Author's Notes
The Pokémon World depicted in this fiction is Alternative Universe. So please don't search Bulbapedia for what I have written in this fiction :)
Xxxxx
Situated in the western fringe of Kanto region, Viridian was a small city with a population of twenty thousand people. As the gateway to Indigo Plateau, headquarter of Kanto Pokémon League, Viridian City was packed with visitors from all over Kanto during tournament and festival times.
Viridian City was also one of the places which had Pokémon Gym in Kanto region. But unfortunately, its Pokémon Gym had been closed for decades that no one knew who the Gym Leader was. And it was even more mysterious that the Pokémon League didn't appoint a new leader for Viridian Gym, in spite of its current status.
Patchouli arrived at Viridian City after a whole day of walking. If she had travelled by flying, it would be faster but that would cost her a lot of magic energy. This world's mana reserves weren't rich enough to grant her the luxury of flight.
The first thing she did after arriving was finding the Office of Pokémon League. However, the maze-like network of streets and buildings had made her confused and get lost. It could be compared to her gigantic magic library back home. Luckily, thanks to the helping of a kind old man, Patchouli finally reached her destination.
Pokémon League Office's works usually were organizing Pokémon examination, giving license for newbie Pokémon Trainers and preparing Pokémon events for each year. At that time, they weren't holding any important event, so when Patchouli entered, most of the clerks in office were chitchatting or playing computer games.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" the receptionist greeted.
"Um, I have a referral letter from Professor Oak..."
"Oh, we have been informed of your arrival. Please come to the desk number 3 over there."
Patchouli handed over Professor Oak's letter to the clerk at desk number 3. After reading the letter, the clerk looked at her and said.
"So, you are the foreign assistant of Professor Oak, huh..."
Not knowing what to say, Patchouli smiled nervously. The clerk reached out her hand and took a paper from a shelf.
"Here, please fill your information to this form. And we'll need to take your photo too."
After all the procedures had been done, the clerk said to Patchouli.
"Okay, you can return here tomorrow to get your Trainer ID Card."
"That fast? From what I have read, bureaucratic works like this can take up days or even months…" Patchouli said with a little scepticism.
"Of course it is… but for person like Professor Oak, there're exceptions, you know. His inventions are very useful for the Pokémon League." The clerk smiled mischievously.
"Is that so...? Anyway, could you recommend a resting place for me?"
"How about giving the Pokémon Centre a visit? Their services are pretty good."
Xxxxx
Red arrived at Viridian City a little while after Patchouli. He could have been faster, but training his Pikachu against wild Pokémon along the way surely cost a lot of time.
"All right! Three Pokémon and Viridian City, what a nice start for my trainer debut. I bet Mom and Dad will be proud of me."
But I still lagged behind Green… Wonder where he is now…
The first thing to do was finding Pokémon Centre. Take care of Pokémon's health was the first priority. Because he had gone to Viridian City many times before, it didn't take much time for him to reach the Pokémon Centre.
The Pokémon Centre, aside from having medical facilities for Pokémon, was also large enough to host a cafeteria and resting places. At first, those services were intended for travelling trainers, but eventually, local people often came there to have drinks or discuss about everything related to Pokémon, so it was a pretty fun place in the city.
"Oh Red, long time no see! Do you come here to play again?" the nurse greeted.
"Nah, this time I come here as a real Pokémon Trainer!" Red said and he put down his Poké Balls on the counter.
"That's good to hear, you're so bad at learning that I thought you didn't pass the exam."
"Aw, Caroline… Don't listen to that Green, he always talk bad about me…" But it's true that I just got the minimum point for passing… ha hah…
Caroline picked up Red's Poké Balls and put them into a machine nearby. As the pinnacle of Pokémon technology, that machine could heal any Pokémon in a matter of seconds.
"Here you are," Caroline said as she returned Red's Poké Balls to him, "and sometimes you should let your Pokémon outside, it's better for their health that way."
"Really? Can I let them out here?"
"Sure, why not?"
Red let his Pikachu come outside. Having stayed for a long period in Poké Ball, Pikachu was surprised to find itself inside a strange building. Feeling uncomfortable with the surrounding, it climbed onto Red's shoulder.
"What a cute Pikachu! But is it your starter, Red?"
"Yeah, is it a problem?"
"Well… people often choose other Pokémon such as Charmander. For Pikachu… I think it's more suit to be a pet…"
"Ehh! I don't think s–"
*BOOM* an explosion burst out!
As the smoke was dispersed, a young man and woman with Meowth - the cat Pokémon -appeared.
"Who the heck are you people!?" Red asked.
"If you ask us something or other..." the woman said.
"The answer we give will be the compassion of the world!" the man followed.
"To prevent the destruction of the world!"
"To protect the peace for our people!"
"To carry out the evils of truth and love!"
"We are the lovely villains!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, soar through the galaxy!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth finished the introduction.
"Whoa! It can talk! Look, Caroline, it can talk!" It was the first time Red had seen a talking Pokémon.
"Hey boy! Do you think I'm a weirdo for knowing how to talk?" Meowth protested.
"Well," James ignored Meowth, "we demand you to give us all the Pokémon here."
"Like hell I'll let you thugs get my Pokémon!" Red held Pikachu tightly in his arms.
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded too.
"Huh..? Who said we want your worthless Pokémon, boy..? We want the Pokémon stored inside this building." Jessie said in mockery tone.
"There is nothing but injured Pokémon here…" Caroline said nervously, it was obvious that she was afraid of Team Rocket.
"Everyone here won't let you do that!" Different from Caroline, Red wasn't scared at all.
"Everryyone..? Where is that everyone..? Where? Where? Where!?" Meowth taunted.
Much to his dismay, when Red turned back, he didn't see anyone was still inside the Pokémon Centre, aside from few employees, and the remaining people were too scared to do anything.
"Hah, there isn't anyone who doesn't run away when facing with the magnificent Team Rocket… Well, beside foolish one…" James was saying about the boy.
Red was facing with a difficult choice. He could let Team Rocket do what they want and take all the Pokémon in Pokémon Centre. That was the easiest and safest way for him; however, his moral sense didn't allow it.
"Even it's only me, I will not give up! Go, Pikachu!" Red was determined to stop Team Rocket.
Pikachu leaped forward, unleashed a lightning bolt toward Team Rocket. Unfazed by that attack, they jump aside dodging it.
"Hmm, look like we will need to teach this arrogant brat a lesson… Go Ekans!" Jessie said as she released her snake Pokémon.
"Koffing, go!" James released his Pokémon, which was essentially a poison ball.
"As a tacticiann, I do not neeed to fight, meowth!" Meowth was just lazy.
Pikachu was in a tight spot. Not only it had to fight two enemies at once, Koffing and Ekans were also stronger than it. Pikachu had no choice but to fight defensively. Even with that, Koffing smoke screen made it difficult to know where the next attacks come from.
Oh no, Pikachu can't hold out longer…
"Go assist Pikachu, Pidgey and Rattata!" Red released his remaining Pokémon.
"O ho ho ho ho… What could a little bird and rat do anything against us?" Jessie laughed maniacally; they knew that the boy couldn't have a chance against them.
However… They had forgotten one thing.
The time they had wasted with Red was enough for the police to come, and now, the police's siren, despite being far away, was audible to everyone in Pokémon Centre.
"Those uninvited guests are coming, I guess…" James said without any sign of worry.
"Consider thiss your luckyy day, brat! Meowth!"
"Au revoir, little boy. Next time we meet, there will be no mercy." Jessie returned her Pokémon into Poké Ball.
*BOOM*
Filling Pokémon Centre with smoke, the way Team Rocket departed was fancy like the way they had come.
"Are you okay, Red?" Caroline rushed to his side.
"Don't worry, I'm okay…" Red slowly stood up.
"But… I didn't know that there exist people like them out there…" he was looking at the hole Team Rocket left on the wall.
"From what I've heard, Team Rocket is a criminal organization that works on smuggling rare Pokémon… But it's the first time they openly attack on a Pokémon Centre like this." Caroline said.
"Pika… pika…"
(* They are evil… me scared…*)
Still thinking about Team Rocket, everyone didn't notice that there was a stranger coming inside Pokémon Centre.
"Oh my, oh my… I was told to come here resting, but instead, I find a battlefield…" the stranger said.
As Red turned around, he saw a young woman who was standing there. He didn't know her name, but somehow, he had a feeling that he had met her somewhere before.
"Ah! You're the miss who still believe in magic!" he was surprised to meet her there.
"Hey, I have a name, you know… The name is Patchouli Knowledge." Cross-Popping Veins was popping on her forehead.
"And if my memory serves me correctly, your name is Red… is it right?"
Author's Notes
Arggh! This chapter took me a whole 3 weeks to complete.
The culprit was the dreadful real life. Man, I hate those annoying group assignments! Well, the next time will be better (or may be not).
The Team Rocket motto in this chapter was made by combining both the Japanese and English version. Hell, even this whole fic was the combination of the old anime, games, Origins anime, and moreover... our goddamn heroine from Touhou Project, yeah! Hope they won't turn into an unmanaged spaghetti mess.
So, goodbye and see you the next time!