Pokemon EDventures: Johto Journeys

by Gusto God of Story

If you were given a chance to go to another world, would you do it? Given the chance by a young trainer from Kanto, the kids of the Cul-De-Sac embark into the world of Pokemon. The Eds have been fans and know their way around battling... or so they think. So much has changed, and so much is unknown to them. But they must deal with the changes, even if it changes them as well...

1. EDventure of a Lifetime

So, Gusto has returned to Pokemon Fanfics. Hello again.

For those of you who don't know me, I tried writing an EEnE/Pokemon crossover on my previous account a few years back, and didn't get very far. No real reason, just lost inspiration. But now I'm back, and I wanna re-try the premise, because I've had some time to make it better. This first chapter will be much like the first chapter of the original version of this fic, I won't lie, but I'm going to try and get much further than I did last time. And plus, some changes have been made to the cast to make it more solid, I think.

As you can expect, I don't own either Pokemon or Ed Edd n Eddy, and I especially don't own both (or else I'd be making a goddamn series out of this). And I probably also don't own any real-life brands I might reference. They're all owned by respective owners and such.

And much like the fic that inspired me, I'll be leaving a detailed list of everyone's Pokemon down at the bottom of each chapter. I'll be using Sun/Moon movesets, since not everyone came with us into Sword and Shield. So yes, some new moves might not be possible, but hey, what can you do?

If you like this stuff, read, review, favorite, all that fun stuff. And if you have any questions or ideas, feel free to leave them in a review, and I'll see if I can answer them.

But I've rambled on long enough. Welcome to 'Pokemon EDventures: Johto Journeys'!

---

The Cul-De-Sac was alive as the last days of summer were being thoroughly enjoyed by its inhabitants. The energy was palpable, as many played the day away like they had many summers before. And this summer in particular, there was a certain sense of levity that had not been had just a year before.

It amazed everyone how quickly that things could change, especially since only a year before, the Cul-De-Sac was divided in a sense. But after a wild journey and several revelations, the schism was mended, and everyone became a bit closer.

Currently, the many kids were at the lake, everyone enjoying the cool water to beat the insufferable morning heat. The youngest two were making a sand castle, the boys were out using the reinstalled rope swing in order to pull off their best dives, and the one most sought-after girl was working on her tan. All was as it should be, with the exception of one member of a group of three.

"Let's see... Nidoking's looking good at Level 57, Charizard's all the way up at Level 59, Lapras is Level 54, Machamp's at Level 56, Zapdos is at Level 55, and Tauros is at Level 56."

With this, a smile graced the young teenager's lips, as he ran a hand through his long black hair. His aqua eyes glanced over the movesets shown on the screen of his Game Boy, and he nodded in affirmation. He thought it was finally time for him to take on the Pokemon League.

The last time had not gone well for him, as he ended up being utterly dominated by Agatha's final Gengar. It sucked to get stopped two before the end, especially since he wasn't getting tips from anyone. He knew Double D had already beaten Pokemon Blue, but as a matter of personal pride, he wanted to beat it without anyone's assistance. And now, after a good amount of grinding and using his Master Ball on the Legendary Electric type, he was much more confident.

And so, like before, he returned to Indigo Plateau, ready to kick some ass.

During the fight with Lorelei, Thunderbolts and Fire Blasts were flying, and he breezed through her team much like last time. Up next on the list came Bruno, who had both Onix taken down in a single Surf each, and then from there, it was a matter of counting Drill Pecks. And back to Agatha, he took in a breath, and started with his Nidoking.

This time, Hypnosis missed, meaning Eddy had the edge. One Earthquake checked the first Gengar, and from there, his momentum only continued to build. One X Speed was all he needed on Arbok, and from there, it was a slaughter. Earthquake after Earthquake was thrown, and no matter the opponent, they all seemed to buckle under the pressure. This culminated as the final Gengar appeared on the scene.

"We meet again, you ugly bastard," Eddy jokes, as he hoped that he would outspeed it, or at least get lucky with Hypnosis again. One simple press of A sealed his fate, as he watched to see if he would finally make it to Lance...

"Oh Eddy!"

A chill ran up the young gamer's spine as he heard an all too familiar and all too dreaded voice. He didn't dare look up, as that would only confirm that his worst nightmare had come to fruition. But there was no denying it either way. There was only one person with a voice like that.

"Kankers?"

"Awww, he remembers us." Another voice declares, this one a bit more mischievous. "So then, you boys miss us?"

Eddy looked up to see the three sisters who had spent last summer pining after him and his friends in creepy ways. To the left stood the resident blonde, May Kanker, in her typical grey t-shirt and red shorts, wearing the same dumb grin she'd always been known for. To the right was the resident blunette, Marie Kanker, in her black tank top and green jeans, with arms crossed and her smirk strong as ever. And right at the center was his own redheaded stalker, Lee Kanker, in her polka-dotted shirt and blue jeans.

Though he couldn't see her eyes, he could feel her staring him down, eyeing him like a piece of meat. And if that wasn't bad enough, one cursory glance let him know that they had something. Something in their hands, that made him immensely curious.

"Ah, I see he noticed these," Marie chimed off, holding out a small red and white orb. "Should we show him?"

"Yeah, why not?" Lee declared confidently, as she and her other two sisters threw the orbs into the air. In a brilliant flash of light, three small and wondrous creatures materialized in front of the boy, causing him to drop his Game Boy, and striking his interest like nothing before.

To the farthest left was a small plant-like creature, not too dissimilar in shape to a large seed, with cream colored feet and markings over two small eyes. The farthest right housed an unreasonably large white bug-like creature, with front limbs that looked designed for burrowing, and small wings on its sides. And right in the middle, there was a small creature, of dark and light greys, with a metalic shine over its entire body. But one look into its massive blue eyes told Eddy that it was aggressive, and had its eyes set on him.

But at the same time, there was something about the way they looked that had him thoroughly confused. From what he could infer, the Kankers had just thrown Poke Balls. And that would have to mean that these were... Pokemon? If so, they were not like any he'd seen, and he'd seen pretty much the whole Pokedex thanks to Double D.

"Looks like we've caught him off-guard," Marie laughed, as Eddy took a step away from the small beasts, "Now then, here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna help us get revenge on those little jerks for what they did."

"Those little... do you mean Kevin and the others?"

"Of course," Lee throws her arm over Eddy's shoulder with a grin. "After all, I can't let their crime against my little man go unpunished."

Eddy tensed, knowing Lee and her sisters to certainly be the vengeful types. "But there ain't no reason to go after 'em!"

"Really? After they tried to hurt you like they did?"

"A lot's changed."

"Eddy, sweetheart. So naive. Things don't change. They'll be back to tryin' to beat you when you let your guard down."

A slight groan escaped Eddy's lips upon hearing that. Just from her inflections, he was certain she was being genuine. And by the look on the girl's faces, there wasn't a damn thing he could do to talk them out of it.

"Well, I say we get to it girls. After all, we got these little guys, and we plan on using them."

"... They're gone."

Lee's expression went from smug to shocked in a heartbeat, as Eddy pointed out the fact that their Pokemon had vanished. "Where'd they go!?" she demanded, "Marie, you were supposed to be watchin' 'em!"

"What!? You said we were havin' May do that!"

"May can't even watch the possums, how do you expect her to watch those things!?"

"Hey, I watch the possums! Those things are way smarter than you guys know!"

Eddy shuffled to the sides as the sisters began to bicker among themselves. Once he had made his way out of their immediate field of vision, however, he was greeted with a much more horrific sight.

On the other side of the lake, the 'Pokemon' were already making their move. In the short time that they had been talking, the three creatures were bombarding his friends with attacks and trying to cause as much mayhem as conceivably possible. Kevin and Nazz were slammed into the rocks by the small metal thing's tackle attack, the seed beast was somehow shooting seeds that were pelting Sarah, Jimmy, and Rolf, and the bug was slashing away at his best friends' feet, forcing them to back away, screaming the whole time.

Eddy's fists clenched at the sight, but a part of him was stuck in place. After all, if these really were Pokemon, what could he really do? Even the smallest of Pokemon held great power, so how could he fight against that?

"Well, would you look at that," Lee's taunting voice continued on, only angering Eddy further. "Obedient little bastards, aren't they? Looks like your 'friends' are gettin' what's comin' to them."

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Eddy snapped back, his anger finally boiling over. "We were having a good day, and then you had to come and ruin it!"

"Whoa, easy Eddy. Why are you so worried about them, after last summer they tried to pummel you?"

"That was a year ago! We've all moved on! Now call off your dogs!"

"'Fraid I can't do that, hun. We still got a bone to pick with 'em, even if they've made you think they're your friends now. Now just sit back and watch the show..."

Eddy's fists were now clenched so hard he was certain he would make himself bleed. There was no reasoning with the Kankers - he knew that as well as anyone. But at the same time, as much as he wanted to retaliate, his mind was drawing a blank as to how he should. It was a battle in his mind between the side that was saying there was nothing, and the side determined to find something. Anything...

"FENNEKIN! USE EMBER!"

And with those three words, the latter side won out effortlessly.

Looking back, he saw another small beast, this time a mostly bright yellow with patches of red around it. Appearance-wise, it reminded him of a fox, and judging by the fact that it was shooting flames right out of its mouth, it was clearly another Pokemon. With it's flames, it took down the small seed creature in a single shot, and a grin covered Eddy's face once again. And said grin only got larger as the person he could only infer to be the 'Fennekin's' trainer came over.

"You three!" he demanded with a fury in his words. "Who the hell do you think you are using Pokemon to hurt people!?"

The three girls were shocked at this sudden wrench in the plan, but to Eddy, he was a godsend. Taking this opportunity, he stepped away as the young man was yelling at the three girls, and headed over to do what he could. First up and closest were his fellow Eds, who were stunned into place at the sight of a large cicada being set ablaze by a small fox.

"Get up, you two!" Eddy demanded, as the small fox set its sights on the iron beast. "We gotta get moving!"

"B-but Eddy," Double D stuttered, "What in the world is going on!? What are these creatures!?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure the guy will explain afterward!"

"Is it a Pokemon?" Ed questioned, "It shoots fire like Ash's Charizard!"

Seeing this wasn't going to go anywhere, Eddy proceeded to grab both of his friends by the collars and dragged them off. In the distance, he could see that Kevin and his usual crew were running away while Fennekin continued to release bursts of fire at the small iron beast. Sarah and Jimmy were already out of sight, and one glance back told him that their savior was effortlessly avoiding every strike that the Kankers tried to throw at him.

A sigh escaped Eddy's lips, and he looked forward, dead set on making it back to the neighborhood. Hopefully nothing would go wrong, and that guy would be able to stop the Kankers for now.

And then, just maybe, they could get some answers.

---

Heavy breaths and looks of shock greeted Eddy as he entered the street with everyone else. It was evident that they had about as much understanding of the situation as he did, further compounded by the tension in the air.

"Is everyone alright?" He questioned immediately. Everyone nodded, and his former rival Kevin appeared before the short boy.

"Alright Eddy, fess up," he demanded, "You know something about what the heck happened back there?"

"The Kankers are back. And those Pokemon belonged to them."

Kevin looked at Eddy as if he'd just grown a second head. "Are you serious? Grow up, Dorky, Pokemon don't exist!"

"Tell that to the fire breathing fox, Shovelchin!" Eddy spat back, "They threw 'em outta Poke Balls, so that's what they have to have been!"

"... Alright, whatever. But if that's the case, where the hell did they get 'em?"

"That's certainly a good question..." Double D piped in, finally standing up. "Clearly, if we do assume they were Pokemon, they were unlike any I'd ever seen, and I've got nearly the entire Pokedex completed."

"Well, they said there was a new Pokemon game comin' out soon," was Eddy's rationalization, "So ya think it might have been in that one?"

"Possibly, but that still would not explain how exactly they're here..."

And as if on cue, heavy footsteps could be heard from behind. Eddy turned back quickly, expecting the Kankers to have tailed them. But as it turned out, the only one there was their savior. And now that the adrenaline had died down a bit, Eddy could get a good look at him.

He looked to be about their age, possibly a year older if he had to guess. Appearance-wise, he definitely looked a bit out of place, kind of lanky, yet clearly very athletic, to mention nothing of the Poke Ball on his hip. His brown hair was long and shaggy, covering his right eye, and his skin was a light tan. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, blue jeans, a drawstring bag rested over his left shoulder, and red sneakers. At a second glance, he seemed rather unremarkable.

But then, Eddy got one good look at the boy's revealed left eye. There was something about that deep red that burned brighter than anything they had ever seen.

"Here," he walked over, a grin on his face as he handed the brick-like device back to Eddy. "Your Nidoking took down Gengar, by the by."

"Sweet, that's two for two!" Eddy took back his Game Boy gratefully, before looking at the stranger. "You made it here pretty damn quick, actually. Did the Kankers turn tail and run?"

The boy nodded, as he pulled out his Poke Ball. "Fennekin here made quick work of 'em. None of their Pokemon liked Ember at all."

"Hah! I was right, they WERE Pokemon!"

This elicited a raised eyebrow from the boy. "It almost sounds like you were expecting something else."

Eddy exchanged glances with his friends, silently wondering if they should tell him or not. After all, that would be a large bomb to drop, and there's no telling if he would even believe them or not. But at the same time, if they were to tell him, perhaps he could give them some answers as to WHY he has Pokemon...

Eventually, Eddy nodded, having finally come to his conclusion. "Well ya see stranger," he began, "We don't have Pokemon here. In fact, we thought they were just a myth."

A slight look of shock graced their new friend's face, as he scanned his surroundings and noticed it. Not a single Pokemon in sight. No Pidgey in the trees, or Weedle in the grass. Meaning wherever he got taken to was VASTLY different. And that would also explain why they were playing a video game based on Pokemon, as opposed to getting some of their own.

"I see..." he said with a light chuckle. "Well if that's the case, you're taking the fact that they aren't a myth very well."

"I've dealt with magic boomerangs and cursed telephones," Eddy retorted. "Double D can tell you ALL about the second one."

To this, the scrawny boy sighed. "You're still mad about tha-"

"I have every right! You saw what that octopus did to me!"

A collective shudder escaped every member of the Cul-De-Sac.

"... Not even gonna ask. Anyway, I suppose I oughta introduce myself. My name is Ryuji Kazama, a new trainer from the Kanto Region."

"Nice to meet you, Ryuji," Double D steps forward. "My name is Eddward, but everyone calls me 'Double D'. The one in the green jacket is my friend Ed, and clearly you've already been acquainted with Eddy. In order, the rest of our acquaintances are Kevin, Nazz, Rolf, Sarah, and Jimmy."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you all. I was on my way to the Johto Region, when I found this strange cave. Next thing I know, I'm here, and there are three girls talking about getting revenge. Glad to see no one got too roughed up, at least."

"All thanks to you, big man," Eddy said as he saved his game and finally turned off his console. "But that makes me wonder where the heck they got those Pokemon."

"They might have gone through the same cave," Ryuji offered, "After their Pokemon got knocked out, I noticed them heading that way."

The tension returned slightly, as the possibilities of what that meant flooded the minds of everyone present. The Kankers were dangerous enough, but having loyal monsters on their side would be VERY bad...

"I wouldn't worry too much about it though." Ryuji commented, noticing their worry. "They'll be in a place where everyone has Pokemon, and there are far better trainers out there than me. If they try anything reckless, it won't go well for 'em."

"Well, that certainly does help ease the mind," Double D admitted, "But what about you? Certainly you don't intend to remain here, when such a fantastical place exists, ripe for exploration."

Ryuji smirks. "Do I detect a hint of envy from you, Double D?"

The sock-headed boy looked away sheepishly. Loathe as he was to admit it, there was so much he wanted to see, especially if it involved one of his hobbies.

"Damn right he's jealous, and he should be!" Eddy butted in. "You get to Pokemon Battle as a hobby, meanwhile we're stuck with little sprites on a screen!"

"Maybe. But you know... I've always wanted to explore a region with friends at my side."

Eddy held his tongue for a moment, not believing what he'd just heard. "Wait... are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I think I am."

With that line, Eddy began to genuinely like him. Not only were he and Ryuji on the same page, but it seemed that their new buddy was extremely accommodating. Before today, exploring the Pokemon world would have been in the realm of fantasy. But now this guy waltzes in and offers to let them join him on a journey?

Eddy would be a fool to say 'no'.

"Count us in! Right boys?"

Ed's smile grew about as wide as it's ever been. "I AM ED, POKEMON MASTER!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" a shrill little voice came out of the crowd, as Ed's younger sister stepped out of the crowd. "Don't think you can just take my stupid brother out of the Cul-De-Sac without taking me too!"

As soon as the initial shock of how loud the little girl was wore off, Ryuji continued with telling her "Well my offer stands for all of you. It could be a great learning experience to own some Pokemon."

"Hold up, I didn't know you liked Pokemon, Sarah." Eddy declared, shocked by the sudden revelation.

"As if! That's Ed's thing. But I'm not going to let him be the only one to explore a new place!"

With that, Eddy's expression went from happy to annoyed. Getting to see Pokemon that he's never seen before sounded absolutely fantastic, but having someone like Sarah coming along could absolutely put a damper on things. Her attitude could make even the most exciting ideas so much less enjoyable.

"I've never dealt in this Pokemon stuff, but if the dorks are going, I'm going." Kevin stepped forward as well. "The Kankers being in this... wherever the heck we're going-"

"The Johto Region," Ryuji clarified.

"Thank you. If they're gonna be there, we're gonna want numbers on our side."

"Rolf will partake as well," the resident farm boy joined the party, his arms crossed to show the many scrapes left by the seed Pokemon's assault. "They have invoked the wrath of the Son of a Shepherd, and doubly so by harming Rolf's friends."

Ryuji grins. "Anyone else?"

The final two members of the Cul-De-Sac stepped forward. Nazz kept it simple, merely stating that if everyone else was going, she might as well go too. Jimmy said nothing, and simply came over to Sarah with a nod.

"So, I've gotten an official answer from everyone, except for one." Ryuji looked over to Double D, who still had obvious hesitation on his face. "You in, Double D?"

"Of course he is!" Eddy interjected.

"Well if so, I want to hear HIM say it."

Meanwhile, Double D was still considering everything that went on. Within the last few minutes, he'd learned not only that Pokemon were real, but so was the Kanto Region, AND at least one other region they haven't seen yet. The possibilities for research were immaculate, and there was so much he wanted to know and do. But then, there was one thing holding him back...

'What would my parents say?'

This was what left him conflicted. While rarely around, they kept a close eye on Double D and his academic experiences. Going to this region would most likely involve a large time investment, and school was so soon. But at the same time, maybe they would make an exception if he were to go this region and bring back his research. The grants and scholarship opportunities would be absolutely endless, and they'd be so proud of him for making these unbelievable discoveries.

"I have one question," Double D finally said.

Ryuji responded quickly, simply telling him "Shoot."

"Does this... Johto region have a Pokemon League?"

"It does indeed." Ryuji answered, a beaming smile on his face. "In fact, it's shared with the Kanto Region, due to their close proximity. Beat the 8 gyms, you can compete in the Indigo Championship and challenge the Elite 4, before fighting Lance, the Dragon Master."

And with that, the answer was certain. Not only could his research bring him untold advantages, but he could potentially be able to reach the top of the Pokemon world by becoming champion. How could his parents stay mad at him with such accolades by his side?

"... I shall gladly join you on this journey."

Ryuji cracked his knuckles in satisfaction, and told the rest of the party "We'll head out as soon as you guys are ready. It's early in the day after all, so we could get you guys Pokemon by noon. I'll be waiting at the end of the street, so come join me once you've got everything you need."

And with one final nod of affirmation, the party split off. The fact that they were actually doing this was almost unreal, but it certainly would not be the first time that they'd left the Cul-De-Sac on a grand adventure. And if everything went right, this could be the adventure to end ALL adventures.

Eddy himself certainly hoped so.

---

Within half an hour, everyone was back, and their bags were filled with everything they could possibly need. Eddy and Kevin were the first to return, both wearing drawstring packs containing clothes, toothbrushes & toothpaste, some extra food, and water bottles. Ed and Sarah were close behind with their school backpacks, Ed's much more full than his sisters, due to trying to bring his comic books with him.

Jimmy had taken a bit longer, due to needing to plan out his supplies more carefully. He'd brought a first-aid kit, a can-opener, and above all else, his comb. There was no way he'd be willing to leave that back home.

Nazz and Rolf came around the same time, each one having taken their time for different reasons. Within Nazz's backpack, there was the usual, alongside as many beauty supplies as she could reasonably carry. Rolf however, had the most stuffed knapsack of the entire party. An extra set of clothes, his fishing pole, a pocket knife, and most of all, as many meats as he could carry. It was no load of bologna, but it would likely last him for now.

And last, but certainly not least, was Double D. Yet ironically enough, his bag looked to be the least packed. The basics were there, obviously, but beyond that, he hadn't brought much beyond a few notebooks and pencils.

"Jeez, sockhead, what took ya so long?" Eddy questioned.

"Oh, nothing." Double D grinned. "And it's irrelevant anyway. Shall we continue?"

"Sounds good to me," Ryuji declared, as he pointed to the forests nearby. "The cave is this way! Follow me!"

And with that, they were off.

Within 15 minutes, they stood at the mouth of a cave that stared back at them with nothing but darkness. There was no end to the cave that they could see, but the assured look on their guide's face told them they could trust it. No one could place their finger on it, but there was something about Ryuji's presence that brought out a swell of confidence in everyone in the party.

And so, they took the bold steps forward that they required to make their way into this new place.

The walk was slow and ominous, as Ryuji used only the dim light of a gas lighter to lead them forward. With every step, something felt off for everyone in the party. Maybe it was an illusion, but it certainly did feel as though they were changing somehow.

In the distance, a light finally appeared, and with that their guide picked up the pace. A brisk walk turned to a jog, then turned to a run once they were within a few meters. The adrenaline had picked up now, and everyone desired to see what was past the blinding radiance.

'This is it...' Eddy said, still enjoying the high of knowing such a thing was possible, 'Just like Professor Oak said. Our own Pokemon journey is about to unfold!'

In a flash, the group was past the blinding radiance, and the world around them came into focus. The forest looked much more beautiful than the ones they were used to, and there were creatures both familiar and completely alien to the three Eds. Looking around, Eddy took in every little detail about their surroundings. And when he finally turned back to everyone, it was finally evident exactly what he was feeling earlier.

Everyone looked like they belonged in the Pokemon TV show!

If he hadn't been told that Pokemon were real, this easily would have been the weirdest thing that he'd seen all day. It was strange to say, but everyone's appearance had been changed somehow. In fact, they looked more like Ryuji now.

Kevin and Nazz had changed the least. They were taller and more well-proportioned, with Nazz's lipstick and hair being a bit brighter and her eyes revealing a brilliant blue. Kevin's ginger hair was short, but more evident than before, and was matched by hazel eyes and a far less pronounced chin.

Sarah and Jimmy looked slightly smaller than before, with her hair a more vibrant orange, and her mouth vastly less exaggerated. With Jimmy, it could finally be told where his hair ended and his skin began, because his previously cream-colored hair was now a pale blonde, contrasting with his fair skin far better. And to much surprise, his headpiece was gone - perhaps made into a more simple set of braces.

His fellow Eds, they looked almost the same, but something about their appearances left him with questions. Had Double D always been blonde? Were Ed's eyes always that slate gray color? Were they always so tall, or was he shorter than he remembered?

And speaking of himself...

With a quick glance to a nearby pond, Eddy saw just how the change had affected him personally. His hair was much fuller than he remembered, with the trademark 3 strands hanging down from the front. His face was sharper than before, with a more clearly defined jawline; he was certainly not a 'no-neck chump' anymore. But most of all, the part that caught his attention were his eyes.

They weren't this vibrant of an aqua before, that much he was sure of. And yet, he wasn't opposed to the color. Something about them just struck him as 'right'.

"Wow... this is too cool!" Eddy nearly squealed. "If I'm dreamin', don't wake me up!"

"Glad to see you're enjoying it," Ryuji grinned. "We're in the forests right by Route 29, so New Bark Town should only be a hop, skip and a jump away."

"Is that where we get some Pokemon?" Kevin asked, to which Ryuji nodded fervently.

"Professor Elm's the man in charge of that around here, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to send us on our way. Now then, follow me."

Their trek continued, everyone slowly acclimating to the changes with their physical forms, and taking in every detail about the land around them. Many unknown creatures passed by them, with some seeming more close to home than they'd expected. Within 30 minutes, they had finally made it back to civilization.

It was a small town, only a few houses altogether, right by a large body of water, and with windmills adorning the sides of buildings. The cool breeze that blew through the town danced across the faces of the party members, as young children frolicked and played.

"So this is New Bark Town, huh?" Eddy questioned as the smell of the ocean tickled his nostrils. "Pretty nice place."

"Just like Oak described it..." Ryuji smiled. "Breathtaking."

"Oh, so you know Professor Oak, then?" Double D questioned, to which their guide paused for a second.

"I met him once and he sent me on my way here," he replied. "He's a cool guy. From what I hear his grandson's a total prick, though."

Double D suppressed a chuckle. "That's an apt description for Gary, I suppose."

"... Gary?"

This elicited a raised eyebrow from the now-blonde brainiac. "Yes... Gary Oak? Professor Oak's grandson?"

"I don't know what your games told you, but Professor Oak's grandson is named Minato."

"And how do you know that?"

"It's on the front of the Viridian Gym. He took it over after the last leader stepped down."

This stunned Double D into silence. Giovanni was not the leader of the Viridian Gym? The rival character had taken his place? But for that to be the case then... that would mean that the events of Pokemon Red and Blue have already happened! And if that were the case, then that would imply the previous champion was the player character! And he'd left, only for Lance to take his spot as champion?

He took another look around, confusion piling up. How much different was this world from what they knew? How much time had passed? How much happened that they did not see?

"Ryuji, remind me to have a discussion with you later," Double D requested, "And for now, continue to lead us to the professor's lab."

"Gotcha. It's the big building up ahead, so let's get a move on."

---

The Professor's lab was certainly a sight to walk into. Bookshelves crammed to capacity, notes scattered around containing various scribbles of completely different topics, and machines at the back end of the room that possessed a myriad of purposes. And manning it all was a tall man in a lab coat, completely engrossed in a microscope as he jotted down notes with his free hand like a man possessed.

"So this is the place?" Eddy questioned.

The professor looked back, and upon seeing the group, drew his attention away from his studies for a moment.

"Terribly sorry," he said, his voice a bit jittery, yet dignified, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting. I'm Hironobu Utsugi, though most people call me 'Professor Elm'. And you are?"

Before anyone could introduce themselves, Ryuji stepped forward, and told the older man "It's an honor. I'm Ryuji Kazama, and I've come here on recommendation of Professor Yukinari Ohkido. He said this should be the first place I visit on my journey through Johto."

"Ah, you know my old colleague Oak!" Elm declared with great joy, "Well, any acquaintance of Oak's is an acquaintance of mine. How can I help you?"

"Well these are my new friends Eddy, Double D, Ed, Kevin, Rolf, Nazz, Jimmy and Sarah. They're are going to be journeying with me, and I was hoping you'd be able to set them up with Pokemon of their own. I've already got a starter, but they're taking their first steps into competitive battling."

For a second, Professor Elm seemed very eager to help, but his expression turned from happiness to worry when he noticed the numbers among them. Looking back to a particular machine, he immediately realized the issue here.

'Oh no! I don't have enough for them! There's eight kids there, and I only have 3 Pokemon I can offer! But wait, what if...'

Everyone watched, as the professor seemed to pace around the room, seemingly deep in thought about an unknown issue. An air of curiosity overcame the group, as they wondered what had his interest, but no one dared to ask.

"Hey, is something wrong!?"

No one except Sarah of course, who was growing a bit impatient.

"Oh no, no! Nothing's wrong," Elm raised his hands defensively. "Forgive me, I sometimes get lost in thought. Anyway, I think I can assist you. I'll just... need to make some calls real quick. Do you think you could wait in the other part of the room for a bit?"

"Yeah sure, we'll wait." Eddy declared, resulting in the rest of the Cul-De-Sac kids staring at him. "... What?"

"You're actually having some patience for once?" Kevin questioned, "Who are you, and what have you done with Eddy?"

Eddy rolled his eyes to this. "I can HAVE patience, ya know! It just... has to be something that keeps my attention."

"That... explains a lot, actually," said Double D.

Before anyone could comment further, the professor scuttled off to a phone, leaving the kids to their own devices. Following the lead of Ryuji, everyone left the room, waiting for the conversations to end, and settling into conversations of their own.

"So Dorky, you guys know Pokemon, right?" Kevin asked, "What's the whole point of it anyway? You're supposed to battle or something?"

"That's the main intent," Double D answered, interrupting Eddy's answer before it even started, "It's also been stated that they can be kept as pets, so if recreational combat is not something that interests you, then keeping one for companionship is certainly a viable choice."

"I see." Kevin scratched his chin, considering his options. He only knew Pokemon vaguely, and was not sure about battling too much. Seemed like it would have been too much work, especially when he had school and football practice to deal with. But perhaps keeping a pet would not be an issue, especially given some of the ones he'd seen are pretty cool. Things like Charmander and Bulbasaur would probably be pretty easy to take care of.

But then again, maybe battling was still something Kevin could get into. After all, while he was here, he'd better take advantage of everything.

"As a personal issue, I intend to challenge the Pokemon League," Double D continued, "I'm not sure whether it works like the games or the show, but in essence, it's the peak of Pokemon Battling."

"Actually, that's a good question," Eddy chimed in. "How DOES the league work?"

The Eds looked to Ryuji, who had his gaze locked on the ceiling. His expression was blank, yet focused at the same time, leading them to think he was clearly contemplating something important.

"Hey, earth to Ryuji!"

With Eddy's shrill voice piercing Ryuji's ears, he was pulled out of his internal monologue, responding with a quick "Oh, sorry. I got distracted for a moment. What did you need?"

Eddy wasn't buying it, but did not press further. Right now, he had a question in mind, which he repeated post-haste.

"Oh, the League, right." Ryuji scratched the back of his head, "You guys'll love it, I'm sure. It's a big tournament they hold every Autumn. We got about a month or so before the next league comes up, so if we can get our Gym Badges in that time, we can compete in the tournament. And if you win, you get the chance to face the Elite 4, to be crowned the Champion of the Indigo League."

Both Double D and Eddy nodded, a clear image of the competition in their heads. Excitement flared within the two as the thoughts of exploring this new region and winning the league were now at the front of their minds. All they needed now were their Pokemon.

But still, many questions lingered. What new Pokemon were there? What were the Gym Leaders in Johto like? What the hell is actually going on in Johto?

But perhaps those would have to be questions for later. For now, one other thing lingered in the back of Eddy's mind:

"So why the heck do the professors all have these weird nicknames?"

Ryuji held back a chuckle. "I'm not entirely sure myself. Maybe it's an inside joke with the Professors or somethin'."

The loud click of a phone onto it's jack signaled the end of whatever calls Professor Elm was making, as he called the group back into the main room. Before them sat a set of exactly 8 Poke Balls, each one almost calling out to the party in a way.

"Now thankfully, I was able to call in some favors," Elm explained, as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And got some of my colleagues to give me some extra starters that weren't being used."

He gestured over to the right side of the table, specifically to the three farthest. "These are the actual starter-class Pokemon native to the Johto region. Then after that we have one from the Hoenn region, followed by one from the Sinnoh Region, and the three remaining being from an aspiring Professor in the far-off Alola region. So, who's picking first?"

Before anyone could even open their mouths, Eddy had raised his hand with a speed they hadn't seen from him in a while. Pulling his fellow Eds forward, he immediately declared "We're the Pokemon fans here, so we get first crack! And I'm thinking we should go with these three!"

Eddy grabbed randomly at the three Poke Balls designated as 'Johto starters', only stopping to ask which of them was the Fire starter. Once he'd gotten his answer, he took that one, and handed the other two to Double D and Ed.

Shrugging at the choices, all three boys threw the balls into the air, and in a brilliant burst of light, their new starters stood before them.

Eddy's was a small rodent-like creature, covered in blue fur on its back and cream-colored fur on it's underside, with a long snout, short little legs, stubby little arms, and closed eyes. On its back, Eddy noticed 4 large red dots, which he presumed was where it's fire came out.

Double D's was a small bipedal plant-like creature, that stared up to Double D with expressive red eyes. Light green in color, the beast's body was contrasted mainly by the small pods that surrounded its neck like a bead necklace. On its head was a single leaf, almost seeming to wiggle with curiosity as the grass-type watched it's new master.

And Ed's was a small bipedal crocodile, mostly light blue in color, but possessing a small cream-colored stripe across it's front, and several red spikes going down its back and tail. As the beast looked to Ed with its own large eyes, its tail started to wag, and it let out an excited grunt. These simple actions caused Ed to smile like he'd never smiled before.

"Ed has an alligator!" he picked up the small croc and began petting it with vigor. "Pet the gator! Pet the gator!" The little guy clearly appreciated the attention, and took Ed's rough way of showing affection like an absolute champ. This sent a wave of relief through both Eds, as they knew Ed would bawl like no tomorrow if he ended up hurting the thing.

"Purr like a gator! Purr like a gator!"

"Gators don't purr, Ed!" Double D protested, only to be shut down by an almost purr-like grunt coming from the water-type. Not wanting to argue further, the sock-headed boy pulled out a notepad and asked, "What can you tell me about these three species of Pokemon, Professor?"

"I'm glad you asked," Elm told him, "Your friend Eddy got a Cyndaquil, a Fire Type well-known for having almost the same physical capabilities as Charmander. You received Chikorita, a rather defensive Grass Type that can learn a lot of utility moves. And your friend Ed received a Totodile, a slower but physically powerful water type."

Double D nodded, appreciative for the information he gleefully jotted down. Once he had his notes, Kevin stepped up next, now admittedly very curious, and grabbed the closest Poke Ball to the group. Throwing it into the air revealed a small bipedal reptile, light green in color, with a light red patch going from it's lower jaw to it's belly. A long, dark green tail swished behind the small gecko, as it stared at Kevin with large yellow eyes, and almost seemed to grin at him.

"(I sense a kindred spirit.)" the small creature said, but all that anyone heard was "Treecko."

"Huh... choice." Kevin picked up Treecko, not entirely sure what it was saying but approving of how it looked. In the background, Double D was asking the same question as before, jotting down every bit of info he could glean from the man.

This created a pattern, as everyone got through their Pokemon of choice, and Double D continued to burn through lead and paper with every new Pokemon revealed. Rolf was next, getting himself a small orange chimp-like Pokemon with a flaming backside - apparently called a Chimchar. Nazz followed suit, getting a small blue sea lion Pokemon with a large pink nose - this beast called Popplio. And Jimmy got his hands on a small black and red cat Pokemon, with large whiskers and bright yellow eyes - a Litten.

And last, but certainly not least, was Sarah.

"It's about time!" Sarah said, having gotten bored of this whole ritual, and wanting to get it over with. Picking up the final Poke Ball, she threw it into the air, revealing the final Pokemon in the roster. It was an owl-like Pokemon, light brown in color with white feathers on the face and stomach. Two leaves sat on its body, making it seem like it was wearing a bow tie, and its beak was a decent size. It looked at Sarah with its large black eyes with curiosity, but Sarah looked at it with annoyance.

"Aw, lame!" Sarah groaned, "I got a stupid bird while everyone else gets cool stuff!?"

Rowlet lowered its head slightly, disappointed at being berated the first moment they met.

"Do not taunt the bird, Sarah," Ed countered.

"Yeah, what did the bird ever do to you?" Eddy added, still annoyed at her attitude.

"You guys all got cool stuff! Birds suck!"

"Bird Pokemon are AWESOME!" Eddy yelled back, offended that she just indirectly insulted his Zapdos, as well as his Dodrio from before that. "You don't even know what that thing can do!"

"I don't need to! It's stupi-"

"Alright, that's ENOUGH!"

Ryuji stepped between the two fledgling trainers, his expression a mix of anger and disappointment. Eddy visibly shrunk, shocked by the display and irritated at getting a glare like that of a parent scolding a child. But then he saw Sarah shrink down a little as well, and that feeling was replaced with amusement. It was rare that someone could actually get Sarah to back down.

"Look," he began slowly, placing his hands on his hips, "Whatever your opinions on Bird Pokemon are, we've quite literally just started our journey. There are tons of Pokemon out here to see, and each one of them can play a role. So keep an open mind, will you? You never know what Mon will end up saving your butt during an important fight."

Eddy grinned, happy to actually get some good messaging. Usually whenever someone has that look, it's more scolding and lectures, but once again it seemed he and Ryuji were on the same wavelength. And at the end of the day, he was right.

But now that they had their Pokemon, one other issue came to mind:

"Hey Professor. D'you got any Pokedexes we can use?"

---

Another 10 minutes of getting everyone set up with their new Pokedexes, and 5 Poke Balls each, and the party was ready to finally move. Exiting the Professor's Lab was the first step, as they were assaulted by the breeze of New Bark Town once again. It seemed like they were all set to go, but once again, they were stopped by a certain brown-haired boy, as he told the group "Before we leave, I think we need to do something."

"And what would that be?" Double D questioned, only making Ryuji's smile grow further.

"To commemorate your first Pokemon, I say we have our first battle as Johto Trainers!"

The mood at this declaration was mixed, as half the group was excited and honored, while the other half was either apathetic or confused. But regardless, the excited half stepped forward, immediately desiring to take part in this, while Ryuji was stroking his chin, trying to figure out the terms of the battle.

"Okay, I think I have an idea. Let's have it be Eddy vs Rolf. That way we can start to get our new trainers involved."

"Sounds good to me!"

"Rolf will partake."

Ryuji nodded, and started setting the field. Explaining to the trainers how to check their move lists with their Pokedexes, he got them up to speed about what their Pokemon could do. Within 5 minutes, both boys were standing across from each other, about 20 feet away, and had their Poke Balls ready to be thrown.

"The battle between Rolf and Eddy is about to commence!" Ryuji spoke, "Each trainer will use one Pokemon, and the battle ends when one side is unable to continue! Trainer Rolf, are you ready?"

"Rolf shall claim victory!"

"Trainer Eddy! Are you ready?"

"Let's go!"

"Alright! Send out your Pokemon!"

Both Rolf and Eddy threw the mechanisms to the sky, releasing their Fire Types in front of each other. Chimchar giggled at the sight of Cyndaquil, eager to see what her new opponent was capable of.

"(You ready to lose, little rodent?)" She asked, hopping up and down slightly to warm up her muscles.

"(I won't lose,)" Eddy's Cyndaquil said softly, his back flames igniting, "(I won't let my trainer down!)"

With the stage set, Ryuji pointed his finger to the sky, and happily exclaimed "Let the battle begin!"

Without missing a beat, Eddy called out to Cyndaquil. "Use Tackle!"

Cyndaquil rushed forward, slamming Chimchar in the stomach with with it's head.

"Chimchar, grab the small rodent and Leer at it like Nana after a poor night's sleep!"

The fiery monkey did as she was commanded, her face contorting into a powerful sneer, making Cyndaquil jump back. A blue aura surrounded him for a second, surprising Eddy.

"Whoa! So stats are actually shown to lower," Eddy grinned. "This is so much cooler already! Alright Cyndaquil, Leer right back!"

Cyndaquil followed his trainer's command, his eyes opening up for a moment to reveal a pair of piercing red orbs. The blue aura surrounded Chimchar, as she raised her little fists for the chance to strike.

"Scatch Eddy's flaming mouse!"

Chimchar rushed forward, aiming her claws at Cyndaquil's face. The strike nearly knocks him off his feet, but Cyndaquil manages to keep a strong stance in the end, trying another Tackle the instant Eddy commanded it. Both hits connected easily, and Chimchar was looking a little worse for wear at the moment. But it was clear to Eddy that Rolf wasn't worried. Something about that look on his face just screamed 'I won't be taken down so easily.'

"Alright Chimchar, once more with the Leer!"

The fierce look in Chimchar's eyes returned, and Eddy saw his opportunity while the blue aura surrounded his starter. "Alright, this is our shot!" he called out to Cyndaquil. "Tackle 'em into the ground!"

Cyndaquil nodded, rushing forward with all the speed it's little legs could muster. It looked like they had this in the bag...

"Jump over it!"

Upon hearing those word's, Eddy's expression went from confident to worried in a heartbeat. He watched in abject shock as the Chimchar vaulted right over his Cyndaquil, and then, at Rolf's command, scratched Cyndaquil right on his back. A cry of pain came from Cyndaquil, who fell to the ground, and Eddy was left to only watch as it struggled to get back up. Eventually, it stopped struggling, as it flopped to the floor once again, clearly exhausted from that whole ordeal.

"Cyndaquil is unable to battle!" Ryuji called out, throwing his arm in a downward motion "Chimchar wins! This victory goes to Rolf!"

As Rolf celebrated with his starter Pokemon, Eddy ran over to his Cyndaquil, picking up the small Fire type, and holding it close. And as he looked at his new teammate, some part of him couldn't help but feel proud.

"(S-sorry...)" the flaming mouse squeaked out, sounding only to Eddy like it was saying its name, "(I failed you.)" He was expecting scorn, but to his surprise, Eddy put him down, and started petting him.

"Ya did great, little guy," He told Cyndaquil, "I guess I shoulda figured Rolf wasn't gonna sit there and lemme hit him."

"You did well, day-late-and-dollar-short Ed-boy," Rolf commended, "For one who does not work with livestock, your command of that fire mouse was quite impressive."

Rubbing the back of his head, Eddy told him "You weren't too bad yourself, Stretch. I wouldn't have thought to JUMP OVER a move, but that monkey o' yours has got some good legs."

The others rushed over, heaping congratulations onto Rolf for his first win, and starting to get into it. Even Sarah couldn't deny it was actually pretty cool to watch, which helped to put a smile onto Eddy's face. At this rate, the journey might actually be even more fun than he expected, especially if he could get everyone into it.

Ryuji walked over while everyone was talking, stopping right in front of the shorter boy. "So tell me Eddy," he said, "Is this better than your games?"

"By a country mile," Eddy answered without hesitation. "I can't wait to see what happens when we get Fire Blasts and Earthquakes to use!"

"Well then, guess you better start practicing. The gyms in Johto aren't pushovers, at least from what I've heard."

Eddy nodded, as he headed inside to use the healing machine Elm had told them about. As much as he hated losing, there was a great satisfaction that welled up inside him. He'd taken his first steps into becoming a Pokemon Trainer, and had fought in his first real battle. All he'd wanted to do when he woke up this morning was finish a video game, and now here he was about to go and live it. And to make matters even better, he wouldn't have to deal with school!

There was so much he wanted to learn, so much he wanted to see, so much prize money he wanted to win, and above all else, so much bragging rights he could not wait to have. And it all started here and now. All because of a bit of bad luck. All because of a chance encounter with Ryuji. All because they'd been on the same wavelength. Now they were given an opportunity unlike any other, and there was no way in hell he was squandering it.

No doubt was left in Eddy's mind. Today would be the start of their greatest adventure yet.

That much, he would make sure of.

---

PARTY DATA:

EDDY

Cyndaquil (Male)

- Level 5

- Ability: Blaze

- Quiet Nature, Alert to Sounds

- Moves: Tackle, Leer

ED

Totodile (Male)

- Level 5

- Ability: Torrent

- Jolly Nature, Somewhat of a Clown

- Moves: Scratch, Leer

DOUBLE D

Chikorita (Female)

- Level 5

- Ability: Overgrow

- Gentle Nature, Good Endurance

- Moves: Tackle, Growl

KEVIN

Treecko (Male)

- Level 5

- Ability: Overgrow

- Lax Nature, Thoroughly Cunning

- Moves: Pound, Leer, Absorb

ROLF

Chimchar (Female)

- Level 6

- Ability: Blaze

- Naughty Nature, Mischievous

- Moves: Scratch, Leer

NAZZ

Popplio (Female)

- Level 5

- Ability: Torrent

- Calm Nature, Often Lost in Thought

- Moves: Pound, Growl, Water Gun

SARAH

Rowlet (Male)

- Level 5

- Ability: Overgrow

- Brave Nature, Likes to Relax

- Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage

JIMMY

Litten (Male)

- Level 5

- Ability: Blaze

- Hardy Nature, Quick Tempered

- Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember

RYUJI

Fennekin (Female)

- Level 9

- Ability: Blaze

- Mild Nature, Mischievous

- Moves: Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember