Pocket Monsters: New Horizon
By Seraphilim
Author's Notes: I never thought I'd write a Pokemon story a year or so ago. But, well, I recently read the Pokemon Adventures manga, and that revived my interest in this game/anime/manga series.
So, here we go!
Disclaimer: The original use of the characters in this story belong to the creators of Pokemon; the original idea of the characters Red, Blue, Green and Yellow belong to… well, not me.
Chapter One: Setting Off For Adventure
"Jeez… It's so boring now."
The words pierced the cold morning air as the young teenaged boy stood at the door of his home. He was around fourteen years of age, and quite tall. His black hair was cut very short, almost a buzz-cut. His hazel eyes looked around lazily, as he sighed again. Placing one hand in a pocket on his blue jeans, he looked over his shoulder and called out, "I'm going out for a walk, Mom! Be back in a bit!"
His mother's voice was quick in response, "All right, Ryan! Be careful!"
Her words weren't just the worries of a mother about her child; the wilderness around the town of Pallet was chock full of wild Pokemon. If one wasn't careful…
"I'll be careful, Mom!" Ryan called out as he closed the door and walked off. He was quite unlike most kids; four years ago, Ryan had turned down the chance of being a Pokemon trainer and going on the journey many children looked forward to with much anticipation. In those four years, while Ryan lived his life in small Pallet Town, the other children each left on their journeys. The last ones to leave were two boys, Ash and Gary, only a few months ago.
Once they had left, Ryan was alone. Occasionally one of the other kids would come back to visit, but the only one who stayed was himself.
He somewhat regretted not taking the chance of adventure; especially since it was probably the better option now. But, he was too old to undertake the journey; when a child turned the age of ten was the time. Ryan was four years overdue, and he was accustomed to life now.
As he left the outskirts of the tiny town, Ryan looked up at the sky. "I wonder what a Pokemon journey is like, anyways? The Professor talks about it a lot." While Ryan stayed home, he wasn't simply lying around all day like a Slowbro or anything. He helped Professor Oak, the resident Pokemon expert, in his lab with stuff like organizing research and so on. It was a good enough way to kill boredom, and Ryan did learn some interesting things about the creatures called Pokemon.
Walking the beaten path connecting Pallet and the nearby city of Viridian, Ryan didn't see anyone else traveling the route. Normally there would be someone on a errand, or perhaps a trainer. Today he was alone. Again.
He neared a small grove of trees, where Pidgeys and other bird Pokemon would sometimes build nests. He entered the grove, and enjoyed the shade from the burning sun; it was nearing summer, after all.
Leaning against one of the trees, Ryan wondered what some of his friends were doing now on their journeys. "Probably having more fun than I am…" he muttered. "I wish Yumi was here…"
Yumi was Ryan's closest friend, even though she was two years older than he. She had left six years ago on her Pokemon journey, and would stay in contact constantly. At least, she did until a little over two years ago, when she suddenly wasn't heard from again. All attempts to find her were in vain. And Yumi didn't have family - her mother died at childbirth and her father had also disappeared, much like his daughter, eight years ago – so there was no one really to tell.
As he was lost in thought, Ryan suddenly heard a sound nearby. The sound was almost like whimpering…
Moving over towards the sound, Ryan wondered what it was. "Sounds almost like a Pokemon…? Maybe it's hurt."
The sound was coming from behind a bush, so Ryan reached out to push back the fronds of the plant. The sight surprised him. It was a Pokemon, obviously, but it was one he'd never seen, even after reading through the files Professor Oak had in his lab. This Pokemon looked slightly like a white Charmander, although without the orange skin or the flame on the tip of the tail. 'Actually, it looks more like a Dratini with arms and legs, maybe…?' thought Ryan as he came near the whimpering creature. Another difference he immediately noticed was that it had two white wings folded on its back. Could this be a totally new Pokemon?
Ignoring the questions running in his mind, Ryan looked closely at the white Pokemon. It didn't look wounded at all, but it was definitely exhausted, and maybe hungry too.
"Poor thing. Why are you out here alone?" he said quietly as he reached out to gently brush his hand against it's skin. The Pokemon flinched slightly at his touch, but slowly calmed as he stroked it's back. Hoping it wouldn't bite him or anything, he scooped the animal up slowly in his arms.
"The Professor might know something. If anything, we need to get you some help, little guy."
The Pokemon let out a weak, yet somewhat indignant, reply. Blinking, it only took Ryan a second to realize, "Oh, you're a girl! Sorry about that."
With that said, he ran out of the grove, and headed back towards Pallet.
---
"Well, I'll be. Ryan, this is an incredible find! This Pokemon isn't listed in any known database. And to think that we thought there were only one hundred and fifty known species…"
As Oak continued to rant about the "incredible find," Ryan sat on a stool in the small Pokemon care room. The white Pokemon was currently sleeping on the examination table in the middle of the room.
"Professor, will she be all right?"
Oak stopped and turned to look seriously at Ryan. He nodded. "Yes, she'll be fine. This mostly a case of extreme exhaustion and hunger. Quite odd, if this is a wild Pokemon."
"You think a trainer abandoned her?"
Oak stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's possible, but I doubt even a cold-hearted trainer would abandon such a rare Pokemon…"
A moment of silence passed, and Ryan spoke again. "So, what do we do now?"
Oak closed his eyes in thought. "Hmmm… I've already recorded what I've found into the database, but…"
He cracked open one eye to peer at Ryan, who hadn't taken his eyes off of the mysterious Pokemon. With a mischievous grin, Oak said, "You'd like to do it, wouldn't you?"
Eyes wide in surprise, Ryan looked up at the professor. "To do what…?"
Grinning widely, Oak answered, "To embark on a Pokemon journey! I've seen your face lately; you're bored to death of sitting around here in this quiet town. I'm guessing you regret not taking the chance four years ago, eh?"
"Well, actually…"
Oak walked over and patted Ryan on the back. "Don't worry, you're not too old! While it's almost tradition to start when you're ten, in reality you can start whenever you want! Now the thing is, we don't know ANYTHING about our little Pokemon here. If you decide to go on the journey, my request would be to take her with you, and learn about what she is. Would you do that for me?"
This was it. The chance to do what he had missed out on. The chance to make up for four years of lost time. Surging up from his chair, Ryan's eyes sparkled with joy.
"I'll do it!"
---
Later that day…
---
It hadn't taken very long to ask for permission from Ryan's mother. After hearing that he was going out on the Pokemon journey, she had been almost TOO happy to help him pack; heck, she'd literally pushed him out the door with the words "It TOOK you LONG enough!"
At Oak's lab, the professor gave Ryan two things; a set of five Pokeballs and an item he'd only given to four previous individuals: a Pokedex.
"Use the Pokedex to record anything you can about this Pokemon, all right? You can either come back here or connect via a computer to my own to upload the information."
As Oak gave him the last minute advice, Ryan adjusted the backpack he carried. Reaching up, he made sure the dark purple bandanna he had tied around his head was secure; strangely, the bandanna happened to be the same color as the Pokedex Oak had just given him.
"Now, if you need any help, you can either contact me or one of the other trainers who also holds a Pokedex. The Pokedex are color-coded, so when you want to use the Pokecomm feature, just press the colored button that corresponds to the color of the Pokedex you want to connect with. The Pokecomm is a built-in phone for the Pokedex, okay? The white button connects with my own. Oh, lately there have been a surge of thieves and other no-good people all over the place. Team Rocket, especially, you need to watch out for. When you're talking via the Pokecomm, make sure to only address the others by their color, and not by name. Team Rocket's been known to tap phone communications so they can find the identities of trainers carrying rare Pokemon. And you have one rare Pokemon indeed."
Through the entire lecture, Ryan simply nodded as he listened. Finally, Oak handed Ryan a sixth Pokeball; this one held within it the mystery Pokemon Ryan had discovered.
"On your journey, if you wish, you can challenge the Pokemon Gyms in the various towns and cities. If you collect enough badges, you can participate in the Pokemon League Tournaments. But, for now, don't push yourself or your Pokemon."
"Got it, Professor."
"Excellent! Now, good luck."
At that, Ryan turned and headed out of town the same way he had earlier that day. As he left town, he fingered the Pokeball that contained the mysterious Pokemon.
"Maybe… maybe I can still do this."
Upon reaching the grove where he had found the Pokemon, he stopped. Taking out the single inhabited Pokeball, he pressed the switch and tossed it to the ground. With a bright flash, the white Pokemon appeared out of the ball. This time she was fully alert and energized, her wide eyes blinking as she looked around. They finally focused on Ryan as he crouched down and held out a hand. Somewhat cautiously, the Pokemon walked towards him. As he didn't make any threatening movements, she finally came up to him and rubbed her head against his palm.
"So, what do I name you?"
As he thought it over, he look at the Pokemon's distinct features.
"Well, you resemble a dragon… and you have those white feathered wings like a swan or, maybe… an angel? Dragel…? Nah. That sounds kinda stupid."
Reaching out, Ryan picked up the Pokemon, and held her before him like one may hold a toddler. A sudden flash of intuition struck him.
"I know. I'll call you Sera, short for Seraphim: the six-winged angels. Do you like that name?"
To Ryan's surprise, the Pokemon nodded. 'She understands what I'm saying…?' he thought in wonder.
"Okay, then! Well, now that I've given you a name, Sera, I think I should tell you mine. I'm Ryan."
Sera smiled cutely at him, her eyes squeezed shut as she purred like a cat. Standing as he held Sera closer, Ryan walked over to the Pokeball on the ground.
"Well, let's get you back in your ball…"
At that, Sera gave a yelp and began to squirm in his arms. Stopping, Ryan looked down at her.
"You don't want to go back in?"
Sera shook her head. Ryan gave a little smile to calm any worries she might have.
"Well… all right. But I can't carry you all the time, so…"
Bending down, he placed her on the ground. As she sat there, he walked over to the Pokeball and picked it up. Reaching back, he inserted it into one of the small pouches on the belt made to carry Pokeballs that he now wore.
"All right, then, let's go!"
With that said, the trainer and his new Pokemon walked off down the road. Their first stop was in Viridian City.
---
Chapter One End
By Seraphilim
Author's Notes: I never thought I'd write a Pokemon story a year or so ago. But, well, I recently read the Pokemon Adventures manga, and that revived my interest in this game/anime/manga series.
So, here we go!
Disclaimer: The original use of the characters in this story belong to the creators of Pokemon; the original idea of the characters Red, Blue, Green and Yellow belong to… well, not me.
Chapter One: Setting Off For Adventure
"Jeez… It's so boring now."
The words pierced the cold morning air as the young teenaged boy stood at the door of his home. He was around fourteen years of age, and quite tall. His black hair was cut very short, almost a buzz-cut. His hazel eyes looked around lazily, as he sighed again. Placing one hand in a pocket on his blue jeans, he looked over his shoulder and called out, "I'm going out for a walk, Mom! Be back in a bit!"
His mother's voice was quick in response, "All right, Ryan! Be careful!"
Her words weren't just the worries of a mother about her child; the wilderness around the town of Pallet was chock full of wild Pokemon. If one wasn't careful…
"I'll be careful, Mom!" Ryan called out as he closed the door and walked off. He was quite unlike most kids; four years ago, Ryan had turned down the chance of being a Pokemon trainer and going on the journey many children looked forward to with much anticipation. In those four years, while Ryan lived his life in small Pallet Town, the other children each left on their journeys. The last ones to leave were two boys, Ash and Gary, only a few months ago.
Once they had left, Ryan was alone. Occasionally one of the other kids would come back to visit, but the only one who stayed was himself.
He somewhat regretted not taking the chance of adventure; especially since it was probably the better option now. But, he was too old to undertake the journey; when a child turned the age of ten was the time. Ryan was four years overdue, and he was accustomed to life now.
As he left the outskirts of the tiny town, Ryan looked up at the sky. "I wonder what a Pokemon journey is like, anyways? The Professor talks about it a lot." While Ryan stayed home, he wasn't simply lying around all day like a Slowbro or anything. He helped Professor Oak, the resident Pokemon expert, in his lab with stuff like organizing research and so on. It was a good enough way to kill boredom, and Ryan did learn some interesting things about the creatures called Pokemon.
Walking the beaten path connecting Pallet and the nearby city of Viridian, Ryan didn't see anyone else traveling the route. Normally there would be someone on a errand, or perhaps a trainer. Today he was alone. Again.
He neared a small grove of trees, where Pidgeys and other bird Pokemon would sometimes build nests. He entered the grove, and enjoyed the shade from the burning sun; it was nearing summer, after all.
Leaning against one of the trees, Ryan wondered what some of his friends were doing now on their journeys. "Probably having more fun than I am…" he muttered. "I wish Yumi was here…"
Yumi was Ryan's closest friend, even though she was two years older than he. She had left six years ago on her Pokemon journey, and would stay in contact constantly. At least, she did until a little over two years ago, when she suddenly wasn't heard from again. All attempts to find her were in vain. And Yumi didn't have family - her mother died at childbirth and her father had also disappeared, much like his daughter, eight years ago – so there was no one really to tell.
As he was lost in thought, Ryan suddenly heard a sound nearby. The sound was almost like whimpering…
Moving over towards the sound, Ryan wondered what it was. "Sounds almost like a Pokemon…? Maybe it's hurt."
The sound was coming from behind a bush, so Ryan reached out to push back the fronds of the plant. The sight surprised him. It was a Pokemon, obviously, but it was one he'd never seen, even after reading through the files Professor Oak had in his lab. This Pokemon looked slightly like a white Charmander, although without the orange skin or the flame on the tip of the tail. 'Actually, it looks more like a Dratini with arms and legs, maybe…?' thought Ryan as he came near the whimpering creature. Another difference he immediately noticed was that it had two white wings folded on its back. Could this be a totally new Pokemon?
Ignoring the questions running in his mind, Ryan looked closely at the white Pokemon. It didn't look wounded at all, but it was definitely exhausted, and maybe hungry too.
"Poor thing. Why are you out here alone?" he said quietly as he reached out to gently brush his hand against it's skin. The Pokemon flinched slightly at his touch, but slowly calmed as he stroked it's back. Hoping it wouldn't bite him or anything, he scooped the animal up slowly in his arms.
"The Professor might know something. If anything, we need to get you some help, little guy."
The Pokemon let out a weak, yet somewhat indignant, reply. Blinking, it only took Ryan a second to realize, "Oh, you're a girl! Sorry about that."
With that said, he ran out of the grove, and headed back towards Pallet.
---
"Well, I'll be. Ryan, this is an incredible find! This Pokemon isn't listed in any known database. And to think that we thought there were only one hundred and fifty known species…"
As Oak continued to rant about the "incredible find," Ryan sat on a stool in the small Pokemon care room. The white Pokemon was currently sleeping on the examination table in the middle of the room.
"Professor, will she be all right?"
Oak stopped and turned to look seriously at Ryan. He nodded. "Yes, she'll be fine. This mostly a case of extreme exhaustion and hunger. Quite odd, if this is a wild Pokemon."
"You think a trainer abandoned her?"
Oak stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's possible, but I doubt even a cold-hearted trainer would abandon such a rare Pokemon…"
A moment of silence passed, and Ryan spoke again. "So, what do we do now?"
Oak closed his eyes in thought. "Hmmm… I've already recorded what I've found into the database, but…"
He cracked open one eye to peer at Ryan, who hadn't taken his eyes off of the mysterious Pokemon. With a mischievous grin, Oak said, "You'd like to do it, wouldn't you?"
Eyes wide in surprise, Ryan looked up at the professor. "To do what…?"
Grinning widely, Oak answered, "To embark on a Pokemon journey! I've seen your face lately; you're bored to death of sitting around here in this quiet town. I'm guessing you regret not taking the chance four years ago, eh?"
"Well, actually…"
Oak walked over and patted Ryan on the back. "Don't worry, you're not too old! While it's almost tradition to start when you're ten, in reality you can start whenever you want! Now the thing is, we don't know ANYTHING about our little Pokemon here. If you decide to go on the journey, my request would be to take her with you, and learn about what she is. Would you do that for me?"
This was it. The chance to do what he had missed out on. The chance to make up for four years of lost time. Surging up from his chair, Ryan's eyes sparkled with joy.
"I'll do it!"
---
Later that day…
---
It hadn't taken very long to ask for permission from Ryan's mother. After hearing that he was going out on the Pokemon journey, she had been almost TOO happy to help him pack; heck, she'd literally pushed him out the door with the words "It TOOK you LONG enough!"
At Oak's lab, the professor gave Ryan two things; a set of five Pokeballs and an item he'd only given to four previous individuals: a Pokedex.
"Use the Pokedex to record anything you can about this Pokemon, all right? You can either come back here or connect via a computer to my own to upload the information."
As Oak gave him the last minute advice, Ryan adjusted the backpack he carried. Reaching up, he made sure the dark purple bandanna he had tied around his head was secure; strangely, the bandanna happened to be the same color as the Pokedex Oak had just given him.
"Now, if you need any help, you can either contact me or one of the other trainers who also holds a Pokedex. The Pokedex are color-coded, so when you want to use the Pokecomm feature, just press the colored button that corresponds to the color of the Pokedex you want to connect with. The Pokecomm is a built-in phone for the Pokedex, okay? The white button connects with my own. Oh, lately there have been a surge of thieves and other no-good people all over the place. Team Rocket, especially, you need to watch out for. When you're talking via the Pokecomm, make sure to only address the others by their color, and not by name. Team Rocket's been known to tap phone communications so they can find the identities of trainers carrying rare Pokemon. And you have one rare Pokemon indeed."
Through the entire lecture, Ryan simply nodded as he listened. Finally, Oak handed Ryan a sixth Pokeball; this one held within it the mystery Pokemon Ryan had discovered.
"On your journey, if you wish, you can challenge the Pokemon Gyms in the various towns and cities. If you collect enough badges, you can participate in the Pokemon League Tournaments. But, for now, don't push yourself or your Pokemon."
"Got it, Professor."
"Excellent! Now, good luck."
At that, Ryan turned and headed out of town the same way he had earlier that day. As he left town, he fingered the Pokeball that contained the mysterious Pokemon.
"Maybe… maybe I can still do this."
Upon reaching the grove where he had found the Pokemon, he stopped. Taking out the single inhabited Pokeball, he pressed the switch and tossed it to the ground. With a bright flash, the white Pokemon appeared out of the ball. This time she was fully alert and energized, her wide eyes blinking as she looked around. They finally focused on Ryan as he crouched down and held out a hand. Somewhat cautiously, the Pokemon walked towards him. As he didn't make any threatening movements, she finally came up to him and rubbed her head against his palm.
"So, what do I name you?"
As he thought it over, he look at the Pokemon's distinct features.
"Well, you resemble a dragon… and you have those white feathered wings like a swan or, maybe… an angel? Dragel…? Nah. That sounds kinda stupid."
Reaching out, Ryan picked up the Pokemon, and held her before him like one may hold a toddler. A sudden flash of intuition struck him.
"I know. I'll call you Sera, short for Seraphim: the six-winged angels. Do you like that name?"
To Ryan's surprise, the Pokemon nodded. 'She understands what I'm saying…?' he thought in wonder.
"Okay, then! Well, now that I've given you a name, Sera, I think I should tell you mine. I'm Ryan."
Sera smiled cutely at him, her eyes squeezed shut as she purred like a cat. Standing as he held Sera closer, Ryan walked over to the Pokeball on the ground.
"Well, let's get you back in your ball…"
At that, Sera gave a yelp and began to squirm in his arms. Stopping, Ryan looked down at her.
"You don't want to go back in?"
Sera shook her head. Ryan gave a little smile to calm any worries she might have.
"Well… all right. But I can't carry you all the time, so…"
Bending down, he placed her on the ground. As she sat there, he walked over to the Pokeball and picked it up. Reaching back, he inserted it into one of the small pouches on the belt made to carry Pokeballs that he now wore.
"All right, then, let's go!"
With that said, the trainer and his new Pokemon walked off down the road. Their first stop was in Viridian City.
---
Chapter One End