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...

4. Reunions and Revelations

Welp, this chapter took longer than I wanted it to.

But hey, it's here, and with it, I've also been giving the previous chapters some slight polish (making sure my capitalization is correct, fixing my punctuation, etc). And during my off-time, I've also been considering working on another premise that I've been having fun with. It's about a tournament between the best in the Pokemon Multiverse, and I've been trying to map out the tournament.

If I were to make that, then would you guys be interested in reading? Lemme know, and I'll see what I can do.

But for now, here's my usual review answering:

Pksmashbros: To be fair with the Pokemon choices, not every member will be a permanent addition on the team. I will be trying to focus on getting the guys their endgame teams, but there will of course be temporary members in the meantime.

PuzzleMaster1998: Afraid not. I fell out of RWBY a while ago. Nothing against the show or the fandom, my interest in it just faded.

And also, I would like to note, sorry if this chapter feels a little bit all over the place. I'm still learning how to balance this massive cast. Hope you enjoy.

Here is Chapter 4 of 'Pokemon EDventures: Johto Journeys'!

---

So many thoughts raced through Eddy's head as he stared at the boy before him. He almost did not want to believe it was him, but the resemblance was far too uncanny. Standing before him was a face he'd hoped to never see again...

He looked at the group with those innocent eyes of his, and let out a smile that made it undeniable. This was Jonny, as sure as the world was round.

"Oh hey Eddy!" He said happily, "Seems like you guys finally got here!"

"Finally!?" Eddy asked, completely dumbstruck by how nonchalant Jonny could be about this. "Dude, we haven't seen you since the movie! This is where ya been?"

Jonny rolled his eyes. "There we go again with the whole 'movie' thing. Plank STILL hasn't explained that!"

"Right... well anyway, what'cha been doing out here?"

"Me? Well, I've just been travelling. There's so much cool stuff to see out here!"

The cloud of uncertainty lifted slightly, as the others came over to say hello to their old neighbor. Many questions were on the minds of our heroes, but one stood out among all else. One that Eddy was more than willing to ask when he noticed that one specific detail was missing.

"Hold up! Where's Plank?"

This silenced the chatter, as the realization overcame everyone in the group. Sure enough, Jonny was indeed not carrying around his imaginary friend. This caused some worry to well up in the Eds, as they remembered the fiasco that resulted from the last time they were separated from one another. But at the same time, Jonny did not look to be showing any adverse signs from it. So maybe that was a good sign.

Or maybe that was the calm before the storm.

"Oh yeah, you guys haven't seen him yet," Jonny finally replied, before turning back to the forest. "Come on out, buddy. It's our old pals!"

Everyone watched as a small figure seemed to float out from the ever-darkening trees. It was a small, ghostly creature, not even a foot and a half tall, staring at them with large, pale red eyes. It's wispy black body helped to draw attention to its most distinguishing feature; the Pokemon's head appeared to be a large piece of a tree, with little branches on either side of it, and a few little leaves growing upon it.

"Wait a minute, THAT is Plank!?" Double D questioned incredulously. "He turned into a Pokemon!?"

"Yep," Jonny answered, completely unfazed by this fact, "He's something called a 'Phantump'. And now he can move around much easier."

The Phantump waved at the party, all of whom watched as he slowly drifted in midair. To think that the piece of wood that Jonny had befriended was standing before them in this new form. Perhaps it was like their own change in appearance, but why would an inanimate object change into anything other than just the same inanimate object?

"So wait, does that mean that Plank was...?"

Double D dreaded saying it, as a memory of one dumb conversation they'd had made its way to the forefront of his memory. And judging by the look on Eddy's face, he remembered that interaction as well.

"Oh go on, Double D," He said, more than a little amused. "Tell everyone what that means."

Reluctantly, he answered. "If Plank has been turned into a Pokemon, then it would stand to reason that Plank... was a sentient being all along."

This caused his fellow Eds, as well as Rolf, to all laugh in triumph, as a groan escaped the likes of Nazz, Kevin, Jimmy, and Sarah. Hearing this inevitable result, Double D joined the latter chorus, knowing full well what this meant.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Sarah complained.

"Why did I agree to this? What was I thinking?" bemoaned Nazz.

"I just lost a month's allowance on that! You owe me big time, melonhead!" Kevin added in, leaving the catalyst of their discussion utterly perplexed.

"Wait, what's going on here?" he asked, looking to Plank for an answer. "Did we do something wrong?"

"Not at all, Jonny boy!" Eddy told him, rubbing his hands together with great vigor. "Ya see, we had a betting pool on whether or not Plank was real. And thanks to this, me, Ed, and Rolf are walkin' away loaded tonight!"

"Well, not tonight," Double D corrected. "Remember, gentlemen, we're on a journey, and currently we do not have our funds with us. Once we return home, however, the result will be split evenly between the three who were correct."

"Whatever works," Eddy shrugged. "I'm mostly happy I was right. That's two for two on things you didn't believe, Sockhead!"

"I said I was sorry!"

Jonny stepped forward, interrupting their train of thought, and told them "So, what have you been doing since I've been gone?"

"It's been great, man," Eddy answered, "Now that we're not at each other's throats anymore."

"Indeed," Double D added, "We'll still have our little quarrels from time to time, but overall, our group dynamic has improved exponentially. And you, Jonny?"

To this, Jonny only grinned, as he pulled out three Poke Balls from his pockets. "You wouldn't believe the kind of stuff we've pulled off," he exclaimed, "We've just went wherever we could, but we've made so many friends! Wanna see?"

In an instant, everyone was around the boy, who wasted no time throwing the balls up into the air. Out of them burst three different Pokemon, two familiar, and one unfamiliar.

The first of the two familiar monsters were a large quadruped with bluish-green skin, and a large pink bud upon its back, surrounded by four leaves. Immediately to its left was a yellow bipedal Pokemon with hints of brown and red across its body, a large, fluffy tail, a set of mustache-like whiskers on its face, and a spoon in its right hand.

And then their eyes went to the unfamiliar face, who caused Jimmy to immediately faint. And judging by the sheer size of the beetle, no one could really blame him for doing so. They could infer simply by looking at it that this Pokemon was a Bug type, and without question larger than any they'd seen thus far. The way it carried itself reminded Double D of Pinsir, but its appearance reminded him of a bipedal rhinoceros beetle.

'Perhaps they're counterparts,' he surmised, 'Much like Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are for each other. It would make sense, given both are Pokemon based on real world beetles.'

"Sorry about that," Jonny said in regards to the now incapacitated Jimmy, "Anyway, these are my teammates. Meet Ivysaur, Kadabra, and Heracross."

"Neat Pokemon," Ed said, "Where'd you catch them? Did you steal that Kadabra from Sabrina?"

"Never heard of her. I just caught it as an Abra, and evolved it all by myself."

"Evolved?" Sarah asked, as she managed to get Jimmy back up, and turn his attention away from the Heracross, "What the heck are you on about?"

At that, it occurred to the Eds that half of their group did not know about Pokemon evolution. They'd mentioned it briefly, but that was Ed, and he tended to overexaggerate things. But now they had a much better opportunity to explain it to them. As such, Double D wasted no time getting into it.

"Simply put, evolution is a process by which a Pokemon, through gaining the necessary experience, transforms into another phase of physical maturity," he told the others, pointing to Ivysaur and looking at it with great pride, "Take for instance this Pokemon. In it's basic state, it is known as 'Bulbasaur', thanks to the very large bulb upon its back, similar to those present on some plants. As it evolves, the bulb opens up to reveal the bud you see before you, and when it evolves again into Venusaur, the bud will finally bloom into a vibrant flower, signaling the completion of the Pokemon's physical maturity, and it's maximum potential for combat."

The retention of this info was mixed among the crew, but the general idea was something they were all able to grasp; Pokemon would grow into bigger forms as they fought more. This cleared up quite a bit, especially among those who wondered what Ryuji had meant when he said 'that stage of their evolution' earlier in the day. And across the board, everyone liked the prospect.

"Though I will be honest," Double D continued, "The concept SHOULD be called 'metamorphosis', as evolution is an ongoing process taking place over untold generation. Though I suppose they could mean more of a metaphorical evolution, signified by..."

Everyone stopped listening, knowing he'd be at this for a while. From within their ranks, Eddy looked over to Ryuji, and asked "So, should we just head back to Cherrygrove?"

"Probably a good idea. And if you want, your friend can come with us. I'll set up a room for him at the Pokemon Center."

"Oh that's okay, I'm headin' back up to Violet City," Jonny insisted. "You guys go on back to where you're staying. We'll meet up that way."

Waiting for Double D to finish his monologue, the party began to move back down south once that was done. Jonny watched, as the old crew grew smaller with the distance between them and him, and only once he was sure they were out of earshot, did he let out a breath of relief...

And let his expression change from joy to anger.

"(So, they actually made it here,)" Plank said, floating around the boy's head, "(I guess you were right in the end.)"

"I told you, buddy," Jonny said. "And now that they're here, we can get our payback."

"(Are you sure you still want to do that?)"

"They turned their back on us, and they'll pay for that one. Right, Timber?"

Plank sighed. "(You know I'm with you to the bitter end. So, what's the plan?)"

"I heard there was some big stuff going on out in Azalea Town. I think we should head there first thing in the morning."

"(And for tonight?)"

"We have an alibi, and we'll have to make another if we run into them again. But don't worry, we'll make sure that the Eds get what's coming to 'em."

---

The night was beautiful as the full moon shone bright on the world below. Within the Pokemon Center, our heroes remained, choosing to make use of their rooms, and spend the hours of the night within the comfort of air conditioning. And no one could deny that the rooms they were given were certainly very homey. It almost felt like they'd never left, barring the decently nice TVs, and the fact that they all had their own beds.

In Room 3, the Eds were all getting further acquainted with their teams, Eddy lazing about on his bed, watching some news with both of his 'Mons sharing a couple of potato chips with him. Double D was engrossed in his Pokedex, looking over an article while his Chikorita nuzzled up to him. And Ed was over in the corner, showing his comic books to both Totodile and Rattata, both of whom were already very invested in the plot of the one he'd decided to show.

"So, pretty good first day, eh boys?" Eddy asked, as he flipped the channel to coverage of a late-night tournament.

"(I'd say so, matey!)" chittered Krabby, "(I've only dealt with you for a couple of hours, but I like the cut of your jib!)"

"(Right back at'cha, big guy,)" Cyndaquil replied, "(From what I've seen, you'll be a very valuable asset to the team.)"

While none of the humans in the room could understand what was being said by their Pokemon, their evident joy was more than enough to keep a smile on everyone's faces.

"I must agree," Double D said, petting his Chikorita, "And we still have so much to discover. As such, I've taken it upon myself to do some more research."

"Oh yeah? What'd ya find out?"

"Well, I've done a bit of research into the first Gym Leader. His name is Hayato, and he resides in Violet City, where he specializes in Flying Type Pokemon."

"Oh, THAT kind of research?"

Double D looked back at his friend, genuinely curious what he meant by that.

"C'mon, Double D," Eddy said, "Don't you think we oughta figure that out as we go? Part of the fun was not knowing what your opponent was packin'."

"Well, luckily there is no information on what his actual team is within the database. And besides, Eddy, even if we know, that might not necessarily mean we will have an easy win. Perhaps there are Flying Types among his ranks that are stronger than we can face, or our options in regards to type advantage might be rather limited."

"Yeah, maybe. I'd still rather we wait on it, let 'em surprise us."

Double D rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face made it clear he wasn't opposed to this. "Very well, Eddy. I'll not spoil any future opponents for us. Though I must admit, I'm still curious about that Champion Red fellow that the others mentioned."

"You said he was the player character, yeah?"

"Indeed. And according to that travelling trainer, he is seen by some as unbeatable."

A glint appeared within Eddy's eyes as he heard that. "Well, then we'll just have to find him!" He declared with confidence, "And when we do, I'll take his title from him!"

The sheer resolve behind those words was enough to draw Ed and his Pokemon from the comic they'd been engrossed in. "Eddy will pull a victory against the unstoppable king of the monsters!?"

"(Oh, I'd love to see that!)" Totodile chimed in, jumping up and down at the prospect. "(Put on a show for us, Eddy!)"

"You'd better believe it, Ed! And you're gonna help me get tougher! Come on, let's watch this tourney, we can see what the pros are doin'!"

Wasting no time, Ed dropped his comic and jumped onto Eddy's bed, his two Pokemon in tow as he nearly sent Eddy's two into the ceiling. After that, all their attention was on the battle between the two trainers on screen, leaving Double D to his own devices.

"(I'm so glad they're excited,)" commented Chikorita, as she continued to nuzzle her trainer. "(Happy friends make for good travelling companions.)"

While he might not have understood exactly what his starter Pokemon was saying, her attitude was certainly helpful in keeping Double D's spirits up. As she nuzzled his arm, he noticed her leaf moving and coming up to his face, allowing him to finally notice one little detail he'd been overlooking.

"Huh... sweet," he said simply, enjoying the aroma of Chikorita's leaf, "Thank you, my friend. This certainly does help to soothe the nerves."

Chikorita cooed at the praise, as she made her way onto Double D's lap. The boy ran a hand through his locks, not used to the affection, but certainly welcoming it. Having exhausted the current article's content, he returned back to the search bar, when a thought occurred to him. There was still one thing he wanted to know, and so he searched it up, immediately intrigued by the results:

'Red vs Blue: The Most Amazing Final Battle in Indigo League History'

'Champion Red Continues Undefeated Streak For 2 Years'

'Champion Red Vanishes After League. Elite Four Claims "He Said He Needed a Change of Scenery"'

Each of these titles alone would have been enough to get anyone's attention, but with all three of them together, the blonde's curiosity on the subject was ultimately piqued. So much potential to see what this man could be like, and thus so much information that could be gleaned from watching these experts.

"Well, no time like the present," he mumbled. "Let's start with the video. I'm certainly curious to see the scuffle between these two when they've reached their maximum potential."

And with one click, the video began, and he got to watching.

---

"Rhydon! Use Earthquake!"

Rolf watched in anticipation, as two goliaths battled on the TV screen, this one much larger than what he was used to, and allowing him to see the image much more clearly. The trainer commanded a mighty Rock and Ground Type with great authority, facing another beast of a Mon known as 'Tyranitar'.

"These two battling monsters are very well-trained," Rolf noted, genuinely impressed by their combat abilities, "Rolf has not seen such masterful handling of livestock since last year's Ms. Arduous Field Worker Pageant!"

Kevin said nothing in regards to that, his focus drawn to the beasts on screen, as he used his Pokedex to search for info on them. Coming to the entries about Rhydon, he liked what he was reading.

"Up to 3600 degrees, huh?" He questioned aloud, pulling the attention of both Rolf and Nazz, the latter of whom was currently feeding her Pokemon.

"Oh, sorry," he questioned, "Just playing around on my Pokedex, since we ain't goin' anywhere. I just found the entry for that Rhydon thing, and it says it can survive in lava."

"Wow, really?" Nazz asked.

Kevin nodded, showing her the entry, before switching pages. "It's pretty tough then. I oughta see if I can catch one."

"Already trying to determine your flock, Kevin boy?"

"Well yeah, dude," Kevin replied almost immediately. "We got an endgoal in mind. A tournament of all the strongest trainers in Johto! And if I wanna win, I'm gonna need the strongest Pokemon I can find."

"Very true. A strong battling monster can bring you great successes in the competition against our opponents."

"Oh yeah! And I've been looking into the evolutions of my guys too! You wanna see what yours evolve into?"

"Do tell! Use that whatchamadoohickie to great effect!"

Nazz could only watch from the sidelines, as the two boys began to talk excitedly about their current topic. They seemed so happy to be thinking about their battles, and she just couldn't understand it.

'Maybe it's just a guy thing,' she rationalized, while Caterpie ate some pieces of Poke Food from her hand. 'Oh well, I'm glad they're having fun.'

"Oh hey, that reminds me," Kevin turned to where Nazz was, showing her the screen of his Dex, "I found this while I was scrolling through. It look like a Pokemon you'd like?"

Taking a glance at the screen, she saw a sheep, though it was certainly unlike any other she'd heard of. Firstly, its skin was blue, counterbalancing its cream colored wool, and being contrasted by strange cones on the side of its head, colored yellow and black in a striped pattern. Its tail was similarly patterned, ending with a bright orange orb.

According to the page, the Pokemon was called 'Mareep', and looking at it enamored Nazz completely.

"That's definitely a nice looking little dude," she commented. "Does it say where to get one?"

"I think it said something about it being near Violet City. You can get one while we're all getting our Gym Badges."

"Oh... right." Nazz looked away for a second, "You guys aren't upset that I'm not gonna join you with that, right?"

"Nah, don't worry about it." Kevin answered without hesitation. "Plus, I'd be a hypocrite if I did. I wasn't too sure about battling before I got my Treecko."

"Indecisiveness leads to weak harvests," Rolf told the two of them, "When you make a decision, you must resolve to see it through."

Nazz nodded. "That makes sense. I might not wanna battle, but I guess I can try and catch every cute thing that catches my eye."

"Sounds like a plan, babe. And I can help if it's a little out of your level range."

"Aw, thanks Kev!"

Rolf turned his attention from the two as their conversation continued. He brought himself back to the screen, watching as Tyranitar slammed its fist into Rhydon, sending the latter flying backward.

'Kevin boy's focus is on the powerful,' he thought, paying attention to their battle with intense curiosity, 'And Nazz girl's focus is on that which she finds eyepleasing. But what shall Rolf's focus be?'

Double D's words echoed in his head, remembering the discussion of his 'Geodude's' incredible defensive ability. One glance at the Rock Type put ideas into Rolf's head, as he imagined owls trying and failing to break through its shell, or raccoons being scared away by a rock thrown by those mighty arms.

Perhaps there were more beasts like that out here that he could bring into his group? More Pokemon who could be used for protection above all else.

The idea certainly sounded enticing.

'Rolf shall pursue the might of the ultimate defensive team,' he told himself, 'And while we search for the Kanker sisters, Rolf's army shall serve as the first line of defense in combat!'

Oh yes, he liked the sound of that...

---

"I like the sound of that!"

Ryuji smiled at Jimmy's response, turning on the TV to a Beauty Contest for his current roommates. The younger boy was immediately enamored by the sight of a Milotic on screen, his Litten nestled in his lap as he watched the display of beauty before him.

"So, how'd you two like your first day?" He asked, reaching into his bag to pull out some snacks for his Fennekin, "You think you're gonna have fun here?"

"It was okay, I guess..." Sarah told him half-heartedly, staring intently at Rowlet.

"It was great!" Jimmy answered with a bit more vigor, revealing a brace-laden smile, "I got my teeth fixed up a bit, and I caught myself a super adorable little Horsea!"

Ryuji stood up, holding Fennekin in his hands. "And there will be plenty more. So if you guys can keep this up, you'll have a full team in no time."

"Yeah, sure I will," responded Sarah, sarcasm evident in every word.

Both of the boys looked at her, as she continued to look into Rowlet's eyes, almost as if she was expecting something. What exactly, they could not determine, but it certainly was not alone, as annoyance spread across her visage.

"Don't be mad at Rowlet, Sarah," Jimmy offered, "He did his best. And that's all you could really ask for from a friend, right?"

"I'm not mad!" she spat back, before reeling slightly at her volume, "... Okay, maybe I'm a little mad. But that's not the only thing. I just... don't understand this darn bird."

"What do you mean?"

"You saw what's been going down. Everyone else's Pokemon are all friendly with 'em, and I got this thing that just stares at me!"

The only response she got from the two boys was a shrug, which led to her giving an exasperated sigh. "I'm gonna have to catch something stronger than this thing. It's not done anything useful yet."

"Sarah, it's been in one battle," Ryuji countered, "You can't judge something based on one battle."

"Sure I can! I'm a good judge of character, I'll have you know!"

"Even the best judge of character can be wrong. You need more than one interaction to get a glean on who someone is. That's just as true for Pokemon as it is for people."

"Oh, well if you're so smart, why don't YOU raise my Pokemon!?"

Stark silence enveloped the room, no one having anything further to add to this conversation. Jimmy knew better than to argue with Sarah, and Ryuji simply didn't want a scuffle this late at night. And so, they stopped right then and there, going back to watching the Contest, and leaving Sarah to keep watching her bird with scrutiny.

"You know Ryuji, I was wondering," Jimmy began, "Everyone else tried to catch something today. Why didn't you?"

To this, the older boy shrugged. "Besides the fact that I was playing tour guide, I guess nothing really caught my attention. But maybe that's just because it was daytime Pokemon. I could always try to catch something a little later tonight."

Jimmy tensed a bit at this idea. "Y-you mean... go out into the forest? In the dark?"

"Maybe. Some Pokemon are nocturnal after all. And plus, the peace and quiet would be perfect for my concentration, y'know?"

"What, do we get on your nerves?" Sarah cut in, only to be shut down by a simple shake of Ryuji's head.

"Not in the slightest," he explained, "In fact, I've known far more annoying people. I just... it's been a while since I've had to do things while others were watching."

"Oh really?" Questioned Jimmy, "Why is that? Were you sick or something?"

"No, nothin' like that. I've just been out enjoying nature for a few months, that's all."

"Oh, like a camping trip," Jimmy declared, "I went on a few of those with the Urban Rangers. Did you have fun?"

"Hell yeah. It was real nice to be able to get away from it all..."

Hearing that elicited a curious expression from Jimmy, and a raised eyebrow from Sarah. What exactly did he mean by 'get away from it all'? Was he dealing with some rough stuff before going on this journey? Judging by the look on his face, it was entirely possible, but then again, that could just be the way he gets when he's remembering something.

But perhaps it would be better not to ask.

"Well, I think I'm going to go to bed soon," he said simply, "You guys should to. If we wanna make any headway, we're gonna have to get up early."

"That's a good idea," said Jimmy, as he got off Ryuji's bed and over to his own, "When do you want us to be up?"

"Ideally, we'll get up at 7:00 AM, get the egg to Professor Elm, then rush back here for a quick break by 8:00."

Both children took note, and while they weren't sure how quickly they would get to sleep, the idea was certainly doable. But looking at the clock, it was clear that they would have to get to bed very soon. And plus, it was getting close to their bedtime anyway, so it only made sense in that regard as well.

With nothing more to say, the three began making their preparations - specifically Ryuji alerting the others of this plan. And within the next half hour, the occupants of Room 5 were all in bed, hoping for sleep to overtake them.

---

Unfortunately, sleep eluded poor Jimmy for the next hour or so. Try as he might, the bed left him tossing and turning all night, and all he could think about was what came next. They'd have to keep walking, keep fighting, and keep catching, but for how long? How many days, or even weeks would they be at this? And could they even reach this 'Pokemon League' they were talking about?

All of these thoughts bombarded Jimmy for at least an hour, before he heard a sharp sliding sound; the light that creeped into their room confirmed it was their door opening.

Glancing over, Jimmy saw Ryuji in the doorway, but very different from the Ryuji he was used to. The casual air he held himself with was replaced slightly, as he stepped out with confidence, and knocked on the door next to him. A few seconds later, it was opened, and he could hear a slight exchange between their guide, and the leader of his Urban Ranger troop.

"What could girly haired Ryuji-boy want at this hour?" He could hear Rolf question.

"I was hoping to borrow your fishing pole." Ryuji answered not a second later. "A little midnight fishing sounds incredible right now. As well as a Poke Ball, if you wouldn't mind."

A few seconds later, Rolf could be heard telling him "Return it tomorrow morning. Rolf requires his rest for the journey."

"Gotcha."

The sliding door closed once again, as Ryuji came over to close their door, leaving Jimmy with a welling curiosity. Why would he choose to fish this late at night? There could be wild Pokemon out, waiting to jump him and eat him! What if something bad were to happen!?

Before he knew it, the bleach blonde had stepped out of bed, and had his shoes on to see what was going on. He stopped only for a moment or so once he realized he was opening the door. A chill ran up his spine as he realized exactly what he was about to do, but some part of him was practically yelling out for him to follow. It was a strange mix of concern and genuine intrigue that pushed him forward, one leg after the other, until he was finally outside, beneath Johto's moon.

Seeing Ryuji out of the corner of his eye, Jimmy followed behind slightly, watching as the older boy made his way up Route 30. He was careful to avoid the tall grass, both in fear of running into a Caterpie, and so as to not give away his cover.

Eventually, Ryuji stopped before a small lake, and without a single word, cast the line into the glistening blue waters. It was not long after that the bobber was pulled underneath the surface, signaling a bite.

Jimmy watched as the brunet pulled the line out of the water with a single hand, amazed to see the Pokemon that were fished up. Two blue amphibians, short and plump, with large pink lips and a slightly translucent white patch on its stomach, through which he could see a swirling pattern.

"Whoa..." Jimmy whispered, enamored by the adorable little tadpoles.

What drew his attention more, however, was what happened next. Without any hesitation, Ryuji threw his Poke Ball up in the air, releasing his Fennekin with a burst of light. The worry that had overtaken Jimmy thus far was back and stronger than ever. It didn't take a genius to figure out that those were Water Type Pokemon, and if memory served, that meant his Fire Type would be weak.

"Outnumbered and with type disadvantage? How will he win this?"

Yet much to his surprise, neither Ryuji nor Fennekin looked that afraid. In fact, Ryuji's stance got a bit stronger, his shoulders no longer as slacked as they once were, and hands clenched into fists as he stared down the two Pokemon.

A stream of water began to fly from one of their mouths, but Fennekin weaved beside the attack like it was nothing. She rushed over in response and slammed into her attacker, sending it flying. As the other attempted the same technique, Fennekin jumped over it, slamming into its back and causing it to fall forward.

Jimmy watched on in awe, amazed at this incredible agility shown by Ryuji's starter. The two Water Types continued to attempt their attacks, occasionally mixing in a move that caused their bellies to glow. But every move was for naught, as Fennekin was able to dodge them with all the grace and proper footwork he expected from a master gymnast.

Certainly a far cry from the unrefined techniques he'd seen from Eddy and Rolf earlier, and even from himself.

"This is unbelievable..." Jimmy whispered, unable to take his eyes off of the display before him, "He's got so much skill. He's making those Pokemon look like jokes. I didn't know he was that tough."

"(Why are we whispering? Also who are we talking about?)"

A chill ran up the boy's spine as he heard that vague humming noise out of the corner of his ears, as well as the skittering of many little legs. He dared not look over, for fear of what it might be. Unfortunately for him, what it might be was revealed to him, as the Pokemon crawled in front of his face.

It was a large, segmented worm-like Pokemon, mostly tan in coloration, with light red feet and a large, bulbous nose right above a set of mandibles. It had a large, conical horn on the top of its head, and stared at Jimmy with a set of big black eyes, curious about the boy in front of him.

Unfortunately, the curiosity was lost on the young trainer, who let out an ear-piercing scream for the second time since coming to Cherrygrove. And with it, every Pokemon within a mile radius had their attention on the direction it came from, as well as the only other trainer out at this dreadful hour.

Adrenaline took over, and Jimmy ran in the opposite direction. No amount of epic battling would get him to deal with that, especially not at this hour. All he wanted right now was to get back into bed, and never have to see another oversized bug again.

'I can't take this anymore!' he told himself in a panic, 'All these giant bugs! All the running! All the heat and these uncomfortable beds! I HATE THIS PLACE!'

And all the while this was happening, the Weedle watched on, genuinely disappointed at seeing a trainer so quick to avoid a battle.

'(Am I really that ugly?)'

---

It took another hour and a half before Jimmy could even get to sleep, as the images of both Ryuji's battle and that horrid bug's visage flashed through his mind constantly. However, there was a silver lining when he did, as dreams of home and a nice cup of milk were his eventual reward.

In fact, it was almost enough to make him forget that they were in this unfamiliar land filled with giant bugs and fighting monsters.

Almost...

When the blaring of the alarm clock struck his ears at 7:00 on the dot, Jimmy got up and stretched, before being met with the sight of two Poke Balls on the dresser. No amount of attempts to wipe the sleep out of his eyes made them vanish, and he knew that everything he remembered wasn't just a very realistic dream.

"Welp, at least we're all together," Jimmy sighed, looking over to Sarah as she feel out of the bed. "But I don't know how much more of this I can take..."

"What do you mean?"

Turning back, he saw the one person he knew he could trust with his worries. Despite her rough exterior, Sarah always was willing to listen to his issues, and he certainly needed that right now.

"I'm at my wits end," he admitted, "I went outside last night, 'cuz I saw Ryuji leave the room, and I ran into another giant creepy crawly! They're everywhere! And they're mean! I could tell just by looking at it that it wanted to bite my face off!"

"Are you sure that wasn't just the panic talking?" Sarah asked.

He looked to her, dead serious, and she relented.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take! I'll have a heart attack if I have to keep dealing with giant bugs!"

Part of Jimmy's mind contemplated if he should just ask Ryuji about going home, but then another thought occurred to him: would he have to leave his Pokemon behind? He couldn't do that, could he? They were his new friends, and he'd just turn his back on them like that? That just wouldn't be right!

But then, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from his sides, and melted into his orange-haired protector's hug.

"Don't worry about it, alright?" she said, showing to Jimmy a side of her she rarely revealed, "We've got numbers on our side. And besides, if any bugs try to hurt you, I'll kick their buggy butts myself."

To this, Jimmy couldn't help but smile. She always seemed to know what to say to him. And plus, she was right. Maybe he was just overthinking things, especially considering how awesome he knew their guide to be now.

Speaking of which...

"Didn't Ryuji say we have to leave about now?" he asked, grabbing his Poke Balls. "What do you think we'll run into today?"

"Heck if I know," she responded, "I just want to have a better day than we did yesterday."

"We will, Sarah. I'm sure you'll catch something this time around."

"Thanks, Jimmy. I'm hoping I find something super cute this time around."

"Let's see to it!"

With their mood brought up to the ceilings, both children left the room immediately, and headed down to the first floor. Everyone else was already down there, surrounding the roommate of the two youngest members, as he showed off his newest Pokemon.

"Dang, Poliwag this early, on top of the Krabby and Horsea?" Eddy asked, "This region is freakin' sweet!"

"Yeah," Ryuji told him, "I found it out last night while I couldn't sleep."

"Choice," Kevin commented, "I was wondering when you were gonna catch something."

"Yeah, I decided to wait on it. But hey, now I have a new Pokemon, and now I have to figure out which evolution to get."

Double D was practically salivating at the sound of that. "'Which evolution'? You mean to say the Poliwag line has more than just Poliwrath as a final evolution?"

"Yep, once it reaches Poliwhirl, I can evolve it into either Poliwrath or Politoed. See, if I can get my hands on this thing called a King's Rock..."

It was at this point Jimmy tuned out the two, focusing on the tadpole Pokemon before him. Now he knew the name - Poliwag, as it were - and that definitely made him want to know more. And so, he pulled out his Pokedex, getting this entry:

'Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokemon

Water Type

For Poliwag, swimming is easier than walking. The swirl pattern on its belly is actually part of the Pokémon's innards showing through the skin.'

"Wow, it's so cute," he said, "How did you catch it, Ryuji?"

"Oh, it was a tough fight," Ryuji told them, "Especially considering there were two of them. For some reason, that fishing rod of Rolf's seems to like to fish up two things at once."

"Ah, the enchantment still works after all these years." Rolf said with a triumphant grin.

Silence reigned supreme for a bit, as everyone had their eyes on Rolf.

"I can never tell if he's serious or not," Eddy finally chimed in, "He says everything with the same tone!"

"You know how Rolf said he comes from a long line of village buffoons?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, one of those village buffoons married a witch, and that witch had her brother carve a fishing pole, which she enchanted to always gain double the bounty."

"Huh... yeah, that checks out."

"Really?" Ryuji asked in awe, "How is everyone so nonchalant about that?"

"Again, magic boomerangs and cursed telephones." Eddy replied immediately, "You get used to it."

"I guess I'll have to, then... oh by the way, Rolf!"

As the blue-haired boy looked up, a Poke Ball was thrown into his hands.

"Consider it payment for letting me use your fishing pole," Ryuji explained, "It's the other Poliwag I fought. I caught it with one of your Poke Balls, so it's already got you listed as the OT."

"Oatee?" Rolf questioned. "Rolf would believe he is more of an Oater."

A hearty laugh escaped Ryuji's lips, starting to see what the others meant. "No no, Rolf, 'OT'. It means 'Original Trainer'. Basically, it's a fancy way of saying it's your Pokemon, as opposed to it being my Pokemon, and I just left it under your care."

"Ah. Excellent. Another new ally, perhaps to help should the enraged lobsters ever return!"

"Sounds great! Now let's get goin', Professor Elm's waiting for us!"

And with nothing more to say, everyone went up to their rooms to gather their things. It was early in the day, and they could make up plenty of ground if they were to get back with the egg soon. So there was no wasting time...

Or at least their wouldn't be, until a near unanimous chorus of rumbling reminded everyone that it was time for breakfast.

---

Going back through Route 29 was far easier than the first time around, even with the 30-minute distraction of breakfast. What had previously taken them an hour and a half to trek through was now nothing more than a brisk 30 minute walk, allowing them to be back in New Bark Town by 8:00.

Double D had decided to be the one to deliver the egg, allowing the others to focus on whatever it was they wanted to do. Eddy and Rolf had already split off from the group at this point, wanting to scour Route 46 for some Pokemon, and the rest of the group all waited outside.

Once Double D stepped into his office, Elm was overjoyed to see the egg within its case. He took it and placed it on the table, before turning back to the young brainiac.

"Words cannot express how much I appreciate this," Elm told him, "This egg is supposedly a rare breed, rather uncommon in the Johto Region, according to Mr. Pokemon."

"Wonderful," Double D declared, rubbing his hands in sheer delight, "I'm very curious what creature it could be. I do hope you'd be willing to give me a call once the egg has hatched."

"Good idea!" The Professor turned his back to Double D for a second, "Allow me to get my number right here, and I'll give you a call on your Pokedex once everything is in order."

"The Pokedex can make calls?"

"At least my model can. I modified them from a set of PokeGears. Anyway, the point is you can call me at this number..."

Elm handed Double D a piece of paper, which the blonde was quick to place in his Pokedex call log.

"And I'll be sure to give you any info I can on the wellbeing of the egg. In addition, if you can do another favor..."

Double D did not hesitate. "Name it."

"If you run into Gold, then could you tell him to give me a call? He left three days ago without even saying goodbye to me or his mother."

Hearing that caused Double D's blood to boil; he'd made sure to leave a note for his parents' peace of mind, and this 'Gold' fellow would just run off without so much as a 'goodbye'?

"How rude!" he declared with disdain, "Why would he do such a thing?"

"It's mostly just how he moves through the world. That boy can never sit still."

"I see... very well. What does this 'Gold' gentleman look like?"

"Black hair, golden eyes — hence the nickname, red hoodie and commonly wears a hat backwards."

A nod was shared, and Double D finished putting the number into his call list, of course under the name 'Professor Elm'. With that in mind, the teenager stepped out of the office, taking in the details ahead of him.

Apparently, they weren't far behind another trainer who they would perhaps run into. And according to the good professor, his pseudonym was a result of his eye color.

'Good to know,' he mused. 'Perhaps that also could be the reasoning behind the nickname of that 'Red' fellow. I'll have to find a much clearer image. None of the ones in the article had his eyes showing, and the video was much more focused on the Pokemon than the trainers.'

The door was opened up to a battle between Kevin and Ed, currently between Spinarak and Rattata. A battle that was stopped dead in its tracks as their teammate finally joined up once again.

"So? What'd you find out?" Kevin asked.

"We're not far behind an overly energetic trainer known as 'Gold'," Double D explained, "Professor Elm has specifically requested we give him a message should we run into him. Which is a distinct possibility, given that he left only a day before us."

"Sounds good," Ryuji joined in, "We just have to wait for Eddy and Rolf to get back with us."

"Well, don't get comfy, boys."

Everyone turned their gaze over to the entrance of the town, where both Eddy and Rolf were standing proud. On the left shoulder of Eddy, there was a small bird with a short hooked beak, and plumage colored in red, beige, black, and brown. On the right shoulder of Rolf, was a large, brown, and fluffy bird of prey, appearing to stand on only a single leg, with big red eyes surrounded by black markings that extended out to look like a pair of horns.

"Fruitful time, I see," commented Ryuji, "Interesting choice to try and raise a Spearow. You prefer that over Pidgey?"

"Yeah, Pidgey sucks," Eddy answered immediately. "Spearow on the other hand was pretty okay. At least until I got my Dodrio."

"Good to see you using your past experience as a base, Eddy," Double D told him. "And now you possess half a potential team, should you decide to go long-term with them."

"Oh I think I might, I like these guys."

"Glad to hear it," Ryuji grinned. "As for Rolf... when the hell did you get Hoothoot? I thought those things only come out at night."

"Most owls do," Rolf told him, "However, Rolf caught this one at night, a few minutes after you left to fish."

"Well why didn't you show us, dude?" Nazz asked.

"Rolf did not want to, how you say, 'steal Ryuji's lightning'."

"Thunder, Rolf. Steal my thunder."

"How can I steal thunder? It is but a sound!"

"So? You can't steal lightning either, it's way too quick to catch."

Rolf shrugged. "Agree to disagree. Now shall we get back on the road?"

A collective nod was the only response from the party, and so Ryuji took the helm once again, leading the party back toward the route they'd been on. Their duty here in New Bark Town was completely finished, and now it was time to return to Cherrygrove City.

---

By 8:35, they'd made their way back to Route 30, and were back on track to head toward Violet City, and by extension, the first Gym on their journey. Their steps through the tall grass were light, with everyone understanding at this point how they could not simply stomp around through the wild Pokemon's territory.

"So then, we're going to be heading up to Route 31," their guide explained happily. "While we're out that direction, keep your eyes peeled for trainers to battle."

"Dude, you think there are gonna be trainers out this early in the morning?" Kevin asked.

"You'd be surprised. There are some trainers who will go out before dawn if they think it's a good chance to battle."

"First rule of being a trainer: It takes passion."

"I don't like passions," Ed jumped in. "They taste funny."

"Hilarious, Ed. But for real, if you plan on being a competitive trainer, you've gotta be dedicated. I cannot tell you how many tales I've heard of trainers going for the gym challenge, and giving up after one or two badges. They weren't ready for the journey, for all the battles, for being so far away from home in the cold unforgiving forests."

A twinge of uncertainty ran through some of the group at this declaration. Did they have enough dedication to do that? They'd only come here for the Kankers initially, they weren't entirely planning on going on a life-changing journey.

But then again, maybe a life changing journey would do them good? It was worth a shot, or at least that's what a select few rationalized. After all, their last life-changing journey resulted in a built bridge, so maybe this could have a similarly positive effect?

"Well, that won't be us!" Eddy finally piped up. "We'll make it to the end!"

"I'm with Dorky on this one," Kevin added. "Ain't nothin' gonna stop me from winning that league!"

"Glad to hear it. Now, before we continue, does anyone want to catch anything else?"

Members of the party began to scan their surroundings, trying to find whatever beasts caught their eyes. The sights were already becoming familiar - the likes of Rattata, Pidgey, and the occasional Caterpie - and right now, it seemed that everyone was content with their catches.

Everyone except Jimmy, who noticed some rustling in the distance, and was curious about this unseen creature. He approached it with the utmost care, not wanting to startle it away, as he wondered if it was just more of the same, or something they hadn't been introduced to yet.

And once he was within range, he got his answer, which resulted in another massive scream. Looking up from the grass in his general direction was the same horrid creature that had been aiming its horn at him the night before!

"Creepy crawly!" he exclaimed. "Get it away from me! Get it away!"

"Calm yourself, Jimmy," Double D called out. "It's just a Weedle. An early game Bug Type, not very different from Nazz' Caterpie."

"It's a giant bug! That's my worst nightmare! ... Well, that and a closet full of burlap sacks, but still!"

"(Aw come on,)" the Weedle tried to reason with him, but unfortunately was not understood; all Jimmy heard was a strange chittering sound that made his skin crawl.

"Please, don't hurt me!" he begged. "I'm too young to be impaled!"

"(Impaled...? Why would I impale you!?)" Weedle asked incredulously, before lowering his head in defeat. "(I just wanted to be caught, like my buddy Caterpie was.)"

No one else said anything, only watching how their friend made his way through this one. Currently he was looking away as if this Weedle was the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen, and Weedle was simply disappointed, actually managing to make some among them a bit annoyed at their friend's reaction.

And among them, one had just enough of a temper to speak his mind.

"Come on, Fluffy!" barked Kevin, who was tapping his foot against the ground in sheer impatience. "Man up, will ya!? That damn bug ain't gonna hurt you, so just stop being such a drama queen!"

"But Kevi-"

"No buts! Look it in the eyes and see for yourself!"

Reluctantly, Jimmy turned his head, to see exactly what Kevin was getting at. It took him ten seconds for Weedle to return back into his field of vision, and every fibre of his being was telling him to turn away. But of course, fear of Kevin was far bigger than fear of bugs, and let him get a glance of exactly what the older boy meant.

Weedle didn't look like it wanted to hurt him.

In fact, it almost looked upset...

And while his heart was still beating a mile a minute, a twinge of guilt ran through him. Did this Pokemon really not want to hurt him? Was it just curious about him?

"Okay, maybe... maybe it doesn't want to hurt me," he finally admitted, causing the Weedle to perk up, much to Jimmy's chagrin. "You're uh... what DO you want?"

As if as an answer, Weedle crawled closer. It took every bit of Jimmy's willpower not to run away, but it was somewhat worth it, as he saw Weedle point its horn at the Poke Ball. This made it abundantly clear - this thing wanted to be caught, and had apparently chosen him to be the one to do it.

"U-uh... I... are you sure? D-don't you think you'd be happier with someone else?"

Weedle shook its head, and Jimmy let out a heavy sigh in response. There was no getting out of this, was there? Probably not, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

'I should be happy,' he desperately tried to convince himself, 'Its a new Pokemon. But it's also a creepy crawly. But it's not trying to hurt me. But it could. But... but...'

Before he knew it, Jimmy had pulled out a Poke Ball. Weedle approached it, looking it over with curiosity. A push of the button later, and the red light enveloped the Bug Type, bringing it within the ball, and causing it to shake within its trainer's hand.

It shook once...

Twice...

Thrice...

And with a resounding *DING!* the capture was complete, and Jimmy was now the owner of a Weedle. Everyone raced forward, some giving the child a pat on the back for pulling that one off, and others telling him he did great facing his fear like that. All these compliments were lost, however, as a million thoughts raced through his mind at this revelation. Why did he do this? Why didn't he just run? Was he losing it?

But above all else, some part of him was wondering something else, and much to his surprise, that came to the forefront in the end:

"So, what does a 'Weedle' do exactly?"

"Well, it's a Bug/Poison Type," Ryuji explained, "And they evolve really quickly. Yours oughta be in its final form by about Level 10."

"Oh... joy," he declared, trying to keep his fear at what that could mean to a minimum. "So, uh, should we just get a move on then?"

"Sounds good to me. Any objections?"

A collective shake of the head was their response, and with that, they began to push toward Route 31. Jimmy remained at the back of the pack, staring at his new Pokemon's ball in hand. To think that he'd just captured perhaps the biggest bug he'd ever seen... well, besides that weird beetle that Jonny possessed. Before yesterday, even thinking of bugs this big would have rendered him unable to leave the house for a week, and now one had joined him for a journey?

Already, it seemed being here was changing him, since he didn't completely freeze up on sight. And that fact scared him, yet also made him want to smile like never before.

After all, change is good... right?

---

PARTY DATA:

EDDY

Cyndaquil (Male)

- Level 8

- Ability: Blaze

- Quiet Nature, Alert to Sounds

- Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen

Krabby (Male)

- Level 8

- Ability: Hyper Cutter

- Jolly Nature, Likes to Fight

- Moves: Vise Grip, Bubble, Mud Sport

Spearow (Female)

- Level 3

- Ability: Keen Eye

- Impish Nature, Scatters Things Often

- Moves: Growl, Peck

ED

Totodile (Male)

- Level 8

- Ability: Torrent

- Jolly Nature, Somewhat of a Clown

- Moves: Scratch, Leer, Water Gun, Rage

Rattata (Male)

- Level 7

- Ability: Guts

- Adamant Nature, A Little Quick Tempered

- Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy

DOUBLE D

Chikorita (Female)

- Level 7

- Ability: Overgrow

- Gentle Nature, Good Endurance

- Moves: Tackle, Growl, Razor Leaf

Pidgey (Male)

- Level 7

- Ability: Keen Eye

- Sassy Nature, Scatters things Often

- Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack

KEVIN

Treecko (Male)

- Level 7

- Ability: Overgrow

- Lax Nature, Thoroughly Cunning

- Moves: Pound, Leer, Absorb

Spinarak (Female)

- Level 5

- Ability: Insomnia

- Naïve Nature, Alert to Sounds

- Moves: Constrict, Poison Sting, String Shot, Absorb

ROLF

Chimchar (Female)

- Level 7

- Ability: Blaze

- Naughty Nature, Mischievous

- Moves: Scratch, Leer, Ember

Geodude (Male)

- Level 6

- Ability: Sturdy

- Careful Nature, Loves to Eat

- Moves: Tackle, Defense Curl, Mud Sport, Rock Polish

Poliwag (Male)

- Level 10

- Ability: Water Absorb

- Brave Nature, Good Endurance

- Moves: Water Sport, Water Gun, Hypnosis

Hoothoot (Female)

- Level 3

- Ability: Keen Eye

- Gentle Nature, Often lost in Thought

- Moves: Foresight, Growl, Tackle

NAZZ

Popplio (Female)

- Level 5

- Ability: Torrent

- Calm Nature, Often Lost in Thought

- Moves: Pound, Growl, Water Gun

Sentret (Male)

- Level 2

- Ability: Run Away

- Bashful Nature, Likes to Fight

- Moves: Scratch, Foresight

Caterpie (Female)

- Level 4

- Ability: Shield Dust

- Calm Nature, Mischievous

- Moves: Tackle, String Shot

SARAH

Rowlet (Male)

- Level 6

- Ability: Overgrow

- Brave Nature, Likes to Relax

- Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage

JIMMY

Litten (Male)

- Level 7

- Ability: Blaze

- Hardy Nature, Quick Tempered

- Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember

Horsea (Female)

- Level 7

- Ability: Swift Swim

- Docile Nature, Study Body

- Moves: Bubble, Smokescreen

Weedle (Male)

- Level 3

- Ability: Shield Dust

- Lonely Nature, Likes to Fight

- Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot

RYUJI

Fennekin (Female)

- Level 11

- Ability: Blaze

- Mild Nature, Mischievous

- Moves: Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember, Howl

Poliwag (Female)

- Level 10

- Ability: Water Absorb

- Docile Nature, Sturdy Body

- Moves: Water Sport, Water Gun, Hypnosis