Hey there, guys! Guess who decided to come back from the dead to bring another chapter of this story?
I know it's been a while and with how the Pokemon series has been, I thought it was about time to come back here. Next month, hopefully, I can work on My Pokemon Academia since I updated Pokemon Clover, then this story.
Basically, I wanna get all my Pokemon stories freshened up before 2023.
But enough about next year, ONTO THE REVIEWS!
RHatch89: Thanks.
BanRedfox: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. It was more of a setup chapter for the gang, but I'm still glad we were able to get through it. As for the dark guild, let's just say they'll make things worse for everyone.
GracefulArt: Nice guesses with the eggs, though they will be revealed sooner than you think. And yeah, I do want the group to learn about the Creation Trio, as well as incorporating the Lake Trio arc from the anime.
Omniverse Nexus: Good suggestions, though I see one of the girls with Vulpix considering Ninetales is more graceful.
Guest: Fossil Pokemon will appear soon in this story.
To recap last chapter: Team Fairy Tail were given a tour of Sinnoh from Kevin and Dawn, who explained the concept of Pokemon Contests. Dawn took the girls shopping while Kevin took the guys around. A pie contest happened and Natsu, Gajeel and Gray all won a Pokemon Egg before they regrouped to watch the Pokemon Contest. After a few hours, Dawn came out victorious and Kevin offered the wizards a chance to be Pokemon Trainers. Elsewhere, Jellal and Meredy were able to meet up with Looker, who explained the dark guild Night Raid's involvement with smuggling Lacrima into Sinnon and an alliance was formed between the two groups.
What kind of Pokemon will the wizards get? And how will Looker and Crime Sorciere handle the dark guild? Time to find out…
"Well… what if you guys became Pokemon Trainers?" Kevin asked the Fairy Tail wizards with a big grin that threatened to split his face.
All the wizards, the Exceeds and even Dawn looked at him with wide eyes, not expecting such a question to be asked. They were sure he was going to ask them where they wanted to go to next, but to ask if they actually WANTED to be Pokemon Trainers like him and Dawn?
"SERIOUSLY?!" Natsu was the first to respond rather loudly, getting looks of surprise and annoyance from bystanders.
"Don't yell, you idiot!" Lucy quickly scolded him while giving everyone walking by an apologetic nod.
"Didn't you hear what he said? We get to have Pokemon!" Natsu told her with an excited tone.
"Kevin, what are you doing?" Dawn couldn't help but ask her childhood friend. He quickly gave the Fairy Tail group a 'give us a minute' hand gesture before he and Dawn huddled like they were on a football team.
"Well, I was thinking that maybe our friends here would like to get their own Pokemon and compete in the Pokemon League." Kevin answered like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yeah, but they're kind of past the age limit, aren't they?" Dawn whispered to Kevin.
"I mean… you're right. But it's FAIRY TAIL. THE Fairy Tail. The same magic guild whose posters you have littered all around your room." Kevin explained, grinning cheekily as he saw Dawn blush heavily.
"Hmm." Gajeel let out a small snicker, something Levy caught.
"What is it?" Levy asked him curiously.
"Just finding out something new." Was all Gajeel told her, his smirk still on his face. Levy stared at him for a minute before shrugging.
"Plus, I bet grandpa would be okay with this. He is a Fairy Tail fan too." Kevin told Dawn, who still looked reluctant. "Look, this is the best way for them to learn more about Pokemon. I know you know I'm right."
Dawn hated to agree, but Kevin did have a point. She and him were more than willing to be Fairy Tail's guide through the Sinnoh Region, yet it was much better to become a Pokemon trainer to learn firsthand how Gym battles and Contests functioned. And… she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to see people like Mirajane or Erza compete in Contests with both their Pokemon AND magic.
"Well… I guess if professor Rowan is okay with it." Dawn finally relented with a sigh before she gave him a look. "But YOU have to convince him."
"Still scared around him even after all these years? Man, you really haven't grown up mentally after all this time, have you, Dawny?" Kevin teasingly told her, making her puff her cheeks before shoving him with her shoulder. The two eventually ended their huddle and went back wit the Fairy Tail mages. "Anyways, I know someone who can help you guys get started as Pokemon trainers."
"But didn't you say there was an age limit?" Wendy asked, her heightened hearing picking up those words.
"Technically, you could start your journey at the age of ten, like we did." Dawn answered while gesturing to herself and Kevin. "But I'm sure the professor can make an exception."
"Professor? Are we going to a school?" Mirajane questioned in confusion.
"No no. Not that kind of professor, though technically, there ARE Pokemon schools that kids go to." Kevin explained before shaking his head a bit to get back on track. "The Pokemon professor is someone who helps a trainer start their journey. Most of the time, they research Pokemon in hopes of learning something new, but their primary job is to get someone started on their journey. To do that, they give them the following." He reached into his belt and took out a Pokeball. "First: they must choose one of the three starter Pokemon to be their companion." He then took out his Pokedex. "After that, the professor gives the trainer their Pokedex to scan Pokemon in hopes of expanding their knowledge."
"So basically, the professor uses Pokemon trainers for their research? That sounds kind of morbid." Gray confessed with a frown.
"I mean… you're not wrong. But the starter Pokemon are strong enough to protect themselves and their trainer, so there's no need to worry." Kevin reassured him. "There's also a few Pokeballs, some medicine for the Pokemon. Pretty much the bare essentials. After that, the professor sends off the new trainers in order to start their journey."
"I see. That sounds amazing." Lucy said with a smile. "But how many professors are in the Crystal Empire? A hundred? Two hundred?"
"Well…" Dawn scratched her cheek with a nervous smile. "Actually… there's only one professor per Region and since there are currently seven…"
"There are seven Pokemon professors overall? That's a rather low number, wouldn't you say?" Erza questioned with her arms crossed.
"I'm honestly not sure why they do that. Maybe it's the budget or a ranking system, but that's how things are." Kevin shrugged without a care in the world. "But lucky for all of you, me and Dawn are especially close to the professor of the Sinnoh region, so we can help you guys get started as Pokemon trainers. But that's up to you. If you really just wanna be tourists and just spend a little bit of time here, then that's fine. But… if you decide to take up my offer, then you'll have the time of your life."
"We'll give you guys a minute to decide." Dawn spoke up before she grabbed Kevin's arm. "Come on. You're buying me an ice cream."
"Say what? You buy your own ice cream…" Kevin muttered as he was dragged away from the group.
"Let's do it!" Natsu was the first to tell the group with an excited tone. "What's there to even talk about?"
"I mean it does sound like fun and they do know the professor. Plus, I'd love to be in a contest." Lucy added, smiling fondly as she recalled the beautiful performances she and the others had seen hours before.
"We aren't doing much right now. And seeing more Pokemon around would be pretty cool." Gray admitted with a small smirk before he looked over to Juvia. "What do you think?"
'Being a Pokemon trainer would definitely be fun. And being in contests would show just how amazing I am.' Juvia thought before a blush grew on her face. 'My darling Gray could congratulate me for winning… and he'd want to give me a reward… just me and himmmmmm…'
"I don't think she's listening." Pantherlily bluntly spoke up as he and the others noticed Juvia swaying her hips left and right, a goofy smile on her face.
"Being a Pokemon trainer, fighting strong people… sign me up." Gajeel grinned cockily.
"I'd love to learn more about Pokemon. Maybe I can even write a journal on it for everyone back home." Levy chimed in with a smile.
"Having a Pokemon would be amazing! Wouldn't you say, Carla?" Wendy asked her fellow Exceed with a big smile.
"As long as they aren't brutes, I supposed traveling around Sinnoh would be fun and educational." Carla agreed while sporting a small smile.
"Let's do it, sis! I wanna try out the Pokemon contest too!" Lisanna asked her older sister, who returned her smile.
"Only if I can catch some cute Pokemon." Mirajane responded as the two giggled.
"Why not? It could be a good way to spend." Cana put in her own two cents with a smirk. 'Who knows? Maybe I'll find someone handsome while I'm at it.'
"If Natsu's in, then I'm in!" Romeo called out. "Maybe I can find a strong Pokemon like Kevin."
"Then it's unanimous." Erza was the last to speak with her own small smile. Though she didn't express it outwardly, even Erza was interested in becoming a Pokemon trainer, especially if she could battle other strong people.
It didn't take long for Kevin and Dawn to return to the group, with the former sporting a dejected frown while the latter happily licked a mint chocolate chip ice cream.
"You cheated. I swear you did." Kevin muttered while glaring at Dawn.
"Fairy beats dragon. You lost fair and square." Dawn teasingly told him while sticking her tongue out. She and Kevin then noticed the mages looking at them, making her raise a brow. "So, what do you guys say? Will you be Pokemon trainers?"
"If you're willing to introduce us to the Professor, then yes. We'd be more than honored to become Pokemon trainers." Erza informed the two natives of Sinnoh as everyone else nodded in agreement. Kevin and Dawn both sported big smiles on their faces, though they kind of knew the answer given how the Fairy Tail group reacted to seeing different types of Pokemon.
"Okay then. Our next stop: Sandgem Town!"
'Evening'
Nighttime had fallen on Akayo Town, though that didn't mean the streets were empty. There were several citizens walking around, shopping for any essentials or simply enjoying the cool night air.
However, one of the people not enjoying the breeze was Jellal Fernandez, who was currently sitting at a desk inside one of the temporary rooms Looker had provided him and Meredy. While it wasn't anything too fancy or elegant, it was still better than simply camping out and making sure no one found them.
Then again… they weren't criminals in the Crystal Empire, so if anyone did find them, it wouldn't be as much of an issue. Not to mention since there was four rooms in total, they could each sleep in one to get privacy.
"Night Raiders… how they were able to smuggle so many Lacrima is beyond me." Jellal muttered to himself as he continued to read the files Looker had given him. "And why would team Galactic want it for? Lacrima is finite magic energy, so they wouldn't be able to use it for something massive… or could they?"
*Knock*Knock*
"It's open." Jellal spoke up without looking away from the files. The door opened, revealing Looker in simply light green pajamas. In his hands was a metal tray with two mugs of warm milk.
"Am I interrupting you?" Looker asked while noticing what Jellal was reading.
"Not at all. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to read up on team Galactic and the Night Raiders." Jellal answered, this time looking up at Looker. "You?"
"Takes a lot for me to fall asleep. Whenever I have trouble sleeping, I drink a cup of warm Moomoo milk. It eases up the nerves and gives you good dreams." Looker explained before he walked over to Jellal, offering him a mug. "I made two. I was gonna offer Meredy some, but it sounds like she's already asleep."
"Thank you." Jellal took one of the mugs and looked at the white liquid inside. "Moomoo milk, huh? Is that something exclusive to Sinnoh?"
"Hehehe. No no. It's not like that." Looker chuckled before he sat on Jellal's bed, putting the mug next to him while grabbing his own mug. "Moomoo milk is milk produced by a Pokemon named Miltank. It got so popular that farmers sell it Region wide."
"Interesting. The Crystal Empire certainly has some surprises." Jellal admitted as he took a sip of his milk, surprised by the rich flavor. "It's delicious."
"My mother would always give me this whenever I went to bed. Those were the good days." Looker reminisced softly before he drank his own milk, letting out a sigh of relief. "So, penny for your thoughts?"
"Penny?" Jellal asked in confusion.
"Sorry. It's a saying here in the Crystal Empire. I'm asking how you are feeling?" Looker explained before he leaned in, a critical eye focused on Jellal. "You seem really focused on this case."
"Considering what you told us, it's normal for me to be serious about it." Jellal answered, getting a raised brow from Looker. "What is it?"
"I have a question I've been meaning to ask you." Looker admitted, getting Jellal's full attention. "You hunt dark guilds and run from the law, yet your eyes say something else."
"And what do they say, Looker?" Jellal questioned, now giving Looker a glare. He didn't like what Looker was saying, so he had to be defensive.
"Tell me the truth, Jellal. Why are you doing this? And don't say 'for justice,' because I'm not that gullible." Looker told him as he narrowed his eyes. The two simply stared at each other, waiting for the other to submit. For Jellal, he couldn't help but admire how devoted Looker was to getting intel. He had the eyes of someone who had seen a lot in his life, much like his own after he finally regained his memories.
Maybe… maybe Looker was someone he could trust.
After a minute of glaring at each other, Jellal finally sighed, leaning back against his chair.
"Redemption." Jellal said simply, though judging from the tone of his voice, it had a lot of weight to it. "A few years ago… I was… corrupted into doing something that cost the lives of so many people, including a man I considered a grandfather. To make matters worse… I hurt the woman I love and killed a friend in front of her, all while smiling." Looker didn't speak up, only listening to Jellal's tale. "I was eventually freed, but the memories of the things I did still haunt me. After that, I wanted to spend the rest of my life behind bars, atoning for my sins. But even that was just an excuse to suffer. So, I decided to leave my prison and dedicate my life to stopping evil wizards without the restraint of the government." Jellal looked at his hand for a moment before he clenched it. "There is still someone who thinks I'm destroying myself, but my suffering is a small price to pay for the pain I caused her and the others."
"... I see." Looker finally spoke up before he put his mug back on the tray, putting his hands together as he stared at Jellal. "Jellal, I can understand that you might have some skeletons in your closet and that you don't think your life is worth anything. But each of us is worth more than the worst thing we've ever done." He looked down for a moment and frowned. "I… did things I wasn't proud of before. But instead of wanting to die or go to prison, I decided to do something with my life that would ensure no one would suffer like me. But at the same time, I didn't let that guilt ruin my life because in the end, I'm human. I deserve to live just as much as the next man while carrying that guilt with me." Standing up from the bed, Looker walked up to Jellal and put a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, your guilt doesn't just affect your life like that friend you told me about… and Meredy."
Hearing the name of his only other comrade, Jellal's eyes widened. Looker was right: just cause he was trying to redeem himself for all the things he did in the Tower of Heaven didn't mean he had to drag Meredy to his level. He knew of the life Meredy lived when Ultear rescued her, and he did make a promise to Ultear to watch over her. But she was still young even after all these years, so she had to find some way of enjoying life that didn't involve just Crime Sorciere.
"Thank you… Looker." Jellal finally told the investigator, a small genuine smile growing on his face. "I suppose I never looked at it that way. You're right: I should try and enjoy life as much as I can. And it goes double for Meredy."
"Glad to hear that." Looker replied with his own smile as he patted Jellal on the shoulder. Soon, however, a thought crossed his mind. "You know… since you two are going to be with me for a while, you might want to try and blend in better."
"Like wearing a disguise? Because no offense, I can't exactly change my voice to sound like an old woman." Jellal said with a joking tone, earning a laugh from Looker.
"Not that. It's just that magic isn't as normal here as it is in Fiore. If you tried using your spells freely, you might draw some unwanted attention, which would risk exposing ourselves to team Galactic and the Night Raiders." Looker explained thoroughly. Jellal could understand his concerns, though he was curious where Looker was going with this. "That said, there IS something here that Fiore doesn't have. And it is rather normal to see it, or rather… THEM."
"Them?" It took Jellal a few seconds before he realized what he meant. "You mean Pokemon?"
"Tomorrow, let's go visit someone who can get you two Pokemon. I'm sure Meredy would love that idea." Was all Looker told Jellal, still sporting his smile.
'Route 201, the next morning'
Unlike Fiore or the other kingdoms in Earthland, the Crystal Empire and its differing Regions had routes numbered so it would make it much easier for those traveling to know where they were going.
Not to mention some of these routes have a decently flat ground, which makes it perfect for transportation, such as a certain bus, to drive through.
"Uggggghhhhhh… I wanna die…" Groaned Natsu as he rested his head on the window, though this proved to be a mistake as he could hear the sound of the tires rolling outside.
"Wow. I heard Natsu had motion sickness, but I didn't think it was THIS bad." Dawn confessed as she poked her head over her seat to look at the suffering Dragon Slayer behind her.
"I mean he looked pale white when we went on the S.S Gyarados." Kevin admitted from the seats across from Natsu, glancing over to the mage. "Still, to see someone so strong turn into putty like that is kind of hilarious."
"He talks a big game, but as soon as we're on a train, he curls up into a ball." Gray offhandedly remarked while leaning back, arms behind his back. "Talk about pathetic."
"At least he can keep his clothes on." Cana teasingly told Gray while pointing at his chest. Gray raised a brow before he looked down, only to see he was wearing nothing but his boxers.
"DAMNIT!" Gray then began to look around, trying to find his discarded clothing.
"Don't worry, my darling! I have a spare for you!" Juvia blurted out while lifting up a shirt, pants and shoes she had on her in the event this would happen.
"Can you not make a scene? You're gonna freak out our driver." Lucy scolded them while sitting next to Dawn, embarrassed by her guildmate's action.
"We were lucky to get a private bus, aren't we, sis?" Lisanna asked Mirajane, who was busy looking through the window to see all the different types of Pokemon in the wild.
"There's so many Pokemon out there. It's amazing." Mirajane confessed with a smile before she saw a small group of Butterfree flying next to the bus, giving the She-Demon a wave. "Hello to you too."
"I wonder what kind of fish Pokemon we'll find." Happy said to himself, drooling over the thought of different types of fish Pokemon he could eat.
"Personally, I want to taste the different fruit Sinnoh has to offer. Perhaps they even have kiwis for sale." Lily confessed while resting on Gajeel's lap, with said Dragon Slayer trying his best not to vomit.
"What'cha reading, Wendy?" Levy asked while noticing a book in the hands of the youngest Dragon Slayer.
"Dawn let me borrow this last night before bed." Wendy explained with a big smile as she showed Levy the book, which had the title 'Pokemon and me.' "This is a story book for kids that talks about Pokemon and how they live with people. It's really fun."
"Yes. Though the writing used here is rather dated." Carla added, also reading the book from Wendy's lap.
"Hey. Are we almost there?" Romeo couldn't help but ask Kevin. He knew the drive might take quite some time, but he wanted to get his own Pokemon as soon as possible.
"Hmmmm…" Kevin took out his Pokegear and started to look at the map. He then nodded before putting it down. "Another week and we'll get there."
"Another week?!" Romeo shouted with wide eyes, getting everyone's attention. Kevin stared at the young boy for a few seconds before he let out a small laugh.
"I'm joking." Kevin revealed with an amused tone. "We're about to pass Twinleaf Town, so we're about half an hour to Sandgem."
"You really shouldn't joke about that. They're really excited to be trainers." Dawn scolded Kevin with a frown.
"Come on. You know it wouldn't take so long to get there." Kevin waved off her words before he looked out the window. 'Still… it's been a while since I've been home and I'm sure Dawn wants to meet Joanna again. After we drop everyone off… maybe I should take a week off and stay home.'
"I actually have a question in regards to the professor." Erza's words snapped Kevin out of his thoughts. "How will we know what Pokemon the professor will have for us? And how many would we be able to have? I doubt he would give us more than one."
"Smart question. I'm glad you asked." Kevin said as he poked his head up from his head, looking back at everyone on the bus. "To answer your question, all of you will only have one Pokemon each and you get to choose between three types: Fire, Water, and Grass."
"There aren't any other choices?" Gray asked with a curious tone.
"Back when Pokemon trainers first came around, it was decided that they could only choose from three types of Pokemon since gathering other types would be a problem. Not to mention some types are harder to find like Dragon and Fairy." Dawn explained like she was teaching a class. "Not to mention, those three types are called "The Perfect Triangle." Fire beats Grass, Grass beats Water, Water beats Fire."
"Ohhhh. I get it." Levy interjected. "This Perfect Triangle is to make sure that if three people became Pokemon trainers, one would be at a disadvantage against one and at an advantage against the other. Perfectly balanced." She then took out a notepad and started to write down notes. "This would be great for the book. Now, what about the eggs Natsu, Gray and Gajeel got in that contest?"
"Honestly, that wouldn't be a problem at all." Kevin told her. "It's normal for people to hatch Pokemon eggs, even though they aren't trainers or anything. The professor might wanna see how the eggs are doing, but that's about it."
"I'm curious about this professor." Erza spoke up while looking at the two Sinnoh natives. "Do you know him personally?"
"You… could say that." Kevin answered while giving Dawn a knowing look. She raised a brow at this, but decided to stay quiet for now. "He's pretty strict about his research and he doesn't like anyone fighting in his lab."
"Guess that means Natsu and Gray'll have to stay outside." Cana jokingly remarked as some of the others laughed a bit.
"But he's a good man. He'll get you guys started on being Pokemon trainers." Kevin told them while smiling a bit.
"Wait… you make it sound like you won't be around." Lucy said, noticing the tone in Kevin's voice.
"Yeah… after we get to Sandgem and meet the professor, I'm gonna go back home to Twinleaf." Kevin revealed to everyone, much to their surprise. They had expected him to stay with them for the duration of their trip, so hearing that he would go his separate way was unexpected.
"Would you mind if I came with you? I wanna see my mom and show her my new ribbon." Dawn asked her childhood friend with a pleading look.
"Alright, alright. Don't give me those Teddirusa eyes. They don't fit you." Kevin said while looking away. 'Though… I guess the way she does it IS pretty cute.'
"You see it too?" Mirajane whispered to Lisanna, who nodded eagerly.
"Maybe we should help them… get closer?" Lisanna asked her sister, who giggled in agreement.
'Half an hour later'
"Thank you for the ride." Kevin told the bus driver while giving him some Poke bills. "This is for gas."
"Good. You wouldn't believe how much gas goes nowadays." The driver remarked before pocketing the money. "And you made sure that stripper's clothes aren't inside, right?"
"Your bus is 100% clothes free." Kevin answered while giving him the 'A okay' hand sign. The driver let out a sigh of relief before he closed the door, allowing him to drive away.
"Wow. So this is Sandgem Town?" Lucy questioned as she and the others looked around the new location.
Unlike Akayo Town, which had a harbor for passing ships, Sandgem was a relatively small town with few buildings and much wilderness. The most notable buildings were the red-roofed building with a Pokeball symbol on it, a white and blue building with a white Pokeball symbol on the top, and a large two-story brown building with a blue roof, a large brick wall surrounding it, a black gate and a large pinkish windmill next to it.
Overall, this town seems rather pleasant to be in, even though they were simply passing by.
"It's small, but it feels homey." Lisanna confessed with a smile. If she had the choice, she wouldn't mind living here.
"Yup. Sandgem Town is a nice place, but we aren't here to sightsee." Kevin explained while acting like a tour guide. "You see that red and white building over there?"
"Yeah? What is it?" Gray questioned, ignoring the fact Natsu was slowly recovering from his motion sickness.
"That." Kevin pointed to said building. "Is the Pokemon Center. That is a place you wanna take your Pokemon to heal. It's completely free and open to everyone. They even allow you to rent a room for the night if you come late, so keep that in mind."
"You can also transfer Pokemon from the PC with Pokemon you have on hand." Dawn added with a knowing tone, though this seemed to confuse the mages.
"PC? What does that mean?" Cana asked with a raised brow.
"Well, think of it like a kind of computer… ohhhh." Kevin then realized something: there were no computers in Fiore, which meant what Dawn and him were saying made no sense. "Ummm… it's pretty much a kind of… thing that lets you store your Pokemon in another place since you can only carry six Pokemon at a time."
"Why's that? Wouldn't it make sense to carry all your Pokemon?" Romeo asked, not seeing the logic in carrying such a limited amount of Pokemon.
"Is it because having more than six Pokemon would make it hard to choose the Pokemon you want to use?" Levy questioned while raising her hand.
"That's… okay, I'll be completely honest." Kevin suddenly became serious as he said these words… before he deflated. "I have no idea why that is. Maybe it's just to focus more on certain Pokemon or maybe it's to save money. There's no clear cut answer. Sorry."
"I-It's okay if you don't know. Not everyone knows everything." Wendy, being the kind girl she was, tried to reassure the trainer before she decided to change the subject. "But what about that blue building?"
"Oh that?" Kevin surprisingly got over his mild depression as he smiled at the blue building Wendy was referring to. "That would be the PokeMart. It's pretty much a store centered around Pokemon, where you buy Pokeballs, medicine and other supplies you need for your journey. Though you will need to use our currency to buy anything." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Pokedollar. "This is a Pokedollar. It's what we use to pay for things in the Crystal Empire and you can get some by battling other trainers. The winner gets the loser's money."
"So all we gotta do is beat people for their money. Sounds easy." Gajeel confessed like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"Say that when you take a little kid's allowance." Kevin bluntly replied with a flat tone. "But the same can happen to you. If you lose, you have to give a certain amount of money to the winner, so I say train your Pokemon as much as you can. Besides money, your Pokemon can get experience which can help them evolve."
"Evolve?" This caught everyone's attention, though it made sense given how they were just learning about everything.
"The professor can explain all that better. Come on!" Dawn urged the group as she aimed her hand at the building with the pink windmill. "His lab is over there."
"That's his lab? Wow, it's huge." Romeo admitted while looking at the lab with a look of surprise.
"Yup. Even after all this time, seeing it brings a smile to my face." Kevin muttered with a nostalgic tone before he nodded to himself. "Let's go. He's waiting for us."
With that, the group made their way towards the lab, passing by some of Sandgem's residents, who looked in shock.
"Is that… Fairy Tail?!"
"No way. They're in OUR town?!"
"And they're gonna go see professor Rowan! This is insane!"
'Wait… professor Rowan?' Some of the mages thought upon hearing the name of the professor, though a few like Natsu and Happy weren't paying much attention due to their excitement. Eventually, everyone stopped in front of the gate, with Kevin and Dawn standing in front of what looked like a speaker on the side of the wall.
"You wanna do the honor?" Kevin asked Dawn, who nodded with a smile as she walked up to the speaker, pressing one of the buttons.
"Hello?" Dawn spoke through the microphone.
"Yes? Can I help you?" A male voice answered from the speaker.
"It's Dawn and Kevin. We're here to see the professor." Dawn answered honestly. Everyone could hear the voice on the other side gasp in surprise.
"Wait… Dawn and KEVIN?!"
"It's good to hear your voice, Matthew." This time, Kevin spoke through the microphone with a cheeky grin. "We've got some surprise guests out here who wanna be trainers. I'm sure the professor knows?"
The gate suddenly opened up, as if answering the male trainer's question. "Let's go, guys!" Dawn eagerly told the group as they walked through the road leading towards the front of the lab.
"Here we are. Behind these doors will be your first steps towards becoming Pokemon trainers." Kevin told the group rather dramatically. "It will be such an experience that you guys might lose your VERY MINDS!"
"... Are you done? How long have you wanted to say that?" Dawn asked with a sweatdrop.
"Since making that call last night." Was Kevin's honest answer the mages gave him a look. Taking a deep breath, Kevin faced the door and stepped forward, allowing the doors to automatically open. "Fairy Tail, welcome to professor Rowan's Pokemon lab."
"All right! Let's go!" Natsu cheered as he quickly went inside the lab. Everyone else followed suit and needless to say… They were amazed.
The lab itself was rather impressive, with different machines connected to the walls, a large shelf full of different books, and other things that were unfamiliar to the mages. In addition to the machines, there were several people in white coats operating the machines, though they stopped upon hearing the newcomers enter the lab.
However, what caught their attention was the lone figure looking through a book on a table in front of him.
"Is that the professor?" Lucy whispered to Dawn, who nodded with a happy smile on her face.
"There he is…" Kevin muttered under his breath before he made his way towards the lone figure at the table. Stopping just a foot away from the figure, Kevin steeled himself and tapped the figure's shoulder. "Looking at some new Pokemon?"
Hearing the familiar voice, the figure turned around, revealing it to be a slightly large man with pale white skin, sharp blue eyes, white hair with several large strands pointed upwards and a rather sharp rectangle-like mustache. His attire consisted of a white button down shirt under a blue vest, a black tie, dark pants, and brown shoes.
"I was wondering when you were going to arrive." The man told Kevin in a rather gruff tone, though it held no anger or malice.
"Well, you know me. I like to show up when you least expect it." Kevin answered with a shrug before he gave the man a smile. "Good to see you again… grandpa." With that, Kevin moved in and gave the professor a big hug.
"GRANDPA?!" Natsu, Gray, Happy and Romeo all shouted with bugged out eyes as everyone else looked in utter shock. From what they had heard, they assumed Kevin and Dawn were close to the professor, yet never in their wildest dreams would they expect to learn that the former was related to said professor.
"Hehehe. Sorry for not telling you. Kevin wanted to keep it a secret until we got here." Dawn shyly admitted with a nervous giggle. She wanted to tell them about Kevin's relation to the professor, but he was rather adamant in keeping it a secret.
"It's good to see you as well, my boy." Professor Rowan answered with a slightly soft tone as he patted his grandson's back before ending their embrace. "When you called last night, I was mildly surprised. Even more so when you mentioned bringing a group of new trainers here."
"That's right. I'm sure you know about Fiore's number one magic guild, Fairy Tail." Kevin introduced while gesturing to the group. "Fairy Tail, this is Sinnoh's Pokemon professor, Professor Rowan."
"It's an honor to meet all of you." Professor Rowan greeted everyone while giving a small bow.
"Please. It's our pleasure to be here." Erza said for the group as some of them returned the bow.
"So, where are the Pokemon?" Natsu, being Natsu, asked eagerly while stepping up to the older man, who raised a brow.
'Freaking idiot.' Gray thought with an annoyed expression as some of the others sweatdropped as the Dragon Slayer's impatience.
"Quite the energetic one, isn't he?" Professor Rowan asked his grandson, who shrugged with a grin. "Still, I appreciate your interest in Pokemon. However, before we begin, I have a question for all of you." Everyone paid close attention to what the professor was going to ask. "Why does someone become a Pokemon trainer?"
"To show people how strong you are." Gajeel answered almost immediately.
"Is it to explore the world?" Mirajane added.
"Maybe… is it to study how Pokemon live?" Levy was the next to ask her question.
"Technically, all those answers are correct." Professor Rowan admitted before he walked towards the right, looking at a rather large map. "The purpose of Pokemon trainers is to grow mentally with their Pokemon. You see, it is natural for humans to grow on their own simply by living. However, due to the existence of Pokemon here in the Crystal Empire, that logic had changed. Studies show that the bond between human and Pokemon rapidly evolved both of them in ways neither could accomplish on their own. Humans need Pokemon as allies and friends while Pokemon need humans in order to push through their own limits to grow. While we may study Pokemon in hopes of further evolving our own society, especially in terms of medicine, it is important to bond with Pokemon to give a sense of responsibility that humans may not ordinarily get. That is why I became a professor: to help guide young minds and to assist them on their travels throughout the regions. Having a Pokemon partner means having a friend that will always be there to support you, no matter what. That is the meaning of a Pokemon trainer."
By the end of professor Rowan's speech, all the Fairy Tail mages were looking at him with newfound admiration, as evident by the smiles on their faces. Even Gajeel, Gray and Cana couldn't help but smirk as they learned more about Pokemon. To think by simply becoming a Pokemon trainer, they could grow as individuals along with their Pokemon… it was amazing.
"Now, I think I've ranted long enough." Professor Rowan spoke up once again as he turned back to the group. "You all want to start your journeys soon, correct? Please, follow me and I'll take you to where you will choose your Pokemon partners."
He gestured for everyone to follow him to the back of the lab, which led them to a room with a large table in the middle and several chairs a few feet away. "Please, sit down." The mages did just that as Rowan, Kevin and Dawn walked to the table. "Now, I'm sure my grandson and Dawn informed you a bit on choosing a Pokemon, correct?"
"They told us that we had to choose between a Fire, Water and Grass Pokemon." Levy answered as Rowan gave her a nod.
"Excuse me, professor. I have a question." Wendy asked while raising her hand like she was in school.
"Yes, dear?" Professor Rowan said kindly.
"There's twelve of us here and we can only choose from three Pokemon. Will you have enough for us?" Wendy asked, which was a reasonable question.
"I wouldn't be too concerned about that." Professor Rowan assured her as two assistants walked in the room, each holding what looked like a silver metal case. ""When Kevin told me of your arrival, I was actually in the middle of researching several Pokemon from different regions. Typically, a trainer would choose three Pokemon that originate from that region, but today, I have Pokemon from four regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh."
"So we'll each get a Pokemon that comes from another region?" Lisanna asked with mild surprise as the professor nodded to her.
"This way, no one would have the exact same Pokemon. That's quite brilliant, professor." Pantherlily confessed with a respectful tone. The professor gave the Exceed a raised brow due to not seeing such a creature before, but he held his questions back until later on.
"Now, let us start with this case." Professor Rowan said as his assistant on the left opened the case, revealing six identical Pokeballs, though three were on a red K and the other three were on a blue J. "These first three come from the first Pokemon region: Kanto." Grabbing three Pokeballs, professor Rowan walked behind the table before throwing them in the air, allowing the devices to open and shoot white energy onto the table, taking the form of three creatures.
The first one was a bipedal, reptilian Pokémon with a primarily orange body and blue eyes. Its underside from the chest down and the soles of its feet are cream-colored. It has two small fangs visible in its upper jaw and two smaller fangs in its lower jaw. A fire burns at the tip of its tail.
The second was a small reptilian Pokémon that resembles a light-blue turtle. It has large, purplish or reddish eyes and a slightly hooked upper lip. Each of its hands and feet have three pointed digits. The end of its long tail curls inward. Its body is encased by a tough shell that forms and hardens after birth. This shell is brown on the top, pale yellow on the bottom, and has a thick white ridge between the two halves.
The third and final one was a small, quadrupedal amphibian Pokémon that has blue-green skin with darker patches. It has red eyes with white pupils, pointed, ear-like structures on top of its head, and a short, blunt snout with a wide mouth. A pair of small, pointed teeth are visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is open. Each of its thick legs ends with three sharp claws. On Bulbasaur's back is a green plant bulb, which is grown from a seed planted there at birth.
"These three are Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur. Classic starter Pokemon and they're pretty cute, if I'm being honest." Kevin informed the group with a smile.
"Natsu, that one looks like a small salamander!" Happy told Natsu while pointing at Charmander.
"Heck yeah! I want Charmander!" Natsu declared as he prepared to rush over to the Fire Type, only for Erza to grab his scarf and forcefully tug him back.
"Behave! We're guests for the professor." Erza scolded Natsu with a glare, making him shrink a bit.
"S-Sorry." Natsu apologized, getting a sweatdrop from Kevin and Dawn.
"(What a weird guy. But I like him)." Charmander told Squirtle and Bulbasaur while referring to Natsu, though to the humans, he just repeated his name a few times.
"(He's a little loud, though)." Squirtle groaned while rubbing his ear holes.
"(This might be the first time he's ever seen a Pokemon. We shouldn't be so mean)." Bulbasaur told Squirtle with a mature feminine tone.
"Next is Johto, which means I'm up." Dawn said while grabbing the next three Pokeballs. "Come out, you guys!" She then threw the Pokeballs in the air, causing them to open and release the next starters on the table.
The first was a small, bipedal mammalian Pokémon with bluish fur on top of its body and cream-colored fur on its underside. Its eyes are usually seen closed, and it has a long, thin snout. Its arms are short, but its legs are slightly more developed and have a single nail on each foot. On its back are four red circles.
The second was a bipedal, crocodilian Pokémon with well-developed jaws. It has red eyes with ridges above them, black markings around its eyes, and several sharp teeth. On its chest is a yellow, V-shaped marking that extends to its arms; there is a thin line through the center of the marking. Totodile has five fingers and three toes. Down its back is a row of three red spines with a small, red ridge on either side. The tip of its tail has a single red spine as well.
The third one was a small, pale-green, quadrupedal Pokémon with dark-green buds around its neck. Its head is large in proportion to the rest of its body, and it has big red eyes. It has four short legs with a single nailed toe on each and a stubby tail. On top of its head is a large, green leaf that is usually longer than its body.
"May I present Cyndaquil, Totodile and Chikorita! These three cuties may not be as popular as the Kanto starters, but they're equally adorable." Dawn cooed as she petted Chikorita and Cyndaquil.
"Huh. That blue one looks happy." Gray muttered to Juvia as he noticed Totodile hopping around a bit.
"That Chikorita looks so adorable!" Mirajane squealed, resisting the urge to go and hug the Grass Pokemon.
"(Is it lunch time)?" Cyndaquil yawned while rubbing his closed eyes.
"(New friends! New friends)! Totodile cheered as he saw the new humans in the room.
"(Calm down, Totodile. You're always like this when you meet new trainers)." Chikorita sighed while shaking her head.
"Next is the Hoenn starters." Kevin was then next to the other case, which had six more Pokeballs. Three were on a green H while the remaining three were on a yellow S. Grabbing the three H Pokeballs, Kevin threw them in the air, releasing the next set of starter Pokemon.
The first was a small, chick Pokémon with stubby, downy, yellow wings. Its body is covered with orange feathers. There is an orange and yellow crest on its head that resembles a flame. Its two thin legs and short beak are a light brownish yellow, and the feet have three toes in front and one in the back.
The second was a small, amphibious, quadrupedal Pokémon. It has a blue body with a light-blue underside. It has a large head with a blue fin on top and a light-blue tail fin. It has black, beady eyes and orange, star-shaped gills on its cheeks.
And the third was a small, green, bipedal reptilian Pokémon. It has yellow eyes with long, narrow pupils. Its hands and feet each have three digits covered with tiny spikes. These spikes allow it to scale vertical walls with ease. Its stomach and throat are red. It also has a line across its stomach resembling a pouch. It has a large, dark green tail with two separate lobes.
"Here, we have Torchic, Mudkip and Treecko. Three impressive Pokemon with the potential to grow into much stronger versions of themselves." Professor Rowan explained with a knowing tone.
"Not bad. I like the green one." Gajeel admitted while eyeing Treecko, who looked at him with a curious gaze.
"Mudkip does look adorable." Juvia said to herself before she glanced at Gray 'Would Gray think Mudkip was adorable as well?'
"Hey, that Torchic kinda looks like you, Levy." Lucy told her friend while pointing to her orange attire.
"Maybe it's fate." Levy giggled, finding some interest in Torchic.
"(Why does that human have the same colors as me)?" Torchic questioned while tilting her head at Levy.
"(I don't know. But that blue girl looks nice)." Mudkip spoke up while smiling at Juvia.
"(Let's hope someone picks us this time. I hate those tests)." Treecko shrugged while lying on his side, resting his cheek on his paw.
"Finally, we have Sinnoh's starters." Professor Rowan grabbed the last three Pokeballs and threw them in the air, allowing the last three starters to appear on the table.
The first was a bipedal Pokémon resembling a chimpanzee. Its fur is primarily a shade of orange, although its face, outer ears, underbelly, hands, and feet are light yellow. Its ears are large in comparison to its head, and have red insides. It also has red markings around its eyes, as well as two pointed teeth in its upper jaw, a swirl-like symbol on its chest, and five fingers on its hands with three toes on its feet. It has a swirly crest of hair on its head. Its rear has a small, round, red patch that had a small flame coming out of it.
The second was a light-blue, penguin-like Pokémon, which is covered in thick down to insulate against the cold. It has a dark blue head with a primarily white face and a short, yellow beak. The dark blue feathers on its head extend down its back and around its neck, which causes it to appear to be wearing a cape. There are two white ovals on its chest and a small, light-blue marking resembles a crown above its beak. It has flipper-like arms and yellow feet with three toes each.
And the final starter was a small, light green, quadrupedal Pokémon resembling a turtle or tortoise. Its eyes, feet, and lower jaw are yellow. Its body is covered by a brown shell that is composed of earth. The shell has a thick black stripe and a black rim.
"These three Pokemon are Chimchar, Piplup and Turtwig, Sinnoh's iconics. Most, if not all new trainers in Sinnoh have to choose one of these three to start their journey." Kevin explained with a grin on his face.
"Woah. That Chimchar looks strong." Romeo confessed while smiling at Chimchar.
"Carla, doesn't Piplup look cute?" Wendy asked her Exceed friend.
"I suppose it is." Carla shrugged. Just because Piplup wasn't a feline Pokemon didn't mean it was any less cute.
"Turtwig… hmm." Erza hummed while looking at Turtwig, curious about its strength.
"(Oooohhh. New people)." Chimchar said with an excited tone.
"(I hope someone picks me today. After all, I AM a strong Pokemon)." Piplup proudly declared while puffing his chest.
"(Only if you don't scare them off)." Turtwig informed Piplup with a blank expression.
"Now then, Fairy Tail." Professor Rowan stepped away from the table before gesturing to the Pokemon on the table. "Please choose your first Pokemon."
I didn't want to end it here, but my god did it take a long time to FINALLY update this story. Especially with the crazy things that happened with Pokemon lately.
First off… Ash Ketchum, the immortal ten-year-old, FINALLY defeated Leon and became the Pokemon Monarch! I am genuinely surprised Journeys allowed him to win given how many times he was screwed over(Tobias, Carmen, freaking ALAIN!) Now we might say goodbye to Ash and get a new protagonist, which I wouldn't mind since its about time we focused on another character.
Second is the release of the newest Pokemon game, Scarlet and Violet. I plan on buying a copy of Violet in December since I will be going to a convention soon.
I hope this was a good enough chapter to set up everyone starting their journey as Pokemon trainers. That segment with Jellal and Looker was something I thought of recently since while I get why Jellal wants to repent, he should also try and live a little. I mean Meredy is following him and I doubt Ultear would want her to waste her life. Still, I have a few ideas for Jellal and Meredy for the story, so look forward to that.
Go ahead and guess which starter each of the wizards will have. The next chapter will reveal their starters, as well as a hint as to what is inside Natsu, Gray and Gajeel's Pokemon eggs.
Follow, fav, review and PM for anything.
Next time: Me and my Pokemon!
