So, welcome to my first ever fanfiction! This is one of many ideas I've wanted to do for years, and I've always thought it would be good as a jumping off point for being a fanfic writer. I could be biting off more than I can chew for a first timer, but I still at the very least want to give writing a try. If it'll work out or not is something we'll both have to wait and see.
Firstly, I want to give thanks to some of the other fanfic writers that have inspired me to take the jump. The two I'd like to thank the most are Insane Dominator and their story "Ed-ventures In Kalos" and soundsofsnoww with their story "Ed, Edd, N' Eddy's Quest for the Pure Hearts." I've read those multiple times and they're both what inspired me to make my own long form fanfic with the Eds. As such, you'll likely find similarities here, although I will try my best to avoid downright copying them. Please give both of them and their own stories a visit if you have the time.
Secondly, while this is mainly based off of the original Pokémon Diamond Pearl games (despite the name), I will be taking a few liberties here and there. I don't want to reveal them now, as I don't want to spoil the story before I even start the first chapter, but I do want you to know that things will not be 1:1 with the real games, as I will try and fit in elements of Platinum, BDSP, and Legends: Arceus. Also, this will of course be taking place before Big Picture Show happens, and essentially replaces it in its own continuity.
Finally, I do not own Ed, Edd, N' Eddy or the Pokémon series. They belong to Cartoon Network and Game Freak respectively. Trust me, if I did own them, you wouldn't be reading it as a fanfiction on the Internet.
With all that said and done, please both watch and review the story, and leave whatever criticism you'd like. Now, let's get this show on the road!
Ed, Edd, N' Eddy: Jawbreaking Platinum!
Chapter 1: The Pokémon Summer Program
The last day of school is always an exciting one when you're a middle schooler. After a strenuous year filled with everything from push-ups in the gym to algebra tests in math class, a massive wave of relief would wash over everyone as Summer break was finally just around the corner. No more pencils, no more books, no more dirty looks from the teachers, the school year was finally over and it was almost time to just kick back and relax. Just the idea of breaking free from all the stresses of school life, even for only a few months, was enough to excite everyone inside the halls of Peach Creek Junior High.
Or… almost everyone.
Two students sat quietly outside on a bench next to the door to the principal's office. Both were eating lunch out of paper bags, with one taking out several napkins, making sure the bench seat he would eat from was as clean as could be, and carefully arranging his lunch as if he were handling priceless artifacts. The other, however, wasn't putting any effort into keeping the area clean. He was instead grabbing whatever food his mom had carefully prepared for him and scarfing it down in seconds like a wild animal, leaving all sorts of crumbs on the floor.
"Ed, could you please chew with your mouth closed?" Edd quietly asked his dim-witted friend, scooting a few inches away. "We shouldn't leave such a large mess for the custodians to clean up on the last day."
Ed just turned to his thinner friend, his mouth full of what used to be a sandwich. "Are you gonna finish that?" He said, pointing to some of the sugar-free cookies Edd had meticulously laid out on his side of the bench.
The scrawny genius just signed to himself, knowing that whatever he said would be in one ear and out the other with his much larger friend. "Dirty, messy, filthy…" Edd mumbled to himself as he pulled out a handkerchief and started to attempt to clean Ed's mess.
Suddenly, a loud "WHAM!" sounded out as the door to the principal's office was kicked open, having enough force to leave cracks on the wall behind it. Out stomped a boy who was much shorter and much grumpier than the other two, fists in his pockets and a scowl on his face.
"Eddy!" Ed shouted happily, oblivious to the mood of his friend. He jumped off the bench, only grabbing his backpack (which was more of an old sack than anything) and leaving the remains of his lunch behind. Edd also got up, but only after hurriedly cleaning up his makeshift picnic and muttering "Oh dear…" to himself, a reaction to both Eddy's anger and Ed's lack of hygiene.
"I can't believe it!" ranted Eddy as his two best friends caught up with him. "Detention! On the last day of school! Who does that?"
"Eddy, you know how the principal feels about you trying to run scams during school hours." Edd retorted. "I told you that you should practice some patience and wait until tomorrow!"
"It woulda worked if lumpy here didn't mess it up!" Eddy said, gesturing towards his friend in the green jacket.
"But Eddy, they were serving fried pudding skin in the lunch room! Yum…" Ed began to drool at the thought of one of his personal favorite snacks.
"You didn't have to run through my scam to get there, idiot! You know how long it took to get all that gum!?" Eddy barked back.
Edd looked confused for a second. "I thought your mother made you your lunch, Ed."
"Oh yeah!" said Ed as if he just realized something. He then opened his jacket and dug through one of his dirty pockets, pulling out another bagged lunch from his mom which both looked and smelled like it was made weeks ago. "She always makes me lunch, Double D!
"Eeeeuuugh!" Edd recoiled in disgust at the stench of his friend's discovery. "Ed! Throw that away right now!"
"But I haven't finished eating yet!" The large boy then took out a piece of molding toast out of the bag and ate it without an issue.
Eddward just gagged at the sight. "Why do I even bother…?" He sighed to himself.
Eddy just ignored his two friend's antics, still fuming as the group made their way into their homeroom. The torment, however, wouldn't end just yet for the smallest Ed as he and his lackeys walked through the door.
"Hey look, it's Dorky Wonka!" Kevin jeered as the trio walked through the door, pointing directly at Eddy. Other kids in the classroom began to laugh at the expense of the pre-teen.
Another kid, the local farm boy Rolf, joined in on the mockery. "Why Ed-boy, might you have a stick-of-gum Rolf can borrow?" He said jokily. More laughter erupted, and more growls came from the shortest of the trio.
"Oh! Oh! Can you turn me into a chocolate rabbit?" Ed added. As always, he was too dumb to realize that one of his best friends was at the receiving end of an insult.
"Shut up, Ed." Eddy growled back, not wanting to deal with anymore of Ed's stupidity.
The rest of the class started to go back to whatever conversations they'd been having as the trio sat down at their desks. They were sat right at the back of the classroom, giving them some space away from the other kids - something Eddy definitely needed right now. He held his head in his hands as he eyed the rest of the class.
As Edd sat down, he couldn't help but notice Eddy staring daggers at their classmates. "It's rude to stare, you know." He stated.
Eddy just rolled his eyes in response. "Whatever…"
Edd just sighed. "Oh, look Eddy…" He placed one hand on his friend's shoulder and gestured to the rest of the class. "Everyone else is so jovial at the moment, but you're letting one failed scheme ruin your entire day. Why dwell on the problems of today when you could observe the prospects of tomorrow?"
"Because I got saddled with detention while you two didn't get squat!"
"Aw, I'm sorry Eddy…" Ed put his arm around his friend's shoulder and began patting his head with force, practically smacking Eddy. "I'll be sure to get us all detention next time!"
"Uh… I'd rather you not do that, Ed." Edd replied as he picked up Ed's arm and gently moved it away from Eddy's head, his face now flattened into the front of the desk.
"Okie dokie, artichoky!" said Ed as he waved back an army salute to his friend.
Edd just ignored his much dumber cohort, having long become used to his friend's antics. He turned to his bag and pulled out one of his many encyclopedias, which he liked to read for fun. Ed just sat in his chair, seemingly doing nothing but staring off into space, likely replaying one of the many monster movies he'd seen inside whatever little brain he had in his head. As for Eddy, it took him a few seconds to get his head unstuck from the wooden desk. The second he did, he pulled out a messy pile of paper from his bookbag and began scribbling. Double D turned his eyes away from his book to see Eddy working away on what looked like a blueprint, with poorly drawn scribbles resembling carnival rides, tents, and even some sort of blob that was labeled as an ice cream truck. The boy couldn't help but sigh internally - he could already tell what was going on.
"...another scam already?" Edd asked his diminutive friend.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Eddy grumbled back, looking up from his handiwork.
"Don't you think that you've had enough scams for one day?"
"Nah, this one's for tomorrow. Besides, I've been working on this baby for weeks!" Eddy grinned at the paper in front of him, thinking of nothing but how much cash the three could rake in with this one. He looked at Edd, expecting his pal to be impressed at Eddy's cunning genius, maybe even showering the smaller boy with praise and compliments.
Instead, all he got was a tired groan and a roll of the eyes.
"What, you got a better idea?" Eddy said, his temper starting to flare up again. He stood up in his seat and crossed his arms.
Double D sighed, and set down his book. He knew that he couldn't worm his way out of this.
"Eddy, aren't you exhausted from all the scams you've pulled this year? How many have we attempted this semester alone? How many have ended in catastrophe?"
The schemer thought for a moment. He couldn't actually remember how many scams he'd tried last month, let alone the whole semester. "...ummm, I dunno, twenty?"
"I counted thirty-two!" Ed spoke up, appearing to have somehow used his fingers to count that high, even though he only had three sticking up.
"Ed, we didn't even have thirty-two episodes last season." Eddy said before turning back to his beanie-clad partner. "What's your point?"
"My point is that you keep trying to do the same thing repeatedly, despite the disastrous results we keep ending up with." Edd then gestured to the rest of the class. "All we've earned for our efforts is constant resentment from the rest of our peers."
"Pfffft, yeah right, they love me!" Eddy said, putting his feet up and putting his hands behind his head to try and look "cool." Then, as if the universe itself wanted to prove Eddy wrong, a spitball slammed right into his face, catapulting him out of his chair.
The boy got up, red in the face, to see Kevin, Rolf, and Johnny all laughing at him, with the jock holding a straw between two fingers. "Haha! Loser!" Before Eddy could react, Kevin fired another spitball that stuck right to the scammer's cheek.
"Do you see what I mean, Eddy?" Edd argued as his friend wiped the spit off his face. "Are a handful of quarters really worth this admonishment?"
"Oh yeah? You want jawbreakers or not, Double D?" Eddy scoffed, crossing his arms.
Edd's patience was wearing thin. "Eddy, not only have you continuously ruined our reputation with the rest of the cul-de-sac, but you've also ruined my perfect record. I didn't have a single detention until your little kissing booth back on Valentine's Day!"
"Oh come on, you know that was shovel-chin's fault!" Eddy said, pointing his thumb at the jock. "Besides, it woulda worked if he didn't show up." He glared at Kevin, who took no notice.
Edd groaned in frustration, placing two fingers on the bridge of his nose. He knew that, no matter how much he tried, he wouldn't be able to break through the nearly impenetrable wall that was Eddy's ego. Not wanting this to drag on any longer, Edd turned to his much smaller friend.
"Just, think about it if you will?" He said, before turning his attention back to his book.
"Fine… whatever." Eddy grumbled back, hoping that would get the genius next to him to quit yapping. With nothing better to do, he began to look around the whole classroom, who were all still enjoying their last day of school.
Eddy had always considering himself good at reading people. He had too. He needed to know his clientele inside and out if his scams were going to work on them. He already had a good look at his two partners in crime - Edd was the brains, and Ed was the brawn. Honestly, the two were practically opposites, and likely wouldn't have even become friends if it wasn't for Eddy. They were like a yin and yang, and the pint-size scammer was the glue that held the two together.
He first looked at Ed, who towered over Eddy. The lummox still had that blank stare, probably thinking about whatever monster movie he'd watched last night. Eddy had first met the huge boy back in kindergarten, and the two hit it off almost immediately, staying close friends ever since. Sure, Ed was dumber than a sack of rocks and constantly reeked of who-knows-what, but he was also incredibly loyal and had such immense strength that a pro wrestler would have a hard time keeping up. Ed was an idiot, sure, but he was Eddy's idiot.
He then turned to Edd, A.K.A. Double D. Sockhead was already neck deep into his book, which just made Eddy wonder how someone could find reading an encyclopedia "fun". Edd, unlike his much bigger friend, wasn't strong at all. He probably couldn't even lift a jug of milk to save his life. What Edd had instead was intelligence - by all means, the boy was a full-blown genius. He was the whole reason Eddy's schemes could be more than your average lemonade stand, being able to create all sorts of contraptions just from the junk lying around. However, Eddy could only really say he was book smart, not street smart. His friend was very prone to overthinking and overcomplicating the simplest things, and if a certain prank had taught him anything, he could be extremely gullible. That had been clear ever since Eddy first met the boy back when his family moved in. It wasn't long after when Eddy took the boy under his wing, and they'd been friends ever since.
Eddy then looked around the room, taking a good long look at all the other students enjoying their final day before summer. First, his eyes caught sight of Sarah and Jimmy, doodling away in their little corner. They were younger than everyone else in the class, only here because their own homeroom teacher had already left for the summer. Sarah was Ed's pint-sized terror of a little sister. Bratty, loudmouthed, and quick to anger were the best things to describe the redhead with. Oddly, Jimmy was somewhat of the opposite - Eddy wouldn't be surprised if he'd shatter like glass if you hit him with a pebble. He was quiet and fragile, and hovered around Sarah who he saw as his personal protector. By far his most iconic feature was his retainer, which may or may not been the result of one the Ed's earliest scams.
Then, there was Nazz, downing one of the sodas the teacher had brought to the class as a last-day treat. She was the local pretty girl, the one everyone got woozy just looking at (including Eddy himself). She was often the most relaxed out of everyone in the cul-de-sac, though that didn't stop her from joining in on some of the beatdowns the Eds regularly received. Nazz did have a few odd quirks (like a passion for yodeling and playing the tuba), but at the end of the day, she was probably the closest thing to normal you could get around here.
Finally, Eddy could see Kevin, Johnny, and Rolf enjoying a "high-stakes" game of paper football at their desks. Johnny 2x4 and Rolf were strange in their own ways. Johnny was mostly known for his best friend, Plank - a board of wood with a smiley face on it. The two were nearly inseparable, to the point that Eddy was surprised they hadn't glued themselves together by now. Stranger still, Johnny himself could only really be described as a wild card. From collecting clams in the sewers, to gathering nuts like a squirrel; If you could think it, Johnny probably did it at some point in his life.
Then there was Rolf, the strange foreigner kid that hailed from what he called "the Old Country." Bizarre homegrown cultures and old-time beliefs were the everyday norm with him. He helped run a entire farm in his backyard, ranging from growing beet fields to tending to his pet goat, Victor. He was practically on par with Ed in strength, and he was proud of his heritage - two things Eddy got to learn the hard way. It was thanks to Rolf that Eddy knew how it felt to be beaten to a pulp with nothing but a dead fish.
Finally, there was Kevin himself - someone Eddy could hardly stand. If you asked the smallest Ed to describe Kevin, you'd get a response that would likely include words like "jerk" and the phrase "shovel-chin". Eddy absolutely hated the jock, mostly because he was constantly upstaging him and liked to treat the Eds like a trio of punching bags. Despite this, he was also the most popular kid on the block. Eddy couldn't stand it. Why did Kevin of all people get the glory while Eddy got the short end of the stick? All he did was pretend to be cool and obsess over his bike, yet the neighborhood loved him! Meanwhile, Eddy and his friends actually put effort into trying to be popular, only to get treated like dirt!
Eddy begab glaring at the jock, his mind beginning to swirl in anger. "How come shovel-chin gets all the glory!? I'm twice as cool as he is, and I get nothin'!" The boy thought. "All I want is a few lousy quarters, and I'm the bad guy!"
The scammer's train of thought was stopped in its tracks as another spitball slammed into him, landing right between the eyes. It wasn't hard to tell where it came from, as Eddy could already hear Kevin's laughter. He slowly wiped it off, before holding the tiny spitball at the end of one of his fingers.
Although it was just another wad of wet paper, it started to make Eddy think. He began to think of all the times when he and his friends were embarrassed by the others whenever they tried to prove themselves, all the times where the Eds had received a pounding just for wanting a few jawbreakers. There was so much the boy could mope about, that it was almost overwhelming. In the end, Eddy just sighed, and flicked the spitball off of his finger.
"What did I do to deserve this…?" He grumpily mumbled to himself.
As he was about to get back to sulking over the day's events, Eddy couldn't help but notice that the teacher wasn't at her desk. Slightly puzzled, he took a quick glance around the room before spotting her standing in the doorway. She was just peeking her head past the door, talking to someone. It was a little odd, but Eddy didn't really care. He just wanted to distract himself from his mess of a day.
He watched as the teacher shut the door, before turning to her class. She had tired eyes and a worn-out look to her, no doubt wanting out of her just as much as the kids. "Your attention please."
None of the kids outside of the smallest Ed boy noticed, either not hearing her over all the commotion or simply not caring. This made her mouth curl into an unhappy frown.
"Your attention, please!" She shouted, clapping her hands together. This nabbed the class's attention, with everyone stopping in place to look at the teacher.
"We have a special guest visiting our class today who would like to talk to you about a special summer program." This got groans out of a good chunk of the students, most notably Eddy and Kevin.
Her expression turned sour. "Listen up, you've been given a very special opportunity, so I want you all to be on your best behavior! Do you understand?"
"...yes, Mrs. Marmont." Everyone replied in unison. She nodded, and without another word, made her way to the door and held it open.
In walked multiple people in lab coats, with one pushing a dolly cart filled with boxes and another bringing in the school's portable TV. They quickly got to work, plugging the old television to the wall and starting to set up for what would clearly be a presentation of whatever program they'd be advertising to the kids. While most of the class were still uninterested, some of the more observant students couldn't help but notice that the men were fairly well-kept, and all of them seemed to be of Asian descent. It wasn't something you'd normally see in a rural American middle school.
"Interesting…" Edd pondered, tapping his chin. "I thought the school couldn't afford summer programs anymore."
"Eh, they're probably just gonna talk about the weather or something." Eddy replied, still uninterested at the scene going on in front of him.
Ed, on the other hand, gasped and had his eyes go wide. "What if they're aliens from the planet Nob secretly sent here to probe us!?" He said, starting to sweat profusely.
Eddy just rolled his eyes. "You're a riot, Ed."
Everyone just watched in mild bemusement as multiple scientists ran around the room. The boxes were emptied, the TV turned on and off, and so on. What was most notable, however, was the display they were creating on a plastic folding table. Now, it wasn't out of the ordinary for people pushing summer programs to create displays to help try and get kids interested, but something about this one was… different. While much of what they put down looked like normal books and documents, some of their covers had depictions of what could only be described as unfamiliar creatures. Some of the items that were set out were strange too, such as a weirdly shaped purple spray bottle and discs that almost looked like DVDs. What got the kid's attention the most, however, was a set of curious metal balls placed right in the middle. They were red and white, and even had some sort of button on them. Despite their best efforts, no one could put a finger on what exactly these things were.
Eddy eyed the table's display, the odd scene now finally catching his attention. "Uh… got any idea what those are, Double D?" He asked, pointing to the capsules.
"For once, I've got no clue, Eddy…" The beanie-wearing boy responded.
"Huh. That's a first."
"Oh no, THEY'VE BROUGHT THEIR EGGS!" Ed screamed, now in what looked like a full-on panic.
"ED! They aren't aliens!" Edd interjected. He prayed none of the visitors noticed his friend's outburst.
"An… interesting observation by your friend, but I'm afraid to say it's not quite true."
All the students turned their attention to the door as the unfamiliar voice rang out. A well-dressed gentleman was walking into the classroom, straightening his tie. He appeared to be somewhere around 60 years old, sporting pale white hair and a thick mustache, and wearing what looked like a well-tailored outfit below a dark brown coat. To the kids, it looked like the man belonged more at a business meeting in the big city than in an eighth grade classroom.
"...A-apologies for my associate's behavior, sir. You see, Ed is a big fan of comic books…" Edd nervously began as he walked up to the visitor. He was hoping he could somehow explain Ed's delusions.
"There's no need to apologize." The man plainly replied. "Though I would prefer for him not to have an outburst like that again."
"So… who exactly are you, gramps?" Kevin said, butting into the conversation. Somehow, he'd already come up with a nickname for the man.
The visitor raised an eyebrow at the jock before giving him a stern look. "I will explain that in a moment. For now, I'd like you to sit down and listen, unless you'd rather find yourself in the principal's office."
"Alright, sheesh…" Kevin replied nonchalantly. Despite the man's assertiveness, the jock still didn't really take them that seriously.
As for Edd, he couldn't help but feel oddly curious about the well-dressed man that stood in front of him. He, of course, took note of the man's stern and straightforward personality, but at the same time he was surprisingly calm and collected. Most adults he knew would have either snapped back in anger at Kevin or let it slide since he was the school football prodigy. Sure, he was a stranger to both him and the athlete, but he still couldn't help but let it have an impression on him. Whoever this man was had likely "been around the block a few times" as Eddy would put it.
He didn't have long to ponder this, however. The man turned to Eddward, and while his gaze wasn't nearly as harsh as the one he gave Kevin, he could still sense the assertiveness coming from them. "I'd also prefer if you took your seat as well, as I will need space for my presentation."
"Oh? Yes, of course." Edd said before scurrying back to his desk.
"What's his deal?" quizzed Eddy as his friend sat back down. "Guy reminds me of the principal."
"I'm not sure, Eddy. Perhaps it's best we wait and see what this visitor has in store for us."
"...I hate surprises." Eddy grumbled.
"Don't touch that dial, kids!" Ed added, talking to no one.
Soon enough, the scientists had finished their preparations, and stood aside to give their leader room to speak. The man walked to the front of the room with all of the kid's eyes locked onto him. As he turned to them, some noticed that he had another one of those same capsules that were on the table, hanging from the side of his belt.
He began to address the students. "Hello, everyone! It's so very nice to meet you all. My name is Professor Rowan." he explained.
Edd's ears perked up at the mention of the word professor. "Oh my! I didn't expect someone of such status would be visiting our school today!"
"Yawn." Eddy said, not nearly as enthusiastic as his friend next to him.
Rowan ignored the smaller boy's sarcasm. "However, where I come from, everyone calls me the Pokémon Professor." He continued. He took the ball off his belt, and held it out in his hand.
Now, the class was even more confused. "Poke-a-what now?" probed Eddy.
"Uh… I think he said "poke your mom"." Ed added, trying to make sense of it and failing horribly.
Edd was the most confused out of the tree. "That's strange… I've never heard of such a study…" He said to himself.
"Now, I'm all sure you're wondering what exactly a Pokémon is." the Professor continued. "I could spend the time trying to explain to you all, but I've always been one to prefer first-hand experience." He then lowered his hand to the student sitting the closest - that student being Kevin.
"Here, I have a Poké Ball." He explained, locking eyes with the jock. "Touch the button on the middle of the Poké Ball, if you'd please."
For a moment, Kevin hesitated. His past experiences with the Eds' scams and the disasters they'd caused had given him a sense of skepticism, so he still wasn't entirely trusting of the Professor yet. He nearly considered turning to Rolf or Johnny and asking one of them to press it instead. However, his morbid curiosity eventually won out, and he carefully pushed the button.
The second he did, the ball opened and a flash of white energy shot out. The whole class jumped as it happened, watching the energy land on Kevin's desk before it began to take shape. When the light faded, no one could believe their eyes. In front of the jock was a small, brown bunny standing on two feet. It had cream-colored fluff below the waist and at the end of its ears, and had two small black eyes that reflected the glow of the ceiling lights above. It slowly looked up at Kevin, and tilted its head.
"...Buneary?"
The whole class stood in awe at what they'd just seen. Everyone stared at the bunny Pokémon that was looking around the foreign environment. For a few seconds, no one said anything. Then, the little rabbit walked up in front of Kevin, and gave him a small smile.
"Bun!" It said, seemingly taking a liking to the boy with a red cap.
Kevin looked at it for a second, and then smiled back. "...Choice."
Slowly but surely, the others began to shake off their apprehension and approach the little brown bunny. Sarah and Jimmy quickly made their way to the jock's desk, as the two were easily attracted to anything cute.
"Look Sarah, it's so fluffy like a pillow!" Jimmy said excitedly as he began gently petting the Pokémon.
"Way cool!" Nazz added as she came up. "I think I heard it talk, too!"
"Bun? Buneary…" The little rabbit said. It was clearly enjoying all the attention.
"In a way, Pokémon can indeed talk." Professor Rowan replied, reacting to Nazz's comment. "However, most are only able to say the names of their respective species."
"Cooooooool!" Said Johnny. "What's that, Plank?" He then turned to the Professor, with his best friend in hand. "Plank wants to know what else it can do!"
"Rolf is also intrigued by the brown carrot stealer that lives in a ball." Added the farm boy.
As Rowan began to go into detail about the bunny Pokémon's abilities, Eddy just looked on in bewilderment from the back of the classroom. He wasn't a stranger to the weird and bizarre (especially since he hung out with Ed) but the last thing he'd expected to see today was a man calling himself a scientist who just pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Or, a ball in this case. And everyone in the class was mesmerized by it! The rabbit was like a magnet, getting nearly everyone in the room up just to take a close look at it. He couldn't help but feel just a little jealous of Professor Rowan - he'd only been in here five minutes and already did what Eddy had constantly failed at: becoming popular.
"You seein' this…?" Eddy said, expecting his two best friends to still be in their seats. However, he instead ended up doing a double take as he only found two empty chairs. It wasn't a mystery as to where they went.
"PET THE BUNNY! PET THE BUNNY!" Ed excitedly chanted as he made a mad dash for the front of the classroom. His crazed run was only hampered by his much smaller friend.
"ED! NO! YOU'RE ALLERGIC!" Edd pleaded as he held onto his buddy's jacket for dear life. He was barely holding on, his shoes leaving skid marks on the floor.
Despite Double D's best efforts, he was no match for his much bulkier and much dumber friend. The smarter boy was thrown to the ground as Ed swiped up the Buneary with both arms, excitedly petting its head as he continued to mutter "Pet the bunny!" over and over. This, however, didn't last long before Ed felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Hey, Ed…?" The boy turned to see his younger sister, Sarah, grinning at him with a fake smile. In less than a second, she went from polite to furious, screaming "LEAVE THE BUNNY ALONE!"
The scream left ringing in the ears of Ed, the Buneary, and pretty much anyone else unlucky enough to stand too close to the redhead. The smelly pre-teen silently put the Rabbit Pokémon back on Kevin's desk without a word. If there was one thing he was scared of more than anything, it was upsetting his little tattletale sister.
Meanwhile, Eddy walked up to his injured friend, still reeling in pain on the floor. "Ya think ya woulda learned by now, Double D."
Edd slowly picked himself up, trying to wipe some of the dust off of his orange shirt. "Well, pardon me for trying to curtail Ed's recklessness…"
He looked up, expecting to see his friend going through the first stages of an allergic reaction. What he saw instead surprised him.
"My word…" Edd gasped. "Ed isn't having any reaction after coming into contact with that rabbit!"
"That's because, while similar, Pokémon DNA is not identical to that of a regular animal." The two boys glaced up to see the Professor looking at them. "As such, any reactions your friend would have to a normal rabbit won't occur with my Buneary."
Both boys looked curiously back at the rabbit, who was fixing her fur after its meetup with Ed. It was giving the boy in the green jacket a snooty look, unhappy at how he messed up the fur that the Rabbit Pokémon took such good care of.
"How curious…" Edd began as he walked closer to the brown bunny. "Not only did it not trigger Ed's allergies, but it also shows emotions more akin to a human than to that of an average hare. Intriguing…!" The boy looked closer at the little Pokémon in front of him, only for it to sneer and look away. Clearly, Ed's treatment (and also Sarah's yelling) made it none too happy.
Rowan was quick to take notice of his Pokémon's worsening mood, and pulled out the same ball that she had first come from. "I believe Buneary has had enough attention for one day. Return." He pressed the button, and the Poké Ball opened up. The students watched with their mouths agape as Buneary seemingly morphed into a collection of red energy, before disappearing as the light retreated back into the capsule.
This time, Ed was the first to speak up. "Bunny went back home!"
"You could say that." Rowan replied, holding the ball up. "These devices can hold any Pokémon, whether big or small."
Edd's mind began to race, excitement overtaking him. "T-this technology is incredible! I'm speechless! I mean, I'd like to know how this functions, maybe what materials were…" He started to babble on about science mumbojumbo, which most of the class immediately tuned out.
Eddy responded by taking Edd's mouth and closing it shut like a zipper. "Y'know, you really run your mouth for someone who's speechless."
The Professor, however, couldn't help but quietly chuckle at Edd's boundless enthusiasm. "Good to see you're interested." he laughed. He then strode over to the front of the room.
"Now, I imagine you're all curious as to what exactly Pokémon are." He said as he continued his speech. "Simply put, they are mysterious creatures that inhabit many regions around the world, including my homeland, the Sinnoh region." As he spoke, one of Rowan's assistants started up the portable TV that sat nearby, and the Professor picked up the set's remote control.
With a click of a button, the television set flashed to life, and a video began showing clips of the professor's homeland. It had an appearance similar to that of Japan, with Pokémon everywhere from wandering wild grasslands to flying over cities. The kids of the cul-de-sac could see what looked like beavers, blue and yellow lions, starling birds, even what looked like a simple plant bud with a face. Many watched with eyes glued to the screen as the scenery rolled by.
"Where I'm from, people and Pokémon live side-by-side. At times we play together, and at other times we work together." New images flashed across the screen, depicting people in their homes treating small Pokémon like pets, including more Bunearies and small white-and-blue squirrels. Others showed huge, muscular Pokémon and rocks with two huge arms stomping through what looked like a massive coal mine. More oohs and ahhs came out, and Jimmy even let out a "Holy mackerel" at one point.
Professor Rowan continued. He knew that what came next would be what grabbed the kid's attention the most. "Some people even use their Pokémon to battle and develop closer bonds with them."
The video cut to what looked like a stadium, and the kids watched in awe as what appeared to be a bipedal black-and-blue wolf took on a massive shark dragon creature. Parts of their bodies flashed with energy as the two swung at each other, dust kicking up all around them. Through the speakers, they could hear every roar and every punch as the two beasts clashed, the turf of the battlefield
"And Garchomp strikes back with another Dragon Claw, Lucario dodges it and begins using Mach Punch!" Came the voice of the announcer as the battle raged on. The viewers could also hear the calls of trainers as they directed their loyal partners. "Earthquake!" "Use Aura Sphere!" "Block it with Protect!" "Dodge it with Extreme Speed!" It honestly felt like something you'd only see in one of Ed's foreign monster movies.
"MONSTER BATTLE!" Ed shouted, eyes locked to the screen as chunks of earth were forced up by the massive dragon.
Eddy also watched the video closely, his enthusiasm finally shining through. "The Pit's for nothin' on this."
"What do I do?" The scientist continued, glad to finally explain his line of work. "I conduct research so that we may learn more about Pokémon." He clicked a button and the video changed again, now showing the inside of a laboratory, with many of the same assistants that had walked in the room studying charts, diagrams, and even more Pokémon the kids hadn't seen yet. "Particularly, I specialize in Pokémon evolution."
None of the kids replied back, still fascinated by this whole new world they were learning about. An entire region, filled with what could only be described as whimsical creatures that wouldn't be out of place in a Saturday morning anime. It was almost hard to believe, but they saw it with their own eyes that this was indeed real.
"Now I believe you're all wondering why I'm telling you this today." Rowan started as the video was paused. He stood at the front of the room, all pairs of eyes locked right onto him. "For years, I've been wanting to bring the wonders of Pokémon to parts of the world unfamiliar with them, and give them the chance to experience it for themselves. Today marks the start of what I'd like to call: the Pokémon Summer Program. And you will be the first class to have such an opportunity." He proudly spoke, gesturing to the kids in front of him.
Almost all of them went wide-eyed, the pieces clicking together in their head as to what exactly the Professor was saying. Kevin was the only one to reply. "Wait… are you sayin' what I think you're sayin'?"
"Indeed I am." Answered Professor Rowan. "With your parent's permission, you will all have the opportunity to travel to the Sinnoh region yourselves and become Pokémon trainers!"
A cacophony of cheers filled the room as the students lost themselves in excitement. They couldn't believe it, but here it was - a whole new world opening up to them. A world they'd only thing was fantasy, but was now all too real. And it was welcoming them in with open arms.
"Did you hear that, Eddy? Just think of what sorts of fantastical wonders we could see! All the astonishing things we could discover!" Edd said excitedly. His mind already filled with the thoughts of the new knowledge he could fill his notebooks with.
"ED BECOME KING OF THE MONSTERS!" The smallest of the three felt two massive arms begin to crush him as his much larger friend gave him a hug.
Normally, Eddy would protest this, and do it loudly. This time, however, all he could focus on was what lay in front of him. Just thirty minutes ago, he thought this was gonna be a normal summer with normal days and normal scams. But now, that had all changed to something he'd only expected to see in his dreams. He forced his head out from Ed's arms, staring directly at the Professor, the video, and most importantly, the set of Poké Balls on the table. All this time, he thought the way to becoming popular was to just be cool and have cash. Now he was being given what could only be called a golden opportunity. If he could become a Pokémon trainer, catch and control all these crazy powerful monsters, then maybe he could finally prove his worth to the rest of the cul-de-sac, finally beat everyone at being good at something. He could even finally show shovel-chin who's the boss.
"We'll take it! What do we gotta do?" He spoke to the Professor. He pulled out his hand and held it in front of Rowan, expecting him to just drop a Pokémon in his hands right then and there.
"Well, firstly, you'll have to get your parent's permission." Rowan replied, slowly pushing Eddy's hand back down. "If they approve, you will then have to train your Pokémon to face the Gym Leaders of the Sinnoh region and receive all eight badges."
"Is that all?" Already, Eddy's ego was making him overconfident. Rowan easily took notice of this, but only acknowledged it with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"No. Once you have those eight badges, you will have to face the Pokémon League and the Champion. Once you defeat them, then you yourself will claim the title of the Pokémon Champion of the Sinnoh region."
"No problem!" Eddy forced himself back onto the ground, standing proudly in a heroic pose. "I'll take down those gyms, blaze through that league and-"
"I'm gonna be the Champion!" Eddy's head shot to the side to see Kevin standing on a desk. He had heard everything.
The smaller of the two glared at his adversary. "In your dreams! If anyone's gonna be the Champion, it's gonna be me!" He snapped back.
"Yeah right, dorky! I'd like to see you try." said Kevin, crossing his arms.
Eddy was starting to get red in the face. "Oh, you'll see, alright! The three of us are gonna wipe the floor with those gyms before you can even get off your stupid bike!"
Kevin looked surprised for a moment, before his competitive spirit overtook him. "Well then, we'll just have to wait and see." he stated in smug confidence.
"YOU'RE ON!" Eddy shouted right into Kevin's face. It was clear that the two's rivalry was now fired up more than ever.
The Professor had watched the whole exchange unfold, and it'd made him feel a smidge of uncertainty creep up in him. When he first came up with this program, he'd never expected the first class he picked for it would be so… rowdy. Part of couldn't help but wonder if this was really the right choice. Would kids like these really be ready to take on a Pokémon journey?
"Maybe, maybe not." Rowan thought to himself. "Though, I will say that this should be an… interesting new experience. For both them, and me."
The sound of the final bell broke through the silence of the halls as hundreds of students filed out of their classrooms. Lockers were cleaned out and slammed shut, old notebooks were chucked in the trash, and more than a few celebratory cheers were heard as the school year had officially ended. Chitchat filled the air as friends caught up with each other and talked about their plans for summer break. Most were just happy the school year was finally finished, or were bragging about how they'd be going on some expensive vacation. However, for one class, their minds were filled with one thing and one thing only: Pokémon.
"Man, did you see that thing?" Kevin hooted as he shoved the junk from his locker into his backpack. "That shark guy was ripping up the ground like it's nothing!"
"Phooey!" his farmhand friend jeered back. "Rolf could move twice as much soil in a day than the bizarre landsnake abomination could move in a week!"
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Uhhh… it's landshark, dude."
"That is what I said, yes?"
Nazz, cleaning out her own locker nearby, let out a laugh. "You're so weird, Rolf." she chuckled. "I honestly thought that wolf guy was pretty cool, though."
"Whadabout those giant squirrels we saw?" The blonde was nearly given a heart attack as Johnny shot out from inside his locker. "Plank said they were twice as big as the ones down here!"
"Uhhh… yeah! They were cool too…" Nazz blurted out as she regained her composure. Despite knowing him for years, she could never get used to Johnny's antics.
The boy hopped out his locker, and slung his backpack (which barely had anything in it) over his shoulder. "Boy, I'd love to meet some of those guys!" He took a few steps, then stopped to look at Plank, surprised. "What? You're worried about those beavers? You know I'm not gonna let anything happen to ya, Plank!" Johnny reassured his best friend as he walked away.
Nearby, Sarah and Jimmy were trundling down the hallway together as they usually did, unable to talk about anything but the cute little critters they'd just learned about.
"That little bunny was so adorable! You think we could get our own?" Jimmy excitedly asked the redhead.
"Of course, Jimmy!" affirmed Sarah in her "nice" voice. "I'm sure we can both catch our own bunnies."
"Oh goodie-goodie! I'm gonna name mine Mr. Yum-Yum Junior!" bubbled Jimmy as the two continued down the halls, hand in hand. However, as the two passed a T-junction into another hallway, Sarah stopped the two in their tracks.
"ED!" the redhead shouted to her brother, reverting back to her angry voice. "Mom is picking us up! Be ready in five minutes!"
"Okie-dokie, sister!" Ed happily replied, making an "ok" sign with his hand. Sarah then went back to skipping down the hall with her best friend, cracking a smug smile from knowing how much control she held over the lug.
The Eds' lockers sat in one of the lesser-used hallways, normally only meant for any last minute sign-ups or any student who joined in the middle of the school year. Much like their spots in their classroom, this particular hallway had sort of become their own personal corner of the school. Eddy was carelessly shoving whatever he could into his favorite dollar sign backpack, while Edd meticulously arranged everything from his locker into their proper places in his school bag. As for Ed, he was just picking out whatever he liked from the massive pile of junk that fell from his locker, no doubt leaving another mess for that poor janitor to clean up.
"Can you believe it, fellows? A whole ecosystem of fantastical creatures, hidden right under our noses!" Edd jabbered on as he gently pulled out a set of beakers and placed them in his bag. "And we get the opportunity to experience it ourselves!"
"REAL-LIFE MONSTERS, DOUBLE D!" cheered Ed. "Ed will take the crown and become the Almighty Monster King of Sorrow!"
"The guy said Sinnoh, lumpy." Eddy said, having finished stuffing his backpack. "Besides, I'm gonna be swiping that crown before ol' shovel-chin can even see it."
Edd gave his smaller friend and unimpressed look. "Not putting the cart before the horse, are we Eddy?"
"What are you on about?"
"I'm saying that you can't just assume you'll become the Pokémon Champion when you've only just learned of them forty-five minutes ago."
"Oh, come on! You and me both know that it'll be as easy as pie if we stick together." The smallest Ed put both arms on the other's shoulders, putting himself between the two of them. "And just think about it: if we can become the Champions, we can finally show those suckers who the real kings of the cul-de-sac are! We'll be ten times as popular than Kevin could ever dream of!"
The other two Ed-boys looked at Eddy, gears in their heads both turning (a very rare event when talking about Ed.) They'd never really cared as much about popularity than their self-proclaimed leader, but they couldn't deny the fact that the rest of the cul-de-sac weren't exactly their biggest fans. All they'd done to try and prove how cool they were was usually a scheme cooked up on the fly, but this time, there was a seemingly genuine opportunity. If they could really do this and actually succeed, then maybe their endless streak of bad luck might finally be a thing of the past.
"I got you, Eddy!" answered Ed with glee. "We will become the king of monsters together!"
"Well, I can't deny that it is tantalizing…" Double D added.
Eddy rubbed his hands together. "And, if we can, just imagine the fame! All the cash we'd be swimming in! And you know that means…"
"JAWBREAKERS!" Ed joyfully shouted.
"Well, if you're so sure about this endeavour, then I'll be glad to assist every step of the way." Edd added.
Eddy smiled, they'd roped both his friends into his plan, hook, line, and sinker. "Our journey starts now, boys!" He turned on his heel. "Now away we g-!"
Before Eddy could take a single step, he came face to face with Mrs. Marmont staring daggers at him, arms crossed and tapping the floor. It took a moment for Eddy to put the two and two together, but he soon remembered: he still had detention.
"Oh. Right." Eddy's enthusiasm for becoming the Pokémon Champion had been replaced with a mix of grumpiness and dread for what was about to happen. He turned back to his friends, both staring at him with a look of "what do we do now?" on their faces.
"Uhhh, you two go on ahead! I'll meet back up ya' later." Eddy then began walking off with his teacher for two boring hours of sitting in an empty classroom, while Ed and Eddward began heading off to the school's exit.
"See ya later, Eddy!" Ed called to his friend as he walked off.
"Why do I get the feeling that this won't happen as smoothly as we think?" Edd pondered to himself, already having a sense of unease crop up in his gut.
As the three went their separate ways, they still thought about the task they were about to undertake. This was already much more than a regular afternoon scam, and they knew it. A journey across the world and the chance to catch and train the mysterious creatures that were Pokémon. Despite how little they'd learned about them, they learned enough to know that this was going to be a daunting journey. Truth be told, they were still processing the whole thing in their heads. Ed was wildly excited to finally get his hands on a real monster. Eddward also felt plenty of excitement for all the scientific discoveries he could encounter, but also some concern, given how all their past endeavours usually ended up going. And, as usual, Eddy was already overflowing with confidence. In his mind, he already thought of himself as the only person in Peach Creek who had a chance of being champion, no matter what shovel-chin said. At the end, though, all three could agree on one thing: this summer was gonna change their lives.
They had no idea just how right they were.