DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON


|ROUTE 1

This is torture!

The rain had stopped a while ago and now that the storm had passed, all the Pokémon that had been hiding away, sheltering themselves from the rain were out in force!

Cross couldn't believe his eyes as he took in the wildlife around him. It was like something out of a dream. Wild Pokémon were everywhere—Rattata rummaging through the bushes, Pidgey soaring overhead.

He had seen it all the time in the anime and he had raged quite a few times when he got stopped every five seconds in one of the games, but seeing Pokémon in person was so different than in the games or anime.

A Rattata scurried by just feet away from him. Its fur was coarse and greasy, not the cute clean creature he was used to seeing on a screen. And the smell—Cross wrinkled his nose at the sharp, almost skunk-like musk.

All his life he'd only ever seen Pokémon in 2d, through the games and shows. But nothing had prepared him for this. For how alive everything was - each Pokémon a living, breathing creature going about their life, not just pixels on a screen.

The Pidgey flocking overhead didn't just cry in 8-bit tones. Their shrieks drilled into his ears, harsh and piercing. He could feel the wind stirred up by their beating wings. And the intelligence in their eyes unnerved him in a way the pixelated sprites never had.

Even Charmander at his side seemed alien at first. The warmth radiating from his tail flame. The acrid scent of smoke. The very real potential for danger. This wasn't just a cute partner to collect and train. It was a wild animal, as likely to bite or burn as obey if treated wrong.

Cross knew he was living every Pokémon fan's dream, and yet all he could do was stare!

Part of him was tempted to try catching them all, but he knew that just wasn't realistic. He didn't have the resources or ability to care for so many Pokémon. It pained him to walk past so many potential partners, but he had to be smart.

He wasn't Ash Ketchum, or Gary Oak, or any other protagonist. He was on his own with no ranch or farm where the pokémon he caught could live. If they weren't with him...well, he wasn't sure where they went. That was something he'd have to look into once he got to Viridian City.

And even if he did have access to someplace to keep them, how would he feed them if he went and caught dozens of pokémon?

He wasn't playing a game anymore. There were real-life logistics he had to take into consideration.

That meant having a little self-discipline and not catching every pokémon he saw no matter how much he wanted to. For now, the only pokémon he would even consider catching was a Flying type.

Which was easier said than done...

Cross glared up at the flock of Pidgey flying above him. With all his new meta-knowledge, he would need a Flying-Type big enough to carry him to all the places he needed to go.

"One of them would be perfect," he said, looking down at Charmander who he was carrying in his arms. Charmander couldn't keep up with his short stubby legs, but Cross came from a world without Pokémon, so he was going to spend as much time as he could with his pokémon.

Which he hoped would be Charmander and a Pidgey—a Pidgey that would eventually evolve into Pidgeot.

And yet, he couldn't catch a single one of them.

Cross sighed, ready to give up on the idea. Charmander wouldn't be able to fly until he evolved into Charizard, and the little orange guy didn't know any long-range attacks he could use to knock one of the bird-like pokémon out of the sky.

As long as the Pidgey stayed in the air, they were out of reach.

I can always catch a Spearow, Cross thought as he continued walking. He knew he was behind Ash, and because he had no plans to sleep outside without a tent or any other camping gear, he would eventually pass the spot where Pikachu took out that big flock of Spearow.

There would be hundreds of them, all unconscious and littering the road. Just waiting for someone to come along and capture one!

Suddenly, the air was pierced by a shrill, ear-splitting shriek, sending a shiver down his spine. Cross instinctively looked up and his eyes caught sight of a Pidgey perched high atop a towering tree. The Pidgey seemed to gaze down at him with an air of superiority that made him wonder if the little pokémon knew he wanted to catch one and couldn't.

As the bird let out another piercing cry, its feathers fluffed up in an attempt to appear more menacing, but Cross only grinned. This one seems prideful, he thought, and he hoped that pride would be enough to force the Pidgey to come down out of the tree and battle.

He had been willing to settle for a Spearow, but what he really wanted was a Pidgey.

Setting Charmander down, he laughed as the Pidgey puffed up even more in response, challenging the fiery pokémon with yet another defiant shriek.

Charmander met the challenge head-on, locking eyes with the bird as the flame on its tail flickered and intensified.

The Pidgey swooped down, screeching loudly once again as it dove at Charmander with glowing wings

Cross could feel his excitement building. "Wait for it to get close and use Scratch!"

Charmander's claws began to glow with soft white light, and for a fleeting second, the Pidgey seemed to hesitate mid-air. A triumphant smile spread across Cross's face as Charmander took the Pidgey's attack head-on, only sliding back a few inches when the pokémon collided.

With his glowing claws, Charmander smacked the Pidgey, and the small bird was sent flying, crashing clumsily into a nearby tree. Unharmed but disoriented, the Pidgey stumbled around, trying to regain its footing.

"Now, use Bite!" Cross ordered. Charmander sprang into action, covering the ground at an impressive speed despite its small legs.

The Pidgey seemed to get its bearings back, but it was too late. Charmander fangs dug into the proud bird trapping its wings against its body so it couldn't fly away.

Pidgey shrieked and struggled, its talons tearing into Charmander's skin. Cross winced at the blood. This was so much more visceral than the games. It was real life and that meant blood during a pokémon battle.

"Slam him!" Cross ordered. It wasn't a "real move", but without the constraints of the four-move video game battles, the pain was pain.

Charmander raised his head before slamming Pidgey against the ground hard enough to send the proud bird into unconsciousness.

"Nice job!" Cross cheered, as he walked over patting Charmander's head, but there was no time to bask in the victory.

He quickly picked an empty poké ball from his belt and hurled it at the dazed Pidgey, hitting the bird. The ball bounced up before snapping open and drawing the Pidgey inside.

In its unconscious state, the Pidgey was helpless against capture, and after a few tense moments, the poké ball clicked shut, securing its new prize.

There was a sound like jingling bells and Cross felt his pokédex vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and flicked it open. Now that he had caught Pidgey, there was a second pokédex that went with the standard entry about the small-bird pokémon.

Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Among all the Flying Pokémon, it is the gentlest and easiest to capture. A perfect target for the beginning Pokémon Trainer to test his Pokémon's skills

Gender: Female, Height: 1'50.

This Pidgey knows the moves: Tackle, Gust, and Quick Attack.

Cross couldn't help but fist pump as he attached the newly occupied Pokéball to his belt. For a wild Pidgey, this one seemed pretty strong, and hopefully, it wouldn't take long to fully evolve.

And once it did, then he would really be in business!

Because he was pretty sure he'd already made up his mind about what he was going to do. His mind had probably been made up the second he realized he had woken up in a world filled with Pokémon, he had just been too confused to accept it at the time.

He'd beat the Elite Four and Regional Champion in almost every Pokémon game released and now he had a chance to do it for real...?

Is there really any other choice? Cross didn't think so. He was sure it wouldn't be as easy as it was in the games, but he had all the knowledge needed to become one of the strongest trainers in the world.

First, he needed to get to Viridian City and somehow buy supplies. "Like actual hiking boots," Cross muttered, glaring down at his muddy trainers. If he was going to be spending weeks at a time in the wilderness he needed to make sure he had the appropriate gear.

He wasn't going to waste this new life by dying to something stupid like starvation or exposure.


Cross's Pokemon Team!

Charmander: Scratch, Bite, Ember

Pidgey: Tackle, Gust, Quick Attack