Pokemon True Emerald

by Exdeathmore

Author's Note: I've actually had the idea for this story about a year or two after Emerald first came out, but I didn't think a Pokemon novelization would be very popular, so I never got around to trying to write it down. Well, time changes all things, so here I am.

Another reason is that I was a little miffed that the big announcement for the new year was for Pokemon XY, and not a Gen III remake. So I'll vent my disappointment by writing this story.

A man in a red uniform and hood ran through the darkness, down a steep slope, huffing and heaving. Sweat covered his face, his eyes full of dread, as he skidded to a stop at the edge of a cliff. He turned around, looking in the direction he came from, then looked over the edge, noticing a small ledge below him.

"Over here!" a voice echoed in the distance. The man trembled, took a deep breath, and jumped. He landed squarely on the ledge below, but the surface could not support the force of his impact. The ground gave way as the man tumbled down the hill, battered by rocks and debris. The man struggled to stand up, but his strength failed him, only allowing him to roll over onto his back. He saw two figures approaching, but couldn't make out any of their details. Behind them, a third figure appeared, the first two stepping aside to make room. It walked up to the man in red, and knelt down in front of him.

"Your organization is finished," the shrouded figure said. "Your leader has been defeated, and your comrades have either joined us or surrendered. Despite your decision to flee, I now offer you a choice: join us, or pay the price of resisting."

"..." The red-clad man glared back, remaining silent.

"...Very well." It motioned for the two behind him. "Take his Pokemon and anything else of value from him. I must check the progress of our other operation." The first two figures grabbed the injured man, and dragged him off into the night.

Chapter 1: Her Story Begins

Rumble, rumble... After hearing the humming engine for so long, she didn't even notice it anymore. A girl with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a red shirt, bandana, and bike shorts sat alone in the dark trailer of a large truck. She looked at the stack of boxes next to her, and let out a deep sigh, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her head on her knees.

"It's not fair..." she mumbled to herself.

One week ago...

"Eeeehhh! ?" the girl gasped. "Moving! ? But why?"

"Because," the girl's mother explained, "your father has finally passed his examination, and he's now an official Pokemon League Gym Leader. He's already been assigned to the Hoenn region, which means we have to move there. The sooner we get settled in, the sooner your father can bring home a paycheck."

"But my birthday's in a few days!" the girl whined. "It's going to be the most important day of my life!"

"Oh, sweetie... I know you want to go to Professor Elm's lab and receive your first Pokemon, but New Bark Town is too far away, and there just isn't enough time to make that trip."

"But mom...!"

"I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. Now, cheer up! We're going to throw a big birthday party just for you, and all your friends are going to come!"

"..."

'It was a great party,' the girl thought, 'but still... I really would've liked getting a Pokemon before we left... being able to travel, meeting new people, and battling...! It must be nice...' Suddenly, the truck screeched to a halt, startling her. One of the boxes on the stack next to her fell over on top of her, spilling out and burying her in a pile of clothes.

"Geez!" she yelled as she threw the clothes out of her way. "Can't a girl get a heads-up?"

"May?" a woman's voice called out. The trailer door slid open, revealing the girl's mother on the other side. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"I'm fine," May replied.

"I don't know why you decided to ride in the truck with all our things. Anyway, come on out of there. We're here!" She offered her hand, but May simply jumped out of the truck on her own, landing on the plush grass outside. May looked around, and aside from the house the truck was parked in front of, she only noticed a few other homes, and a larger building off in the distance.

"Where is 'here', exactly?"

"This is Littleroot Town. I know it's not Goldenrod, but just give it some time. Maybe you'll learn to love nature more than the hustle and bustle of the city." Just then, the front door of the house swung open, and a pair of Machoke came out, lumbering towards the truck. They ignored May and her mother as they each grabbed a box and carried them back into the house. "They do all the work of moving our things, and even clean up afterwards," May's mother said. "Aren't Pokemon just great?"

"Hmph!" May started pouting at that last remark.

"I know you're still upset about what happened, but you have to put it behind you. I know! You should introduce yourself to our next-door neighbor! He's been friends with your father for years, and I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

"...Fine." May walked off, sulking.

"Oh, May..."

While crossing the main road that passed through town, May stopped and looked to the north, noticing the tall grass in the distance. She noticed a nearby sign that simply had the number '101' on it.

"Our houses must be right on the edge of town," she said to herself. A faint barking noise could be heard coming from the north. "That sounds like... wild Pokemon?" May sighed. "I can't even leave town on my own without a Pokemon..." She continued on her way, across the road and to the house next door. The mailbox had the name 'Birch' written on it. She approached the front door, and knocked.

"Yes, coming!" came a voice from inside. A woman answered the door. "Oh, hello there! Who might you be?"

"Um, hi... I'm May, my family moved in to the house next door, and..."

"Oh! You're the one my husband was talking about! He's been looking forward to seeing you again! So you're the new Gym Leader for Petalburg City? But you're so young!"

"What? No, my dad's the one who's the Gym Leader. I just turned 10 last week, and besides, I don't even have..." Her voice trailed off.

"Silly me, how embarrassing!" the woman laughed off her mistake like it was nothing. "My husband stepped out, but our son is upstairs, in his room. He's about the same age as you, and was excited about meeting our new neighbors. You should go up and introduce yourself, I'm sure you two will become great friends!"

"If you say so," May said. She headed up the stairs, and noticed a door slightly ajar at the end of a short hallway.

"Let's see..." she heard a voice coming from the room. "Pokemon fully rested, items all packed..." Just then, a boy with black hair emerged from the room, carrying a backpack full of supplies. He was wearing a black and red jacket, black pants, and a unusual-looking hat. If it wasn't for his sideburns sticking out from under the headband, one would think he had white hair. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed May.

"Um... hi," May waved to him, feeling awkward.

"Oh, uh... hi!" the boy said. "And you are...?"

"I'm May. My family just moved in next door." The boy looked at her, checking her out. "W, where are you looking?" May felt a little embarrassed.

"N, nothing!" the boy quickly realized what he was doing, and looked away, blushing slightly. "It's just... I didn't know you were a girl."

"What's that supposed to mean! ?"

"I didn't mean it like that! My dad said our new neighbor was a Gym Leader and that he had a kid, so I thought you would be a boy... n-not that there's anything wrong with you being a girl!" He held out his hand to her. "I'm Brendan, by the way. Nice to meet you, neighbor!" May returned the gesture as they shook hands. "So, my dad says your family came all the way from Johto. Did you get any cool Pokemon from there?"

"..." May looked slightly irritated as he asked, quickly tightening her grip on Brendan's hand.

"Ow, ow! Watch it!" Brendan cringed in pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" May released him from her Vicegrip. "It's just that... I didn't even get a chance to get my first Pokemon before moving, so..."

"Sorry I asked. Ow..." Brendan flicked his wrist. "Hey, do you want me to go out and catch one for you?"

"Really?" May's face lit up.

"Oh, wait... I was supposed to go help my dad with his work today. Sorry... maybe some other time, okay? I promise! Later, May!" Brendan rushed past her, and headed downstairs. "Mom, I'm heading out!"

"Figures..." May sighed as she headed down the stairs.

Outside, as she crossed the main road again, May heard more barking noises coming from the north. They sounded closer than last time.

'Those Pokemon are really noisy,' she thought as she continued walking. 'They better not be like that all night...'

"H-help!" a voice shouted. "Somebody, anybody! Please!"

"What the?" May stopped in her tracks, and looked north, where the voice was coming from. She quickly looked around to see if there was anyone else around, but it seemed she was the only one there. "I really shouldn't leave town without a Pokemon, but...!" She took a deep breath, and ran down the path towards the wilderness. It wasn't long before she saw the source of the screaming: a portly, bearded brown-haired man in a white coat was being chased by a small, black, dog-like creature, a Poochyena, which looked extremely agitated. The man scrambled for a nearby tree and started climbing. The Poochyena lunged, sinking its fangs into the seat of his pants.

"Yeowch!" The man yelped as he sprang up into the tree, grabbing hold of a branch, his legs dangling. He then noticed May in the distance. "Hello!" he called out to her. "You over there! Please, help! Drive this wild Pokemon off!"

"Me?" May pointed to herself. "But how? I don't have any Pokemon!"

"My bag! It's around here somewhere, there should be Poke Balls inside! Hurry, before this Poochyena spots you!"

"R, right!" May started scanning the surrounding area. "Bag, bag, bag... there!" She found the bag lying next to a bush. She emptied the bag, and three Poke Balls rolled out, as well as everything else in the bag, including stacks of important-looking papers. "Which one do I use?"

"Any of them!" the man shouted. Just then, the wild Poochyena jumped up at him and snapped, forcing him to lift his legs. "Ah! They all have Pokemon, just pick one!" May grabbed the first Poke Ball she could get her hands on, and turned to face the Poochyena.

"Here goes nothing...!" she said as she threw the Poke Ball with all her might.