EXT. PALLET TOWN MARINA - DAY
It's a tiny marina. Quaint, but efficient. A few boats parked here and there, but not many. RED ties up the boat to the dock while the PROFESSOR talks to HILBERT and HARETA, who have towels cloaked over their soaking wet bodies.

Professor Oak carries on:

PROFESSOR OAK
...I'm the professor here in Kanto, the name's Oak. But everyone just calls me the Pokémon Professor. You two fell overboard from the S.S. Anne?

Finally turning his attention to the Professor:

HILBERT
Yeah... Somethin' like that.

HARETA
There were these people and they thought we were spies so they electrocuted us until I peed myself and then they kicked us off the boat!

The Professor looks awe-struck for a moment. A WTF face indeed... And then?

He breaks into uproarious laughter, patting Hareta on the head.

PROFESSOR OAK
You've got a wild imagination there, young Trainer!

HARETA
(shrugs)
I guess so. But I don't see what that has to do with anything.
(nodding back to Red)
So who's that kid? Your son? You're kind of old to have a kid that young, mister.

PROFESSOR OAK
No, that's my favorite pupil. Pallet Town's prized trainer...
(scratches head)
...Erm, what is his name again?

In the background, Red, who can hear all of this, makes an extreme RAGEFACE.

In the air above them, FLOATS the KEYBOARD familiar to those who played the Pokémon RED & BLUE & YELLOW VERSION games appears. Hilbert reaches up with his arm and inputs the letters -

HILBERT
(reading the letters as he inputs them)
His name's R-e-d. Red.

He waits for Oak to respond. Nothing.

And then he reaches up and clicks the 'ED' button. The keyboard disappears in a "POOF!" and Oak finally responds:

PROFESSOR OAK
That's right! I remember now! His name is Red!

The Professor peers over at Hareta, a puzzled look on his face.

PROFESSOR OAK (CONT'D)
So are you a boy, or a girl?

Off Hareta's confused, perhaps even frightened, look -

INT. PROFESSOR OAK'S LABORATORY - DAY

HILBERT (V.O.)
I guess the story REALLY starts here. My Pokémon are stolen. And I'm trapped with a dork in a region where some idiot named every single town and city in a color theme while the name of the region itself has nothing to do with colors. Why? I don't know.

HILBERT and HARETA stand off to the side in PROFESSOR OAK's laboratory as the Professor and RED stand by a table, chatting with some of the professor's geeky assistants. Hilbert leans in toward Hareta's ear, lowering his voice.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Kid, you can't say anything about what happened on that ship, okay?

Hareta looks up at Hilbert all wide-eyed, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

HARETA
Well why not?

HILBERT
Because those people might still be after us. That creep in the mask said that their leader has plans for us... And if we lay low and not make a scene, they might just forget about us.

Hareta nods.

HARETA
Yeah. Okay.

The Professor turns his attention towards Hilbert and Hareta now.

PROFESSOR OAK
Do you two have any Pokémon?

HILBERT
Besides my Raichu? No. Not anymore.

The Professor looks at Hareta.

HARETA
I've got three.

Hareta zips open his backpack's pockets - PACHIRISU, SKITTY, and CROAGUNK poke their heads out.

PROFESSOR OAK
If you want one of the starters of Kanto Hilbert, go ahead. Your friend seems well-equipped, but you could use some help.

FREEZE on a view of the table - three Poké Balls lined up.

CUE - "PROFESSOR OAK's LAB" from RED & BLUE:

HILBERT (V.O.)
If you lived in Pallet Town, you could start out with a rare Pokémon. You had your choice of Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander while I had Unova's choice of Snivy, Tepig, or Oshawott... Nobody knows where he or the other regional professors get these rare Pokémon. My guess? Definitely black market. Anyway, these little guys all start out cuddly and adorable, but by level thirty-six, they all end up looking like something from Dungeons and Dragons.

RED
You should, kid, all that Raichu wants to do is zap you 'til you crap yourself! Pika did that to me once. Wasn't pretty.

CUE AWKWARD SILENCE...

Hilbert approaches the table and picks up the last Poké Ball. He lets out the creature, revealing a CHARMANDER, an orange reptilian creature resembling a tailed bipedal salamander with some dinosaur qualities, particularly like those of theropods. Charmander has four small fangs visible on its upper and lower jaws with sharp claws on each hand with a cream underside. Its most notable feature is the flame burning on the tip of its tail.

PROFESSOR OAK
Do you two have Poké Balls? A Pokédex?

HARETA
No and no for me. My Pokémon were never officially caught. They're just my friends!

PROFESSOR OAK
They seem close enough to attempt capture.

Professor Oak digs in his lab coat pockets, pulling out two handfuls of Poké Balls. He hands one to Hilbert, the other to Hareta.

PROFESSOR OAK (CONT'D)
You should give it a try.

"OAK'S LAB" fades as Hareta lets Pachirisu, Skitty and Croagunk out of his backpack. He taps Pachirisu in the head with a Poké Ball, and it's dragged inside. The Ball locks in place instantly without a tinge of rejection. Rinse and repeat the process for Skitty and Croagunk. Hareta raises their Poké Ball's with a victory pose.

HARETA
Awesome! Thanks, mister!

Hilbert goes through his bag while, in the background, Hareta inspects the Poké Balls of Pachirisu, Skitty and Croagunk curiously. Like he has no idea what to do with them. He shrugs and places them over his closed eyes, balancing on one leg as he does this. He laughs.

Hareta falls over and collapses out of frame. He gives a soft, but somehow still enthusiastic, groan-

HARETA (CONT'D)
Ow. That hurt!

Hilbert looks up as he pulls out the Pokédex from his bag. He smirks.

HILBERT
Yet you're still smiling.

Hareta gets on his feet, putting the Poké Ball's in his backpack.

HARETA
Why wouldn't I be smiling? This is exciting!

Hilbert turns his attention back to Professor Oak, handing him his Pokédex.

HILBERT
I dunno if it survived the fall into the ocean, but it's survived plenty before. Electric shocks, explosions, being frozen in an ice block...

The Professor checks out the Pokédex as Hilbert's voice drones in the background, listing the incredible amount of harm that's come to him in the past... And then the Professor speaks again, ending Hilbert's ramble.

PROFESSOR OAK
It's working perfectly. What region is this from? The technology is remarkable.

HILBERT
Unova.

PROFESSOR OAK
With the hot lady professor? Blonde hair, nice boobies, juicy ass? Lucky, lucky. Far boat ride, huh? The two of you brothers?

HILBERT
No. I just met him, actually.

PROFESSOR OAK
(not caring, to Hareta)
Where are you from, son?

Hareta does a full-body shrug.

HARETA
Dunno.

PROFESSOR OAK
Well that's strange... But okay...

Professor Oak opens up the back of Hilbert's Pokédex and pulls out a chip. He inserts it into the Dex. On the screen appears "DOWNLOADING". And then the number goes quickly from 0% to 100%.

PROFESSOR OAK (CONT'D)
There ya go. Now your Pokédex can recognize Pokémon from the Tohjo continent, and if you didn't know, Tohjo includes Kanto and Johto combined. Since they're on the same giant island. Oh, and I signed you up for the 'Nuzlocke' challenge.

Hilbert takes the Pokédex while Professor Oak hands Hareta a brand-spankin'-new one.

HILBERT
Nuzlocke?

PROFESSOR OAK
It's like the real-world version of 'Hard' mode in a video game.

HILBERT
Well, un-sign me up, then, I really don't...

PROFESSOR OAK
No, I insist. It's going to be interesting to see how you do, mister Champion...

Hilbert ushers them out the door.

EXT. ROUTE 1 - DAY
HILBERT, and HARETA step onto ROUTE 1 -

CUE: "ROUTE 1" from Pokémon RED & BLUE.

HILBERT (V.O.)
I wasn't too happy about this new arrangement. I had to keep Hareta attached to my hip so he would keep his mouth shut. To top things off, my best friends were taken from me. And just as I figured, the moment we stepped onto Route 1, a new chapter in my big journey-

Hilbert and Hareta step into the tall grass. They spot CATERPIE and WEEDLE trotting past, two generic looking bug-type Pokémon. PIDGEY flies by. A small bird. Doesn't catch their eyes. Then a RATTATA walks past, a purple rat with big teeth.

HILBERT
Hmmm, that rat thing looks a little tough. Not as boring as the other guys, I guess.

Hilbert pulls out a Poké Ball and prepares to catch it when...

...Hilbert is shocked by electricity! He falls over, steam rising from his body as Rattata flees...

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Wha- What was that for?

He hears a BEEPING coming from his pocket and pulls out his Pokédex.

POKÉDEX (V.O.)
A 'Nuzlocke' challenge permits only the capture of the first Pokémon seen on a given route. All unauthorized capture attempts will be punished. Also, down with foreigners.

It then gives a robotic little snicker.

HILBERT
But... that was the first Pokémon I attempted to catch on this Route. That's what a 'Nuzlocke' is?! I seriously don't get it!

POKÉDEX (V.O.)
A 'Nuzlocke' challenge is one where a trainer must release any Pokémon that faints in battle, as fainted Pokémon in the 'Nuzlocke' trainer's mind must be considered dead. If a release does not occur, punishment will.

HILBERT
Why would Oak think I'd want a Nuzlocke challenge? Are you serious right now? I'm still confused over how that was my first Pokémon encounter on Route 1...

HARETA
Actually, I have to agree with the zappy Pokédex here. We saw...

...a thought bubble appears over Hareta's head and plays over the Pokémon they just saw: WEEDLE, CATERPIE, PIDGEY, and then RATTATA.

HARETA (CONT'D)
...Three other types of Pokémon before we saw Rattata.

POKÉDEX (V.O.)
The stupid boy is correct.

HARETA
Yay!

Hilbert still lies in a steaming pile. He gives a sigh.

HILBERT (V.O.)
...Yep. It got worse.

INT. PROFESSOR OAK'S LABORATORY - DAY
PROFESSOR OAK is sitting alone in his LAB, sipping on a beer. He sees HILBERT and HARETA through his window. He laughs deeply at Hilbert's misery.

PROFESSOR OAK
Stupid foreigners. Think they can just steal my Pokédex idea and make it their own and improve on it and change it up with their own region's Pokémon. The bastards. Now their spawns shall suffer!

He gives a grumpy, drunk grumble and then takes another chug of beer. And then, instantly, he passes out.

Yes, I decided to include the Nuzlocke challenge, just as a shoutout to diehard fans. I figured it'd also be a funny way to show how bitter Oak is that other regions "stole" his idea of a Pokedex... The Nuzlocke challenge will not play a huge role in the storyline. It's just there for a gag and a wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the fans, that's it! :)

Again, lots of humor and set-up. Not my favorite chapter but meh. ON WE GO.