A Game of Chance Chapter I: Reborn.
A/N: Hello there, dudes and dudettes- I'm alive! Yes, after several months away from the keyboard, I finally found both the free time and the inspiration to actually write down something decent. In the middle of quarantine, no less.
By the way, how are you guys doing? My work at the hospital has been suspended since I'm just a student, so I'm stuck home doing absolutely nothing. Just reading, gaming and watching Breaking Bad. Gym's closed too, so I can't work out properly. At least I'm back to writing.
In fact, this was probably born out of my sheer boredom.
I was strolling through the page looking for some good stories to read, when I found a couple of self-inserts. Didn't take long before I decided to do my own too, though with some unique elements of my own writing style.
Before I forget it, though, I was actually quite happy to see like a dozen PMs from readers asking if I was dead- not counting the ones asking about Dragons and Kings, of course. That story was a lemon festival, it was fun and awesome- pity I lost all my chapters when my PC died.
This one might be pretty good, though, so without further ado- let's go for the reading.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, nor any of the characters in this fanfic. Aside from myself, of course.
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor.
A Game of Chance Chapter I: Reborn.
When I woke up to the refreshing scent of pine and wet grass, I knew something was very, very wrong.
Groggily opening my eyes only to be greeted by a blinding sun, I sat up- hand gripping the bridge of my nose in a useless attempt to fight off a bilious headache. It felt kind of like a hangover, except it was 10 times more intense. Black dots swarmed my field of vision and a high-pitched ringing made itself heard in my ears.
"What…happened?" My memories were blurry and confusing, like a dream. I was…driving? Yes, right, I was driving back home from a party and then everything got dark all of a sudden and…
"Urgh…my head." Seems like my memory couldn't go past this point, which could mean a lot of things: none of these good, of course. Brushing my concerns off for the moment, I stood up- so at least I could have an idea of where in the world I was. "Huh?"
Standing atop a hill, I could have a full view of my surroundings. All around me, lush grasslands and gentle hills merged to form an idyllic landscape straight out of an arcadian poem. Few houses were scattered here and there, tiny dots of color in an ocean of bright green. A fresh breeze blew from the far south, bringing with it the all too familiar smell of salt.
"Wherever this is, it isn't in Rio." Besides the salt in the air, nothing here came not even close to reminding me of the Marvelous City. And when I said not even close, I really meant it. "Hmm…fuck."
This is going from bad to worse, I mused. I couldn't remember jackshit about last night, and now I wake up in a place that looked more like your typical European town rather than the chaotic mess that was the city I called home. My mind was oscillating between slightly nervous to complete panic, and I didn't like it one bit. "I should try making a call…"
Who should I call, though? My friends? Nah, they'll probably think it's a prank. Maybe dad will know what to do? Me and my old man didn't always agree on many things, but he has much more life experience than me.
"Yeah, dad will do." With that in mind, I reached my hand down for my phone…
Only to find both my pockets completely empty.
"What the…" That complicated things even further. My phone, wallet, car keys…all gone. "Even my college ID, for fucks sake!" No money, no way to make contact and absolutely no idea where I was- if this was some sort of nightmare, then I'd better wake up soon.
"Shit." I didn't know what to do. My mind, quick as always, tried its best to find a logical explanation to this whole situation and failed miserably. There was just no reason or logic to any of this. "But what if…"
Kneeling down on the grass, I felt around until I found what I was looking for: a rather large, battered grey camping bag well hidden among the tall grass. With almost trembling hands, I opened it and right at the very top of the item pile inside, I found the answer to my enigma.
A small, rectangular piece of plastic- with info printed all over it. An ID card, to be more specific.
A card that, although it had picture of me, wasn't mine.
"So this is how things are…" I commented drily, trying my best to ignore the tears threatening to roll off my eyes. I held them back, though- despite being mostly driven by passion, I too had my moments of cold rationality. It was what saved my skin many times. "I really am dead."
Not only that, but I had seemingly been brought into a place that clearly was neither heaven, nor hell, but something else. Probably another world, I'd watched enough of old school isekai like Zero no Tsukaima and InuYasha to know it was a possibility after all. "Maybe something in here can help…"
First, I started with my 'new' ID, which gave me quite a bit of information. My name and age had changed, apparently, as I was now called Edwyn Grey, an eighteen-year-old from some place called Postwick, in a country named Galar. Or should I say region?
"Pokémon huh? Are you serious, God?" Maybe He was, what with the big pokéball logo stamped at the back of my ID card with the symbol of the galarian league in the middle. "Is this Galar even a thing?"
No idea, to be honest. While I did enjoy playing Pokémon quite a lot in my teenage years, I didn't go further than X and Y before it- finally- started to get boring and repetitive. GBA Hack Roms were awesome, though- I remember having a lot of fun playing those, especially the ones from Emerald.
"Well…whatever. Edwyn huh?" I really am fucked, ain't I? A Med School student with lots of dreams and a promising future, all of a sudden thrown into a completely different reality- where kids aged ten were allowed to travel around without any parent supervision to train pocket monsters. "Now I'm feeling bad for not going to church with grandma."
Regrets aside, I searched a bit more into the bag, finding a single pokéball- probably containing my starter, I supposed- a wallet containing some cash, a few days' worth of supplies such as canned meat (ewww...gross), Pokémon food and, of course, camping gear, which included- but wasn't limited to: a pocket knife, a zippo lighter, what looked like a sleeping bag and a camping stove.
"I've never even gone camping in my life…" I commented with a sigh, before my eyes drifted to the pokéball- which I'd been trying my best to ignore for the last few minutes. "I guess it's time to see what I've got as starter."
Probably something cliché like a Riolu or a Ralts, not that I cared much, though. Clichés matter little for someone who should be buried six feet underground. "How do I even open this thing?"
I decided to emulate Red and just throw the capture device up and hope for the best. Against my skepticism, it worked, and in a bright flash of light, my starter materialized…or so it was supposed to do.
"Huh? Really? Aw, come on!" In reality, nothing happened- and I was left staring at empty air, confused and a tad bit angry. I was almost 100% sure I'd be spending most of my time in the wilds, so how in seven hells was I supposed to even survive in this world without a pokémon to protect me?! "Damn it…"
Once again, I looked around- this time trying to find some easy catch like Pidgey or Rattata. "One of those will do, I guess…"
It was then, that I felt something cold, freezing even, poke at my shoulder- turning back, I found myself face to face with a sight that nearly made my heart jump.
There, floating right in front of my very eyes, was a ghost. Or at least something very similar to one. Its body was a mass of…black, shaped so it would resemble a robe, and its face was a masked shaped like a skull- a single, bright crimson eye floating in between the empty sockets. Staring at me as if it could read my soul.
Interestingly enough, I managed to express the hell of a scare in only three syllables.
"Holy shit!" I swear I even jumped back a bit at the sudden appearance of a 100% real duskull, of all things, right behind me. "Damn man! Don't be sneaking up on people like that! I almost had a heart attack here! I'm not that young anymore you know?!"
Duskull merely stared at me as I ranted, with an "expression"- I didn't know if it could make those with a mask as a face- that looked all too content with its prank. The little shit…
"Anyways. I can guess you came out of this Pokéball then?" I asked, showing said object to the ghost type. Duskull gave me a cheerful cry as a result, though it still sounded a bit creepy. ", I suppose I'm going to have to get used to that then…"
A duskull huh? Not exactly what I expected for my first Pokémon, as I wasn't that much of a ghost fan- but then again, perhaps this was another irony of destiny? The Grim Reaper Pokémon, following a dead man around. "That would make for quite the play…"
"Dus?"
"It's nothing." I replied, wondering how much it knew about me. Just in case, I should introduce myself. "My name is Edwyn, Edwyn Grey." This part nearly brought a frown to my face, but I managed to suppress it. "Pleasured to make you an acquaintance."
"Duskuuuuul!" I chose to interpret it as "nice to meet you too". The Pokémon then proceeded to poke my forehead with its tiny arm. "Duskul!"
"Anyways, I guess it's time we figure where the hell we are." Picking up the rather heavy backpack, I then showed it the pokéball. "Would you rather come back or stay out?"
The Ghost didn't reply, instead just floating closer to me before sinking into my shadow.
"Out you stay then." With that, I began to make my way to the nearby town- where, hopefully, I'd be able to get some frickin' directions.
Turns out, even without the Gameboy theme, Pallet Town is still quite an easy place to recognize. If not for the buildings, then for the people.
"Gary, Gary, he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can! Go...Gary!"
"That's…interesting." Was the only thing I had to say as I looked at the bunch of teenagers dressed in skimpy cheerleader clothes, cheering for a character I wasn't really expecting to meet. "So, this is the anime."
A small crowd had formed by the gates off a building that could only be Professor Oak's laboratory, all waiting to see their idol and golden boy- Gary "motherfucking" Oak. I'd rather call him Blue, though.
I liked Blue. He was actually the only 'true' rival in the Pokémon games: his character was well developed and quite entertaining. Blue also did quite well in his role of providing the player with something of a challenge throughout the game- always a step ahead, always belittling the player…
"Then that means Ash's going to be around too…" I said to no one in particular, though I was sure Duskull was hearing it all from its spot in my shadow. Now that I gave it some thought, the idea was quite creepy- having a ghost in my shadow, I mean. It's like the feeling of being watched all the time. "I wonder what is my role in this all then?"
Ash was probably still the protagonist of the "main" storyline, so what was there left for me to do? Should I just go with the flow and enjoy myself? As an artist, what kinds of beauty was there in this world for me to see? How many mysteries awaited me? To say the prospective didn't entice me would be a lie.
"I guess we shouldn't waste our time then." I then turned to my shadow, where a single red dot glowed. "Let's go, Duskull."
I managed to make my way through the crowd without dragging too much attention, except for a few curious looks. Gary paid me no mind as I passed him by, except for a somewhat respectful nod- he probably thought I was some older trainer coming to get his pokémon, judging by how I looked.
By the way, the professor's ranch was simply enormous. As I walked up the grassy hill towards the lab, I couldn't help but look around in awe. Pokémon of all kinds and shapes were already up and running around, and a growlithe even stopped by to give my hand a sniff before running off with the rest of the pack. Even Duskull had come out, curious, and silently observed the many creatures around us.
"You can play with them if you want." I said, noticing his eye lock around the group of canines from earlier. Having the ghost hide in my shadow all the time felt quite uncomfortable, to say the least, so I was quite glad when the duskull gave me a cheerful cry before floating off- clearly planning some mischief. "What a cheerful little fellow, this one."
It was going to take me some time to get used to it, though. Or to any other pokémon, really. Part of me still hoped this was all just a dream.
"Good morning. I'm here to see the professor." I politely told the aide, who looked me up and down before letting me in. I couldn't blame her, though- she was probably expecting kids, instead of an almost full-grown adult.
I was then led to a large room at the back, where there was a machine containing three pokéballs- the starters, I thought. There, I met the famous Professor Oak, who- like both in the games and anime- was an elderly man, with his whitening hair cut short and bags under his eyes. Despite that, though, the man looked quite energetic.
"Hello there, young man! My name is Samuel Oak, Kanto's Pokémon Professor." He then offered me his hand, I took it and gave it a firm shake. "What can I do to help?"
Now that it hit me, why did I even come in at the first place? Maybe it was because meeting the professor was the very first thing one usually did in Fire Red. But then again, this wasn't really Fire Red, so what should I say…hmm…
"If it isn't much bother, I'm here to get my Pokédex." I said, using the best excuse that came to mind. Saying I was completely fucking lost wasn't really an option, besides being a lie that is. In fact, after playing Pokémon Fire Red so many times on my GBA, I probably knew more about Kanto than most of the people actually living here. "I'm new to the region, and I couldn't really get one back home…"
"I see…in that case, I'll gladly provide you with one." the Professor replied. "I've heard your accent before, though. You're from Galar, aren't you? You sound like an old acquaintance of mine, professor Magnolia!"
"Indeed. I never had the honor to meet her, though." Never heard about her either. But then again, I'm the guy who used to play Pokémon on a GBA.
"Even the way of speaking is similar! You're a very polite young man, indeed!" He commented with a chuckle, before turning back to the machine behind him and pressing a button. "Oh, but you must be bored listening to this old man's rantings! You're here for the Pokédex, right? I'll be getting you one, can you show me your ID card please?"
"Sure, here it is." I handed him my ID, and watched as he placed it onto some sort of scanner. "Should I get my starter too?"
"You don't really need to, but it'd be good to register your pokémon here- if you haven't done it already, that is."
"I'll be getting him, then." Though I didn't really know if Duskull was male or female. Did ghost types even breed? Weren't they…born out of people's spirits or something?
But then again, if that is the case, then am I considered a Ghost type too?
Whatever the case, few minutes later and I found myself stepping back into the lab with Duskull floating over my head. The mini grim reaper looked quite satisfied after playtime with the growlithe pack, its single eye moving from side to side with…glee? I had no idea.
"Ah, a Duskull! Those are rare sights in these parts." Professor Oak commented with a hand under his chin. His saying its name seemed to get Duskull's attention, as the ghost floated down to poke at the man's face. "Nice to meet you too, Duskull!"
"Duuuusssskull!"
"It likes to scare people though, so be careful."
"A playful one huh? Well, your duskull looks quite healthy to me! His mask has no marks or cracks and he's moving about nicely. All in all, I'd say this one has a lot of potential in it."
"Good to know it, I suppose." I replied, holding back a shiver as Duskull decided to poke me again. It was like having someone run an ice cube over your skin. "Erm…about the Pokédex?"
"Oh, but of course! Here it is, Edwyn, take a few pokéballs too!" He then handed me five pokéballs and a small, rectangular device- the Pokédex. It looked like one of those cellphones from the 90's, though with modern technology. Mine was colored black. "Since you were the one who requested it, I suppose you know how it works right?"
"If I remember correctly, it is a hi-tech, digital encyclopedia." I remember him saying something of the kind at the beginning of Fire Red.
"Indeed! Someone's been watching my interviews, I see! But those also allow you to check your Pokémon's status, along with many other different functions." the Professor then placed his hand on my shoulder. "I usually give those to trainers who show great potential and, though you're a bit late for a beginner, I feel that in you too, young man."
"Better late than never, they say." Though I'd much rather be home, I guess I should make the best out of my current situation. Enjoy the ride, as my grandma used to say.
"Better late than never! Well, I don't know you very well yet, but since you look like a clever boy, I may have a few opportunities for you in the future."
"I'll be glad to be of help, professor!" I said rather enthusiastically. As a student in Med School, I was always eager to take part on research projects and slowly make a name for myself in the academic world- perhaps I could try and do the same here. "Is there any way I can contact you?"
"But of course, I've registered the lab's phone number in your dex's agenda. Feel free to give me a call from time to time, so I can keep check on your progress." He then seemed to ponder something for a few seconds, before continuing. "You can also send your pokémon here, once you reach over the limit of six. Me and my team will gladly take care of them."
"You're most kind, professor." And I was being completely honest in this. It wasn't every day you met someone willing to provide so much help and ask nothing in exchange. Truly, this was another world. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to repay my debt."
"I'm not asking you to, Edwyn. I used to be a trainer too, when I was young and my bones didn't hurt that is. Now my task is to help those who wish to follow the same dream." He then extended his hand and, this time, I didn't think twice before giving it a shake. "Now go, young man. You have a long journey ahead, and I believe there's another trainer here to see me."
I turned around and saw no one other than Ash Ketchum, still on his pajamas it seems, waiting by the door- feet tapping nervously.
"Very well then." I gave the professor one last nod before turning to my amiable companion. "Ready to go?"
"Dus." Duskull replies, before sinking into my shadow- and this time, I couldn't hold back the shiver. It was just way too creepy.
"Goodbye, professor. Thanks again for all the help."
"You're welcome, Edwyn! Take care in your travels, and don't forget to call!"
With that last line, I turned on my heels and walked to the door. As I passed by young Ash though, I couldn't help but give him at least one remark.
"Good luck."
Afternoon, Route 1, Kanto Region.
"So this is it huh? This is my new life?"
Heading north from Pallet, one could find himself in Route 1- a large, albeit primitive road full of greenery and rough paths. After barely avoiding twisting my ankle in a hole hidden by tall grass, I was really starting to miss my car.
"Duskull?" the pokémon inquired from its spot floating above my head. It seemed to have liked this new position, as it allowed it to get a good look at our surroundings. At least its presence helped keep my head cool. Literally.
"It's nothing. Just me, thinking things out loud." One of the many weird habits I tried to suppress. It often led to extensive monologues between me and myself. "God, it's getting so hot. Hey, wanna make a short pause?"
"Dus!"
It didn't take long for me to find us a suitable spot. By a calm, shallow river, under the shadow of a willow tree. "From the position of the sun…I guess it's an hour or two past noon." That was just a wild guess, though. Whatever the case, it was about time for lunch- which meant I needed to learn how to use some of the stuff in my gear. "Hmm…let's see."
I've never been one for camping. Not only was I adamant on keeping myself looking presentable- which was kind of difficult in the middle of wilderness- but my hometown wasn't really suitable for this sort of thing: camping spots were either hot like hell or freezing cold, and the mosquitoes came in big numbers at night. Or, as I like to summarize it, it was hot, it was wet, it was shit.
Therefore, my struggling with the camping stove was perfectly acceptable- at least in my eyes. Duskull, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life watching me collect burn marks.
"I'd really appreciate some help, you know?" I commented rather acidly, though Duskull didn't seem to care.
It took me a while to figure out how to use the damned thing. Turns out I need to put the alcohol first, and then the coal- not the other way around. "Fucking finally! Geez, I thought I was never going to see hot food again."
That said though, I'm not a good cook- in fact, I'm not a cook at all. So I just tossed the canned vegetables and beef and stirred them around with a bit of soy sauce. It was salty as hell, and I could feel my blood pressure rise with every bite- but I just didn't care. Duskull wasn't nearly as hungry, in fact, it wasn't hungry at all.
But then again, did it really need to eat? So many questions…
"Well…" I said, standing up. "Time to go!"
Contrary to my expectations, the rest of my first afternoon in the world of Pokémon was rather uneventful. Probably because I was older and looked more experienced, none of the kids traveling by the route wanted to challenge me. That was probably for the better too, since I literally had no idea of what Duskull was capable of.
How did I even learn that? What moves he could do, I mean. Maybe I had to scan him with the Dex or something of the kind…
Lost in my thoughts, I never saw the bird coming until it was too late. Duskull, however, did- and a barrier of faint green light was the only thing impeding a very angry-looking Spearow from sinking its tiny talons into my face.
"Holy…" Before I could even finish the sentence, another Spearow came down from above, and this time I had no choice but to dodge the attack. "…shit!"
This second Spearow looked every bit as aggressive as the first, and seemed ready to pounce me once more if not for Duskull's lifting one of his arms. Almost instantly, the reddish bird froze- completely paralyzed by what only could have been Disable.
"Thanks buddy!" Duskull gave me a happy cry as a response, before proceeding to do the same to the bird attacking its shield. "Why did those guys attack, though?"
The answer to said question couldn't have come sooner, in the form of no one other than Ash Ketchum brutally ramming me with a fucking bicycle- sending us both straight down a sludgy ravine and right into a muddy stream
"Bloody hell!" I spat out, feeling the foul taste of the water into my mouth. Ketchum had been a bit luckier than me; his fall having stopped before he hit the water. I glared at him, before continuing. "Watch where you're going, you little mongrel! I'm all dirty now!"
And I would have continued on my- righteous- vent, if not for the ear-piercing shriek that cut through the cloudy skies. A large Fearow, followed by a flock of its Spearow minions, circled in the air above us. And judging by its angry glare, it was just about to pounce.
Then it all connected. Of course, this was going to happen, I was in the frickin' anime! At this point, a torrential rain had started to fall- lightning and thunder joining together to form a symphony of light and noise.
"We need to get out of here, now!" I told Ash, who was still looking at me with widened eyes. That seemed to break him out of his shock, and he nodded before replying. "I need to get Pikachu! Where is he?"
"…" I didn't know, to be honest. Looking around, I found no signs of the chubby yellow rodent- luckily for me, though, Duskull had already found him, as his cry from up the groove indicated. "Duskull's already got him. Now hop on, we need to run!"
Needless to say, never in my life I thought I'd find myself piggybacking Ash Ketchum up a steep, muddy ravine- in the middle of a storm, mind you- while also being assaulted from all sides by a flock of wild parrots on steroids. What a scene!
"Whoa!" As I jumped back into the road, I barely dodged one of the birds' dives. Duskull seemed to be busy trying to distract some of them off me, though it was clearly being overwhelmed. "I need you to have my back, Duskull!"
"Duuuussss!" my very-recently-acquired starter responded, before a Spearow tried to use what looked like Quick Attack on him- only to fail miserably as it just passed right through the specter. Perks of having a ghost type.
No, no! Focus! Now's not the time! Picking Pikachu up from where it lay on the ground, I sprinted into a desperate run. It was to my luck that I was athletic, though more for picking up girls than anything else. Either way, as I upped the speed, Ash started to hug my neck rather too tightly- so I bit him and said. "You're strangling me!"
"I'm sorry!" the boy replied, loosening his grip a bit. He probably took a glance to the back, because the next thing he said sent a shiver up my spine. "They're catching up, mister!"
As if to confirm Ketchum's statement, a Spearow zipped right past me- its talons scratching the skin of my arm as it struck, forcing me to hold back a scream of pain. Fortunately, though, Duskull moved in and used Disable once more, neutralizing it before floating back to the fray.
"Damnit! We aren't going to make it!" There was no sign of us being close to Viridian, and my legs were already starting to feel numb after running a few miles with a kid on my back. "We need to beat them right here, kid! Is your Pikachu able to fight?"
If I'm not mistaken, it was Pikachu that zapped the entire flock in the anime. Thus, saving his and Ash's asses. Whatever the case, I needed him to do it this time too.
"I…I don't know! The Spearows hurt him before!"
"I think there's some Pokémon medicine in my bag." Which miraculously, had not fallen when Ketchum ran me over. "Me and Duskull are going to distract them! You patch your mouse up and zap those parrots!"
"Alright!" Ash said with fierce determination, and I ran for a few more seconds before putting him down and dropping off my bag before turning back to the flock.
Duskull was doing a great job distracting the birds, who seemed to get even angrier when they realized their attacks didn't really hurt the wraith. "Duskull!" I called, and the ghost turned to look at me- one of the Spearow passing right through it at the very same time. "That barrier. Do you think you can make a big one?"
If I remember correctly, the move was called Protect. But I wasn't so sure, so I simply called it a barrier. Whatever the case, it seemed to be effecting holding the stupid birds off.
"Dusss!" the starter cried, which I thought was a 'yes'.
Turns out it actually was a 'yes', as a screen of light materialized at the very moment Fearow decided it had enough of waiting- it's drill-looking beak making cracks sprout all across the barrier as it dove again and again. The mighty bird's eyes were locked specifically upon me, as it seemed to have realized I was the bigger threat…or meal.
"Any progress at your end, kid?" I asked Ash, not once removing my eyes from the big bad bird trying to skewer me. Hidden in my hand, one of the empty pokéballs I'd gotten from Oak earlier that day.
"Pikaaaaachuuuuuuuu!"
My answer came in the form of a bolt of electricity, as a battered, half-recovered Pikachu acted as a living conductor for the very storm itself, condensing the primal lightning into a bright corona around its tiny body before unleashing it all in one, single blast.
Duskull's barrier was almost instantly shattered by the power of that Thundershock, and was probably the only thing that prevented both me and Ketchum from becoming piles of ashes by the road.
Our attackers, however, didn't have the same luck.
Dozens of wild Spearow, and their leader, Fearow, were scattered all over the dirt road that was Route 1- their bodies blackened and smoking, but thankfully and to my surprise, still alive. Pokémon really were quite the resilient creatures to survive such attack.
"That was one hell of an attack." I comment with a whistle, looking around for Duskull. Ash's Pikachu had fallen unconscious right after zapping the flock, completely exhausted. "Duskull! Where are you? Dusku-"
"Dus."
"Jesus!" I nearly jumped when said ghost's face materialized barely inches from my face. "Stop doing this!"
"Duuuuuuskull." the pokémon happily cried. It seemed to have been spared from the worst of the blast, though it still looked quite roughened up.
"You should rest for a bit, come back to your poke…never mind." Duskull had already sunk into my shadow before I even finished the sentence. Ignoring the chilly feeling on my back, I turned my attention to the unconscious Fearow. "Now, what to do with you…"
Technically speaking, I wasn't obliged to do anything- the flock had attacked us, we beat them, and that's about it- bygones be bygones. However, Fearow was still a wild animal; it could very well continue to harass the trainers traveling Route 1, which were mostly kids from what I've see so far. "As a responsible adult, I can't let that happen."
After taking that blast head on, it was no surprise Fearow showed no resistance when the Pokéball sucked it in- shaking the usual three times before clicking, indicating a successful capture. I decided to take the flying type with me, if only to hand it over to the authorities at Viridian.
"Errm…"
I turned around to see Ash looking up at me. The difference between our heights was laughable, but then again- he was a kid…and kind of Japanese too.
"Yes?" I inquired with a cocked brow.
"Thanks for your help, mister…"
"Grey…Edwyn Grey." Was my somewhat hesitant reply. It was strange, going by a name other than your own- made me feel like I was wearing a mask. "You don't need to call me mister, though. Makes me feel old."
Even with my 'normal' body, I wasn't past 24. So that was a big no-no.
"Thanks, Grey!" the boy said with a bright smile. By then the rain had finally stopped, thank goodness, though we were still soaked. "By the way, my name's Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town! I saw you at the Professor's lab earlier, were you there to get your starter? I've never seen anything like him- what type is he? Does he have a name? When…"
So many questions the kid had, and for his enthusiasm- he was just getting started with them. This will be a long trip to Viridian, I thought drily.
In my distraction, however, I failed to notice the rainbow-colored bird watching us from afar.
Chapter End.
A/N: I chose to end the first chapter right here. Looked like the right moment to close the scene- besides, shorter chapters make it easier for me to publish and edit. That's a big advantage.
Anyway, many of you have started to notice most of my stories don't go past chapter two or three. I guess it's because I tend to lose interest on them, though I'll try to go further with this one.
The protagonist is me, after all.
Well, thank you very much for reading it to here. Give me your thoughts on the reviews, or PM me- I don't know, the choice is yours.
Till next time.
Wildfurion.