Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon
This is my first attempt at Pokemon fanfiction, so any constructive comments are welcome, positive or negative, though flamers will be ignored, also, if someone could tell me what Elm's actual first name is that would be great
Chapter one: A bumpy start
The day had started normally enough for Richard Elm, the esteemed Pokemon Professor of the Johto Region had woken up, kissed his wife and son goodbye for the day, and headed into work for another day of research. The somewhat absent-minded scientist had expected to spend the day with his nose in books and maybe sending his aide to buy a Thunderstone for his study of Pokemon evolution. He certainly hadn't expected someone to tap on the door to his lab as if they expected the slab of wood to hit back.
Pushing back from his cluttered desk, Professor Elm walked over to see who was interrupting his research, not that he minded, it was nearly lunchtime, and without the interruption he likely would have forgotten to eat again. The visitor was a young boy, slightly older than the Professor's usual visitors, Elm judged the boy to be around fourteen. He was short and skinny, with uncertain grey eyes and ear length white hair that he was fiddling with in what was obviously a nervous tic of some sort.
Professor Elm fixed an inviting smile on his face, this boy looked like he was seconds away from bolting and Richard Elm wasn't the kind of man who would scare away someone who clearly needed help of some kind. "Greetings young man! I am Professor Elm, may I be of assistance?"
The boy's reply wasn't what he was expecting, the boy's voice was soft, stuttering, but sure in its purpose. "H-Hello, Prof-fessor, I-I-I'm Ivan." The young man took a deep breath and spoke without the stutter. "I would like to go on my pokemon journey, would it be possible for you to supply a starter pokemon and a pokedex, please?" Professor Elm blinked at the boy's sudden shift from barely able to get a word out to stiff and formal, and then softly pleading with the last word. Still, his job was clear.
"Of course, it is the duty of the Pokemon Professors to supply both of those things to any child whose parents or school are unable to do it themselves, have you given any thought as to which of the three Johto starters you will choose?"
Ivan shook his head. "N-No, I know what each of them are, but I decided to wait until I could meet each of them before making my choice."
Professor Elm smiled."Fair enough, it's generally best to pick the pokemon you feel the strongest connection with, rather than the Type you like best." Ivan just nodded, looking distractedly over at the trio of pokeballs that Professor Elm kept at the back of his lab for situations exactly like this one. "Alright Ivan, let's get you fixed up with a pokedex, then we can get down to picking your first pokemon." It took a couple of minutes for them to find a spare pokedex in the clutter, but once they located one Professor Elm took it upon himself to show the new trainer all its features. Once that had been accomplished the Pokemon Professor took the young boy into the back area of his lab to pick the pokemon that he would begin his journey with.
"You said that you knew what each starting pokemon was, but it's traditional for a Professor to introduce a new Trainer to each of them before he or she makes their choice, alright?" Ivan nodded resolutely, though he was still fiddling with his hair, Professor Elm wondered if he was even aware of what he was doing as he lifted the first pokeball from it's housing and released the creature inside.
"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokemon, it usually stays hunched over, if it is angry or surprised, it shoots flames from its back." Professor Elm started slightly as the synthesized voice of Ivan's pokedex rattled off the basic information of the pokemon sitting in front of them.
"Yes, well, as you just heard, this is the Fire starter Cyndaquil, go ahead and introduce yourself." Ivan nodded, then crouched down to put himself closer to the small pokemon's level.
"Hello Cyndaquil, I'm Ivan, it's nice to meet you." The young boy held out a hand to the Fire Mouse Pokemon. Cyndaquil sniffed the hand once, then immediately turned its back on the young trainer, Ivan's smile faltered and his hand dropped back to his side.
The young boy looked up at Professor Elm and shook his head. Elm returned Cyndaquil to its pokeball and replaced the pokeball in its housing, before lifting out the second pokeball and releasing its contents onto the floor.
This time he was expecting Ivan to scan the new pokemon. "Chikorita, the Leaf Pokemon, it's pleasantly aromatic leaf has the ability to check the humidity and temperature."
"As the pokedex stated, this is Chikorita, the Grass Type, you can introduce yourself to it now Ivan." The little grass type bounded over to nuzzle affectionately into the young trainer's hand, then began dashing around the room, looking at and sniffing everything. Ivan smiled fondly at the energetic pokemon, then shrugged in Elm's direction, the Pokemon Professor sighed and recalled Chikorita. Once he had replaced Chikorita's ball with the final starter, Professor Elm released it.
"Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokemon, it's small, but rough and tough. It won't hesitate to take a bite out of anything that moves."
Professor Elm was about to make his little introduction for the third time when Totodile waddled forward, for several seconds pokemon and trainer stared each other down, then Ivan smiled and extended his hand to the tiny blue crocodile.
Chomp! The next few seconds were confusing as Ivan began flailing in panic, unintentionally whipping Totodile around in the process. The Big Jaw Pokemon had bitten the young boy on his outstretched hand, and was holding on tightly as he tried to shake it off. After a minute of frantic flailing Ivan succeeded in dislodging Totodile, though the force of the shaking sent the little pokemon flying into a wall, something Ivan obviously hadn't meant to happen as he immediately disregarded his own, still bleeding, hand to scramble over to the dazed pokemon.
"Totodile, are you ok? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just trying to get you to let go." Professor Elm took a second to appreciate the sight of a fourteen year old boy expressing genuine concern for a pokemon that had only seconds before left a bleeding gash on his hand. Once Professor Elm was sure that Totodile was in fact fine he returned the Big Jaws Pokemon to its ball, then he turned to the young Trainer.
"Alright, you've met the starters, which one will you be choosing as your first Pokemon?"
Once again Ivan surprised him, the white haired young man squared thin shoulders and met Professor Elm's eyes directly for the first time since they'd met.
"I've decided to pick Totodile, sir."
"A-are you sure young man? I'm sure I don't need to remind you that it bit you within seconds of meeting you, right?"
Ivan nodded gravely before responding. "You said to pick the Pokemon I felt the deepest connection with, Cyndaquil wasn't even interested in meeting me, Chikorita didn't pay attention to anything in particular, but Totodile marched right up to me and challenged me to prove to him that I was worthy to be his Trainer, it wasn't his fault that I don't measure up to his expectations. But I want the chance to become worthy to battle at Totodile's side."
Professor Elm couldn't really find it in himself to speak out against this level of conviction. "Very well, if you're sure, congratulations on receiving your first pokemon, I'm sure you and Totodile will go far." With that, Johto's Pokemon Professor handed over Totodile's pokeball.
"Now, let's see what we can do about that bite."
Half an hour later Ivan Deloria stepped out of Richard Elm's Pokemon Lab with Totodile's pokeball attached to his belt, and a blood stained bandage on his right hand, ready to finally embark on his Pokemon journey. He made it two steps out the door before someone crashed into him.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" The girl's voice registered before Ivan's dazed brain could actually work out what had crashed into him at thoroughly unnecessary speeds. Once his eyes refocused, the new trainer turned his attention to the person shaped missile that had hit him. She had brown hair pulled into a ponytail and a weirdly familiar face pulled into a scowl. She was, impressively, shorter than him, and Ivan was overdue for at least a couple growth spurts.
"S-sorry, I-I w-w-wasn't p-p-p..." Sudden nerves had Ivan tripping over his words, even as he climbed back to his feet.
"Oh no, Stutters, you aren't getting off that easily, you and I are gonna have a Pokemon battle!"
Thankfully, Professor Elm chose that moment to intervene. "Lily, what have I told you about rushing everywhere? You need to apologize to Ivan, he wasn't the one who came barrelling through my door as if there wasn't anyone in your way. And really, challenging him to a battle less than an hour after he got his first Pokemon, can't it wait? You've been a Trainer for a full week, at least let him get through a day first."
Lily grimaced and turned to face Ivan. "Tch, fine, tomorrow, 11 AM, one on one outside Cherrygrove." Then her scowl softened into something almost resembling contrition. "And... sorry for running you over like that, I can forget to look where I'm going sometimes."
Ivan didn't really trust himself to speak without totally losing control of his stuttering, so he nodded, accepting both the apology and the challenge in one motion. Lily's smile was bright and sharp. "Alright, Stutters, see you then. Later, Uncle Richie!" And with a wave toward Professor Elm, Lily dashed off. The Pokemon Professor just shook his head muttered low enough that Ivan barely heard him. "That girl... always rushing everywhere."
Turning his attention to the white haired teenager, Professor Elm pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about my Niece, she's a remarkable young woman, but she has no patience at all. I would like to ask something of you that might be an imposition, and I want to make it very clear that I will not insist on this if you decide against it but: would you please befriend her? Lily could use some calmer heads in her life." Ivan stood stock still for enough seconds that Professor Elm worried he'd asked too much of the shy Trainer, then the boy nodded, and the older man saw a spark of that same quiet determination that had showed when he'd defended his choice of starter earlier flicker in his eyes.
And that's Chapter one, next up is Ivan's first battle with his new rival, but how will our hero handle his problems with Totodile?