Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.

Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai

Chapter Sixty-eight: Isekai Johto! (Dee deh lee leh lee lee, dee deh lee leh lee lee~)

Dawn and Kenny, after a moderate enough flight, had finally made it to the Johto region. There, they would continue their gym challenge tour, aiming to earn the badges of Johto before wrapping up and heading back to Sinnoh. Kenny, after he and Dawn left the airport in New Bark Town, inhaled through his nose before exhaling through his mouth, taking in the smells of the new region that he and his fellow reborn trainer had just entered for the sake of continuing their adventure.

"Ah, the Johto region!" Kenny said, "I can already smell those gym badges, my main man."

Dawn, with a dry look on her face, said in a likewise tone, "...They smell metallic, I bet."

Kenny thrust his right fist into the air, declaring, "The gyms here in Johto better watch out! For I, Kenny Harris, shall take them by storm! They'll-"

"Oh, new trainers aiming to challenge the gyms of Johto!" a female, kindly sounding old voice called out, cutting Kenny off and making him and Dawn turn to see a kindly looking old woman walk up to them. "Since you two are clearly trainers aiming to challenge the gyms here in Johto," the kindly old woman went on, "It's best you go see Professor Elm first. He'll be able to see you off properly, as well as give you what all info you need to properly navigate Johto."

"We..." Dawn began, "...Are actually expected by Professor Elm. My friend here and I are from the Sinnoh region, and Professor Rowan said he'd call Professor Elm to let us know we were coming."

"Oh my! Foreign trainers!" the old woman said, "I'm willing to bet now that my guess of you being new trainers might have been a bit off."

"We've traveled through our home region of Sinnoh," Kenny said, "And we've recently finished going all over Kanto."

The kindly old woman nodded once in understanding. "So you kids are veteran trainers with a good chunk of experience under your belts. That being said, the gyms in Johto will be a breeze for you."

Dawn shrugged. "One can only hope. Oh, we're supposed to see Professor Elm anyway, but we don't have directions to his lab."

"Well I know the way, dearies," the kindly old woman replied, "Just follow me."

"Oh thank goodness we're getting a guide!" Kenny said as he and Dawn proceeded to follow the kindly old woman right on over to Professor Elm's lab. There, the two reborn trainers were expecting to drill Elm for the answers that Rowan and Oak had expressed interest in. As well as get some sort of gift of some kind, which Dawn was having a strong feeling that she already knew what it was going to end up being.

Within short order, Dawn and Kenny were led to Professor Elm's lab. After the kindly old woman saw them off, Dawn and Kenny went inside. There, they wandered their way further inside, with Dawn even calling out, "Hello? We're looking for Professor Elm? We're Dawn Berlitz and Kenny Harris from the Sinnoh region!"

"Ah! You guys are here!" a male voice called out. Dawn and Kenny waited a moment until Professor Elm came walking into view. "I vaguely remember you two from footage of the recent Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh," Elm said, "Dawn especially since she ended up defeating Cynthia and becoming the new Sinnoh champion. But Kenny also made an excellent show."

"Professor Rowan said that he called you about us before we got here," Dawn began.

Elm let out a breath. "...I guess he wanted you to pester me for more information on Ideku, huh?"

Both Dawn and Kenny looked surprised at that. "Ideku?" both said in unison.

"I'm certain that Professor Rowan told you about a 'golden boy' that I have helped to foster as a trainer," Elm began, "The boy who rediscovered the lost method of evolving Scyther into Kleavor, thus bringing the Kleavor species back out of extinction in the process." Elm nodded twice in the affirmative. "Yes. His name is Ideku Badorigo."

Dawn and Kenny looked to one another, exchanges looks, then turned back to face Elm. "...While Professor Rowan did mention that you supposedly had a quote unquote golden boy that he, as well as other Pokémon professors in other regions wanted to see, Professor Rowan also mentioned that you supposedly had something for me and Kenny, partly to make it up to Professor Rowan for how you withheld said golden boy from the other professors."

Elm lit up a bit. "Ah yes! We can certainly cover that before you needle me for details on Ideku for Professor Rowan. Come this way." Dawn and Kenny then proceeded to follow Elm deeper into his lab, to see what he had in store for them.

...

To Kenny's surprise and Dawn's somewhat lack of it, Elm presented to them the Johto starters Chikorita and Totodile, both sitting on a sturdy lab table. "Hey, where's Cyndaquil?" Elm said as he looked around, only to stop and exclaim, "Ah! Cyndaquil! No! Bad girl!"

Dawn and Kenny saw it as Elm ran over to a trash can that must have been mostly full, given that a Cyndaquil was sitting in it trying to rummage through the garbage. Elm picked Cyndaquil off, dusted her (Elm did refer to Cyndaquil as a girl) off a bit, then brought her over to the sturdy lab table and sat her down between Chikorita and Totodile.

"...Sorry about that," Elm said to the reborn trainers, "Well anyway, these here are the Pokémon that are offered to trainers beginning here in Johto. As a show of good faith to you two who are here on Rowan's behalf, I'm going to let the both of you pick one each." To Dawn, Elm added, "I'll let you pick first, Dawn. Consider it further trying to broker good relations between Johto and Sinnoh by gifting a good Pokémon to Sinnoh's newest and current champion."

It was just as Dawn had predicted; she and Kenny were going to be allowed their pick of the Johto starter Pokémon. Dawn was also delighted to get first pick, as it gave her the chance to further complete getting the Pokémon her counterpart in the anime in her previous life had. A chance that Dawn was going to seize, even though the Pokémon she was going to pick had just displayed some rather odd behavior.

Dawn approached the sturdy lab table where the Johto starters all sat. Dawn looked directly at Cyndaquil, pointed at her, then told Elm, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to take Cyndaquil."

Elm actually let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness one of you wants Cyndaquil. She keeps trying to rummage through all of the trash cans here in my lab, and I'm getting a bit tired of having to clean up the messes she makes." Elm then proceeded to hand Dawn the pokéball for Cyndaquil, which Dawn scanned with her pokédex. Cyndaquil was indeed female, had a quirky nature, and the Blaze ability. To Dawn's surprise, Cyndaquil came knowing Extrasensory. "Oh Dawn," Elm said, "As you are now Cyndaquil's trainer, are you interested in giving her a nickname?"

The reborn trainer looked right at Cyndaquil, who looked right back up at her. Dawn gave Cyndaquil a small smile, which apparently was enough incentive to prompt Cyndaquil to cheer in delight, waving her little front legs. "...Yes," Dawn said, "I'll name her Sticks."

"And how about you, Kenny?" Elm asked, "Which between Chikorita and Totodile interests you?"

Kenny turned to look at the remaining two starter Pokémon. "...I'm feeling that Chikorita will be the most agreeable one for me to pick."

As Totodile looked dejected over not being picked at all, Chikorita looked calmly amused to have been picked by Kenny. "Okay, here's Chikorita's pokéball," Elm said, handing Kenny a pokéball, "Also, will you be interested in nicknaming your Chikorita?"

Kenny thought about it as he scanned Chikorita's pokéball with his pokédex. "Ah, Chikorita's a boy," Kenny said, then added upon turning to look at his new Chikorita, "I'm going to name you Endive."

As Kenny walked over to recall Endive, Elm had a mildly somber look on his face. This did not get past Dawn's notice. "...Something about Kenny picking Chikorita got you down, Professor Elm?"

"Oh, no not really," Elm said, "It's just... it's just that it's partly connected to the ultimate goal that Rowan and other professors have been pestering me about."

"About your golden boy," Dawn said, "That Ideku guy you mentioned."

Elm nodded once in the affirmative. After recalling the unpicked Totodile, Elm put Totodile's pokéball away before saying to the reborn trainers, "This... this is something we're going to have to sit down for in the lounge area of my lab. Come." Curious, Dawn and Kenny proceeded to follow Elm over to where they'd be able to discuss things in greater comfort.

Dawn and Kenny sat together on a couch across from the armchair recliner Elm sat in, a coffee table between their seats. Elm was leaning forward, his forearms near his elbows laying over his knees. "So what all can you give us on Ideku?" Dawn asked.

Elm let out a resigned, mildly troubled breath. "...A long time ago, a little over sixteen years ago, the Badorigo couple moved to Cherrygrove City, located on the other end of Route 29 from New Bark Town. When they moved in, they had recently welcomed their son into the world. I believe he was two months old at most at the time."

"So this Ideku guy is about sixteen or so," Kenny said.

To the surprise of the reborn trainers, Elm shook his head in the negative. "No, actually. The boy I speak of is the first son of the Badorigo family, Katsuku."

"So I'm guessing Ideku is the second born son," Dawn replied.

Elm nodded once in the affirmative. "You see, the Badorigos moved to Cherrygrove City because they had financial troubles, troubles alleviated somewhat by the move since they were able to get a cheaper place. Mr. Badorigo getting an assistant manager job at the local supermarket helped things out even more."

"So their money troubles were going away," Kenny said.

"...Yes and no," Elm said, "You see kids, Mr. and Mrs. Badorigo decided to celebrate their move to Cherrygrove City and Mr. Badorigo getting a job by... having some private adult time."

"Ah, you mean sex," Kenny remarked casually.

Elm, surprised not only by Kenny apparently knowing enough about what sex is to at the very least identify when someone's using an euphemism to talk about it, but also how bold and casual Kenny was even saying the word 'sex', sputtered a bit before regaining his composure. "...You kids must be more world weary than I thought," Elm said, "But yes. That's the gist of how the Badorigos decided to celebrate having finally gotten some relief from financial burden."

Dawn had a vague idea on where this was going. "...And I assume Ideku comes into play here."

"That act of celebration resulted in Mrs. Badorigo becoming pregnant with Ideku," Elm went on, "You see, the Badorigos were able to coast by fair enough with only their first born son Katsuku."

"But Ideku coming along strained their wallets again?"

Elm nodded in the affirmative to Dawn's question. "Due to certain laws at the time that had been repealed a few years after the fact," Elm said, "Mrs. Badorigo had to carry her second child to term. Thus Ideku was born. Mr. and Mrs. Badorigo... were not entirely thrilled to have their second son, given that he by virtue of being born set them back to square one."

"...I'm afraid to ask this, but did they treat Ideku as a parent should treat their child?" Dawn asked.

"In the public eye where others could see them, yes," Elm answered, "But that was merely for the sake of appearances. I was getting strong vibes that the Badorigos did nothing save for the absolute bare minimum necessary to raise Ideku. He was clearly the un-favorite child in what I have qualms with comfortably calling a family." Letting out a sigh, Elm went on, "Especially the day about five years ago, when Mrs. Badorigo came to my lab with her sons."

"What happened back then?" Dawn asked.

Elm let out another sigh. "You see, Ideku despite how he was treated more or less as an unwanted burden by his parents virtually all of his life was bar none one of the most sweet and innocent kids I ever had the pleasure to meet. He still should be to this day. He was far more friendly with kids his age than his older brother Katsuku, who more or less was expecting any friends he made to be his lackeys rather than actual friends."

Dawn could already see some red flags pop up, but she pressed on. "Continue."

"The day before Mrs. Badorigo brought her sons to my lab, I had given Ideku his choice out of the three Pokémon I offer to beginner trainers," Elm said, "Ideku picked Chikorita. It was a boy that he named Meganie."

"So that's why you seemed sad when I picked Chikorita just now," Kenny said, "It had reminded you of Ideku."

Elm gave a single nod. "Yes. Apparently, the Badorigos were convinced that Ideku had stolen the Chikorita from my lab, and Mrs. Badorigo was dragging Ideku in by the wrist to force him to return Chikorita. I had made it explicitly clear to Mrs. Badorigo, and later her husband over the phone when he called and asked, that I had knowingly and willingly gave the Chikorita to Ideku, and that he was by no means a thief."

"Man, talk about being the un-favorite," Kenny scoffed bitterly, "Hey wait, why was Ideku's brother there?"

Once again, Elm let out a sigh. "It was clear to me that the Badorigos didn't think that their second born son was worthy of having Pokémon, but more or less expected me to give one of the Pokémon that I offer to beginner trainers to their first born son. Given that Mrs. Badorigo would have forced me to take back Ideku's Chikorita otherwise and I by no means wanted to do something so terrible to Ideku, I decided to save myself some drama and let Katsuku pick a Pokémon. He ended up picking Totodile, a boy that Katsuku didn't nickname."

Dawn already had a very poor opinion of the Badorigos, and she wasn't really liking the sound of Ideku's older brother Katsuku either. "What happened next?" Dawn asked.

"The two brothers ended up taking on the Johto League challenge," Elm said, "Going to city to city, training for and battling against the gyms. Both boys ended up getting all eight badges and were able to qualify for the Johto League Conference. What made Ideku's trek remarkable was that he earned each of his eight Johto gym badges on his first try per badge. Katsuku meanwhile needed two tries each to get the Plain and Rising badges."

"So the younger brother was slightly more successful than the older brother," Kenny reasoned.

Elm nodded once again in the affirmative. "The Badorigos were convinced that Ideku had done something to make Katsuku need two tries for two of his badges, when they heard about how their sons earned their respective badges. I distinctly remember hearing that Mr. Badorigo would have made Ideku give his Plain and Rising badges to Katsuku if he knew ahead of time that Katsuku failed on his first tries for those two badges."

Dawn's opinion of the Badorigos took yet another nosedive. "...Isn't that illegal? I mean, if that did happen and Katsuku went to register for the Johto League Conference, he would have been found out because the gym leaders for those badges would have verified that Katsuku didn't earn them."

"Well lucky for the Badorigos, they didn't find out how their sons earned their badges until after both boys got all eight that they needed," Elm said, "Because otherwise what you suspect would of taken place most likely would of occured. Hell, I would have stepped in upon hearing that, and gave some testimony to help Ideku."

"So how did the boys do in the Johto League Conference that they entered?" Kenny asked.

"Ideku and Katsuku both made it to the final round," Elm said, "They had to face each other, and the one between them who won that full battle would be crowned the winner of the Johto League Conference for that year. Ideku had a party of his Chikorita which by then was a Meganium, a Houndoom, a Quagsire, an Espeon, a Pidgeot, and a Dragonite, whereas Katsuku had a party consisting of his Totodile which by then was a Feraligatr, a Jumpluff, a Magcargo, an Umbreon, a Fearow, and a Sudowoodo."

Dawn had some suspicions on where this was going, but she wanted to be sure. "Ideku defeated his brother in that full battle, didn't he?"

"Katsuku was only able to take down Ideku's Quagsire and Espeon before losing," Elm confirmed, "In fact, Ideku's Dragonite knocked out half of Katsuku's Pokémon in that battle, defeating two straight up on its own and knocking out Katsuku's last Pokémon, his Feraligatr, after Ideku's Quagsire went down weakening it."

"So the younger brother is the better trainer," Kenny said, "I take it he went on to challenge the Johto elite four?"

Elm this time shook his head in the negative. "He had the choice, but Ideku's parents forced him to choose not to challenge the elite four. My guess is that they were steamed that Ideku defeated his older brother, and in front of so many persons in a roaring audience to boot."

"So what, their un-favorite son defeated their favorite son and they decide to revoke a chance at further glory from him as a result?" Dawn asked, sounding more and more pissed on Ideku's behalf.

"I guess so," Elm replied, "Well after the Johto League Conference that year, things settled down for the Badorigos. Ideku did odd work here and there, earning extra money he used primarily to care for his Pokémon. I even employed him here at the lab as an assistant of sorts. Over the three years since Ideku won that Johto League Conference, he got two more Pokémon, a shiny Pikachu that he had evolved into Raichu, and a Scyther."

"The Scyther that he evolved into a Kleavor."

Elm nodded once in the affirmative to what Dawn said. "On a day he had off from working, he went to a swap meat and found something called a Black Augurite. He learned about what a Black Augurite was prior when reading an old book I had on Hisuian history, and how Black Augurite had a connection to Scyther way back in the day. I'm not sure what exactly he did, but the Black Augurite was used up, and his Scyther evolved into a Kleavor."

"So he's had a Kleavor for at least two years," Kenny said.

"I was getting at least one call a month from each regional professor who wanted me to send Ideku their way so they could examine and study his Kleavor," Elm said, "From the day Ideku evolved it to this day even. I have no doubt I'll continue to receive such calls."

"Can you tell us why you didn't send Ideku to see those professors?" Dawn asked, "Because Oak at least thinks you're aiming to keep a monopoly on research into Kleavor."

Elm let out a sigh. "...It's not that I don't want to, it's that I lack the capability to do so."

The reborn trainers looked confused by that. "...What do you mean?" Kenny asked.

"Two years ago," Elm said, "Ideku just... he just disappeared. Off the face of the earth. Kleavor is one of the Pokémon he had on hand when I last saw him. I have his Raichu and Pidgeot here at my lab. I've been taking care of them, hoping for the best, that Ideku will turn up again one day."

"Ideku is missing?" Dawn asked, "Does his family know?"

Elm shrugged his shoulders. "If they do, they don't care. Mr. and Mrs. Badorigo have been putting all of their focus in raising Katsuku, even bragging to anyone who'd lend them an ear that they were able to get Katsuku into Blackthorn City Academy, a prestigious Pokémon trainer academy located over in Blackthorn City." Holding a hand to his chin, Elm said, "Come to think of it, Katsuku got into Blackthorn City Academy sometime very shortly after Ideku went missing. Even weirder considering that I had written a letter of recommendation on Ideku's behalf to the Blackthorn City Academy scholarship committie, but I haven't heard of anyone showing the same courtesy for Katsuku."

The two reborn trainers were now beyond livid. Kenny was already imagining introducing both the Badorigo parents and Katsuku to Black. As for Dawn, however... she was imagining introducing just the Badorigo parents to Tsukune. As much as she was incensed at the older Badorigo brother, Dawn felt she didn't yet have sufficient backing to deal to Katsuku what Kenny was probably already thinking of doing.

Dawn let out a breath, stood up. "...Well, we got an answer for why you haven't been able to send Ideku in the direction of other professors like Rowan and Oak. You can't send Ideku because he's currently missing."

"Yeah," Kenny said as he allowed his gaze to wander, "You can't send a person if you don't know Holy crud, it's super late!"

Elm turned to see in the direction Kenny was looking, saw he was looking out a window through which one can see it was almost night time. "Oh geez! You're right!" Elm said, "You kids wanna stay the night?"

"Actually," Dawn said, "I think we'll get going. We haven't camped out in a while, and I figure we have the perfect chance to do so on Route 29."

"We'll hit up Cherrygrove City in the morning," Kenny added.

Elm relaxed a bit. "Fine by me. Take care, kids." After saying their goodbyes, Dawn and Kenny took off from Elm's lab, eager to get going.

It was finally night time when Dawn and Kenny reached the approximate middle point of Route 29, more or less exactly halfway between New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City. A campfire was going, the picnic table was set up, and Kenny and Dawn were settling down for Kenny's camp out curry. "Have you ever heard of someone so bad your first reaction is to kill them?" Kenny asked casually as he and Dawn ate.

"Only the character Umbridge," Dawn replied, then added in a knowing tone, "But I can guess what you're getting at. I mean, how in the name of Odin are such people allowed to be parents?"

"I know!" Kenny said, "I mean, I swear! If I ever get the chance, I'll-"

*CRASH*

Kenny was cut off when he and Dawn heard a crashing sound. Looking over, the reborn trainers spotted two wild Pokémon, a Hoothoot and an Aipom (Dawn identified it as a male due to his head tuft), had fallen out of a tree while scuffling with one another. The two wild Pokémon looked at one another before they cried out challengingly at one another, the Hoothoot hooting and the Aipom angrily screaming skyward like a cocky, pissed off alien warrior.

The two wild Pokémon were about to charge at one another, but their fight was interrupted when they heard Kenny shout out, "Cell, use False Swipe on Hoothoot!"

"Foamy, use Spark on Aipom!" Dawn ordered.

The two wild Pokémon stopped charging at one another to look in the direction that the shouts of humans came from, only to see a shiny Scizor rush at Hoothoot and a Pachirisu cloaked in sparking electricity rush at Aipom. Both wild Pokémon were hit by the tamed ones respectively attacking them, with Hoothoot being brought to the brink of defeat and Aipom taking a fair chunk of damage and getting paralyzed as well.

After that, Kenny threw a pokéball at Hoothoot while Dawn threw a pokéball at Aipom. Both Pokémon went onto those respective pokéballs, which then fell to the grassy ground before they both proceeded to shake for a bit before making ping sounds, indicating that both captures were successful. "Woot!" Kenny cheered, "I just caught a Hoothoot!"

"And Aipom was the last Pokémon on my list I mentioned to you," Dawn said as she and Kenny went to collect their respective new captures. Given the late time, Dawn only bothered to check her Aipom's gender, which was male. "I'll name you Vegeta," Dawn said as she looked at the pokéball that held her new Aipom.

"Hoothoot is yet another dude joining the cringe posse," Kenny said, "Thus he'll be named Hoodini." With a curious look on his face, Kenny said, "Wow. With the exception of Black who doesn't have a gender and Priestess who is a girl, all of my Pokémon I got thus far are dudes."

"Thems the breaks, I guess," Dawn replied as she and Kenny went back to their camp, one Pokémon richer each. Despite the gloom cast by learning about Ideku, Dawn and Kenny felt that their trek in the Johto region was off to a well enough start. Tomorrow they'll reach Cherrygrove City, and from there they'll head to Violet City. Instead of just zooming around on legendary dragon back, Dawn and Kenny wanted to take some time to travel and train the new Pokémon that they had both gotten in recent times.

At least to evolve their newer starter Pokémon and have some Pokémon learn new moves.

END, CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

Author's notes;

This chapter sees Dawn and Kenny arrive in Johto and handling various businesses before traveling a bit to get some Pokémon evolved. They even learn about a person who'll become important later on in the story, but in a way no one will see coming. But aside from that, the next chapter will see the reborn trainers pass through Cherrygrove City on the way to Violet City, where the first gym for them in Johto is located. Take care, folks.

Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Amy (female Charmander), Sticks (female Cyndaquil), Vegeta (male Aipom), Shalltear (female Rhydon), Foamy (male Pachirisu)

Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand), Roshi (male Torterra), Cermit (male Bulbasaur), Endive (male Chikorita), Priestess (female Liligant; Hisuian; alpha), Zarbon (male Machamp), Hoodini (male Hoothoot)