Crimson City - Part One
by Vulpixio/Voltaire23
The New Flock from Crimson City
Introduction
Crimson City is a fair sized town. Not huge and bustling, but a fair suburban town. Spring had arrived, and all the people knew what that meant. A new, unique group of ten-year olds were heading out to become Pokémon trainers.
This year, the group was unusually small. Only four children had sucessfully passed the test given by Professor Larch. Those four would recieve a trainer liscense, some Poké balls, and a special gift from Prof. Larch: one of his own hand trained Pokémon.
Professor Larch's pokémon training skills had been recognized as outstanding by some of the top trainers of the Pokémon League. A pokémon trained by Larch was expected to be a champ. The trainers who studied under him were exceptional too. For seven out of the last ten years, the winner of the League Tournament was one of Larch's protegés.
As our story begins, the four students are about to choose which Pokémon will accompany them on their journey...
Chapter One: Children Around Town
"Are you sure you have everything you need?" Brian's mother called from downstairs.
"Yeah, Ma."
Brian's mom lifted an eyebrow. "Everything?"
"Yeah, I just finished packing." Brian showed the list to his mom, with a line of check marks down the list.
"Do you want me to go through your things to make sure?"
"Mom, I'm 10 and I'm about to start traveling." Brian paused. "I think I can handle packing my backpack."
Brian's mom knelt down and looked him in the eye. "Oh, Brian, you know how much I worry about you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now you be careful and be sure to call if you need anything."
"Mom..." Brian made a face and wiped off his cheek with his shirt sleeve.
As Brian walked off to the lab, his mother was waving from the door until he was almost out of sight. She sighed and said, "They just grow up... so fast."
-----------
When Brian arrived at the lab, one of the girls was already there. Of the four trainers this year, Brian was the only boy. Girls are weird, Brian thought. None of his friends had made the cut, the test was very difficult. So Brian would have to go by himself or actually try to go with one of the girls.
It was 9:45 in the morning, and they had to be there at 10 o'clock. Brian entered Professor Larch's lobby, where they were supposed to wait. Kerri was always early for everything, and today was no different.
"Hi, Kerri," Brian said.
Kerri looked up from her book and smiled. "Oh, hi Brian. You got here early too?"
"Yeah, my mom was nervous I wouldn't get here on time so I had to get up early this morning - 8 o'clock."
"8?" Kerri laughed. "That's when I usually have breakfast. But anyway, I guess that since we're here early, we should probably get our Pokémon first."
"Yeah."
"Say, Brian. Do you have any plans for what you'll actually do when you get your pokémon?"
Gee, I never really thought about that, Brian thought. "Well, I'll... I'll go around collecting badges, of course."
"By yourself?" she asked.
"Well, yeah," Brian admitted.
Kerri said, "Me too. Umm..Brian? Don't you think you'll be lonely all by yourself?"
"Maybe. Why?"
"Well..." Kerri paused. "Maybe we could...go together, or something."
"Me and you?" Brian asked.
"Yeah."
Brian pretended to think. This was even better than he had planned! Now, he didn't even have to ask anyone. "Well, o-"
Professor Larch entered and interrupted, "Only you two showed up? I had thought the other two would come."
"Guess so, Professor," said Kerri.
"Do either of you know where they are?" Larch asked.
Kerri and Brian though. "Oh, I remember! Laura came down with the flu," Kerri said.
"Oh, that's too bad." Larch said, "I'll go over to her house and give her her Pokémon tonight. Hmm.. What about Jeanette?"
Just then, the doors opened and Jeanette and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, entered.
"We're just so proud of you, honey," her parents cooed.
Jeanette had a huge smile on her face. "I know, Mommy, Daddy. I'll do as well as I can."
Professor Larch smiled, "Well, now that we're all accounted for, we can begin. Come with me."
The three children entered Larch's office. Jeanette's parents were following with beaming expressions on their faces. Larch started pushing them back. "Not...you, you'll...have...to wait...here!" And then he closed the door in their proud faces.
The children stood in front of Larch's desk. "All right. I have four pokémon here. I'll introduce them to you."
Larch picked up the first Poké ball. "This first one's name is Farfetch'd. It is a Flying-type Pokémon. Farfetch'd is actually quite rare."
He pointed to the second ball. "This one is named Shellder. It lives in the water, so some battles on land will be tough. Its best bet is its defense."
"This third one is Vulpix. This fox uses powerful Fire-type attacks. Purebred Vulpix, like this one, are very rare."
"The last Pokémon is Bellsprout. It is a Grass and Poison dual-type Pokémon. This makes it very unpredictable in battle."
"So, which one will you choose? Kerri and Brian, since you were here early, you can choose first."
"Hey!" Jeanette whined. "Whatever happened to ladies first?"
"I'm a girl too you know," Kerri said, annoyed.
"Sure you're a girl, but you're obviously not dignified and refined enough to be a proper lady," Jeanette said.
"Or snobby enough," Brian whispered to Kerri. Kerri giggled.
"Hmmph," Jeanette responded, and turned away, nose up.
"Very well," said Larch, rolling his eyes. "Jeanette, you can go first."
"I'll take..." she walked over to the far one, "Bellsprout!"
Her parents were waving to her from outside. Annoyed, Larch shut the window and closed the blind.
"All right, Kerri, you're next."
Kerri thought about it for a minute. "Umm...I'll take Shellder."
"What about you, Brian? Two choices left."
"For my Pokémon, I choose...Vulpix!" He picked up the Poké ball.
"Then Laura gets Farfetch'd." Larch said and grabbed the ball. "Good luck, all of you. Before you leave, take some empty Pokéballs and don't forget your liscence. And Brian, your mother wants me to check your bag and make sure you have everything."
Brian sighed and slumped, defeated. "Oh, Ma....."
-----------
Kerri met Brian outside the lab building. "So? Do you want to go together or not?" Kerri asked. "You were about to answer when Professor Larch arrived."
"Okay," said Brian. "When do you want to leave?"
"Well now of course, duh." Kerri said.
"All right, let's go." Brian said. He turned around, then turned back. "Um, where do we go?"
"Well, I really hadn't thought about that either." Kerri shrugged. "Jeanette went that way..." Kerri pointed to a path behind her.
Brian finished her sentence, "..So we should go the other way." They both laughed.
"Wait!" Brian said. "Let's check out our Pokémon before we go."
Kerri gasped. "You don't mean..."
"Yes." Brian smiled. "Let's have a match."
Chapter Two: Fire and Rain
Brian stood, facing Kerri in a soccer field in the park.
"Vulpix, go!!" Brian threw the Poké ball to the center of the field. From a red haze, a silhouette of the fox Pokémon appeared. "Vul-pix!" it said.
"Shellder, I choose you!" Kerri threw her Poké ball to the center. From it came a clam-like Pokémon.
"So, that's a Shellder," said Brian.
Shellder faced the Vulpix. It stuck its tounge out.
"Vul!" Vulpix looked annoyed.
"Hmm," Brian thought aloud, "Shellder is a Water-type. I'm at a disadvantage here."
"Shellder!" Kerri shouted, "You're a Water-type and it's a Fire-type! Use your tackle attack to start out!"
Shellder closed its shell and lept at Vulpix. It hit Vulpix in the side. Vulpix fell down with a yelp.
"Vulpix! Are you okay?" Brian asked.
Vulpix stood back up. "Vulpix," it affirmed.
"Okay. Vulpix, use Quick Attack!"
Vulpix ran as fast as it could toward Shellder. It jumped and came crashing into Shellder.
"Shellder! Withdraw into your shell!"
"Vulpix! Ember attack now!"
Vulpix blew out a ball of fire and ash just as Shellder ducked into its shell.
"Ah, ah!" Kerri waved her finger back and forth. "Fire won't hurt my Water Pokémon."
"It's okay Vulpix! Use your Tail Whip to try to get Shellder dazed."
Vulpix hit Shellder with its tails. Shellder popped open.
Brian beamed, "Great job, Vulpix! Now give it a Quick Attack while its guard is down!"
Vulpix lunged at Shellder.
Kerri grinned. "Shellder, Clamp it!"
When Vulpix came down, Shellder closed its shell on Vulpix. Vulpix cried in pain until it had almost fainted.
"Vulpix!" Brian cried out. "Cut it out, you win!"
Shellder released Vulpix and Brian ran to it.
"Vulpix, are you okay?" Brian asked compassionately.
"Vul-pix.." it answered softly.
"Don't you worry, Vulpix. I'll get you to the Pokémon Center right away." Brian put Vulpix back in its Poké ball.
Kerri walked over. "That was a great battle. It's too bad you lost."
Brian looked at her with a smile on his face. "Ha! I would have beaten you if you had a different Pokémon."
"No way!" Kerri said back. "I could beat you with any Pokémon there is!"
"No! My Vulpix is so awesome it could beat anything!"
Kerri smirked. "My Shellder beat it."
"Well, anything but Water," Brian said.
They started walking to the Pokémon Center to get their Pokémon healed by a kind nurse named Joy. She ran the Center all by herself.
They entered and stood in line. While they were waiting, someone was calling their names from behind them in the line.
Kerri turned first. "Oh, hi Laura! Didn't you have the flu?"
"Yeah, I just got over it. I got my Farfetch'd from Professor Larch like an hour ago." Laura held her Poké ball lovingly. "And I love it already. It's so great!"
When they finally got up to the desk, they all gave Joy their Poké balls. Nurse Joy put them on some kind of machine and they were all healed.
"Wow," Kerri said. "How does that work?"
Nurse Joy smiled back at her. "You sound like you want to be a Pokémon doctor someday."
"Oh, me?" Kerri laughed. "No, I don't think I could."
"I don't know, kid. You sound really curious about medicine and Pokémon care."
Kerri blushed. "You're too kind, Nurse Joy."
They left the Center then. "Laura, where are you going?" Brian asked.
"Well, I was going to go this way. I hope to catch some great Pokémon," Laura said.
Kerri said enthusiastically, "We're going that way too! Do you want to go together?"
Laura smiled. "That would be nice, thanks."
-----------
And so our heroes set out on a Pokémon journey. Who knows, maybe someday, one of them will become League Champion. But now, they'll just have to concentrate on the journey ahead of them.