Kanto Gets Loud
(Pokemon X Loud House Story)
Chapter 4: Pikachu, I Choose You!
The Next Day, outside in the pastures of Professor Oak's lab, in the evening
Lincoln was wandering in the pastures closest to Professor Oak's lab, having just finished his test. While he was sure he did well, he was still nervous. He wasn't sure what would happen if he failed the test. Was he going to have to retake it? Would he be forced to go back to Royal Woods. He would rather the latter never happen as long as his family had Lynn's back, "Ugh! This is way too nerve-wracking!" Lincoln exclaimed, slumping next to a tree. A horse like Pokemon with a flaming mane and tail approached him, "Oh, hey Ponyta. Sorry if I disturbed you," Lincoln said, gently petting Ponyta. During his study sessions, he was taught by Professor Oak and his lab assistants on the proper way to interact with Pokemon.
"Lincoln! Could you come inside! I've finished grading your test!" Professor Oak called out from inside the lab.
"Ok, be right there!" Lincoln called back, as he picked himself up off of the ground, and made his way to the lab. But before he got to the door step, a flash of rainbow light shined down behind him. Looking towards the source, Lincoln was in awe at what he saw. There, in the air before him, was a massive, bird like Pokemon. It's primary feathers were all red, but it shined with the colors of a rainbow. It stared down at the lone Loud son, before taking off, "Was that... some kind of Pokemon?" he wondered. He then saw something falling towards him. When it fell into his hands, Lincoln saw that it was some kind of feather that had the same, rainbow glow as the Pokemon, "Whoa," was all he could say.
"Lincoln? Are you coming in? I'm sure you'll be pleased with what I have to say," Professor Oak said, sticking his head out the door. He then took note of the feather in Lincoln's hand, and was very shocked, "My word, Lincoln, where did you get that Rainbow Wing?" he asked.
"It just fell from the sky after this amazing Pokemon flew off," Lincoln replied.
"An amazing Pokemon? What did it look like?" Professor Oak asked, sounding interested.
"Well, it was some kind of huge bird Pokemon. Way bigger than any Pidgeot or Fearow I've seen here at the lab. It looked like it was shining with the colors of the rainbow," Lincoln replied. Professor Oak was absolutely stunned.
"Well, normally I would pass that off as a joke, but that Rainbow Wing just goes to prove that you've had an experience that hardly anyone in the world has ever had. The Pokemon you just witnessed was the Legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh," Professor Oak explained.
"'Ho-Oh'?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes. It's one of the Legendary Pokemon spoken about in the ancient legends of the Johto Region. Ho-Oh is said to be able to bring back those who had lost their lives. Being able to see it ALONE is lucky, but to be given one of it's Rainbow Wings requires an extreme amount of luck," Professor Oak explained. Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. He was sent to Kanto because he was believed to be bad luck, but he just had an extremely lucky experience, "But we can talk more about this later. For now, I'd like to go over the results of your test," Lincoln gulped silently, as he entered the lab. He was led into the main part of the lab, where he saw the three starter Pokemon chowing down on some Pokemon Food.
"So, how'd I do?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, you did miss a few questions pertaining to Move types and advantages, as well as the question about the minimum requirement for entry into the Pokemon League, but apart from that, you were able to score high enough to pass," Professor Oak explained.
"You mean...?" Lincoln was more than excited at the news.
"Yes. As of tomorrow, you and the other three trainers who I'll be sponsoring will begin your journey through Kanto," Professor Oak replied. Lincoln breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ok, so is there anything I need to do before I begin my journey tomorrow?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, the most I can provide is a Silph Co. brand backpack. I got a second one as a gift for getting the one my grandson is going to use. You're more than welcome to use it," Professor Oak replied.
"Ok. Wait, what does that mean, 'Silph Co.'?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, Mr. Loud, you see, the Silph Co. is the largest corporation in all of Kanto. They produce a plethora of goods for everyone, but they specialize in products for trainers to use, ranging from Pokeballs and medicinal items. Their technology is second to none. The backpacks they produce are somehow able to fit a large number of items inside of them, including fishing poles and bicycles," Professor Oak explained. Lincoln was stunned.
"Whoa, Lisa would have a field day trying to learn all of the Silph Co's technical works," Lincoln commented.
"Uh, remind me, which one is Lisa?" Professor Oak asked.
"She's the smartest and the second youngest of my sisters at only 4 years old. Messy brown hair, glasses, green sweater, talks with a lisp. She also has a PhD," Lincoln explained.
"My word, I thought child prodigies were just extremely rare occurrences," Professor Oak commented, sounding surprised that a toddler has a PhD.
"Yes, well, she's also in what I would call the 'mean sister' category, since she usually uses the rest of us as guinea pigs for her experiments, and always talks like she's better than everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if she only joined in the bad luck fiasco just as a means to an experiment," Lincoln grumbled.
"Yes, I can't really say that I approve of a scientist giving in to superstitious beliefs. But knowing Albert, I'm sure that he set her straight, and if not, at least convinced your parents to do it," Professor Oak replied.
"Yeah, but I do still intend to lay into her about her part in this," Lincoln declared.
"While I do feel your family needs to get over their self-righteousness, I would at the very least, recommend having them at least TRY to apologize. But that's purely my opinion on the matter. The choice is entirely up to you," Professor Oak replied.
"I'll try to keep that in mind," Lincoln replied.
"That's all I ask. Now, onto the matter of what you can expect from receiving your Trainer License and first Pokemon partner. First up, is the Pokedex. This is a high tech encyclopedia, pre-loaded with data on all the Pokemon you're bound to encounter during your journeys. It'll provide you with information about each Pokemon, their classification, what moves they can use, what Level they're at, etc.," Professor Oak explained, holding up a red notebook like device.
"That'll come in handy," Lincoln commented.
"Not only that, but you can use it to connect with the internet, send messages, and access the Pokemon Storage system," Professor Oak further explained.
"That's where any Pokemon I catch goes when I exceed the six Pokemon limit, right?" Lincoln asked.
"Correct. Your Pokemon will be transferred here to wait until you need them in your team," Professor Oak replied.
"That'll definitely come in handy," Lincoln commented.
"Indeed. Moving on, you have your Trainer ID. This has your ID Number, the amount of money you currently have, including the money your grandfather had me convert into currency for Kanto and all other Pokemon regions. Of course, since being a Pokemon Trainer is technically a career, some of the money you make from winning battles will be taken from your account as taxes to help pay for necessary facilities, such as this lab," Professor Oak explained.
"Ugh, taxes? But I'm still a kid," Lincoln pointed out.
"Well, actually, Mr. Loud, upon passing the exam, you're now treated as an official adult," Professor Oak replied.
"Wait, so does that mean...?" Lincoln was in shock upon hearing this news.
"Indeed. You can do anything that only adults are normally allowed to do. You can even get married, if you so choose, or get a driver's license," Professor Oak replied.
"HA! Take that, Lori! Now I'm in control!" Lincoln declared, laughing wholeheartedly.
"But there's something you need to know about your emancipation," Lincoln looked back to the Professor, "You're only considered a legal adult as long as you're in Kanto, or any other region with Pokemon."
"Oh, well, at least I have some freedom," Lincoln commented with a shrug.
"Well, you still need to follow any and all laws like everyone else. You're a legal adult now, so, if you break any laws during your stay here, you'll be tried as an adult in a court of law. One such punishment will no doubt be having your Trainer's License revoked," Professor Oak explained.
"I see. Well, I don't plan on doing any sort of shady stuff like that," Lincoln replied.
"Good man. Last, but not least, are the Pokeballs," Professor Oak said, holding up the same kind of ball that he had released Geodude from when Albert had called him, "These are very important tools for any trainer, as they are used to help Trainers bolster their ranks by catching new Pokemon. To activate one, just press the button to enlarge it, then throw it, either to release the Pokemon currently inside of it, or to catch a new one. On top of that, the Pokeballs can only house one Pokemon at a time, and each new Pokeball you obtain will be linked up to your trainer ID. This makes it easier to identify what Pokemon belongs to you," he explained.
"I see," Lincoln replied.
"Well, that just about wraps up all the necessary preparations you'll need for your journey tomorrow," Professor Oak replied.
"Ok, so what do I do now?" Lincoln asked.
"Hmm, good question. It's still too early for bed," Professor Oak replied. Just then, the lights began to flicker, "What could this be?" he wondered.
"Maybe something's up with the circuit board?" Lincoln asked.
"Right. We should check it out, but I want you exercise caution. If it's a Pokemon that's causing the issues, we want to avoid confronting it with any hostility," Professor Oak suggested, as the two of them exited the lab, and made their way around the building to the circuit breakers. There, they saw what was causing the power surge. A small, yellow mouse Pokemon with a lightning bolt shaped tail was chewing on the wires. Lincoln was shocked to see one of the Pokemon from his dream the other night.
"A Pikachu, huh? Well, it looks like I'm going to have to get the Electric Company to come and fix the wiring," Professor Oak commented in annoyance, readying a Pokeball.
"Uh, one moment, Professor. As I recall, you said that there were three other trainers who would be starting their journey tomorrow, right?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes, that's right," Professor Oak replied.
"And the Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in your lab are the only three starters your have, right?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes," Professor Oak replied. It was then that he caught on to what Lincoln had in mind, "Mr. Loud, are you saying that you would like that Pikachu to be your first Pokemon?"
"Yes," Lincoln replied.
"Are you sure? Pikachu are very fickle Pokemon, and can be extremely difficult for rookie trainers to deal with," Professor explained.
"I'll manage," Lincoln replied.
"Well, if that's the way you want to do it, then I won't stop you. But I will at least lend you this Pokemon to help you out," Professor Oak said, handing Lincoln a pair of Pokeballs, "This one is one of the Pokeballs that I linked up to your Pokedex, and this Pokeball holds a Pokemon to help you out," he explained, pointing out each Pokeball.
"Alright, in that case, it's now or never!" Lincoln said, tossing the Pokeball, releasing a small, blue quadrupedal creature with large ears, and a number of spikes on its back.
"Nidoran, could you assist this young man in catching that Pikachu?" Professor Oak asked the small Pokemon. Nidoran chattered happily, as it faced Pikachu, catching the yellow mouses attention.
'Ok, I can do this!' Lincoln thought, "Nidoran, lets start things off with Poison Sting!" Lincoln instructed. Nidoran then fired off a barrage of purple needle projectiles at Pikachu, who quickly dodged, before firing off an electric bolt from it's red cheeks, causing Nidoran to roll back a few feet, "Ok, let's give a Scratch Attack a try!" Nidoran then charged at Pikachu, who then speed around it, leaving a streak of white, before smashing into Nidoran.
"That Pikachu is quite fast. I don't think I've ever seen one that quick," Professor Oak commented.
"Wait, maybe we can use that to our advantage!" Lincoln commented. Pikachu once again fired off the electric blast, "Nidoran, dodge it!" Lincoln instructed. Nidoran then rolled out of the way. Pikachu then used the speed attack from before, "Let it get closer, closer," Lincoln said, as Pikachu got in really close, "Alright! Now use Double Kick!" Lincoln instructed. Nidoran then twirled around, kicking Pikachu twice with it's hind legs, sending it skidding back, "Now, use Poison Sting!" Nidoran then fired off Poison Sting, striking Pikachu. Some purple bubbles billowed up from Pikachu's body.
"Oh! It looks like you've managed to Poison that Pikachu! It's strength should gradually deplete," Professor Oak commented. Lincoln then looked worried.
"Pikachu won't actually die from the poison, will it?" Lincoln asked.
"Not to worry. I have the necessary machinery to tend to Pikachu's ailments, but I would suggest catching it soon," Professor Oak replied, noting how Pikachu was struggling to keep standing. Lincoln nodded, getting out the second Pokeball.
"Alright, this will be my first step to being a Trainer! Pikachu, you're mine!" Lincoln exclaimed, tossing the Pokeball. Upon making contact with Pikachu, the ball opened up. Pikachu was then transformed into red energy, before being sucked into the ball, before it shut, and fell to the ground. Lincoln went to retrieve it, only to be stopped by Professor Oak.
"The capture process isn't done yet, Mr. Loud," Professor Oak said. The Pokeball began to shake. It shook once, then twice, then thrice, before an audible clicking sound was heard, "Ok, now you may retrieve it," Lincoln went over to pick up the Pokeball, looking at it with pride.
He had caught his first Pokemon.
"Now that that's taken care off, let's go and treat both Pikachu and Nidoran," Professor Oak suggested, recalling Nidoran, and retreating back into the lab, followed closely by Lincoln. They made their way into the main area, where Professor Oak placed Nidoran's Pokeball into a machine, "If you would, Mr. Loud, place Pikachu's Pokeball onto the machine," Lincoln did as he was told. Professor Oak then punched in some keys on screen the machine was attached to, and a soft orange glow began to shine over both Pokeballs.
"This machine will restore both of them to perfect health?" Lincoln asked.
"Indeed. The Pokemon Centers you'll be visiting will have similar machines installed for trainers to heal their Pokemon," Professor Oak replied.
"Hmm, this kid must be something else to be able to catch his own Starter Pokemon the night before his journey begins," a voice Lincoln didn't recognize said. He looked to the source of the voice, only to find Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, finishing up their meals. Lincoln was very confused.
"I'll say. I even heard that he's from someplace called 'America'," Lincoln saw Squirtle's mouth moving when he heard someone talking.
"Uh, did you hear that, Professor?" Lincoln asked.
"Hear what?" Professor Oak asked, sounding perplexed.
"I could've sworn that Squirtle and one of the other Pokemon there was talking. I heard them talking plain English," Lincoln explained.
"Hmm, no, I don't think I did hear them. All I heard from them from was their Pokemon cries," Professor Oak replied. Lincoln was more confused than ever.
"Weird, but I could've sworn I heard them," Lincoln commented.
"Well, it is unusual for humans to understand Pokemon speech, but it's not unheard of," Professor Oak replied.
"Hmm, well, before I met Ho-Oh, all I could hear from the Pokemon was their cries," Lincoln replied, pulling out the Rainbow Wing, "Could this have something to do with it?" he wondered.
"According to ancient legends surrounding Ho-Oh's Rainbow Wings, they're said to bring happiness to those who are worthy of bearing one. It's more than likely that it could have something to do with what you're experiencing," Professor Oak explained.
"Whoa. Maybe I should keep this someplace safe," Lincoln commented.
"Well, there is a hobby store in Viridian City, just north of Pallet Town. Perhaps once you're there, you can try to find a pendant of some kind to put the Rainbow Wing in," Professor Oak advised.
"Hmm, maybe I will do that," Lincoln replied. Just then, the machine pinged.
"Ah, good! That means both Nidoran and Pikachu have finished the healing process," Professor Oak commented, going to retrieve the Pokeballs. However, much to both of their surprises, the Pokeball containing Pikachu leaped out of the machine, and began to bounce around.
"Hey, what the...?!" Lincoln exclaimed, as he and Professor Oak attempted to catch the Pokeball, but the Pokeball was too quick. It was about to roll out of the room, when...
"Hey, Gramps, the pizza just got here!" a boy's voice called out, as a boy with brown spiky hair, dressed in a purple shirt and black pants entered the room, carrying a pizza box. He caught the Pokeball under his foot, "What's going on here?" he asked, as he picked up the Pokeball.
"Oh good, Gary. Thanks for catching that Pokeball," Professor Oak replied, as the boy gave the Pokeball to the professor.
"So, what's going on here?" Gary asked, placing the pizza box down.
"You see, Gary, Lincoln here had just caught a Pikachu for his starter Pokemon. But it's quite energetic, even inside of the Pokeball," Professor Oak explained, handing the Pokeball to Lincoln.
"Maybe it's trying to get out of the ball?" Lincoln theorized.
"It would be possible. It's not unheard of for Pokemon to be more comfortable staying outside of the Pokeball. Perhaps your Pikachu is claustrophobic," Professor Oak theorized.
"So, should I let it out?" Lincoln asked.
"It would be wise. After all, if you want Pikachu to open up to you, it may be best to try to accommodate it," Professor Oak replied, before remembering, "Oh, by the way, Lincoln, let me introduce you to my grandson, Gary Oak. Gary, this is Lincoln Loud, the boy from North America who will be starting his journey alongside you and the others as of tomorrow," Professor Oak replied.
"Pleased to meet you, Gary," Lincoln said.
"I suppose it's nice to finally meet you too. Given that you're starting out alongside myself and two others, let me offer you some advise, as the top new trainer of Pallet Town," Gary said. Lincoln felt an anime sweat drop form on the back of his head.
'This guy must have a big ego, just like Lynn,' Lincoln thought, before Professor Oak stepped up.
"Now Gary, Lincoln is a guest while he's traveling Kanto. Please try to act civil around him until you're both on the road," the professor calmly requested.
"Sure, Grandpa," Gary replied.
"Good. Now then, let's have some pizza. I hope a plain cheese pizza is ok, Mr. Loud. The pizza parlor was out of all the other toppings," Professor Oak commented.
"Sure. I'm fine with cheese pizza," Lincoln replied, before looking at Pikachu's Pokeball, "Uh, Professor, two things; One, is human food ok for Pokemon to eat? And two, can Pikachu join us for dinner?" Lincoln asked.
"To answer your first question, human food is alright for Pokemon to eat, but it is highly recommended that it be in small quantities. And seeing as how Pikachu is now your Pokemon, you should be responsible for feeding it," Professor Oak replied.
"Ok. Good to ask before hand," Lincoln said, as he tossed Pikachu's Pokeball, releasing the yellow mouse.
"Ah, finally out of there! I thought I would never get out of there!" Lincoln heard Pikachu say, which confirmed what he and Professor Oak were discussing earlier about the Rainbow Wing. Pikachu then glared up at Lincoln, "You are NEVER to put me back in that thing, or I WILL zap you into next week, got it?"
"Ok, I won't put you back inside of your ball, if that's what you want," Lincoln replied.
"Good. I can't begin to tell you how cramped it is in there!" Pikachu stated, before looking up at Lincoln in surprise, "Wait, you talking to me? Are you actually able to understand what I'm saying?" he asked.
"Yeah, apparently. I don't really know how to explain it," Lincoln replied.
"Hmm, this is an interesting, if not, unexpected development. But I suppose it would be better than being saddled with some idiot who can't understand me. So, I''m assuming you're my new trainer, then?" Pikachu asked.
"Indeed I am. My name is Lincoln Loud," Lincoln replied, introducing himself more formally.
"Hmm, 'Lincoln Loud', huh? Eh, not the best name, but it'll do. As for me, I would rather you just refer to me as 'Pikachu'. I'm not too crazy about nicknames," Pikachu replied.
"Ok. Now that we got introductions out of the way, would you like to join us for dinner?" Lincoln asked.
"'Dinner'? As in food? Now, THAT'S something I can get behind!" Pikachu commented, leaping up onto the table. Lincoln could only smile at how free spirited and to-the-point Pikachu was. With that, Lincoln plated himself a slice of pizza.
"Here you go, Mr. Loud," Professor Oak said, handing Lincoln a canister of Pokemon Food and a food bowl, "This Pokemon food is made especially for Electric Types like Pikachu," he explained.
"Thanks Professor," Lincoln replied, as he poured some Pokemon food into the bowl, "Here you go, Pikachu," he said, presenting the Pokemon food to Pikachu.
"Alright, chow time!" Pikachu exclaimed, as it began to chow down on the Pokemon food.
"This is something else you need to take into account, Mr. Loud. Different Pokemon have different preferences to food. You can use store bought Pokemon food, or make your own recipes, tailored to each Pokemon's individual needs," Professor Oak explained.
"Hmm, that's something I'll have to keep in mind," Lincoln replied, as he enjoyed his pizza slice.