Chapter 3: Professor Sylvan and the Delta Pokemon
After leaving the house they were staying in, Ash turns to Arceus with some questions in his mind.
Ash: So what should I do next?
Arceus: (Smiles) You will have to take on the league as well. You can also prove the traitors wrong if you beat this league.
Ash: (Nods) I see. (Turns to the siblings) So Lillie, Gladion, are you going to come with me?
Lillie: Of course. After what they did to you, I don't want to leave you again.
Gladion: She is right, you can't defeat the cults on your own. We are going to help you out.
Ash feels touched at how they are going to help him no matter what, he feels like they are his true friends, not those backstabbers. While on their way, Mew gives Lillie a present, a Quartz Flute, which can help her if she has some DNA from other Pokemon or people, especially cultists. Lillie nods and then takes the flute, and then Mew goes back into the Pokeball for rest.
?: I could swear I saw Mew here, just now!
They turn around and see a grey-haired boy walking towards them. He then walks close to Lillie and making her uncomfortable.
?: Did you see it? A tiny pink Pokemon? It was floating really close to you!
Before Gladion can step forward and separate them, Ash already does it, much to his surprise.
Ash: No, there is nothing like that.
?: Oh...I could swear I-
Gladion: Sorry mister, it must be your imagination.
Damian: (Sighs) My name is Damien. I'm an aspiring Pokemon Trainer! And you are...?
Ash: I'm Ash, Ash Ketchum.
Lillie: Nice to meet you, my name is Lillie.
Gladion: Gladion.
Damian: Oh, Ash, Lillie, and Gladion? Got it! You came to Tenlor Town at the perfect time! The Augur- the greatest man in the world, of course- is coming today!
Ash: (Confused) Augur? What is that?
Damian: (Shocked) Huh? How could you not know about him? Have you been living under a rock?
Lillie: Actually, we are from another region. We just arrived here for a day, so we don't know anything about Torren and Augur.
Damian: I see. He's the guy who protects the region! He's my biggest hero!
Gladion: (Raises his eyebrow) Hero?
Damian: The mayor and the townsfolk have been preparing ever since this morning. I am excited! I was just running errands before he arrives!
Ash: I guess he is some sort of hero figure...
Damian: I know! Why don't you help out? We're assigning jobs in the Town Hall! You know, cleaning and so on.
After seeing him rush off, the three of them just look at one another with confusion.
Ash: Should we go?
Lillie: I guess we should.
While they are on their way, Gladion is still intrigued by what Ash just did.
Gladion: (Whispers to Ash) Why did you step in front of Lillie when that guy gets so close to her?
Ash: (Blushes) I don't know, something just comes over me.
Gladion raises his eyebrow, but he doesn't say anything. As they go to the Town Hall, they see Damian with two people at the side of the table.
Damian: I finished cleaning up the road, is there anything else I can do? (Notices Ash, Lillie, and Gladion) Oh, and this is Ash, Lillie, and Gladion. I met them outside, and they offered to help too.
Ash: Hey wait a sec, we didn't- (Being cuts off by the man)
Damian's Father: Nice to meet you guys. Well, Damian, I think we're pretty well finished. As long as you have your gift for Augur ready, I think you're done. You do have your gift, right?
Damian: (Sweating) Oh...Well...um...I may have... forgotten.
Damian's Father: (Sighs) Of course you have... You better find one and fast. I heard you could find a Rare Stone in one of the caves in the forest. Of course, you'd need a Pokemon to go safely...
Woman: (Suddenly yells) No, absolutely not! Not a chance! Damian is not ready to get a Pokemon! He's still a child!
Damian: (Begs) Mom, please! Everyone else in the town already got theirs and has left!
Damian's Stepmother: And you're not going to follow them! You'll get yourself killed!
Damian: (Mutters) Why do you care? It's not like you're my real mother or anything...
Damian's Stepmother: I raise you since birth! You're not capable of raising a plant, let alone a Pokemon! You're irresponsible, antisocial, and you can't even- (Cuts off by Ash)
Ash: That is enough.
Ash's outburst shock the whole people in the room, and even Lillie and Gladion are surprised at the attitude change.
Damian's Father: (Whispers to his late wife) Look at you, you're embarrassing us...
Ash: Maybe you should give him a chance. I was also the same, my mother didn't think I could raise a Pokemon, but unlike you, she decides to put faith in me, you should do the same as well.
Damian's Stepmother is surprised to learn someone is standing to her stepson, and she can't mutter a word.
Damian's Father: Ash, right? I'm sure you've handled Pokemon before. Would you be willing to help him through the forest to the cave to help him find a gift for the Augur?
The three of them look at one another, then they nod.
Damian's Father: Wonderful! I'm very grateful. So it's settled, then. Ash and his friends will help Damien to get a gift for the Augur, and if Damien shows responsibility, perhaps he can keep the Pokemon afterward. (Turns to his late wife) Well? How does it sound?
Damian's Stepmother: (Huffs) Fine. He won't, though.
Damian: (Pulls Ash) Ash, let's go.
Lillie: Wait, where are we going?
Damian: Oh, we are going to the Professor's Lab, so I can get an Eevee. She has a bunch of them from her days as a trainer...The lab is just in the southeast corner of the town.
Ash: I see...so there is a Professor that we can trust...
Damian: (Mutters without Ash and the group's knowledge) I really hope I don't mess this up...(Turns to Ash and the group) Hey, Ash, Lillie, Gladion... thanks for agreeing to do this with me. It really means a lot.
Ash nods and then frowns, he starts to remember the past as they walk towards the lab.
Once they arrive there, they see Professor Sylvan confronting a man with a black suit. The man has three Pokeballs in his hands.
Man: Listen, Professor. These Pokemon...they're freaks. No other Trainer would want them, and we can't keep them any longer. All I want is for you to take them. You already keep a bunch of Eevee as is, surely these three won't be a bother?
Sylvan: (In a cold tone) ...why do you care about them? I know what you've done.
Man: It's true, I'm merciless. I've done some awful things. But there's no reason for these Pokemon to die.
Damian: Um...hello? I'm Damian, this is Ash, Lillie, and Gladion. I'm here to get a Pokemon so we can go into the forest safely.
The Professor and the man notice that they have company, and the man just stares at them without saying anything.
Man: Sylvan, if you don't take these Pokemon, I'll release them, and they're sure to die in the wild. If you want, you can just give them to these kids, right?
Sylvan: (Thinks for a while) Put them on the table.
Man: Very well.
The man places all three Pokeballs on the table, and then he looks at Ash, feeling that he is familiar all of the sudden.
Man: Excuse me. You seem so familiar.
After leaving those words, the man leaves. Ash is confused if the man knows him, but he doesn't know why.
Ash: What is that all about?
Lillie: I have no idea.
Sylvan: Lillie, Gladion, you two were running off, I am so worried about you.
Lillie: Sorry, Professor. But we had some business to do. By the way, Damian here is in need of a Pokemon.
Sylvan: (Nods) That man that was in here just now, he was one of my colleagues in the university. He's a smart man and a great scientist...He is also the leader of the Cult of Perfection.
Ash widens his eyes as he did learn from Arceus about Perfection Cult.
Damian: A...a cult leader? Those people are evil, Professor! You shouldn't be talking to them, let alone be accepting gifts from them!
Sylvan: (Sighs) I know.
Gladion: By the way, this is our friend Ash.
Sylvan: (Surprised) Ash? As in Ash Ketchum? The son of the first Augur and the one who has been declared dead along with his mother?
Damian: (Gasps) What? He is the son of the first Augur?
Ash: You know my father?
Sylvan: Yeah, he is a great man, he helps to defeat the cults, until last year, he got missing...and what happened to you and how are you still alive?
Then Ash sighs as he proceeds to explain the betrayal. Damien and Sylvan are mad about their friends.
Damian: How can they do that? You have done nothing wrong!
Ash: I know. As I got home and discussing with my mom about what to do, then they come.
Sylvan: (Raises an eyebrow) They?
Ash: The Cult of Darkrai, they barge into my house, destroy it with fire, and they put us to sleep until I woke up a few hours ago, which means I've slept for a year...(Looks at Gladion and Lillie) In fact, I was about to be killed until Lillie and Gladion infiltrate the base and saved me.
Damian: Wait, you charge into their base and you are still alive? Dude, you are as strong as the Augur.
Lillie: I know...
Sylvan: Let's get back to the topic. Tell me, Ash, Lillie, Gladion, Damian. Have you ever heard of something called "Delta Species"?
Ash: Delta Species? You mean like my Pikachu?
As he opens his backpack, Pikachu flies out of it and lands on Ash's hat.
Sylvan: Is that a Delta Pikachu? (Seeing Ash nods) Excellent. You see. Delta Pokemon are based on a phenomenon in the Holon Region, far away. They're Pokemon that have different DNA than normal Pokemon. Simply put, they're typed differently than normal. For example, Pikachu was usually Electric Types, but now it is a Flying and Fairy Type.
Sylvan sighs as she opens the Pokeballs, as they can see a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. But they look very different than the others.
Sylvan: These Pokemon on the table now are Deltas. I am not sure what type they are, they seem to be experiments of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. They're scientific marvels. I would love to keep one to study.
Ash nods and he realizes something, and he decides to ask the Professor.
Ash: Professor. After the betrayal thing, I don't think I can put my Pokemon in Professor Oak's lab, can I put it here instead? As you see, I have a lot of Delta Pokemon.
Sylvan: Oh my. Sure. I will love to see them, but where did you get them?
Ash: You may not believe me, but Arceus is the one that gives me.
Damian: Wait, you met an Arceus? The god Pokemon?
Lillie: (Quickly covers his mouth) Quiet, someone will hear you. You don't want Ash to be targeted by the cultists again?
Damian: Okay, I am sorry. (Can't breathe, and Lillie lets go of him)
Sylvan: Now! Normally, I would give you an Eevee as a Pokemon to start you off on your journey. However, it seems there are three more options for you to choose from. So, I'll offer you this. You may choose one of these three Delta Pokemon to travel with, or the Eevee I normally give away.
Damian: Well...I don't know what to do. I don't like the idea of Pokemon made by a murderer...but I don't like the idea of these Pokemon left alone forever.
Ash: It is true. Pokemon are beings like us as well.
Damian: That is why I am going to choose Bulbasaur.
The Bulbasaur is happy that it is picked, and it gives him a nod.
Sylvan: Why don't you two get one as well? (Refers to Lillie and Gladion)
Lillie: Are you sure? You're giving us the Pokemon?
Sylvan nods, and Lillie picks a Charmander who is female and cute for Lillie, while Gladion picks a Squirtle. The remaining Eevee looks at Pikachu and she blushes, Pikachu also blushes as well, he asks Ash if he can take the Eevee, Ash agrees and then Professor Sylvan gives him the Pokeball.
Damian: By the way, before we go out into the Shade Forest, how about a battle?
Ash: Why now?
Damian: It'll be the perfect time to test out our new Pokemon!
Eevee jumps in front of Ash, wanting to battle. So Ash decides to use her to battle as they head outside.
Ash: Eevee, Tackle! (Eevee charges forward at the Bulbasaur.)
Damian: Bulbasaur! Fairy Wind!
The Pokemon shoots out the wind and stops the Pokemon, giving it some damage.
Damian: Great, Confusion!
Ash: Dodge and Swift!
Eevee dodges the attack and then shoots out stars, in the end, Bulbasaur gets hit and faints.
Damian: Urgh...I lost! (Frustrated)
Ash: It doesn't matter if you win or not. What matters is that how much you learn and how to improve it. I am sure you can win.
Damian: Thanks, Ash. Wow...you really are a great battler.
Ash: Thanks. I'm going to take on the gyms.
Sylvan: Now before you leave, I will give you these. The Pokedex.
Ash, Lillie, Gladion, and Damien get one each and then thank the Professor. Eevee is chatting to Pikachu happily, but Ash tries to recall her, Eevee hides behind Pikachu.
Ash: So you don't want to be in the Pokeball? You don't need to if you don't want to.
Then Eevee nuzzles Ash and Ash hugs back, after that's over, they bid farewell to the Professor.
Gladion: So where are we going?
Damian: We're going to head north into Shade Forest. At the northern end of the forest is a really large cave, and in the middle of that cave is the Rare Stone we're looking for. We'll meet you there, OK?
Ash: Great, now let's go.
Damien has made his appearance as well as Rekura, the storyline will be the same as the game, but with more characters in the run. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be about the ambush.