Colin noticed a shape behind the window, a form that appeared to crouch in anticipation. Before Colin could react, the form launched itself toward the woods and disappeared. Colin dismissed the the shadow for nothing more than his imagination and dressed. Baz was practically in the bay as Colin was out the room door.
"Let's move, Colin. Come ooooooooooooon." Baz had clearly been up for several hours and was ready to run to Mt. Coronet's peak and back. Colin, on the other hand, wasn't usually an early riser. "Baz, let's just go and see the Professor. Maybe I'll wake up and maybe you'll calm down a bit." Colin said groggily.
The lab wasn't an over-the-top buliding. This was a small town, after all. A man with wearing a blue vest, brown pants, and a trench coat was unlocking the door as the two reached the lab. The man turned towards the two, smiled, and said, "Good Morning, Baz. Who's this, a friend of yours?" "This is Colin, Professor.
And he needs to get his first Pokemon." Baz stated. The Professor tilted his head slightly saying, "Baz, you know that your Piplup I had for you was the Pokemon I was going to have for a while." Both Baz and Colin looked defeated. "Well, I know a rogue Pokemon that has been terrorizing the town lately. I could lend Colin here a Pokemon to catch it with." The Professor's proposition was almost immediately accepted...by Baz. Colin, yet again, would be dragged into another escapade by Baz. Oh well, thought Colin.
"Now, I can lend you one Pokemon. Go!" The Professor threw the pokeball in front of him, bursting to reveal a Pokemon resembling a cat with a star-like tail.
a cat with a star-like tail. "This is Shinx. It should help you in catching the rogue Pokemon." The Shinx looked at Colin with dissent. It didn't want to be here either. "The Pokemon was last seen near the bay. I do hope you can find and receive your very own Pokemon!" The Professor beamed as he said this. Baz looked on with fire in his eyes. Colin secretly rolled his eyes. "Let's get a move on!" Baz ran to the bay. Colin returned Shinx to its Pokeball and walked calmly to the bay after Baz.
Piplup, whom Colin hadn't seen since yesterday, was halfway in the sand as was Baz looking for the Pokemon. Colin noticed a patch of trees near the bay that were suspiciously moving despite little to no breeze. As Colin went to check the trees and grass, Baz said, "COLIN, I FOUND SOMETHING. C'MERE!" Pulling a strange looking red and tan shell from the sand, Baz ran to Colin and dropped it in front of him. Before Colin could touch it, the Pokemon that was the shell popped out and attacked Baz! Piplup ran forward with the same fire in its eyes that its trainer glared forward with. "Whoa!" Baz exclaimed as he whipped out his Pokedex to examine the Pokemon.
~Shuckle, the Mold Pokemon. Shuckle store berries in their shells, which eventually turn into a delicious juice~ The Pokedex completed its definition as the Shuckle launched itself towards Piplup for a deadly Constrict. "Piplup, dodge!" Piplup moved gracefully to its trainer's command. Colin looked on with hushed excitement. Ever since he was little, Colin loved watching Pokemon work in tandem with their trainers, making tactical calls, and showing their prowess on the battlefield. Piplup was tangled by Shuckle's Constrict and Baz was, for a lack of a better phrase, losing his shit. Colin ran forward,
and took Baz's place. "Ok, Piplup! Use Peck again and again!" The confidence in Colin's voice matched, if not superceded, Baz's confident voice, but nevertheless, Piplup listened and launched a series of Pecks against Shuckle. The two were in an endurance match. Piplup striking Shuckle's shell over and over and Shuckle squeezing as tight as it could. Then, as fast as the match began, both Piplup and Shuckle fainted with an unsatisfactory thud. Colin ran to Baz's bag (Baz had passed out at this point), pulled out a Pokeball, and threw the red and white ball at Shuckle. Shuckle seemed to evaporate into red light and zipped into the Pokeball.
Silence. A pin could've fallen into the sand and everyone could've heard it. Baz looked up at Colin's stance: anticipation, confidence? No. Something...else. Colin's mind was in shambles. "DID I JUST DO THAT?" "WHY DID PIPLUP LISTEN TO ME!?" "i'm hungry" "HOLY SHIT" The Pokeball shook once, twice, three, but then it stopped. Even more anticipation. Then, the Pokeball burst open in a blaze of white light and Shuckle scuttled toward the coast and escaped. "That could've gone worse.", The Professor said as he walked casually down the street. "Fantastic work, Colin!", The Professor beamed. "If we haven't been properly introduced have we? Pardon my Manners. I am Professor Rowan." Colin and Rowan shook hands. Rowan looked at Baz's Pokedex in Colin's hands. "You never got your own Pokedex, didn't you?", Rowan asked. Colin shook his head. "I just started my journey yesterday. I have no Pokemon, no Pokedex, nothing." Baz was still coming to. He half-ran, half-tripped to the two.
"Corey! That was infraggible. Have you seen Pachirisu? ehhh..." Baz fell to the ground.
Later, the three met in the Pokemon Lab. The lab was a humble place on the out side, but the inside was the near opposite. Sophisticated tech, assistants, and an intern next to a shiny new Pokedex. "Thank you both for helping with that Shuckle. It was a nuisance to the community and the other Pokemon.", said Rowan. The intern (Dawn, she said her name was) walked forward and held up a tray. Five Pokeballs, the Pokedex, and a case. "For badges.", Baz whispered conspicously to Colin. Colin rolled his eyes again. "Now, I'll need Shinx's Pokeball back.", Rowan said, extending his hand. Colin dropped Shinx's Pokeball in Rowan's hand. "Wait, Colin still doesn't have a Pokemon."
Baz noted. "Well, I don't have any more Pokemon. I won't see any more for a while.", Rowan said matter-of-factly.
Something hit the door to the Lab. Colin inched toward the door. Night had fallen. The door had a peephole for some reason. Looking through it, Colin noticed something.
the thing that hit the door wasn't just anything. It was the shape from earlier that morning. From behind the window, now it was behind the door. Colin held his Pokedex in one hand and with the other, he beckoned Baz to him. "Baz, I need to see Piplup's Pokeball." Baz agreed without a word. The Pokedex powered on, Colin flew the door open, and the first real Pokemon battle he had started in began.