The Capture Specialist
Chapter Two: Choice
A/N: I do not own Pokemon in any way, but I do own my original characters.
Trying a new format this time to avoid confusion for the reader, we'll see if it works. My breaks in the paragraphs to indicate a time skip don't show up when uploaded to fanfiction, so I'll try something different
The ferry ride from Vermillion to Pallet was quick and easy. Dana stepped onto the small wooden dock, and made the trek up the hill to the small town of Pallet. The town was quiet, even though a few people were bustling about. Dana approached a young man, and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find Professor Oak?" Dana asked the young man. He had spikey brown hair, and wore a purple shirt with camoflauge pants.
"Who, Gramps? He's probably out on Route One looking for Pokemon. Be careful, though, as wild Pokemon can attack!!" the young man said.
"Okay, thanks…", Dana replied. "Darn. I knew I should've brought Aipom with me…" Dana thought to herself. As she approached the entrance to the route, which was covered in tall grass, she began taking deep breaths.
"Just stay calm; all you have to do is find the Professor." Dana said to herself. Taking a step into the grass, she heard a shout.
"Stop!! Don't go in there!!" the voice shouted. An old man with light grey hair approached her, stopping her.
"Don't you know wild Pokemon live in tall grass? Don't go in there without a Pokemon!!" the old man, more accurately known as Professor Oak, said.
"Professor! I've been looking for you. My name's Dana, I've come here to pick up my Pokemon?" Dana said.
"Oh, yes, I remember! Come with me to my lab…" Oak replied. He gestured for Dana to follow, as he walked towards a large laboratory building.
"This is my lab. I have three Poke Balls here, choose whichever one you wish. But be careful; you only get to choose one!!" Professor Oak said. Dana nodded, approaching the three Poke Balls laid out for her.
"Everyone, come on out!!" she called, throwing the three Poke Balls into the air. A Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle appeared from each Ball, smiling happily as they were called. Dana eyed each of them carefully. Even though she had lived in Hoenn all her life, she knew the three Kanto starter Pokemon very well. Occasionally, a Trainer that hailed from Kanto would use one of the three starter Pokemon or it's evolutions in battle on T.V. Dana didn't know which one to choose. Charmander was strong, Bulbasaur hardy, and Squirtle a sturdy defense. As she looked them over, she noticed the Squirtle becoming more and more impatient, it's smile fading to a frown.
"I really don't know which one to choose..." Dana murmured. As she closed her eyes deep in throught, Squirtle waddled towards her, and jumped in her lap. It began yelling at her in it's native Pokemon language, before crossing it's arms and turn away from her. Bulbasaur and Charmander exchanged wary glances, before backing up.
"Well, it seems Squirtle has chosen you! But be careful; that particular Squirtle is a bit impatient and doesn't like to wait around." Professor Oak advised.
"Well, alright. I choose you, Squirtle!!" Dana called excitedly. Squirtle beamed with this decision, ecstatic it had been chosen. Bulbasaur and Charmander, although upset they hadn't been chosen, were excited for their friend.
"Oh! I mustn't forget. On the phone, you said you were going to become a Capture Specialist. This should be as good a tool for you as it is for any other Pokemon Trainer, although it needs to be updated. Unfortunately, we lack the data from the regions of Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, so this particular Pokedex model should only display data on Pokemon from the region of Kanto." Professor Oak said, handing her a small red device. Dana nodded, and grinned. He also handed her five Poke Balls.
"Thanks, Professor Oak!!" Dana called as she walked out of the lab and back to the dock to wait for the ferry. She would go home, introduce Squirtle to Aipom, and then head out to start catching her Pokemon. She released Squirtle from it's Ball to walk with her as she headed for the dock.
As she walked, she noticed a small purple silhouette in the distance, with a large hand and a tail. As she got closer, Dana realized what it was.
"Aipom?!" she cried when she saw her Pokemon friend. The monkey Pokemon eagerly ooked in response, leaping into her arms when she came close.
"Did you follow me all the way here?!" Dana asked. Aipom nodded in response. Beside her, Squirtle was becoming angry and jealous at the attention Aipom was getting. Aipom noticed this, smirking mischievously at Squirtle. The turtle Pokemon muttered in response, and Aipom jumped off of Dana's shoulders, landing in front of Squirtle. Aipom taunted Squirtle momentarily, before the turtle Pokemon leapt, tackling into the monkey Pokemon.
"Hey! Stop, don't fight!!" Dana shouted, pulling them apart from each two Pokemon growled in response, before turning away from one another.
"Sorry, Squirtle. Aipom can be a bit of a brat. But, you shouldn't fall for his tricks, either!!" Dana said. Both Pokemon looked apologetic, but were still angry with one another.
"Sorry, Squirtle, but you'll have to go back in your Poke Ball until we get home." Dana said.
When she arrived home, Dana explained how Aipom had snuck on the ferry and followed her to Pallet Town.
"That's quite a feat for such a small Pokemon…" Her mother remarked, eyeing the monkey Pokemon from across the table. Dana had fed both Squirtle and Aipom a bowl of Pokemon food as she ate.
"I think Aipom wants to go with you. On your journey, I mean. He'll miss you a lot if you leave him here." Her mother said. Dana looked at him, eating happily. She would miss Aipom, too.
"Well, I was considering it, but I figured he'd miss you guys, too." Dana said. Her mother laughed in reply.
"Please, Dana! You and Aipom practically grew up together. When we found the poor thing separated from his mother, we raised it from a baby. And besides, Aipom isn't likely to let anything happen to you." Her mother said. Dana looked at Aipom, who looked up and smiled at her, then continued eating.
"Alright, Aipom can come with me. But I'll need his Poke Ball." Dana said. Her mother smiled as she reached for Aipom's Poke Ball, and handed it to her.
"I'll be leaving soon. It's best I get a good start today." Dana said, as she finished her lunch. She pulled out Squirtle and Aipom's Poke Balls, and recalled them.
"Bye, Mom! I'll see you when I get back!!" Dana said. She quickly ran out the door, and south to the route connecting Saffron to Vermillion, the route she had traversed earlier in the day.
"Alright, let's see. According to the Pokedex, I've captured six species of Pokemon…But I need to know what Pokemon is a C-Rank Pokemon so I won't have to go through the pain of being a D-Rank Agent…" Dana muttered to herself. She had deposited the six Pokemon she had captured in the PC, and purchased some more Poke Balls for capture.
"You wanna know a good C-Rank Pokemon for capture?" A young man said, approaching her. He had light brown hair that fell in front of his face, and sharp green eyes almost identical to her own. A bag was slung over his shoulder, and several Poke Balls were clipped to his belt.
"Yes, I would. Are you an Agent? What Rank?" Dana asked. The boy's eyes narrowed.
"That's none of your concern. But, if you want to catch a C-Rank Pokemon, you'll need to either head into Diglett's Cave, which connects Vermillion with Pewter, or head along the sea route. A good C-Rank Pokemon for you to catch would either be Diglett or Tentacool." The boy replied.
"Okay, Diglett or Tentacool…What's your name?" Dana asked.
"Hmph…My name's Markus." The boy said, as he began walking off towards Saffron.
"Markus? Why does that name sound so familiar…?" Dana thought to herself, as she continued into Vermillion to heal her Pokemon, and then to Diglett's Cave.
Finding the cave was not as difficult as Dana had thought it would be. Walking inside she found the cave was dark and damp, and there was hardly any light to guide her.
"Really? Why does this Pokemon have to be in a cave…" Dana said, as she walked.
"Do you need help findin' somethin', little lady?" An old man wearing goggles said as he appeared before her. Dana shrieked as she fell backwards, shocked by the man's appearance. The man chuckled, as he adjusted his goggles.
"Sorry about scarin' ya there, couldn't help myself. The name's Larry. I work here in Diglett Cave, studying the occasional fossil that gets unearthed y the Diglett. Been doin' this for twenty years now, and know my way round the cave pretty damn well."
Dana beamed at this, smiling, "Then could you tell me where I could find a Diglett? I really need to capture one."
Larry adjusted his goggles for a moment, before grinning. "Ohh, your probably taken the Gym Challenge, I bet? Havin' some trouble against Surge, I see? Well, I can show you where the Diglett normally hang out…but, ya better be careful for the Dugtrio that watches over 'em. It's a mean one." Larry replied. He guided Dana to a small ladder that lead to a lower level, and the two walked in silence for a while before Larry slowed down.
"Up there, that's where they nest. Some Diglett will occasionally come down for food and such, you can capture one then." Larry said. Dana nodded.
"Thanks for the help!!" she said, as he climbed back up the ladder. Creeping over to the spot Larry had mentioned, she looked around, waiting for a Diglett to show up. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, and just as Dana was about to leave, one appeared.
"Yes!! Finally!!" Dana said, pulling out a Poke Ball. Releasing Squirtle, she commanded a Tackle, as the turtle Pokemon rocketed into the small frame of the Diglett. The Diglett, injured, immediately called for help, as Dana threw the Poke Ball for capture. As the Ball wriggled as the Diglett struggled, a larger version of Diglett, made up of three Diglett's appeared. A Dugtrio. And it looked mad.
The Poke Ball clicked with capture, and Dana rushed to pick it up. "Squirtle, attack Dugtrio with Bubble!!" Dana called. Squirtle took a deep breath, before bellowing several small bubbles towards the large Pokemon. Dugtrio flinched momentarily, before becoming even angrier, and rushing forward for a Scratch attack. Squirtle leapt in front of it's Trainer, taking the attack head on, and fainting.
"Ahh!! Squirtle, return!! Go, Aipom!!" Dana called. Aipom appeared, ready for battle.
"Swift, Aipom!!" Dana called. Aipom whipped his tail, shooting star-shaped ray at Dugtrio, who flinched, and decided it best to retreat into the earth instead of fight. Dana sighed, as she recalled Aipom, and began climbing up the steps.
"So, all in all, you captured nine D-Rank Pokemon, and one C-Rank Pokemon. Well, congratulations, Dana. You are going to get your Agent's License which displays your rank, and the license is automatically updated each time you increase your Rank. From this moment forward, the agency will provide all Poke Balls you require for capture, free of charge. Are there any other questions you might have?" Anna said.
"Well, actually, I'm not sure where to start. And I know some Pokemon are difficult to capture. What should I do about training?" Dana asked.
"Well, of course it is wise to train your Pokemon every day, but as for testing them, most Agents take the Gym Challenge in accordance with the agency—that is, they are already registered upon becoming an agent. It is entirely up to them if they want to pursue that route. If you want to begin, the first Gym for your skill level would probably be in Pewter." Anna replied.
"Okay…Thanks, Anna." Dana replied, as she prepared to walk out.
"Wait! Here's my Pokegear number. I'll be happy to help if you have any questions, and I'll notify you when you've captured enough Pokemon for a Rank increase!" Anna said, grinning.
"Alright…Thanks again, Anna!!" Dana said, as she left the Capture Specialist HQ, and headed off to Vermillion, so she could pass through Diglett's Cave, and head to Pewter City to test her Pokemon's strength.
A/N: Well! Dana choose her "first" Pokemon, Squirtle, but Aipom decides to come along, too! It's going to be an interesting journey for her, as she balances capturing Pokemon with the Gym Challenge!! Plus, she meets a mysterious boy named Markus. Who is this Markus, and what is his significance on Dana and her story? As always, R&R! Thanks for all the loyal readers!!