Dawn picked up the briefcase from the lake. Within it, she heard the rattle of the three Poké Balls contained within it.
"Sorry about this, buddies."
She hurried to follow the professor, only to be stopped at the crossroad to Twinleaf. Rowan was scolding two boys, who seemed to have attempted to cross the tall grass without Pokémon.
"Professor, I'd never thought I'd say this, but can you wait up next time?" Dawn asked.
"Dawn! Just in time. I'd like to bestow upon these two Pokémon!" Professor Rowan said, in a hearty voice that made the two boys jump. Dawn knew that feeling. It took a while to get used to Rowan's… personality. Dawn set down the briefcase, and opened it.
"Lucas, you should get first choice. I was the stupid one," one of the two boys admitted. The boy named Lucas nodded, and knelt down next to the briefcase. He reached for one of the Poké Balls.
"Sorry, that one's mine. I must have thrown it with the other two by accident."
"No matter."
"Dawn, you must stop doing this, you know."
"I know," Dawn sighed. Lucas shrugged, and picked up a different Pokémon instead. The other boy got the last of the options. Professor Rowan scooped up the briefcase, and carried on.
"Hey, Lucas! Do you want to try a battle?" The other boy asked. Lucas nodded.
Lucas is challenged by PKMN Trainer Barry!
PKMN Trainer Barry sent out PIPLUP!
Go! TURTWIG!
"Wait a second… I got them in here… Lucas, Barry, you may want these. Battle Rings."
"Thanks for your help!" Barry said.
Turtwig pounced on Piplup, using its superior weight to deal damage. Piplup retaliated with a Pound, using a higher base power. Turtwig was pushed back a tad.
"Turtwig! Remember what I told you about wiry opponents!" Dawn's Chimchar reminded Turtwig. Turtwig nodded. Piplup ran towards him, and did a short dive. Turtwig gave a short hop, and slammed Piplup into the ground.
Lucas defeated PKMN Trainer Barry!
"Wow… You have some serious skill on the battlefield, Lucas. I'm going home. I'm all tuckered out. Later!" Barry zoomed right past, leaving Lucas spinning around. Dawn settled him, and got him reoriented.
"Are you alright there, Lucas?" Dawn asked. Lucas knocked himself on the side of his head to reorient himself.
"Yeah… sometimes it's just a wee bit complicated to listen to him. He goes really fast. I can't even catch up."
"Oh. That's alright. You can always call upon me. See you later!" Dawn said. She left Lucas briefly, before turning back. Lucas had already moved on.
"Dang it. That was a bad way to leave him."
"Welcome, Lucas, to the Sandgem Pokémon Research Lab!" Dawn said. "Also, hi."
"Yes, welcome to the Lab. Anyway, Barry has explained his actions, and Dawn has vouched for you. You are quite free of blame for that incident. Though do me a favour: make sure he never does something this foolhardy again."
"I'll keep an eye on him. If I can."
"Well, good enough. Anyway, onto the main topic. My name, of course, is Rowan. I study Pokémon, but am at a loss for my current field. So, I ask of you this: will you take the Pokédex, and record data on as many of the Sinnoh Pokémon as you can?"
"I will do what I can."
"Hm! Good answer! Well, I have some work to do, so try your hardest."
"Um, Professor Rowan?" Dawn finally spoke up.
"Yes?"
"Would it be alright if I was discharged to go help Lucas?"
"Sure, why not? Be safe, and Lucas, you keep her out of trouble." Lucas looked at Dawn, sizing her up.
"Come along, Dawn."
"So where are they?" a Starly called out from a tree.
"I dunno, can't see them," a second called out from the opposite side of the road.
"Oh, for the love of…" the first responded. He flew out, and bumped into Dawn's head.
"Yow! Hey, watch where you're going!" Dawn shouted. The Starly responded with a defiant chirp. Lucas threw a Poké Ball, before noticing that he had thrown an empty one. It surrounded the Starly.
… … … …Gotcha! STARLY was caught!
Lucas sent out the Starly, and examined it.
"Do you mind? I am trying to get my soldiers to not suck here!" Starly vehemently pronounced. Dawn nodded slowly.
"Well, I suppose… Starly, do you want to get travel experience?"
"Travel? I suppose there are things I can learn. Especially how other people command respect from buffoons like these guys. Hey, Bravo! I'm putting you in charge, while I go on a little bit of a quest. When I come back, you guys better not be extinct!"
"Well…" Dawn said, unable to process exactly how this Starly got in charge in the first place.
"Wait, you can talk to Pokémon?"
"No. I can sense their emotions and take an educated guess as to what they're trying to say. I've never failed yet."
The two entered Jubilife City, to find that yes, it was rather full of life. Lucas and Dawn walked towards the Pokémon Center, hopefully to find a map of the city, when they bumped into a shady man.
"Eureek! Spies!"
"Um… we don't know who you are."
"Hum… Ihaveit! Though you are of age young, you are of heart strong. There are crime among the peace of Sinnoh."
"There are?" Dawn asked.
"Quite, yes! They be thieves of hair blue and suit grey. They name? Team Galaxy!"
"Team Galaxy? Sounds kind of stupid…"
"…Yes, ah, I? I do not know the name for sure, no. Galaxy good guess. Sound similar, you tell me, yes?"
"Uh… anyone who is part of a team named similar to Galactic-"
"Galaxy!"
"Oh, right, Galaxy, we should alert you… yes?"
"Yes yes! Yes, you must! Now, I must be on my way, yes. But first, I must inform you of my name: no, my code name. My code name, it is Looker. Remember it well. Ask at any Pokémon Center for a fireman, and Looker will come running. Good journey, gentle sir and noble mademoiselle!" The man clambered up the side of the building in departure.
"So… what on Groudon's name do you think a fireman is?" Dawn asked.
Welcome to the Sinnoh region: where Leafeon exist!
Fun fact about the title: High Road to Giratina was originally the title of the Kalos story. However, because a Kalos story named for a Pokemon you can't get without Pokemon Bank would be misleading, I moved it here. The original title of this story was Showdown at Mount Tengam.
Well, we're going back to the original formula, so the PMT will not suck, and these stories might have numerical substance.
Next time, on High Road to Giratina, we go to Oreburgh.