Miles away from Driccly, a battle is underway.
A familiar face, the silver haired ten-year old boy Grey stands across from a girl of about fourteen, wearing a white and blue knee-length dress, with pink hair and blue eyes.
Her name is Marylin, a Gym Leader set up by the professor's union.
From Grey, his steadfast Flareon, Burner stood across from Marylin's Pokemon, a Rhydon. Each was their team's last Pokemon.
"Reyya! Wrap this up quick! Use Horn Attack!"
"Rhy-!" The Rhydon roared, rushing at the Flareon, and jabbing at him multiple times.
"Dodge it!" Grey commanded.
The Flareon deftly dodged and fled from the sharp horn, leaping onto Reyya's back and taking off into the air.
"Now, use Swift!" Grey added.
"Flllaaaarrr!" Burner growled, shooting stars from around his form at Reyya. The stars crackled against her form, but other than that, she seemed alright.
"Reyya! Use the Rock Blast attack!" Marylin shouted.
"Rhyyydon!" Reyya exclaimed, channeling her rock-type Pokemon energy and sending blunt stones at Burner, each rock slamming roughly into his side or chest, sending him further into the air.
Grey balled his fists. "Burner! Fire Blast, go!" He called with passion.
"Flllaaaarrr-eon!" Burner barked, channeling energy from the flame sac inside his body and breathing out a huge jet of fire that took the shape of the Japanese character for 'Great'.
Reyya grunted painfully as the Fire Blast impacted. Burner smiled smugly as he touched down to the floor, wagging his tail with delight. However, the Rhydon emerged, burned but still raring to go.
"That Rhydon sure is strong!" Grey noted. "But Burner ain't gonna let me down! We're winning this battle!"
"I don't think so!" Marylin protested. "Reyya! Hammer Arm!"
"Don!" Reyya roared, swinging her arm down on Burner, slamming him to the floor. Burner coughed but managed to escape.
"Quick Attack!" Grey said.
His Flareon complied, zipping around Reyya, before slamming into her lower belly, knocking her back.
"Now wrap this up! Iron Tail!"
"Flaaare!" Burner barked again, lashing out with his metallized tail and striking Reyya in the side of her head.
The Drill Pokemon hit the ground, consciousness fading.
The referee held a flag up. "The Gym Leader's Rhydon is unable to battle! The challenger's Flareon is the winner! That means the victory goes to Grey!"
"Alright! Nice job, Burner! You were awesome!" Grey praised as he and Burner ran up to each other and embraced.
Marylin approached after recalling Reyya to her Ball. "Well, I don't like to admit it, but we lost. Here." She held out her hand, which bore a ridged metal emblem with a sandy design.
"Is that?"
"Yes. It's one of this world's beta series of Pokemon League Gym Badges. Take the Sand Badge. You've earned it."
Grey graciously accepted it, as well as the prize money, before twirling around and raising it up high. "All right! I just got the Sand Badge!"
Burner leapt up and gave a few happy yips.
"Great! Great!" Mystik, his talking Meowstic said as she sat in the stands. She bore a visible black eye. "Can we get something to eat now?"
0
Later, Grey walked into a fast food place, standing in line. Behind him, he felt a small hand touch his arm. Naturally, he assumed it to be Mystik, so he turned in her direction, but she shook her head negatively. He turned to the other side, to see a little blond girl.
"Can I pet your kitty, mister?"
"Uhh, I'm only ten, kid. But I don't see why not...What's a kitty?" Grey raised an eyebrow. As real animals didn't exist in his world, the term confused him.
"You know, your cat!" She said. "I love kitties!"
It took Grey to register the word cat, the girl mistaking Mystik for an odd form of ordinary cat, which he'd seen walking on streets on all fours.
"Ohh, sure. Go ahead."
The girl reached to pet Mystik, but she unfurled her ears and hissed.
"I changed my mind. She's mean."
"Mystik!" Grey exclaimed.
"Beat it, kid." Mystik said, turning around and folding her ears back up.
"Mommy...T-...talking cat!" The girl shrieked, running back to a table, telling the woman seated at it(apparently her mother).
Grey whistled passively before an employee of the restaraunt came up to him.
"Sir, you can't have an animal in here."
"What? She's a Poke…" He began, but as he did, he paused. 'Maybe it would be best if I didn't stir anything up.'
"Okay then." Grey continued, pulling out her Poke Ball. "Alright, Mystik. Ball time."
"No." Mystik said bluntly, turning away.
"Come on, girl, I promise I'll order for ya. Just go on inside. It's the rules."
"NO." The twin-tailed feline hissed deeply.
Grey sighed, hitting the button to use the Ball's return function, but as soon as the beam loosed from the front button, Mystik dodged it swiftly.
"Okay fine, we'll do this the hard way." Grey said, passively tossing the Ball at her, only for Mystik to flick it back into his face with her tails. "Ouch…"
As the Ball fell into his hands, he turned to see several more employees, as well as patrons staring at him unusually.
Grey blushed before pocketing the Ball and scooping Mystik up in his arms and making a run for it.
0
The Trainer and his feline Pokemon pitched a quick tent outside of town, ready to call it a day. Grey called out Venus, Burner, Phrody, Tann, and Leffa(his Clefairy) to keep him company with Mystik, who enjoyed a sandwich while the others were stuck with standard Pokemon food. Tann peered over at the Meowstic, who greedily scarfed it down.
Grey examined the Sand Badge he'd won from Marylin with pride.
In fact...It made him recall the start of his journey.
0Flashback0
In a Pewter City suburb in his own world, Grey appears from his home's front door. It was his tenth birthday. The day children could venture forth into the world and become Pokemon Trainers.
He had made his way half hazardly through Viridian Forest, after being nearly impaled by a hive of Beedrill, having his food stolen by Rattata, and after making it through to Route 1, finally reached Pallet Town. He could see another boy and a girl leaving just as he came, each of them walking with a Pikachu and an Eevee walking briskly behind them respectively.
Excited, he made his way to Professor Oak's laboratory.
"Professor! Professor!" Grey exclaimed as he thrust open the doors to the lab, and running up to him.
The graying haired scientist turned to see him. "Oh. You're a new face. Welcome!'
"Professor Oak...I was at...Hah...ha...Your conference in Pewter City, remember?"
"Ah yes, young Grey. How could I forget?" Oak added. "So then, I assume you've come to get yourself a partner Pokémon. Yes?"
"You know it!" Grey perked up.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any left…" The esteemed scientist frowned, turning away.
"What!?" Grey gasped. "But I came so far…"
"I'm sorry...I've been expecting a new batch of Starter Pokemon, but the Breeder is a little held up…"
"Aww…"
"Sorry I'm late!" A voice called. The two turned to see a man with tan skin and spiky hair, whose eyes seemed closed. He wore a green jacket wrapped around his waist, as well as a white shirt and green pants. He was followed close behind by a small bonsai-like Pokemon.
"Ahh! You're here." Oak smiled. "I was getting worried."
The guy returned his smile. "Well,I had to check up on how my little bro was running my old gym. That and Bonsly here was feeling a little peckish."
"Bonsly-Bon!" The small Rock-Type added.
He turned to face Grey. "So, I take it you're a new Trainer?"
"Ummm...not yet, sir." Grey replied. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
"This, young Grey is Brock." Oak answered. "He's been keeping me stocked with Starter Pokemon these past three years."
"So you're the breeder we've been waiting on?" The boy asked, smiling excitedly.
Brock nodded. "But before that, I was the Pewter City Gym Leader."
"Oh right!" Grey face palmed. "You're Forrest's older brother."
"Oh, you know him?"
"I live over there. So umm...does this mean I can get my Pokemon?"
Brock turned to the Professor who nodded. "Sure." He produced three Poke Balls and chucked them into the air. Grey's eyes bulged with delight as three familiar creatures manifested from light.
"Might I introduce Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokemon." Oak began, describing the small frog/dinosaur like creature.
"Bulbaa~" The Bulbasaur that would be Venus cooed.
Immediately, before the other two could materialize, Grey picked up the Bulbasaur. "This one! I pick this one!" His eyes glimmered.
"Hold on." Brock added with a mild tone of concern. "This Pokemon is going to be your partner for life! Are you sure you don't wanna consider all of your options?"
Grey glanced over at the optimistic Charmander and Squirtle. Sure they were cute. And powerful. He had seen Charizard and Blastoise duking it out at the Pokemon League on TV. But Venusaur appealed more too him. Strong. Caring. Friendly.
And on top of that, Bulbasaur was a versatile Pokemon. Grey was really indifferent whether it would evolve at all. He gave a warm smile that the Grass Type was all too happy to return.
Together, the two began their campaign of conquering all the Gyms in Kanto. The two started predictably enough in Grey's home city, Pewter. After some light training, and catching a Pokemon or two, the boy found himself standing at the doorstep of the Pewter City Gym.
Venus walked along with him, awed by the lighting system.
After sweeping through the two Gym Trainers set up to test him, he stood before a boy roughly his own age, who seemed like a younger version of Brock, albeit with scruffier hair.
"Welcome, challenger. My name is Forrest. And I'm the leader of the Pewter City Gym."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Grey, and this is my friend, Venus!" Grey introduced himself, waving to his partner.
"Bulba-zore!" Venus yipped.
"A Grass-Type Pokemon. That's a good choice. The last challenger used a Fire-Type. He didn't last long." Forrest mused. "But just to let you know, my Pokemon have been toughened up by training with my bros!" He chucked a Poke Ball, loosing the creature within. Immediately, a small creature manifested, slightly resembling a horseshoe crab, with red eyes glowing out from beneath it's shell, and riblike claws serving as feet.
"What's that?" Grey produced his Pokedex, which displayed it's image.
"Kabuto. The Shellfish Pokemon. A previously extinct Pokemon ressurected from cutting edge fossil restoration science."
"Oh wow...That thing could be a Horsea's great-great-great-great-umm…"
"So, will you be sending in your partner there?"
The white-haired youth shook his head. "Never mind." He took a ball from his belt, and enlarged it. "Go, Mano!" He chucked it, and it opened, loosing light that coalesced into a Mankey.
"Muk-ee!" The Pig Monkey chimed, hopping about in an uncharacteristically happy fashion.
"A Fighting-Type! You really did your homework." Forrest noted.
"I picked my Pokemon well. I live in this town, so I knew you'd use Rock-Types."
"Well, let's see if exploiting type matchups'll get you through this battle."
The referee waved her flags. "Battle begin!"
"I'll take the first move! Kabuto, use Aqua Jet!" Forrest shouted.
"Do what!?" Grey shouted.
Kabuto was coated in an intense wave before lunging and knocking itself into Mano. The Mankey was knocked back, becoming angry. As he hit the ground, he dusted himself off before glaring at his opponent.
His trainer grimaced, recalling that the Dex stated Kabuto was both Rock and Water-Type.
"Mano, use Low Kick!" Grey commanded.
"Keee!" The lithe Fighting-Type cried, lunging out and slamming it's foot into the Kabuto's shell.
The two volleyed their attacks back and forth, until much to both trainer's shock, both Mano and Kabuto were knocked out.
After recalling them, Grey looked to Venus and nodded. "Bubbah." The Bulbasaur slowly advanced onto the battlefield.
"So it's time for your partner then, huh?" Forrest grinned. "Here's mine. Go, Rhyhorn!" He tossed the ball, and the rhinoceros-like Spikes Pokemon appeared.
"Rhyyyy!" The Rhyhorn lowed.
Venus looked the intimidating Rock and Ground-Type over, attempting to size him up. "Sooore…"
"Begin!" The referree added.
"Alright, Venus, give it a Tackle!"
"Babbasore!" Venus hollered, dashing up and slamming into Rhyhorn. Unfortunately, he wasn't even pushed back. "Saur?"
"No way...it must be super strong!" Grey noted.
"Rhyhorn, Take Down!" Forrest commanded.
"Hooorn!" Rhyhorn cried, striking Venus with it's body, and knocking her back near Grey.
"Venus!" Grey gasped.
"B...Bullll…" Venus struggled to her feet, shaking her head and steadying herself. "Saur!"
"You good to go?"
"Bulba!"
"Alright, give it a Razor Leaf!"
Venus lowered her stance, shooting sharp leaves from the bulb on her back. Rhyhorn was hit by them, but not much. He didn't wince a bit.
"It took Razor Leaf like it was nothing!" Grey cried.
"My buddy's got some tough hide. It'll take more than that to get through to him!" Forrest boasted. "Rock Blast!"
"Rhy-horr!" Rhyhorn roared, loosing rock-energy based bolts from his horn.
"Dodge it!"
"Bul-ba-bul-BAH!" Venus dodged most of them, but was struck by one bolt. She was down, but not out.
Grey grimaced again, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow. He snapped his fingers. "I know! It can't attack if it's snoozing! Sleep Powder!"
"Zoooore!" Venus cried, loosing streams of green spores.
The opposing Pokemon was caught up by the powder, and fell to it's belly, snoring contentedly. The Bulbasaur let out a snort of amusement at it's sleeping face.
"Good job, Venus!" Grey said, delighted in her performance. Her new trainer's praise further boistered her happiness.
"You think it's that easy?" Forrest smirked. The young trainer raised his eyebrow until he and his partner saw Forrest's Pokemon chewing something in it's sleep.
With a yawn, Rhyhorn shook it's head and rose from his slumber.
"What the-!?" Grey gasped.
"My Rhyhorn was holding a Lum Berry. It can heal a status condition like Sleep or Paralysis."
"A...and that's fair?"
"Each Pokemon is permitted one held item. Official League rule. Rhyhorn, let's wrap this up! Use Horn Attack!"
With a charge, Rhyhorn jabbed Venus with the horn on it's face and sent her flying at Grey's fit.
"Venus!" Grey said, running up to examine her wounds.
"Saurrr…" The Grass-Type groaned.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. Rhyhorn is the winner! And the victory goes to the Gym Leader!"
Forrest returned his Pokemon to it's Ball, and walked up to Grey as he picked Venus up. "You're an okay Trainer. But you and your Pokemon need more practice. You should go training at Mt. Moon. That's where we go to toughen up."
"Y...yessir." Grey nodded. He left the Gym, making a break for the Pokemon Center. After the Nurse healed his Pokemon and took off for Mt. Moon. There, he managed to catch his Geodude, Geo(whom he tripped over), and his Clefairy, Leffa(Who had evidently crashed there in a space pod, but decided to stay along with him).
After some training, he battled Forrest again, and managed to win, earning him the Boulder Badge. His partners were delighted, and were even more eager to grow stronger.
And now in the present time, Grey compared the Boulder Badge he pulled from the case in his bag with the Sand Badge in his other hand.
"It's definitely different. I wish I could stay around in this world...But somehow I gotta get back. Besides, if I stay missing Mom's going to worry!"
He turned to his team, which began to sleep softly around the campfire. His eyes rested on Mystik. The talking feline had adopted a characteristic(and loud) snore for quite a while. He thought back to the first time they met. Then she was an Espurr.
She was wild, and living on the streets, scrounging around for food in Cerulean City. The little Psychic cat Pokemon had become quite the theif after being raised by wild Meowth and a Persian. The Meowth had become henchmen under the cruel classy cat Pokemon, and she was lost and confused when Persian drafted her.
Grey saw how she was living and offered her some food. Persian and his Meowth troop came up and immediately assaulted the Espurr much to Grey's shock and disbelief. They were going to drag her back to Cerulean Cave, until Grey sent out Geo and Venus to battle Persian and one of his Meowth commanders. It was a tough fight, but they came out on top.
After the ragged Persian and his goons left, Grey offered to give the Espurr a home with him, where no one would bully her again. She was wary, but decided it was better than living with the fiendish felines.
Days later, after receiving the name "Mystik" from Grey, she developed a desire to toughen up. After some training on Nugget Bridge(which had simply become a friendly training club after the Rockets were disbanded{Or supposedly so}), Grey challenged Misty, with Venus and Mystik. The Bulbasaur did well against the Poliwhirl Misty used, but lost after landing a hit on her Starmie. The Mysterious Pokemon's Psybeam was too much for her to handle.
It was Mystik's turn to fight. She took a few hits but wasn't going to surrender. After taking a wicked Scald attack, the Espurr was knocked into the water. The referee was about to issue the defeat signal, when Mystik thought back to the one-eyed Persian. It had shot her a gnarly, nasty grin that mocked her. Called her weak.
No. That wasn't her anymore. Mystik's anger boiled over as she was coated in a bluish white light with pink and purple sparks.
The referee was just about to signal Misty's victory, when the water in the Gym's pool churned wildly and in a splash, Mystik resurfaced, levitating in midair, and having evolved into Meowstic.
The battle resumed, both Mystik and the Starmie unleashed volatile volleys of Psychic-Type attacks, until the former managed to knock the gem-embedded starfish down with a wicked burst of her new attack; Charge Beam.
The referee declared Grey the winner. Misty smiled and handed him the Cascade Badge gracefully. Overjoyed by their victory, Grey, Mystik and Venus went out to well-deserved meal. Almost immediately, his newly evolved Pokemon revealed a personality change. She refused to eat Pokemon food, and would not allow Grey to return her to her Poke Ball.
Around the time he beat Lt. Surge's Raichu with Venus(who by that time had evolved into Ivysaur), Mystik began to communicate with Grey telepathically, and by the time he beat Erika's Bellossom with Burner(Whom he recovered from an abusive Trainer as an Eevee), she learned how to speak human language wholesale.
After finding his way to Fuschia City, he had a struggle against Janine, losing once, but rebounding after Burner learned Fire Blast. Following this, he'd gotten into a few scraps with the Flareon's previous trainer, who tried to steal Sabrina's supply of Marsh Badges.
The battle was fierce. The Trainer used a Decidueye, a Pokemon he was not familiar with. It's flying and ghost tactics overwhelmed Venus, even after she managed to shoot him down with a Solar Beam. At this time, Sabrina appeared and made quick work of the trainer with her Alakazam.
The bout against Sabrina was a rough one as well. It was a three-against three match. As Psychic was one of Ivysaur's few weaknesses, he opted not to use Venus, instead opting to use Gold, Leffa, and Mystik. After using some Technical Machine DVDs to swap their moves around the previous night, the contest would begin. Sabrina fought Gold using her Slowbro. The two exchanged clashes of Water and Psychic-Type attacks, but their fight ended in a draw. The Golduck's stamina against Slowbro's sheer wall-like defense and lack thereof tired them both out.
The next round was Sabrina's Kadabra against Grey's Clefairy. Leffa had learned Blizzard, and the Kadabra countered with Psychic. The two wound up tiring themselves out in much the same fashion, but Clefairy managed to win out.
As Grey recalled Leffa, Mystik took to the field, expecting to face Alakazam, but instead, the Psychic Gym Leader brought out her own Meowstic, a male, unlike Mystik.
The two fought, with Sabrina's Meowstic using primarily defensive moves. It was a long match, but in the end, the female was victorious. And she was mildly disappointed.
After receiving the Marsh Badge, the next night, Grey was challenged by the boy that tried to steal them. Burner's ex-trainer, a rude blond boy named Plaid, stood across from Grey. The two of them leered at each other.
Grey accepted his challenge. A full double battle. Grey used Leffa, Mystik, Geo, Maggsus, Tann, and Venus.
The latter would use a Gumshoos, Fearow, Skorupi, Pinsir, Tauros and a Jolteon. The Jolteon(named Zappster) would face Burner. The two took notice of each other. Plaid commanded Zappster to attack aggressively and to win at any cost.
The final round was Burner and Venus against Zappster and Tauros. This fight was especially rough, but in the end, Zappster refused to fight to wound it's fellow Eeveelution maliciously. It took off running into the wild, thus leaving Venus to battle Plaid's Tauros.
The bull Pokemon repeatedly attacked Venus with charging attacks, leaving her no room to use Razor Leaf, or a powder attack. It left her seething in pain.
But just as Grey was about to recall her, Venus' emotions boiled over. Her tremendous care for Grey, Burner, Mystik, Phrody(Yes, he had been born by this time), and the rest of Grey's team caused her to adopt a fiery blue green grow and evolve into her Venusaur state.
With a mighty Double-Edge, she defeated Tauros, nearly sending him crashing onto Plaid. With a leer from Venus, Mystik and Grey, Plaid gathered up his beaten party and retreated.
It wasn't that long after that Grey won his seventh Gym Badge, from a new Gym set up in a town between Celadon City and Vermillion City. It was run by brothers that used Steel and Fairy-Type Pokemon. Types ordinarily not found in Kanto.
And then...the ferry.
He was on his way to Cinnabar Island to challenge Blaine for his eighth and final badge when suddenly, the seas turned violent and filled with white light. Grey didn't know what the phenomenon meant at the time, nor what was causing it. All he could tell remember after it began was being rendered unconscious and waking up in this strange world where Pokemon didn't exist(or rather didn't naturally exist) and meeting those three boys with quirky personalities.
In the present time, Grey checked the time on his watch.
"Guess I'd better turn in." He rolled over in his sleeping bag to drift off into the nocturnal haven, awaiting the next day to resume his search for a way home.
0
Kind of a dull chapter, and I apologize for my lack of activity as of late. Took me longer than I'd like with this one. I get into those funks where I'm unable to write, along with drawing, my job, and chores. But hopefully I can resume my fanfiction works with this chapter done.
Also, if you're wondering, Grey does NOT live in the anime world. He lives in one a bit closer to the game world, but with elements based on the anime. I.E. Brocks younger brother Forrest. Additionally, Brock is a breeder in this, as he states his interest in the anime, Yellow, and the more recent Let's Go games, (but anime Brock set that aside to become a Pokemon doctor instead).
Hope you all enjoy this side chapter. More Ed shenanigans next time.