Hey readers : ) I'm here with another update : ) I think my eagerness to get my Nuzlocke properly going is what's pushing me to get these chapters up and out so quickly. Either way, I'm not complaining ; )
So, last chapter I asked you guys to vote between Rattata, Pidgey and Spearow to decide which one Nolan will catch, and thus which one I shall be using in my Nuzlocke. Well, the end result was Pidgey being crowned the winner : )
Honestly, I'd have been fine with any of these three Pokemon. What I really wanted was a Mankey, but nevermind. Pidgey is still a really good encounter too : ) Fair warning to you guys, the capture won't happen in this chapter, but soon : )
Anyway, I just wanted to say a massive thank you to those of you that reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate the support this new story is getting, so thank you : )
Please remember that Pokemon is not mine, but my OC is, and I hope you enjoy this chapter : )
Pokemon! I Choose You! - Part 3
Ash knew, just from taking one look at the other boy's face, that Nolan was utterly furious with him right now. The raven haired boy gulped and shuddered, fearing the other boy's wrath, but he quickly shook it off. He might be in trouble now, but he was sure that once he explained everything, Nolan would calm down and forgive him. The blonde boy couldn't possibly stay mad at him forever after all. He hoped.
"Eh heh... hi Nolan" the dark haired boy eventually managed to stammer out.
Nolan glared but at him icily, but didn't verbally respond.
"I... you know... it's actually a funny story..." Ash tried to explain himself, but one look at the unamused expression on Nolan's face caused him to trail off lamely.
"You're not laughing" Ash realised, swallowing hard.
The stony silence continued.
Then...
"I wish I could say that I'm surprised" Nolan said coolly, making Ash wince at his tone, "But I'm not".
"Nolan... I'm really sorry!" Ash tried, utterly apologetic.
"'Don't be late'" Nolan angrily quoted himself from the night before, "I'm pretty sure that's what I said last night - 'Don't be late' - so of course in your brain you took that to mean I wanted you to show up over two hours late!".
"But you don't even know what happened!" Ash whined pathetically.
"I think it's pretty obvious what happened. YOU OVERSLEPT!" Nolan snapped at him, and Ash fell silent under his stern, piercing gaze. For a ten year old boy who was generally quite sweet and pleasant, Nolan could be damn scary when he wanted to be.
"Nolan... please..." Ash whimpered, "I'm so sorry!"
The whines did little to stir Nolan's sympathies.
"And right now I don't care" Nolan crossed his arms tightly in frustration, "This day was supposed to be epic. We are both becoming trainers today, and I'm not going to let anything spoil that. So stop with the excuses, and get your butt up to the laboratory now".
Ash opened his mouth to respond, but Nolan just ploughed on.
"And I don't care if you have to grovel for forgiveness at the Professor's feet" he continued harshly, "Just do it. Get your starter so we can leave".
His tone of voice didn't brook any argument.
Ash whined again, knowing that he had really upset his best friend today and genuinely feeling awful about it. Still, it was better to let Nolan cool off first before he attempted to apologise again. He didn't want to provoke the blonde boy's temper any further.
"I can assure you that no grovelling will be necessary" a new voice entered the one-sided argument, the tone somewhat amused.
Spinning around, Ash and Nolan saw that Professor Oak had finally arrived at the gates. He was looking at Nolan in amusement, causing the boy to blush a faint shade of red. The man then turned his gaze on to Ash, his expression becoming highly disapproving. Like Nolan's father, Professor Oak also had very little tolerance for lateness.
"So Ash, you decided to show up after all" the Professor remarked, his tone and expression unimpressed. This look only grew in intensity as he took in the boy's bedhead and pyjamas.
"Professor Oak!" Ash gasped, "Where's my Pokemon?"
"Your Pokemon?" the Professor narrowed his eyes, a hint of anger in them for the first time. He couldn't believe that the boy wasn't even opening with an apology for being late.
Well, he'd just have to teach the boy a few things about manners, wouldn't he?
"Yes! I'm ready!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
"It would have been great if you could have been ready two hours ago like the rest of us!" Nolan ground out through clenched teeth.
Ash threw his best friend a sheepish look, but didn't verbally reply.
"You look like you're ready for bed" the Professor remarked, shaking his head for good measure, "Not for Pokemon training. I hope you don't think you're going to train in your pyjamas".
Nolan couldn't help but smirk as the other boy blushed.
Normally he'd feel a great deal of sympathy for his best friend, but right now he was still too steaming mad to feel anything but resentment and annoyance at the raven haired boy. Nolan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
Nothing was going to spoil this day.
Not Gary's mockery, not Ash's tardiness, nothing.
"Oh! No, Professor!" Ash stammered out, clearly embarrassed, "I got messed up this morning, and I was a little late!"
"Little?!" Nolan scoffed in disbelief, "Two hours is a little late? What would be awfully late in your book? Turning up next week?!"
Ash threw his friend another pleading look.
"Nolan please... I'm really sorry!" the raven haired boy whined.
Nolan fumed, but bit his lip to refrain from commenting further. Taking that as an acceptance of his apology, Ash turned back to Professor Oak, a determined look etched into his face.
"Believe me Professor Oak!" Ash continued passionately, "I'm ready for a Pokemon!"
Professor Oak considered the child before him.
"Very well, I guess you'd better come inside then" the Professor smirked slightly, and Nolan blinked in bewilderment. He wondered what the older man was up to, but choose not to question the man's amusement. Whatever it was, quite frankly Ash had it coming to him after his shenanigans today.
"Nolan, you're more than welcome to come back inside and wait if you want" Professor Oak offered kindly, "I understand that the two of you will be heading out on your journey together?"
The blonde boy nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, we are" Nolan agreed, "But I promised my Dad that I would come home first so he could meet my partner Pokemon before I left Pallet Town, so I'm going to go do that whilst Ash gets sorted".
The Professor nodded his understanding, but Ash suddenly gasped in awed shock.
"Wait a minute... I just realised!" he breathed as he stared at his best friend in utter astonishment, "Nolan! You've already picked out your partner Pokemon too?!"
Nolan finally cracked a smile as he thought about his precious Pokemon.
Even after everything thrown his way today, Nolan could still honestly say that Bulbasaur was worth it a thousand times over.
"Sure have" he nodded, and for the first time that day, his tone was void of any anger when speaking to his best friend. Just the thought of the little grass type was enough to calm his boiling temper to a degree. That didn't mean Ash was off the hook just yet though.
"What kind of Pokemon did you get?!" Ash was practically bouncing with excitement.
Nolan's smile slowly morphed into a teasing smirk.
"Sorry Ash, but if you wanted to know what Pokemon I got, you should have turned up on time!" Nolan laughed tauntingly at the other boy. That was sure to teach his friend a lesson about showing up on time.
Ash's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.
"What?!" he stared at his blonde friend, his face a picture of utter betrayal, "You're not going to let me see your Pokemon?! Nolan! Come on! I'm your best friend!"
"You are" Nolan nodded calmly in confirmation, "You're also late. Very late. Your clumsiness in oversleeping didn't just effect you today, it effected me too. Not to mention Professor Oak, who now has to go back over everything he's already explained once today. So no, I'm not going to let you see my Pokemon until you've redeemed yourself".
Ash hung his head in shame.
Nolan smirked in satisfaction, whilst Professor Oak just looked amused as he watched the exchange between the two boys. He found their relationship absolutely fascinating. They were polar opposites of each other, and yet usually they were inseparable. Still, he could understand Nolan's frustration with the other boy on an important day such as this one.
"Fine..." Ash pouted sadly to himself.
"Professor Oak, any idea how long it will take to get Ash ready to go?" Nolan glanced up at the older man. The Professor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I'd say an hour and a half will be long enough" the Professor mused.
"Right" Nolan nodded in understanding, before turning back to Ash and adopting a stern look that made the other boy gulp once more, "I'm going home to see my Dad for a while. I'll be back here in ninety minutes, and if you're not here waiting for me, I swear you will live to regret it. Understood?"
Ash swallowed nervously.
He knew that his friend wasn't joking around.
"Understood" he murmured, avoiding looking the blonde boy in the eye.
"Good" Nolan nodded in satisfaction. He then smiled at Professor Oak, thanked him one last time, before the blonde turned and walked away, leaving them to it.
"Great... just great" Ash blew out a breath.
"Hmm?" Professor Oak turned to look down at the boy by his side.
"That's me well and truly in the Growlithe-House for at least a week" Ash grumbled aloud, rubbing his forehead in absolute exhaustion.
Professor Oak honestly couldn't help it.
The man threw back his head and roared with laughter.
For the second time in two days, Nolan paused in front of his father's house, taking a moment just to drink in the only home that he had ever known. The only home he was now leaving behind, and probably wouldn't see again for several months.
The long walk from Professor Oak's Laboratory had given the boy the time Nolan needed to calm down. The physical distance from both Gary and Ash helped a lot too. His anger had quickly faded, and now all the boy felt was another surge of emotion course through his entire body at the thought of actually leaving home. He found it a lot easier to shake off this time however in comparison to the night before.
It was probably because this time he was an official Pokemon Trainer.
Nolan couldn't help but grin like an idiot at the thought.
Eager to get going, Nolan rushed up the driveway to the front door, and once again the blonde boy used his key to let himself in. He poked his head into the living room, fully expecting to find his dad in his armchair, reading the morning paper, as per the man's usual morning routine. Nolan frowned when he found his dad strangely absent.
"Dad?" he called out, tone riddled with confusion.
An odd sound met Nolan's ears. It sounded like... hurried footsteps and lots of shuffling, before there was any verbal response to his exclamation.
"I'm in the kitchen!" his Dad's voice finally replied.
Smiling, Nolan crossed the living room in third great strides, dodging around the coffee table and the three-seater sofa, before he approached the door that led into the kitchen. Nolan blinked in surprise when he reached it. The door was closed, which was really weird, since neither father nor son ever closed the kitchen door normally.
Shrugging to himself, Nolan brushed it off and jiggled the handle. The door opened, and the boy stepped inside.
CRACK! POP! SNAP!
Nolan couldn't help it when a loud yelp of surprise slipped out of his mouth. Panicked, the young boy flung his arms up in a desperate attempt to shield his face, his whole body tensing up as if under attack.
A familiar laughter soon rang in his ears.
It took a few moments for it to sink in, but once Nolan realised what was going on and that no one was trying to hurt him, the boy finally relaxed. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head fondly, as a playful scowl etched itself into his face.
"Seriously?" he arched a disbelieving eyebrow at his 'attacker'.
There was no denying the amusement in the boy's tone and expression.
Chuckling, Nathaniel stepped out from his hiding place behind the kitchen door, over which he had just fired not one, not two, but three party poppers over his unsuspecting son's head. The man's face split into a wide grin at the sight of his child, gawking up at him in sheer disbelief.
"Surprise!" he boomed cheerfully, still sniggering.
Nolan just playfully huffed at him and started picking the confetti off his beanie and shoulders. Nathaniel smirked, still highly amused, but reached out to helpfully brush a few more pieces off his son's head.
"To be fair, you did literally just walk into that one" the man pointed out before his son had chance to say anything.
"Yeah right" Nolan just shook his head, though his eyes twinkled in amusement.
"But seriously, surprise!" Nathaniel exclaimed once more.
He gestured towards the kitchen table, drawing Nolan's attention over to it. The boy's bright blue eyes widened in shock, before his face split into a delighted grin. Set on the table were two huge stacks of pancakes, as well as a large slab of cake - blueberry with icing - one of Nolan's utmost favourites. There was also a small cardboard box set off to the side, but Nolan didn't pay it that much attention. Like any growing boy, his attention was solely on the food.
"You made your world famous pancakes!" Nolan cheered happily.
Nathaniel laughed at his son's enthusiasm, before clapping his hands on the ecstatic boy's shoulders.
"Of course!" the man playfully exclaimed, "Today's your special day! I couldn't very well let you go off on your journey without making you your most favourite breakfast, now could I? Although I suppose at this point in the day, it's probably brunch rather than breakfast. Either way, I wanted to make this for you".
Beaming, Nolan turned on the spot and hugged his dad tightly, hoping to convey his gratitude to the man.
"Thanks Dad" he smiled brightly up at him.
"You're welcome" Nathaniel hugged him back lovingly, "Besides, I figured you'd like this surprise a whole lot better than the one Mrs Ketchum suggested I throw you".
Nolan blinked up at his dad in confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
The man's face twisted into an amused expression.
"Well, she thought it would be nice if I got a whole crowd of people to come down to the Professor's lab to see you off" Nathaniel explained, smirking at the look of horror that appeared on his son's face at such a thought. He knew his son very well after all. Nolan didn't much like being the centre of attention, "She's actually planning on doing that for Ash. I'm surprised you didn't see them when you came out of the lab".
Annoyance flashed over Nolan's first once again.
"Ash showed up really late" Nolan bit out, "In fact, I was just leaving the lab when he finally turned up. The Professor's getting him sorted right now".
Nathaniel nodded his understanding.
"Please, please tell me that you talked her out of it?" Nolan's tone took on a slightly pleading quality as he looked up at his dad hopefully.
Nathaniel smiled down at him.
"Of course I did!" he laughed.
"Thank goodness" Nolan let out a sigh of relief.
"I mean, it was a really nice idea, but clearly Delia doesn't know you very well if she thought that you'd like that" Nathaniel continued, "You've never been one for the spotlight Kiddo. I figured a private goodbye with just the two of us was more your speed".
Nolan beamed up at him happily.
"Yeah" the blonde boy nodded, "I really want it to be just us too Dad. Thanks again for doing this".
"You're welcome" Nathaniel reached out and gave his son's shoulder an affectionate squeeze, before steering the boy into his seat at the table, "Now eat your pancakes while they're warm. Then we can have cake!"
Nolan let out a happy laugh.
"Cake? For breakfast?" Nolan grinned as Nathaniel took the seat opposite him and pulled his own plate of pancakes towards him.
"I already told you, it's brunch" Nathaniel playfully warned the boy, before turning somewhat serious, "And its just this once. Mind you, I expect you to make sure you still eat properly whilst out on the road. I won't have you eating nothing but junk food all the time, young man".
Nolan smiled cheekily up at him, but chose not to say anything in response.
Nathaniel hummed thoughtfully and arched his eyebrows.
"Your silence is very encouraging, I've gotta say" the man droned sarcastically.
Nolan couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay Dad, I promise that I'll eat more than just junk food" he conceded, "Fruit and veg and everything".
Nathaniel smiled again.
"Good boy" he nodded approvingly, "Now eat up! After cake, I have another surprise for you! And of course, I want to see which Pokemon you got from Professor Oak as your starter!"
Nolan grinned widely, wondering what else his father had planned, but he refrained from asking for the moment. Instead the boy set about devouring his pancakes, giving the task his full attention. He quickly washed them down with his slice of cake, somehow ending up with bright blue icing all over his face.
Nathaniel burst out laughing when he noticed.
"Just like when you were a toddler at your first birthday party" Nathaniel shook his head fondly as he handed his son a napkin, "You've grown up so fast".
Nolan blushed crimson, but accepted the napkin and started cleaning himself up.
"I can hardly believe it" Nathaniel continued, his tone wistful, "My little boy's a real trainer, and now he has his own Pokemon! Speaking of which, I believe it's time I met your new friend!"
There was no denying the excitement in the man's tone.
Nolan tilted his head to the side, slightly confused.
"I thought you said you had another surprise planned" he replied, sounding perplexed.
Nathaniel's face broke into a playful grin.
"Impatient, aren't we?" he lightly teased, laughing as his son shyly ducked his head, "But yes, I do have a gift for you. It's to do with your partner however, which is why I want to meet it first".
Nolan just quirked an eyebrow at him knowingly.
"Well... that and I'm impatient too" Nathaniel admitted with a playful shrug, "What can I say, I'm excited for you!"
Nolan beamed up at him, touched that his dad was so genuinely happy for him. Delaying no longer, the boy clambered to his feet, standing before his father as he unclipped the only occupied pokeball from his belt. Without further ado, he tossed it into the air.
"Alright! Come on out!" he cheered.
The ball snapped open, the familiar beam of red light burst forth, and materialised on the ground into the form of Bulbasaur.
Immediately, Nathaniel's entire face lit up at the sight of the small green Pokemon, much in the same way his son's had back at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Oh Nolan! You got a Bulbasaur!" Nathaniel gushed excitedly, eyeing the little grass type Pokemon in delight, "Oh, it's just precious!"
Nolan beamed at his father's high praise.
"Thanks!" he cheered.
Bulbasaur glanced up at the younger human, wondering what was going on. Sensing the Pokemon's confusion, Nolan knelt down and gathered the small grass type in his arms, petting its head to calm it.
"Bulbasaur, I'd like you to meet my Dad" he said kindly to the Pokemon, before looking back up at Nathaniel, "Dad, this is Bulbasaur, my new partner".
"It's so nice to meet you" Nathaniel beamed at the green Pokemon in his son's arms.
Bulbasaur tilted its head to the side for a moment, but then caught the man's scent. Realising that it was so similar to Nolan's, the grass type's face split into a wide grin.
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur happily waved a paw at the man.
Grinning, Nathaniel stood up and reached out to pet the grass type's head, much like his son did. Bulbasaur purred happily, clearly enjoying all the attention they were showering it with.
"Oh Nolan, I think you've picked a real winner here" Nathaniel continued gushing, "Not only friendly, but smart, not to mention so cute!"
"Bulb!" Bulbasaur happily agreed.
Nolan couldn't help but beam at them both. It really did mean the world to him that both his dad and his new partner already liked each other so much. They were both very important to him after all. He wanted them to get along.
"Have you thought of a name for this little cutie yet?" Nathaniel pressed on curiously.
"Huh? A name?" Nolan blinked up at him in confusion.
"Well yeah" his father shrugged at him, still petting the delighted Bulbasaur's head gently, "I know most trainers don't bother giving their Pokemon names, but I personally think that giving your Pokemon their own unique name can only serve to strengthen your bond with them. Don't you think so?"
Nolan paused for a moment to reflect on those wise words.
They certainly held a degree of sense in them. He glanced down at the Bulbasaur cuddled in his arms. A small smile came to his face.
"What do you think?" he asked the small grass type, thinking that it was only fair that the creature got the final say in this matter, "Would you like me to give you a new name? Or do you want me to keep on calling you Bulbasaur?"
Bulbasaur seemed to think about it for a moment.
"Saur! Bulba!" it cried happily.
Nolan frowned, slightly confused by the response.
"I think Bulbasaur is saying that it wants you to give it its own unique name" Nathaniel theorised aloud to his son.
"Saur!" Bulbasaur nodded in confirmation.
"Sure!" Nolan happily agreed, much to the grass type Pokemon's delight, "I can think of a name for you! Err..."
Nathaniel looked up from petting Bulbasaur's head to see a look of slight confusion playing its way across Nolan's face.
"What is it Kiddo?" he looked at the boy curiously.
"I just realised, I have no idea if Bulbasaur is a boy or a girl!" Nolan cried, blushing slightly in embarrassment.
Bulbasaur's jaw dropped open in astonishment.
Then it started laughing at him.
"Hey! Don't laugh at me!" Nolan whined at his partner's teasing, "It's hard for humans to tell what gender Pokemon are! Boy Bulbasaur and Girl Bulbasaur don't exactly look that different from one another you know!"
Bulbasaur was still roaring with laughter in the pouting boy's arms.
Nathaniel honestly couldn't help it.
Laughter escaped him too.
"Dad!" Nolan whined, glaring up at him, "Cut it out! It's not funny!"
Nathaniel just barely managed to get his giggles under control as the boy started to scowl.
"S-sorry Kiddo" he chuckled, before snapping his fingers as an idea came to him, "But I know just what to do. Tell me Nolan, did the Professor give you a Pokedex by any chance?"
"Yeah..." Nolan nodded slowly, not sure where his father was going with this.
"Then that's the answer to your problem" Nathaniel smiled.
"Huh?" Nolan blinked in confusion.
Seeing his son's bewilderment, Nathaniel smiled down at him, and held out his hand silently. Understanding his dad's mute request, Nolan shifted Bulbasaur until he was holding the Pokemon with one arm, and then used his free hand to fish his new Pokedex out of his pocket. He placed the device in his father's hand.
"Now don't you worry, little one" the man said kindly to the small green Pokemon his son was holding, who blinked up at him curiously, "I'm just going to use this to scan you. You won't feel a thing. I promise".
Nolan watched with interest as his Dad pressed a button on the Pokedex, whilst Nathaniel stood back as a small red light shone out of the top of the device and on to Bulbasaur's forehead. Nolan looked on in fascination, wondering what his dad was doing.
After a few moments, the device beeped in Nathaniel's hand.
"Aha! Here we go!" he man said victoriously. He handed the Pokedex back to Nolan, whose eyes were locked on the screen curiously.
"What... is all this?" he looked back up at his dad uncertainly.
Nathaniel smiled down at the young boy again, understanding that this was all brand new to his son, as he began to explain.
"You see Nolan, a lot of new trainers think that the information a Pokedex gives them when its pointed at a Pokemon is all it can give them" Nathaniel explained to his son, "But that really isn't the case at all. The scan I just did is only one of the Pokedex's functions, but certainly one of the more useful ones. The information on the screen isn't the data of Bulbasaur as a species. It's the data about this specific Bulbasaur!"
Nolan's jaw dropped wide open.
"Really?!" he exclaimed in surprise, eyes immediately scanning back over all the data with renewed interest. He wanted to know everything he could about his new partner if he was going to take the very best care of it he could after all.
"Yes" Nathaniel nodded importantly, "It should tell you everything you need to know about your new friend. Including whether its a boy or a girl Pokemon".
It certainly did that.
Nolan was completely amazed by the sheer volume of information that quick little screen had managed to collect and produce. It told him both the height and weight of his new partner, and how that compared to the ideal statistics of a healthy Bulbasaur.
It also revealed Nolan's Bulbasaur's current move set.
Right now the grass type Pokemon only knew Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed and Vine Whip, but that was okay. Nolan planned to teach his new friend all kinds of new attacks soon anyway.
It also informed the boy about Bulbasaur's special ability, which was Overgrow.
Nolan wasn't totally sure what having that ability meant for his Pokemon, but he brushed it off for now. He would take the time to look into that further later on.
Right now, there was only one piece of information the boy wanted to know.
His new friend's gender.
Once he had finally reached that part of the Pokedex's evaluation of the grass type in his arms, he looked back down at Bulbasaur in shock.
"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed in surprise, "You're a girl?!"
Bulbasaur stared up at him with a deadpan expression.
"Bulb!" Bulbasaur said slowly.
Nolan got the distinct impression that it... she was saying 'Well duh!'
Nathaniel meanwhile beamed in delight whilst his son just stood there still gaping in shock.
"Wow Nolan, that's great!" he congratulated his son, "Female Starter Pokemon are incredibly rare! That just makes your beautiful little Bulbasaur even more special!"
"Saur!" Bulbasaur cheerfully agreed. She was liking her partner's father more and more with each passing minute.
Nolan's face morphed out of one of shock and into a look of sheer happiness.
"You're right Dad" Nolan crowed happily, "Bulbasaur is very special. And now that I know you're a girl, I'm sure I can come up with a good name that you'll love!"
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur looked very happy to hear that.
Half an hour later would prove just how wrong Nolan's declaration was.
The boy was quickly coming to realise that his new friend had a very picky temperament. Each and every one of his suggestions was quickly shot down by the little grass type. It would seem that none of them really spoke to her, and the boy was starting to get a little disheartened. Rose, Lily, Daisy, and Poppy weren't special enough, and more unusual names like Viola, Orchid and Petunia didn't cut it either.
Nolan was worried he might just have to give it up, when his Dad, who had sunk back down into his chair at the kitchen table in order to watch his son struggle, threw his own tuppence in.
"How about instead of a single flower, you name this little beauty after a whole bunch of them?" Nathaniel suggested, a little smug when he realised the problem before his son did. The grass type simply didn't feel like being named after a flower defined her well enough, "After all, I'd say she's special enough. She deserves it".
"Saur!" Bulbasaur nodded in agreement.
Nolan let out a low moan and placed his hands on his temples.
"If I'd known you two would get along so well that you'd start ganging up on me, I'd never have introduced you to each other" the boy whined to himself.
Smirking in amusement, Nathaniel turned away from his pouting son to address the small green Pokemon at his side.
"How about... 'Meadow'?" he asked her kindly.
Bulbasaur gasped, her eyes suddenly sparkling brightly with delight.
Nolan on the other hand, allowed his jaw to drop wide open in complete and utter disbelief.
"Oh sure, one name from you and she just loves it" he grumbled half-heartedly.
"Bulb! Bulbasaur! Bulba!" Bulbasaur was cheering happily.
Nolan felt his slight irritation dwindle away at how happily Bulbasaur was cheering in approval, his dad smiling knowingly in the background. A smile soon brightened the boy's own face.
"Is that the one then?" he asked his little partner cheerfully, who looked up at him in joy, "Is that your name now? Meadow?"
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur happily nodded her head.
"It's a beautiful name" Nolan admitted, picking her up and hugging her tightly, much to the newly christened Meadow's absolute delight, "Thanks for coming up with it Dad".
Nathaniel smiled at how happy both his son and his partner were together.
"My pleasure Kiddo" he smiled lovingly at the boy, "And now that your partner's name has been sorted... I believe I mentioned that I had another surprise for you".
Nolan's blue eyes widened in surprise.
What with the quite frankly painful process of selecting his partner's new name, he'd all-but-forgotten about the surprise that his father had mentioned earlier.
Reaching into the cardboard box sitting on the kitchen table, Nathaniel pulled out a small booklet made of glossed paper. He then reached out and handed it to Nolan.
Turning it over curiously in his hands, Nolan's eyes widened in realisation.
It was the front cover of the small pamphlet that really gave it away. On it was a picture of numerous grass type Pokemon, including Oddish, Parasect and Tangela, all firing glowing green seeds at an unseen opponent. In big block letter beneath the illustration were the words; - TM09 BULLET SEED.
Nolan looked up at his dad in shock.
Then his face split into another gigantic grin.
He was met with Nathaniel's own.
"Figured I'd give you something useful as your going away gift" the man shrugged with a wide smile.
Something useful was putting it mildly.
Technical Manuals, or TMs for short, were what Pokemon Trainers used to teach their Pokemon new moves and attacks. They were basically a series of booklets, each one detailing the best methods for a trainer to teach different Pokemon the specific attack the manual was about. They weren't anything close to an instant learning process, but they certainly helped trainers when its came down to the nitty-gritty of teaching the new move.
They could also be unbelievably expensive, depending on how powerful the move was it gave guidance on.
Bullet Seed itself wasn't overly powerful, but it would still be very useful for Meadow to learn, and Nolan was very grateful that his dad had obtained this for them.
Beaming, he hurried over to the man's side, pulling him into a hug.
"I love it! I can't wait to start teaching Meadow using this! Thank you!" he cried happily as he squeezed his father tightly.
Laughing, Nathaniel hugged the ecstatic boy back.
"You're more than welcome Kiddo" he said as he drew back, "As you know, I write these manuals for a living. I figured it was the most appropriate gift I could give you at this point in your journey".
"It'll really help me and Meadow out a whole lot!" Nolan nodded happily.
"I certainly hope so" Nathaniel grinned.
"But hold on, how did you know to get a Grass Type move?" Nolan wondered, perplexed.
Nathaniel's smile broadened.
"I actually got a TM that was suitable for a young Pokemon of either Grass, Water, or Fire typage" Nathaniel explained to his son, whose eyes widened in surprise, "That's why I wanted to see which Pokemon you chose first, before I gave it to you. I'll just put the other two back up on the website".
Nolan nodded his understanding.
His father didn't just write TMs for the Pokemon League after all. He also ran a mail-order website from their home, sending the TMs out to people and trainers that bought them from his online shop. It was a steady source of income for Nathaniel to provide for his small family, not to mention a job he was not only very skilled at, but enjoyed and took great pride in.
"Thank you Dad" Nolan beamed.
Nathaniel just waved his son's gratitude away modestly.
Nolan quickly stored the thoughtful gift away in his bag. He opened his mouth to express his gratitude once more, but was cut of by a loud noise coming from within the living room. It was his grandmother's cuckoo clock on the wall chiming, the tiny bird fashioned in the likeness of a Farfetch'd, signalling the hour.
The boy's eyes widened in surprise.
He quickly checked his watch and gasped once more.
"Uh oh! I'd better get going if I'm going to meet Ash on time!" Nolan exclaimed, whilst his dad's face fell into a much more forlorn smile of resignation at his words, "Considering how hard a time I gave him earlier for being late, I have to be on time or I'll never hear the end of it!"
Nathaniel chuckled slightly, reaching out to give his son one last hug.
"I suppose you'd better have" the man sighed, before he leaned down to press a kiss against his son's forehead as they wandered into the living room towards the front door, Meadow trailing along behind them. Normally Nolan would have protested, but this was probably the last time he'd see his dad in person for a really long time. He could give him this, "Okay... Be safe, don't take any unnecessary risks, and be careful. I love you so, so much Kiddo. I'm so proud of you. Just know that you can come home anytime you want, okay?"
"I know Dad" Nolan smiled up at him as he gathered Meadow up into his arms.
"Oh, and remember your promise" Nathaniel reminded the boy, as he unlocked and opened the front door to the house for him, "I expect phone calls. Lots and lots of phone calls, got it?"
"Got it" Nolan nodded seriously.
Nathaniel smiled again, before he glanced down at the little grass type in his son's arms.
"Meadow, look after him for me?" he pleaded.
"Saur!" Meadow nodded seriously. She extended one of her vines from her bulb and used it to squeeze Nathaniel's arm in reassurance. The blonde man smiled warmly at her.
"I can see that my boy's in good paws" he smiled kindly.
"Saur!" Meadow agreed happily.
Smiling again, Nathaniel returned his attention on to Nolan.
"Okay Kiddo, get moving before I start tearing up!" Nathaniel playfully pushed his son towards the door.
Laughing, Nolan stepped outside, before he paused and turned back for one final hug.
"I love you Dad" he whispered one final time for his dad to hear.
"Love you too son" Nathaniel breathed back.
Feeling his own tears starting to build up in his eyes now, Nolan swallowed them back before they had a chance to fall. Forcing his face into a smile, Nolan stepped back from his Dad and allowed his eyes to roam over the house once final time.
Then he turned and started to walk away.
It was time to begin his journey to become a Pokemon Master.
And there's another one : )
Aw - I love how close Nolan is to his father : ) I know most of this chapter focused on their relationship, but I wanted to exam it closer because we won't see Nathaniel in person for quite some time now ; )
The TM thing was my way of incorporating that element of the games into this version of the Pokemon World in what I felt was a realistic way. I simply can't see Nolan sticking a disk on his Pokemon's heads and them learning new moves that way. Hopefully this was a good way around that, as well as a good job for Nathaniel to have in this universe : )
Most importantly however - my starter's gender and name are revealed - WHOO! Yep, I got lucky and drew the rare female Bulbasaur : ) Meadow is a name I feel fits her rather nicely, so I hope you guys like it. Also, since this is a rewrite of the anime, she will have a move set larger than four moves. Obviously I can't do this in the Nuzlocke, but it is what it is : )
Anyway, there's another new topic I hope you guys will vote on : )
Since I now have my starter and my first captured Pokemon, I can now face Brock and progress further in the game. My plan is to reach the end of Mt Moon in the game before I get to the third episode of the anime in this story. That way I'll know which encounter you guys want Nolan to catch in this story, before he gets to Viridian Forest, so I can plan ahead accordingly.
However, to reach the end of Mt Moon, there is another important decision that must be made, which is why I'm putting it to the vote now.
Which fossil would you like me to choose in Mt Moon?
Helix or Dome - take your pick ; )
This might not even matter in the end since I am only going to use one fossil Pokemon, but that means it's be between whichever fossil Pokemon is voted as the winner here against Aerodactyl later on.
Generation One is actually my favourite generation of fossil Pokemon, so I'll be pretty happy with whatever you guys vote for : )
Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review either to vote or just tell me what you thought since I love hearing your opinions.
Until the next time, keep on reading : )