Pokémon Trainer

By La Baguette Magique

Hi everybody, I'm new to the site and this is the first thing I've written for it. I chose the pokemon trainer character because I used to play pokemon quite a lot and it was probably the character i would be able to write best, as I don't know that much about ssb or the other character's stories. Hope you enjoy!

Grass. That was the first thing that came to his mind. Soft grass. It was like a lovely, warm, velvet blanket beneath him. He had always loved grass. But the grass in these parts was particularly nice. More so than in other places, this grass was special. It was beautiful all year round, except for in winter of course, when it was usually covered in a thick blanket of snow. It was at its most luscious and breath-taking in spring, when all plants come out of hibernation to shine their most beautiful and dazzling colours, their true colours. The grass kept its luscious green colour right into summer, gradually changing as it neared autumn. At that time the fields of green transformed into a sea of shining bronze, as the grass prepared itself once again for the challenging winter months ahead.

He suddenly snapped out of his drifting dreams of grass. He opened his eyes, blinked repeatedly, then shut them again. The sudden burst of sunlight was too much to take all in one go. After a minute or two he opened them once more, slowly this time, until he could see the bright blue sky above. A quick glance at his watch told him it was three o'clock. He must have been dozing for an hour or so. He sat up and looked around. He was in the middle of a big grassy clearing, with trees on either side. A few hundred metres ahead of him the land fell away to reveal a great cascade of green meadows, dotted with sporadic clumps of woodland. And there in the distance lay Viridian City. He always came to this spot when he wanted to relax and forget the world around him. He often found himself lost in his own thoughts; here he was able to clear his mind. He had come here often since returning from the Pokemon League up on Indigo Plateau.

That had been almost two months ago now, but he could still remember it as if it were yesterday. His name was Red. He was the now legendary pokemon trainer who had made history in Kanto after becoming the youngest ever Pokemon League Champion.

After being given his first ever pokemon, charmander (which he named Tiny), and a brand new Pokedex by Professor Oak, Red had left Pallet Town hopeful and ambitious. He had become fascinated with pokemon and was eager to capture and train as many as he could. But nothing could have prepared him for the outstanding success he went on to have. One after another he toppled the eight gym leaders of the Kanto region and collected their gym badges, all the while gathering and training an increasingly powerful pokemon team.

When he had finally collected all the badges, he was eligible for entry into the Pokemon League. All the trainers and gym leaders so far had merely been a training exercise for the great challenge that lay ahead. Upon entering the League he would have to battle the Elite Four, the four most formidable and experienced trainers in the whole region. Many had challenged them before him, and nearly all of them had failed. Red had to select his best and most highly trained pokemon to form the final team with which he was going to challenge the Elite Four. This was a difficult choice, because by this time he had captured plenty of pokemon, many of which he had trained to a high enough level to challenge the Four. The team had to be varied and well balanced, containing a wide range of types. Type being the National Pokedex classification of pokemon, every pokemon is of an official type and many are even categorised as being under two types. Eventually this was the team that he chose: Tiny- his Charizard (Fire and Flying type), Machamp (Fighting type), Alakazam (Psychic type), Nidoking (Poison and Ground type), Vaporeon (Water type), and Dragonite (Dragon and Flying type). With this team he defeated the Elite Four and went on to be recorded in the Pokemon League's Hall of Fame and crowned as the youngest ever Pokemon Champion in Kanto.

But the gym leaders were not to be Red's only hurdles along the way. He had many run-ins with Team Rocket, the most infamous crime syndicate in Kanto. Here was a cruel and power-hungry organisation, whose members were hell-bent on capturing rare and powerful pokemon to use for their own benefit. They didn't care what harm they caused to others and would use any means possible to capture these pokemon and gain power. They would even steal other people's pokemon if they saw an interest, which is exactly what they tried with Red. However, Team Rocket had underestimated his abilities and he was able to defeat the many henchmen that were sent to defeat him. It hadn't been easy though, and at times he had been tested to the limit. He certainly wouldn't have managed without the help of the many friends which he had gained during his travels. Many of them were directly involved in the struggle to drive out criminal organisations such as Team Rocket. With the help of these friends, he foiled many of their operations and eventually dismantled the entire organisation. However, many of the key members including the boss, Giovanni, had escaped and gone into hiding. But their major operations such as illegal pokemon trafficking, money laundering and extortion had ceased altogether.

When he came back from his journey, Red had been hailed as a champion and a hero. He was mobbed by news reporters and had been interviewed on national television multiple times since arriving back in Pallet Town. Some had even invited him back to Celadon City to film advertisements and appear on game shows. Red refused these as he was completely exhausted after his long journey and wanted nothing more than to rest at home and see his family and old friends again. And now he was back in this familiar spot just outside Pallet Town.

His thoughts were disrupted by a harsh squawk. The sound came from his left, on the far side of the clearing, where a group of half a dozen spearows had just landed. It struck him because they were not usually seen in these parts, but they had increasingly been seen in the area over the last few years. Red suspected that it was probably because of all the urban expansion in eastern Kanto. They were pecking at the ground and searching for anything of interest. One of them was eyeing Red suspiciously. It remained staring at him and Red returned its stare, not wanting to give the spearow the satisfaction of thinking it was intimidating him. After a while it squawked grumpily and decided to come closer to investigate. It hopped towards him until it was a few metres away, not yet daring to come any closer. Suddenly Red jumped up and shouted: "Boo!" and the spearow jumped back in surprise. Red smiled. But the spearow quickly regained its wits and glared at him, more angry and agitated than ever, it was obviously annoyed that it had been ridiculed by a stranger. It squawked angrily at him.

Red had had enough, he was getting bored and it was time to go home. Putting on his rucksack, he jumped on his bike and rode unto a track that led away from the clearing. As he cycled down the track he could still here the angry spearow making a racket behind him. This quickly died down and soon Red came to the end of the track and onto Route 1. This was the main route between Pallet Town and Viridian City, and was part of the network of Routes that connected the settlements of Kanto. Red turned south towards Pallet Town and began to pedal faster. He loved cycling. It was great when he came onto a long, clear stretch like this and was able to get up to proper speed. Faster and faster he went, until his legs were pumping so hard that sweat began to pour down his face. The cool, fresh breeze hit his face and soothed his hot skin, it was a heavenly feeling.

Soon the road began to bend and as it did, Pallet Town came into sight. It was a usually quiet town and was the smallest in Kanto. When Red left on his journey it had had no more than 50 inhabitants and people rarely came to visit from much further afield than Viridian City, but since he had defeated the Elite Four and destroyed Team Rocket the small town had been swarmed with people from all over the region and beyond, tourists and journalists alike. For the first few weeks it had been hectic, with people bustling in and out, reporters and trainers coming to meet the legendary pokemon master from a sleepy town near the sea. Tourists would come in herds to see the town and visit Professor Oak's now famous pokemon laboratory, and to relax by the small river that lead to the sea a bit further on. It really was an idyllic place, but the sudden influx of people had turned it into a warzone. However, the noise and bustle had died down in recent weeks, and life had returned more or less back to normal. But there was still a regular flow of tourists and, less often, the odd reporter who wanted a few snapshots and an interview. And some new developments had popped up around town too. There were a dozen new houses being built around the edges of town. There were a few new shops and cafes as well, and even a gleaming new tourist centre. Red guessed it was a good sign for Pallet Town and it would help the area in the long run, but it would never be the same as before.

As he rolled up towards his house, he noticed that there was a car parked up in front. It was dark and sleek, with tinted windows and chromed wheel caps. When he came closer, Red noticed that each wheel cap was embossed with the image of a gloved hand, positioned in such a way that it appeared to be reaching out towards the viewer. Each one was crafted in great detail. He also now observed that the car had a hood ornament crafted in the unmistakable shape of the legendary pokemon Lugia. It was leaning forward with its great wings spread wide, as if in mid-flight. Red had never seen Lugia with his own eyes, he had only seen pictures, but the ornament was sculpted in such beautiful detail that he could almost feel its presence, the dazzling glare of its shimmering white wings, its intense gleaming eyes.

Initially Red had thought that it might just be another journalist or a tourist who was passing by. But journalists usually always arrived in vans, where they could fit their film crews and equipment. He saw no sign of either. And he was certain that it wasn't just any old tourist or passer-by. This vehicle had too much class. It seemed to radiate self-confidence, and have a clear sense of purpose. Red felt sure that someone had come here especially to meet him, and for something important.

Well, he was about to meet this person, whoever it was. As he wheeled his bike up to the door he faintly heard voices inside. He turned his key in the lock and pushed the door open.

"Ah! There you are!" his mum said as she came out of the living room, "I was just telling this gentleman that you had gone out for a while."

Red rested his bike against the wall and followed his mum into the living room. There he first set eyes upon the mysterious stranger. He was sitting in one of the armchairs on the far side of the room. As Red came in, the man stood up. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders and a comfortable posture. He had a handsome face, with gleaming blue eyes, and shiny dark brown hair, swept back slick. He wore a dark suit, well-tailored, complete with blazer, tie and long crisp trousers. On his feet were a pair of gleaming black shoes, polished to such an extent that Red could see his own face in them, reflected as if in a mirror. He couldn't be sure but Red estimated that the man was in his mid-thirties.

"This is Mr Anderson. He's come from a very long way to talk to you Red. We've been talking for a while and I think you'll find that he has an interesting proposition to make. And, well… I'll let him explain" And hurried off into the kitchen.

Mr Anderson now came forward and greeted him.

"My name is Mr Anderson, it's a pleasure to finally meet you at last, Red" he introduced himself as he shook Red's hand. He gave a strong, confident handshake.

"I've come from a long way to meet you. I didn't come before because I didn't want to bother you so soon after you came back home from your journey. I knew full well that everyone would want to jump on you as soon as you came back and what a commotion it would be, everyone wanting to get your side of the story, and congratulate you on your achievement" he smiled understandingly, "and what an achievement! You blew everyone away! Defeating the Elite Four like that. And the courage you showed by standing up to Team Rocket. You really are a truly remarkable young man."

Red thanked him gratefully. He had heard the same appreciation from many people, however it was still nice to hear. But the man evidently had not come all the way here just to congratulate him, so why was he here?

"Now, you must be wondering why I'm here", it was as if Mr Anderson had read his mind. "I am here to make you an offer. We have been watching your progress from early on, Red, you seemed like a promising trainer from the moment you caught our attention."

Who was "we"? And what were their intentions? Red was becoming increasingly intrigued by this man.

"I represent a man by the name of Hand. Unfortunately, Master Hand is a very busy man and was not able to come here to speak to you himself. Master Hand is very well-fortuned and likes to hold grand events. Currently, Master Hand is organising a tournament."

"A tournament?" replied Red, still intrigued "do you mean a pokemon tournament?"

"It is not a traditional tournament, let us say. It is a tournament in which a large collection of individuals take part, from across many regions. We search for remarkable individuals, such as yourself. If you choose to take part you will battle many of these opponents, using your pokemon, of course."

"It definitely sounds like an interesting proposition" replied Red "but what's in it for me? Is there a prize? And what's the name of this tournament anyway?"

"Master Hand has named it the Super Smash Brothers Tournament. And as for the prize, different contestants desire a different prize. Whoever wins shall obtain a prize that they desire. I am aware, Red, that you desire to catch rare pokemon. I am also aware that you attempted to capture a very rare and powerful legendary pokemon by the name of Mewtwo, in Cerulean Cave. However your attempt was in vain"

It was true. After defeating the Elite Four he had not gone straight home. Red had heard of a particularly rare and elusive pokemon that dwelt in Cerulean Cave, near to Cerulean City. Before going home Red had decided to go and investigate. He had flown on his Charizard all the way there. He made sure that he had his strongest pokemon with him and had also brought with him the best pokeballs that he could find. After hours of searching the cave and battling the many wild pokemon within, he eventually found what he was looking for. He had engaged Mewtwo in a battle to attempt to capture it, again and again he tried, but every pokeball he threw at Mewtwo was simply brushed aside. Red had come close, Mewtwo had begun to falter, but it became too much for his own pokemon, which fainted one after another. Eventually Mewtwo had overpowered him, knocking him out. And when Red awoke the Mewtwo had disappeared. He searched for hours more but there was no sign of it, so he had to give up and go home. He had talked about this encounter during his interviews with many of the journalists.

Mr Anderson went on, "We have searched for Mewtwo since he escaped you, and we found him. Mewtwo has been captured."

"You captured Mewtwo!" Red couldn't believe it "how?"

"As I mentioned before, Master Hand is very wealthy, and was able to fund a great search for the pokemon, which has proved successful. Now we are willing, Red, to offer you this pokemon as a reward for winning Master Hand's tournament."

Red was ecstatic, he was awed at the thought of owning such a powerful pokemon. He had rested long enough in Pallet Town and was beginning to feel like having another adventure.

"How do I enter?" he asked eagerly.

"Ah, so I see that you are interested after all" Mr Anderson smiled "Well we have an office up in Celadon City. If you wish to enter, and Master Hand certainly wishes you to, then we'll be expecting you up there in two weeks' time."

"Should I take my pokemon with me?" asked Red

"There won't be any need, as we have a computer connected to the pokemon storage network up at our office. You'll be briefed in further detail and be able to make your final choice and collect the chosen pokemon up there."

After this he bid Red good luck and said that he had to be on his way as he had urgent business elsewhere. Red watched through his bedroom window as Mr Anderson's car disappeared down Route 1. He had never felt so excited since entering the Pokemon League; he was going to enter a national tournament!

Little did he know what awaited him..

Hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for part 2!