Disclaimer: This story is set in a separate universe to the Anime, Manga and Videogame series of pokémon. It is partially based off of the games Red/Blue/Yellow and the remakes, FireRed/LeafGreen. There may be some references to the games and anime but overall this story is meant to be its own creation. Some ideas may be inspired by factors from the games and anime but it is its own idea and I have done my best to make it interesting and original. With that said feel free to review it, point out any mistakes and give any support you feel like. Hope you enjoy the read as this is my first proper story.
J1zDaLeg3nd out
Night is a strange place for those who live via the day. Visibility is non-existent, sound is enhanced and there is a constant feel of being watched from every corner and direct. Some may say this is all in the mind and most would probably agree, but it is safe to say that once in a while when you're walking through the dark there is the every possibility that you are being watched. This world of humans and Pokémon runs far and wide. There are many Pokémon, many lands and many kind of people. Of all the living creatures of the world there are few who live within the darkness of night comfortably, like it is all they know and wish to know. On this specific night an abandoned Pokémon wanders the mist. It is hardly visible in the dark, clouded, moonless shroud of night but this Pokémon is designed to be hidden here. It is at home in this world… or at least it normally would be. This Pokémon is alone. It used to have a master but after unfortunate events he and his master have…. Separated, for reasons known very well to him. He ran away from his life as a servant, a tool, a slave in human hands… a bad human's hands. Life in comfort is all he has known and now he is alone in a world he does not recognise. He wanders on, flapping through the trees of nearby woods using his four long, invisible skin flap wings till he reaches a hill nearby a valley of open fields. He rests atop the hill, tired, confused and slightly afraid. But suddenly he hears the sound of tree twigs snapping in the distance and the low sound of buzzing getting slowly louder as it gets slowly closer. He turns to see a swarm of nightmarish, monstrous looking creatures coming towards him. Angry things. Unfriendly things. Monsters looking for a midnight snack. Things he has never seen before. He readies to fight if he has to, raising his long, sharp tipped wing in defence over his flat, smooth face. His master taught him the basics of battle but the Pokémon is still young, still having much to learn. As the creatures get closer the moonlight flashes over the attacker's bodies, reviling insect like skin and limbs. Long spiked drill arms, large red bug eyes, long venom barbed abdomens, and thin fluttering buzzing wings. He feels the strong grip of fear and adrenaline clenching at his body, for the first time in his life. He wants to run but he is rooted to the spot, staring at the monstrous bugs before him... And then the Pokémon up front lashes out with a long spiked arm aimed straight at him.
The previous morning, approximately 18 hours earlier…
The summer sun gleamed high up in the sky like a signal flare from outer space. The fields of Suroway Farm reflected and glowed like solar street lights as the sun rays illuminated the growing corn, sewed wheat and ploughed dirt. A selection of Pokémon, including wild pidgey's, rattata's and the occasional butterfree scrabbled around the dusty ground, searching for rogue weeds, forgotten seeds or for hidden grubs under the mud. The farms Dugtrio, (a strange half hidden mole creature with three heads poking from out the ground) pushed its way through the mud and turf, working the dirt so that it could be used to grow more crops. Beside a low stone wall with plants and ivy growing through it trudged an elderly female venusaur (a large reptilian plant creature which walks on four fat legs with a large flower growing from its back), happily planting new seeds with her vines in one of the barren fields. Closer to the farm house a younger male Blastoise (a large turtle like creature with a huge shell and two water cannons sprouting out of its back) was filling up the water tanks using its just mentioned shell cannons for wild Pokémon and farm hold Pokémon to drink from. The current time at this point in the day was 10: 35 AM. From one of the farmhouse windows a young boy in a blue jumper, light grey trousers, a black T-shirt with a logo of two crossed bird wings and a small open top red cap could be seen looking out at the day. The boy was called Joseph; however everyone called him Joe simply because it was shorter. At this current point he no more knows his destiny then a Dugtrio knows about its hidden feet. He looked out through the glass, scanning the fields with his sparkling, sky blue eyes, getting a good view of the scenery. When he was satisfied he turned away from the window and looked around the inside of his house. He was standing in a nice cosy living room with light green walls and dark green carpet with light red sofas and a small television set. At the far side of the room Joe's uncle (a tall well-built middle aged man with greying black hair) was sat on one of the sofas reading the poké-times while watching the football on the television. Joe lived with his uncle because he did not have a father or mother. His uncle told him that the both of them had passed away when he was very young and he didn't remember what they were like. He didn't even know anything about them, not even their names; his uncle had always told him they were killed in an accident but had never explained how. He didn't even tell him what they looked like. But it didn't bother Joe much. He couldn't miss them because he'd never known them. He had never really been curious enough to ask more about it and he felt he was happier that way. He sat down on the opposite sofa and sighed. It was the last day he would see his home in a long time, because tomorrow he was going to be given his first Pokémon and start his journey as a Pokémon trainer.
Pokémon trainers, put simply, are people who catch and collect different kinds of Pokémon and trainer them; either to be stronger and to win battles, to be cuter, tougher, smarter, cooler or more beautiful and win competitions or simply for company as they travel around their region. Some people, like Joe's uncle, even breed rare species of Pokémon for other trainers or for everyday people to own and care for. Professor Oak, the main head of Pokémon knowledge for Kanto was offering to give several young people their own Pokémon to become Pokémon trainers and Joe was on that list for this month. Luckily his farm was only a small distance from pallet town so Joe wouldn't have to walk far. Everyone who gets offered a starter Pokémon from Professor Oak has to choose from one of three specific Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. There have been a couple of occasions when other Pokémon have been offered instead but they are rare and far between. Joe had spent the last couple of days deciding on which of the starter Pokémon he wanted to start with. Bulbasaur is easy to train and has some heavy attacks but is weak to quite a lot of types. Charmander is a lot harder to train but is strong against a lot of types and packs some heavy special power. From what he knew, Squirtle is somewhere in between the two, having fewer type weaknesses then Bulbasaur but less strength or difficulty in training then Charmander. All three of them had their own strengths and weaknesses which would either aid or cripple them in battle. But most of this information had come from his uncle who had been a trainer almost 20 years ago. His uncle also bred starter Pokémon that Oak took care of and gave to new trainers but the process was long and exhausting, requiring at least a month for the Pokémon to hatch and grow old enough to battle. He wasn't allowed to give them away himself because he was no professional Pokémon professor and it was illegal to give away baby Pokémon without a doctoring license. It suffers the same penalty as illegally selling a new-born puppy or kitten over black-market. Pokémon are living beings after all and need to be treated properly just like people and animals. His uncle finally looked up at him, recognising his presence returning to the room.
"How's the crops?" he asked.
"They're doing fine." Joe replied, simply.
"Where's Blitz?" his uncle asked. Blitz was Joe's pet Growlithe, which was a small fiery dog with red fur and black stripes as well as a small white mane and fluffy tail. He was also the son of Joe's uncle's Arcanine, Arco. He had been given to Joe as a birthday present for his thirteenth birthday. At the time Blitz had been only a few weeks old, now he was almost half a year old and still growing. He had a bad habit of setting fire to Joe's clothing and even his own fur (Which is surprisingly easy to do.) Joe stiffened up slightly.
"He's sleeping in his bed still." He explained, glancing at the small dog bed beside the staircase. The little puppy was snoring soundly, a small pale sheet hanging from his mouth and covering half his body. His uncle looked at him.
"He's still asleep." He mused. The idea of that was funny to him. For the first month or so he hadn't even tried to sleep at any point of the day. Puppies are like that; completely full of life and energy. So much so that they constantly disrupt the sleeping older world around them. "I didn't think it was possible for him to still be asleep by this time in the day." He shuffled his paper, flipping the page over and making a rustling sound as he did so. "Were you planning to go out and play with him at some point today?" He asked. Joe smiled as he watched the sleeping form.
"Yeah." He said.
"Good. It's a nice day." His uncle went back to his paper for a second. "You decided what Pokémon you wanted to start with? He added, curiously. Joe thought for a second. The question had taken him by surprise.
"Not yet" Joe told him. "I was actually hoping you'd help me decide. You used to be a trainer so I thought you might know which I should pick." Joe's uncle put the paper down and turned to look at him.
"Certain people work well with certain Pokémon and vice versa" his uncle told him. "No one truly knows what the best Pokémon to use is. It all depends on the trainer and how good the trainer and Pokémon's relationship is. Think yourself lucky. Not every kid gets a Pokémon and most of them won't start with one of the starters. They get one that's either handed down to them or one they've caught themselves." He smiled at Joe. "It doesn't really matter that much which Pokémon you start with to be honest. You only need to choose the one you feel would be the best choice for you. Maybe Charmander would be best for you. Charmander evolves into a flying type. You like birds, don't you?" Joe didn't seem to agree with him. His expression was a little unsure.
"True." Joe agreed, though not definitely. "I like to watch them and I love their songs… But I hate flying, and heights. I don't think that a flying Pokémon would be the best choice for me." His uncle sighed, sadly.
"Look. Think about it tonight." He explained. "If you still haven't chosen by the morning then choose one at random." Then the conversation was over. He picked up the newspaper again and continued to read. Joe sighed and stood up again. Slowly he walked over to the staircase, grabbing a lead and rubber ball from the side. He knelt down and nudged the small red form. It moved slightly. A small paw kicked out from under the blanket.
"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead." Joe sang. "It's time to get up." The form rolled over under the blanket. White fur became visible from underneath. Joe smiled. "I've got the ball." He whispered, crushing the small foam ball in his hand, causing it to make a high pitch squeak. A head suddenly shot up from under the blanket. A small smiling canine face poked out with a small black dot nose and adorable tiny eyes. A pink tongue hung out of the smiling mouth and under the blanket a fluffy tail wagged. Joe reached out and stroked Blitz's head. Blitz yapped happily. "Ok." Joe chuckled. He reached out with his other arm and clipped the lead onto Blitz's collar. "Let's go play."
A few minutes later and the two of them were standing in a small field just outside of Suroway farm. They had to head out there so that, in Blitz's excitement, he didn't burn down any crops or scare any of the farm Pokémon. He was still learning his own power and hadn't got the hang of creating fire. Every time he sneezed he set the carpet alight. The grass was slightly longer out here because there wasn't a large herd of tauros eating it. The sun had risen a little higher. Blitz waddled a few feet further ahead and turned at the sound of the rubber ball squeaking. Joe held his hand primed to throw. The small red and white ball was gripped between his fingers. He squeezed it slowly, causing it to make a gasping high pitch noise. Blitz barked and wagged his tail, jumping up and down excitedly. Joe pulled his arm back.
"Ok." He muttered, choosing his target to throw too. "Go Long!" He called, and released. The fluffy rubber red and white ball sailed through the air, leaving a trail of colour behind it. Blitz dashed after it, causing a few grass reeds to ignite in his wake. He was already catching up on it. With little trouble he ran directly underneath it, past it, stopped, turned around, opened his mouth… and incinerated it. Where the ball had been was a small cloud of ash slowly floating to the ground. Joe, who had been running after him, reached the small cloud a few seconds later. He held out a hand. Small specks of material and plastic fell onto it like the snowflakes of a volcano. He clenched his hand slowly and looked down at Blitz. He didn't look very happy. "Now, Blitz. What have I told you about flaming your toys like that?" Joe chided, a smile still lingering on his face. Blitz spun a circle, panting and smiling happily. He didn't seem to figure that he was at all being told off. Joe's smile faded now. "It's not funny." He snapped, a little more harshly now. "I was going to give you a few treats. But now that you've done that I guess I'll have to eat them, won't I." He put a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small, black coloured charcoal biscuit. Blitz suddenly froze still, his eyes fixed on the treat. He sat patiently, never turning his gaze away for a second. A small dot of saliva dripped from his mouth. Joe smiled. That had gotten his attention. "I mean it." He continued, mockingly now. "You stop burning your toys or I will eat it." He really wasn't joking anymore. He had done it before. It tasted awful, like burnt tree bits. Blitz groaned sadly, looking down at the floor pathetically.
"Gggrroooouuuwwww." He whimpered. Joe sighed and lowered his hand. He was so glad he didn't have to eat the biscuit now. He could not understand why fire type Pokémon, specifically Growlithe, loved these things. It was basically a shaped lump of coal. He smiled and patted Blitz's head. Blitz still looked sad. He was milking it now. Joe chuckled. He lifted his hand again. Blitz's attention fixed back to him. He pulled back his hand. Blitz stood up again, his tail wagging. The biscuit hung between Joe's fingers.
"Here you go, boy." He called. "FETCH!" He released. The lump of biscuit sailed on through the air. In a mad frenzy, Blitz suddenly spun around and shot of after it, looking head up all that time. He was too busy focusing on the treat so he didn't see the forest line getting closer and closer towards him. Joe stopped, skidding to a halt and watching as his Pokémon ran off towards the tree line. "No. Blitz Heel! He shouted. But Blitz didn't hear him. He was too focused on getting his treat. He wanted it so badly. He ran on and on and finally disappeared inside the forest edge. Joe stood about twenty metres away, watching from the distance, a worried expression on his face. Blitz had just run out into wild Pokémon territory. No one knew just how many different Pokémon lived in there but they knew a lot of them were not friendly. In fact many of them were bug types. Blitz wasn't old enough to venture in their alone, even with Joe with him. Joe was hardly likely to be any help if he got in trouble. There was nothing for a few seconds. "Blitz?" Joe called. No response, not even a bark. He tried again. "Blitz!" He called louder. "Come here, boy. Come back!" Still there was nothing. Then the silence changed. It was no longer the silence of nothing happening. Instead it was the silence of anticipation. The silence before something was about to happen. Joe took a step back. He just hoped 'for the love of Arceus that Blitz hadn't woken up a…' And then there was a low buzzing sound. It echoed around the entire woods like an earthquake. It was quiet at first but slowly, gradually grew louder and louder and louder and louder until it was almost defining. Joe covered his ears. "Beedrill!" He scream, knowing what was about to happen. He took several steps back. And then there was a bark. He looked back at the forest. Blitz was running back out, completely fine. He ran straight on and heading past Joe, a terrified expression on his face. He had woken the hive. A few seconds later and an entire army of three foot tall, spear armed, sharp stinger, yellow and black stripped beedrill came speeding out after him on their small, quick fluttering wings. They came out of every visible orifice of the woods, swarming like… well bees. They pointed their drills and aimed their stingers, flying incredibly fast towards the small, annoying, fire breathing dog that had woken them up and crashed into their nest. Joe stood open mouthed for a second. "Blitz, what the hell did you do?!" He muttered. Then he ran. He didn't even look back. Doing so would have been futile. He just kept running, his feet a blur as he sprinted as fast as he could away from the tree line. The beedrills, now catching sight of him, sped after him, seeing him as the newest target. (Most beedrill are very single minded. If their nest has been destroyed they take it out on the nearest none-beedrill living thing around, whether they're responsible or not.) Joe felt the ground getting rougher. He was coming up on the hill near Suroway farm, which looked out over Pallet town. The grass rose up gradually as he scaled the top. Then he saw something red and furry speed past him. Blitz had dashed of up the hill and was already running down the other side. Joe suddenly realised how much danger he was in. If the Beedrills were just behind Blitz, and Blitz had just outrun him, then how close were the beedrills to him? Making the first worst decision that was yet to come of his life, he turned around. Behind him a huge long row of large, angry wasp Pokémon were charging towards him, now directly in front of him. The closest one had its stingers readied already. Joe continued running but forgot to look where he was going. Suddenly he tripped on some wet grass and fell flat on his face. Not knowing what else to do he curled up into a ball to defend himself. He muttered a desperate prayer under his breath, in case any god anywhere would be kind enough to spare his life. The beedrill up front stopped in front of him, raised its stingers, brought them swinging down… and suddenly stopped. In fact all the beedrills stopped completely. They froze in mid action, their angry buzzing jolting to a quiet silence suddenly. Joe opened an eye. The beedrill in front of his was looking down dumbly at him. Its stingers were now by its side, its antennae twitching as it picked up signals from within the forest. All the other beedrills were doing exactly the same thing. Their queen was calling them back to the nest. Slowly, uncontrollably and in unison, all of the beedrills turned around and flew slowly back towards the forest. When they were gone Joe sat up, looked at the tree line and sighed with relief.
The door to the farm house swung open and Joe walked in, Blitz following after him. His Uncle wasn't in right now. His car was gone so he'd probably popped out into town for something. Joe didn't really care much. He was tired and he wanted to rest. Outside the sun was still up but it was begging to get a little darker already. It would be night time in a few hours. He walked up the stairs to his room, leaving Blitz downstairs with his lead off. He threw his bedroom door open, sat down on his bed and switched on the TV. There was a battle happening on the PBA [Pokémon Battle Arena] channel. A trainer with a Druddigon was battling a trainer with a Jolteon and, from what Joe could tell, the Druddigon was winning, using powerful smashes with its tail to knock the foes Rapidash over. Around the room were posters of famous people and Pokémon, like the three legendary birds, Moltres, Articuno and Zaptos, the Kanto Elite Four, and a trainer in red with a Pikachu who Joe didn't know the name of. He relaxed onto his bed, a child's drawing of the three starters looking down on him. He smiled to himself.
"Only 12 hours to go." He whispered to himself "And then I'll be a trainer. A real Pokémon trainer". And he drifted off into the large void in time and space commonly called sleep.
A sudden Screeching in the distance woke him up again. Joe sat bolt upright on his mattress. He looked around the pitch-black room as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. The TV had been turned off while he slept and the clock on his wall said it was 5 minutes to 5AM. He rubbed his tired eyes and swung his legs of the side of the bed.
"What on earth was that noise?" he exclaimed to himself. It was definitely not human. And if it was a Pokémon, It wasn't one that Joe had ever heard before. He went to the window and pulled back the curtains. Outside the sun was just starting to rise. A small line of purple light was moving its way up the sky. He looked towards the distance. On the hill, not too far away from the farm, a battle was going on. The silhouette of an unusual Pokémon was fighting off another group of bug-like Pokémon. Part of Joe's mind said 'leave it. These things always happen and we shouldn't interrupt it. That's nature' but the other part of his mind, the part that was too curious to resist said 'I've never seen that kind of Pokémon before. And if it's incredibly rare, I should help it out.' As he looked closer, he could see that the group of Pokémon that were attacking were Beedrills. Six Beedrills were attacking that other Pokémon on the knoll. He sighed. He would have to help now. It was most likely that they'd travelled that far from the forest because he and Blitz had disturbed their nest. Beedrills could be dangerous enough on their own as they have strong poison in their stingers but a swarm is lethal. Even six of them can prove just as bad.
"I have to do something." He decided quickly. He grabbed his jacket and hat from the side of his chair and flung them on, rushing through the door, hardly aiming to be quiet anymore. Blitz was awoken by his rushing downstairs. He whimpered a little but he did not bark, watching keenly as Joe got dressed and went for the front door. His canine mind told him 'Oh boy. A midnight walk. I wonder if he'll give me more biscuits.' He gave a small, excited yap. Joe turned around and saw the small Growlithe puppy lying on its bed and wagging its tail madly. "Shh!" He hushed him to be quiet as he crept to the door and slid it open. Without a second thought he ran out into the night, feet pounding on the dry ground, kicking up mud as he sped through the fields. Blitz ran after him, thinking they were going for a run. The hill was getting closer and closer with every step. The Beedrills became more obvious the closer he got but the other Pokémon they were attacking was still hard to see, as if it was blending into the purple and black night. Blitz ran closely behind him. Joe skidded to a stop as he realised that he hadn't thought this through properly. He was charging into a wild Pokémon battle with no Pokémon of his own and no experience in a battle what so ever. He was practically committing suicide by running into the middle of it. But it was too late to turn back now, he was already at the bottom of the hill, and that Pokémon needed help. He continued to scale the hillside, Blitz following behind. The battle was still going on, the Beedrills were still pressing hard with their attacks.
As Joe reached the top he was flung back as a huge burst of wind knocked him and the Beedrills flying to the ground. The other Pokémon had used its two large wings to create a powerful gust. Joe landed at the bottom of the hill. He winced in pain as he tried to get back onto his feet. The Beedrills were already back up and attacking again, this time more ferociously, throwing jabs and slashes everywhere. But again the Pokémon sent them flying backwards, creating a heavy back-blast of wind. Joe ran up the hill again. The Beedrills were now getting back up again. As they began to get up to attack again Joe reached the top and stood in front of the Pokémon, arms out to protect it. Blitz stood in front of him to protect him, yapping in excitement. The Beedrills looked surprised, so did the Pokémon Joe was protecting. Blitz growled uneasily, standing his ground but slightly frightened. Joe shivered with nerves but stood his ground, too. The Beedrills made a chorus of buzzing sounds which Joe assumed to be laughter. They raised their drills and prepared to charge. Joe suddenly realised how stupid he was to jump in front of a group of wild Pokémon. The Beedrills drove forward, drills out, ready to strike.
A flash of purple wings, a gust of strong wind and three of the Beedrills collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The others darted back in surprise. The Pokémon that Joe had been protecting was now in front of him, protecting him. Joe could still not see it properly. Its outline was the only thing visible in the darkness. It turned back to look at Joe. It's yellow, half-moon eyes glowed in the darkness like filtered sunlight through glass. In made a sort of purring-growling sound then turned back around to face the Beedrills in front. A drill smashed into the side of the Pokémon's face. It winced but took the hit and returned with a powerful blow from its front wings. The other Beedrills slashed and jabbed at it but it took the hits and returned them with fast movements and cleverly made dodges.
"We need to stop this." Joe commanded, narrowly avoiding a wild stab from a drill. Blitz looked at him and smiled. The Pokémon winced and flinched as the jabs came in faster and faster. "Blitz! Ember!" A puff of flame smashed into the side of a Beedrill. It flinched upon contact and they turned to the direction it came from. Blitz sent out another ball of flame. This one hit a different Beedrill in its antennae which sent it into a furious rage. It swung its drills at the others and everyone around it, scratching the edge of Joe's shoulder and ripping the jacket. The large bees scattered, chased away by their crazy partner. Joe looked back to where the Pokémon lay in an exhausted heap. He ran over to it and put his hand on the back of its head. Its skin burned like fire. The poor thing had obviously been poisoned by the Beedrills. Its yellow eyes looked into his blue eyes. He felt a stinging sensation in his right arm. He looked to his right and saw a huge gash in his shoulder, lying partially hidden under the rip in his jumper. "Oh Crap!" he exclaimed, suddenly feeling sick and exhausted. It must have happened during the attack. He was too busy saving this Pokémon that he didn't even notice getting hurt. A wave of pain and tiredness hit him suddenly. His knees sagged and he collapsed to the ground. Blitz dashed over to him. He nudged his arm but Joe did not respond. Blitz lied down beside him, head up, looking out in case something else came along.
About an hour later the sun had risen higher, almost fully visible now. Joe and Blitz still lay where they had been an hour before. The Beedrills had completely disappeared now. They knew not to mess with the three of them now. A shadow came into view in the distance. It scaled the hillside from the direction of pallet town. Blitz starred and one of his eyes slid open. He saw the shadowed figure walking towards them, wearing a white lab coat and short grey hair. Blitz lifted his head and growled lightly. The shadowed figure reached a pail hand out to Blitz and stroked him on the head.
A while later Joe awoke. Bright lights blurred his vision and he squinted his eyes so he could see. When his eyes were finally used to the light he looked around. He was lying on a turquoise foam lab bed. He sat up slowly. He was inside a white room with pale green walls enclosing it. On his left was a bunch of vials that contained weird looking liquids, on his right was a desk with lots of paperwork on it. There was also another bed like his right next to him. The Pokémon that he had rescued that night laid on it. It hadn't awoken yet but that could be understood because the fight it had put up was astonishing. Joe got off the bed and winced with the pain in his shoulder. He looked at it and saw it had been bandaged. He walked over to the Pokémon. His legs ached with the pain of fatigue. Joe was now able to see it properly, and he understood why he couldn't see it to well in the darkness. From head to back wings it was covered in dark purple skin. It had two large, bat like ears at the top of its head, a large mouth that was full of sparkling white teeth, and two very small feet (at least what look like feet) behind its two back wings.
"Amazing, isn't it." Someone said behind him. Joe spun around in surprised. A tall, old, grey haired man stood there. He wore a white lab coat and dark grey trousers. He had short grey hair and chestnut brown eyes. He smiled at Joe in a disarming way. "You shouldn't be walking around." He told him. "You had quite a big fight last night. It was lucky I found you."
"Professor Oak?" Joe asked. The man nodded. Joe stepped back. "What am I doing here?"
"One of the Beedrills who attacked you last night poisoned you. I used an antidote to fix you up" he pointed towards the purple Pokémon that lay on the bed behind him. "He saved you, and you saved him."
Joe turned around. The Pokémon was now awake; its yellow eyes looked into Joes. He felt a sudden connection between the two of them. He felt like he'd somehow known it for a long time, as though there meeting that night was destined. Something told him that this Pokémon was to become an important part of his life. It was a spark that levitated at the back of their minds, filling the air with a strange awkward silence. All of time seemed to link into this moment. It glowed with importance, yet no one knew why at the time.
"What is it?" he asked.
"He is a Crobat." Oak replied. "The final evolutionary stage of Zubat. This one's quite small for its species. They're incredibly rare among trainers and impossible to find in the wild. How you found this one I do not know but if you hadn't helped each other both of you both could have died."
"Does my uncle know where I am?" Joe asked. The professor nodded.
"I contacted him straight after I found you." Joe put his hand on the Crobat's head. Its fever had died down now. His fingers brushed past something on the back of its left ear.
"What's this?" he asked. He pulled it off slowly so he didn't hurt him. He held in his hand a small plastic tag with a name inscrolled on it. "Ralph" He read aloud. Upon hearing this word the Crobat lifted itself straight up on its front wings. It recognises the name that Joe had read out.
"Looks like that's his name." the professor concluded. The Crobat, 'Ralph', nodded. The professor walked over to him.
"Your Uncle said you were coming in today for your first Pokémon." He continued to say.
"I know." Joe turned back around to face him. "But I still haven't decided on which Pokémon to start with."
"Well I have a proposition for you." he lifted up a small, cardboard box and opened the lid. Inside was a pokéball. This pokéball was different to the other types, though. It was white all over with a red line going over the joint part. "This was found hanging from his neck. We assumed it was the original pokéball 'Ralph' was caught in. You and 'Ralph' seem to have some kind of amazingly connection. I don't know how but it's there. And since no one has come to claim him it's possible that he doesn't or no longer has an owner. You can't decide on what Pokémon to start with, either. So I propose the following. I think that you should take Ralph as your first Pokémon." Joe looked back to Ralph. "If you both choose, of course. It's perfectly legal for me to do so. This pokemon, as far as we are aware, is abandoned. If the owner does eventually turn up I'll contact you or your uncle to bring him back and hand him over. But, until then, he's yours to take care of." The professor finished. Joe thought for a couple of seconds. This was such a big thing for him to take in. This was clearly a pokemon which had been owned before and may still have an owner. For all he knew they could be still looking for their pokemon. Looking for Ralph. Was it ethically right for him to take under teh wing a pokemon which may belong to someone else without their written permission? His eyes fell on Ralph who looked at him hopefully. The large purple bat nodded his approval. That seemed to decide it for Joe.
"Then I choose you." he said quietly. Ralph smiled slightly, flapped his wings and lifted off the bed. He hovered above the floor, his wings slowly flapping to keep him stable.
The Professor laughed. Joe turned back around to face him "Take the pokéball" Professor Oak told him. Joe grabbed the pokéball out of the box. He held it out in his hand, and then clipped it onto his belt.
"It's settled then." The professor said delightedly. "This Crobat shall be your starting Pokémon. Before you go I have something to ask of you." He walked over to his desk and moved several papers aside, looking for something. "Many, many years ago I used to be a trainer myself. I had a dream of recording every Pokémon in our world. To take down information, to understand them properly. But I am old now and this dream has proven almost impossible to achieve now, especially since there are over 700 Pokémon known to us now." He finally found what he was looking for. A small, red, electronic pad. He picked it up and held it in his hand. "So I invented this, The Pokédex, to take down all the information about a Pokémon. It takes down basic information like name, looks, size and sound upon sight, but to get full information you have to capture it." He turned around and walked back to the two of them. He held his hand out with the Pokédex gripped in his palm. "Joe, I ask of you to take down information about all the Pokémon in the region. To understand them, to befriend them, to learn from them. Will you take this quest from an old man?" Joe and Ralph looked at each other, then back to the professor.
"Sure." Joe decided.
"Excellent." The professor cried. Joe took the Pokédex from the professor and held it in his hand. "Your uncle is waiting outside." The professor added. "Your adventure has just started."
The pair walked out of the building, smiles on their faces, their brains buzzing with excitement. Yet they still felt confused by the experience the night before. All this was happening so suddenly. Was it even real? A boy with no Pokémon care training suddenly befriending an incredibly rare creature and making it his starter Pokémon. It sounded too farfetched. Yet it was happening. As they exited the building he noticed his uncle standing outside, waiting, a bag over his back, Blitz standing next to him and his Venusaur, Flower, also standing with him. A few feet further back, watching like a god of humanity, was a tall, fiery coated Arcanine. The arcanine was called Arco and he was his uncle's original starter Pokémon. He had been given him as a present when he was ten years old. They had grown up together. Apparently at one time the two of them had been very powerful trainers but had given it all up to live a quieter life. Joe walked up to his uncle and stood in front of him. They did not speak for several seconds.
"I'm speechless." His uncle finally said. "You rush out to protect a wild Pokémon you don't even know from a swarm of bugs without any training or understanding of how to fight in a Pokémon battle. They you get hurt and get rescued by the old professor"
"I know." Joe said, solemnly. "I'm sorry" His uncle smiled and put his hand on Joe's good shoulder.
"And I couldn't be more proud of you." Joe looked at him, unsure that he heard right.
"But I acted irresponsible." Joe reminded him "Why are you proud?"
His Uncle laughed. "Because you saved another life and made a friend at the same time. You also learned more in one battle then most trainers do in five. It takes real bravery to risk your own life for others. Your father would have been proud of you. Both your parents would be. You remind me of them every day." He took a step back, looking solemn. Then he looked at Ralph. "Is this your Pokémon?"
Joe turned around to introduce him "This is Ralph"
"Ralph, huh." His uncle repeated. "Unusual nickname to give him."
"I didn't give it to him." Joe informed him. "It was written on a tag attached to him." He held out his gripping right palm. "I also found him with this. It was hanging from his neck." He passed his uncle the white pokéball the professor had given him.
"Never seen a pokéball like this before." His uncle concluded after studying it for a couple of seconds. "It's probably a new style that's been made." He then passed it back to Joe, not mentioning the small insignia carved on the back.
"I've brought along some things that you will need. I stopped off by the pokémart on the way." He slid the bag off from his back and laid it on the floor. "Inside is everything you're going to need. Pokéball, Potions to heal your team, food, water, spare clothes…"
"I get it!" Joe interrupted; irritated by the fact his uncle was giving him another lecture. He picked up the bag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. It was quite heavy but light enough to carry easily on his back.
"One last thing." His uncle added. He leaned closer, speaking in a lower voice that only Joe would hear. Joe leaned in too. He uncle looked more stern and serious now. "Keep an eye on your friend here. He's unique and that may lead to certain groups of people wanting to come after him. There's been rumours going around. Just don't be afraid to protect yourself should people like that pop up in your travels. Also don't be afraid of his power or your own. You're smart and clearly talented. You could go a long way. Catch more Pokémon, build your team, and grow more friends. Don't ever let your skills become limited. Keep growing. Keep training. Be a fearless trainer."
"I know all that already." Joe explained. "You've told me many times."
"I know" he replied. "I've reminded you of that information every day. You're my nephew after all. Legends are not born. They have to be made." His uncle took a step back. "Now go on. Go have some great adventures with your friends. But don't forget about your old uncle still at home."
"I won't" Joe said, rubbing his eye, trying to stop the possibility of a tear appearing. He was leaving home for the first time. This was a scary moment for any child to experience, even in this world where kids did it all the time. But it had to happen one day. Better when you're young then when you're old. Blitz trotted up to Joe, yapping in excitement. Joe laughed and knelt down to him. He stroked his ears affectionately.
"No." he laughed "you aren't coming with me." Blitz's face drooped. He moaned in sadness. Joe tickled his chin. "You take care of the crops while I'm gone. And don't go rummaging through the feedbags again." Blitz's tail wagged furiously. He was definitely not going to keep that promise. He jumped up and down, barking his approval. "Good boy" he stood up again. He then walked up to Flower and patted her head.
"Saur" she growled with fondness. A few feet further away Arco bowed to him, a large fanged smile on his face. Joe bowed back in respect.
He turned to look down the path to the next town. He knew the roads would be long and the battles tough but he could see the look in Ralph's eyes. They were prepared for all that. They would take it on as a team. A new team. A fresh team. A team that was to soon become, in their own way, legendary. This was the start of their amazing adventure, and they didn't even know what was to happen yet. The two of them set off, waving back to the others as they walked into the distance. Their strong friendship had just begun to form.
So that's the first chapter. Sorry it might be a little bad in areas. I've been back and edited it a lot but it's still not perfect. Feel free to write a review or send me a private message with advice or ideas. All points people have to make are welcome. Enjoy the rest of the story.
J out!
Also check out the sequel story that has just come out. Again, it's been written by me and hopefully it's better. I would advice you finish this story first so that everything happening in that one makes sense. Either way, thank you for all teh support and advice I get. You guys are awesome.
Crobat Chronicles 2: Johto (Link): s/11340040/1/Pokemon-The-Crobat-Chronicles-2-Johto
