DISCLAIMER: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and not to me, etcetera etcetera.
There was a crash in the forest, and Zigzagoon came running out. Don bent down to pick him up, and scratched him affectionately behind the ears.
"What's up, Ziggy?"
The little Normal-type was alive with fear, and it sprang about, gesturing wildly. "Ziggy. Zigzag. Zigoon zaag oon. Oon!"
"Over there, buddy? Okay, I'll have a look." He stopped in his tracks, looking at the floor. There was a huge shadow cast over half the Petalburg Woods. Zigzagoon jumped out of his arms, and ran for the nearest gates. Don, however, stood fixed to the spot. He looked slowly up at a massive snakelike Pokemon. Don quickly whipped out his Pokedex.
"Kazeoli," said the metallic voice, "the Swift Destruction Pokemon. A dual dark and steel type, Kazeoli is sixty feet long, and weighs over nine hundred and forty pounds. It does not evolve, is totally unique, and should always be avoided as it will attack without mercy any Pokemon trainer, wild Pokemon or unaccompanied human. It has only previously been sighted in the Hoenn region, and there only once, by the great Professor Ash, formerly of Pallet Town in Kanto, and now of Johto's Azalea Town. This particular specimen is at level-"
Kazeoli swished its steel tail, and Don fell down, his neck a mess of muscles, blood and nerves. The Pokedex was smashed, and all the people of Petalburg heard was a faint slashing, as Kazeoli knocked over a few small trees on its way back to its lair.
* * * Ruby and Sapphire walked up the path to Professor Birch's house, not exchanging so much as a glance. Ruby noted Sapphire's sixth badge, and her stomach churned. How had her brother got that? When had he found time? How had he found time?
Sapphire rang the bell, taking note at the same time that an occupied Ultra Ball hung from Ruby's belt. What was in that? She hadn't had that before.
The door was opened by a smiling Prof. Birch, and Ruby and Sapphire walked in.
"Well, kids," said Birch, "I suppose you know why you're here?"
"I'm thinking it'll be something to do with the rare Pokemon in the woods," Ruby guessed.
"And you'd be right." Birch's demeanour was suddenly serious. "It killed a trainer last night."
The twins put their hands over their mouths in horror.
"An unaccompanied trainer?" asked Sapphire.
"Well, someone found a Zigzagoon which had an ID number responding to his trainer's card, but our interpreter can't get a thing out of it."
Ruby took on an extremely puzzled expression. "Interpreter?"
Birch took out a Poke ball. "Allow me to introduce. Dragonite!" He released a Dragonite from the ball.
"Can it really talk human talk?" Sapphire asked. "I mean, I heard it has the intelligence, but."
"Oh yes," said the Dragonite. "I mastered your language years ago. Not hard."
"Who's is he?" asked Ruby.
A tall, dark-haired man stepped out from behind a bookcase. He was distinctly pale, but seemingly this was normal for him. When he spoke, his accent was Johto, but with the little tinge that comes from living in Kanto for years on end.
"He is mine. I am Lance, a dragon-type trainer from Blackthorn City. Professor Birch summoned me here. I am very pleased to meet you."
"I've asked some other people to come, too," said the Professor. He waved a hand, and three older men came in. Two of them the twins recognized as Professors Oak and Elm, of Kanto and Johto respectively, but the third.
"This is Mr Pokemon," said Birch, pointing to the third man. "He mounted this expedition." Mr Pokemon shook hands with the twins, smiling. The two other Professors stood forward.
"We too have asked some people over," said Elm. "I've brought these three." Two young men and a teenage girl walked in. "This is Crystal. She captured the legendary Suicune, you know. And these two are Silver, who defeated the champion, Red, and this is Gold, who defeated Silver a year later."
Oak stepped forward now. "And I brought these three." Three middle-aged men came in. "This is Blue. He runs the Viridian City Gym nowadays. This is Red. He used to be the Champion. And this is Yellow. He breeds Pikachus." The three waved, and so did Yellow's Pikachu.
"Why isn't that in a Poke Ball?" asked Sapphire. Yellow and his Pikachu looked injured.
"It? Poke Ball? This is my Pikachu we're talking about here. He hates Pokeballs," yelled Yellow.
"Yeesh, chill out, man," said Gold. "There are like, more important things to discuss."
"Indeed," said Mister Pokemon. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us get down to business. The Pokemon is vicious, and the best way to detain it is to capture it. Who still owns a Master Ball?" He was addressing the seven veterans when he said this, and only Silver, Red and Crystal raised their hands. "Okay, so, I'm putting you into three teams. Red, you take Gold and Ruby. Blue, take Silver and Sapphire. Yellow, go with Lance and Cystal. All clear? Right." He took out a map of the Johto, Kanto and Hoenn regions, and indicated the areas where the teams were to go. "Right, okay, Team One, I want you in the Tin Tower. Ecruteak. Long journey, so all on bikes, yeah? Team Two, I want you in the Petalburg Woods. Not so far, but get going ASAP. And finally, Team Three. I want you on Cinnibar Island. I trust you all have Surfing Pokemon? Good. Right. Off we go then. Remember to phone us once per hour, and take care!"
There was a crash in the forest, and Zigzagoon came running out. Don bent down to pick him up, and scratched him affectionately behind the ears.
"What's up, Ziggy?"
The little Normal-type was alive with fear, and it sprang about, gesturing wildly. "Ziggy. Zigzag. Zigoon zaag oon. Oon!"
"Over there, buddy? Okay, I'll have a look." He stopped in his tracks, looking at the floor. There was a huge shadow cast over half the Petalburg Woods. Zigzagoon jumped out of his arms, and ran for the nearest gates. Don, however, stood fixed to the spot. He looked slowly up at a massive snakelike Pokemon. Don quickly whipped out his Pokedex.
"Kazeoli," said the metallic voice, "the Swift Destruction Pokemon. A dual dark and steel type, Kazeoli is sixty feet long, and weighs over nine hundred and forty pounds. It does not evolve, is totally unique, and should always be avoided as it will attack without mercy any Pokemon trainer, wild Pokemon or unaccompanied human. It has only previously been sighted in the Hoenn region, and there only once, by the great Professor Ash, formerly of Pallet Town in Kanto, and now of Johto's Azalea Town. This particular specimen is at level-"
Kazeoli swished its steel tail, and Don fell down, his neck a mess of muscles, blood and nerves. The Pokedex was smashed, and all the people of Petalburg heard was a faint slashing, as Kazeoli knocked over a few small trees on its way back to its lair.
* * * Ruby and Sapphire walked up the path to Professor Birch's house, not exchanging so much as a glance. Ruby noted Sapphire's sixth badge, and her stomach churned. How had her brother got that? When had he found time? How had he found time?
Sapphire rang the bell, taking note at the same time that an occupied Ultra Ball hung from Ruby's belt. What was in that? She hadn't had that before.
The door was opened by a smiling Prof. Birch, and Ruby and Sapphire walked in.
"Well, kids," said Birch, "I suppose you know why you're here?"
"I'm thinking it'll be something to do with the rare Pokemon in the woods," Ruby guessed.
"And you'd be right." Birch's demeanour was suddenly serious. "It killed a trainer last night."
The twins put their hands over their mouths in horror.
"An unaccompanied trainer?" asked Sapphire.
"Well, someone found a Zigzagoon which had an ID number responding to his trainer's card, but our interpreter can't get a thing out of it."
Ruby took on an extremely puzzled expression. "Interpreter?"
Birch took out a Poke ball. "Allow me to introduce. Dragonite!" He released a Dragonite from the ball.
"Can it really talk human talk?" Sapphire asked. "I mean, I heard it has the intelligence, but."
"Oh yes," said the Dragonite. "I mastered your language years ago. Not hard."
"Who's is he?" asked Ruby.
A tall, dark-haired man stepped out from behind a bookcase. He was distinctly pale, but seemingly this was normal for him. When he spoke, his accent was Johto, but with the little tinge that comes from living in Kanto for years on end.
"He is mine. I am Lance, a dragon-type trainer from Blackthorn City. Professor Birch summoned me here. I am very pleased to meet you."
"I've asked some other people to come, too," said the Professor. He waved a hand, and three older men came in. Two of them the twins recognized as Professors Oak and Elm, of Kanto and Johto respectively, but the third.
"This is Mr Pokemon," said Birch, pointing to the third man. "He mounted this expedition." Mr Pokemon shook hands with the twins, smiling. The two other Professors stood forward.
"We too have asked some people over," said Elm. "I've brought these three." Two young men and a teenage girl walked in. "This is Crystal. She captured the legendary Suicune, you know. And these two are Silver, who defeated the champion, Red, and this is Gold, who defeated Silver a year later."
Oak stepped forward now. "And I brought these three." Three middle-aged men came in. "This is Blue. He runs the Viridian City Gym nowadays. This is Red. He used to be the Champion. And this is Yellow. He breeds Pikachus." The three waved, and so did Yellow's Pikachu.
"Why isn't that in a Poke Ball?" asked Sapphire. Yellow and his Pikachu looked injured.
"It? Poke Ball? This is my Pikachu we're talking about here. He hates Pokeballs," yelled Yellow.
"Yeesh, chill out, man," said Gold. "There are like, more important things to discuss."
"Indeed," said Mister Pokemon. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us get down to business. The Pokemon is vicious, and the best way to detain it is to capture it. Who still owns a Master Ball?" He was addressing the seven veterans when he said this, and only Silver, Red and Crystal raised their hands. "Okay, so, I'm putting you into three teams. Red, you take Gold and Ruby. Blue, take Silver and Sapphire. Yellow, go with Lance and Cystal. All clear? Right." He took out a map of the Johto, Kanto and Hoenn regions, and indicated the areas where the teams were to go. "Right, okay, Team One, I want you in the Tin Tower. Ecruteak. Long journey, so all on bikes, yeah? Team Two, I want you in the Petalburg Woods. Not so far, but get going ASAP. And finally, Team Three. I want you on Cinnibar Island. I trust you all have Surfing Pokemon? Good. Right. Off we go then. Remember to phone us once per hour, and take care!"
