Chapter Two: Lessons
Sandgem Town was a lot smaller than she had imagined. On the television, the place seemed so grand, but in reality it was just another town, only this one was built on the shoreline of a beach. The salty scent of the sea filled her nostrils and she scrunched up her face, unused to the smell.
"Hey slowpoke! Over here!" Barry said, calling her over, waving both his hands in the air. He was standing in front of a building with an aqua-coloured roof, a smile plastered on his face. "The professor is inside. Come on in!" Barry opened the door and stepped inside and Dawn followed.
The research lab was a little disorganized – there were a couple of books lying on the ground, papers scattered on tables and even the professor himself looked a little rattled. He was bent over another table, mumbling to himself something about a 'Pokedex'. "Uh, hello?" Dawn said.
Upon hearing her name, the professor turned around. His face brightened and he hurried over to her with three coloured Pokedexes' in his hand. Lucas, his assistant, was also there and he regarded Dawn and Barry coolly. "Ah, I'm glad to see you are here Dawn. Your friend arrived moments earlier and we were beginning to worry about your status. But, you are here now and I can give you a very important tool that will help you in your journey."
Lucas stepped forward to offer an explanation. "Professor Rowan is holding a Pokedex. They come in all colours, but we've only got a black, red and pink one left. The Pokedex is an essential tool in any trainer's journey – they will record information on any Pokemon you encounter, and they will also keep track of your own Pokemon's details." He turned to focus on Dawn. "Naturally, I'd assume you would like the pink one?"
Dawn shook her head. "I was actually thinking of taking the black one."
Lucas raised a brow and looked at the professor. The professor shrugged. "What seems to be the problem, Lucas?"
"I wanted the black one."
"Well, you can have the pink one instead."
Lucas grumbled.
Professor Rowan smiled, gazing down at Dawn's Turtwig. "I see your Pokemon has already grown stronger. He clearly seems to like you lots. It appears I made a good choice in allowing you and your friend to have a Pokemon of your own. Before you go, I'd like to give you this TM called Return." He reached down over to his table and handed the two trainers a small bottle of clear liquid. "I mentioned in the note that you can teach your Pokemon moves by taking them to a Pokemon Centre, but you can't do that with TM's. TM's are technical moves and can be bought for a fee at a department store. They are moves your Pokemon wouldn't normally learn naturally."
"How will I know what moves a Pokemon can learn?" Dawn asked.
"Your Pokedex will have the entire list. New moves are learnt when your Pokemon reaches a certain level," the professor explained. "Now what moves you choose to keep and remove are all up to you. Some trainers, like the Dragon Tamers of the Blackthorn Clan, prefer to use offensive moves and others like Koga of the Indigo League, like to rely on status inflicting moves. Of course you could also choose to focus entirely on wearing your opponent down with defensive moves though and then attack. It's up to you. If you want to update your move set, just show your trainer card to the lady at the counter and she'll connect your Pokemon to the move tutor machine." Dawn lifted her eyebrows. "Don't worry, it's painless," he added quickly at Dawn's worried look.
She relaxed. "Trainer card?" Dawn repeated.
"You'll receive your trainer card when you arrive in Jubilife. The trainer card records your details and allows you to compete in the league challenge. If you don't have a card, they won't let you through the gates even if you have all eight badges. It's a security measure."
Dawn nodded. Hoenn had an incident where trainers were gaining access into the league without trainer cards, using stolen and illegal Pokemon. Foreign trainers were mostly to blame since they were the ones usually behind some nefarious scheme. The trainer card system was just one of the many ways companies were protecting their trainers.
"There's an app that records your trainer details. You'll need the Poketch item, but you can buy one in the next city." He walked over to his table and pulled out a drawer, digging his hand inside then pulled it back out. He was holding two metallic cases – one was gold and the other silver. Both of them had a silver fern on their metallic surfaces. "This is a badge case. Use these to protect your badges." He gave the silver one to Barry and the golden one to Dawn.
Dawn and Barry exchanged smiles. It all sounded simple enough. "I'm going to catch every Pokemon for you, Professor Rowan!" Barry exclaimed, as he grabbed his red Pokedex and badge case, stashing both items into his bag. "Anyway, time is wasting! I'll see you later, Dawn!" And before anyone could say anything, Barry was already out the door.
"…Well then…" Professor Rowan said, turning to Dawn, looking a little shocked by Barry's sudden departure. "Lucas will show you around the town and he'll teach you the basics of catching Pokemon, won't you Lucas?"
Lucas grumbled, putting his pink Pokedex away. "I'll show Dawn the basics." He turned to her now and nodded towards the lab exit. "Come on. I'll show you everything you need to know about becoming a good trainer." Dawn got the feeling Lucas wasn't too thrilled about it, but there was nothing he could do.
They stepped outside into the glaring sun and Lucas led Dawn over to a building with a blue roof. Dawn had never seen such a building before and looked at the assistant for an explanation. "This is the Poke Mart. You can buy all your Pokemon essentials here – potions, pokeballs, repels… that sort of thing. You don't have any badges though so you'll only be able to buy the basics. You'll need badges to gain access to high quality items. The Poke Mart isn't just needs for your partners though - they do sell items for humans as well."
They exited the building immediately. Dawn frowned, but didn't say anything. She had hoped Lucas would've allowed her to do some window shopping at least. "What else is there?"
"Most towns and cities have a Pokemon Centre, but as you can see, we don't have one here. Pokemon Centres have a red roof so you can't miss it. If you need to heal your Pokemon, you go to a Pokemon Centre. Healing is free. Pokemon Centres also treat humans as well so if you need a rest yourself, or a place to stay for the night, go to one and you will be looked after by the staff," he explained, leading Dawn towards the northern exit.
Dawn nodded. Pokemon Centre, red roof. Poke Mart, blue roof. "Where are we going now?"
"I'm going to show you how to catch a Pokemon. You will become a stronger trainer, the more Pokemon you have on your team. You can have a maximum of six Pokemon at any one time and the six you choose should complement each other. Don't become a monotype trainer unless it is your wish to become a gym leader or a member of the league – you want a varied team so you can withstand any attack your opponent may use on you. You should build your team around your starter. Your starter is a Grass-type, so I would suggest getting a Fire and Water-type to cover Turtwig's weaknesses."
"What types are there?"
Lucas began to list them all. "Dragon, Flying, Fire, Water, Ice, Grass, Rock, Ground, Steel, Electric, Poison, Dark, Ghost, Bug, Normal, Fighting, Psychic and Fairy… but Fairies are only native to Kalos unless you trade for one. They're currently working on introducing the Fairy-types in other regions, but the breeding programme hasn't commenced yet. Dragon-types are the hardest to raise because it takes them longer to gain levels, but don't let that discourage you."
So many types. How was she going to narrow it down to just six Pokemon? "It sounds pretty complex."
Lucas shrugged. "It's all part of the fun of being a Pokemon trainer. The team you assemble says a lot about you and your battling style, so choose Pokemon that reflect your personality. Ah, here we are."
Dawn had been so distracted by Lucas' words that she hadn't even realized they had left the town. They were now standing before a patch of grass. Lucas called out his Pokemon, a Piplup, and walked into the grass.
"To catch a Pokemon you must battle it until the wild Pokemon is close to fainting. The weaker it is, the easier it is to catch. If you are having difficulty catching a Pokemon, you should try and paralyse it or put it to sleep to weaken it further. You can tell when a Pokemon is about to faint when it starts showing signs of extreme fatigue. That's the moment when you throw your pokeball. Do you see that Starly over there?" He drew Dawn's attention to a plump black and white avian foraging in the grass. "I'll show you how to catch one. Piplup, use Peck!"
His penguin wobbled forward and attacked the Starly before the wild Pokemon even knew what was going on. It received a sharp jab on the head and squawked, then turned around to fight back. The Starly attacked, but the penguin got another move in first. Starly stumbled backwards, its' body swaying from side to side.
"Oh!" Dawn said, as Lucas threw a pokeball at the avian's head. The bird was sucked into the ball. It was like magic. Dawn wasn't quite sure how a Pokemon could fit into item, but she suspected it had something to do with the power of science.
The ball rocked back and forth, once to the left, then to the right and back to the left again, a three second delay in between each movement. After the third movement, it came to a sudden stop. "Starly has been captured. Sometimes, the Pokemon will escape. Some Pokemon have a weak resistance while others are very difficult to capture, such as legendary Pokemon. If you find yourself unable to capture a Pokemon after exhausting all other options, then you probably need to upgrade your pokeball to the next level. Do you need me to go over anything?"
That was a lot of information to absorb, Dawn noted. "No, I'm good," she replied.
Lucas seemed relieved. "That's good to hear. I don't have the time to hold your hand and watch over you to make sure you're doing it right." An unpleasant sensation gripped her stomach. Why did he dislike her so much? "Anyway, I'll give you these five pokeballs so you can get started on completing your Pokedex. If you get into any form of trouble, be sure to call for help! You do have an Xtransceiver, right?"
"Uh…" Dawn rummaged through her bag, searching for the communication device. Fortunately, her mother had packed one for her. "Yup!" She pulled it out and handed it to Lucas. Lucas took it and entered a couple of numbers and handed it back to her. Dawn took it back and returned it to the safety of her shoulder bag.
"Right. I should be returning to the lab to help the professor with his next assignment. Keep heading down this path – it will eventually take you to Jubilife City where you will have the opportunity to gain your first badge." He pointed down the path to the north-eat. "Good luck," he said, but he didn't sound like he meant it. He said his goodbyes and headed back towards the lab, leaving Dawn behind. The boy seemed glad to get away and Dawn wondered what she had done to make him dislike her so.
She glanced down at her Turtwig who also appeared to be confused. "Don't worry about him, Turtwig. I think he's mad because he got the pink Pokedex instead. Let's head to Jubilife, shall we?" The Turtwig nodded eager to make some progress. Dawn smiled. The quest to obtain her first badge had begun!
Johanna stood at the doorway of her daughter's room, fighting off the urge to shed tears. Dawn had only been gone for a couple of hours, but it felt like a decade. She would not return home for a couple of years until she claimed the title of Champion. At least she had her Pokemon; at least her daughter wouldn't be completely alone. She sniffed, using the back palm of her right hand to wipe her eyes then exited, closing the door behind her.
She headed back downstairs to make herself comfortable on the couch. Flopping down, she crossed her legs and leaned back into the sofa, grabbing a magazine on the table. She flicked through the pages, stopping at the fashion section. In a couple of weeks Hearthome City would be hosting a massive event. Most of the time she worked at home, designing outfits and selling her ideas to dressmakers, but there were times she helped out at special events like these. She was about to pick up the phone to give some of her contacts a call when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, she stood up and cautiously made her way over. She doubted Dawn would be back only just having left a few hours ago – and it surely couldn't be Cynthia's grandmother again so soon – perhaps it was Professor Rowan himself?
Placing a hand on the doorknob, she turned it clockwise slowly until it creaked open. She pulled it back just enough to catch a glimpse of the person standing on the otherwise. He was tall, at least a foot taller than herself, and dressed in black clothes and a grey jacket. Johanna noticed there was a 'G' imprinted just beneath the right lapel. She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to look into his eyes. "Cyrus."
His reply was immediate. "Johanna."
He was the last person she wanted to see, but here he was standing on her doorstep only this time, he wasn't carrying a bouquet of flowers, nor soaking wet. Johanna looked past him hoping none of her neighbours were watching, but fortunately they were all inside. She didn't want the neighbours asking questions about 'her guest'. She stepped aside and allowed him in, slamming the door shut. "What do you want?" she demanded immediately, pressing her back against the door, eyeing him warily.
"I have an offer for you." He moved to the kitchen table and sat down then looked at her again. "Sit," he added, gesturing to an empty chair beside him. Johanna felt a stab of annoyance at being given an order in her own house but she obeyed and sat down. "I would like you to join Galactic."
A sardonic laugh escaped her throat. "Is that it?"
He looked at her blankly. "Is what it?"
"You disappear for over a decade and now you return out of the blue to offer me a job?"
He shook his head. "Not a job. A new home." He placed a hand on her arm and looked into her eyes. "Galactic is a corporation dedicated to making the world a better place and I want you to be a part the process, Johanna."
"What do you mean by 'make the world a better place'?" She tried moving her arm away, unnerved by his touch, but that only encouraged him to tighten his grip.
"The world we live in is imperfect; I seek to change that. We live in a world populated by weak-minded fools and fragile hearts and they drag us down. We will never evolve as a race with incompetent fools living in our universe. A change is needed," he explained, eyes never leaving her face.
She flinched, suddenly uncomfortable. She pried his fingers off her arm and pulled her arm back to her side. Making the world a better place wasn't a bad idea; in fact, she agreed with him to some extent. There was so much wrong in the world that purging it of its evils was actually quite appealing, but she knew it wasn't possible. "Despite your brilliance, Cyrus, there's nothing you can do. We have to learn to accept that not everything will be the way we would like it to be," she said softly.
A muscle jerked in his jaw. "I can make it happen."
"You're not a God."
"I will be."
Now she was worried. Cyrus hadn't always been the most mentally stable person thanks to his rough upbringing, but she thought she could help him overcome the horrors of his past. What a fool she had been to think that someone as damaged as him could be changed. A part of her, a tiny part, still wanted to believe he could be saved from himself. Deep down a part of her still longed for that happy ending. "A feeling isn't a weakness, Cyrus. It can make us stronger. It brings people together."
"Emotions are the cause of strife."
"You once told me that there is a reason to cry, and it wasn't of sadness, but of joy and laughter. Are you telling me now that you want to rid the world of the ability to experience happiness because of a few bad apples? Quit acting like a child!" she scolded.
"What did you call me?" he asked his voice dangerously low.
She looked at him sternly. "A child. You're throwing a tantrum because things aren't the way you would like it to be." She took in a deep breath and rose from her chair, pushing it back in. "You walked out on me twelve years ago – do you really think I'd go back to you after everything that happened?"
"I had to leave."
"You cared more about Galactic than you did about me!" she spluttered, throwing him an accusing look. "You left me when I needed you most!" She remembered the day he left as if it had happened yesterday. It was a Sunday morning and she had been returning home after a check up at the Pokemon Centre to inform Cyrus that she was indeed pregnant, but she never had the chance to tell him because he had randomly disappeared, leaving behind only a note.
Cyrus just looked at her, a slight frown on his face. "You had money and a home."
She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, biting down almost hard enough to draw blood. "I was pregnant!" she blurted, tears threatening to spill. "She asks about you often – but I can't bring myself to tell her the truth. If she knew about you and your crazy ideas it would break her and I won't inflict that pain on her!" Now she was crying. She hated crying, but tears were unavoidable when she was upset.
"A daughter?" he said slowly, as if he had never heard the word before.
Johanna sniffed. "I'm not telling you more – you don't deserve to know anything else."
He stood up and moved to stand directly in front of Johanna. "She's my daughter."
"And you were never there for her! Cynthia's grandmother filled in your role," she spat. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth as she suddenly found herself pinned down on the table, one arm underneath her, and the other behind. She tried to struggle against him, but his hold was far too strong.
He lowered his head and whispered into her right ear, brushing aside her bangs. "And to think I offered you a chance to stand with me…" He placed a finger beneath her eye to catch a tear. Johanna struggled again, but her attempts proved futile. He trailed the same finger down the side of her cheek gently then wrapped an arm around her slender waist. "I had hoped you would understand… but I was wrong. You mock my ideas but you will see that I am right." He brought his lips to hers, pressing against them with full force, whilst she moaned at his touch, her hand gripping at his clothing.
She had angered him that much was obvious. She could see the fury in his eyes – never had she seen a fire burn so cold. For a man who claimed to despise emotions, he certainly expressed them with a great passion. It's what made him so dangerous – repressed emotions couldn't be held back forever and in heated situations like this, they came out at full force usually in an unpredictable manner. "Your plans will fail – they always did," she pointed out.
And just like that, he pulled away from her, running a through her hair. He grabbed a handful jerking it roughly. "I will find her… I will make her come to me and then she can decide what is best. Perhaps our daughter will follow in my footsteps instead of yours…" He pulled away from Johanna, allowing the woman to stand. "Or perhaps she'll prove me wrong." He led himself out of the house and soon, Johanna found herself alone again. She readjusted her clothes, running a finger across her lips, remembering the feel of him against hers. If only she had tried harder to save him then perhaps she'd be in a different situation.
The route to Jubilife City was quite an exhausting one; it wasn't a long route per say, but the path climbed upwards, putting extra strain on the body. It wasn't just the physical activity that was draining; she had to battle three trainers along the way. Fortunately, the battles were rather easy and Turtwig handled himself with ease. This was the less-than-glamorous life of a trainer.
The gates leading to Jubilife City were quite unlike what she expected. She had assumed there'd be some golden archway or whatnot, but instead she had to enter through a gatehouse and pass security. Trainers dressed in black and white uniform stopped her from passing through and gestured to the security screens. "Sorry mam, but we just have to check your bags. Just walk through the screens."
She nodded, and walked through the screens just like the guard had instructed. She passed through without setting off the alarm and continued through to the city. After the events that had taken place in Hoenn a few years ago, officers all around Sinnoh decided to upgrade their security measures to the highest level to ensure the region was better protected from criminal masterminds.
The police let her through and Dawn soon found herself standing in Jubilife City. She found her surroundings rather intimidating – Twinleaf was a simple village. Jubilife City was at least ten times bigger than her hometown and far busier. It had been voted as the most modernized city in all of Sinnoh and it featured the region's television station, the Poketch Company, the Trainer's School and the Global Trade Station.
Dawn could easily spend a couple of weeks here exploring every building Jubilife had to offer, but she was eager to make progress in her journey. Besides, she could always come back here at a later date anyway. She made her way towards the northern part of the city, walking along a path of gravel, avoiding crashing into people when she spotted a suspicious man standing underneath a lamp pole. He was dressed entirely in black; black clothes, black sunglasses and he even had black hair and black shoes. Dawn approached him.
"Uh, hello?"
The man jumped, seemingly taken by surprise by the sound of Dawn's voice. "What? How did you know? How did you unmask me as a member of the International Police?!" the man yelped.
Dawn wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't have a clue – she didn't even know there was something called the International Police. "I was just saying hello?"
"Heh, you claim you were only making conversation, but I know better not to believe that. No, no, no. You recognized right away that I was someone extraordinary. That is why you spoke to me, is it not?"
Nope, that was definitely not the reason. "You looked suspicious. Everyone else is dressed in colours and running around the streets, and you're standing under a lamp pole dressed in shady clothing," Dawn explained.
The man muttered to himself. Dawn caught the words, 'black' and 'bad idea'. "Your power of observation is fearsome! Quite admirable, you are! Now that my cover has been blown, let me introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite of the International Police," he said. Dawn couldn't help but think this man was rather eccentric. "My name… Ah, no. I shall inform you only of my code name. My code name, it is Looker. Is it what they all call me. Incidentally, is the saying, "Don't be a thief' familiar to you?"
Dawn shook her head. "Sorry, never heard of it before."
He seemed surprised. "No? You claim to not know it? How could that be? Perhaps your mama has said it, but you have forgotten it, like usual?"
Had she just been insulted? His tone was passive, but his words sounded aggressive. Dawn took a step back. He might be a member of the International Police, but he was a strange character. Simply looking at him gave her a weird feeling. "Sorry."
"Now listen, my friend. It is wrong to take what belongs to others. Unfortunately, there are apparently those who do not heed those words. In Sinnoh, in fact, there are criminals stealing the Pokemon of others. Yes, we have security stationed around all entrances and exits of every city, but there will always be those who outsmart the system. You are aware of the events that took place in Hoenn, yes?"
Dawn nodded. The events that had almost ruined Hoenn had been on the news for a month. Team Aqua and Team Magma were both extreme environmentalists who wanted to gain control of a legendary Pokemon to fulfil their goals. Fortunately, they failed, defeated by a girl called May. Rumours of Team Rocket's resurrection in Johto were spreading throughout Sinnoh, and Dawn felt saddened. Why did criminals have to ruin the joy of being a trainer? "Yes, I heard about it on the news." And according to this strange man, there was trouble in her homeland as well. That was troubling news.
"I have, therefore, been on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion. Incidentally, you are a trainer, yes? Perhaps you can make use of this?" He handed her a silver round device with a large screen on it. A camera? "That is a Vs. Recorder; it is a nifty device for recording a match. I obtained it because it is quite popular these days, but myself? I do not do Pokemon battling very often so it will be in better hands with you."
She put the item away. "Thanks."
He smiled briefly. "Also, I have a request. If you were to see me again, I ask that you do not talk to me, for I am on duty…. Actually, yes, yes, you may speak to me. You must!"
"Uh… ok then."
"Not because I am lonely, no, no! You must inform me of bad guys! You must inform me of any happenings!" he insisted.
Dawn took another step back, wondering if anyone else had noticed the strange man. "I'll be sure to," she said, hoping the man would just go away now and leave her be. Looker nodded, said his goodbyes and hurried down a dark alleyway, leaving Dawn feeling quite confused. Her mother had always said the world was quite dangerous, but she didn't expect to be introduced to such an eccentric character so early in her journey.
With Looker now out of the way, Dawn continued walking up the main street. She spotted the Pokemon Centre and Poke Mart nearby. Noticing Turtwig was on the brink of collapsing from all the walking and battling, Dawn picked her companion up and headed towards the Pokemon Centre. A red-headed nurse was standing behind the counter. Dawn walked up to her.
"Hello! How may I help you?" the woman greeted warmly. "Would you like to heal your Pokemon?" she added, glancing down at the Turtwig in Dawn's arms.
Dawn nodded. "That would be great, thank you."
The woman removed the Turtwig from Dawn's arms. "This will not take long at all. You are free to stand or you may sit down if you would like to rest." She turned away and disappeared into a room. Dawn decided to stand. She waited by the counter for what seemed like a couple of minutes when the nurse returned, a healthy Turtwig in her arms.
"Turtwig!" Dawn exclaimed, cuddling her friend.
The nurse smiled. "You can heal your Pokemon for free whenever you need to! We are open twenty fours, seven days a week. Goodbye trainer!" Dawn exited the Pokemon Centre and headed back out onto the main street. Her eyes rested on a building labelled 'Trainer's School'. "Hmm, a school for trainers," she mused. "I wonder if Barry will be there?" She moved towards the building then stepped inside
For a school, it was a lot smaller than what she imagined. Only ten students were present and the teacher, a middle-age man with a bald spot and wide-framed glasses, was sitting at a desk, scribbling down notes into a book. Some students were paying rapt attention, while others, such as the two girls sitting in front of her, were busy exchanging notes beneath the tables. The teacher looked up, caught Dawn's eyes and nodded. "The session is over, but you can still write down the notes on the board."
She thanked the teacher then looked around for a desk to sit at. Her eyes were drawn to the person with bushy blond hair sitting at the front, right in the middle. Barry. Dawn walked over and tapped him on the back. "What are you doing here?"
He jumped, caught by surprise. "Dawn!" He motioned for her to sit down. She took a seat in the empty table to his right. "If I want to be a good trainer, I need to understand the basics, right? Trainer's School is free for everyone! All you need to do is show your Pokedex to the teacher and you'll be allocated a time and a day for your session. As usual, you're late, but you can always sign up for a class a later date. You have to sign up with the teacher."
Dawn shrugged. She wasn't too concerned. After all, she already knew the basics thanks to the education programs on the television. Besides, she'd learn more hints and tips throughout her journey. "That's all right."
He glanced at the clock in the upper right hand corner of the room. "Would you look at the time? I better get going. You should head to Oreburgh City next, that's where the next gym is." He dug into his bag and pulled out a scrunched up piece of paper. "That's the town map. I've already got one so you can have this one. See you later!" Barry stood up and rushed out of the classroom.
With Barry gone, Dawn didn't see a reason to stay behind longer, so she left the building and set foot on the main road once again. She walked a couple of metres when she was interrupted by a man. "Hey there, trainer! We're running a promotion for the Poketch right now, and if you find the three clowns and receive all the coupons, you will be given one for free! Doesn't that sound great? We're only running this special promotion today though so you better obtain the coupons."
Poketch was said to be an essential item for a trainer and she wasn't going to turn down a free one. They were rumoured to be quite expensive. Besides, the professor had mentioned she needed one anyway for the trainer card app. Dawn walked around the streets until she found one of the first three clowns standing by the Poke Mart. He was dressed in a rather embarrassing outfit – a baggy brown polka-dot suit Poor guy, must've been rather hot in there.
The clown turned to face her. "You want a coupon? Guess the question correctly and you'll receive one." He took in a deep breath and continued. "Does a Pokemon grow by defeating others and gaining experience points?"
Well, that was a rather easy question to answer. "Yes," answered Dawn.
"Correct! Here is your coupon!" He handed her a golden coupon.
Dawn walked around the streets again, searching for the next clown. Thankfully, with their funny outfits they were easy to spot in a busy crowd of people. The second clown was standing in front of the Poketch Company in the northwest corner of the city. Like the first clown, he greeted her with a broad smile. "I see you have a coupon. Here's the second question. Just like Pokemon types, do the moves also have types?"
She nodded. "Yes." There were specific moves for each type.
"Correct! Here's your second coupon, trainer." Dawn took the second golden coupon and moved away, as another trainer approached the clown. These questions were rather simple and Dawn wondered if they had produced too many Poketchs. The third clown stood in front of the Jubilife TV station building.
"Ah, another trainer!" He took note of the two golden coupons in her hand and grinned. "Just one more and you'll get a free Poketch! Here's the question, can a Pokemon hold an item?"
She assumed so. "Yes."
"Well done, trainer! You answered the three questions correctly! Here is your final coupon," he said, giving the final of the three coupons. "Just take it back to the director and you'll be given your Poketch. Good luck!" Dawn walked away, and returned back to where the company director was standing. His eyes met hers, a knowing smile on his face.
"Judging by the smile on your face, and the twinkle in your eyes, am I correct to assume you answered the three questions correctly?"
Dawn held up the coupons and gave them to the man. "Certainly did."
He took the coupons and handed her the Poketch device. It looked similar to her Pokedex, only this one was a silver colour and the text 'Poketch' engraved on the back. "I wish you all the best of luck in your journey, trainer. Perhaps one day you will become the Champion of Sinnoh." He waved goodbye and Dawn walked away.
Barry had mentioned the first gym was in Oreburgh City and Dawn currently only had one Pokemon. "I think I need a few more Pokemon," she told her Turtwig. "Three's a crowd, right?" Turtwig gave her an energetic nod. She wasn't too keen on heading back towards Sandgem though – instead, she wanted to continue moving forward and find wild Pokemon in between Jubilife and Oreburgh. "Are you ready, Turtwig?" Turtwig nodded again. Dawn took out her crumpled map, unfolded it carefully and examined it. "According to the town map, we need to head onto Route 203 in order to reach Oreburgh." She folded it, put it away and proceeded to move to the next destination.