"About four or five years ago, a few scientists from here in Viridian…"

"Viridian?"

"That's where you are. Viridian City."

"mm."

"A few scientists from here started work on…no, I have to go back even further."

"…"

"Okay, here's how it goes. About thirty years ago, there was a huge construction effort to build a walking path through the Viridian Forest. You know anything about that?"

"The forest or the construction?"

"Either."

"I know where the forest is, though I've never been through it. I never heard anything about the construction project."

"Hey, you want some coffee or something?"

"No…no, yeah. Yeah I'll have some."

'I get cranky if I don't have a cup every once in a while. It might make you feel better. I know you're still kinda shaken from the 'port."

"…"

"The teleport."

Andy nodded his head, as the older man went to the coffee pot and poured two cups.

"Anyway," he continued "They did this whole construction thing where they tore down paths through the forest, and they found what looked like remnants of a shrine, just like the one they found in the Ilex Forest last year."

Andy cocked his head slightly.

"Ilex. It's in Johto."

"ahh." Andy replied. Almost nobody from Kanto had ever been to Johto, and likewise the other way around, as there was no viable path between the two continents. Andy had heard news stories from there, and every once in a while some trainer would brave the mountains and sea that separate Andy's home continent from the mysterious Johto.

"So they translate all these messages on fragments of tablets and pottery and things, and they all talk about a 'protector.' A cat-like creature with amazing powers, who can do practically anything, and who protects the other inhabitants of the forest."

"…Snorlax?!"

"That's what we thought. Rather…okay, I'm back to where I was when I started. 'Bout four or five years ago, a genetic researcher named Michael did some work on the evolution of Snorlax."

"Snorlax evolves?"

"No, but as a species it HAS evolved. They used to be fairly small, a long long time ago."

"whoa."

"And a smaller Snorlax could almost resemble the pictures that we could piece together of this 'protector.' They're very versatile, and extremely powerful, and certainly cat-like."

"so…"

"So a team of scientists from here in the city…myself, a man named Kurt, another man named Giovanni, and a woman named Delia, all set out to capture a Snorlax."

"What were you going to do with it?"

"The first one, we took a sample of its DNA and let it go."

"The first one?"

"The first one. The second one…"

"Wait, why would you need more than one?"

"The tests on the first one's DNA were inconclusive."

"What exactly were you testing for?"

"We wanted to see if the power of these Pokemon was a limitless as the legendary creature."

"And it isn't?"

"It can get close, but it requires intense concentration on the Snorlax's part."

"But that's not what you were looking for?"

"No. The legends all tell of the 'protector' using psychic abilities. We were unable to find any psychic tendencies in any of the Snorlaxes we tested."

"ANY? How many did you take?"

"…"

"…"

"thirty."

"THIRTY?!"

"We thought we had something, okay? This could have been the scientific breakthrough of the century! The discovery that Pokmeon not only evolve physically, but their powers evolve too. If we could find any traces of psychic abilities in Snorlaxes…"

"But I mean, everyone says they're endangered. I didn't even think there were thirty Snorlaxes…at all!"

"There aren't."

"…what…huh?"

"cloning."

"you're kidding."

"no. I was gone by the time they did the bulk of it…"

"cloning?!"

"In my day, Andy…I was an expert on capturing Pokemon. I knew how many times to hit them, how to weaken them to the exact point where they could be captured. We had this guy, Kurt. He made his own pokeballs. He MADE them. We had the best possible conditions for capturing those Pokemon, but they were just too strong."

"So what happened…"

"to the other 29? A few escaped. The rest…"

"…"

"We…we didn't clone them properly. They died."

"oh…god."

"This one though…" Johannes reached into his pocket and pulled out a Pokeball. It was the one with a "B" crudely scratched into it that Drew had tossed to Andy. "This one's amazing. Test Subject B. We taught him to use Psychic. He's unbelievably powerful. Healthy as anything, too." Andy looked at the ball in Johannes's hand, and remembered seeing the Snorlax in action.

"Okay, so who were those people who attacked Drew and Lance?"

"Those were members of Giovanni's lab team. Andy, he's become obsessed with psychic powers."

"Obsesseed?"

"He was after that Snorlax…this Snorlax. He thinks he can harness its psychic abilities. He's gone crazy capturing Abras and Drowzees and Jynxes, and he is still trying to unlock the mystery of the forest's protector. Delia…she loved him. She left the group and moved…and nobody has heard from her. Kurt said he was going to try and get to Johto. I…I'm mildly psychic myself. I couldn't stay and risk Giovanni finding out. That's how I knew your name, Andy."

"But what happened? I mean…how did they…trick people?"

"Psychic energy is incredibly powerful, Andy. That's why Giovanni is so enamoured with it. If you can attack…or even control…someone's mind…that's the worst way you can hurt them. They swept over the crowd with a wave of Psychic energy…part hypnosis, part Psybeam…and everyone saw YOU sending Drew and Lance off in that sphere, and being tripped by an onlooker. You dropped your Pokeballs in pain, and they psychically masked the area where they fell, probably intending to go back for them."

"But how did you…"

"I'm mildly psychic, remember? I sensed it coming, and was able to shield myself from the attack. As for your legs? That was a Disable attack from a Drowzee. It wore off after a while, but you saw how powerful psychic energy can be, even from a low-level Pokemon."

"Okay. So…what do we do?"

"We…do nothing, Andy. I'm too old, and my Psychic power isn't anywhere near formidable enough to take on Giovanni. He's building an army, Andy. He's recruiting people to join his team as we speak. He wants power."

"But if you can't…"

"…"

"…no…no no no…"

"you, Andy. You have to."

"I've been a Pokemon trainer for an HOUR, Johannes. ONE HOUR."

"It doesn't matter." He glanced at his right hand…the hand that was holding the Snorlax's pokeball, and he tossed the ball to Andy. "This is yours. So's this one." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another pokeball, presumably Andy's Omanyte. "You guys get strong. Battle Gym Leaders, build your team. Keep in mind that there will be a confrontation with Giovanni at the end of your training."

"But…the police…"

"I'm sending you to Johto."

Andy froze in his seat, a look of shock on his face.

"I'd never make it through the mountains…" he cut off his statement, and looked down at the pokeball in his hand. "…would I?"

"No. Not even with your new buddy. I'm going to teleport you."

Andy took a deep breath, and stood up, collecting the other Pokeball from the old man's hand.

"Relax. If you know it's coming, it doesn't hurt." The old man walked over to the counter and picked up another Pokeball, and dropped it to the ground. "Abra, I need another favor. I know it hurts to do it when you're not attached, and I can't send you with him in case Giovanni finds me, but I need you to get Andy to Johto."

"rrrrrrraaaah"

"I know you can do it. Concentrate, Abra. Johto. You ready Andy?"

Andy nodded, and Abra began to levitate itself above the ground.

"Aaaaaabbbb"

Its arms began to wiggle slightly…and its legs followed suit…

"AaaaaaaaBBBBBRRRR"

Its limbs began to spasm, and Andy grew a very concerned look on his face, but just as he was about to reach for the Pokemon..

"AAAAAA"

"…"

"…"

"…good luck."

"…"

It didn't feel so bad this time.