Hello, folks! Under the suggestion of a dear friend of mine, Freelancer Amber, she requested a story about one of the OC characters of a story I work together with Fanfiction writer Coral the Leviathan. It is my OC, Jackson Alpphire, from the series 'Huntsmen in Kalos', a Pokemon x RWBY crossover series, which is an alternate timeline version of a story series of Insane Dominator, 'The Fairy Contenter', a Fairy Tail x Pokemon crossover (yeah, that is confusing, but go with it). If you hadn't seen either one of these stories, I highly suggest looking into them, as they are both great stories.
Anyways, back to this story. This tale takes place before 'Huntsmen in Kalos', and will tell the story about Jackson Alpphire's journey after leaving his own world, which is the Sonic the Hedgehog world, to how he became a Pokemon Trainer in this new world. I will do my best not to add in any fillers, but maybe add fun stories here and there if I feel like it. Also, I will try to do this story among writing my 'Sword Art Kingdom III' & 'Sword Art Kingdom: Path of Memories' stories, so as not to abandon them. With that being said, enjoy this new story about Jackson Alpphire, and his journey in the Johto region.
"Always getting the girls, just like your dad."
"SHUT UP! I AM NEVER GONNA BE LIKE YOU!" 'Glass breaking'
"Jackson, stop it!" 'Sarah crying' 'Mother wailing'
"This is not about emotions, this is about what is right or wrong. What you did was wrong."
"Jackson was just protecting his family!"
'Exploding machinery'
"You killed my son! You are not a hero!"
"No…it was an accident! I didn't mean to…"
"You let your anger get the better of you, Jackson."
"I…I can't be a hero after what I've done."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Use the Chaos Emeralds. I need to get away."
"Jackson, come back!"
"Sorry, sis. Sorry, everyone. I need to go."
'Portal energy swirling. Jackson's footsteps on the gravel as he stepped through. Energy wringing I'll around him.'
A boy's green eyes opened up. He was on his back, looking in the blue sky. He had just woken up after taking the momentary time of peace to sleep. A lot good that did him, as all he got were nightmarish flashbacks of what brought him to this situation. He sat up, looking about the area.
The boy was barely fourteen years of age, and an average height for a boy his age. He had ruffled blonde hair, short, with a medium length hair in the back. He wore a lime green V-neck T-shirt, a zip-up dark green hoodie, a brown strap that hung diagonally across his body, which held his leather scabbard. He also wore dark blue jeans, and his footwear were mechanical Air Shoes, yellow and white, with green metal soles and five yellow jets underneath. His hands had black gloves, his right glove fingerless, and his left with padding on the back. His longsword was leaning on the tree right by him, with a simple gold-colored hilt and leather grip to it. Right next to it was a brown knapsack, carrying all the supplies he thought was necessary.
The boy looked about the place, his expression somber as he rubbed his eyes, moaning, "A lot good any sleep did for me. Not when my entire life in the past few months was a nightmare." He got up to his feet, and sighed, before telling himself, "Might as well figure out what this new world is that I ended up in."
The boy's name was Jackson Alpphire, and as you guessed, he was a boy from another world. A world called Mobius, where most of the populace was filled with anthropomorphic characters, mostly shorter than him, but some had amazing powers. Jackson was inspired by those heroes of the world, mainly one named Sonic the Hedgehog. Due to his own relationship with his family, both the good and the bad, he chose to study up in becoming a hero like him and his friends. He took up swordplay, improved his body beyond the norm, learned engineering from Sonic's best friend, Tails, and through bizarre incidents that led him to another world before, furthered his skills in weaponry and learned martial arts. Through everything, he was able to gain a reputation, and become a hero in his world, ever since he was eleven years old.
Of course, everything came crashing down a couple years later thanks to someone mentally destroying Jackson's own family; his own father, Drayton. He was a man who was incredibly selfish, and was obsessive in masculine dominance, meaning women should only obey, never talk back, and only be used for their beauty. Because of this, he walked away from my loving mother when she was able to stand up for herself, and only came back just to make Jackson become like him. Of course, living a selfless life, and treating everyone, no matter their gender, with respect, he refused to go down his path, no matter what Drayton said. Although, the moment he suggested his sister, Sarah, to be made as a prostitute, Jackson snapped, and tossed him out the second floor window of his family's apartment. He nearly killed him, had it not been for his own mom and sister. However, the disgusting man never even hesitated when he told Sarah what she should be, causing her horror from what her own father wanted her to be.
While Jackson was on trial for violently attacking a civilian, he was barely able to get off with just a slap on the wrist, thanks to the support of his family and friends. Not only was he charged for abuse against his spouse, but also learned of other shady antics he did between leaving Jackson's family to now. As such, he got sentence to jail for fifteen years. While this left his family alone, Jackson, Sarah, and their mom, all got mentally scarred by that. Physically, if you add in the glass fragments from the window that ended up leaving scars on Jackson's body. The trauma of what happened left their mom broken, while Sarah ended up going to therapy to try to overcome the violence of her brother, mixed with the apathy of her father.
But Jackson took it worse than anyone. His father may have been locked up, but the anger had not been given the same treatment. Despite his friends trying to help him, Jackson's anger only rose every time he thought of what damage Drayton did, and he lashed it out in the only way he thought felt safe; destroying the robots and other machinations of the villain of his world, Dr. Eggman. However, his rage ended up taking over him, and he ended up blind to a lot of his actions, at times. As a result, when a large robot attacked the city, Jackson fought it in his wrath-induced state. He beaten it, sure, but the collapsing robot and the explosion afterwards costed the lives of a few people.
This event was the final nail in Jackson's hero coffin. Not only did his reputation after his attack on his father cause the people to question his actions, but the responsibility of the deaths of these people now laid on his hands. Barely anyone trusted him, and the only ones who he could turn to were his own friends and his family. But after what he had done, Jackson was crushed. He let his own anger control him, and lost the purpose of being a hero in the first place. It wasn't just the people who couldn't trust him. He also couldn't trust himself. Lost and confused, Jackson did the only thing he thought was right; create the same phenomenon that he did to make it to the other world before, and leave Mobius for a long time.
Tails was a genius in engineering, and helped create a portal using the power of the worlds' magical gems, the Chaos Emeralds. Despite everyone's hesitant on letting him leave, in the end, they knew he had to do this. His sister, of course, protested strongly against this, but Jackson told her that he would return, once the winds blew over, and he learned to be a better person again. After that, he took any supplies he needed to survive, along with extra material, if he needed to build something in the new world, and left, not knowing where he would go.
"…And here I am." Jackson sighed, looking up and about, "In the middle of a forest. Wonder what this place might be all about?"
Just then, something started to ring in his knapsack. He reached out and grabbed it, opening it up and digging out an orange communication device, with a screen in the center of it. A green light was flashing on it, indicating a call was coming for him. He activated it, and on the screen was an orange and white fox-like face, with blue eyes, and behind him, the tips of twin tails were visible.
This was Miles Prower, also known as Tails. He was Sonic the Hedgehog's best friend, as well as one of Jackson's dear friends. Throughout his time as a hero, Tails taught him all about engineering and mechanics. It was thanks to him that Jackson was able to create pieces of tech to help him out in his fight against Dr. Eggman and other such things, like his Jet Shoes, a piece of Extreme Gear for high speeds, an electric glove that was designed for short-circuiting robots and giving his blade an electric edge, an this communication device, which was designed for downloading information from other sources, hacking, and, as it was doing right now, trans-dimensional communication purposes.
"Hey, Jackson. You made it there, okay?" Tails asked.
"Sure did." Jackson answered, "I ended up taking a nap when I got here, if I could call it a nap."
"At least the communication works." Tails stated, "You should be able to keep it charged from solar energy."
"As always, you are the best tech teach I know." Jackson stated with a soft smile, "Glad you didn't turn on me, unlike the rest of Mobius."
"Hey, we hadn't turned on you." Said a voice offscreen on Tails's end, and on it came a blue hedgehog face with green eyes. Sonic the Hedgehog. The true hero of Mobius, and another dear friend of Jackson. He was his inspiration on how to be a hero, and a person who taught him the trade. He was the reason Jackson improved himself so much in order to become the person he was today. A lot good that did him, after what happened.
"We got your back, all the way!" Sonic assured him, "Us, Knux, Amy, Cream, Cheese, Big, Team Chaotix. Heck, I bet even Shadow and Rouge support you…I think."
"Thanks, guys." Jackson thanked them, before asking, "What…what about Sarah?"
The two looked at each other, both looking a bit worried about how he will respond, before Tails answered, "Well, she did take your leaving hard. The moment you left, she left her therapy sessions. Last I heard, she was making her way in all sorts of Extreme Gear competitions. What's more… I think she's taken up weapon's training."
Jackson looked sadly at this. Her frustrations from what happened, including him leaving his home, caused her to turn her anguish into anger. She didn't need the therapy to overcome trauma, but rather to vent it out in some way. At least she was doing something a little more practical. He hoped, however, that she wasn't gonna go down the path like he did, and let her anger take her over.
"Jackson?" Tails called out to him, getting his attention.
"Sorry." He apologized, "Anyways, if you see her, tell her I said I made it safely to another world, and I plan to come back at some point."
"Sure thing, buddy." Sonic responded, giving a thumbs up, "And you take care of yourself, as well. If you need a hand, let me know, and I'll be there in less than a millisecond."
"I know you will." Jackson answered, smiling, "Catch ya later!" With that, he turned off the communicator.
"Now then…" he sighed, looking about the forest he was in, "Time to see where I can find some life." He took a run to the nearest tree, and leapt onto it. He went from tree branch to tree branch until he finally made it as high as he could. He peered out through the trees, looking at the vast landscape. From his perspective, he saw a brand new landscape that had a forest, a large mountain range in the distance, a lake, and a small town a few miles away from his position.
"Looks pretty nice." Jackson noted, "A good place for a fresh start. Now, is there anything that can benefit an ex-hero like me…"
Just then, Jackson heard the sound of a cry from behind. "FEEARROW!" The cry made him spin around and see a long-beaked, long-necked bird coming at him. Jackson was shocked at the sight of it, and ducked underneath as it nearly jabbed him with its beak. He saw it fly off, crying with that unusual caw. "What was that?!" The boy questioned in shock, "Some sort of bird?!"
Deciding to get back down, Jackson descended to the ground, landing neatly as he took a closer look about the place. Now that he noticed, it seemed like there were more than just that bird he saw. He could see other birds in the trees, more docile than the one he saw, and smaller. There were purple rats that scurried on the ground, green spiders with face markings on their backs crawling up the trees. Small pink-bodied creatures with weed-looking propellers on their heads that helped them fly about. There were even green and yellow-striped caterpillars going up the trees.
"There are a lot of…weird creatures around here." Jackson noted, "Are they native to this land?" After looking about them for a moment, he continued, "There's no point in thinking about it. I should probably go find out from that town nearby." He activated his Air Shoes, making him float off the ground slightly, before taking off at high speeds, creating a shockwave from his speeds. He wound through the trees with skill and timing, seeing brown heads with pink noses pop out of the ground, only to dive back in when he flew past them. "Sorry!" He apologized as he raced onward. Fortunately, he was able to find an open path within the forest, and he shot down it towards the town he saw.
What would take a while for others took less than a minute for Jackson. There were people wandering the small town, doing the normal things when Jackson shot out, coming to a halt as he deactivated his shoes. He noticed immediately that he was drawing attention. The fact that he was given looks in his old home world made him very trepidatious to the stares. Before, the looks of disgust, regret, fear, and even hatred were the majority of what he got in his world for a while before he left. The fear he was gonna get the same thing in this world had him on nerves at first. However, looking around at the people, he recognized that the expressions were what he initially feared, but more confused, curious, or amazed. Thinking it through, he assumed that it was due to him suddenly coming in out of the blue in high speeds.
"Guess no one's ever seen a person move at those high speeds before." Jackson assumed, looking at his Extreme Gear, "Best not to draw too much attention to myself." He took things at a walking pace, moving past the people who initially saw him.
The town was rather old-fashion compared to his world. Then again, he was more use to the big city and the open plains in his world than something like this. The homes were spaced, like nature was more welcome in the town. Sure, he did see a city nearby, but it wasn't as large as he had been use to.
The biggest difference in this town and his home was the fact that there were more of those weird creatures that he encountered before, and many of them were with people. Playing with them, assisting them in chores, and other such things. And what's more, he saw something even more unusual; the creatures were using some sort of magical powers. He saw a no-armed blue creature with whiskers shooting water out of its mouth to wash down a car. He saw the purple rat before assisting with glowing teeth to help someone with firewood. He even saw a yellow mouse using electricity to charge up the electricity in a random scientist's machine.
"Guess the creatures are less unusual to them." Jackson noted, "What's more, they even seem to have some sort of powers. I wonder what they are."
"Cyndaquil, use Quick Attack!" Jackson heard a boy's shout from a distance, and he looked towards the direction of the outcry. This was followed by a girl calling out, "Totodile, stop him with Bite!" Jackson raced over to the direction, where he noticed something that looked like a small battlefield. On both ends were two people, a young boy and girl.
The boy had a black and yellow cap over his black hair, a red and white zip-up jacket, black pants, red, white, and gray shoes, a backpack on his back, and a blue device around his left wrist. In front of him was cream and dark green mouse-like creature with red dots on its back.
The girl had a yellow-seamed cap over her teal hair, which was tied in spiked twin-tails, a white open jacket over a red top, dark green and yellow shorts, white, red and black shoes, a pink backpack, and a pink device that looked like the one the boy had hanging from her neck. In front of her was an aqua blue reptile with a gator face, with a cream-colored stripe and red spines going down to its tail.
"Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!" The boy shouted to his partner.
"Cyndaaaquil!" The creature responded by breathing out black smoke from its mouth, consuming the field and making it hard to see. The girl and her blue gator creature looked about, wondering where they went.
"Now, use Ember!" the boy followed up. Jackson was able to see through the smoke to witness the mouse's back ignite in flames, before shooting out small ember shots at the gator, peppering it as it endured the attack. "That's it, buddy!" The boy cheered.
"Good strategy, Ethan." The girl responded, smirking, "But you just gave away your position. Totodile, use Water Gun!"
"Toto…diiiiiile!" The gator responded as it shot a jet of water from its mouth, aiming at the spot the fire mouse was at. It took the hit, and was sent flying backwards hard. It came out of the smoke, shooting right into the belly of the boy, who caught it, stumbling backwards, and falling on his back. The smoke cleared for the girl and her gator to see the results.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Ethan!" She panicked, rushing over with the blue gator as he got to his feet again, holding his partner, who looked very weakened.
"It's okay, Kris. I kinda had a feelin' I wouldn't stand a chance." He grimaced, looking at the creature he called Cyndaquil, "You doin' okay, buddy?"
"Quil…" the mouse grimaced.
"What's going on here?" the two heard Jackson speak up, and they turn to see him wander towards them, "Are those creatures okay?"
"You mean our Pokémon?" the girl named Kris asked.
"Sure, they'll be fine." Ethan answered, "It's just a Pokémon battle."
"Pokémon?" Jackson echoed, looking confused. For some reason, the name sounded familiar to him, but he cannot remember at all where he heard it.
The two looked to each other, then back at Jackson, the girl asking, "You've never seen a Pokémon battle before?"
"Sorry. Can't say I have." Jackson answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Come to think of it…" the boy stated, looking up and down him, especially to the sword between his back and knapsack, "You look kinda different to most people I've seen. No one I've ever seen in Johto, before."
"Johto?" Jackson echoed.
"Yeah, this region." Ethan answered, now even more confused, "You didn't even know that?"
"I'm…not familiar with this place." Jackson answered, "In fact, I'm kinda from far away, where I've never even heard of Pokémon."
If they weren't shocked before, then they were certainly shocked now. "Are you serious?!" Kris asked, gaping mouth.
"You never even seen a Pokémon before?!" Ethan followed up.
"Er…" Jackson was not sure how to respond to this. He had this experience before when he got flung to another world once, but this one was a bit more awkward than that time.
"What's going on here?" A man asked from behind. They all turned to see a middle-aged man with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a lab coat over a buttoned-up teal shirt, green pants with a belt, and brown shoes.
"Professor Elm!" Ethan greeted the man.
"Oh, hello there, Ethan. Hello, Kris." The man greeted the two, "I trust that you two are taking care of the Pokémon I gave you?"
"Yeah, Cyndaquil is awesome!" Ethan answered, "I can't wait to get better with him."
"Never mind that." Kris stopped him, waving a hand to Jackson, "This person here just told us he's never even seen a Pokémon before!"
Professor Elm looked shocked as he looked to the young man, who was now feeling more awkward than before. "Are you serious? You've never seen one before?"
"Seen one? I don't think I've even heard of one." Jackson answered.
Elm looked to him with concern, before saying, "Come with me to my lab. I can help you out from there."
"Can I come with?" Ethan asked, "I really wanna know why he's never heard of Pokémon!"
"Same here!" Kris seconded.
"Okay. I don't mind that." Elm answered, looking to Jackson, "Unless that is a concern for you."
"No, not at all." Jackson responded, looking to the two, "I guess I should probably explain things a bit in private."
The team of four, led by Elm, made their way down the streets towards a place that clearly looked like a laboratory. They entered in, where they saw many machines with some people in lab coats. They greeted Elm as he passed, with Kris and Ethan both greeting some they knew. Jackson examined all the machines, seeing the content on it. He was very curious about them all, but felt like he should save that for later. Moments later, the four ended up in what Jackson assumed was Elm's personal office. Jackson sat at a sofa chair, while Elm sat at his desk, with the two kids sitting in the sofa.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble." Jackson apologized.
"It's not a problem." Elm answered, "Frankly, it's quite baffling to hear that you've never even encounter a Pokémon before. This world is filled with all sorts of Pokémon, so you should've at least encountered one at some point."
"Yeah…" Jackson muttered, looking awkward yet again, before stating, "Unfortunately, it is the truth. And I do have a…well, I don't know if it's one you'll believe, but I do have a reason."
"An unbelievable reason?" Elm summed up.
"What in the world could that be?" Ethan asked Kris.
"There are a lot of possibilities." She responded.
Jackson paused for a few seconds, before starting, "If I told you I was actually from another world, would you believe me?"
There was a brief pause from all parties, before Ethan asked, "You're…kidding, right?"
"That wasn't among the possibilities I thought of." Kris noted.
"Are you truly from another world?" Elm asked, "It would make some sort of sense if that were true, but do you have any proof whatsoever?"
"Sure, I have proof." Jackson answered, digging into his knapsack, and pulling out his communication device. He then scrolled through it, and pulled up a picture of him when he was younger, along with his sister, and several of his friends around him. He showed it to them, who examined not only the picture, but also the device itself.
"Incredible!" Elm gasped, looking at the device, "This technology is…well, it's so different from anything in my lab. And more advance."
"Really?" Kris asked.
"Are those things around you Pokémon?" Ethan asked, looking at the collection of characters.
"No, they're a species called Mobians." Jackson answered, "The world I am from, Mobius, are abundant with those guys, but the ones around me are more or less the heroes of that world. I was taught under them."
"Cool! So you're a hero?!" Ethan asked.
"Really quick to believe this guy, aren't you?" Kris muttered.
Jackson faltered at Ethan question before answering, "Well, not right now. I had to get away for a while… Please don't press into it."
The kids both looked at Elm, who closed his eyes before responding, "Okay, I understand that, but honestly I am still not totally convinced that you are from another world."
"Figured as much…" Jackson sighed.
"Hey, what about that sword?" Ethan asked, "And those shoes? Are they not from this world?"
"Yeah. Would you like a demonstration of my capabilities?" Jackson asked.
"If you can." Elm answered, "Would this room be too cramped?"
"Eh, I might accidentally damage something in here." Jackson answered, looking to the nearby window, "I'll take the demo outside." Without missing a beat, Jackson leapt out of the chair, ran to the window, opened it up, and leapt out of it, much to the horror of the others. However, he was able to stick the landing thanks to his acrobatics and his Air Shoes, which he activated before landing. He shot along the ground at high speeds, going around the building a couple times to demonstrate the speeds his gear can give, before coming to a halt and drawing out his sword. He then turned and unleashed three sword beams with his blade, slicing through a tree three times, before it fell apart three ways vertically. Jackson then concentrated as he turned to a boulder nearby, gathering the winds into his blade, before shouting, "Avian Espada!" He swung his blade, unleashing a powerful cyclone from his blade, hitting the boulder, and the trio watched in shock as the boulder was cut in so many ways, that it became a pile of gravel by the time the attack was done.
Jackson sheathed his blade, using his Air Shoes to unleash a boost that leapt him into the air, reaching the window, of which he grasped in his hands, and pulled himself inside. The three were gaping with mouths open as Jackson asked, "I…hope that was enough to suffice as proof."
"I would say so." Elm answered.
"That…was incredible." Kris stated.
"You were just like a Pokémon out there!" Ethan exclaimed, "So cool!" Jackson rubbed the back of his head, grinning at gaining their proof.
Once everyone calmed down, everyone went back to their seats again as Elm stated, "I am very interested in what kind of world your home is like, but I think I shouldn't press into matters, should I?"
"It would be a bit difficult to explain if everyone knew about where I actually came from." Jackson answered, "So I would very much appreciate it if you didn't look deep into it, or even tell anyone about it."
"Sure, I can keep a secret." Ethan answered.
"He might be a bit hard to keep that, but I'll definitely keep him in line." Kris stated, "So why did you come to our world, anyway?"
"It's like I said before, I had to get away from my world for a while." Jackson repeated, "So for now, I am just figuring out what I can do in this world. Based on what I saw, it seems like the big thing in this world involves those Pokémon." He looked to the corner, where he saw both Cyndaquil and Totodile eating some sort of pet food.
"You are correct on that." Elm answered, "Let me explain to you about what Pokémon are." He then went to his computer, and pulled up many screenshots of different landscapes, filled with the assortment of creatures of many shapes and sizes. "Pokémon are the species that live in this world, and there are countless kinds of species out there, some still waiting to be found. From the open lands, to forests, the sky, the seas, the mountains, and even in towns. They have special powers from us, humans, and are capable of doing so many miraculous things."
"What's more, humans and Pokémon end up living together, some even joining together as Pokémon Trainer and partner." Kris followed up, "Some just live peacefully together, while others work together in all sorts of ways, including battles like the one you saw me and Ethan do."
"So a lot of people have these Pokémon as partners?" Jackson asked.
"Not everyone, but most do." Elm answered.
"Yeah, and many that do end up trying to become the best Pokémon trainer out there, like yours truly!" Ethan stated, pointing at himself, "I am still starting out, but I know I'll be the best like no one ever was!"
"I'm sure someone has been that strong." Kris muttered.
"Sounds like a great start." Jackson responded, "Maybe I should become one of these Pokémon Trainers."
"If you want to, you came to the right place." Elm told Jackson, "You would usually start out in a Pokémon Center or a lab such as mine in order to start out on your journey as a trainer. However…"
"However?" Jackson echoed, looking concerned.
"Since you are from another world, you wouldn't have any personal information in order to set you up as a legal trainer." Elm finished.
"Oh, that's no problem." Jackson stated, pulling out the communication device, "All my info is on this device. Just let me have access to any computer, and I can easily upload my information."
"Jeez, is there anything you can't do?" Ethan asked, as Jackson walked over to Elm's side, and tapping away at his device.
"Where would I begin with that?" Jackson replied, connecting to the computer from his device, and downloading his info into the system. After a few minutes, all his info was in the computer, with one slight issue…
"We can't really just place in that you are from Mobius in this computer." Elm stated, "Maybe you should pick a place to originate from, and place in that."
"I can easily hack in and make my home from somewhere around here." Jackson stated, accessing the areas around the place known as the Johto region. He randomized the locations, and it landed in a place known as Ecruteak City. "And done." Jackson finished, disconnecting himself from the computer.
"I can't say that was totally legal, but it will due." Elm stated, deciding to let it slide, consider Jackson's situation, "Now that you are legitimate citizen, I can get you set up with your Pokémon."
"Alright! You're gonna get your first Pokémon like us!" Ethan cheered, "Let's go get your first Pokémon. Cyndaquil, you ready to go?" His fire mouse wandered over to him, now done with his meal. Ethan dug into his pocket, and pulled out a ball that was red and white, with a button in the front of it. "Let's take a rest." He told his partner, and a stagnating red beam shot out from the button, connected with Cyndaquil, turned it into the same energy, and was pulled into the ball.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jackson exclaimed, witnessing such a scene, "What the hell was that?!"
"Oh, that?" Kris asked, "That's just a Pokéball. It's how we carry around Pokémon with us wherever we go."
"A Pokéball?" Jackson asked, looking at the device, before Kris pulled out one of her own, pressing the button to open it up. Jackson went and looked at the tech inside the ball.
"Pokéballs are capsule devices that are used to carry around Pokémon." Elm explain, "You can call them out if you need them, or you can pull them back in whenever they are not needed to be out."
"Isn't it uncomfortable to be inside those things?" Jackson asked, examining the ball with his own hands.
"Our experts in making all sorts of Pokéballs will tell you that they are spacious and comfortable for any Pokémon." Elm assured him, "Plus, if you want to call them out, you do this. Ethan?"
He addressed the trainer in question, who nodded in understanding, and tossed out Cyndaquil's Pokéball, shouting, "Come on out!" The capsule opened up, and in a white light, Cyndaquil reappeared again. It cooed in response to its appearance, and Ethan crouched down, petting his partner as he stated, "See? He's doing okay."
"Okay…" Jackson stated, looking fascinated by the device, but also worried. Not about the Pokémon, but of the fact that if Dr. Eggman had ahold of this kind of technology, it would not be good for Sonic and the others.
"Let's go down, now." Elm told the three kids, who nodded in understanding. Ethan and Kris returned their Pokémon to their balls, Jackson still wondering about the tech, before going downstairs with Elm.
They went down to the main lab, where a couple of the lab assistants were waiting. One was black-haired girl with long hair tied in a ponytail, while the other was a young man with blonde short hair.
"Since Kris and I recently got our Pokémon, that means the third one would be yours." Ethan stated, "Um…what was the last one?"
"If I got Totodile, and you got Cyndaquil, that just leaves the Grass-type starter, Chikorita." Kris answered.
"Grass-type?" Jackson echoed, looking confused.
"Yeah. Every Pokémon has a type or a pair of types that they are." Kris answered, "For starters, my Totodile is a Water-type, while Ethan's Cyndaquil is a Fire-type."
"Not only that, but Pokémon types can also have an advantage or disadvantage against other types." Ethan explained, "For example, a Water-type like Totodile has an advantage over my Cyndaquil and its' Fire-type. Despite that, I still think types aren't everything. There is also strategy."
Jackson looked down, thinking. Pokémon were a fascinating species. If he could learn more about them, and maybe be a great Trainer, to boot, he might improve his own way of fighting, and learn to become a hero in a different way. He wanted to become a hero again, after all. But first, he needed to relearn all that he lost from his past experience. But more than anything, he needed to find joy again.
"We had a problem while you were gone, Professor." The female assistant told Elm.
"What kind of problem?" Elm asked.
"Someone broke into our lab, and stole the last Pokémon we had saved up." The male assistant explained.
This drew shock from the four as Elm exclaimed, "Someone stole the Chikorita?! But I was planning to give it to this young man! How did it get stolen?!"
"We weren't sure. We didn't tell any of the others about this as of yet, as it only recently happened." The male assistant stated, pulling out a tablet, "However, what we do know from this brief footage we got." He showed the video to Elm, who noticed someone dart in and out quickly, wearing a black hoodie that made it hard to see the person's face. The only thing he could see was a bit of red hair that stuck out.
"We are still cleaning the footage, but we'll get a better image on the person, soon." The female assistant assured him.
"Poor Chikorita, though…" Kris sadly stated.
"Whoever stole that Pokémon, they are gonna answer to me so I can get it back!" Ethan growled, cracking his knuckles.
"We'll leave it to the authorities to search for him." Elm told Ethan, "For now, I don't know if we have any Pokémon available to give Jackson." The young man looked sad at this. Did he really have to wait to get his first Pokémon?
"Actually, sir, we do have that one other Pokémon." the male assistant spoke up, "It's the one you got in researching evolutions?"
"Oh, yeah…" Elm stated, "And I went through so much work to get it specifically for my research."
"If you need it for research, I don't mind not getting it." Jackson assured him, "I can still wait…"
Elm took a moment to look at Jackson, before sighing as he stated, "No, it might be better if you take it. Besides, I can always get another." He turned to his assistant as he ordered, "Bring it here for this young man."
"Yes, sir." They answered simultaneously, walking to a corner area, where they begun getting the Pokémon.
"Are you sure?" Jackson asked, "You don't have to do so much for me."
"For someone who has never seen a Pokémon like you, I am fine with letting one go for you to start learning about Pokémon immediately. Maybe you with this Pokémon might give us the results I need for research."
Moments later, the two assistants came back, the male holding out a Pokéball for Jackson, who took it, and looked at it. "Inside there is a very special Pokémon called an Eevee." Elm explained.
"Eevee?!" Kris gasped, "That's a very special Pokémon that can evolve into so many different things!"
"Evolve?" Jackson echoed, looking back at her, "Pokémon can evolve?"
"Yes. But that's a loaded subject, in itself." Kris answered, "Tell you what. I know of a great book about Pokémon that can help you learn about the basics. We can head to the library after this."
"Sounds good." Jackson answered, looking at the Pokéball, "So do I just toss the ball like Ethan did and call out the Pokémon?"
"That's pretty much the way it is done." Elm answered, "Go on, give it a try."
Jackson nodded in understanding, and gently tossed the ball up as he called out, "Eevee, come out!" The ball opened, and in a white light, out came what looked like a brown fox-like creature with a tan fluffy collar and tan coloring on the tip of its tail.
"So this is an Eevee?" Jackson asked, crouching down to look at it.
"Ee-ve-ve-vee!" The creature greeted Jackson, walking up to him, and sitting in front of him.
"It's so cute!" Kris swooned.
Jackson grabbed Eevee around the waist and held it up, looking into its eyes. It looked back, tilting its head as it looked curiously at him, before squirming out of his hands and leaping on arm, before leaping to his shoulder. Jackson was startled at how skillfully balanced it was, and stayed perfectly still as it sniffed his cheek, before licking him. He was surprised at the lick, before feeling it rub its head on his cheek, looking quite affectionate.
"It seems to have taken a liking to you, Jackson." Ethan stated.
"Indeed. I rarely see a Pokémon become so affectionate to their brand new trainer for the first time." Elm stated to Jackson, "She must see something special in you."
"Wait, she?" Jackson asked, looking to Eevee on his shoulder, "So this one is a girl?"
"Yep. Pokémon can have genders, like us people." Elm answered, "Though there are some Pokémon that are only one gender, while others have no gender at all."
Jackson rubbed the head of the Eevee before looking to Kris as he stated, "You know, that book might sound like a good idea to read."
"I'll definitely take you there after this." Kris assured him.
"Before you take him to the bookstore, I have one last set of things to give you." Elm to Jackson, wandering back to one of his stations, grabbing things from it, and walking over to Jackson. In his hands were five small versions of the Pokéballs, and a green rectangular device with a blue holographic screen in the middle of it.
"These Pokéballs are for you to have for your journey." Elm explained, taking one, touching the button on it, and it expanded to the normal size, "You just do this to expand the Pokéball and toss it at the Pokémon you want to get. And this…" He hands Jackson the other device in his hand, "…Is a Pokédex. It contains all the current information on all Pokémon. This particular was imported to me by a Professor from the Kalos region, with all the information he has added in."
"Another region?" Jackson asked, as he took the dex, looking at it.
"Point it to Eevee so you get the info on her." Kris told him. Jackson nodded, directing the device to Eevee. It reacted by expanding vertically, making the holographic screen bigger, and showing a picture of Eevee to Jackson.
"Eevee. The Evolution Pokémon." The Pokédex spoke up in a female voice, "Thanks to its unstable genetic makeup, this special Pokémon conceals many different possible evolutions."
"Amazing…" Jackson muttered, "So this dex has all sorts of info on Pokémon? I might need to hack into it and download the information onto my handheld."
"Just be careful. That Pokédex now has all your personal information that is used to register you to all sorts of things." Professor Elm warned Jackson.
"That won't be a problem." Jackson answered, pocketing the dex and the Pokéballs in his pockets.
"Now that you are all set, you should really get yourself all set for your journey." Ethan told Jackson, looking at his knapsack, "We should probably start with that bag of yours."
"You mean like your guys' backpacks?" Jackson asked, looking at the said things Kris and Ethan own, "No offense, but I am not sure if I can carry all my stuff in those."
"The backpacks are a lot larger than you realize." Kris explained, as Ethan dug into his bag and pulled out a fold-up bicycle that was clearly larger than how the bag looked from the outside.
"Just another bit of technology from our world." Ethan stated.
"Man, this world is nuts!" Jackson exclaimed, shocked at the new info.
Evening had come, and Jackson was in a rental room in a place called a Pokémon Center, a place to restore Pokémon when they are injured, and a place that was basically a rest stop for people on their adventures. Jackson had Kris and Ethan guide him all around town and the city parts, gathering gear and information for him. He was looking at his new shoulder backpack, which was black and green, containing everything from his knapsack, plus all that he gathered from shopping.
"Good thing there was a currency exchange in town." Jackson muttered, looking through one of the new books Kris recommended, which was titled, 'A Beginner's Guide to the Pokémon World.', "I wasn't sure if those gold rings would work here, but apparently they were quite helpful in getting me a lot of spending money for my journey." By gold rings, he meant the rings that were an uncommon currency in his world. They were pretty natural, while this world considered them extremely well-crafted and pricey.
He looked to his side, and saw Eevee curled up on the bed, semi-asleep. He smiled at her, petting her head. She opened one eye up, saying, "Eevee…" with such a content expression. "You are a rather cute Pokémon." Jackson stated, "I am so new to all of this. I hope you are patient with me."
He looked back at his book, flipping through to the next page, which spoke about evolutions. After reading through it, he noted Eevee was a very special case, as it could evolve into multiple forms, eight known forms, to be exact.
"A Pokémon can evolve and become better than what it was before." Jackson muttered, looking up into the ceiling, "I wonder if I can do the same?"
"Eevee?" His new partner looked up at him with curiosity.
"Oh, not like evolve like what this book says." Jackson responded, guessing on what she asked, "I mean evolve emotionally. I… I need to find a way to become a better person than what I was before. I have to… in order to become a hero again."
He closed his book, packed it away, and turned off the lights. He then got out of his traveling clothes, going into a short-sleeve with shorts, as he crawled into bed next to Eevee. "Perhaps this adventure in this world can help me. I hope you do the same, Eevee." His partner curled up next to him, and fell asleep. Jackson smiled weakly at her, before drowsiness took over him, and he fell asleep.
While he was able to get some sleep, the nightmares still plagued him. He past was a haunting memory for him, and he wished that someday, he would overcome those nightmares, with help from this new world of Pokémon.
(Insert 'Never Give Up' By SONAR POCKET)
Instrumental Opening
(Jackson stands at the top of a cliff, looking out into the vast landscape of the Johto region. He turns to the camera with surprise, grins, then draws his sword and swipes it across the screen, transitioning to white with the logo appearing.)
What tough heart! Once I decided that I'd keep up the fight
My road has never stopped unraveling
(Camera circles around Jackson as he runs along an open-plain path with his Eevee, who after a couple seconds, leaps onto his shoulder as he activates his Extreme Gear and shoots even faster onto the path.)
Carrying a small bit of pride
With my fists clenched
(The screen shows a brief image of Professor Elm, dropping papers from his clipboard, and smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. It shifts to a visual of Kris, Ethan, and their starters, with Ethan punching his fist forward, while Kris spun around with her arms out wide.)
I aim for the goal again step by step
Racing towards it with all my might!
(The screen shifts to Sonic & Tails, the former giving a thumbs up, while the latter waved his hands above eagerly. The screen shifts to Cypher, who glared at the screen with a Pokéball held close to his face.)
Sometimes it'll be a bad day
Where nothing goes the way I want it to
But even if the sky blurs through my tears
(Jackson is sitting by a campfire, his expression full of emotional pain as shadows of his past with red eyes creeped all around him. He curled himself into a ball as the shadow of his father appeared over his head.)
I'm sure my smiles will come back tomorrow
So it's okay!
(Shadows started getting blown away one large piece at a time, until light broke out around Jackson, who looked up to see his Pokémon all standing there, protecting him from his trauma.)
There's nothing out there to fear
I'll keep believing that 'I'm strong'
And get going!
(Silhouettes of the Gym Leaders appeared as the screen scrolled upwards through a gold, silver, and crystal colors behind them. It shifts to the emblem of Team Rocket, with darkened faces of grunts, with the four admins in front, holding their Pokéballs. Jackson readies his blade, as he tosses a Pokéball forward, which opens up and blinds the screen in a white light.)
'With you around, there's nothing to worry about now'
I felt as if the sky was saying that to me with a laugh
(Eevee leapt forward, unleashing a Swift attack from her tail, with Ledyba flying next to her, using his own Swift to join her's. Oshawott and Sneasel shoot through the Swift attack, unleash double Night Slash, slicing the stars, before dismissing their blades, and Oshawott angrily looking at the calm and collected Sneasel.)
With the sweat and tears I build up
I'm sure I'll come out dazzling
(Cyndaquil turns to face the Team Rocket logo, before unleashing his Flamethrower. Cyndaquil sighed in relief as Scyther flew over him, before slashing with his mantis claws like a swordsman.)
Even if I end up feeling anxious after it all
As long as I believe I can do it
(An Aeroblast and Sacred Fire came from the sky, shooting down at Jackson's team, but Jackson stepped in and unleashed several sword beams, countering the attacks and making them explode. He and his team endured the shockwaves and smoke from the explosion, before looking up into the distance, and saw the silhouettes of the Tower Duo flying over the two towers that represented each.)
These footsteps have taught me to
Always
Never Give Up!
(Jackson's Pokémon come to his side as he looked to them, before grinning eagerly, and the group leapt up into the air, taking on the new threat and the new adventure. The screen goes white before showing Jackson standing with his sword stabbed into the ground, his Pokémon companions surrounding him.)