A/N: Filler spot.

Chapter 5 – The First Gym

Part 1

Route 31 – May 11th, 2001

Late Afternoon

The walk through Dark Cave was rather uneventful, as most of the time Logan was following Abby through the dark cavern and avoid encounters that mostly involved Zubats, thanks to the use of Repels he bought before he left home. When he saw light at the end of the dark tunnel, literally, he was just grateful to finally get out of the place.

"Finally! Thought we never get out of there. Thanks for guiding out, Abby." Logan said, smiling brightly, as he pets the Absol's head, to which she gave a content growl.

"Sol!~" She replied, with a nod.

"Alright, get some rest for now. Return." He said getting up and holding out her Poké Ball as the red beam hits Abby and gets sent back into her Poké Ball.

He looks at his Pokégear and checked the time.

"It's a little after 4:30. Might not be able to make it to New Bark Town today as it will be dark by the time we get to Cherrygrove City, and Violet City is just a twenty minute walk from here west. We might need to head there and stay at the Pokémon Center for the night before we can make our way to New Bark Town tomorrow..." Logan thought to himself, thinking about what to do next.

That is when he remembered something.

"Actually... if I recall, I think Mr. Pokémon just lives a mile down from here, at the border of Route 30 and 31. Maybe I could go there... He knows Prof. Elm, so I could prolly call him from there since I didn't get his number registered yet." Logan smiled, settling with that idea.

"What do you think Chika?" He asked his companion that was just relaxing a few feet from him in the flowers, sunbathing.

"Oh you silly girl." He chuckles as he walks over and kneels down. "Guess you really wanted some sun huh?"

"Chi~" Chika said contently, laying there.

"Well we still have sunlight, so you can just enjoy it as we head to Mr. Pokémon's house okay?" Logan said picking her up, to which she rested on his shoulder. He then walked on south through the wooded area that went down into Route 30.

Route 30 – Mr. Pokémon's House

Late Afternoon

It was just a ten minute walk down the road from the Dark Cave to reach the small house that belonged to Mr. Pokémon. Nobody really knows his real name, but people call him as such since he is someone who likes to find the mystery and rarity of things Pokémon. He is also friends with both Prof. Elm and Prof. Oak, which was a good enough reason to visit the Pokémon fanatic.

Logan approaches the front door and knocks on it. He then heard a voice call out from inside.

"It is open!"

Logan smiled as he walked inside, closing the door behind him. "Hello? Mr. Pokémon?"

"In here!" The voice of a middle-aged man called out. The house had some oddities on shelves and trinkets that looked pretty interesting. He then walked into the living room, and saw the man himself sitting on the couch, drinking what looked like tea.

"Ah hello there young man. Are you a trainer?" He asked as he put the cup down.

"Heh, yeah, I am. My name is Logan Ryuko, and this is my partner Chika. I'm from Blackthorn City and started my journey today." Logan explained.

"Your from Blackthorn City? Goodness, you must be weary if you traveled through the Dark Cave. Come in and sit down lad." Mr. Pokémon motioned him to come and sit down, much to the boy's pleasure. He's been walking the whole time and hasn't had a chance to rest since he left home.

"Now then, what brings you here to my humble little abode, Logan?"

Mr. Pokémon went and poured a cup of tea for him before sitting down.

"Well, I was on my way to New Bark Town to visit Prof. Elm, but I got caught in a battle with a trainer and well... I might have caused a bit of a road block along Route 45 by accident. Luckily, we got into the Dark Cave that was nearby on the route and got out of there. Its also where I caught my first Pokémon.

He then takes out a Poké Ball and released Abby. She looked around and saw Mr. Pokémon, not saying anything but staring at him, as she sat down beside Logan.

"An Absol? My those are pretty rare around here in Johto from what I heard. It isn't unheard of Pokémon from other regions migrating from region to another." Mr. Pokémon mused, as he sipped his tea.

"Yeah, and its thanks to Abby, me and the hiker I battled got us away from the rocks slide that blocked the road from the battle we had." Logan said, as he strokes Abby's head, giving a content purr.

"And she also guided me through Dark Cave since she knew Flash. Just had to avoid a lot Zubat, and the occasional Golbat." Logan added as he sipped his tea.

They talked for a little bit, Logan giving Chika and Abby food as they likely haven't eaten anything since they were on the road, well so much so Abby as Chika is a Grass-type Pokémon, and really needs to feed using photosynthesis, but she still would eat normal food as well.

Mr. Pokémon would show some of his things he has collected over the years he thought were interesting to look at and speculate on, but really were sometimes nothing of importance, but kept anyway for sentimental reasons as a collector.

It was then a knock on the door was heard, and Mr. Pokémon went to go answer it, and was chuckling.

"Come in, come in Samuel. Nice to see you again."

Logan heard the name and turned to looked, and his eyes brightened as he smiled brightly.

"Well, well if it is young Logan! How've you been doing my boy?" Prof. Oak asked as he walked in with Mr. Pokémon, giving his warm smile.

"Prof. Oak! I've been doing great. I just started my journey today." Logan replied.

"Aha! I heard from Lance about you completing your training, and just wanted to wish you congratulations. You really seemed to have matured from the young child I met last year. Now you are out here in the world on your journey to pursue your goals. And it seems you have been taking care of your Chikorita very well, given you trained using just her."

It was then he saw Abby, and was impressed.

"I'm also impressed you found a wild Absol out here. They aren't very common in Johto given their origins in Hoenn, but the fact they migrated here and live in the mountains would make it more reasonable. From what Mr. Pokémon told me, this Absol saved you and a hiker when you left home?"

Logan nods, "Yeah, Chika was battling with the Hiker's Graveler and was able to slam it into the side of the cliff, causing it to form a rock slide, and Abby showed up after the battle and pretty much guided us to the nearest entrance to the Dark Cave to escape from the rock slide. I think she pretty much knows me since she stared at me and I just got entranced, so I decided to capture her as she likely wanted to be with me."

Prof. Oak listened intently, "I see, well you are very lucky then Logan. Absol are pretty elusive species and only appear to warn about disasters that are to happen, though people blame them for the cause of it. It is a sad background for them, but they don't mean harm and just wish to help. The fact she followed you likely means she has been watching you for a long time now, since you live up in a mountainous area like Blackthorn."

"Well, since you are here Logan, I been wanting to give this to you. May I see your Pokédex for a moment?" Oak asked.

Logan nodded and he takes out the device and hands it to the professor and then inserts something into the device, pushes a couple buttons on it and heard a ping on it.

"There you go. I upgraded your Pokédex so that you'd be able to hold more than six Pokémon. You can now hold up to twelve Pokémon without worrying about the seventh being transferred to the PC. It would make it easier in training your Pokémon by minimizing the need to switch out Pokémon you have stored." Prof. Oak explained as he gave the device back to Logan, who was flabbergasted.

"Really? I can hold more now? But, Prof. Oak I don't know if I could be willing to do that. I mean I'm still considered a rookie trainer... And you sure I'm responsible enough for this?" Logan retorted, giving a questioning look.

"Ahaha, I know it is a bit much my boy. But you are something special Logan. The fact you trained for three years and made your way to the ranks of an expert Dragon Tamer is no easy feat for anyone. You are a mature and kindhearted trainer, who cherishes his Pokémon with love and trust. I know you are responsible enough to handle this. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have given it to you in the first place now wouldn't I?" He asked as he chuckled.

"Oak has a point lad." Mr. Pokémon added in.

"He can see the potential in young trainers, and if he sees that you have potential, then by Arceus he knows what he is talking about."

They all laughed.

"Anyway, there is a limit to carrying twelve Pokémon however. You still have to use the max of six Pokémon in battle, against Trainers outside official League battles like Gyms and tournaments or in them. Not a lot of people know about this privilege so its best to keep silent about it. You can however use your twelve Pokémon in wild Pokémon battles should it be needed and for, of course, training purposes." Oak explained further about the use of the ten Pokémon usage.

"And to make it easier for you, I also had a special transfer system installed on your Pokédex, that is connected to the Pokémon Storage System, or PSS, via PC. Now if you are far from a Pokémon Center and can't access a PC, this would allow you to access the PSS and deposit or withdraw Pokémon from it should you catch more than twelve."

Logan was just blown away by all this. "Wow...I-I really don't know what to say Professor... This still seems a bit much. I mean I just started and I don't know what other Pokémon I will capture to join my team, but I suppose it is a good deal to have that much open slots for more friends to travel with." He said, smiling brightly.

Oak simply chuckles, "Think nothing of it my boy, you deserve this. I know you will fulfill your dream, as seeking out legendary Pokémon is one of the many things Trainers strive for. You seem to have a different reason to seek them out, and no matter what, you just got to keep your head up and follow it through the end."

Logan nods.

"Well, I should take my leave. I just left Elm's Lab in New Bark Town and need to head to Goldenrod to catch the Magnet Train back to Kanto and return to Pallet Town. Logan, I wish you the best of luck in your journey. Should you make it to Kanto one day, stop by Pallet and visit! Would love to see how far gotten. And here is my number, should you want to talk to me at anytime for help."

Oak then went and registered his phone number to Logan's Pokégear.

"It was nice seeing you Mr. Pokémon. If you find anymore strange things come your way, let me know!" Oak said as he shook his friend's hand.

"No problem Samuel, have a safe trip home." Mr. Pokémon shook his hand back with a warm grin.

With that, Prof. Oak left. Logan checked the time, seeing it was almost 6 PM. He's been here for almost two hours.

"I think I should be going to, I need to get to Violet City before it gets dark out." Logan said as he looked toward Mr. Pokémon.

"Of course lad. It was nice company to have you here. I do hope you do well in your journey, and stop by to visit again. Should you find anything interesting, be sure to come back and show me. I'll give you something in return for your efforts."

Logan nods, "Well guys, lets get going."

"Chiko!"

"Sol."

Logan had Chika rest on his shoulder and returned Abby to her Poké Ball.

"See ya Mr. Pokémon!" Logan waved as he heads out the door.

"Wait lad. Before you go, take this." Mr. Pokémon runs into the other room and comes back out and holds out a strange looking device that looked like a helmet with yellow and violet balls on it.

"This is an Exp. Share. It will help in your training, by giving all your Pokémon in your party experience even if they didn't participate. You can turn it on or off if you need to if you don't need to use it, but it will prove invaluable should you reach your twelve Pokémon limit."

"Wow, thank you! This should help me down the road. I'll be sure to put it to good use." Logan took the strange device and placed it in his sidepack, which had 'hammerspace' technology implemented, thanks to Silph Co. so he can fit seemingly limitless items.

"Well off with you lad. It should be a twenty-five to thirty minute walk to Violet City, less if you make haste." Mr. Pokémon explained, to the which the youth nodded and began running off, waving good-bye to the man.

Violet City – Pokémon Center

Dusk

It was around 6:45 by the time Logan made it to Violet City, and the sun was setting in the horizon. He had a run in with some wild Pokémon, and a few Trainers, namely Youngsters and Bug Catchers, but they were easily dealt with, and Logan had a bit of spending money he earned from the battles, as well as some from Clair before setting off on his journey. The city was beautiful to look at this time, especially in the old fashioned city of Violet, where the famous Sprout Tower stood, which was a starting place for beginning Trainers to seek enlightenment by battling against the sages that resided there, and basically find Bellesprout used for enlightenment, hence the name of the tower. There was also a Trainer School, and of course the main landmark for this city: the Violet City Gym.

Logan studied up on the Gym Leaders of Johto while training for three years, as he wasn't really striving to become the Champion, but felt he could get better by battling the Gym Leaders. Violet City's Gym Leader, Falkner, was an expert at Flying-type Pokémon, and it could prove to be a challenge as Chika is at a clear disadvantage, and Abby, while she is a Dark-type and has no weaknesses for this Gym, could still prove to be something if he doesn't prepare, but he'll have time tonight to think about as he plans to battle Falkner the next day.

Logan enters the Pokémon Center and walks inside as the automatic doors opened and closed behind him. He walks up to the counter, where Nurse Joy gave a warm smile and bowed at the young boy.

"Good evening and welcome to our Pokémon Center. How may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked with a cheery smile and voice.

"Hello Nurse Joy. Could you take a look at my Pokémon really quick, and have a key for a room tonight?" Logan asked kindly.

"Of course. Just let me see your Pokémon, and I'll get you your room key. Do you have your Pokédex on hand?" She asked.

Logan nods and gives her the device, as she runs a quick background check. "Okay then. Here is your key, and I'll give your Pokémon a quick check-up. Just go over to the waiting area and I'll let you know when your Pokémon are ready." She pointed over to the waiting area, and Logan nods as he goes over. He sat down and began to mentally plan for the Gym Battle tomorrow.

"Logan Ryuko, your Pokémon are ready. Please come to the front desk." Nurse Joy said over the intercom. Logan got up, as he walked over to the desk.

"There you go. Your Pokémon are now fighting fit! They were just a bit tired, but other than that, they are completely healthy." She added.

He smiled brightly, "Thanks Nurse Joy. Also, I was wondering if you could register me for the Pokémon League. I know its something I'm not really aiming to accomplish, but I do want to get far in the world so I want to be able to take on the Gyms." He explained.

"Of course! Just let me see your Pokédex for a moment."

Logan gives her the device again, and after a few seconds, she gives it back.

"Alright, you are registered for the Pokémon League. Here is your Pokédex back, and a Badge Case to hold your badges. Of course, the first Gym would be here in town, so you should start there. Good luck!" She said with a bright smile and bows.

"Thanks a bunch! See ya!" Logan said as he walked off to the cafeteria. Best thing about Pokémon Centers is the fact they have cafeterias and it was free for Trainers, since it was being sanctioned by the Pokémon League.

After having a delicious dinner, as he hasn't eaten much today, and feeding Chika and Abby their dinner as well, they head to their room. The rooms were rather cozy, having two beds, a couch, a large screen TV, a bathroom, and a small dining area. Logan takes his belt off and places his Pokédex and badge case on the nightstand next to his bed.

"Well guys, we are going to be fighting Falkner tomorrow. He uses Flying-type Pokémon, so we are at a disadvantage, but Chika we worked hard to overcome your weakness by some means, so you will have to try to play the defensive, as his Pokémon are going to be faster than you. We still haven't worked on your speed, but we do what we can. And Abby, you are not at a real threat, and you could be able to match Falkner's Pokémon's speed, but you are not heavy on defense like Chika, so you will need to go brute force on them since you are a heavy attacker.

"Chiko!"

"Sol!"

He nodded, "Tomorrow, we will do a bit of training in the morning, and then take on Falkner in the afternoon, just to be on the safe side, so lets get some sleep. We have a large day tomorrow. But first, I need a shower..." He sheepishly grinned.

Logan was showered and feeling fresh in fifteen minutes. He was now wearing a blue t-shirt and white sweatpants and socks and was ready for bed. He crawls in bed and gets under the covers, as Chika and Abby, jump onto the bed. Chika goes and snuggles up to Logan, while Abby curls up at the edge of the bed.

"Well good-night you two." Logan said in a hushed voice.

"Chi...~"

"Sol..."

Logan then suddenly had the urge. He raised his hands up, and claps them twice. The lights turned out.

"Oh sweet, they do have Clappers installed... heh." Logan chuckled as he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Ilex Forest – May 12th, 2001

Midnight

It was a quiet night in the Ilex Forest, a large dense forest located in southern Johto, just outside Azalea Town. The forest was so dense, that it was dark even during the day because of how lush the trees were. Trees grown here were used to make charcoal, which Azalea Town was known for with the Charcoal Kiln in town.

Near the center of the forest, a small Shinto shrine rested, which honored the forest's guardian. Sitting ontop of the shrine, was a small, pink fairy-like Pokémon, with a teardrop shaped head, small antennae with a green tip, black circles over the creatures bright green colored eyes, small bug-like wings, and large rounded feet that looked like boots.

"Such a quiet and pleasant night... I love it when the forest is like this." The small creature spoke via telepathy to nobody in particular.

It was then a large bright light flashed as a figure walks out of the light and approached the shrine. The small creature looked and smiled brightly.

It was a beautiful young woman, with long white hair, green eyes, and dressed in a long white gown with a crown that formed an "H" shaped ring and had gold breastplate with pauldrons over her shoulders with emeralds embedded in the sides. She gave a warm smile.

"Hello there, Celei... It is such a fine evening tonight, is it not?" She asked.

Celei, the creature that turns out to be a shiny colored Celebi, nods, "Yeah. The forest is just so peaceful at night, and quiet with just the nocturnal Pokémon about..."

She looks to the woman, "What brings you here...Lady Arceus?"

Arceus just placed her hands over one another, "I simply came to tell you... He will soon be coming."

Celei got excited, "He? As in..."

"Yes, my Chosen has left home today for his journey, and is now sleeping in Violet City. He plans on taking on the Gyms here, likely to help improve himself..." Arceus said looking up through the dense trees.

"I expect he will be in Azalea within the coming days..." She added.

"I can't wait. Time really flew for him, and soon we can meet.~" Celei giggled, just excited to meet the 'Chosen'.

"Yes, though it is too soon for me to meet him face to face. He still has to meet the other legends and mythical Pokémon that live in this world... The day we can talk to one another... is when he is ready..." She explained.

"Lady Arceus, you sure we are not going to put pressure on him...? I mean he is still a little child, and is traveling this large world to seek us, and to befriend us." Celei asked out of curiosity.

"Mmm... True, it would be pressure if he was to learn of his destiny... But remember dear Celei, you are preparing him for his future, acting as his Guardian Pokémon. I know Cresselia was to be in line to be his Guardian Pokémon, but felt she needed to continue her duty as the Matron of Dreams, and focus on helping Darkrai stay in check. Though, she is just as thrilled to meet the next Guardian of Legend, not since the previous Eon Guardian 500 years ago when she acted as his Guardian Pokémon... You simply just need to be there with him, guide him... Only then, when the time comes, you tell him about his future... He is the last Guardian of Legend of our world, and is very precious to us... which is why he is going to achieve so much down the road..." Arceus replied, her eyes closed.

Celei simply listened and had a point. She was very old, almost over 700 years old, yet she still had the personality of young teen with a playful nature, not unlike Mew, who despite being older, is more childlike than anything.

"I understand..." She simply said.

Arceus nodded, and the two simply stared out into the night sky.

End of Part 1