POKEMON: DNJ ADVENTURES

PROLOGUE: AGED 7

The three boys sat together in a circle, in the corner of the playground. Autumn tree leaves veiled over the spot where they sat, legs crossed. They were safe to talk here; no teachers could see or hear them. A map was laid on top of the leaves, illustrated with a red crayon.

"Alright," Jay began. "Do I need to go over the plan again?"

Jay, despite being the smallest in stature of the trio, was without a doubt in mind the leader of the boys. He was more mature than both Dean and Nile and had known them both since he was an infant. His skin was a light cinnamon brown, he had two large front teeth and recently trimmed almost jet black hair, with a very precised shapeup.

"Just once more please, Jay," Dean said, smiling intently. The plan had truly excited him, but he needed to hear the details juts once more, to make sure he had heard everything correctly.

Dean was fairly taller than Jay, but was also noticeably afraid of him despite the difference shared in height, and saw him as someone to look up to. Dean's skin was darker than Jay's and his hair slightly longer and thicker.

"Jeez, Dean!" Jay fired, his eyes sharply cutting at Dean's. "Why can't you just keep shut for once, we've gotta get to class soon!"

He put his hand on his chin. "Well it can't be helped, can it?"

Pointing at the map with his free hand, Jay began to explain the plan for a final time.

"Ok, so at around, say, 9 o'clock, we sneak out of our rooms through our bedroom windows, right after our parent's final check to see whether we're sleeping. After that, we make a quick dash to the edge of Claypem Town, right by that massive oak tree-"

"The one with the giant Fearow nest at the top?!" Dean cut in, shock in his tone.

Jay was beginning to get agitated, his eyes cut at Dean again. They were filled with malice.

"Yes, Dean, the one with the Fearow's nest." Jay scratched at his hair and refocused on the map. "Now, at the top of the nest are three Pokemon eggs, one for each of us, and before you ask Dean, I'm certain they're not Spearow eggs, I checked on my telescope and the patterns are completely different."

Jay then stood up. "Now remember to bring your family's emergency harness kit, otherwise, we won't be able to scale the tree, oh and some gloves too."

Dean and Nile looked up at their friend, smiling with awe. The sunlight was shining on his back, making him appear to be some sort od deity, arms folded and he smiled with confidence.

"Tonight boys," Jay said smugly. "We're gonna get our first ever Pokemon!"

They all jumped up, punching their fists into the sky. They were eager for the evening ahead...


Dean laid in his bed staring at his clock.

The 7-year-old's room was messy, with Pokemon collectables and figurines scattered all over the floor, posters plastered on the walls and plushies all over the bed. His clock itself was in the shape of a Pokeball and was quite a rare item to have indeed. He smiled with anticipation at the thought of having his very own Pokemon.

Yes, at school all the students were assigned to a Pokemon, but that wasn't the same as having a true partner who you could go anywhere with. He imagined all the great heroes of the region and their Pokemon partners. Graham and his Rhydon, Rebecca and her Pidgeot and the regional champion, Radley and his Venasaur. Dean couldn't wait to be up there with the greats, and this Pokemon egg was the first step to his greatness. They would battle across the country and their names would be known across the globe. Dean and-

BOOM!

The loud crash of thunder bellowed through Dean's entire body, stopping the progression of his prior thoughts. He sat up straight on his bed and peered out the window.

Rain downpours vigorously against the night sky.

Dean gulped loudly.

Jay hadn't said anything about it raining, and it was almost time to leave. He looked into his wardrobe and scurried for his bright yellow raincoat and red wellington boots. Before putting them on, he stealthily stepped from his room, taking his family emergency harness kit and gloves from the cabinet next to the kitchen, then dashed to the window.

He took one final look into his bedroom before leaping out into the storm-plagued night…

As Dean ran down the street, the rain only became heavier, so much so the droplets were almost painful on impact. He slid occasionally on the pavement but his welly's allowed him to keep his balance as his feet smashed through the minefield of puddles. He turned countless corners, running past sleeping houses and gloomy, soaked trees. He dodged the parades of adults and young people who marched the streets, drunk, dazed and confused. He couldn't let anyone notice him. Getting caught was not an option.

Dean arrived at the rendezvous point shortly after the other two, panting heavily. All the running had finally taken a toll on his young body.

"What took you so long, Dean?!" Jay fired, pointing his finger at the slightly taller boy. He grabbed Dean by the collar of his coat aggressively then forced him down into the mud. Dean fell back splattering in the muck beneath. He looked up, almost in tears. There was no sympathy in Jay's eyes, just a cold glare.

Dean stood up and wiped his eyes which stung with embarrassment. Jay turned to speak to Nile.

"You ready, Nile?"

"Yeah, I'm ready Jay," Nile replied, staring at the floor.

Nile had the lightest skin complexion of the 3 boys and was the same height as Dean. He was quiet and had known Jay much longer than he had known Dean and felt much closer to him because of this. Despite being terrified, he was prepared to get his very first Pokemon and venture the region. He too was ready to become a master, win countless battles and get a chance and see the wonderful world in which he lived. His hair was long and plaited, currently hidden under his hood.

But right now, he couldn't believe Jay's aggressive actions towards his other friend… It was almost beastly.

"Alrighty then," Jay said, staring at the obstacle in front of them. "Let's climb this tree."

The oak tree was absolutely colossal, to say the least. It was several meters wide and seemed to go miles into the air, elevated through clouds and its top lost in the sky. In a sense, it was very much so like one of the Capital's corporal skyscrapers. Its bark was thick and seemingly impenetrable, known for effortlessly withstanding many strikes of lighting.

"G-guys," Dean began. He pointed back to the direction of town, which seemed so far away to all of them. "Maybe we should turn back, climbing the tree isn't safe in this type of weather."

"Shut up Dean!" Jay fired "I'm so tired of your crap! It's too late to go back now, we already snuck out, no turning back! Now, let's get going guys!"
Dean lowered his head, looking away from his friends. Jay could be a big meanie.

The boys set up their harnesses just as they had learnt to do at school, wrapping the gear around their waist like a belt and throwing the metal rope connected at the crotch up.

The ropes were designed by PokeTech to automatically stretch to the highest or lowest point of any object they were thrown towards, in this case, the top of the tree. The ropes were extremely resilient, layered with Dragon Scales so they could easily resist any elemental attack as well as a frost resistant layer for ice damage.

All the boys had to do was press a button on the harness belt, and would slowly be reeled to the top of the tree.

By the time the boys arrived at the top, they were completely soaked from the endless rain water. Catching a cold was now inevitable. They stood at the top of the Fearow nest and Dean felt himself trembling with fear.

"A-are you sure the nest is strong enough to support us, Jay?"

Jay scowled. "Of course I'm sure, dummy. A Fearow nest is strong enough to hold up to ten Rhyhorns, we're nothing in comparison to that so quit complaining!"

"Oh ok," Dean replied, embarrassed by his lack of knowledge.

Then, all three of the boy's eyes lit up. Before them were three perfectly oval Pokemon eggs, resting on the twigs. The patterns on each of the eggs were brown and cream, and the moonlight glistened off of their wet shells.

"Here's our prize boys!" Jay said smiling, clapping his hands together. He looked at his friends. "You lot ready?" Dean and Nile nodded in unison before all three of them sprinted towards an egg.

They each picked an egg up. Despite the cold, stormy air, the egg was warm and spread heat throughout the boy's bodies. They each wondered what marvellous Pokemon could be inside. A Charmander? a Dratini? a Nidoran? None of the boys had any idea what was held inside but no matter what, they would be happy with the result.

Dean smiled at Nile, facing him. "Isn't this just great?!" he said.

But Nile did not reply.

Dean tapped him on the shoulder with a bit of force. "You alright there Nile, or are ya just too happy to speak?"

But Nile still remained silent, his mouth hanging open in complete and utter shock. His eyes, much wider than before, were fixed on something behind Dean and Jay. The air became hot and sizzling as if something behind them was frying the air.

SQUAAAAAWK!

Dean and Jay swung round to see what had made such a deafening noise...

But as soon as they did, they wished they hadn't.

The boys were both expecting to see a Fearow behind them and although that would've been unfortunate, what was actually behind them was infinitely worse.

Before the trio of eight-year-olds, flapping its humongous wings, electrocuting the air and branches around it was the Legendary Bird Pokemon of the Storm: Zapdos.

Its winged pulled back with tremendous force before it swung them forward mustering up a powerful ripping gust of wind. The boys clutched onto their eggs with all their might before being sent flying backwards.

The gust of the wind the creature created was slicing at their clothes and skin as if they were bits of paper under the wrath of a pair of scissors. They each landed further down the nest with incredible impact, pain roaring through their backs and blood seeping from their various cuts. The boys, powered by nothing but adrenaline were about to stand to their feet.

They needed to run, and fast.

But the bird fired jolts of electricity at each of them, paralysing their bodies. They had tried to steal its meal, It wasn't done with them yet.

"I can't move!" Dean cried out, his face squeezed so tight tears were forced from his eyes.

"Me neither!" Nile wept as he struggled to bring up the strength to move but it would not come, no matter how hard he tried to wiggle free. Only Jay stayed silent, attempting to calmy break free of his electrical bonds. The Zapdos squawked again before in flash of extreme speed, appearing before the 3 boys. This creature's power was immense, its speed unprecedented and it's rage uncanny.

It's sharp yellow feathers looked sharp enough to slice through boulders and its beak dense enough to drill through concrete. It eyed each of the boys maliciously.

Suddenly, its wing moved with wicked speed and swatted Nile several meters away, his egg freeing from his grasp as he flew like a rag doll. the egg landed right in front of a struggling Dean. The Legendary Pokemon approached him and the eggs and he could tell it was hungry for more than 2 meals.

Tears streamed down the boy's face. His eyes cut towards his friends.

Nile was on the floor, unconscious blood dripping from his mouth and Jay, using all of his strength was slowly escaping with his egg. He looked up at the beast, straight into its currently golden glowing eyes. Its body was pulsing electricity and bolts of lighting were radiating around it.

"I-i don't wanna die," Dean sobbed. "Not like this, not now…"

Zapdo's wings extended. Its attack was ready. Its Thunderbolt was going to fry Dean into smithereens.

There would be nothing left to bury.

Then, in an instant, a semi-conscious Nile had leapt in front of Dean, driven by willpower alone. He stared into Nile's face, his expression was almost lifeless. His egg was behind him, right in front of the bird.

His mouth began to open.

"I may not know you very well," he said, his voice weak, but still incredibly clear. B-but you're still my friend and I'm not about to let ya die!"

BOOOOM!

The bolts of lightning from Zapdos' body shot into the egg, exploding right onto Nile's back. The light of the attack was so intense, it took Dean a few moments to see exactly what had happened. In front of him, was Nile, laying on the floor, a massive wound burnt into his back and a pile of smoking ash smothering into it. Nile was completely unconscious.

The Bird flew upwards in the sky and began to charge another attack. The clouds around it circled ominously as it drew electrical power from them. This next attack would finish the boys for sure.

Dean stared at Nile's limp body. The bonds of electricity freed from him and moved towards Zapdos in the air.

"Nile, please get up," Dean moaned. He shook his body, but Nile did not awaken or even make a sound. "Nile please, you can't die, you're… you're my friend." Dean clutched onto his egg as his tears rolled onto Nile's face.

He screamed out to Jay, who was now running to get off the tree. "Jay, N-Nile's not getting up!"

Jay turned his head back in rage. "Screw you two!" he exclaimed. "I don't care if that Zapdos electrocutes you both to death, if you were smart, you would've run, just like I did!"

And then, Dean realised something. Jay wasn't really his friend. He knew the nest was a Zapdos nest, he just wanted to use him and Nile as bait so he could get away with his egg. It was only a coincidence that there were another two eggs in the first place.

This realisation made Dean angry, angrier than he had felt before and a power burst through his body. With his egg in one hand, he pulled Nile onto his back and ran, his harness button at the ready. He could feel Nile's breath on his back.

"Don't worry Nile," he said. "I'mma get you outta here."

He ran, faster than he had run before, brushing past Jay and fearlessly jumped off the edge of the nest, pressing down hard on the harness button. the harder he pushed it, the faster he would be reeled down. The rope shot downwards like an arrow and coiled around the base of the tree and he and Nile rocketed downwards. He looked back at the sky towards the top of the tree. Jay had done the same and was coming down fast.

But behind Jay was Zapdos, glowing brighter than the moon and brighter than any star in the sky.

Crap, Dean thought to himself. We were too late.

Zapdos launched its Thunder attack. The blast of lighting was many times thicker than the tree and travelled many times faster than the harness rope. the bright yellow beam was so pure, so powerful. It was raining, and Dean knew that because of this, the attack would not miss. He made sure his body was shielding Nile's and clutched onto his egg tighter than he'd every held onto anything in his life.

Dean didn't remember the pain. All he remembered was blackness that followed...

Dean awoke in a bed a few weeks later. He looked up towards the blinding light above him and was sure it was Zapdos' Thunder.

He screamed.

The nurses and doctors came rushing in and were relieved to find out it was only the lightbulb that had scared Dean.

He was in a hospital, his chest wrapped in bandages, his face and arm covered in different sized plasters. He lifted up his head and peered to his side. A Pokemon egg, which also had a bandage tied around it was by his bedside.

He smiled. His partner was safe. But what about his friends? What about Nile and Jay?

"They're fine," the tall doctor told him as he analysed his clipboard. "Jay came out a few days ago and Nile recently gained consciousness and left the intensive care unit. If you're up for walking, you can go visit him, your parents will be here shortly." Dean nodded, thanked the doctor and stood up to look for his friend.

"So your egg's fine huh?" Nile said. "You're lucky."

Nile's body had been covered in even more bandages than Dean's. His arm was in a cast and he was currently unable to sit up, as his back was still healing. His usually plaited hair had been let out in a large, fluffy afro.

"Well," Dean began. "I've been thinking…saying you sacrificed your egg for me, you should have mine." He presented the egg in front of Nile, who smiled at the offer.

"No way man," he said. " You protected that egg fair and square, unlike me and anyways, I've been thinking of another way to get my Pokemon partner."

"How?" Dean asked.

"Well, in 5 years, we'll all be able to get our trainer licenses, and then we'll all be able to be official Pokemon trainers. See, I did some research if you're a good citizen in the town you're from, you can get a starter Pokemon from Professor Wooten."

Dean smiled. "Wait, so even if I have my own Pokemon, I could still get a starter?"

Nile nodded. "That's what it says on the website."

Dean leapt up in joy. "It's settled then!" he yelled. "for the next the five years, we're gonna be the best we can be so we can get ourselves starter Pokemon, and start our official Pokemon journey!"


That's it guys! Hope you liked my chapter and please R&R!

EMPDT out!