Customary Disclaimer: I do not have the legal right to monetise this work of fan fiction because I do not own the rights to either of the 'Harry Potter' or 'Pokémon' franchises.
Chapter 2: The journey is still beginning
Harry held the pack of Heal balls in his hands, flipping his prize for outstanding talent end over end.
He was sitting on the stairs at the entrance to the pokémon centre across the road from Britain's pokémon league HQ with his fennekin, Eve lying next to him chewing on a 'Poké-Schmackies' pokémon treat.
Uncle Vernon had refused to take Harry to lunch with Dudley and the rest of the Dursleys who were present to gush at how talented Dudley was. He hinted quite heavily that this treatment was punishment for 'cheating.'
Said 'punishment' would not have been a problem had the pokemon centre cafeteria not closed half an hour earlier, leaving Harry in the position of having to placate his pokémon's hunger by way of specialised pokemon only snack food and fighting the pains of his own need for sustenance through determination and distraction.
Distraction being the reason that he looked up after feeling a large rush of air and seeing the red light of a pokemon being recalled. An older boy was standing a few feet away, he had long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail that looked like it was about to come undone and was carrying a white plastic bag in one hand with a blue and white pokèball in the other.
He looked right at Harry and began to approach. He also seemed quite familiar.
"I hope you don't mind me shamelessly inserting myself here?" Ha asked as he sat himself down the other side of Eve. "by the way, my name's Terry." Terry placed the pokèball on his belt and pried apart the opening of his plastic bag. Harry's nose was immediately assaulted by the aroma of food.
"Harry potter." Harry introduced himself for no other reason than to distract himself from the pangs of his empty stomach.
"Yeah, I know. They gave me a piece of paper with ya picture and name on it." Terry said as he pulled a pair of plastic forks out of his bag and presenting one as though to hand it to Harry. "Would you prefer sweet and sour pork or honey chicken?"
Harry didn't fully comprehend that question, his mind was too busy contemplating the repercussions of the prior statement. Why would someone give him Harry's picture? He looked kinda like the boy that convinced Harry to take Eve. Were they the same person? That means that he's part of the mentor program... This guy was Harry's mentor?
"I thought that the mentors chose their apprentices?" Harry asked as he accepted the proffered plastic utensil.
"Nah, we got assigned three newbies each this morning and told that we had ta find 'em throughout the city after the showcase ta keep up the illusion of picking yas." Terry answered "Chicken or pork?" he asked for a second time.
This time Harry caught on to the question.
"Pork thanks, Why would they want you to lie to us?" Harry inquired.
Terry searched through the plastic bag and pulled out a plastic container filled with rice, vegetables and battered pieces of meat.
He replied "some bull about thinkin' that you were hand picked boosten' ya confidence. Just a bunch of pretentious crap." He handed the food to Harry, who removed the lid and dipped his fork in with an appropriate "I see."
Terry retrieved, unsealed, and began consuming his own meal.
"So, after lunch. wanna see professor Eucalypt's lab?" He asked between bites.
SCENEBREAKER
Hermione Jean Granger was enjoying a pleasant picnic lunch with her family... As pleasant as one can have when one's grandmother is a certain loud mouthed, horrific jumpsuit wearing old traitor who kept nattering about the 'enormous' potential of that arrogant show off, Harry Potter.
The small park a few blocks away from the stadium where Hermione had her first pokémon battle as a trainer was quaint, it had a well kept lawn, a smattering of small trees, a play area for small children and three picnic tables. One of these tables was selected by the Granger family to host their meal, the one furthest south with a two millimetre crack in the left seat, exactly five bird droppings on the other and no apparent flaws on the table top.
"I swear that Potter boy is going to go far, not only did he show his understanding of movement and tail whip but also the ability to use his opponents actions against them." Grammy said for the third time in twelve minutes.
Hermione dropped her head to the table and groaned, her mother and father just ignored the comment.
The boy had not taken his battle against that Dursley fellow seriously and only won because he had the type advantage. Hermione had won through superior strategy without exploiting her opponent's weaknesses and was thus a superior pokémon trainer, Wasn't she?
"That adorable little fennekin of his did well too, it seemed to know exactly what it's trainer expected of it. Almost as though they had spent more than just a day together." Grammy had expressed that thought multiple times as well.
Hermione's Oshawatt, Ottie leapt from his place on his trainers lap onto the table and began chattering aggressively. His expression of indignation having the opposite of the intended effect, he was just too cute!
Grammy chuckled, scratched him behind the right ear and commented "Of course! You did well too little one," Ottie's rage gave way to pure pleasure. "it was just your trainer who was bollocks."
It was Hermione's turn to be angered, but that emotion was replaced by shock when a gush of wind and hail of sparks announced the sudden arrival of a large falconesque bird.
The talonflame helped itself to a sliver of ham and presented a leg towards Hermione, who was admiring it's beautiful flame coloured plumage.
Fortunately during her inspection, she managed to discover the small piece of paper attached to the bird pokémon's proffered leg and removed it.
In nigh indecipherable handwriting, the note read;
Hermione,
Outside Kings cross station: 4:00pm.
Flare(the messenger) will identify me.
Your mentor, Terry
Hermione passed the note to her father and returned her attention to the talon flame, Grammy was feeding it some chicken from a sandwich.
SCENEBREAKER
Professor Eucalypt's laboratory was located on the same block as the pokemon centre with it's entrance down the side street to the south.
The laboratory's interior was not as Harry had expected.
Instead of having a myriad of advanced and mysterious machines as he imagined, it was filled with bookshelves and ordinary looking computers.
Even the professors assistants were disappointing. Most of them looked perfectly normal with no crazy hair styles or wacky glasses to be found.
The Professor herself had dispensed with her white lab-coat and with it her appearance of madness, although her glasses were still quite unflattering.
When she noticed Harry and his new mentor approaching, she produced an exasperated sigh and said
"No, I don't know why a mother snorlax has to be holding a certain type of incense to produce a munchlax egg and I have no idea on what or where rare and powerful pokémon may live in the British isles. I am a pokémon psychologist, not a biologist or tourist centre." She levelled Terry and Harry with an irritated glare.
Terry Hesitated "Ummm, actually we were interested in your research on human, pokémon relationships." Professor Eucalypts expression softened.
"Well, in that case. Let me give you a quick tour." She spun on her heel, began leading them towards the rear of the facility and also began lecturing them on the nature of her work.
"Unlike most researchers in my field I do not focus on how the relationship between a pokémon and their trainer affects the phenomenon we call mega-evolution which is a method of unleashing the potential of certain pokémon through the use of mega stones. Instead my assistants and I look into why many pokémon allow themselves to be domesticated and in some cases, trick or force humans into adopting them."
Pokémon actually trick people into catching them? Harry always knew that some pokemon were quite willing to be caught if the right trainer crosses their path but to like someone so much as to actively seek capture or even secretly activate an unused pokèball in their chosen trainers unattended bag seemed a little far-fetched... then again the pokémon farfetch'd was a duck that used green onions as weapons so...
Professor Eucalypt led the party to a large window that looked into an open room that was occupied by a variety of different Pokémon species and some lab assistants who appeared to be fraternising with them.
"Here we have the pokémon nursery, where we keep some of the baby starter pokemon for each years new trainers. While Starter pokemon are usually born amongst humans and therefore are too socialised to be useful to our research,they do prove relaxing after a long day of reading through scientific journals and dealing with obstinate pokémon trainers in the field."
The tour continued with the Professor explaining the functions of the various rooms/maintenance cupboards as well as sharing a few theories behind some of the more unusual or silly behaviours that pokemon exhibit. Harry got the distinct feeling that not many people showed much interest in Professor Eucalypt's work.
"Raichu cease to use the call that sounds like they are using their species name to address humans immediately after they metamorphose from pikachu, no one knows why. And here is my personal office where I keep a small collection of different teas, write my theorems and try to convince young pokémon trainers to volunteer their assistance with my research."
TIMELAPSSCENEBREAKER
After being coerced into volunteering, Harry was given a device called a pokédex. he was told that it would record data on any pokemon he catches and provide a small amount of information on those that he encounters throughout his journey.
At five minutes past four, via Black Cab, Harry and Terry arrived at Kings Cross station.
Terry Disembarked and Harry did the same.
"so we are technically late but we will most likely have to wait for at least one of our group anyway." The mentor mumbled to himself as he checked the time on his pokénav. "now, let's see if..."
He raised his right arm and gave a sharp whistle, gaining the fleeting attention of the vast crowd of people that were milling around.
A few seconds later a magnificent red and grey bird landed on Terry's arm causing him to lower it and begin stroking the creature's back.
"hey girl!" He cooed. "Where's your charge?"
This question made Harry swivel his head in a cursory search even though he had no idea to whom his mentor was referring.
It didn't take long for harry to find out, he spotted an irate looking bushy haired girl his own age trying to force her way through the crowd towards them.
Harry recognised her from the showcase that morning- her name was either Hermione Perks or Sally-Anne Granger.
She finally managed to weave her way to Harry and Terry and shrieked
"You're late!"
Terry had been looking in the other direction when he jumped and turned to face her.
"flippin' heck! you scared the bejesuz outa' me!"
He exclaimed.
"I've been waiting for twenty minutes! We could have missed our train!"
The girl continued to rant.
Terry replied.
"On the contrary, our train leaves for Ottery ST Catchpole at four thirty."
The girl's assault persisted.
"Then why did you tell us to meet you at four?!"
Michael smuggley stated.
"So that there would be plenty of time for the whole party to assemble."
The girl looked confused.
"That's silly..."
The girl lost her anger due to confusion.
She turned to Harry.
"You're Harry Potter right? I'm Hermione Granger, nice to meet you."
Harry nodded and shook her hand to accompany his obligatory "Nice to meet you too."
SCENEBREAKER
She was nervous, super nervous. She was leaving her safe, secluded life at her upper-class family's country estate and being thrust in to a the world of paupers and idiotic adventurers. No hot baths, no hot meals and definitely no pretty dresses, just dirty sneakers, cold streams and twigs for dinner.
Daphne Greengrass was not looking forward to her impending pokémon journey. If she had her way, her cute little chikorita would never get hurt in one of those nasty battles ever again but her Father demanded that she observe this barbaric family tradition of self imposed torture for the supposed purpose of 'character building.'
And so she stood in an overwhelming crowd with a heavy backpack and wearing a horrible red hair band with matching outfit, Searching for her moronic glory seeking mentor, who had told her to meet him outside Kings Cross station in London.
"This is hopeless..." Daphne complained to herself.
She was having serious problems finding her contact, she couldn't just approach the first group of people that looked like pokémon trainers because the bulk of the crowd were pokémon trainers and to make matters worse some of them were being followed around by terrifying monstrosities.
One girl had a man sized, green armour plated dinosaur thing on her heels, another trainer was alongside a huge purple pile of living sludge, a third sat atop a large leaf covered goat and a forth was carrying a three foot tall orange bird on his forearm.
Daphne swept the area with her eyes three more times before she realised that the boy with the avian companion was the person she was looking for.
She steeled herself and began her approach and quickly noticed that he had more than just his pokémon for company. Standing adjacent to her mentor were two children her own age, a boy in a baggy flannelette shirt and a girl who looked like she didn't brush her hair that morning, both were hefting backpacks like herself and were engaged in a heated debate.
"Ah! At last, The final member of our little party arrives!" The older boy announced presumably having spotted her. "And she's only twenty eight minutes late... Jesus Christ! If we don't get a move on we really will miss the train!" He recalled his unconfined pet into its pokéball and ushered Daphne and the other two new trainers inside the station and towards platform ten.
Authors note- I published these two chapters to gauage interest, hopefully publishing this thing will get me motivated to get off my useless backside.