A/N: After much deliberation, I decided that it would be best to completely revamp my Pokémon story, since I now realize there were too many plot holes to count, and I have an even greater idea of how the story should go that will make it longer yet easier to write, and more convenient my new college schedule.
Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures
Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France3
I make no money from this because I own nothing. Please support the official release.
Pokémon: The Prodigal Rocket
Chapter 1: The World of Pokémon
A bunch of spotlights switched on to reveal an elderly man, about the age of sixty, standing in a laboratory. He had a typical wardrobe for a middle-aged professor: a long brown coat, a blue button-down vest and a red tie, and a very professional and expensive looking briefcase. He had white hair with long and bushy sideburns, a bushy white mustache, and stony gray eyes. His face seemed to convey a feeling of wisdom and understanding, and was both firm and kind.
"Hello there, and welcome to the world of Pokémon," he said. "My name is Professor Rowan. I'm often known as the Pokémon Professor of the Sinnoh region. The subject of my research is the mysterious creatures that inhabit our world which are known the world over as Pokémon."
The man then took out a spherical object, roughly the size of a baseball, with a red top half and a white bottom half divided by a black line and a button on the front. He tossed it up into the air, and it opened up. A white light burst from the ball, which transformed into a black and blue jackal-like creature with short ears, two black appendages on either side of its head, a yellow collar-like formation around its neck, and large red eyes. He gave the creature a pat on the head, and it barked happily.
"These creatures have inhabited our world and lived with us humans for as long as we can remember," he said, "but there are many things that we simply don't know about them. That's why professors like myself have dedicated our lives to studying various aspects of these Pokémon. Myself, I study the aspects of Pokémon Evolution, and discerning the mysteries of how and why Pokémon evolve to become stronger and greater than they once were. To assist me in my research, I offer newly licensed Pokémon Trainers in Sinnoh a choice of their first Pokémon to accompany them on their grand journey across the Sinnoh region."
He motioned to the desk behind him, and three Pokémon were visible. One was a green turtle with a shell that seemed to be made of earth and two leaves sticking out of a spike on its head. The second was a red monkey with a short tail which looked like it was on fire and a cheery look on its face. The third was a blue penguin with a short yellow beak, blue flippers, and yellow feet. It also seemed to look very proud of itself.
"Trainers may choose between the Grass-Type Turtwig, the Fire-Type Chimchar, or the Water-Type Piplup," Professor Rowan stated. "The duty of every Pokémon Trainer is to meet, catch, and train all kinds of varieties of Pokémon. You will also meet many different people on your journey. Talk with everyone you can about how to train your Pokémon, and you will learn more about them and more about yourself along the way."
He then turned to the camera and smiled. "To all new Trainers: take courage and leap into the world of Pokémon, where dreams, adventure, and friendship await!"
(-o-)
I had just finished watching Professor Rowan's video on my laptop when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. Turning my head around, I saw a girl about a year younger than me with bright pink hair walk down the row of seats to him. Smiling, I inserted my computer into my backpack. The girl was not used to air travel, and left to use the restroom, so I had occupied his time by watching videos on his laptop computer. The girl's name was Aelita Schaeffer, and my name is Jeremy Belpois.
We are French boarding school students who are going on a vacation to the Sinnoh region for the summer while our college applications were waiting to be accepted. Anyone would think that we would be far too young to go to college, since Aelita was just a week away from turning fifteen and I had been fifteen for a few months. However, our friends and family knew that they were exceptionally brilliant for our age. In fact, we planned to wait a whole year to go to college and none of our parents or friends objected. They knew that we would be just fine not because we're geniuses, but because we're very hard-working and deserved some time off, hence the reason for the vacation. We had only heard about Pokémon from our Japanese friend, Yumi Ishiyama, so we decided to check this new world out and broaden our horizons, especially Aelita, who had seen very little of the outside world.
"Did I miss anything, Jeremy?" Aelita asked.
"I just finished watching Professor Rowan's instructional video for new Pokémon Trainers," I answered, taking my computer out and handing it to Aelita. "Did you want to watch it too, Aelita? We have plenty of time before the plane lands."
"Thanks," Aelita nodded, taking my computer and looking at pictures. "Where did the pilot say we would be landing again?"
I looked at my pocket digital map of the Sinnoh region. "He said we'd be landing in a place called Hearthome City," I replied. "From there we can take an hour-long bus ride to the resort at Lake Valor."
"Is just going to that resort really all you want to do here?" Aelita asked. "Think about where we're going, Jeremy! Why not do something extraordinary and get our very own Pokémon Trainer licenses?"
"But neither of us know how to be Pokémon Trainers," I stated. "Besides, most Pokémon Trainers get their license at age 10. We're 15. Even Odd would see that there's a huge gap there."
"So what?" Aelita asked. "Where's your spirit of adventure that you had when we fought X.A.N.A. and saved the world?"
"That was something that had to be done," I huffed. "And that's completely different from this. No one's too old to save the world, but we're talking about capturing wild creatures and raising them to do battle against each other. I may be able to learn how to do it easily, but I don't think I have the physical skills to actually do it."
"Will you stop belittling yourself?" Aelita sighed, annoyed with my pessimistic comment. "You say that you're not great all the time, yet you do amazing things that put even Ulrich and William to shame. And I'm not talking about working a powerful supercomputer to fight against a demonic artificial intelligence. Did anyone else scale a school roof just to get a CD? Did anyone else fight off a pack of wild boars to save a gym teacher?"
I turned to answer, but then I saw her with her hands on her hips and looking annoyed. I knew from experience with her that this was my cue not to say anything at all. I also noticed some of the other passengers were starting to look at the two of us very strangely, and I felt very embarrassed.
"You're not as strong as Ulrich or William, that's true, but you're certainly no wimp," she said, calmer now, and sat down in the seat next to me. "The way I see it, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
I just looked at her for a moment, and then sighed. "Thanks for the words of praise, but I hardly deserve them. I just want to be a normal kid, like everyone else. I'll relax for a few weeks, go to school, graduate with a degree, get a job, get married, and have a family."
Aelita groaned, frowning. "Just because you want to be 'normal' and you have everything planned out doesn't mean it will all go down the way you planned. X.A.N.A. should have taught you that lesson by now. Besides, don't you want anything more out of life? You're not a robot or a computer program, you're human."
"That's funny," I chuckled, "considering you thought that you were once a program yourself."
"Hey!" Aelita protested. "You thought I was one until I remembered who I was!"
Both of us continued to laugh for a while, until a siren was heard from the intercom above our heads.
"Attention, passengers," the pilot's voice rang out. "We will be landing at the Hearthome City Airport in just a few moments. Now would be a good time to begin gathering your personal belongings."
"Well, time to get ready for that plan that's not going to happen," I said sarcastically, grabbing my backpack.
Aelita groaned, knowing well that I was a very stubborn person once I made up my mind. She grabbed her own handbag from the shelf above her and waited for the plane to land.
(-o-)
Within half an hour, the plane landed at the airport, and most of the passengers all left the plane. We were the last to leave, and they left the airport for the bus stop. I could not help but admire the new scenery. The buildings in the city weren't very tall but were still nice to look at, and the greenery outside the city looked nice as well. I could also see a tall twin-peaked mountain on the horizon to the west. According to my map, this was Mt. Coronet, the tallest mountain in all of Sinnoh. I breathed in a breath of fresh Sinnoh air before Aelita and I arrived at the bus stop.
All of a sudden, a huge explosion came from the forest to the east, and a shrill sound, like someone screaming in pain was heard. We turned to see what was happening, and saw a huge cloud of smoke rise up from the forest, presumably a result of the explosion. Just then, from out of the trees, two figures emerged. One was a small black and blue canine, and the other was a small black crow with a plumage on its head that resembled a witch's hat. The bird flapped its wings and charged at the dog-like creature, and it nimbly dodged to the side, but we could tell that it was very weak from having to dodge the crow's attacks and could not keep it up for much longer.
To add further confusion to the situation, a person stepped out from the foliage. It was a tall man with a brushed-back mop of light brown hair, and piercing dark green eyes. He wore a black outfit with a bright red capital R on the shirt, and wore white gloves which came up to his elbows. He also wore long gray lace-less leather boots that came up to his knees, and a belt which contained three objects similar to the utensils that Professor Rowan used in his video.
The dog-like creature looked at us, and gasped. I had no idea what that meant, but then it rushed over to us and hid behind my leg. I saw that it looked absolutely terrified of whatever was attacking it. After taking another look at it, I gasped.
"It's the same creature that Professor Rowan showcased in the video I saw!" I said to Aelita, and showed her a picture from the video.
"It is!" she gasped. "Then that's a Pokémon!"
"Why yes, it is a Pokémon," the man said, whom we now turned to face, "and it belongs to me. Now get out of my way."
"If it belongs to you, why are you attacking it?" Aelita asked.
"The poor sap thinks that it doesn't have to go with me," he replied. "It doesn't realize that it has no choice."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, unsure of what he meant.
"He technically doesn't belong to me, but he will be soon enough," the man said. "Now I'll say it again, get out of my way or you'll regret it."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Well, I suppose introductions are in order," he shrugged. "My name is Frank James, and I am a member of Team Rocket."
"Team Rocket?" I repeated, puzzled. "What's that?"
"You must not be from around here, are you?" Frank James chuckled. "Well, since you can't possibly stand up to me, I'll tell you. Team Rocket captures Pokémon from all around the world. They're important tools for keeping our criminal enterprise going."
"Criminal enterprise?!" we gasped.
"And that Riolu is just what we need," Frank said. "You see, it can use aura just like its evolved form, Lucario, which it normally cannot do. It also has a great many other skills most Pokémon don't normally have. If we had a Pokémon like that on our team, our goal could finally come to fruition!"
"And what goal is that?" Aelita asked, angry.
"What else?" he asked. "We'll make the largest army of rare and powerful Pokémon and use it to take over the world!"
"Heh," Aelita chuckled. "It's always the same thing with you bad guys. All you talk or think about is world domination. Well, I got four choice words for you: we won't let you."
"The reason I'm telling you all this is that there's nothing you can do to stop me, you fools," Frank said. "You don't even have any Pokémon you can use to battle, and my Murkrow can and will knock you down faster than you can blink!"
Just then, a motorcycle zoomed up to us, and a woman with spiked sea-green hair and amber eyes in a blue police officer's uniform jumped out and glared at the man. I also noticed an orange dog-like creature that had stripes like a tiger jump out and stand next to the officer.
"I found you at last, Frank James!" she said. "Your days with Team Rocket are up! You're under arrest for Pokémon poaching!"
"That's what you'd like to think, Officer Jenny," Frank chuckled. "Go, Murkrow! Sky Attack!"
"Growlithe, intercept with Flamethrower!" the officer called out.
The Murkrow began glowing and charged at the officer, but the Growlithe shot a large stream of flame from its mouth and blocked the oncoming attack, causing a huge blast. Murkrow reared back for another attack, but Growlithe kept it at bay. Even though I was just watching, I felt a surge of excitement from seeing these two Pokémon battle. I was seeing two fighters of great power collide in a match that would surely shake my soul. I wanted to watch it, to experience this power.
More than that, I wanted to be part of it.
I mulled over Aelita's question about what I want out of life while we were on our way to the bus station, and now, in the thick of this battle, I made a decision.
"Officer Jenny!" I called. "Do you have any Pokémon you could spare for us to battle him with?"
"Thanks for volunteering, but I can't risk it," Officer Jenny replied. "It's too dangerous for you kids to handle. You should take that Riolu and get out of here while I take care of him."
"I've made up my mind," I said, taking a step forward. "I don't want to run away anymore, nor do I want to just live a normal life. Quite frankly, I don't think there's such a thing as a normal life. Everyone's way of living life is different, and no two ways are the same. I want something great out of life. I want to live my life to the fullest, and if that entails me becoming a Pokémon Trainer and going on some kind of great adventure to master the ways of Pokémon, then so be it!"
Aelita gasped, but then smiled widely. "That's the Jeremy I know and love!"
I nodded, smiling as well. "Now, Officer Jenny, I know I don't have a license, but would you be able to lend me a Pokémon to use to fight this criminal?"
"If she can't, then I will help you," a voice said.
"Huh?" I turned around, confused. "Who said that?"
"I did," the voice came from behind me. I turned around and noticed that the Riolu was no longer cowering, but striking a fighting pose. "Well?"
I took a double take. Either my eyes were deceiving me, or that Riolu just spoke!
"You can talk?" I gasped, and Aelita and the officer were surprised as well.
"I can talk and I can fight," the Riolu stated. "I may not be in the best of shape, but I still have some power left in me. He attacked me without warning, and attempted to kidnap me! He will pay for this!"
I blinked, unsure of how to take this in, but I smiled. "Do you have anything that can heal his injuries here, Officer Jenny?"
"I have this," she said, reaching into her satchel and pulling out an orange bottle. "This is a Super Potion; it's like an antiseptic spray specifically for Pokémon. Spray it on infected spots and it will heal instantly."
"Got it," I said, taking the bottle. "Where does it hurt?" I asked the Riolu.
"Well, he kept striking my back," it said, "and his Murkrow's Wing Attack sprained my left arm near the elbow."
"Okay," I said, and began applying the spray. It winced from the medicine's sting, but it controlled its flinching. Within a few moments, the application was done. "Is that better?" I asked.
"Much," it nodded. "Thank you very much."
"You mind giving me a few pointers?" I asked. "I've never been in a Pokémon battle before."
"No problem," he nodded. "Call out an attack, and I will respond."
"What about me?" Aelita asked, and Officer Jenny pulled out another of those red-and-white balls from her jacket pocket.
"This is a Poké Ball," she said, "and it will call out another Growlithe for you, Aelita. Please use it well."
"I will," Aelita nodded, but then paused. "How do I use this, though?"
"Press the button to expand it to its normal size," the officer replied, "and then toss it into the air."
"All right," Aelita said, and did as she was told. "Growlithe, go!" she called, and the ball opened up, expelling a Growlithe identical to the one being used by Officer Jenny.
"It doesn't matter how many of you there are!" Frank James said, "because I can always make more of me!" He then took out the two Poké Balls he had on his belt and threw them into the battle. "Weavile, Shiftry, let's go!"
Instantly, a brown Pokémon with leaf fans for hands and a black Pokémon with a red headdress and sharp white claws appeared from the Poké Balls.
"Wow, you must not be as smart as other members of Team Rocket," Officer Jenny said. "Don't you know that Grass-Type and Ice-Type Pokémon are weak to Fire-Type Pokémon like Growlithe?"
"That's where you're wrong!" Frank James said. "Shiftry, use Rock Slide! Weavile, use Surf!"
Shiftry whipped up large rocks from the ground and flung them at the two Fire-Type Pokémon, and Weavile shot out a wave of water from its mouth and directed the wave at the Growlithe. Both attacks hit dead-on, and the Pokémon were flung backwards.
"Oh no!" Officer Jenny gasped. "Growlithe!"
"Water and rock moves are super effective when facing Fire-Type Pokémon," Frank James said. "My Pokémon and I come prepared for any situation and always manage to outwit any opponent."
"Outwit this!" the Riolu snapped, and sprung at the Weavile, firing a punch with blistering speed and power. The force sent Weavile flying, and the Riolu jumped back just as quick as it lunged out.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Bullet Punch," the Riolu replied. "Like the name implies, it's a punch that's fired as fast as a bullet. And that's only one of the many things that I can do. I know Aura Sphere, Poison Jab, and Drain Punch."
"Okay, I got it," I said. "Riolu, use Bullet Punch again, but on Shiftry!"
Riolu did so, and sent Shiftry flying, but not as far as Weavile. I turned to the Growlithe. "Are they ok?"
"They're badly hurt," Officer Jenny answered.
"Then use the Super Potion!" I said, and gave the item back to her.
"Thank you," she smiled, and healed the wounds of the two Growlithe. Both Pokémon were now back on their feet.
"What moves do they know besides Flamethrower?" I asked.
"They know Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, and Aerial Ace," Officer Jenny replied. "Fire-Type, Flying-Type, and Ice-Type moves are super effective against Grass-Type Pokémon like Shiftry, and Electric-Type along with Ice-Type moves will be super effective against Murkrow. Fire-Type, Steel-Type, and especially Fighting-Type moves will be effective against Weavile."
"Then use Aerial Ace on Shiftry!" Aelita commanded, and the Pokémon slashed its claws at the Shiftry with high power and speed, akin to Riolu's Bullet Punch.
"Use Thunder Fang on Murkrow!" Officer Jenny commanded, and its fangs crackled with electricity as if brought them down on Murkrow.
"And I think I know which one of Riolu's moves is a Fighting-Type move!" I said. "Use Drain Punch!"
The Riolu's arm glowed a bright green and it charged at Weavile, striking a strong blow to it, and causing it to fly back several feet. When it fell, it tried to get up, but fell to the ground. I also noticed that the Riolu looked noticeably healthier and more full of energy as it gave a big smile.
"Weavile can't battle anymore!" Officer Jenny said. "It's out of energy, and the energy it did have was taken into Riolu thanks to Drain Punch!"
"You were right!" Aelita said. "Fighting-Type moves were really effective against it!"
"Then that's one less problem to worry about!" I said. "Riolu, use Poison Jab on Shiftry!"
Riolu's arm now glowed purple and it lunged at Shiftry. However, Frank had a plan to stop it.
"Use Whirlwind!" he cried, and Shiftry's fans blew Riolu back several feet, but did not damage it.
"Quick, use Flamethrower!" Aelita cried, and Growlithe blew a stream of fire at Shiftry, causing extreme damage.
"Now, try Poison Jab again!" I said, and this time the Riolu's attack was successful, scoring a direct hit on Shiftry. Though it did not get blown back, it did collapse to the ground, unable to continue.
"And for the last attack!" I said. "Use Aura Sphere and Drain Punch on Murkrow!"
First, Riolu generated a blue orb from its hands, presumably of aura energy, which was now charged up by its Drain Punch, and fired it at Murkrow, who fell downwards. Then, Riolu made another Drain Punch at Murkrow, causing it to fall down and stay down.
"Murkrow! Shiftry!" Frank cried.
"All right!" I exclaimed. "We did it!"
"Jeremy, that was awesome!" Aelita cheered.
"You sure have got quite the talent for battling, young man," Officer Jenny complimented. "And you're really not a Trainer?"
"No, I'm from France," I shook my head. "I've never even heard of Pokémon until a friend of mine told me about them." I then turned to Frank. "But enough about me, what about him?"
"I'll handle him," Officer Jenny said, but then Frank recalled his Pokémon and jumped back.
"I may have lost this battle," he said, "but the war is far from over. I know your names and faces, kids, and I won't forget them. I'll be back soon enough, but now it's time for this Rocket to blast off!"
He then took a smoke bomb from his pants pocket and threw it at the ground, causing a thick cloud of smoke to obscure him from our view. The next thing we saw was him flying onto the sky on a rocket pack that he now had strapped to his back. Before any of us could make a move, he flew off over the treetops to our left and disappeared.
"Sorry we let him get away, Officer," I said.
"Well, we managed to keep that Pokémon safe," she stated, "and that's what matters. For that, I thank you both."
Suddenly, I heard a groan of pain, and I looked back to the said Riolu slump to the ground, exhausted.
"Riolu!" I gasped, and rushed to the fallen Pokémon, cradling it in my arms.
"Hop in the sidecar," Officer Jenny said, vaulting over the motorcycle. "I'll rush you to the Pokémon Center! Nurse Joy will be able to help treat it!"
Aelita and I nodded, and we climbed in the side car, which zoomed down the road to this Pokémon Center that Officer Jenny spoke of.
(-o-)
Upon arrival, I learned just what the Pokémon Center and who this Nurse Joy was. A Pokémon Center was apparently a hospital specifically for treating injured Pokémon, and there were at least a couple dozen of them scattered throughout the Sinnoh region. Nurse Joy was the woman in charge of the Center, and was assisted by a Pokémon named Chansey, which, judging by the fact that it had a pouch with an egg and was very careful and yet speedy at its work, looked to be naturally capable of helping Nurse Joy with her work.
With a few explanations from Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy hooked up Riolu to a big machine which monitored its vital signs and would likely show where and how to fix any problems that it had. Aelita and I stared at it through the window, unsure of what to do next and worried for Riolu's safety. After a few minutes of testing, Nurse Joy came out of the room and we walked over to her.
"Is Riolu going to be okay?" I asked.
"It's going to be just fine," she nodded, smiling. "It took a big hit from those Pokémon, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's going to need a lot of rest for the rest of the day, though."
"Whew," I sighed, relieved.
"That's good to hear," Aelita said.
"So I hear you saved this Riolu," a voice came from behind.
Aelita and I turned around, and we saw a man about sixty years old with white hair in a brown lab coat. I instantly recognized him as the man from the video I saw from the plane.
"You're Professor Rowan, aren't you?" I asked.
"Why yes, I am," he nodded. "I see you've heard of me."
"I watched some of your videos on Pokémon when I flew in from France," I nodded, bowing. "My name is Jeremy Belpois, and this is Aelita Schaeffer." Aelita smiled and bowed as I introduced her.
"Well, that's quite a distance to come from, young man," he chuckled. "So what brings you here to the Sinnoh region, if I may ask?"
"Well, my friend told me about this great resort a few kilometers away from here at a place called Lake Valor," I started, "but Aelita saw your video and asked if I wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer. Now may I ask a question? How do you know about this Riolu?"
"Well, I happen to be studying this Riolu as part of my research on Pokémon evolution," he replied, looking at said Riolu.
"What's Pokémon evolution?" I asked.
"Well, when Pokémon reach a certain level of strength, they can change their shape and form," he answered. "This process is called evolution, and is different from the supposed evolution that animals and humans have gone through."
"Oh?" I asked, curious of his views on human and animal evolution.
"While I do believe in evolution from a biological standpoint," he began, "I do not believe in the kind of evolution being lectured about in college classes today where they say that evolution is the explanation of the origin of life. That kind of evolution is generated by random circumstances, and nothing about Pokémon evolution is by chance. Each one evolves in a specific way and, even though no two ways are exactly similar, they are all the same type of process."
"Okay, so what about that guy who attacked Riolu?" I asked.
"Well, he's a member of a group called Team Rocket, as I'm sure you're aware of," he said. "One day, while my team and I were working to discover how it could use auras like its evolved form, Lucario, a Murkrow crashed through the window and kidnapped the poor thing. Before any of us could react, that Weavile used its Ice beam to literally freeze us in our tracks. He revealed himself, stated his intention of using Riolu for world domination, and left without a word."
"That's horrible," Aelita gasped.
"I understand that you chased him off by beating him in a Pokémon battle," Professor Rowan said to me.
"Uh, yeah, I did," I said, shrugging. "It was probably a stroke of luck that I won, though."
"If there's one thing I've learned in all my 60 years of life," he said, "it's that there is no such thing as luck. You have a natural talent for battling. So do you want to become a Pokémon Trainer?" he asked.
For a while, I said nothing. I looked at Aelita, and then looked at Riolu. It felt like it took a minute when it was only a few seconds, but I nodded.
"Well, until now, I wasn't sure," I said, "but after seeing and being in a Pokémon battle, I made up my mind. The answer is yes, I do want to become a Pokémon Trainer!"
"And so do I!" Aelita said. "If Jeremy wants to be a Trainer, then I'll become one with him!"
"That's quite the adventurous spirit you two have got," he said. "I happen to be on my way to a summer educational school for beginning Trainers, but I think I can give you your start here and now." He then walked to the door. "If you both will follow me, we can get started."
We followed him out the door, and he led us to a table where various objects were scattered around. Two were devices that looked like handheld video games, and there were at least ten Poké Balls next to them. Next to this collection were two stacks of paper and two pens. None of us knew what to make of it until Professor Rowan spoke up.
"The device you're looking at is called a Pokédex," he said. "It's a high-tech encyclopedia that contains various data on the Pokémon that you will encounter in the Sinnoh region. It knows their moves, it can tell you if they're sick or healthy, and it can also function as your Pokémon Trainer Identification."
"Then what are these forms?" Aelita asked.
"They are the registration forms for your Pokémon Trainer licenses," the professor replied. "In order to become Pokémon Trainers, you must fill out these forms and submit a thorough examination which I will issue to you once the forms are completed. Be warned, however, for this exam will not be easy."
"So it's a test?" I asked, and then grinned. "That's fine by me. I always feel confident whenever I take any kind of test."
"Jeremy's really smart, Professor Rowan," Aelita said. "It also gives him confidence to take and pass any test he faces."
"Then don't hesitate to give it your all," he said. "I'm sure you'll both do just fine."
We nodded, and he handed us our forms.
(-o-)
Like Professor Rowan had said, this test would not be easy. The qualification forms and the exam covered a multitude of questions about our physical and mental health, along with our citizenship of our native country. It also covered questions about our knowledge of Pokémon. Since we had very little, if any at all, I relied solely on my instinct and judgment to discern the correct answers, and hoped that I would not be wrong. He gave us a full hour to study up on Pokémon before hand, but I still felt unsure as to what the right answers were.
After what seemed like forever, when it was only an hour and a half, we handed our exam to Professor Rowan, and he went into a room to review them. It had been about two hours since he went in, and we were getting nervous about our results. Suddenly, I heard the sound of silent footsteps coming towards us, and I saw the Riolu from before approach me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Nurse Joy said that you should be resting!"
"She just gave me the clear to go," he said. "I heard you were taking the test to become a Pokémon Trainer from her, and I decided to see how it was going. Have you got your results yet?"
"Not yet," I shook my head. "To be honest, I'm more than bit nervous."
"Yet you seem confident besides that," the Riolu noted, "and you feel more accomplished than you have ever felt before."
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"I can sense your aura," Riolu replied. "Your aura conveys your true emotions, and you seem like a nice and kind person, but also one who's been through a lot of conflict in the past. Your lady friend also has a kind and gentle aura around her, but she also seems rather sad, as if some tragic event happened to her in the past, and she's still trying to move past it."
"Wow, you're really something, aren't you?" I grinned. "How'd you learn to do that, anyway?"
"You mean the aura sensing or the talking?" he asked.
"Both, really," I said.
"Well, I come from a special kingdom, nestled right here in Sinnoh, where we learn how to speak human to forge better communication between humans and Pokémon," he replied, "and I learned how to sense aura at the same time and from the same people at the same place."
"That's incredible," I said.
"I understand you only came here for a vacation," he said, "but your friend asked if you wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer."
"That's right," I nodded. "I was hesitant at first, since I don't know a lot about this world and most people who start out are much younger than me, but after seeing you in action and being in the action, I decided I had to experience it for myself."
"And experience it you shall," came the voice of Professor Rowan as he emerged from the room.
"Professor Rowan," I said, walking up to him. "How did we do?"
"I must say, I'm thoroughly surprised by both of you," he said, and showed us our results. "You both received a perfect score! Congratulations!"
It took a minute for it to register in our minds, but when it did, Aelita and I jumped for joy. None of us had ever felt so happy in our lives. It was like nothing we had ever experienced before or ever would experience again.
"Now then," he said, "Here are your tools to get you started." He handed both of us one of the devices he had on the table, and five Poké Balls for us each. "Here are your Pokédex and your first five Poké Balls. Use them well." He also handed each of us a wallet-sized card. "These are your Pokémon Trainer licenses, so make sure you don't lose them."
"Yes, sir!" we both said in unison.
"Now, I will offer both of you a choice on your first Pokémon," he said, and turned to another table, where the three Pokémon from the video stood.
"Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup!" I said, knowing who these Pokémon were.
"Indeed," Professor Rowan nodded. "Each of you will be offered the choice of one of these Pokémon, and they will be your very first partners. Choose wisely, and-" he stopped in mid sentence when he noticed Riolu tugging on his lab coat.
"If you don't mind, professor," he said, "I would like to accompany Jeremy on his adventure as his first Pokémon."
"You want to be my first Pokémon?" I gasped.
"If that's okay with you and the professor," he said. "I sense a strong aura within you, and I'd love to travel with a smart and kind couple like you and Aelita."
"Well, I don't mind," I shrugged, blushing at the comment about me and Aelita. "I kinda hoped you could come with us, but I never imagined it like this. Do you mind, Professor Rowan?"
"If that's what Riolu wants, then so be it," he said.
"Then it's settled!" the Riolu said, and took one of the Poké Balls meant for me, and slapped his hand on the button, Instantly a red light enveloped him and drew him into the ball, which closed behind him. It began to spin and whir for a few seconds before it gave a 'dong' noise and the Poké Ball flashed out a series of sparkles.
"Well, it looks like I got my first Pokémon!" I said, and threw the ball into the air, releasing the Riolu. It flew up into the air, came back down, and I caught it in my arms. "Welcome aboard, Riolu!"
"Okay, now it's my turn!" Aelita said, and looked at the three Pokémon before her. "I made up my mind, and I choose Turtwig!"
The Piplup and Chimchar looked disappointed, but content. The Turtwig happily jumped into Aelita's arms, and she patted its head.
"You should also know that you can give your Pokémon a nickname to personalize its connection with you," Professor Rowan said.
"Well, do you mind, if I gave you a nickname?" I asked Riolu.
"Not at all," it shook its head. "Just know that I'm a boy, so please don't give me a girly name!"
"Okay," I said, laughing. "How does the name Judah sound to you?"
"That sound perfect!" Judah said.
"Okay, that's that!" I said happily, and bowed to Professor Rowan. "Thank you for helping us out, Professor Rowan."
"My pleasure," ne nodded. "I'm sure we'll meet again. Take good care of your Pokémon, and have the best of luck on your journey."
"We will!" Aelita and I nodded, and headed out the door of the Pokémon Center.
"So do you still want to head for Lake Valor?" Aelita asked.
"I do," I nodded, "but I want to meet strong Trainers here first and learn just what a Pokémon Trainer can do!"
"Then let's go!" Aelita cried, and we dashed to the road ahead of us, eager to start a new adventure in the remarkable world of Pokémon, where dreams and adventure awaited!
A/N: Personally, I think this new intro of putting Aelita with Jeremy and a more detailed entry of Frank James was much better than before. As for why Marvin the Alakazam is not here, we will be in the next-next chapter.
Because THE NEXT chapter is the new version of James leaving Team Rocket!
-JeremyX signing off!
