Chapter 1: The Professor and the Lab
Titan was a young 17 year old boy who lived a normal life in a small city called Clarksville in the state of Tennessee. Titan was a normal kid who went to high school and had many friends. Titan had just graduated from high school and received his diploma and was getting ready to head to college. It was the middle of the summer and Titan was headed home from a long day of work. Titan always hated the long drive from work to his house because of the traffic and terrible drivers. He finally manages to pull the truck into his parking spot and shut the pickup off and grabbed his work hat and walked inside. The alarm beeped alerting the house of his arrival, while he place the truck key on the counter and proceeded to make his way into his room so that he could rest and watch a little television. But as he passed through the kitchen greeting his mother in the living room which was fully visible through the opening in the wall of the kitchen, he noticed a woman in a white lab coat. The site of this stranger had him confused because he didn't recognize the lady. The stranger stood up and walked over to Titan greeting him, "Hi Titan! My name is Professor Williams. I am sure you have heard of the creatures called Pokemon?" she asked. Titan responded, "yeah of course I have heard of them who hasn't?"
"Well I am here to make you an offer to take a journey across America with a Pokemon of your choice!"
"No way! You have to be kidding me? Of course I will do it."
"Okay great, I need you to come to the Pokemon research facility assigned to the Southeast. Our Facility is Located in New Orleans, Louisiana."
Titan was ecstatic, he knows just about everything there is to know about Pokemon from the different kinds, the types, the advantages, abilities, natures, he knew everything. He watches the yearly tournament every year and always dreams of himself being the tournament winner and taking on the champion of that time.
Titan packed a bag containing medicine, food, clothes, his cell phone, and any other supplies he might need and set off with Professor Williams to Louisiana to meet the head professor and receive his Pokemon to set off on his journey.
"So Titan what did you do in high school?" the professor asked as they drove down the high way leading to New Orleans.
"Well I was in the marching band all year, I played tuba and was pretty good if I may say so myself." he laughed.
The pair kept driving, talking about many different things. He learned that Professor Williams graduated from the University of Florida with a Masters Degree in Pokemon Science. The car was finally pulled into a gate in what seemed like a large swamp. They pulled up to a keypad and the professor typed in a code and the large metal gates swung open allowing the car to proceed. They drove down a long winding road and came to a large white building with multiple columns. They walked up to the front door and walked into a large opened room with a few other kids his age.
"Go ahead and mingle with the other future trainers, you will even be traveling with some of these kids so I suggest you get to know them all." Professor Williams whispered into Titan's ear.
Titan went to ask her another question but looked over his shoulder only to notice that the professor had disappeared. He began walking toward the group of kids going over in his head what to say or how to introduce himself. The room in which they all stood was a grand room with red walls and curtains falling from the room with PokeBalls stitched into them. On both sides of the room were huge stair cases that led upwards to another room that Titan didn't know what was up there. Titan went to take another step forward, when he brought his gaze down from the curtains hanging from the room, there was a girl standing in his face.
"Hi!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm Penny. Penny Radford, what's your name?"
Titan looked at this girl in the face, she was beautiful, and his mouth was open but no words were coming out. He didn't know what to say to the girl standing in front of him.
"I like Pokemon!" he shouted out, immediately smacking himself in the face. Penny was beautiful, she had light skin with beautiful blonde hair draping from her white beanie that sat on her head. Penny wore a white button down shirt with the shoulder's completely missing and she wore green shorts that went just below her kneecaps. Penny gave Titan a confused look, and then laughed at how nervous he was.
"I know! Me too! But what is your name?" she asked again.
"Oh, I'm Titan." He responded; this time with confidence.
"Titan? That's a really cool name I have never heard that name before!"
"Neither have I, what were you named after the football team in Nashville?" asked a strange voice.
Titan searched for where the voice came from and he saw a muscular looking kid walking over to join their conversation. He stared the boy down as he got closer, he was really tan and had muscles all over the place. His head was shaved but there was enough hair there to tell that his hair was red. The boy wore a gray sweater which seemed too small on him and casual blue jeans that fit just perfectly and his green shoes also stood out.
"Garrett Bartley's the name." He announced, holding a hand out to Titan.
Titan took his hand firmly and shook it introducing himself also to Garrett.
"So what's your favorite type?" Garrett asked.
"I like Dragon type Pokemon just because of their ferocity!" Titan answered with passion in his voice.
"Normal types for me, they're so cute!" Penny chimed in.
Two more kids made their way to the small group forming around Titan. A kid of mix races with black corn rows that run down his head with a green Bulbasaur t-shirt, light blue jeans and black shoes walked with another girl. The girl was more heavy set and she had short black hair that ran down to her shoulders and the top was pinned back over her ears. The girl wore a white shirt with khakis and gray shoes. The pair came to a stopping point and introduced themselves.
"What's up guys? I'm Gerald Robinson." The boy with the corn rows announced.
"And I'm Helena Alonso." The girl introduced herself.
The other three also introduced themselves to Helena and Gerald. "So what do you suppose the professors are going to ask us to do?" Gerald asked.
"I think they want us to record all of the Pokemon out there." Garrett said.
"I'm not sure, to be honest. But I know one thing it's going to be awesome and I can't wait for this." Titan exclaimed.
The sound of a microphone cutting on came on overhead, followed by tapping and the words, "testing" repeated three times. "Everyone gather around, it's time to begin." said the voice over the microphone. All the kids in the room made there way to the front where a middle aged man with short brown hair was standing at a podium with a microphone in hand.
"Hello everyone!" the professor exclaimed, "I am so happy to see that you have all made it here safely! Welcome to my Pokemon research center here in New Orleans, I am Professor Smith." He paused and took a drink of water. "Now you may all be wondering why I have assembled all of you here. Well you see every year the president of the United States asks for 18 children from each of the eight regions to go out and compete for the National Pokemon Battle Tournament or they call it the NPBT. This means that there will be 144 rookies competing for a spot in the 64 man tournament. Anyways in order to get into this tournament you a required to travel the country and take on the eight regional gyms. Each region has eight different gyms, but what gym you will compete in is based off of what region you start in. Since you children are in the Southeast your first gym will be in Nashville, Tennessee, and then you will travel to the Northeast and compete in the gym located in Augusta, Maine, after that your third gym is in the North in Des Moines, Iowa. After you defeat those three gyms you will travel immediately south to Dallas, Texas then travel Southwest to Phoenix, Arizona then head to the Northwest area and head to Eugene, Oregon. Now you may have noticed that that is only six gyms right? Well now your headed north to Alaska, where you will then take a boat back south to Hawaii then back to Washington D.C. for the tournament. You young minds are in for a great and fantastic journey, full of fun, new friends, possibly a little love? Eh eh? Anyways, the reasons for why the presidents asks this of each region is unknown, but the winner of this particular years tournament will receive a very special offer that will change his/her life forever. Now it is time to assign you your first Pokemon no-" the professor was interrupted with a burst of cheers.
"I know, I know, you kids are excited so without further ado! Your Pokemon!" as he finished that sentence three carts with six Pokeballs were pushed into the room. Titan eyed the carts down wondering which one he was going to get and what were in them. "Know, for the sake of being fair, you will not know what Pokemon is in the Pokeball, you will pick a random ball and that Pokemon will be your partner." Everyone looked a little nervous about this, because nobody wanted to get stuck with a Pokemon that they weren't compatible with. "Okay we are going to start with..." the professor paused as he pulled a name from a hat. "Ah, Roland Dodd!" Roland stepped forward, he was muscular and very white, he had messy blonde hair and wore a blue checkered jacket and black jeans. Roland walked to the second table and picked the first Pokeball. He sighed nervously and released a small blue penguin Pokemon. "Ah, very nice Roland you selected Piplup, this little one is a water type who evolves into Prinplup who is water/steel and then Empoleon who is also water/steel." Roland picked up his new partner and placed it on his shoulder. Roland walked back to his original spot. The professor reached his hand back into the hat and pulled out a second name. "Gerald Robinson is the next name." the professor called. Gerald walked up to the carts and pulled a Pokeball and released a small blue Pokemon with a fin on its head and tail with orange coming from its cheeks. "Mudkip, the water typeas who evolves into Marshtomp and then Swampert both water/ground types. Mudkip is great against electric type Pokemon!"
"Awesome! My own Pokemon! Hi Mudkip." Mudkip looked up at its new trainer with excitement and followed its trainer over to his place by Titan. "The next name is... Hope Dickson." A dark skin girl let out a high pitched eep, obviously excited for her first Pokemon. Hope was very skinny and had long blonde and wavy hair and wore a pink collared shirt with a purple skirt. Hope picked her Pokemon and released an orange pig. "Tepig is a fire type who evolves into Pignite and Emboar the fire/fighting type." Hope returned Tepig to her Pokeball and walked back to her spot. The professor grabbed another name, "Marie Welch!" Marie walked up to the cart, she had long orange hair that went down to her lower back, she wore a pink dress in red heels. The pokemon that came out was a green lizard Pokemon that stood on two feet. "Snivy! That's a fiesty Pokemon it evolves into Servine and Serperior both grass types." the professor said.
"Hi little Snivy! Do you want to go on a journey with me?" Marie asked Snivy.
Snivy didn't seem interested as it just turned it's back on her. Marie sighed and returned Snivy and walked back to the crowd to watch the rest. "Sri Otto, you're up!" A tan boy with long brown hair stepped forward, he showed off his black leather jacket and jeans with chains coming off them. He walked up grabbed a ball and let out an orange chick Pokemon and immediately returned it to it's ball and walked back. "Oh um. That's Torchic the fire type who evolves into Combusken and Bl-" "Whatever." Sri cut off the professor. Many kids gave off looks of dislike not appreciating how brutal he was. "Ok then the next student is Titan!" Excitement flooded over Titan and he almost didn't step up. Titan walked to the carts pondering the different possible Pokemon and which one to choose. Titan closed his eyes and picked up a random Pokemon he kept his eyes closed as he released his new partner and hopefully his new best friend. He opened his eyes to an orange monkey staring up at him with excitement gleaming in its eyes. Titan formed and instant connection with this little monkey. "Chimchar! The fire type that becomes Monferno and Infernape both fire/fighting types." Chimchar climbed onto Titans shoulder and waited with him for the rest of the trainers to get their Pokemon.
"Helena Alonso come get a Pokemon!" the professor called out. Helena walked up to the tables with a hand on her chin, pondering the selection she was about to make. She reached her hand out and grabbed a Pokeball and let out a green turtle like Pokemon that had a twig coming out of its head and a brown shell. "Turtwig the grass type, it evolves into Grotle and Torterra both grass/ground types." the professor made the usual announcement. Turtwig walked over to Helena who took her spot next to Penny. "Kayla Mosley!" the name called out and a girl with red hair and a white fluffy shirt with gray pants walked up and released a green Pokemon with a plant bulb on its back. "Bulbasaur is a grass type and it evolves into Ivysaur and Venusaur both are grass/poison types." Bulbasaur and Kayla walked back to their place and where replaced by Garrett who finally had his name called. Garrett picked a Pokemon with a long pointed snout and red dots on it's back. "Cyndaquil! One of my personal favorites it evolves into Quilava and Typhlosion." Garrett picked up Cyndaquil and held it in his arms and walked back to his group with Titan and Gerald. "Jaymie Smith." a girl with long red hair and green eyes wore a pink shirt unbuttoned with a white shirt underneath. Jaymie also wore white pants and black shoes and she walked forward and picked her new partner and released a blue pokemon with sharp teeth. "What is this Pokemon?" she asked. "Thats a Totodile, it evolves into Croconaw and then Feraligatr. Totodile is a water type Pokemon, by the way."
The Pokemon selection continued on with all the trainers getting their new Pokemon. Rosa South a bigger girl with a pink tanktop and green shorts got the Pokemon Squirtle, a blue turtle that stands on two legs with a brown shell. After Rosa, Austin Law, a boy with parted blonde hair and a brown sweater, got Oshawott, the otter that uses a scalchop as a weapon. Joss Hawk was next, Joss was big and dark with brown hair and a blue jacket. Joss selected the Pokemon Treecko, the grass gecko type that has a big green tail. Andrew Powell, a tall, white boy with thick brown hair and incredibly bushy eyebrows, selected a fox looking Pokemon called Fennekin. Kristal Yanez, a skinny black girl with beaded hair in a white tank top, randomly chose Charmander, the orange lizard with a fire at the end of it's tail. When it was finally Penny's turn she selected a blue frog like Pokemon called Froakie. Bruce Walden, the next kid had blonde hair that was pointed way off to the side an obvious result of too much hair jell. Bruce had an orange long vest and a green shirt underneath and blue sweatpants. Bruce picked up Chikorita a grass type on all fours that has a large leaf protruding from it's head. The last pokemon picked was the grass starter from the Kalos region, Chespin. Chespin was selected by Sharon Cooper a short blonde headed girl who was about as smart as a box of rocks.
"Okay then now that you all have your Pokemon, I have decided to set up a little tournament in the back yard! You will all compete in the tournament as a little bit of practice! And not only will the winner get bragging rights, but we also have a mystery egg that will join the winner on they're travel! Now if you will all follow me to the backyard."