Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and I'm not trying to sell any of it.

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Chapter 1: Release Date

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Pokémon!

Just thinking about it gets my heart racing. I've been an avid player since the Red and Blue versions came out, owning at least one game from each generation. I've had the Red, Yellow, Silver, Ruby, LeafGreen, Pearl, Platinum, SoulSilver, Black, White 2, Grey, Orange, Maroon, and Purple versions, but now, the ultimate version is coming out. The version where you can catch every single Pokémon but only if you're good enough. Pokémon Rainbow. The name sounds silly but it does make sense. After a franchise that has based its game titles after various colors, of course the super deluxe version would be called Rainbow.

I have trouble containing my excitement; my leg is shaking noisily under my desk, beating against the bottom of the table and shaking my unused pencil box, a blank notebook lying open in front of me.

"Nathan Taylor if you don't settle down this moment I'll make you stay late after school!" My teacher hollers at me from the smart board at the front of the class.

"Yes Ma'am, sorry," I say sheepishly, I wouldn't stay even if she threatened a month's worth of detention. The idea of missing out on playing Rainbow is more than I can bear. There's something else about the Rainbow version that makes it so much better than the others. It's an MMORPG.

And, in celebration of the game's release date (I already purchased it but players can't go online until today) a single special edition avatar was given away as a random prize for whoever bought the Rainbow version before today. The winner of that special edition avatar was me, and the avatar itself is none other than Player Red from the original games.

And not just Red, but Satoshi himself; I get to play the limited edition, one person exclusive, Satoshi quest. In this Pokémon MMORPG players can choose which region they want to start off in and then they select their starters based on their region. From there they travel through their own region battling against gym leaders, competing in various contests, going on mini quests, forming parties and meeting up with friends.

A player can of course go to different regions but it's not like jumping through a portal, you have to travel through the deep terrain that surrounds the different regions and is filled with strong and sometimes rare Pokémon. Well, rare-ish, the legendary Pokémon are supposedly really hard to get so that not everyone has one. Easier ways to jump from region to region are supposed to be presented as the player continues through their own region.

None of that matters though. What matters is that I'm Satoshi, I'll be playing in the Kanto region, and my starter Pokémon will be Pikachu.

I fight the grin growing on my face. No telling what the teacher will say to me is she realizes I'm not paying attention. Just thirty more minutes and I'll be riding my bike home, ready to start my new adventure.

Once the bell rings I exchange books in my locker then head outside and unlock the padlock keeping my bike safe. I do everything so fast that physical objects seem to blur. I wish I was that fast but still, in less than five minutes I've already started peddling home.

The large box that my Pokémon Rainbow game came in includes extraordinary virtual reality goggles; this game is supposed to have graphics similar to the Final Fantasy movies. I'm not sure how the Pokémon themselves will look but I'm definitely eager to find out.

My parents aren't home once I arrive. I slip into the house and up the stairs into my bedroom where I wake my computer from standby and put on the goggles, which I've already set up. Once I'm comfortable I log in.

˪WINNER! PLEASE SELECT YOUR REGION: _ ˥ The computer reads to me. Under the words is the subject "REGION" with a Japanese flag next to it and a drop box arrow. I select the arrow and a line of flags appears. Seeing as how I live in the USA I select my country's flag and then hit enter, which directs me to the next page.

I can see my avatar. It looks like a semi-realistic version of Satoshi, and the name Satoshi is even highlighted over his head. Apparently players can have different accounts; which makes sense, but my mouse won't move, probably because the game is changing all of its settings to match the new region. As the loading comes to an end the name Satoshi changes to Ash Ketchum. 'Great…' I think bitterly. All the names are going to be region based now too, and I wanted my character to be named Satoshi.

Deciding not to let the change get me down, I select to start the game. At least my avatar will be named Satoshi in other regions.

The screen goes dark for a few seconds until an opening movie begins playing. Various characters from the anime and games, including my avatar, stream across the screen, all of them looking three dimensional and real compared to their original cartoon selves. Then the Pokémon. Finally I get to see the Pokémon. The different starters from all of the regions play across my goggles, coming in from one side, and disappearing out another. They too are semi-realistic, but it doesn't look bad. They still look animated but with a more other worldly feel to them. Only the first evolutionary stages are shown and, since I'm in the Kanto region, the only legendary Pokémon that make an appearance in my starter movie are Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

Once the video is over I awaken in my bedroom.

For a second I have to remember that I'm in a game, but the window in my room is open and I feel like I can actually feel a light breeze coming in through the window. Then I remember that my window is open in the real world too.

'Cool.'

I go to the computer in my room and shake the mouse. There are two options: ˪POKEMON STORAGE˥ and ˪ITEM STORAGE˥. A '1' is next to the ˪ITEM STORAGE˥. I select it and it brings me to the inventory which says I have one potion. I withdraw the potion and part of the desk opens up so the potion can come out. I grab it and it automatically goes to my 'pocket'.

The mechanics for the game are definitely flowing nicely so far. I head out of my room and go down the stairs to find my mom.

"Ash honey," she says to me. Running over towards me and giving me a big hug. "Be careful while you're gone on your journey and make sure you say 'hi' to Prof. Oak for me when you go to get your Pokémon."

I select an option that reads: ˪WILL DO MOM˥ and continue out of the house.

"Why hello Ash," Prof. Oak says to me when I walk into his lab. For fun I had tried to leave the town without a Pokémon but a Mr. Mime wouldn't let me. Could it be my mom's Mr. Mime from the anime?

˪HELLO PROF. OAK. I'M HERE FOR MY POKEMON˥

"Ah yes, do I have the one for you." He pulls out a Pokéball and prepares to hand it to me; before I can grab it though my screen jumps to a limited edition cut scene.

'So cool!'

"Hey Gramps! That Pokéball better be for me. Or did you forget that you promised me a Pokémon?" Shigeru… Gary Oak… Blue… Whatever he is in my game, is my rival….

'So cool!"

Gary, as he's called in my region, storms over to us and snatches the Pokéball out of Prof. Oak's hand. If this is like the original Yellow version then I already know what Pokémon that is.

"Now Gary, settle down, I still have a Pokémon here," Prof. Oak tries to say.

"Whatever Gramps, Ash can have the other Pokémon." He says before turning towards me. "Once you've got your Pokémon meet me at the edge of the village so we can battle." Great, I needed to go that way anyway. He brushes his fingers through his hair cockily and leaves the building, ending the cut scene.

"Sorry about my grandson," Prof. Oak says. I suppose you're just going to have to take this. He digs through his pocket and hands me Pikachu's Pokéball, the lightning bolt sticker is on it and everything. The ball shakes and opens up, revealing my beloved Pikachu.

"Pika-chu…." Pikachu grumbles, obviously upset about the entire thing. Don't worry buddy, I'll take care of you. After saying goodbye to the Professor, I set out towards the edge of town where I find myself battling Gary.

"I choose you, Eevee!" He yells and throws his Pokéball up into the air, summoning out one of the most adorable creatures I've ever seen.

My Pikachu runs towards it for a Tackle. The battle is short and pathetic, with the Pokémon being so low leveled, but the experience is fun and the graphics are amazing. I'm almost reminded of the stadium games but this definitely out classes them. Gary storms away and I continue out of Pallet Town with an extra P.175.

I actually feel like I'm walking through a small forest. Sometimes I even think that I've glimpsed a Pokémon out of the corner of my eye. Next thing I know a Pidgey has hopped in front of me. It pecks at the ground and then flies away before I can challenge it so I decide to chase after it. Was it trying to flee? And why would a Pidgey flee anyway?

After a couple of minutes I've come across a river and decide not to chase after it. I can see what's in the water and I don't want to get caught up in too many battles while my Pikachu is already a bit weak from its fight with Eevee.

Then I see her.

I never thought she would be so attractive. But here she is; a character out of an anime I used to watch when I was a little kid, with graphics so high quality she almost looks like a real person. Kasumi… Or Misty I guess since I am in the region I'm in.

"Oh, hi there," she says in that cheerful voice from the old anime, just like the other characters so far.

"Hi there," I say aloud without realizing it. The automatic voice recognition software kicks in.

'This game is so cool.'

"Who are you?" she asks.

"My name is Ash."

"I'm Misty." She looks at me for a second and then stands up from her spot on the river bank, apparently she was fishing. "Are you a new trainer?"

There were different options for how I could respond, options that would be similar to the anime, and even an option that would help get rid of her so I could just keep journeying alone.

"I am," I say.

She giggles and skips over to me, putting her overall strap back over her shoulder after it fell down her arm. Her fleshy, real looking arm… "Well I am a very strong trainer. If you'd like, I could accompany you on your journey. It's boring traveling around alone in my opinion."

"S-s-sure," I stutter.

"I'm sorry, I didn't understand that."

"I'd love for you to accompany me," I say.

"Great. Your Pikachu doesn't look too good so maybe the first thing we should do is head to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City so you can heal it," she smiles at me sweetly.

"Sounds good to me," I say. Then I hear my door open.

"Nathan? Who are you talking to?" My mom says.

"Just someone in the game," I answer. I take my goggles off and turn to my mom. I'm a little dizzy from the vision switch.

"Turn that off and do your homework, Nate," she says, brows furrowed, before slamming my bedroom door.

I turn back to the game and bring up the save screen; Misty's voice echoing "good-night" through my ears as I exit out of the game. Until next time Misty.

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AN: Nathan Taylor comes from the voice actresses who do the voice of Ash in the english dub of the anime. Veronica Taylor and Sarah Natochenny. Nathan... Natochenny... I see the similarity lol the both start with Nat... lol :P