Chapter 2

I stood in utter shock. I had accepted that pokemon apparently were a thing here, but to actually find myself in Kanto? Unreal.

I scanned the skyline of the small town, and found the windmill I had been looking for. The laboratory of famed Pokémon professor, Samuel Oak.

I turned to look at the tiny fairy sitting on my shoulder, kicking her feet back and forth without a care in the world.

"Well, Ralts, you took me to a human town, just like you promised. I guess this is where we part ways?" She stiffened at that, and her face fell.

"Ralts…."

"I'll never forget you. How you helped me when I needed you. But I'm guessing you've got a family to go back to. Maybe some friends that miss you." I gently picked her up and set her on the ground, before kneeling down to her level. With one finger, I shook her hand, then I stood up and began to walk away.

I looked back, briefly, and saw the small Pokémon standing there, looking all alone. I turned back, my shoulders slumping slightly. I hated to see her go, but she wasn't my Pokémon.

Suddenly, I felt a tiny weight gripping my leg.

"Ra-ralts ralts!"

Sure enough, there she was, gloomed onto my ankle like it was a life line.

"I take it you still want to stick around with me?"

"Ralts!" Joy.

I felt a large goofy smile crack my face. "Ok then. Together. I don't know what I'll do or how we'll make a living, but we'll stick together, partner." With a wide smile, the small fairy disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear on my shoulder, hugging my neck with her tiny little arms. Daaawwww.

And so, the two of us went forth to speak to the learned professor.

"Well now, that's quite a story, young man. And you have no recollection of where you came from?"

I had told the professor an edited version of the truth, that being that I had awoken in the forest with no memory of anything other than my name. I told him about how I had found Ralts, and how she had led me to Pallet town. "I really don't professor. I only have disjointed memories of random things. I recognized your name, and I remembered you lived here, and I know what Pokémon are, but that's about it. I confess, I'm at a bit of a loss. I have no family, no support, no means of making a living. Ralts has indicated a desire to stay with me, but I have no way of keeping her, or me for that matter, fed and sheltered. I don't suppose you're looking for a manual laborer?"

"Hmmmm… honestly I'm really not. Have you ever considered becoming a licensed Pokémon trainer?"

"How would that help me?"

"Well, to be honest, we are facing something of a population problem. The Unified Kanto-Johto Pokémon League is in nominal control of a vest area of land, but there are relatively few humans to populate it. In order to expand human habitation, we need young men and women to be able and willing to defend human settlements from wild Pokémon. The government will pay you a monthly stipend for keeping and raising Pokémon. additionally, competitive Pokémon battling is the international pastime, accomplished battlers are given lucrative opportunities for endorsements, appearances, and even government employment. Further, if you agree to work for me as an associate field researcher, you will be given additional pay for capturing Pokémon and studying them, or sending them to me for study when they are not on your active team."

"That sounds like something I could get behind! How do I start?" As if I didn't know.

The old man turned to his desk, pulling out a sleek red device. "This is my prototype pokedex! It automatically records information on all Pokémon that you see, and even records in depth facts and observations on Pokémon that you capture. So the real question is this: do you want to be the very best, like no one ever has been? To catch Pokémon will be your test, training them your cause."

I tried to suppress it, I really did. "Professor, I make you this oath: I will travel across the land! Searching far and wide! These Pokémon will understand the power that's inside!"

"Fantastic! Here then, take this pokedex! Also, six pokeballs, to start off your journey. Since your situation is unique, I've also given you a bag, stocked with potions and a selection of berrys. Go forth! Capture all the Pokémon in the world! Complete the pokedex. Future generations of trainers will thank you, once complete, I can offer an index, a guide to all the worlds pokemon to individual trainers just starting out."

"I won't let you down professor." And smiling, I left.

And so I found myself walking down route one, Ralts on my shoulder, rolling her shiny new pokeball in my hand. I looked over at my tiny friend, and made a snap decision.

"Ok Ralts, if I'm going to be a Pokémon trainer, I should probably come up with a Pokémon training regimen!"

"Ralts ra-ra!"

"Great! So here's the plan! We're going to do some physical conditioning, meanwhile, I want you to extend your psi senses as far as you can, see if you can detect any wild Pokémon nearby. Sound like a plan?"

Ralts teleported to the ground, giving me the cutest little salute I have ever seen. Then we both dropped to the ground, doing push-ups and crunches until we both couldn't move anymore. She may have been tiny, but she wasn't a quitter by any means. She toughed it out like a trooper.

It was as we were taking a break for water that Ralts stiffened, going stock still. Excitedly, she teleported up to my shoulder, tapping my head and pointing at one particular bush.

"What do you sense, girlie?" An image of a small brown bird popped into my minds eye. "A pidgey?"

She nodded excitedly.

"Ok, here's the plan. You don't know confusion yet, but you've got teleport and growl. What I want you to do is teleport as many times as you can, keep it guessing. Growl at it, lower it's attack. When it's worn out, I'll capture it. Sound like a plan?"

With another adorable salute, she jumped into action. We burst through the bush, startling the small pidgey, and that moment of surprise was all it took. Ralts became a blur, staying still long enough to launch a growl attack before teleporting away in a blink of light.

The poor pidgey tried its hardest to follow her, but quickly became dizzy with all the rapid turns. The little bird wobbled on its feet, before tripping up and face planting in the dirt. Quick as lightning, I grabbed a pokeball from my backpack, struck the outer ring with my thumb, causing it to expand to its capture size, and lobbed the ball in an underhand throw towards the fallen pidgey. The ball opened on its hinge, transforming the pidgey into energy, before sucking it inside and closing with a snap. The ball fell to the ground and shook, once, twice, thrice. The ball pinged, signaling a successful capture, and I felt electrified. I turned to Ralts with a wide grin on my face, to see her standing there, her tiny fists tucked under her mouth, shaking with the same excitement I felt. She lept for joy as I belted out with hearty laughter.

New friend! New friend! I heard her voice in my head this time, a tiny voice, like a young child. I picked her up and swung her around, throwing her up into the air. She teleported onto my shoulder, chucking up the deuces as I bent down to pick up my new pidgey's pokeball.

The two of us stared at the red and white ball, sharing a glance with each other as we began to reign in the sheer glee we both felt. "I suppose we should let it out, see just what kind of bird we've caught, huh?"

Out! Out! New friend!

That was all the answer I needed. "Pidgey, come on out and say hello!" I pushed the center button, and the ball spewed forth the iridescent energy, my arm stinging from the recoil. I watched with bated breath as the energy coalesced into the tiny brown bird.

"Prig prig prrrrridgey!" The little bird trilled, stretching his wings. He fluttered for a bit before he fixed his gaze squarely on mine, as if to size me up.

I bent down to his level. "Well hello pidgey. My name is Scott, and I guess I'm your trainer now. If you let me, I'd like to study you, train you, and battle with you. What do you say?"

The little bird trilled a smile at me before fluttering you to sit on my shoulder, opposite Ralts.

"Glad to have you on the team, Pidgey! I'm sure we'll get along just fine." I said, beaming at him. "Let's go see what else we can find out here, shall we?"

"Ralts!"

"Prrrrrrrri!"

And off we walked.