(This story takes place in a version of the Pokémon Universe more similar to the Anime, where random things fall into the lap of the trainer, and Pokémon from all versions show up in other regions.

Pokémon Navy Blue Version

Episode 1 - The First Day

Athos held his head in his hands. For the fifth time his mom asked him if he felt sea sick. He lifted his face and smiled, "No mom, I'm fine, I just wish dad could have come to help us move." His mother looked back down at her copy of Kalos Living magazine, then sighed, "Me too sweetie, me to."

The Captain's voice came over the intercom, "Hello ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Vermillion City, and will dock in about thirteen minutes." Athos stood up, "Hey mom, is it cool if I go above deck? Take a look at the city?" His mother smiled at him, then nodded, "Glad you're excited. Go ahead."

Athos covered his face as he stepped onto the deck. He had short light brown hair, and emerald eyes. He was a few inches shorter than six feet tall, and was pretty muscular for his age. He was sixteen, a native of Goldenrod, and now because of his father's transfer to the Silph Branch in Saffron, his mother and he had to move to Viridian, which was according to his father, "A much safer alternative to Saffron." He was seventeen, and three days from now would be his eighteenth birthday, finally a man, with the right to leave his home and do whatever he wanted. Preferably a trainer or a ranger. He looked for a few minutes towards the dock, but then turned to go back below, and wait to get going, sitting in a van for two days, to a city where he knew no one, because that's a fun thing to do.

Athos slid out of the backseat of his Mom's van. A hairy man smoking a cigar waited next to the entrance to the condo, next to him stood two large Pokémon one of them a Machoke, one of them a Hariyama. His mother ran around the car, and clapped her hand as she saw the Pokémon, "Ooh, isn't this great honey? Now we don't have to lift a thing." Athos lifted his backpack out of the backseat, "Yeah, great mom, using living beings for simple manual labor."

Chip the Silph advisor hired to direct the boy and his mother towards their home got out of the passenger seat, then moved directly to the heavy set man smoking next to the movingmon. They began to speak as Athos and his mom opened the door to see their new home.

The living room was empty, and under his breath he said, "I don't know what I expected." His mother smiled and said, "I'm going to check out the kitchen, why don't you go into your room, it's the third room in that left hallway. " Athos nodded and went to take a look in his room.

It was only a little less void-esque than the living room, it had an old analog TV, which Athos guessed he could plug his old N64 too. Other than that, there was a bed and a Computer, as well as the Silph Transport System, capable of sending items anywhere in the entire world.

Athos lay down on the bed, and took out his PsyPod, the new one with the Unknown logo on the back, and drifted to sleep as he listened to music, hoping he would wake up with the condo filled with their old things, and have some familiarity in his life.

His wish was granted, as he woke up at eight o clock in the morning to the sound of his mother in the kitchen, and saw nearly all the items they'd brought along littering the new place. As he stepped out of the hall into the living room, the smell of bacon drifted to his nose, and his mouth began to water. He slid into the kitchen that he now saw was also the functioning dining room.

His mother turned and said, "Well good morning handsome! Happy birthday!" AS they sat down to eat, Athos explained the novel he'd been reading, about a world where Pokémon didn't exist, and the World War started by the King of Kalos had only been fought between humans. Then an alarm sounded off, and Athos' mom said, "Oh, listen brush your dad is gonna call you in about three minutes, and I think he's gonna give you a special present for your big day!"

Athos did as he was told, then waited in his room, but not for long. His dad started the chat, and Athos accepted it, a smile spreading across his face. His dad was smiling, he was in his office already, and wore his best pinstripe suit, "There's the young man! How's your birthday going son?" Athos grinned, "Oh, you know can't complain, woke up to breakfast, so can't complain.

"How's the new digs?" Athos laughed, "The 'digs' are fine dad, really nice." "Good, good, you've been reading that book I sent you? The one about not relying on Pokémon right?" Athos nodded, "Yeah dad, I thought it was more about the nature of humanity to come into conflict with whatever advantages were at their disposal, but I definitely see a tale of self-reliance." His father laughed, "Well if you can recognize that, I think you're ready for your birthday present. Sending it to you now."

Athos wasn't sure what that would mean, a new book? Then he heard the rumble from the STS, and saw the red beam shoot down to the base of its transport plate. There, transported from miles away, was a Poke Ball. A Poke Ball. His father was giving him a Pokémon. How, and how did he expect Athos to use it, Athos hadn't registered for his trainer Id before this year's deadline, because he'd figured the move would keep him out of the league. His dad whispered, "Go ahead." Athos gripped the ball, and held it away from his chest, pressing the disk to open the ball, to unleash the Pokémon his father had given him.

In a flash of red light, there came a low growl, "Growlithe!" The puppy Pokémon stood in front of him and cocked his head to the side. Athos knelt down and reached towards him, the Pokémon sniffing at him for a second before licking his hand and running up to stand against his new trainer. Athos turned to his father's face, smiling on the computer screen, "Why dad? Why give me a Pokémon?"

His dad laughed, "Are you kidding? Do you think I'd forget the little boy who told me he'd always wanted to be a trainer? Your mother and I were a little hesitant but, Athos today's the day you become a Pokémon Trainer." Athos looked down at the Growlithe wagging its tail as he sniffed at the young man. "I can't be a trainer, I didn't sign up." His mother's voice sounded from his bedroom door, "We thought of that."

His mother was holding a small ID badge, and where in the photo slot, Athos saw his own face. His mother was crying, and his father was laughing. His father's end heard a beep, and he said, "Ope, looks like I've got a meeting, son, before I go, mind telling me what you're gonna name the little guy?" Athos thought back to the first time he wanted to be a trainer, when he'd been lost in the park next to Goldenrod, and been attacked by a Scyther. He'd been saved by an elderly woman passing through, who had with her, and Arcanine. When she was giving it commands, she'd called it a name of her own.

"Hotspur," Athos said, "I'm going to call it Hotspur."

After a tearful goodbye, and a visit to the Silph Shop for a few supplies for his trip, Athos set off to get a start on his journey. As he and Hotspur were just stepping off of the paved road of the city onto the dirt path, he noticed that someone was following him, hearing footsteps from about ten feet behind him. He turned, and saw a guy who looked a few years older than him, with drawn back black hair, and a full but well groomed beard. His clothes were a contrast to Athos'. He was wearing a polo shirt and cargo shorts, compared to Athos' tee shirt and jeans. On closer inspection, Athos guessed the guy might be his age, just looking older because of the whole beard thing.

"Are you following me?" Athos asked. The guy had a deep voice, and said, "No, I'm just headed to Pewter City. Who are you?"

"I'm Athos, what about you." The guy laughed, "I'm Alan. You headed to pewter city too?" Athos shook his head, and said, "I was thinking I'd just follow the dirt path. Hit the next city that comes along." Alan walked up to Athos, "No, no, no, see, Brock's the Gym Leader in Pewter, and I hear he takes it the easiest on new trainers, say you're a trainer too aren't you? You look like one." Athos looked down at Hotspur, then back to Alan, they both laughed. Alan said, "Well why don't we try to go together? I bet we can trek through this forest a lot safer if we go as a team." Athos held out his hand, "Sure, so what Pokémon did you get for your first?"

Alan reached for his belt and pulled three Poke balls all in their shrunken form out to show Athos. "Well, I just caught these two outside of Viridian, meet Dilbert my Drilbur, and Luna my Doduo." Before Athos' eyes, the two beautiful Pokémon popped out of their balls, Hotspur immediately went to play with the Drilbur, and sniffed after the Doduo. Alan spoke again, "But this little lady, was given to me by Professor Evergreen. Athos had heard about Evergreen, the young woman who'd taken over the Kanto Poke lab from Professor Oak when he got sick.

"Meet Cherry!" Out of this ball popped a Cacnea. The Cacnea immediately hugged against Alan's leg, causing Alan to jump with pain from the pins on Cherry's arms. "So," Alan said, "How about a battle before we set out?" Athos frowned and shook his head, "I don't think so, Hotspur here is all I got, and I don't want him getting hurt so soon out of the gate." Alan nodded, "Okay, I get that, how about when you've caught another few Pokémon?" Athos nodded, "Yeah, sounds great."

As the two walked along, they found out they had a lot in common. Three months ago, Alan had moved to Pallet Town from Pacifidlog Town in Hoenn. They were both really big fans of the show Fragier, and their favorite characters were his brother Miles, and the Evee, Eddie.

After about an hour, it was almost sunset, when they walked into what seemed to be a camp site. There were about eight different trainers, all of which had set up camp, in the same little clearing. Athos and Alan both set up their own tents, and sat and talked to the other trainers. They were all a lot older, and a few of them even had a couple Gym Badges.

Then suddenly as the sun was truly going down, a group of wild Pokémon burst into the clearing, at the front was a Heracross, followed by three Pinsirs. Immediately two trainers and Alan had their Pokémon out, a Minun, a Cranidos, and Luna (Alan's Doduo). The Pokémon instantly attacked the Pinsirs. The Heracross looked confused, and seemed to want to go and attack the Pinsirs, but Athos summoned his courage and ran into its path, with Hotspur following. He shouted, "Hotspur Tackle!"

Hotspur launched himself towards the other Pokémon, ramming into it with his shoulder. The Heracross grabbed Hotspur, and slammed him into the ground. The Growlithe wiggled out, and ran back next to Athos. Athos looked down at him and asked, "Hey, you okay pal?" "Growlithe!" Hotspur replied, seeming like he was ready to go.

"Alright, tackle it again!" Athos said. Hotspur launched itself at the wild Pokémon, but the Heracross suddenly hardened its skin, and Hotspur bounced off of it, and with a Growl, returned to Athos' side. The Heracross didn't seem capable of moving while hardened, and it didn't seem to intend to soften. Athos thought for a second, then said, "Hotspur, use fire." Hotspur cocked his head up at the trainer. Athos said, "Um, flame, spark, flint, fire, flamethrower, blast, torch, ember-" As soon as Athos said Ember, Hotspur turned and blasted the Heracross with a small amount of flame, which broke what seemed to be a second exoskeleton off of Heracross, and then Athos shouted, "Hotspur, tackle!"

The Heracross wasn't prepared, and Hotspur's tackle sent it to the ground. Athos grabbed a Poke Ball out of his backpack, and threw it towards Heracross. The Pokémon suddenly became enveloped in the ball of red light Athos had gotten so familiar with over the last few hours. Then the ball rumbled, it shook to the left and the right, but then suddenly, the ball stopped shaking, and made a click sound.

Athos ran and grabbed the Ball, placing it in his backpack, then, looking down at Hotspur, he pulled out one of the potions he'd bought along with his clothes, tent, poke balls, and other sundries, all of which you can buy for a convenient price at your local Silph Mart! He sprayed the potion onto his Growlithe, scratching behind his ears and saying, "Good job buddy!" The Growlithe rubbed his head against Athos' sides, then barked. As Athos stood he noticed that the commotion had died down behind him, as two of the Pinsirs had fainted, and one had been caught by one of the older trainers.

Alan walked over to Athos, then said, "So, you caught your first one then huh? What are you gonna call it?" Athos thought about it for a second, then remembered his father showing him a band from Unova a while ago called the Hearacrosses, and they had a drummer named, "Ringo," Athos said. "I'll call him Ringo."

(Before you say anything, I know Heracross can't learn Harden.)