KKD: Well, here's my first attempt at a Nuzlocke story. With some help from friends here and on DA, I decided to do Platinum as my first run since this has more story than Diamond and Pearl. And to keep things simple, I'm leaving it as a basic Nuzlocke. There are so many variants out there, and I would like to try them out in later playthroughs, but I'll stick with the basic one for now. Either way, here are the rules posted in advance so you guys know what I'm doing.
If a Pokemon Faints, it is considered dead and must be transferred to a permanent graveyard box in the PC
You can only catch one Pokemon per new area you arrive at. If you don't catch it, then you do not get a Pokemon for the area.
Dupes Clause: If your first encounter in an area is a Pokemon you previously caught, then you must skip that Pokemon and any other repeats until you find something you haven't caught.
Shiny Clause: On the off-chance you encounter a Shiny Pokemon, you must make an attempt to catch it; unless it is your first encounter in an area, you may catch this Pokemon even if you caught it after your first encounter catch
Legendary Clause: Legendaries, if they are allowed in-game, must be caught when possible.
You must nickname all of your Pokemon.
KKD: I know this is just a start, but I hope you guys like my take on this tale… at least it's start. Still, I hope you all enjoy this so far. Here's the disclaimers, and then we can start.
DISCLAIMERS: KKD does not own anything used in this story except for the original concepts within. They belong to their respective owners including Nintendo, Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, Satoshi Tajiri, etc.
Life…
Time…
Both are Unpredictable…
Uncontrollable…
And never take sides for anyone.
You can never influence them…
Never convince them…
Only go with the flow and hope you can find your place in both…
There are so few who can extend their reach beyond either…
All believed to be mere myth…
But there is one…
One believed to guide the lost…
Those who haven't found their place to locate theirs…
For while many deny their words…
Few believe the words and existence of…
...The Oracle…
A young man with dark brown hair and green eyes found himself in what appeared to be a white void. He looked confused, trying to find out where he was before seeing a bright gold light. He soon saw blurred images of events in this light, some he recognized in ways, others were new to him, leaving the boy confused.
"What in the world… what's going on?" the boy gawked as he looked, seeing a white and gold quadrupedal figure before him soon amidst the apparent memories.
"Ah, dear Owen. I understand you have been through a lot in your life up to this point. Three Pokemon leagues, lost the title several times, and now you seek a quiet place to stay in Sinnoh. However, life is not always this generous. A crisis awaits our home… one that could shatter our world as we know it."
This surprised the young man, who was unable to speak at this time, trying to focus his eyes on the mysterious figure.
"I will tell you more when the time comes. All I can say is that you must seek out the one who seeks the answers to the mysteries. He may give you clues… and for the answer to saving our world… I suggest seeking out the Oracle, the one hope for our world… but always remember these words… while you have a mission at hand, Pokemon are by our side, always. I will hope you will understand the meaning of those words."
The brown haired, green eyed man, apparently named Owen, shot up in bed, his hair currently a mess but was very short as he looked at his clothes. He was confused, seeing his Pikachu t-shirt and blue sweatpants, thinking of what he heard in his sleep before turning to see he left his TV on.
-"Pokémon are by our side, always. I will hope you will understand the meaning of those words." That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region. And that concludes our special program, "Let's Ask Prof. Rowan!" Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week for more…-
Owen sighed as he turned off the TV and thought on his dream again.
"Man… again? It feels like I've had this very real dream so often lately… but… which parts were the dream?" the young wondered as he looked away from his monitor to think, shrugging it off as he walked to his closet, "Well, time to get ready for today. Nolan's probably already waiting for me."
After a bit, he soon stood in his blue jeans, black boots, blue jacket over his blue shirt, a red scarf, and on top his head was a red and white Pokeball-themed beanie. He looked himself over in response and sighed a bit.
"Only downside living in Sinnoh is the cold… oh well… maybe I can catch up with the neighbors in my mom's old town. It was her home before she became Rhyhorn racer… and she did want to retire here, so why not check it out and see what's changed," Owen figured as he was about to go downstair, only to see a head of blonde hair belonging to a familiar boy in an orange and white striped shirt, a green scarf, black pants, and brown shoes along with a brown bag.
"YO! OWEN! Long time no see!" the blonde smiled, rushing up to the young man.
"Hi Nolan," Owen sighed as the blonde rushed up to him.
"Did you see the TV? Of course you did! That Prof Rowan guy has a ton a Pokémon, I'm sure. Think we could ask him for one?" Nolan asked rapidly, making Owen sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Nolan… you're like… what, 18? 19?" Owen checked.
"24. Not that much older than you. Why?"
"...You do know I finished three leagues, right? Or were you too wrapped in your own world to know that?"
Nolan just chuckled in response.
"Yea, I know. But this is my first time entering. Kept failing Pokémon University to try… but I found I could learn by taking the leagues on myself."
"...Y'know… I started my Hoenn journey when I was 10, and they let very few cases start with a new starter at our ages. In my case, being 26, they let me into the leagues with new Pokémon each because I had stepped down as League Champion either of my own will or by someone defeating me," Owen informed, showing pictures of past teams on my wall, "What's your excuse for starting so late aside from dropping out of college?"
"Uh… hey, is that a new PC?" Nolan asked, pushing past Owen to check out the laptop on Owen's desk, "Wow, you could really get a lot with this thing."
'Typical Nolan,' Owen sighed to himself, 'If you hit something home with him, he'll quickly try to change the subject. And he's as impulsive as always.'
After a bit, Nolan got off the laptop.
"Uh... Where was I?" Nolan asked, confused.
"Some rambling about Pokémon an-" Owen started.
"Oh yea! Prof. Rowan's bound to have a ton of Pokémon at his place. I'm gonna go gather things at my place. Go and meet me there. You owe me 10 million PokéDollars if you're late!"
Nolan then bolted off downstairs as the door opened.
"That's Nolan for ya," Owen sighed, going downstairs.
KKD Studios Present…
Oracle Nuzlocke
Platinum
Owen soon slid down the stairs to see some pictures of himself with different Pokémon. He smiled at the memories as he adjusted his scarf.
"I'll do you proud, guys," he saluted before turning to the couch.
On it was a small yellow mouse-like Pokémon with an electric tail, a white and green creature with a red crest on its head, a small brown puppy with rocks popping out its neck fur, a small blue frogs with bubbles around its neck, and an older woman with tan skin, brown hair, and was wearing a dark green shirt and blue pants.
"About to start yet another journey, Owen?" The woman asked, petting the mouse.
"Yup. And this time I have to deal with Nolan… impatient as ever," Owen nodded.
"As to be expected from your old school friend. Speaking of, he sure was in a hurry as always. You go ahead, dear. I'll watch Pikachu, Froakie, Ralts, and Rockruff as usual. Come back if you need anything, dear."
"Right. See ya, Mom."
"Oh, and remember, don't go into the tall grass since you left your teams with Prof. Birch," his mom reminded.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine. It's Nolan you should be concerned about," Owen chuckled as he left and after looking over his residence in the town of Twinleaf, "Small place as all towns I start off in are."
He sighed, moving his scarf a bit before walking to one of the other houses in the town and was about to walk in, only for Nolan to bump into him.
"What was that about?!" Nolan snapped.
"Speak for yourself!" Owen retorted, slapping Nolan in response.
"Oh, Owen! It's you! Sheesh, I forgot you were coming by."
"Where're you off to in such a hurry?"
"To Prof. Rowan's place. You should come, too, if you want to start your journey in Sinnoh. And hurry up!" Nolan responded, rushing off.
"DUDE! YOU FORGOT SOMETHING AGAIN!" Owen called out, making Nolan freeze in his tracks.
"Oh, jeez! Not again!" Nolan groaned, running back into his house, leaving Owen to chuckle before he walked in, too.
"Hi Mrs. Leaf. Is still Nolan in?" Owen asked.
"He just ran back upstairs, Owen," an older brunette woman answered as Owen walked upstairs, seeing Nolan get his things into his bag.
"Let's see here… gotta grab some potions, not to mention my bag and journal. Oh, better not forget my running shoes an-" Nolan listed to himself.
"Nolan! I'm here!" Owen called out, making Nolan gasp as he stood up.
"Oh, hey, Owen," Nolan smiled, rushing up to and past the former League Champ, "I'll be waiting on the road! You owe me 10 million PokéDollars if you're late!"
"Here we go again."
Later on Route 201, Owen found Rolan waiting for him.
"There you are you nitwit," Owen sighed.
"Finally. Now let's get to Rowan's place," Rolan smiled, about to run into grass, only to be yanked back by his scarf.
"Come here," Owen groaned, pulling him back, "What's the matter with you? Don't you know wild Pokemon are dangerous if you run out in the grass like that without one of your own?! You might catch some kind of sickness!"
"Pfft! That's nothing. If I run through fast enough, no Pokemon will get me. Just you watch," Nolan retorted, making Owen let go of his scarf as he backed up.
"What an imbecile," Owen sighed to himself as Rolan started to run back to the grass, but-
"HOLD IT!" a voice interrupted, making Nolan trip and stop short of the grass.
"Who was that?"
"How should I know?!" Nolan asked, shooting back up to his feet as they turned to see an older man with white hair and a matching mustache walking towards them, wearing a blue vest over a white shirt, black tie with matching pants and shoes, giving the two a stern glance over.
"Two young adults walking around without any Pokemon on you, it would seem," Rowan noted before taking a look at Owen, "You, however, seem to have experience with Pokemon. I can tell from the look in your eyes. Former League Champion?"
"Three-time. Three different leagues," Owen confirmed.
"Then, what is the meaning of going into the tall grass?! You know better than anyone to go in there without any Pokemon!" Rowan scolded.
"I apologize, sir," Owen replied, grabbing Nolan by the shoulder, "My friend here, who dropped out of the University after so many years, was trying to do something stupid by rushing towards your place to get his own Pokemon. Clearly he's too thickheaded if he thinks he can handle this on his own."
"Indeed."
"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me this old guy is Professor Rowan, Owen?" Rolan gawked, earning a nod from his friend, "Then what's he doing here?!"
"A former champion and a dropout tried to go into the tall grass because the latter wanted a Pokemon," Rowan said to himself, "No doubt the former champion wants to start a new journey, but the dropout is too green to be trying anything like this in his early 20s. Hmm… what to do…? The champion has already dealt with challenges like this before, but the greenhorn's world would surely change if he were to meet Pokemon. Is it right for me to put him on this path...?"
"Professor…" Owen started, getting Rowan's attention, "If it's any consolation, I love Pokemon, I truly do. I've taken care of all of my Pokemon in every league I've participated in. In fact, Alola was about nothing BUT showing respect and love for your Pokemon."
"Just as I would expect to hear from a former champion," Rowan nodded, Nolan coming up from behind him.
"Me too, Professor! I love Pokemon, too!" Nolan enthusiastically proclaimed, Rowan looking at him unconvinced.
"Then permit me to ask you properly, young man. You truly love Pokemon, do you?" Rowan checked sternly, leaving Rolan stunned.
"WHAT?! You can ask a hundred times! The answer will never change! I'll answer a hundred times; heck, WE'LL answer a hundred times, we love Pokemon! Right Owen?"
"This is true, Professor, but pardon my friend. He's too ambitious to take on this journey. He's too confident in his abilities without ever having left home or the safety of the classroom before," Owen replied.
"HEY!" Rolan snapped, shoving Owen aside as the two argued, leaving Rowan to contemplate about his decision.
"You know, it's clear you're quite reckless by trying to venture off without a Pokemon. It makes me worry about what you'll do with your own Pokemon," Rowan spoke aloud, causing the two young men to stop, Rolan stuttering to try and explain himself as Owen facepalmed.
"L-Look, forget about me, I'm fine! But give a Pokemon for my friend here! He respected his teams' decisions to remain in their respective regions when he moved for the most part, and… I-I mean… it was me solely who tried to run into the tall grass and all…" Nolan confessed.
This bold confession of Nolan's got Rowan's attention.
"How big of you. ...Very well, then. I was planning on giving a Pokemon to the former champion, but seeing your response… I will entrust you BOTH with Pokemon! I apologize for putting you both through that exercise," Rowan informed and apologized, "HOWEVER! You must promise me that you will never endanger yourselves again!"
"Of course, Professor Rowan," Owen nodded as he bowed, the elder gentleman checking his immediate surroundings.
"Now then… hmm… where did I put that thing?" Rowan uttered as Nolan looked confused, but Owen saw someone running up behind the Professor.
This person was a young woman, probably 25 years old, with black hair, blue eyes, wearing a white beanie with a pink Pokeball design, a long white scarf, a crimson and pink jacket dress of sorts, white socks, pink boots, and was carrying a white duffle bag and a brown suitcase.
"Professor! You left your briefcase at the lake!" she called out, getting Rowan's attention, the girl only now realizing what was happening, "Oh! Sorry, is something wrong?"
"Wow… she's gorgeous…" Nolan uttered, amazed.
"Hi Dawn," Owen greeted.
"Oh! Owen, you're back! How's Hank in Alola?" the girl, Dawn asked.
"Fine. Still spooked by the ghost-type pretending to be a Pikachu, but he's alright."
"Oh, yea…"
"Nice work, Dawn," Rowan replied, picking up the briefcase and opening it to reveal three Pokeballs, "I was about to entrust these two with their own Pokemon for this region."
"Wait, I'm sorry?! Professor, you know those Pokemon are hard to replace seeing females of their species are so hard to come by. And with the illnesses spreading in Pokemon and how some have exhibited odd behaviors lately, are you sure it's wise to give away an endangered species of Pokemon like that?!"
"I am aware of the survival of some species of Pokemon and the unusual fits of madness in some species as of late, Dawn. But as I said before, we exist side by side with Pokemon. You know Owen has lived alongside Pokemon and battled with them much of his life. As for the blonde… there comes a time when people should meet Pokemon. With many species becoming harder to find, there is a world that should be explored together before it changes too greatly," Rowan informed Dawn, "For both of these young men, the time is now, and the place is right here."
"Well… I… *sighs* Very well. If you insist. But I'm helping them if they need it, Professor," Dawn responded.
"Understood," the elder man nodded, showing the case to the two young men, "Go on! Choose a Pokemon for your travels."
"REALLY?! You mean it Professor Rowan?! YES! I-I can't believe it! I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself; I can't even keep a straight face! This is too good to be true! YES!" Nolan cheered, "Somebody pinch me, I'm dreaming!"
"Ok," Owen shrugged, pinching Nolan through his jact sleeve.
"OUCH! Y'know I was kidding, right?"
"Yea," Owen chuckled.
"Still… seeing you're a three-time League Champion, why don't you make the first pick?" Nolan offered, "Gotta show respect to my superiors, after all."
"Gee, thanks," Owen sighed, looking over the Pokeballs and seeing some labels and pictures of the Pokemon inside.
"So… what would you pick?" Dawn asked.
"Honestly, it's a tough call to make from a lot of standpoints. The appearance of the Pokemon can have just as great an influence on a trainer, but their skills can prove just as helpful. I've chosen Pokemon of all three starting types and of varying appearances, but after doing some research on the Sinnoh starters, I think I know what I'm going to pick in the end," Owen figured, taking out a Pokeball, and opening it to reveal a small cute blue penguin Pokemon with a yellow beak.
"Huh?" the penguin responded, a bit surprised before seeing Owen and leaping up to hug him.
"Welcome aboard, Piplup," he smiled.
"Then I'm going to pick Turtwig!" Nolan grinned, popping open a Pokeball to reveal a small green and brown turtle that he hugged.
"This isn't because of type advantages, is it?" Owen checked, glaring at Nolan.
"Maybe…"
"Very well! Both of you have chosen a good Pokemon, it seems," Rowan smiled, "Now, listen well! The Pokemon you have been entrusted with are unfamiliar with the world. In that regard, they're much like budding young trainers, and perhaps a bit like Nolan. As fellow newcomers to the world, or just the region, I hope you'll do well together. If you have any trouble, come see me at my lab in Sandgem Town."
"Will do, Professor," Owen nodded, "I guess you're working as the Prof's assistant now, Dawn?" Owen checked.
"Yea. I'm hoping to learn more about Pokemon as time goes on. I have been learning some Pokemon have been going into spurts of madness while others are dying in the middle of Pokemon battles. The world is becoming a much more hostile place for some reason, Owen. If you intend to take on the Sinnoh League, please be careful," Dawn explained and requested.
"I will," Owen nodded, Piplup looking up to his new trainer.
"And now, we'll be on our way," Rowan informed as he walked off, Dawn following after the professor.
"Man… Prof. Rowan's really nice," Nolan smiled.
"Yea," Owen nodded, looking at his new Pokemon partner.
"On TV, he seems so stern and scary," Nolan noted before laughing like a schoolkid, "But man, we BOTH got Pokemon now! Y'know there's only one thing to do, right?"
"Are you implying we start a Pokemon battle?" Owen asked.
"I'm not implying. I'm insisting! You up for this?!" Nolan declared.
"Do I have a choice in the matter?"
"Nope. But I've always wanted to say this… The time has finally come! Owen! I challenge you to a battle!"
Nolan set Turtwig on the ground and prepared it for battle, but Piplup jumped to the ground and growled at Turtwig, the pitch making Takeshi realize something.
"Ok, Piplup, pound that turtle!" Owen shouted, the penguin slamming on the turtle's shell, but Turtwig kept withdrawing to increase defenses.
"What in the…?" Nolan gawked, Owen smirking as the battle continued, with the Piplup pounding and growling while the Turtwig kept withdrawing; when the turtle did attack, it missed entirely.
Piplup continued to pound, causing the Turtwig to withdraw, and when the bird growled, the Turtwig attacked, but it hardly did a thing.
"That's it. Keep it up!" Owen shouted as now the battle raged, the Turtwig looking like it was wearing down, "Ready to give up, Nolan?"
"We can't give up now! This is where we hit our stride!" Nolan smirked.
"Speak for yourself," the Turtwig whimpered as the Piplup pounded him some more.
"What's wrong? Scared to get hurt by a girl?!" the Piplup scoffed, only to get tackled.
"Don't give up!" Owen called to his partner, who growled to weaken the turtle even more as the Piplup took its attacks head on.
The battle lasted for what felt like half an hour, but then the Turtwig looked like it was going to drop and faint.
"Give up yet, Nolan?" Owen grinned.
"Don't give up, Turtiwg!" Nolan shouted, the turtle finally going to attack harsher, but it was weak from the penguin's growling, and soon the pounding was enough to knock the turtle unconscious, the Piplup even gaining power from the battle.
"Looks like you owe me some dough, Nolan," Takeshi smirked as the Piplup actually took the money from Nolan's pocket and brought Owen 500 PokeDollars.
"What are you saying?! We ended up losing?!" Nolan gawked.
"Yup. That's how this Pokemon trainer life works," Owen shrugged, pocketing his cash.
"Whew! That was close, but fun, too! Let's go home," Nolan suggested, "I'm beat after that battle. My Pokemon needs rest, too."
"So does mine," Owen admitted.
Owen cradled his sleeping Piplup in his arms, looking a little somber as memories of his recent dreams flooded to his mind. He sat on the couch as his mom fed the Pikachu, Rockruff, Ralts, and Froakie they've brought with them before walking over. She had noticed her son return with the young curious penguin and while the new Pokemon was admiring herself in the mirror while otherwise serious around the other Pokemon, the young man seemed a bit unsure of something.
"What's the matter, dear?" she asked.
"Huh?" Owen uttered, snapping out of his trance, "Oh, it's… it's nothing Mom. I was just… remembering…"
Soon, he recounted his recent trip with Nolan to her, leaving her with a smile.
"I'm not surprised. You are a three-time champ, but you and Nolan are lucky to have met Prof. Rowan. Imagine if you didn't…" she muttered.
"Mom. I'm not stupid enough to walk into tall grass on my own. I know what wild Pokemon could've done to me. I'm a three-time former League Champ for crying out loud," Owen reminded.
"I know, dear. But you should still go see Professor Rowan, and thank him properly for your Pokemon," she insisted.
"But his lab's in Sandgem Town. It's a long way from here," the young Piplup pointed out before Owen petted her head to calm her down.
"It's funny how after so long of being around Pokemon, we can actually hear their words as if they were in plain English… then again, our family has had a knack of quickly bonding with Pokemon," Owen chuckled, the little penguin hugging him as he smiled.
"You know the drill with tall grass now that you have a partner. Just be careful; if a wild Pokemon were to find you, even if the tall grass isn't threatening anymore, you'd still need to be careful of the random spurts of madness the wild Pokemon have," Owen's mom noted, "Besides, I don't want this cutie to suffer from the same madness."
"Mom. It's fine. Every Pokemon I've trained hasn't fallen into those kinds of traps. I'll be fine," Owen assured.
"I know. Still, with those old running shoes you've worn on several journeys now, they must be getting worn. One moment," she sighed before she pulled out a new box, "I bought these for you just in case you wanted to start your next journey here."
Owen smiled, opening the box to show a brand new pair of black running shoes.
"In my travels, going to Sandgem Town is like an adventure in itself," she smiled as she fed the little Piplup a piece of sushi that she happily ate.
"Haven't had her for a day and already she's shown a lot of personality. A bit serious, but a bit vain, and eating anything we give her happily," Owen noted.
"I know. But you don't want to leave Nolan hanging again," his mom noted.
"Right. See ya," Owen bid, going out of the house and walking around town a bit.
Owen smiled, saying goodbye to his neighbors until he got to Route 201 where Nolan was waiting impatiently.
"Seriously Owen?! You're too slow! I'm sick and tired of waiting around for you!" Nolan complained.
"Y'know, Nolan. That's your problem. You're too impatient. Why can't you be like your Turtwig? Calm and pa-" Owen started when-
"Gotta go thank Prof. Rowan properly for the mon now. So listen up; I got a great idea. You know that lake where we always used to play at?" Nolan interrupted, surprising him and his Piplup.
"You mean Lake Verity?"
"Yea, that's the one. You know how they say a legendary Pokemon lives there?"
"Wait… no, you don't mean to say-"
"You guessed it! Let's catch that Pokemon! That'll make Prof. Rowan happy! I'm sure of that! Me and you together, we've got nothing to fear!"
Owen groaned and facepalmed.
"What's wrong?" the blonde boy asked.
"Are. You. CRAZY?!" Owen snapped, startling Piplup at first, but she caught on quickly to what Owen was mad about and glared at Nolan, "TAKING ON A LEGENDARY POKEMON WHEN OURS ARE ONLY LEVEL 5 OR 6?! THAT'S SUICIDE! AND WITH THE MADNESS SPURTS POKEMON ARE HAVING LATELY, THAT'S AS GOOD AS US AND OUR PARTNERS GETTING KILLED!"
"Uh… I see your mouth moving, but all I hear is 'BLAH BLAH LEGENDARY POKEMON BLAH BLAH BLAH, BLAH BLAH POKEMON, BLAH BLAH GOOD BLAH BLAH PARTNERS BLAH,'" Nolan retorted, making Owen and the Piplup facepalm, "So… are you in? Or are you too too Torchic to do it?"
"...You do know my starter in Hoenn was a Torchic and I beat the league with it and its line, right?" Owen countered leaving Nolan pondering a bit.
"Shut up, we're going to Lake Verity to catch the legendary! You're strong enough to get one on your own, anyway! Come on!" Nolan retorted, pulling Owen by his scarf down the western part of the path, leading them to the lake, "You know, according to the sign on the lakefront, legends say the Pokemon is said to be 'The Being of Emotion', thus 'explaining how people can experience sorrow and joy."
"Right now I just feel shame for getting dragged along by a greenhorn like you," Owen groaned to himself.
"Alright! We're at the lake! Get ready, because we're capturing that legendary Pokemon today!" Nolan declared, "Trust me on this one. It's here. It's even said on the sign!"
The blonde then shoved the groaning Owen who looked to his new Piplup.
"Don't look at me. I'm still new here and I find this guy just as annoying," Piplup noted.
"You don't know the half of it," Owen sighed as Nolan pushed him until the group were standing near the edge of the forest towards the lake, but Owen stopped Nolan's shoving and stepped aside, causing the blonde to faceplant.
"What's going on...?" Nolan asked.
"Shhh!" Owen responded as they stayed back, seeing another person at the lake.
The person was someone with spiked blue hair in a while and grey outfit of sorts, pondering something.
"...The flowing time… the expanding space…" the man uttered as he stared out at the water, contemplating something, "I will make it all mine one day… Cyrus is my name. Remember it… Until then, sleep while you can, legendary Pokemon of the lake bed…"
With that, Owen and Nolan were stunned by this, the stoic bluenette walking towards them.
"Best move, dude," Owen whispered as they stepped aside.
"Thank you for allowing me to pass," the man uttered, as he walked past them.
"What was that about?" Nolan wondered.
"I have no idea," Owen confessed.
"Same here," Piplup agreed as Turtwig just nodded nervously, but Nolan soon shrugged it off.
"Ok, Owen! Let's catch that legendary Pokemon!" Nolan declared, only to get smacked by Owen.
"Didn't you hear me earlier, you nitwit?! We can't face a Legendary with level 6 Pokemon in their first stages! Even if we could, we don't have any Pokeballs to help us catch the flippin' thing!" Owen snapped, "And even if we did, how do we even know if that legendary Pokemon is eve-?!"
Suddenly, Owen stopped as they heard something from the lake, turning towards the lake as Nolan rushed over to try and find the source.
"You hear that, Owen?!" Nolan responded in shock.
"Y-Yea?" Owen nodded.
"What was that?" Piplup wondered.
"That was the legendary Pokemon crying! That HAD to be it!" Nolan proclaimed, oblivious to Owen's gripping the bridge of his nose again, "Ok! This is our chance! Let's catch it!"
"Again! NO! POKEBALLS! No Pokeballs! No catching Pokemon!" Owen groaned as Nolan's eyes widened.
"WAIT! WHAT…?! YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON US?! NOT EVEN YOU WITH ALL YOUR EXPERIENCE?!"
"I wasn't even intending to take on the League so soon; sold off all my Pokeballs!" Owen groaned.
"Why… you nincompip!" Nolan snapped.
"The word is 'nincompoop!'" Owen retorted, holding out his fist, "See that?"
Nolan scoffed, slapping the fist down, only for Owen to swing it around and have it bop Nolan in the head, making him wince.
"Ow! Fine, wanna play THAT game, huh?" Nolan groaned, putting his own fist out, "See that?"
Owen sighed, hitting Nolan's fist from underneath, making Nolan bop himself in the face, Piplup giggling in response, the trainer and partner high fiving each other.
"Cut it out!" Nolan winced.
"You know just as well as I do that we can't catch anything if we don't have Pokeballs, let alone a legendary with starters at only level 5 or 6," Owen repeated, the gears in Nolan's head finally turning.
"...Do you think Professor Rowan would give us some if we asked him?" Nolan asked, "You know, you remember what he said, don't you? He said to visit him at his lab if we needed anything."
"Yea, that's true, but I wouldn't bug him with those when we can just as easily go to a PokeMart and buy some Pokeballs," Owen shrugged.
"Ok, Owen! Race ya to Rowan's lab! First one to Sandgem Town rules!" Nolan smirked, dashing ahead.
"...Is he always like this?" the Piplup asked.
"Kinda," Owen sighed, "You have no idea how bad it could get with him."
"Best head there though if you want to get what he's talking about, Mr. Former Champion."
"What's the rush? Let's take in the sights."
Piplup sighed before Owen held up a mirror for her, allowing the Piplup to preen her feathers as they walked.
Fortunately for the duo of trainer and Pokemon, Owen and his Piplup managed to make it to Sandgem Town with no problem.
"Here we are," Owen smiled.
"Hey, look!" Piplup pointed out, stopping her preening for a moment as Dawn noticed them.
"Oh! There you two are! Glad you could make it, Owen," Dawn smiled, "You, too, Piplup. Looking as pretty as always."
"Aw~, you only say that because you know it's true," Piplup giggled, causing Dawn to giggle as well.
"Please, follow me," Dawn insisted, "The Professor's waiting."
The trio walked up to the closest building in town.
"This is the Prof's research lab, huh?" Owen noted, "Honestly, I've seen worse places… Prof. Kukui's lab is often in serious need of repair."
"Who?" Dawn and Piplup asked.
"Alola Pokemon Professor."
"Oh!"
"Anyway, let's go," Dawn smiled, leading the way inside, only for Nolan to run out, but in his swiftness, Owen stepped aside, causing Nolan to trip over his foot.
"What the…" Nolan gawked, shooting up before seeing Owen, "Oh, it's you, Owen! That old guy… He's not scary so much as he is totally out there!"
"What do you me-?" Owen started only for Nolan to cut him off.
"Aww, don't matter, Owen. I'm outta here. Laters!" Nolan shouted, bolting off to the East.
"Wow, what was that?" Dawn wondered.
"Just… Nolan being Nolan," Owen sighed.
"You're right. He IS worse," Piplup noted.
"Always impatient, Nolan was. No wonder he dropped out of Pokemon University."
"Well, anyway. Let's go inside," Dawn smiled, gently leading Owen and his partner inside the lab, which was very clean and white, guiding him to Rowan in the back.
"Well, well, look who's here. If it isn't the former champion himself. Owen, was it?" Rowan checked.
"That's me, sir," Owen confirmed.
"Let's have a look at your Piplup," Rowan replied, Owen picking the penguin off his head and gently handing her to Rowan, who looked her over.
"Hmm… I see…" Rowan noted, and once he set the Piplup down, she smiled and leaped over to Owen, letting him pet her.
"Oh, you cutie, you," he smiled.
"Thanks," the Piplup smiled.
"This Pokemon seems to be rather happy," Rowan noted, "Entrusting you with the Piplup was no mistake. Just as I thought for a former champion! Would you like to give it a nickname?"
"Y'know… I've wanted to give a nickname to a Pokemon like this. Part of me would've named it Scamper if it was a boy… but seeing this Piplup is a girl… I think I'll name her Lani," Owen figured, the Piplup smiling.
"Lani… I like it," she smiled.
"So do I."
"You know, when I first saw you and that Nolan boy near set to step into the tall grass without Pokemon, I was shocked. Especially with Nolan's impatience. I was astounded by these foolhardy young men who are children compared to myself. But now, you have astounded me and confirmed my suspicions with your trainer and former champion status in an entirely different way," Rowan recounted, "Already, there is a bond growing between you and that Pokemon. I feel privileged to have met you. I'm sure your Piplup feels the same way about you."
"You don't have to speak on my behalf, Professor, though you took the words right out of my beak," Lani smiled, nuzzling Owen who just smiled in return.
"I'll cherish this Piplup and respect her decisions like I have my other teams, sir," Owen informed.
"As to be expected of a former Champion," Rown smiled.
"I'm so glad you're kind toward Pokemon!" Dawn replied with a smile as wide as Owen's was, "If you weren't, well…"
"I know! I know how you get around people who don't treat their Pokemon with kindness like I do. Let's just leave it at that, ok?" Owen responded, chuckling a little nervously.
"Yea… good call," Dawn nodded.
"Why stop her from going on?" Lani whispered.
"You don't wanna know, girl," Owen whispered back, only for Rowan to clear his throat to get their attention.
"Let's move onto the main topic. There is something I want you to do for me, Owen," Rowan informed, "Allow me to properly introduce myself first. My name, as you know, is Rowan. I study Pokemon. First of all, I want to know exactly what kinds of Pokemon live in the Sinnoh region before they end up extinct in one form or another seeing they're endangered with what has been happening recently. To do so, it is necessary to collect data using the Pokedex. However, due to some recent… difficulties, it can only gain images of some Pokemon, and only log information once said Pokemon is captured. This is what I wish to ask of you. Without disturbing the environments more than necessary, I want to entrust you with this Pokedex."
Professor Rowan then held up a red device that looked similar to a Nintendo DS.
"Considering the happenings I've heard about, it sounds like my mission may be restricted by you condition of limiting Pokemon captures. I suppose to do so, a maximum of one Pokemon per area would be advised, even if it doesn't help me get much info in the Pokedex. I could help me get to know each creature better, though," Owen noted, "So… even with these conditions, as a former champion, I accept the task of recording what data I can on the Pokemon in Sinnoh."
"Hm! Good answer," Rowan smiled, handing Owen the Pokedex, "That Pokedex may not have been as advanced as ones you've seen before, but for logging the Sinnoh Pokemon, it is a very high-tech device. You know how it works for the most part, though, so I just ask meet as many Pokemon as you can despite the limits."
"I've got one, too!" Dawn smiled, showing her Pokedex to the duo.
"Yea… and I'll admit, starting a new adventure with a new Pokemon partner always feels empowering. I've been at this for 15 years or so now, and it always feels envigorating and exciting to travel with a new companion," Owen admitted.
"Indeed. Compared to you, I've lived for 60 long years. Even now, I get a thrill when I'm with a Pokemon," Rowan confessed, "Now, you should know there are just as many thrills in this world as there are Pokemon waiting for you out there! Go and seek out these thrills! Your grand adventure begins right now, Owen!"
"Sounds exciting," Lani admitted, preening herself.
"Curiously, you get a Piplup like me when you started, Dawn?" Owen checked.
"No, my first Pokemon was a Chimchar!" Dawn answered, "If you would have chosen a Chimchar back on Route 201, we'd have the same Pokemon now! Not that it matters, but still… I mean, we're similar, but I just had a slight headstart on ya."
"In Sinnoh alone, that is."
"Of course. If you need any refreshers, I'll be more than happy to help."
"Thanks…"
"Before you go out to explore the town, Owen, I want you to have this Technical Machine, TM27 with the move Return. The only downside is that these TMs are only single-use items unlike those you've used in Alola. Still, the move Return gains power the more friendly your Pokemon is with you. It's naturally up to you if you want to use the Technical Machine or not," Rowan replied, handing Owen a small disc, "I'll send you off with the wish that your journey will be fun."
"Thanks again, Professor."
After getting a tour of the town and getting a potion from the Pokemart salesman, and a quick shopping trip in the Sandgem Town PokeMart, Owen and Lani returned to Route 201 to find a new Pokémon partner as they were returning to Twinleaf Town.
"Is there really any useful Pokemon around here, Owen?" Lani checked.
"Probably not. Starly would be useful, but then there's Bidoof who's… well, a bit of a doofus," Owen admitted, but they soon passed by all the grass and hadn't encountered a single Pokemon, "Well, best let Mom know I'm taking on the league again."
"What about filling up the Pokedex?"
"Limited info. Not much at this stage, but best let her know that, too," Owen figured, entering his house, "Hi, Mom! We're back!"
"Welcome home, Owen," she smiled, "Are you and your dear sweet Piplup healthy?"
"Her nickname's Lani, Mom. And yea, we're fine," Owen assured, Piplup going to the larger mirror to make sure she was cleaned and ready.
After a quick rest, Owen told his mother what happened and what he planned to do.
"I'm not surprised seeing you're a three-time Pokemon League Champion. You can do anything if you put your mind to it, dear," she smiled, "Go for it, dear. Your mom's got your back like always!"
"Thanks, Mom," Owen smiled.
"Oh, I know! I've got something you can use here in Sinnoh. One moment, dear."
The little Piplup looked confused as Owen's mom pulled out something from a bag, a journal of sorts, and handed it to him.
"I got you this new journal to keep record of your travels. Don't forget to write in it so you'll remember what you did last if you forget later," the older woman smiled, "I envy you, kiddo… three journeys full of adventure, and you're heading to your fourth… Plus, you have a new Pokemon to train for the journey, too… maybe more if you want to get more partners. I almost wish I could go instead!"
"Why's that?" Lani asked.
"She's joking, Lani," Owen noted, making his mom giggle.
"Yup, that's me, Owen! Always the jokester," she laughed, "I'll be right here tending to these other Pokemon you hatched before, so go on and enjoy your adventure, dear! When you're exposed to new things, and experience new sensations… It makes your mother happy, too. But do come back sometimes. I would like to see the kinds of Pokemon you've caught, even if they are limited with how some are endangered here, dear."
"I will, Mom. I promise," Owen assured as the two hugged, making Lani smile and join in.
Then, they heard the door open, turning to see Nolan's mom walk in.
"Excuse me. Is my little Nolan here?" she asked.
"Oh? No, he's not…" Owen's mom began to try and explain.
"Oh… Then he must've left already… What to do… That boy shouted about going on an adventure, then he bolted. He's so headstrong and reckless…"
"You're telling me," Owen sighed.
"I at least wanted him to take this…" she sighed, holding up a parcel.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Leaf. I'll deliver it to him, no problem," Owen assured.
"That's my boy," his mom smiled as Nolan's mom turned to him.
"Oh, really? You'd do that for me?" she gawked.
"Of course. He's my old friend when we were kids, after all. Besides, Hank would kill me if he knew Nolan got himself into trouble again."
"Thank you," she smiled as Nolan took the package from the woman, Lani helping to stick the box into his backpack.
"Well, I guess I'm off. Say goodbye to Mom, Lani," Owen smiled.
"Bye-bye, Mom," the little Piplup cutely waved.
"Bye-bye, Lani. Goodbye, Owen! Enjoy your adventure!" his mom waved as Owen stepped out the house with Nolan's mom.
"Knowing my boy, he would probably head straight for Jubilife City…" the brunette figured.
"I guess I'm headed that way, too. But, I may as well enjoy the sights while I can," Owen shrugged, "And don't worry, Mrs. Leaf. I'll bring the parcel to Nolan for ya. Jaa ne."
"Thank you, again, Owen!"
Owen waved as he and Lani walked back to Route 201.
"Well, time to find a new partner," Owen figured as he and Lani looked around for a bit.
"I wonder who or what we'll find," Lani pondered as the duo walked through some tall grass, and soon came across some kind of buck-toothed Pokemon.
"*sighs* Of course it's a Bidoof. Well… better catch something than nothing. Come on, Lani. Let's catch this girl."
"Right!"
The Piplup leapt off Owen's shoulder and pounded the Bidoof, who winces in pain and ended up tackling back.
"Must be on the weaker side," Owen noted, picking up his Pokedex to check, "Yea, I think that'll do. Let's catch this mon, quick!"
He soon threw a Pokeball, which zapped the Bidoof into the ball via a red light, and after shaking three times, they caught the Bidoof.
"Nice catch," Lani smiled as Owen checked his Pokedex.
-Bidoof, the Plump Mouse Pokemon. A comparison revealed that Bidoof's front teeth grow at the same rate as Rattata's.-
"Well, welcome to the team, Lucy," Owen sighed.
"I didn't mess up my feathers, did I?" Lani checked, trying to preen herself again.
"No, you're good. Come on, let's go back to the Pokemon Center and get you two leveled up. From what I heard from Hank, the first gym leader, Roark, should be easy, seeing you're a Water Type and he specializes in Rock Types, but his team's in the mid-teens. We'll be grinding for a while, I think," Owen figured as they went off towards the Pokemon Center.
(Cue Theme: Aozora ni Naru by Jin Hashimoto)
*As the song began to play, the view shifted from the skies showing the flying Pokemon above before shifting to the ground, showing Owen laying on his back, head against his bag while laying alongside Lani*
Omoi nimotsu wo Makura ni shitara (Laying down with my own head on my heavy luggage here) *Owen and Lani snored as they napped a bit in the midday Sinnoh sun*
Shinkokyuu... aozora ni naru (Take a deep breath and… into the blue sky I'll go) *In another shot, Owen and Lani took a deep breath and smiled as they stood and looked to the sky*
Me wo akete 'te mo tsubutte mo (Whether my eyes are open or if they're closed) *Owen and Lani were seen by Dawn walking by with her Chimchar, smiling as they saw the two nap before continuing on her way*
Onaji keshiki wa sugite yuku kedo (I pass by the same old scenery like I always have) *Owen and Lani looked to the sky as they walked along, thinking of the Gym Leaders and Pokemon League*
Ima, mite 'nakucha... kizukenai (but now, I have to watch or I'll miss the best of it) *The two main characters watched younger trainers battle it out, Owen smiling as he reminisced on his days in Hoenn, Kalos, and Alola before they proceeded on*
Kimi wo tsurete yukou (You come follow me without sadness) *Nolan and his Turtwig rushed past the napping wen and Lani, looking for the two before moving on*
Kanashimi no nai mirai made (And I'll take you to a brighter future) *Owen and Lani walked towards the sunset in another shot, smiling as they were watched by Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and even Giratina*
Kimi ga kureta egao dake (With a joy you gave me and I will save) *Soon, it was revealed the walking Owen and Lani were actually the dream variants of the sleeping ones*
Poketto ni shimatte (in my pocket, and surely) *As the dream Owen pocketed an old photo of some of his teams from the past, the dream faded as the real Owen and Lani awoke to see Lucy waking them up*
Boku wa... aozora ni naru (I will soon… go into the blue sky) *Owen sheepishly grinned with Lani as the two stood up with Lucy running ahead of them past the camera*
*As the instrumental was coming to a close, Owen and Lani smiled as they approached the camera, the former moving it to face the sky once more to show a message to the readers*
Thanks for Reading and Following our Journey.
KKD: And that's part one of my Nuzlocke run. Not much I know, but that's my current plan with this. I'm gonna log my journey in the Nuzlocke take on Sinnoh and keep you guys informed as I go along. Chapter length will be determined by a walkthrough I'm following on Bulbapedia unless I feel it's taking too long with my captures and any developments for the Pokémon on my teams at the time. I will cut out major grinding time for the most part and only focus on major battles, like the bout with Owen and Nolan. And in hindsight, it is odd I had such similar sounding names for Owen, my choice for Barry (Nolan), and how close they were to Rowan. Yeesh, this could get confusing fast. Anyway, funny story about the name for Lani. I was more than ready to name the Piplup Scamper if it was a boy. Then I surprisingly got a female Piplup (12.5% chance of that happening) and then I was thinking of naming her Snowflake, based off the name of the female character in the cartoon I got Scamper from. However, when I saw her serious nature (since you don't nickname your starter until you see Rowan in Sandgem Town), I changed it again and finally settled on Lani, based on the female lead of the movie Surf's Up. Either way, if you have any advice, let me know in the reviews of this story, and let me know if you guys want me to continue this story. Favorite parts include Owen knocking Nolan around like a stooge for being thickheaded and reckless, as well as the quieter moments he had with his mom. And take a guess who Hank is referring to; whoever guesses right gets a free virtual cookie. Until next time, ore wa KKD Silver, za Crossover King. *salutes* Jaa ne.