Prologue: Introductions
Birch: Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome to the world of Pokemon! My name is Birch, but everyone calls me the Pokemon Professor. But what is a pokemon? They are creatures that widely inhabit this world, in all their many forms. We humans live alongside Pokemon, at times as friendly playmates, and at times as cooperative workmates. And sometimes, we band together and battle others like us. But despite our closeness, we don't know everything about Pokemon. In fact, there are many secrets surrounding Pokemon. To unravel Pokemon Mysteries, I've been undertaking research. That's what I do.
????: Of course, he's not the only one.
Shay: I'm Shay. Originally from Goldenrod City. Not too long ago, trainers in my home region found two new types of Pokemon. First, a Rock leader traded away her prized Onix, and both trainers were surprised when it evolved into something that lost it's rock type - and gained something new: the strength of Steel. Then, a family of caring Eevee trainers watched as one of their pokemon evolved under moonlight.
Shay: ... But it was Team Rocket who first researched that second type, when they found others like it during their nighttime operations, and named them the Dark type. They were revealed to the world at large by footage of a battle between Rocket Executive Archer, ... and a vigilante the media dubbed "Gold".
Shay: The Dark type... they used to say that there was no such thing as a naturally evil Pokemon. It looks like now's the time to put that theory to the test. Oh, you wanted to know about me? Well... I'm the daughter of a powerful trainer, and we're all moving to the Hoenn region for a job opportunity. Our new ho- house is in Littleroot.
Birch: I see, You're Shay, who's moving to my hometown of Littleroot. I get it now!
Birch: All right, are you ready? A new adventure is about to unfold. Take courage, and leap into the world of Pokemon where dreams, adventure, and friendship await!
Shay: I'm ready.
(Shay wakes up, leaning against a stack of boxes in a cramped area.)
Shay: I know I chose to do this, but riding in the back of a moving van is no fun at all.
(The van comes to a stop, and the hold is opened from outside.)
Shay: Finally.
(Shay jumps out onto the ground, next to a two-story house. Mom comes out of the building.)
Mom: Shay, we're here, honey!
Shay: Yeah, yeah.
Mom: It must be tiring riding with our things in the moving truck.
Shay: You don't know the half of it. (If I hadn't decided to do it, I'd have a case for child abuse. I'd better not say that out loud though. They do mean well.)
Mom: Well, this is Littleroot Town. How do you like it? This is our new home!
Shay: It certainly is... different. (But something bothers me about this...)
Mom: It has a quaint feel, but it seems to be an easy place to live, don't you think?
Shay: I guess. (I'd say it's dull, but most towns can't boast being home to a big Laboratory.)
Mom: And you get your own room, Shay! Let's go inside.
(Inside the house:)
Mom: See, Shay? Isn't it nice in here too?
Shay: Yeah. (It really is.)
Mom: The mover's pokemon do all the work of moving us in and cleaning up after. This is so convenient!
Vigoroth: Fugiiiiih!
Mom: Shay, your room is upstairs. Go check it out, dear! Dad bought you a new clock to mark our move here. Don't forget to set it!
(Upstairs:)
Shay: Woah. This is the entire second floor! (Sometimes I wonder whether they really care about me. Then they do something like this.) Well, If I'm going to set the clock, I'm going to need to get the time some other way first. I'll check the computer.
(While she's at it, she takes out her emergency medicine stash.)
Shay: Humans aren't supposed to use these potions, but it is the emergency stash.
(She sets the clock. Suddenly, Mom rushes in.)
Mom: Shay, how do you like your new room?
Shay: It's great.
Mom: Good! Everything's put away neatly! They finished moving everything in downstairs too. Pokemon movers are so convenient! Oh, you should make sure everything's all there on your desk. (goes back downstairs.)
Shay: Well, I got my Potion... Ah! My Adventure notebook!
(Shay picks up the notebook, and takes another look around the room.)
Shay: Here's a map of Hoenn. Let's see... We're in Littleroot, and Dad's gym is in Petalburg, which is... What? That's two towns away! That can't be right. I must be misremembering the name of the town. Yeah, must be...
{Shay goes downstairs.}
Shay: Mom, what was-
Mom: Oh! Shay, Shay! Quick! Come quickly!
{Shay joins her mother next to the television.}
Mom: Look!@ It's Petalburg Gym! Maybe dad will be on!
Interviewer: ...We brought you this report from in front of the Petalburg Gym. {Closing jingle}
Mom: Oh... It's over. I think Dad was on, but we missed him. Too bad.
Shay: (...Dad. So you pulled us all this way, but couldn't pull us all the way...)
Mom: Oh, yes. One of Dad's friends lives in town. Prof. Birch is his name.
Shay: !
Mom: He lives right next door, so you should go over and introduce yourself.
Shay: (Professor Birch... What's this strange feeling?)
{Shay does indeed go outside and to Professor Birch's house.}
Shay: There's a sign. This is the place all right.
{Inside:}
Mrs. Birch: Oh, hello. And you are?
Shay: I'm Shay. Norman's kid.
Mrs. Birch: Oh, you're Shay, our new next-door neighbor! Hi!
Shay: Hi. (Weird. Mrs. Birch looks a lot like mom.)
Mrs. Birch: We have a son about the same age as you.
Shay: (looking at a kid playing on the carpet) Huh. He doesn't look like it.
Mrs. Birch: Oh, that's not the one I was talking about. Anyway, our older son was excited about making a new friend. He's upstairs I think.
Shay: (Yeah. I could really use a friend here. But first...)
{Shay goes over to the little kid}
Kid: Hi, neighbor! Do you already have your own Pokemon?
Shay: Not yet. (And if I don't get one soon I won't be able to keep up with Dad... Hm. This kid seems cheerful though. Maybe I was reading too much into Mrs. Birch ignoring him earlier.)
{Upstairs:}
Shay: It's like a mirror image of my house. He even has the same brand of notebook. But he's not here. Hmm... maybe there's something in the computer about where he might have gone. {She checks} Well, there's an Email from Trainer's school. I shouldn't pry deeper.
{Another look around the room has Shay notice a pokeball lying on the floor.}
Shay: I ignored this earlier because I didn't think it was important. But maybe-
{Suddenly: someone comes up the stairs!}
???????: Hey! You... Who are you?
Shay: I'm-
???????: Oh, you're Shay, aren't you? Moved in next door, right?
Shay: Yes. And you-
???????: I didn't know that you're a girl.
Shay: Does Shay sound like a guy's name?
???????: Dad, Prof. Birch, said that our new next door neighbor is a Gym Leader's kid,so I assumed you'd be a guy.
Shay: Why? (Wait, did they just say I was the head of the household?)
???????: My name's Brendan. So, hi, neighbor!
Shay: Oh no you don't! You're not getting off that-
Brendan: Huh? Hey, Shay, don't you have a Pokemon?
Shay: Dohhh. No.
Brendan: Do you want me to go catch you one?
Shay: {Brightening} You'd do that?
Brendan: Aw, darn I forgot... I'm supposed to help my dad catch some wild Pokemon. Some other time, okay? {Brendan goes over to the computer}
Shay: sigh
Brendan: Pokemon fully restored, Items all packed and...
{Shay leaves.}
Mrs. Birch: That Brendan! I guess he's too busy with Pokemon to notice that you came to visit, Shay.
Shay: (Pokemon, Pokemon. Everyone's always busy with Pokemon!)
{While wandering around town, Shay comes across a man talking to himself.}
Man: Professor Birch spends days in his lab studying, then he'll suddenly go out in the wild to do more research. When does Professor Birch spend time at home?
Shay: I wonder about things like that myself. (Although not about Professor Birch...)
{Shay goes to the Lab.}
Shay: Hey, is Professor Birch here?
Assistant: Hunh? Prof. Birch? The Prof's away on fieldwork. Ergo, he isn't here.
Shay: Fieldwork?
Assistant: Oh, let me explain what fieldwork is. It is to study things in their natural environment, like fields and mountains, instead of a laboratory. The Prof isn't one for doing desk work. He's the type of person who would rather go outside and experience things than read about them here.
Shay: (So that's what Brendan was talking about. Wait, does this mean that Birch left him behind?)
{Back outside:}
Shay: Dad's out, Birch is out, Brendan is ignorant. It seems like the only thing to do in this town is leave it! Sigh. Well, there's an idea. Well, at least I could visit route 101. See how far I can get without going through grass.
{At the exit of town, Shay is stopped by a little girl looking out.}
Girl: Um, hi! There are scary Pokemon outside! I can hear their cries! I want to go see what's going on, but I don't have any Pokemon... Can you go see what's happening for me?
Shay: Alright. (I don't have any Pokemon either, but I think I can handle just watching.)
{Route 101:}
?????: H-help me!
Shay: Professor Birch!?
{Prof Birch is being chased around by a pokemon.}
Birch: Hello! You over there! Please! Help!
Shay: How?
Birch: In my Bag! There's a Poke Ball!
{Shay rushes to the dropped bag and grabs a poke ball.}
Shay: Hey, pokemon! This is your opponent!
{Event Battle: Versus Zigzagoon!}
The wild Zigzagoon attacked!
Shay: I choose you, Treecko! Pound attack!
{The wild Zigzagoon is hit, and growls in response.}
Shay: That's useless. Pound her again, girl!
{Zigzagoon is hit, and Tackles in response.}
Shay: Finish this.
{Zigzagoon is hit, and collapses, rolling out of sight.}
{Battle end}
Birch: Whew... I was in the tall grass studying wild Pokemon when I was jumped.
Shay: Why did you put down your bag when it was your only way to defend yourself?
Birch: I know. It was a careless mistake, but she attacked from an angle that I couldn't rush back for it. But you saved me. Thanks a lot!
Shay: I wasn't that great. It was very inexperienced.
Birch: Even so! Oh? Hi, you're Shay!
Shay: Uh, yeah!
Birch: This is not the place to chat, so come by my Pokemon lab later, okay?
{Later, at the Pokemon lab:}
Birch: So, Shay. I've heard much about you from your father.
Shay: What did he say?
Birch: Well, for one thing, he told me that you don't have your own Pokemon yet. But the way you battled earlier, you pulled it off with aplomb! I guess you have your father's blood in your veins after all.
Shay: ...Yeah.
Birch: Oh yes. As thanks for rescuing me, I'd like you to have the Pokemon you used earlier.
Shay: Really? (Actually, Grass types aren't my thing, but... wow.)
Birch: If you work at Pokemon and gained experience, I think you'll make an extremely good trainer. My kid, brendan, is also studying Pokemon while helping me out. Shay, don't you think it might be a good idea to go see Brendan?
Shay: Why not?
Birch: Great! Brendan should be happy, too. Get Brendan to teach you what it means to be a trainer.
{Back outside:}
Girl: you saved Prof. Birch! I'm so glad!
Shay: Thanks, but you could have done the same.
{Birch's house:}
Mrs. Birch: Oh, Brendan went out to Route 103 just a little while ago. Like father like child. Brendan can't stay quietly at home.
{At the exit of town}
Shay: All right. This time it's for real.
{Near Oldale town, a wild Wurmple attacks. Shay just walks away ignoring it.}
{In Oldale town:}
Advertiser: Hi! I work at a Pokemon Mart! Can I get you to come with me?
Shay: Sure.
Advertiser: This is a Pokemon Mart. Just look for our blue roof. We sell a variety of goods including Poke Balls for catching Pokemon. Here, I'd like you to have this as a promotional item.
Shay: Nice, a free Potion.
Advertiser: A Potion can be used any time, so it's even more useful than a Pokemon center in certain situations.
{Inside the mart:}
Woman: The clerk says they're all sold out. I can't buy any Poke Balls.
Shay: Well, there goes any reason for me to be here.
{The west end of town:}
Super Nerd: I just discovered the footprints of a rare Pokemon!
Shay: I've sure never seen any like them. (Or have I? Are those size 3, treaded toes?}
Super Nerd: Wait until I've finished Sketching them, okay?
{At the center of town, there is a sign.}
Sign: Oldale Town "There things start off scarce."
Shay: Does it mean the Poke Ball shortage? That's a little creepy.
{To the north of town, route 103:}
Brendan: Okay, so it's this one and that one that live on route 103...
Shay: Which one and what one?
Brendan: ! Hey, it's Shay!
Shay: The Prof told me to ask you about being a trainer.
Brendan: ...Oh yeah, Dad gave you a Pokemon. Since we're here,how about a little battle?
Shay: No trainer would refuse a challenge!
Brendan: I'll teach you what being a trainer's about!
{{Rival Battle: Versus Pokemon Trainer Brendan!}}
Brendan: Go for it, Torchic!
Shay: Get ready, Treecko! Pound!
{Treeko hits. Torchic Growls in response.}
Shay: Again.
{Critical hit! Torchic growls in response}
Brendan: Ooh.
Shay: How unlucky for you. Treecko, you can finish this in Two rounds maximum with Pound!
{Pound hits, but it doesn't do much. Torchic growls again.}
Shay: Okay, it looks like I underestimated him. Pound again!
{Treeko pounds, Torchic scratches.}
Shay: (Treeko's attacks have been extremely weakened. but having her Leer at this point would be too easy to counter.) Keep attacking.
{Torchic faints. Treeko learns the Absorb move}
Brendan: Huh, Shay, you're not too shabby.
Shay: That's strike three for you, Brendan.
Brendan: I think I get it. I think I know why my dad has his eye out for you now.
Shay: What do you mean?
Brendan: Look, your Pokemon already likes you, even though you just got it. Shay, I get the feeling that you could befriend any Pokemon with ease.
Shay: You're... serious?
Brendan: Um, Shay, we should head back to the lab.
{Brendan goes down a nearby ledge and out of sight.}
Shay: Any kind of Pokemon...
{It's an uneventful trip back down to Oldale. Shay catches Brendan at the south end of town.}
Brendan: I'm heading back to my dad's lab now. Shay, you should hustle back too.
{Back at the lab:}
Birch: Oh, hi, Shay. I heard you beat Brendan on your first try. That's excellent!
Shay: (It was more challenging than that wild pokemon earlier.)
Birch: Brendan's been helping with my research for a long time. Brendan has an extensive history as a trainer already.
Shay: (That makes sense. Except that Torchic was at the same experience level as Treecko. Birch must be exaggerating.)
Birch: Here, Shay, I ordered this for my research, but I think you should have this Pokedex.
Shay: A Pokedex? That's so useful, I don't know why more trainers don't have them!
Birch: The Pokedex is a high-tech tool that automatically makes a record of any Pokemon you meet or catch. My kid, Brendan, goes everywhere with it. Whenever my kid catches a rare Pokemon and records it's data in the Pokedex, why, Brendan looks for me while I'm out doing fieldwork, and shows me.
Shay: So you want me to do that too? I can handle that.
Brendan: Huh... So you got a Pokedex too.
Shay: What's wrong? Are you feeling less unique or something?
Brendan: No, that's not it. Anyway, here. I'll give you these.
Shay: Five Poke Balls. Thanks a lot!
Brendan: You know it's more fun to have a whole bunch of Pokemon. I'm going to explore all over the place to find different Pokemon. If I find any cool Pokemon, you bet I'll try to get them with these Poke Balls.
Birch: Countless Pokemon await you! Argh, I'm getting the urge to do fieldwork again!
Shay: (I'd better talk to Mom about all this...)
{Outside:}
Mom: Shay! Shay! Did you introduce yourself to Professor Birch>
Shay: Yeah... There's a funny story about that...
Mom: Oh! What an adorable Pokemon! You got it from Prof. Birch. How nice!
Shay: Yeah.
Mom: You're your father's child, all right. You look good together with Pokemon!
Shay: Yeah... (Dad. I'd always admired him, but...)
Mom: Here honey! If you're going out on an adventure, wear these Running Shoes. They'll put a zip in your step!
Shay: Thanks.
Mom: ..................... To think that you have your own Pokemon now... Your father will be overjoyed.
Shay: (The silence was deafening.)
Mom: ...But please be careful. If anything happens, you can come home.
Shay: I'll remember. Thanks, Mom.
Mom: Go on, go get them, honey!
{Mom goes back inside.}
Shay: It looks like I might not be living here after all.
{Shay runs up into Route 101.}
Shay: It's time to start catching more pokemon. Let's see what else lives here.
{Mostly Wurmple, apparently.}
Shay: Come on, I know more pokemon need to live here.
{Suddenly, a wild Poochyena attacks.}
Shay: Engage. Weaken her with Absorb.
{Poochyena counters with Tackle.}
Shay: Once more should do it.
{Critical hit.}
Shay: Darn it! I guess I'll have to find another one.
{Eventually another one appears.}
Shay: She's even younger than the first. Treecko, one absorb, that's all.
{Poochyena tackles.}
Shay: Like I said, do not attack. It's my move now.
{Shay throws a Poke Ball. Capture sucessful!}
Pokedex: Poochyena: bite Pokemon. It savagely threatens foes with bared fangs. It chases after fleeing targets tenaciously. It turns tail and runs, however, if the foe strikes back.
Shay: Seems like these guys have a bit of a reputation. Well, let's see what we can do about that... Luna.
{Next time, the challenge begins in earnest!}
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