Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon
Enjoy!
The second day of my unexpected life here in the Pokemon World started off rather lackluster compared to my first day here. Waking up in my bed in Professor Rowan's laboratory, which was provided for me by the Professor thankfully, was a far cry to how I had woken up yesterday.
I wasn't jumping out of my bed in a panic, wasn't dealing with the groundbreaking revelation that I was in another universe, wasn't dealing with the fact that said universe was completely fictional.
No, as I opened my eyes and stared at the white ceiling of my 'borrowed' room the only thing I felt was normalcy.
It felt like I was waking up for an 'ordinary' day back home.
Sadly my supposed quiet and normal morning quickly came to an end as a pillow was softly dropped onto my head, obscuring my view.
Knowing there was only one present in the room with me who would do that I calmly sighed to myself before moving the pillow out of my face. The moment I did I came face to face with a grinning Shuppet floating above my head.
"Just couldn't let me have a nice morning now could we?" I asked the ghost pokemon and in turn she nodded, giggled to herself, before moving to another part of the room.
Shuppet was definitely the textbook definition of the word troublemaker.
Standing up from my spot on the bed I smiled as I saw Dreepy come over to me, chirping me a good morning as he landed on my lap. "Yes good morning to you as well Dreepy," I greeted back as I petted the ghost and dragon pokemon's head, eliciting a pleased growl out of him.
Had it been potentially irresponsible of me to let out my two pokemon, who were strangely both ghost types, while I went to sleep?
Why yes, why yes it was.
Not only did I call this laboratory home, for only that night, but the other scientists that worked under Professor Rowan as well. Considering that not only these scientists had a not so pleasant experience with ghost pokemon was bad enough, but the very ghost that was responsible for that was given free reign to do whatever she wanted while people slept was even worse.
And considering her not so great track record when it came to 'pranking' people I was partly expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night by screaming scientists and things breaking.
But luckily that hadn't happened.
There was also the fact that having my pokemon sleep in their balls, it just didn't sit right with me. Even after finding out that companies, notably Silph Co, had technology that incorporated some kind of space-altering technology that made the actual inside of the pokeball much more spacious than it actually was.
When I had found that out I could just imagine the incoherent screams of the scientists back home if they ever found out that the people here had somehow bent the laws of reality itself.
Still the idea of letting my pokemon sleep inside these tiny capture devices kind of bothered me. Perhaps inside whatever pocket dimension that these pokeballs had were like 5 star hotels for these pokemon but only time would get me more used to the idea of them sleeping inside of them.
Which meant that they were sleeping outside in the meantime, which they didn't mind fortunately.
Dreepy's little appreciation time was swiftly interrupted when Shuppet got bored with whatever she was doing as she came back to the bed, demanding my undivided attention.
Already used to the gray sock looking pokemon's antics, I merely moved my attention from Dreepy over to Shuppet and began to pet her. Feeling my hand on top of her head got a pleased cry out of her as she closed her eyes and simply soaked in my attention.
Dreepy just chirped at me, not at all concerned that my attention for him had been stolen by his fellow ghost, before flying up and landing on my head, happily claiming his throne.
Even if I had only been with him for a single day I had a pretty good idea of his behavior. If he wasn't interacting with Shuppet then he would be on top of my head, either happily looking over whatever was happening or just napping.
Really an active pokemon wasn't he?
As I gave Shuppet the attention she so craved I glanced over to the clock inside of the room, noting what time it was. "As much as I would love to sit here and just relax the day away we have stuff to do." Releasing my hand from Shuppet's head I stood up from the bed and approached the bedside table.
On the desk were the items I had neatly organized and ready last night in preparation for today.
And what was today you might ask?
The start of my Pokemon Journey.
As cliche as that sounded, and it was, today was the perfect day for me to start traveling around the Sinnoh Region in search of answers of how I got to this world. Today marked the beginning of this year's league circuit, where trainers had close to a year in order to travel the region and gather all eight badges in order to qualify for the Lily Of The Valley Conference.
What was so great about this was that trainers would be traveling all over the place, so much so that not much suspicion would be placed on me if people saw me traveling the region. Who would pay attention to a single trainer when they're were so many other ambitious ones seeking to dethrone the Champion?
But then again… that same trainer also happened to possess a super rare ghost and dragon pokemon that liked to take naps on my head and had no regard for trying to be subtle. And if there was one thing all trainers, both young and experienced, had in common…
It was that they would love to have a super rare, strong, pokemon on their team.
That just meant I had to be smart when I let out Dreepy.
Putting that aside I began to pack my belongings into my sachet. There wasn't much that changed from what had been previously in it, this time things like pokefood and potions were now joining the mix.
But let's not forget the most important thing. A smile grew on my face as my hand got to the item.
My official pokemon license.
Tracing my hand over the small identification card that had my face on it, I barely resisted the urge to giggle like a schoolgirl at what it meant.
I was an actual pokemon trainer!
Yesterday after I had accepted Professor Rowan's sponsorship the first order of business was for me to be officially registered as a pokemon trainer in order to officially be his sponsored trainer. I won't lie that I was internally sweating bullets when the professor told me about this.
Because in order to be a trainer you needed a form of official identification.
Which I didn't have cause y'know…from a different world and everything.
Thankfully young and prospective trainers not having official league identification was not as rare as I thought it would be. All over the world there were villages and towns that were quite isolated from the big cities which meant that they didn't have the technology to have ID's be made for each and every resident.
But as I quickly learned the process for anyone to get a league verified ID was either through a process of evaluations from the League itself or a referral from a trusted league official.
And having the Pokemon Professor was quite an important referral so after some paper signing and picture taking I soon had my official identification card in my hands.
Taking a second longer admiring my trainer ID card I then pocketed it in my wallet before resuming packing my bag. It wasn't as if I was packing an entire suitcase so it didn't take me long before I had the last item in my hand.
Opening the bag I was greeted by the sight of all my stuff-!
"Shuppet!"
… and Shuppet, who had sneaked into my bag during my reminiscing and had tried to scare me. I just gave the gray sock looking pokemon a raised brow which prompted the pokemon to giggle to herself before she left the confines of my satchel and floated right alongside me.
I could already tell that this was going to be a recurring thing with her.
"I can feel your excitement for our journey but please don't do anything while I'm taking a shower," I begged the prankster as I gently removed Dreepy from my head and grabbed a towel. I did not want to deal with her antics when I had my pants down, quite literally.
A part of me was relieved that Shuppet nodded to my request, but that changed when I noticed her eyes were closed and a mischievous smile on her face.
That wasn't reassuring at all.
Thankfully one quick and nice shower later Shuppet had done nothing of that sort and before long the three of us were walking down the halls of the Pokemon Lab, meeting with Professor Rowan one last time before I left on my journey.
"Ah Lux," The gray haired man greeted me as I walked inside the room where I had caught Shuppet in and officially became a pokemon trainer. "Good morning to you young man. I trust you had a good night's sleep?"
"Good morning to you as well Professor," I greeted back as Dreepy and Shuppet gave their own greeting back to the pokemon professor. Rowan wasn't alone in the room as his assistants were also present and some of them gave me a greeting, or looked skeptically at Shuppet. "I have to admit that the pre-journey jitters kept me up for a while but I'm ready for the start of my pokemon journey."
"Good, good," The gray haired man nodded as I stopped right in front of him. "The most important day in any journey is always the first one."
"Here," The pokemon professor said as he turned around and picked up a small bag before giving it to me. "Some supplies to help you at the start of your journey."
Taking the bag from him I opened it up to see some pokeballs and potions inside, essential items that every trainer needed in their journey. Having this early set of these items meant that not only was I prepared for the start of my journey, but I was saving money, which was in the form of pokedollars.
"Thank you professor," I honestly thanked him. This was a great gift, there was no denying that.
The pokemon professor simply nodded before he reached into his lab coat and pulled a small rectangular object out. "And last but not least, a state of the art Pokedex."
Handing the device to me it took everything within me to not drop the red rectangular device as I stared at it like I had been handed a bar of gold. The Pokedex, essentially what every trainer needed in their life.
It was a device that allowed someone to scan a pokemon and pull up very general information on them. In the game the Pokedex was more like a side quest/item, with its use either for completionists, if you were curious about a certain pokemon, or if you wanted to know where to catch a specific pokemon.
Here however the Pokedex was much more lucrative than that. For starters Pokedexes were very rare, as I discovered in my late night research, with them only being handed out by Pokemon Professors to those that they believed deserved to own one. The demand for these devices was so high due to the fact that the information they could provide a trainer could be the difference between victory and defeat.
Another neat thing about Pokedexes is that they could scan a pokemon and know what moves they knew.
"Dreepy could you come down here for a second?" I asked as I felt the ghost dragon pokemon leave his perch on my head and float down to where he was eye level with me.
Opening the Pokedex I aimed it at my pokemon, who tilted his head at me and chirped at the action, and it didn't take long for the device to ping back what they had on the ghost pokemon.
[Dreepy, the Lingering Pokemon]
[If this weak Pokémon is by itself, a mere child could defeat it. But if Dreepy has friends to help it train, it can evolve and become much stronger.]
[The moves that this pokemon know are: Hex, Dragon Rage, and Shadow Sneak.]
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow at what the Pokedex had just revealed to me, and how it almost sounded ironic. Here it was telling me that Dreepy were weak and needed friends in order to evolve and get stronger.
Yet he had moves that I considered busted for where he currently was at. Dragon Rage was a no brainer, that move absolutely shredded in the early game against low level pokemon and trainers, Shadow Sneak was a priority move which needed no explanation, and Hex was just an all around great ghost move for the pokemon.
"Dang Dreepy," I praised the ghost dragon. "You're already shaping up to be a strong pokemon."
"Indeed," Professor Rowan added his two cents in as well. "Most Dreepy your level do not have as much offensive moves as your possesses."
Hearing the praise from the of us Dreepy had a large smile on his face as he chirped happily. There was no doubt in my mind that his dream was to evolve into a powerful Dragapult.
And by god, or Arceus in this case, I was going to do everything in my power to make that a reality.
Not wanting to be left out, Shuppet quickly entered my field of view and all but demanded that I scan her next. "All right, all right," I chuckled before pointing the Pokedex's camera at the pokemon. "I haven't forgotten about you."
[Shuppet, the Puppet Pokemon]
[Shuppet grows by feeding on dark emotions, such as vengefulness and envy, in the hearts of people. It roams through cities in search of grudges that taint people.]
[The moves that this pokemon know are: Night Shade, Confuse Ray]
"You sure don't act like this description Shuppet," I commented as I threw a glance to the puppet pokemon, who acted anything but a vengeful eating ghost. "If anything you grow by pranking any unfortunate soul that comes across your path."
Shuppet giggled along with my words, nodding her head in confirmation.
Aside from that I thought of Shuppet's pokedex entry, I couldn't help but confirm how her current moveset fit her. Night Shade gave her a nice decent attacking move but Confuse Ray was the real treasure here.
When one thought of Ghosts they thought of spirits that haunted the rundown creepy house that no one went to. They were master manipulators of their environment, using the best of what they had around them in order to scare or haunt their victims.
And if Confuse Ray was anything similar to the headache it was in the games…
Oh Shuppet was going to be a menace on the battlefield.
Closing the Pokedex I turned to face Professor Rowan and gave him the deepest bow I could give him. "I…I don't know how to thank you for all of this." I honestly told him. I was just a 'random kid' who had nothing to his name except what he had on him and already I was having a better start than most trainers.
"It is nothing Lux," The gray haired man casually dismissed my offer. "It is my job as Pokemon Professor to give young trainers like yourself the best start possible to your pokemon journeys"
"However before you embark on your journey I would like to request your presence as I make a trip to Lake Verity." He requested as he picked up a bag I assumed held whatever he needed to take to the lake.
"Lake Verity?" I raised an eyebrow at the mention of the location. "Isn't that the lake that the legendary pokemon, Mesprit, calls home?"
"The very same," He confirmed as he began to walk towards the exit, with me and my pokemon following right behind him. "However, whether or not Mesprit actually calls that lake home remains to be seen. The only records we have of the pokemon are tales and legends that date all the way back to ancient Sinnoh."
"I see," I nodded along with his words. This wasn't the game, legendary pokemon weren't just sitting in some random part of a forest or cave waiting for the player to come and throw their Master Ball at them. They were instrumental functions of the world and they knew that being caught by a trainer could have fatal repercussions on the world, hence why they were reclusive to humanity. "You think we'll be able to see them?"
"That remains to be seen," The Professor said as we walked out of the Pokemon Lab and towards Lake Verity. "But perhaps your presence might lead to an interesting development."
"I wouldn't put that much trust in me Professor." I told him as we began to leave Sandgem Town, where we would then head west to where Twinleaf Town was and a little past that was where Lake Verity was located.
As we walked down Route 201 I couldn't help but gawk just at how it all felt…alive. This was the route that all beginning players went through in order to get to Sandgem Town and in a sense the path looked very friendly to travelers of all lifestyles.
The path we were walking on was well maintained, with many signs either pointing in the direction of nearby towns or warning passerbyers not to agitate the wild pokemon. Of course it went without saying that trainers would not heed these signs as regular people but the warnings had to be there lest something stupid happen.
Speaking of which, we encountered many trainers along the route, either searching for new pokemon to add to their teams or challenging their fellow battlers. Today marked the beginning of this year's Sinnoh League Circuit and to say that everyone was excited was an understatement. You could practically feel the energy as groups of trainers went off to battle each other or help catch pokemon in preparation of their journey.
I saw a few trainers attempt to challenge me to a battle but when they saw that I was walking with the professor, alongside Dreepy and Shuppet who were out of their pokeballs, they decided the effort was not worth it and went to challenge someone else.
They probably thought I was some sort of elite pokemon trainer that would absolutely destroy them in battle.
Which might be partially true, considering that I had a Dreepy who would most likely wreck any poor Bidoof that got in his path.
Speaking of the normal type pokemon, it was a massive treat seeing them out in their natural habitat. Walking down Route 201 I could see Bidoof watching us from the cover of the trees, curious to see the trainers coming up and down the path.
They would normally flee when anyone tried to approach them but some were brave enough to walk up to people, either challenging them or even acting like adorable dogs that wanted to be caught.
I suppose that not all pokemon wanted to live out in their natural habitat, some probably wanted to have the glory of winning on the battlefield, to have the chance of becoming a Champion of their species.
Fun fact pokemon battling is something that is actively encouraged in this world, a shocking revelation for me. Coming from a world where forcing animals to fight was highly illegal, you could imagine my shock to see that there was an actual reason why pokemon battling was so popular, in both humans and pokemon.
Every pokemon, from the common Bidoof to the fearsome Garchomp, all had this natural instinct to become stronger. Now this wasn't applicable to all pokemon as some did not wish for power but a good majority wished to grow stronger.
And as the old saying went…
'Iron Sharpens Iron'
I was expecting some Bidoof, or even Starly who were watching from the treelines, to challenge me and one brave Bidoof did. The plump mouse pokemon walked up to me and gave a challenging cry, demanding a battle from me.
I had to applaud this pokemon's courage, it was very brave for a species that was normally timid.
But that bravery quickly faded when Shuppet suddenly popped out of its shadow, giving an alarming scream right in front of its face. Whatever bravado the Bidoof had mustered up vanished in an instant as it gave off a panicked shriek at the sight of the ghost pokemon before quickly scurrying back to the safety of the treeline.
After that the trek went unbothered and it was safe to say that Shuppet had effectively terrified the entire Bidoof population of Route 201, especially with how she giggled out loud after her prank.
Still the trek went great, Shuppet and Dreepy enjoyed the open air as they flew around us and I couldn't help but smile at how they were enjoying the free space.
"Say Professor?" I started after an untold amount of time had passed walking beside the pokemon professor down Route 201. "This may be uninformative of me but what does being your sponsored trainer exactly entail? I'm not writing some kind of fifty page essay about Pokemon am I?"
"There is no problem with asking Lux." Rowan assured me as signs of Twinleaf Town getting near were showing up. "And no you are not writing a report, that is if you were a lab assistant and not a trainer. As a trainer you would be the first person that I would call upon should I need your assistance. Things ranging from running an errand for me, helping out in field studies, or simply gathering data in an area where a trainer would have better luck than a scientist would."
"I see," It made sense, after all of the benefits that I had gotten it had only made sense that I would serve as Professor Rowan's 'boots on the ground' so to speak. Still I could count my lucky stars that I wasn't writing a giant essay or something because that would've sucked.
With my question answered I shifted my attention to the town that we were getting closer and closer to with each step. Seeing how we were close to the settlement I called out to Shuppet and Dreepy.
"Alright time to get back inside your pokeballs," I said to my two pokemon as they nodded before coming closer to my level, offering no resistance as the red beam of their pokeballs sucked them inside.
It wasn't exactly illegal to have your pokemon out when you got into towns or cities but you were responsible for whatever situation they got into. I knew that Dreepy wouldn't get into any mischief himself but I couldn't say the same for Shuppet.
And there was the fact that having two ghost pokemon out could draw unwanted attention to myself.
But that was the least of my worries right now as the thing that had been worrying me the most was about to make itself known to me. When I had learned that we were making our way to Lake Verity I knew that we were going to make a stop at Twinleaf Town.
And that opened a can of worms I hadn't thought of initially when I got here.
Was I in the Anime Universe, the Game Universe, or in a different one all together?
One might think that wasn't a huge problem but in this case it was. The Anime and Game universe functioned on a completely different scale and with it had its own set of problems that I needed to tackle.
At first I thought I was in the anime universe due to the mention of the Lily of the Valley Conference but that alone wasn't enough to confirm it. But with how everything was happening currently, what I would see in Twinleaf Town would confirm what universe I was in.
Case in point, as we were just a few seconds from arriving at the entrance of the quaint town I saw two figures about to step out of the safety of Twinleaf's boundaries "Is that?" I started as I spied a familiar figure with blond hair and another with an iconic red hat that I would recognize anywhere.
After all, it was the hat of one of the two trainers a player picked in the beginning of the game.
"Young man!" Rowan called out, lightly jogging in order to catch up to the two teenagers. "I hope you weren't planning on going into the wild without proper supervision?"
"Of course not professor!" You couldn't call yourself a pokemon fan if you couldn't recognize Barry at first glance. The blond hyperactive trainer was one of the notable rivals a player fought against in the games and even the anime reflected that character quite well.
Case in point the energetic teenager had been currently trying to pull his friend past the front gate of Twinleaf Town, to little avail seeing how his friend had been adamant with standing where he currently was at. "I got my trusty partner right here!" Barry assured as he patted his belt, where a singular pokeball was attached.
Before I could try and guess what pokemon Barry might've had, my attention was taken by the second person present, and just one glance had me leaning to the fact that I was probably in the game universe. How might have I come to this conclusion?
Well because I was staring right at the male protagonist of the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum series.
"H-Hello Professor Rowan." Lucas, if I remembered correctly that was the default name given to him, nervously greeted the stern man.
"Even if you have a pokemon it's still dangerous to go in the wild." Professor Rowan lectured them and I couldn't help but get hit by a major sense of deja vu. That was, almost, the same words that he said to the player on the start of their journey.
God this was such a surreal moment right now.
"Especially if you're bringing someone who doesn't have one." I added in, drawing the two's attention onto me. They probably weren't expecting a trainer to be accompanying the revered Pokemon Professor.
"Correct Lux," My sponsor agreed with me before turning his attention back to the two teenagers. "So why is it that you two are going into the wild?"
Lucas opened his mouth to answer but Barry beat him to the punch. "Well Professor I wanted to catch my friend's very first pokemon but now I don't need to cause you're here!" Without warning the hyperactive blond pushed his friend right in front of the Professor.
"C'mon Lucas!" Encouraged Barry. "Tell him you want a pokemon!"
"Barry!" Lucas hissed as he turned around to face his friend, his cheeks red in embarrassment. So he was an introvert then? Or maybe he was just shy around other people perhaps? "I told you a million times by now I don't want to be a trainer!"
"But you love pokemon!" The trainer argued hotly, not relenting his stance. "You're like the one person who can list out everything about a single pokemon if given the chance!"
"But that's different from being a trainer!"
"It's not!"
"It is!"
I couldn't help but smile at the dynamic these two had. One was overly hyperactive while the other was too shy yet they canceled each other out almost too well. "Why don't you try it out?" I asked Lucas, interrupting their conversation. "No one will shame you if you decide that life isn't for you."
"Yes there is no harm in trying to be a pokemon trainer." Professor Rowan nodded with my suggestion before he frowned. "Unfortunately the lab is currently expecting a trainer to come by and receive their first pokemon."
Really? This was news for me. I would've expected the professor to have been present for the gifting of a trainer's first pokemon but then again he was a busy man and couldn't be expected to be there all the time.
I'm sure one of his assistants could step up to the plate, I mean how hard could it be?
I expected Lucas to be dejected by the revelation but to my surprise he nodded knowingly to it. "I know," He revealed before lowering his head.
"That trainer is my twin sister."
It took everything within me not to gasp at that revelation. If what he said was true then we were in the first episode of the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Series. It was where Dawn went to go get a pokemon for Professor Rowan but due to an incident occurring at the lab she would lend her assistance in getting back Piplup who would later become her starter pokemon.
But if that was the case then what sort of universe was I in then? Was it one where both the game and anime fused to become one? If that was the case then there could be a whole lot of changes that I wouldn't be aware of.
And that kind of frightened me.
Unbeknownst to my shock Rowan simply raised an eyebrow at Lucas. "Oh so you are related to Dawn Berlitz?" He asked inquisitively.
"Y-Yes," The red cap wearing teenarger replied, shocked that the professor knew who his twin sister was. "But if you knew she was coming shouldn't you be back at your lab then?"
"My assistants have given young trainers their first pokemon in the past already, I am hardly required to be present." The gray haired man informed the hat wearing teeanger, confirming my earlier suspicions.
"If she's your twin then you're already the age of being a trainer then." I said to which he nodded.
"Do you wish to be a trainer young man?" The Pokemon Professor asked.
"Y-Yes!" Lucas stammered out before quickly deflating with a softer tone. "No…"
A second passed as we watched the teenager try and find the words that would accurately describe what he was feeling right now. "I-I want nothing to be more than a trainer but I just…" He spoke and I couldn't help but feel bad for the insecurities that he must've been going through right now
"It feels like a lot doesn't it?" I gave him a knowing smile. "Being a trainer and having to worry about everything that comes with it."
Lucas nodded. "I-I can't be a trainer, I'm too timid and I choke up at the worst times." He cast his gaze down, feeling ashamed for admitting his insecurities out loud. "I'd let down my pokemon and family if I became a trainer."
Seeing just how deflated he was I opened my mouth to reassure him that such emotions were completely normal and that he shouldn't feel ashamed for feeling them. Being a trainer was not for the faint of heart and could not be decided half heartedly.
But before I could say anything Barry beat me to the punch.
"I know!" The hyperactive teenager suddenly shouted. "Why don't we have a battle!"
His idea had all of us looking at him like he was crazy.
"I'm serious!" He said as he attempted to convince us of his idea. "If we have a wicked cool battle that can get the blood pumping then maybe it'll change your mind!"
That…sort of made sense I guess? Before anyone could say anything Barry unhooked the pokeball on his belt and pointed it at me challengingly.
"I challenge you…" He started excitedly before trailing off as he realized a crucial fact. "I just realized I don't know your name but I challenge you to a pokemon battle!"
Despite the awkward finish an excited grin quickly took shape on my face. "You're on. This'll be my first battle as a trainer by the way." I grinned as I could feel my blood pumping at the challenge. Could you blame me? I was about to have my first pokemon battle!
"No way, me too!" A similar grin took shape on Barry's face as he enlarged the pokeball in his hand. "I'm so stoked!"
"Professor Rowan, can you referee this match?" I asked the professor, trying my hardest to contain my glee.
"I will admit that I am curious to see how you exactly battle." The gray haired man nodded to my request before we got ready for the battle. Where we were wasn't exactly the finest place for a pokemon battle but it was adequate enough.
Standing on one end of the 'arena' I looked over to see Barry on the opposite side of me, with Professor Rowan and Lucas in the middle watching the battle.
"I, Professor Rowan, will supervise the battle between the trainers Lux and Barry. Each trainer will use one pokemon and will end when one pokemon cannot continue battling. Please select your pokemon!"
I only had two pokemon to choose from so it wasn't as if I had a difficult decision to make. This also wasn't a super serious battle where the stake of the world was determined so my choice of pokemon really didn't matter.
But at the same time this was my first pokemon battle and I wanted it to be memorable…
So if that was the case there was only pokemon I could choose then…
"Dreepy! I yelled as I grabbed his pokeball and threw it forward. "Come on out!"
In a light flash the green ghost dragon pokemon that was my starter came out, giving off a loud cry as he was brought out. The aloof dragon looked around confusedly before turning to me, tilting his head as he did so.
"It's our first battle Dreepy," I informed him. "Think you're up for it?"
In response my pokemon gave me a nod before turning back around, a slightly more serious expression on his aloof face.
At the sight of Dreepy Barry had his mouth open in awe. "Woah a rare pokemon!"
On the sidelines Lucas recognized the pokemon I had brought out. "A Dreepy…" He mumbled with a face of awe.
The shock and awe of Dreepy's arrival quickly faded as Barry shook his head. "Alright then let's win this!" He said to himself before throwing his own pokeball forward. "Come on out Piplup!"
At his words the blue penguin-like pokemon appeared in a white flash, who gave a challenging cry at the sight of Dreepy. Seems like the water type pokemon was also raring for a battle.
If Barry was just starting his journey then that meant he could only have a certain pokemon to battle with. Now while the anime never went into detail what his team composition actually was there was one pokemon that was sort of iconic to him…
Which just so happened to be a starter pokemon as well.
"Alright Piplup, start off with a Tackle!" The blond teenager wasted no time in taking the initiative and commanded his pokemon to attack first. Piplup let out a cry before rushing towards Dreepy, head pushed out like a battering ram.
Didn't Normal Type attacks not affect Ghost Types, with the reverse being true as well…right? If that was the case then didn't that mean Piplup's attack would just end up being useless then?
But not every mechanic in the game was applicable here and I was not about to start my first battle off badly from relying too much on the games' mechanics.
"Dodge it Dreepy and gain some distance!" I ordered and instantly my pokemon followed the command as he floated higher into the sky, just out of Barrry's pokemon reach. Seeing how my pokemon was out of reach Piplup stopped in its tracks, canceling its attack in its tracks.
Capitalizing on its failed attack I started the counter offensive. "Retaliate with Hex!"
A dark purple hue enveloped Dreepy before he gave off a shrill cry, a similar ghostly hue enveloping the water pokemon a second later. I knew the attack hit as Piplup let out a cry of pain as the ghost attack took its toll on the penguin pokemon.
"Oh no Piplup!" Barry cried out in worry before giving an order to his pokemon.
"Hit back with Bubble!" Pushing past his pain Piplup locked eyes with Dreepy and opened his maw, a blue light emanating from it. Seconds later numerous bubbles began to fire out in the direction of the ghost dragon pokemon.
"Dodge!" I ordered and Dreepy went on the evasive, though to my dismay it wasn't as effective as I hoped it to be. Due to the nature of the Bubble attack after it left Piplup's mouth it spread out in a cone at different speeds. Dodging some of the projectiles was feasible but Dreepy wasn't fast or small enough to dodge all of them as he got clipped by some of the bubbles.
The ghost dragon pokemon gave a cry of pain after being hit but fortunately it looked to be superficial as there weren't any significant signs that he had taken damage.
Despite getting pushed back by Barry's smart counter attack I couldn't keep the grin off my face. This was more exhilarating than I thought it was going to be and it seems that I wasn't alone as after shaking off his light injuries Dreepy looked back at me, giving me a cry of eagerness.
He was getting into this battle as well.
"Pepper Piplup with Hexes," I ordered. "Don't give him a chance to breathe!"
Glowing with the familiar ghostly energy Dreepy set his sights on Piplup as the penguin glowed purple, crying out once more as the ghostly energy whittled away at the pokemon's stamina. Hex had already proved to be an effective attack against Piplup so just a few more attacks and this first battle would be mine!
But what I wasn't expecting was for Barry to grin wildly at my command, as if he was waiting for this moment. "Use Withdraw to tank the hits Piplup!" He ordered.
Wait what?!
To my utter shock Piplup nodded as he tucked his body in as best as possible through the pain, glowing with a white energy that encompassed his body.
Withdraw, a move that had little to no use in the beginning of the game as it just provided a nice defensive buff to your pokemon, was actually being used in a way that allowed Barry's Piplup to withstand multiple attacks from my Dreepy.
Of course! I wanted to facepalm at the fact that I didn't see it earlier! I wasn't restricted by the limitations of the Pokemon Games, so I didn't have to follow what moves normally do. If Barry could utilize Withdraw in a creative way, then so could I!
After some quick thinking a lightbulb went off in my head. "I got it!" I shouted before looking at Dreepy. "Stop using Hex and use Shadow Sneak to get up close!"
Nodding Dreepy ceased trying to attack with Hex as he flew straight down to the floor, turning into a shadow before hitting the floor and slithering his way straight to Piplup. I could see Barry prepare to yell something but it would be in vain.
Because Shadow Sneak was a broken move for ghost pokemon as it was a priority.
And I'm pretty sure in real life that meant it made my pokemon move super fast compared to normal.
"And now…" I readied for the grand finale as Dreepy got closer and closer to Piplup. "Point blank Dragon Rage!"
Coming out of his shadow right in front of Piplup, Dreepy opened his maw to reveal a building of blue draconic energy. Barry couldn't give his pokemon a command in time before the draconic fire washed over Piplup, the direct attack proving to be super effective on the unprepared pokemon.
After a few seconds passed Dreepy let his attack go, revealing an alive but worn out Piplup who immediately slumped forward and hit the ground. A part of me worried that the water pokemon would be much more injured but to my relief the damage looked like it would heal after a trip to the Pokemon Center.
Either he was really resilient or Dreepy hadn't been going full power with his attack.
"Piplup is unable to continue battling!" Professor Rowan called out before he raised his hand that was on my side of the field. "Lux and Dreepy are the winners!" He declared to my joy.
"We did it Dreepy!" I cheered as I ran over to the dragon and engulfed him in a giant hug. I couldn't help myself, we just had our first pokemon battle together and won it! Words couldn't begin to describe what I was feeling right now.
"You did great Piplup, return." Barry thanked his pokemon before returning him back to his pokeball. I could see that he was disappointed that he lost but it didn't take long for him to rebound back to his usual cheerful self.
"That was a great battle Barry," I said as I walked over to the blond teenager and held my hand out. "Really got my blood pumping."
Barry didn't take long to put his arm up and shake my hand, grinning as he did so. "It did, but don't think that's it! I demand a rematch and next time I'll be the winner!"
I couldn't help but grin at the teenager's infectious energy. "It's a deal." I promised as we shook on it.
Second day here and already I've gotten a promise for a rematch from one of the important characters in the Sinnoh Region.
"That was exemplary battling from the both of you." Professor Rowan praised as he and Lucas walked up to us. "I know you two will go far in your journeys." I nodded my head in gratitude for his words while Barry soaked up the praise like a sponge with a big smile.
"What did you think of that Lucas!" Barry looked at his friend as he pointed a thumb at himself. "Pretty awesome am I right?"
Our battle must've been something as the red hat wearing teenager just nodded automatically, still enthralled by our battle. "Yeah…that was pretty…cool."
"So have you come to a decision young Lucas?" Professor Rowan asked as he shifted his attention to the undecided teenager.
Lucas jolted from the sudden attention placed on him as he reverted back to his usual shy self. "O-Oh I-I-," He began to try and stammer out a complete answer and I couldn't help but feel bad for him.
"You don't have to give an answer right now you know." I offered as I gave him a little bit of reprieve. "It's not like the end of the world if you can't give an answer right now."
"B-But how will I know if the answer I come to is the right one?" He asked me as he looked down to his shoes. I could start to form a better picture of Lucas now, he was someone who was just afraid of the horrid feeling that came with failure.
I just smiled before patting him assuringly on the shoulder. "You don't," I said. "It's a leap of faith. You won't know until you take that first step."
Lucas' dark blue eyes looked at me like I was crazy but I could see him process what I had just said, letting it sit in his mind. Now only time would show what route he would take.
"Perhaps time is all you need young man," Professor Rowan unknowingly said my thoughts as he looked at Barry and Lucas. "How would you like to accompany me and Lux on our trip to Lake Verity? After my business is finished there we will return back to the lab and see if young Lucas has come to a decision." He offered them.
The two looked at each other and a non-spoken discussion was quickly passed between them before they looked back at the professor and nodded simultaneously.
"Then let us be on our way." The lab coat wearing man said before he resumed our journey back to Lake Verity, two new people joining our trip.
The actual entrance to Lake Verity wasn't that far from the entrance to Twinleaf Town so it didn't take long for us to leave the paved routes in favor of entering the tree lines of the forest that surrounded the lake.
"L-Lux right?" Lucas began as we walked through the forest route. "How did you get a Dreepy? They're incredibly rare pokemon."
Barry perked up at the mention of the rarity of my starter pokemon. "They are?!" He cried out incredulously before looking at me with an eager look. "Can I get one!"
"I'm not some magic fairy that can give you pokemon." I deadpanned as Dreepy chirped on top of my head at the mention of his name, making me tilt my head up so I could see him. I didn't want to make myself stand out by telling them that trying to catch a Dreepy was highly dangerous, which would then make me seem like a super trainer or something like that.
But I had to give them something to alleviate their curiosity. "Let's just say that…it was an incident of fate that I was able to meet him." I told them as my attention shifted over to Shuppet who was weaving in and out of the treeline. Since we were away from Twinleaf Town and Dreepy was already out I decided to let Shuppet out and roam around us.
However upon seeing the gray sock pokemon looking for her next 'playmate' an epiphany suddenly dawned on me.
"Now that I think about it, Shuppet also came to me purely incidentally as well." I thought to myself. I hadn't planned on catching either of those pokemon and yet here they were on my team and hadn't given me too much trouble so far…
Oh god I wasn't about to be the protagonist that was going to go and save the world…right?
Thankfully something decided to make its presence known, getting my mind to abandon that train of thought, as it literally landed right in front of us, cawing challengingly at us.
"Rufflet!" The bird pokemon cried out and I couldn't help but look at the flying type's sudden appearance with wide eyes.
"Woah a new pokemon!" Barry called out excitedly as he pushed himself to the front of the group, no doubt the idea of catching the pokemon at the forefront of his mind.
"A Rufflet?" Lucas questioned incredulously as he recognized the eaglet pokemon. "Aren't they native to Unova? What's one doing here?"
"It is not uncommon for bird pokemon, especially migratory ones, to find a home in regions differing from their native one." Professor Rowan informed us as he looked at the pokemon in front of us with an inquisitive look. "However it is strange for one to be here."
"Doesn't matter because I'm going to catch it!" Barry announced before he threw a pokeball at the Rufflet. "Go!"
But Rufflet wasn't having any of it as he flew up into the air and smacked the red and white spherical device right back, nailing Barry right in the head.
"Smart bird," I couldn't help but comment at seeing Barry comedically fall over, clutching his forehead and promising to get back at the bird as Lucas frantically fretted over his downed friend.
Looking back at the bird I could see it getting ready to go on the offensive, probably to teach these 'meddling humans' a lesson or two. It landed back on the ground before slowly approaching us, wings opened out in a threatening gesture.
It quickly stopped in its tracks when it saw Dreepy and Shuppet ready themselves next to me, both ready to retaliate if the flying type pokemon decided to try anything more.
A tense second passed as Rufflet considered its options and wisely decided to take to the sky, but not before giving us one last loud caw before disappearing from our view.
I waited a bit to make sure that the eagle-like pokemon didn't decide to change its mind and come back to settle the score. Once I was sure that we were in the clear I turned back to Barry and Lucas and inspected the damage done.
"I mean other than the mark that's on your forehead from getting hit by your pokeball I think you're fine," I said as I and Lucas helped the blond teenager up on his face. Physically he was fine, probably just needed to sleep it off.
Emotionally?
Yeah his pride was going to be hurt for a while.
Though it felt like that wasn't the case as Barry perked right up before loudly declaring for what like the entire world that he would have his vengeance against Rufflet for the unspeakable crimes it had done to him.
Nothing could just keep him down huh?
After a few seconds of making sure that Barry was indeed okay the four of us resumed our trek to Lake Verity.
Heading to the great lake I didn't know what to expect. I knew in the anime Dawn got to see Mesprit, who was in camouflage, while in the game the players encountered Cyrus where he has a little monologue about how he would use the Lake Trio's power for a new world.
The problem now was since I was in some sort of mixed universe I had no idea what was about to happen.
Entering the land surrounding Lake Verity there was indeed someone standing at the coast, gazing at the cave that Mesprit called home…
Only problem was that it wasn't Cyrus.
Standing in his place was a woman that wore clothing I would see some medieval noblewoman or queen would wear. She wore a big, almost fluffy, dress and had an elegant mushroom style hat on her light blond hair.
But the one thing that stood out from appearance almost immediately was the heavy usage of the color gray in varying shades on her outfit. It was like any other color on her except black and white would not suffice for her.
"Emotion, Knowledge, Willpower." She intoned to herself as we made our way closer to her, not being alerted by our arrival. "Beautiful gifts that you have bestowed upon humanity and yet…the world we live in is tainted with ugliness."
Whatever monologue she would've continued with would forever remain a mystery as she slowly moved her head towards us as we came closer to her. "Ah Professor Rowan," She greeted the gray haired man. "How unexpected. Have you come to pay your respects to Mesprit as well?"
"I'm afraid not," Then Professor Rowan all of a sudden just bowed to her, as if he was greeting the nobility. "Just to make some observations about the Lake itself."
I couldn't help but gawk at the sight of the normally stern and inexpressible man just bowing at the sight of this woman who I had never seen before. Was she some important figure that I didn't know about in the Pokemon Universe?
…But putting that aside…
What was this strange feeling I was experiencing right now in the vicinity of this woman?
"Is that so?" The unknown lady responded before she looked at us with her gray eyes. "And are these three young men standing behind you aspiring trainers?"
"You bet!" Barry shouted proudly and I just opted for the much more subtle nod to answer her question.
"To see such energy in such trainers makes me hopeful for Sinnoh's future," She smiled, but for some strange reason I felt on guard upon seeing it. Was it the fact that I had no idea who she was or something else entirely?
"U-Um miss, aren't you a trainer?" Lucas asked as there were no obvious signs of pokeball on her body. "Because this place is quite dangerous." As if to further prove his point the nervous teenager cast his gaze to the treeline surrounding us, no doubt wondering if pokemon were watching our every move at this very moment.
"But you don't have to worry about a thing because I, Barry, the greatest pokemon trainer is here to protect you!" The hyperactive teenager assured her as he pointed to himself confidently.
I however was not on the same boat as the two of them about our mystery lady.
"You're wrong." I suddenly interrupted as I narrowed my eyes. Ever since we had gotten close to her I was experiencing something…strange. I couldn't exactly describe what it was but if I had to try then I would say it was like a tip of very cold steel lightly touching my skin.
Not enough to make me shiver, but more than enough to have me on guard.
"She does have a pokemon, and it's very much attentive to its trainer's safety."
A moment of silence passed as Barry and Lucas looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "U-Um...?" Lucas nervously said as he looked back to the mystery lady in question. "I don't know what you're seeing but-!"
The unmistakable sound of laughter quickly interrupted Lucas, prompting everyone, sans myself and the lady, to jolt in surprise.
The unknown noble lady's shadow began to darken and slowly, in an almost terrifying manner, a purple shape emerged from it. I didn't even need to see the whole body to identify the pokemon that was hiding in her shadow.
Looking directly at me with its blood red eyes, Gengar brought a hand up to its grinning mouth and laughed to itself, no doubt finding some sort of enjoyment in being found out. I could sense the unnerved reactions from Lucas and Barry as the ghost pokemon slid back into the woman's shadow, laughing up until it completely disappeared.
Looking back at the lady I could see a glint of emotion in her gray eyes, that I now realized had this dead, almost apathetic, emotion to them. As terrifying as it was to make that realization this was something I almost expected to see in Cyrus' eyes.
…
No, that wasn't exactly right…
This wasn't something I'd expect to see in Cyrus' eyes.
Cyrus would have an apathetic look in his eyes, as if no emotions virtually existed within him.
This lady on the other hand…
Her eyes were dead to everything around her, as if she could care less if the world suddenly burned all around her.
As if aware of my internal deduction of her, the gray themed lady's smile grew a bit of a fraction more. "How interesting." She said before she walked up to me, her gray eyes observing how Dreepy and Shuppet were floating right beside me.
A moment of silence passed studying me and my two ghost pokemon before she curtseyed to me, seemingly finding the answer she sought. "Blessing of the shadows on your journey Lux Byrne." She merely said before giving a similar action to Professor Rowan. "And good day to you as well Professor."
And with that the strange gray clothed lady turned around and left Lake Verity.
After watching her disappear into the tree line I turned around to Professor Rowan and spoke what was on my mind. "Who was that?"
"A scion of a very old Sinnoh family." The Pokemon's Professor explained as his eyes narrowed with an emotion that was hard to read. "They aren't that active today but one can still feel their influence in society."
"Is that so?" I said, my mind preoccupied with the strange encounter we had with the lady whose name I still did not know of.
And unfortunately I would come no closer to finding an answer as Professor Rowan collected data from Lake Verity with the numerous tools he had brought with him. It was pretty uneventful for the most part, just having to keep an eye out for any pokemon that might have decided to be rowdy.
I couldn't even catch a glimpse of Mesprit during the entire time we were there.
However as I played the duty of a guard I forgot one crucial fact that had completely gone unnoticed by me and would continue to do so for a very long time.
That unknown lady had known my full name.
And no one had said it throughout our whole encounter with her.
Whatever data that Professor Rowan was gathering didn't take long to get and very soon the four of us were making our way down Route 201, this time coming from Twinleaf Town as opposed to going to it. It wasn't anything different than the first time we went down this route, the only difference being that we had Lucas and Barry tagging along for t.
Speaking of which, throughout the time they had tagged along I got to know about them a little bit better, seeing as how we didn't have anything better to do as while walking or waiting around.
Barry was the 'typical' pokemon trainer. They wanted to be the very best and wanted to be the Pokemon Champion of Sinnoh. It made sense in this world, with how mainstream Pokemon Battling had become that most aspiring trainers wanted to be the very best that no one ever was.
Lucas on the other hand, while he still wasn't one hundred percent confident if he wanted to be a trainer, one could tell that he had a big passion for Pokemon. Just from the brief talks we had about Pokemon I could tell that he was very knowledgeable about Pokemon and could be a Pokemon researcher if he wanted to.
He just lacked the confidence to do so.
As we got closer and closer to the Pokemon Lab the thing I expected that we do first was to ask Lucas what his decision would be.
What I was not expecting was to bear witness to a very familiar pokemon battle playing out in the laboratory's training field. On one side was Ash freakin Ketchum himself and his iconic Pikachu and on the other was the purple haired edgestorm himself Paul and his Elekid. In the middle I could see Brock acting as referee while Dawn and one of Professor Rowan's assistants were off to the side being spectators.
So my suspicion that I had been transported into this world a day before episode one of the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl series was correct.
"Iron Tail!" Ash commanded his Pikachu that was currently in a stalemate against Elekid as the lightning mouse had his tail clashing against the other electric pokemon's fist. The iconic pokemon's tail began to glow white before smacking Elekid away from him, getting a direct hit.
But Paul wasn't going down without a fight. "Brick Break!" He commanded and Elekid immediately shook off the pain from the Iron Tail and executed the fighting type move, nailing Pikachu right on the head before the two fell to the ground.
The two quickly stood back up, both injured from the other's attacks, but before any more orders could be given the two collapsed at the same time, unable to keep battling.
"It's a tie!" Brock announced which prompted Paul to return his Elekid inside its ball and Ash to pick up Pikachu. It looks like the rivalry between the two was fated to begin.
And right on schedule as after Paul returned his Elekid he immediately brought out another pokeball and threw it into the sky, releasing the Starly that was in it. The Sinnoh avian pokemon immediately took flight into the open sky, released from its service to the purple haired teenager.
Ash immediately took offense to that. "What did you do that for?! He demanded as he stood up and glared at Paul.
In turn he merely shrugged nonchalantly. "There's a million Starly as strong as that one," He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If I meet a stronger one I'll just catch it."
"You'll do what?!" The cap wearing trainer questioned hotly, no doubt finding Paul's way of being a Pokemon Trainer offensive.
I had to give props to the purple haired teenager for not rising to Ash's challenge as he just ignored him and looked to Professor Rowan's assistant, not having noticed our arrival yet.
"Thank you for the usage of your field," He bowed respectfully to them. "I appreciate it."
And with that he turned on his heel and left the scene, ignoring Ash's demands for a rematch.
Watching it all play down I couldn't help but think just how different the two took Pokemon Battling. Both wanted to be the very best but had different views on how it should happen. Ash believed that being friends with your pokemon, no matter how weak they might be, while Paul chose the strongest pokemon to be on his team, letting them go if they were weak.
Neither philosophy was wrong in a sense as both had their flaws and strengths but it was clear that neither were willing to back down from their views.
Which led to, in my opinion, Ash's best rivalry in all of the seasons.
"So a battle happened while I was out?" Professor Rowan asked as the four of us approached the group.
"Ah Professor!" His assistant straightened up a bit taller at the sight of his approaching superior. "Have you returned from your trip to Lake Verity?"
"Indeed it was a lovely trip with no complications thanks to Lux here," The gray haired man nodded as he looked at me, to which I just smiled and nodded back. "We also picked up-"
Dawn quickly interrupted the man as she walked up and pointed a shaky finger to someone that she probably was not expecting to see. "Lucas!?" She exclaimed in shock.
Seeing his twin sister, the red hat-wearing brother simply rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and waved back. "H-Hi Dawn." He nervously greeted her back.
"What are you doing here?!" She demanded as she moved her eyes to see that Barry was also present as well.
"Your twin brother has expressed interest in being a pokemon trainer." The Pokemon Professor informed her before turning around to face her brother. "Speaking of which, young man have you come to a decision ?"
"I-I don't know if being a trainer is what I want to be." He deflated and I couldn't help but frown. Was he really going to-!
"H-However I want to give it my best shot." He stood straight before looking the professor straight in the eye, a strong determination in his eyes. "I want to have no regrets about this."
Seeing such a strong resolve in the young man brought a smile to Rowan's face. "A fine decision you have made. Why don't we move inside the lab to make this decision official?"
And that's how we found ourselves in the same room that I had caught Shuppet in, which just so happened to serve as the room in which new trainers would pick their starter pokemon. It seems that the events that had led Dawn to catch her Piplup had still happened as it looked like a tornado had gone off in here.
Which if I had remembered it correctly…one had happened courtesy of a Staraptor.
"Now under normal circumstances I would have three starter pokemon for you to choose from but considering that your twin sister has already chosen her starter you will only have two to pick from." Professor Rowan informed Lucas as he held two pokeballs, one in each hand.
"That's fine professor," Assured Lucas as he looked resolutely to the empty space in front of him.
Nodding the gray haired man activated the pokeballs in his hands, the devices shooting a white light that landed in the space in front of the new trainer. "Then what shall it be?"
"Will it be Turtwig, the grass type pokemon?" The tiny leaf pokemon greeted Lucas.
"Or will it be Chimchar, the fire type pokemon?" The chimp pokemon jumped into the air, giving Lucas an excited cry.
Seeing the two pokemon in front of him solidified the fact that he was actually being a pokemon trainer and the rush of it all caught up with Lucas as he looked to the two pokemon in equal parts excitement and anxiety.
"I…" Lucas started out as he looked back and forth between Turtwig and Chimchar, unable to come to a decision of who to pick.
After some time internally debating which one to choose Lucas finally pointed to a certain grass type pokemon. "I would like to pick Turtwig, if he'll have me as his trainer." He asked the turtle pokemon who smiled widely at Lucas before happily nodding his head.
Seeing how the red hat wearing teenager had cemented his choice, Professor Rowan handed him Turtwig's ball, instructing him how to use the capture device. After being explained how to use it Lucas pointed it to the eager Turtwig, who gave no resistance as a red light washed over him and absorbed him inside the pokeball.
After a few seconds of catching the grass type pokemon Lucas looked at the pokeball in his hands with barely concealed happiness. "I'm holding an actual pokemon." He whispered as a giant smile took place on his face. "My pokemon."
"Congrats." I applauded as I walked up to him and patted his shoulder with my hand. All around us everyone congratulated the new trainer for his first pokemon, from Ash and Barry asking him to have a pokemon battle(To which he declined both of them), to Brock giving him some tips on how to care for the grass type pokemon…
And Dawn.
"Hey Lucas?" She asked her brother as he was currently filling out the forms required in order to be an official league trainer. "Why don't you join me, Ash, and Brock?"
"Huh?" He looked at her in shock, no doubt surprised by her offer.
"Well I already agreed to travel with them as I do Pokemon Contests while Ash here challenges the Gym Leaders. I think it would be great if you could join us!" She told him and being close enough to hear the two I couldn't help but see no problem with that. Ash and his group got into countless situations and I knew that by being near them the nervous teenager would gain the courage he needed to be a great trainer.
So I waited for the young trainer to eventually agree to his sister's offer. "I-That sounds great Dawn," He started out before averting his gaze, rubbing his arm in an attempt to reassure himself.
"B-But I have to decline," He shockingly revealed, causing his twin to look at him in surprise. "I-It's not that I don't want to but I want to find out what I want to do in the future. I want to discover that answer for myself." He declared to her.
Lucas probably thought he would've been met with some sort of hurt response but instead he got a proud smile from his twin. "Ah, look at you!" Dawn shouted as she fiercely hugged her twin. "When did my younger brother become so mature!"
Lucas' cheeks immediately turned red, especially since everyone present in the room were now looking at them and chuckling at the display. "You're older by a minute sis!" He shouted as he tried to worm his way out of the hug.
"That still counts!" His sister argued as she tightened her hold on her brother.
After that heartwarming moment it didn't take that much time for Lucas to be handed his trainer ID card, officially cementing him as a trainer. After that it signaled the beginning of everyone leaving to do their own thing.
The iconic trio of Ash, Dawn, and Brock left to start their pokemon journey, Barry left to start his, but not before declaring Lucas that he was his rival and that when they had their first pokemon battle he would win, and Lucas left to tell his mom all that had happened and how he was going on his own pokemon journey.
As for me I stayed a bit at the Pokemon Lab, finishing some last minute stuff that Professor Rowan wanted me to complete. It was just filling out some forms that would essentially solidify me as his sponsored trainer should the need ever arrive.
The moment that I finished these forms nothing was stopping me from embarking on my journey across Sinnoh for answers of my arrival in this world.
But of course fate wasn't going to make it that simple for me.
"H-Hey Lux?" Turning around, having just completed my last form, I looked to see Lucas of all people standing in front of me. The red hat wearing trainer looked to be all ready for his journey, looking like how he would in the game. A red scarf around his neck, a black vest-like t-shirt, and a yellow bag to top it all off.
And right beside him was his Turtwig, the grass type pokemon looking excited for the journey he was about to embark on.
"Oh Lucas, what's up my man?" I greeted as Shuppet and Dreepy went to greet their fellow pokemon. "How did telling your mom about your journey go?"
"She was happy with my decision and wished me nothing but the best for my journey," He told me before suddenly bowing.
"I-I wanted to thank you. If it wasn't for your words and you battling Barry I would have never gathered the courage to make my choice." Lucas expressed his gratitude to me.
"You don't have to thank me," I waved off his thanks nonchalantly. "I'm sure you would've made this choice on your own sooner or later."
Seeing how he was all ready for his journey I readied myself to give him my farewells before leaving and starting my own journey.
Yet before I could Lucas hurriedly asked me a question.
"L-Lux can I ask you something?"
I nodded my head. "Sure." I replied back, expecting a simple question to answer.
"C-Can I travel with you?"
My eyes widened at what he was asking. "I'm sorry?" I asked, not expecting that kind of question. He wanted to travel with me of all people?!
"J-Just for a while!" He quickly blurted, not wanting me to refuse outright. "I thought it would be nice to travel with someone familiar and you seem to know your way as a trainer." He then began to look down to his feet, idly shuffling his feet in nervousness as he awaited my answer.
I had nothing against Lucas, if anything I would've loved to go on a pokemon journey with him. It was just that I didn't want people to learn of my 'circumstances' of how I became a trainer and I knew I was bound to slip up if the red hat-wearing teenager was traveling with me.
Opening my mouth I was ready to gently let him down, only for Shuppet and Dreepy to interrupt by flying up to my face. It didn't take long for me to figure out from the cheerful sounds they were making what they wanted me to do.
"I suppose I have no choice then," I relented before looking to Lucas, who was looking at me with a hopeful look in his eyes, and gave him my answer. "Sure Lucas, I'll be happy to journey with you for a while."
So that's how I, Dreepy, and Shuppet were accompanied by Lucas and his Turtwig, leaving the boundaries of Sandgem Town and in the direction of Jubilife City…
Walking into an unknown future.
So Chapter 2 huh…
Who would've thought.
But pushing that aside I was surprised by how much you guys loved this so I decided let's see how far we can go with this!
So onto the chapter itself some more worldbuilding, introducing Barry and Lucas(As well as the Ash trio and Paul) and our mysterious lady who has taken Cyrus' introduction.
No she is not replacing Cyrus but she serves her own purpose in this story.
Honestly Lucas' journeying with Lux is influenced primarily by the fact that there's hardly any good Lucas centric fanfiction (If there are some good ones please recommend them to me) and felt that he deserved some love here.
And Turtwig is the best starter.
How was the pokemon battling? I know every writer has their own unique style to it so did you enjoy it, was there something to improve upon, give me your feedback.
Writing Pokemon fanfiction is a whole new thing for me so please if you have any tips tell me.
Welp that's all for this chapter. If you enjoyed it, drop a fav/follow/kudos as they really help me out with creating great chapters. Reviews are deeply appreciated, they're the biggest motivation to keep writing, and if you have a question or a really interesting theory I am more than happy to reply. Please be patient if I don't respond to you super fast. Even if I don't respond to your comment for whatever reason, know that I read each and every one of them! PMing me is the best way for me to respond to your questions.
Peace!