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 3 - Viridian City
Chapter 3: Viridian City
"You have him on the ropes Keitou, just one more Tackle should do it!"
Krad watched as his Bulbasaur gave a nod and side-stepped a Tail Whip from the weakened Rattata. This one was the third one they'd encountered in the tall grass while traveling to Viridian City.
Not long after their first battle with the Wild Pokémon, he ran into Murasaki again and received a free Potion, as promised. Continuing up Route 1, he had met a few other people along the way. They weren't trainers, but just some of the townsfolk from Pallet Town. They told him that they'd already seen Shinji not long ago, so Krad knew he had to be close behind.
Traveling in the Tall Grass wasn't as hectic as Krad at first thought. So far he'd only encountered three Pokémon, all Rattata. After the last battle, he even felt he was getting used to issuing orders and looking at his Pokédex for suggestions. His Pokémon listened to his commands and together the two felt confident against the small Rat Pokémon.
However, there battle confidence was soon to be tested.
"Good job!" shouted Krad as he watched the Rattata fall over in surrender. He gave his Bulbasaur a congratulatory thumb up and returned him to his ball. Once he was back inside, he looked at his Pokedex and noticed that Keitou had gone up a level.
"Alright, if we keep up like this we'll be all set to face the Gym in Pewter City once we get there."
He put Keitou's Pokéball back on his belt and continued walking. He smiled as he stepped out of the Tall Grass and walked the familiar dirt path that led through the woods. Up ahead, at long last, was his home, Viridian City.
He wasted no time and jogged up to the city limits, passing by Officer Jenny's Police booth and giving her a friendly wave. Recognize the young boy clad in black she smiled and waved back. Krad noticed there was a wanted poster hung up next to the booth with three shady-looking characters on it and he stopped, walking over to it.
"Something wrong Krad?" Jenny asked, stepping out of the booth and adjusting her cap.
"Who're these three?" he asked, pointing at the wanted Poster.
Jenny face grew serious and she crossed her arms. "They're members of Team Rocket. They've been causing a lot of trouble lately and these three were spotted here in Viridian."
"Team Rocket? You mean that shady organization that's been accused of stealing Pokémon?"
"That's them."
Krad glanced at the wanted poster again and frowned. What business would they have in Viridian City? He'd heard about their misdeeds all over Kanto, but for them to make themselves publicly known like this was new. He hoped he wouldn't run into any of them along his journey.
"Say Krad, you just got back from Pallet Town, right?" Jenny asked, her tone becoming more cheery.
"Oh, yeah!" Krad said, pulling out his Pokédex. "I'm a licensed Pokémon Trainer now!"
"That's great. Your mother will be so thrilled." She looked over the Pokédex and handed it back to him. "You'll be heading home to pay her a visit I assume?"
"Of course. Which reminds me... did you happen to see my friend Shinji pass through here already?"
Jenny thought a moment then nodded. "As a matter of fact, I think I did. Not even an hour ago."
"Thanks. I'll pay him a visit while I'm at it." He took back his Pokédex and waved. "Bye Officer Jenny!"
"Goodbye Krad! Good luck on your Pokémon journey!"
Smiling, Krad nodded and ran off to his home, near the center of the city. He passed by a few more familiar faces and ended up arriving home nearly an hour later due to all the stops he made. He looked up at the small one-story house a moment before knocking on the door. After a few moments the door opened and before Krad could even open his mouth he found himself swept up into the arms of his mother.
"You're back home!" she cried out, hugging him tight.
"Ah, mom! I was only gone for a couple days at most!"
She frowned at him, not letting go. "That's still two days too long."
He tried to push himself free, but eventually his mother let him go. Gasping for air, he stepped into the house and walked to the living room. "Mom, you know I'd be gone from home a long time. I'm a Pokémon Trainer now." He pulled out the Pokédex from his pocket and showed it to her. "See, here."
His mother took the Pokédex and looked it over, opening up and listening to the electronic voice. "So Prof. Oak gave you your own Pokédex, I'm so proud!"
He nodded. "Yes, and it records data on Pokémon I've seen and caught, as well as my own Pokémon's stats." He then remembered Keitou and reached for his Pokéball. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to show you my Pokémon."
"That's right, you have your own now don't you?" his mother said excitedly. "So which one did you start out with?" She watched as he withdrew a Pokéball and opened it. From out of it, in a flash of light, came a small Bulbasaur. "How cute, you got a Bulbasaur!"
"Yeah. Shinji and I actually rescued him on the way to Pallet Town." He kneeled down and petted him, introducing the small grass Pokémon to his mom. "Keitou, this is my mother. Go ahead, say hello."
Keitou looked up at the smiling woman and slowly crawled toward her. He still felt shy around people he didn't know, but since this was his trainer's mother he thought he could relax a little. He hid his flinch as she kneeled down and slowly petted his head; his somber red eyes glancing up into hers for a brief moment.
"He's adorable Krad," she said with a warm smile. "You said his name was Keitou?" When he nodded she stood. "So, back to 'K' names, huh? Just like your father."
He blushed in frustration. "Mom..."
"There's nothing wrong with that," she said with a small laugh. "I was never good with names, so I'm not one to talk." Then, from the doorway, a voice shouted out her name and she smiled. "Speaking of which, you're father's home."
Walking into the living room was a tall man in his late thirties with dark brown hair and darker skin. He grinned once he saw Krad and ran over to give him a bear hug. "Krad my boy! Welcome back home!"
Laughing, Krad tried his best to hug him back. "Hey dad."
"What you doing back so early son? You give up already?"
"Now Kevin dear, he's just visiting home like a good son," his mother replied for him.
"Hah, I was only joking Katherine." He ruffled the boy's hair and then noticed the Bulbasaur shying away from the scene. "Oh, so this is your starter eh?"
"Yeah, his name is Keitou."
His father smiled. "A Bulbasaur huh? And here I thought you'd follow in your old-man's footsteps and get a Squirtle. I mean, you always loved seeing me and Krash when we battled."
"I know," Krad said as he glanced at his Pokemon. "But there's just something special about Keitou."
"Krad says him and Shinji rescued it when they were headed to Pallet Town," his mother chirped in. "Isn't that so kind of them?"
"Rescued huh? So I guess Oak just let you have him then?" With another nod from his son he smirked. "But I bet you don't know how to catch Pokémon yet, huh?"
"Dad..." Krad whined, his face red from embarrassment. "I know the basics at least..."
"Well, why don't you go see Old Man Nibi then? He's always up for teaching young kids how to catch Pokémon."
Krad shook his head and just smiled. "No, I think I'm okay." He pulled out a spare Pokéball and held it out. "Besides, I wanted to get used to Keitou first before I started catching others."
"Alright, if you really think you're ready then."
"Why don't you stay for the night to rest up before leaving?" he mom asked, looking hopeful. "You two do look tired."
"Sure," Krad said, yawning a bit. "We'll continue first thing tomorrow."
He recalled Keitou and headed to his room, wondering if Shinji was resting for the night or continuing on his journey. Glancing at his clock he assumed the latter and stepped into his room, flopping onto his bed and smiling as he remembered how soft it was.
'Better enjoy this while I can', he thought, 'because after today, it's sleeping in tents and Inns.'
After setting his alarm, he took off his pack and changed into his pajamas, climbing into bed. He placed Keitou's ball on the stand next to him and smiled, hoping his Bulbasaur would get some decent rest along with him.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Do dee doo dee doo!" his alarm clock chimed, stirring Krad from his slumber. He quickly waved his arm around and slapped the clock, shutting it off. He glanced at his clock and gave a yawn, kicking the covers off of him. Stretching a bit, he looked around his room, taking in the sights one last time. His TV was at one corner with a game system hooked up to it, and to its right was his computer.
Getting an idea, he got up, grabbed his Pokédex, and walked over to his computer to start it up. Once it booted it up, he plugged in his Pokédex to it via cable and waited. Sure enough, a screen popped up that connected him to the Pokémon Network, the online storage system for Pokémon and Items. The Network logged in his data from the Pokédex and automatically assigned him a "Box" in his name where he could store any excess items he didn't need to take with him. Opening it up, he was surprised to see there was a Potion inside the box, possibly a free gift for first-time users.
"Awesome, two potions already and I haven't paid a thing!"
He clicked a confirmation to withdraw the item and waited. Next to his computer was a type of machine called a "Virtual Capsule", an ingenious device which was where he could send and receive items directly from the computer. A few seconds after he clicked the confirmation, the capsule glowed and materialized the Potion as if out of thin air. Smiling, Krad put it away in his bag and logged out of the system, shutting off his computer.
Krad got dressed, put on his backpack, and grabbed Keitou's Pokéball, securing it on his waist again. Picking up his sunglasses, he stretched one last time and stepped out of his room, only to be greeted with an odd sight. There was a Magikarp flopping in the living room that he knew wasn't there before. He recognized it as Karpy, the family pet from when he was younger, but had no clue as to why it was splashing in the house instead of in the aquarium outside. He was about to say something when he saw his father walk out of the kitchen.
"Morning son," he said, sounding completely oblivious to the Magikarp splashing nearby.
"Um, dad..." Krad started, glancing at the Pokémon in question, "why is Karpy flopping around in the living room?"
"Oh, you're mother and I were hoping you could take him along with you on your journey."
"What?!"
His father laughed and walked over to Karpy. "Come on son, I know a Magikarp might not seem like much, but just think about it for a minute. With enough training he could grow up into a big a fearsome Gyarados!" Making a good point, his father reached in his back pocket and pulled out a Pokéball. "Here I even have his Pokéball so you wouldn't have to use yours. What do you say?"
Krad looked at Karpy again and pulled out his Pokédex, scanning him. The electronic voice of the Pokédex spoke up, saying: "Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world." Both Krad and his father stared at the Pokédex a minute, then back at Karpy, both a bit silent at the rather rude statement from the electronic device. Its owner glanced at the stats displayed and saw that Karpy was a mere Level 3 Magikarp, its stats lower than that of one typically found in the wild.
Putting his Pokédex away Krad shook his head. "Sorry dad, but I just can't bring him with me. For one, he can't fight. His only attack doesn't really do anything and secondly his level is really low. He'd only be a liability on my team."
Kevin pondered what his son had said and gave a sigh, finally letting it sink in. "Okay, I see what you mean son. Your mom and I were just hoping we could help you out in someway."
"Thanks dad, but really I can handle myself."
"One thing though, Krad," his father replied, "Do you know how to catch a Pokémon?"
This question kind of stunned the young Pokémon trainer. True he'd read up and studied on catching Pokémon before starting his journey, but besides the basics he'd never caught one before. His sudden cluelessness embarrassed him and he slowly shook his head. "I haven't tried yet, but I sort of know how to do it."
"Well, why don't you go visit Old Man Rodney? He's always willing to teach young trainers how to catch Pokémon."
"Old Man Rodney? I... guess I could ask him for help."
"Well there you go," Krad's father replied with a smile, "You know where you can find him, right?"
Krad nodded, giving his father a smile as he thanked him. He double checked his gear and said a final goodbye, waving as he walked out the door. The day was bright and warm, with a light breeze blowing in from the East. The young trainer headed to the North of the city, passing by his rival's house along the way and wondering if Shinji had already left. To the West was the Road to the Indigo Plateau, Route 22; a path that Krad was sure he'd see one day. For now however, he had other things to worry about, especially as he neared his destination.
Smiling, he waved as he was greeted by Old Man Rodney, sitting by his usual spot near the start of Route 2. The kind senior was always found resting under the shade of the trees and enjoyed helping new trainers who were willing to listen; as long as he'd had his coffee of course. The two sat and talked, Rodney curious about what Pokémon Krad has chosen as his starter and how much he already knew about catching others. Seeing the boy's naïvetés at catching Pokémon, he agreed to help teach him more.
"Alright boy, I'll show you what you need to know," he said, getting up and pulling a Pokéball from his pocket. He walked to the edge of the woods nearby and looked over his shoulder. "You just pay attention and leave it all to me."Chapter End Notes:Feedback is always appreciated! Leave a comment if you liked
"You have him on the ropes Keitou, just one more Tackle should do it!"
Krad watched as his Bulbasaur gave a nod and side-stepped a Tail Whip from the weakened Rattata. This one was the third one they'd encountered in the tall grass while traveling to Viridian City.
Not long after their first battle with the Wild Pokémon, he ran into Murasaki again and received a free Potion, as promised. Continuing up Route 1, he had met a few other people along the way. They weren't trainers, but just some of the townsfolk from Pallet Town. They told him that they'd already seen Shinji not long ago, so Krad knew he had to be close behind.
Traveling in the Tall Grass wasn't as hectic as Krad at first thought. So far he'd only encountered three Pokémon, all Rattata. After the last battle, he even felt he was getting used to issuing orders and looking at his Pokédex for suggestions. His Pokémon listened to his commands and together the two felt confident against the small Rat Pokémon.
However, there battle confidence was soon to be tested.
"Good job!" shouted Krad as he watched the Rattata fall over in surrender. He gave his Bulbasaur a congratulatory thumb up and returned him to his ball. Once he was back inside, he looked at his Pokedex and noticed that Keitou had gone up a level.
"Alright, if we keep up like this we'll be all set to face the Gym in Pewter City once we get there."
He put Keitou's Pokéball back on his belt and continued walking. He smiled as he stepped out of the Tall Grass and walked the familiar dirt path that led through the woods. Up ahead, at long last, was his home, Viridian City.
He wasted no time and jogged up to the city limits, passing by Officer Jenny's Police booth and giving her a friendly wave. Recognize the young boy clad in black she smiled and waved back. Krad noticed there was a wanted poster hung up next to the booth with three shady-looking characters on it and he stopped, walking over to it.
"Something wrong Krad?" Jenny asked, stepping out of the booth and adjusting her cap.
"Who're these three?" he asked, pointing at the wanted Poster.
Jenny face grew serious and she crossed her arms. "They're members of Team Rocket. They've been causing a lot of trouble lately and these three were spotted here in Viridian."
"Team Rocket? You mean that shady organization that's been accused of stealing Pokémon?"
"That's them."
Krad glanced at the wanted poster again and frowned. What business would they have in Viridian City? He'd heard about their misdeeds all over Kanto, but for them to make themselves publicly known like this was new. He hoped he wouldn't run into any of them along his journey.
"Say Krad, you just got back from Pallet Town, right?" Jenny asked, her tone becoming more cheery.
"Oh, yeah!" Krad said, pulling out his Pokédex. "I'm a licensed Pokémon Trainer now!"
"That's great. Your mother will be so thrilled." She looked over the Pokédex and handed it back to him. "You'll be heading home to pay her a visit I assume?"
"Of course. Which reminds me... did you happen to see my friend Shinji pass through here already?"
Jenny thought a moment then nodded. "As a matter of fact, I think I did. Not even an hour ago."
"Thanks. I'll pay him a visit while I'm at it." He took back his Pokédex and waved. "Bye Officer Jenny!"
"Goodbye Krad! Good luck on your Pokémon journey!"
Smiling, Krad nodded and ran off to his home, near the center of the city. He passed by a few more familiar faces and ended up arriving home nearly an hour later due to all the stops he made. He looked up at the small one-story house a moment before knocking on the door. After a few moments the door opened and before Krad could even open his mouth he found himself swept up into the arms of his mother.
"You're back home!" she cried out, hugging him tight.
"Ah, mom! I was only gone for a couple days at most!"
She frowned at him, not letting go. "That's still two days too long."
He tried to push himself free, but eventually his mother let him go. Gasping for air, he stepped into the house and walked to the living room. "Mom, you know I'd be gone from home a long time. I'm a Pokémon Trainer now." He pulled out the Pokédex from his pocket and showed it to her. "See, here."
His mother took the Pokédex and looked it over, opening up and listening to the electronic voice. "So Prof. Oak gave you your own Pokédex, I'm so proud!"
He nodded. "Yes, and it records data on Pokémon I've seen and caught, as well as my own Pokémon's stats." He then remembered Keitou and reached for his Pokéball. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to show you my Pokémon."
"That's right, you have your own now don't you?" his mother said excitedly. "So which one did you start out with?" She watched as he withdrew a Pokéball and opened it. From out of it, in a flash of light, came a small Bulbasaur. "How cute, you got a Bulbasaur!"
"Yeah. Shinji and I actually rescued him on the way to Pallet Town." He kneeled down and petted him, introducing the small grass Pokémon to his mom. "Keitou, this is my mother. Go ahead, say hello."
Keitou looked up at the smiling woman and slowly crawled toward her. He still felt shy around people he didn't know, but since this was his trainer's mother he thought he could relax a little. He hid his flinch as she kneeled down and slowly petted his head; his somber red eyes glancing up into hers for a brief moment.
"He's adorable Krad," she said with a warm smile. "You said his name was Keitou?" When he nodded she stood. "So, back to 'K' names, huh? Just like your father."
He blushed in frustration. "Mom..."
"There's nothing wrong with that," she said with a small laugh. "I was never good with names, so I'm not one to talk." Then, from the doorway, a voice shouted out her name and she smiled. "Speaking of which, you're father's home."
Walking into the living room was a tall man in his late thirties with dark brown hair and darker skin. He grinned once he saw Krad and ran over to give him a bear hug. "Krad my boy! Welcome back home!"
Laughing, Krad tried his best to hug him back. "Hey dad."
"What you doing back so early son? You give up already?"
"Now Kevin dear, he's just visiting home like a good son," his mother replied for him.
"Hah, I was only joking Katherine." He ruffled the boy's hair and then noticed the Bulbasaur shying away from the scene. "Oh, so this is your starter eh?"
"Yeah, his name is Keitou."
His father smiled. "A Bulbasaur huh? And here I thought you'd follow in your old-man's footsteps and get a Squirtle. I mean, you always loved seeing me and Krash when we battled."
"I know," Krad said as he glanced at his Pokemon. "But there's just something special about Keitou."
"Krad says him and Shinji rescued it when they were headed to Pallet Town," his mother chirped in. "Isn't that so kind of them?"
"Rescued huh? So I guess Oak just let you have him then?" With another nod from his son he smirked. "But I bet you don't know how to catch Pokémon yet, huh?"
"Dad..." Krad whined, his face red from embarrassment. "I know the basics at least..."
"Well, why don't you go see Old Man Nibi then? He's always up for teaching young kids how to catch Pokémon."
Krad shook his head and just smiled. "No, I think I'm okay." He pulled out a spare Pokéball and held it out. "Besides, I wanted to get used to Keitou first before I started catching others."
"Alright, if you really think you're ready then."
"Why don't you stay for the night to rest up before leaving?" he mom asked, looking hopeful. "You two do look tired."
"Sure," Krad said, yawning a bit. "We'll continue first thing tomorrow."
He recalled Keitou and headed to his room, wondering if Shinji was resting for the night or continuing on his journey. Glancing at his clock he assumed the latter and stepped into his room, flopping onto his bed and smiling as he remembered how soft it was.
'Better enjoy this while I can', he thought, 'because after today, it's sleeping in tents and Inns.'
After setting his alarm, he took off his pack and changed into his pajamas, climbing into bed. He placed Keitou's ball on the stand next to him and smiled, hoping his Bulbasaur would get some decent rest along with him.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Do dee doo dee doo!" his alarm clock chimed, stirring Krad from his slumber. He quickly waved his arm around and slapped the clock, shutting it off. He glanced at his clock and gave a yawn, kicking the covers off of him. Stretching a bit, he looked around his room, taking in the sights one last time. His TV was at one corner with a game system hooked up to it, and to its right was his computer.
Getting an idea, he got up, grabbed his Pokédex, and walked over to his computer to start it up. Once it booted it up, he plugged in his Pokédex to it via cable and waited. Sure enough, a screen popped up that connected him to the Pokémon Network, the online storage system for Pokémon and Items. The Network logged in his data from the Pokédex and automatically assigned him a "Box" in his name where he could store any excess items he didn't need to take with him. Opening it up, he was surprised to see there was a Potion inside the box, possibly a free gift for first-time users.
"Awesome, two potions already and I haven't paid a thing!"
He clicked a confirmation to withdraw the item and waited. Next to his computer was a type of machine called a "Virtual Capsule", an ingenious device which was where he could send and receive items directly from the computer. A few seconds after he clicked the confirmation, the capsule glowed and materialized the Potion as if out of thin air. Smiling, Krad put it away in his bag and logged out of the system, shutting off his computer.
Krad got dressed, put on his backpack, and grabbed Keitou's Pokéball, securing it on his waist again. Picking up his sunglasses, he stretched one last time and stepped out of his room, only to be greeted with an odd sight. There was a Magikarp flopping in the living room that he knew wasn't there before. He recognized it as Karpy, the family pet from when he was younger, but had no clue as to why it was splashing in the house instead of in the aquarium outside. He was about to say something when he saw his father walk out of the kitchen.
"Morning son," he said, sounding completely oblivious to the Magikarp splashing nearby.
"Um, dad..." Krad started, glancing at the Pokémon in question, "why is Karpy flopping around in the living room?"
"Oh, you're mother and I were hoping you could take him along with you on your journey."
"What?!"
His father laughed and walked over to Karpy. "Come on son, I know a Magikarp might not seem like much, but just think about it for a minute. With enough training he could grow up into a big a fearsome Gyarados!" Making a good point, his father reached in his back pocket and pulled out a Pokéball. "Here I even have his Pokéball so you wouldn't have to use yours. What do you say?"
Krad looked at Karpy again and pulled out his Pokédex, scanning him. The electronic voice of the Pokédex spoke up, saying: "Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world." Both Krad and his father stared at the Pokédex a minute, then back at Karpy, both a bit silent at the rather rude statement from the electronic device. Its owner glanced at the stats displayed and saw that Karpy was a mere Level 3 Magikarp, its stats lower than that of one typically found in the wild.
Putting his Pokédex away Krad shook his head. "Sorry dad, but I just can't bring him with me. For one, he can't fight. His only attack doesn't really do anything and secondly his level is really low. He'd only be a liability on my team."
Kevin pondered what his son had said and gave a sigh, finally letting it sink in. "Okay, I see what you mean son. Your mom and I were just hoping we could help you out in someway."
"Thanks dad, but really I can handle myself."
"One thing though, Krad," his father replied, "Do you know how to catch a Pokémon?"
This question kind of stunned the young Pokémon trainer. True he'd read up and studied on catching Pokémon before starting his journey, but besides the basics he'd never caught one before. His sudden cluelessness embarrassed him and he slowly shook his head. "I haven't tried yet, but I sort of know how to do it."
"Well, why don't you go visit Old Man Rodney? He's always willing to teach young trainers how to catch Pokémon."
"Old Man Rodney? I... guess I could ask him for help."
"Well there you go," Krad's father replied with a smile, "You know where you can find him, right?"
Krad nodded, giving his father a smile as he thanked him. He double checked his gear and said a final goodbye, waving as he walked out the door. The day was bright and warm, with a light breeze blowing in from the East. The young trainer headed to the North of the city, passing by his rival's house along the way and wondering if Shinji had already left. To the West was the Road to the Indigo Plateau, Route 22; a path that Krad was sure he'd see one day. For now however, he had other things to worry about, especially as he neared his destination.
Smiling, he waved as he was greeted by Old Man Rodney, sitting by his usual spot near the start of Route 2. The kind senior was always found resting under the shade of the trees and enjoyed helping new trainers who were willing to listen; as long as he'd had his coffee of course. The two sat and talked, Rodney curious about what Pokémon Krad has chosen as his starter and how much he already knew about catching others. Seeing the boy's naïvetés at catching Pokémon, he agreed to help teach him more.
"Alright boy, I'll show you what you need to know," he said, getting up and pulling a Pokéball from his pocket. He walked to the edge of the woods nearby and looked over his shoulder. "You just pay attention and leave it all to me."Chapter End Notes:Feedback is always appreciated! Leave a comment if you liked