Disclaimer: The rights to Pokemon and Pokemon Brick Bronze belong to the creators of Pokemon Brick Bronze on ROBLOX and Nintendo, not me. No profit is being made from this fanfiction, and no words/letters/numbers/symbols were harmed during the making of this fanfiction.
Author's Note: Heya, everybody! I'm the mysterious Awesome96Birdy, and I'll be your author for today! Now, before you ask, and in case you didn't know, Pokemon Brick Bronze was a fangame on ROBLOX which was unfortunately shut down due to copyright issues in April 2018. Since I'm kinda uncreative/lazy (oops!) and don't want to make up my own Pokemon story from scratch, I'm retelling the story of Pokemon Brick Bronze, from the beginning to my imagining of the Roria Elite Four (as the actual Pokemon Brick Bronze only got up to just after the 8th gym) and beyond, into the post-game. Please enjoy this and submit reviews, I'd really like to know what you think! You can also suggest some plotlines for me to include; although I do already have the basic structure planned out, I don't have many of the details down yet. Ideally I'll try to update at least once a week - keep tuned for another chapter coming your way soon!
Chapter 01 - The Start-er of the Journey!
A cold wind chilled me to the bone, sweeping from place to place. Its glacial grip made me clench my impossibly large coat closer to myself.
"Well, at least you didn't regret taking such a heavy thing with you..." I murmured to myself quietly, trying to make light of a dark situation - it was a winter night, and despite all the preparation I had done prior to my Pokemon journey, I was lost and had no clue whatsoever where I was. Then it came to me - I was trying to make light of a dark situation. Light!
"I choose you, Eevee!" I whispered, barely audible in the loud breeze. With a whirl of my only Pokeball so far, my dream Starter Pokemon, Eevee, came out. I was so lucky to be able to be the first one to get to the lab, as Eevee was one of the most sought-for, popular and rare Starter Pokemon. The Eevee gazed up at me in a respectful and obedient way, waiting for further instruction. Then, I realized - my mind was blank, and I had forgotten which moves Eevee had. Hoping it didn't affect its willingness to listen to me too much, I decided to pick a random move which I knew emitted light.
"U-Uh, Eevee? Use... Sunny Day?" I stuttered questioningly. Eevee glared at me and shook its head, all respect fading from its eyes. Clearly, it didn't know that move. I knew right then that I had blown my chance to become a Pokemon master, judging based on the look in its eyes. Now, I just had to hope it didn't hate me too much after that embarrassing failure...
I found out what the answer to that was immediately, as it started whistling, undoubtedly to all its Pokemon friends. Realizing the danger, I tried to run, but a sticky white silk was surrounding me now, holding me in place, probably used as some sort of technique to immobilize foes or prey - most likely from some sort of Bug-type Pokemon, maybe Caterpie, Weedle or Wurmple. Now, I had no choice but to stay there, praying for my life.
From the shadows, a bunch of silhouettes of Pokemon emerged, some familiar to me from my years of research on the subject of Pokemon, some not. I didn't know which was worse - knowing the terrifying capabilities of a Pokemon, or not knowing exactly what horrible things they could do to you. All of a sudden, Eevee and the other unknown Pokemon began coming towards me. I screamed, a high-pitched sound piercing through the wintry air. As they got closer and closer and began to pounce, they got slower and slower, until they were almost moving in slow-motion. In mid-air, they stopped, but my scream got louder and higher, until it began to sound akin to that of an alarm clock ringing...
I woke up with a shriek, rubbing my eyes to make sure I was in the safety of my house and not the dangerous route where I was previously. Relieved, I realized it was all just a nightmare, and a small smile appeared on my face. Then, I realized that the screaming in my dream was actually the ringing of my alarm clock, which I quickly turned off, confused. Wasn't it Saturday? There was no school today! But another thought materialized in my brain; I had graduated from school yesterday on my quest to become a Pokemon master, just like many other students who were around my age, and today was the day I was going to start my adventure across the region of Roria, the region where I lived. I tried to recall some facts about Roria as I changed out of my pyjamas into my Pokemon-catching outfit, which I had prepared weeks ago, and brushed my teeth.
Roria had no unique regional Pokemon of its own, however, it contained all the Pokemon from seven other regions (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and Alola), making it very different from the seven previously mentioned other regions, which only contained unique Pokemon from its specific region and a few others from other regions. Roria also had a very varied landscape as well as its variety of different Pokemon, ranging from deserts to beaches, from rural countryside to urban cities. I was so excited to be adventuring across the region, as I had never been outside of Mitis Town and because this was the thing that I had been dreaming of ever since I was a little kid, that I almost forgot to take my Trainer Card with me downstairs - and, in fact, to actually fill it in first.
Grabbing the first pen I found, which coincidentally was my favourite pen (brown with Eevee faces on and brown fur attached to it), and wrote down my name in my neatest handwriting; Ariana Cliffton, and my birthday. I was now 13 years old; old enough to start my adventure. In some other regions, I heard that the minimum age was 10, but after the many incidents with a 10 year old boy named Ash Ketchum and various villainous teams in other regions which had appeared on the news, Roria changed its laws to make the minimum age 13, old enough to "look after yourself", although I didn't really think it mattered what age you were if you were confronted by a villainous team. I hoped I never had to confront any villainous teams myself, as the tales I had heard about them scared me.
Before heading downstairs, I took a quick look at myself in the mirror. My dark brown, straight hair was tied back in a ponytail, and my sparkling emerald-green eyes were staring right back at me inquisitively. I took a deep breath; I'd need to be brave if I was going to be a Pokemon master, then walked downstairs, hoping to see my parents there waiting for me. But, of course, the house was silent, and there was nobody there. My parents were probably still at the Mitis Town Archaeology Site - they were archaeologists, and seemed to think that examining old Pokemon fossils was interesting. I might have thought they were, if I hadn't been given so many lectures about them. Now, I had been thoroughly put off that as a career option; all the more of a reason to become a Pokemon master, as many were rich, famous and renowned for their battling skills. It could earn you a lot more money than being an archaeologist, but only if you succeeded, which was my ultimate goal. Sighing, I walked out of my house eating a sandwich, on my way to the archaeology site to see my parents.
Suddenly, I was tapped from behind. I almost dropped my sandwich as I swivelled around with a yelp. I was relieved to see somebody familiar, and not anybody who wanted to kidnap me or kill me.
"Hey, Ariana! It's me, Jake!" my best friend Jake Connors said, with a huge grin on his face. Jake and I had been friends ever since we met at school when we were little. And no, before you ask - there was nothing romantic between us, and there never had been. We were just friends. He was like my brother, and I could never imagine dating him, but I hoped that he fell in love with somebody great; somebody who he deserved. We were both incredibly enthusiastic about Pokemon, and our lifetime ambitions were both to become Pokemon masters. We used to stay up all night at sleepovers, whispering about all the amazing things we would do when we finally turned 13. And here we were, on the day we'd always dreamed of - together, as we always had been. Even thinking about all the fun we had brought a smile to my face.
"Oh, hey, Jake! You scared me, I was about to drop my sandwich!" I said, shaking my head jokingly.
"Well, I knew you were clumsy, and a scaredy-cat, but I thought your love for food would overpower that!" Jake retorted, punching me on the arm softly.
"Where are your parents?" I asked, looking around in anticipation of some awkward but polite small talk. Jake's parents and mine were good friends; they taught at the local Mitis Town School, but I wasn't too friendly with them, not ever since Mr Connors had given me a detention for doodling little Eevee faces when I was meant to be paying attention in class.
"They're already at the lab," Jake replied, gesturing in the general direction where the Mitis Town Pokemon Lab was located, "because we wanted to get there early - Pikachu and Eevee are both pretty popular, and if I want dibs on that Pikachu, I have to be early." I nodded in understanding, because I had also set my alarm for earlier than I usually would have done. The Mitis Town Pokemon Lab was where every child aged 13 in the vicinity of Mitis Town went there to collect their first ever Pokemon, also known as a Starter Pokemon. To my knowledge, there was another one in Anthian City, the capital of Roria. There were 23 breeds of Starter Pokemon in the Lab, and the Pokemon you got was based on a first come first serve basis, with Pikachu and Eevee commonly being the first ones to go. Since I had my eyes set on Eevee and Jake had his on Pikachu, we would both have to rush there now.
"Alright, cool. Well, I'm going to find my parents. Did you see them at the lab, or are they still at the archaeology site?" I asked, wondering whether they had already placed dibs on Eevee for me as a surprise.
"Nah, they weren't at the lab, they're probably still at the archaeology site." Jake answered, fidgeting. I could tell that he was desperate to get away, to claim his Pikachu. So was I; I hoped my parents wouldn't take too long packing away all their tools, or the Eevee would be gone.
"I can tell you wanna leave - so you can go! I'll see you at the lab. Bye, Jake!" I said, hugging him - of course, only in a platonic way.
"Bye, Ariana! I'll be waiting right there for you! I hope I get to video your reaction when you get your Eevee!" Jake called, already running off. I watched him until he was just a small figure in the distance, before heading off to the archaeology site.
As I walked through Mitis Town, I saw the houses of my friends and neighbours, some of whom were only just beginning to wake up. A river ran through our town, where some fishermen caught fish to sell at the market at Decca Beach, as there were different kinds of fish in the different climates of Roria; here, you could find Magikarps and Gyarados, as I learnt on a school field trip when a Gyarados leapt out of the river to scare me and my classmates to death. Although Jake wouldn't like to admit it, he had nightmares for weeks due to that incident. A bridge allowed you to cross the river, and beyond the bridge was Route 1, where I was planning to go after I had obtained my Eevee. I was very excited to actually be in Route 1, as I had only ever caught short glimpses of it on my way to school from my house, and I never really saw anything particularly interesting.
I approached the archaeology site, which was through a rocky cave with some torches on it to light up the entrance. This was where my mum and dad would be now, and surely enough, I could hear their voices echoing around the relatively empty area. I turned around a corner and saw them sealing up a cave with yellow and black tape. Not wanting to disturb them from what they were doing, I stood there, waiting for them to finish up.
"It's not safe for us to go any further into that cave, and you know it, Dom." my mum insisted, looking worried.
"I know, I know, Sara. But what we found in there is fascinating, and - " my dad said, before he was cut off by my mum.
"ENOUGH, Dom! That thing is dangerous, extremely dangerous. We're sealing it up for a reason - not just for our safety, but for the safety of the whole of Roria." Mum interrupted in a calm but concerned voice. That was when I realized I was eavesdropping, albeit unintentionally, but this conversation was too interesting to ignore. Wanting to know what they had found and what it had to do with anybody else in the region, I continued listening.
"Yes, yes, I agree. We can't just leave it there, though, we have to take it with us." Dad said wearily. From that tone of voice, I knew that they must have been up all night while I was asleep trying to figure out what it was.
"Oh, that is true... fine. But we can't tell a single soul; we can't even tell Ariana." Mum said in a firm voice, which signified that it was not up for further discussion. "Got it?"
"Well, maybe we could tell that new professor..." Dad said, but it sounded more like a question than a statement. Mum had a hot temper if she lost her patience, and I could tell that he didn't want to ignite the spark that could set it off.
"Hmm. Maybe." Mum said quietly, before whipping round.
"Oh, hello, Ariana!" she exclaimed in an exaggeratedly bright voice. For a second, I wondered if I should ask them what they were talking about, but I knew it would only land me in trouble, as they were definitely not prepared to tell anybody except the new professor. Then, my train of thought led onto where Professor Maple was, but I realized she was quite old and had probably retired. I would have stood there, silent for a bit longer, contemplating my thoughts, but my mum was looking at me expectantly, and my dad had turned round too. I supposed they were hoping I hadn't heard too much, and so I decided to pretend I had heard nothing at all.
"Hey! I just got here. Please don't tell me you forgot what day it is?" I said, half-joking and half-not, as I knew they were often too distracted by their 'highly interesting' work to think about anything else.
"No, of course not, champ! It's the day you get your first Pokemon! We can't wait!" Dad said, ruffling my hair fondly. I didn't particularly like it when he messed up my hair like that because I had to readjust it, but it was just an old tradition now to help relieve my nerves - and surprisingly, it works.
"Oh, Ariana... you've grown so much..." Mum said weepily, bringing me close for a hug. She got out a handkerchief and wiped a tear from her eye.
"Aww, c'mon, Mum! Save the waterworks for when I'm actually leaving. Right now, we have to get there quick if I wanna get that Eevee - and you betcha I do!" I said, feeling both touched and embarrassed. "So come on!"
"Alright, alright, we're coming!" Dad said with a sarcastic roll of his eyes, but I knew he was joking from his laugh. I would really miss them when I left, but now wasn't the time to dwell on things like that - now was the time to hurry, before the Eevee was gone, and for all I knew, it could have already gone!
We raced out of the archaeology site, past the houses and the bridge, and into the Mitis Town Pokemon Lab. Panting, we walked into the room next to the entrance room, where we knew the Starter Pokemon and the new Professor were located. Jake was already there, waiting for me faithfully, of course, and fiddling with his black hair without knowing he was doing it. But that was the first time I got to see the new Professor, and he wasn't exactly what I expected. He had dark brown hair and glasses, and was wearing a smart suit - with no lab coat, surprisingly.
"Hello, there. I'm Professor Cypress, the new professor in town. I replaced Professor Maple who recently retired, in case you didn't know. I assume you're Ariana?" the new Professor, who was apparently called Professor Cypress, said, holding his hand out politely.
"Hiya. Yeah, I am. I'm here to get my Starter Pokemon." I said, holding back a fit of giggles as Jake made funny faces behind Cypress's back.
"O...K. Well, you'll need to know some things first." Cypress said unsurely, glancing backwards. Jake immediately stopped and pretended to look like he was examining his nails.
"Sure, go ahead!" I almost shouted, eager to get on with it, but also wanting to hear what the professor had to say.
"Pokemon are our friends, and we grow alongside them. They grow, and in some cases, evolve and change form into a different Pokemon, as we battle with them. Your Pokemon will grow to love you as you adventure with them, if you treat them well." Professor Cypress said carefully. I could tell that he had planned his words out, and was possibly planning to use this speech for all the 13 year olds who were going to come to collect their Pokemon today.
"I didn't actually know that before." Jake said in his best imitation of his dad's voice when he was teaching in class, which forced me to cover my mouth with my hand to hide my cheesy grin.
"I'm glad you learned something, but there are many things we still haven't learnt about Pokemon, and there are still many undiscovered ones out there." Professor Cypress informed us. I nodded courteously. "Now, enough with the talk. It's time for you to choose your Starter Pokemon, Ariana! There are 21 Pokeballs still here and each have a label detailing which species they are and which region they were originally from."
"Oh, that's easy! I choose Eevee!" I exclaimed, practically jumping up and down with joy.
"Ah... I'm sorry, but Jake has already chosen that." Professor Cypress said to me apologetically. I glared at Jake with narrowed eyes as a piercing feeling of betrayal chilled my heart. How could he? He knew I had wanted Eevee since I was a child, he had listened to me plan out my future life enough times.
"Jake... why?" I said, conflicted between feeling sad or angry, between dropping the grudge or holding it, between lashing out or staying silent.
"I'm so sorry, Ariana... Pikachu had already been taken, you see, and I didn't know what else to pick..." Jake muttered, at least having the decency to look ashamed with himself. "I can always trade this Eevee for whatever Pokemon you pick if you like?"
"It's too late now, your Eevee has already probably grown attached to you. I'll find my own Eevee, out there in the wild, someday." I said after a long silence, finally deciding to be the 'bigger person' and forgive him.
"Are you sure? They're incredibly rare, you know..." Jake asked, holding out his Pokeball.
"Yeah, I am. In a way, I suppose you've done me a favour - if I find an Eevee, I'll be really respected by everybody in Roria, because they only appear when they respect the Trainer who is hunting for them." I said, realizing that this could actually be a good thing, in some ways. "You do owe me, though."
"Yup! I'm just glad you're still friends with me." Jake said happily, with a big and unforced grin.
"So am I." I replied, attempting to smile back, although inside I wanted to collapse. I was so nervous; I hadn't even contemplated which Pokemon I would choose if I couldn't get Eevee, because I was so confident that I would get it! I pulled my fingers across the Pokeballs slowly and thought carefully. I supposed that if I had to choose between a Fire-type, Water-type or Grass-type, I would choose a Fire-type, to match my battling style; more offense than defense. I narrowed my options down to seven with that; Charmander, Cyndaquil, Torchic, Chimchar, Tepig, Fennekin and Litten. I didn't particularly like Cyndaquil, Chimchar, Tepig, or Litten - which left me with three. Charmander, Torchic, Fennekin. Charmander, Torchic, Fennekin... Charmander, Torchic, Fennekin...? Finally, after what seemed like the longest 5 minutes of my life, I made the tricky decision on what Starter Pokemon I chose. It could make or break my whole career as a Pokemon trainer, but I knew that this was what I wanted.
"I choose you!" I exclaimed, taking my chosen Pokeball and throwing it. Jake, my parents and the Professor had all been placing verbal bets on what I would pick, and they were shocked to see what emerged from the red and white ball which contained my first ever Pokemon...
What Starter Pokemon do you think Ariana will pick - Charmander, Torchic or Fennekin? Read the next chapter of The Bronze Brick to find out!