PLEASE read the author's notes!! They contain very important information!
Welcome to the second chapter of the Times and Tales of Pokemon: Kanto!It's a bit slow, but hey, it's the start of the game (I'm a bit worried it's too slow). We've got to get everything squared away here.
Just to recap the points from last time, in brief:
1) First of a series. Each will be loosely based on the appropriate game and will contain elements from any previous stories
2) Remember: loosely based on the games. If the idea sounds like one read/written before, I did not steal it. Spare characters are, essentially, mine.
3) Open to ideas. Don't be afraid to suggest anything to me!
4) Odd? Plothole-y? Let it go, it'll probably be cleared up soon. Unless it seems like an innocent mistake
5) Beta readers? Not really looking, but open to the idea. VERY picky, though, tough job.
Sorry about that! I try not to post long notes. Enjoy!
Seeing as how my mother was inexplicably opposed to my setting out on a Pokemon journey, I hadn't dared pack any more that morning than I usually would setting out for a day at work. My purse had my wallet, keys, and a few odds and ends for those "just in case" scenarios that would never happen, simply because I was prepared for them. I had, however, in a fit of hopeful madness the night before, stashed all my saved money into my wallet, thinking to buy all my supplies after I got out of Pallet Town. Thus, it was without any provisions whatsoever that I hit the road to go to Viridian City.
Yeah, it wasn't the smartest move, I'll admit, but I was desperate.
The legality around children going out on journeys to train Pokemon was a touchy subject. Kids were under their parents' rule until they were nineteen, which was another three excruciating years for me, although the legal amount of required schooling ended at fourteen. That's when most kids set out on their journeys. The less enthusiastic could attend school for another two years, which was what I had done, then head into the work force for three years to raise enough money to be able to live on their own once they reached adulthood. This meant that I had to respect my mother's wishes not to leave. However (to make the whole thing even more confusing) if I could get myself registered as a Pokemon trainer, which I would do at the Pokecenter in Viridian, my mother had no legal methods to keep me at home. Which meant that I would be free to travel, and hopefully, somehow, find my father.
Well, that was a load of boring bull, but it was more interesting to think about than how green the trees were around Pallet, for instance.
I kept a good pace as I passed out of the town's borders. It wasn't that Viridian was too far away from Pallet, but I wanted to be there well before dark, and after wasting time with Gary and the battle, time was a bit tighter than I would have really liked. I was just lucky there was no chance of getting lost; not only was the path to Viridian a straight shot north of Pallet, I'd been on the road many times before with my mother to do some shopping we couldn't get done in Pallet.
I love my hometown, I do, but it's really, really boring. I still can't understand why Professor Oak set up shop there.
Speaking of boring, I was starting to discover that traveling wasn't as glorious as it seemed. I'd been to Viridian before, but never alone, and I was struck by how little there was to do, besides walk and look at my surroundings. Desperate for something to do, I stopped for a lunch break within the first hour, even though it was early. And eventually I called Lin out of his Pokeball so he could walk beside me and talk to me.
"So, in short," I said, finishing up the story of my life to the Bulbasaur, "I've got no idea why mom won't let me out on my own Pokemon journey."
"Bulba!" Lin said, looking up at me.
"But here we are, on our way," I continued. "Hopefully I'll be able to get registered before mom shows up to drag me back home. It's so weird, good, but still weird, that she can't do that after I get registered. What do you think?"
"Bulba?" Lin asked, looking confused. "Saur?"
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All in all, we ran into a few Pidgeys and a lone Rattata, which Lin defeated with minimal damage. As I looked over his bruises, I found it a very hopeful sign that I hadn't frozen up during any of the battles. It looked like Professor Oak was right, and I had nothing to worry about. The encounters had, however, added even more time to our adventure on the route, and the sun was already starting to set when I spotted the first building of Viridian City.
"Okay," I said, looking down at Lin. "To the Pokemon center." Lin nodded once. "Why don't you get back into the ball while we're in the city, okay? I just don't want you to get lost." I recalled him and began walking among the buildings, looking for the telltale red roof of the Pokemon center.
Weren't those things supposed to be right out in the open? Who went and hid the Pokemon center on me?
It was getting late, and not many people were on the streets. Those that were ignored me, walking around me when I stood and gaped at the buildings. I felt like a country bumpkin; I had been to Viridian before, but it was starting to occur to me that it was my mother that always did the navigating, and I'd never had the time to stop and look. I could hear people whispering about me as they passed me by, but I was starting to get too panicked to pay much attention.
"Hey!" the voice startled me. I jumped and turned around to see a man standing in front of what was presumably his shop, regarding me coolly. "You come from Pallet Town?"
"Yeah," I said, approaching him. "How'd you know?"
"All Pallet kids have that look in their eyes when they first get here," he explained. "The pokeball at your belt says a ton, too. Although I rarely see trainers with just a purse."
"Yeah, I know," I said. "It's a long story. So, I'm from Pallet. What about it?"
"You know Professor Oak, right?" He pointed at Lin's pokeball. "You got your Pokemon from him, yes?" I nodded. "His order came in. Can I get you to take it to him?"
"Oh, yeah, sure!" I said. He led me into the store, where he reached behind the counter and grabbed a small brown box. This he handed to me.
"If you don't mind, I'd really like it to be there sometime tomorrow," he said. "I don't mean to impose, but my regular delivery girl is sick, and if I don't get the parcel there tomorrow, I loose my part of the profit."
"Ouch," I said. He nodded. I didn't really want to go back to Pallet tomorrow, but I'd already agreed to take the thing. "Yeah, I can get it there tomorrow. No problem."
"I don't expect you to go right now," he said, looking out at the darkening sky. "You can spend the night at the Pokemon Center."
"Yeah, where is that, by the way?"
"Down the block and take a left. Two blocks down from there is the center," the shopkeeper said. "Thank you again. Please say hi to Professor Oak for me, too." I nodded and took off down the road, slipping the box into my purse. I was thankful that it wasn't so big that it was hard to carry.
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Despite the shopkeeper's good directions, the sun was long gone by the time I walked into the Pokemon center. My feet were starting to hurt and I could feel the day's weariness pressing down on me.
The receptionist behind the desk smiled brightly at me. "Hi! Welcome to the Pokemon Center!"
"Hi," I said, approaching. "Um, I'd like a room and to get my Bulbasaur healed, please."
"Of course," she replied. "Can I see his pokeball?" I retrieved Lin's pokeball from were I'd clipped it to my belt and handed it to her. She placed it on a machine similar to the one Oak had used and pressed a button. "I take it you'll want a fully furnished room?" She eyed me as she walked back to the computer. "Since you don't seem to have any sort of supplies."
"Yeah, that'll be great," I said. I made a mental note to find out the differences between fully furnished and not fully furnished rooms in Pokemon Centers. "Oh, one more thing. I'd like to get registered as a trainer. You can do that here, right?"
"Yes, but not right now," she said, shooting me a strange look. "Our systems are shut down for the night, and only Nurse Joy has the password. Ask before you leave in the morning." She smiled once again. "Here's your key and your Pokemon. Have a nice night!"
"Thanks," I replied.
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After a late supper in my room with Lin, I settled down for the night. As I snuggled into the pillow the Pokemon center provided, feeling Lin cuddle into my midsection, my thoughts drifted back to my mother. It was late at night, she'd be starting to get worried about me. Pretty soon, she'd be marching over to Professor Oak's to see where I was; the Professor would probably tell her everything. While I didn't think she'd come up to Viridian to fetch me, I started to feel sorry for the Professor. My mother was not the easiest person to deal with. I yawned and, too tired to think anymore, I fell asleep.
I woke to a knock on the door of the room I was in. Grumbling and rubbing my eyes against the daylight, I staggered to the door and opened it. A pink-haired lady stood there, looking concerned. I stared up at her blearily, wondering what was going on.
"Ah, good," she said. "We were worried that something might be wrong, you've slept so late."
What-? I thought, still staring.
"Miss . . . Are you all right?" the woman asked.
"Oh . . . oh! Yes, I'm fine," I said, comprehension finally dawning on me. "I'm sorry, yesterday was my first day traveling, so I was just really worn out."
She smiled at me. "Yes, we figured that was what happened, but we'd always like to be sure when our guests don't appear until late. I'm Nurse Joy by the way, head of the center here. I heard you arrived late last night and were interested in registering as a trainer."
"Yes, of course," I said. "I didn't mean to sleep so late. I need to get to Pallet today."
"To Pallet Town?" Joy asked, looking concerned. "You're going to have to leave right away if you want to get there before dark." I wasn't really opposed to traveling in the dark, but without even a flashlight with me, I knew I had to restrict my movement to daylight hours, and be safe indoors when it was time to go to bed.
"You're kidding!" I said, looking helplessly at her. "I don't even have time to get registered?"
"I'm sorry, but no. Not if you want to be inside before dark."
"Okay, well, thank you very much then," I said, and closed the door when she nodded. "Lin! Time to get up! Time to go!" Luckily, my lack of supplies meant I only had to throw my clothes from the day before back on, and finger-comb my hair before I recalled my Pokemon and took off down the hallway, barely remembering to grab the key and lock the door.
"Would you like breakfast, dearie?" Joy asked as I passed.
"Do you have something quick?" I asked.
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I ended up getting a pastry filled with a combination of sausage and egg, which I munched as I wound my way out of the buildings of Viridian and onto the path leading back to Pallet Town. I practically jogged, hoping to buy myself enough time to maybe get back on the road out of Pallet before dark that night. I'd rather risk sleeping outside without any supplies than risk my mother being able to keep me from going on my journey after all the work I'd done. Leave it to me to jeopardize my journey to do nice for somebody else, without even thinking through the consequences. The day was nice, not nearly as hot as the day before had been, and I was optimistic as I kept my pace.
However, it turned out that I'd underestimated my weariness from the day before. Before the first hour had passed, I had slowed considerably, and my feet were beginning to ache. I released Lin again, for the company, and we strolled along, looking at the scenery. One part of my mind was pestering me to hurry, another was worried about appearing in Pallet Town again without being registered, and the last was too tired to care about anything besides finding a bed and going to sleep. Finally, I could see the tower attached to Professor Oak's laboratory on the horizon, and the end of the path was only a short ways ahead of me. I stopped short, staring out apprehensively. Lin looked up at me and tilted his head, confused.
"Well," I said to him with a sigh. "Let's see how much damage can be done here, shall we?"
"Saur?" Lin asked. I looked over, met the small Pokemon's eyes, and nodded. We started forward again, and it was only a short time before we emerged from the tall grass and strode into town.
And there's the second chapter! If you're going to review, you'll review, if not, you won't, but keep in mind that I do enjoy them, and they're somewhat inspirational.
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