Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the Loud House. Those properties belong to Nintendo/Game Freak and Chris Savino/Nickelodeon respectively
Note: This story will be based primarily on the anime with aspects of the games, the Adventures manga and the Electric Tales manga mixed in.
-=O=-
"Pokemon Trainer? You want me to teach these Pokemon things how to do tricks and stuff?"
"...You don't know what a Trainer is? Didn't your sister tell you about any of this before you left?"
Lincoln shakes his head, replying "I only just heard about this from you just now, Professor. Sorry."
With a sigh, Oak mutters "Looks like I'm going to have to explain all of this again." before giving Lincoln a stern look. "Pay attention, Mr. Loud - this is very important."
As soon as Professor Oak finished his explanation about Pokemon Trainers fifteen minutes later, Lincoln's eyes gleamed in delight at the prospect - not only would he be able to see (and catch) Pokemon of his own to keep, but the idea of winning the Kanto Regional Championship had greatly appealed to him. A prize like that would certainly blow everything else in the family case out of the water.
"By that grin on your face, I take it you're interested?"
"Of course I'm interested! Being a Trainer sounds like it'd be awesome!"
"Well, you're certainly enthusiastic." replied Oak with a chuckle, only for his expression to become stern once more. "Though the path of a Pokemon Trainer won't be an easy one, young man. Are you sure you'll be able to handle it?"
"You've already got me hooked on the idea, Professor - there's no way I'm going to back down now."
"Glad to hear it. Now then, before I officially allow you to become a Trainer, there are three conditions you'll need to follow - first, you'll need to take an exam to show that you're competent enough to become a Trainer in the first place. The test will be administered personally by me this evening, so you won't have to wait long to take it."
"But I don't have the right books or stuff needed to study up for something like that, Professor." replied Lincoln, only for Oak to smile in response.
"Don't worry - I'll provide the books you'll need to study for you, but other than that you'll need to handle the rest of the preparations on your own. So is this condition acceptable?"
Lincoln nodded in agreement at this - he could understand the need to test someone first before they started taking care of creatures like Pokemon. From the sound of things, they were probably very dangerous to someone who wasn't qualified enough to handle them.
"Secondly, I want you to promise never to use any Pokemon you train for nefarious purposes. The last thing Kanto needs is another potential recruit for Team Rocket."
Giving Professor Oak a questioning glance, Lincoln asked "Team Rocket? Sounds like some kind heel group, if you ask me." only to get an odd look from Oak in return. "It's some wrestling terminology I picked up from Lynn once - it means a group of bad guys."
Nodding in understanding, Oak replies "Sounds about right, though they're much more than that. Team Rocket is the main criminal organization working out of the Kanto region - they specialize in stealing Pokemon and trying to make a profit from them."
With a look of disgust on his face, Lincoln answers "Sounds like a group I don't want to get involved with. You have my agreement on this condition as well."
"Glad to hear it. Now as for my third condition...I want you to take the time to work things out with your family after you have calmed down sufficiently. Though I understand that you're upset with them, it's not healthy to hold a grudge for a long time."
"...I guess I can see about mending things between me and my family, though they have to make the attempt to reconcile first before I do anything. Is that alright, Professor?"
After thinking it over for a second, Oak finally nods in agreement. "I suppose that's reasonable enough, considering the circumstances."
"Thanks, Professor Oak." replied Lincoln with a smile. "So now that I've agreed to these conditions of yours, is there anything else I need to know?"
"Not that I can think of...oh! Look over there!" exclaimed Oak as he pointed at a nearby window. "We're almost at our destination!"
Taking a look for himself, Lincoln could see an extremely large island in the distance. As he stared at it with interest, he thought 'So that's Kanto? It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be...' before a grin formed on his face. 'I can't wait to explore it for myself.'
-=O=-
-The Loud Residence-
While their parents and brother were away at the airport, the rest of the Loud family were sitting on the couch watching television...though by the looks on their faces, they weren't exactly in the best of moods. The only exception was Lynn, who looked rather satisfied with herself.
"Man, I don't know why you guys are so upset...so Lincoln gets sent out of the States - big deal! It just means that his bad luck will no longer be stinking up the place." said Lynn with a laid-back smile. "Besides, isn't that why we all agreed to the idea of sending him away in the first place?"
"Well, yeah but...I'm just not comfortable with him being so far away from home." replied Luna before glaring at Lisa. "And I'm especially not happy with the idea of having him stay with some stranger."
"Really, Luna? You're going to try and push some of your guilt on me, especially after what happened last night?"
"And just what do you mean by that?" snapped Luna as she glared at her younger sibling with anger in her eyes.
"What I mean is that you could have prevented this from happening if you had just spoken up during the meeting last night on Lincoln's behalf." answered Lisa icily. "But instead, you decided to go along with the idea of sending our brother to stay with our Aunt Ruth out of fear of being affected by his so-called 'bad luck'."
"And what about you? You didn't raise any objections to the idea either!" countered Lola as she pointed at Lisa accusingly. "In fact, you wanted to send him out of the country!"
"Yeah! And not only that, but you had a reason for wanting to send Lincoln to your friend's place! Lucy heard you talking to mom and dad last night!" added Lana as Luan, Lucy and Luna nod in agreement.
"So...you overheard my discussion with our parents last night?" inquired Lisa with a raised eyebrow, causing Lucy to nod as she glared at the four year-old behind her bangs. "And how much did you manage to hear?"
"I didn't hear everything, but I heard enough to find out that you were up to something."
Much to Lucy's surprise however, her younger sister showed no signs of nervousness or fear. Instead, she merely smirked in response.
"A shame you didn't hear everything that was said in my room last night. Otherwise, you'd be siding with me on the matter."
"And just what could be so great about having our brother living out of the country with someone we don't know, sis? Answer me!"
Before Lisa could give a reply, the sound of Vanzilla pulling up into the driveway catches their attention. Seconds later, their parents enter the house with their father trying to calm their mother down as tears streamed down her face. With a shove, Rita pushes her husband away before rushing into her room and slamming the door shut.
Wincing as he heard the sound of the door locking, Lynn Sr. thought '...We really should have put an end to this 'bad luck' situation sooner. I just hope things don't get worse from here.' before turning to face his daughters, who were staring at him with unease. After clearing his throat, he says "Girls, there's something I want to talk with you about...it's regarding your brother."
"Lincoln? What about him?" asked Lori as she glanced at the door. "And what happened to Mom to make her cry like that?"
"She's still upset about what happened earlier. That and Lincoln's departure didn't exactly go as well as we had hoped and...well, your mother seems to think that he hates us." replied Lynn Sr. with a sigh. "And speaking of your brother, we're going to unseal his room and put his belongings back inside. After what we've done to him, we owe him that much at least."
"But Dad, what about his bad luck still lingering in there? That's why we..." started Lynn Jr., only to stop when her father shot a glare in her direction.
"At this point, I don't care if its tainted with bad luck or not - we are unsealing that room. And if I find out that any of you try to block it off again, you will be grounded until your brother gets home. Is that clear?"
"...Yes, Dad." chorused the nine girls in unison.
"Alright then - half of you start working on the door while the rest of you come out to the van to help me unload the new furniture your mother and I bought."
Giving her father a questioning look, Lisa asks "I presume your recent purchases are meant to replace what you and Mother had sold over the last week?"
The other sisters wince, recalling that their parents had sold off Lincoln's furniture a few days ago. To make them feel worse, they also remembered that none of them had raised any opposition to the idea of selling their their brother's property as the money from it would be used to fund their trip to the beach. The only unaffected was Lynn, who looked at her father expectantly.
"Well, what about our trip to the beach today? Are we still going to do that?" asked Lynn, only for her father to shake his head. "WHAT?!"
"We had to spend everything we had on us to replace everything we sold, so no - we will not be going to the beach today." responded Lynn Sr., causing his daughters to start raising angry protests in response.
"What happened to the money you got from selling Lincoln's stuff in the first place? That was three-hundred dollars!" demanded Lola, face reddened with anger.
"Well...after some discussion with your sister Lisa last night, we decided it was only fair that your brother kept the money we got from selling his things." replied Lynn Sr., prompting the protests to grow louder and more frequent.
"Three-hundred dollars all to himself?! That's literally not fair!" exclaimed Lori in disbelief before glaring at Lisa. "This is all your fault - if you hadn't convinced Mom and Dad to give that money to that little twerp, we could have gone to the beach today!"
Crossing her arms, Lisa retorts "So what if I did? It's not like any of you deserve to go after how you treated our brother over the last week."
"Now who's trying to push blame? You're just as guilty as the rest of us about that!" accused Luna with a sneer as she pointed at her younger sister.
"Oh, I'm well aware of my role in the events of the prior week and acknowledge that I don't deserve to go to the beach either." replied Lisa before giving the rocker a cold glare. "But do you want to know something? At least I'm willing to admit that I had wronged our brother. Can you say the same?"
The older brunette didn't reply, though the angry look in her eyes was a clear sign that things between her and Lisa was far from over.
"I thought not. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get started on removing the blockade from our brother's door. Good day."
-=O=-
-Pallet Town Airport-
About an hour later, the helicopter had managed to arrive at a small airport somewhere in Pallet Town - a small, quiet place that had a sleepy feel to it.
Once the two had gotten out of the aircraft and onto the mainland, Professor Oak says "Well, there it is, Mr. Loud - Pallet Town. Nice place, isn't it?" with a grin as he gestured towards the small city in the distance.
Giving the town an interested look, Lincoln asks "It certainly looks like a nice place, Professor. Do you live here?"
Nodding, Oak replied "I do. I even have a lab somewhere in town where I do my research." before taking a look at his watch. "Speaking of the lab, we should be on our way to it now - I'm certain that you'll want to get started on studying for your exam as soon as possible. Follow me, please."
With a nod of his own, Lincoln complies and follows after him out of the airport. Much to his surprise, they didn't need to use a vehicle to reach the main part of the town as it was only a short walk away.
As he followed Oak through the town, Lincoln had to admit that he liked Pallet Town a lot - it was the kind of nice, quiet place someone like him would approve of. Royal Woods would always be his home and he had plenty of friends there, but he wouldn't say no to the idea of living in a place like this.
Even the town's citizens seemed just as pleasant as the town itself - everyone they had passed by greeted the two with smiles and friendly waves.
After a few minutes, the two manage to reach a stairway leading to a large building with a windmill towering above it. As Lincoln stares at the building in wonder, Oak gestures towards it with pride, "This is my Laboratory - the very place where I conduct my research on Pokemon. There's also a ranch in the back of the property as well."
"A ranch, huh? So what do you keep on it, Professor? Cows? Sheep?" asked Lincoln curiously, causing the old professor to start chuckling.
"Pokemon, actually. I use the ranch to take care of Pokemon that belong to Trainers when they're not in use. This will most likely include any you manage to catch as well."
"But doesn't that get expensive? I'm pretty sure feeding a lot of them must cost you plenty of money."
"That's where the grants from the Pokemon League come in - you'd be surprised on how generous they can be financial-wise."
"Neat." replied Lincoln before scratching the back of his head. "So...uh, not to sound rude or anything, but do you have somewhere quiet I can use to study for the test?"
Nodding, Oak replies "Of course - we have an unused room for guests in the lab that you're more than welcome to use. If need be, you're also welcome to stay in it for tonight."
At Lincoln's questioning look, he adds "I'll be giving out starters to other Trainers tomorrow morning, so if you manage to pass the test tonight, you can pick one out for yourself alongside them."
"Sounds good to me - it'll be nice to have a roof over my head again after a week of nothing but sleeping on the front lawn."
"Glad to hear it. Now then, let's hurry up and get inside - I'm certain you'll want to start preparing for your test as soon as possible."
-=O=-
"It's...it's beautiful..." murmured Lincoln as he stared at the glorious sight before him, eyes filled with tears of joy.
With a look of amusement on his face, Oak replies "Don't you think you're over-reacting a little, Mr. Loud? It's just the lab's guest room."
"Professor, this room is twice as large as the one I have back home. Not only that, but there's a television and a bathroom here too!" replied Lincoln with a wide grin. "My siblings and I constantly have to fight over that kind of stuff back home, so it's pretty easy to understand why I'm happy about something like this."
"Hmm...I suppose when you put it that way, I can understand how you feel about having something like this to yourself." replied Oak before heading to the door. "In any case, I'll be back with some books for you to study for your exam. Feel free to go ahead and unpack your things until then."
Lincoln nods before moving over to the bed and opening up the bag his father had given him. As he started to unpack the bag's contents, he notices the box that Lisa had given him earlier. From what he could tell, it appeared to be a simple metal lockbox that one would use to secure valuables inside. As he started to inspect the box, he noticed that there was a small key taped to the bottom of it.
'Probably meant to unlock this thing.' thought Lincoln as he removed the taped key from the box and carefully inserted it into the lock. With a soft click, the lock opened.
With the box now unlocked, he slowly lifted the lid, preparing for any unpleasant surprises just in case his sister had lied to him. Thankfully, Lisa's word had proven true as there was nothing dangerous or explosive inside, much to his relief.
Instead, there was an assortment of different objects packed neatly inside - a first-aid kit, a small metallic box and several books that looked to be about various subjects. But what really caught his attention was the white envelope that looked to be addressed to him. Opening it up, he finds two things of interest inside - three one-hundred dollar bills and what appeared to be a letter.
"Three-hundred dollars!? I'm rich!" cheered Lincoln as he raised the bills above his head like they were some kind of prize, though after a few seconds his enthusiasm was quickly replaced with confusion. "But how did Lisa get her hands on this kind of money...and why would she give it to me?"
After placing the bills on the bed, he takes the letter out of the envelope and unfolds it before starting to read what it had to say.
Lincoln,
If you are reading this, then inside you will find that this letter contains an explanation on my actions over the last week and why I wanted you to be sent to Kanto. I hope that you do not dispose of this letter before reading it out of anger, as the contents written on it are very important.
To start, I was mostly aware that you were falsifying your bad luck. Granted, I'll admit that I had fallen for the ruse at first, but had quickly realized that you were faking it after your mood had changed following our family's trip to the theater.
'Lisa knew I was faking it? But if that was the case, why didn't she say anything to the others? I could have avoided this whole mess entirely!' thought Lincoln in both irritation and confusion as he stared at the letter for a few seconds before deciding to continue reading.
By now, you're probably wondering why I did not say anything on your behalf in order to bring this bad luck matter to a close before. For that, I must confess that I was preoccupied with my own problems and did not have time to assist you with yours. I also felt that as you had gotten yourself into that mess, you could get yourself out of it.
Prior thoughts aside, my aforementioned problems eventually led to your current situation - after your conflict with Lynn following her championship game, we had arranged a family meeting later that evening to discuss what to do with you, which eventually led to our sister suggesting that we send you away to live with our Aunt Ruth. She came incredibly close to having the idea go through, managing to frighten the rest of our family with the idea of your 'bad luck' spreading throughout the house. The truth of the matter was that the suggestion was actually her attempt at revenge on you for 'jinxing' her game.
'Lynn came up with this whole idea...and as some petty form of revenge, no less?' thought Lincoln as he narrowed his eyes at the letter. 'I really shouldn't be surprised, to be honest - her pride would never allow her to see fault with herself.'
However, as you are already aware, things didn't exactly go as she had planned due to my intervention. During the meeting, I had been mulling over my current problem at the time, which was trying to find a way to bypass the Pokemon League's age restriction so I could study the species known as Pokemon for myself. As you can guess, I had failed in my endeavors. To be honest, I had been close to giving up on the idea and just waiting until I was older...until I realized that you were just the right age for qualification. This would end up leading to the idea of sending you to Kanto.
Granted, I could have sent one of our older siblings to handle this task for me, but I felt that considering the circumstances at the time, you would be suitable enough for the job. That and it would be much better than sending you to live with our aunt by yourself - nobody deserves that.
'Huh...never expected Lisa to stick up for me like that, even though it was pretty much for her own benefit. Then again, considering I'm getting an opportunity to be a Pokemon Trainer, I really shouldn't complain.'
So now that you know why I wanted you sent to Kanto out of the way, I should tell you about the contents of the lockbox I gave you. While the first-aid kit is fairly self-explanatory, the books on the other hand are meant to inform you on how to survive out in the wilderness. Considering the fact you'll be doing plenty of travelling and will most likely be camping out a lot as a result, these books will prove to be vital to your survival.
The small box contains a device I've been working on for some time now - an earpiece that is meant to translate Pokemon speech. Unfortunately, due to a lack of speech samples for me to properly analyze, it is currently useless in its current state. However, if you manage to acquire a Pokedex from Professor Oak, he should be able to sync the translator to it and allow the device to become somewhat operational.
As for the three-hundred dollars that came with this letter, it's meant to be a source of starting funds for your journey through Kanto until you're able to earn a living on your own. Don't bother asking on where or how I managed to acquire this money for you. Trust me - you'll be better off not knowing the truth. Just make sure to have Professor Oak convert it into usable cash at your earliest opportunity as it is impossible to use American currency in the Kanto region.
'Better off not knowing the truth, huh? It must be pretty bad if she doesn't want me finding out where she got that cash.' thought Lincoln as he stared at the bills before shrugging and pocketing them - money was money, regardless of where it came from. Once they were safely secured in his pocket, he continued to read the letter, which looked to be close to ending.
Before I bring this letter to a close, there is one final thing I'd like to ask of you - please be careful out there. Despite how aloof I may be towards you at times, you're still my brother and I couldn't bear the idea of knowing that something unfortunate happened to you because of my actions.
I wish you the best of luck in your future career as a Trainer and look forward to studying your captures in person soon.
With Regards,
Lisa
As he stared at the letter, Lincoln couldn't help but smile - despite how Lisa had treated him over the past week, it still felt good knowing that she still cared about him.
'I only wish I could say the same for my other sisters.' he thought as he folded the letter back up and replaced it into the envelope.
Seconds later, the door opened and Professor Oak stepped into the room with three hefty-looking textbooks in his arms. "I see you've made yourself comfortable, Mr. Loud."
"I have, Professor." replied Lincoln before pointing at the books. "Are those books meant for me?"
"Yes - you'll need to study these for your exam later this evening." replied Oak as he placed the books on the bed and headed back to the door. "I'll be back in about four hours to administer your exam - make sure to read those books thoroughly so you'll be prepared for it."
"Will do, Professor. Thanks." replied Lincoln with a grateful smile before grabbing one of the books and starting to read it - he had four hours to prepare for Oak's exam and he intended to make the most of what little time he had.
-=O=-
AN: Chapter 7 is done and boy was it a doozy to write - writer's block and constant distractions can really mess with a person at times. Still, I managed to get the chapter done, at least. I had some other things in mind to include, but decided to save them for the next chapter.
Speaking of the next chapter, I'll be taking a few weeks off to spend some vacation time with my family, but as soon as I come back, I'll get right to work on it. I hope you can wait out until then.
As for the poll about the harem thing, it will come to a close after the next chapter is posted, so get your votes in while you can. Should the poll end upeven when it's over, I'll try to come up with a suitable compromise that will satisfy both sides.
As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and look forward to the next one.