3—
A Rival from Sinnoh
CALEB

"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Often found in forests, eating leaves. It has a sharp venomous stinger on its head."

Caleb set his PokéDex to read the entries aloud as he aimed the lens at the thriving wildlife all around. Route 2 ended up much kinder to him than Route 1—mostly because his Bulbasaur grew strong fast. He'd already learned Leech Seed, Poison Powder, and Sleep Powder. All this from battling only wild Pokémon too! He reached down at his belt and gave the PokéBall a pat, hoping Bulbasaur would feel his love.

A tiny Caterpie came inching from between some tall grass. Delighted, Caleb tried to lean down and get close to it. The wild Pokémon was terrified of him, of course, and scurried away in fright, but not before the PokéDex did its job.

"Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls."

Happy with his progress so far, Caleb stood and basked in the sun. Some hundred feet away, Josh concluded a battle with some unfortunate youngster named Joey. His Rattata was no match for Josh's Squirtle who recently upgraded his Bubble attack for Water Gun and washed out the competition. Tanner straggled behind, administering a Potion to his Charmander instead of making the long hike back to the Pokémon Center.

"Did you win?" Caleb asked. Tanner scoffed.

"Of course I won! What kind of question is that? What are you doing? Still filling up your PokéDex?"

"Yeah," Caleb replied. "I think I'm going to sneak over to Route 22 real quick."

Tanner reached into his pack and pulled out his Town Map, scratching his head. He raised a skeptical eyebrow and narrowed his gaze.

"That means going back to Viridian City and taking the west road," Tanner pointed out. "We're so close to the forest edge; why go back?"

"There's a few Pokémon living there I want to add to the PokéDex," Caleb explained. "Who knows, I might even try to catch one."

"There's nothing around these parts but Pidgey and Rattata until you get into the forest," Tanner objected. "From there it's just Weedle and Caterpie. Maybe the occasional Kakuna."

"Don't forget about Pikachu," Caleb said. "They're exceedingly rare, but they live in Viridian Forest too."

"Shut up!" Tanner exclaimed. "Are you serious? I love Pikachu! Why aren't we busy trying to catch one of those?"

"Don't let me stand in your way. There's enough time in the day for me to go there, come back, and catch up to you. You won't make it to Pewter City in one night; we'll have to camp. Tell Josh where I went when he's done battling, will you?"

Caleb turned around and started back down Route 2 to Viridian City. He stopped at the Pokémon Center out of sheer habit and let them run Bulbasaur through their machine. At a steady pace, he put one foot in front of the other and veered west. High, rocky cliffs lined the north and south edges of the pass. If he followed it to the end, the trail led to Victory Road, the last big cave for trainers to overcome before they reached the Indigo Plateau—home of the Elite Four and the Kanto Champion. Without the badges to prove his worth as a trainer, Caleb wouldn't make it through the front door, but it didn't matter. His interest remained in the patches of tall grass on the Route between Viridian City and Victory Road.

Here, Caleb might find wild Spearow, Mankey, and both male and female Nidoran. Wading through the grass for nigh on and hour, however, and only Rattata and Pidgey attacked. Bulbasaur still had trouble fighting them, and Caleb wished he had listened to Tanner. A Pikachu from Viridian Forest would make quick work of a flock of Pidgey.

Not to mention it's one of the few native Electric types in the region.

He and his friends looked forward to earning their badges. Josh would have no trouble getting his Boulderbadge, and Caleb figured with a strong Grass type like Bulbasaur, a Cascadebadge shouldn't be too hard to obtain. Tanner, on the other hand, unless he caught something to counter Rock and Water had a tough road ahead of him. Charmanda faced off against all her weaknesses.

He beat Josh, Caleb remembered.

While both his friends looked forward to training Pokémon to battle, earning badges, and competing in the Indigo League, Caleb wanted nothing more than to research. Explorers all over the world discovered new regions far away, filled with wild Pokémon not yet discovered. One day people would migrate to those regions and would need a Pokémon Professor. Caleb liked to think of himself wearing a lab coat, owning a reservation to act as home to the surplus Pokémon from trainers in the region, and passing out starters to the bright-eyed trainers of tomorrow.

Yeah…that's a life I could get used to.

"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Extremely quick to anger. It could be docile one moment then thrashing away the next instant."

Caleb only caught a glimpse of the wild and rare Pokémon before it slipped out of sight, but it was all the PokéDex needed to include the entry.

"Sounds like Tanner," Caleb said aloud with a chuckle.

As a fighting type, Mankey would make a wonderful addition to Caleb's team when it came time to fight the Rock Pokémon in the Pewter City gym, Mount Moon, and Rock Tunnel. Then again, Bulbasaur would breeze through battles of that sort too. Tanner, on the other hand…tempted to try to catch one for his friend, he thought better of it. If he caught it, he'd want to keep it.

Instead, after Caleb managed to spot Spearow and a male Nidoran, he wandered off the beaten path to climb down the rocks to get near the water. There were small docks leading to a bottom entrance to Victory Road, but it also acted as a port for immigrants and tourists. If he stayed far to the east of the dock, he should go unnoticed. A Pokémon he wanted for his team mad its home in the waters instead of tall grass.

NO FISHING

Caleb looked at the sign and almost reconsidered. The Indigo League officials loved to regulate things like where new trainers could fish, and Caleb thought it ridiculous. They made the rule based on the high-level Pokémon in the waters, but he'd never hook one of those with the Old Rod he borrowed from his neighbor. Reaching into his bag, he assembled the rod and baited the hook. While a little out of practice, Caleb's dad taught him to fish a few summers ago, and the skill came back to him quick.

To his surprise, something bit right away. Tugging backwards and upwards like his dad taught him, Caleb pulled the Pokémon out of the water with a single tug. An angry Poliwag attacked. Caleb aimed his PokéDex at the Pokémon to make sure he got his entry.

"Poliwag, the tadpole Pokémon. Its newly grown legs prevent it from running. It appears to prefer swimming than trying to stand."

The adorable little blue tadpole attacked out of fright, unable to get away after being hooked on the fishing pole. Caleb reached for the ball on the belt and clicked its button.

"Go, Bulbasaur!"

His Grass starter emerged ready for a fight. The Sunny Day gave him the speed advantage over the Poligwag.

"Use Leech Seed!" Caleb commanded. The Poliwag was seeded and fed its energy to Bulbasaur. Poliwag retaliated with a Bubble attack which Bulbasaur endured in stride.

"Bulbasaur, lure it to sleep with Sleep Powder!"

A puff of blue powder erupted from Bulbasaur's stem and into Poligwag's face as it fell asleep standing up, snoring gently. Caleb smiled and reached into his pack for a PokéBall. He hit the button and threw it at his target. The true aim paid off as it collided with the sleeping Poliwag and transformed it into glowing red energy before snapping shut. Caleb waited as the ball wiggled back and forth, the wild Pokémon struggling against its new home. It clicked and came to rest.

"Good job, Bulbasaur!" he praised, tossing a PokéPuff as a treat.

Caleb trotted over to claim his prize and put the ball on his belt. He would need to make a stop back in Viridian to the Pokémon Center to get Poliwag healed up.

"I've got big plans for you," he said.

"Bulbasaur!"

Jealous at the attention Caleb bestowed upon his new friend, and eager for another PokéPuff, Bulbasaur took to tickling his legs with his vines.

"Bulbasaur, stop!" Caleb giggled. "That tickles."

"It looks like you've got a really good bond with your Pokémon!"

Caleb turned in surprise to see a young trainer standing on the docks behind him. Amidst the excitement of fishing, the battle, and the catch, Caleb was too distracted to notice his spectator until now. The boy was around his age, of a similar height and stocky build as Caleb. Darker of hair with bright green eyes, he dressed in khaki colored cargo shorts, an army green tank top, and a hat from the Sinnoh League—red and black with a blue emblem on the front. This boy from Sinnoh was cute. Cute boys always made Caleb feel flushed and bothered.

"Not much of a talker, I gather?"

"Oh! Ha! I'm sorry. It's just you're not supposed to fish here and you caught me."

"Don't worry, man. I'm not going to tell. I'm Casey."

He extended a hand which Caleb readily accepted in a firm shake.

"I'm Caleb. You're from Sinnoh?"

"What gave it away?" Casey asked, reaching up to give his hat a flick.

"Did you just move here?"

"Technically, I haven't moved here yet. My stuff is still on the boat with my mom and my sister. They're in line at the passport office to get our immigration papers all in order. I'm just stretching my legs and enjoying this weather."

"I see," Caleb replied. "You have three PokéBalls on your belt. Mind if I meet your team?"

"Not at all. Alright everyone! Come on out!"

He clicked the buttons on all three balls and tossed them onto the dock. In a hiss of energy, his team assembled, looking strong and proud like their trainer. Caleb didn't wait for permission to get out his PokéDex and pass over each in turn. How often would he get the opportunity to gather data on species from another region?

"Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. Made from soil, the shell on its back hardens when it drinks water. It lives along lakes.

"Starly, the Starling Pokémon. They flock in great numbers. Though small, they flap their wings with great power.

"Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. All of its fur dazzles if danger is sensed. It flees while the foe is momentarily blinded."

Caleb looked down at the team with admiration. Grass/Ground, Flying/Normal, and Electric: it was the start of a great competitive team. Perhaps on his way back to Viridian Forest, he would take the time to catch a Pikachu after all.

"Quite an impressive trio," Caleb praised.

"Thank you," Casey replied. "Turtwig was my starter, Starly was my first catch, and Shinx was a parting gift from my dad before my mom, my sister, and I left for Kanto."

"He didn't come with you?"

Casey shook his head.

"No. Mom and Dad are getting a divorce, and Mom wants her kids to grow up in Kanto where she's from. Our grandma and all our cousins live here, so it's not like we'll be all alone. It just sucks because I was on my way to get my first badge and start my journey to the Sinnoh League when my parents gave me the news. Now I have to start all over."

Caleb reached into his bag to retrieve a notebook and a pen to write down the address for Professor Oak's lab. He committed it to memory long ago after filling out countless applications for schools around the world. It along with a Town Map of Kanto was all Casey needed to get started.

Would it be weird if I asked him to join us?

Yes, he decided, it would. They only just met, and both Josh and Tanner could be strange when it came to new people. Caleb got along with everyone, but their prickly personalities sometimes caused a ruckus. Not to mention the potential jealousy issue with a cute boy vying for the attention Caleb reserved for Josh.

"I hope to see you around," Caleb said. "I'm going to climb back up to the route and catch up with my friends. It was nice to meet you, Casey."

"Before you go, here's my trainer number. If you use the PokéConnect app on your phone, we can stay in touch. All my friends are back in Sinnoh—it'd be nice to make some new ones."

Caleb blushed, but wasted no time taking down the number and adding Casey to his contacts on PokéConnect.

"Do you know where you'll be living?" Caleb inquired.

"As long as everything goes well with immigration, for now, we'll be staying at my aunt's house in Cerulean City. I'll probably head back to Pallet Town and meet Professor Oak first though. Thanks again for the address."

"My pleasure." They said their final goodbyes and Caleb turned to make his ascent up the rocks to get back to Route 22.

"Hey, Caleb!" He turned around to meet Casey's eyes. "I'm kind of disappointed you didn't challenge me to a battle. Where I come from, when trainers meet eyes, they battle. Probably good you didn't, I suppose. You have two Pokémon and I have three, so it wouldn't really have been fair. I expect a battle next time."

"You're on!" Caleb said with a smile. That smile stuck with him the entire way back up to the route. To his surprise, Josh and Tanner were there wading around in the tall grass. They didn't notice him at first, so he took a seat on a nearby log and thought about his new rival from Sinnoh. What kind of Pokémon would Caleb need to meet a challenger like him and stand a chance? A Rock or Electric to deal with Starly, a sturdy contender with a Ground move for Shinx, and what to do about Turtwig?

I wonder…

"Hey PokéDex," Caleb said, speaking into the microphone. The device lit up to let him know it was listening. "Can Poliwag learn any Ice-type moves?"

"Poliwag does not learn any Ice-type moves on its own, but it can learn Blizzard, Hail, and Ice Beam with tutoring, and Haze, Ice Ball, and Mist through breeding."

Caleb put the device away, dug into his bag for some lunch, and waited until Josh and Tanner noticed him. Josh came running full-speed, grinning from ear-to-ear. All the butterflies in his stomach from Casey went away with one look at Josh, reminding him to be thankful for what was right in front of him.

"Look what I caught!" Josh exclaimed.

Caleb watched as he pressed the button and tossed a ball from his belt. It opened to reveal a stout and sturdy Nidoran female. Caleb beamed with pride, but not before he made sure to get the last missing entry in his PokéDex for the region.

"That's awesome! She's beautiful!"

"Nido-Niiid!" the Pokémon nuzzled up against his leg in response to the compliment.

"She likes you," Josh said.

"Ow!" Caleb reached down and nuzzled a fresh wound on his leg.

"Careful, her ability is Poison Point."

"Now you tell me…whoa! What happened to you Tanner?"

Tanner approached in all his tall-and-lanky swag, skin covered in red spots. Josh started giggling and Tanner growled at him.

"I stepped on a Beedrill nest and got attacked," Tanner confessed.

"Oof!" Josh exclaimed.

"Oof, indeed," Caleb agreed.

"It was worth it though," Tanner smiled. "Go, Pikachu!"

The ball revealed a little electric mouse with bright red cheeks. Caleb made sure to update his PokéDex and then acquainted himself with his friends' new Pokémon. They took an instant liking to him, especially after he offered them PokéPuffs.

"Um, excuse me, mister man," Josh said, "but I believe I see two Pokéballs dangling from your belt."

"Giggity," Tanner muttered under his breath.

"Hey, that's my line," Josh complained.

Caleb rolled his eyes.

"I'd let him out of his ball, but he's sleeping right now. Bulbasaur knocked him out with Sleep Powder. Let's go back to the Viridian City Pokémon Center, guys. We'll all be a lot more comfortable there. I think we should talk about some strategy before we take on the Pewter City Gym Leader."

"Sounds like a plan," Tanner agreed.

"Let's go!"

They recalled their Pokémon and started east down Route 22 to get back to Viridian City. Caleb looked back on last time, thinking about his meeting with Casey. He smiled and found himself hoping their paths would cross again. One thing was for sure, he would have a battle-ready team by then.

"What are you smiling about?" Josh demanded.

"Oh nothing," Caleb lied, putting his arm around Josh's shoulder. "It's just been a really good day."