Pokèmon, Asylum of the Devitory Style, X!

[Mewfour]

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's time!

********************
Pokèmon, Asylum of the Devitory Style, X!

Venombadge Saga

Chapter I- The Single Step
********************

"Happy birthday, to you!"

Rob's mother applauded, in spite of the empty chairs around them at the table. Rob smiled sheepishly, rolling his eyes at his mother's enthusiasm. "Thanks, mom," he said, looking at the flames dancing on the candles that decorated the cake in front of him.

"Oh, look at you," she cheered, wrapping her arms around Rob's shoulders, "sixteen already!"

Rob gave a little squirm. "Mom, come on," He moaned.

His mother tightened her clutch on him. "What, I'm not allowed to give my son a hug anymore?" She asked, releasing him to ruffle his shaggy dark hair. "Spending those years in school year-round just to graduate early? Oh, my little over-achiever!"

"It was just to get it done and over with, so I could get on with the journey," Said Rob, fixing his hair his way again.

"Oh of course," She said, "it's all about the journey. Going to be just like Tom."

Rob took a short breath in, and blew out the candles. "For good luck," He thought to himself, "I'm going to need it."

"Made your wish already? It was about that Hudson girl, wasn't it?"

"Mom, I told you already, it's not like-"

The sound of the front door opened. "Hello?" Came a girl's voice, "Rob?"

Rob's mother gave him a teasing smile. "No, I didn't!" Rob quietly hissed as he stood up, stepping out of their tiny kitchen. He soon returned with a thicker young woman his age.

"Hi Mrs. Nuveau," She said. "Did you get my text, Rob?"

Rob fished the cellphone out of his jeans pocket, and looked at the screen. "I did now," He said. "The reception in this tiny town is awful. Sorry we started without you, Tia, we didn't know how long you'd be."

"That's okay," She said, adjusting her thick-rimmed glasses as they sat down at the table, "Just in time for cake!"

"And presents!" Said Rob's mother, with a polka-dot box in her arms. "And I promise it's not more sweaters this year."

Rob reached out and lifted the lid of the box off, and peered inside. His eyes widened. "I don't believe it!" He exclaimed. Rob reached into the box, and pulled out a large, thick book, hundreds of pages long. The smiling face of an older man greeted him on the cover, sporting a familiar blonde stripe in his hair. "Is this volume three?"

"A Brief Summary of My Adventures, Volume Three," Recited his mother, "That's the new one you wanted, isn't it?"

"This isn't even out yet! How did you get this?"

Rob's mother grinned. "Being a former gym leader has its advantages," She said.

Tia leaned forward. "There's something else in there," She said.

Rob tilted the box towards him, and pulled out a thin, red plastic case. The case suddenly sprung open, and a blank screen looked back at him. "A Pokèdex? Is this... dad's?"

"Yes, yes it is your father's," Said his mother, dabbing at her eyes. "I think he would have wanted you to have it."

Rob stood up, and gave his mother a hug. "Thanks, mom," He said. "I'll take good care of it." Then, he turned back to the table. "Alright, enough touchy stuff, let's get some cake."

********************

The gate to the house closed behind them, and Rob let out a loud sigh of relief. "Thank fuck I'm finally out of there," He muttered.

He and Tia headed down the gravel road. "I know how you feel," She said, brushing her long black hair out of her eyes. "Its gotta' get pretty claustrophobic in that tiny little house, even if it is just you and your mom."

Rob looked to his left. A flock of Deekachees flew though the sky in the distance. Rob pulled out his Pokèdex. "Deekachee, the little bird Pokèmon," The Pokèdex spat out. "The red crest on its head regulates its body temperature, and is warm to the touch."

Rob flipped the Pokèdex closed, and slipped it in his pocket. "Can't wait to finally get my first Pokèmon," He said, "Finally get out there and see the world."

"Can't wait to finally marry Tom Simms, more like it," Tia teased. "I'm sure your mom would be heartbroken."

Rob rolled his eyes. "I swear she already has our wedding booked and planned," he muttered.

"You told her, right?"

"Like it makes a difference."

********************

The sliding doors to the laboratory whirred open. Rob and Tia stepped inside, amazed at all the flashing lights that dotted the machines crammed into the room. A tall man in a lab coat, hunched over a desk in the middle, looked up at them briefly. "Oh, you must be the new licensees," He said, taking off his glasses, folding his books closed, and standing up.

Rob reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and flipped up the clear card holder flap. "Just got it this morning," He said. "I'm not going to pull a Tom Simms."

Tia rolled her eyes, pulling her license from her purse. "You never get tired of talking about him, do you?"

"He's the reason I'm here," Said Rob, putting away his wallet. "Well, that and a Pokèmon of my own! Where are they?"

The professor laughed. "Patience, young Kricketot," He said. "We're waiting for a third."

The sound of footsteps came from behind them. Rob and Tia turned around to see a lanky, slouching boy their own age, glaring at them from between the curtains of wildly dyed hair drooping down by his face. "I'm not late, am I, professor Arbor?"

He stepped briskly between Rob and Tia, bumping his shoulder against Rob's as he passed. "Hey, watch it, asshole," Rob quietly growled.

"Will, good to see you again," Said Arbor. "Now that we're all here, let's pair you three up."

Arbor walked towards his left, and pressed a panel on the wall. The panel swung down to form a shelf, revealing a compartment. Three Pokèballs sat on the red velvet lining of the compartment, resting in a neat row. Arbor gave each one a tap, and they sprung open, their contained energy leaping out and materializing on the floor in front of them.

"Sporelette!"

"Vessi!"

"Cephalo!"

The white Pokèmon with a big red mushroom cap for a head waddled forward, looking up at Tia. "Aww, I can't say no to eyes like that," She said. This one- Sporelette, right? This one's mine."

Rob took out his Pokèdex. "Sporelette, the mushroom Pokèmon," Said the Pokèdex. "It uses a variety of spore attacks to inflict damage on its aggressors."

Rob looked down at the last two. The dark grey Pokèmon with what looked like a volcano on its head looked back up at him, while the bright blue octopus slithered its way over to Will. "Vessi!" The little gray Pokèmon chimed, letting a cloud of smoke puff from his volcano.

"This one's mine," Rob said quickly, glancing daggers at Will through the corners of his eyes.

Will, thoroughly ignoring Rob, reached down and let his hand dangle above the last Pokèmon. The Pokèmon lifted up a tentacle, wrapping it around Will's fingers. "Cepha!" It chimed. Rob aimed his Pokèdex at Vessi and the Cephalo.

"Vessi, the lava Pokèmon. It can project flaming rocks from the volcano on its head. Cephalo, the tentacle Pokèmon. It has been known to utilize strange, unexplained powers."

"It seems we're decided," Said Arbor, handing the Pokèballs to the trio. One by one, their Pokèmon were zapped inside, and the Pokèballs shrunk down to their travel size.

"Thanks for helping us out, professor," Said Tia, stuffing Sporelette's Pokèball in her purse.

Arbor grinned. "It's all part of the job," He said, "Now go have the adventure of your lives."

********************

As soon as the three of them stepped out onto the bright, sunny streets of Emcork Town, Will suddenly darted in front of Rob, causing Rob to stumble to a stop. "Don't think I didn't notice you eying me down back there," He said, his dark long jacket flowing in the breeze. With a flash, He had his Cephalo's Pokèball in hand, "Let's see what you're made of."

Rob pulled out Vessi's Pokèball, and in a flash, Vessi appeared in front of them. Will unleashed Cephalo, and the two Pokèmon stared each other down. Will crouched down beside Cephalo, and whispered something to him. Rob did the same, leaning close to Vessi. "He shouldn't be able to use any water attacks yet," Whispered Rob, "don't be afraid to get in his face and stay there." Vessi nodded, and refocused his glare on Cephalo. Then, looking at Tia, Rob said, "Care to do the honors?"

Tia nodded. "Alright, start!"

"Vessi, Tackle!"

"Cephalo," Will commanded, "Wrap!"

Vessi lunged forward and pounced onto the Cephalo, driving him into the ground. The Cephalo wrapped one of its six arms around Vessi's paw, throwing him to the side. The Cephalo coiled another tentacle around Vessi's other front paw, and slithered on top of him. As the Cephalo's grip tightened, Vessi winced in pain. The Cephalo glanced back at Will briefly, before focusing on Vessi again. Vessi rolled over, throwing the Cephalo off of him as he tugged his paws free. With both of them back upright, Rob called out, "Now, Vessi! Tackle him again!"

Vessi bolted into the Cephalo, knocking it upside down. The Cephalo glanced at Will again, before wiggling its way back right side up. Then, with a tired wail, his tentacles splayed out in a collapse, and his entire body sagged in defeat. "Cepha..." He whined.

"Alright!" Rob cheered as Vessi danced in a circle.

Cephalo was zapped back into his Pokèball, and Will shrugged. "So you won," He said, "but it doesn't mean you're better."

As Will turned around and headed down the street, Tia snorted. "What a prick," She muttered.

"Doesn't matter," Said Rob, patting Vessi on the back, "We showed him."

Tia grimaced. "I'm not so sure about that," She said. "At the end, didn't you notice him wink? Right when Cephalo was down?"

"He... he did?"

Tia nodded. "He definitely did. I think he let you win."

Rob was stunned. "He threw the fight? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Said Tia, "but I get the feeling he's the plotting type."

Rob looked down the road at Will in the distance. "Yeah," He said, "I'm sure we'll meet again..."

********************
The Asylum's note:

And here we are, at long last! It's been years in the making, and the 20th anniversary of the original PADS! is finally upon us! This chapter was actually written years ago, and it finally sees the light of day! Hi, future me! Give your now-fiancee and future wife a hug for us! Assuming you haven't screwed that up yet!

So in case you haven't noticed, PADSX will feature all original Pokèmon, from my X-Dex project. Of course, we'll also see the official ones, but that will be later... much later.

- The Asylum
********************