A Pokemon Tale Part I: The Journey Begins

Prologue/Chapter 1

The rank and skill of a Trainer is signified not by how many Pokémon a trainer has, but rather by the amount of Gym Badges they have won from the Gym Leaders. In every major city, a League-Certified Gym Leader accepts challenges from up-and coming trainers. Every so often, a tournament is held at the Indigo Plateau to decide the current Champion of the Pokémon League. To be qualified for this tournament, a trainer must defeat all eight of the Gym Leaders in Kanto. Most often, an Elite Four member wins the championship.

It's been a long time since a trainer has defeated all of the Gym Leaders. Red was daydreaming as he put on his cap. I'll make this town proud. I'll do it for Pallet Town!

Pallet Town was a small cozy town that many would take for granted. It had a nice little beach to the south. Sail south across the ocean and one would reach Cinnabar Island, a tropical island with a volcano who's smoke can sometimes be seen in Pallet Town. To the north, Route 1 winds up the hillsides to Viridian City. If it weren't for Professor Oak's Pokémon research lab, Pallet Town probably wouldn't even be on the map.

Professor Oak had long been known as Kanto's leading expert on Pokémon. He was a nice old man, who was once a strong Trainer in his youth. At one time, he was a member of the Elite Four. Now, he lives alongside Pokémon studying their habits and behaviors, and giving new Trainers like Red a start in the world of Pokémon.

How would one describe what a Pokémon was? Well in our world there are plants and animals. Pokémon could be attributed to these. Yet besides just the plants and animals, they take the shapes of rocks, otherwise inanimate objects, and other things that we would not know what to call it. Each Pokémon has a type or element that its power specializes in. There is Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Rock, Ground, Poison-well you get the picture.

Red was going to go and see Professor Oak to receive his first Pokémon. Oak had ordered three special, rare Pokémon for this occasion, each one a different type, each one with unbelievable potential. They had been bred from the Pokémon of former great trainers. Each one was different, with their own personalities.

Red walked down the stairs in his house to find his mom watching the news intently. "It's a big day for you, Red. Breakfast?" Red sat down and also looked at the television.

"No thanks, mom. I'm too excited!" Red saw the live news coverage and began to watch also. "So what's going on?"

"Last night those scientists down on Cinnabar Island had a little mix up," his mother said. "Apparently they and their Pokémon were digging for fossils and they hit an underground gas chamber by the Volcano. Their whole lab was destroyed."

"Wow, that sucks," said Red.

"Oh that's not the worst of it, dear," Red's mom had a habit of dragging on and on. "They didn't even have insurance on that darn lab. Can you believe the money they'll have to spend if they replace it? I tell you, son, if you ever decide to build a lab make sure you have insurance, or you'll be grounded, mister."

"Yeah, yeah," assured Red. The news reporter was now interviewing two men, one, a tall young man with spiky hair and a cape. The other was a shorter middle-aged bald man with a large white mustache. "Mom look! That's Lance of the Elite Four!"

"I'm here with Lance of the Elite Four and the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader Blaine," the reporter began. "What can you tell us of last night's incident?"

"Upon further investigation, it was just a natural gas explosion," the bald man began. "No Pokémon or people were seriously injured, were just happy that the lab was the only thing seriously harmed."

"Thank you Blaine, it's good to see a Gym leader taking part in his community. Lance, do you have anything to add?" The reporter directed her microphone to the other.

"No Cheryl, Blaine just about covered it," Lance put his hand on the old man's shoulder. "I just came to give the people some hope here on Cinnabar Island." He waved to the crowd and was greeted by a round of applause and cheering. "No one inspires more than the Pokémon League Champion, eh?"

"How wonderful and thoughtful of you, Lance to take the time out of your busy schedule to bring some good cheer to these citizens on this lovely island..."

Red had heard just about enough. It went from an action packed explosion story, to an unfortunate accident, to a public relations party. When I'm champion, I'll stick to my Pokémon battling and training. Red thought. He said goodbye to his mom and walked out the front door, and started towards Professor Oak's Pokémon Lab.

Cinnabar Island-

"And stop rolling," Cheryl the news reporter told her cameraman. As her news team prepared to pack up and leave, her eyes turned to Lance. "I'm free tonight and I think I'll hang around over by the resort by the beach if you're looking for me, you hunk." She winked at him and strutted away.

Lance looked at Blaine, a smile on his face. "Sorry about your lab, man."

"Oh don't worry about it," reassured Blaine. "I've got another one over by my Gym."

Lance chuckled, voice still light as if he was joking, yet it still retained a warning tone. "You know it's kinda funny," he began, "that a natural gas chamber under an active volcano blows up, destroys nothing but a building...but there's no smoke in the sky. Yeah, sounds kinda silly to me. Go, Dragonite!"

He threw a red and white capsule up into the air, a flash of white light appeared, and there stood a tall robust golden dragon-like Pokémon with friendly eyes and a smiling mouth. Lance caught the capsule on its way down and put it back into a pocket in his cape.

"You're leaving?" asked Blaine. "What about Cheryl the newswoman?" he joked.

Lance hopped on Dragonite's back. "Yeah, I've got to give my report to my other three colleagues. Besides, Lorelei would kill me if she caught me with that lady. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll meet again soon."

Blaine chuckled. "Alright, youngster." He watched Dragonite lift off from the ground, its relatively small but powerful wings fluttering in the air. And just like that, in a burst of speed, Lance and Dragonite were but a speck in the northern sky.

"I remember the first time we had a battle, Lance," Blaine said. "Of course, you did beat me the second time, and now you're the reigning Champion." Blaine picked up his cell phone and dialed 8 on speed-dial. He got through to his intended caller.

"Lance has left sir," he began. "I think we should keep an eye on him."