CHAPTER 2- Honor and Choice
We arrived very quickly, and alone surprisingly. We seem to be at Cafe. Over-viewing a big field, with many crops and trees. The world is definitely bigger, more than just a couple of buildings. You could live here, and thrive.
"LittleRoot Cafe" Blaire reads the sign.
"So LittleRoot then?" I say. "The professor is in this town, the one who gives Pokemon to new trainers." I state.
"But where is everyone else? Surely we aren't the only ones here, right?" Asks Damon.
He was right. We wouldn't be the only ones. At least there would be a few hundred others. I think for a moment before replying to the question.
"Perhaps everyone else didn't spawn at the same place as us. Or more likely, since we may be in a sort of tutorial scripted to follow a set path to assure we get started correctly, the other players are invisible or we are in a different server from them for the time being." I said what my brain found logical.
We then notice that in the corner of our sight that we have a mission icon. In our menu there is a place to see our missions or tasks. The only one there says 'Meet the Professor' with bold letters saying 'Tutorial'. My hypothesis was correct, the reason we are the only ones here is because it is a tutorial scripted for us.
"Well the task is giving us a location to go so we should probably get going." Damon says. It's not very far, probably just a quarter mile. But with how many times we stopped to see Pokemon running about, it dragged out the walk a bit.
"So which Pokemon are you gonna get Ash?" Blaire says as she hugs my arm as we're walking. My face is as red as a Charmeleon.
"I-I hope since we are in the Hoenn region, we would get to choose from it's starters. And if I had to choose from them ..." I say with nervousness. Knowing very well Blaire can be judgemental. She wants the truth, might as well.
" I'd choose Treecko!" I say in a very embraced tone.
"Treecko? That suits you so well! Treecko is cool and strong just like you!" She says with excitement as she grips my arm in a snug way. My face turns even more red
"I'm not as strong as Damon though, and I'm definitely not the coolest." I state modestly.
"No need to be so modest you tomato!" Blaire says flirty. We've known each other since 10th grade Algebra. I helped her with a math problem and she was very grateful. I always blush when she in particular compliments me. She said it was cute and I fell in love with her from that moment. But I have been too shy to say anything. She was always kind of oblivious, I say that because I don't think she caught on yet.
"So what would your starter be Blaire?" I managed to get the words out of my mess of a face.
"I'd choose Torchic, it's cute. But will become very powerful and big!" Blaire states.
" A good choice! That's my 2nd pick." I say with approval. She blushes and smiles. I made her flattered, and probably became more red than ever.I jolt my head forward trying to not lose my mind. Then Damon helps end my pain.
" While on the topic, I'd choose Mudkip." Damon says.
"Damon that suits you well, it becomes a buff powerhouse like you". I say in a tone to draw a comparison.
"Huh, I guess it does." Damon responds in agreement.
"I think I see the place we are supposed to go-" I managed to get the last word out before Blaire grabbed both of our arms again and we ran towards the building. It just happened to be where we were supposed to go. The building was not as big as I thought it would be. We went in the front door and it was pitch black.
"Why is it so dark in here?" Blaire says confused. We continued to walk aimlessly in the dark until we hit something.
"Ow! Can someone turn on a light?" Damon exclaims. Right after he said that, the lights came on. We hear footsteps walking towards us from the light. A silhouette emerges from the light, revealing none other than Landon Palm.
"Hey it's the announcer." Damon says.
"Don't you know who he is? He is the creator of MetaHop and executive director for this game" I correct him"
"That I could not say better myself, Ash." Palm says with gratitude.
"How do you know my name Sir?" I ask politely.
"It's my duty to greet new trainers and give my best regards to them, so I must know their names. For those people, I use an A.I. But when I realized that one of the lead helper of the smell technology was at the launch of the game, I had to greet him personally." He says with honor.
"You used my idea…" I pause for a moment. "... for the MicroHop?" I have never known that a project that I did my senior year in high school was noticed. I remember sending in the design to the devs, and never got any message back so I thought they found no interest.
"The design you sent in gave us a significant revelation. One so big, we started right away to implement it. Sorry that you failed to receive the memo." Palm says with a regretful tone.
"I'm stunned sir." I say shocked.
"I know you may have been, and I need to make up the lost time. I feel you should be paid for your efforts." He adds to my shock. Damon and Blaire are just in complete awe behind me.
"I can't accept payment, just saying thanks is enough" I say flattered.
"Too late!" He yells. "I already sent the money to your bank account." I look at my settings to see that a deposit was made. I almost had a stroke at the sight of the number.
"3.5 million dollars! That's a-fucking-lot, are you sure?" I say with hesitance.
"Not only that, but first your Pokemon." He says then claps. The thing we bumped into when the lights were off reveals itself to be a pedestal. Three Pokeballs rose from the inside of the pedestal, right in front of us.
"In front of you are the three starters of Hoenn; Torchic, Treecko, and Mudkip. Your choice is forever and you can't undo it." He says with a stern tone. We said what we chose and it was kinda poetic, how we in sync got what we ask. The Pokemon of our choice was the one right in front of us. I dreamed of this day for years, to finally hold a Pokeball. Now the day has come, I'm happy as can be.
"Now Ash, something about that Treecko is special. Throw the Pokeball and see what I mean." He asks me anxiously. I hold the Pokeball, looking at it for a moment. This moment is the first of many great memories. I will never forget it.
"Treecko!" I say as I release the Pokeball into the air. "I choose you!" The Pokeball blasts open and comes back to my hand. It's a great feeling to toss it in the air. I would never get bored of it. The energy comes into form on the ground. It's Treecko, but...
"It's a shiny?!" I exclaim. "Holy shit." We all say in unison. It was beautiful, the colors of Treecko are amazing. The red and green go so good together.
"Now that that's out of the way, here is everyone's Pokedex and some Pokeballs." Palm says generously.
In unison once more, "Thank you sir!". We shake hands and put the items in our inventory.
"Also, here is camping material. three tents should be enough." Palm says when giving it to us. "Maybe at some point, two will be enough." He says with a wink. I don't know what he means, but I'm curious to what he means. I return Treecko to his Pokeball, again such a great feeling.
"This has been all too much, sir." I repeat for the millionth time. "How can I repay you?"
With an impatient tone, "I do have a meeting to get to so are we done here? So I really have to go."
We didn't have anything else to say "I think that will be all" I said with a big dumb grin.
"I'll be happy to know where you guys go from here. Farewell." Palm says as he scrolls to logout, and disappears into a beam of light. We walk out the building completely refreshed. A message appeared asking if we wanted to give our new Pokemon nicknames.
"I don't think I'm gonna give mine a nickname." Damon says
"Me too" Blaire states. "How about you Ash?" I knew what I was calling my Pokemon before I started the game.
"Evergreen." I say.
"What a lovely name Ash! Any backstory?" Blaire asks.
"My first Pokemon ever was a Treecko, and its name was Evergreen. It was my first partner and he will always exist in memory." I state.
"That's beautiful, a name in memory of an old friend."
"Well since we seem done here, I am going to log off. I should go eat and work out." Damon says.
"Ok Damon. Call when you want to play again" I respond. He logs off and it's just me and Blaire. Great.
"I guess I'll log off t-" I was interrupted.
"Ash wait." Blaire says very shyly. "I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it?" I ask curiously.
"I'm coming home tomorrow from Paris and my parents and I got in an argument and I can't face to see them. Is it ok if I stay with you for a few days?" She asks even more shyly.
"Of course. You'll need somewhere to stay, but you're going to sleep on the couch." I state nervously.
"I can sleep in your bed with you" Blaire says. My heart drops. I never knew a girl who would go that far.
"You act like you don't know how to treat a girl" She says jokingly. Little does she know, I don't, and rightfully so
I agree, and we go over details of where I will pick her up, and where we can get food. I decided that this could be the time to make a move. If I play the cards right, maybe she'll feel the same.
END CHAPTER 2