DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON


|A NEW POKÉMON

Preparing for a Pokémon journey was no easy task.

It wasn't like a weekend camping trip you'd go on with your family in the summer. Cross was going to be in the wilderness for weeks, maybe even months at a time.

Without the proper gear, he could die!

He needed a plan.

Multiple plans.

...All the plans.

That was why, instead of trying to find Ash and Misty before they left the Pokémon Center and talk to two of his favorite characters, Cross was still in his room.

It was a simple small room that was probably twenty feet wide and ten feet in length. More than enough for a single traveler. And plenty enough when if you were a Pokémon Trainer you got to sleep for free.

Cross had spent most of the night digging through the lost and found and lugging the items he wanted to keep up to his room. He hadn't spoken to Ash or Misty since Office Jenny took their statements, and as much as he wanted to talk to two of his favorite characters, he knew he needed to buckle down.

As such, the orange-haired teen found himself standing in his room, a small journal open in his hands and tapping his pen against it.

Checklist Pg.1

-1 waterproof camping tent
-1 multi-seasonal sleeping bag
-1 large 2-quart pot
-1 steel frying pan
-1 Ferro rod set
-1 enamel bowl w/spoon
-1 canteen
-1 bar soap
-1 8-oz tube of toothpaste
-1 face flannel
-1 40-mm roll dental floss
-1 small bottle of bio shower soap
-1 shaving razor (and 1 blade)
-1 towel
-1 pair of high-leg waterproof hunting boots
-2 T-shirt's(short-sleeved)
-6 pairs of socks
-1 neck gaiter
-1 shemagh
-2 pairs of gloves (1 leather work-style glove, 1 thin glove)
-4 pairs of underwear/briefs
-2 pairs of outdoor pants/bibs (can unzip into shorts)
-1 waterproof uninsulated Jacket
-1 pair of gaiters
-1 leather belt
-2 toothbrushes

Cross managed to fit all of that into one big bag. In fact, he put it all in a bag that looked remarkably similar to the one Brock used to carry around. It was only half his checklist and was already a lot to carry.

However, the Pokémon anime series and games never got into the day-to-day of what being a Pokémon trainer is really like. A lot more went into surviving weeks and months away from civilization than was shown on television.

And Cross would rather 'have' something he didn't 'need' than 'need' something he didn't 'have'.

Besides, most of the items at the top of his checklist were either small or could be folded or rolled up to be smaller. He still had more than enough room for the rest of his gear.

Checklist Pg.2

1 buck hunting knife
-1 Leatherman multi-tool
-1 LED flashlight
-1 net foraging bag
-550 Paracord-80m
-8mm climbing rope-10m
-3mm cotton cord-40m
-1 sharpening stone
-1 roll of duct tape
-1 small shovel
-1 hatchet

And...done! Cross thought proudly, as he checked off the last item on his list. Everything was packed up in his bag.

Of course, not everything could fit inside the bag. His sleeping bag was tied to the bottom and would rest near the base of his spine with his overstuffed bag sitting on top of it. And more than a few things were strapped to the outside of the bad with cord. The poles that would hold up his tent, his pot and pan on the side, and a few other things.

"Are you sure going to be able to carry all of that?" a worried voice asked.

Cross looked up and saw Nurse Joy standing outside his room. She was holding a tray with two poké balls. "It'll be heavy, but I plan on catching a pokémon to help me soon," he said walking over to the stunning pink-haired nurse. "Are you sure it's okay for me to take all this stuff? It's gotta cost a few hundred poké dollars altogether, maybe even over a thousand."

Nurse Joy smiled as she handed over his newly healed pokémon. "Absolutely," she said, inching up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Like I said last night, you saved the Pokémon Center. Besides, most of this stuff will be replaced by the end of the year anyway."

Cross grinned as he watched Nurse Joy walk away until she turned the corner and disappeared at the end of the hall. It's good to be the hero, he thought and released his pokémon.

Charmander instantly walked over to his feet and sat down, but Pidgey was more standoffish. The little bird perched itself on top of his backpack and puffed up its feathers. Cross rolled his eyes at the lackluster attempt at intimidation and walked closer to the small bird, his size making it less confident. Charmander followed and growled at Pidgey, swishing his flaming tail.

"Listen," Cross said calmly, patting Charmander on the head as the fire-type growled. "There are two ways this can go. One is the easy way: where you accept that I'm your trainer now and we work together to get stronger. The other is the hard way: where if you don't, then I'm going to have Charmander discipline you. What's your answer?"

Pidgey glared at Cross but only for a moment before its eyes darted away. Its head lowered in reluctance obedience. Cross frowned at the sullen bird, although he was glad that it had accepted him as its trainer.

"Sorry that it has to be this way, but I can't just release you," he said, sitting down so he was at Pidgey's level. "You already know Gust and Quick Attack, which means you are probably one of the naturally strongest Pidgey around. I want to be a pokémon league champion and to do that I'll need the best pokémon team possible. What kind of trainer would I be if I let someone like you slip away?"

Pidgey's head raised her head and her plumage ruffled as she preened under the compliment. Cross smiled and tapped her gently with her poké ball. He'd noticed Pidgey seemed quite prideful and had been hoping he could count on that to make their partnership run smoother.

Another difference between this world and the games, he thought as he grabbed his backpack and hefted it up onto his back. He grunted as weight pulled down on his shoulders. Reaching back, Cross grabbed the waist strap on his backpack. He looped the padded strap around the top of his hip bone to help redistribute the backpack's weight from his shoulders to his hip. This allowed his whole body to take the weight of the backpack rather than one muscle group and let his legs do the heavy lifting.

In the games, if you had the right number of badges, your pokémon listened to you. Now that he was here, in a world where pokémon were more than just lines of code, Cross had to consider the personality of the pokémon he caught.

Some pokémon might not want him to be their trainer. Some might not want to battle. Others might want to battle too much and not listen to his commands.

Every pokémon he encountered would have a unique personality and he would have to decide if they fit on his team.

Cross left his room the door closing softly behind him. His footsteps echoed in the hallway as he went downstairs, Charmander trotting beside him. He glanced down at Charmander, who was jogging to keep pace. Cross sighed, understanding the practicality of the situation—once they were out of the city, he'd have to recall Charmander into his poké ball again. It was not an ideal situation, but Charmander's small legs just couldn't match his long strides.

Down in the lobby, Cross saw Nurse Joy behind the counter, his gaze locked with Nurse Joy's warm eyes. He lifted his hand to wave goodbye, not wanting to stick around much longer.

Unlike last night, the lobby was bustling with trainers coming and going. Their excited voices drowned out the hum of the healing machines in the back and it was making him all the more eager to start his own journey.

Nurse Joy waved back, but not to say goodbye. She was motioning for him to come to the counter. Cross walked over and just as he was about to ask what was going on, an unexpected interruption occurred. The sliding doors leading to the lobby suddenly parted, and a familiar pink blur burst forth.

It was Chansey, the same one he had protected the previous night.

Chansey rushed toward Cross, her round body wobbling with an almost comical grace. The pink Pokémon latched onto his legs, her soft arms wrapped around him.

Cross blinked in surprise, looking down at the affectionate creature. Nurse Joy's surprised expression mirrored his own.

"It seems like Chansey has taken quite a liking to you," she said, her tone marked by a hint of wonder.

Cross reached down to scratch Chansey between the ears. "Well, she won't have to worry about them anymore," he said and he tried to pull his leg away. Only he couldn't move it at all.

Chansey had a death grip on him, and she refused to let go.

Nurse Joy's voice broke the moment, her eyes reflecting understanding. "It seems Chansey has taken a liking to you, Cross. She doesn't want to see you go."

Cross glances between the joyful Chansey and Nurse Joy, his eyebrows furrowing. "I can't stay at the Pokémon Center forever."

Nurse Joy's lips curve into a gentle smile. "You know, sometimes these bonds form unexpectedly," she muses. "Would you consider taking Chansey with you?"

"Take her with me?"

"Ever since last night, Chansey hasn't been acting like herself," Nurse Joy explained. "She's been withdrawn and cautious of any new trainers and their pokémon. Team Rocket really scared her."

Cross glanced down at Chansey, who looked up at him with pleading eyes. It was just like he had been thinking earlier about Pidgey. Pokémon had their own personalities and people couldn't just ignore them.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking back up at Nurse Joy. "Will the league be okay with that?"

He wasn't exactly sure how everything worked, but he was positive the Pokémon League funded and ran the Pokémon Centers. The Nurse Joys were just employees who worked in them.

"Of course," Nurse Joy said. "I love Chansey, and maybe one day she'll want to come back, but I think this is what would be best for her. To get away for a while."

"If you're sure," Cross pulled out one of his empty poké balls and held it up. "You sure you want to leave the Pokémon Center?" he asked, and Chansey nodded, her happiness evident as she bounces around him.

Cross tapped her with the ball and it popped open, sucking Chansey inside in a flash of red light. He attached her poké ball to his belt next to Pidgey's and pulled out his pokédex.

Chansey, the Egg Pokémon, and the evolved form of Happiny. Chansey is a kind Pokémon who shares its egg with those who are sick or injured.

Gender: Female, Height: 3'07.

This Chansey knows the moves: Gravity, Heal Pulse, and Protect.

Cross whistled at the move-set. "Those are some strong moves," he said closing his pokédex and sliding it back into his pocket.

The pink-haired nurse bit her lip, "I know she wants to go with you," she said, "but I'm not sure she's particularly inclined to battling."

"I won't force her to battle," Cross assured Nurse Joy quickly. "Chansey knowing Heal Pulse and being able to keep my other pokémon healthy while I'm traveling is way more important."

Not only that, with a Chansey that knew the move Gravity, he could super-charge his other pokémon's training Dragon Ball Z style!

"I can't thank you enough for this," Cross told Nurse Joy. He'd never seen anyone in the anime or manga use a move like Gravity for training, but if it worked he'd be able to bridge the gap between his pokémon and more experienced battlers.

Nurse Joy stepped out from behind the counter, her eyes brimming with gratitude and affection. Crossing the space between them, she gave Cross a tight hug. "I'm the one that needs to thank you, Cross," she whispers, her voice soft.

Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. Cross could feel the gentle pressure of her body against his, her breasts pressing against his chest, the softness of her curves fitting against his frame.

"I didn't do much," he said, shrugging his shoulders as he returned the hug. "Just what any trainer would."

Nurse Joy's eyes searched his, a mix of emotions flickering within them. Gratitude, relief, and something more. "You saved this place from Team Rocket," she says, her voice catching slightly. "I can't thank you enough!"

Cross blinked as the realization dawned on him that Nurse Joy hadn't just been talking about Chansey. Team Rocket had scared her too. She didn't see Jessie and James in the same way he did. To him, they were a comedic duo that was just a source of amusement and occasionally annoyance for him.

To Nurse Joy, Jessie and James were members of Team Rocket, a dangerous terrorist organization that killed and stole Pokémon. When they attacked the Pokémon Center last night she had genuinely feared for her life.

Her voice quivered with unspoken emotions as she continued, "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here."

"I'm sure everything would have turned out fine," Cross said, so confidently that Nurse Joy had to believe him.

After all, he did know that everything would have turned out fine. Even without him interfering, Ash and Pikachu would have taken care of Team Rocket. He just expedited the process.

Eventually, Nurse Joy released her hold on him, a reluctant smile playing on her lips. "When you get to Pewter City, make sure to visit the Pokémon Center there. My sister runs it, and she'll want to thank you for helping me."

"I will," Cross said, and he moved away as another trainer stepped up to the front desk.

Charmander followed after him as he walked across the lobby.

Today was a surprise, Cross thought as he looked down at the three poké balls on his belt. He hadn't expected to get a third pokémon so soon.

Chansey wasn't even a pokémon he'd been considering catching. He'd never used one in any of the games but the second he saw Gravity and Heal Pulse on the pokédex, his mind was full of possibilities.

The Pokémon Center front doors slid open and Cross stepped out with a smile.

Next stop, Viridian Forest!


Cross's Pokemon Team!

Charmander: Scratch, Bite, Ember

Pidgey: Tackle, Gust, Quick Attack

Chansey: Gravity, Heal Pulse, Protect