AN: Note in chapter 1 I had mentioned that I was borrowing ideas from BANIX to help build my world which will be revealed this chapter. Those ideas are his and his alone which I changed a bit to go with the story I want to tell. That is all.
People say time flies when you are having fun and they could not be any righter. It's been two years since Andrew entered the Pokémon world and he was loving every second of it.
After the conversation with Lance, he got registered as a Kanto citizen without any problems with his background fully created as well as all the legal documents now in the professor's care. Much to both his and the professor's surprise, Lance also created a bank account for him with 20,000 pokedollars in it while also giving him a Pokégear with his personal number and a radio card already in it.
There wasn't much news based regarding any of the evil organizations other than the random few snippets about Team Rocket grunts being caught by the police and various gym leaders which was sporadic in that time period.
What was more obvious though, was the changes in the gym system. Going in order Brock got some help from the League to help manage paperwork while getting more gym trainers to stand in for him for rookie trainers while he took care of advanced and elite ones giving him more time to care for his family. On a related note there is now a manhunt out for Flint now which is a plus.
Cerulean got a similar treatment. There is a well-known elite water specialist who won the Wallace cup a year ago who is acting as the go to gym leader while the three sisters continued to gather funds for the gym itself. Misty got a shout out as well, but it wasn't much other than stating that she was going on a journey soon to take the mantle in place of John.
Nothing was heard from the investigation of the three possible admins for Team Rocket. In fact, the only news was Sabrina needing a therapist relatively recently but nothing else was brought up publicly.
By far, the biggest news was the League doubling down on Cinnabar Island making people realize that Blaine's gym is a necessity to society. They did this by stating that with his mastery over fire types the gym's location is needed to prevent future eruptions from occurring and quelling those that do occur. Needless to say, some of the tourist population diminished because of that. Despite the decline, there was actually an increase in trainer volume appearing on the island not just for the badge, but to study and learn from Blaine for those who were also fire specialists or those that have a fire type and want to learn how to improve them. Blaine became pretty popular and in fact asked the league to help create a lecture hall alongside the gym which he would give talks to future generations on specific days for a set number of hours either during the day or night so that he could manage both his gym as well as his new classes something which the elderly leader enjoyed.
Of all the gym leaders there was nothing on Giovanni mentioned. Though that must be because Lance still couldn't or didn't find enough evidence to be able to oust him. If they were to do so it would cause mass panic, so Lance probably has his men undercover looking into the mysterious gym leader for the time being before silently imprisoning him.
But that's it for news on the gyms. Now to broach onto things that I discovered and learned during the two years I've been here.
My primary concern that was also mentioned somewhat in the original anime was if the people here ate Pokémon. When I brought it up to the Professor, he was startled at first before explaining there were animals other than just Pokémon in their world. During that conversation I learned that there were actual cows that were raised alongside Miltank and Tauros as well as chicken and various other fish of all types. While those were most used for eating there were other animals such as generic birds, worms, and bugs which some species of Pokémon eat. In fact, there used to be other species of animals that used to exist like dogs, cats, wolves, tigers, bears, elephants and jaguars but they have mostly gone extinct. In fact there was only a single family of Elephants left that are under protection in Galar under Chairman Rose's watch.
Also, to note, Pokémon eat Pokémon. While that should be obvious, it needs to be said. Back when Ash first caught Caterpie and set it against Pidgeotto it tried to eat the caterpillar Pokémon. Same could be said about Jessie's Ekans which was about to eat the Pidgey that Ash released in the Pokémon center. Not to mention if you looked at a majority of the newer Pokedex entries it is proven fact. So yes while traveling it would be good to note that you will find Pokémon gorging on others and it would be unwise to bother them unless you want them to attack you in a blood rage depending on the species of course.
Thankfully however for domestic Pokémon, the professor explained that the pellets of Pokémon food made now helps provide the dietary needs of Pokémon of all types, including the more carnivorous Pokémon such as Gyarados, Arbok, Druddigon, Sharpedo, etc.
Another topic that I brought up to the professor at some point was how many Pokémon can a trainer carry on himself/herself at any given time since I saw more than six on Lance's belt the first time he came.
In retrospect his answer at the time made sense. Based on his words you could carry as much Pokémon on your person as you'd like. However, it would boil down to how could you afford to feed and handle all the Pokémon you planned on having on you. Not only that, but the necessary amount of attention to give each Pokémon is just as important as well which some Pokémon will straight up abandon the trainer due to that reasoning. Learning that was certainly eye opening seeing as Ash and Gary had a shit ton of Pokémon in the anime.
Apparently for Gary, Ash and I though, we're uniquely different. Because the professor is well acquainted with the three of us, any Pokémon that we obtain that it over the known limit goes to the professor's lab so that he could study them for his research. It's the same for any aspiring trainers that he has or is currently sponsoring. Despite that, under the rules of the League, a max amount of Pokémon that can be used during regulated battles are 6 regardless of how many Pokémon you may have on hand.
Now to broach a topic I mentioned earlier. Legends. According to the professor they do in fact exist though very, very rare to see. The latest known record in Kanto was centuries ago and it was Moltres. These are not Pokémon that can be caught like the video games. No these are creatures that have either existed since the planets inception or rule certain domains like the Greek Olympian and minor gods. If we were to draw comparisons Kyogre would be the equivalent to Pontus while Lugia, despite not being a water type is similar to Poseidon due to its title of the Guardian of the Sea. Even the minor legendary Pokémon such as the birds would be equivalent to Khione, Hestia, and Astrape (Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos).
When I asked if the fire that Ash ran with for the Indigo League was in fact Moltres' flame Samuel admitted it was indeed true but told me to keep a lid on it. He went over some history but it mostly went over my head, but the core concept was that Moltres had helped the man who formed the Indigo League centuries ago which I thought was pretty cool.
Another thing I learned while being tutored by the professor is that the normal starters or not just handed out like candy like they do in the anime or the games. It's not so simple as getting it as a starting Pokémon from your regional Pokémon professor.
Believe it or not all regional starters from each and every region are considered endangered and protected species. Similar to earth there was a tier system for Pokémon. Now it's nothing like the OU, UU, RU tiers for competitive play but more along the lines of commonality. Legends are rather obviously the highest tier imaginable. Pseudo legends were next.
Now there are only nine in total, and each region has one with Hoenn being the exception that has two. Each has a 3-stage evolution and on Earth they were defined that way because of their max total stat number being a whopping 600. But being here in the world itself really opened my eyes on how terrifying their power really is. Lance as a gift and an excuse to meet up with Cynthia since our talk, invited me to watch as they had a 1 on 1 battle between his Dragonite and her Garchomp.
For a creature that looks like a yellow Pete's dragon I was stunned to see how vicious Lance's Dragonite was compared to the land shark like Pokémon. Needless to say while I do like dragons I may hold off on getting one of my own for a long while after watching them eviscerate the battlefield but back to the topic.
The next tier would be the regional starters along with semi-pseudo legendary Pokémon. For the semi-pseudo-Pokémon, there are a total of seven but that is only due to their rarity and level of strength. The regional starters however are just above them for their sheer potential though.
Of all the Pokémon within the world, each regional starter is capable of possessing the abilities Blaze, Torrent, and Overgrow. In addition to that facet, they are the only species capable of learning the Grass, Fire and Water type Hyper Beam style moves, Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant and Hydro Cannon.
Though I was surprised that they were given out as gifts sometimes during tournaments and sometimes the League which they participate in if they managed to get in the top 3 as well as the obvious reward money. Huh, guess I know what region I'm traveling to next then!
Now it is possible to find them in the wild but those are extremely rare cases. In fact, that makes my knowledge all more valuable. When I brought up Charcific Valley he told me to swear never to speak of it to anyone. It's a secret breeding location for the Charizard that is hidden. When he asked if I knew of the other two regional breeding grounds, I declined though I did tell him I knew of two locations of where it's possible to find both other two that are found in the wild such as the Shell Island and the location Ash's Bulbasaur denied its evolution. He said to also keep those secret for the sake of keeping them safe from trainers and team Rocket from hunting them to extinction which I obviously agreed.
Though apparently every year, the professor is provided with 6 regional starters, 2 of each type. Anyone wanting to get their hands on the starters much go through a ridiculous number of tests as well as sit through an interview to make sure that they know how to properly take care of the Pokémon and their intentions for said Pokémon. There are three incidents that led to this new regime.
An incident a few years prior to my arrival, a group of Squirtle were either abandoned or left their trainers to prank/attack the nearby town along route 25. Two Ivysaur were actively targeting humans and forcefully releasing the Pokémon they had on their possession which were later identified to have been abused by their trainers and malnourished. Lastly was an incident with a Charizard. The trainer in question did not discipline the Pokémon properly nor did she help mitigate its battle lust and only used it as a figurative trophy. In response the Charmeleon then turned Charizard went into a killing spree starting with its trainer and her entire team before rampaging all over Fuchsia city until Koga had to put down the Pokémon.
Needless to say, after those events there was a now a strict regulation on who can and cannot have regional starters. Now the top six applicants with the best results will have the chance to visit the Professor and receive one of the regional starter. It is possible however for some of those trainers to be "sponsored" by someone who sees promise in them and forms a contract with them. Not all sponsored trainers get a regional starter though.
In fact, some can even be given a beginner pseudo legendary such as Gible and Beldum. Two occurrences when that occurred was two of the current reigning champions of Sinnoh and Hoenn respectively seeing as Cynthia's grandmother and Steven's father were the ones who sponsored and gave them their starters. The sponsored trainers need to have a contract to fulfill upon agreeing to receive the starter in question and receive the aid provided by the league within their region in any way shape or form. Firstly, they must complete the gym circuit and compete in their registered league within a few years.
It's pretty much the same as to how to enter, beat all 8 gyms and receive the badges to enter the League. Participate in the league, which is in a similar style to the anime, tournament style. However here if one beats the league in 1st place, they are given the option to challenge the Elite 4 and champion all which has a max time limit of a few months between each battle. Given the person last year who won did manage to beat Lorelei, she didn't manage to get past Bruno which was amazing to watch.
Now much like the games, each member of the thirteen pillars is specialized in a specific type of Pokémon. Much to my surprise though, a lot of higher-level trainers who are known as elites tend to also become specialists. What I was told was that training a single type of Pokémon is a lot easier. Samuel stated that it is possible to become known as a master by the League but didn't disclose anything else much to my annoyance.
Also, fun little fact gym leaders are not easy to defeat which didn't surprise me in the slightest. I always thought it was weird in the anime because Ash didn't earn or deserve (in my opinion) half of his badges in Kanto. Believe it or not this world resembles the games quite a bit.
Each gym has its own set of challenges to test trainers which explains the mazes each gym possesses in the games as well as trainers who are hand picked by the gym leader. Once you've completed the challenges you then earn the right to battle the gym leader which is another hurdle in its entirety. Here is where it leans more towards Ash's story. However, one does not need to defeat the leader to receive a badge. If the challenger impresses the leader with their performance during their battle, they can still receive a badge which has to happen in a single sitting otherwise your challenge will be reset, and you'll have to start from square one.
Something else that I noticed was different but suspected was how gyms were approached in the anime compared to here. Normally in the games you were railroaded to battle the gym leaders a certain way. But in the anime Brock asked Ash how many badges he had on him first. So how different would the battle have gone if Ash had some badges on his belt. Did Brock have a full team of Rock Pokémon on hand or did he downplay his Geodude's and Onix's strength to accommodate for the amount of badges each trainer had.
Here, it turns out the gym leader would use weaker Pokémon they have on hand. Something in which leads as to why Flint left in the first place. See, Kanto doesn't have a lot of Rock type Pokémon that are easily obtainable. Onix and Rhydon are extremely territorial, Kabuto, Omanyte, and Aerodactyl are fossils and are extremely rare and expensive to revive. Therefore, he left to go catch more Rock type Pokémon for the gym but for some reason never returned. It was thanks to Brock's own efforts that even allowed him to have the max total of six Pokémon for Elite level trainers by trading some of his newer trained Pokémon for gym purposes only while also taking care of his main team which is significantly less than what he could have.
Unlike the games though, one does not have to start with Brock. They can challenge any of the eight gyms at any level and the gym leader would choose the appropriate team to battle for the trainer based on the number of badges they possess. The only one who differs in that sense is Giovanni. He trains new Pokémon to the point that you need a minimum of at least one/two badges to battle him if you want to entertain the idea of receiving his badge early. That's how strong of a trainer he is. However, he does not turn away challengers if they have no badges. He would use only a single Pokémon, either a Sandshrew or Diglett that he has recently caught against two of the challengers own.
It is not an impossible task despite what many think. In the past two years about eight trainers beat him with no badges, all of which made it far into the Indigo League for both years.
Now while many Elite trainers and the thirteen pillars are specialists, I personally will be taking the generalist route. I don't want to be tied to a monotype team. If I did, I'd fall prey to the weaknesses my type has. Even if I did train to overcome those weaknesses, there will always be that one trainer who specializes in those weaknesses and is stronger than my team.
Sure, it may be harder but it's something I always preferred. In fact, I aim to become a master level generalist like Cynthia Shirona. If she could do it, then so can I.
Another thing to note about sponsored trainers is that they must serve whoever sponsored them whether it was a member of the league. For example, if the professor sponsored trainers, they would need to spend time as assistants around the lab for a specified amount of time to help with his research and care for the Pokémon on the ranch. If there was a member of the Police force, then they would need to become an assistant officer for a time etc.
While I might not be a sponsored trainer like others, I'm finally ready to start my own journey.
Today was finally the day. Excitement was flooding his veins as he finished packing his bag. Speaking of which inside said bag was a variety of things he bought over the last two years to prepare for his journey. While he didn't have a bike (which were ludicrously expensive to purchase), he did have a lot of camping gear from Silph Co. which apparently using size regulation technology. Think of Pym particles from the Ant Man movie for reference but it also explained how in the anime Brock had nearly a full kitchen setup.
While Andrew did have standard gear, he didn't think it was necessary to keep a table and umbrella in his bag. Though he did have a fishing rod along with a TM case, a map installed on his Pokégear, a berry box filled with several variety of berries for cooking as well as a pokeblock kit, a standard beginner level medicine kit, a pocket in the bag purely dedicated for Pokeballs or multiple types and various other personal gear (clothes mostly).
Grinning widely, Andrew slung the bag over his shoulders and made his way into the main lab. He looked around thinking how surreal it was to begin his Pokémon journey. As he walked further in, he noticed a young girl opening a Pokeball where a Bulbasaur popped out.
"Ooh you're so cute!" She gushed. The professor laughed loudly. "Congratulations on passing the tests Leaf. I know it must have been hard, but the wait must have been well worth it. Here's your Pokedex which will serve as your ID as well as six Pokeballs.
"Hey Leaf. Looks like you finally got the Bulbasaur you wanted huh?" Andrew stated with a grin startling the two humans.
The shock faded as the girl's grin widened. "Of course, I did! After all those annoying tests I wasn't about to let Gary and Ritchie take it from me!" She said with a vicious grin.
Andrew smiled genially at her. "Yeah, well with Gary he's always seemed to favor Squirtle and Ritchie didn't particularly care because he likes all three starters. I know Ash tried for the test but didn't pass. I heard him complain about it for days." He said with an eye roll remembering the fuss the boy made.
Leaf giggled at the reminder. "That's true but last I heard the other three don't have sponsored trainers since many of this year's group failed. Ash may not have passed but because the professor is still sponsoring him, he can still get one before the other group gets here. Speaking of which, why didn't you take the test? You could have easily passed with how smart you are! You've even helped the professor discover new things in the past two years."
He nodded in agreement. "True, I could have but I figured that they deserve it more if the others passed their tests. Not only that, but I also have no interest in being sponsored by the league and by technicality, I already worked with the Professor as an assistant so that part of the contract can be considered null. I want to be able to travel to the different regions after I finish my first League and I won't be able to do so if I'm tethered here for a few years."
The professor coughed into his hand but unknown to the pair was smirking into his fist.
"Also, I already have a starter lined up for me. The professor and I discussed it a few months ago and he agreed to give me the Pokémon of topic. Speaking of which am I good to take her now?" He asked turning to the older man.
Samuel smiled genially at the boy. "Of course! She's been very eager for today just as much as you have been." He said passing the boy a Pokeball which was in his pocket.
Grinning widely Andrew took it gently, cradling it in his hands. It was smooth to the touch but not cold. He could almost feel the heat from the Pokémon inside of it, a heartbeat tight beneath his fingertips.
He lobbed it as softly as he could. It rolled out of his hand and thudded against the ground, breaking open. The two halves snapped close before flying back into Andrew's hand.
The red light stretched out, elongating and curling thinner. Scarlet mist trickled over the floor as it hardened, atoms reforming and creating themselves again. In a second, it had made a Pokémon.
It was white and about five feet long. He recognized her instantly after all the time he's spent in the lab. An Ekans.
The poison-type snake Pokémon hissed once, but in confusion, not anger. She pulled herself up, arching a third of her body of the ground. There was a thick band of bright gold around her neck, and her rattle was the same color.
Andrew stared at her as she curled around herself, coiling into a small spiral. She turned to face him tongue flicking in, and out as amber eyes bore into hazel.
Kneeling, he stared closer at the Pokémon. Ekans were snake-like Pokémon, which meant they were predators. Hunting Pokémon that are stealth animals, striking like a whip before coiling up. In battle, they couldn't take the most hits despite their scales, their body was thin and light, able to be launched easily across a field. But they held a deceptive speed which he knew she had in spades.
She hissed again, flicking her tail. Amber eyes fixed onto his face, slitted pupils gleaming in the light. When stretched out, she would be almost half a foot taller than him, but he didn't feel threatened by the snake as it stuck a pale tongue out, tasting the air.
Andrew slowly stretched a hand out, keeping his movements slow. The Ekans looked at him curiously before sticking his head forward, his tongue brushing against his fingers.
"Hey, Ekans," he said softly, drawing the Pokemon's attention to his face. "It's finally time huh? Both of us have been waiting for this moment for a while now. I am aiming to become a master generalist like Cynthia the current reigning champion in Sinnoh. That means I'm going to need a strong team with you at the vanguard. Together I can help you become recognized as the world's strongest Arbok."
The Ekans flicked her tail and hissed as soon as Andrew mentioned strength, and at the name of her evolution she visibly straightened. "Now I know we talked about this before, but I feel it's appropriate to ask one more time, do you want to come with me and become strong?"
She reared up even higher, falling still. Her tail danced lightly, mouth popping open. She began to trill softly making the boy grin at the message received. "Awesome."
Leaf and Bulbasaur watched entranced by the aura the two were giving off while Oak grinned widely at the boy. "Now to catch her. Just give me a second to remove my ownership of her." Taking out a machine he put Ekans' old Pokeball into it as it removed the seal from Ekans.
After doing so, he grabbed a Pokeball and threw it to Andrew who caught it with practiced ease. Kneeling again, he held up the Pokeball letting the Pokémon see it, tapped it on the tip of the Ekans' nose even more gently than he thought he could have. The second it was pressed against scales it snapped open, scarlet mist billowing out and absorbing the Pokémon. It flew back to Andrew's hand, perfectly sized to fit in his fist.
There was a Pokémon in his hand. He had a Pokémon.
"Okay Andrew, here's your Pokedex and five more Pokeballs! I would suggest scanning Ekans there. Just hold the Pokeball next to the scanner, although you could also use it when she's released." The professor explained out of habit despite Andrew already knowing.
Regardless, he did it anyway, holding up the Pokeball. There was a scanner on the back, and he held the button of the Pokeball against it, flicking the power switch. His Pokedex blinked to life, humming softly as the scanner worked.
Ekans, the poison Pokémon. Ekans often sneak into the nests to eat Pidgey or Spearow eggs or wait in the grasses to eat the Pokémon instead. They coil upon themselves when they sleep to be able to strike in all directions, and often use their fangs and speed to their advantage.
This Ekans is female with no held item. She knows the moves Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, and Poison Tail. Her ability is Shed Skin which allows it to recover from harmful status conditions.
Note: This Pokémon is albino which is a unique coloration of Pokémon that has lost pigmentation in its body.
"Awesome," he murmured, staring at the Pokeball.
"As you can see, she has one egg move - Poison Tail. You can see that if you toggle the button right there though with you helping her prior it should be about the same strength as her primary moves. But knowing you, that won't last long." He stated with a chuckle.
"I feel like I just watched history in the making. Trainers in the league are going to have a hard time with you there I can tell. Good thing I'm aiming for contests instead." Leaf stated which Bulbasaur warbled in agreement.
Andrew grinned widely at her words. "By the way did Ash and Gary come by yet?"
Leaf shook her head. "I just got here. Gary said he'd come in a week. Right now, he's away with Daisy in Vermillion City with their uncle to celebrate together one last time before Gary goes on his journey and Ash's birthday is in six days, so he's picking his up the same day. I know that Ritchie should be here any second though. Anyway, I'm going to go home and have Bulbasaur meet my parents before making my way to Viridian City. Maybe the next time we meet we can have a battle."
"Sounds great Leaf and good luck with the contests!" He waved goodbye to Leaf before his face turned neutral and looked at the Pokémon professor. "Are you planning on giving Ash that Pikachu?"
Samuel grimaced. "I know how great of a team they will become, but no matter what I did to train it, the Pikachu still has a problem with humans. Are you sure its wise to give it to Ash?"
"A hundred percent sure. Please trust me on this. I know there's been no headway with news on Team Rocket and the Gym leaders that may be affiliated but Ash needs Pikachu more than you can possibly imagine."
A grim look crossed his elderly face but nodded in understanding. "I understand."
"Either way professor, I want to thank you for everything these past two years. If it wasn't for you, Lance and Delia I'm not sure what I would've done. So again, thank you."
The aged researcher returned it as they shook hands. "Again, it's no problem at all my boy. In fact, with your help, we discovered many great things about our world. I may call upon you in the future if we come across anything else. Your otherworldly knowledge opened up a whole new world in the research community. In fact, we all should be thanking you for your help."
Shaking his head, Andrew sighed in fond exasperation. "Anyway, I should hit the road. I want to get a head start and get some training in before I tackle the gyms."
"Well good luck to you Andrew and have a wonderful journey." Samuel shouted to him as he walked out the door. Much to his surprise though was that he ran into someone taller than him. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention where I was goin-" he stopped talking when a pair of slender arms wrapped around him in a hug.
He was surprised by the action and wondered who it was until he heard sniffling before realization hit him. Andrew then returned the hug eagerly. "Thank you, Delia, for everything."
She sniffled again with a tighter hug this time. "Call me at every town you get to. Every, one! I don't want you to think that you can let a town go by without-"
"I won't, Delia I promise."
"You'll check your Pokégear for rare Pokémon coming through, I know you can check the news on it. I know you won't let Ekans be hurt for no reason, so you have all of your potions, right? Make sure you don't just capture a Pokémon just for capturing it. And make sure they all have food and so do you, you aren't going hungry just because you don't want to eat berries-"
"I promise, Mom! I promise."
Both froze as they realized what he said. Delia sobbed loudly making Samuel chuckle at the scene. She released him from the hug which he noted that there were tear streaks down her face. "I'm about to lose two of my baby boys. It's almost too much for me to handle."
Andrew shot her a look so dry that it could match the Sahara. "Still a 27-year-old in a younger body." He said in such a tone that had the professor cackling while Delia's sad face turned into a full-blown smile despite being a bit wobbly.
"I know. But that doesn't change how old your body is Andrew therefore I can call you my baby boy as much as I want." Delia said in a matter-of-fact tone that just had Andrew sigh in defeat.
"Um did I come at a bad time?"
All three blink and turn around to see a visibly confused Ritchie. "Um?"
"No, you came at a perfect time. In fact, I was just leaving! Take care of yourselves, guys. I'll give a call when I register for the league then I'll be training on route 22. Peace!" With that Andrew sprinted out of there cackling while Delia shouted out wishing him luck.