New Greenvale Town
By the time the Eds had finally reached New Greenvale Town, the sun had almost completely set. Or at least, it was dark enough for the few lampposts that New Greenvale Town had to be lit. New Greenvale Town wasn't large, only just barely big enough to be called a town. There was a large building that was clearly meant to be the town center. The rest of the town had been built around it in almost a circular pattern. There was a ring road that encircled the town, while a handful of roads branched off from it into the town. These roads then converged and formed a second, smaller ring road around the town center. The Eds' destination, the Pokémon Center, was located on the outskirts of the town. Unfortunately, it was on the far side of the town in relation to where Route 1 came into the town. This meant that the Eds would have to walk through the entire town to reach it. As they walked, Double D couldn't help but stop every couple of feet to examine the architecture of the town.
"Fascinating." He said as he examined the buildings. "Simply fascinating. These buildings are clearly very old. From the beginning of the last century I suspect." For the most part they were. Aside from the occasional modern looking building or modern accessory, the buildings were clearly old. There were constructed of worn looking bricks with black roof titling. They wouldn't have looked out of place in documentary. "I've only ever seen pictures of buildings like these. I've never would have thought that there would be a whole town of buildings like these."
"That's really interesting Sockhead," Eddy said sarcastically. "But if you don't mind, GET A MOVE ON!" He screamed. "We've got better things to do than study buildings!"
Double D went red. "Keep your voice down Eddy." He said hurriedly as he looked around him. "You can't just scream at the top of your lungs at this time of the day. You'll be disturbing people."
"Well how can I stay calm when you're getting on my nerves like this." Eddy complained. "Seriously, you've stopped to look at every building we've past! They can't be that interesting."
"That's right Double D." Ed said. "For we must reach the fortress of healing so as we can continue our journey through the land of monsters."
"Ed, for the last time, Pokémon are not monsters." Double D said. "And if it'll make you happy, I will try to restrain my academic studies of these marvelous constructions so as we can acquire some accommodation and refreshment at the Pokémon Center."
"Yes it would." Eddy growled. "Now get a move on. I'm beat."
"South to Jamaica Double D." Ed added absently.
The Pokémon Center, keeping in form with the rest of New Greenvale Town, was an older building. It looked like an old fashion hunting lodge, constructed out of various types of wood. It was three stories tall with a triangular shaped, red shingled roof. Attached to the face of the building was a large red P set in front of a disk of metal painted like a Poké Ball.
"Here we are." Double D said. "This must be our destination."
"Finally," Eddy moaned as they entered the building. They entered a large, comfortably furnished lobby. There were a couple of tables and chairs, a few couches, and small green machines that looked like a combination phone and computer lined along one wall. On the far side of the wall was a reception desk that looked straight out of a hospital. Standing at that desk was a pink hair woman wearing the typical garb of a nurse. The woman smiled at the Eds as they approached the desk.
"Good evening." She said cheerily. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. We heal and restore your tired Pokémon. Would you like to make use of our services?"
"Yes, we would." Double D said as they placed their Poké Balls on the desk. "We would also like to rent a room for the night if that is possible."
"We have rooms available, yes." The nurse said as she placed the Poké Balls on a tray. She then handed the tray to a large pink Pokémon who then disappeared with them into a back room. "I just need you to fill out some forms."
As Double D worked on getting a room, Eddy's attention had been caught be something on the wall. He walked over to take a closer look. It was a notice board. What had caught his attention was a large notice that had "WANTED" and "REWARD" printed on it. In truth, he'd been more attracted by the "REWARD" part of the poster.
"Hello," he muttered to himself. "What have we here?"
"WANTED," the poster read, "by Dentor Marshals. Nickolas Rogerson. Wanted on charges of Theft, Fraud, Forgery, Assault, Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, Corruption of a Public Official, Intimidation of Witness in a Criminal Trial, and Intimidation of Witness in Civil Trial. Is believed to still be active in Dentor Region. Is also believed to be the founder and current ringleader of the Black Badge Gang. Under no circumstance should this individual be approached. Any information regarding the location of this individual is sought be the Dentor Marshals. Call (254) 639-5579, ask for Detective Thomas Marter. Reward will be paid out on the arrest of the individual. REWARD: $10,000.00." The poster also had a large picture of Nickolas Rogerson printed on it. The man appeared to be in his early forties, with short, black hair and brown eyes. The picture showed him as being clean cut, with a round face and fairly soft features. The picture showed the face smiling, even with a twinkle in the man's eye. He looked more like someone's kindly uncle than some sort of criminal mastermind.
"A first class scammer if ever there was one." Eddy commented with a chuckle. "You don't fool me for a second buddy." He studied the poster for a moment. On the one hand, he wasn't the type of person who would turn a fellow scammer in. So far as he was concerned, it was a matter of professional pride. On the other hand, money was money. Even more so, $10,000.00 was more money than he had ever had. Perhaps it would he worthwhile to keep an eye out for this Nickolas fellow. His inner debate did not last long however.
Ed came flying out of nowhere and all but body slammed Eddy, who only barely managed to stay on his feet. "Whatcha doing Eddy?" He asked.
"Get off me Lumpy!" Eddy grunted as pushed Ed off. "Double D got the room yet?"
"Yes siry bob," Ed said. He then grabbed Eddy and slung him of his shoulder. Ignoring Eddy's complaints, Ed followed Double D as he lead them to their room. The room was rectangular in shape. Two bunk beds were pushed against the long sides of the room. Pushed against the opposite short wall was a desk that just barely fit between the two beds. The only window in the room was in the that same wall as the desk and gave a fairly good view of the street outside.
"That's it?" Eddy asked looking around the room. "There's not enough room to sling a dead cat in here."
Ed, for reasons best known to himself, decided to test this. He threw his arms out and spun around. His arms hit Eddy, then hit one the bunk beds, rebounded off and hit Ed in his own face. "Yup, Eddy." He said. "No room to butter your toast at all."
"Ed," Eddy growled, his temper rising as he rubbed the back of his head. "I GONNA…."
Double D jumped forward, slapping his hand over Eddy's mouth and muffling the rest of what he said. "We need to be quiet Eddy." He whispered hurried. "There other guests staying here. If we're loud and disturb them, we'll get kicked out."
Eddy glared at Double D but nodded his head in acknowledgment. Double D removed his head. "Alright, alright, geez." He looked around the room again. "Is there a bathroom."
"There's a communal bathroom down the hall," Double D said as he climbed into one of the beds. "That's also where the showers are. Now we'd better get to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."
"Do we?" Eddy asked. Ed, meanwhile, had draped himself over one of the beds and was already asleep.
"Yes," Double D replied. "Tomorrow we need to trek through the Greenspur Forest to Westerway City. Westerway City is where the first gym is and it's not going to take us all day to get through the Greenspur Forest. In other words, it is highly probable that we will participate in our first gym battles tomorrow."
"Alright!" Eddy said as he jumped into bed. "Then get to sleep Sockhead so we can be ready for tomorrow!"
"Right,"Double D said dryly as he situated himself in his bed. "Goodnight." It wasn't long before both they were both asleep.
Meanwhile, back at the Cul-de-Sac
It had been a long day and Kevin was absolutely bushed. Chores, chores, and more chores. That had pretty much been the tempo of the day. But now, the day was done, the chores were completed, and now he had a full night's worth of rejuvenating sleep ahead of him. He sighed contentedly as he fell into bed. It wasn't long before is tired body succumbed to sleep. But before his mind slipped into sleep, something began to niggle at the back of his mind. He couldn't put his finger on it, and in all honesty he really did not want to puzzle it out right now. At any rate, if it was anything important he would remember it eventually.
New Greenvale Town, the Next Day
It had been uneventful night for the Eds. The beds had been comfortable enough, so the trio had gotten a decent night's sleep. In fact, the most trouble they'd had was in the morning. Specifically, getting Ed into the shower. To anyone who knew Ed, they'd know that his defining trait was an absolute lack of hygiene. This was self imposed as the prospect of being clean apparently terrified him. As a result, trying to get him to clean himself was almost a lesson in futility. In the end, all they had managed was to get him into one of the shower stalls long enough for him to be rinsed by the running water. So far as Eddy and Double D were concerned, that was as far as they were willing to go and just left it at that. So after the three were mostly clean, they went down to the lobby. There they had found a complementary breakfast laid out, which consisted of cereal, some bacon and eggs, and a few fruits. They also found little packets filled with what seemed to be pet food. Double D picked up one of the bags and examined it.
"Pokéchow?" He asked aloud as he read the label. "Delicious and nutritious food for all of your Pokémon's dietary needs." Mentally, Double D kicked himself. Their pokémon needed to eat like any other living creature. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Quickly, he grabbed four of the packets and for bowls. He went over to the table that Ed and Eddy were sitting at. He sat the four bowls down and filled each bowel with the pokéchow. "You need to call out your pokémon out," he said. "We need to feed them."
"Crap," Eddy said as he released Charmander. "I didn't think about that."
"Okay Bulbasuar," Ed said. "Time for grub."
"Sorry guys," Double D said as he released Squirtle and Pidgey. "I forgot."
(Oh, boy!) Bulbasaur cried as he started eating out of one of the bowls. (Food!)
(Finally.) Squirtle said. (I didn't think they'd ever feed us.)
(What is this?) Pidgey said as he inspected the food. (Do they expect me to eat this refuse?)
(Well, if you don't want it I'll eat it.) Squirtle offered. Pidgey huffed, then began to eat out of his bowl. Charmander didn't comment. He simply sat at his bowl and started eating.
(So, does anyone know what's on the agenda for today?) Bulbasuar asked.
(I don't know for sure.) Squirtle replied. (I suspect we'll be taking on one of those gym things.) He turned to Pidgey. (Do you know if there are any gyms about?)
(I have no idea.) Pidgey grunted while swallowing some food. (I was wild until yesterday as you'll recall. I know nothing of what humans do or their establishments. Besides, I never had any reason to fly far from the nest. And quite frankly, I would have preferred to stay there.)
(You're just sore that you were captured.) Charmander commented.
(Of course I am.) Pidgey huffed. (What self respecting pokémon wouldn't be?)
(Hey, now wait a minute.) Squirtle said, jumping to his trainer's defense at the implied insult. (I don't mind having a trainer. He's just fine.)
(Having a trainer is alright with me,) Bulbasuar put in. Charmander simply nodded in agreement.
(That's because you were born and raised around humans.) Pidgey said. (You were never wild like I was. Our situations are completely different.)
(So then you regret being captured?) Charmander asked.
Pidgey didn't answer right away. (I have to admit,) he finally said, (I'm not sure. On the one hand, I am going to miss the freedom being wild entailed. On the other hand, the prospect of seeing more of the world does have a certain charm to it I suppose.) He then gave his food another distasteful look. (And even if its quality is questionable, the prospect of not having to worry about were the next meal is coming from is certainly a positive.)
(Don't worry.) Squirtle said cheerily as he clapped Pidgey on the back. (You'll get used to it eventually. And who knows, you might just have a grand old time of it.) Pidgey grunted noncommittally and went back to eating. Meanwhile, the Eds had been discussing their next destination.
"So next stop is that Westerway City right Double D?" Eddy asked.
Double D nodded as he laid out their map of the region. "We are here." He pointed to a small dot on the map denoting New Greenvale Town. "We are on a peninsula." Double D continued. "According to the guide, it's recommended that new trainers complete the three gyms on the peninsula before moving over to the mainland. The first gym and our destination for today is here." He pointed to another dot that was labeled Westerway City. "Between Westerway City and us is Greenspur Forest, which is what we need to get through today. If we make good time, we should be able to reach Westerway City with more than enough time to challenge the gym before it closes for the day."
"So what this gym like anyway?" Eddy asked.
"Well according to the guide," Double D said as he read the guide. "The gym leader is a man named Greg. Apparently, he specializes in bug type pokémon though it doesn't list what specific pokémon he uses."
"We got anything good against them?" Eddy asked.
"At the moment, you and I do," Double D said as he flipped to a different part of their guide. "According to this, bug types are weak against fire, flying, and rock types."
"So then what have we got?" Eddy asked.
"My Squirtle is a water type while Pidgey is a normal/flying type." Double D answered. "Your Charmander is a fire type and Ed's Bulbasaur is a grass/poison type."
"Great! So Charmander and I are going to totally clean this guy's clock." Eddy said, rubbing his hands together with glee.
"Its not that simple Eddy." Double D replied. "You have to remember, we are beginners while he's an experienced trainer. He'll obviously have a complete and comprehensive understanding of his pokémon's strengths and weaknesses. He's sure to have ways of countering his pokémon's type weaknesses. Even then, types are not the only consideration in a pokémon battle. I'd like to remind you that no one had the type advantage in our battles yesterday and they didn't just screech to a halt because of it. You need to take what the pokémon can do into account."
"You're over thinking this Double D." Eddy said as he stretched back in his seat. "Charmander and I will be just fine. Isn't that right Ed."
"Pass go and collect two-hundred dollars Eddy." Ed said.
"Whatever." Eddy said. He looked over at his Charmander. Seeing that he had finished eating, he returned him and got up from the table. "Come on boys! Lets go and get a first badge."
"Hold on Eddy," Double D said as returned his pokémon. "We need to get some supplies before we go."
"What for?" Eddy asked. Eddy loved money, but he really didn't like to spend money. Though, the only exception to this would be jawbreakers. "Why do we need stuff like that if we can get it for free at a Pokémon Center?"
"Because we can't spend every night at a Pokémon Center." Doubled replied. "Besides, we won't make much headway in our journey if we're constantly running back to a Pokémon Center every time our pokémon are low on health. And besides, we need to have a supply of food for our pokémon and ourselves."
"Alright, alright." Eddy complained. "Where do we get this stuff."
"At a place called a Poké Mart." Double D answered. "I saw one last night. Its just down the road."
"Then lets get it over with." Eddy as he and Ed followed Double D out. The Poké Mart was a large white building with a bright blue roof. Its interior reminded the Eds of the supermarkets back home. There were a series of checkouts near the entrance while the rest of the floorspace was given over to racks of merchandise. As it turned out, while they were called Poké Marts, they served the same purpose as supermarkets. There were items for pokémon and their trainers there were also the kind of every day commodities that were needed for every day life. Since the Eds were low on funds, they had to by the cheapest, and thus the weakest, forms of potions. They also bought food for themselves and their pokémon as well as a handful of extra Poké Balls. There was one item that they looked top and bottom for but couldn't find. Unfortunately for them, they soon found out why.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T SELL JAWBREAKERS!" Eddy roared, almost foaming at the mouth.
"We just don't sell them!" The unfortunate cashier cried as he cowered behind a desk. "They're not made in Dentor! They have to be imported from other countries! No one in Dentor keeps them in stock because there's no a demand for them."
"NO DEMAND!?" Eddy screamed. The only reason why he hadn't leap on the cashier was that Double D had grabbed a hold of both of his arms and was holding him back. Ed, meanwhile, was curled up on the floor in a fetal position.
"Say it ain't so Double D!" He sobbed. "Ed can't stand no jawbreakers!"
"Ed." Double D said, managing to drag Eddy away from the cashier. "Please take Eddy and wait outside."
"But Double D..." Ed whinned.
"Ed." Double D said sternly and pointed at the door. "Go." Still crying, Ed took Eddy and carried him out of the Poké Mart. They sat on the curb outside, Ed still crying while Eddy fumed. It wasn't long to Double D walked out with their purchases. He packed their purchases away and glared at Eddy.
"There was no need to do that Eddy." He scowled. "They nearly called the police."
"It's not my fault." Eddy shot back. "They're supposed to sell jawbreakers!"
"Not when there is no one who buys them." Double D argued. "Especially when it costs a small fortune to ship a handful in from someone who does make them. Besides that's a Poké Mart, not a candy store. Maybe will find jawbreakers if we find a candy store."
"Whatever Sockhead." Eddy growled. "Lets just get moving."
"Yes, lets." Double D said as he glanced nervously back at the Poké Mart. "They said they wouldn't called the police, but I'd rather not stick around if they change their minds."
"Right behind you guys." Ed said tearfully. As it turned out, New Greenvale Town was practically on the board of Greenspur Forest. It was so close that that it seem that the where the town stopped, the forest began. All that sat between the two was a waist high stone wall, which looked about as old as the rest of the town. The only break in the wall was a small building, which appeared to be a gate house. As it was the only place to get through the gate, and it was where the route went, the Eds entered the building. The only thing inside the building was desk, at which sat a very bored looking man flipping through a magazine. The man looked up as the Eds entered.
"You boys going through Greenspur?" He asked.
"Yeah, what's it to yea?" Eddy snapped.
The man shrugged. "Nothing really. I'm just supposed to tell you that the Stantlers are back again."
"Stantlers?" Double D asked.
The man gave them a look. "You're new around these parts aren't you?"
"As new as freshly toasted onions, oh gatekeeper of keepyness." Ed replied.
The man gave Ed a confused look. "What?"
"Ignore him." Eddy said as he pushed Ed out of the way. "So what's the problem?"
"Well normally, Greenspur Forest is pretty calm and quite most of the year." The man said. "However, were at that time of the year where a species of pokémon known as Stantler start migrating. While Greenspur Forest isn't on their migration route, some do wander in and out of the forest. Now, there is a somewhat similar pokémon in the forest called Deerling. Deerling are normally are timid and do their best to avoid fights. However, there's something about Stantler that gets them riled up. They get unusually aggressive and will attack anything, particularly the Stantler, on sight. Naturally, this riles up all the other pokémon and they also get more aggressive than they usually are. There's nothing in the forest that's particularly dangerous so it usually isn't a problem, but it never hurts to be prepared." The man gave a knowing grin. "It also helps with the liability concerns if some idiot actually does get themselves hurt."
"We'll keep that in mind." Double D said. "We appreciate the warning."
"Whatever." The man said as he returned to his magazine. "Have fun." And on that note, the Eds left the gate house and entered Greenspur Forest.
Cul-de-Sac
Kevin's day had started with, surprise surprise, chores. Specifically, it started with having to mow the lawn. He complained bitterly under his breath as he pulled the push mower out of the garage. He hated mowing the lawn. It was loud, smelly, hot, and, worst of all, boring. The only bright spot to the whole thing was that he only had to do it once every couple of weeks. But there was no use putting it off so, putting aside his annoyance, he got to work. He had done about 1/4th of the lawn before a thought struck him.
Hadn't something been bothering him last night?
He thought for a moment before he realized yes, something had been bothering him. In fact, it was still niggling at the back of his mind. But what was bothering him? He still couldn't put his finger on it. No matter how hard he thought about it, it still seemed to allude him. Had he forgotten to do something? No, he couldn't think of anything he could have forgotten to do. Besides, if he had forgotten to do something someone would surely have reminded him. He shrugged inwardly as he went back to work. It would come to him eventually.
It hadn't occurred to Kevin that perhaps what was bothering him had nothing to do with him exactly. It had never occurred to him that the problem was that something was missing. Or rather, someones were missing.
Next time on Pokemon, the Ed-Ventures: The Eds run into a bit of trouble in Greenspur Forest.
