Story Notes:
The first story arc in the "Ongoing Adventures of Krad Dashow" series. It's my first time writing such a long and complicated Pokemon story, so I hope you all enjoy it! Constructive criticism and comments are very much appreciated.
Chapter 2 - Route 1
The Ongoing Adventures of Krad Dashow:
Kanto
By Derek Stevens
Chapter 2: Route 1
Morning came with a loud thud as Krad rolled out of his bed and onto the floor. The sudden contact with the ground jarred him awake and he looked around, momentarily disoriented. A brief glance at the bag and running shoes beside him made him remember where he was.
He sat up and rubbed his head, slowly remembering the rescue of the injured Bulbasaur and the ride to Prof. Oak's lab. He looked at the clock and saw it was still pretty early in the morning, so the chances of the Pokémon Prof. being awake were slim. He noticed that not even Shinji was awake yet, his friend happily snoring into his pillow.
Stretching and letting out a yawn, Krad slowly got up and walked out of the dormitory-like room. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see that Professor Oak was indeed awake, and in fact working so early in the morning. Did the man sleep at all?
"Hmm? Oh, you're awake," Prof. Oak said as he noticed Krad step out of the room. "Good morning."
"Good Morning Professor."
"Did you and your friend sleep well?"
Krad gave a nod, looking around. "How is the Bulbasaur?"
Oak smiled and stood up. "He's doing fine. A little scared, but I'm sure he'll recover soon enough."
"I'm glad," Krad said with a sigh of relief. He watched as the Oak grabbed a pot of coffee and poured himself a fresh cup. "Sir, I mean, Professor... my friend and I were wondering-"
"If you could receive a Starter Pokémon to begin your journey with," Oak finished for him. He smiled again. "Yes, I inferred as much, given your attire and all."
"So, you'll let me and Shinji have one?"
"As soon as your friend wakes up," Oak replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "Youch... still too hot."
Smiling, Krad walked back to the room and walked inside, hoping Shinji was awake now. Seeing he wasn't he just sat on the bed and decided to wait till he was. He looked at the clock again, wondering if anyone else was awake at this time besides him and Prof. Oak. He knew he himself was always an early riser, often to the annoyance of his late-sleeper parents and as he saw it, the earlier you were awake the more of the day you could experience.
Sitting up again, he looked around the room, this time to take in his surroundings. It was a small room, suitable for a dormitory with just enough space for two, maybe three people. Noticing a bathroom near the back, he got up quickly, feeling the need to relieve himself.
Taking care of his duty, he washed his hands and looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was then that he noticed he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. Panicking at first, he felt his pockets and found nothing, not even in his vest pockets.
But wait, why was he getting so worked up? Surely Prof. Oak saw him and his eyes; a man such as him would certainly make eye contact with the person they talked with. If he didn't mind then he was okay. After all the only other person with him at the moment was Shinji, who he knew didn't mind his uniquely colored eyes.
Letting out a long sigh he looked back at his reflection, feeling a small amount of relief. His tanned skin looked a little darker than usual, probably because he'd spent the last few days before the journey outside in the warm sun and his short black hair was messy. He hoped that he had packed a comb to brush it properly.
He stepped back and glanced over his clothes, seeing if they'd need cleaning. His black and grey vest was fine albeit covered in a little dirt from yesterday; same with his jeans. His black shirt looked relatively clean and a quick sniff proved he didn't need a shower... yet. Walking out of the bathroom he saw his running shoes lying near his bag, both the same shade of black. He wasn't ashamed to admit it was his favorite color, even if it didn't always count as one. Very rarely did he wear colors of any other sort. It wasn't that it bothered him; he just didn't like any other color than black.
It was why it made sense that his closest friend and rival was a boy the exact color opposite of himself. White clothes, white shoes, heck even white hair! Well, it was more of a silvery color to be precise, but still...
Krad looked through his bag for a comb as he heard his friend starting to wake. Shinji yawned loudly and nearly fell out of his bed the same way his friend did, but quickly stopped himself. He looked around in a similar confusion to Krad's when he first awoke; sleep still lingering in his eyes.
"Where...?"
"We're in Prof. Oak's Lab," replied Krad before he could finish the question. "We came here last night, remember?"
Memories coming back to him, Shinji gave a slow nod. "Oh yeah... Hey, is that Bulbasaur alright?"
"Yes, the Professor says he's fine."
"That's great." Shinji got up and stretched looking around. "Say, does this place have a bathroom? One would be really nice right about now."
After a quick point in the right direction Shinji was off, leaving Krad to finish combing his hair. When he finished he put on his running shoes and looked over his bag, making sure everything was packed. He noticed he was out of Repel, but quickly remembered he used it on the angry Fearow yesterday. He just shrugged it off, knowing that he probably wouldn't need it for now anyway. His goal after all was to catch wild Pokémon, not scare them off.
Standing and slinging his bag onto his back, he watched as Shinji came back, yawning a little. His friend grabbed his own bag and put it on and not needing to look for his shoes as he never took them off to begin with and flashed a smile at Krad.
"Ready to start out journey?"
"Yes," he replied with a firm nod, finding his sunglasses and putting them on.
The two then stepped out into Professor Oak's lab, greeting him as he got up from his desk.
"Ah, you're both awake now. Alright then, shall we begin?"
He motioned for them to follow and he lead them to a large machine standing near the center of the room. With the push of a button it opened in three places, a Pokéball appearing in each. Krad noticed that one Pokeball was off center from the others, as if it had been moved. He made a note to pick that one first.
"Within these Pokéballs are the Starter Pokémon of Kanto: Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. To begin your journey, you'll both need one, as well as one of these."
The Professor walked over to a desk and opened the drawer, pulling out a red colored device no bigger than a pocket book. He pulled out a second one and walked over to the two boys.
"This is my greatest invention, the Pokédex." He held one out for both of them. "It allows you to record the data of any Pokémon you see or catch."
He smiled and gave a small sigh. "To see all the Pokémon in the world... that was my dream. But, I've become far too old for such a task, so I leave it up to you to do it."
"You sound like you've said this before, Professor," Krad said with a smile.
Oak gave a light laugh and nodded. "I tell my story to those who'll listen."
After a quick explanation on how the Pokédex worked the two boys were ready to receive their first Pokémon. Krad volunteered to go first, stepping towards the machine as his friend watched. If his hunch was right, he knew what Pokémon was in the ball he'd mentally chosen. Slowly he approached it and with a careful hand, reached out and plucked it from the machine.
"Ah, so you'll choose Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon?" Oak said with a little surprise in his voice.
"Yes," Krad said with a nod, holding out the ball. "Because I think I know who that Bulbasaur is."
Pressing the button on the Pokéball, Krad watched as it opened in a flash of light, revealing a familiar small green Pokémon. He smiled and removed his glasses, looking at the slightly scared Bulbasaur.
"Hey... it's me."
It looked at him, cautious for a moment before looking into his eyes. He knew it recognized him then as their gaze stayed locked for a moment. The Bulbasaur slowly walked over to Krad's outstretched hand and sniffed it, then nuzzled it slowly, even allowing him to pet it.
"Amazing," said Prof. Oak with a smile. "That Bulbasaur has always been scared of others. I'm surprised he's warmed up to you so fast."
"I did save him," Krad replied, petting the Bulbasaur gently. "Does he have a name?"
Oak shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. Will you give him a name?"
Staring at the bulb on the Bulbasaur's back, he nodded. "Keitou. I'll name him Keitou."
Shinji rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're going to name everything with a 'K' again? I still remember your mom's Meowth, 'Kit-kat', and her Magikarp, 'Karpy'"
Krad just smiled, not answering his friend. He stood and looked at his new Pokémon, at Keitou, looking into his eyes again. He knew that from this point on, things would be different. Despite only knowing each other for less than an hour, he could tell they were friends, he could see the trust that was in the Pokémon's expression.
"Alright, now it's your friend's turn to choose," said Prof. Oak, motioning to the remaining two Pokéballs.
"Well... since I am your 'rival' and all..." Shinji said with a hint of mischief. "I guess I'll have to choose this."
He walked over to machine and grabbed the Pokéball just above where Keitou's was, smiling as he pressed the button. Just as he'd planned, a small red Pokémon with a tiny flame burning at the end of its tail, popped out of the ball in a flash of light.
"Ah, so you'll choose Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon?"
"Yes," replied Shinji, smiling down at his new Pokémon. "And I'll name him Draco."
Krad laughed a little. "You've been giving this some thought, haven't you?"
"I told you I've always wanted a Charmander." He twirled his Pokéball and minimized it, slipping it into his pocket. "So of course I'd have a name picked out for him."
The Professor nodded at both and pulled out ten Pokéballs from his pockets, holding five out in each hand.
"You'll need these as well for your journey. Catch as many Pokémon as you can, and if you collect enough, give me a call on any nearby PC, and I'll rate your Pokédex."
"And what happens if we catch enough?" asked Shinji.
"You'll receive a reward, a little gift to help you on your journey."
The two trainers looked at each other in surprise and grinned. Such a challenge was just the thing the two needed, being the ever competitive types they were. Bidding the Professor farewell, they recalled their Pokémon and left the lab, heading north to Route 1. As they reached the tall grass that lead to the famous Route, they stopped for a moment to gather their thoughts.
They both knew that as rivals they couldn't journey together. Eventually they'd meet again, but for most of the adventure, they'd have to be apart.
"Well... looks like its separate ways from here Krad," Shinji said, extending his hand.
Nodding, Krad held shook his friends hand and smiled. "I hope to see you again somewhere down the line."
"Oh trust me, you will."
With a short wave, Shinji ran through the tall grass, thus beginning his adventure as a Pokémon Trainer. Krad waited a moment before letting out Keitou again. He noticed the Bulbasaur looked a little uncomfortable and wondered if the Pokéball might have had something to do with it.
"Hey, you okay there?"
The Pokémon looked at him and just nodded, not saying anything. Krad looked him over, just to make sure and when he found nothing wrong on the outside he kneeled in front of him.
"You sure? You look a little shakey."
Again the Pokémon didn't reply verbally, just nodding again. His eyes looked hesitant, as if he were hiding something. His silence made Krad wonder why he was still so shy, despite the trust he clearly showed not that long ago. What made him so nervous?
Taking off his glasses again, he gave the Bulbasaur a gentle smile and slowly extended his hand to touch him. He saw Keitou allow him to carefully pet his head, causing Krad to smile as he gently scratched over his skin. It was rough, yet smooth, like a leather canvas and was surprisingly warm to the touch. After a minute or so of petting, Krad retracted his hand and spoke again.
"Now tell me, are you sure you're ready for this journey?"
When the Bulbasaur tilted its head in confusion Krad re-worded his question. "What I meant was, are you sure you want to go with me? I know that as you're now my Pokémon, you are obliged to accompany me, but... I can see you're very tense. Not to mention I only just rescued you last night. I don't think it's right to put so much stress on a Pokémon, so if you don't want to come with me, then you don't have to. I'll talk with Prof. Oak and see that someone else takes you in instead."
Krad awaited his Pokémon's answer, watching him and hoping that his message was clear. He didn't want to give up Keitou, but he didn't want to poor Pokémon to unwillingly go with him. He believed that such a journey like this required trust from both partners, and if one wasn't willing than he'd just have to settle for waiting until he found someone who was. Still, he hoped Keitou would stay with him. All he could do was watch his Bulbasaur think it over, and pray that his answer was a good one.
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Keitou looked at his master with such a look of surprise that if he wasn't already incapable of human speech, he'd be speechless. He was actually willing to let him go back, even though tradition dictated otherwise? He knew that becoming someone's starter Pokémon was a great honor, one that shouldn't be shrugged off so easily; however, the thought of traveling with a complete stranger to do battle with other strangers seemed ludicrous to him.
Yet... this human seemed different. True the only humans he'd been around were the Pokémon Professor and his aides, and they were friendly of course. Then there were the humans from the town who would sometimes greet him and other times avoid him. Overall he had come to distrust them, feeling that even the Professor had ill intentions for the innocent Bulbasaur. Then this human rescued him from that violent Fearow.
A shiver crept down his bulb as he remembered the attack. He had always feared flying types before, mostly because of his type-weakness, but also because of his... "Defect". Since birth he'd been a mute, the closest to speech being a weak and frail "saur". He had been berated once by a flock of Spearow because of his defect and was unable to cry out for help, not even being able to usher even a Growl to fight back. The Fearow that attacked him was in fact, an evolved form of one of the very same Spearows that used to bully him, only now it had more sinister intentions in mind. If Krad hadn't interfered when he did... well he would have done more than fainted from his injuries that night.
Looking up into the luring red eyes of his trainer, Krad stepped closer and trying his best to speak, let out a faint "saur" as his reply, shaking his head.
"So... you'll stay with me?" Krad asked. "Are you sure?"
With another nod, Keitou watched as his master stood and gave him a warm smile. He assured him that he'd take care of him and not force him to battle too much if he didn't want to. He said that when the time came that he'd have to battle a trainer he'd just choose another if he didn't' feel like fighting. All these promises, all these words of praise; any other Pokémon would be suspicious if their trainer opened up like this to them, but not Keitou. He believed every word.
Something told him that he could trust this human, and his own honor made him feel that he'd need to repay him for saving his life. That debt would be repaid in a simple, but effective way: he'd become his partner.
"Alright, then shall I return you to your Pokéball?"
With a quick nod Keitou watched as Krad withdrew the red and white ball and recall him, his body being blanketed in a ray of red light as he felt himself return to his portable home.
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As Krad secured his Pokéball to his belt, he felt a wave of relief was over him at the face that he'd get to keep his Bulbasaur. Selfish thoughts, maybe, but at least it'd save him an awkward trip back to the Professor.
Putting his sunglasses back on, he looked at the tall grass that swayed lightly in the breeze and wondered if he'd encounter any wild Pokémon right away. He'd heard that encounters could happen when you'd least expect it, and without any repel he'd most likely attract quite a few.
Taking a deep breath, he began trudging his way through the tall grass. It came up nearly to his waist, brushing against his clothes as he walked. The grassy path went on for a short distance before leading to a large opening in the woods, the beginning of Route 1. He didn't see Shinji anywhere ahead, meaning the boy must have not encountered any Pokémon along his way. Krad was certain he wouldn't either until he saw the grass ahead of him shudder. A violet colored tail poked its way out of the grass and started moving closer, going slow, but then breaking into a run. Panicking, Krad grabbed his Pokéball and tossed it, releasing Keitou.
His Pokédex gave off a little beeping noise, reminding the young trainer that he even had it. He quickly grabbed it from his pocket and pointed it at the tail. As he did, a small Pokémon leaped out of the cover of the tall grass, revealing itself. Krad pointed the Pokédex at it and waited.
"Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon," the Pokédex said in an electronic voice. "Its fangs are long and very sharp. They grow continuously, so it gnaws on hard things to whittle them down."
Krad watched as the Rattata looked at Keitou and got into an attack stance. His Bulbasaur did the same, awaiting orders from his trainer. Krad looked back at his Pokédex and noticed that its screen changed, showing what looked like a status bar for Keitou and three different text panels underneath reading: Fight, PKMN, Item, and Run. Curious, Krad used the directional pad on the Pokédex and selected "Fight". The next screen showed a list of his Bulbasaur's moves, of which only two were available.
"Alright... Keitou, use tackle!"
He watched as his Bulbasaur nodded and lunged at the Rattata. The mouse Pokémon waved its tail and slapped Keitou first before the Bulbasaur quickly turned and slammed into it. The Pokédex registered the hits and flashed information on screen to analyze, updating Keitou's stats.
"Okay, now use growl!"
Suddenly Keitou stopped in place, as if unsure of what to do next. The Rattata took advantage of this and let loose a tackle of its own, knocking the grass Pokémon back. Krad stood confused and looked at his Pokédex for aide.
"What's wrong Keitou? Use growl!"
Again, Keitou did nothing and wound up being an easy target for the Rattata's tackle. Worried as the Bulbasaur's health was slowly starting to decline, Krad wondered if they should try running for it.
No, they couldn't give up so easily!
"Don't give up Keitou, use tackle and show that Rattata you mean business!"
The Rattata lunged again for another tackle, but missed as Keitou sidestepped it and slammed into it with a tackle of its own. The battle continued for a few more minutes until finally the Rattata passed out from exhaustion, leaving Keitou standing, but tired.
"You did it Keitou!" Krad shouted, watching as his Pokédex calculated the battle results and the experience gain. "Hmm... think you're good to continue?"
Another nod from his Pokémon allowed Krad to return him to his ball. Continuing his walk, he looked over the Pokédex, intrigued by the device. Professor Oak didn't explain much about it, so the fact that it could read the battle so clearly was amazing. He had a feeling he'd be relying on it more and more as his journey continued.
Looking over the various buttons he found one that looked like an introduction. Pressing it he watched it beep and listened to the same electronic voice from before.
"I'm Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Krad Dashow of the City of Viridian. My function is to provide Krad with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."
Krad was impressed; the Pokédex even knew his home city and everything. He figured that this device must function like a license, allowing a trainer's data to be recorded as they went along their journey. It even kept track of the Pokémon's stats, condition, data, and move set. How ingenious a device this Pokédex was!
As the tall grass finally ended, Krad looked ahead of him, finally putting his Pokédex away. I'd be a while before he'd reach the end of Route 1 and be back home in Viridian City. He'd heard that traveling North on Route 1 was always longer and trickier than heading south, as you had to cover a lot more tall grass along the way. By the looks of the path in front of him, what he heard was right. Taking a deep breath and grinning as he steeled his resolve, then marched forward, singing a song he'd heard once as a kid.
'As we march on forth, down the path we take, our journey's just begun. Keep a look out for, all the tall grass here, and the Pokémon inside. There's no turning back, there's no stopping now, down the Route we will go on. Our Pokémon adventure is now on its way...'
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*Author's note: for those of your curious, yes, the song he's singing is indeed a worded version of the famous Route 1 song. To those wanting more I'll post up the lyrics on my FA account soon. =)Chapter End Notes:Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon not make a profit off of this story. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended
Kanto
By Derek Stevens
Chapter 2: Route 1
Morning came with a loud thud as Krad rolled out of his bed and onto the floor. The sudden contact with the ground jarred him awake and he looked around, momentarily disoriented. A brief glance at the bag and running shoes beside him made him remember where he was.
He sat up and rubbed his head, slowly remembering the rescue of the injured Bulbasaur and the ride to Prof. Oak's lab. He looked at the clock and saw it was still pretty early in the morning, so the chances of the Pokémon Prof. being awake were slim. He noticed that not even Shinji was awake yet, his friend happily snoring into his pillow.
Stretching and letting out a yawn, Krad slowly got up and walked out of the dormitory-like room. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see that Professor Oak was indeed awake, and in fact working so early in the morning. Did the man sleep at all?
"Hmm? Oh, you're awake," Prof. Oak said as he noticed Krad step out of the room. "Good morning."
"Good Morning Professor."
"Did you and your friend sleep well?"
Krad gave a nod, looking around. "How is the Bulbasaur?"
Oak smiled and stood up. "He's doing fine. A little scared, but I'm sure he'll recover soon enough."
"I'm glad," Krad said with a sigh of relief. He watched as the Oak grabbed a pot of coffee and poured himself a fresh cup. "Sir, I mean, Professor... my friend and I were wondering-"
"If you could receive a Starter Pokémon to begin your journey with," Oak finished for him. He smiled again. "Yes, I inferred as much, given your attire and all."
"So, you'll let me and Shinji have one?"
"As soon as your friend wakes up," Oak replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "Youch... still too hot."
Smiling, Krad walked back to the room and walked inside, hoping Shinji was awake now. Seeing he wasn't he just sat on the bed and decided to wait till he was. He looked at the clock again, wondering if anyone else was awake at this time besides him and Prof. Oak. He knew he himself was always an early riser, often to the annoyance of his late-sleeper parents and as he saw it, the earlier you were awake the more of the day you could experience.
Sitting up again, he looked around the room, this time to take in his surroundings. It was a small room, suitable for a dormitory with just enough space for two, maybe three people. Noticing a bathroom near the back, he got up quickly, feeling the need to relieve himself.
Taking care of his duty, he washed his hands and looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was then that he noticed he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. Panicking at first, he felt his pockets and found nothing, not even in his vest pockets.
But wait, why was he getting so worked up? Surely Prof. Oak saw him and his eyes; a man such as him would certainly make eye contact with the person they talked with. If he didn't mind then he was okay. After all the only other person with him at the moment was Shinji, who he knew didn't mind his uniquely colored eyes.
Letting out a long sigh he looked back at his reflection, feeling a small amount of relief. His tanned skin looked a little darker than usual, probably because he'd spent the last few days before the journey outside in the warm sun and his short black hair was messy. He hoped that he had packed a comb to brush it properly.
He stepped back and glanced over his clothes, seeing if they'd need cleaning. His black and grey vest was fine albeit covered in a little dirt from yesterday; same with his jeans. His black shirt looked relatively clean and a quick sniff proved he didn't need a shower... yet. Walking out of the bathroom he saw his running shoes lying near his bag, both the same shade of black. He wasn't ashamed to admit it was his favorite color, even if it didn't always count as one. Very rarely did he wear colors of any other sort. It wasn't that it bothered him; he just didn't like any other color than black.
It was why it made sense that his closest friend and rival was a boy the exact color opposite of himself. White clothes, white shoes, heck even white hair! Well, it was more of a silvery color to be precise, but still...
Krad looked through his bag for a comb as he heard his friend starting to wake. Shinji yawned loudly and nearly fell out of his bed the same way his friend did, but quickly stopped himself. He looked around in a similar confusion to Krad's when he first awoke; sleep still lingering in his eyes.
"Where...?"
"We're in Prof. Oak's Lab," replied Krad before he could finish the question. "We came here last night, remember?"
Memories coming back to him, Shinji gave a slow nod. "Oh yeah... Hey, is that Bulbasaur alright?"
"Yes, the Professor says he's fine."
"That's great." Shinji got up and stretched looking around. "Say, does this place have a bathroom? One would be really nice right about now."
After a quick point in the right direction Shinji was off, leaving Krad to finish combing his hair. When he finished he put on his running shoes and looked over his bag, making sure everything was packed. He noticed he was out of Repel, but quickly remembered he used it on the angry Fearow yesterday. He just shrugged it off, knowing that he probably wouldn't need it for now anyway. His goal after all was to catch wild Pokémon, not scare them off.
Standing and slinging his bag onto his back, he watched as Shinji came back, yawning a little. His friend grabbed his own bag and put it on and not needing to look for his shoes as he never took them off to begin with and flashed a smile at Krad.
"Ready to start out journey?"
"Yes," he replied with a firm nod, finding his sunglasses and putting them on.
The two then stepped out into Professor Oak's lab, greeting him as he got up from his desk.
"Ah, you're both awake now. Alright then, shall we begin?"
He motioned for them to follow and he lead them to a large machine standing near the center of the room. With the push of a button it opened in three places, a Pokéball appearing in each. Krad noticed that one Pokeball was off center from the others, as if it had been moved. He made a note to pick that one first.
"Within these Pokéballs are the Starter Pokémon of Kanto: Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. To begin your journey, you'll both need one, as well as one of these."
The Professor walked over to a desk and opened the drawer, pulling out a red colored device no bigger than a pocket book. He pulled out a second one and walked over to the two boys.
"This is my greatest invention, the Pokédex." He held one out for both of them. "It allows you to record the data of any Pokémon you see or catch."
He smiled and gave a small sigh. "To see all the Pokémon in the world... that was my dream. But, I've become far too old for such a task, so I leave it up to you to do it."
"You sound like you've said this before, Professor," Krad said with a smile.
Oak gave a light laugh and nodded. "I tell my story to those who'll listen."
After a quick explanation on how the Pokédex worked the two boys were ready to receive their first Pokémon. Krad volunteered to go first, stepping towards the machine as his friend watched. If his hunch was right, he knew what Pokémon was in the ball he'd mentally chosen. Slowly he approached it and with a careful hand, reached out and plucked it from the machine.
"Ah, so you'll choose Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon?" Oak said with a little surprise in his voice.
"Yes," Krad said with a nod, holding out the ball. "Because I think I know who that Bulbasaur is."
Pressing the button on the Pokéball, Krad watched as it opened in a flash of light, revealing a familiar small green Pokémon. He smiled and removed his glasses, looking at the slightly scared Bulbasaur.
"Hey... it's me."
It looked at him, cautious for a moment before looking into his eyes. He knew it recognized him then as their gaze stayed locked for a moment. The Bulbasaur slowly walked over to Krad's outstretched hand and sniffed it, then nuzzled it slowly, even allowing him to pet it.
"Amazing," said Prof. Oak with a smile. "That Bulbasaur has always been scared of others. I'm surprised he's warmed up to you so fast."
"I did save him," Krad replied, petting the Bulbasaur gently. "Does he have a name?"
Oak shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. Will you give him a name?"
Staring at the bulb on the Bulbasaur's back, he nodded. "Keitou. I'll name him Keitou."
Shinji rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're going to name everything with a 'K' again? I still remember your mom's Meowth, 'Kit-kat', and her Magikarp, 'Karpy'"
Krad just smiled, not answering his friend. He stood and looked at his new Pokémon, at Keitou, looking into his eyes again. He knew that from this point on, things would be different. Despite only knowing each other for less than an hour, he could tell they were friends, he could see the trust that was in the Pokémon's expression.
"Alright, now it's your friend's turn to choose," said Prof. Oak, motioning to the remaining two Pokéballs.
"Well... since I am your 'rival' and all..." Shinji said with a hint of mischief. "I guess I'll have to choose this."
He walked over to machine and grabbed the Pokéball just above where Keitou's was, smiling as he pressed the button. Just as he'd planned, a small red Pokémon with a tiny flame burning at the end of its tail, popped out of the ball in a flash of light.
"Ah, so you'll choose Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon?"
"Yes," replied Shinji, smiling down at his new Pokémon. "And I'll name him Draco."
Krad laughed a little. "You've been giving this some thought, haven't you?"
"I told you I've always wanted a Charmander." He twirled his Pokéball and minimized it, slipping it into his pocket. "So of course I'd have a name picked out for him."
The Professor nodded at both and pulled out ten Pokéballs from his pockets, holding five out in each hand.
"You'll need these as well for your journey. Catch as many Pokémon as you can, and if you collect enough, give me a call on any nearby PC, and I'll rate your Pokédex."
"And what happens if we catch enough?" asked Shinji.
"You'll receive a reward, a little gift to help you on your journey."
The two trainers looked at each other in surprise and grinned. Such a challenge was just the thing the two needed, being the ever competitive types they were. Bidding the Professor farewell, they recalled their Pokémon and left the lab, heading north to Route 1. As they reached the tall grass that lead to the famous Route, they stopped for a moment to gather their thoughts.
They both knew that as rivals they couldn't journey together. Eventually they'd meet again, but for most of the adventure, they'd have to be apart.
"Well... looks like its separate ways from here Krad," Shinji said, extending his hand.
Nodding, Krad held shook his friends hand and smiled. "I hope to see you again somewhere down the line."
"Oh trust me, you will."
With a short wave, Shinji ran through the tall grass, thus beginning his adventure as a Pokémon Trainer. Krad waited a moment before letting out Keitou again. He noticed the Bulbasaur looked a little uncomfortable and wondered if the Pokéball might have had something to do with it.
"Hey, you okay there?"
The Pokémon looked at him and just nodded, not saying anything. Krad looked him over, just to make sure and when he found nothing wrong on the outside he kneeled in front of him.
"You sure? You look a little shakey."
Again the Pokémon didn't reply verbally, just nodding again. His eyes looked hesitant, as if he were hiding something. His silence made Krad wonder why he was still so shy, despite the trust he clearly showed not that long ago. What made him so nervous?
Taking off his glasses again, he gave the Bulbasaur a gentle smile and slowly extended his hand to touch him. He saw Keitou allow him to carefully pet his head, causing Krad to smile as he gently scratched over his skin. It was rough, yet smooth, like a leather canvas and was surprisingly warm to the touch. After a minute or so of petting, Krad retracted his hand and spoke again.
"Now tell me, are you sure you're ready for this journey?"
When the Bulbasaur tilted its head in confusion Krad re-worded his question. "What I meant was, are you sure you want to go with me? I know that as you're now my Pokémon, you are obliged to accompany me, but... I can see you're very tense. Not to mention I only just rescued you last night. I don't think it's right to put so much stress on a Pokémon, so if you don't want to come with me, then you don't have to. I'll talk with Prof. Oak and see that someone else takes you in instead."
Krad awaited his Pokémon's answer, watching him and hoping that his message was clear. He didn't want to give up Keitou, but he didn't want to poor Pokémon to unwillingly go with him. He believed that such a journey like this required trust from both partners, and if one wasn't willing than he'd just have to settle for waiting until he found someone who was. Still, he hoped Keitou would stay with him. All he could do was watch his Bulbasaur think it over, and pray that his answer was a good one.
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Keitou looked at his master with such a look of surprise that if he wasn't already incapable of human speech, he'd be speechless. He was actually willing to let him go back, even though tradition dictated otherwise? He knew that becoming someone's starter Pokémon was a great honor, one that shouldn't be shrugged off so easily; however, the thought of traveling with a complete stranger to do battle with other strangers seemed ludicrous to him.
Yet... this human seemed different. True the only humans he'd been around were the Pokémon Professor and his aides, and they were friendly of course. Then there were the humans from the town who would sometimes greet him and other times avoid him. Overall he had come to distrust them, feeling that even the Professor had ill intentions for the innocent Bulbasaur. Then this human rescued him from that violent Fearow.
A shiver crept down his bulb as he remembered the attack. He had always feared flying types before, mostly because of his type-weakness, but also because of his... "Defect". Since birth he'd been a mute, the closest to speech being a weak and frail "saur". He had been berated once by a flock of Spearow because of his defect and was unable to cry out for help, not even being able to usher even a Growl to fight back. The Fearow that attacked him was in fact, an evolved form of one of the very same Spearows that used to bully him, only now it had more sinister intentions in mind. If Krad hadn't interfered when he did... well he would have done more than fainted from his injuries that night.
Looking up into the luring red eyes of his trainer, Krad stepped closer and trying his best to speak, let out a faint "saur" as his reply, shaking his head.
"So... you'll stay with me?" Krad asked. "Are you sure?"
With another nod, Keitou watched as his master stood and gave him a warm smile. He assured him that he'd take care of him and not force him to battle too much if he didn't want to. He said that when the time came that he'd have to battle a trainer he'd just choose another if he didn't' feel like fighting. All these promises, all these words of praise; any other Pokémon would be suspicious if their trainer opened up like this to them, but not Keitou. He believed every word.
Something told him that he could trust this human, and his own honor made him feel that he'd need to repay him for saving his life. That debt would be repaid in a simple, but effective way: he'd become his partner.
"Alright, then shall I return you to your Pokéball?"
With a quick nod Keitou watched as Krad withdrew the red and white ball and recall him, his body being blanketed in a ray of red light as he felt himself return to his portable home.
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As Krad secured his Pokéball to his belt, he felt a wave of relief was over him at the face that he'd get to keep his Bulbasaur. Selfish thoughts, maybe, but at least it'd save him an awkward trip back to the Professor.
Putting his sunglasses back on, he looked at the tall grass that swayed lightly in the breeze and wondered if he'd encounter any wild Pokémon right away. He'd heard that encounters could happen when you'd least expect it, and without any repel he'd most likely attract quite a few.
Taking a deep breath, he began trudging his way through the tall grass. It came up nearly to his waist, brushing against his clothes as he walked. The grassy path went on for a short distance before leading to a large opening in the woods, the beginning of Route 1. He didn't see Shinji anywhere ahead, meaning the boy must have not encountered any Pokémon along his way. Krad was certain he wouldn't either until he saw the grass ahead of him shudder. A violet colored tail poked its way out of the grass and started moving closer, going slow, but then breaking into a run. Panicking, Krad grabbed his Pokéball and tossed it, releasing Keitou.
His Pokédex gave off a little beeping noise, reminding the young trainer that he even had it. He quickly grabbed it from his pocket and pointed it at the tail. As he did, a small Pokémon leaped out of the cover of the tall grass, revealing itself. Krad pointed the Pokédex at it and waited.
"Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon," the Pokédex said in an electronic voice. "Its fangs are long and very sharp. They grow continuously, so it gnaws on hard things to whittle them down."
Krad watched as the Rattata looked at Keitou and got into an attack stance. His Bulbasaur did the same, awaiting orders from his trainer. Krad looked back at his Pokédex and noticed that its screen changed, showing what looked like a status bar for Keitou and three different text panels underneath reading: Fight, PKMN, Item, and Run. Curious, Krad used the directional pad on the Pokédex and selected "Fight". The next screen showed a list of his Bulbasaur's moves, of which only two were available.
"Alright... Keitou, use tackle!"
He watched as his Bulbasaur nodded and lunged at the Rattata. The mouse Pokémon waved its tail and slapped Keitou first before the Bulbasaur quickly turned and slammed into it. The Pokédex registered the hits and flashed information on screen to analyze, updating Keitou's stats.
"Okay, now use growl!"
Suddenly Keitou stopped in place, as if unsure of what to do next. The Rattata took advantage of this and let loose a tackle of its own, knocking the grass Pokémon back. Krad stood confused and looked at his Pokédex for aide.
"What's wrong Keitou? Use growl!"
Again, Keitou did nothing and wound up being an easy target for the Rattata's tackle. Worried as the Bulbasaur's health was slowly starting to decline, Krad wondered if they should try running for it.
No, they couldn't give up so easily!
"Don't give up Keitou, use tackle and show that Rattata you mean business!"
The Rattata lunged again for another tackle, but missed as Keitou sidestepped it and slammed into it with a tackle of its own. The battle continued for a few more minutes until finally the Rattata passed out from exhaustion, leaving Keitou standing, but tired.
"You did it Keitou!" Krad shouted, watching as his Pokédex calculated the battle results and the experience gain. "Hmm... think you're good to continue?"
Another nod from his Pokémon allowed Krad to return him to his ball. Continuing his walk, he looked over the Pokédex, intrigued by the device. Professor Oak didn't explain much about it, so the fact that it could read the battle so clearly was amazing. He had a feeling he'd be relying on it more and more as his journey continued.
Looking over the various buttons he found one that looked like an introduction. Pressing it he watched it beep and listened to the same electronic voice from before.
"I'm Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Krad Dashow of the City of Viridian. My function is to provide Krad with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."
Krad was impressed; the Pokédex even knew his home city and everything. He figured that this device must function like a license, allowing a trainer's data to be recorded as they went along their journey. It even kept track of the Pokémon's stats, condition, data, and move set. How ingenious a device this Pokédex was!
As the tall grass finally ended, Krad looked ahead of him, finally putting his Pokédex away. I'd be a while before he'd reach the end of Route 1 and be back home in Viridian City. He'd heard that traveling North on Route 1 was always longer and trickier than heading south, as you had to cover a lot more tall grass along the way. By the looks of the path in front of him, what he heard was right. Taking a deep breath and grinning as he steeled his resolve, then marched forward, singing a song he'd heard once as a kid.
'As we march on forth, down the path we take, our journey's just begun. Keep a look out for, all the tall grass here, and the Pokémon inside. There's no turning back, there's no stopping now, down the Route we will go on. Our Pokémon adventure is now on its way...'
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*Author's note: for those of your curious, yes, the song he's singing is indeed a worded version of the famous Route 1 song. To those wanting more I'll post up the lyrics on my FA account soon. =)Chapter End Notes:Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon not make a profit off of this story. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended