Disclaimer!
I DO NOT own anything to do with the pokemon universe. All OC's and events that do not happen in the game, anime etc. do belong to me.
This is my first fic. Some the ideas I have for this story are ideas I've had for pretty much all my life. However, if you feel like suggesting ideas, please do. Like, if you have good ideas but don't want to write your own story. You will be credited at the start of the chapter and if I forget, then just yell at me until I remember. All reviews and the like are welcome. Also I should point out that this story may touch on some dark themes at times so if that isn't your cup of tea then don't read. I will put a warning before a chapter if there is any subjects readers might find offensive. Anyway, on with the story!
Pokemon: Kanto
Chapter 1
Lox awoke to his alarm clock blaring out it's usual theme. The room was dark and a single beam of light from a crack in the blinds was the only source of illumination. He groaned and felt blindly around on the bedside table before his hand finally clasped around his phone and he hit the disable button. Lox peered at the screen through blurry eyes and groaned once more at the sight of the time displayed on it. 9:30. 'Damn.' He thought, 'Has my alarm really been going off for half an hour? I was supposed to get up at 9.' He almost felt like hitting was supposed to be at Professor Oak's lab at 10:30 to pick up his pokemon to start his life's ambition, and that's not even an overstatement. Ever since he can remember, he wanted to train pokemon and live life as an adventure. He guessed since his parents disappeared at a young age he missed out on the companionship so pokemon training was his way of filling in that gap which he was totally fine with.
Lox figured an hour was plenty of time to have a shower, brush his teeth, get dressed and get to the lab. He got up from the bed and, using the crack of light, navigated his way to the window. He opened the blinds of his hotel room and looked out into the distance. The sky had not one single cloud visible and the sunny atmosphere gave Pallet Town a look of brilliance. This would be a hell of a place to take a holiday, however Lox was not here for a quiet getaway. He travelled to Pallet Town the day before yesterday and has been 'patiently' waiting for today when the doors were open to new trainers like him and were giving the starter pokemon away. There, at the top of the hill sat Professor Oak's lab. A humble little building that kind of resembled a barn. Behind it was a tall windmill which was used to power the lab. Lox stared at the building for a bit, imagining that the pokemon that was destined for him sat in that very lab. The thought of it brought excited chills to his spine and he decided not to waste any more time and left the window and walked his way to the bathroom.
The water from the shower was warm and refreshing and snapped Lox out of his tired daze. He let the water just hit him in the face for a minute before carrying on with washing himself down. The water fell in such a way where it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped him. He felt his grogginess seep away and down the drain with the water. When he was finished he turned the shower off and stepped out on to the soft bath mat. 'Wow, considering how cheap this room was, it's surprisingly high class.' Lox thought with a grin. He dried himself off with the fluffy white towels and then wrapped it round his waist. He walked over to the sink and looked into the mirror. He sighed at his long(ish) messy dark brown hair. It was everywhere. His hair never liked to cooperate so Lox generally didn't bother with it. His eyes then fell to, well, his eyes. His Grandpa always said he shared the same sharp dark brown eyes as his father. He sighed when his thoughts drifted to his Grandpa. He hadn't seen or spoken to him in 3 years which was probably for the best. Still, he did miss his brother and sister and felt bad for leaving them behind. He will see them again and until then, he had other things to worry about. Lox grabbed his toothbrush and spread the toothpaste onto the bristles and started cleaning his teeth
After he was done in the bathroom, Lox threw on his usual wardrobe which consisted of black jeans, a red casual shirt with which he wore open with a light grey t shirt underneath and black and blue checked slip-on shoes. His outfit was plain but he liked it and that was enough. He packed his few belongings into a rucksack which included some food and water, around 2,000 Pokè dollars, his green jacket, his lightweight sleeping bag, a torch and a Swiss army knife. Lox glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 10:10 exactly. Crap, he had to get going! He did one last sweep of the room to check for anything he may have left behind. After being sure that he didn't leave anything behind he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
The hotel wasn't that big but Lox still managed to get lost on the way to reception. He silently cursed to himself before a friendly cleaner pointed him in the right direction. The halls where relatively narrow and he caught himself almost knocking a piece of artwork off the wall when passing another hotel guest. The hallway finally opened up into the reception area. There was a bored looking receptionist behind the front desk which was facing the main entrance. The entrance opened up into a car park which was empty, save for 2 cars. Lox walked up to the receptionist.
"Hi, I'm here to check out of my room." Lox said with the friendliest tone he could muster. The receptionist rolled his eyes and extended his hand with his palm opened upward.
"Key."
Lox was almost taken back by this blokes bluntness, but he understood his pain. Working behind a desk all day with nary to do would cause him to lose enthusiasm as well. He handed his key over and the man put it behind the desk. A few moments pass before Lox spoke up.
"Is that It?" he said.
"yep" sighed the receptionist.
"Well, can I leave my bag here and pick it up when I'm ready to leave town?"
The receptionist sighed once more.
"Whatever." He said with a flick of his hand.
Lox felt a bit unnerved handing over his rucksack to the man but he really didn't want to lug it all the way to the Professors lab, plus he had to come back this way anyway because the hotel is in between the lab and the market and route 1. The man put the rucksack in a corner behind the desk which Lox figured was safe enough. With a nod of his head, the soon-to-be Pokemon trainer turned on his heels and stepped out of the glass doors.
Lox decided it was best not to sight see as he estimated he had about 10 minutes to get to Prof Oak's lab. He briskly power-walked his way towards the hill all the while taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the quaint little town. He breathed in through his nose. 'Man' he thought 'you don't get fresh smells like that back home'. A flock of pidgey and pidgeotto flew by overhead and the sound of their soft cooing filled the spring air. A cheerful looking woman and child passed by Lox on the pavement with a Growlithe on a leash walking merrily along. The mere sight of all these pokemon filled Lox's heart with joy, causing him to walk even faster towards his destination.
Lox stood at the bottom of the hill, leading up to Professor Oak's lab. The lab looked pretty majestic up close. It was almost like it was the heart of the town, the angel on top of the Christmas tree. Lox couldn't help but smile. He felt he had finally made it, he felt like his whole 18 years was leading up to this. He did have some butterflies however. I mean, it's not like there's any instruction manual or guide to tell you exactly what to do. Sure there were books and TV shows but they were nothing compared to actual experience. Lox was a lot more independent than most people his age but that doesn't really help in pokemon training. Yet there was no doubt in his mind that this was his calling. He wanted to do this and there was never any turning back. Lox ran his hand through his hair before giving a quick smirk and made his way up the hill to the Lab.
10:30 exactly! Lox checked the time on his phone as he walked through the open doors of the Lab. He was almost surprised that he managed to arrive on time. The front doors opened up into a large main room. It was filled with important looking metal equipment that looked rather tempting to touch. He decided it was probably best not to mess with the guy whose going to give Lox his first pokemon's stuff, lest he causes some sort of nuclear explosion. Towards the back of the room there were 4 chairs lining the wall with 2 young people sitting on them. One was a boy, around 5 ft 10 yet it was hard to tell when he was sitting down. He wore red and black shoes, blue jeans and a red jacket with black shoulders. A red and white cap sat upon his messy light brown hair. He had big brown eyes that seemed full of determination and Lox could respect that. Next to him sat a pretty looking girl, maybe 5 ft 6. Her hair was a smiler colour to the boys and it flowed down her back gracefully. She wore a baby blue tank top with a light pink skirt. Her shoes were white with a pink band going around them and her blue socks where pulled right up to her knees. These 2 were obviously new trainers like him and Lox decided that since Professor Oak was nowhere in sight, he would consult Them.
"Hey there, I was wondering if you could tell me where Professor Oak is?" Lox asked.
The boy looked at Lox up and down.
"Ah, you must be Lox. The Professor told me you would probably show up." he finally said. "You're starting your pokemon training today aren't you? Well the Professor is preparing the pokemon for us. Take a seat, I'm sure he'll be here soon."
Lox complied and took a seat next to the boy. The seats where surprisingly comfortable and the faded blue look to them didn't really fit in with the robust feel of the rest of the room. "So you apparently know my name, what's yours?" Lox questioned.
The boy smiled and extended his hand.
"The names Red. And like you we are starting our pokemon journey today."
Lox shook Red's hand. He had a firm grip, there was something about this guy that just radiated strength. Lox could tell that if this guy was indeed starting pokemon training today, he would be a very formidable opponent. It was the girl's turn to shake Lox's hand next. "Leaf, it's nice to meet you." she said with a smile.
Her hand was soft and warm and Lox knew that this girl would have no trouble getting her pokemon to like her.
"So if you guys are starting your journey today, have you decided what pokemon you're starting with?" Lox asked after a few moments of silence.
Leaf was the first one to pipe up.
"Well I've always admired grass pokemon and think they're massively underestimated, plus my name is Leaf, so my choice was easily Bulbasaur."
The young trainer seemed very sure about her decision and it didn't clash with Lox's choice so he was fine about it. "Fair enough." Lox turned to Red. "What about you mate?" Red smiled and spoke up. "The decision was easy for me as well." He said with a smile. "Squirtle as a species shares many characteristics with me, including being headstrong, quite literally, and having sheer determination to win." Lox nodded at his response. He and this Red guy seemed similar in many ways and Lox could respect his decision. "Well I'm kind of glad were all picking different starters, I'm picking Charmander for quite the same reasons as you Red." Lox said with a small laugh. "Is that so? Well then why don't we have a battle when we get our pokemon?" Red exclaimed. It looks like Lox's hunch was right, this boy is going to be a bastard to fight. "Oh you're on." Lox said with a determined smirk. "Hey! What about me?" Leaf asked with a pout. "Don't worry Leaf, when I win I'll face you next." Red said with a grin. "Hey now, I wouldn't be to sure about victory." Lox added. Red just waved his hand in a dismissive manner, still with the grin plastered on his face. "We'll see."
After about 5 minutes of the three new trainers talking about pokemon, Professor Oak finally wandered into the room from a narrow staircase opposite the three. He looked quite old and very knowledgeable. He wore a generic lab coat that housed many pockets, brown trousers and brown loafers. Underneath his coat he wore a red, slightly faded smart shirt. His hair was very light brown mixed in with a dollop of grey and his brown eyes shone with wisdom and knowledge. "Ah, good to see you Lox, I see you've met your peers." He spoke in his kind, elderly voice. The three got up and walked over to the middle of the room to meet the Professor. "Professor Oak, it is an honour to meet you. I've read so much about you and your research is truly inspiring." Lox expressed with his hand outstretched. The professor smiled and shook his hand. "It's humbling to hear such kind words." Professor Oak said warmly. "But I don't imagine you came all this way to discuss pokemon. I'm guessing you came to train pokemon." And with that, the professor pulled 3 pokeballs out of his coat and showed them to the 3 beginners. "Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, 3 excellent pokemon and some of the best pokemon to start anew with." The professor stated with a smile.
"For Leaf, the graceful grass pokemon Bulbasaur." He handed Leaf one of the pokeballs. It was lighter than she expected, and warmer. It was like the ball had a tiny heartbeat. She stared at the ball in awe and Red and Lox looked at her in envy. They didn't want to wait much longer. "For Red, the headstrong water pokemon Squirtle." Oak passed another ball to Red. Red felt like shaking with joy. Today was finally his day! 'You and me buddy, we're going to make it' Red thought with an excited grin. Oak lastly turned to Lox and handed him the last ball. "Last but by no means least for Lox, The courages fire pokemon Charmander." As soon as Lox touched the ball he new this was his destiny. The ball felt right in his hand, it felt like it was part of him and he loved the feeling. "Professor thank you, I can't describe how grateful I am and how much this means to me." Lox said sincerely. "Yes, thank you professor." Leaf chimed in. Red also joined in on the thanks. "Thank you." He said with a smile and a nod. The professor raised his hand. "Think nothing of it. Believe it or not, I was a young trainer once. That was back when 10 year olds could get there first pokemon and to get a first pokemon you had to catch it yourself." Oak stated. "Giving starter pokemon out when your 18 seems a lot more reasonable to me." 'Man, this guy is much better in real life than on TV. He seems to really know his shit.' Lox thought with a smile. The 3 new trainers bowed at the professor and said there thank you again. The professor bowed back and then waved his hand. "Now shouldn't you get going? You've got long journeys ahead of you." "Yes, I'm sure you've got a lot to do Professor, we'll get out of your hair." Red said with another bow. The 3 waved there goodbyes and left the building. Just before they reached the door, Lox turned back to the Professor.
"Hang on, how did you know which pokemon we wanted? You handed them to us without even asking who wanted what and you were still right on the money." Lox asked quizzically.
The Professor just winked.
"Pokemon Professors know all."
Red, Lox and Leaf just stared at Oak blankly. Professor Oak let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha, I'm joking. I just heard you guys talking from upstairs. Oh you should have seen you're faces!"
The 3 just sighed and turned to walk towards the door to leave the Professor to his laughing fit.
The 3 trainers exited the building together and before they even go 2 steps down the hill, a shrill voice yelled at them from behind. "WAIT!" A young man in a white lab coat similar to Professor Oak's came sprinting out of the lab and dropped to his knees panting in front of them.
"I'm glad I caught you." He said in between pants.
"Umm, can we help you?" Leaf asked nervously.
The man got off of his knees and regained some composure.
"My name is Jerry and I'm one of Professor Oak's aids." He began. "The Professor almost forgot to give you 3 these." He handed them each a rectangular computer device. Lox flipped open his device and was greeted by a screen with a few buttons either side.
"Thanks but what is this?" Red asked as he examined the red device.
"That is called a pokedex, It automatically records any pokemon you find and can give you information about any pokemon you encounter." Jerry replied.
"Neat!" Leaf said as she flipped up the screen and flicked the on switch.
"Huh? Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle are already listed here but we haven't even had them outside of the balls yet." Said Lox.
Jerry gave off a huge grin.
"It's a very smart device, I helped the professor design it myself." He said proudly. "It even comes with a map and many other useful programs, but it's main purpose is to be a pokemon encyclopedia and your trainer ID."
Red bowed. "Thank you Jerry, and give the Professor our regards as well."
Jerry smiled. "No worries, any friend of the Professor's is a friend of mine."
And on that note, the 3 trainers waved their goodbyes once more and headed down the steps.
Lox, Red and Leaf exited the gate and walked onto the street.
"I'm so excited, I could burst!" Leaf exclaimed, clutching her pokeball.
"Same!" Lox said.
He then turned to Red.
"Now what better way to check out our new pokemon than to battle them, just like we promised!"
Red smirked and grabbed the bill of his cap.
"You know it!" Red looked around. "Here seems good enough for me, if you're ready."
Lox grinned. "Mate, I was born ready."
Leaf rolled her eyes. "That's what you're going for? 'I was born ready'?"
Lox tossed her a quick glare and she looked away, whistling.
"I'm battling the winner by the way." She said.
"Calm down Leaf, I already said I'd battle you." Red stared at Lox whilst saying that and kept his smirk plastered on his face.
"Is that confidence? Because it sounds more like arrogance to me, let's let our pokemon do the talking."
Red and Lox stood metres apart in the street. Leaf had taken a seat on the Labs perimeter wall and watched the 2 as they prepared to battle. This was it. His first pokemon battle. The moment he spent his whole life looking forward to. Red felt much the same way and they both were determined to win. Lox was the first to move. He reached to his belt and unhooked his pokeball. He pressed the button on the front of the red and white ball and it grew in his hand. He took a stance and reeled his arm back.
"Go Charmander!" He yelled and threw the ball up in the air with all his might.
The pokeball erupted into a brilliant white light which directed itself to the ground. The light took the form of a small lizard creature, standing upright on 2 legs. The light disappeared and in it's place stood an orange lizard. It was a cute little thing but it still looked like it could hold it's own. The flame on the end of it's tail grew as it yelled out.
"Chaaarmander!"
Everything felt like it came so naturally to him, from the stance to the throw. Lox just smiled at his Charmander as it faced Red with a determined look.
It was Red's turn now. He took out his pokeball and threw it to the ground.
"Go, Squirtle!" He shouted.
The same light beamed from the ball and instead took the form of a little tortoise creature, standing on it's hind legs. The light cleared from it and a blue, determined looking tortoise was left standing.
"Squirtle Squirt!" It said and faced Charmander, ready to attack.
"Hell Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Red yelled in glee, making a fist in the air. "Let the battle Commence!"
It was Red to make the first move this time. He pointed forward at Charmander and commanded Squirtle.
"Use tackle, go!"
Lox was quick to react.
"Charmander! Quick, use growl!"
Charmander let out the most intimidating growl he could muster. Squirtle stopped in it's tracks and covered it's ears.
Red smiled "Well played."
"Thanks." Lox replied with a grin. "Now use scratch!"
Before Squirtle had time to recover, Charmander came running in and nicked it with it's claws. Squirtle staggered backwards. Red gritted his teeth
"Hang in there Squirtle, use tail whip!" He shouted.
Squirtle came at Charmander and swept it's tail towards it. It made Charmander take a couple of steps backwards, but it quickly regained it's composure.
"That's it lad! Now hit it with another scratch!" Lox said with a motion of his hand.
Charmander once again swiped at Squirtle, knocking him back in a daze. It tried to get up but it's injuries were preventing it from doing so. It was beaten.
"Looks like Squirtle is down! Charmander and Lox are the winners!" Leaf exclaimed from the sidelines.
"Yes Charmander, you did it!" Lox yelled and held his arms open to the running lizard as it jumped into his arms.
"Char Char!" Charmander said happily.
Lox lifted it into the air in celebration. Red had crawled over to Squirtle and held the dazed pokemon in his arms. He hung his head in defeat.
"I can't believe I lost my first pokemon battle..." He said sadly.
Lox put down Charmander and made his way to Red. He put his hand on his shoulder in sympathy.
"Hey, you almost had us. If it wasn't for Charmander's early growl, you would have bested us no doubt.
Red looked up and smiled at Lox. 'Man, for a beginner Lox really knows what he's doing and what to say.' Red thought.
Lox removed his hand from Red's shoulder and extended it towards him and helped Red up.
"Plus, how are you going to be a great trainer if this is how you handle defeat?" Lox added.
Red shook his head and smiled.
"Next time will be better, being upset won't help me." Red said with a laugh.
"Thank you Lox"
"Any time mate" Lox grinned.
Even Charmander was reassuring the now awake Squirtle with a friendly pat on the arm. Leaf watched the 2 trainers and smiled at the good sportsmanship.
"Hey Lox! I hope you haven't forgotten about you promise to me, have you? She asked when Red and Lox were finished shaking hands.
"You know, I never actually promised you anything. But even I can't resist a battle." Lox said with a smirk.
Lox and Leaf faced off in the street. Charmander was already out of it's ball and, thanks to a potion provided by Leaf, was back to full health. Red was sitting propped up on a wall and after giving Squirtle a potion of his own, was feeling much better about his defeat. Leaf took Bulbasaur's pokeball from her bag and threw it into the air.
"Go bulbasaur!" She shouted.
The same white light gave way to a cute looking blue dinosaur creature with a bulb protruding from it's back.
"Ooooh, it looks way better in real life than it does on TV!" Leaf squealed.
Bulbasaur turned to it's master lovingly.
"Charmander, let's not waste any time! Use scratch!" Lox yelled, pointing his finger.
Charmander sprinted towards Bulbasaur with it's claw outstretched, ready to strike it's opponent.
"Bulbasaur, dodge and counter with a tackle!" Leaf yelled
It was a smart move. Bulbasaur effortlessly dodged out of the way and Charmander's scratch was met with a claw-full of air. Charmander looked shocked as Bulbasaur came back with a full body force tackle. It sent Charmander flying backwards as it collided with the wall, inches away from where Red was sitting with Squirtle. Lox looked on in awe. How did she know to do that? That was almost a professional grade move. Lox looked at Charmander who was struggling to get up.
"Come on you can do it Charmander!" He said through gritted teeth. "Use growl!"
Before Charmander could even open it's mouth, Leaf barked an order once more.
"Don't give it chance! Use tackle again!" She shouted
Bulbasaur sprinted into Charmander, once again knocking him back onto the wall. Charmander slumped to the floor, and this time he didn't even stir.
"Alright Bulbasaur! You won!" Leaf Shouted in happiness
"Bulbasaur!" It said in excitement.
Bulbasaur ran up to Leaf and jumped into Her arms. Leaf nuzzled it playfully and Bulbasaur let out a happy shriek. Lox just stood there in amazement. He didn't even land a hit. He remembered his poor little buddy and ran to his side.
"Here." Leaf said.
She had finished celebrating and walked over to Lox and Charmander's side. She handed Lox another potion. At least she was well stocked. Lox gratefully took the potion and sprayed it onto Charmander. He was relieved when it's eyes immediately fluttered open.
"Char.." It said after remembering it's defeat. Lox smiled at it
"Don't worry mate, we can't win them all. You were great anyway."
"Yeah, if my Bulbasaur wasn't so quick on it's feet, the outcome of the battle could've been drastically different." Leaf said sympathetically.
"Bulba Bulba." Bulbasaur said in agreement.
"Charmander!" it said cheerfully. It seemed to be feeling better.
"Why don't you take a well deserved rest?" Lox asked as he pulled out Charmander's pokeball.
The pokemon nodded it's head. Lox aimed the ball at Charmander.
"Return." He said.
A beam of red light shot from the ball and engulfed Charmander. It seemed to pull it back inside the ball. When the red light disappeared, Lox shrank the ball and snapped it back onto his belt.
"You too bulbasaur." Leaf said.
"I guess you should as well, Squirtle." Said Red.
They both pulled out their pokeballs and called their pokemon back.
"Leaf, how did you know to do that?" Red asked after their pokemon were safely resting inside their balls.
"Well, Bulbasaur looked like he knew how to really move so I took advantage of it" Leaf responded.
"Whatever it was, it was awesome!" Lox added and slapped her shoulder playfully.
"Thanks guys, it really means a lot." Leaf said with a small blush.
Red and Lox smiled at the trainer. Lox looked up at the sky then realised something. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. 1 o'clock.
"Crap, I need to get going!" He sputtered.
Lox turned to Red and Leaf.
"It was really nice meeting you and thanks for the battles but I have some things to take care of." He said.
Red and Leaf looked at him, a little saddened.
"Does this mean goodbye?" Red asked.
"Nah, I'm counting on seeing you guys around. We need to battle again someday." Lox answered with a grin of reassurance.
They regained the same look of determination as earlier when they battled.
"You betcha! And the next time we battle, I won't hold back again." Leaf said with a grin.
Red nodded in agreement.
"I wouldn't want it any other way!" Lox said with a smirk.
The 3 waved their goodbyes and Red and Leaf watched as Lox disappeared down the street.
Lox had made it all the way back to the entrance of the hotel he was staying in. His mind kept going back to Red and Leaf. Those 2 had potential, no doubt. He meant every word he said to them about battling them again. He had every intention to. He walked up to the front desk of the hotel. There was a different person sitting behind the desk. A young woman, no older than 25 had taken the rude man's place. Lox was kind of relieved he didn't have to deal with him again. He approached the woman and put on a smile.
"Hi, I left a bag here earlier and I'm here to collect it."
The woman smiled back at him.
"This must be yours." She turned to the corner and picked up a familiar looking rucksack. "Here."
"Thank you." Lox replied.
As Lox leant over to receive the rucksack, his shirt lifted up a bit and revealed Charmander's pokeball. The woman noticed it and her eyes widened.
"You're a pokemon trainer!" She exclaimed.
"Sure am." Lox said and flashed another smile. "Are you?"
The woman shook her head.
"I wanted to be, but financial reasons prevented me from being one." The woman answered sadly. "My brother is though, in fact he's starting his journey today."
Lox's mind flashed to Red.
"Oh yeah? What's his name?"
"Kane, he's supposed to be getting his pokemon later today so you might have missed him if that's what you're wondering." The woman responded.
So it wasn't Red..
"Ah OK, well I best be off, have a nice day." Lox waved
"You too, and if you do meet a boy called Kane on your travels, give him a good battle will ya?" The woman said with a wave.
Lox nodded, slung his rucksack over his shoulder and exited through the front door.
The market was pretty busy, full of young trainers who were scrambling to get the supplies they needed for their journeys. Lox wondered if Red and Leaf were among them somewhere. They already seemed well prepared so Lox doubted it. He assumed they were travelling together as it seemed like they've known each other for quite a while. Lox walked over to a stand that seemed to sell a bunch of pokeballs. The only balls he could afford, however, was the standard red and white pokeball. He ended up buying 2. As he handed the stall owner his money, he spoke up.
"You a beginner trainer son?" He asked.
Lox nodded his head, intrigued as to why he asked. The bloke handed him an almost completely white pokeball. It's seems were coated in a blood red colour. Lox tilted his head.
"Ummmm… What's this for?" He inquired.
The man chuckled
"Didn't you know? At my stall, any beginner who buys something gets a free premier ball." He replied. "Use it wisely." He added.
"Cheers mate, will do." Lox nodded his thanks.
The man waved "Make sure to tell your friends about me."
'Sure I will'
The market was buzzing with pokemon battles. It seemed Lox couldn't go a few metres without seeing 2 new trainers battling it out with there new pokemon. There were mostly Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle battling in considering they were Kanto's regional starter pokemon. That being said, there were a few other pokemon among the battlers. 'Where does Professor Oak get them all?'Lox thought. He shrugged it off and continued his supply shopping. Another young trainer even approached him wanting a battle. He used a bulbasaur and there was no way Lox was losing to another one. It was a valiant effort from the other trainer, but it seemed Charmander had picked up a new trick from it's previous battles. Ember made short work of his opponent's Bulbasaur, it being a grass pokemon and all. The other guy was humble about losing and they ended up shaking hands. Lox was glad there was so much sportsmanship in pokemon battling. He decided to keep Charmander out of it's ball for a bit of fresh air. Whilst he was walking down the street, he couldn't help but notice lots of other trainers calling out their Charmanders.
"Hey Charmander, how would you feel about being given a unique name?" Lox asked his own Charmander.
"Char Charmander Char." It replied happily, seemingly excited about being given a new means of identity.
Lox smiled at his new friend. Thoughts were running through his head on about what to call it. He could give it a human name, but he didn't like the sound of that. Inferno? No, just sounded too stupid. Then, just as if a light bulb went off above his head, he got a brilliant idea. He turned to his Charmander.
"How about Pakao? It means inferno but it suits you a bit better than that."
"Chaaaar!" It yelled in a little cheer. It seemed to really like it's new name.
Lox smiled "Pakao it is then!"
Lox bent down and stroked Pakao on the head. It nuzzled into his hand. "You ready to get back into your ball yet?"
Charmander nodded and waited patiently as Lox pulled out his pokeball.
"Pakao, return!" Lox shouted with that, Pakao withdrew into its ball.
Lox smiled at the ball before hooking back onto his belt. I think it was about time he made his way to route 1. He felt like he'd got enough food, status healing items and potions. Not to mention his pokeballs and premier ball. Everything was fairly cheap today so he still had about 300pokè left over. And with that, he made his way to route 1.
He was almost to the pathway to route 1. He had pulled out his phone to check the time. 4 o'clock. He could easily make it most of the way through to Viridian City however he was perfectly fine with spending a night outside. He had packed a sleeping bag for just that reason. If it rained, he'd be a bit screwed but he figured he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
As he approached the exit from Pallet Town, he could here what sounded like 3 people in a heated argument. 2 of the voices sounded very familiar. 'Is that Leaf? And Red? No. It can't be.' Lox thought. But as he got closer and closer to the voices, his prediction got confirmed. As he turned a corner he could clearly see Red and Leaf standing in front of a guy Lox did not recognise and by the looks of it, this guy was trouble. He was dressed in a black uniform with light grey boots and belt. He donned a black flat cap on top of his greasy hair and on the front of his uniform sat a red 'R'. The guy was yelling something about handing them over. Red was in a battle stance with his pokeball in hand and Leaf was telling the guy to piss off, also with ball in hand. The man took a pokeball off of his own belt. It looked like this could get ugly so Lox decided it would be best to intervene.
The stranger was about to throw his pokeball when Lox came running over.
"What seems to be the problem here?" Lox asked calmly.
The man froze and Red and Leaf turned to look at Lox. Their eyes lit up in delight.
"Lox! Wow, you have impeccable timing." Leaf said after a quick hug.
"Yeah, it's good to see you man." Red said with a nod.
"You too." Lox replied.
"Umm, hello? I'm still here!" The shady looking guy exclaimed.
"Huh? Oh yes. Lox meet scumbag. scumbag, Lox." Red said casually. "He thinks he has leverage to mug us of our pokemon." He added.
"Why you! Hand over your pokemon before you get hurt! You too, new guy!" The mugger yelled.
"You do realise it's now 3 against 1? You still think you can take us all on?" Leaf asked sweetly.
"I… Ummmm…" The man hesitated before making up his mind. He put his pokeball back onto his belt and slowly started backing up. "You got lucky this time you little pricks! But know, you've just made it onto my hit list! Team Rockets hit list! Remember the name, you punks!" And with that, he disappeared down route 1.
Red sighed, then turned back to Lox. "What a nut job." He said.
Lox laughed and ran his hand through his hair. "I know, right? What was his problem?"
Leaf shook her head. "At first he said something about building up his organisation." She began. "He wanted us too join but we refused."
"He got angry and demanded we forfeited our pokemon. A few insults and threats later and you come in." Red finished.
What Red and Leaf told him troubled Lox. An organisation? Something tells me there was something sinister about this so called organisation. That mugger yelled something about Team Rocket. And with that 'R' on his uniform. Was that the name of the organisation? Lox's thoughts were interrupted by the blare of sirens. The 3 pokemon trainers shielded their eyes as flashing blue lights shot round a corner. Huh. The police, late as usual. A police bike pulled up in front of the 3. A figure stepped of the bike and removed their blue helmet. Lox and Red's jaws dropped as a beautiful woman emerged from the helmet. She had pretty green hair tied up in twin-tails and her police uniform complimented her figure perfectly. She laid her helmet on her bike and made her way to Red, Leaf and Lox. Everything she did looked like it was in slow-motion to Lox and Red and they just stared, love-struck.
"There have been reports of criminal activity here in Pallet Town and sources have pointed my search over here. Have you 3 seen any suspicious activity?" She asked in an official-sounding tone.
Lox and Red just kept on staring at her like idiots. Leaf sighed and pinched them each on the back. They jumped up to attention
"No, I mean yes, I mean hello Officer Jenny." Red said, staggering over his words
"Leaf rolled her eyes. "What he MEANT was, yes, there was a guy in a black uniform that tried to mug us. We scared him off and he took off down route 1."
Officer Jenny nodded her thanks and made her way back to her bike. Lox noticed as she shook her hips as she walked. He was practically drooling at that point.
"Perverts." Leaf whispered, but Red and Lox took no notice.
Office Jenny was back on her bike and took off down route 1.
"Man, that Officer Jenny gets me every time." Red confessed as the blue lights disappeared down the route. Leaf gave Red a menacing glare before turning to Lox
"Thank you Lox, you really helped us out with that mugger." Leaf said, smiling.
"Although me and Leaf could have taken him, thank you Lox." Red added.
"Think nothing of it, I just happened to hear you guys when making my way to route 1." Lox replied with a raise of the hand.
Leaf smiled, then an idea popped into her head.
"Say Lox, why don't you travel with us? At least for a bit." She asked.
Red also seemed keen on the idea. He patted Lox on the arm.
"Hell yeah! You've more than proven yourself to be a loyal friend, and a formidable ally. How about it?" He added hopefully.
Lox hesitated. He always intended on making his journey alone. And while the others seemed keen, he didn't want to be a burden. He was about to deny their request when he noticed the looks on their faces. They looked hopeful. They really seemed to want him along. He couldn't help but break out into a huge smile.
"As long as it's alright with you guys, then I'm in." He said with a grin.
"YES! Welcome to the team!" Leaf yelled excitedly and embraced Lox in a tight hug, almost knocking them both to the ground.
"Whoa, calm down Leaf." Red said and Leaf let go of Lox. "It's good to have you join." He added.
Lox nodded and shot him another grin.
"So Lox, I suppose you were heading to Viridian City if you were going through route 1." Red said after all the happy exchanges.
Lox nodded. "There's a gym there and it's the closest town to Pallet."
"That's exactly where we were headed, too." Leaf stated. "It''s like we were all destined to travel together."
Lox smiled at her statement. "Down route 1 we go, then," He said.
And with that, the 3 friends began their long trek through route 1.