JapanimationFanficKing presents
Hart of Gold: The Tale of Amber Lynn
my take on Poke'mon G/S/C/HG/SS
BTW: I don't own Poke'mon
-X-
Covers were angrily kicked off as a form struggled awake, trying to get up, wake up, and not fall on her face while doing so all at the same time.
"Yaaaaawn..."
Blearily, she glanced around her room, cursing the sun for shining right in her eyes and waking her up. While usually clean, last night had not been without incident. She had been struggling to find and remember everything she would need for her journey. Sadly, she needed a lot more than she had.
Then she realized something.
It was a little too bright for 6:30 A.M...
"Huh? Why's it so bright?"
Then she looked over at her Hoothoot-shaped alarm. Said alarm was flashing 12:00 A.M.
A dawning horror appeared on her face as she put two and two together and rounded the answer up to four.
"Moooooom!"
-X-
She rushed down the stairs two at a time, straightening her hat as she did so, making sure the bow was just right.
Once she was on the first floor, she noticed her mom sitting on the couch, watching her with an amused expression.
"Good morning, sleepy head," Amber's mom, Kayla, said. "Ethan stopped by earlier. He was playing hide-and-seek with Marill and wanted you to play too."
"I saw his e-mail," Amber replied, making some cereal and putting fruit in it. "Power must have went out 'cuz of the storm last night. My alarm didn't wake me up..."
Her mother hummed in agreement. It was odd for a tropical storm to occur so late in the year, but it had happened. "Don't forget to stop by Prof. Elm's today. He still needs your help."
Amber didn't reply, still upset with the Professor. Not only had he broke up with her mom, but he had also delayed Amber's journey for the past three years.
But despite that, she would still be civil with him, if only because he would be taking care of her Poke'mon if they weren't in her Poke'party. She didn't like it, but it was mandatory.
Kayla continued on, despite Amber's silence. "Do you have everything you need? Money, Trainer Card, all that?"
"Yup," Amber replied, showing that her Trainer Card was in her wallet, which she proceeded to place in an inside pocket of her over-alls.
Grabbing her bowl and washing it in the sink, Amber turned around, to find her mom now in the living room, grabbing something off the floor.
Amber made her way there, and when she was about to go in the room, her mother spun around, tears flying as she presented her daughter a Trainer Duffel, complete with her signature stitched on the side. The "A" was a star, while "mber" was in cursive. After the "r", there was another rise, before the line trailed off to the edge of the bag. "Amber" was underlined, while that line connected to the top loop of a cursive "L" which fit into the rise after "Amber", "Lynn" written in cursive as well.
"Oh, Mom," Amber sobbed, hugging her mom.
"Just promise me, Amber Lynn Hart that, no matter what, you stay true to yourself, and protect Poke'mon as fiercely as they protect us." Of course, Kayla was as choked up as her daughter.
"I promise," Amber said finally after a minute of tearful hugging. "I promise," she repeated as they pulled away. This was a heavy promise. Kayla had been stationed at the Mt. Silver Preserve as a Ranger. When Red stormed into it, Kayla had been knocked unconscious when the Ranger Station blew up. If it wasn't for her Rhydon taking the brunt of the explosion, sacrificing himself, Kayla would have died.
Kayla nodded, before turning around again and handing her daughter a diary. Seeing her daughter's look, she gave a choked laugh. "I know you don't like them, but this is for me... Whenever you're about to do something you feel is important, that you can't mess up... just stop for a second and gather you thoughts. Write them down, and give it to me when you come home."
Amber nodded, before taking it and placing it in the duffel in the only pocket with a lock on it. It was for the most important items. She put the key for it on her necklace, a simple gold chain with a heart pendant, inside of which was a picture of her mother and late father on the day of her birth.
"Okay," her mother said, "go and see Prof. Elm."
Amber knew that if she stayed too long she would procrastinate and be late, so decided to heed her mother's advice and go. Though she had about half an hour to spare, she figured she could play with Ethan until then.
Stepping outside into the crisp fall air, Amber took in the sight of New Bark Town. She lived in the closest house to the cove on the eastern side. The town was relatively small, only about a dozen houses, with Prof. Elm's house atop a small hill. Wind turbines were in each yard, used to power every house. Trees and bushes lined dirt roads, while fences were made from the leftover wood used to build the houses.
As soon as she stopped reminiscing, she saw Ethan's Marill heading towards her, looking like she had been swimming in the cove.
"There you are, Marill! Oh! Hey, Amber!"
Turning around, she saw Ethan heading towards her, having apparently been looking for his water-type in the forest.
Amber waved at her childhood friend. "How are you, Ethan? Still playing hide-and-seek?" She hoped he was. She didn't want to miss out on one last game because she had slept in. Granted, it wasn't her fault, but it would still hurt.
"Sure am! I'll be it since Marill found you, so it doesn't count." Amber giggled and nodded, before running off. She knew the best spot.
As Ethan began counting, Amber sprinted up the steps to Prof. Elm's lab, before going around back. After having played the game with him for almost ten years, she noticed he never checked the hill first, going there if he didn't find them somewhere else. As their games had a safe-zone (the house of whoever is it), she merely had to wait for him to pass and make a dash for it. The momentum from running down the hill made sure Ethan was left in the dust, despite he being a better sprinter.
But when she found her spot occupied by a redhead in red-trimmed black clothing, she was cautious. Only one type of person wore all black – a bad one.
"So this is the famous Prof. Elm's Poke'mon lab? What a joke... What do they even want with them?"
He turned around, and saw Amber watching him.
"...what did you see?"
"N-nothing..." Amber said fearfully. There was a look in his onyx eyes which paralyzed her as he stomped over to her. Though he was at most only a year or two older, she barely reached to his hawkish nose, even with her hat.
"Get away," he growled, pushing her. Unfortunately for Amber, she tripped, and rolled down the hill. By time she reoriented herself, he was gone.
"Ha-ha, I finally found you Amber!" Ethan called out, elated. Ever since she had found out his habit, she had never been caught. "Huh? Are you alright?"
Taking his proffered hand to get up, Amber told him. "There was someone up there looking into the lab. When he saw me, he pushed me down the hill."
Ethan glanced up at the lab, before shrugging. "Well he's not there now, so you must have scared him off."
Amber nodded, though there was a seed of doubt. Nevertheless, she agreed to be it during their next game, though she easily won. Ethan always hid in his back yard. Of course, Marill always won first place.
-X-
"Well, it's almost 9 now," Amber replied after another game. Luckily, they were at Ethan's, which was a fence-hop away from the lab.
"Alright, Amber," Ethan said, panting lightly. Though he was faster, Amber had scores more stamina. "Marill and I'll be cheering for you." Ethan had gone on his journey years ago. He even made Champion. But he decided to scale Mt. Silver as a favor to the Poke'monRangers soon after, and came down a shell of his former self. He even renounced his title. It took Amber well over a year to break him out of his funk.
Amber smiled, before shouldering her duffel and walking up the stairs.
When she walked in, she immediately spotted Gregory, Prof. Elm's assistant, searching through a bookshelf.
"Hi, Gregory," Amber called out. The bespectacled man turned, book in hand, as he greeted her.
"Amber, so good to see you. What's going on?"
Amber smiled at his cheerfulness. "Prof. Elm asked for a favor, but I figured I'd stop and say hi." Though she decided to be civil with the professor, she wouldn't ignore one of her good friends.
Gregory smiled and said, "While I appreciate it, Amber, this isn't something you want to be late for. The Professor's in his office."
Amber gave a small smile as she turned away. With nothing else coming to mind as ways to procrastinate, she made her way to the back, where Prof. Elm's office was.
Knocking, and receiving permission to enter, Amber did so. The office was as you'd expect. A desk faced the door, littered with paper while a laptop was in the midst of it. Behind the desk, the wall was floor-to-ceiling windows, while another wall was just books, handwritten and otherwise. The last wall housed a Poke'mon Heal Bed, Poke'mon Storage System Computer, and a tower which housed three Poke'Balls. The Johto Starters.
And seated behind the desk was Prof. Elm, himself, whose blonde hair was receding at the temples and whose glasses were too dirty to still work.
"Ah, Amber, I'm glad you came." He said without looking up. "I have a favor to ask of you."
Amber said nothing. They both knew why she was here, it was up to him to add new information to the conversation.
"Do you know anything about what I do, Amber? Specifically, I mean..."
"No..." Amber said, unsure. She knew he was a Poke'mon Professor, but she wasn't sure what branch. The only one she really knew was Prof. Oak, who focused on categorization.
"I study the many factors that assist in evolution. Some react to powerful stones, some evolve only after being given to another Trainer, while most simply do so after facing a certain amount of battle-related stress... And yet there are those who say that a Poke'mon's relationship with its trainer is a contributing factor. While there are a few Poke'mon who evolve this way, they insist it is true for all of them.
"Amber Lynn Hart, I have a proposition for you..." Here, Prof. Elm looked at Amber for the first time since he started talking. For the first time since he left her mom. "I am going to give you a Poke'mon, as well as make Gregory your sponsor. In return, you must not place this Poke'mon in a Poke'Ball except to heal it or if you go somewhere that doesn't allow such things. Do you understand?"
Amber nodded mutely, barely registering what she was hearing. She had assumed, of course, that the favor was to go on a Poke'mon journey, but had assumed he would cancel again, this time at the last minute. Also, the thought of the Professor being her sponsor had dampened those feelings somewhat. But to hear that Gregory, instead, would be her sponsor, was a dream come true!
He absently waved her over to the Starters. "Let me know which one you pick..."
As opposed to just a few seconds ago, Amber sprinted to the tower-shaped machine, eager to familiarize herself.
"Hmm... An e-mail?"
As Amber turned on the Poke'dex next to the machine to scan them, Elm spoke again.
"Amber, I have an acquaintance who goes by the name Mr. Poke'mon... He's a show-off who raves about everything he finds, like the 100 Poke'Dollars he found stuck in some tree sap. Despite that, he says this time is the truth. It's probably a Poke'mon Egg, so I don't feel like going over there. Once you choose your Poke'mon, head over there and retrieve it..."
Amber nodded reluctantly. If that was the price of her Poke'mon Journey, it was a small one. She turned, and scanned the first Poke'Ball.
The first one held what appeared to be a tiny green pony with stubby legs, flower buds around its neck, and a leaf on its head
"Chikorita, the Leaf Poke'mon... A sweet aroma gently wafts from the leaf on its head. It is docile and loves to sunbathe."
The second had a small blue bipedal crocodile with red fins on its back and a yellow underbelly.
"Totodile, the Big Jaw Poke'mon... It's powerful, well-developed jaws are capable of causing serious injury. Even its Trainer must be careful."
The third held a blue and white echinda-like creature with a collar made of fire.
"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Poke'mon... It protects itself using the flames on its back. The fire burns hottest when it is angry, but sputters out when it is tired."
So... She had one which was inherently lazy, one with a penchant for attacking its own Trainer, and one who she could tell, at a glance, how it felt.
She grasped the Poke'Ball which, helpfully, had a flame sticker on it, letting her know she chose the fire-type Starter.
"I've chosen Cyndaquil, Professor," Amber said before releasing it as instructed. He spared a glance at her and the Poke'mon before returning to...whatever it was he was doing.
"Very well. Mr. Poke'mon is past Cherrygrove City, the next one over. I expect you back by tomorrow at the latest."
Amber simply walked out, tired of his dismissive attitude. And as soon as she did, she was face-to-face with Gregory. They were both frozen for a second, before Amber hugged him tightly, sobbing into his chest, muttering thank-yous.
"Amber, shh... It's okay. Just...here." He handed her half a dozen small spray bottles filled with a watery purple liquid. "Potions... Just in case you need them on your way to Cherrygrove. It's two hours away and the route is covered in St. Augustine grass..." St. Augustine grass was where Poke'mon hid when not in forests or caves. Their droppings caused the grass to grow around three feet tall.
"Don't hesitate to use them, Amber. If you feel like Cyndaquil is hurt, use one. Most people think you have to use the whole bottle to get the effect, but it's really a judgment call. If he's hurt a lot, use a lot. If he just got scratched, spray it just once or twice. By the way, did you name him?"
Amber shook her head, and looked down at the small fire-type, who stared resolutely back from his position at her side. He didn't even reach her knees.
"Cinder," she said after a moment. She looked back up at Gregory. "His name is Cinder."
Gregory smiled. "Cinder the Cyndaquil it is... Farewell, Amber. Keep in touch. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me."
"I will Gregory," she called out as she opened the door. "And thank you again!"
Amber made her way to the bottom of the hill, where Ethan and his Marill were waiting. A flash of pain crossed Ethan's face, before he hid it expertly behind a radiant smile. Now Amber felt bad. She had completely forgotten that Ethan had started his journey with a Cyndaquil as well, a female he named Typhie.
"Hey," Amber said, her mood dampened.
"Cute Cyndaquil!" He called out instead, "Seems he's already growing attached to you."
Amber glanced over at Cinder, who looked no different from when she released him. Honestly, he seemed bored with the whole ordeal. However, Ethan had went on his journey, beat the Elite 4, and climbed to the top of Mt. Silver with his then-Typhlosion, so she wasn't going to argue. If Ethan said Cinder was growing attached to her, then he was.
"Talk to him sometimes, too... We may not understand Poke'speech, but they can understand us just fine, right Marill?"
"Marill-mar!"
"Alright, Ethan," Amber said, giving a soft smile. Before he had come home, Ethan had released all of his Poke'mon besides his then-Azumarill, the weakest one. Rumor has it that they still were spotted close to New Bark Town, mostly on Route 45.
"And show your mom, too. Let her know who'll be protecting her daughter."
Amber nodded to that advice as well, before Ethan bid farewell, Marill following as well after a brief conversation with Cinder.
Heeding Ethan's advice, Amber made her way home before setting off. Walking in, she saw her mom sitting at the kitchen table, shouting at a wireless radio, broadcasting the Indigo League. The current Champion, Orange, was once again trouncing his opponent.
"Will-o-Wisp, followed by Shadow Ball!" Ah, Haunter... And that combination was a sight to behold, the way the latter attack whipped the normally slow flames into a frenzy reminiscent of a blue comet.
"Mom, I'm back," she said, prompting her mother to turn around, before she jumped from her chair and headed straight for Cinder.
"Aww... What a handsome young man! Yes you are, yes you are..."
Amber stared incredulously at the display of affection, as her mom basically baby-talked her Starter while Cinder soaked it up like a Sunflora does sunlight. It was a solid five minutes before her mom was paying enough attention to her to carry on a conversation.
"Prof. Elm wants me to head to Cherrygrove City and meet someone named Mr. Poke'mon. He has something for Prof. Elm that I have to get and bring back before I can actually start on my Poke'mon Journey..."
"That seems difficult, Amber... Are you sure you're up for it?"
"Of course!" Amber said heatedly. "I have a whole day to make a six hour trip, and Cinder here seems pretty powerful for a Starter."
Kayla laughed at her daughter's outburst. "Oh, honey... I know you're both very strong, and I have no doubt this task is just the first step on an amazing journey. Who knows, maybe one day I'll listen to you defending your Championship title.
"Ninetales Wins! And the Champion is still Orange of Cinnabar Island!"
Though Amber rolled her eyes, she was secretly glad that her mom felt so highly of her.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Kayla handed Amber a brown box which had apparently come through the Fearow Delivery Service. "Your Poke'Gear came in from the repair shop right after you left." Amber tore open the box and pulled out her repaired pink and white cellphone. While she didn't particularly like the color pink, it was either it or blue.
And with that, Amber decided to take her leave. While it was true she had until tomorrow to finish the task, she'd rather not be out at night... At least until Cinder was somewhat stronger. "Alright. Bye, mom. Call me if anything else comes up!"
"I will!" Kayla called back. "Keep in touch!" She got her daughter walking backwards as she waved, before turning around and heading towards Route 29.
"Amber, wait up!"
Amber stopped in her tracks once she heard Gregory call her. He was racing down the hill, an unusual sight for him. He rarely did more than a brisk walk, and that was just from his desk to a bookshelf, and vice-versa.
"Yeah, Gregory? What's up?" Amber inquired. She had to wait a few seconds for him to catch his breath, but he eventually answered her question with one of his own.
"My number... Do you have it?"
Amber gasped in realization. The reason her phone had been in the repair shop, was because when she had taken it out to add Gregory, a loose Totodile had chomped the Sync Antenna off.
"No! Oh, Gregory! How could I forget?"
He gave her a wan smile and shrugged. "No idea... Lets do it now, before another Totodile pops out of nowhere."
Amber giggled. When she entered his name, she put it as Prof. Gregory, causing him to laugh. It was highly uncommon for a Poke'mon Professor to not be someone's sponsor, but neither of them would have it any other way. Gregory Sycamore would always be one of her best friends.
Parting ways, Amber stood at the small gate which seperated New Bark Town from Route 29. She looked down. "Ready, Cinder?" She asked. The fire-type nodded resolutely, and actually took a few steps ahead of her.
Amber laughed. "Alright, Cinder... Just don't leave me behind." Cinder nodded once before matching his pace with Amber's, keeping two feet ahead of her.
-X-
Two hours.
"Tackle, Cinder, quick!" Cinder did so, ramming into the Rattata before it could dodge. Said purple rat decided to mirror them, and charged at the fire-type Starter.
Cinder glanced back, watching Amber for hints. She usually waited until the last second for a counterattack, and focused on speed and attack power. "Growl, now!" Cinder bared his teeth and growled, causing Rattata to falter. But what surprised both he and his Trainer were the glowing embers which were released as well, scorching the tiny rat and knocking it out.
Cinder panted, and relished it when Amber picked him up, not fearing the smoke which was all that was left of his flame collar. Two hours was a long time to be battling with a single Poke'mon against multiple opponents, and only have six Potions. Those had run out half an hour ago.
"Good job, Cinder... Let's get out of here. I can just run away from any more Poke'mon."
Cinder nuzzled into Amber's chest, falling asleep quickly, trying to recover some of his health naturally. Amber felt bad. They should have started running once the potions were up, but the town seemed deceptively close. Just one more lesson they don't teach you at Trainer's School: when in doubt, run.
Once Amber did make it to Cherrygrove City, she spotted an old man lounging against the gate, his weathered face showing he had always spent a lot of time outside. Next to him was a battle-scarred Scizor, gleaming in the sun and cinching his appearance as a retired Trainer.
"Sir!" Amber called out. The man startled awake, while his Scizor just glanced at her, luckily not raising his pincers in challenge due to Cyndaquil.
"Please," she pleaded. "Take me to the Poke'mon Center..."
"I could," the old man replied, "but Cutter here will get there much faster than us. Cutter, if you please? He needs help..."
Scizor nodded, grasping Cinder in his pincers, as well as the Poke'Ball Amber had for him for just such an occasion, before using a powerful Tailwind to rocket towards the Poke'mon Center.
"The nurse knows Cutter," the man said before beginning to walk in the same direction. "Your Poke'mon will be safe until we get there..."
The trip to the Poke'mon Center took ten minutes, for which Amber was glad Scizor had went ahead of them, though slightly disappointed she wasn't next to her Starter. Cinder had been asleep for half an hour before she made it to Cherrygrove, and she didn't want to wait any longer.
"Quil cynda! Cyndaquil-quil!"
"Cinder!" Amber called out once she heard him calling out to her. She rushed over to him, and he seemed good as new.
"He was just tired," the nurse said. "Cutter here brought him just in time. I doubt he even had enough energy for a simple Tackle... Once again, Nathan, your speedy Scizor saved a new Trainer."
The old man, Nathan, chuckled at that. "Oh, please, Carol. You said yourself he was just tired."
"Nevertheless," Carol the nurse argued, "the sooner such things are taken care of, the better. If a fire-type has a perpetual flame, it going out could cause serious harm... And you, Cutter." Here, Carol turned to Scizor. "I've never seen you so chummy with a fire-type. Don't tell me you've gone soft."
Scizor grumbled as she playfully poked his metallic shell to check its rigidity, laughing at his response.
Amber smiled at the scene as Cinder jumped beside her, nuzzling her leg. At the same time, a young Trainer came in with his injured Phanpy, taking Carol's attention away from Amber, Nathan, and their Poke'mon.
"What do you say we grab a bite and I'll give you a few pointers to help you out on your Trainer's Journey?"
Amber nodded enthusiastically at Nathan's suggestion. The bowl of cereal she had this morning seemed like forever ago.
As they walked to a small but popular diner, Nathan explained a few things to her.
"Poke'mon Centers like this one heal your Poke'mon in about ten minutes, but more serious wounds can take up to a day. They're the red-roofed two-story buildings usually within sight of the Route with the lowest number. Barring that, they're in the town square."
"Poke'Marts are one-story blue-roofed buildings. They're always right next to the Poke'mon Center, and sell everything from Potions to Poke'Balls."
"This road runs right into Route 30, where Mr. Case and Mr. Poke'mon both make their homes. I recommend talking to them both. Mr. Case is the first house you'll come across, while Mr. Poke'mon is all the way at the other end."
"And as you can see, this bay provides a shortcut to Azalea Town once you acquire a large enough water-type, while the diner is right here."
The diner was known as the Dugtrio Diner, and was on the north end of the beach, built into a cliff.
As they ate, Nathan regaled her with stories of his own time as a Trainer, how it had been his own Dugtrio which had carved out the cliff face for the diner, how it had been Cutter who had cut the trees, Donphan which had flattened the land, and Bellossom who had planted the flowers.
Nathan had built Cherrygrove for Trainers, as originally you had to go all the way to Violet City before getting help. And Amber was grateful to him.
"Oh dear!" Nathan exclaimed suddenly. "I've kept you nearly an hour!"
Amber glanced over at the Voltorb-themed clock of the diner and realized Nathan wasn't joking; it was almost 1:00. "It's alright, really," she said, trying to calm him. "I've had fun." Though she couldn't remember the specifics everything they talked about, she remembered the feelings, and they were happy.
"Nevertheless, let's stop by my house before you continue your journey, and I'll make it up to you. What do you say?"
Amber giggled at his chivalry. "If you insist..." Cinder and Cutter followed them, Cinder playfully nipping at Amber's heels as they followed the road which led to Route 30.
As it turns out, Nathan's house was actually a three-story mansion across the street from the Poke'Mart, though she hadn't noticed it due to the hedge that surrounded it. As they walked the path, Amber saw his Poke'mon. Dugtrio, Donphan, Bellossom, and two others. A Noctowl which watched her from an open window on the top floor, and a Feraligatr which relaxed in a large pond.
They made their way inside, and Amber waited in the drawing room as Nathan went upstairs. Not even five minutes later, he came down with a coupon.
"One Free Pair of Raichu Running Shoes"
"Offer Valid Only for Registered Trainers"
Amber beamed at the generous offer. Running Shoes were normally around 5000 Poke'Dollars, and that was for the cheap ones. These were for Raichu-brand Running Shoes, the most expensive kind, which were more than ten times that amount.
"Just take them over to the Poke'Mart, and they'll set you up. I already got a pair, you see, and the owner gave me that as payment when he lost a battle."
Amber nodded, and left after saying goodbye, Cinder even carrying on a small conversation with Cutter before they were out the door, heading across the street.
It didn't take Amber very long to get her shoes and buy a few potions, and once she left, she was surprised to see Nathan waiting patiently at the gate to Route 30.
"Amber," he called out once she got close. "I forgot to give this to you." He pulled out his Poke'Gear, and Amber did the same. She was shocked when an App was asking permission to be downloaded. She clicked yes, trusting Nathan, and got Poke'World Map for her trouble. They also exchanged phone numbers in case Amber needed advice while traveling.
And finally, she was on her way.
-X-
She quickly came to realize that running attracted both Poke'mon and Trainers, so she and Cinder were getting more than their fair share of battling experience.
But all too soon, they reached what Amber could only assume was Mr. Case's house. She knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man with a face like a basset hound answered.
"Mr. Poke'mon's house is farther down," he said despondently, beginning to close the door.
"Mr. Case?" Amber asked curiously. Immediately, the door stopped closing, and the man stopped looking like a basset hound, and more like a baby beagle.
"Yesss..."
"Umm..." Amber decided it was best not to lie. "Nathan in Cherrygrove said it would be a good idea to stop here on my Poke'mon Journey..."
And that was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back, as Mr. Case began regaling her with his own journey across the Poke'mon World with his Fearow, named Beaker.
All the while, he was handing her spare cases. A TM/HM Case, Coin Case, Apricorn Case, Poke'Block Case, Ticket/Card Case, Cologne Case, Fasion Case, Seal Case, Poffin Case, Prop Case, Medal Case, and Lens Case were all given to Amber, who was lucky they collapsed, using psychic-type energy to expand the inside. She doubted she'd use half of these, but it was better to have it and not need it...
When Amber left Mr. Case's house, she checked her Poke'Gear and realized it was about 2:30, so headed further down Route 30, she and Cinder battling Spearow and Rattata all along the way. While these Poke'mon were slightly stronger than those on Route 29, Cinder was much stronger, and they made it the rest of the way without incident.
Mr. Poke'mon's house was right up against a cliff, and the St. Augustine grass was cut far back from the house.
When she knocked, she heard a loud commotion before the door was swung open, revealing an old man with stark white hair wearing a tan duster and matching fedora.
"You must be Amber," he said without preamble, leading her into a sitting room with one other occupant: Prof. Oak. "Everyone calls me Mr. Poke'mon, so feel free to."
"...alright," Amber said.
"Prof. Elm told me you were coming," Mr. Poke'mon continued.
Then he walked over to a glass case and pulled out a crème colored egg with blue and red triangles on it, handing it over to Amber. "Here it is," he said, "the object I contacted Prof. Elm about. I got it from a friend in Ecruteak who travels a lot. I've never seen one like it in Johto, so I figured who better than Professors Elm and Oak to study it?"
"And with that..." Prof. Oak said, joining the conversation at last. Amber was starry-eyed as she gazed at the man who was so similar to, yet so different from, Prof. Elm. "I'm Prof. Oak, a Poke'mon Categorizer. And you must be Amber... I must say, when my friend Mr. Poke'mon told me a Trainer of your lineage was coming, I simply had to wait."
Amber was rendered mute as she processed Prof. Oak's words. He had waited for her? She almost felt bad for talking to Nathan and Mr. Case for so long, but wouldn't trade it for anything. Nathan imparted important advice she would use during her entire time as a Trainer, and she had made Mr. Case's day simply by stopping by and talking to him.
"And who is this young fellow?" Amber realized Prof. Oak was now kneeling next to Cinder.
"Cinde-err... A C-Cyndaquil, sir," Amber replied dutifully. She doubted he'd much use of her Poke'mon's nickname.
"Mmm, yes... Prof. Elm has been mirroring my research for some time now... I take it this is the fire-type Starter?" At Amber's nod, he continued. "He seems remarkably happy to be near you, even if you've only been traveling for a few hours… Hmm, tell me Amber... How would you like to assist my research as well?"
"Sir?" Amber gasped, disbelieving. In response, Prof. Oak handed her a red device about the size of her hand. She knew what this was.
"My device, the Poke'Dex, is meant to record and categorize all the data we have on Poke'mon. Seeing them will record their habitat, type, and of course image. Capturing them will provide more in-depth knowledge such as height, weight, type, and any abilities and moves it may have... And after you complete the Johto'Dex, I would like for you to do the same for Kanto, alright?"
Amber nodded, still not trusting her voice. Prof. Oak seemed to realize this.
"I'll be seeing you, Amber, but for now I must head to Goldenrod for my Talk Show. This is my number..."
Amber's Poke'Gear buzzed, and she automatically hit the conformation to exchange phone numbers. Prof. Oak then strode calmly out. Amber turned to say goodbye to Mr. Poke'mon, who apologized.
"Sorry about making you walk back and forth," he said.
"No problem," Amber said genuinely. "Cinder and I are getting tons of experience."
"Cyn-cyn!" Cinder agreed.
And with that they left, but her Poke'Gear began ringing as soon as she walked out the door. It was Gregory.
"Hello?"
"Oh, Amber! Good! Hurry back quickly... no time to explain click"
"Gregory!? Hello?" Amber tried calling back, but the phone was acting as if Gregory's was off. Amber was scared for him, so she placed Cinder on her hat and made full use of her Raichu Running Shoes.
-X-
"You received a Poke'mon at Elm's lab? What a waste..."
She was on Route 29 when she heard that voice, so similar to the one just a few hours ago. They recognized each other at the same time.
"Oh, it's you.../You!"
"Such a rare and powerful Poke'mon simply given away to the first person who asks... That Cyndaquil is wasted on a pathetic Trainer like you..."
"Be quiet!" Amber shouted. "Cinder and I will beat the Poke'mon League one of these days!"
"...don't you understand what I'm saying?" He said slowly. At Amber's level glare, he held out a Poke'Ball with a water-drop shaped sticker on it. "Very well... I'll show you the difference in our skills..."
With that, he called forth Totodile, Cinder jumping in front of Amber.
"Smokescreen!" Amber yelled. Cinder stopped the fire erupting on his back, and thick black smoke poured from his mouth instead. Once it covered a sufficent area, Cinder allowed his flames to flare up again.
"Scratch," the redhead called out, and Totodile used Cinder's flames to pinpoint where he was at despite the smoke, raking his claws across Cinder's side, just deep enough to draw blood. In response, Cinder used Tackle without a command, sending Tototdile skidding back to his owner.
"Leer at it," he ordered calmly, but the smoke proved effective by not making Cinder nervous about Totodile. "Get closer and try again," he said, irritation leaking into his voice.
"Tackle!" Amber ordered once more, and Cinder sent Totodile flying back again, this time unconscious.
"Hmph... I assume you're happy about winning," he said after an errant breeze blew the smoke away, revealing him recalling Totodile.
"Who are you?" Amber asked instead of responding. The redhead merely laughed at her.
"Ha! Me? I'm going to be the world's greatest Poke'mon Trainer! I'll decimate the Elite 4, climb Mt. Silver, then defeat the Mt. Silver Sage! My name is one that will be spoken with reverence for generations! I... am Aaron Naiden."
-END-
As stated in the beginning, this will be an adaptation of Generation 2, aka the Johto Journey. As you can see, this takes place a few years after Generation 1, the Kanto Crusade(LOL).Orange is another of my O.C.s, just like Amber. I have one for each generation, I just need the games for them. Currently I own HeartGold, Black, Black 2, X, Y, and Emerald, though I only have a 3DS.
Therefore, I can introduce you to Amber, Aaron, Carbon, Cinder, Delta, and Epsilon, while you have to wait for Topaz, Zircon, Iridium, Tungsten, Orange and Violet. However, two other O.C.s, Desher(the first Poke'Master) and Ryan(ME! A Coordinator), will be updated sporadically.
Well, that's it for this AN. Let me know what you think, and if you'd like to see this kind of thing for the other games(same but different and all that). Then again, you'll be confused when I write about Poke'World War 2, where they all appear.
Ja Ne!