Red's Journey: The True Story
By
DarkSorcerer888
Chapter One: Oak's Lab—Red Gets His 1st Pokémon!
Out of all the trainers in the Kanto region, the trainers who were born and raised in Pallet Town, the precipice of Kanto's frontier, had the distinct privilege of living just minutes away from the main laboratory of the foremost mind in Pokémon Research, Professor Samuel Quincy Oak, who was the son of the even more famous retired Pokémon Archaeologist, Samuel Jeremiah Oak, although most young trainers didn't know or care about that particular tid bit. The only reason Red Satoshi knew this particular tidbit was because his best friend and rival, Gary Blue Oak, was the grandson of the good Professor Oak.
Today, all that Red cared about was the Pokémon that the old Professor gifted to every trainer that started their journey in Pallet Town. Whether they be residents of Pallet Town itself, or brought north from Cinnabar Island by their parents for the honor of starting their journeys at the lab of the prestigious Professor, old Oak gave them each a rare and powerful partner with which to start their journeys.
"Red, come in, yes, you are just in time," said Oak. " Come stand next to my grandson. You may each pick one of the three Pokémon that I have available. Come on out, you three." The professor released three Pokémon. One was a red-orange lizard with a continuously burning flame on its tail. The second was a blue turtle. The third was a little plant-like dinosaur. "Meet charmander..." Oak pointed at the first one. "Squirtle..." He pointed at the second. "and Bulbasaur." He pointed at the third. "Let me explain the options in a little more depth. This Charmander is a fire type, the Squirtle—water, and the Bulbasaur—grass and poison. These type differences may be important in battle, but mean very little in actually raising the Pokémon.
"For instance, this Charmander here is very affectionate. She would find working with a hardhearted trainer who is only interested in winning very distressing. The one who trains her must be open to advances in the level of affection between him and his Pokémon, whatever form they may take." Unless Red imagined it, Oak winked at him while saying this. "This Squirtle, on the other hand, is a very proud Pokémon. Contrary to Charmander, Squirtle would find working with a lighthearted trainer who lavishes his affection on his Pokémon but doesn't seem to care about winning all that much to be unfathomably boring. His true partner must be willing to push his limits to win no matter the cost." There was no mistaking it this time as Oak winked at his grandson. "Bulbasaur seems to favor neither extreme. As long as his trainer takes good care of him and is skillful in battle, he will follow his trainer to the ends of the Earth." This time there was no wink, instead, Oak raised his voice. "Whoever's listening: I won't consider you late if you come in this instant." In came a girl looking about the age of Red and Gary.
"Sorry I'm a little late, I flew in from Cinnibar and my flight was delayed," said the girl. "My name is Lily. Lily Greengrass."
"Welcome, Lily," said the Professor. "Since you are the last one to arrive, you will chose last."
"Who will chose first?" asked Lily.
"Normally the first one to get here would," replied Oak, but since my grandson practically lives here, it would be unfair to expect anyone to beat him to a lab that he knows will one day be his. Gary, do you mind letting Red choose first?"
"I was going to let him go first anyway, Grandpa," said Gary. "If I chose first, he would obviously choose the Pokémon that has a natural advantage to mine. I can't let my eternal rival have the advantage in our first battle, now can I?"
"No, indeed you cannot," said the Professor with a goodhearted laugh. "Very well, Red, if you'd please?."
"Hey Charmander buddy, would you like to be my partner," he asked, reaching out to pet the Pokémon. Charmander nuzzled his hand and purred, sounding more like a cat than a lizard at that moment. "I'll take that as a yes." The professor smiled and went to hand Ash the ball for the fire-type but paused when Red shook his head. "I have my own ball for this occasion."
"That is fine, hand me the ball," said the Professor. Red handed Oak the special edition luxury ball that he had special ordered with years of saved allowance money. The ball had Home of Red Satoshi's Partner written in small golden letters on the upper half of the ball, encircling it just above the crack that separated the two halves of the mechanism. Instead of being primarily charcoal in color, like a regular luxury ball, it was emerald green, and on the ridges where the ordinary model was a dull golden color, the ball shone a bright platinum color. The stripes, that encircled the ball halfway between each peak and the center. nearly matched the ridges, but were dulled to a slightly-neon light gray.
"Jeez, Red, I knew you were excited about getting your first Pokémon, but isn't that a bit pricey?" asked Gary as he stared at the ball in awe. Meanwhile, the Professor returned Red's new Pokémon and took the balls over to a machine. He opened the compartment on the left and inserted the pokéball that the Charmander was in. He then opened a similar compartment on the right and inserted the special luxury ball. He then typed something into the panel.
"Confirmation code recognized, beginning transfer of lv 5 Charmander number 4016 from pokéball serial code p7v23q89r67w4 to special edition luxury ball serial number sl0v00q00r00r01w1," said the computer system in a machine-like, but distinctly feminine, voice.
"Gosh Red, that serial number means your the first trainer fanatical enough about their Pokémon's comfort to spend that kind of money on one of those things," teased Gary.
"I pre-ordered it months before they went on the market, Gary, so it's no surprise that I'm the first," hissed Red. His rivals friendly taunts that usually cracked him up were wearing on him today. He was in the mood to be serious. Today marked the start of his long-awaited Pokémon journey.
"Gary, my boy, would you please put a lid on it," said the Professor in exasperation. "Back when I got my first Pokémon, the pokéballs of the time, as primitive as they were, were extremely expensive and a luxury that few trainers would spend their hard-earned money on. At the time, most trainers used a device that was cruel by today's standards to contain their Pokémon. I, on the other hand, saved for years as a child to purchase a pokéball for my first Pokémon. Like Red here, I chose Charmander. Even tho you are my grandson, Gary, Red is more like the trainer I was than you will ever be." Oak paused and gave Gary a long look in the eyes before adding: "Not that I would want you to try to be like me, my boy. You are a fine young man and I am proud to call you my grandson. That's why I'm going to leave the lab to you when I'm gone. But please use the manners that I know you have and respect my lab by leaving your rivalry with Red at the door."
"Yes Grandpa," said Gary, sufficiently chastised. Red mouthed 'thank you' to the Professor as he turned back to the machine after making sure that his grandson would stay in line.
" Containment transfer complete, moving vacant used capsule to cleans-and-refurbish area," said the computer. Professor Oak opened the panel and removed the special ball that now contained Red's Charmander before handing it to Red. Red took the ball, shrunk it, and clipped it to his belt before nodding in thanks to the Professor, who nodded back. Oak then turned to face his grandson. "I don't even need to ask which one you want," he said before handing Gary Squirtle's ball. Gary took the ball wordlessly before returning his new starter, gripping the ball in a way that caused it to mechanically shrink in size and clipping the shrunken ball to his belt.
"I guess that leaves me with Bulbasaur," said Lily.
"Not necessarily," said Professor Oak. "All the types of Pokémon are available as starters at this lab. You'd need parental permission, however, to leave with one that is not one of the four main types. League rules."
"So my choices are grass and electric without involving my parents," said Lily. The professor nodded.
"The available electric Pokémon despises his ball, so I don't show him unless asked," said Oak.
"I chose Bulbasaur," said Lily. "My family specializes in training grass types, so as a starter, he should be right up my ally."
"Very well," said Oak, handing Lily the correct pokéball and watching as she returned the grass type before shrinking the ball and clipping it to her belt.
"I'm out of here, gramps," said Gary. "I'll smell you geeks later." The grandson of Professor Oak raised his arm in a mock salute and strutted out of the lab like he already owned the place. The Professor shook his head before turning to the two remaining children in the room.
"Lily, Red, take these," said Oak, pulling out two hand-held devices and handing them to the two new trainers. "My grandson already has one. It is a Pokédex. It stores data on the Pokémon you encounter and capture, more so on the ones you capture." Lily and Ash took the Pokédexes and nodded their thanks. "Lily, your parents sent me a special notice that forbids you from traveling alone. The thing is, league rules only have one way of forbidding a trainer to travel alone: assigning them an official training partner. The catch is, whoever is assigned as your training partner must agree to the assignment, as it means that they will be forbidden from traveling without you as well."
Lily looked crestfallen. "I-I might as well just go home, then. I doubt any other trainer has parents as overprotective as mine. Furthermore, no trainer would give up their independence just to help me."
"You are wrong Lily," said Red, speaking for the first time since his rival left. "There is one trainer who will. I, Red Satoshi, agree to be assigned to Lily Greengrass as her travel partner. We will travel together, train together, and explore together. My conscience would never let me stand by as a trainer gives up on her dreams."
"Well said, Red," said Professor Oak. "I will now give you these." He gave them each matching plain metal arm bands which they slid on. "I will now input your data into the league database and register you as travel partners. The metal of the band has been forged by the collaboration of the steel-makers of Olivine City and the psychics of Saffron City. It will fuse with your skin after the data input is complete."
Red felt as his band started fusing into his skin and could tell by Lily's gasp that she could feel it too. "Are you alright Lily?" After taking a deep breath, Lily nodded.
"It is done, you are now official travel partners," said Oak. "The league will be alerted if you get separated in a rural area and a rescue team will be sent on the assumption that your separation was due to some unexpected event." The duo nodded in understanding. "Now go out! Explore! Don't stand around and listen to an old man blather on."
Ash and Lily left Oak's lab not only with new Pokémon on their belts, but with invisible shackles that may have been made by technology, but would herald a deeper bond that can only be made by the human spirit.