Pokémon: The Oak Adventures
By Chris Devlin: Chris_Devlin@hotmail.com
Part Five: A concerned Pokémom
Note: To understand bits of this you will have to have read ALL previous parts.
Basically Tom is Prof Oak when he was a kid. Ok.
NOW - THE EVENTS OF POKÉMON
Professor Oak slumped down in the armchair he had set up in his lab. Glancing at the clock on the wall he could see that it was almost time for the new trainers in Pallet Town to come collect their Pokémon. Sighing he got up and went to prepare the Pokéballs for their new owners. He hoped there wouldn't be a repeat of last years fiasco, when Ash turned up in his pajama's too late to receive a good starter Pokémon. Still, Pikachu had worked out fine and Ash was well on his way to becoming a Pokémon Master.
"There you go, your very own Bulbasaur." Oak said to the young girl. She was the last of the three trainers from Pallet this year and the only girl amongst them. "Professor Oak?" She asked. "Yes my dear." he replied. "Do you think I could ever be as good as Ash and Gary?" she said. "I don't see why not. If I remember rightly Ash did terribly when he first started out, because of that troublesome Pikachu he received. But you've got a Bulbasaur, which are very easy to train and so you should have no problems." he answered. "Oh, good." she said. "Well, thanks Professor. Bye" she said as she rushed out the door, Pokéball in hand. "Goodbye." Oak said back. He walked to the window and looked down the hill towards the main gate of the Laboratory. There he saw the young girl hugging her mother goodbye. His own mother never wanted him to become a Pokémon trainer. Even when she caught up with him, although she had accepted the fact he now trained Pokémon, she would never approve. The day they found him was a strange one. A very strange one.
THEN - 50 YEARS BEFORE THE EVENTS OF POKÉMON
Tom and Flint walked down the trail towards the gates of Cerulean City. The sun was setting and night was falling as dark clouds filled the dull sky. A rumble came from above and the heavens opened, pouring heavily down on the earth. The two trainers looked at each other and started running full pelt towards the City.
The Cerulean City Pokémon Center was empty except for the ever present Nurse Joy as the trainers entered soaking wet through the Center's double doors. "Oh!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as she heard the sound of the opening door and looked up to see the two drenched Trainers step towards the desk. They squelched up to the desk. "Excuse me, Miss. Could you please give our Pokémon a check over please?" Tom asked. "Eh, sure." slightly taken aback by the request. "Give me your Pokémon and I'll go fix them up." she said. Looking them over she added "I'll bring some towels too.". Tom and Flint looked down at themselves, apparently just noticing that they were soaked through. "Oh, thanks." Tom said back. "I'll be right back." Joy said and disappeared through a door. In the corner were a couple of benches and a table. Walking over to the furnishings the trainers hung their coats on a nearby radiator and sat down.
Joy soon returned with the towels and two bowls of soup and then went back to tending the Pokémon. After toweling themselves off the pair started on the hot soup and were enjoying it when they heard the Center's door swing open an shut again. Looking round they saw a woman walk in. She hadn't noticed them but Tom had sure noticed her. It was his mother.
Tom gasped in surprise at her arrival. The noise made by the gasp hadn't gone un-noticed and Mrs. Oak turned to see her son sitting down staring at her. "Tom! Oh my gosh! Tom is that you?" she asked as she ran up to him. "Mom?!" he cried in return. "Tom!" she exclaimed as he got up and they embraced. "Oh Tom, we were so worried about you! Why did you run away?" she cried, tears streaming down her face. They broke the embrace and Tom stood up and looked at this Mom. "I'm sorry mom. I only did it because you didn't want me to become a Pokémon Trainer. It's my dream, and I'm sorry if you don't approve but it's something I have to at least attempt." She looked down at him. Confusion in her soaking wet eyes. "But why? Why can't you just stay with us the way it was?" Why do you have to be a Pokémon Trainer?" she asked. "I don't know why. I just do mom. I love Pokémon and I want to be the best trainer ever." he replied. She kept looking into his eyes and nodded her acknowledgment. "Anyway mom, why are you so opposed to me being a Pokémon Trainer?" She started to talk, but stopped and turned to Flint. "Could you excuse us for a moment please?" she asked him. Flint looked at Tom who nodded to him. "Sure." he replied and walked to the other side of the center. Tom and his mother moved to the table. "You want to know why?" she asked him. Tom nodded. "Well. There's something you should know first... You have a big brother." Tom gasped. "A, bbbb brother?!" he stammered. "Yes. He left home around five years ago. You're too young to remember but he left to become a Pokémon Trainer. Anyway, after a few weeks we hadn't heard anything from him and we started to get worried. Your father and I went searching for him. We found him just north of home. He'd been attacked by what we assume was a flock of Spearow." more tears streamed down her face. "Beside him we found his Squirtle. It was still alive, but barely. In the end it never survived. It had stayed by his side for all that time, even though he was dead. It gave up its life to watch over his body. It was at that point we swore we wouldn't let the same thing happen to you." she finished the tale. Reaching into her pocket she produced a hanky and wiped her eyes. Tom sat there, unable to speak. "That's why we didn't want you to be a Pokémon Trainer. We couldn't face losing another son." she broke down again, tears streaming over her cheeks and sobs of grief emanating from her mouth. Tom went over to her and held her. They sat there together for a few minutes, neither saying a word. Tom broke the silence. "Mom. I'm going to honor my brothers memory by doing what he dreamed of." he said. "Wh, what?" she asked. "I'm going to become the Pokémon Trainer he never made it as." he proclaimed. "No, you can't!" his mom said. "Please, don't do this to us." she pleaded. "I've made up my mind. I can do this. So help me I CAN." Tom replied stubbornly "I've already got one badge. If I can beat the Cerulean Gym leader I will continue. If not then I will return home." he added, a new determination in his voice. His mother sat there looking at him, and she understood. "Ok. I won't pretend I'm happy with the arrangement, but if you want to do this and you think you can, then we will support you." she said. Tom looked into her eyes and softly said "Thank you.".
The next morning Tom woke bright and early. Beside him were his Pokéballs. Joy must have returned them during the night. He picked one out. "Serenade GO!" he cried, and before him appeared the squat pink form of Serenade. "Jiggly!" it cried. "Hey there buddy. How are ya? Did you get a good nights sleep?" Tom asked. The Jigglypuff nodded its acknowledgment, "Good, cause we've got a big day ahead of us. I've got the Cerulean Gym Leader to challenge." Tom said to the puffy ball of pink. He stood up to wake the others. His mom had decided to stay with him. She didn't want him running away again. Flint was just opposite Tom's mother and was snoring loudly. As he went to wake them both, he stopped. He wanted to continue to be a Pokémon Trainer. Their presences at the Battle might just confuse and distract him. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a pad and pen, and began writing.
"Three Pokémon each, no time limit!" the female Gym Leader cried out. Tom was standing next to a wide pool in the middle of a field. In an opposite field were the construction grounds of the new Cerulean Gym, he was just at the temporary battle field. Hmm, he thought. She's going to use water Pokémon, and I don't have anything very good against water types. I better use old reliable. "Ivysaur GO!" he cried as he threw the Pokémon's Pokéball into the air. It erupted into an Ivysaur. "Ivysaur!" it cried. "An Ivysaur eh. It's been a while since I've battled one of those. Well, for your Ivysaur, I'll choose Tenacool!" she commented before launching the Jellyfish Pokémon into battle. "Tentacool, use your Poison Sting Attack!" she ordered. "Hmm, Ivysaur, counter that with your Vine Whip!" Tom cried out to it. The orders given the Pokémon launched into their attacks. From Ivysaur's flower two Vines appeared and shot toward the advancing Tenacool. The vines started slapping at it but each thrust was parried by Tentacool's own tentacles. "Now Tentacool, go Supersonic!" the leader ordered. Suddenly the Tentacool started to emit a high pitched noise sending Ivysaur into a frenzy as it's Vines started to lose all control and attack itself. "No!" Tom cried. "Hmmph. Ivysaur return." he said sullenly. "You won't win this round. Staryu, I choose you!" he cried, and this time his Staryu appeared, ready for battle. Before the leader could comment Tom shouted out "Staryu, Swift Attack then Tackle Attack it!" Staryu quickly complied and launched an all out offensive on the unprepared Tentacool. Soon it floated unconscious on the water's surface. "Very good." The Gym Leader noted. "Now try this one. Seadra, take care of this Pipsqueak." now the form of a spiky Seadra sat in the water ready to attack. "Seadra, start off with your Agility Attack!" The Seadra suddenly shot toward the awaiting Staryu. Tom didn't do or say anything, all the time the Seadra was getting nearer and nearer. Just as the Seadra looked like it was going to hit Staryu full force, Tom cried out "Staryu Harden, NOW!" At that moment the hard skin of Staryu glinted as it grew to diamond hardness. It was too late for the speeding Seadra and it smashed full speed into the rock solid Staryu and bounced back unconscious. "What!" the leader cried in shock. "You devious son of a snake!" she cried, amazed at the underhand ness of the move. "Well you'll pay for that. You'll never beat this Pokémon." she pulled out a Pokéball and held it up to the light. "Pokéball GO!" she yelled and threw the ball into the water. It blew itself open revealing the magestical form of.... "A MAGIKARP! Are you STUPID!!! A MAGIKARP!" Tom cried in laughter. The Gym Leader just stood there looking at the young trainer killing himself with laughter. Regaining his composure Tom stood up. "Ok Staryu, this'll be easy. Just give it a Tackle attack and we'll be off." he ordered casually. "You'll be sorry." The Gym Leader shouted over to him. "I doubt it." he shouted back. Staryu sped toward the splashing fish and smacked hard against it sending it hard into the side of the Pool. "Yaw!" Tom cried in Victory. "We did it, we did it, we did..." Tom stopped his Victory cry and stared at the Magikarp. Something was wrong. Something was VERY wrong. The Magikarp was glowing white. Tom stared at it confused, until it hit him. The Magikarp was evolving. Now Tom knew his Pokémon, and understandably started getting worried when Magikarp finally evolved into the gigantic and extremely powerful Gyarados. "No way!" he cried as the giant Water Dragon towered over him. The Gyarados seemed to examine the Staryu sitting in the water before it. Then came the flash of recognition as it remembered it as the Staryu that had just attacked it. It let out a roar straight from the bowels of hell and smashed into the small Star shaped Pokémon. Staryu's light started flashing and Tom recalled it. "Hmm. What can I use against something this big?" he pondered. Then he had a thought. "Serenade GO!" "Jiggly!" Serenade cried as it appeared at Tom's feet. Looking up it spotted the towering Gyarados. "JIGGLY!!!!" it cried and ran behind Tom's legs before peering out at the Water Pokémon. "Hey Serenade. It's Ok. This Gyarados only want you to SING for it!" Tom cried, the order easily spotted it what he'd just said. "Jigglypiff!" Serenade cried in deviousness. Stepping forward it looked up at the Gyarados which was by now staring at the Puffy pink ball before it. Tom quickly put his ear plugs on, just in time as Serenade began her song. Before long the giant Gyarados was sleeping like a baby. "Well. I gotta hand it to ya. You sure know your Pokémon!" The Gym Leader shouted over to him as she recalled the Gyarados. "Thanks." he shouted back. "Yes, well done." came a voice from behind him. He turned around to find his Mom and Flint standing there, admiration on their faces. "Tom. After seeing how good you are with your Pokémon I now have no reservations about you becoming a Pokémon Trainer. In fact I'd see it as a tribute to your brother if you did." she said. She was crying again. Not through sadness but through Pride. Pride in her son. "Thanks mom." Tom replied, unable to think of anything else to say. "Hey!" came another voice. They turned to see the Gym leader walking towards them. "Well Tom, here's your Cascade Badge. Heaven knows you've earned it." she said as she placed the teardrop shaped badge in his hand. "Thanks." he said examining the blue trophy. "Well mom. Me and Flint had better be going. It's a long walk to Viridian City. I, I promise to call." Tom said, his voice faint. "Ok. I'll miss you. But at least now I know where you are and what you're doing. Good Luck son." she said, new tears beginning to form yet again in her eyes. "Goodbye mom!" Tom cried as he and Flint started to walk into the distance, with new support and new purpose.
To Be Continued....