyebrow at his greeting, but shrugged it off soon after. He wondered if he would still get is Pokedex after all the commotion, after what happened, he figured it would be less likely.

 

[Jakoboi]

Jakobi couldn't quite seem to wrap his head around why he decided to decline the inheritance of the family business back in Johto. He never despised it in the slightest and looking back on his decision, it would offer a promising future. Jakobi's family own the "Kennedy Pokefarm" back in Johto near Goldenrod city. Rich parents from the city would bring their kids and would almost always find the pokemon perfect for them. His family, likewise, would also become rich and own a mansion along with their decently sized plots of land. But Jakobi felt something inside that told him to experience life outside of the business. "Maybe there's a chance I could become a successful breeder independently and travel the world too!" Much to his surprise, his parents were supportive on his decision and granted him more than enough money he needed to get started. And so, he convinced one of his family friends, Falkner (whom many recognize as the Violet City gym leader), to fly him over to Kanto.
Jakobi chose to stop in Viridian city as the greenery there was the most familiar he thought he was going to get with his home. He figured there must be pokemon breeders as well and as such, could learn a thing or two in this less-urban city, at least compared to the other places in Kanto. The first thing on his to-do list was to get the supplies he needed: Sleeping bag, food for himself, food for Pokemon, a couple of egg incubators, and some regular pokeballs (Living on a farm, Jakobi has never actually experienced catching pokemon, he just raises them).
Upon exiting the store Jakobi noticed that a television is displaying a news alert that the pokemon research center in Pallet Town was allegedly robbed on the same day trainers were receiving their first pokemon. This made him sick to his stomach, Jakobi had his fair share of encounters with pokemon stealers back at the farm and despised criminals deeply because of the friends he lost from them being kidnapped. He clutched tightly on his sole pokemon, Chia the Chikorita, before realizing that he would need to become at least somewhat stronger to defend himself from these criminals. He figured that with the slew of trainers coming from Pallet, he would be able to experience battles with those just as experienced as he was. And thus, made his way towards route 1, eager to experience his first pokemon battle.