Welcome back! Sorry, I took so long, it was the holidays. No one's guessed what country Ralia is based on yet, but I'll let you keep trying. Also, responding to one of my reviewers, I'm afraid Z-Moves are taking a backseat for now. In case you forget, Ash is only in Ralia on an errand, and likely had no need to bring his Z-Ring. I'll probably bring Z-Moves back later in this story, just not right now. In the fake games I imagined, Z-Moves would be more like something you unlock after the main game.
Still struggling to make his delivery, Ash has made friends with a fellow Pokémon trainer, Vernon, and has just been reunited with his old friend, Serena.
"I can believe you're here, Serena!" Ash said.
Serena grinned. "Surprise!" she said.
"Do you know this girl?" Vernon asked.
"Yeah, we met when we were just kids," explained Ash. "Then later, we met up again and she traveled through the Kalos region."
Ash gestured towards Vernon and said, "Serena, this is Vernon. Vernon, Serena."
Vernon shook Serena's hand. "Nice to meet you, Serena. Though, I'm sure you're in awe to be in the presence of a brilliant movie actor like myself."
Serena cocked her head. "You're an actor? Sorry, but I don't recognize you."
Vernon looked shocked. "Again?" he said. "Why does no one appreciate the classics?!"
"So you are Serena?" RotomDex asked, approaching.
"Um, yes," said Serena. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ash's personal assistant, the Rotom PokéDex," RotomDex explained. "But you can call me RotomDex for short."
"RotomDex here is a Rotom inside a PokéDex," Ash explained. "He's really handy at identifying Pokémon, taking pictures, pulling up maps, and so much more!"
"Ash told me all about you, Serena!" RotomDex said.
"Really?" said Serena, slowly blushing. "Well, he's always been a close friend."
"So, Serena, what bring you here all the way to the Ralia region?" asked Ash.
"Oh, um," Serena started, "the thing is, I was on my way to Pallet Town to visit you! But then your mom and Professor Oak told me about your errand, so I decided to come find you."
"Is that so?" said Ash before smiling. "Well, It's great to see you again!"
RotomDex suddenly flew in between the two of them to say to Ash, "Excuse me Ash, but we still have an errand to run, remember?"
"Oh, right!" said Ash, running back to the bench he'd left the eggs on. He picked up the suitcase and brought it over to Vernon and Serena. "The thing is, guys," he said, "I've gotta deliver this case to Professor Acacia. He-"
"Needs some Pokémon eggs delivered back to him?" Serena finished. "I know, Professor Oak told me all about it."
Ash nodded. "Yeah, i guess their starter Pokémon eggs. He plans on giving them to some kids he knows. Anyway, I tried to find him in his lab today, but his assistant, Stacey, told me he went to his family's home in Greymill Town."
"Greymill Town?' said Vernon.
"Yep," said Ash. Suddenly, the eggs began to glow again, blinding Ash and almost making him drop the case. "Ah man," he said. "I've gotta get these eggs to the Professor before they hatch! But the fastest route to Greymill Town is four days long!"
"Not necessarily," said Vernon. "I happen to know a shortcut to Greymill Town! I can show you the way if you want."
Ash smiled. "That's great! Thanks, Vernon!" He turned to Serena. "Are you coming, too, Serena?"
Serena smiled. "Hey, I came this far!"
As everyone was being guided by Vernon down a forested path, they eventually came upon a quaint, little town perched on a large cliff. Beneath that cliff was a beach where tourists were playing on the sand and in the water. The town itself was made up of about sixteen houses. Around it were open spaces with fields nearby that were actually wind farms, with giant windmills spinning to produce energy. Near the front of the town was a Pokémon Center and Pokémon Mart, and some residents were bustling in and out of it.
"Welcome to Greymill Town, guys!" Vernon said. "Sure beat walking the long way around, for sure!"
"That didn't take long at all!" said RotomDex as it pressed the button on its body. "Map updated."
"Okay," said Ash, I think I remember the address Stacey gave me. C'mon guys!"
Who's that Pokémon?
Born in an active volcano, its body is always coated in flames, so it looks like a big ball of fire.
"C'mon, Brett!" called a short, young, blonde kid from down a staircase. "Don't you want to come out and meet the new neighbors!"
From down the stairs came a tall, brown-haired young man who said, "I don't know, Chris. I'm kinda nervous."
"What's to be nervous about, Brett?" said Chris. "We're going to give our very first impression on this community!"
"That's what I'm nervous about," said Brett. "I'm just worried about what everyone's gonna think of me. I didn't fit in in our old town, so why is this place better?"
"You never know, sweetie," said a blonde-haired woman coming into the room. "Your father promised me that the people around here are some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet."
"Thanks, Mom," said Brett, still refusing to smile.
The doorbell suddenly rang, and the mother said, "I bet that's one of the neighbors coming over to introduce themselves right now!"
She walked over to the door and opened it to see red-haired young girl standing in the doorway, who was holding a pan of lasagna.
"Hi, I'm Eva!" she introduced herself. "Me and my family wanted to welcome you to town, but my folks couldn't make it. So, on behalf of them, I brought you a lasagna!"
"Well, that's very kind of you!" said the mother. "My name is Tiffany Acacia, please come inside."
Tiffany ushered Eva inside and Eva sat the lasagna down on the table. At that moment, Chris approached them and said, "Are you a new neighbor?"
"Yep," said Eva. "I'm Eva! And you are?"
"This is my son, Chris," Tiffany explained. "My other son, Brett should be out soon."
"Mom?" came Brett's voice. "Who is it?"
Brett walked into the kitchen and laid his eyes on his new neighbor. The two couldn't help but stare at each other when their eyes met. For some reason, they felt happier when they saw each other. It took Tiffany talking to snap them both out of their daze.
"Brett, this is Eva," she said. "Eva, this my son, Brett."
Eva walked over to Brett and gently shook his hand. "H-hi,"she said.
"Uh, nice to meet you," said Brett.
"Well, then," said Tiffany, "why don't you boys take Eva into the living room and get to know each other? I'll prepare this lasagna."
"Okay," said Chris, grabbing his brother's arm. "Let's go!"
Eva was sitting on one chair while Brett and Chris sat across from her on a couch. "So I hear that the two of you are the kids of Professor Steven Acacia?" asked Eva.
"Yeah," said Chris. "He moved us all to the Ralia region so that he didn't have to spend so much time commuting to work."
"So, what's he like?" asked Eva. "I'd love to know the guy personally, I'm a big fan of his work."
"He's a smart guy, I guess," said Brett. "A bit eccentric and over-enthusiastic, though."
"You know, when I was growing up," said Chris, "I always wanted to be just like him. He was always exploring the world to see all kinds of different Pokémon and learn all about them. I want to be able to do that."
"I can relate," said Eva. "All my life, my parents never let me leave Greymill Town on my own. I've lived here all my life, but I've never even seen the wind farms. But one day…" Eva gazed up at the ceiling. "...I'm gonna see the world."
"It's a big world out there," Brett said. "It's actually kinda scary to think about."
Suddenly, the kids could hear the doorbell ringing again. "Must be another neighbor," said Tiffany from the other room. "I'll get it."
Tiffany opened the door to find three new people on her doorstep. One was a raven-haired boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder, another was a honey-haired girl in a blue hat, and the third was a purple-haired man with a purple jacket.
"Excuse me," said the boy, "but is this the home of Professor Acacia?"
"Yes," said Tiffany, "but he's not home at the moment."
"What!?" said the boy. " We missed him again!? We're never gonna get these eggs to him."
"Wait," said Tiffany, "did you say eggs? Can I see them?"
The boy seemed reluctant at first, but then pulled out the suitcase from behind his back and opened them to show off the eggs. Tiffany studied them and said, "Yes, my husband told me about these. I'm Tiffany, Professor Acacia's wife. Why don't you folks come in?"
The people outside glanced at each other before shrugging and coming inside. Arriving in the kitchen, they were met by Brett, Chris, and Eva.
"Who are these people, Mom?" asked Chris.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names?" said Tiffany to the new visitors.
"I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu," said the boy.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu introduced himself.
"I'm Serena," said the girl.
"And my name is Vernon," said the purple man.
"And I am RotomDex," said a suddenly-appearing, floating device with a Pokémon face.
"Whoa!" gushed Chris. "Is that a Rotom inside a Pokédex! It looks just like my dad's Pokédex! Let me see!"
Chris tried to grab RotomDex out of the air, but RotomDex flew out of his grasp and said, "Watch the merchandise!"
"These are my sons, Brett and Chris," said Tiffany. "And this is our next door neighbor, Eva."
"Hi!" Eva brightly greeted.
"H-hi," stuttered Brett.
"What's up?" said Chris.
"Great to meet you all," said Vernon as he sat down.
"So, are you guys more neighbors?" asked Brett.
"Uh, not exactly," said Ash. "We came here to deliver something to Professor Acacia. He's your dad, right?"
"Yep," said Chris.
"Here," said Tiffany, setting out plates of Eva's lasagna out in front of everyone. "We can discuss more over lunch."
"Great!" said Ash. "I'm starving!"
Serena rolled her eyes, smiling. "Same old Ash," she said.
After everyone had finished, Eva summarized all that these new visitors had told her. "So, you guys were told by Professor Oak that Professor Acacia wanted these eggs so he could deliver them to some kids he knows?"
"That's what he said," said Ash.
"Well, who are those kids?" asked Chris.
"It's the three of you!" said Tiffany suddenly, causing everyone to react with surprise.
"Wait," said Brett, "you mean me, Chris, and Eva?"
"Yep, said Tiffany. "This was all part of a big plan of your father's."
"What big plan?" said Eva.
Suddenly, the three eggs in the suitcase began to glow brighter than ever before. Everyone shielded their eyes as Ash said, "They're hatching!"
"Set them on the floor, quick!" said Tiffany.
Ash and Serena quickly grabbed the ends of the suitcase and put it down on the floor. The glowing became even brighter, until finally, it dimmed down, and when everyone opened their eyes again, there were three new Pokémon on the floor. One was green, looked like a koala, had sharp claws, leaves around its neck, leaf-shaped ears, and a bush or a tail. The next was an armadillo-like Pokémon with a red, scaly back, big eyes, a small flame on the end of its tail, and a long snout. The final Pokémon resembled a platypus, with a blue body, dark blue scales on it tail, a duckbill, and clawed webbed feet.
It's Magmar!
"Are those… Pokémon?" asked Brett.
"Allow me," said RotomDex, who went to work on scanning these new Pokémon. Starting on the green Pokémon, he said, "Koaleaf. The Leaf Pokémon. A Grass Type. Koaleafs prefer to sleep the day away in lush trees and eat leaves that are grown on them in order to conserve their energy. However, whenever they are threatened, they ferociously attack with their sharp teeth and claws. Evolves into Eucawala at level 16 and into Bearitree at level 36."
Moving on to the red Pokémon, he said, "Charmor. The Armor Pokémon. A Fire Type. Charmors curl into balls to use their scaly armor to protect themselves when attacked. Underneath these scales lie intense flames, which can burn at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It sometimes spews these flames out from under these scales as a warning display. Evolves into Shellbur at level 16 and into Charmadillo at level 36."
Scanning the blue Pokémon, he said. "Platide. The Platypus Pokémon. A Water Type. Platides can use their webbed feet to swim at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. They can resist even the strongest of currents, and slap their tails on the top of water to frighten off enemies. The tail in incredibly tough, and can be used to adjust to a sudden current. Evolves into Gnarlipus at level 16 and into Tsunamotrome at level 36."
"Are these starter Pokémon?" said Eva.
"Exactly," said Tiffany. "In fact, before he left, your father told me that each of you must pick one of these Pokémon, because he has a challenge for you. He wants you to use these Pokémon to make your way to his lab in Brightmere Town."
"He has a lab in Brightmere Town?" said Ash. "What about the one in Coastport City?"
"That's for his more expensive research," Tiffany explained. "But he bought another lab in Brightmere Town to use when he wanted to conduct research for his own pleasures. My husband likes to do a lot of field work, and does it by visiting the most remote places in the Ralia region, even out here."
"We each get to choose a Pokémon!" Eva said, excitement oozing from her voice. "I've always wanted my own Pokémon! Ooh, I want Charmor! It's so cute!" She quickly picked up her chosen Pokémon and held it in her arms, as Charmor suddenly said, "Charmor," sighing satisfiedly.
"Then I want Platide," said Chris. "I think he's cool-looking." He picked up the Platypus Pokémon as it smiled and said, "Platide!"
Brett knelt down to the last Pokémon on the floor, Koaleaf, and slowly reached out to pet it. As he did, Koaleaf grinned and said, "Koaleaf."
Slowly, Brett began to smile and say, "You're not so bad. I think I like you."
Ash and Pikachu grinned as they saw the three kids choosing their first Pokémon. One look at each other, and they could tell that they were both thinking back to the day they first became partners.
"So, Dad wants us to head for his lab in Brightmere Town?" said Chris. "Then let's get going!"
"Uh, give me a minute," said Eva. "I better talk to my parents about this." She quickly went out of the house to find her parents.
"Do you think she'll get to join us?" Brett whispered to his brother. "She did say that her parents never let her go anywhere."
"By herself," Chris pointed out. "But this time, she won't be alone, she'll be with us."
"Hey," said Ash, "you guys want us to come, too?"
"I'd like to meet the Professor myself," said Serena.
"Me, too," said Vernon.
"I'm sure we can be of assistance along the way," said RotomDex.
"Sure, the more, the merrier," said Chris.
"If you say so," said Brett. He decided to try picking up the Pokémon he selected off the ground, but Koaleaf suddenly scratched at his arm, not wanting to be held.
"Okay, not a fan of being picked up, noted," said Brett.
Looks like Brett, Chris, and Eva have a nice challenge ahead of them, but as long as Ash, Serena, and Vernon have their backs, nothing can go wrong, right? More to come, as the journey continues!
TO BE CONTINUED…
You know, this story is not moving as quickly as I intended. Guess I should've expected that writing a fanfiction would be this hard. Still, it'll be worth the wait. And next time, we'll finally get to meet Professor Acacia! Stay tuned, please review!