Pokemon: Ribbons of Destiny (Chapter 5, 1-16-09)
Chapter 1: Time and Place
The rays of the sun broke through the clouds that hovered over the village of Pallet Town. Warming energy touched the ground, heating the sidewalks and lawns.
Pallet Town had always been a small town. They received their power from a locally owned and operated power plant. The nearest shopping town was Viridian City, a two-day walk north. Pallet was home to about 10,000 humans and twice as many Pokémon.
Sitting inside his room on the top floor of a second story home, Denny Roth sat at his drafting table. Pencil in hand, and paper before him.
His hand quickly sketched out an outline, erased, emphasized some lines, sketched, and continued. The creature fleshed out on the paper was a dragon, not any dragon, it was a Charizard. Pictures of Pokémon littered his drafting table, dragons, psychics, bugs, and others were featured in the pictures. There was even a newspaper cut-out of a piece of a golden rock on display within a museum.
The radio blared on his dresser, several feet behind him. “… the explosion is still unexplained, and the Cinnabar Fire-fighters have been fighting the flames for the last few hours with no sign of the fire letting up. The are eye-witness reports of something blasting up and away from the mansion shortly after the explosion. And the latest group of Pokémon Trainers that have passed their Trainer Exams shall begin their own quests at the end of the week. Several high scoring pupils have caught the eye of the Pokémon League as tough contenders in the coming season…”
Denny stopped sketching and looked out the window his drafting table faced. The sun started to peak through the layers of clouds that had surrounded Pallet Town earlier in the day. He hadn’t taken the Exam. He hadn’t bothered.
He liked Pokémon, who didn’t, but he never asked his mom to let him take the test. Even though in her own words: “You can do anything you want as long as your happy…. And it’s legal.”
“Hmm,” Denny pondered. “Maybe I should have taken the Exam… What did I have to lose?”
He thought about it a bit more. Three other kids from Pallet had taken the Exam, one mainly to be exempt from the school year. His eyes lowered to the drawing in front of him. The fore-shortened left leg of the Charizard still didn’t look right.
Denny went back to working on the picture and noticed the sunlight increase in brightness. Lead met with paper as he continued working on the Charizard.
Working on the drawing, Denny was oblivious to something blocking the sunlight. He was oblivious to the fact that the shadow was moving.
Stopping, he looked at his drafting table and the shadow being cast on it. Confused, he looked up and saw what was blocking the sunlight.
A Pokémon floated in mid-air. Its fur was a whitish pink. Feline in shape with two big ears and a long tail, it resembled a kangaroo rat. It blinked back at him with two big blue eyes shining with intelligence.
“Mew,” was what Denny heard through the glass of his window.
“GAH!” Denny flipped backwards on his chair, crashing to his bedroom floor.
“It’s a… Pokémon,” he mumbled to himself as he sat up and looked at the window again. He blinked. It was gone. “Wha?” he mumbled to himself.
Scrambling to his feet, Denny grabbed his hat and vest and nearly jumped down the stairs to the ground floor. Rushing out of the door in the carport and sliding along the sidewalk, Denny looked up at the sky around where his bedroom window faced. The slam of the screen door in the carport echoed loudly.
Confused, dumbfounded, Denny stared at the west side of his home.
“Where’d it…. What was it?” he mumbled to himself.
His confusion was shattered by three kids walked up the road towards him.
The trio consisted of two boys and a girl, all of them around their mid-teens. Denny recognized them instantly. Ash, Gary, and Giselle. Ash had a heart of fire and a will never to give up, and always had his red cap on his head. Gary was colder, sarcastic and wore a long-sleeved blue shirt. Giselle had a habit of being a bit greedy and was sometimes named “Green” because of the green-eyed monster, currently she was wearing a white t-shirt with a short red skirt and sun-hat with part of a Pokčball design on it. Denny had known the three all their lives, he liked them all and preferred to hang out with Red more than Blue and Green.
“Hey Denny!” Ash shouted as the three of them got closer.
“Yo guys, how’d the Exams go?”
Gary balanced a Pokéball on his index finger. “Too easy, they should have put me in the advanced class.”
“You’re always boasting Gary, why not just make gloating an Olympic Sport?” Giselle retorted shrugging her shoulders.
“Heh,” Denny chuckled at her comment. “How about you Ash?”
Ash hung his head and sighed.
“He almost slept through the whole test!” Gary stated and slapped Ash in the back.
“I can’t help it! I was up all night studying!” Ash shouted back and the two of them got into a grappling match.
“If they weren’t close friends you’d think they’d want to kill each other,” Giselle commented, folding her arms.
“What do you mean?” Ash and Gary said at the same time. “We DO want to kill each other.”
“Save it for later boys,”
“So Denny,” Gary stated as he stood back up, dusting his clothes off. “Didn’t you take the Exam? Or are you too busy drawing Pokémon to train them?”
Denny looked at him. “You don’t think I haven’t considered it? I’d like to go out and see the world. To see new Pokémon. To draw those Pokémon. But mostly to go out and see the world.”
“Then why didn’t you take the Exam?” Giselle asked.
Sighing, Denny replied, “Cause I applied too late for the Exam date this season.”
“Awe,” replied Gary. “Poor Denny missed the Exam. Looks like you’ll be able to watch me become the top trainer in Indigo.”
“Watch it Gary,” Ash said. “You’ll have to get past me, because I’ll be the top trainer.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah!”
“Then try and keep up!” Gary ran off, with Ash close behind. The two boys disappeared down the street.
“I better get going too. I know there are some cute Pokémon for me! Bye Denny! Hey! Wait for meee!” Giselle ran off after them, her hair trailing behind her.
Denny stood and watched the three disappear down the road, heading towards Professor Oak’s Research Laboratory. He had walked by the lab several times, it was hard not to since Pallet was small. A few times he wanted to go in, but Oak was a high-level celebrity, so walking up to the man made most people uncomfortable.
He shook his head and looked around for the reason he ran outside in the first place. The Pokémon had to be long gone by now. Walking up by the side of his home, he looked up where his bedroom window faced. Bushes lined this side of the house, and one of the windows was covered with a blanket.
Denny looked at the sky, shielding his eyes from the rays of the burning sun. As he looked up, there was a slight sound of rustling behind him. Spinning around, Denny looked at the bushes.
Something moved slightly among the leaves behind the bushes. Denny walked up slowly, carefully placing his feet as he moved closer to look under the bush.
He almost fell over.
Curled up under the branches of the bush, a fine furred Pokémon lay. The fur had a pink tint to it, even as it was shaded by the bush leaves. A long thin tail wrapped around the small Pokémon, the tip a large bulge. To Denny, the Pokémon looked much smaller than the one that appeared at his window.
Denny kneeled down and slowly reached his hand outward towards the Pokémon. His hand was an inch away from the soft pelt and he gulped. Why hadn’t the Pokémon run? Why did it stay on the ground, content and sleeping? He swallowed down the lump in his throat and pushed his hand farther towards the Pokémon.
The feeling of a warm soft pelt met his fingers, and soon his hand sat gently on the Pokémon’s body.
This Pokémon was smaller than the one he saw outside his window. Much smaller. Denny let his hand rest on the Pokémon’s chest, feeling its breathing. Its eyes were closed and it breathed deeply and shallowly. But something was wrong. It was much too small, and it’s breathing very irregular.
“Maybe,” Denny said out loud. “It’s sick. But it looks so young…”
Carefully, he picked up the Pokémon into his arms. It was small, barely seven inches tall. The tail hung loosely as he held the Pokémon in his arms. Quickly he rushed back inside his home, keeping the sleeping Pokémon safe.
* * *
“Denny,” his mother told him after his mad dash around the house for towels and food for the Pokémon. “If it was abandoned then there’s a chance that the Pokémon won’t make it.”
“But I’ve at least got to try mom,” he sat on the floor next to his bed. The Pokémon was curled up on his bed, wrapped in towels and a hot water bottle sitting under it. “Remember the kittens I raised?”
Two years ago Denny had found three abandoned kittens. For the next three months he hand fed and cared for them until they were old enough to be given away. His desire for them to survive woke him up in the middle of the night to feed them, clean them, and keep a watchful eye on the kittens. Now he was showing that same devotion to this abandoned Pokémon, who was left on his doorstep.
“By why was it left here? Just to die, to fend for itself?” he asked himself.
His mother put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know dear. Whatever happens, happens. Don’t get your hopes up, I don’t think it will live through the next few hours, let alone the night.”
“So what can I do?” Denny asked looking up at his mother.
“I don’t know honey,” she replied. “I don’t know.”
Denny stood up, determination in his eyes. “I’ve gotta try!” With that, Denny bolted out of the room and almost fell down the stairs as he ran out of his home. His feet hit the pavement and kicked up small amounts of dirt in his wake.
Pallet was small compared to Viridian and other larger towns. It had a few offices and a mini-mall or two, but it was still a small town at heart. Denny ran along the road, nearly getting run over by a truck or hover scooter, but not stopping as he ran.
* * *
“Bulbasaur!” Ash shouted loudly. “Take down!”
The aqua green lizard with the bud on its back curled his legs and lunged at the Charmander in the way. Its small body slammed into the orange Pokémon and knocked it back.
“Come on Charmander, Ember!”
Spinning back, the Charmander spat out loogies of flame. The small fires burnt the toad-like Pokémon.
Ash, Gary, and Giselle were on a small hill on the edge of Pallet Town. They had just received their starting Pokémon and were testing them against each other. Giselle herself was just watching the two boys pummel each other until they finally got bored. This, however, was their third match and each had one a single match before. She looked over at the road leading back to Professor Oak’s. Pallet Town rested between two hills in a small valley, two skyscrapers pierced the sky over the town. As she looked down, she noticed that someone was running along the road towards Professor Oak’s.
“Is that… Denny?” she asked herself as she heard Ash and Gary’s Pokémon battle. “What could he be doing?”
“Ha!” Gary said loudly. “I knew I’d win. Fire types are strong against Grass types. This is why I picked second.”
Giselle stood up and dusted off part of her dress. “Well keep gloating Gary, because my Turtley is better than your Charmander. Go!” She threw the Pokéball containing her starting Pokémon and the ball started to glow brightly. The glowing sphere deformed and transformed into the small turtle-like Squirtle.
* * *
Denny stopped at a light post and forced himself to catch his breath. He had run across town, and was surprised that Pallet was actually that big. Looking up he wiped the sweat off his brow and away from his eyes.
“Almost *huff* there *huff*…” Denny looked up and got his bearings.
He was on the edge of Pallet Town, the area where Professor Oak kept his lab wasn’t too much farther ahead and he could already see the top of the building above the trees. Taking another breath he started running, although at a slower pace.
A large fence surrounded the laboratory, and the gates were still open. An engraved plaque read “Oak Pokémon Laboratory.” The building was two stories tall and several stories across. Smooth grey limestone made up the exterior and two columnar pillars in front of the glass doors. Slowly, Denny walked up to the doors.
Cautiously he stepped on the elevated landing. The glass doors slid apart with a “whoosh” causing him to jump back. His composure returned, Denny walked inside.
While the interior was seemingly common the inside was amazing. Shelves of books, Pokémon statues and models, complicated machinery, and several desks littered the large front room.
“Whoa…” Denny managed to mutter as he cautiously made his way further inside. Magazines and books littered the floor, along with pieces of circuitry. Piles of discarded trash, used food wrappers. The lights were off, save for a flickering luminescent bulb in the back room. As the doors closed behind him, he was surrounded by the darkness, the flickering light gave the scene such an eerie feeling that a shiver ran up Denny’s spine.
“Pro…Professor Oak?” he meekly called out. “Are you… here?”
Slowly, step by step, he started walking deeper into the office, side-stepping piles of trash. Each step sent out either a crunch or crinkle of paper and plastic. Some of the trash on a pile next to him shifted and he jumped, letting out a shout and backing up into the pile behind him.
His eyes widened with horror as the falling pile revealed a human stuck under it. Her face was hidden by deep lines and she looked like a zombie.
“A-A-A!” Something grabbed his foot and he looked down. Someone else was under the pile he had backed into, trash and papers falling off of this one’s body.
“He-ee-eelp…. U-uh-us.”
Denny’s eyes widened as he saw the two zombie-like people.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
* * *
“So you two were stuck like that for two days?” Denny commented, breathing hard after getting the two assistants out from under the pile of trash that they had been stuck under. The other two just smiled and chuckled nervously, mumbling about being undependable. The trash was piled over against the walls in tall piles, when it collapsed on both of them, trapping them under their weight.
“So who are you?”
“Were’ Professor Oak’s Assistants,” said the male. “I’m Daryl.” He had short brown hair and a thin face, and had an air around him that made him feel trustworthy.
“Interns, actually,” the female replied, whapping Daryl in the back of the head. “I’m Sarah.” She was pretty, late teens with long black hair and small oval glasses. Both of them were wearing similar white lab coats. “Who are you?”
Denny remembered why he was here. “I’m Denny! And I need to see Professor Oak, right now! I need his help!”
“Um… the Professor isn’t here.” Daryl commented, slightly surprised at Denny’s urgentness.
“Isn’t this his lab?!”
“Actually this is our office,” Sarah replied. “The Professor’s actual Lab is at the other end of a compound. It even has a different entrance that’s marked clearly.”
Denny’s reaction was one of surprise as he realized that he had stumbled into the intern’s office and completely missed the main lab where Oak was supposed to be. A dark aura seemed to surround him as a feeling of defeat washed over him.
“I think he’s a little bit depressed,” Sarah commented.
“You think?” was Daryl’s reply.
“What’s all this?” came a voice from behind Sarah and Daryl, which caught them both off guard as a shiver ran up their spines.
Denny turned at the voice and the three of them were surprised to find Professor Oak standing, leaning in through the door and staring at the sight.
Despite his reputation for being a world renowned expert on Pokčmon, you would expect a man like Daniel Oak to be old and have a thick beard similar to Charles Darwin. However he was barely middle aged, mostly clean shaven, with a small hint of stubble. His hair was cut short on the sides and was ruffled like he had just woken up. In his hand was a cup of coffee and in his other was a piece of toast he had just taken a bite out of.
“GAH! Professor! Forgive us!” the two interns pleaded, bowing at Oak’s feet.
Oak just sipped his coffee, making the comment of, “You both are horrible house keepers. No wonder I didn’t see you for the last few days.” He looked at Denny, who was still dumbfounded to be in the same room.
“Professor Oak! You have to help!”
“Denny… was it?” Oak said finishing the toast he had. “Now what’s the problem?”
“IhaveaPokčmonwellactuallyIfounditandit’slittleand pinkandit’ssickorsomethingandIdidn’ttakethePokčmon ExamsoIcan’thaveitbutIcan’tletitdieand…” Denny stopped as Sarah put a finger to his lips, calming him. He was surprised by how pretty she was, and he started to calm down.
“Take it easy,” she said in a calm voice. “We’ll help.”
“Right,” Oak said, putting the empty coffee mug on a shelf that had a little space. “Daryl, get my examination bag from the Lab. Meet us by the car, while Denny shows us this Pokémon he found.”
“See?” Sarah said sweetly. “We’ll be glad to help.”
And Denny felt calm.
* * *
The look on Professor Oak’s face was priceless as he saw the small little Pokémon lay curled up on a few blankets and pillow on his bed. Professionalism took over and he went to work, hovering over the small Pokémon, using instruments and calling the interns for assistance. Denny was ushered out of the room as the three of them began to diagnose the small being.
An hour later, the three came out, Professor Oak had a look of concern on his face.
“Denny,” he said. “I need to speak with you. Alone.”
Concerned, and a bit afraid, Denny gulped a bit before walking slowly towards his room where the little Pokémon was asleep. There was medical equipment and some instruments that he had never seen before, scattered around the room, resting on his bed. The Pokémon had receptors connected to its body, and a small machine was resting on his bed, letting out constant beeps and body readouts.
“What I’m about to tell you isn’t the best of news,” the professor started. “This Pokémon isn’t any ordinary Pokémon. It’s very rare, so rare that I’ve only heard about it in legends and hieroglyphics.”
“It’s rare?”
“Yes. Very rare. And what’s more, this one is young. The tests I’ve done show that it is a very young Pokémon, possibly less than a few weeks old. However,” Oak’s tone turned serious. “The Pokémon has also suffered a lot of physical and mental trauma. Her mental readings are off the charts and her vital signs are fluctuating at an unpredictable rate. At this rate, she’ll die tonight.”
“Wh-What?” Denny was shocked. He had never really experienced death, although he understood it. Death was a release from the world, and it was the end of life.
“This Pokémon,” Oak repeated. “Is going to die.”
“Ca-Can’t you do anything?! You’re the Pokémon Prof!” he yelled.
“I’m only human, Denny. I can’t save every life, I’m not even equipped for it. Death is a part of life, and sometimes we have to let it run its course.” Oak started to disconnect the equipment and collect it back into the bag that it was brought in.
Denny was dumbfounded. All he could do… was wait for her to die.
“If you want to do something for her,” Oak said just before he was ready to walk out the door to his room. “Then remember her. Keep her in your heart. Make a nice memorial for her. For what little time you’ve spent with such a precious little creature.”
With that, Professor Oak left Denny, closing the door behind him.
Denny stared at the little Pokémon resting and breathing on his bed, wrapped up in cloth and cushioned. Carefully he walked towards her, resting a hand on the small one’s head, gently petting it, feeling how cold she was getting compared to when he had found her earlier that day.
“No…” he whispered. “You can’t die.” His hand felt the soft pelt. “Please. I don’t want to see anyone die. You’re a life. You can’t leave without trying to live yet.”
He kneeled at the foot of his bed, wrapping his arm around the Pokémon, trying to keep her nice and warm. Denny would give her his own life if he could, if he knew how. However, this was all he knew. He could only comfort her until the end.
Please…. Don’t die…..
With tears running down his cheeks, he fell asleep at the foot of his own bed, the Pokémon breathing shallowly in his arms.
* * *
Denny awoke the next morning, stiff and sore. His eyes were heavy with sleep and his arms and neck were stiff. Leaning up he turned his head, trying to stretch his neck along with his arms. He groaned slightly from the pain and rubbed his head. The world was a blur to him, and he started to feel around for his glasses.
He searched and started feeling over his bed, squinting his eyes to force the world into perception. Denny’s hand grazed across his glasses and he fumbled with them in his drowsy state. Carefully he put them on, the ear-pieces sliding over the back of his ears. His mouth was dry and felt thick, smacking his lips, trying to get some saliva running he looked around his room.
Looking around with his eyes half-opened, his mind was a blank. It was slowly working, getting back into the normal rhythm of thinking. He looked around at his bed and saw the pile of towels and bedding that he had put there for the Pokémon…
And the Pokémon was missing!
Suddenly awake and aware, Denny scrambled up and darted out of his room.
“Mom!” His feet struggled for traction as he went down the stairs and he slammed into the wall at the small landing before jumping down to the main ground.
“Mom! Wh-Where’s?” he mumbled, tears forming in his eyes.
His mother looked back at him with a look of confusion and sadness. “Denny I…”
“Mew,” said a soft high-pitched voice just before Denny felt a weight on his head.
He looked up, and stared into the small face of the pink furred, bright blue-eyed, Pokémon that had been on death’s door the other day.
“GAH!” he exclaimed, shock and surprise taking his balance and causing him to fall over. The Pokémon flew off his head as he crashed on the floor, causing a few things from the cabinets to fall down, landing on top of him.
“Ow…” he rubbed his head before the Pokémon floated over and landed on his chest, leaning over and staring him in the eyes.
“Mew!” it seemed to purr before licking his cheek and nuzzling up against him.
“Yo—You’re alive!” Denny exclaimed as he sat up and held the Pokémon in his hands. She was even smaller than he had thought. Between his hands, only her feet, tail, and head were clearly visible. The little Pokémon just smiled back at him, purring contently.
I… I’m glad..” he said, tears running down his cheeks. Not from sadness, but from joy and the knowledge that this Pokémon was alive.
* * *
“Incredible,” Professor Oak exclaimed for the third time. “Just … incredible.”
Denny sat backwards in one of the chairs that littered the professor’s laboratory, smiling contently. Oak was busy taking readings of the Pokémon’s vital signs and energy levels. The little creature had gone from death’s door to the spitting image of fitness in less than a day. She was smiling and purring and had enough energy to give a Pikachu a toothache.
“The vitals are all looking good Professor,” Daryl commented, checking and then re-checking the instrument calibrations. “And the equipment’s not malfunctioning either.”
Oak chuckled with amazement. “I’ve heard about Mew’s before. So rare that they’re considered a mirage by everyone. They’ve only been referenced to in legends and ancient hieroglyphics.”
“It’s a Mew?”
“Yup,” Sarah said watching the procedure. “Based upon her morphology as well as cross-checking the old folk tales, I’ve managed to conclude that the little sick Pokémon you had on your bed was a Mew.”
“So she’s really that rare?” Denny asked, smiling at Mew. The Pokémon saw him, smiled and floated over, body tackling him out of his chair.
“She is, and she seems to like you.” Oak replied. “Considering you probably brought her back from the brink of death, I’m not surprised.
The young man looked at Oak, and then back at the Mew who was currently holding onto his shirt and digging her face into his chest. He smiled and pet her, feeling the small Pokémon purr under his touch.
“So Mew, want to live with me?”
The Pokémon stared at him for a minute before her eyes started to tear up and she shouted with joy. “MEW!” hugging him more.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.” Oak stated, catching both human and Pokémon by surprise at his serious tone and the dark aura that seemed to be surrounding him.
“What? Why?” Denny pleaded.
“For starters, you aren’t certified by the Pokémon Indigo League for the care and training of Pokémon.”
Oh yeah, Denny thought. I never took the entrance exams, or went to the classes for them…
“Since you aren’t certified, you can’t have this Mew as a pet. I’m sorry Denny but you’ll have to let her go.”
“What? Can’t I keep her? Even if I’m not competing in the League?”
“No.” the professor said, turning away and looking out the window. "The law is clear on this. Pokémon are dangerous and at many times unpredictable. Their evolution is much more rapid and random than other organisms. While it may take regular animals thousands of generations of individuals to evolve, a Pokémon can evolve multiple times within a fraction of the time. It’s not evolution by the normal definition, but it is evolution when relating to the Pokémon itself. Without a proper license you can’t keep any Pokémon, even as pets.”
Denny could feel his world crashing down. He had helped pull Mew back from the edge of death, and now he was supposed to let her go back into the wild, to let her face her fate alone.
“Professor! Is there any way I can take the exam? I know the test was today, but isn’t there an online or written version or something?!”
“I’m afraid not.” Oak replied. “The test is scheduled months in advance and you have to take an extensive study course, even more rigorous than for high school placement, and pass in the top quarter percentile in order to even be considered for a license. Without the weeks of testing there’s no way you can pass the exam and get your license.”
“So…” his spirits sank down into the pit of the abyss. “There’s nothing… I can do.”
There was a glean in Professor Oak’s eye as he made his next point. “However… I am officially certified to administer and proctor the exam at any point in the season.”
Denny looked up at Oak. Surprise causing his eyes to widen. “Wha-You?”
Oak turned around and looked down at Denny. “If you really want to keep Mew, then you’ll have to study for and pass the Indigo League Entrance Exam in less than a week. The season officially starts at the end of the week, so if you really want to do this, you better get started.”
His eyes widened as he realized the possibility before him. Jumping without thinking he hugged Professor Oak. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” as Oaks interns stared on, dumbfounded that someone had actually hugged the professor and Mew giggled with a big smile.
* * *
While more than a little annoyed at Denny’s sudden choice to join the Indigo League, his mother was supportive none-the less. For the next three days, from the moment he got home from school, to the moment right before bed, Denny was over at Oak’s, getting tutored by Sarah or Daryl in the training and handling of Pokémon, the theories on the factors that affect their evolution, their relationships with other animals, and interactions with humans.
Between Sarah’s instruction on the life histories of Pokémon, and Daryl’s explanation of Pokémon evolution, Denny was able to see that despite their eccentric house-keeping they were very intelligent and were Professor Oak’s assistants for a reason.
The day of the test came, and Denny had even stayed up late the night before studying for it. It had suddenly become more important than his art, as sketches were left un-finished on his drafting table, gathering dust. Mew was currently staying at Professor Oak’s laboratory, although occasionally she would sneak through and visit Denny right before he crashed for the night, then returning to Oak’s lab.
By the end of the week, Denny waited in Oak’s lab, dreading the results. The Training Season started tomorrow, and Oak was still grading his Exam. He felt so stressed about it. So much information there that he had to know, and a lot of it he had just spaced on while taking the test.
“Oh don’t worry Denny,” Sarah commented. “I’m sure that you did fine. With my private instruction I’m sure you’ll pass.”
“And even if you don’t, you can try again in a few weeks after the season’s underway,” Daryl pipped in. The comment made Denny even more nervous.
“You’re not helping.” Sarah batted Daryl with a paper fan while the Mew comforted Denny, now descending into the darkness of his depression.
The scene was interrupted as Professor Oak came out of his office, a sollumn look on his face.
Denny looked up at the professor, “Well? How’d I do?”
“Well…” Oak started. “You obviously misunderstood the basic design and transport system of the Pokéball, the validity of human-Pokémon interaction in the 1600’s, and I don’t even want to know what you thought the Bernullie’s Principle of Elemental Stone Radiation was!”
Denny could feel his body shatter like his hopes and dreams.
“Despite that… you managed to pass at the low end of the required score.” Oak added with a smile.
Between Denny, Sarah, and Daryl, their face-fault caused the collected and organized trash in the office to come piling down on them once again.
After digging themselves out, and another voice of concern from Oak, the Pokeémon professor presented Denny with a single Pokéball.
“Now, I’ve already given away the usual starter Pokémon of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle to those who passed their exams. Since this is an example of extenuating circumstances, this Pokéball is empty and new. So I’ll have to go and catch one from just outside Pallet to be your starter. After some time and experience you can be able to care for Mew.” Oak picked up his coat and held the ball, heading for the door. “I should be ba----ACK!”
With a burst of speed that no one could follow with their eyes, Mew knocked the Professor to the ground (or rather on top of trash that the assistants still hadn’t cleaned) from behind, causing the ball to be sent flying into the air. Denny, Sarah, and Daryl scrambled for it, jumping over chairs and tables and slipping on trash. Denny managed to have his hand on the ball last, before slipping on a plastic wrapper and the ball ended up flying into the air once more. Landing on Mew.
The young Pokémon was surrounded in a burst of light as the Pokéball split in half along the black stripe dividing the red and white halves. Energy from the capture process crackled through the lab as the two halves of the Pokéball collapsed and sealed around Mew as the Pokémon’s genetic information and body were both digitized and recorded inside the device.
Everyone watched as the Pokéball dropped to the ground and bounced twice. It wobbled as the knob glowed a bright red. Rocking back and forth, it was seen that the Mew was fighting, or was it? The Pokéball continued to wobble, for far longer than even Professor Oak had seen Pokémon struggle. When it stopped, about two minutes after Mew had been sealed inside, did the knob stop turning red, and a light chime ringed through the office.
“Did… did she willingly go in?” Sarah asked, surprised at what had happened.
“No,” Daryl replied. “It’s a fluke at best. A Mew wouldn’t let itself be captured… would it?”
Denny looked at the still Pokéball, resting there on the ground. The knob was no longer blank, it had a numeric one in the center of the knob. Resting on the floor of the office, Denny carefully crawled his way closer and reached out to pick up the Pokéball. As the tips of his fingers touched it, the ball exploded with a bright light, and the light materialized into Mew. There was no sign of the ball left.
However, Mew did have one thing she didn’t have before the Pokéball fell and encased her. On her left thigh was a circular marking, looking similar to the knob on the Pokéball. In the center of it was a numeric one.
Mew had been caught.
“Pro-pro-Professor!” Daryl shouted.
“I see it, you don’t have to yell,” Oak replied. “From the looks of things, it would appear that Mew is Denny’s starting Pokémon. It’s poetic actually.”
“Professor, what are you saying?!” Sarah shouted back. “You do know that the Indigo League rules state that a new trainer must be given one of three Pokémon for their specific region and designation. For the Kanto Region we give out Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. All three are easy to raise and have level depositions. If they are not available through the breeders than on rare occasions can someone get a wild Pokémon from the surrounding land. You know this! If the League found out they could revoke your license as well as Denny’s. Especially after how hard he worked to pass that exam.”
“This is true, however Mew is a wild Pokémon from the surrounding land.”
“You don’t know that for sure. Mew has never been spotted in this hemisphere before. Who knows where she came from?” Daryl added in.
“Does it really matter?” Denny said.
The argument between the three of them stopped. Denny held Mew in his arms, holding her close to his chest, but careful not to crush her.
“I mean… If Mew really wanted to be captured, and then stay with me, then what’s the harm in letting her be my first Pokémon? She’s back to full health, and she’s come by to visit me every day before the exam. If I passed, why not?”
“It could mean your expulsion from the League, and losing every Pokémon you’ve ever caught, including her.” Oak replied. “Are you sure you want to take that risk?”
“Yeah,” Denny replied with a purring Mew in his arms. “Yeah I am.”
Professor Oak smiled. “Well I’ll put in an exceptional circumstance report for you in with the Indigo League. Oh! Speaking of which…” Oak ducked through a doorway and returned a few minutes later. In his hands was a rectangular object, red and black in color. A golden “PM” was embroidered on the cover. There was a thumb-print sized button on the lower right side and a thin slit at the upper end, above the “PM.”
“Here’s your identification for the League, your Pokédex.” He handed the Pokédex to Denny.
Denny let Mew go, and the Pokémon floated up and rested on top of his head. He pressed the button and a holographic screen popped up showing his picture, his name, his basic information, and even the date of when he was given the exam and received his certification.
“It keeps track of all information on Pokémon. Their average size, weight, moves they’ve been known to learn, a recording of what moves yours have already learned, population distributions, effectiveness of attacks, allows you to send e-mails, messages, keep track on your progress within the League…”
“Professor you better stop before you confuse him too much.” Sarah interrupted. “He’s already under enough stress already.”
“True, however there is one thing that the Pokédex is also good for. Keeping track of the Pokémon that you have seen or captured. It’s recorded at your personal file within the League, and currently the ‘dex recognizes your first Pokémon. You can even name them and the Pokédex can recall their information by any nickname you give them.”
“A nickname?” Denny said, looking at that very option right now. He looked up at Mew, who looked down at him with her big blue eyes and soft pink fur. Two near-extremes of the color spectrum, a rainbow of possibilities.
“That’s it,” he said as he started typing in the letters for the name of his first catch.
“What did you name her?” Daryl asked.
He held Mew softly, petting her as she lay on his head. “Niji,” he said softly. “For the rainbow she represented when I first met her, a bright direction, and going on to the next horizon.”
Professor Oak smiled. He could see a little bit of himself in Denny right now. The joy of having your first Pokémon, the excitement of chasing the end of the rainbow. He even remembered his first Pokémon and the color of the sky on the day he left home.
“Well,” Oak said, near tears himself. “Let’s make sure you get yourself set up. The season officially starts tomorrow and any battles or caught Pokémon before that are not considered in the League Standings calculations.”
* * *
The day came, and despite Denny’s lack of enthusiasm for starting his own journey earlier that week, he was restless today. Niji was excited too. For some reason she refused to return to her Pokéball form for Denny to carry her around with, and the mark she had on her leg wasn’t going to trick anyone that she was a wild Pokémon. Through some last minute arrangements, his mom had gotten him some basic supplies and his own stuff Denny had enough to get started on. In addition to his allowance his parents had managed to scrape together a starting amount of about Ą200 extra.
So now Denny had the money, his first Pokémon, enough gear to get him started and hopefully see him through the season. If what he had heard was correct, when battling it was required by the League to present the victor of a match with a cash reward for winning. This usually came out of the loser’s pocket, and never more than half of their current account. The Pokédex also included a connection to the trainer’s bank account, doubling as a debit card and a bank statement, which would automatically transfer the divvied funds.
Such a handling of money lessened the drain on the parents of Trainers, but also helped to stabilize the economy as well.
With his pack set, Denny headed out, hugging and kissing his mother one last time, and then started north from Pallet towards Viridian City. Granted, walking would take more time than just driving there, but not much was ever accomplished by driving everywhere. He knew that there were dozens of kids just like him leaving Pallet Town. Ash, Gary and Giselle had already left… or so he thought.
Giselle was leaving Pallet too, however she was a few hours behind Ash and Gary. The rivalry between the two left them running of at the first opportunity, while she still worked on getting some of her clothes packed and all that she would need on the trip, trying to convince her parents that three suitcases of clothes were necessary. Her parents had won the argument. She started along the main road out of town when she spotted Denny heading up the road already.
She had seen a few trainers leave already, but none of them had their Pokémon out walking with them. It just wasn’t done. And besides that, Denny claimed he hadn’t taken the League entrance exams earlier that week. But there he was, walking out of Pallet, with a Pokémon on his shoulder!
“Hey! Denny!” she shouted, running up towards him.
Stopping when he had heard his name, Denny looked back towards the voice, and saw Giselle running up to him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
Slightly confused as to why she seemed upset, he just bluntly answered, “On the road to Viridian City?”
Almost face-faulting, she corrected herself and asked it another way. “No, I mean why do you have a Pokémon with you? You never took the test!”
“Actually… I did. Professor Oak let me take it,” he replied, chuckling nervously.
“Then what kind of Pokémon did he give you?” she said leaning in and eyeing Niji suspiciously. “It looks like a rat-type, but I haven’t seen anything like it before. It’s too cute to be a Rattata, and no way it’s a Pidgey or Spearow…”
“I named her Niji,” he said, petting the Mew and scratching behind her ear. The Psychic-Type let out a soft purr.
“Well whatever you named her,” Giselle said in her usual over-bearing ‘holier-than-thou’ tone. “I don’t believe that Professor Oak, who is bound by the Indigo League Rules for new Trainers, would let someone who didn’t take the exam on the correct date have a Pokémon.” She pulled out a Pokéball with a one on the knob holding it out in a ‘look-what-I-have’ way before continuing, “And to prove it, I’ll battle you and your Niji Pokémon! Go!” she tossed the ball into the air. “Turtley!”
In a contortion of light, the Pokéball exploded, vaporizing and turning into self-manipulative energy. The energy collected at the ground and started to condense, turning into a small figure. When the light faded, Denny was able to see what Pokémon Giselle had chose for her starter. It was small and stout, with a bald head, large eyes, moderately proportioned limbs, and a curly tail. The main body, however, was a thick, turtle-like, shell. White on the bottom and an earth-brown on top. The Pokémon had a blue tint to its skin and when it announced its presence, its voice was like someone was gurgling mouthwash.
“Squirtle!” it shouted, ready for a fight.
Niji floated off Denny’s shoulder and hid behind him.
“Wha? Niji?” he exclaimed, watching as his only Pokémon was hiding behind him from a challenger.
“I’ll just weaken it and take it then. It’s too cute to belong to you anyway. Water Gun!” Giselle ordered.
“Giselle, wait!” Denny retorted, holding his hands up to stop the attack.
It didn’t work.
Turtley inhaled before unleashing a constant stream of water that hit Denny square in the chest. Soaking through his clothes and knocking the wind out of him. The human landed hard on his back, sliding back from the recoil.
Denny coughed, trying to get some air back into his lungs. “*cough* Ow… *gasp* That hurt.”
“Fufufu!” Giselle laughed. “I knew it! You don’t have a real Pokémon because you didn’t take the test. What?”
Denny pushed himself back up, and saw Niji, floating in the air between him and Giselle’s Squirtle.
“Mew!” she yelled.
“What?!” Giselle exclaimed. “It’s.. It’s flying?!”
“Niji!” Denny shouted.
“Go get it, Tackle!”
The Squirtle took a half step back before flinging himself forward, prepared to make contact with Niji. Floating, Niji just flipped over and around Turtley as the turtle Pokémon missed.
Damn, now what?! Denny’s mind raced as he watched Niji float around Turtley’s attacks. Wait.. he started digging for the Pokédex he received from Oak the other day. The professor said that this thing has a list of all the attacks that Pokémon could know. Finding it and activating it, a small holographic screen popped up and he started to shift through the options for some idea of what moves Niji could know.
Giselle watched Denny pull out a Pokédex and activate it. He was frantically searching for something. Did Professor Oak really issue him a Liscence?
“Why won’t this thing tell me anything about what moves Niji can know?!” Denny mumbled.
“Turtley, Tail Whip!”
Changing tactics, the Squirtle spun around and used the length of his tail to whap against Niji, taking the Mew off guard by the maneuver. Niji floated backwards to get away from the attack.
“Now, Tackle!”
Turtley spun again, this time using the momentum from the spin to get a good start before launching himself into a full-body tackle that connected with the much smaller Pokémon. Size was a definite factor in this fight. While Niji was about three-fourths the size of the Squirtle, she was much more nimble because she could fly and just seemed to be avoiding his attacks. However her dodges were driven more by fear than any actual inclination of dodging to counter-attack.
Denny continued to frantically look through the Pokédex looking for any known attacks that Niji should know. He hadn’t taken the time to effectively search through the program, and was getting useless information. As he searched a red warning started flashing in a separate window:
WARNING: Niji Health Decreasing at a steady rate.
“Niji!” he shouted, running with the two Pokémon as Niji continued to dodge Turtley’s attacks. “You have to attack back! If that Squirtle makes another hit like before...”
“Don’t let up! Water Gun!” Giselle commanded.
Another jet of water blasted forth from the Squirtle’s mouth, hitting Niji despite her dodging ability. The Mew crashed to the ground, soaked from the attack. She started to push herself back up, weakened, but wanting to escape, fear in her eyes.
“One more time!” Giselle told her Pokémon.
“STOP!” Denny shouted as he got between Turtley and Niji. Holding his arms wide.
“What are you doing?!” Giselle shouted as her Squirtle. “You can’t interfere in a battle like that!”
“This match is over Giselle.” He solemnly said. “Niji doesn’t want to fight, and I’m not going to force her to.” Looking up at Giselle, determination in his yes.
Giselle and Turtley watched as Denny turned around and picked up the Mew. She was battered, and bruised and panting, fear still clinging to her mind.
“Niji,” Denny said softly, holding her to comfort the little Pokémon. “I didn’t know that you don’t want to fight. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop or do anything to help you then. You don’t have to fight, and you never will if you don’t want to. Don’t be afraid anymore, I’m here, and I’ll still be with you.” Niji was crying softly, and curled into a ball in Denny’s arms. He stood up, carefully rocking the Mew in his arms and keeping her close so that she wouldn’t be afraid.
“Denny,” Giselle started to say. “I…-!” She was interrupted by her Pokédex receiving a message, letting out a warning beep.. She took out the device and checked it. The holo-screen popped up and she was surprised at the message:
Giselle Envio vs Denny Roth
Trainer IDs
764255 vs 926374
Turtley vs Niji
Victor: Giselle
Giselle has received Ą100 for Winning
End Message
No way, she thought. He was telling the truth! Denny does have a trainer license. Denny started walking back down the hill towards Pallet, carrying the Mew in his arms once again.
“Denny!” she shouted.
“I’m going to get Niji some rest and help. If I leave a day later than I planned, it’s okay. I don’t want Niji to get hurt like that again,” he replied, not stopping.
“Then train her! Train her to be strong and she won’t get hurt!” Giselle shouted back. “Next time I see you I want a rematch! So you better get good quick!” And like that she recalled her Squirtle and kept on moving.
Denny didn’t care about battling really. Especially now after the way Niji seemed to fear fighting. He couldn’t blame the young Pokémon. He didn’t like fighting as a kid, and forcing Pokémon to battle was almost the same thing. But even so, there were times when one had to stand up.
“Niji,” he said softly, getting the Mew’s attention. She looked up at him with wet eyes and tear-stained cheeks. “I know you don’t like to fight, but I want you to understand something that I’ve come to realize. There’s a time to fight, a time to talk, and a time to run. You don’t have to fight all the time, because running away is a good option. If you can talk or diffuse a situation before it breaks down, that’s good too. However there are times to fight, like when people you care about are in danger and you want to protect them, or there’s something wrong that you have to risk yourself to correct.” He stopped for a moment, remembering what happened after he got hit with the Water Gun attack. “But you were willing to fight after I got attacked, I thank you for that. You shouldn’t have to fight, but you shouldn’t be afraid to bleed either.”
Niji looked up at him as he stared into her eyes. She was clamed by his words, his surface thoughts of calm, caring, and his own stubbornness to be there. She smiled, and as they returned back home, Niji was purring in his arms.
* * *
A few hours behind what he originally planned, Denny and Niji were back on the road. Much of the original celebration for the starting trainers was over, and the other trainers had left town for their own adventures.
For Niji and Denny, it was the start of something scary, awe-inspiring, and wonderful at the same time.
And he was going to draw every bit of it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
For those new to the outside world, it can be a dangerous and wonder-filled place. Danger lurks around every corner, and discovery is just around the bend. As Denny and Niji start on their own journey for their own adventure, they run into some complications as they meet another trainer who refuses to back down from any match she’s in.
Next: A Burning Passion.
Originally Posted by Zorak
