I'm BAAAAACK~ And even more write-happy than ever! I'm sorry for going so long without an update, but real life tends to be distracting in that way. As for this rewrite, I made quite a few changes, but most notably I switched from first-person POV to third-person POV. When I planned the original BBSS, I decided to experiment with first-person because it wasn't something that I usually did. Unfortunately, it was too difficult to pull off because 1.) I was constantly changing scenes, which really doesn't seem to work well with first person and 2.) I was constantly changing narrators, which-considering I had to change personalities and writing styles constantly-was a pain in the neck.

The guidelines are still more or less the same:

1.) Since this is a steampunk fanfiction, expect wacky, convoluted inventions, references to metals and gears, and a warm, fuzzy, Victorian era feel.

2.) Considering that female Trainers are not allowed at this point in time in this universe, all female Gym Leaders and Elite Four will be replaced by original male characters, who will serve as their counterparts. However, the females will still make an appearance (-insert devious chuckle here-)

3.) Generation V will be referenced this time, as will Generation VI (wow, it's been that long since I last wrote this?!), but don't expect any Pokémon from Kalos to show up.

4.) Assume that the main characters (Ethan/Gold, Kris, Lyra, and Silver) are older than their game counterparts.

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I, japaneserockegirl, do not own any part or aspect of the Pokémon franchise, including—but not limited to—the games, the trading cards, the figurines, the anime, or the various manga. Those belong to Satoshi Tajiri, GAMEFREAK, Nintendo, et. al.

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Pokémon Bold Bronze and Strong Steel
JOHTO ARC START

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Chapter 1: A Wild Cross Dresser Appeared!

Cherrygrove College for Charming Girls
Cherrygrove City, Johto
Kris

Dressed in trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, and matching jacket with a backpack and a sleeping bag slung over her shoulders, Crystal Hart found herself unable to leave her dorm room, her hand resting on the doorknob. Her eyes scanned the room she had been forced to call home for the past three years—the two sets of beds and desks, one bare from unuse, the plain and undecorated walls that her posters had been torn down from, the curtained window—then back to the door. Her heart thudded against her chest, causing the gauze wrapped around her chest to constrict, and her stomach flopped around nervously.

Should I really go through with this? Kris wondered, dressing up as a guy and running away?

If she got caught, expulsion would be the least of her problems. But she knew that she only had one shot at this. If Kris stayed, it would only be a matter of time before a peer or matron found her backpack and men's clothes hiding underneath her bed—not to mention that she had already cut her hair.

No, she decided. She had been planning this for two years. There was no going back now.

With a deep breath, the blue-haired girl turned off her lantern and stepped outside her dorm.

The dull glow of the gas lamps affixed to the wooden walls illuminated the hallway. Doors and portraits of grim-faced alumni lined the walls, and a rich, red carpet led to a balcony window. Kris was about to make a sprint for those doors when she heard the creaking of a door being opened from the adjacent hallway, followed by someone muttering.

Kris almost swore. Who else could possibly be up at this hour? She quickly dove back into her room. Unfortunately, the girl slammed the door on the way in.

The person's shoes came to a halt.

Shit.

The footsteps approached her door.

No…She couldn't get caught; not here, not now!

The footsteps stopped in front of her door.

No, no, no…

The person knocked on her door. Kris couldn't breathe.

"Miss Hart?" The voice was feminine, almost elderly. It was one of the matrons! If she decided to use her master key, it would be all over.

After a few agonizing moments of silence, the matron huffed and went down the hall. Kris waited a few moments long after the woman's footsteps had faded before anxiously slipping through the door and locking it behind her once more.

Once her heartbeat slowed to a more manageable level, the blue-haired girl quickly made her way to the balcony doors, grateful that no one, not even the matron that had just passed, had noticed she had propped them open with a pebble earlier that day. Kris exited the hallway, a cool breeze washing over her as she ventured onto the balcony. A cloudy sky obscured the moon and stars, making it hard to see the trees and bushes around the vast field where the girls would occasionally play. But even in the slight darkness, Kris could make out her goal: the gates that led to Route 29.

And then she looked down—down into a dizzying drop, a drop that could possibly break her legs if the rope she had brought with her snapped.

Kris gulped, then shook her head. No, this wasn't the time to be intimidated. If she panicked while climbing down a rope, what chance did she have as a Trainer? Besides, she had told herself that she wouldn't back down…

Kris tied the rope to the railing of the balcony, careful not to make it too tight. She began her descent, everything going well until the girl was halfway down.

And the rope snapped.

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The Jungle Pub
Viridian City, Kanto
Unknown

The brunette male was surprised to find that the Jungle wasn't a jungle at all.

Under the golden glow of the gas-powered chandeliers, patrons drank, ate, or played cards. Both men and women chatted, while bar wenches attended to tables, prepared drinks, or cleaned the wooden tables and floors. It was a huge contrast to the hellholes the boy had frequented in the past, where there were constant fights, drunks on the floor, and acts of prostitution on the tables. Even the smell was different, the faint scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke instead of sweat and blood. The boys' shoulders eased—not that he had been scared—but his relief quickly switched to annoyance. Sure, he was glad that he would go home without a black eye or dislocated shoulder for once, but wondered how the distortion someone like him could possibly blend in with all these disgustingly happy people.

The brunette sighed, letting his irritation fade. It would be fine: he'd meet with the contact, get what he needed, and get out. The sixteen-year-old plopped himself onto a stool in front of the bartender.

"What'll you have?" grunted the man.

"A glass of your finest wine," the boy replied, his voice deepening automatically.

"Sorry junior, no can do. You gotta be twenty-one to drink."

The sixteen-year-old almost groaned. That was the only problem with disguises: the brown, braided wig, matching eye-dye*, and plain clothes could only conceal his identity, not his age. "I am twenty-one," he insisted.

"Yeah, right," the bartender snorted, "And I'm Champion Red."

"Look," the boy snapped, "I'm paying you, aren't I? So cut the crap and get me some wine." He glared until the bartender finally gave in.

"Fine," he hissed before turning to prepare the drink.

The boy's contact entered the pub. He was a lean man with short, graying hair and dull gray eyes, dressed in plumber's overalls and a greasy shirt, as was the plan. He locked eyes with the boy and smiled.

"Tyler!" He took the seat next to the teen, then quickly made his order before turning to his client. "How's your research going?"

"Great, uncle!" 'Tyler' replied, slipping into character at the cue, "I'm pretty much done with Kanto and should be on my way home tomorrow."

The man frowned. "Oh, so soon? You sure you can't stay with me and your aunt a little while longer?"

Their drinks came, and—after making sure the bartender didn't spit in his—'Tyler' took a sip. "I'm sorry, but I have to. Mom's been sick lately, and I need to take care of her."

The bartender nearly dropped the glass he was wiping. Apparently, he hadn't thought that the jerk he had served had a heart. The boy bit his glass to suppress a laugh.

"Oh," the contact sighed, putting on a convincing show of disappointment, "I figured you would say that. Just be careful, though. I heard it's going to rain around Dark Cave in a couple of days."

'Tyler' almost choked as he drank, his hand tightening around the glass. So it really is there…Plans and strategies began forming in his mind, and the faux-brunette became so caught up in it all that he nearly jumped when the contact slammed a PokèBall onto the counter, making him release a breath he hadn't even been aware he had held.

"This Electabuzz," the contact stated, pausing to take another swig of his own drink before continuing, "will not only protect you from wild Pokémon, but it has Flash, too. And this," he pulled out three rolled-up pieces of parchment, "Are those old maps of Kanto you wanted."

'Tyler' took the items and slipped them into his sack with controlled composure. With the Pokémon, outline of Elm's lab, and the maps of Dark Cave and Johto, his mission would definitely be a success "Thanks, uncle. I will treasure these forever."

"No problem, Tyler. No problem at all."

Under the table, 'Tyler' saw the contact's fingers curl. He quickly slipped the man his money before they paid the bartender, left the pub, and went their separate ways. As he headed home, a rare smile graced the boy's face.

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Cherrygrove College for Charming Girls
Cherrygrove City, Johto
Kris

Kris was sent hurtling towards the ground, with not even a second to cry out, landing with an OOMPH upon a cluster of bushes.

"Hey, who's there?!"

The blue-haired girl flinched, her heart hitting her chest and causing the gauze there to constrict again. But she was too terrified to acknowledge the pain. She knew that voice.

"What's wrong, Celeste?" inquired a second voice.

"I could've sworn I heard something over there!"

Crap! It's the Richmond sisters! Celeste and Clarissa Richmond were notorious for using their wealth and cunning to woo the teachers and staff into letting them do whatever they wanted—including acting as guards.

Kris was on her feet immediately, looking around the courtyard for a place to hide. Thankfully, she could make out a tree nearby, and she made her way over to it. Before long, she reached what she believed to be a high enough spot, carefully concealed by a bushel of leaves. Below, the sisters approached, their lanterns cutting a path through the half-darkness.

"Well?" Clarissa snapped, "Did you see anyone?"

Celeste smirked. "No, but I did find this," she answered, pulling out a broken rope—Kris's broken rope.

Clarissa's frown gave way to a devilish grin. "Ooh, that's a lovely find! Wonder who's out here at this time of night?"

"Let's go find the others and do a sweep to find out!"

The two ran off, their lantern lights fading into the distance. Kris sighed with relief. The campus was huge. It'd take them and their friends all night to cover it all. More than enough time to escape.

Kris waited a few more moments before making her way down the tree and continuing towards the rendezvous point she had agreed on with her partner. Sure enough, said partner was already there, the Oddish hopping happily upon her entrance into the bush. But this Oddish wasn't just any old Oddish—it was the Richmonds' Oddish.

If there was one thing Kris had learned during her time at the CCCG, it was that with enough money you could not only bribe your teachers, but get away with breaking the law. And the Richmonds had just enough to convince them to let them keep a wild Oddish as a pet—for 'protection', of course—as long as they pretended it was wild whenever any outsiders came to the school and didn't keep the creature in a PokèBall. Too bad that they didn't count on Kris befriending it behind their backs.

"Good, you're here," Kris whispered gleefully, "Now, just do as we planned."

The Grass-type nodded before it turned towards the gates, where two matrons stood guard. It released a gentle aroma of rose petals that caused both to collapse, asleep.

Kris squealed softly. It worked! It had actually worked! Grateful, she pat the Oddish on the head and fed it a Pecha berry. "Great job, Oddish! Now, hurry along, little guy. We don't want the Richmonds to get back to their room and notice you're gone. Thank you so much!"

The Oddish chirped happily before scampering away. Once Kris could no longer see the little Grass-type, she made her way to the gates, where the matrons lay. Carefully, she retrieved the key from one of their pockets, slipped through the gates upon opening them, and locked up behind her before returning it.

Then, she dove into the forest path of Route 29.

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Inventions and Conventions Guide for Chapter 1:
Eye-Dye: Special eye drops that can temporarily change a person's eye color and come in several colors. Side effects include eye irritation, blurry vision, and temporary blindness.

Author's Notes: And thus the rewritten version has begun! I originally wanted to include one more scene to this chapter, but I might not have the time to type that part and upload this tomorrow, so I just decided to post this as is. Plus, that last scene might tie in a little bit better with Chapter 2 than here. I also decided to change the part where Kris met the Oddish; it felt like a deus-ex-machina in the original version (not to mention that it didn't make sense for the Richmond sisters to have a Pokémon in a world that forbids girls from having them), so I tried to make it more realistic here.

Don't forget to review and constructively criticize!

japaneserockergirl

7/2/13