The sun was barely out of the sky when Rory threw himself out of his bed, practically flew down the stairs, almost drowned himself with his morning breakfast ramen and was out of the door with is skateboard, bag and pokeball before Rory's mom had even a second to say, "Good morning."
Most people at Rory's age prefer to bike, but Rory preferred to use his skateboard. Rory's skateboard was custom made and painted with red, blue, green and yellow neon spray paint all over the board in a wave like design pattern. He inhaled the fresh warm summer air and let it out as he ran down the road only to be greeted by the smiling face of Aoki who was leaning on her blue and green bike smiling at Rory.
"I see that you are up and ready to go?" Aoki said with a small smile as she patted her Tepig who was taking a nap in her bike basket. "I called him Blaze by the way, and yours?"
"Silver." Rory said, with a small smile "as he looks sliver and blueish if you know what I mean."
"Wanna race to the Prof's place?" Aoki said as she jumped onto her bike. She adjusted her blue helmet and tightened her grip on the handlebars of her bike, while Rory checked the wheels of his skateboard.
"Ready to lose, Rory?" Aoki teased, a playful smirk on her face.
Rory grinned back as he threw on his red helmet over his hat, pushing off the ground to balance on his skateboard. "You wish, Aoki. First one to the lab wins!"
"On your marks, get set... GO!"
With a burst of speed, Aoki pedaled hard, her bike smoothly accelerating down the cobblestone path. Rory kicked off with one foot, gaining momentum as he swerved around the first bend, his skateboard gliding effortlessly over the stones.
They raced neck and neck through the town, weaving around obstacles and exchanging playful taunts. As they approached the forest path, the shortcut that would take them to the lab, Aoki gained a slight lead, her bike handling the uneven terrain better. Rory crouched low, maximizing his speed as he navigated through the trees.
"You're not bad, but not good enough!" Aoki called over her shoulder, her laughter echoing through the forest.
Rory grinned, refusing to back down. "We'll see about that!"
The path narrowed, forcing them to maneuver carefully. A fallen log appeared in their path. Aoki lifted her front wheel, smoothly jumping over it, while Rory executed a perfect ollie, landing gracefully on the other side.
As the lab came into view, both racers pushed their limits. Aoki's legs felt as if they were about to fall off as she pedaled harder, her windswept tepig was to scared to make a sound, and Rory's heart pounded as he willed his skateboard to go faster. The lab's clearing opened up before them, and with a final burst of speed, they crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, skidding to a stop in front of Professor Cedar's lab.
Professor Cedar was standing outside his lab sipping a cup of tea as the two came to stop just inches from his feet. He slowly looked up and down at the two with a tiny smile. "Morning." He said sounding as if he had just gotten out of bed or needed to get in it. "Let me guess, you had a small race." He said in an amused voice "So, who won? I wasn't paying much attention, so I don't know."
Rory and Aoki, panting and laughing, looked at each other and shrugged. "I think it was a tie," Rory said, offering a fist bump to Aoki.
Aoki grinned and returned the gesture. "Agreed. Good race, Rory."
Professor Cedar chuckled, stepping forward. "You two certainly know how to make an entrance. Come inside; I have something to show you." as he took them into his lab.
Rory and Aoki stood in awe, taking in the sights of Professor Cedar's lab. The air was filled with the faint hum of machinery and the scent of old books. Professor Cedar stood by his desk, tinkering with some devices that were connected to a computer that was big enough to display a small planet in its actual size.
Professor Oak was sorting through a stack of research papers nearby while also looking up and down a row of bookshelves that had books ranging from the size of a house to the size of a postage stamp. He glanced up and smiled. "Professor Cedar has something special for both of you, to help with your journey."
Professor Cedar looked up from his work, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Indeed, I do. These devices are a relatively new invention, or innovation, should I say, they are designed to help trainers record data about Pokémon they encounter, the Pokédex." He held up two devices that looked like chunky cell phones, complete with an antenna and a small screen.
Rory and Aoki stepped closer, intrigued. The devices had a large design, with a bright red and blue casings, big complicated looking buttons and a screen that made it look like neon vomited everywhere.
Professor Cedar handed one to each of them. "These Pokédexes will automatically record information about any Pokémon you see or catch. They're equipped with the latest technology to ensure you have all the information you need at your fingertips."
Rory examined his Pokédex, pressing a few buttons to navigate through the menus. The screen lit up with pixelated images of Pokémon, along with detailed descriptions and stats.
#007 Froakie
Type: Water
Dex entry: Froakie trains in the swift rivers of Kanto, honing its physical and mental abilities. Its body is a silver-blue helps it bled in to their water environments. It uses its water prowess to protect its territory and companions, and they tend to admire lots of fighting type Pokémon more than the other types. Some Froakies in the Kanto region sometimes wears a headband-like marking.
"This is incredible," he said, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Aoki held her Pokédex carefully, her eyes shining with excitement. "Thank you so much, Professor Cedar." She said as she looked into her pokedex.
#004 Tepig
Type: Fire
Dex entry: Tepig roams the magical forests of Kanto. Its playful nature makes it popular among weaker pokemon in particular fairy type Pokemon. It bring joy and warmth to those around it. Its ears are large and more expressive.
Professor Cedar nodded, a proud smile on his face. "These devices are more than just tools; they are a way to connect with the Pokémon world on a deeper level. Use them wisely and they will guide you well."
Professor Oak stepped forward, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "We're counting on you both to help with our research. There are many mysteries in the Kanto region, especially with mythical Pokémon like Mew. Your findings could be groundbreaking."
"Thanks." Rory said.
Professor Cedar let out a small smile "for as long as I can remember I always wanted to meet mythical pokemon. Legendaries like Groudon, Xerneas and so on are one thing, but the mythical pokemon from the Celebi in Johto to the Hoopa in Kalos to Arceus himself and so on are something else."
At this he held up a photo showing a young Professor Cedar with what looked to be Keldeo. "This is the closest I ever got to a mythical Pokemon nearly 50 years ago." Professor Cedar said in a happy voice. "My one wish is to one day meet the first ever Pokemon created by Arceus, Mew."
Aoki nodded, her eyes sparkling with determination. "We won't let you down, Professors. We'll uncover every secret Kanto has to offer."
Professor Cedar clapped his hands together, beaming with pride. "Then go forth, Rory and Aoki. Your adventure awaits, and the world of Pokémon is eager to reveal its wonders to you."
With their new Pokédexes in hand, Rory and Aoki left the lab, ready to embark on their journey. The forest outside seemed to shimmer with possibility, and as they took their first steps into the unknown, they felt a sense of excitement and purpose, knowing they were about to make history.
Professor Cedar turned to look at Professor Oak, "So…you want to talk about last night?"
Professor Oak nodded "Yeah. What was Team jet doing?"
Professor Cedar frowned as he stroked his chin. "Team Jet are doing well in Johto so it makes sense for them to want to expand…however there is something about them that I don't like. You know what I mean do you?"
"Is this about Professor Spruce Sr.?" Professor Oak said
"Yes." Professor Cedar said grimly. "Whatever is happening, I don't like it, I don't like it at all."
"So why not tell the two about this?" Professor Oak said indignantly
Professor Cedar shrugged "Why should I?" He said "Anyway if I did, they would get themselves tangled in this potential mess which is the last thing I want."
"And what happens if they do?" Professor Oak said grimly
"If they do then Arceus help us all." Professor Cedar said "Because if the words I am hearing from my connections are 10% true, then they are about to do something that would defile the name of science and Pokemon forever."